Air Rifle Advice Please

[Mort7]

Afternoon all.

Not sure if this should be posted here or in the Sports Forum, but I'm looking for advice regarding an air rifle that I have been given by my father-in-law, who has now moved into a nursing home.

It's an Umarex 850 Air Magnum CO2 repeater rifle, 0.22, 11.8 ft.lb, and comes with a Walther 6x42 telescopic sight, silencer, bipod, spare magazines and CO2 canister, slip case and original instructions. I don't have a use for it myself, so I intend to sell it and use the money to buy any essentials that my F-I-L needs at the nursing home.

I understand that if I sell it privately I need to check that the buyer is over 18, but I'm not sure of the legalities regarding criminal records etc. Any advice would be welcome - especially an indication of what would be a fair price.

Thanks

[croyde]

Not hundred percent sure but I believe you would have no problem selling a legal air rifle on a dedicated sight like GunStar.

Have a look as I'm sure they have any rules posted on their homepage.

[Wacky Racer]

Just MAKE SURE the buyer is over 18, (Take some id, driving licence details etc to confirm).

Gunstar is probably your best bet, but you could always sell it to a dealer, but (obviously) you won't get as much.

Good luck.


WR

(Registered air gun dealer)

[Mort7]

Thanks. Any idea of value?

[Marlin45]

Well new they are £330 so depending on age and condition work down from there?

http://www.thecountryman.com/umarex-850-air-magnum...

[bobtail4x4]

make sure its not sold in Scotland ir N I, they need a licence for air guns.

[Ziplobb]

For a private sale you can sell to anyone over 18 - I would suggest you copy / photograph ID if the purchaser is young. Of course if you don't like the cut of their jib you can decide not to sell. You can also send the gun to someone which a registered firearms dealer cannot. The gun is worth around £150 used but make sure it holds a charge - these guns have a reputation for needing the seal replacing regularly where the co2 cylinders screws in.

[Mort7]

Thanks all.

It holds a charge, fires OK, and seems to be in good condition. I have no idea of age, and haven't been able to find a receipt so far. I'll be trying a few dealers as well to see if there's any interest.

[Wacky Racer]

Mort7 said:

Thanks. Any idea of value?

Really,... like cars it's worth what people are prepared to pay for it.


I would say £150-£200 for a private sale, but looking on Gunstar should give you some idea.

[Mort7]

Thanks. I couldn't find one on Gunstar or Gun Watch or Gun Trader, and a couple of dealers that I have spoken to aren't keen on CO2. I'll keep trying tomorrow.

[Mort7]

Update: Just taken this to my local auction house, which sells air weapons from time to time. Going up for auction early next month. I'll let you know how it goes.

[227bhp]

We can hardly wait.

[Mort7]

227bhp said:

We can hardly wait.

Is it half term again already?

[yellowjack]

I have three rifles that my uncle gave me, all BSA I think.

Not sure without checking exact models, but there are two from the 1980s, one break barrel, one under-lever tap, one in .177, the other .22. The other one was bought second-hand when my uncle was 14, so it's over 60 years old.

One definitely works (not sure which) and the others I'm not sure of. I have no (safe, legal) location in which to test them, and the few guns shops I used to know have closed down. There's also an air pistol that's a break-barrel and that doesn't latch.

At some point I'd like to get them all checked, serviced, and firing again. Trouble is I don't know where to start, as the rules around shooting seem to have changed a lot since i used them (under supervision) in my uncle's garden and on the local common.

Maybe piggy-backing this on to someone else's advice thread will dredge up some advice/recommendations on places i can try to get an expert to look over them.

I'll try google for local air rifle clubs once I've sorted out my upcoming house move. I'm moving to another area, so no point in looking for clubs near where home is now.

[trickywoo]

Mort7 said:

Update: Just taken this to my local auction house, which sells air weapons from time to time. Going up for auction early next month. I'll let you know how it goes.

I don't want to rain on your parade but you will almost certainly get a much better price for it on Gunstar or Guntrader.

I don't think you need to worry about undesirables turning up for it, if thats a worry.

CO2 isn't massively popular but its a well reviewed gun so I'd have thought you would get interest at the £200 mark.

Good brand pcp seem to be advertised for 30% or so less than new.

[croyde]

Won't the Auction House take a bit of a cut?

[trickywoo]

croyde said:

Won't the Auction House take a bit of a cut?

They can take as much as 20% from buyer and seller and then there is vat.

Say hammer is £200 - the buyer could be paying £240 and seller £40. Buyer would factor that in so a £200 gun would hammer at £160 - £180. Seller would pay £20 - £40 so if you got more than £140 for it online you aren't losing. I don't know what the Gunstar / trader fees are though.

Its not a rare or special gun and as someone pointed out above the new package is £330.

I really can't see an auction being your best bet.

[Mort7]

Yes, the auction house will take a cut, but we've got so much other stuff on - house clearance, house sale, sorting through 40 years of accumulated rubbish, etc, that anything which will reduce the pressure is to be welcomed. We'll put a good reserve price on it to make sure that we don't lose out too much.

[croyde]

Mort7 said:

Yes, the auction house will take a cut, but we've got so much other stuff on - house clearance, house sale, sorting through 40 years of accumulated rubbish, etc, that anything which will reduce the pressure is to be welcomed. We'll put a good reserve price on it to make sure that we don't lose out too much.

Ah, sorry, didn't realise that it would be part of a lot of stuff to sell. Might make more sense then.

[Hol]

yellowjack said:

I have three rifles that my uncle gave me, all BSA I think.

Not sure without checking exact models, but there are two from the 1980s, one break barrel, one under-lever tap, one in .177, the other .22. The other one was bought second-hand when my uncle was 14, so it's over 60 years old.

One definitely works (not sure which) and the others I'm not sure of. I have no (safe, legal) location in which to test them, and the few guns shops I used to know have closed down. There's also an air pistol that's a break-barrel and that doesn't latch.

At some point I'd like to get them all checked, serviced, and firing again. Trouble is I don't know where to start, as the rules around shooting seem to have changed a lot since i used them (under supervision) in my uncle's garden and on the local common.

Maybe piggy-backing this on to someone else's advice thread will dredge up some advice/recommendations on places i can try to get an expert to look over them.

I'll try google for local air rifle clubs once I've sorted out my upcoming house move. I'm moving to another area, so no point in looking for clubs near where home is now.

Fire them without a pellet at a sheet of kitchen roll or newspaper and see if they blow a hole in it.
Potentially, the seals might have dried out and thee worst that can happen is that there is no air/pressure.

The underlever rifles used to be the more expensive ones as the accuracy was more consistent if you weren't constantly breaking the barrel to cock and load. .177 used to be the only ones you could use on a public rifle range, if they still exist.
.