# Any other airgunners here?



## lizzie

Any other air gunners here?

Airgunning is a hobby that I picked up quite by accident, and without ever expecting to. I build bird houses, and provide housing for purple martins and bluebirds on my property. When I first got into purple martins, I learned that sparrows and starlings are aggressive competitors and have displaced many of our cavity nesting native songbirds, so I hesitantly bought a cheap air rifle from Walmart and started teaching myself to shoot. After spending time at the shooting bench, I learned that I loved target shooting, and although I dont *like* shooting pests, I do it regardless of my impulses. 

This all started about 1 ½ years ago, and has turned into a passion of sorts. I joined an air gunning forum a few months ago, and started learning more and more about the sport. My love of target shooting has turned into a love of collecting air rifles. Heres a few pix of my collection so far:

1994 Crosman model 2100 (an inexpensive but very accurate multi-pump pneumatic)





1991 RWS Diana model 34, made in West Germany before reunification




1963 Benjamin Franklin model 312




1976 Winchester model 435 (made by Diana in Germany for Winchester)




Early 60s Diana model 50




And the queen of my collection, a 1981 Feinwerkbau 124




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## derk

I shoot clay targets. I have a target thrower and we get together and shoot for stuff , Knives  & money its allot of fun. If you like shooting I would recommend it. The flying targets are a challange but with practice you should do ok. And you can get a shotgun like a .410 that barely has any kick to it. We usually shoot all day its a blast!!!


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## lizzie

That's pretty cool. Do you shoot clay with airguns or pb's? I'm just now starting to learn how to target shoot off-hand. It's been a big challenge for me, lol. It is getting better though.


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## lizzie

I guess airguns would be too slow for shooting clay, huh? Just occured to me, duh.


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## westwall

Hi Lizzie, I own an old Beeman C-1 and an even older Diana Model 35 built pre WWII that I still use.  It's deadly on wasps!


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## lizzie

westwall said:


> Hi Lizzie, I own an old Beeman C-1 and an even older Diana Model 35 built pre WWII that I still use. It's deadly on wasps!


 
Wow- my Winchester 435 is a Diana 35, and my favorite gun to shoot. If I could find 10 of them, I'd buy them, lol.


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## derk

lizzie said:


> I guess airguns would be too slow for shooting clay, huh? Just occured to me, duh.



Sound like a blast. I see allot of people who are into paint ball guns and joining clubs and having tounamemnets. It doesn't matter what you shoot the sport is amazing!
Guns are fun!


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## westwall

lizzie said:


> westwall said:
> 
> 
> 
> Hi Lizzie, I own an old Beeman C-1 and an even older Diana Model 35 built pre WWII that I still use. It's deadly on wasps!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Wow- my Winchester 435 is a Diana 35, and my favorite gun to shoot. If I could find 10 of them, I'd buy them, lol.
Click to expand...





Yes it is!  I bought mine from a returning GI back in 1950 when I was a kid.  It has no original finish left but as is usual with German weaponry it still works as good as the day they made it!


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## lizzie

derk said:


> lizzie said:
> 
> 
> 
> I guess airguns would be too slow for shooting clay, huh? Just occured to me, duh.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sound like a blast. I see allot of people who are into paint ball guns and joining clubs and having tounamemnets. It doesn't matter what you shoot the sport is amazing!
> Guns are fun!
Click to expand...

 
Agreed- one of these days, I'll have to see if I can hit a moving target, lol.


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## lizzie

westwall said:


> lizzie said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> westwall said:
> 
> 
> 
> Hi Lizzie, I own an old Beeman C-1 and an even older Diana Model 35 built pre WWII that I still use. It's deadly on wasps!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Wow- my Winchester 435 is a Diana 35, and my favorite gun to shoot. If I could find 10 of them, I'd buy them, lol.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Yes it is! I bought mine from a returning GI back in 1950 when I was a kid. It has no original finish left but as is usual with German weaponry it still works as good as the day they made it!
Click to expand...

 
No doubt about it. The old German-made are my favorites. They were built to last. There's an oldish Russian model Baikal IJ22 that's built like a Sherman tank. I don't have one, but if I ever see one up for sale, I'm getting it. They aren't nearly the precision pieces that the Germans made, but tough as boot leather, and easy to disassemble and work on. I'm sure you old gun has leather seals. Do you ever oil them? They'll last longer and the gun will perform even better if you do. You can use neatsfoot oil, just a couple of drops in the transport tube opening every now and then.


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## westwall

lizzie said:


> westwall said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> lizzie said:
> 
> 
> 
> Wow- my Winchester 435 is a Diana 35, and my favorite gun to shoot. If I could find 10 of them, I'd buy them, lol.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Yes it is! I bought mine from a returning GI back in 1950 when I was a kid. It has no original finish left but as is usual with German weaponry it still works as good as the day they made it!
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> No doubt about it. The old German-made are my favorites. They were built to last. There's an oldish Russian model Baikal IJ22 that's built like a Sherman tank. I don't have one, but if I ever see one up for sale, I'm getting it. They aren't nearly the precision pieces that the Germans made, but tough as boot leather, and easy to disassemble and work on. I'm sure you old gun has leather seals. Do you ever oil them? They'll last longer and the gun will perform even better if you do. You can use neatsfoot oil, just a couple of drops in the transport tube opening every now and then.
Click to expand...





Yes I oil at least twice a year depending on usage.  I had to replace the seals about 20 years ago as the originals were getting too hard.  I pulled the gun apart and made some new ones with leather from Tandy!  Remember them?


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## lizzie

Wow Cool


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## Missourian

What do you think about the crosman phantom 1000?


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## lizzie

Missourian said:


> What do you think about the crosman phantom 1000?


 
I've never shot a phantom, but have read good reviews of it. I like air rifles that shoot 700-900 fps, and the phantom is advertised to shoot up to 1200. Crosman makes a decent product compared to some of the Chinese air rifles imo. I do have a little Crosman-made Airmaster77 which is one of my favorite guns, despite the multi-pump action.

here's a thread from an airgunning forum that you might like to read:
Crosman Phantom


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## Missourian

Eleven and a half months later...

I bought a Crosman Fury .177 break-barrel springer this morning from WW,  $64.






More tomorrow...after some shooting.


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## lizzie

Missourian said:


> Eleven and a half months later...
> 
> I bought a Crosman Fury .177 break-barrel springer this morning from WW, $64.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> More tomorrow...after some shooting.


 
Hey- that's really cool. I saw one a few weeks ago, and wondered if it was a good air rifle. I'd love to hear how you like it after it's broken in.


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## Spoonman

lizzie said:


> Any other air gunners here?
> 
> Airgunning is a hobby that I picked up quite by accident, and without ever expecting to. I build bird houses, and provide housing for purple martins and bluebirds on my property. When I first got into purple martins, I learned that sparrows and starlings are aggressive competitors and have displaced many of our cavity nesting native songbirds, so I hesitantly bought a cheap air rifle from Walmart and started teaching myself to shoot. After spending time at the shooting bench, I learned that I loved target shooting, and although I dont *like* shooting pests, I do it regardless of my impulses.
> 
> This all started about 1 ½ years ago, and has turned into a passion of sorts. I joined an air gunning forum a few months ago, and started learning more and more about the sport. My love of target shooting has turned into a love of collecting air rifles. Heres a few pix of my collection so far:
> 
> 1994 Crosman model 2100 (an inexpensive but very accurate multi-pump pneumatic)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 1991 RWS Diana model 34, made in West Germany before reunification
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 1963 Benjamin Franklin model 312
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 1976 Winchester model 435 (made by Diana in Germany for Winchester)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Early 60s Diana model 50
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And the queen of my collection, a 1981 Feinwerkbau 124
> 
> 
> 
> 
> &#12288;
> &#12288;
> &#12288;



nice collections.  we are more into guns that shoot bullets, but we do play darts with and air gun in the basement.  I'll have to remember to take some pictures.  it's an air pistol that shoots little darts.  we shoot at a regular dartboard from about 45' and play by regular dart rules


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## Moonglow

I would love to still shoot, but my shakes from the neurological disorder I inherited has made it impossible to aim worth a ddarn. have fun though, my kids were all given air guns. i still like my 45 cal replica that has a Co2 cartridge for more power.


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## HereWeGoAgain

You call those airguns?
THIS is an Airgun !!
.50-Caliber Dragon Slayer air rifle review from Pyramyd Air

Incredible power for an airgun. Some good videos out there on Youtube.
These thing can shatter cinder blocks and kill hogs.
But VERY pricey!!


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## Spoonman

HereWeGoAgain said:


> You call those airguns?
> THIS is an Airgun !!
> .50-Caliber Dragon Slayer air rifle review from Pyramyd Air
> 
> Incredible power for an airgun. Some good videos out there on Youtube.
> These thing can shatter cinder blocks and kill hogs.
> But VERY pricey!!



my son is into those. they actually have war games using the airsoft guns.


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## HereWeGoAgain

Spoonman said:


> HereWeGoAgain said:
> 
> 
> 
> You call those airguns?
> THIS is an Airgun !!
> .50-Caliber Dragon Slayer air rifle review from Pyramyd Air
> 
> Incredible power for an airgun. Some good videos out there on Youtube.
> These thing can shatter cinder blocks and kill hogs.
> But VERY pricey!!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> my son is into those. they actually have war games using the airsoft guns.
Click to expand...


While those 50cal. airguns are pretty cool,you could pick yourself up a 30-06 for less money.

Played a lot of paintball in my younger days.
Now it wold take a month to recover.


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## Spoonman

HereWeGoAgain said:


> Spoonman said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> HereWeGoAgain said:
> 
> 
> 
> You call those airguns?
> THIS is an Airgun !!
> .50-Caliber Dragon Slayer air rifle review from Pyramyd Air
> 
> Incredible power for an airgun. Some good videos out there on Youtube.
> These thing can shatter cinder blocks and kill hogs.
> But VERY pricey!!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> my son is into those. they actually have war games using the airsoft guns.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> While those 50cal. airguns are pretty cool,you could pick yourself up a 30-06 for less money.
> 
> Played a lot of paintball in my younger days.
> Now it wold take a month to recover.
Click to expand...


paintball comes with a wicked sting when you are hit too


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## HereWeGoAgain

Spoonman said:


> HereWeGoAgain said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Spoonman said:
> 
> 
> 
> my son is into those. they actually have war games using the airsoft guns.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> While those 50cal. airguns are pretty cool,you could pick yourself up a 30-06 for less money.
> 
> Played a lot of paintball in my younger days.
> Now it wold take a month to recover.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> paintball comes with a wicked sting when you are hit too
Click to expand...


Oh yeah....Used to come home with a shitload of these.  
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1363/1346423527_0d94c9ab84.jpg


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## waltky

possum an airgunner...

... he alla time shootin' down...

... Nazi's, Japs, an' alien space ships an' such.


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## Missourian

Picked up a Beeman Silver Kodiak X2 at Walmart on clearance for $78.

I've been looking for a .22 to complement the .177 Crosman.

This one has interchangeable barrels,  one .22 and one .177.

I was going to sight it in today,  but it is raining


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## Luddly Neddite

"... and although I dont *like* shooting pests, I do it regardless of my impulses. ..."

Just FYI, its illegal to shoot most migratory birds in the US.

See the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Lacey Act.

And, needless to say, its unnecessary.


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## tyroneweaver

I don't own a air gun but I love watching Ted's Holdover.


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## Missourian

Luddly Neddite said:


> "... and although I dont *like* shooting pests, I do it regardless of my impulses. ..."
> 
> Just FYI, its illegal to shoot most migratory birds in the US.
> 
> See the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Lacey Act.
> 
> And, needless to say, its unnecessary.




Neither European Starlings nor House Sparrows are protected, nor are Rock Pigeons.

They are non-native invasive species.

*Trapping and shooting.* Starlings are not protected by law. All other species of blackbirds are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and state regulations.

Starling Control Missouri Department of Conservation​Good article...NestWatch


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