An Exercise For " High End Gun " Snobs Like Me ....

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bfloyd1095

bfloyd1095

Member
Sep 11, 2018
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Conroe Texas, United States
Ok This is aimed at myself more than anyone else...

I also invite some of you well known , and respected , High End Gun guys to take a chance and challenge yourself too ...

I have done some reflecting after looking at my current collection of guns and realized that somewhere down the line i became a bit of a snob. Now granted this was a Very expensive journey to end where i am with a steep learning curve...

I had a friend over the other day who brought one of his friends ,the guy was asking all kinds of questions and after shooting damn near every one of my guns and then finding out the cost of them, each one averaging 3K with scopes, i could see the disappointment in his eyes...

This lead me to go on a search for an entry level PCP to recommend to him. After many an hour of looking i decided on the Air Venturi Avenger in .22 cal with the wood stock.

I just ordered it and i will begin the journey of test, tune , and general overview once it arrives , this should be interesting and hopefully a fun deal , reminding myself of where i started and what i have learned over the years then paying the information forward...

If any of you guys have few bucks laying around and want to join in , posting up as we do this i think the Newbies will benefit from the insight

I'll keep you guys posted along the way 
 
lol insight .. the term certified comes to mind lol .. people lose sight with rampant consumerism of just exactly why theyre doing something i think .. not downing high end gun love here, im guilty as well and have about 10 airguns truth is around the home that avenger will do exactly everything the high end gun will do .. its just not as flashy when you show people ... theres competition level i guess, im certainly not into it and likely never will be, nope, just need to pop that squirrel at 30 .. maybe sometimes out to 50-60, those are feel good moments for sure .. still dont need a 3k$ setup for that ..
 
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A month or two back I was shooting the Leshiy 2 at local range. Guy next to me starts up a chat and is talking about his AirForce guns. Yeah - I felt like a total snob with a Gucci Leshiy 2 with a freakin March scope on it. I certainly wasn't going to start quoting numbers. 

Thing is I'm not trying to impress anybody - just looking to put a smile on my face each time I shoot. 
 
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I came at this with a very different perception of what is "ok" to spend on a hobby like this (and what isn't) and started as cheap as i could with my main criterion being high power with low cost and good reviews. I definitely would have looked at myself about a year later as having gone way too far even though now I realize I still kept it relatively in control. Or did i? Comparing with the wealthy or obsessed starts to distort reality. 

No disrespect to those who have a huge collection of the finest equipment, I hope some day i am lucky enough to meet someone like that and learn from them 

Only thing in stock that fit was a talon p and i laugh how one year ago I thought i was being over the top with a $450 gun. So far ive added a .177 talonss, talondorized it, added new valve and barrel to talon p, added a pp700sa, three hand pumps, a compressor, a few tanks, springs, hammers, molds, casting furnace. 


Miraculously I still feel frugal thanks to reading Yo's posts and the threads about the FX products and the other high-end guns which are trending in the discussion forums these days. i missed the airforce boat (for whatever it amounted to in its time) %#$@!


Reading about airgun "harems"(?), and custom parts and tuning, and all that, kind of makes me feel like a cheap old bastard and that ain't bad.
 
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I rather spend less up front ,then spend money making it custom for me,like wow that is so kool,ok that does takes some hundreds of $$ put I did it with the help of people who have it worst then me and went into business to help us customizers .To me looks are important and I can have both,looks and accuracy with a custom less pricey air gun...one of my favorite places here,"Lets see your custom Crosman pistols...

different strokes for different folks,its all good.....the thing is Enjoyment.
 
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I don't know if I would call it snobbery....for me it was a quest for accuracy, power and longevity and the higher priced guns generally have all of these attributes built in and being able to afford it is a blessing, one I do not take lightly and care for the rifles I own. Like most, it is not to impress but help me achieve my goals of shooting. I do feel blessed each and every time I get to shoot these PCP's as their accuracy is very impressive and never ceases to amaze me when I do my part. And, like Luis noted, it is an eye opener to see the prices for a full set up from gun, scope, mounts to ammo and air. We who are in this hobby I feel are are very lucky.
 
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That's kind of what I did. With two Air Force frames and the various valves and barrels (and a couple others on the way) I can configure it into maybe six or seven different style single shot guns. 

four valves, two tank types, two spring type, 3 hammer weights, three barrels (with a .257 on the way), two regulator configurations, what do i get? Wait... two of the four valves have restrictors, one has three tp restrictors (4 options) the other has two (3 options). This is middle/low HS mathematics

4x2x2x3x3x2x4x3 = 3,456 combinations without complicating things by including my incoming barrel and valve and various moderators. Many of those combinations are not really different in a significant way and result in the same overall tune so if we divide that by say 10 thats 345 different guns. If you divided by 100 just to be really conservative that still 35 distinct guns which I think is very reasonable estimate for differences in power/velocity, efficiency, accuracy, pellet or slug preference, noise, shot cycle, and so on. Not bad for what is well under $1500 investment for all the tanks barrels and other parts.


If this sounds like fun to you (it does to me) then that's $1500 well spent. So i tell myself.


examples below... low on sleep, two beers in so if it looks like i am a little confused, i accept the charges



Some examples i have tried (all of these i have also messed around with different hammers and springs)... for someone on a relatively moderate budget, this is a lot of guns to try, out as long as single shot isnt a non negotiable: 

regulated silent low power .177 talonss

Unregulated quiet moderate power .177 talonss

regulated quiet medium power .177 (plenum)

unregulated quiet moderate power .177 3000 psi 

as above but with 4500 psi tank

unregulated high power restricted condor valve .177 3000 psi

as above but higher power at 4500 psi

Regulated low medium silent .25

Regulated medium power quiet .25

Stock talon medium-high power p .25

talondor with ported higher output valve

"escape" config. 18" barrel condor valve

18" high power with doug noble valve and 3000 psi tank

18" higher power as above but 4000-4500 psi


 
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I can relate to the OP’s story. Years ago I was at a local stor in Auburn, CA, called the “man cave” saw a brand new beeman rifle in a zip case, sporting both a 177 and 22 barrel. I bought it and handed it to my son who was leaving for college but he didn’t want it. So I sold it to my good friend for the price I paid for it. It was just a cheap overseas gun with the beeman name on it. 

Fast forward to today’s times, and I’ve advanced leaps and bounds from my traditional springers, to pcp’s. My friend has been over and we’ve target shot with my hatsan Bully, my FXUSA wildcat, and my impact. Although he is content with that cheap beeman clone, I can see the gleam in his eye every time he shoots my fx guns. 

So, last December, a near new Avenger came up for sale in the classifieds, outfitted with a scope and bipod. I asked wifey if I could buy it, with the intent of first going thru it, do a final sight in, and the next time he came over I just handed it to him in a surprise and said merry Xmas. 

One of these days I’ll post the video my son made of that event and he had no clue he was being filmed. You should’ve seen his face when I told him it was all his to keep. So now, I have a shooting buddy with a platform that can shoot with the best of them. 
 
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I tell everyone it’s like fishing you start out with a Cain pole and before you know it there is a bass boat in the driveway. I had a friend that recently started I recommended a Marauder as I had seen what they could do an a few Field Target matches. He had that awhile and now has a Benjamin Akila and could not be happier and I have to admit this gun punches way above it’s weight. Still has that cool factor and fun to Handel. 
 
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I tell everyone it’s like fishing you start out with a Cain pole and before you know it there is a bass boat in the driveway. I had a friend that recently started I recommended a Marauder as I had seen what they could do an a few Field Target matches. He had that awhile and now has a Benjamin Akila and could not be happier and I have to admit this gun punches way above it’s weight. Still has that cool factor and fun to Handel.
Click to expand...

It's funny you mention the fishing analogy. I was thinking a similar thing as I have a friend I used to shoot airguns with in his backyard before covid. He only has a $200 spring with a cheap scope, but enjoys shooting the nicer stuff. I always felt weird brining over expensive toys but he said don't worry about it because he spent his slush funds in fishing gear. I never realized a fishing spool made out of titanium could fetch $1-2,000 bucks used - I didn't feel so bad any longer. 

I honestly don't think I'm a snob, but I could be wrong. I don't look down on anyone for shooting a less expensive airgun or having other priorities in life or hobbies where their money goes. I think to classify as a snob you would have to not only own higher end guns, but also talk down at other people for their lesser expensive purchases. 

I'd imagine there is a lot of snobbery in 10m match shooting.

Doesn't it all come down to respect in the end? You show people respect and hopefully they return that respect and we all go out and have a fun time just shooting and not caring about what name is etched on the side of the stock.
 
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Thank you guys for all the posts...

I did a read back through my original post , i realized that I might be misunderstood, or worse, seem condescending.. I assure you this is not my intention and anyone that knows me knows that is not my style.

Some have stated being blessed , I whole heartedly agree , i am blessed , but i have also worked my ass off for everything i own.. I was Not born as a trust fund baby , for god's sake I literally grew up a broke ass, country, poor boy , been supporting myself sine i was 16 years old ..Now after damn near 60 years on this earth i am " Blessed " with a great wife and family for last 36 years . 

This hobby / sport is my sanctuary , it centers and calms me amongst all the chaos that my now demanding life as a small business owner creates, and trust me its a Well Needed distraction.. Lol

I guess what i want to say is please don't think i am talking down to , or belittling Anyone , again this not who i am , what i am trying to do is pay it forward and along the way remind myself where i came from as well as enjoying the challenge...

The end result will be me giving the gun to that friend, of a friend who has now become one of my friends.. Pay it forward guys if you can...
 
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I felt the tone was meant in a lighthearted way. I assume most people who are here have some kind of hobby or obsession or another and can relate to being comfortable setting aside some money to do the things that they enjoy, to help get through their work routine.



this quote says it all:



"This hobby / sport is my sanctuary , it centers and calms me amongst all the chaos that my now demanding life"



this is what i explain to my relatives who wonder why i am still playing with "toys".
 
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The avenger has many short comings but at 300 dollars it’s not possible to argue it’s value. It is very good under 100 yards with relatively minimum amount of work but if you put some elbow grease into it the next it most likely will keep up at or a little pass 100 yards. Notably it needs a complete take down and rebuild due to the poor assembly quality I’ve seen and heard in the past. Then need a full polish, lap and crown job to fix the barrel quality, it should be pretty damn good after that though. 



 
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I began my airgun odyssey with a used RAW 17. “Buy once cry once”. Should have hung onto that dream. I’ve since acquired several more high end PCPs that have all proven to be accurate and for the most part, trouble free. I’ve never been tempted or required to do much wrenching on any of them other than some slight HS and trigger adjustment. I do however envy those of you that started with a gun that you’ve taken apart for modding or repair - maybe more than once. You’ve developed a good understanding of how the thing works, how to fix it or make it work better and the confidence to get in there and do it. They all leak eventually. Uj
 
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