Vintage Tong IL Air Rifle

[beulahlandgirl]

I found this old gun at a garage sale the other day for $5.00 and wondered if any could tell me some info about it and maybe how much it was worth. It is marked Tong IL, M T 1, and the #001106 and is super heavy. Thanks for any help!

[Bobbypins]

I don't know much about old air rifles, but can tell you that for $5 it was definitely worth the risk. I know that some of the older air guns are worth some cash.

A recent Shotgun News magazine just did a short article on older air guns. You may be able to ask someone from their website or on their Facebook page.

www.shotgunnews.com

[beulahlandgirl]

I don't know much about old air rifles, but can tell you that for $5 it was definitely worth the risk. I know that some of the older air guns are worth some cash.

A recent Shotgun News magazine just did a short article on older air guns. You may be able to ask someone from their website or on their Facebook page.

www.shotgunnews.com

Thanks, Bobbypins for the info, I will look that up! I know I definitely couldn't go wrong with only paying $5 for it, lol!

[iceman0xh]

Well in a few moments of research I learned Tong Il is a South Korean manufacturer of pellet guns

[beulahlandgirl]

Well in a few moments of research I learned Tong Il is a South Korean manufacturer of pellet guns

Thanks Iceman, for that info. I found that out also. Would really like to find a value for this gun.

[billjustbill]

At our last garage sale, an older fellow asked if I had any old Daisy BB guns or pellet rifles. In talking with him, he said that a large number of air rifles he buys from garage sales will pump up, but won't shoot. It usually wasn't because of a broken gun part, they wouldn't because the barrels are plugged with lead pellets.

One air gun he described had four or five .177 cal. pellets rammed together inside the gunbarrel. He said he fixed a long drillbit and made centering guides for it so he could slowly drill them out and not scar the barrel. The newer pointed pellets were the hardest to remove, so he had to fix a small diameter rod to somewhat blunt the pointed end so the drill bit wouldn't walk off center.

Hope this info helps you and others who read it.

[beulahlandgirl]

At our last garage sale, an older fellow asked if I had any old Daisy BB guns or pellet rifles. In talking with him, he said that a large number of air rifles he buys from garage sales will pump up, but won't shoot. It usually wasn't because of a broken gun part, they wouldn't because the barrels are plugged with lead pellets.

One air gun he described had four or five .177 cal. pellets rammed together inside the gunbarrel. He said he fixed a long drillbit and made centering guides for it so he could slowly drill them out and not scar the barrel. The newer pointed pellets were the hardest to remove, so he had to fix a small diameter rod to somewhat blunt the pointed end so the drill bit wouldn't walk off center.

Hope this info helps you and others who read it.

Thanks Bill, that is good info to know. This one will pump up, but I can't pull the trigger and there isn't any safety button so maybe the barrel is plugged up like you described.

[DigginThePast]

Well this has me scratching my head as to where my Blue Book of Gun Values is.

You pellet gun is in it and listed as: "TONG IL : RIFLES : GARAND MODEL MT 1"

If I can locate my copy I'll post the values or maybe someone else with a copy will chime in.

[beulahlandgirl]

Well this has me scratching my head as to where my Blue Book of Gun Values is.

You pellet gun is in it and listed as: "TONG IL : RIFLES : GARAND MODEL MT 1"

If I can locate my copy I'll post the values or maybe someone else with a copy will chime in.

Thanks, I would appreciate that!

[s.c.shooter]

I've never seen an M1 air rifle before. The safety on a regular M1 is the little toggle at the front of the trigger guard. It should slide back and forth. I can't imagine why the trigger won't engage unless the trigger assembly is broken or it is on safe. Hope this helps.

[Sheldon J]

I was at a sportsman auction a while back and some old double barrel Daisy's well bidding was so brisk the auctioneer stopped the bidding just to say "these are only BB guns", and they still went for several hundred bucks. An replica of an Grand in a BB gun, never seen or heard of one before so it could be rare enough to go for a good price.

[beulahlandgirl]

I was at a sportsman auction a while back and some old double barrel Daisy's well bidding was so brisk the auctioneer stopped the bidding just to say "these are only BB guns", and they still went for several hundred bucks. An replica of an Grand in a BB gun, never seen or heard of one before so it could be rare enough to go for a good price.

Thanks Sheldon J for that information! I have sure had a lot of interest in this gun and have a T-net member buying it from me for a pretty fair price. I love finding stuff like this because it makes you dig and do research and learn something new. Have a good day!