by B.B. Pelletier
Crosman’s new CO2 pistol! The 2300S is the gun that aftermarket makers have been building for years. Now, Crosman offers it straight from the factory
You can tell a lot about a company by the new products they field, and Crosman is a company that’s alive with new products. Some of them, like this new Crosman 2300S target pistol, show they are listening to the serious airgun market.
What is the 2300S?
You may not know this, but Crosman doesn’t offer a .177 version of the 2240 pistol. That’s just the reverse of what usually happens, because .177 is so much more salable these days. Well, the 2300S is a longer-barrelled .177 version of the 2240. However, it’s a lot more than just that.
Lothar Walther barrel!
Crosman gets it, don’t you see? They know serious shooters want a serious barrel on their guns. Even though Crosman happens to make a heck of a nice barrel of their own, they put a Lothar Walther barrel on this gun. And, they specified a CHOKED barrel, which you know is the most accurate kind. The barrel is 10.1″ long, which gives you the double bonus of higher velocity AND a few more shots. The greater efficiency of a long barrel is best used on a CO2 gun. Crosman says you’ll get 60 consistent shots from a single 12-gram powerlet. But, the good news doesn’t end there.
New bolt
This pistol has a stainless steel bolt with a longer handle for better purchase and a longer probe to seat the pellet deeper into the rifling. Deeper seating should give more consistency, and that should translate to increased accuracy. Crosman gets it, again!
Special Williams receiver sight
I know Williams receiver sights, and this isn’t one I’ve seen before. It looks like it’s based on their sport aperture sight with micrometer adjustment knobs, to which an open rear notch has been added. The association of Crosman and Williams goes back to the 1960s, and I suspect Crosman requested this modification just for this pistol. Obviously, someone at the company who knows about target airguns and what makes ’em tick! Score another one for Crosman.
The new pistol meets the requirements for IHMSA Production Class silhouette pistols, and it’s also a dandy target pistol. The trigger is single-stage and adjustable from 1 to 4 lbs. In this day of liability suits, Crosman engineers must have drugged the lawyers to get that one approved! The trigger also has an overtravel screw, which you want in a target pistol.
Power is adjustable from 440 to 520 f.p.s., according to Crosman literature. That’s done by adjusting the hammer spring tension, which is the same way most CO2 guns with adjustable power do it. The top end is powerful enough for hunters to take a look.
All these niceties come at a price, of course. The company has to buy both the rear sight and the barrel, so the retail price has to include them, as well. I predict that serious pistol shooters are going to want one of these. I’m putting in my request to get one for testing right now. As soon as I know – you’ll know.
BB,
I wonder where the trigger stop is located. With a trigger shoe and adjustable match grips this should be a nice gun.
Markus
What kind of varmit gun will this be? Rats etc?
Earl
Hi BB.
Unrelated topic….
I went to sight in my Crosman/Mendoza RM577 with the new Bugbuster 6x this morning and was only having moderate success. Actually my session was cut short as I had to get to work. While I was there a fellow showed up with a chronograph and I shot the RM577 thru it with two different pellets. Three shots with each pellet and here are the average results:
RWS Supermagnum 9.3gr. 170fps
RWS Meisterwhatever 8.2gr 373fps
First question: While I realize that manufacturers may inflate their claims and often use featherweight pellets, don’t these readings seem drastically low for a gun with an advertised spec of 1000fps?
Second question: What is this doing to the guns accuracy?
If this is the actual speed I’ll live with it for 15 yard target, but never hunt with it. BTW, the gun seems to be shooting fine, no dieseling or rattling of the spring. I guess its just that much of a junker, so to speak.
Looks like that Diana 52 may be sooner than I thought.
Thanks,
Bob
B.B.,
You mention that the Crosman 2300S comes with a Lothar Walther barrel. I have heard that Lothar Walther and Walther are two different companies that each make barrels. Is this correct? Is one considered better than the other?
Thank you
when will you write an article on airsoft guns it would be really helpful to some people
Earl,
Rats for sure and close squirrels and cottontails, too.
B.B.
Bob,
Without a doubt either your mainspring is broken or your piston seal is burned or both. What you got is not due to advertising hype.
B.B.
Thanks BB. Got an email from Charlie The Tuna and he informed me of the same and also added that Crosman nor Mendoza offer schematics or parts for this rifle. So……looks like the RWS is in the works sooner than later.
Final question: RWS 52 or Webley Tomahawk (.22 is my choice for either)
BB I have three off topic questions. One I have an AirForce Condor and I am having accuracy problems with it. I can barly do 1inch at 25 yards. This is shooting at 2200 psi with kodiak and eun jin pellets. Do you think I should send it back to AirForce?
My other question is I heard that when shooting you shouldnt sqeeze the trigger but you should only move the trigger finger. What do you think on this. Also when shooting a pcp do you use the same shooting technique you should use on a springer?
Hi BB,
How much plastic is there left on the 2300S??
Thanks..
Gazza.
bb, what do you mean by the “purchase”?
geeze, just when i thought i got a grip on airgunning language…
Hello BB!
I have a off topic topic. I have just recently been introduced into the sport of airgunning. I am currently searching for the right gun for me. I am just a kid with a low paying job so my budget is somewhat tight. Right now I am interested in the Sheridn Silver Streak because it seems to be an easy and solid choice with a good value. This is where you come in… do you recomend this for me? Or some other gun? I intend on using it just for plinking and small hunting, such as squirrels and crows. I would like an effecient gun that will be accurate and powerful enough to hunt humanely. Also, for accuracy reasons, is a scope neccesary? I don’t think I can afford much more than leapers’ master sniper scope ($37). Will that scope work or will it be “too cheap” and give me agony? One last thing… how does the .20 caliber size up to things? I know they aren’t as available as .177 or .22, but besides that, is it all right?
Thank very much for your time and your knowledge sharing services…I appreciate it a lot!
-boden
Lothar Walther and Walther are different companies. Both rifle very good barrels and I wouldn’t know how to choose between them.
B.B.
Airsoft,
You mean besides the ones I’ve alrerady done? What model are you interested in, or do you have questions about the technology?
Let me know and I’ll see what I can do
B.B.
Bob,
The Tomahawk is prettier, but the 52 outshoots it.
B.B.
baldtrucker,
Clean your barrel with JB Bore paste the way I described some time back. Do a search on JB Non Embedding Bore Compound. Or try clean barrels for accuracy.
When you squeeze the trigger only the trigger finger moves. And no, the hold is not as critical, but follow-through is.
B.B.
Garza,
I’ll tell you when I test it.
B.B.
New airgunner,
I recommend the Benjamin 392, only because there are a wider variety of pellets for .22 caliber. No, a scope is unnecesary with this rifle.
Good luck!
B.B.
BB,
I notice Crosman’s website offers the option to modify what looks like a 2300T. How would swapping out the standard 10.1″, .177 barrel for the 10.1″, .22 barrel effect energy/accuracy/trajectory on target? Would fps drop significantly or would this have the overall effect of making this a slightly more effective varmint pistol? Thanks-
Novice,
The velocity will drop, the power will increase, trajectory will be more pronounced at lonmg range, though a pistol isn’t a long-range hunting gun to begin with.
A .22 will be a better game gun for very small critters than a .177.
B.B.
BB-
I have had my 2300s for about a month now. I am pleased with everything about it — except the trigger action. Compared to my Ruger MkII, it is wobbly, sloppy, and imprecise. The trigger itself is too thin; I am looking in to ordering a trigger shoe for it.
Are there aftermarket kits that can be used to doctor the trigger action? If so, can you suggest some sources to me?
Can you also recommend a source for a trigger shoe?
Finally: I leave the pressure dial to maximum, and put about 50 rounds through before changing gas cylinders. Am I being too conservative?
Thank you!
Barry
Barry,
There are no kits available for the 2300S trigger, but it should respond to smoothing of the engaging surfaces plus shimming. The wobbly motion is removed by shimming the sides of the trigger.
As for a shoe, the thinness of the trigger blade presents a problem. Call this man and see what he recommends:
The only way to know about the shot count is with a chronograph. An alternative when you don’t have a chrono is to shoot long-range targets starting with shot 45.
B.B.
B.B.
Thank you for your response to my previous posting about improving the Crosman 2300s trigger action.
In regards to the trigger shoe, I have contacted T-Grips (http://t-grips.com/TriggerShoeHomepage1.html#TSM) and they are sending me a shoe to try; I will post my results with it.
Barry