Crosman 2260: real value in a gas rifle

by B.B. Pelletier

Okay, you've been very patient - to the point that you think I forgot all about you and your favorite air rifle. You own a Crosman 2260 and love it!


Crosman's .22 caliber 2260 is a direct descendent of the 160.

The 2260 has a great "family" history
The 2260 is the offspring of the famous Crosman 160, a rifle that airgunners still revere today. Crosman has made other .22s and they've made loads of CO2 rifles, but there doesn't seem to be a.22 CO2 rifle that fits in between the 160 and the 2260.

From the standpoint of performance, the 2260 is well ahead of the 160. That older gun had a muzzle velocity in the 610 to 625 region and got about 30 to 35 shots per charge. The new 2260 does 600 f.p.s. and gets about the same number of shots - BUT does it with just one powerlet, where the 160 needed two! That represents a serious improvement in gas management.

The basics
This is a single-shot, bolt-action .22 caliber rifle. It has a manual safety, and the trigger is for sporting use, which means a heavier pull. The rear sight is a little too close to the eye. Since most owners will probably upgrade to a dot sight or a scope, it probably doesn't matter.

If you want to use a scope, you'll need a base
To mount a scope on the 2260, you need a special scope base that clamps to the barrel. It provides an 11mm dovetail to which standard airgun scope rings attach. There's no recoil and no need for a scope stop.

Which scope?
The barrel clamp bases will put your rings forward of the receiver, so select a scope with a lot of back-and-forth adjustability. I'm going to recommend a Crosman 0410 Targetfinder, because it has the adjustability you need and it's selling at such a great price! It comes with scope rings that clamp to 3/8" dovetails, which is what we want for this gun.

Accuracy worthy of a scope
The 2260 has all the accuracy you'll need if you use the right pellets. Crosman Wadcutters are a good choice, as are Benjamin Sheridan Diabolos.

What about maintenance?
If you've read any of the past posts about CO2 guns, you know what I'm about to say. To keep a CO2 gun running a long time, there is nothing you need more than Crosman Pellgunoil. You put a drop of it on the tip of each new powerlet, and it gets blown through the valve where it lubricates every seal it contacts. This stuff is absolutely essential to the good health of gas guns, so never be without it!

Power & accuracy for less money
The Crosman 2260 is a powerful, accurate air rifle that carries on a long tradition of Crosman excellence. You can hunt with it, eliminate pests and generally have a good time just plinking. It has the power and accuracy of some of the more expensive CO2 sporters at 2/3 the cost.