The Findlay airgun show today...

Great show, as always. I managed to get a few orphans adopted to good homes, and came home with fewer than I left with, but one new-to-me. Great to see all the guys again after two years. And it was especially nice to see Dave healthy and spry. Wishing you all the best, and hoping for continued remission.

Reaching out to Don R., "oldair." If you see this, please pm me. I have a technical question on the Tau 200.

It's only a 180 mile trip for me I got there a little later than I wanted at around 1100:am. Parking lot was full on both sides of the building and folks were walking out with airguns so it's hard to say what else I may have missed. This was my first show ever and I'll give my POV for anyone willing to read this, or who have not been to one.:

Findlay is a sizable city without the skyscrapers so not a metro...but large. I did a 3 month contract with my company here many years ago. With 4 branches of my bank, I easily withdrew plenty of cash; 'ya know, just in case LOL.

What I saw was tons and tons of BB guns many of which I recognized from postings over the years, to include rare and valuable models. BB guns are not my interest. Many novelty items right down to original John Wayne lunch boxes, airgun literature and many many other items in the novelty category. I'm a springer guy so there were plenty of those of which about 5 or so caught my personal interest. PCP guys would have found somewhat relatively more to be interested in, or at least I think. Baker Airguns (also not too far from Findlay in Ohio) had the biggest vendor presence by far and had several offerings. I could be mistaken but I believe they also may have been running or helping with the food stand out back. I've bought accessories through their website on a few occasions and service was always nothing short of spectacular. I was left extremely impressed with their contribution to the show. PA had Tyler onsite with a short list of some quality used airguns and a few pellet offerings, one of which I almost walked away with. Would have liked to have seen more from them considering they are big and also close enough here in Ohio. They had no banner that I saw. Makes me wonder if one of the vendors were there selling stuff from AOA? At any rate, EVERYONE was very pleasant and tolerable with handling merchandise, with the exception of a few extremely old and rare items marked "display only", which were pretty cool to see.

My very personal perspective and interest as a springer guy and offerings still available when I got there:

PA had an FWB 603 jr. SSP (no, not springer but 10m gun on my short list LOL) which was my main interest but Tyler had no insight on it as he "just bought it that morning" and it showed a tad more wear than I'm used to seeing when rarely offered for sale. At $1,200 and no offer to negotiate and unknown info, I had to pass. I did get his personal email so if it doesn't sell I may still be interested if he can put it through its paces and be able to give more info on the 603's integrity I would probably still be open to it...

Since I'm now looking at high powered springers: Checked out a Beeman Crow Magnum IV in .22 that looked to be in decent shape, There was a Beeman Kodiak in .25 in fair looking condition, a very rare compact and powerful Beeman Webley Bear Cub (action similar to the C1 I believe?), a Beeman R8 (no, not magnum but interesting) that had all paperwork that had been worked over by Paul Watts using everything on his menu of options for $725, a near new .22 HW97 (precursor to current style) and this gentleman had a .22 Bam 24 right next to it that he said shoots every bit as well as the 97, but ONLY with 5.5 head pellet head size. I've read much on forums about Bam 24's being modified and actually great shooters, so I believe it. Fondled an AA TX200 for the first time (walnut) and I was surprised at how nice and balanced it felt which seemed very much in defiance of its actual advertised weight. Although not one that I'm seeking I would have laid down the asking $525 right then and there for this because at that price I knew I would never lose a dime on that "as new" regardless of what I chose to do with it but alas, it was a lefty ?. I believe he said he had the box for it as well. Handled a San Rafael R1, a very nice San Rafael Beeman R10 deluxe. Beautiful gun but the weight made me appreciate my light weight plain carbine San Rafael R10 more. Last but not least what caught my attention was clearly an "as new" .22 HW90 for only $455. I'm still having 'not buyers remorse' LOL for not getting that one since an HW90 IS on my list. For some reason I kinda want to try it in .20 I suppose when/if AOA gets some more in. Could always buy another barrel if it doesn't work out and with rams, I'd feel more comfortable with a warranty for some reason. Think I'll go ahead and buy a pump.... At one table I finally got to see a few tyrolean air guns like the 55 and a FWB 300 that both looked like new.

Some could say I walked away with nothing but that isn't true at all. I walked away with a bunch of insight on seeing and handling much of what I read and ponder over. I'll be ready for the next show on July 10th, the Midwest Airgun Show. It is even a good bit closer than Findlay. May even get a hotel room just for the hell of it. For the buyer, Ohio is an airgunners paradise! Anyone know how the "Midwest" show will compare to Findlay? And whatever happened to the Little Rock show? Wasn't that one the granddaddy of them all?

Anyway, thanks for reading my perspective on my first show. Think I'll take my vehicle to the car wash and clean all the locust guts from the trip ? 

Derrick put up a link to some great pics of available items so I'll offer a few more 'panoramic' views:

My first thought when I saw this table was a John Wayne quote: "Fill your hand you SOB!" LOL

The 'unknown' FWB 603 Jr that caught my attention

LY

Derrick, thanks for posting the pics for those of us who couldn't go. Looks like it would have been fun to wander around there looking at all the airguns and stuff.

@straitflite

Thanks for the pics, Bo! Glad you were able to go! I've never been to an airgun show, either. All those airguns, accessories, and memorabilia looks like it could put you into an "input overload" the first time you go to one. Pretty sure it would me anyway, lol. And I can't believe that you didn't get yourself some kind of souvenir as a reminder of your first airgun show! But it sounds like you had a good time and I guess that's what really matters. ? ? 

Posted by: @jim-in-swmo

All those airguns, accessories, and memorabilia looks like it could put you into an "input overload"

So very true Jim!!! ? 

It's much worse than having several needy home projects and going to Home Depot for "just" a screw LMAO

If you can think of it, likely as not it was there. If I was a collector I would have never got out of there. I still may wind up with one, and there's another show coming to a theatre near me very soon ? 

Posted by: @straitflite

Posted by: @jim-in-swmo

All those airguns, accessories, and memorabilia looks like it could put you into an "input overload"

So very true Jim!!! ? 

Thanks for confirming what I thought after seeing all of these pics that you and Derrick have shared with the forum. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go down to the basement and shoot the R7 some to console myself. ? ? ? 

Came home with a dream basement shooter, a Tau 200 Junior. It's the exact same action as the Tau 200 that I regret selling, but in a smaller ambi plastic stock, with fully adjustable cheekpiece and buttplate. Who knew Tau Brno made an economy 10M rifle? I actually like the look and feel of the synthetic stock, and once I added a 3/4" butt spacer, I really like the ergo of this thing. I'll put up some pictures tomorrow, but so far, I'm really liking this little gun. AWESOME trigger! In fact I had to figure out how to back it down a little to feel more comfortable. As it came to me, it was barely finger pressure. Nice to know that if I want I can adjust it back to "hair trigger."

I had a GREAT time at Findlay! A HUGE shout out to Dan Lerma and all his helpers for putting on such a great show! It was wonderful to meet several of you and the selection of airguns was great.

These shows have a feel that is just much different than a "normal" gun show, or buying vintage airguns online, etc. Many of the best things I own have come from shows over the years - usually at reasonable prices to boot - and there's just no substitute for the face time with fellow enthusiasts  

Here's a couple examples amongst many:

Stunning condition FWB 150 Tyro, FWB 124, and Walther LG 55 Tyro:

Perhaps the most amazing FWB I've ever seen: a 300 Tyro, LEFT-handed, MINT in the box with ALL OEM accessories. Wow! 

And the one that followed me home: a 1970's-vintage HW 55S, great condition, Maccari innards, vintage Williams sight variant made for the 13 mm rails, and in the original Air Rifle Headquarters box.

I also picked up the super out-of-production B-Square / Sun Optics spring compressor for a song, some interesting vintage literature, and a couple other odds and ends.

So funny that Mike would find another HW55. Lots of nice springer stuff for nice prices. Mike’s traveler friend had 2 of my grail guns; a skinny tube Diana 28 and the later model 28. Unfortunately the later one had the plastic front sight, but I almost went for it for a fantastic price. The skinny tube gun was like the 84 model 34 with the shallow scope grooves so that wouldn’t hold a peep sight. Darn on both.

I did buy a strange nearly new Beeman R7. Huntington Beach with all the disclaimers on it in like new condition with the grip checkering even being sharp as new. Beeman peeps and the non available sight cover plate.

Strange thing was the barrel had the old style dovetail sight of the pre safety guns which are before the mid 80s or there about. At first I thought old barrel on new gun, but barrel was stamped 1474xxx which is maybe 1998???? Strange indeed and a 17” barrel.

Anyway, like new gun. Beeman peep, rare sight cover plate, super sharp checkering  indicating no use, no dings, for a price I can’t disclose; thanks Don. It was strange to me to shoot an untuned gun again. It was a good reminder of how even very nice guns are not quite there yet until shown some internal love.

It was one of the better Findlay shows, and that says a lot. Thanks to Dan again , and nice to see old faces, and new faces too.

It was great to meet you at the show! And yeah I was a bit envious of those two Walthers you were toting around...

My bud's name is Lance Bernard, he lives here in Knoxville and we've chased airguns together for many years! He ended up taking those two D28's home so if you change your mind...!

I'm not an expert on the HW 30/R7, but my memory is it retained the old fixed-post, dovetail-mounted front sight until relatively recent times?  My 1988 Santa Rosa R7, serial 11371xx, has the famous Goudy stock, safety, no end cap, and post sight, and I believe the action stayed that way for a long time.

The Findlay show was great.

It was nice to finally see everyone again.

-Donnie