while shopping for my first air rifle they were highly recommended. the only issues is some of the older surplus ones seals are old/hardened and need replaced(cheap and easy).
My first airgun was a chinese knockoff of the Romanian Pioneer type air rifles. Got it for 25 or 30 bucks at a flea market. The stock made a nice refinishing project since it was covered in nasty yellow paint and I've had to replace the seal with a faucet washer, but it's a really fun gun and pretty accurate with the cheap wal-mart bought BSA scope I put on it.
Doesn't get as much love as my 2240 money pit or my new Nitro Venom though.