Late 1980s Military Style BB Rifles

paulleve

NES Member
Joined
May 28, 2009
Messages
395
Likes
1,016
Location
Western MA
Feedback: 27 / 0 / 0
In the past year I've gotten into collecting and resealing bb and pellet guns from the 70s and 80s. Today the latest one was delivered and it was nice to find something in better shape than expected!

AIR01.jpg

Crosman made these AIR17 rifles from 1985 to 1990. They're single pump and shoot either BBs from a magazine or pellets from four shot clips. This one arrived in brand new condition, with clips, manual, and warranty info still in a compartment in the stock.

AIR03.jpg

It holds air, so I oiled it up and took it out to the yard for some fun. It averaged 398 fps with pellets, which is right where they were advertised back in the day. Having never shot one of these, I was surprised that it wasn't as cheesy as they look in pictures!

AIR04.jpg

Daisy's answer to the Crosman was the 814 (wire stock) and 914 (full stock) that were only manufactured for a few years in the late 1980's. I bought the 914 back in 1989 or 1990, and the original seals are still holding air!

AIR05.jpg

The 914 shot BBs at 312 fps, which is just under factory specs. Not bad for a 35 year old rifle that I've shot some over the years. The wire stock version doesn't hold air, so it averages 0 fps with both pellets and BBs. :) I have replaced the o-rings, but these models have plastic valves and this one seems to have a leak. Even though they're not all that powerful, they are accurate. Back in the day they were a way for a kid to scratch that A-Team itch!
 
In the past year I've gotten into collecting and resealing bb and pellet guns from the 70s and 80s. Today the latest one was delivered and it was nice to find something in better shape than expected!

View attachment 796796

Crosman made these AIR17 rifles from 1985 to 1990. They're single pump and shoot either BBs from a magazine or pellets from four shot clips. This one arrived in brand new condition, with clips, manual, and warranty info still in a compartment in the stock.

View attachment 796794

It holds air, so I oiled it up and took it out to the yard for some fun. It averaged 398 fps with pellets, which is right where they were advertised back in the day. Having never shot one of these, I was surprised that it wasn't as cheesy as they look in pictures!

View attachment 796793

Daisy's answer to the Crosman was the 814 (wire stock) and 914 (full stock) that were only manufactured for a few years in the late 1980's. I bought the 914 back in 1989 or 1990, and the original seals are still holding air!

View attachment 796792

The 914 shot BBs at 312 fps, which is just under factory specs. Not bad for a 35 year old rifle that I've shot some over the years. The wire stock version doesn't hold air, so it averages 0 fps with both pellets and BBs. :) I have replaced the o-rings, but these models have plastic valves and this one seems to have a leak. Even though they're not all that powerful, they are accurate. Back in the day they were a way for a kid to scratch that A-Team itch!
Do you do any refurb work for other people?
Great collection!
 
Do you do any refurb work for other people?
Great collection!

I haven't really considered working on other people's projects quite yet. I've been slowly gaining experience on various Crosman, Daisy and Smith and Wesson pellet guns, starting with the ones that have been in my family since childhood. Most are relatively easy given enough time and bad language!

There are many resources out there that are helpful in rebuilding old pellet guns. Most of the time I resort to a parts diagram and a Youtube video or two that I can pause and rewind. One piece of advice I would give is to take a few pics as soon as you get them apart so you can see where all the various parts fit together when reassembled.
 
I haven't really considered working on other people's projects quite yet. I've been slowly gaining experience on various Crosman, Daisy and Smith and Wesson pellet guns, starting with the ones that have been in my family since childhood. Most are relatively easy given enough time and bad language!

There are many resources out there that are helpful in rebuilding old pellet guns. Most of the time I resort to a parts diagram and a Youtube video or two that I can pause and rewind. One piece of advice I would give is to take a few pics as soon as you get them apart so you can see where all the various parts fit together when reassembled.
If you ever do, I've got some projects . But more importantly I've passed on lots or them because they needed seals .
 
If you ever do, I've got some projects . But more importantly I've passed on lots or them because they needed seals .

It's safe to assume that any BB/pellet gun that is 30+ years old needs new seals. Some may be sold as not needing them, but it's just a matter of time if they are working with their originals. If you're interested in a particular model, take a look on Youtube for tutorials on disassemby and reseal. Some just can't be resealed because of their design. Most can, and don't require special tools. The average rebuild kit costs around $20, unless you need to ship parts out for reconditioning (Crosman MK I and II, Daisy 1200, etc).
 
Back
Top Bottom