Air rifles pre 1939
PROTEK SUPPLIES
Stock No 0411
Price: £245.00
Year: c1910-
Calibre: .175bb
BENJAMIN
MODEL E
This early American rifle possibly dates from before the 1st world war or just after. It is a dinkey little rifle with a front rod that pulls out for pumping, takes several strokes to build up enough compression to shoot out a muzzle loaded bb. This example has a very nice patina to the bore finish it may have been blacked originally having worn off or removed over the years. The end cap has the markings in this case a selection of patent numbers surrounded by words "Benjamin Air Rifle" and "MFG Co St Lewis MO (Missouri) pat pending" at the bottom and "model E" at the top. Stock is in fairly good condition probably had a coat or two of varnish over the years. The valving seems ok. Quite crude in comparison with what came later but not often seen this side of the pond.
Stock No 54534675
Price: £875.00
Year: c1885
Calibre: 4.5mm
GIFFARD
CO2 RIFLE
This very nice quality air rifle has been refinished to a good standard. The engraving is still nice and clear and crisp in fact looks good on its newly blued breech block. The rear sight is a replacement we know this because we fitted it! Its a new modern replica. Stock is very nice with quite crisp checkering, some scratches and marks and unfortunately a piece missing off the toe of the stock which has been carefully smoothed off so it does not look too bad. Some tooling marks on the gas cylinder but mostly smooth bluing which is nice and shiny. Lovely engraving on the underside and on the trigger guard. A quality item which presents very nicely.
MAIL ORDER INFORMATION
Items that are shown with a blue envelope can be either purchased from our shop or you can have them delivered directly to your home address as they were either manufactured before 1939 or they are on commission sale being sold by us on behalf of a third party. Items where no envelope is shown can be purchased from our shop or you can have them sent to a registered fire arms dealer near you, and you collect it from them. To order an item from us phone 01243 824284
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Our stock changes continuously so please check before travelling.
We usually have more than what is shown here in our shop. Call in and see us.
Stock No: 0407
Price: £995.00
Year: c1868
Calibre: 7mm
DAVID LURCH
SECONDARY NEW YORK TYPE GALLERY GUN
This is a special rare collector’s item. Made by David Lurch in New York about 1865 to 1870. This is a underlever cocking gallery gun which was later copied in Germany and became the well know Bugelspanner. However this has a totally different and interesting trigger mechanism. This example is in good condition retaining some original finish to the cylinder and barrel the name David Lurch clearly impressed on the barrel near the breach along with some other letters and numbers. Original open sights are fitted, very large diameter cylinder for a double volute mainspring. This had had has had some repairs around the pistol grip in apparently a long time ago, a brass plate has been put over some repaired cracks around the pistol grip where the wood must be quite thin because a lever comes through to enable cocking. The barrel twists to one side for loading and is a very clean smooth bore. Lurch is one of the most well known makers of such rifles and is well reported in various books concerning such antiques. Nice brass fitted butt plate and shaped cheek piece, a good quality air rifle hand made for gallery shooting in New York.
Stock No 0408
Price: £1100.00
Year: c1860-
Calibre: 7mm (.28”)
JOSEPH LURCH
PRIMARY NEW YORK TYPE
This is a really nice prime antique collectors item. What we have is an American made crank wound air rifle signed by a known maker Joseph Lurch of New York on top of the barrel, it is a very nice quality hand made item. We believe Joseph Lurch to be the father of another gun maker who’s work we also have in stock, a David Lurch. This particular item is in good condition, the metal work to the barrel having a pleasant brown finish, the cylinder a bit worn we do not know wether it would have nickel plated or possibly lightly blued, there is evidence of a light nickel coating over the brass frame at the end what its left with is a pleasant looking finish. Stock is good with reasonably sharp checkering, some surface marks and scratches but no major cracks or defects. A little peep sight is fitted which maybe the original but looks a touch crude but it does work well with the very nice little post front sight which we are certain is original. The barrel twists to one side for loading and relies on a metal to metal contact, it works very well that method of sealing. Complete with a newly made crank lever handle which has been slightly aged to look old and is nicely finished. A really nice hand made American rifle from just after the civil war period from a known maker. Overall length is 43 and a half inches.
JOHN BULL, BEDFORD
Year: c1848-
Calibre: .30 rifled, .50” smooth
Stock ref: 5319
£3550.002700.00
For the second time for Protek these photos were taken by Vic, no complaints will be tolerated, if you want bigger photos try pressing the ctrl and + buttons at the same time-
This antique air rifle/air shotgun is in lovely condition. The action has some really nice engraving on it on both sides and top, scroll work on the hammer and with the makers name J Bull, Bedford in a banner within scroll work on the left hand side. There is no pitting the metal is smooth and a light brown antique type finish. The barrel is a brown Damascus twist effect in good order and with some light engraving to it. The butt is covered in what we believe to be the original shark skin known as shagreen which is the skin of a shark or a ray. Complete with a period pump with handle, bullet mould for 6 bullets and a foot plate. Also in a compartment is a tub of lead shot, a shot measurer, another tool marked “Baylis and Son Patent” and some wads for the shot. The case has been more recently made to fit this assembly and is a nice quality wood possibly oak with brass corners and escutcheons there is a lock but we do not have the key so have not been able to test the lock. Overall a really nice quality English made air gun. Interestingly and somewhat unusually this has a rifled c.30 cal barrel that fits in with a bayonet fit to the outer .50 inch smoothbore barrel. There is a pin across the rifled barrel so you can not push the ball in too far using the loading rod. There is a safety bypass on this so you can de cock it without firing should a hunting opportunity be missed you do not have to fire it off. A truly lovely item. There is a trade label in the top of the case for J Beattie of 205 Regent Street London. A similar rifle/shotgun matching almost exactly this pattern has been with a similar trade label in the lid so we made a copy of that and put it with this one. We have never seen a trade label for John Bull of Bedford as they were only in business a short period of time being 1846 to 1854 at High Street Bedford. James Beattie was at 205 Regent Street from 1848-
Stock number 5407
Price: £1400.001800.00
Year: c1870s
Calibre: c6mm
ANTIQUE GERMAN STRIKE PUMP AIRGUN
What a fantastic lump of an antique airgun. This is beautifully made, very heavy, very solid. It is a strike pump gun which basically consists of a spring and piston within the butt that is cocked and uses two leaf springs. The mechanism works but it takes a lot of effort to cock those two leaf springs and the power output is not great. This would have been used for shooting darts at very close range. The barrel is massive being fully octagonal and about an inch in thickness. With its original fully adjustable rear sight which is a lovely bit of mechanics and a very nice fine post front sight within an open shroud. This has a double set trigger mechanism, you cock the back trigger and then the front trigger is truly a hair mechanism. The airgun is in good condition with the barrel being mostly brown finish. The stock is nice but with one major crack on the underside that looks to have been repaired but is structurally perfectly sound. massive cast heavy butt plate and very fancy trigger guard allowing you to hold it with all your fingers comfortably. This really is a nice quality item. No engraving, the metal work is plain and the woodwork is plain apart from a heavy large Tyrolean cheek piece and some sort of oak leaf carving on the front end. A really nice antique. Also it is complete with what we believe to be its original cocking handle. Overall length is about 44” and weighs more than we can weigh with our 5kg postal scales!
Vintage wood handle Parker Hale type cleaning rod 28.5” long c1930s to 1950s only £12.00 collection from our shop only. These also fit in to Webley Service air rifle cases/boxes.
COMMISSION SALE
Price: £1295.00
Year: c1885
Calibre: 4.5mm
GIFFARD
CO2 RIFLE
This example is in superb near new condition with nice crisp engraving, all components correct, probably the best condition cylinder we have seen with all its original blacking and nice sharp knurling. Few minor surface marks to the stock but the checkering is still nice and crisp, the finish is original. Fitted with the nice balloon butt plate also fitted with factory fitted sling swivels. This is the second best 4.5mm Giffard rifle we have ever seen hence its being sold we are keeping the best one! The only minor fault with it is some very light browning and lightest of pitting on the barrel just below the rear sight. The rest is smooth and black.
Stock No 0112
Price: £925.00
Year: c1840-
Calibre: .38”
TOWNSEND TYPE
KNOBBLY AIRCANE
This is a nice old English made air cane basically being a pre charged air rifle in the form of a walking stick. It has its original finish and it is one with knobbles on it to make it look like a piece of brier wood. This is in an old made case with a nice quality air pump with a Damascus finish to the steel and a selection of original old tools and key and also unusually the key for the case lock which works. We have put some green baize lining in the case as it was a bit loose inside it. A nice set, no maker’s name as most of these did not have it.
ANTIQUE GIFFARD CO2
Superb gold inlaid and refinished
This stunning antique air gun is nothing less than a masterpiece. This base Giffard rifle has been re finished to a better than new condition and engraved and inlaid with shaded gold in various areas, the workmanship being of the highest possible standard. The stock has been refinished and re chequered, the whole thing looks new and will be a star item of any collection. If you were to commission this level of work on an existing rifle or shot gun we think it would cost more than we are asking for this superb air rifle.
A true masterpiece.
For high quality uncompressed photos click here
This is a commission sale, it dates from around 1890 to 1900, calibre is 6mm and price is £4500.00
SOME SOLD ITEMS FOR YOUR REFERENCE
Stock No 5273
Price: £890.00
Year: c1860-
Calibre: .365
UNKNOWN MAKER (English)
AIR CANE
This interesting old air rifle in the form of a walking stick, known as an air cane, is in good condition, this example is the knobbly finish pattern to imitate brier wood which was commonly used for walking sticks in the 19th century. This example is in a probably later light wood possibly oak case with its original pump, single bullet mould, key and foot plate for the pump. Possibly refinished at a later date difficult to tell. Original bone handle, a nice item.
STOCK No: 0323
Price: £245.00
Year: c1922
Calibre: .22
BSA
STANDARD
This is a very nice original condition rifle the metalwork being an even black very slightly grainy finish overall, the photo etching on top of the cylinder is just about visible in good light, so its not been refinished. Screw heads are excellent in fact all components are very good, the rearsight is an interesting upgrade to an Alfred Parker adjustable sight of the period. Stock has a few minor surface marks and scratches of age but no significant damage. Overall a nice condition example.
Stock No 0193
Price: £225.00
Year: 1906
Calibre: .177
BSA
LINCOLN JEFFRIES PETTERN
This is a very nice little airrifle one of the very first ladies models produced under the BSA name. This example is in quite good condition, the metalwork being a gray lightly worn finish overall, the stock has possibly been refinished but the BSA trade mark is still visible. The underlever is a later replacement part but the patina looks exactly the same as the finish on the rest of the rifle. So we can only assume it was replaced very soon after the side catch lever was introduced. This is a rare example being one with a very thin barrel which BSA experimented with at the time but soon reverted to the standard thickness of barrel as it probably was not worth the effort in machining it down or producing separate items. This has a very strong spring and quite a good tap fitting and a good piston washer. All screws etc seem to be original, or maybe later very good replacements cannot tell. A nice clean little example with good clear serial number on the trigger block but the markings on top of the cylinder being very feint in fact almost invisible. But you can just about make out that it says BSA air rifle on the top
Stock No: 0414
Price: £350.00
Year: c1890
Calibre: .22
QUACKENBUSH
MODEL 5
This solid heavy and well made air rifle is in fair condition, the metalwork overall is brown finish with a patina overall and it almost certainly would have been nickel plated originally as there is traces of nickel left in some crevices. The rifle is basically complete and would seem to be all original components, reasonably tight at the breech, stock is fairly tight on the gun. The lettering on top of the cylinder is visible though not crisp. These are much better quality than the later GEMS which copied these and become much cheaper lower quality construction. This is the original. One of the first mass produced air rifles of all time and a nice collector’s item.
STOCK No. 0210
Price: £550.00
Year: c1912
Calibre: .177
BSA
IMPROVED MODEL D (JUNIOR MODEL)
This is an example of the shortest model of Lincoln Jeffries type underlever that BSA made. It reall;y is a dinky little thing at only 34 inches long, you dont realise how small it is until you pick it up or sit it in a rack next to normal lengthy rifles. This example has been fully refinished, it looks nice with an even black finish the top of the cylinder markings were left so whilst visible you can see that there was a little bit of pitting that has been polished off of most of the gun. The rest of the rifle is complete with original front sight and a complete and working rear sight fitted, screw heads are good and refinished so they look like new. Stock has also had some major repairs, one crack is visible through the pistol grip but the repairs have been done really well. Original checkering is present and the BSA pylarm markings on the stock can bee seen as the stock was not heavily refinished just repaired so there are numourous surface marks and scuffs of age to the stock. A good spring fitted and the tap action also fits nicely. Overall quite a nice example that a couple of people have seen in the shop and thought was a original.
Stock No 0500
Price: £1290.00
Year: c1890
Calibre: 4.5mm
GIFFARD
98% of this gun is one of the best Giffards we have ever offered for sale. With lovely deep bluing, superb engraving, nice and crisp smooth original finish. Stock is very good with original varnish with some surface marks of general but not very much and very light. Fitted with original sling swivels and open sights, everything absolutely as it should be, a crisp lovely condition gun. The 2% that detracts from it consists of a small area of pitting on the right hand side of the breach block clearly its been allowed to rust at some point possibly liquid co2 has got on to it and its been left which is a real pity otherwise this would be a fine gun indeed. But what it is is still rather nice.
Stock No 0413
Price: £445.00
Year: c1885
Calibre: .22
QUACKENBUSH
MODEL 5 (carbine)
This high quality early American made airgun is in excellent condition for its age. The barrel and breach block retain most of the original heavy nickel finish. There is some wear to the nickel where it has been held at the wrist and on the right hand side of the breach block where the front hand would of held it. Basically those marks are from good honest use. Nice very clear markings on top of the cylinder, the breach lock up is nice and crisp but there is some play at the barrel it moves up and down very slightly maybe a new thicker breach seal would sort that out. Stock is good with what we believe to be original varnish and some light scuffs and wear to that varnish but no major marks to the stock. Little patch box on the side of the stock and the original, very nicely shaped, crescent shaped metal butt plate. This is the much scarcer carbine version with an 18” barrel with a very dirty bore. The spring is the flat section type. The stock we notice is a bit loose and can turn in the action.
Stock No: 0548
Price: £370.00
Year: C1930S
Calibre: .C4.7MM
bugelspanner
THIS LOVELY antique air gun is in excellent original condition retaining most of its original nickel finish to the cylinder, trigger guard come lever and action block. Smooth slightly greying barrel original open sights complete and all in good order. The barrel is unusual firstly it is rifled and secondly it seems to be about 4.7mm. a standard .177 pellet drops straight through a .20 (5mm) pellet can be used if its pushed in to the barrel a short distance, darts seem to work the best but bear in mind its a rifled barrel. We would theorise this was made for use in a gallery somewhere where they use special size pellets to stop people bringing their own. Further evidence for this is the ring around the cylinder which we believe would have originally been used to harness it somewhere however a really nicely made wooden part has been used to fill in this collar and the wood finish carefully matches the rest of the gun. Clearly made by someone who is skilled at woodwork. Stock has most of its original lacquer finish, the whole look of the gun indicates to us that it is one of the later ones from the 1930s. A nice item. Complete with 3 old darts. No markings or numbers on this rifle that we can find.
Stock No 0050
Price: £420.00
Year: c1880
Calibre: c.45”
AIRCANE
This an antique big bore pre charged pneumatic air rifle (actually smooth bore) in the form of an aircane. The finish on it is original the enamel finish has lots of chips and marks of age but has never been refinished. Complete with its original ram rod with brass ferule. With a nice quality period browned metal pump. In a more recent case, o key for the case but all the lock work is present. A very interesting antique.
Stock No 0203
Price: £970.00
Year: c1880
Calibre: .32 inch
UNKNOWN BRITISH MADE (POSSIBLY TOWNSEND)
AIRCANE
This is a very nice quality and condition aircane, it is one with a breech loading tap. In an old but relined case possibly original case for this aircane with a Damascus twist type pump and pump handle and with a single ball mould and a replacement but old made key for the lock mechanism. Also with the key for the case which is not often the case and in most cases the key is missing from the case. The lock mechanism does not lock the case we have found (which is also often the case).
Complete with what we believe to be a horn handle. Retains most of its original black Japaned finish. A very nice example of a 19th century precharged pneumatic air rifle. Also with a letter of provenance from the previous owner the authenticity of which we can not verify.
Stock No 0570
Price: £790.00
Year: c1937
Calibre: .20 and .22
WEBLEY
SERVICE MARK 2
This is a really nice original condition example of one of the finest air rifles ever produced. The metalwork retains most of its original finish and all componnrts are correct and as they should be. Stock is very nice with some tiger stripe graining running the full length and is in the same very good condition. With a .22 barrel which is original but has no number on it and a reproduction shorter .20 thats 5.5mm metric things calibre barrel with sights on it which fits in to the rifle perfectly. The rifle and two barrels have been housed in a modern case in which the rifle fits well, there is room for a third barrel should a 177 be obtained, space is currently taken up by a vintage period cleaning rod. Also with a tin of 500 .20 calibre Sheridan pellets in English style and a old tin of Webley .22 pellets with about 30 original old pellets in. Parts diagram inside the lid, all in all a very nice kit indeed..
Stock No: 0553
Price: £595.00
Year: c1906
Calibre: .25
BRITTANIA
This is a nice original condition example we believe the rearsight to be a very carefully handmade replacement which seems to work and looks the part all the rest is original components would appear to be original. The metal work is a brown grainy finish overall but most of the markings are nice and clear, good clear serial numbers on all major components. Has a nice clean rifled bore, very good barrel lock up and piston seal and the mainspring seems quite good. Stock is fair with some scratches marks and general signs of wear and use but not abuse. Overall a well used example in good overall shape for its age.
Stock No: 0575
Price: £65.00
Year: C1930s
Calibre: .177 rifled
DIANA
MODEL 25
This would have been one of the most modern looking guns of its era. Essentially what you have got is what still exists now ie finalised form of a break barrel air rifle. Introduced by Diana in this form in the early 1930s this example is in fair condition complete apart from its rearsight leaf which is a replacement part made from solid. The metalwork is a little bit pitted and a little bit brown and speckled overall but the Diana markings are still visible on top of the cylinder. Stock is lacklustre but not damaged but not damaged or cracked. A good candidate for refinishing all the screws are there and original, quality made item with proper bolts and locking screws and a general air of solidity about it.
Stock No: 0582
Price: £74.00
Year: 1930
Calibre: .177 RIFLED
SEE TEXT BELOW
This is a German made air rifle with no markings on it other than the serial number under the breech block which indicates it was made in August 1930. There are no markings on the barrel or cylinder and although there is a bit of pitting and the metalwork is grainy there is no sign of there ever having been such markings. So this could be a Haenel product but more likely a Diana for a market where no markings were required. Fairly good condition, complete, all original screws and sights and everything, stock is original with some surface marks and scratches, quite a nice tight action, solidly made little rifle with a nice clean rifled barrel. A new synthetic breech seal has been fitted.
Stock No: 0552
Price: £620.00
Year: c1937/38
Calibre: .22
WEBLEY
SERVICE MARK 2
This is a basically sound and complete example of this most classic of air rifles. However the rearsight does appear to be from a Webley mark 3 but later Webley Services have almost exactly the same rear sight fitted. The metal work is smooth with original finish remaining and some general signs of age and patina here and there. The barrel is in good condition and has a lot of its finish, the number matches the action. The stock has some splits drying out wood where it meets the metal work and a couple of compression marks one either side of the stock which is a shame otherwise its original sort of condition used but not abused apart from said compression marks. Housed in a nice period case which has been slightly refitted to take the rifle with its barrel alongside it and a period Parker Hale style cleaning rod also with a tin of Webley pellets with about 100 pellets within. Case is in quite good original condition and the rifle sits nicely in it making a nice set.
