One of three RA800's I own. The other one has a transport, and the third is identical to this one. Heard only 25 made it to the states from an airgun dealer. Decided to purchase any RA800 I could get my hands on during the turn of the century.
Gun is in pristine condition - not a scratch or ding in it. Could be considered new "old" stock. Has pin holes on the brake. Not sure if this is for function or looks. Installed Leupold 3-9x33mm EFR on top. Not sure if I ever shot it.
they were brought in by RWS Dynamit Nobel and manufactured for 2 years it seems 2000-2001, they are in the catalog 19 and 20 but no price was listed in the back, a bit odd, the stocks are a bit exotic being made out African Hyedua, they came .177-.20-.22 calibers and appears to have a fine trigger, also they had Anschutz barrels
one in 100% is listed at 1000 bucks, how many were sold is unknown to me
so what you have are some of finer non match break barrel rifle ever made, my opinion
info was found in the Blue Book and catalogs
it's always nice to own things that other don't and you have done well
Man, you really have some nice rifles!
I read somewhere that those shoot around the same fpe levels as the Crusader?
Got a question(s) for you: Have you ever bought any airguns (FAC) from the UK? Just wondering if it is a PIA or easier to have someone like Dave Slade make the purchase?
I'm well aware of Dave and have read that you sometimes send your guns to him for work. Seems like rebuilding Theoben rams consist primarily of O ring replacements and pumping them back up? I don't think I would attempt any trigger work however.
Thank you sir, Bo
This gun is near 20ft. lbs velocity. Here is a previous thread. Actually, I also bought Danny's RA800 too. He couldn't group it, so he sold it to me. JB Welded the brake, and fixed the grouping issue.
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/yellow/theoben-ra800-finally-arrives-t34038.html
Only overseas items I've over are from the netherlands: a Hakko 8L scope, and some type of rare lgr tyro. This was before all laws made it a complete waste of your time. Easiest is to buy the gun after it gets here. Let someone else deal with the headache.
As for rebuilds, you will need to send it to Slade or someone else who works on rams. After it's all said and done, you are in $200 - $250. Although I love to save money where I can, I will not risk ruining these high end guns in a quest for knowledge. Honestly, I'd rather buy another gun at that price.
That's kind of what I thought regarding the laws consistently choking off any simplicity of importation. With your collection I realize that is of no big concern.
The problem is that Theoben is long gone and the only avenue for ownership is the used market, where Theobens rarely show themselves outside Britain. Having only one reliable source for repairs/parts in the US, further dampens the "idea" of owning one of these fine pieces. I know these guns will last a lifetime barring any catastrophic failure (which I have never heard of). I don't currently own one but I will at sometime, own another or two. Initially I would ideally send it to Slade. I agree with you that it would be foolish to forsake a gun to raise ones learning curve, but the seals don't seem too complicated. I'm sure you have seen this:
A guide to dismantling the Theoben H.E. Gas Ram
Not exactly a shop procedure manual but insightful nonetheless. What would really be cool is to see a manufacturer pick up Theoben's ball and put it back in play. lol
Anyway, just thinking out loud...
Always good to see what you have in your collection, keep posting 'em!
Bo
