Why the attraction to pumpers, especially high dollar auction site guns?

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r1lover

r1lover

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Aug 11, 2018
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What is the attraction these days to pumpers, especially those selling for boo-koo bucks on auction sites? Nostalgia?

As a teenager in the '70's I shot a Sheridan Blue Streak and for the life of me I can't recall anything about it that would make owning another one today that attractive. Mine started collecting dust when I bought a new HW35 in 1978 and went in the garbage when I bought a new .20 R1 in 1988.

Somebody please remind me.
 
What is the attraction these days to pumpers, especially those selling for boo-koo bucks on auction sites? Nostalgia?

As a teenager in the '70's I shot a Sheridan Blue Streak and for the life of me I can't recall anything about it that would make owning another one today that attractive. Mine started collecting dust when I bought a new HW35 in 1978 and went in the garbage when I bought a new .20 R1 in 1988.

Somebody please remind me.
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I also see a lot of those going for crazy prices especially on eBay. They are certainly not rare because I see several of them every couple weeks over and over for sale. You can go on the auction site anytime and find plenty of them For sale .I’m probably alone on this one but I actually like my old Crosman 101 multipumper better.And I bought it in great shape used for $150. I see old Benjamin and Sheridans go for much more than that that need a complete rebuild .As far as a non-PCP airgun, I like my HW 50 the best. It’s funny how a person can say they shot more game with their rifle than you did with yours. That’s a bold statement.
 
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I always wanted a Nylon 66 rim fire. Never got one. I've got several really nice 22 lr rifles but I'm tempted to buy a mint 66 just because. I also had a Sheridan silver streak which was as new that I sold for $25 back in the eighties that I sure wish I had. Not because it was that great of a gun but it was a gun my Dad gave me. I miss the gun a little but I miss my Dad a lot more. He's been gone almost 50 years. Old guys get sentimental. And our memories are clouded. An example. I had a car when I was 16 that I thought was just wonderful. Lots of years later I acquired one and just as quickly got rid of it ( cars have improved). So we like old pumpers because? well for any number of reasons. AND for some types of shooting they would be pretty handy (I think) like inside a building where you had a metal roof to consider. Mostly however if I had my old Sheridan I'd just like to look at in a remember. We don't need to talk about it but it's maybe the same with old girl friends. LOL
 
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Bubblerboy64,

Without more responses I'd say sentiment and nostalgia may have a lot to do with it since guys are electing to buy the older models when new pumpers are currently available.

Ripper,

wr250r is surely correct that his old gun took more game than my .20 R1 or for that matter, all my springers combined! I have stated on numerous occasions on this and other forums that I don't hunt with air rifles and if I did there would be many more accomplished enthusiasts than me.

Welcoming all additional comments.

ChrisK
 
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I always wanted a Nylon 66 rim fire. Never got one. I've got several really nice 22 lr rifles but I'm tempted to buy a mint 66 just because. I also had a Sheridan silver streak which was as new that I sold for $25 back in the eighties that I sure wish I had. Not because it was that great of a gun but it was a gun my Dad gave me. I miss the gun a little but I miss my Dad a lot more. He's been gone almost 50 years. Old guys get sentimental. And our memories are clouded. An example. I had a car when I was 16 that I thought was just wonderful. Lots of years later I acquired one and just as quickly got rid of it ( cars have improved). So we like old pumpers because? well for any number of reasons. AND for some types of shooting they would be pretty handy (I think) like inside a building where you had a metal roof to consider. Mostly however if I had my old Sheridan I'd just like to look at in a remember. We don't need to talk about it but it's maybe the same with old girl friends. LOL
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My dad had a Nylon 66 for many years when I was a kid. I would at times get to take it out and shoot squirrels with it. It was brown (wood color) and had that white diamond on the forearm. That was such an accurate rifle and very reliable too. He eventually sold it in the 1980s and got something else. I would love to have one of those too.
 
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I totally get the lure of having a pumper that was just like the one you had as a youngster. And if you do some searching most can be had for a decent price. What I do find most irritating is when people put airguns up for sale and describe them as "rare" or "hard to find" just trying to justify their inflated asking price. Don't get me wrong, there are some airguns that are rare and hard to find, but please don't try to scam folks out of their money.

Ray
 
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Bubblerboy64,

Without more responses I'd say sentiment and nostalgia may have a lot to do with it since guys are electing to buy the older models when new pumpers are currently available.

Ripper,

wr250r is surely correct that his old gun took more game than my .20 R1 or for that matter, all my springers combined! I have stated on numerous occasions on this and other forums that I don't hunt with air rifles and if I did there would be many more accomplished enthusiasts than me.

Welcoming all additional comments.

ChrisK
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I can relate to that because I don’t hunt with my air guns either. I actually haven’t hunted in over 10 years. So I could say that anybody that hunts with their airgun has taken more game than me.I didn’t have any decent air guns when I was a kid because once I got old enough I was into powder burners. But if I did have some nice ones when I was young I would be looking for them again to buy also.My first air gun was a red rider and only shot birds with it. So I’m not even counting that. That’s why I said nice air guns.
 
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Yes..they are cool.
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AirNGasMan pretty much nailed it! I would add "extremely reliable" to his list. My first "real" airgun was a Benjamin 347, has worked great with one rebuild since the first Nixon administration. My second-hand Silver Streak is a couple years older, and also works fine.

I've become very much a vintage springer guy in my dotage, but I really loved that gun as a kid! How can you not find a spot in the rack for a slender 5-pound fixed-barrel rifle that's accurate, recoilless, decently powerful, and has built-in variable velocity and a good trigger?

Those significant advantages do come at the expense of pumping...well, "you get used to it" as they say, LOL! Seriously, not THAT much more time and effort than any other type of self-contained, single shot-action airgun - especially after you figger out you don't need max power every darn shot.

Now would I pay a gazillion bucks at an auction for one? Probably not, but...

86E5F166-4152-473B-9BA7-1D197039C4B4.1643546041.jpeg

 
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Ditto on what AirNGasMan said. I'd add...

1.You can also get nice walnut on them for relatively cheap if your patient. 

2. They're require little to no maintenance. 

3. Up until Crosman just released their 362 there were no modular/lego MSP rifle platforms. Ive already got two 362s, one to mod and one to keep stock. I'm sure as time goes the 362 will become popular. 





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I never had one as a kid, just a cheap $30 Marksman break barrel I got for christmas when I was 12...lol. I only do now for dropping a bid on a Gunbroker auction then finding out later my $170 bid was the winning one. Would I pay twice that since anymore it seems to be the going trend for them? Can't honestly say but I don't for a second regret that bid since the 1973 Silver Streak that got delivered appears to have never been touched and maybe someday I'll add it's cousin in a Bluestreak to keep it company.

Pretty sure AirNGasman covered all the reasons most do. 

My $170 1973 Silver Streak :)

73 Silver Streak.1643554115.jpg
 
 
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Before I introduce Exhibit A, admittedly an extreme example, I'll just say that virtually every obscenely-expensive PCP I've purchased (brand-new) has had some issue(s) that SHOULD NOT be included in a(ny) $1500-3000 pellet gun! Given the benefit of owning the better part of a thousand airguns over the last sixty years, I'll opine that a good vintage multi-pump requiring a little exercise (OH MY GOD!) in exchange for a relaxing therapy session of plinking, hunting, or target shooting is sometimes the only thing keeping me from wrapping a $2000 PCP diva-gun around the nearest tree! 

So without further ado, I submit Exhibit A-

https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/aea-hp-4500-max-357-released-too-early-be-aware-of-safety-liability-issues/?referrer=1





And now, Exhibit B-

RR Sher BS copy.1643568003.jpg

 
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