Guns & ammo
Expert advice, appraisals and fascinating firearms stories
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I acquired this BB gun from a good friend many years ago (above). To the best of my knowledge, it’s from the mid-1960s.
I’m curious about its value, since it is in new condition in the original box, complete with the plastic sleeve, barrel cleaner, manual and registration card. I would like to let it go to a collector who would truly appreciate it, but I’m unsure who to contact. Any help would be appreciated.
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Dennis Scharf
Winnipeg, Manitoba
The Crosman 99 was made from 1965 to 1970, styled to superficially resemble the Savage 99 centrefire rifle. Powered by CO2 Powerlets, it fired .22-calibre lead pellets from a 14-shot magazine along the left side of the receiver. One of the 99’s selling points was that it had two power levels: simply cycling the lever promised a velocity of 400 fps, but if you pulled the hammer back farther after cycling the lever, the velocity increased to a claimed 530 fps. I say “claimed” because my experience with other CO2-powered airguns is that they generally don’t fully achieve the stated velocities.
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A very well made, adult-sized airgun, the Crosman 99 has become a cult classic of sorts with airgun enthusiasts. I recall being tempted to buy one in the late 1960s. The price in Canada at the time was around $35; a Crosman scope and base added another $10 or so. That doesn’t sound like much money today, but back then, you could buy a pretty good .22 rifle for the same amount. Thanks for bringing back memories of my younger days!
If you want to sell your Crosman, find a busy online forum for airgun enthusiasts that features a sub-forum for selling and buying guns. Listing your 99 for sale on such a site would help achieve your goal of having it go to someone who values and appreciates it. Another possibility would be to sell it through a gun auction site (see www.outdoorcanada.ca/gunauctions).
From what I can see online, even a non-functioning 99 can be sold for spare parts, while used but still functioning models can bring in $100 to $150. Reconditioned and professionally resealed 99s, meanwhile, have asking prices of $200-plus. Your rifle, in its unused condition and with the original box, papers and accessories, would be very much in demand among airgun enthusiasts and collectors. There are probably only a few dozen 99s in this condition still out there, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see it bring in well over $200, or perhaps even more than $300.