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Duplicate post.....

Again thanks for all the info chaps (chapetts?). I've taken quite a lot on board. I've now bought a used (like new) 0.22 XB78 from a nearby scuba shop, "go-dive" in spondon. Delux model with 4x scope, bag, 10 caplets and a tin of pellets for £99.00. Bought a range right multifit silencer, which seemed pricy at £35.00, but was well made, easy to fit and noticably quieter when dry firing. Had a look at a new Ratcatcher and was quite taken with its size & weight. However price new would have taken me over my budget after I'd sourced a silencer & adaptor. Also very short sight base for opens and the scope it came with was insultingly bad, could have come out of a cracker. The XB together with the used moderated BSA Supersport 1.77 i bought last week covers all the angles pretty much. I'll use the 0.22 XB in the barn and the 0.177 BSA out and about. XB78 (inc bag & scope) £99.00 Silencer £35.00 BSA Supersport (inc bag, scope & silencer) £170 Total: £304.00 So only £4 over my budget but I got two guns instead of one. You may notice neither has open sights but hey. May save up for a low power scope 1.5 to 4 or some such as I find +3 or +4 uncomfortable when shooting both eyes open. Again many thanks to all those who contributed.

Many thanks for all the input; I'd not cosidered CO2 at all having thought of these guns as "only plinkers". I've now bought a lightly used BSA Supersport 1.77 with 3-12 hawke scope and a moderator for £170 which leaves me with £130 for a new/used CO2 gun & moderator for use in the barn, either "ratcatcher" or SMK 78?

Thanks for the info; The Gamo was an underlever with a synthetic stock and glowy sights. It may be that my irrational dislike of black plastic that has unfairly prejudiced me against it. That you find the "Whisper" significantly quieter is V interesting.

Chaps, chapetts, Sorry if this has been done before, I searched but I could not find... I'm after a rifle for short range control of pigeons at a nearby riding school. The birds are in the feed bins all the time and roost in the stable roof then "decorate" the horses. Mostly ferals (the pigeons, not the horses). Cretin farm hand had a go with some old unsilenced break barrel and proceeded to shoot holes in the asbestos barn roof, cut off the telephone (by sighting in on the junction box) and mentalising half of the horses on the yard even though the nearest one was over 75m away. Wifey rides, I shoot FAC and word's got out so I've been asked to help out. Excuse to buy a new toy and free shooting/food plus endless tea & biscuits from grateful horsey ladies. Ranges 5m to 15m. No neighbours and would shoot early am after turnout of the nags, but still need to be as quiet as possible to minimise chance of spooking them. I think it's the probably the "crack" noise that upsets them, sounds like a whip presumably (or a tiger stepping on a branch? Who knows what goes on in their horsey little minds;bloody good hearing though). I was contemplating a 10 to 12 ft/lb 1.77 spring gun for cost/convenience and open sights due to the short range and an irrational personal prejudice against these newfangled telescopic scope device thingeys (they won’t catch on you know). Went down local gunshop (Countryman of Derby) and shouldered a few springers; BSA Sportsman was very nice, but I didn't like the sights; big plastic gammo (cfx?) was wierdly weighted, too long and utterly horrible; HW99S was a very nice fit, good sights and a good price and felt quality.... but how would one go about mounting a moderator with a tunnel/blade front sight? I've seen "slip on silencers" advertised with cut outs for the foresight but won't they be a bit flimsy as, inevitably, I'm going to get all ham fisted and end up using the thing as a cocking aid? Shouldn't silencers be treaded on anyway to stop them blowing off or loosing concentricity? I've raided the piggybank and sold another gun so I've a budget of around £250 - £300. What would you do in my place? Many thanks to you all and love the forum.

Too right SANDPAPER BAD: you can't sand out dents as you'll just end up with a big shallow dent which will look awful when you apply your finish. Also sanding will wreck any chequering or detailing. Think very carefully before you let sandpaper anywhere near your stock. You MUST remove the action from the stock otherwise it will end up full of crud and you'll cover it in stain/oil/varnish. This is normally easy to do, just one or two screws. Sometimes the action or trigger is held together by pins that are prevented from falling out by the stock, these normally stay in place but..... you should be able to download a manual for pretty much any rifle off the internet. It may be posible to steam out any dents or marks. Older varnishes (shelac) can be shifted with alcohol (turps) and wire wool without resorting to Nitromoors. Have a think how you want to finish the stock, I like a stain followed by boiled linseed oil myself but there are varnishes out there that offer better weather protection. Lots of "how to's" on t'internet. Good Luck

Sounds good, which part of the country are you based? Ahh.. Cleveland NE. Just seen the header. New.