What was it that got everyone into Air rifles?

School.

The school I was sent to (early 1960s) at the age of 8 did shooting as the compulsory alternative for boys who didn't want to play football. . My lifelong, inherent hatred of that stupid game instantly secured me a place in the school's shooting club, and we were tutored by a fabulous chap who had been an Army sniper during WW2... we used .22 rimfire rifles.

As we were being taught how to handle firearms properly, it took almost 30 seconds to persuade my parents to let me have an air rifle at home. :)

Happy days.
 
My grandpa, childhood tales of his wartime service and countless WW2 movies which were never off the telly in the 70's and early eighties

He was of the opinion that boys should be boys so penknives/catapults and airguns (pistols) were pretty much a constant and a big part of my childhood, I actually can't remember not having at least one of each
 
I remember prob late 70,s early 80,s an older lad had original air rifle a thing of beauty I thought . That was it had to have 1 problem was no money it worked out in the end more now than I can use with not enough time to use them
 
When other kids in the neighbourhood got BB-guns, my Dad got me one at around age eight; and schooled me on safety and what would happen to me :cry: if I didn't follow his rules. Unexpectedly, I received a proper air rifle for Christmas in 1968, which as best as I can recall was a break barrel Diana model.
 
Squirrels !! 20 years ago. Had one in my workshop attic for about two weeks , so decided the only way to remove it was by feeding it a lead pellet, went out and bought a weihrauch hw97k in .22 and that done the trick 😉 , it must of seen me coming with it as it never appeared again 😁. Oh well, got a rifle need to find some new friends and there it started. To date too many air rifles, shotguns and 22rf 🫣
 
Wing Commander said:
School.

The school I was sent to (early 1960s) at the age of 8 did shooting as the compulsory alternative for boys who didn't want to play football. . My lifelong, inherent hatred of that stupid game instantly secured me a place in the school's shooting club, and we were tutored by a fabulous chap who had been an Army sniper during WW2... we used .22 rimfire rifles.

As we were being taught how to handle firearms properly, it took almost 30 seconds to persuade my parents to let me have an air rifle at home. :)

Happy days.
Click to expand...
School was my introduction to rim-fire and full-bore (with clay shooting thrown in as well, though that was initially through a very supportive Dad & friends families). I was lucky enough to go to a school in Cheltenham with its own indoor rimfire range and we used Tiddesley Wood range near Pershore - mostly 7.62 PH and Enfield - for our full-bore in the summer months (as my cricketing skills were not the best). Tiddesley also had pistol clubs, and this ‘ignited’ my interest in those as well. I ended up as school captain for both rifles and clays, and the Bisley schools competitions also took up a week or so every year. Happy memories.

My school also had its own CCF, so the vast vast majority of pupils had separate exposure to some degree or other to the then-issue Cadet GP, plus other ‘items’ in the CCF armoury.

So though airguns (Webley Senior and Omega) through Dad were my first exposure to shooting (and to a degree shotguns), it was school for me that got me into rifles per-se.
 
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