48 SHOOTING SPORTS MAGAZINE
AIRGUN | SECOND HAND FOCUS
“A brass valve end, and
swan neck bolt handle,
give this MKII variant a
more luxurious look”
Many thanks go to Andrew, CJ, and Craig
at MGR Guns, and for further details on
this and other guns in stock, see their
website at http://www.mgrguns.co.uk.
MGR Guns, 1, Witham ROAD, Woodhall
Spa, Lincs., LN10 6RW, 01526 351750
Opening hours are Mon, Tues, Fri and
Sat- open 9-5, Thur late 9-7, closed Wed
and Sun.Secondhand
F
ounded in 1978 by Don Lowndes,
Ken Gibbon, Mike Seddon, and Jim
Phillips, Daystate has gone on to
carve out its place in the airgun history
books. From humble beginnings
manufacturing tranquillizer and paintball
guns, from their relatively basic workshop
in Stone, Staffordshire, the company went
on to produce what is widely regarded as
the fi rst modern pneumatic air rifl e:- the
original Huntsman. It’s this landmark
model that laid the groundwork for the
world of pre-charged pneumatics that we
take for granted today.CUSTOM SPECIAL
The Huntsman was manufactured from
the early 1990’s through to around 1996.
This particular example is serial numbervalve means the shot count isn’t anything
spectacular, as air is drawn, unregulated,
from the main air chamber. As the
pressure drops in the main cylinder, over
the course of the charge, the valve will
open that bit easier, with a ‘power curve’
of sorts. Careful charging and monitoring
of the number of shots taken, was the
order of the day of course, and with this
golden rule adhered to, performance can
just be enjoyed. Early Huntsman’s were
doing well to give 45 consistent shots,
but the MKII should be good for
somewhere between 50 -70.
A brass valve end, and swan neck
bolt handle, give this MKII variant a more
luxurious look, whilst stopping short of
the garish gold cylinder of the Midas
specifi cation. The Huntsman’s 2-stage
trigger, originally designed by top FTHS1579, and what makes it so special is
a few unusual fi ttings, along with that
rather spectacular custom target stock.
Considering the overtly target-orientated
custom woodwork, this example is also
fairly unusual in that it’s in .22 calibre.
Whilst the Huntsman is an
understandably simple design, that is in
fact, part of the attraction, for devotees of
this style of airgun. A simple knock-openshooter, Barry McGraw, was
ahead of its time, and with a
straight brass match blade
added to this example,
performance and looks are hugely
improved.MYSTERY TIMBER?
In fact, whilst some mystery exists
as to the origins of the customized
woodwork, it is thought to be
perhaps the work of John Welham,
who made several special stocks in
the mid-80’s into the 90’s, fi rstly as
part of the Airmasters operation,
then under his own banner. Other
theories surrounding this model are
that the stock is in fact, one of several
made by the factory as test-beds for
future projects. We’ve been unable to
clarify this, so would welcome any
pointers in this department.
One thing’s for sure- this is a
stunning rifl e, and a fi ne example of
early modern PCP manufacture. £450
secures this rather tasty old classic,
and given the detail and quality of the
woodwork alone, I reckon it has to be
viewed.LANDMARK DESIGN
DAYSTATE HUNTSMAN MKII CUSTOM
Mark Camoccio looks at the original Daystate PCP that started the ball rolling
Even the swan neck bolt handle is fairly
luxurious for Daystate at the timeClassic custom; this Daystate
Huntsman Mk II wears a rather
unusual but well designed stockThe two stage trigger gets a straight brass
match blade here