A new book about air machineguns

by Tom Gaylord

One question that I get a lot concerns the availability of BB machine guns. I am talking about steel BBs, now - not 6mm plastic balls that even I now call BBs in print, but which are a different projectile altogether. I'm not denigrating airsoft when I say this, but my job of explaining things to new enthusiasts is much more difficult because of the imprecise language we airgunners use.

So I'm talking about real steel BBs like those shot in real BB guns, such as the ubiquitous Red Ryder. And some of these guns were made to shoot lead shot instead of steel, like the famous Feltman carnival guns. I'm also talking about them.

Well a much broader book about all AIR machine guns is now available.


Larry Behling's new book is the only one of its kind ever published. There is no question that every airgun collector needs one.

We've waited a long time for this book!
I first met the author, Larry Behling, when I attended his airgun show in Baldwinsville, New York, back in the mid-1990s. By 1996 I was aware that he was writing a book about air machine guns. From then until now Larry has worked to gather the materials, information and photographs that are seen in his book. To call it a labor of love has got to be right, because nothing less could keep a man motivated for so long!

I learned stuff on the first read
My critics will say that's to be expected, and I suppose they're right. I DON'T know much about air machine guns, except that there's a lot of people who are very excited about them.

I was the Technical Director at AirForce Airguns (2003-2005) when the owner, John McCaslin, bought the rights to manufacture the Starfire Tommygun from Vintage Machine Corp. I helped take the orders and ship most of the final 50 guns that were part of that deal. I mention that because it put me in touch with a lot of crazy BB machine gun addicts, and it taught me the lengths to which they will go in the pursuit of their hobby! Larry's book will only aggravate their condition, which I am sure is terminal.

For the rest of us - the sane ones - Larry exposes to a world of airgunning we never suspected! Forget big bore guns for a moment, these are full-auto terrors that function on air, freon, CO2 and electricity. Yeah, we all know about the Feltman - or thought we did, in my case. And most of us have seen the more popular MacGlashan (see, Larry, now I know the right way to spell the name, thanks to you) aerial trainer from World War II, but Larry will show you the first successful air machine gun from 1834!!! He'll not only show you the Hotpoint machine gun - he'll tell you all about it, too! And the Caselman air machine gun that that poor guy from South America is all worked about - Larry doesn't just show you the guns, he shows the ad, some tech literature that came with the guns - he even shows the shop where Jeff Caselman put it all together!

How to get a book
This 324-page large format tape-bound book sells for $65, plus $8.40 shipping in the U.S. Payment can be U.S. postal money order, other money orders payable in U.S. funds and by personal check drawn on a U.S. bank (all checks must have state driver's license number). Send to:

Larry Behling
220 County Route 6
Phoenix, NY 13135

Larry's email address