Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watnot!watmath!clyde!cbatt!ucbvax!jade!jkh From: jkh@jade.UUCP Newsgroups: mod.rec.guns Subject: Re: Pellet guns (followup) Message-ID: <2664@jade.BERKELEY.EDU> Date: Mon, 2-Mar-87 18:35:16 EST Article-I.D.: jade.2664 Posted: Mon Mar 2 18:35:16 1987 Date-Received: Thu, 5-Mar-87 18:47:09 EST Organization: U.C. Berkeley Lines: 84 Approved: jkh@ucbjade Author: marcum@Sun.COM (Alan M. Marcum) Article: 3:7 In article <2592@jade.BERKELEY.EDU> wmartin@ALMSA-1.ARPA (Will Martin) wrote: >However, we'd like to hear more from you about the field. From where DO >the competitors you mentioned buy their airguns, if they don't go direct >to the factories (which I would assume most never could do; that must be >a rare exception)? Actually, a fair number of competitors buy from the factory, either directly or through a friend travelling over. The service and attention I received was a real trip, by the way. > Are there firms known only to the elite that cater to >this select customer base, or do these people do their own customizing >and maintenance, accurizing and tweaking ordinary airguns bought from >those Shotgun News sources I mentioned? I know little about plinking guns, I'm afraid. I've bought seven target rifles in my day: - Anschutz Mark 10D [smallbore] - Anschutz Model 64 (I think) [smallbore] - Anschutz 1407 [smallbore] - Feinwerkbau 300S [air rifle] - Walther GX-1 [smallbore] - Walther LGR Match Universal [air rifle] - Schultz & Larsen [int'l bigbore] The three Anschutz rifles were purchased through a local dealer (in Syracuse, New York, where I grew up). They were in the normal Savage- Anschutz catalog and price list at the time; it was simply a matter of talking with the dealer (a sporting goods store), and plunking down the bucks. The 300S was purchased from Blue Trail Range, if I recall; the GX-1 came through Interarms (Walther's importer). I bought both of these while in college; our shooting club (for alums, students, faculty, and staff; separate from the varsity teams) had an FFL, so it was easy. The LGR was purchased at the factory, as I previously mentioned. One HUGE advantage of buying an air rifle vs. another sort of rifle was that BATF didn't care about it, so all I had to do was pay the duty. Finally, the Schultz was purchased used, in an intrastate transaction. Many active competitve shooters maintain contacts that lead us to good dealers, good gunsmiths, good suppliers. Locally (in Mountain View, California -- SF Bay Area), for example, Eddy's Sport Shop is one of my favorites. Jerry, the owner, is a competitive shooter; we met at an air gun match. He understands the needs of competitive shooters (rifle, pistol, and shotgun, air and otherwise), stocks a number of different target and match grade smallbore ammo, for example, yet also caters to non-competitive and non-target shooters. Jack Foster (Accuracy International) is another competitive shooter in the supply and gun business. Jack has medaled in the World Championships, and is in partnership with Malcolm Cooper in England, who took the Smallbore Three Position gold in the '84 Olympics. They cater specifically to the competitive trade. Blue Trail Range in Connecticut is a wonderful place. I've had good dealings with Freeland's in Rock Island, Illinois. Oh, and my gunsmith, Creiton Audette in New England (and an NRA director -- remember to vote!!!) is another target shooter I met at matches. Generally, the advice is to go to matches, and start asking around. In part because of the limited audience, most of the "advertising" is word- of-mouth, and catalogues available at matches and such. Incidentally, I've done NONE of the major work on my rifles. My GX-1 is glass bedded, and has a new barrel (I shot the first one enough to put a ring in the chamber, which Creiton noticed when he bedded it). I do, however, make sure I know how to do all the non-major work, including stripping the rifle down, and changing and adjusting triggers. (I'm amazed, incidentally, at the number of other people's rifles I've shot with very poorly adjusted triggers! And these are rifles with FABULOUS triggers, just poorly adjusted!) I know many people who have done their own glass bedding, accurizing, and such, though. Happy to answer other questions! By the way, who else out there is a serious competitor? -- Alan M. Marcum Sun Microsystems, Technical Consulting marcum@nescorna.Sun.COM Mountain View, California