ASI Sniper (El Gamo)

[Callum_Ensor 0]

Hi Guys,

This is my first post. I recently came across a .22 caliber air rifle from I believe the late 1970s called the ASI Sniper in my dad's cupboard at home. 

It was in quite a state and so I've stripped the wood back ironed out all the dings and imperfections and put a new varnish and oil on and it looks spot on. 

I know that with this being an old rifle it'll not be as powerful in its current state as many of the current rifles on the market. 

Is it worth the time and money to have the internals serviced as I would like to use it as a beginner rifle. 

What are your thoughts and experiences on this rifle (whether you've owned one back in the day) 

Cheers 

Callum

[Jonjon79 13,358]

Welcome Callum

 

That looks like one of the Relum air rifles to me (I could well be wrong though) 

 

If it's got sentimental value or, you just fancy having a tinker, it's worth striping and seeing what you can do with it - that's all part of the fun

[knight 2]

ASI Spanish gun from the 70's, i believe gamo made them, not a  Relum 

[bigmac 97kt 13,803]

Relum Tornado is an under leaver Jon

but mind i had to look twice as the stocks look the same

atvbjimmy

[bigmac 97kt 13,803]

And for those that have not seen it this was the rifle

above before

[Furrosious ferreter 499]

Not much difference then...

FF

[eastcoast 4,160]

I could not say whether it is worth the financial outlay to have restored, probably not as an investment, but as a 1st rifle, nothing wrong with it. Just basic DIY to get it shooting consistently at probably 8 ft/lb? It’s the type of air gun that many of used on rats and rabbits (sensible sub 30yards) and was effective. No need to spend massive amounts of money to hunt with an air rifle. Fieldcraft and learning to shoot straight being the important thing.

[Baldcoot 2,352]

Got one for my 14th birthday ,gutless doesnt cover it ,squeeze the trigger and after a while ping it arrives at the target .Use to roll up coop stamps and shoot each other with them bout all there were good for .

Wouldnt dream of using it on bunnies on our 25m range at the army cadets and it struggled to get there atb 

[forest of dean redneck 11,666]

Fettle it and use it for tin cans or paper targets , not for hunting.

[eastcoast 4,160]

They used to be for sale in the "catalogues" , the place where some of us used to get our clothes from. A few mates had them and all that I can say is, we managed to shoot rabbits with them. They were a sort of poor man's BSA Meteor. I never had either, at the time, they were a luxury item :-)

[Rimfireboy! 1,463]

On 14/07/2019 at 20:44, timmytree said:

In 1972 the Sniper was on sale at £9.95.

I got one in 1973, I was pleased at the time but realistically it was a garden plinker, low power which wasn't helped with the pellets available at the time. It did stop a couple of rabbits at very short range but was mainly used for knocking sparrows and starlings out of the apple trees or war games with the lads from the next village. We shot each other regularly, usually in the back or legs. We only had a couple of hospital visits! 

War games with air guns, I remember them well

[tomburras 2,730]

On 14/07/2019 at 21:59, eastcoast said:

They used to be for sale in the "catalogues" , the place where some of us used to get our clothes from. A few mates had them and all that I can say is, we managed to shoot rabbits with them. They were a sort of poor man's BSA Meteor. I never had either, at the time, they were a luxury item :-)

This gun brings back some memories a pocket full of marksman pellet's and a 4x20 scope. I had a rabbit with one of these too. Mine was stamped el gamo but missing the sticker. I remember buying it from a gun shop In Harrogate called the way of the warrior for £18 it was my birthday and I got 20 quid in a card I got this gun and a  tin of marksman pellet's and a 4x20 scope for 20 quid in the mid 1990,'s . I got the rabbit at about 8 yards and my grandma cooked it in a slow cooker. I was so proud when we ate it.

[tatsblisters 10,003]

Remember my cousin having one in the early 70s with a tube on top that fed pellets into it when cocked like as been said realy a plinking gun just thank full we had BSA and Webley about back in the day who made far more superior air guns.

[j j m 6,547]

my son had one years ago as a starter rifle nice bit bit of kit

[johnbaz 363]

ASI stands for Anglo Spanish Imports yet they imported guns from Germany too! 

 

I've an ASI Statical which is a semi recoiless gun that upon firing, The action slides back much like the TX200 SR and Diana 54 Airking but a couple or more decades before AA and Diana produced their sledge guns!!

 

They also sold the ASI Paratrooper, I had a couple of those but I sold one and kept one, Couldn't sell that one as it was a gift!!

The ASI guns were all made by El Gamo years ago but imported by ASI, El Gamo I think are just known as Gamo now and i'm pretty sure they're one of the largest airgun producers in the world, For anyone that doesn't know, They bought BSA out years ago and all the springers are made in Spain, PCP's are still made here in the UK though...

John