Any old fishermen like me still using the Bantam's? No brakes or magnets and will cast a mile but you better keep your thumb close to the spool. These little reels can make a backlash only a pocket knife will fix. It's still fun to use now and then.

Good ole bantams...those are what I cut my baitcasting teeth with. My favorite was a later model, black with a magnetic adjuster. Thing would cast a country mile. It's still somewhere in my garage along with many others just like the one in your pic. Can't bring myself to get rid of them...too much sentimental value as they were my dad's.

Does anybody know if a high quality 5.5' pistol grip is still made?

Still got mine, it still gets used for Crappie fishing when I take the wifey out on the pontoon ! Haven't Bass fished with it in years, no good reason not to, just that I've got no more room for anymore rods in the bassboat !!!

I have an old pflueger similar to that, but haven't put it on a rod yet

I want to say that G Loomis still makes one.

A 1980 Bantam 1000 on a 6 foot Daiwa "Larry Nixon" worm rod. Wasn't scratched up nearly so much until a neighborhood cat came into the garage, jumped in the boat, got hung in the worm/hook, pulled the whole rig down the street, jumped a wooden fence and got hung up in slats. Only had 12 lb. line spooled so he got away. Was just glad a neighbor brought the rig to my house knowing it was most likely mine.

I hate it when that happens

Is that a catfish story? I've got one Bantam on a Shakespeare Boron 5 1/2 ft. rod and another Bantam on a 5 1/2ft. graphite rod. I found a third Bantam in a pawn shop and I keep it for parts. The pistol grip rods feel so odd after using a 7ft. rod.

Those old reels are like "art". Very minimal, very cool.

I've still got some old Quantums that look just like those but they're retired lol.

Still have mine....

Old 1310s maybe?

Yea I believe that's the ones.