Has the popularity of airguns fallen off from years past?

To me the stumbling block for airguns has always been about air. The trend in new guns for the last 5 years has only made it worse. Buying a 2000 psi max fill gun was daunting enough for the beginner. Hand pumps were a marginal solution at best. But a used scuba tank and yoke could be had reasonably. But they are useless as manufacturers blew by the 3000 psi fill in the blink of an eye. Finding shops to fill to 4500psi and having a DOT certified tank is expensive on top of the$3-400 for a beginner Airgun. For those of us in the sport we see air as a cost worth paying but tough to convince a newcomer. For many of us years ago we shot SPP guns to get quiet basement trigger time to make us better competitive PB shooters. We didn’t even know what fpe stood for let alone think we needed 25 fpe plus or it’s not worth pulling the trigger. There is a lot of growth left in this sport it just needs to be in all directions.
 
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It wouldn’t surprise me that the economy has caused a slowdown in most nonessential purchases. I still see good turnouts at matches and my local repair shop is plenty busy but I don’t have as much disposable income as I did five years ago. I don’t think interest in airgunning is waning but many of us have to pay the bills and buy the groceries first. Ask this same question next January 1.

Rick H.
 
It wouldn’t surprise me that the economy has caused a slowdown in most nonessential purchases. I still see good turnouts at matches and my local repair shop is plenty busy but I don’t have as much disposable income as I did five years ago. I don’t think interest in airgunning is waning but many of us have to pay the bills and buy the groceries first. Ask this same question next January 1.

Rick H.
Lucky you. I make less today working for the county, non union, than I did in the mid 1990's. I'm sure I'm not the only one
 
I’m in the Soviet Socialist Society of NY and other than getting a $200 tax stamp for a ” blank” for a real gun haven’t heard of anything Airguns related and was shocked when in November a unremembered company wouldn’t send a zelos.
Plenty of red states that would love to have you.
 
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Sorry for the late reply, I love all of your comments, has me thinking of all the factors you've all see from your vantage point

COVID was a year old when I started, window shopping during COVID, there was so much R&D during that time as others have shared

Buying and selling was easy 4 years ago as said, buy and sell now, there are more restrictions to abide by, you can't anymore sell your moderators on a rife for sale, it's just the way it is and where only guest anyway.

Cheap airguns from around the world sure hurt sales and made newbie's spoiled to lower prices new and shocked at prices of finer rifles used

Screen Shot 2025-02-07 at 5.30.43 PM.jpg
 
Sorry for the late reply, I love all of your comments, has me thinking of all the factors you've all see from your vantage point

COVID was a year old when I started, window shopping during COVID, there was so much R&D during that time as others have shared

Buying and selling was easy 4 years ago as said, buy and sell now, there are more restrictions to abide by, you can't anymore sell your moderators on a rife for sale, it's just the way it is and where only guest anyway.

Cheap airguns from around the world sure hurt sales and made newbie's spoiled to lower prices new and shocked at prices of finer rifles used

View attachment 536672
Read it again
An airgun moderator may be included in your ad ONLY if it is "affixed" to the airgun.
You just can’t list a moderator separately for sale.
 
Read it again
An airgun moderator may be included in your ad ONLY if it is "affixed" to the airgun.
You just can’t list a moderator separately for sale.

Read it again
An airgun moderator may be included in your ad ONLY if it is "affixed" to the airgun.
You just can’t list a moderator separately for sale.
That’s all you got