Category: bb guns

102 Cub, air rifles, antiques, bb guns, Buck, CaliAir, Carbines, Collector, Daisy, eBay, history, King, King 2233, Lever Action, no. 101, no.102, no.105B, Picking A Daisy, Picking A Daisy Show, Rifles, Video, Vintage, Youth Guns

Daisy 101 and 102 – “The Beginning… sort of”.

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REMINDER: The Picking A Daisy Show has moved from the AIR Show channel to Picking A Daisy. Be sure to like and subscribe to the new channel and turn on your notifications for new episodes.

The Daisy no. 101 and 102 represent the “Depression Era” guns that were first put out in 1933. They really were just the Markham King 2233 gun re-branded as a Daisy no. 101 model 33. The 500 shot no.102 was also released in 1933. Both guns were reissued with longer barrels in 1936 and were subsequently named “Model 36”. The shot tubes on the later 1936 models were removable unlike the no.102 Model 33 which was peened shut and inaccessible.

We had to drill the weld points to release the shot tube on the 102/33 for repairs. You could see where they saved money on not having to machine threads.

If you had a little more than a “Daisy For A Buck” you might have afforded any of the other models Daisy had manufactured and marketed at the time. The famous Red Ryder had not yet come into design until 1938 but the Buzz Barton, Buck Jones, and the No. 25 Pump Gun among many others were available.

I have found the 101 and 102 models to be the least accurate of the vintage Daisy models – with exception to one particular no. 102. This wooden stock Daisy 102 Cub from the 1960’s (first produced in 1957 with a plastic stock) forged out of the Daisy/Heddon partnership. Heddon Comptometer was a cash register co. that used much of the same tooling and machinery that Daisy used to make their products. Heddon’s machines fell out of vogue as they were replaced by lighter more modern cash registers. The 102 Cub is a CaliAir favorite and very enjoyable to shot. It is perhaps the predecessor to the hugely successful Buck 105b currently being produced. Both little “youth carbines” are capable of hitting a shovel head out at 50 yards and are compact and easy to keep around with 500 shots in the ready!

CaliAir will be releasing the 101 and 102 Daisy rifles from the collection on this site and on eBay. The 102 Cub will be staying in the collection for further potification …eh hem. See ya next time. I think the Red Ryder’s are up next! – Yer Pal CaliAir!

Check out more Lever Action guns here.

Check out the entire CaliAir Collection here.

air rifles, antiques, bb guns, Buzz Barton, CaliAir, Carbines, Collector, Daisy, eBay, history, King, Lever Action, Long Rifle, Markham, Model 27, Model 33, model 36, Model 80, Model no 155, no.102, no.103, Picking A Daisy, Picking A Daisy Show, Rifles, Video, Vintage

The Buzz Barton final part III

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The 3rd and last series of videos on the Buzz Barton model. Haven’t posted much because I didn’t want to interfere with the Buzz series. The Daisy no. 155 has an interesting relationship to the Buzz. You could say the 155 is the same gun as the Buzz no. 195, the King 5536, and the Model 80 Long Rifle.

CaliAir also introduces the public auction of a substantial part of his collection here on PickingADaisy.com and on eBay.

Check out Buzz Barton part I

Check out Buzz Barton part II

View more Lever Action Carbines

View Entire CaliAir Collection

air rifles, antiques, bb guns, Buzz Barton, CaliAir, Carbines, Daisy, history, Lever Action, Model 33, no.103, Picking A Daisy, Picking A Daisy Show, Rifles, Video, Vintage

The Super Buzz Barton Special Part II

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Daisy put out many models by 1933. And while most businesses were struggling to survive Daisy was going full steam ahead with a wide range of products to choose from to suit your budget.

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From the no. 101 Daisy for a buck to the Buzz Barton and the no. 25 that would cost you a whole 3 bucks! This mint condition Buzz Model 33 most likely has the mahogany stock and does not have any branding upon it.

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This may have been due to their machine being broke which led to them using paper decals on the first 1933 run of the Buzz no.195’s. It has a reverse cocking lever made of cast iron.

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The under barrel is a defining feature of the early Daisy guns which helped to contain the air pressure.

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The nickeling on the gun is 99-100%. I have not seen a nicer specimen of this model thus far.

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The Buzz Barton no. 195 was in essence the low end Buzz. They came out with it at first in 1933 as well as the no. 103. The model shown below is a Buzz no. 194 model 36 from 1936.

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This no. 195 is in good condition and was acquired in repaired condition. The repair was rough but seems to have been done many years ago. Sometimes this gives guns a nice aesthetic character.

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The small sight aperture is hard to use on anything at close range. The addition of a sight on these guns was rather peculiar. It seems like the “sight” was more for looks than function.  But it did look cool and you could always knock the aperture out to get a better field of view when aiming.

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This Buzz no. 195 was certainly the low end Buzz but this particular specimen has a great deal of charm with all its carvings, nicks and  era correct square nut replacements. It also is a good shooter after all is said and done.

I’m sure there much I’ve left uncovered with the Buzz Barton models. It represents perhaps a companies foray into diversification. The depression brought about great financial disparity and Daisy was able to take advantage of both the low and high end markets. The rare availability of the fancy no. 103 in comparison to the more common no. 195 model 36  is testament to what sold more and to whom.

Check out Part I of the Buzz Barton.

Check out Part III of the Buzz Barton.

Check out more Lever Action Carbines.

View the entire CaliAir Collection of Daisy’s.

air rifles, antiques, bb guns, Buzz Barton, CaliAir, Carbines, Collector, Daisy, history, Lever Action, Model 33, model 36, no.103, no.195, Picking A Daisy, Picking A Daisy Show, Rifles, Video, Vintage

Daisy Super Buzz Barton Special No. 103

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The new year brings in the 100th anniversary of the End of World War I. By 1933 America was suffering from the depression and in a little over 10 years will be going back to war in WWII. Daisy had put out the economical no. 101 and 102 Model 33 that where sold for around $1. However they also marketed a higher end product called the Buzz Barton Special named after the child rodeo star of the same name. Buzz’s future in the new media called “film” was limited but his name will forever be etched (literally) in the No.’s 103 and 195.

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The first Buzz no. 195 in 1933 came out with a paper label on the stock and few survived with the fragile label in tact.  They also produced the No. 103 Super Buzz Barton Special that was nickel plated and featured the reverse cocking action that allows you to cock the lever and keep the gun shouldered. A cool but short lived design feature that proved to be a bit hazardous.

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The Number 103 Model 33 from 1933 shares the same frame as the Daisy Model 27 from 1927 which also featured the “reverse” cocking action and similar cast iron levers.

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The following year Daisy would produce their improved 1934 Number 25 Pump Gun and their new Buck Jones Number 107 Pump Gun and even the super rare No. 105 Junior Pump Gun (same gun as the Markham No. 5 Pump Gun). The lever action guns were now sharing the spotlight with the pump action lines.

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I’ll be doing more articles and video episodes on this intriguing set of guns known as the Buzz Barton. The Number 195 model 36 was actually a re-purposed Markham King No. 55 which is also featured in the CaliAir Collection.

Check out The Buzz Barton Part II here.

Check out The Buzz Barton Part III here.

Check out all the Lever Action guns here.

View the entire CaliAir Collection here.

.180, air rifles, antiques, bb guns, CaliAir, Carbines, Collector, Daisy, history, No. 25, Picking A Daisy, Picking A Daisy Show, Pump Action, Rifles, Video, Vintage

Daisy No.25 1919

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[Correction: I mistakenly refer to this gun as a 1917. It’s actually a 1919.]

Today I have for you the gun that started my obsession with Daisy BB guns. Last year for the first time ever I bought a new Daisy no. 25. The new models are made in China – but the build, fit and finish on the gun is pretty good and regardless of the plastic trigger and lever – the new 25 is an excellent backyard plinker.

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I couldn’t believe how quiet and accurate the gun was for a dang BB gun. Previously I’ve always scoffed at BB guns and thought of them more as children’s toys. I bought the gun on a whim only to discover that the thing was an excellent shooter. Over the years I had invested in many types of firearms, break barrel gas pistons, pcp’s, spring piston, airsoft and multi-pump pneumatics. Don’t get me wrong, I have fun using all of those various shooting platforms.

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But the Daisy BB gun offered so many things that NONE of the others did. Most importantly – capacity. No other shooting platform gives you 50 to 1000 shots one after another. If you are a shooter you know that most of your time is spent loading the gun. The less time you spend loading the more time you have for a thing called trigger time!

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I couldn’t believe this gun existed since 1914 and I was only now getting hip to it. I started wondering if it was possible to find an early original version of the gun and sure enough they were available on the internet. I purchased a 1936 variant for this was what was considered the most desirable of the No. 25’s. I am also a big WWI buff and it turns out that the history of Daisy and The Great War are profoundly intertwined.

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WWI broke out in 1914 which is the very year that Daisy began manufacturing the Fred Lefevere designed No. 25. This is what led me to seeking a 1st variant no. 25. Currently I still have not been able to get my hands on a 1st variant. Between 1914 and 1979 there have been about 54 variants of the gun produced. What we have here is what some call a 3rd variant . Other sources place this as a 6th variant.

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This gun was bought at a premium from Dennis Baker over at Daisy King as a 1919. This variant has the short throw and non adjustable front sight. The variant we are looking at was produced between 1917 to 1926. By 1927 the easier to cock long throw lever was introduced. For the exception of the non adjustable front sight and the finish on the barrel – this is what a 1914 1st variant would look like. It has the barrel claw, the 5 groove pump handle, smaller rear sight, straight trigger, squared off rear trigger guard, large take down screw, a reinforcement rib and a straight stock.

What distinguishes the first variant from all the others is its “black nickel” finish. The first variant was never sold in bright nickel. Of course the flagship no. 25 was the 6th (sometimes referred to as the 7th) variant that included fancy etching on the receiver. I’ll be showing you those variants in a future episode. This particular gun came to me in weak shooting condition and could definitely benefit from a good seal job. The finish on this rifle is very good with little rust. It does shoot fine at close range and it is very quiet. The shot tube is functional but challanging to lock back the spring while loading the bb’s. This was a common issue with he earlier shot tubes.

I’m looking forward to reviving the seals on this gun to see how well it can shoot. For a gun over a 100 years old its still in great condition.

View all the Pump Action Carbines here.

Check out the entire CaliAir Collection here.

.180, air rifles, antiques, bb guns, Break Action Barrel, CaliAir, Carbines, Collector, Daisy, history, King, Markham, No. 17 King, Picking A Daisy, Picking A Daisy Show, Rifles, Video, Vintage

Markham King No. 17 1917

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The Markham King No.17 was produced between 1917 to 1932. It is a carry over from his original wooden Chicago Model from 1887 and continued production even after Daisy fully acquired King from Markham in the 1920’s.

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Markham had some unique designs. The 1900 Queen Take Down (1900-1907) was capable of breaking down into 3 pieces. The No. 17 had the handy feature of shooting 3 different types of projectiles: bb’s, pellets, and darts! The older guns such as this require lead bb’s and not the modern steal bb’s we use today.img_5985-1.jpgimg_5986-1

This gun was acquires through Dennis Baker of “Daisy King”. I paid a premium for it due to first time buyer naiveté. The gun had been restored and is in fine shooting condition and the stock and receiver are nice and tight with no wobble. 

I’m not certain that Dennis Baker actually did the work on this lil rifle or how much work he did on it. The esthetic of the gun remains intact regardless.

The leather seals are still holding out on this 100 year old plus youth carbine. It requires the .180 cal ammo but does ok with the standard .177 – just stay away from the steel bb’s and pellets. img_5993-1img_5994-1

This gun is my all time favorite close range multi ammo shooter. Well, it’s the ONLY multi ammo vintage carbine in the collection. Even though I paid a bit too much for this gun I was not disappointed and remain happy with my purchase. The No. 17 and the Daisy No. 25 from 1917 were sold to me as a pair. We also paid a premium for a No. 103 Model 33 Super Buzz Barton Special. These three guns will be in the collection for a long time.

I’m still on the lookout for: King Chicago, Daisy No. 25 1st var, and a Daisy No. 95 Model 32 Buzz Barton Special (modeled after the King no. 55).

Check out all the break barrels in the collection.

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Daisy Model C 1910-1914

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So far this Daisy Model C from 1910 is the oldest gun in the CaliAir collection. The Model C was produced between 1910 to 1914. It represents the pinnacle of the break barrels that Daisy first began producing with Markham King in 1886. By this time the lever action guns were gaining popularity and the new pump action No. 25 was soon to make its appearance in 1914 thanks to Fred Lefevere’s new design.

This Model C is in pretty good condition. After 100 years or so the wood is bound to shrink and this creates a wobbely stock to reciever connection. Since they are put together via rivets instead of screws it is not a simple matter to tighten.

The groupings from 15-20 feet away weren’t too bad.  The pre 1933 guns are supposed  to take a slightly larger .180 caliber  however this gun is listed as taking the standard .175 caliber. In this demo we used vintage lead no.2 air rifle shot from Winchester.

The shot tube appears to have been remodeled using solder but the workmanship is good. It functions as it was intended. The black sleeve on the table is silicone impregnated and keeps the gun safe from moisture.

The old Daisy design stamped on both sides of the receiver. There is little rust and the nickeling is about 70-80% intact. Check out the cast iron trigger!

The etching on the receiver is hard to make out but is still readable. This gun is kept well oiled to keep it preserved and only shot on special occasions about once a year. 

The basic design from the early wooden Markham rifles seems to be carried over to the Model C. In fact Markham had released his Model C, Model D, and Model E – all before 1910. The Daisy Model C could very well be a rebranded King as many of Daisy’s guns were.

View more Break Barrel guns here.

View the entire CaliAir Collection here.