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Education / Training Air Venturi Avenger 1100 Part 2

Air Venturi Avenger 1100 Part 2

by B.B. Pelletier

Part 1

First order of business: the Pyramyd AIR Garage Sale was a huge success! Both days were active and the sales were so good that Pyramyd AIR wants to do this again twice a year. Saturday was busier than Sunday and the next time they say they will hold it Friday and Saturday. People came in from Canada, New York and Missouri…among other places. There are nice hotels close by, so fly-ins are accommodated well. Not knowing what to expect, Pyramyd was overwhelmed on Saturday for a while. Next time, they’ll plan for a big crowd. I’ll keep you informed.

Next…if you missed this sale but plan to attend the Roanoke Airgun Expo on October 24 & 25, Pyramyd AIR will have tables there, as well. That’s on Friday and Saturday. For added incentive to come, there’s a regular gun show in the same Roanoke Civic Center where the airgun show will be held (but in a different hall). The gun show starts on Saturday.

This is the largest airgun show in the world and usually has over 120 tables of rare and vintage guns as well as modern guns from dealers like Pyramyd AIR. Each day is unique. On Friday, the long-distance buyers are there in force; on Saturday, the locals stream in. On Saturday the firearm show attendees can come to the airgun show for free, and that definitely bumps the attendence. I’ll have a table there, too, so please stop by to say hi.

Well, last Friday’s blog hit a nerve with some of you. Apparently I’m not alone in wanting more quality in airguns. I have to say that I’m impressed with how well many of you understand the market. You don’t fall for that “build a better mousetrap” pablum. Keep submitting your comments on that blog, and I’ll summarize them for you at some point.

Ironically, today I continue the test of the Air Venturi Avenger 1100. This test was most enlightening.

I’ve now tested three Mendoza pellet rifles – the RM-200, RM-2000 and RM-2800. The Avenger is the fourth Mendoza. In the last test of the RM-2800, I experienced wild velocity swings and no shot was up to the advertised velocity. I stopped the test after that, rather than continue on with a rifle that varied by over 200 f.p.s. Well, the Avenger 1100 did the same thing! Let me share my results with you.

Crosman 7.9-grain Premiers
From the start, the Crosman 7.9-grain Premiers exhibited signs of being inappropriate for this rifle. They fit the bore too loosely, which probably caused several detonations I experienced in 4 shots. The velocity ranged from 612 f.p.s. to 892 f.p.s. – a range of 190 f.p.s. There were several sharp detonations that spewed fire out the muzzle, so I stopped testing after the fourth shot.

JSB Exact
Next, I shot the 8.4-grain JSB Exact domed pellet. I thought a pure lead pellet like this would fill the bore better and stop the detonations, but in only three shots I could see I was mistaken. Like the Permiers, these JSBs also fit the bore very loosely. The velocity for the three shots was 724 f.p.s., 794 f.p.s. and 820 f.p.s. A final detonation that shot flames from the muzzle caused me to stop testing this pellet.

Air Arms domes
The next pellet I tried was the Air Arms 8.44-grain domed pellet. Weighing almost exactly the same as the JSB it should have performed the same, but I noticed it fit the bore a little better. No matter, however, because in just 4 shots the velocity ranged from 734 f.p.s to 843 f.p.s. Detonations again!

Mendoza solid skirt pellets
I figured it was time to use Mendoza’s own pellets on the off-chance they might be better-suited to the rifle. These are hollowpoints that have a solid skirt, so there’s no possibility for flaring. I thought that might stop the detonations, because the pellet, which fit the bore of the rifle best of all up to this point, would also stand up to the explosions behind it. The gun still detonated, but I hung in for 8 shots. Velocity for this 8.4-grain pellet ranged from 769 f.p.s. to 944 f.p.s., and there was another flame-producing detonation.

Crosman Silver Eagle hollowpoints
As long as I was detonating, I figured the velocity with this speed champion (Crosman Silver Eagle hollowpoint) would be dramatic, and it was. I went from a low of 1052 to a high of 1427 f.p.s. with a flame-producing detonation. I stopped after shot three.

The rifle was detonating too much for good work, so I reckoned a heavier pellet might calm it down. Crosman 10.5-grain Premiers were selected for this because they fit the bore so well. They stopped all but 2 detonations in a total of 10 shots…the first string of 10 I was able to get with the rifle. Velocity ranged from 489 f.p.s. to 923 f.p.s. – a span of 434 f.p.s. So, although the detonations stopped (or at least slowed down), the gun still dieseled pretty bad.

I can’t tell much from this test, except that the Avenger 1000 I’m testing wants to diesel and even detonate with every pellet it shoots. Also, though the velocity of 1100 f.p.s ., can be reached with non-lead trick pellets, no lead pellet will go that fast.

Questions answered
Reader K. Rihanek didn’t see how a plastic end cap could stop the setback of the scope mount, so I promised him I’d show a picture of it. Wayne talked about the rifle’s lack of a baseblock, so I’m showing you that, as well.

As you can see, the shoulder against which the rear scope mount presses is very large. This amount of engineering plastic could stop the recoil of a .30-06.

The barrel doesn’t pass through a baseblock in this rifle. It’s welded to a small stub that pivots when the rifle is cocked.

I ended the test of the RM-2800 without accuracy testing because of wild velocity swings. Since I’ve read several favorable comments about this particular model, I’m going to proceed with accuracy testing next. Then, I’ll revisit velocity testing once again, to see if a greater number of shots through the powerplant have quieted it to any extent.

61 thoughts on “Air Venturi Avenger 1100 Part 2”

  1. Morning B.B. Very interesting topic the other day. Glad to see that you’ll be revisiting it from time to time. An off topic question if I may,
    my TalonSS is very interesting, i.e., accurate. Is there anyway of putting a gage on the HPA tank to measure it’s pressure? Guess I miss the one built into the Benjamin Discovery. If you’re going to tell me to use the one on the hand pump, how do I know when the air is flowing into the tank? I can hear the valve open when I fill the Discovery, but I don’t hear that with the TalonSS. Thak you so much. Mr B

  2. Mr. B.,

    Your Talon SS tank is a certified pressure vessel. If you penetrate it to install a gauge – or even if AirForce did it – the vessel would no longer be certified.

    But you can know when air is flowing into the tank from the hand pump. When air ir NOT flowing in, the pump needle rises rapidly. But when the tank valve opens, the needle stops rising rapidly. In fact, as you pump it rises and falls back to almost where it started.

    Watch the video at the end of this article, if you can, and you’ll see what I’m talking about

    /article/Using_a_hand_pump_May_2006/30:

    B.B.

  3. Mr B.B. I should have been clearer because I didn’t mean to build a permanent gauge into the Talon’s system and with or with out glasses I see no flutering of the needle while pumping. Would replacing the Discovery’s pump’s gauge with a larger after market on show them?

  4. B.B.,
    Since I wrote about the “Worst Pellet In the World” a couple weeks back, asking for feedback, I noticed that the Silver Eagle H.P. has performed as miserably in your air guns as it has in mine.
    I wonder whether this pellet performs really well [viz., best or second best of 10 or more types} in ANY air gun? Have you ever had any accuracy with it?

    Speaking of quality, I spent a few minutes looking for a Japanese air gun, but it appears that there is an “Island Effect.” This occurs whenever you jam several million people onto an island that shouldn’t house more than a few hundred thousand (e.g., London, New York City, Japan). Soon, they start to fight for space, and to prevent the taxpayer base from killing each other the governments outlaw firearms. In the ensuing melee, the air guns are also virtually outlawed. So…only airsoft at this time.
    – Dr. G.

  5. B.B.,

    My father bought himself a Crosman Quest a few months ago, and despite my complaints has mostly been firing cheap Crosman (non-Premier) pellets through it. These fit the bore pretty well, but he was getting a wide velocity range. I gave him a wide variety of pellets to try from my collection, but they seem awfully tight in the bore. Crow Magnums show very lot velocity, and a few other types don’t go any further than the breach. The crowning issue, is that Crosman Premiers won’t go in the bore at all. We’ve tried several tins, but they appear as though a mallet of some kind might be required to engage the rifling.

    Is this typical? Is it possible the (mass produced) barrel is undersized? Where can I find the size specs for .177 barrels?

    RO

  6. B.B.

    Did you clean the barrel on the Avenger 1100? They come with a lot of shipping oils in the barrel..

    Then maybe try the kodiak 10.6

    I didn’t have a crony when I had my pair of the 1100, so I don’t know what they did.. But I could not have got the accuracy if the spread was that bad.. My first two were very oily when they came, more than any other air rifles I’ve received. I don’t remember that much dieseling though, I didn’t clean my barrels, but they cleared up after 200 shots with the kodiaks. I thought I read somewhere back then to just shoot it for the break in period and don’t even look at accuracy.. so that is what I did, and it got good..

    Wayne,
    Ashland Air Rifle Range

  7. B.B.–Scott298–lately I’ve noticed a power loss in my 350. When I shoot at a 50 gal can with the same ammo it doesn’t dent the barrell like it used to. I have had the gun for about 1 yr so I know it’s too early to have spring problems and I’m not loosing any air from the breach any Ideas-will a little rws chamber lube make any difference-Thanks, Scott298

  8. Dr G,
    Even though Japan may have restricted firearms and airguns, there are still makers there. Browning for years(still may) had many of their guns built in a Japanese plant. I believe my Browning BPS 12g artillery shotgun is made in Japan. I know that some older Browning lever guns were made there as well.

    BB,
    you mentioned in Friday’s blog that you hadn’t heard about the Remington 870 Express and that you owned a Mossberg 500. The 870 Express was created by Remington to compete with the lower priced pump guns. For all intents and purposes, it is the 870 wingmaster, but without the nice wood stock and pump forearm and it lacks the polished bluing of the wingmaster. As far as the mossy vs the 870, they are both considered to be great shotguns that will give many years of service.

    Al in CT

  9. I like the Rem 870 and the Mos 500. If it works it works. Both are realatively easy to work on and reliable.

    Dieseling seems to be mentioned a lot with new Mendozas rm-600 .177 cals. I wonder if a drop or two of silicone chamber oil down the transfer port would mellow out the factory lube?

    Doesn’t the Japanese make Winchesters too?

  10. B.B.,

    I guess I should have mentioned this, but the rifle is a Canadian version Quest 500. I didn’t expect it to lead very quickly. The barrel LOOKS clean enough, and really there’s only been ~500 pellets through it.

    RO

  11. Me again B.B. Sorry to be such a pest. What I ment was that I’m using the pump that came with my Discovery Rifle to charge the SS and that I do not see the needle movement that you talked about in the video, hence my question about a larger gauge, longer needle making the it’s motions move visable. Thanks again Mr B

  12. Mr. B.,

    I understand, but this is the first time I’ve heard of that happening. What usually happens is the air pressure rises in the air chamber in the pump base, then it pushes the intake valve open and the pressure drops back to where it was. For some reason that isn’t happening for you. But that is how you tell when your gun is taking on air.

    You can still tell, though. Instead of the needle rising several hundred psi per pump stroke, it will only rise a few pounds. It takes 12-14 pump strokes to raise the pressure by 100 psi. When the needle stops rising fast, the reservoir is taking air.

    BG.B.

  13. BB,

    I keep wanting to see these Mendoza rifle do well, but they seem to be a mixed bag…too bad, because some of them look really good. I’m pretty comfortable doubling the cost of a clunk to factor in the “tuning” and finish work required, but Mendozas seem to have sloppy tolerances (loose breeches and apparently torn seals), some of which are harder to fix than most of the clunks I’ve seen. I’ll stay tuned to see if accuracy is a pleasant surprise, though:).

    PS: You got me going on the Mossberg 500. Yesterday’s advertising for a big sporting chain has MB500 at $209 and 870 Express at $229 (after rebate on sales price). If anyone needs a functional shotgun, there’s no excuse as far as I’m concerned — either will get the job done. If it weren’t for my OCD on mixing ammo, I’d get a 20G MB500 just to show I’m an egalitarian despite my aristocratic tastes in budget pump guns.

  14. RO, Premiers should work fine in a Quest. Is there any chance there’s a bur in the breech area that’s causing a problem?

    However – even standard Crosman wadcutters (I assume that’s the ‘cheap’ pellet you’re talking about) should give reasonably consistent velocities. What sort of variation are you talking about?

  15. B.B.

    How disappointing about the Avenger. What is the difference between detonating and dieseling? Dieseling is an explosion caused by igniting lubricants in the barrel, right? So what would detonating be?

    Dr. G., I read somewhere that the Japanese invented airsoft because of the absolute ban on guns by the post-WWII occupation.

    Volvo, thanks for the review of Paul Watts. He sounds like a winner but if he can make an R1 worth $2100 that sounds a little high end for my collection.

    W. Pa. Thanks for the review of long-distance shooting with the IZH 61. I have only read one other report of an individual who claimed to hit a can at 80 yards with regularity, and I’m now convinced that it is possible. If a can can be hit at this range, I should be able to get on paper at 100 yards. In fact, this is how I plan to get into long-range shooting. With the longest distance at my range limited to 100 yards, I’m a bit like the Free Willy movie with my M1 and police sniper rifle. But I bet that shooting an IZH 61 at that range is equivalent to shooting past 1000 yards.

    Matt61

  16. Matt61,

    You guys are really testing the limits, with this IZH61 at 50 yards or more…. even 30 yards needs somewhat of a rainbow shot.

    This would be fun to watch. The 61 sounds to me like a hand T50 staple gun, when it goes off. It’s bad enough to hear that next to the quite S410, let alone a .270 win or 30-06 in the next booth.. And you aiming 30 degrees in the air to land on a 2′ wide sheet of paper.. it might bounce off, if it’s cardboard.. Please take a sound video, I’d love to add that to the database were making for the future website…

    Wayne,
    Ashland Air Rifle Range

  17. Matt,

    All spring piston air riflse that shoot above 600 f.p.s. diesel with every shot. Cardew proved that in the late 1970s. Detonation is when the diesel event is loud and violent. You hear a bang and, in the case of the Avenger about a third of the time, see a yellow flash from the muzzle.

    B.B.,

  18. B.B.

    I'm bidding on a HW35L on Gun Broker. It is on the first page. Volvo said that it may have a bad barrel lock from the looks of the picture. I wonder if you have time to look at it for me. The bidding stopped after Volvo said that in the comments here..hmmmmm..

    Wayne,
    AARR&R

  19. B.B.

    With my earmuffs on, I can only hear a thunk with the B30. Good thing I’m shooting in a cardboard box.

    Wayne, yes this is pressing the limits for sure. I doubt I could arrange a sound system for recording the impact of the IZH 61 pellet although I’ve heard the low impact plop of the 1077 at a distance. I’ll see if I can hit anything first.

    Matt61

  20. Wayne,

    The barrel lock looks fine to me. It’s bent that way for your thumb to catch it just before you slide your hand forward to break the barrel. All 35s look like that.

    The thumb latch is powered by a weak spring, so it pushes forward easily but comes back on its own when you close the barrel. The chisel detent is at the end of the latch, which rides on the left side of the base block instead of in the center.

    B.B.

  21. B.B.
    Thanks,
    What do you think of the HW35L? Do you know the FPS? I hope it's just a little larger version of the HW30.. I probably offered too much, but I was thinking the "non Beeman import" might add a little value..
    That Diana 45 looks nice right below it for the $185 price, I wonder why no bids.. What do you know of that model..

    Wayne
    AARR&R

  22. Wayne,

    We REAL:LY gotta get you a subscription to Shotgun News, because I did a big article about the 4 Horsemen in July. They are the FWB 124, BSF 55, Diana 45 and the HW 35. These are the 4 guns that broke the 800 f.p.s. barrier in the 1970s.

    Anon was right on the money. A factory 35 will get about 750 with lighter pellets.

    The Diana 45 is worth at least $250 in fine condition. That one is from RWS and has a T01 trigger. It’s worth it.

    B.B.

  23. B.B.
    Thanks again,

    I searched online and found nothing on the HW35 and Diana 45… Your THE man… thanks again..

    I'll go for them both..

    Where do I sign up for a subscription to Shotgun news..

    Wayne
    AARR&R

  24. BB, 2 things:

    1) Nit-pickin’ math check: “The velocity ranged from 612 f.p.s. to 892 f.p.s. – a range of 190 f.p.s.”. I believe you meant 290.

    2) Got my Model 25 today. Shoots about 340fps, shoots fairly straight, and it’s engraved (not painted). Plastic stock is a little warped but nothing terrible. Finish is so-so. All in all, I’m pretty happy with it for $65.

  25. Vince,

    You are right on the math – my bad.

    You got a 1990-deal on the BB gun. Yours was made between 1952 and 1954, and there weren’t many made with both plastic stocks and blued steel. The warping is from heat over time and pretty common to that vintage Daisy. They eventually got the formula right.

    B.B.

  26. BB, I believe this model 25 is painted. It has 5 patent numbers on it, I’ve read that this pegs the gun as being made prior to 1955 (agreeing with your assessment).

    As for a ‘1990 deal’ – is that good (undervalued) or bad (values were inflated)???

  27. Glad to hear it. Come to think of it, I DO remember being at a gun show in Delaware probably around 1990 or so and looking at a Model 25. I don’t remember if it was plastic, wood, engraved or not – but I do remember the vendor wanted $60 for it. I almost went for it – but I passed.

    The only thing I can’t figure about this one is why it didn’t fetch more at gunbroker.

    On a side note I’m not surprised at your Mendoza problems. There’s a lot floating around the forums about these things being real oil burners. Not too long ago I had tried out an RM600 (same gun, I believe), and by the time it settled down it’s velocity was on a par with an RWS93 or a Slavia 634… but with a much higher cocking effort.

  28. B.B.:
    Nice forum you have here… I have an off topic question for you or anyone who can answer it… I live in Puerto Rico… (with a high humidity weather)… and I am close to buying a Beeman RS2 Air Rifle (Combo Incl. 3-9×32 scope , Caliber – 0.22″) OR a Benjamin Sheridan Super Streak (Black Finish Includes 4-16x40AO Scope , Caliber – 0.22″)… I need to know which is best for hunting pests (no matter the weight) but especially which lasts longer… I want a durable, dependable, and accurate air rifle… (if its not much to ask)… Plus I intend to change the scope of either rifle for a 50mm objective lens… So please sir, help me decide… THANK YOU… keep up the good work!!
    Cheers,
    Jony

  29. Jony,

    Give us more imput.. how far is your quarry, how large, how about a PCP like the Condor. The Condor or 6 shot repeater, Evanix Renegade are both almost like a .22 cal rim fire at 50 yards.. but you need to pump air or have a scuba shop close by..
    The TX200 in .22 cal is a good choice in a springer, that comes without a scope, but has a great scope rail and low recoil, very very accurate, and easy to shoot for a springer….

    Wayne
    Ashland Air Rifle Range

  30. Thanks for your reply Wayne… Well… I considered the TX200 but its just a little over my budget since I am planning on buying other stuff too… Plus, PCP’s are just way too expensive too… The Benjamin Discovery is at a reasonable price, but I prefer springers (but sincerely, I have never shot a PCP)……. I will still consider the TX200, but what do you think about the two options I stated??? Anyways, Thanks a lot sir!!
    Cheers,
    Jony

  31. Jony, I’m not BB but maybe I can add a little useful info.

    I believe you’ll find the RS2 is a variant on the Industry Brand AR1000 (like the Hammerli Titan, Walther Force 1000, TF89, and some others I’m sure I’m missing). It is a copy of a gun made by Norica of Spain that used to be sold as the GS1000, and I think is still sold as the Hammerli Razor.

    The BS Super Streak looks to be a copy of the Gamo Hunter Extreme made by BAM. It hasn’t been out nearly as long as the AR1000 series.

    Both guns have a bit of a reputation for QC issues, but the AR1000 and derivatives have developed something of a popular following. They have been available for a much longer period of time and – at the moment – parts support is passable. From what I’ve seen it appears that Crosman has yet to provide parts support for the Super Streak, but no doubt this will change. Parts for the AR1000’s, on the other hand, should be available from Umarex, Beeman, and Compasseco.

    Between the two I think you’d find that the AR1000 to be lower powered, easier to cock, lighter, and equipped with a better trigger. The AR1000 is known to sometimes break its spring, but other than that many users (including myself) have found it to be a manageable, accurate, and reliable rifle with good power (close to 20 ft-lbs of energy in .22). I haven’t shot the SuperStreak, but BB’s observations can be found here:

    /blog/2007/12/the-benjamin-sheridan-super-streak-part-3/

    Hope this helps…

  32. Jony,

    I’m sorry I got the RX2 ($747.20) confused with the RS2 ($189.64).. and thought you were after a higher priced gun..

    I have the RS2 and RS1… I got them early in my research for the Air rifle range. I agree with Vince they are good for the money, they made the cut for the rifle range. I got two of the sportsman 1000 version that was selling at Walmart for $130 or so. And they were actually smoother than the RS1. I think it was the end of the spring being unpolished and twisting the rifle a little at the end of the shot, that was my biggest issue with them. And that was not on all the guns I tried, one is real smooth and the trigger has lighten to maybe 2 -1/2 pounds.
    I put a leapers 4-16x50AO on the new RS2 I got from PA last month, and was shooting last weekend to sight in the scope, I switched scopes like you plan to. It seems like a pretty smooth one.
    You might be able to talk PA. into keeping the 3-9×32 scope and selling you the upgrade scope. If not I can sell you the RS2 I just put the 4-16x50AO on, for $225, and buy another RS2 combo from PA, and put the 3-9×32 scope on the RWS92, HW-30 and Deltas..those little scopes are fine on a small gun and out to 30 yards, at least for me..

    Wayne,
    Ashland Air Rifle Range

  33. Vince,

    the “Hammerli” airguns don’t come from China. They are made by Norica in Spain. Little is heard from them, but I’d rate quality higher than Gamo. The “Elite” did very well in a test that was made by a German gun magazine.

  34. Mel, the Hammerli Storm series, the Hammerli Razor and Nova are from Spain. The Hammerli Titan is (was) not.

    I re-read my post and it isn’t clear – I meant to make the point that the Razor is related to the old GS1000 and is of Spanish origin.

  35. Jony,

    You got some good answers already. I would tell you to extend you search a little more. The Super Streak (not Benjamin Sheridan – just Benjamin, by the way) is a very large gun. It is good for hunting, but not much else.

    I’d rather see you get an RWS Diana 48, which I think you will enjoy. And for hunting, get it in .22 caliber.

    The Beeman gun is based on a good Chinese design. but the power seems to drop off in .22 caliber. I would look for an original AR 1000 instead. But the RWS Diana 34 Panther is a better gun, in my opinion.

    The reason the two guns you picked are such good prices is they cut corners in several places. It’s false economy to shop like that.

    B.B.

  36. Wayne,

    Sorry about the bad info on the HW35L. I think it was just the camera flash on the metal I was seeing. Anyway, looks like you were updated on the 35. It is about 8.2 lb to start so with scope and mounts it will be close to 10 lbs. They are still made, unlike the other 3 BB mentioned.

    Volvo

  37. Volvo,

    That was not bad info, just a watch out, check with B.B.

    Many thanks, Someone else wanted it more anyway..

    I might get the Diana 45, who knows..no biggy..I got a few guns around here to shoot..

    Wayne

  38. I just purchased a Hammerli 480. The adapter or connector to pressurize the gun was not among the accessories in the case. I am new to this sport and would appreciate your help. I just send an email to Larry’s Guns to see if they have a connector. Neal’s Guns had one for the K2. If you have a source; please let me know. AND do you recommend using a tank or a pump.

  39. B.B.,

    Where's the Air Venturi Avenger 1100 Part 3?
    Did the velocity swings not settle down, hence no part 3?

    I was quite curious to see what happened with this rifle, as I have the Mendoza RM2000 & I was pretty impressed with it especially for the price. But even putting the price aside, I still think it's a great gun.
    Great power, great accuracy, & a pretty good looking gun with very nice sights & features too.

    With that said, I've been anxiously awaiting your findings on this Air Venturi Avenger 1100, to see if it's accuracy & power perform as claimed.

    BTW… Did you notice big velocity swings in the RM2000?

    – The BBA –

  40. BBA,

    I sent the 1100 back to Pyramyd because of the velocity swings. You are only the second person to notice in all that time, so I don’t think it’s missed.

    Yes, there were large velocity swings, though not as large as the 1100.

    B.B.

  41. B.B.,

    Only the second huh… I guess it isn't missed then.

    The funny part is, is that I was mainly interested so I could compare it to my RM2000. Not so much in the 1100 itself, especially after reading part 2.
    Which is unfortunate, because part 1 looked promising initially.

    BTW… My RM2000 diesels a lot.
    Is this a large cause of the velocity swings?
    And if so, will silicone chamber oil lessen the dieseling & help smooth out the velocity?
    Or am I just going to have to break it in a lot more & just work until I find the pellet it likes best?

    Thanks,

    – The BBA –

  42. BBA,

    The over-oiled Mendoza chamber is undoubtedly the cause of detonations, which are the cause of the velocity variations. Chamber oil won’t help in this case. The gun needs to be disassembled and dried out, then lubed properly.

    B.B.

  43. B.B.,

    It's been months since I've shot my RM2000, & while I remember the velocity swings & the detonation, I DID forget just how over oiled it really was, so I do understand what you're talking about.

    It's not as bad as some of the lower end Chinese imported guns, but it IS pretty bad.
    I don't understand why some manufactures go so crazy when oiling their guns?

    But, I do really like it, so I suppose I'll have to dig into it & get her fixed up.

    Too bad Mendoza doesn't address this, along with designing the pellet mag to accept a wider range of pellets. If they did, I think they'd sell a lot more of them.
    It IS a nice gun for the money, & those two corrections would set it above a few other in that price range.

    Maybe I'm crazy, but I think it IS a great looking gun (the wood is very nice), the sight's are great from both viewing to adjustment, as well as the unique trigger, & when held right it IS pretty accurate (especially with Kodiacks), & last but not least, the power isn't bad either.

    Anyhoo, thanks for the info.
    I'll have to put that on the "to do" list.

    – The BBA –

  44. Please clarify on the Mendoza pellet rifle as i am a beginner and do not yet own a rifle and most of the articles seem to assume readers understand the basic terms and functions more than I do most readings. My understanding that the special-ness of this gun and really the only reason to buy it, is the unique aspect that it does not utilize stored air (PCP or Co2), yet with one “pump” (breakbarrel) per shot, multiple shots are available in a 7 shot magazine. This enables quicker shots than having to load a pellet every time, which is standard operating procedure for non-precharged multi-pump or breakbarrel rifles. If I am shooting a single rat on a powerline, i do not have the time for a second shot if I have to break the barrel and reload a second pellet in the chamber or multi-pump, cause by that time Mr. Rat is long gone. So this gun is the equivalent in function to a precharged pneumatic single shot but without the inconvenience of having either to bike pump it or run down to the scuba shop. Have I summed it up correctly? If so, why is this not discussed more obviously? If this is the case, to me, the Mendoza becomes terribly convenient….. except for all the quality issues of course.

  45. Hi John,

    Well… I happen to love my RM2000 not to be confused with the single shot RM200.

    The RM200 is a great riffle all the way around, & for a single shot, it's one of the best out there for the price.

    BUT… You & I are talking about the 7 shot repeater, the RM2000.

    Which I love for a lot of reasons, but one of the main one ones, IS that it IS a 7 shot repeater, & it sounds like that's why you're attracted to it as well.

    Just like you said… the convenience of having 7 shots in a break barrel shooting 850fps without having to reload for every shot, can be VERY useful, & again, is the main reason I bought mine.

    So if you too are attracted to it for it's 7 shot repeating capability, without having to pump it, fill it with a scuba tank, or use CO2, then don't waste another seconds asking questions & just buy it! 😉
    Because for a rifle with that unique feature, not to mention everything else it has going for it… for a rifle UNDER $200.00
    IMO, you really can't beat it.

    Personally, I love it for a number of other reasons too.

    1) It's a beautiful rifle. The wood & metal finish are gorgeous!
    2) It's hard to find a better trigger for a rifle in it's price range.
    3) It's VERY accurate when you learn how to shoot it correctly.
    You MUST use the artillery hold to get the great groups it's capable of, but that does NOT differ from most other high power spring rifles, again in it's price range.
    4) GREAT sights & very easy & quick to adjust. I wish a lot more rifles AND pistols had sights like this.
    5) In MY opinion… You will not find a better repeating spring powered rifle for the money.

    But, read BB's review!
    He DOES have some valid points about there being other rifles in it's price range to consider.

    In his summary, he says…
    ——————————————————————————-

    "It has fine features that no other air rifle (other than Mendoza) has, like the two-bladed trigger, the piston seal oil port, the fine rear sight and the repeating magazine.
    Added to that are a metal finish that Weihrauch would be proud of.
    But at the price it retails, there are several other good guns to consider, making the choice more difficult.

    The RM 2000 needs lots of shooting technique, like most breakbarrels. Handle it right, and you're rewarded with fine accuracy and reasonable power. You must decide for yourself if the unusual features tip the scale in favor of Mendoza."
    ——————————————————————————-

    Which along with even more helpful info can be seen here;

    /blog/2007/6/mendoza-rm-2000-part-3/

    I have to ask what quality issues are you talking about?

    Reason being, is that overall, it's a fine gun.

    The only two complaints I have about it, is that out of the box it doesn't shoot what it's capable of, but a little bit of JBS bore paste & a good cleaning of the barrel with it, should take care of that.

    The other complaint is that they set the clip up trying to make it so you can only use THEIR Mendoza solid skirt HP pellets. And although with no modifications, you CAN also shoot the Crosman Premier Heavies in the 7 shot clip,
    but the rifle doesn't particularly like them nearly as much as the Beeman Kodiaks for example.
    Reason being is that the Kodiak has too small of a skirt.

    BUT… If you take a few minutes & simply dremel out the notches so that you can put any pellet in the clip, chances are you'll find one that it performs very well with.
    Just make sure that they WILL feed properly & NOT hang up!
    There are two VERY important things to keep in mind when doing this though!
    ONE… Make sure that the pellets don't get stuck inside of each other, & TWO, the most important thing, is to make sure the length of the pellet will work with the pellet receiver!
    When you're using the 7 shot clip, & you cock the gun, the pellet receiver moves up to receive the pellet from the clip, & then down to put it in line with the barrel. If the pellet is too short or worse too long… It WILL jam! So the length of the pellet is crucial!
    The good news is that there are a LOT of very good .22 cal pellets out there, so with a little time & experimentation, chances are that you will find the perfect pellet for this gun along with several other pellets that will work very well too.
    Keep in mind that if you don't mind shooting one pellet at a time, the Beeman Kodiak Extra Heavis are one of the best pellets for this gun!

    I WILL eventually do this with mine when I have the time, & I WILL post back here my findings, but it won't be anytime soon, so if YOU happen to beat me to it… PLEASE, share the knowledge! lol 😉

    Hope that helps,

    TheBBA

  46. John,

    BBA’s analysis and answer to your questions is spot on. Run wirth his advice.

    The only thing that I’d add to his excellent comments is that B.B. writes a daily blog at http://pyramidair.com. Come join us there. Lots of good people discussing air guns. Your question was asked on a blog that was written in Sept 08.

    Mr B.

  47. WOW… Thank you Mr. B!
    I appreciate the vote of confidence.

    John, listen to Mr. B about the daily blog! It has taught me a LOT about airguns, & can & will answer most of your questions about a lot of airguns & just airguns in general.
    You will find that even by reading about guns you may not really be interested in, that it will teach you things that WILL apply to airguns you ARE interested in!

    Also, if you search in the search section at the top on the right of this page for airguns you're interested in, you will find chances are, that B.B. has already done a review on it in the blog. So you can simply click on the link, & it will take you right to his review. Just look for "Air guns – Pyramyd AIR Report" in the selections Google presents.

    For example I typed "Crosman C11" & the FIRST thing it came up with was THIS!

    ———————————
    Air guns – Pyramyd AIR Report: Crosman's new C11 BB pistol
    24 Oct 2006 by BB Pelletier
    I purchased a Crosman C11 BB pistol friday night at K-Mart for $44.95. Also purchased a Daisy Laser Site for $28.95. The laser site fit well, but did require some adjustment beyond the mount instructions included with the laser site. …
    Air guns – Pyramyd AIR Report – /blog// – References
    ———————————–

    Try that & you WILL find a LOT of info!

    Good luck in your quest, & again… don't forget to listen to Mr. B about the daily blog too!

    BBA

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