When Did It Change?

[Newlife2 55]

When I was a youngster they were BB guns and pellet guns. When I came back to them 50 years later they are now instruments of precision.

 

I am just wondering which gun caused the shift to where we are today, was it the HW77?..

Looking forward to your insights..

[bigmac 97kt 13,751]

I would say the hw77 had a part to play in it

 

then came the hw97 witch replaced the 77 both cracking rifles

 

and lets not forget the air sporter

 

but then came along the pcp and well the rest is

 

history

 

atvbmac :thumbs:

[steg 609]

Was wondering that myself..

 

Been gone only 20 years and wow things changed a lot..

Got a lot of catching up to do.

[mark williams 7,550]

Air Arms helped raise the bar a bit too i think.

Best springer i ever shot was the FWB Sport 127 (.22),- i liked it so much i might find another and hunt classic some times ( for the test of myself).

FWB Sport was one of the first steps maybe , 1979 " i think " i got my first 127.

 

 

atb

[oxo 396]

Start of it was John Darling and his exploits with a HW80 imo

[pianoman 3,586]

British Webleys and BSA were the staple air rifle makers that dominated the UK airgun market for decades and between them, they made some beautiful, if a little underpowered, rifles for medium range hunting. But the Germans were the masters of the art when it came to precision accurate hunting air rifles.

 

The first time I saw a seriosly accurate air rifle take the field was from a German maker called ORIGINAL. I had their flagship hunter in the mid/late 1970s The Original 45 ,22 break-barrel. It had a beautiful sporter look and was a very accurate shooter with a variety of ammo. I don't know, maybe they were on the scene too soon ,but they were overtaken by their German rivals Feinwerkbau and Weihrauch.

 

The Feinwerkbau Sport 127 .22 was a rifle I loved too. It was a really accurate cracker of an air rifle and really switched the UK market on to how well an air rifle could perform as a hunting tool. It was also stunningly well made with a rich lustrous blueing usually seen on very expensive deer and stalking rifles. Then came the Weihrauch HW80 which was billed as the most powerful air rifle you could buy. Actually it was its accuracy that made it seem powerful. The HW77 dominated Hunter Field Target competitions from the start and for a time it seemed the only air rifle to have was a German spring rifle from these two makers.

 

Feinwerkbau continue to make world class precision PCPs foir target and 10-metre Olympic shooters But Weihrauch continued to make the best spring air rifles in the business (in my opinion at least) But then the British Air Arms company was formed and brought a series of air rifles that were the first to mount a serious challenge to Weihrauch's dominance of HFT and hunting sport.

Nowadays it's mainly a choice between Air Arms and Weihrauch for quality and precision spring air rifles. The PCP market is also dominated by these two names with a few other players along the way like Daystate. Other British makers such as Logun, Whiscombe and the like seem to have come and gone.

[Rez 4,957]

Start of it was John Darling and his exploits with a HW80 imo

Absolutely. Got me hooked.

[Rez 4,957]

Going on from what pianoman was saying. I think the recipe has been cracked somewhat for the PCP market. There's loads of small manufacturers cropping up from the Eastern block, Poland, Netherlands etc mainly bangin out bull pups and such but there cracking little rifles. After all the internals and idea of how a PCP works is kinda simple.

 

We may see a shift in loyalties in the future, as HW and AA are really only repackaging models of a by gone era. Good ones mind, don't get me wrong. We, as shooters, will want more in the future. Whatever that is, god knows. Air rifles have almost gone as far as they can, I think, in terms of build quality, accuracy and consistency especially from the bigger names. The HW100 is a prime example. It's so damn accurate and well designed. They can't get any more precise and there needs to be a thought towards something else. We have magazines, moderators and regulators etc. What's next?

 

Hopefully it won't be the yanks that put there finger on it.

[pianoman 3,586]

Looks and stying possibly Rez.

 

There will be some advances in the efficiency of air cylinders. Perhaps there will be a smaller cylinder than cutrrently seen, Narrow enough to be completely hidden from view but with no loss of capaicity to provide -100 full-power shots. Spartan ISP rifles are stunnungly beautiful hand-built air rifles with classic full-bore sporter looks. The cylinder is completely hidden from view and the result is a sleek, graceful bolt action rifle. The walnut for their stocks is absolutely beautiful and these rifles are serious money.

But that could be where things will go in future. Smaller, energy efficient cylinders? Regulators?

 

Light weight super strong alloys to make lighter weight spring rifles?

 

Advances in plastics for stocks?

 

Another calibre? .019 say? More precise than 22 ,faster than .20 ?

 

Daystate make a superb regulator for their production rifles as standard fit.?

 

Could be some amazing things to come.

[PeskyWabbits 464]

i think things changed with commonplace PCPs and spring underlevers that were tapless.

When Air Arms morphed from Sussex Armoury they were producing quality kit but still using a tap.

 

After the HW77, we got the Webley Eclipse, BSA Superstar, Diana Firebird 52. Triggers and loading mechanisms were suddenly being taken seriously.

 

The explosion of FT competitions seemed to give the industry a jolt. Airguns were suddenly acceptable.

 

I think the future will be regulators in PCPs as standard and maybe licencing to allow the development of 12fp +

Lets's face it. The 12 foot pound limit is like the man walking in front of a car with a red flag.

 

While an FAC air rifle becomes a serious weapon, accidents may become fatalities, But the limit is the real obstacle holding UK manufacturers back on the global market.

[Newlife2 55]

All your replies make being in this fraternity rewarding. Glad I asked the question..

[Deker 3,461]

i think things changed with commonplace PCPs and spring underlevers that were tapless.

When Air Arms morphed from Sussex Armoury they were producing quality kit but still using a tap.

 

After the HW77, we got the Webley Eclipse, BSA Superstar, Diana Firebird 52. Triggers and loading mechanisms were suddenly being taken seriously.

 

The explosion of FT competitions seemed to give the industry a jolt. Airguns were suddenly acceptable.

 

I think the future will be regulators in PCPs as standard and maybe licencing to allow the development of 12fp +

Lets's face it. The 12 foot pound limit is like the man walking in front of a car with a red flag.

 

While an FAC air rifle becomes a serious weapon, accidents may become fatalities, But the limit is the real obstacle holding UK manufacturers back on the global market.

 

I'm not following that, we are there already, and UK manufacturers (not many left) already make plenty of FAC guns!

Edited March 22, 2016 by Deker

[PeskyWabbits 464]

 

i think things changed with commonplace PCPs and spring underlevers that were tapless.

When Air Arms morphed from Sussex Armoury they were producing quality kit but still using a tap.

 

After the HW77, we got the Webley Eclipse, BSA Superstar, Diana Firebird 52. Triggers and loading mechanisms were suddenly being taken seriously.

 

The explosion of FT competitions seemed to give the industry a jolt. Airguns were suddenly acceptable.

 

I think the future will be regulators in PCPs as standard and maybe licencing to allow the development of 12fp +

Lets's face it. The 12 foot pound limit is like the man walking in front of a car with a red flag.

 

While an FAC air rifle becomes a serious weapon, accidents may become fatalities, But the limit is the real obstacle holding UK manufacturers back on the global market.

 

I'm not following that, we are there already, and UK manufacturers (not many left) already make plenty of FAC guns!

 

 

Sorry, I badly worded it.

I think because almost everything in day to day life needs some kind of permit, eventually every airgun will need some kind of register.

Then who will go for a sub 12 foot pound gun?

So the majority will move up a spec.

Yes there are manufacturers that do FAC now but the market will increase and the standard fare will benefit from the improvements in production that allow for stability under increased power.

Does that make sense, or am I rambling.

 

I do wonder if springs will die out and gas ram will take over. A spring does seem a bit archaic.

[The one 8,408]

As my old boss says I don't make changes for changes sake but some changes need making same with air rifle in fact all hunting there just brining in modern Tec knowledge which cant be bad

[Rez 4,957]

What about a PCP with an infinite shot count? It's uses some sort of smart arse device that pulls air in, cleans and compresses it each time the rifle is cocked...

 

I'll just sit back and watch the cash flow in