Theoben was founded on July 4th, 1982, by Ben Taylor and David Theobald.. Theoben air rifles are known for their patented High Efficiency (HE) gas ram system that replaces the metal spring with an air spring. The gas ram system removes all spring vibration, twang, and torque from the shooting cycle, while the patented inertia weight inside the piston helps to eliminate piston bounce. But when they have been preowned how much are they really worth. We analysed over nine thousands listings to get a clear picture how much your used Kral air rifle is worth
What is the average price of a used Theoben air rifle?
The average cost is £627.00
What was the most expensive air rifle?
The most expensive Theoben air rifle was £1300, This was a RAPID 7
What was the cheapest?
There was a Theoben Rapid listed for £150
Average Traded Price of Theoben Air Rifles
Model |
Average Used Price |
| Evolution | £559 |
| Rapid 12 | £997 |
| Rapid 7 | £796 |
| RAPID 7 MK-2 | £838 |
| Fenman | £502 |
| Sirocco | £396 |
| Eliminator | £334 |
Theoben air rifles are well-known in the airgun community. They use a patented High Efficiency (HE) gas ram system that replaces the traditional metal spring with an air spring. This system removes all spring vibration, twang, and torque from the shooting cycle, while the patented inertia weight inside the piston helps to eliminate piston bounce. This results in quicker lock time and a shorter recoil period. The new HE gas ram is reported to improve consistency and reliability over previous gas rams. This innovation was born when Ben Taylor, one of the co-founders of Theoben, was rebuilding a spring gun and noticed the air-assisted forks on a Suzuki GS1000 motorcycle. From there, the idea for an air piston was born, and after a few years of tests and prototypes, the original gas spring was patented. Theoben was founded officially on July 4th, 1982, by Ben Taylor and David Theobald.
The Evolution
The Evolution was introduced in 2002 as an entry-level gas ram rifle built to Theoben’s high-quality standards. It is a commercially produced air rifle that is hand-built with parts machined on CNC machines and final assembly and fitting done by hand. The Evolution has several stock options, including a standard beech, left or right-hand walnut, and a recently announced thumbhole sporter. The walnut stock is more custom-looking and is designed specifically for left or right-handed shooters. The stock design is ideal, fitting comfortably into the shoulder and filling the hand comfortably with its flared-out forearm. The laser-engraved checkering is positioned to allow for a good grip in most normal shooting positions. The cheekpiece is set higher than most rifles to accommodate the use of a scope since the rifle doesn’t have any iron sights.
The Evolution uses Theoben’s Evolution trigger unit, an adjustable two-stage trigger for second-stage travel and weight. The trigger weight can be adjusted to just 1.5 pounds.
Cocking the Evolution is smooth and precise, with a satisfying click at the end of the stroke indicating that the rifle is ready for action. The gas ram system has a shorter shooting cycle, and the recoil period stops much quicker than with a conventional spring gun. Shooting the Evolution for an extended plinking session is enjoyable, as the cocking effort is low enough not to tire quickly from repeated cocking. The rifle weighs in at a typical 7.5 pounds, and its 10.5″ barrel reduces the overall length to just 38 1/2″.
The Evolution is accurate, with the test rifle shooting 5/8″ groups on average at 35 yards. The rifle is consistent, with an average velocity of 650 fps with the 14.3 grain Crosman Premier pellets, for an average of 13.4 fps. The rifle is commercially produced and ready to shoot right out of the box, without an air gunsmith needing a tuning kit or a makeover. Overall, the Theoben Evolution is a top-notch airgun well worth the investment.
Apprentice To Owner
In 2001, the one-time apprentice and then general manager Martin Rutterford became a junior partner. Then in 2003, when Ben and David decided to sell the company, Martin and Jonathan Radford purchased the company and are continuing the great Theoben tradition.
That was until in October 2012, Theoben went into receivership in the UK, and Managing Director Martin Rutterford set the Theoben name up in the USA under the Rapid Air Weapons (RAW) banner.
Reincarnation
After a decade, you can own a Theoben air rifle under another name.
Elite Optical has been appointed as the exclusive UK distributor for RAW and Airforce airguns (formerly Gunpower). This partnership will increase the availability of AirForce Airguns and RAW products in the UK.
RAW owns all Theoben designs and will be re-releasing some of the most popular Theoben PCP models soon.
Established in 1998, AirForce Airguns was the first company to mass-produce high-quality PCP air rifles in the United States. In 2018 AirForce acquired RAW Airguns from a previous owner, Martin Rutterford, creating a direct lineage to Theoben engineering.
The HMX1000 from RAW is the flagship model, but unfortunately, there is no current stock to be sold.
Average Cost of a Used Air Rifles
If you are selling may ask yourself, how much is my gun worth? Well it depends on the condition it is in and the link takes you to a post describing the various secondhand conditions.