Though I had signed up a few weeks back, it's only now that I got around browsing the group in some detail. Then realized that I haven't introduced myself to the group - so thought I might as well introduce myself.
My shooting started off with a Shanghai Flora 51 (I think), a .22 springer when I was a kid, under watchful eye of my mother for a few months. It's lost its 'twang' and now languishes somewhere in a hamlet in Ratnagiri, MH. Had purchased a Marksman 1010 .177 air pistol (BB/dart) while I was in the US around 1996 to plink Coke cans. It had also lost it's 6m range - and reduced to 3-4 ft. You could literally see the pellet 'pop' out. Opened it up last week and guess what ? Could not put it back together again, akin to Humpty Dumpty. So took it to Humne's at Thane and got it re-assembled for INR 150. I suspected some air leakage in the piston seal (thought I saw a faint crack) but was told they don't repair it.
Now it will be a good 'pass-on' for kids - of course to be used only under my supervision. So now I was left with Daisy (.177) Powerline Series 856 also purchased in the US (1997) - and it came with a 4X15 scope which I had dutifully removed (being a non-hunting person) and kept aside. Subsequent migration from AZ to NJ-NY in 1998 saw it packed and there it stayed. However, I 'forgot' about it for almost around 11 years (marriage tends to do that
) and now after a renewed interest, thanks to my school-mate and friend, Vishwajeet, underwent a formal re-fresher training at an air-rifle club in Mumbai and got it out of its box. Guess what ? The gun fired just as well ! Needed some efforts in zeroing (due to lack of screws) but can shoot 3-5 pellet groups with an inch diameter. Still a bit off; maybe zeroing was to be done with scope only?! Couple of weeks back, my mother gifted me with an Indian IHP Olympus .22 air pistol - break barrel springer. Now this I spray all over at 8m or so; the only plus point being they all go inside the pellet trap (which was also rescued from its 'boxed' state). Stiff trigger; hope I can develop a tight grouping in terms of pistol too. Let us see. Future plans - a trip to Ratnagiri and rescue the .22 Springer and see if it could be resuscitated.
Before I sign off - I wish to and must thank all the contributors on airgun forum for varied mails relating to feedback on IHP, gun-smithing, gun-care etc. which I have not just enjoyed but found tremendously useful and hope to continue to glean fine lessons from those of you with "hands-on" experience. I am surely going to spend several sleepless nights browsing through the mine of information present here on airguns and airpistols.
regs
AHJ
