Airguns — Not Just For Kids!

Shooting Industry, Nov, 2000 by Carolee Boyles

These Youth Guns Have Grown Up To Become Major Profit Makers

Remember the BB gun you had as a kid? It may still be in your gun cabinet. You used it for plinking at cans and hunting small game -- and learning how to safely handle a gun.

Today, airguns are still favorite first guns for kids, but there are also sophisticated adult models that are proving to be sound money-makers for dealers.

In addition, airguns are not considered firearms by ATF, making them easy for dealers to stock and sell.

Profit Margins

Airgun products fit into three main categories: the guns themselves, ammunition and accessories. Accessories include optics and sights, slings, clips, targets, pellet traps and [CO.sub.2] cylinders.

"When you take all that as an overall grouping, you're into the mid to upper 30 percent in margins," said Lloyd Heise, vice president of sales and marketing for Crosman and Benjamin Sheridan. "The highest percentage of profits in is [CO.sub.2], BBs and pellets. Accessories are close after that. In guns, the average retailer aims for 35-percent-plus margins."

Heise says there's a definite spike in business just before the holidays, but airguns also provide a steady business all year.

"Sales from March through October are very consistent," he says. "Airguns sales aren't as seasonal as most sporting goods."

Impressive Replicas

[CO.sub.2] replicas are relative newcomers to the airgun arena. Most notable are those from Walther USA, RWS Diana, Daisy, Smith & Wesson and Beretta.

"These are still a relatively new group of airguns," said Tom Conrad, Walther's marketing manager. "They're very realistic reproductions."

One of the Walther airguns, the CP99, is so realistic in weight, feel and trigger pull that a blindfolded shooter literally cannot tell the difference between it and the Walther 9mm/40 S&W P99 -- until, of course, the pellet is fired.

"This makes these airguns ideal training tools," Conrad said. "They're like combat handguns on a condensed scale. You don't have to go to a range and pay fees. On days when it's too hot or too cold to shoot outside, you can shoot inside, in the attic, garage or the basement. They're also a lot of fun."

One replica Walther is particularly proud of is the PPK/S.

"It looks identical to the real PPK/S, which is the first gun James Bond used," Conrad says. "The slide moves when it's fired and you get the felt recoil of a .22 long rifle." Today's James Bond, Pierce Brosnan, uses a Walther P99 which has an airgun brother, the CP99.

"The CP99 even has a working de-cocker," Conrad said, "and when you hit the magazine release, the entire magazine comes out so you can practice changing magazines like you would with your real gun."

Airgun replicas sell very well, according to Conrad. During a promotional sale at Atlantic Guns in Silver Springs, Md., the dealer sold out of the dozen Walther PPK/S [CO.sub.2]s he had in stock. That contributed to additional sales. Because of the airgun demonstration, three customers purchased real PPK/Ss.

Adult Airguns

Daisy has two pistols modeled after the government Colt 1911, one blued and one nickel-plated. Both models are made of high-quality, die-cast metal for precision and long-system life. Each gun features a [CO.sub.2] semi-automatic action, firing a .177 caliber pellet from an 8-shot cylinder magazine. They also feature TruGlo fiber optic front sights.

The Model 44 revolver from Daisy is patterned after the legendary .44 Magnum. It features a swing-out speed cylinder for fast reloading.

Smith & Wesson has six [CO.sub.2] revolvers that feature fully adjustable black blade rear sight and patridge front sight. Each airgun comes complete with pellets, [CO.sub.2] cylinders, cylinder magazines, barrel wrench, complete instructions and a hard-side storage case.

Beretta's airgun replicas are patterned after the Model 92 semi-auto. The Model 92F5 [CO.sub.2] is a repeating air pistol that has an eight-shot rotary magazine, ambidextrous safety and a double- and single-action trigger. They are available in blue or nickel finish with plastic or wood grips.

Inside Airguns

This year, Crosman introduced its first rifle for use in three-position shooting competitions. The [CO.sub.2] training rifle, the Challenger 2000, does everything a high-end rifle will do for about $300. The U.S. Shooting Team has endorsed it for three-position training.

"We're able to get about 80 shots with one cartridge," Heise says. "No one else has been able to do that."

Benjamin Sheridan has been making airguns for close to a century. Without making any major changes in their existing airguns, the company has made the mechanism a little more user-friendly and added some safety features.

"It's a traditional pneumatic rifle that's still made with an American walnut stock and a solid-brass barrel and pump tube," Heise said. "It has all the things that made it famous 50 years ago."

Precision Airguns

Beeman has several innovative rifles and pistols in their line, including the Kodiak. This .25 caliber air rifle delivers a flat-shooting projectile that moves faster than many .177 caliber pellets at 50 yards, so that it hits with about triple the force. The P1 Magnum pistol is styled after the Colt .45 and comes in .177 and .20 caliber. The P2 is similar in style but is a highly accurate, recoil-less firearm-style match air pistol.