Mark Palmer
Member Extraordinaire
Ghastly, atrocious, tat!!
-
the Daily hi thread
AA, just a rumour or…… ?
- Thread starter Jay Butts
- Start date
Air Arms, British engineering employing UK tax payers and offering a design that works with excellence despite it not being redesigned and changed for a long time, a bit like a biro or Boeing 737. Updates and styles have offered small changes but basically the original concept because it was very good.
I am saddened when our British holdouts are trashed, what does it achieve other than brand erosion.
My wife buys things costing many times their alternative cost because they have brand value-snobbery-pleasure in owning them. When it comes to selling If it's jewelry then most is scrap value but if its Cartier etc then the gold and diamonds with that hallmark have a resale value in excess of the component parts. Like Air Arms Rifles.!
Point I'm trying to make is cars, clothes and even food at Waitrose or M&S comes at a premium because of the quality and reassurance of customer support - the commitment of the company to it's customers along with quality establishes it's brand value!
Do a search and see how members of the forum rate AA customer support and their experience with them.
The product is a quality item, hard to dispute that.
The customer service is among the best you could hope for in 2025.
Sometimes I remember my Grandmother saying the old adage, "if you have nothing good to say, say nothing" these days it would be fan boys and grumps make too much noise about nothing at all.
I am saddened when our British holdouts are trashed, what does it achieve other than brand erosion.
My wife buys things costing many times their alternative cost because they have brand value-snobbery-pleasure in owning them. When it comes to selling If it's jewelry then most is scrap value but if its Cartier etc then the gold and diamonds with that hallmark have a resale value in excess of the component parts. Like Air Arms Rifles.!
Point I'm trying to make is cars, clothes and even food at Waitrose or M&S comes at a premium because of the quality and reassurance of customer support - the commitment of the company to it's customers along with quality establishes it's brand value!
Do a search and see how members of the forum rate AA customer support and their experience with them.
The product is a quality item, hard to dispute that.
The customer service is among the best you could hope for in 2025.
Sometimes I remember my Grandmother saying the old adage, "if you have nothing good to say, say nothing" these days it would be fan boys and grumps make too much noise about nothing at all.
Err I think someone needs to take their rose tinted glasses to spec savers....
Comparing an AA rifle to Cartier is some stretch right there
Cartier, a world renowned haute couture fashion house, steeped in history and considered by some to be the "Rolls Royce" of the jewellery world.
AA XTi-50 = Rolls Royce / Cartier of air rifles
not a chance!
Comparing an AA rifle to Waitrose and M+S I get completely. Old and stuck in their ways British stalwarts to the Werther's brigade. That sell slightly above average products at inflated prices because of who they think they are. Yet teeter on the edge of financial ruin year after year after year. Yep, a perfect comparison
Like I said before, AA are heading the same way as almost every old British brand has. Regurgitating the same old average stock, blinkered in the belief their product is world leading and top quality.
Comparing an AA rifle to Cartier is some stretch right there
AA XTi-50 = Rolls Royce / Cartier of air rifles
not a chance!Comparing an AA rifle to Waitrose and M+S I get completely. Old and stuck in their ways British stalwarts to the Werther's brigade. That sell slightly above average products at inflated prices because of who they think they are. Yet teeter on the edge of financial ruin year after year after year. Yep, a perfect comparison
Like I said before, AA are heading the same way as almost every old British brand has. Regurgitating the same old average stock, blinkered in the belief their product is world leading and top quality.
Sometimes, what your Grandmother use to say is apt, but not necessarily in all cases. Criticism is not always a bad thing, especially when given in the form of constructive criticism, which the bulk of this thread is.
Excellent customer service is to be lauded, but it only exists for as long as the company is in existence. If that pays the bills, then they’re all good… but we know that’s not how order books are filled. That’s a business ethos aimed at dealing with mistakes or reliability issues for income already received, and hoping it garners more.
With regards to your two examples of something made that don’t get much alterations – Biro are mass produced to a cost, and trading at that end of the market, they have absolutely no need to try to emulate Montblanc.
Using an aeroplane manufacturer as an example is just absurd, for a whole host of reasons, which bear no relation to the air rifle market.
I’ll tell you what is wrong with a lot of British manufacturing… they stop striving for better, for the sake of it, once they have something which is reliable enough. James Dyson was an exception, but sure he buggered off to a cheaper region of the world to manufacture his vacuums and the rest that they branched out into.
You only have to look at the relationship that has blossomed between PRS and Daystate/BRK, see what AirMaks has achieved in only 3-4 years… that’s less than the time Claire has been at the helm, allowing for a good 6 months or so to get to grips with running the company, and dealing with her father’s passing.
Has the design team been given no instructions?
Were they the ones who’ve possibly led her up the garden path with the XTi 50?
What feedback has the Sales department been giving her about competitors?
As much as Air Arms can, and should be given credit for sponsorships and so forth (in an area I know sod all about), has that expenditure shown a return, or is it money being spent which only maintains the status quo?
We’ve mentioned Weihrauch, as an example, but then it’s also worth noting that they have a healthy sales channel in pistols, which AGT
have now also thrown their hat in the ring.
I feel that many of the comments in this thread are borne out of frustration at seeing a good British brand which have simply been marching time, rather than marching forward with a purpose. That’s something which can't be levelled at Daystate, who also manage to provide excellent customer service.
And finally… given the general vibe of this thread, how do you imagine potential buyers are thinking?
What’s Air Arms 3 year warranty worth, if they’re not around in a year or two?
How much spares are Air Arms sitting on, to keep existing owners, and pre-owned buyers in the future, serviced?
As such, would it be any surprise that confidence is wavering, especially when one dealer (I’m sure there are a number more) no longer ties up their cashflow with stock, and now supplies to order?
Perhaps, after nearly 5 years now, Claire’s not the right leader for the brand, or new brains/talent needs to be brought in, and shake things up with fresh thinking.
I wish nothing but the best for Air Arms, but definitely won’t be holding my breath.
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I don’t think it’s all doom and gloom. I’ve met plenty of people under the age of 30 (I’m 35) at various ranges that love the sport. I run an outdoor air rifle shooting range at my campsite on the family farm, and plenty of people this year between the ages of 10-18 had a blast and have said they want to save up for their own air rifle. There are tonnes of outdoorsy/bushcraft ‘influencers’ (realise this can be a blessing and a curse) now on social media that incorporate air rifles into their content/videos on YouTube. The days of wandering off to plink tin cans with your mates in the local woodland might be mostly gone, but people will find the sport via other means. Cost to me seems to be the most prohibitive thing for the younger generation.It's with a heavy heart and it pains me to say it, but I think shooting is on its last legs in this country.
I think most of us deep down know this
Those in there 50,s and 60,s are probably the ones mainly keeping air gunning alive in this country
Slayer fan
Member Extraordinaire
This has just dropped in to my email .
Lee71
Member Extraordinaire
Looks interesting
Mark Palmer
Member Extraordinaire
Slayer fan
Member Extraordinaire
So i take it that turkey = India but branded as AA .Turkey?
Good old AI
Mark Palmer
Member Extraordinaire
I've shot/tried a few Turkish guns, and I've shot/tried the Precihole range at my local RFD, I bought a Precihole (the Match 10 Pro), plastic grip aside, the action and trigger are slick, the finish and machining is very good, no sloppy/loose linkages, it's not at all graunchy and so far, I'm delighted
OldStock
Member Extraordinaire
It doesn't read like a real advert ("Buddy Bottle" unless they read this thread) but that was the sort of thing I was looking forward to from the off.
Compared to the original profile, it looks less fragile/
Air arms X200 Vanguard
The Air Arms X200 Vanguard proves Air Arms are raising the bar in air gun technology. crafting a masterpiece of precision engineering and adaptability for a fraction of the cost. The Air Arms X200 Vanguard prioritises shooter comfort and customisation and is bred to take your shooting to the next le
www.daileisure.co.uk
Stellacosworth
Proactive member
That looks like an Ultra se with a milk bottle bodged on
Agree with most of the post but take issue in regard to Dyson.
His products break easily, cracked plastic, and even if handled with upmost care come with triggers designed to fail.
Repair made difficult by use of non standard screws heads that require multiple special tools to service each machine.
Sales based on hype and the working life of an ephemeral nature inspired by a butterfly.
I credit AA with being the opposite of Dyson.
Mad Andy
Super member
Agreed re Dyson cleaners
Over designed and under engineered
Agree.
Like most products, they are flimsy and feel comparatively fragile compared to the machines from the early 2000’s.
Much like many earlier air guns are more robust.
I know manufacturers have more constraints nowadays, because they need to be recyclable - however…….
jps2486
Well-known member
Jewelry, diamonds, gold, etc are mere baubles and serve no worthwhile purpose other than to dazzle the eyes of the beholder. A good , or even not so good air rifle, has a purpose. It is a functional object to hunt with, shoot targets, cause peace and harmony into our troubled minds.Err I think someone needs to take their rose tinted glasses to spec savers....
Comparing an AA rifle to Cartier is some stretch right there
AA XTi-50 = Rolls Royce / Cartier of air rifles
Comparing an AA rifle to Waitrose and M+S I get completely. Old and stuck in their ways British stalwarts to the Werther's brigade. That sell slightly above average products at inflated prices because of who they think they are. Yet teeter on the edge of financial ruin year after year after year. Yep, a perfect comparison
Like I said before, AA are heading the same way as almost every old British brand has. Regurgitating the same old average stock, blinkered in the belief their product is world leading and top quality.
Wing Commander
Member Extraordinaire
Maybe Carlseberg could be persuaded to design an air rifle. 
Could be good fun.
Could be good fun.