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B.B. speaks out!

by B.B. Pelletier

I’m taking today to explain how this blog works and how you can get more out of it.

Anonymity
When you write a comment you are asked to choose an identity. The default is Blogger, or you can choose Other or Anonymous. Blogger will use your Blogger assigned name when you are signed in, but probably many of you haven’t registered for one of those, so most of you choose Anonymous. That’s fine if you explain who you are and what you are talking about in the body of the message. But some of you don’t do that. You ask partial questions and expect that I will know who you are. Well – I don’t.

I receive 20-40 comments every day and 75 percent of them require an answer. When you ask a question, please tell me everything I need to know to answer it. If you use a “handle” (a nickname), I may remember who you are and what we were talking about, but don’t bet on it. I have people who ask questions on a posting that’s two years old, then they respond to my answer a month later with another question!

Here’s a partial score – Cleveland 11!

On my end, things are very confusing unless you explain what you are talking about. Saying things like, “I meant the Daisy, but what do you think of the Crosman?” is meaningless. Give me model numbers and remind me of what we are talking about. For me, this is like playing 20 games of chess simultaneously, only in this case some folks are trying to play rugby and others are asking where the eggs are.

Mining the blog – part 1
As many of you know, this blog is now huge! It’s easily the largest airgun blog on the internet, and it’s loaded with all sorts of different airgun stuff. If you know how to “mine” the blog, the chances are good that you can find more information about the subject you are researching. The Search function located on the right side of the current blog page (only!) is provided by Google. For the first question, only this blog is checked, but if you type a new question in the Google box at the top of the answers listing page you got from the first search, Google will take you directly to the internet. Forget airguns!

You can recover from this by clicking on the Back arrow at the top of your browser. To do a second search within this blog only, return to the current page of this blog and type your second question in the same Search box.

Mining the blog – part 2
Another way to see everything in the blog is to take the path a few readers have recently reported. They used the monthly archives found on the right side of the most current page and simply went through all the postings a month at a time. One reader made the comment that if he came to a posting he wasn’t interested in, he simply skipped past it. That’s easy to do with the scroll bar on the right side of your browser.

Customer participation
Pyramyd AIR has been working on a customer participation section for the website. It will be a customer reports section, where customers can report on a model of airgun or other equipment they have used. I will also try to get a section where customers can post tests they have done, along with photos they’ve taken.

Decorum
This blog belongs to Pyramyd AIR. Whenever I see comments directing readers to other dealers, I delete them. I’m talking about competitors of Pyramyd AIR, now, and my judgement is final. Also, when other dealers post things that detract from this blog, I delete them. And when a reader makes a disparaging remark about another reader, I delete the remark. Some of you readers may not be aware of this, but this blog is widely read by the airgun world – as in manufacturers, exporters and so on. Around the world! I meet representatives of these companies at various trade shows and competitions, and they tell me about things they’ve read in our blog.

Because of the interest in this blog, manufacturers have made adjustments to their plans and products. They pay attention to what is said here. This is one of the best windows into the American airgun market, and it doesn’t cost them anything to watch it. I tell you this so you will know that your comments are having an effect on the state of airgunning in this country.

Commercialism
A few readers have commented that, because this blog belongs to Pyramyd AIR, everything that’s said is a sales pitch for them. I do not answer these accusations, but some of you do and I appreciate it. I don’t see how my harsh criticism of the Gamo Viper Express air shotgun, which Pyramyd AIR sells, could possibly be construed as a sales pitch! I think it’s a turkey of a product that cannot meet the stated purpose (by Gamo – not Pyramyd Air), but, as an air shotgun of any kind, it is a curiosity to be owned and collected.

Well, that’s it for now. Just a few things to think about, so this blog can run smooth and you can get your answers!

author avatar
Tom Gaylord (B.B. Pelletier)
Tom Gaylord, also known as B.B. Pelletier, provides expert insights to airgunners all over the world on behalf of Pyramyd AIR. He has earned the title The Godfather of Airguns™ for his contributions to the industry, spending many years with AirForce Airguns and starting magazines dedicated to the sport such as Airgun Illustrated.

62 thoughts on “B.B. speaks out!”

  1. The rules are quite reasonable, but I do have a few questions about who is considered to be a “competitor” of Pyramidair…

    Can a vendor who sells a gun or an accessory that pyramidair does not sell be mentioned? What if there is some product overlap?

    What about auction sites? They sell a lot of used stuff, but some new stuff as well.

    Also, there have been times that I would like to have purchased a rifle from pyramidair, but I cannot because they will not ship to NJ (even though I have an FID). But there are other vendors that will. Are they considered competitors, even though I don’t even have the option of purchasing through pyramidair?

    Not trying to be a wise-guy. This blog is a useful resource that I’m not paying for – so I’ve no right to complain. I just don’t wanna step on anyone’s toes…

  2. B.B.,
    EXCELLENT POST! Blogs and their close cousins, list serves, are very new to a lot of us and having the etiquette and functionality explained is a big help in keeping us on the right path. Another thing probably 99% of the Pyramyd AIR bloggers and lurkers don’t realize is just how much of YOUR time, B.B., goes into this blog every single day. I know it is like a full time job (not just an hour or 2 each evening), researching and writing articles (the best stuff out there, I might add), dealing with blog technical difficulties, making technical enhancements, reading and answering all the posts, removing inappropriate material, keeping the blog up to date and professional, etc, etc. Following the rules you’ve outlined is something all us bloggers can and must do to maintain this blog’s quality. B.B., thanks again!!

  3. BB,

    It’s been great to watch this grow. Grow so much that I wonder how you get as many answers to people as you do…so I just lurk more

    As I said b4, and now learned it was true from this blog today, I feel I am plugged in with some of the best people in airgunning.

    no need to respond, just saying thanks for a great job. It really is amazing you get as many answers out as you do. asking people to make that possable isn’t asking alot.

  4. Vince,

    Just use common sense. That’s all I ask of anyone.

    I have steered people to other sites when they had things that were asked for. And the auction sites are a favorite of mine.

    New Jersey is a special problem. You can still be a part of this blog, no matter who you buy from. I just don’t want to steer business away from Pyramyd AIR.

    B.B.

  5. Every day I get up, check the e-mail then click to this blog, thank you, thank you. The information here helps me and others make informed decisions for our purchases and help us use our air guns better.

  6. As a relative newbie to the site and to airguns in general, I appreciate the dedication displayed here. I’ve read a HUGE amount of the archives and agree the posts get tangential and confusing pretty often with the range of questions and difficulty in associating question to answer.

    This is a great resource for information. I’ve made a few purchases from Pyramyd and will make more in the future due to the committment it makes to the sport. I have NO problem if Pyramyd is promoted over competitors.

    Lee

  7. Good article B.B.

    I wanted to follow up a comment I made a while ago. You may or may not remember me asking you about my gamo cf-x. We came to the conclusion that the mainspring had busted. I had the warrenty so I sent it off to Gamo to be repaired. It took a while, but they got it back. They actually sent me a brand new one! I just wanted to let anyone with a gamo airgun know that if they will follow through with their warrenty, their in good hands. Granted it is a little slow, but they do get it done.

    😀

    lama

  8. Hi B.B.,

    You mentioned that a RWS 48/52/54 has issues, where the scope cannot be tighten down securely without it being hang off the front of the rail. I am just curious; you ever talk to Diana, the manufacture of RWS representative on this issue.
    Is Diana ever plan to improve the current model?

    Pelking

    Thanks!

    with how

  9. BB:

    My comment actually refers to your blog a couple days ago about the Picatinny/Weaver mount systems for scopes. As you say, these would be very practical, especially for springer type air rifles, where the recoil, at least on the more powerful guns like the Webley Tomahawk, is constantly trying to move the scope. As a matter of fact, the current dovetail groove system reminds me of the film footage that I’ve seen of German mobile artillery that was mounted on railroad tracks-the whole canon would simply slide backward during recoil, and it seems like the dovetails grooves on current air rifle receivers just unwittingly serve the same purpose. I guess that it is less expensive to program a CNC machine to add such rails and drill a couple of shallow holes for “stop pins”, but I believe that most of us (customers) would be more than willing to pay a few extra dollars to have the manufacturer install such a versatile mounting system as the Picatinny rail right onto the gun in the first place. It makes sense to me, anyway. Also wanted to let you know that I found a source (a German website) which shows schematic diagrams and parts lists for several of the Umarex pistols like the CP-88 (I just got mine from Pyramid Air, and the detail and realistic feel is astonishing-a beautiful gun), and the S&W 586/686 CO2 replicas. I reproduce the IP address here:

    http://gunmod.de/include.php?path=content/articles.php&contentid=31&PHPKITSID=38435c75f4793acec078cba32f1b19b6

  10. B.B.,
    Just read your response above to Vince’s comment, where you said, “New Jersey is a special problem.”
    Ouch! I occasionally drive thru NJ and its really not that bad. 🙂
    ……pestbgone

  11. Hi B.B.,

    Although I’m not a huge air gun enthusiast, I do enjoy plinking with my Benji 392 in the backyard from time to time; it helps relieve stress when I’m working upstairs in my office.

    I also read your blog just about morning before I start work, along with various AP news reports, the NY Times op-eds, Salon, various blogs, and so on. That’s how I get my day going. And even though I’m not a big air gun enthusiast, I enjoy reading your blog because it’s very informative and entertaining. I’ve come to respect your opinion and insights. (It’s also a very well-written blog, by the way. Nice work.)

    As for “A few readers have commented that, because this blog belongs to Pyramyd AIR, everything that’s said is a sales pitch for them.” That’s too bad that some readers feel that way. I’ve never gotten the sense from this blog that it’s a heavy-handed sales tool. But I would say it’s a pretty good marketing tool, and my hat’s off to PyramidAir for providing this forum to everyone–the average air gunner and the manufacturers who read this blog to keep this sport up to date.

    Anyway, like I said, I’m not a big-time air gunner or anything like that, but I enjoy the blog in a nerdy way. It’s been a great disctraction when I need a break from sitting in front of the monitor writing all day, and it’s been a great source for discussing things air guns with my best friend down in the SF Bay Area who also has a 392 (we both owned Sheridans when we were kids in the early ’70s).

    Cheers,
    Steve
    Seattle, WA

  12. Curtis,

    Excellent site. That’s a great resource that I have bookmarked.

    pestbgone,

    A friend of mine was stopped in New Jersey on a traffic violation and arrested when the officer found airguns in his car (he was returning from a gun show in NY. Only when he quoted the U.S. title that makes it a crime for any federal, state or local municipality to call an airgun a firearm, was he released.

    B.B.

  13. B.B.,
    Very interesting story about your friend passing thru NJ. I have assumed, maybe naively, that traveling with an unloaded airgun in the trunk of my car, even crossing state lines, is legal in all 50 states. Was your friend just confronted with an overzealous officer or is this something we should all take caution from? So in this NJ situation the state law is in conflict with the federal law? Sorry, this sounds like a can of worms.
    …..pestbgone

  14. After being released, did this fellow follow up on the language of that federal statute and sue that NJ police dept. for committing the “crime” of illegally accusing him of carrying “firearms” in the first place ? That officer, his shift supervisor, that town’s chief, that town’s mayor (at least in NY, the chief of police is appointed most times by the mayor) ? Everyone up the chain of command that has supervisory responsibility over that arresting officer ? It’s a shame local and state folks who are supposed to “serve and protect” the public abuse that responsibility by violating a federal law … they don’t give a damn about any other law book besides the one they read in the academy, and they deserve to have the higher-ranking one thrown at them with the whole bookshelf on their heads, not just a few pertinent pages ! They think cuz they wear a badge they ARE the law, and can talk on cell phones without hands-free devices while driving their cruisers but will ticket you and me for doing the same thing, etc. I would recommend, when travelling anywhere, if you carry airguns in the vehicle, as in this example, on the way to or from a trade show or field-target competition, that they be locked inside a case or footlocker or something, and if a cop gets curious, demand he get a search warrant first, and have your cell phone fully charged in the cig lighter socket so you can document all his abuse of your rights with photos you can show your attorney later !

  15. I’ve got a Q regarding your “mining the blog” suggestions today.

    If I’m not mistaken, a search accesses all of the articles you’ve written, but not the daily comment sections, is this correct?

    I’m embarrassed to admit that you’ve answer questions (with some REALLY useful info) that I didn’t document properly, and when I search for a key word in that exchange of comments nothing turns up.

    If a search doesn’t access the comment sections now, is it possible that could be changed? There’s just so much valuable info scattered through them.

    BCC

  16. BCC,

    No, the comments are at the bottom of each page your search finds.

    Where you mss the comments is when you search through the posts in the archives. But you can see those, too, by clicking on the “Comments” link at the bottom of each post.

    B.B.

  17. Sorry, I didn’t ask my question clearly. Briefly, if I search for the term “R7”, for example, the results include each time “R7” appears in your articles, but doesn’t list occurances in the daily Comments sections (when someone asks an R7 question on a day that it wasn’t discussed in your article).

    I’m suggesting that the function would be enhanced if the search included your articles AND the daily comments, providing links to wherever the search term occurs in both.

    Thanks again for providing such a fantastic resource!

  18. BB-
    Most of us are so glad to have this blog that whatever rules you impose are fine with us.
    You have opened the door to ask some questions/make some comments that you might not be able to answer/might not want to answer that can be posed to the Airgunning world that read this blog.
    For example- A couple of comments/helpful suggestions to Pyramyd.
    1) Try to have your information be as accurate as possible on your website. Pyramyd only lists one Falcon PCP that is a “Raptor” single shot. If you research the Falcon product line on their website you see that there are two multi-shot systems- the Raptor and the Hawk. Clearly the rifle is either single shot or multi but not both. A small point but their phone lines can be tied up trying to correct mis-information. I’ve been thinking about getting a nice PCP for hunting and I want the most quiet, accurate gun I can afford. On the Logun Solo specifications it says that both the shrouded and unshrouded versions are a “4” while the Logun 16-S is a “1”. I have to believe the shrouded Logun Solo has to be closer to a 16-S than an unshrouded Solo or why pay the extra money? You get my point.
    2- I think Pyramyd may be missing the boat by only carrying part of a product line. I think they would be better off carrying the whole line. They might not want to carry everything in inventory but if they will order it for you and they have the lowest price then some of us would be willing to wait so the money saved could be spent on accessories like a scuba tank, etc. Example- The new Prairie Falcon with the BATF legal suppressor is pretty attractive to a hunter but Pyramyd doesn’t even carry it. Because of the price? I don’t think so because they carry the Weihrauch HW100S/T, the AA EV2 etc. I’d offer the whole Falcon line but only carry in inventory the hot sellers and order the rest. Right now there are only a couple of vendors that sell the whole Falcon or Logun line and I have to believe Pyramyd can compete with those people.
    Obviously, these aren’t issues for you to deal with, BB, but if the folks at Pyramyd are listening… these are my own humble opinions!
    One thing I would love to see this blog have is a running index divided by titles such as Airgun Reviews/Rifles/Pistols, Historical/Collecting, Safety, Scopes & Accuracy, etc. etc. I know you are way too busy to do it but if you wanted it done I bet someone would volunteer and it would end up saving you a lot of time as search engines are such imperfect creatures. Try searching Scope shift vs. “Scope shift”. The differences are subtle but you do get slightly different results.
    Anyway, the service you provide to us is invaluable and I want to thank you so much for the time you devote to all of us!

  19. hi bb
    great post makes sence
    ok heres the deal. i want to buy a spring piston rifle. i know i asked you a similar question a few days ago but i need more help. what i want is a traditional wood stocked break barrel rifle. i need either somthing ambidexterous or left handed. i want to put a scope on it to get lots of accuracy. i would be using it mostly for field target and long range plinking (200 feet+)i dont need incredible velocity or nockdown power- i have a 392 for that. i dont know how fast it should be but im guessing somewhere in the 700’s to 900’s. i do not want to go supersonic. i want to make a good choice. believe me i didnt come to you right away, i did some homework. after many days of brousing pyramyds selection i am still confused. i am a believer in leapers scopes snd want to equip my rifle with one. my focus points are:
    accuracy
    smoothness (cocking and shooting)
    trigger
    looks
    cocking effort
    price isnt a huge issue but it does play a factor.
    i like the idea of an underlever but i dont like the sliding compession chamber, extra wieght, or looks.
    i thought about the rws 34 and read your reviev. i like the price but not the lack of a butpad and you mentioned some part of the compression chamber being plastic.
    i looked at the hw30 by beeman. i like the Rekord trigger but i find the velocity lacking. do you think this would have enough power for what im doing? i relly like the pice also.
    i also looked at the r9 and found the price a little more than i was willing to pay for the velocity.

    thank you for you info. if you can think of any other rifles i would like please say so

    Field Targetier

  20. Falcon guy,

    Actually, these ARE things Pyramyd AIR needs to hear about.

    Falcon gun, for instance, were in short supply for the past two years. Now that the company has been sold, they are starting to ship guns again, though they are far behind in their orders.

    I have always had a very soft spot in my heart for Falcons. Especially the FN-19, whicdh I believe to be the finest rifle they ever made.

    I will forward your comments to Pyramyd AIR (who has already read today’s post and comments, by the way) and see what happens.

    B.B.

  21. Field Targetier,

    It sounds like you have done your homework.

    Fot smoothness, I like the TX200 above all, but the price is very high. The BAM B40 is just as nice – except for the all-important trigger. It’s just too light and imprecise.

    However – you are a lefty, and the choices are not as good. Pyramyd does have a left-handed TX200 beech, but it’s $665.

    Let’s stay away from the RWS Diana 34 because of your desire for smoothness.

    Here is what I suggest. Call Pyramyd AIR and ask the Customer Service Representative if they have any used left-hand spring guns like a TX200. Or ask whether they might have a left-hand BAM B40.

    Breakbarrels are MUCH harder to choot accurately than underlevers or sidelevers. And PCPs are that much easier to shoot accurately.

    Let’s not go too fast, here. What you need is a rifle like the FWB 124, which was an exceptional breakbarrel that was easy to shoot, too. Too bad they don’t make them any more.

    B.B.

  22. ok thanks
    what about the hw30? it lacks in velocity but is ambedexterous. with a weak powerplant i think it might be eisier to shoot. im not gonna lie hear i only own a 392 and have never really gotten a good chance to shoot a springer. im just looking for the right rifle because my finnances are limiting and so are my parents. i woulnt mind saving up for a while as this is not a gun i want right away. however i want a high quality gun that will last for years. i dont want to put that much money into it because i only shoot for fun. however i want to research organiztions in my area. thamks for our quick response

    Field Targetier

  23. Gosh, you really seem to have a hell of a lot of things to accomplish here, and thanks for answering the questions on the detuned 1077. I think something that allowed me to become a decent shooter for my years (actually less than a year) of experience, is a program called Eye Q. Though it is a speed-read program that can increase your reading speed by 2 to 10 times, it seems to create enough of an “eye-brain connection” (as they call it) to allow a shooter to more effectively know when to pull the trigger by slowing down what your seeing.
    They have a demo of it on their site, and any marksman on these blogs should check it out. I’ll bet accuracy will go up slightly for some people who use it. Plus since it’s primary function is to increase reading speed (and still have the same if not higher levels of comprehension), I think you b.b. pelletier should try out the demo since it may give you a sense of sanity with all these posts…
    Here’s how to get to it: google “Eye Q” and on their homepage it has the demo. You should be able to get a HUGE edge with all the blogs if you use the demo just a few times, and I personally own the full program, which believe me is a huge time saver…the whole world just seems to slow down to some extent, you’ll see what I mean.

  24. Hello again, BB:

    I’m back with a question about a procedure concerning adding “buttons” to a spring air rifle’s piston (or compression chamber?). While perusing J.Maccari’s website I noticed that under “tuning” he has “old time piston buttons” listed for sale. He describes the procedure for installation as being one of merely cleaning the area where the piston button is to be glued on and then glueing it on with instant (“Crazy”) glue. He further states that there is no need to machine holes for the buttons to sit in, etc. Oddly, he does not give a clear explanation of the benefit of this procedure (apparently six buttons are installed on the piston). So that is my question. What benefit is derived from this? Is it to simply “center” the piston in the receiver; to make a more slippery surface, to decrease the piston to receiver contact area (if the last were the case, wouldn’t it be more efficient to simply lathe turn the piston to the correct diameter at the extreme ends of the piston for close fit but minimal surface area contact in between these two points?)or…what?
    Also, in reading your previous material on spring gun tuning, I was somewhat confused by the following:
    You state (as many do) that upon completing disassembly and cleaning and then reassembling the power plant, that the proper lube to use on the piston and chamber is moly lube. In another post somewhere (I don’t have the month and date handy at the moment) you say NOT to use moly for this purpose-only use pure silicone chamber oil for lube. Did I misread or misunderstand something here? Help! I am confused!
    Thanks for your time and patience with my “elementary” questions (I did do a search of the website for “piston buttons” before posting this question-honestly!).

    Regards,

    Curtis

  25. BB:

    Ahah! I just found it; in the blog for Wenesday, March 23rd, 2005 you stated:

    Use oil ONLY – and nothing else!
    Do not use anything but oil in spring guns. Don’t use moly, regardless of what you read. Moly that is suspended in solvents will diesel and may damage your gun!

    This is the quote that I was talking about in my prior post. Thanks again for your time and consideration, BB.

    Curtis

  26. I have followed your review of the Gamo Viper Express with close interest. I am looking for something to solve a problem, and your review tells me that the GAMO isn’t it, so maybe you can suggest something that is. The problem is pigeons and starlings in my tractor shed. I’ve tried both lethal means and non-lethal means to get them to leave, the latter being preferable but unsatisfactory. So I took to shooting them with various lower powered airguns. Before they caught on, a Crosman 1077 was sufficient, if untidy. When they started to get wary, I switched to a Gamo Varmint Stalker and then a Beeman 1050 22. Both were reasonably successful until the birds caught on. They’ve now become much more wary. I wait patiently in a concealed location for about a half hour before the first scouts fly in. The slightest movement on my part sends them out again for another half hour wait. I rarely get more than a second or two for a shot. Of course, once I’ve left, they move back in. I can’t hit a moving bird with a rifle at five to 25 yards with any regularity, so the idea of a shotgun is appealing. The shed is behind my stable in a small village: a 12 gauge or 20 gauge would be too loud for the horses, and may be illegal. You tell me that the Viper express won’t do the job. I considered a rimfire 22 smoothbore with shotshells, but everything I read tells me it wouldn’t be much better, and it probably fails the “no firearms discharged within 500 feet of house” law. One dealer (not Pyramid) sells the Shark CO2 shotgun. I can’t get any information from them beyond the very little that is on their website. Do you know about this gun? At 50 calibre, it ought to have much more energy than the Gamo. I know nothing of whether it is reliable, supportable and lives up to advertising. I have also considered the drozd. Six BBs in 1/2 second ought to be better than a single shot. But I’m a bit concerned about bouncing steel BBs around in an enclosed space. As you can tell, my preference is for an airgun over a firearm. Any words of advice? Any other options? Anyone else out there with the same problem?

  27. Greetings BB.

    A bit of hardball:

    You represent a wonderful asset for Pyramyd AIR, even more so for the rest of us! I’m very grateful Pyramyd provides this blog to the airgunning world.

    However, I’d like to gently suggest that while Pyramyd appears to be positioned to capture a dominating position in the airgunning market, customer service is regrettably lacking.

    My own *recent* experience includes:
    Online merchandise availability is never accurate, backordered items are incrementally shipped with petty shipping charges added contrary to originating order terms, technical inquiries are never answered, email inquires are ignored, account credits are promised but never delivered, customer service is never available by phone within any reasonable time frame, etc, etc, etc…..

    I shop extensively online, and unfortunately find that Pyramyd falls short. I want to do business here, but until the situation changes I’ll purchase from the competitors.

    Mr. Ungier should look to the service provided by MidwayUSA, Dillon Precision, and Amazon for guidance.

    Go ahead and delete this post, but please also pass it up the command chain.

  28. Anonymous,

    About the air shotgun issue; it seems that the “Shark” 13mm shotgun is the way to go, at least from some of the reviews on it that I’ve read on reviewcenter.com. One reviewer who bought one of these claims the gun gets over 100 foot pounds of energy, and it carries a decent payload of 4.5mm lead pellets or shot of your choice. You should be able to bag some pidgeons with that baby! And the price seems very competitive with the Gamo air shotgun (I believe I read $250.00 for the shotgun). Also, they offer barrels rifled for different sized pellets like 9mm as well. Now changing barrels on the same gun is something that Gamo and Farco don’t offer at all. And, a review that I read about the Farco says it is VERY primitively built (as in soldered brass!). So, it seems that unless you want a “plumber’s special”(FARCECO?) or a severely underpowered Gamo Viper Express, then Shark may be the way to go, OR… you can use pure lead or copper coated lead rounds (“BB”s) in a Drozd “Bumblebee” (available from Pyramid Air- there, I got a little “plug” in for you, BB!) instead of the steel ones. You won’t have the ricochet problem with those.

    Regards,

    Curtis

  29. dm20,

    Don’t worry about it. I’m not sitting here with a radar gun in my hand. The only messages I delete are those that direct people to other sites for the purpose of stealing business. It amounts to one or two comments per week.

    After I posted this blog there has been at least one website mentioned in the comments, and it’s still up.

    B.B.

  30. Curtis,

    Last question first. The answer I gave that you partially remember was to the question of using Dri-Slide or another moly-based lubricant that uses a volatile carrier to spread the moly. Never use it on any part of any gun! The vehicle cleans all protective oil from the metal which then rusts quickly.

    Moly GREASE, on the other hand, is a super lube for a tunup!

    Now to the buttons. Ivan Hancock pioneered putting buttons of PTFE (Teflon) on a piston to reduce friction and vibration. His were machined on and they worked very well. I am not familiar with the application Maccari is selling, so I can’t comment on it.

    Buttons done right do a wonderful job.

    B.B.

  31. Tractor shed,

    The Viper Express is out, as is a .22 shot cartridge. Neither has the carrying power you need.

    The Shark can probably do the job, but it is LOUD! Also, it runs on CO2, so the temperature has to be at least 50 degrees before you shoot. Sharks are sold by Sunshine Airguns and they seem to be the best air shotgun value on the market at present. At 13 mm, they are larger bore than the Farco, which is no longer imported, plus I’m sure the build quality is better. I’ll test one for you in a couple of months when the weather warms up.

    Another possibility for you is a very accurate air rifle. The Talon SS is used by the USDA to kill pigeons, and they have records of over 1,000 birds killed by one shooter in a single day. They have purchased several hundred of these PCPs guns and use them all over the U.S. for pest eliminatrion. Also, the Talon SS is the number one choice of exterminators who kill small birds inside buildings like Wal-Mart. They like it for the adjustable power and quiet operation. For that job most use the .177 barrel.

    B.B.

  32. Hi BB,
    I didn’t check this blog until this morning but I’m glad you wrote it.
    I have found your information absolutely invaluable and I too can appreciate how much time goes into writing this blog. Keep up the good work!
    As we used to say in medical school: ” Illegitimas non corborumdum”. I will leave the translation of this up to your imagination but I think you can figure it out. Keep on doing what you’re doing and don’t let these little irritations wear you down.
    CWI

  33. Thanks, BB. That gives me some confidence in the Shark that I couldn’t have before. BTW: when you say “LOUD”, what do you mean? Much louder than a crosman 2240? Louder than a rimfire? Almost as loud as a 12 gauge? I know these are imprecise, but they provide some crude benchmarks. (My wife’s father took a few shots with his 12 gauge, and the horses wouldn’t go in their stalls for three days. So noise is a major consideration.) When do you expect to do your review? Regarding using a PCP: I don’t think my inability to hit birds with a breakbarrel is the fault of the guns. I would blame the shooter first. When the birds settle in and sit still, I can hit them maybe 75% of the time from a variety of distances. The problem is that now that they know they’re in danger when I’m around, they don’t sit still for more than a very few seconds. I doubt that a more accurate gun, however much it would otherwise be, would do much to increase my success rate. I certainly believe that the experts you cite can do much better.
    —“tractor shed”

  34. All:

    Regarding the search engine, I’ve pretty much given up on the search link provided on B.B.’s blog.
    I never seem to get what I’m looking for.

    If you’ll go to the Google website (www.google.com) and click on the
    “Advanced Search” button near the search field; input your keywords (e.g. “R7”); find the row called “Domain”; input /blog// hit the “Google Search” button; you’ll get everything on the blog, including hits from the Daily Comments. (Don’t forget to put the /blog on the domain name or you’ll get all kinds of stuff you don’t want.) Put R7 in and see what kind of goodies you get.

    Let me add my voice to the chorus of thanks to B.B. As an airgun newbie, I think he’s cut my learning curve down by months, if not years. I’ll buy my stuff from Pryamydair as long as they have what I need and there’s not a huge price difference.

    jw

  35. Wow… HOT topic!?

    Hi B.B.,

    Good post! Can we comment about shooting dogs/cats and…? Just kidding!

    I’ve wondered why Pyramyd AIR Report doesn’t have a ‘Comments Posting FAQ’ listed in the “Links” frame of the current blog page. Of course I know next to nothing about the blog program you’re using so perhaps adding new URLs to the “Links” frame of the current blog page is no trivial matter. Another thing I’ve wondered about is adding a “Link” to the “AirgunInfo.com courtesy of Pyramyd Air” web page. [http://www.airguninfo.com/] Wouldn’t that help you to help us? LOL! Sorry, I must be having a “Jerry Maguire” movie moment.

    RE “Mining the blog” comments… I too have encountered the mentioned problem (can’t search the reader comments) and have superficially researched it. I think not being able to Google the reader comments section of blog articles involves some sort of URL addressing technicalities. For example, the URL for this particular blog article is [ /blog/2007/2/b-b-speaks-out/ ] but the URL for the reader comments to this blog article is so it appears to me the blog program is performing some sort of URL ‘magic’ which brings the two related URLs… the blog article URL and the blog comments URL… together into a coherent whole which can easily be displayed in a web browser.

    “Mining” the Pyramyd AIR Report blog involves plugging the URL for the blog archive into a field in a Google Advanced Search. What’s involved in “Mining” any of the reader comments for “blogID=11153406” at Blogger.com is probably no trivial matter. In fact, Blogger.com may very well block all search programs access to that area of their web site.

    Finally, a suggestion to all the “Anonymous” posters… in “Leave your comment” I always use the “Choose an identity: Other” option and type in “GadgetHead” as my name, but leave the other field blank. My browser preferences are set to remember text entered in forms, so the next time I only have to type the first letter and choose my name from the popup list. There’s no signup/registration involved in using that choice like there is with the “Blogger” choice, and it gives everyone a ‘handle’ to grab onto when folks don’t want to sign or forget to sign their posted comments.

    Cheers,
    GH

  36. Tractor shed,

    The Shark shouldn’t be louder than a .22 rimfire, but the blast is sustained for a longer time – giving the impression of a louder sound.

    Short of getting a neighbor boy to do the shooting for you ( a very tough call because of danger and liability) I don’t know what else to tell you. The super-quiet airguns all require a real (lisensed) silencer.

    B.B.

  37. the shark is such an oddity, and yet still practical, that if it turns out any good at all i’ll plow through the paperwork and have one imported. i dont know of any shotgun capable of dispatching pests at any distance for $250usd! and i get to tell all my amazed friends,
    “yep, this was one tough squirrel. but he was no match for my 13mm!”
    most intriguing, i think, is the ability to load pellets in. four wadcutters soaring towards a starling would be devastating!

  38. I’m a middle-aged newbie.
    Have a Crosman 1377 which is a lot of fun.
    Wondering if someone has plans/diagrams for making a target which will trap pellets.
    I haven’t found out how to search this site, so if there’s something here, forgive me for not locating it yet.
    Anyone?

  39. B.B.,

    You said earlier that the Talon SS was accurate and powerful. Do you know if I could hit a squirrel or crow at 50 yds easily or kill a raccoon at 30 yds? and the one on pyramidair: does it come with an airtank, and if i buy the one with a refill valve, do i just attach it to a scuba tank?

    about the shark 13mm, would it kill a raccoon easily at 20-30 yds?

  40. Both guns are capable of taking the game you mention at the distances you mention, as long as YOU are able to hit a quarter with them at that range.

    The Talon SS air tank is also it’s butt, so yes, it does come with a tank. Yes, a scuba tank rated to at least 3,000 psi is one way to fill the gun.

    B.B.

  41. Helow B.B.,
    My name is Adil Mashooq, I am From Pakistan. I like the the shooting hobby From the beginning of my teenage. I owned one air rifle Which was Made in Pakistan for $30. i used it for quite a long time. then i bought a Chinese made Air rifle for $65. Now i am Planing to buy a good rifle between $150-250. which could be used for Small game hunting as well as for target Practice. I have one riffle in mind for that purpose i.e. Walther Talon Magnum. it is .177 Caliber and also has much power for Successful Game Hunting. What would you suggest ??
    any other gun which i could buy instead of this walter talon magnum ??
    Or should i go with Walther Falcon Hunter Instead ??
    And one more Question !!
    We dun have a Big market for air-rifles here in Pakistan !!
    I am planing to visit Dubai next Month! So can i carry a air-rifle from dubai to Pakistan ??
    Is it allowed ??
    Are there any restrictions ??

  42. This is interesting. hmmm let me start this way:I like an Anime with young girls using SIG Sauer 226 two color pistols, which Pyramid Air still has listed as in stock and available. I ordered and paid for one, but was sent a all silver,unpacked and dirty very obviously used gas Sauer 226. I just got a return person telling me the gun I got [used, dirty,allsilver was indeed the gun I ordered>NOT.
    He then said he was going to refund the money I paid through an Amazon purchase without my agreeing to do so.
    SO IS THIS HOW PYRAMIDAIR DUMPS ON CUSTOMERS FOR COMPLAINING ABOUT A TERRIBLE DELIVERY AS I GOT? here is is e-mail and I do want my gun not some forced refund.[[[Alan,
    I am contacting you regarding your return of the silver and black P226 in order 1665372. I do regret to inform you that the pistol you received was correct, although it did look different from what was seen on the web site. This pistol is now mostly silver w/ just the black grips on it. Our web site had not been update, until now, to reflect the change. We do not have the pistol you were expecting and we do apologize. At the moment I will set you up for a refund, to be processed no later than 4-27. Let me know if you would prefer to handle this a different way.

    Craig
    Returns Specialist]]]
    Note it is 2/14 so the refund is also compiling interest. If Pyramidair Executives are better than this erroneous statement employee, I expect a full explanation for them and not some other story.
    Old Geezer Man 🙂 at 64 years

  43. Geezer,

    You have posted a comment to a blog that is not written or read by Pyramyd AIR. I am separated from them by 1,000 miles, and I do not work for the company.

    Also, there are well over 1,000 blog entries and I am the only person who can see them all. So by commenting here on a blog written in 2007, you are speaking into the wind.

    I forwarded your comments to the Pyramyd AIR authorities, but because you are completely anonymous, there is no way they can help you. They have no idea who you are!

    You need to call sales at Pyramyd AIR and work out your problem with them directly. And in the future if you want your comments to be seen, please post them to the current day’s blog at

    /blog//

    B.B.

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