by B.B. Pelletier
I get questions all the time that sound like this:
I know a lot about real guns. I shoot a Winchester .270 and a 12-gauge shotgun during hunting season, and I know how to take care of them. But I’m completely new to airguns. Can you recommend a book or books where I can learn about things like tuning a spring gun, shooting a PCP and how to scope a rifle?
While that sounds like a good question, it really isn’t well thought out. If, for example, the writer REALLY knew a lot about “real” guns, he would know how to mount a scope on his .270, but he doesn’t. He probably bought his rifle from a gun store with the scope already mounted.
Mounting a scope on a .270 is essentially the same as mounting one on a Beeman R1. The rings may be a little different, but the process is the same.
And, he says he wants to learn about tuning a spring gun. Fine – that’s a noble pursuit. Some people spend their lives doing just that. However, don’t think you can read a manual or a blog and become good on the first try. There is experience to be gained through trial and experimentation, and that’s as important as the book knowledge.
But this person wants it all right now. He wants a book to tell him step-by-step how to do what others have learned over the course of years. I have only been writing about airguns since 1994, but in that time I have watched a number of tuners who now are very well-known. Back then, they were the ones asking the same questions, but they stuck to it and learned their craft.
From time to time, I’m asked to write a glossary of terms and definitions to help people learn airgunning faster. I used to think it would help, but now I know it won’t. Just because you know what the acronym PCP stands for doesn’t means you understand all that it implies. Let me give you a few examples.
Let’s say there’s an airsoft pistol with a magazine that holds 20 plastic BBs. It’s an inexpensive springer pistol that has to be cocked every time before it will fire. That’s done by pulling back on the slide. Do you know there are airgunners who call such a pistol a single-shot, because something has to be done by the shooter to make the gun ready to fire each time? Are you one of them?
What about the shooter who buys a Colt M1911A1 pellet pistol and calls it a semiautomatic, because every time he pulls the trigger the gun fires? Is he unaware that a Smith & Wesson 586 does the same thing? And it’s a revolver, just like that M1911A1 Colt. It isn’t what the gun LOOKS like that determines what it is – it’s how it FUNCTIONS. A Crosman 1077 rifle is a revolver, and so is a Sumatra from Eun Jin.
I just got a message from J-F who asks for a maintenance blog. He says he knows about putting a drop of Pellgunoil on a CO2 cartridge, but what about cleaning a barrel? And how many pumps should be put into a multi-pump pneumatic for storage?
I’ve addressed those topics at least 5 times in this blog, but probably more. So, I took my own advice to J-F and used the search function to find where I wrote about them.
For cleaning the barrel I got this when I typed barrel cleaning into the search function:
Is your airgun barrel REALLY clean?
Should you clean a new airgun barrel?
and from that report, I got this link:
Cleaning airgun barrels – the stuff you need to know!
Incidentally, J-F, your question about the use of cleaning pellets was also addressed in the last link.
There were 41 more links, in addition to these – all addressing barrel cleaning. One of them, J-F, was devoted to the maintenance of a PCP. If I had used different search terms, I’m sure I could have added another 20-40 links to the list – all on the subject of barrel cleaning.
Next, I looked into the subject of how many pumps to put into a multi-pump for storage. I typed pump storage into the search function and came up with:
Safe storage of pneumatic airguns
A couple helpful tips/sealing CO2 guns and eliminating rust
Despite its title, the last report also works for multi-pumps. I’ll admit there weren’t as many reports for this topic, but I did get several others, and changing the terms to multi-pump storage netted me another couple.
Those are just two examples of how this blog works to answer questions. This is just one resource available on the internet. There are many other great sources to examine to find what you need.
The information is probably already there – you just need to learn how to search for it. This blog is fully indexed by Google, so even if you search outside the blog search tool, a regular Google search will probably still find what you’re looking for.
BB,
Thanks. I’d like to reach through my monitor sometimes and knock some sense into some people. You follow the blogs and forums, and you know that the same questions appear over and over and over and over.
Here’a an example. “I’ve searched everywhere on the internet, but can’t find a place to buy a Crosman barrel. Can anyone tell me where to find them?”
If I had a nickel for everytime I’ve seen that sort of question just this year, I could buy 100 Crosman barrels. Where are these people “searching”.
The problem is that so many nice guys are willing to give them the links to what they’re looking for, you and I included, that they stop looking. By the questions you receive, folks must think you’ve got nothing else to do but test every gun out there and provide them with a comprehensive analysis of every aspect of that product.
Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he will feed himself for a lifetime.
Success is not an entitlement.
Kind Regards,
Michael in Florida
Michael in Fla.,
Well, you read me right. That was, and still is the problem.
I even get it from Pyramyd AIR, who sometimes asks for things like a “scope-mounting and sighting-in article.” There are over 40 articles on that subject, both here and in the articles section on the website.
All I am trying to do with today’s blog is impress on some newer readers how large and diverse this blog is. And I expect I’ll have to do it again in a few months, because we are picking up readers rapidly.
I don’t mind doing this, after the fact – after I’ve done it and several new readers have gotten the message. But the frustration of answering a question for the umpteenth time does get under my collar just a bit in the beginning.
B.B.
You need a vacation. Yes it’s frustrating. I know i made a few of your hairs fall out asking the same questions over and over. Be patient with people, don’t make them feel stupid. We’re trying to grow this community. If you don’t want to keep answering the same questions over and over, do a step by step on how to use the search function and sticky it to every blog from now on. From SavageSam
Our bike club email list gets a many “what bike should I buy?” questions every spring.
Being the only guy in the club with a lot of bike shop experience many emails were directed to me. I got tired of answering vague questions that require specific answers all the time (It is a large part of my current job too) that I wrote an article for the newsletter on buying a bike. The questions kept coming.
A link to the article was put on the front page of the club’s website. And still the questions come every spring… I would be interested to see the page views for that page.
So many people decide that cycling is the sport for them. Then want to be lead through it. Don’t want to work at it. THEY ARE MISSING HALF THE FUN! Sorry for shouting.
Asking to be lead through everything keeps people from actually learning much. I see many people adopt bad habits and information due to accepting one person’s opinion as gospel. Learning is almost always part of the fun.
Bruce
i agree with savage sam you need a vacation, but not a long one because the blog is sometimes very interesting and good.
I looked under the bed, I looked in the closet, I looked in the garage. Does anybody know where to find a Crosman barrel?
Derrick
Il Bruce,
I work at a bike shop. Every day, “So what’s the “best” bike?”
Sunday, guy walks in with a $650 front wheel. Has no idea how to change the flat or fill the presta valve.
Ack!
Derrick
Derrick,
Sorry to take this too far off topic but was aero wheel bot a triathlete?
Bruce
http://www.nbwclub.org/columns/special/buying_a_bike.html
B.B.
Maybe you could have generic paragraph at the top of each day’s blog with the “rules for questions”.. please search first, and here is how to do it..
I can’t type now with the dogs knocking my hands off the keyboard and the mouse.. got to go to the lake…
Wayne
I’m sorry to have bothered you with a question already answered so many times, I just thought that it could have been a good idea to regroup all those maintenance parts in one blog series.
J-F
Cowboy dad here.
Great blog…a lot of info on the upkeep of my rifles…things I’ve thought about, but never really could find answers for.
I’m really glad you’re here b.b. I remember years ago when I was interested in airguns (mid 70’s) there seemed to be plethora of good books and magazines on airgunning…lots of info. These seemed to have all disappeared, and without you I feel I’d be a bit ‘lost in the wilderness’.
But now for a question. My renewed interest in airgunning has now advanced to rifles.
I’d be interested in your opinion.
Realistically I’m not much of a ‘hunter’…I feel queasy at the sight of a squirming gopher that lingers a bit after being hit. So my interest will primarily be, for want of a better descripion ‘long range plinking’…100yds plus.
I really like the CZ 452 American. It seems that the .17HMR is the better round over the .22WMR…except for price.
So…for long range plinking what would you suggest.
As well, an extra $100 gets the same gun with a set trigger.
Is it worth it?
Thanks for any help.
SavageSam and everyone, including J-F,
I haven’t flipped out – really. But it does help for me to address how large this blog has become. I forget it myself, most of the time. As of today’s post we have 907 posts to this blog.
You can still ask any questions you want. I may snarl a bit, but I’ve had all my shots and my lease is short.
No rules on the questions to be asked. Just let me blow up every once in awhile. I watched Karate Kid last night, so I’m back in my Mr. Miyagi roll.
B.B.
Cowboy Dad,
Instead of clarifying things, let me muddy the water by tossing in the .22 Hornet. It’s more powerful, than the cartridges you suggest, but it is reloadable, so you can cut that power back if you like. And ammo isn’t that much more expensive where I shop.
B.B.
BB,
Okay, I read your blog and followed the link regarding safe storage of multi-pumps and read that article as well. It did not answer my question so I will risk your ire and ask it here:
Should a 1377 be stored with air in the reservoir? The manual is silent on this issue. If yes, how many pumps?
I notice that that come from the factory with no air.
Thanks!
1377,
Yes, store your pistol with one pump of air.
B.B.
Dick Lambert,
I do not answer questions sent to blogger@pyramydair.com. All questions are answered here, only.
Yes, it is quite normal for the bolt to lift on your Benjamin Discovery. All bolt-action PCPs do that, even the expensive ones.
B.B.
1377,
While I didn’t address each and every model of multi-pump that has existed, I’d like to give you a simple rule to go by. If at all possible, store all pneumatics with air. Never store guns that have to be cocked to receive air, like the Daisy 22SG. Also, never store guns that never need to be cocked and are cocked by the simple act of pumping them – like the Crosman 130, 140 and 1400.
All others, store with air if you can.
B.B.
B.B.
You’re right of course about searching. On the other hand, there’s no denying that it is much easier to ask you, and I don’t know if laziness is the only issue. While growing up, I bugged my Dad about the meaning of words. In theory, I could have looked them all up in the dictionary, but in reality I don’t think I or anyone else would have looked up the thousands of words I asked him about over the years. Could the principle be the same as McDonald’s which makes the food buying process just a little easier here and there and turns burger providing into something categorically different? Anyway, I’m sure that my Dad’s patience put me years ahead in school and helped pay for a good deal of college so I hope he got some payoff that way. Anyway, the point is that you shouldn’t feel like you’re grinding your wheels with the same question but don’t knock yourself out either.
A question…. Is it best to store a firearm after pulling the trigger on a snap cap/dummy cartridge? Specifically, I’m thinking of my Savage bolt-action rifle. I store it by withdrawing the bolt, but since the bolt cocks on opening, this method of storage would seem to leave the bolt cocked and a spring under tension. I had the same question about the M1 Garand. Once you open the bolt, is a spring or any other part under tension until you pull the trigger? I asked this of Clint Fowler, and he said no, but I didn’t follow his answer and am not sure if I made myself clear.
Matt61
Il Bruce,
Nyet on the tri-dude. He was just a poser of a road racer.
Derrick
For those who unable to dispatch a gopher, or any other pest with a single blow of a pellet, PLEASE, stick to punching PAPER, so you don’t give good and responsible airgun hunters bad names…
Hi,
I want to ask you a question but am not sure how to post one? I am going to send it to you anyway just incase you can answer it for me without the necessity of posting it.
I just bought a new IZH 61 from Pyramid Air. It has no real cleaning instructions just some basic lubricating steps. I have joined some air gun forums and have asked some questions regarding the care and cleaning of my gun and have gotten a variety of answers that have done more to confuse me than help me. The Otis pull though cleaning kit that I purchased from Pyramid does not work because the brass fittings on the ends do not fit through the breech area. I have read a lot about possible dieseling that can occur with this gun if not cleaned properly and I don’t want to damage my gun. Furthermore, much of the feedback that I got from my posted questions said not to use the supplied cleaning rod which is not what the gunsmith for the EAA Corp told me?
I read your posts regarding the proper cleaning method for air guns and that helped a bit. I need to know if I can use the supplied cleaning rod(there are no brushes only a slotted rod) and what type of cleaning kit to use? Another concern I have is how to keep the cleaner our of the breech area? It looks like there is some type of a spring in there and I am afraid that cleaning the gun from the muzzle will affect the function of the gun. Lastly, do I lubricate the barrel? I did not see a final answer on this one..
Sorry for the long email but I just want to shoot my gun. I did shoot about 50 round in it so far but wanted to clean it before I shot anymore…
Thank you T. Foley
T. Foley,
I posted your question to the blog for you. I don’t respond to direct messages at blogger unless you want to be a guest blogger.
DO NOT clean your IZH 61. That’s the answer. Nothing makes the gun dirty, so no cleaning is required.
If you did have a barrel problem resulting in bad accuracy and you had to clean the gu, the only way is from the muzzle. This gun is not set up well to be cleaned, but fortunately it never needs to be.
No lubrication is needed. Just shoot the gun. I have over 10,000 shots on a Beeman R1 and I’ve never cleaned the barrel. Airguns generally do not get dirty. There are exceptions, but the IZH 61 isn’t one of them.
B.B.
Thanks for being so patient with us, like matt61 said it’s so much easier to go directly to you than to sort trough 3 years of blogs. You are some kind of airgunning encyclopedia. We can always count on you to give us the truth even if it’s sometimes a bit hard on us.
Thank you very much,
J-F
T. Foley and all,
I really am mystified by the discrepancy between much of the documentation that comes with guns and the best way to care for them. The IZH 61 manual calls for regular cleaning and supplies a fourth world cleaning rod without a rotating handle. The Daisy 747 manual says to clean before even using it. My S&W 1911 manual also says to clean after every use which conflicts with the advice of master gunsmith Bill Wilson, and the manual also has an incorrect photograph for the disassembly process. The Beeman manuals said at some point–if they don't still–that you hold their spring guns with a tight grip. If you followed these instructions to the letter, the guns would be seriously mistreated. Are they worried about liability? Are they all on drugs?
Anyway, T. Foley, one of my great moments in airgunning was learning that you really don't need to clean anything! And after 8,000 odd shots the IZH 61 is running like a watch.
Matt61
Matt,
When the Garand is cocked pull the bolt back until it pauses, meaning that is has contacted the cocked hammer. Then, holding the operating handle, pull the trigger and ride the hammer down.
As far as your Savage, I would not store it cocked. If you do that for safety reasons, learn how to disassemble the bolt and buy extra mainsprings.
B.B.
I looked under the bed, I looked in the closet, I looked in the garage. Does anybody know where to find a Crosman barrel?
Derrick,
It’s in the refrigerator, right where you left it….
Write it down this time, so you don’t forget again.
Cheers,
–Joe B.
J-F,
Aww, shucks! Tweren’t nuthin’.
B.B.
I just got off the phone with a charming young woman in PA’s customer service, who said I could still return a non-functioning airsoft gun even though it was past their 30-day return policy, because they had it on record that I had gotten the original RMA right after it arrived and I found it was broken. That’s a long-winded way of saying, thank you, PA, for being so reasonable.
–Joe B
Cowboy dad again.
Volvo…my limited past experience with non airguns was many years ago with a .222Rem.
Never actually went the .22 route.
So my question is…can you consistently hit a pop can (or like sized target) at 100ys with a .22LR. This was my only reasoning for considering the .17HMR/.22WMR.
And anonymous (the one who seems to have a stick up his butt)…you telling me that every shot you’ve ever taken has killed at the moment of impact…’cause if you are you’re…well, I’ll leave it unsaid.
BB,
I expect you to explode sometimes, otherwise you’d come across as not quite human.
You’re remarkably patient most times…more so than I believe I would be.
Thank you.
–Joe B.
B.B.
I just ran across a “Vintage Crossman 101” .22 cal here is a link http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=107785102
Is it a PCP? The seller doesn’t say, but it looks like one.. buy it now for $150 or start at $25, but reserve is not met… It looks like something to collect..
There is another one as a parts guns as well, but it’s in .25 cal
If your not too busy, comment… don’t worry if you are…
Wayne
Ashland Air Rifle Range
Cowboy Dad,
I think that shooting is the most rewarding when it is challenging, yet attainable. Your .222 or even a 22 Hornet would be boring to shoot at a pop can at 100 yards.
With the 10/22 target version you could consistently hit one, but it would take practice.
I’m guessing you don’t reload, so the 22lr is also as inexpensive as you can get.
If B.B. is the gun guy I think he is, he will have a 10/22. See what he thinks.
Volvo
Thanks Volvo.
Your right, I don’t want it to be a cake walk…I guess I’m quilty of underestimating the ‘lowly’ .22.
Thanks, B.B. I thought I had taken every possible precaution for the care of the Savage. I’ll uncock the bolt as soon as I get home. And I never would have figured out that procedure for the Garand.
Matt61
Wayne,
A Crosman 101 is a multi-pump from the 1930-50s. It’s quaint and yet accurate and powerful.
But $150 is sky-high. I’m used to paying $100 for working guns at the airgun shows.
The one shown is a made-up gun consisting of early and late parts. The stock and cocking bolt are late. The sights are early. It looks to be in good condition. The guy selling it has left it in the cocked position for the photo, so it may need some freshening to work well. Mine throws .22 Premiers around 640 on 10 pumps, I believe.
B.B.
Cowboy dad,
Volvo is right about me having a 10/22. In fact, I have three. I’ve done a 4-part series for Shotgun News titled “What can you do with a 10/22.” I;m now testing two 10/22 lookalikes from Magnum Research.
Yes, the 10/22 can hit a pop can every time at 100 yards if the wind isn’t too bad. My Target gets half-inch 10-shot groups at 50 yards.
Wonderful rifle.
B.B.
Thanks, B.B.
Just looking…I’m not shopping for awhile.. just placed an Air Arms order with PA… so only the best deals I shouldn’t pass on this week..
Nice to have a pro to ask… thanks again.
Wayne
I am new to airgun and since I discovered this blog 6 weeks ago I cannot stop reading it (at some points I was spending 4 hours a day reading it).
I see what BB saying since I was doing exactly like he is saying earlier. I think I was doing that due to two reasons
1- I didn’t know how much information this blog has,
2- Moreover didn’t know how to search for information here.
So I have two suggestions here that might address this problem for beginners like me.
1- The search box on the right side on the blog front page doesn’t work as well as it should. For example if I search for “1250 Dominator” it will return only one link. However if go to Google advance page and search the blog, I will get two pages worth of links.
I think the technical guy who responsible for this page could fix this easily by using Google advance search.
http://www.google.com/advanced_search?hl=en
2- This blog has a tone of nice titles that I would like to read and I don’t know it there. So it would be nice to have all these title listed (or grouped) on the side of the front page. In other words listing the blog by titles would be more useful than date.
Finally, I am suggesting this because I love this blog and I want it to be even better. Thank you BB for your efforts and keep up the good work we all appreciate that and sorry for my bad English “I know you don’t like that”.
Walter.
B.B.
If your 10/22 can get such results, why is it that semiautos are supposed to be less accurate than bolt guns? I’ve heard that the feeding mechanism requires looser tolerances to work and that it also creates a receiver that is less stiff than a bolt action. Is that right? Is that what you fix with the accurizing process?
Walter, you should have been here in the days when I was trying to decide if I preferred the Pyramidair blog over the writing of Tom Gaylord.
Matt61
B.B.
Even a person with the patience of a saint has got to get frustrated every now and then. I know this. I have been told by many that I have the patience of a saint, but I do have my moments. This is somewhat surprising to some folks because they didnt realize that we are all human. You do great things here. I read here everyday, and have for the last year or so. I have never gotten the impression that you have been rude, impatient, or snappish. You are doing a great job.
Walter,
That is a good suggestion. After the first 6 months of the blog I published an index to every article (Sep 30 2005). The webmaster then added the search function, but I don’t think it works as well as it might.
I will ask if there is an easy way we can publish a list of all the reports on this blog. Of course that list is huge and grows larger each day, plus some of my titles have not been descriptive, while the search function searches the entire report for those terms, so it still works best.
B.B.
Matt,
Both my 10/22 Target and the Butler Creek bull barrel I used to make a custom 10/22 rifle have what is known as a target chamber. It is the smallest chamber possible with good reliability in the semiauto mode. Both these rifles will shoot rings around a standard 10/22.
A bolt action with a tighter target chamber can beat both my 10/22s, and a true single shot like a falling block can beat even that.
But for getting half-inch 10-shot groups at 50 yards, I have 2 10/22s that can do it.
B.B.
B.B.
As far as today’s blog, it is good advice.
Especially the Google information. It would seem someone could find anything they wanted with Google.
Quick question, my oldnew FWB 124 will be here on the 21st. It has a Beeman Blue Ribbon 2-7 scope on it. Do you have any experience with these? Would it be worth while to leave it on the gun? I know the little SS-2 scopes are sought after, but any value in the full size?
Thanks,
Volvo
Matt,
As for semi-autos that are as accurate as bolt actions, there are plenty that are so close in practical use that you can’t really tell the difference.
The bench rest bolt action rifles are the most accurate rifles out there, and some of them can shoot 1 hole groups at 100 yards, with the total hole size not much larger than a single shot.
But they aren’t generally practical for use in the field.
My AR15 6.5 Grendel will shoot .25 inch groups at 100 yards with its favorite load, and my sons and I proved that it will also shoot 1 MOA in 25+ MPH winds at 700+ yards this spring. I suspect it will shoot better than that under better conditions, but I don’t have a local range that will allow me to shoot that distance whenever I want, so I haven’t tested it yet.
The newer semiautos can shoot incredibly well. Can a well built bolt action beat them? Of course, but usually the shooter is more of a limiting factor than the rifle. (Most of the well built semi-auto rifles shoot better than the guys who shoot them. Most of the well built bolt actions are the same!)
PS. I’m no great marksmen, my Grendel shoots better than me, but I’m learning!
Bill
B.B.
You stirred up the emotions today. I read comments on the yellow forum and only a few here and have heard plenty.
My thing is I am an educator and it is really trying on nerves to answer the same question over and over when the resources are there and alls it takes is a little seaching for the answer. The problem is adults and kids want spoon fed.
So I feel your pain. The thing that gets me about the original question is the ‘real gun’ thing. Airguns are not toys but a lot of people seem to think so.
jw
Volvo,
I’ve also got an old Beeman (made by Hakko?) 2-7x32mm Blue Ribbon scope. I think it came on the FWB 124D I bought many yeas ago, too.
It’s razor sharp optically. Looks a bit dated compared to the new scopes, but still works like a champ.
Derrick
Hi BB
Great article as always. Almost all i know about airguns I’ve learned here. I have a folder on my pc where I save helpful hints and articles and it’s pretty big now – and growing!
But please don’t be hard on the poor chap for wanting books on airgunning. I would be the first to order any new publication on spring gun tuning. It would be good to learn from the experiences of others and avoid their pitfalls.
I think you would be the perfect author of such a book too. Weren’t you in the process of writing something!
Ton
Derrick,
Good to hear that the scope will be serviceable.
I also like the fact that it is from the same era as the rifle.
Volvo
Volvo,
In their day, Beeman Blue Ribbon scopes were very desirable, and yours completes the retro look of the 124, if that’s appealing to you. In the 10-15 years since they were made, however, the technology of scopes has come pretty far. So a Leapers scope that sells today for half the price of your scope in 1990 is probably a clearer, sharper scope with many more features.
However, the Blue Ribbon 2-7 is still a good basic scope and there’s nothing wrong with it. Your rifle will do well with it.
I have owned several Blue Ribbons, including the 2-7 and always liked them. They are sized about right for your rifle.
The short scopes are very difficult to mount on the 124 because of the different type of scope stop it uses. All the SS-series scopes have their mounts attached permanently, so if you need a separate scope stop they tend to mount too far forward for good eye relief.
B.B.
Ton,
I know more books are needed. Yes, I am working on one, but it’s a long way from publication.
B.B.
Dear BB
Airguns have gained my interest only recently, making me relatively ignorant on the subject. I am not a complete idiot by most standards, yet I find searching for what I want to know to be often slow and frustrating and sometimes fruitless. It's not because the information isn't out there. It's because search functions- as helpful as they can be at times, can also be completely useless. I have searched in vain for hours for answers to questions I found the answers to a month later by accident and usually after it didn't matter anymore, surfing as they say from one unlikely link to another. Also as you have said we (the nOObs) do not ask the right questions. Often it is because we do not know how to ask the right questions. Maybe we think we know what we mean to ask, but lack the knowledge of terms to frame our question clearly? Arrgghh! Frustrating on this end as well, but not as bad as for you I suppose.
As for your blog it is magnificent. A treasure trove of information without equal anywhere. A thousand blessings on you and the missus.
I am now waffling between a TX200 .177 or .22. Once the decision is made, so will be the order.(from PA)
Now, a few observations/suggestions humbly submitted?
I know you like for questions to be posted on the current blog.
I understand why, but when someone who is unfamiliar with the blog navigates here, (as they inevitably will) it is likely they will be directed to an older blog. The comments tend to be mostly about BBs topic/article for which we were directed here in the first place, but also all over the place including firearms, which can be confusing for a nOOb.
On just about every other forum/blog people are treated with wrath and little pity for posting off topic questions or in the wrong string. While I appreciate the brotherhood here, it is the reason why newcomers keep to posting on old blogs.
Perhaps if someone posted a question to an old blog it could be automatically linked to the current blog? Then any answers could be forwarded to the old blog where most folks would be looking for it. That would also keep the current blog more on topic, or it could go to the current blog as well (for all the old timers to snicker at.)
Also, if there were some way so that when someone replied to an earlier post, especially a way earlier post, that it would have a link to that post or at least date/time stamp of the referenced post so that we could figure out what the heck they are talking about?
Surely some young whipper snapper can set this up without too much difficulty.
A final suggestion is to group certain articles under appropriate links:
BBs AIR RIFLE REVIEWS
BBs AIR PISTOL REVIEWS
READER REVIEWS
TECH/DIY/HOW TO ARTICLES
VINTAGE/HISTORY/A LOOK BACK
AIRGUN NEWS/LEGAL
ETC
I will post this here as well as the current blog, as I see its been some time since the last post.
Thanks to Edith, Kevin, Wayne, Gino, CF-X Guy and all the other regulars who offer up their expertise whenever BB is out living his life rather than answering mundane questions from all us ignoramuses.
P.S. I read an article on airgunwriter.com about a science fair at a middle school in Tax- I mean Massachusets where an exhibit was disqualified because it involved BB guns, even though it was designed to prove (as apposed to testing a theory?) that BB guns were dangerous. The reason it was disqualified was on the grounds that… wait for it… BB guns are too dangerous! (and they are firearms to boot!) I found the writer's viewpoint and defense of it to be refreshing;) It was also a perfect illustration of the flawed reasoning and somewhat cowardly stance of the opposing viewpoint. Truly, the emperor wears no clothes.
Three cheers for BB, whose fountain of knowledge quenches us all.
Slinging Lead in Powder Springs
Powder Springs,
Wow! I'm so glad you took the time to write. You're exactly the type of person for which Tom writes this blog. Pyramyd AIR has repeatedly told us that they want as much educational and instructional copy as possible. Spreading airgun knowledge is our mission these days.
I'm not sure about the possibility of writing a comment under one blog and then having it automatically copied to the current blog. Also, that might get kind of confusing (for us, at least). But, Blogger is constantly tweaking its software, so anything is possible.
Can I assume that you're from Powder Springs in Georgia? If so, do you know Alan Becker? If not, then that's someone you must meet. He owns Becker Exterminating Company. He's an all-round nice guy & airgunner extraordinaire.
Edith
Lead Slinger,
Wow! What a pat on the back!
I sent half the money I promised you already, but my credit card is maxed out. Can you wait until the end of the month for the rest? 🙂
For those who did not understand the above, and for all Vulcans, that was not-too-wry humor that implied I had paid Lead Slinger to make that wonderful compliment. All I really did was suggest it to him and edit it a few times. 🙂 (more wry humor. Stop me!)
In truth, you have reminded me and all those who help me in this blog of what it is we really do.
And I vote for the .177 TX 200.
B.B.