Yep, I'm a newbie, both to air gun shooting and to this forum. I'll try to not ask too many stupid questions, but I know I'll ask a few. A little background so you can get an idea of where I'm at and where I'd like to go. To make a long story short, health issues forced me to move in town and sell off all my traditional guns. Yeah, every one of them. Since I could no longer hunt and since living in town pretty much prevents me from just stepping out the backdoor and doing a little plinking. I didn't see the logic in keeping all the guns.
Then, after selling everything off, the urge to shoot something got the best of me. I was given an old Crosman 1377 that is in pretty good condition with a suggestion to try air gun target shooting. I live about 200 feet from a wooded area where I can plink and I also spoke with one of our city council members who said that in this town, it is legal to shoot an air gun on my own property as long as no projectile leaves my own property. So, I decided to at least try air gun shooting to see if I enjoy it.
My first question(s) concerns the 1377. I have already contacted Crosman and using the serial number I know this 1377 was manufactured in 1997. With that in mind, what do you guys suggest I do to it? Are there any parts/pieces I need to replace to be sure the gun is working as efficiently as possible? Are there aftermarket parts I should install to improve the performance of the gun? How much "modding" is this gun worth? Or, should I just put the thing in the closet and kind of forget I have it?
Next, I got into online discussions with guys from two different air gun dealers and finally decided to purchase a Hatsan Mod 25 Supercharger QE in .22 caliber. It was literally delivered to my house a little over 30 minutes ago. I have done nothing to it except open the box. I know I'll do a thorough cleaning of the thing before I shoot it. My questions here start with the obvious one. Did I make a good purchase selecting the Mod 25? If so, what should I consider doing to this gun? Should I leave it as is, or are there aftermarket products I need to consider purchasing? Then, are there any tips/tricks I should know about shooting this thing?
I know I'll have lots more questions as I go along, but if any of you have anything to offer regarding either the 1377 or the Mod 25, fire away. And, thanks in advance.