N/A What's your "old reliable" and why?

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Franklink

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Sep 3, 2017
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Here's mine, wearing a new outfit.

vet short.jpg


Some history of the gun here: https://www.airgunnation.com/threads/veteran-short-20.821754/
How it ended up with the chassis/"tactical" stock on it here: https://www.airgunnation.com/threads/og-veteran-tactical-stock.1301222/

I bought this Veteran in Sept of 2018, exactly one year after I'd purchased my USFT. The USFT was everything that I'd hoped, but a VERY specialized field target gun, so specialized in fact, that using it for general use and/or pesting/hunting is a bit cumbersome. You see, the USFT, with a moderator fitted is loooonnnnnggggg. And I wanted something at the other extreme, as short as I could get. And I also wanted more of a general use gun. Hence the Veteran Short. Originally purchased as a .22, it morphed into a slightly longer .20, and more recently the aluminum stock was added.

When a pest needs taken care of, when I want to shoot tiny little groups, when I want to do well in a field target match, when I want a quick pdog or pest session at the family feed lot, the Vet Short can always be relied on to put em right where I want.

My oldest son claimed the .20 Vet as "his" field target gun a few summers ago so this recent change to the tactical stock had to be approved by him. We both shot the aluminum stock on the Standard .177 Vet a bit and discussed our thoughts before deciding to move it over to the sweet little .20 Vet. We both liked the "feel" and decided to make it happen.

The alum stock makes this thing a little porker. I'd guess 12-14 pounds.

26.5 inches overall length so the short and sweet factor is still alive and well.

When an airgun shoots extremely well, I really agonize over any major change to the rig. I'm almost afraid the let out the magic by making changes, so I was concerned in that regard about making the swap to the alum stock, swapping over the scope towers/barrel+air tube clamp, etc. But I shot the .20 Vet this evening with it's new clothes and THIS is a large part of why it is one of my favorite airguns. 5, 5 shot groups at 55 yards. All from a stool and shooting sticks, "hunter class" field target style. These are the results.....
vet short1.jpg


Average group size of 0.557", or 0.97MOA. Not many airguns will shoot like that, especially from that position. And the wildest part is that I felt myself pulling those shots that aren't 10xs! This gun+barrel is very likely capeable of 3/8 inch groups @ 55 yards, if the trigger puller was capable of such.

Just an overall sweet gun, holds a special place for me. I paid $1250 from R&L Airguns in Pueblo, CO 6 years ago. And I've gotten every penny's worth of that amount in enjoyment out of this gun. And most of that is the reliable nature of the thing. Love it.
 
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I've been blessed with three actually owned about as long as you had your Vet...in '18ish. An FX Bobcat .25, a Taipan Veteran standard .22 and an unregulated Daystate Huntsman Regal .177. The Vet and Huntsman were used and the Bobcat was new. With the exception of the breech orings I haven't had a bit of problem with any of these three and I've shot so many outstanding groups with each I could wallpaper my house with them...all have had their moments in the lime light posting groups here on AGN. For this specific question of old reliable my Huntsman is the oldest, well used when I got it from a trusted member. One hot humid dead calm summer evening just at dusk I shot these four groups...they have been posted before....all 10 shot groups...the two at 55yards with a 12x scope were 3/8" if not a little better...that was three or four years ago and this Huntsman is still preforming with no issues....it prefers Airarms pellets over JSBs but Crosman 7.9s are fun too. The two 10 shot groups shot
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back to back with an unregulated Huntsman was the pinnacle of my shooting career...aging eyes and nerves ect. no way I could repeat that these days...but the gun is still capable and trouble free. This gun fits your question perfectly.
 
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I believe I have a tie, a Veteran Standard and RAW HM1000, two rifles with which I've never had an issue. As I consider them, they have something in common, designs that use relatively few, but big sturdy pieces. They are both past the point of needing routine resealing maintenance, but I think I'll just keep shooting them and see what happens, maybe a Guinness record! Maybe someday we will have air rifles that match the reliability and longevity of a cheap RF rifle, the gold standard.
 
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Even though I have a vault full of “high end” air rifles, I have an Air Arms S410 in .22 that was one of the first manufactured after AA went from bolt to side lever. It is probably 20 years old or more as I have lost track. It is super accurate, super simple, and always ready to go. It has killed everything from crows, to pigeons, to raccoons, to squirrels, to groundhogs, starlings, and more. It prefers the AA 18.0 gr pellets and when the shot is well placed it does the job, even though at 28 fpe it is +/- half of the fpe of several of my other rifles.

Probably five years or more now, I sent it out to Scott Schneider at Motörhead and he installed a HUMA reg in it and resealed it. I changed out the old style magazine indexing post with the far superior new style, and changed the proprietary AA fill fitting to a foster fitting. Other than that, it is as original. It has a the original Hawke series Airmax scope in 6x24x50.

Now days, my granddaughter considers this to be “her” gun and she is deadly with it.
 
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My old reliable is my Air Arms 410 Extra FAC .22 LH action. It’s deadly laser , never have to adjust or fiddle with it, always been dead nuts out of the box. It is my 2nd oldest PCP, but it’s dear to my heart cause never lets me down.
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I Did remove the fill end replaced with foster nipple - and have resealed 1 complete time - and once replaced o-Ring at the air gauge - & replaced the magazine mechanism on the gun , cause it wore out from use - it’s older and to be expected- normal wear and tear.
 
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In PCPs, my old reliable is the Weihrauch HW100. Excellent design and well made its been a solid performer for umpteen thousands of pellets over close to ten years of trouble free service. I have a pair of them (.177 and .22 caliber) that see duty as plinking, pesting and target shooting rifles.

My granddaughter claimed the .177 HW100 as hers. I tried to buy her off with her very own Maximus but that didn't work ..the kids' got good taste, knows quality when she sees it. 😉

My old reliable springer is a Feinwerkbau 124. Bought it new over 40 years ago and my friends said I was crazy to spend that much on a "BB-gun" (I could have bought a deer-rifle for the same price at that time). The FWB 124 has seen steady use for plinking, pesting and hunting over those decades and proved that it's worth while investing in a quality product (buy once, cry once) as it's cheaper in the long run.

I've only had my FX Crown for a couple of years so it doesn't qualify as an "old reliable"...yet. It's looking good though and has fast become my go-to favorite airgun.

Cheers!
 
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My first-generation Cricket, fitted with a stock that, in my opinion, is made of better quality wood than what followed and with a metal trigger shoe than the plastic ones Kalibrgun uses on its current PCPs. I purchased it in 2013 at AoA in person. Pictured below, it has Donny FL's first-generation prototype carbon fiber LDC too. This gun will shoot the nuts of a fly even at 50 yards!😉


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Of my 3 guns I'd have to say my FX Royale 500 is the only one I've done NOTHING to, except annual barrel cleaning. Replaced the reg in my Boss this year with a Huma. Had to do some internal work on the Bobcat trigger also but the Royale, has needed nothing since 2017! (Front to back, Bobcat, Royale, Boss) 20220430_141943.jpg
 
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My RAW .22 is way more reliable than me. Here are 2 separate 2 shot groups, the pic with the pellet and slug next to hole was pellet shot first immediately folowed by a slug, the second pic is the next day but slug first then pellet, shot @ 20yds, not far but consistent. For the slug, it's 2 clics up 3 clics left.

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This is the gun I trust the most : 1st generation Kalibrgun Cricket , in .22 cal I bought 9 years ago. I can let it aside for months , shoot it at 55 yards and put all the JSB 18gr in a dime. The only complains : this little gun is really heavy , and the "ping" noise from the shot is noticeable.
I machined an adapter to replace the shroud cap and put a DonnyFl moderator , making it very quiet .....except for the "ping" ;) , but one of these days I'll put a depinger , just don't know which design is best.

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