CollectorAirgun 40 years in the game: my First among equals: the British concentric pistols: a airgun memories Webley Premier roundup The highs and lows of collecting, by A detailed look at the evolution of one The world’s authority on spring air leading airgun writer John Atkins of Britain’s best loved pistols pistols examines a key design Index 4 Old school to t’interweb 12 John Atkins takes a look at airgun collecting before the Internet changed the hobby forever 12 Eccentric concentrics In a wide ranging article, John Griffiths examines the evolution of British concentric air pistols 32 Snippets from the snug Mr D, the celebrated sage of the Airgunbbs (and proud BSA Airsporter owner) shares his wisdom 18 42 34 Webley Premier: end of era 28 34 66 John Milewski charts the development of the Premier from the first model in 1964 to the last in 1977 43 Tales of a visionary David Hughes recounts how he negotiated the Customs regulations minefield to pioneer imports 62 From Boer War to bell target Edward Marrian describes how fear about British marksmanship led to a network of shooting clubs The contributors to this magazine have kindly agreed that their work should be made freely available to anyone who is interested. The authors of the works herein retain their copyright and take responsibility for the accuracy of the contents. 4 Airgun Collector Airgun Collector 5 Phillips Auction, London, 1982 where flowers grew and little sweet wild strawberries in summer and blackberries and sloes in autumn... What a load of codswallop...! It’s all too easy to look back through rose- tinted spectacles when only the good times are recalled. In reality, during my times on farms, I’ve fallen in ponds, been chased around a hen ark by a mad ram, crushed against a tree by friendly bullocks, Fig. 1 This advertisement in Meccano Magazine, March 1934 still utilises an old printing block for the 1st Series Webley Service Mk. II. The .25 calibre version of the got plastered in mud and slipped a rifle wasn’t available until later in April 1937. disc – but those bad times are soon forgotten. The past is a dangerous become obvious that some of these the book showed obsolete airguns place to dwell. were in short supply, unfortunately I never knew had once existed. It prices started to rise for the less was a real eye opener. A photograph But risking the danger, let’s look commonly seen collectable airguns. of the Webley Service Mk. II air rifle back to the times when life was less was included in it and I recalled complicated, slower and easier – It was a different world then, but little advertisements (see Figure 1) when Mars bars, the size of loaves, time and economics are all relative. with line drawings for these rifles in were priced at four old pence and In 1973, £15 was an appreciable some old pre-war issues of Meccano beer cost one and thruppence per amount of cash to spend on an old Magazine I’d been given as a boy. pint. Airgun shooting then was a airgun and I had very little spare cheap hobby appealing to ‘tightwads’ money for buying old like me. As the years passed, only airguns - but all the time one thought kept me going: ‘Pellets in the world. Nowadays, are cheap and air is free’ – but even it’s ironic that I have a that has changed… Inflation affects little more money yet all services and items - the price of no time to devote to From ‘old lead, water and even indirect costs looking for airguns to for clean air – which leads me on to buy. I don’t think I’ve the actual airgun-collecting hobby. added anything to my Vintage airguns, now expensive and collection since at least scarce, were often plentiful and cost last week! school’ to a fiver-or-less each in the 1970s, as a lot of mine did. First Stirrings The late Dennis Commins After chancing on L. mentioned in his Guns Review Wesley’s book Air-Guns t’interweb column an unnamed collector who & Air-Pistols in my local was still picking up Webley Service library in the early ’70s, Mark II air rifles for £15 each. Well, I was hooked – taking JOHN ATKINS, one of the UK’s top Gosh, how I miss those ripping thick cream, such honey and golden that was I. At that time, thanks to out the book time after airgun journalists and long time days... and the times on the farm butter, such raspberries, cakes and Dennis’s writings, along with Dr. Joe time, until buying my collector looks at some of the with ruddy-faced Farmer Bunbury, pies - such appetites as we found Gilbart’s articles about air pistols own signed copy from highlights of the past 40 years; the and his kindly, smiling wife - her there! Folly Lane was a favourite and pellets in the same magazine, the author. Harrington people, the airguns, the triumphs and eyes like currants in her soft face... walk - it was a long lane, winding interest was growing and new Gats, Diana No. 2s mistakes, and offers his thoughts on the animals and the poultry, the upwards for two or three miles and collectors began to seek out the and Mark IVs, Webley Fig. 2. A meeting point for airgun collectors from across the UK was the NARPA Annual Championships staged collecting in the internet age barns and stables, the old apple- ending in their farmhouse, and on more desirable items described. pistols and BSA Cadets at RAF Cosford. orchard and the lovely meals! Such our shoot was a lovely little wood, Inevitably, when it started to I’d grown up with, but 6 Airgun Collector Airgun Collector 7 I liked the look of so many of the advertisements as well. On these, mad… Soon replies came in and I Dennis Commins, the honorary pistol with gunmetal older airguns pictured and wanted I included my drawings of a Cox drove around collecting all sorts of administrator, and many others. cylinder – who told to handle and learn all about them. Britannia air rifle and a Webley interesting items. Still thinking I was Figure 2 reproduces the poster used me of his ‘Highest I decided it would be interesting Mark 1 air pistol. Optimistic as I entirely unique with my new hobby, to publicise the day in 1975. Possible’ pistols: one to actually make a collection of am, I didn’t really expect loads of I decided to advertise nationally, so blued, number 594, the ones that looked fascinating. Britannia rifles to appear for sale the Exchange and Mart was chosen Some collectors, like Alan Hamer and one nickelled, Naïvely, I thought it would be a novel but suspected readers might well for my first advertising campaign. and Joe Gilbart were shooters too, number 87, with and unique thing to do because I had mistake the Britannia sketch for an taking part in the Championships the serial number no idea anyone else was interested – old Gem-type gun which I was also Replies to my small classified held there. There were thirty curiously stamped on so thought I could buy them cheaply happy to buy at reasonable prices. advertisement were few but I was Rifle Divisions, both league and the flat muzzle face if I could locate their whereabouts. astonished to get written replies individual, including the ‘Lincoln – one digit on either True, I had always been an airgunner I got away with these little free from other like-minded characters Jeffries’; ‘Boxall’; ‘Newcomer’; side of the bore of the and had a few rifles and pellets adverts but I’m sure if I’d attempted also keen on collecting old airguns and ‘Spittle’ Divisions, and so on. original 9 15/16ths left over from boyhood, but it was to run full pages for my ‘old airguns and enquiring if I had anything to Among the nine Pistol Divisions, inch long barrel. Leslie’s book that made me decide wanted’ there would have been swap? One of these enthusiasts’ Dr. Gilbart of the Herschel, Slough to build a small collection. repercussions! There were no silly letters was from Alan Hamer who, club won the Individual Pistol, T. L. This muzzle face policy problems with enthusiasts at the time, was working as an C. World Trading Division. I recall. stamping does I decided to place classified placing harmless adverts for old accountant for a company making I corresponded with Joe Gilbart not appear on any advertisements in my local airguns then as there are now paper tubes – Manchester Air Guns between November 1974 and June other early ‘Highest newspapers. Running an art studio with some newspaper groups. came later! After correspondence, 1981 and can say he was a really Possible’ models I’ve in their offices, I was ideally placed. Meanwhile, all manner of other, I soon realised that Alan was light nice guy and it was so unfair that he seen, recorded or Being on the spot, I could insert highly dubious advertisements years ahead of me, being very died too early. owned: such as serial them free of charge and fill gaps are now allowed to run in family knowledgeable on collectable number 63, or the on pages with my little display newspapers. Truly, a world gone airguns. He found me some nice Webley pistol enthusiast Paul Davis virtually mint pistol items over the following years would attend, as would experienced number 109, shown ranging from a humble Limit push- collector Alan Holmes, arriving in with wiping rod and in barrel pistol to a lovely London his NSU rotary engined Ro80.