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Tactical flashlights and some other light stuff

by B.B. Pelletier

I always feel guilty when I get this far off track, because I know fewer of you will be interested. But Fridays are my “play days,” and I try to write about light topics, because I know you just enjoy chatting with each other all weekend.

Having said all that, I think most people need at least one tactical flashlight. The reason? Simple! Tactical flashlights are the highest form of flashlight and they have more than one purpose in life. A regular flashlight is for seeing in dark places, but a tactical flashlight is for something else. A real tactical flashlight can also be used to temporarily disorient and even blind an assailant, giving the user time to either run away or defend himself in some other way. Here at Pelletier Acres, we are armed with the .45 ACP, so anyone who hears me yell, “FREEZE, DIRTBAG!” would be well-advised to cease and desist. Actually I plan to yell something more colorful than that, but Edith advised me not to print it here.

Edith once asked me to demonstrate how I would do that (the yelling, I mean) and even though I warned her what I was about to do, she was still visibly shaken when I did it. So I still got it, and it still works!

The part the tactical flashlight plays in this drama is it overloads the optic nerve and disorients the person. When combined with a persuasive command, this can force many people to comply with the verbal order. Even those less inclined to cooperate cannot avoid temporary night-blindness caused by the intense light.

So what?
Okay, you say, but everybody knows that B.B. is a paranoid dinosaur who fantasizes that he’s living in the wild west. I’m perfectly safe in my apartment here in Gotham and, if there is trouble, well, isn’t that what 911 is for? Boy, will I be glad when these paranoid old silverbacks are all dead and gone, so society can finally progress as it was meant to.

All right, you and I see life differently. But you still need a tactical flashlight! Check THIS out.

Old B.B. likes to ride his bicycle in the mornings before the sun rises. He wears a helmet and has lights on both the front and rear of his bike, plus he stays within the safe confines of his housing development. What could possibly go wrong?

Dogs!

I have used my most powerful tactical flashlight on several mean dogs who seemed to be out to get a piece of me. I started with the cute little white terriers down the street who like to bark and chase my bike as I ride past their house. When I hit them with the light early in the morning, they stop running and whine for a moment. The next morning they are right back at it, with some reluctance to leave their yard. These little cuties are no real threat, but they demonstrated that the light worked.

Then one rainy morning when I was walking the neighborhood and a large dog came at me in absolute silence from the rear on an intercept course, I was relieved that the light had the same effect on him. After he stopped I walked up and spoke to him in a low, commanding voice. He remained in place, presumably blinded for a few minutes, and when he started moving again, he walked away from my path. I was already about 500 yards away, but I kept my eye on him, just in case.

So, the light worked as intended. But that’s not the only reason for owning one.

Other pests

Things that go “bump” in the night
One morning, Edith woke me at 1:30 a.m. because of a disturbance on the back porch. She thought someone was breaking in, so I took my tactical flashlight and gun and went to the window. There in the light was a large possum! I shined the light on it for about a minute, then went to the back door to the porch. As I passed the living room, I saw that both cats were glued to the floor-length window, watching the porch in rapt silence. Just what I always wanted–silent watch cats! They note everything that happens around your home and keep it in the strictest confidence!

When I opened the door to the back porch, mister opossum had left the building. That was good, because I certainly was not going to shoot him with a .45 at two in the morning! As far as I can tell, he has never returned. The cats tell me nothing.

A tactical flashlight is an intense spotlight that can be used for general seeing as well as forcing compliance. Many of them are rated in lumens, and 100 lumens is considered the bottom threshold for forcing compliance in the way mentioned above. But I can tell you that a light with 65 lumens used correctly can do a lot. My first, second and third lights were all from Crosman. The first came with one of their guns, but number two and three I picked up at the Roanoke Airgun Expo for $5 each. The two CR123A batteries inside them cost more than that, so it was a no-brainer. The switches on two of them have already failed, so I am down to just one at present. My most frequent use for them is as a fill light in long-exposure photos. Remember my report on “painting with light?”

It seems that Crosman no longer sells their light separately. But all is not lost!

UTG tactical flashlight
My friends at Leapers make the UTG tactical flashlight. It’s sold in the airsoft equipment section and flashlight section and costs just $30. I know that’s a lot more than the $5 I mentioned before, but that was apparently a one-time, you-had-to-be-there special deal. This one has 95 lumens, so it’s pretty much the real deal. It has a regular pushbutton/twist-on switch in addition to the pigtail gun switch you see in the description, so you can use it normally.

For more power, this flashlight/laser combo puts out 126 lumens for just over $50.

Want even more? This UTG light puts out 260 lumens and has a police-rated body configuration that makes for easier handling. It’s the highest output I have found for under $50.

Beamshot
While at the 2009 SHOT Show I was given two Beamshot lights to evaluate. One is a one-cell (CR123A) PD3 compact light that puts out 180 lumens. It has a switch for the full-power light, a strobe effect or you can adjust the light down to 15 lumens for just seeing. With the latter, the battery lasts a lot longer. The strobe is highly effective in producing compliance, because the human eye cannot adjust to it. This one is a serious light with law enforcement recognition. Expect to pay around $80 on the street.

06-26-09-04

Beamshot PD3 uses just a single CR123A cell to generate 180 lumens of light. It is compact and feature-filled.

I also have the Beamshot TD4, a 240-lumen light with the same operational features as the smaller light, only instead of a single button on the end controlling it, there are three–one for each function. It also has a built-in SOS signal function. Set it and it continues to flash the distress signal without your intervention. This larger light uses two CR123A cells. This is the most powerful light I own and it is certainly capable of rendering a subject blind temporarily. The bezel has hardened points for breaking glass in an emergency. Expect to pay around $150 for this one.

06-26-09-06

The larger Beamshot TD4 uses two CR123A cells for 240 lumens. The bezel has pointed spikes to break glass in an emergency. Three buttons operate the multiple functions.

Fenix
I saw the Fenix TK10 light at the SHOT Show and was so impressed that I asked for it for Christmas. It’s a 225-lumen light housed in the most rugged body on the market. I watched a video of the light still functioning under 20,000 lbs. of crushing pressure. The switch is simpler than those found on either of the two Beamshots. There is an on/off button that doubles as a pulse button. That’s it. What you lose in functionality you gain in a lower cost, ruggedness and reliability. This model sells for slightly less than $80.

06-26-09-05

My Fenix uses two CR123A cells for 225 lumens. It has a pushbutton pulse switch that also turns the light on and off.

This is my go-to tactical flashlight. A year ago, all I had were the Crosman lights, but I’ve made it a point to gather as many as I can. I use them to augment my defense firearms, and these are weapons I can use with no lasting effects. I have already told you how I use them.

Other survival lights
For more than a year, I’ve been using a dynamo flashlight from John Deere. You wind it for 2 minutes and it shines for 20 minutes. I just got an NRA dynamo flashlight to add to my collection. It even has a DC outlet port for charging your cell phone! I use these flashlights around the house exclusively to save the batteries of my tactical lights.

06-26-09-02

This John Deere dynamo flashlight never needs batteries. Just wind the crank, shown here but normally tucked flush with the body. Two minutes of cranking gives about 20 minutes of light.

06-26-09-03

The NRA sells this dynamo flashlight that also serves as a cell phone charger. This one is larger than the John Deere and is the right size for the glove compartment or tackle box.

Small wonder!
The Streamlight nano is a tiny flashlight just larger than a quarter and puts out a full 15 lumens of light. That makes it as bright as a standard flashlight using two D-sized cells.

06-26-09-01

A Streamlight Nano is tiny but puts out about the same light as a flashlight running on 2 D-cell batteries. It uses watch batteries and operates for 8 hours on one set.

Flashlights are mundane until you need them–then they’re priceless. I’ve shown you some here that have multiple purposes, including defense. This is just one category of equipment that belongs in a bugout bag.

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.

76 thoughts on “Tactical flashlights and some other light stuff”

  1. B.B.,I think your story is important in this time of terrorism and domestic crime.As a retired Law Enforcement officer I can"t tell you how many times my heavy Maglight saved my bacon when I when it got physical in close quarters. By the way,in my mind I also have an "Old West" mentality.You are not alone brother.Thanks JERSEY BOY

  2. Jersey Boy,

    Thanks for commenting. I hope to hear more from you.

    I left my 4-cell Maglight in a rental truck we used to move here to Texas, and was sick about it for years. But the new tactical lights have taken its place for everything except bashing!

    B.B.

  3. B.B.,

    Most of your followers are engaged and pro-active individuals not apathetic hand wringers. The Tactical Flashlight article is right on target for most of us. Non lethal weapons belong in everyones arsenal.

    Some good technical information in the article but your sharp witted writing style really shone through today. Your talented watch cats are surely related to our pet sentinels.

    Thanks for the lighthearted presentation that helped brighten my day.

    kevin

  4. For dog control, I used to use a Freon (probably not the propellant now) air horn. These are compact and very loud. They work great for cars and dogs. Here is an example. Some horns are even PCPs!

  5. "mister opossum"

    Surprised you don't do with them what some airgun folk do, use a .22 caliber PCP rifle to dispose of them. Not like you don't have 1-5 sitting around being tested. LOL

  6. Morning B.B.,

    Thanks for turning the lumens on. I've got a couple of the SureFire G2's, one a stock LED and the other converted to 120 lumen LED because of their longer battery life–hours instead of minutes. I also put the LED converson bulb in my 3 D cell Maglight. For those of you who haven't played with a tactical light, they're like having your picture taken in a dark room with a monster electronic flash.

    Wild west mentality…very interesting and I wonder what it means to us in today's society. Bare with me for a minute please. I live in Maryland. If I leave my car running unatended it's a $250.00 ticket cause I'm tempting a car thief.

    I can see Matt Dillon saying sorry partner if you hadn't left your horse hitched to that rail all by himself that horse thief wouldn't have taken Old Paint. Instead Matt would get up a possie, capture and jail thief waiting for the circuit judge to arrive, and I'd get Old Paint back.

    Mr B.

  7. B.B.,

    Speaking of cats have you and Edith ever read any of Lilian Jackson Braun's "The Cats Who…." books? A series of books about how two cats help a retired newspaper reporter solve crimes. You along with the rest of the cat lovers will really enjoy them.

    Mr B.

  8. Mr. B,

    I am familiar with those books as well as Cleveland Amory's book, "The Cat Who Came for Christmas." However, I'm really short on personal time these days. I've started 5 books over the past year & still haven't finished reading any of them!

    To be honest with you, my personal reading tastes run along the lines of Jill Griffin (customer loyalty), Seth Godin (although I disagree with the politics he brandishes in every book), Malcolm Gladwell (Tipping Point, Bling & Outliers), and books about finance, living off the land, survival & living simply.

    Edith

  9. BB,

    I'm now enlightened ;). I think this is a great subject!

    I collect flashlights since we live in a rural area. I am always looking for a better one for finding the critters that go "bump" in the night.

    My incentive is the night that our dogs kept barking and wouldn't settle down for long. I finally went out with a normal flashlight since I couldn't find our large lantern battery flashlight. As I looked around, I found the garbage cans knocked over and figured it must be racoons. I didn't find anything though, and was about to go further out on our property when I caught the faint gleam of eyes in my not-so-bright, normal flashlight. There was a black bear staring at me from behind a tree about 60 ft. away! That was enough to raise the hairs on my neck!

    Anyway, like I said, I collect flashlights now, LOL.

    These three flashlights are my favorites so far.
    1) The K2 LED headlight by Rayovac (also River Rock) for handsfree stuff. It is 85 lumens. Target, $25.
    2) The Sportsman XTREME by Rayovac. This is a 3 C-cell, 150 lumen, LED flashlight. It could be used for bashing too. The switch is a normal pushbutton switch on the side, near the flashlight head. KMart, $30.
    3) An LED flashlight by Coleman. I loaned this one and it has never come back. I think it was 115 lumens (it was over 100 anyway). It had a pushbutton switch on the end. WalMart, $25.

    Thanks,
    A.R.

  10. I think this is a great post, and I'd like to see more like it.
    I've mentioned before, though not a 'suvivalist' (such a loaded term) I would like to be able to survive in an emergency.
    Future blogs on bugout bags (and what to put in them for 48 hours survival), good folding knives (I like some from Columbia River), inexpensive shortwaves (just last night I was listening to BBC Bejing), would all be appreciated.
    CowBoyStar Dad

  11. CSD,

    If you heard Radio Bejing you have a better radio than we do. Probably a Zenith Transoceanic or the Gundig that's so cool, right?

    My radio is also a flashlight and charges with a dynamo. It gets five weather bands, plus AM and FM. It cost me $30 from the NRA.

    B.B.

  12. BB,
    Great subject. I use a Lumapower for work that has 200+? lumens. Small enough to fit in my pocket but lights up a whole room. I use an 18650 battery and recharge it once a month. Can't beat that. I have a Streamlight Nano in my first aid kit and a TwinTask in the house. These lights are unbelievable!
    MCA

  13. B.B.

    Great topic. I love this. I love the elegance of the non-lethal weapon that can solve problems without a mess. It's always great to hear confirmation about what they can do. I'm also glad to hear that the strobe function works. I would get one if I wasn't so happy already with my Surefire G2.

    Your confrontation method sounds like the description of the Delta Force close-quarters assault in the Inside Delta Force book mentioned awhile ago. The author, role-playing a hostage, said that the door flew open, he was blinded by flash bang grenades, .45 acp bullets were flying within "millimeters" of his head, and then the room was dominated by the operators. Even though he knew what would happen, he said that the experience was like "being struck by lightning." Speed, surprise, violent execution!

    There are a couple of Achille's heels to the tactical flashlights that are worth addressing. The first is that the light that blinds the enemy blinds you too or at least removes your night vision. The doctrine of fighting in low-light conditions, as I understand it, is to position yourself in darkness, then, at the right moment to shine your tac light on the target. But this would seem to wipe out your night vision for anyone else.

    Secondly, the high power flashlights, at least the G2, gobble batteries. I think the G2 has an hour continuous runtime. During a power outage it didn't even last the night.

    Why don't you get another maglite? Are they not made anymore?

    A.R., my understanding is that black bears are very hard to provoke and that there is only something like one human fatality in the last century despite innumerable contacts. I don't think you were in much danger, but I certainly wouldn't have gotten any closer.

    Matt61

  14. b.b., yup, it's the grundig. For a surprising small, inexpensive package (the model I got was about $75 at Canadian Tire, our verision of Walmart) it has amazing power. I was just sitting on my back deck and the weather came on…rain for most of Mayalasia, storms in the something or other sea…then they their call letters and "this is the BBC out of Bejing.
    Cool.
    I also have a very alert cat. It always amazes me how he'll come racing out of the bedroom, where his favorite window is, jump onto the livingroom window and very intently stare at something.
    But never makes a sound.
    Eerie at times.
    CowBoyStar Dad

  15. Matt61,

    Yah, I agree about the bear although some national parks have had problem because the bears get too familiar with people. It sure startled me when I first saw the bear though!

    The thing I like about the LED lights is that most of them don't require lithium batteries. The Sportsman XTREME is supposed to run for 100 hrs on 3 C-cells!

    A.R.

  16. Flashlights for self defense – I love it! Right up my alley. Also, for me, much more practical. If I were to ever have to use a gun for self defense, first I'd have to get the gun out of the safe, then unlock the trigger, then get the bullets out of the other safe…(safety first you know.) Flashlight in the eyes and then upside the head and a good side kick to the sternum and a call to 911 should do just fine thank you very much.

  17. BB,

    I want some follow-up on some of your earlier "off topic" posts.

    First, do you still use and recommend the Warthog knife sharpener that you mentioned awhile back?

    Second, is the kidney stone problem completely licked? I saved the remedies you and others posted in case I ever have the affliction. Which one did you find the most effective?

    Finally, I'm a cyclist myself, a roadie, so I followed the Giro d'Italia and will watch the Tour de France when it begins on July 4th. Are you an avid, or just occasional cyclist?

    –Witt

  18. BB,

    I just bought it this week so I don't know about the battery life yet. It is a 4 watt LED, so I wouldn't be surprised if it lasts close to the advertised. The Coleman I had lasted a long time on just 3 AAA's – and it was 3 watts.

    I suspect the manufacturer's lumen measurement isn't relative to the light frequencies the eye is sensitive to. All the LED lights that I have seen either have a bluish or greenish cast even though they are "white". This one has a greenish cast.

    That said, this flashlight is brighter than anything I have and I am pleased. It really reaches out and lights things up! I figured I can afford to try it for $30.

    A.R.

  19. Dogs!

    When I was a young kid in east Tennessee, I carried a loud capgun when bicycling through certain angry dog -infested neighborhoods. I was always amazed (and relieved) that it worked so well as a deterrent. They'd come snarling after my pantleg, I'd fire a series of caps at them, and they'd run back home with their tails between their legs.

  20. Witt,

    The Warthog sharpener! Absolutely! Best quick knife sharpener I ever saw/had/used.

    Kidney stones gone! I had actually forgotten about them. I did many things, as you know. I also took a health-store purge that eliminated MANY tiny stones. So the other remedies probably broke them up.

    I'm an occasional cyclist. I ride a comfort bike and I have a saddle without the horn, so my bottom half doesn't go to sleep.

    B.B.

  21. Hi B.B,

    I agree with you whole heartedly when you said that everyone must own one tactical flashlight.

    I have a huge collection of tactical flashlights, most of them from Fenix. My favorite is the tiny P1D Q5. This little beast works on one CR123, is slightly bigger that the actual battery and puts out 180 lumens on high mode. Thats something a tad bigger than most thumbs! It turn on and shifts modes by a twist of the head.

    It actually has 4 modes – 80 lumens-180 lumens-30 lumens-180 lumen strobe and 80 lumen SOS.

    The best part is that its tiny enuf to attach it to a pistol and use the 180 lumen strobe to disorient an assailant. I see that you agreed that a high powered strobe is really effective at forcing compliance.

    My other favorite is the T1. Its the predecessor to the TK10 you discussed and is also rated at 225 lumens on high and 60 on low. The crush test you saw on youtube is actually the T1. Where it took 20000lbs to crush it even slightly! That was what sealed the deal for me 🙂 The T1 is actually a tad well built that the TK10 or TK20 as it was Fenix's first tactical light and they wanted everything to be "extra". It also has a crenellated base to break a window in case of an emergency.

    But one tactical light you MUST get is the Dereelight DBS. I have no words for this one! It puts out well over 400 lumens and has a super narrow beam that can outshine anything! Its a very specialised light and cannot be used for day to day needs as the beam is too narrow and too darn bright! You can configure the light at their website depending on your need. And the best part is thet the LED units come separately known as PILLS so that an upgrade is an easy option. All the lights are built to last and upgradeable.

    The way I configured it, It cost me $140.

    You must check it out. Knowing your penchant for such things, Im sure you'll get one. And you'll know who to thank 🙂

    Mo.

  22. Oh, I forgot to mention – The Dereelights also have different reflectors for different functions. So if you want a beam thats is super narrow or flood or anything in between – there is a reflector for you.

    You can get one light with different reflectors as they're interchangeable. The same goes for the LED units.

    Much like how the Whiscombe has different barrels 🙂

    I just mentioned the Whiscombe to whet your appetite 🙂

    Mo.

  23. BB I realize you're just kidding about the "freeze dirtbag" as what you'd verbalize and then you went on to say to Edith you'd say something you couldn't repeat on the blog…just remember if you're involved in a judicious use of deadly force you might end up in either criminal and/or civil court and you will be expected to repeat back to a jury EXACTLY what you said to your potential or actual threats. Also any witnesses will repeat what you said. Make sure you verbalize commands which not only potentially stop a threat but also can be defended in court!

    ~Quirt

  24. Mo.,

    I will check that light out! 400 lumens! Wow!

    Now there is a light out there that generates 2,500 lumens and can supposedly force compliance out to 50 yards, but it costs about $3,000 and there are no discounts–even to law enforcement!

    B.B.

  25. Quirt,

    Thank you for your concern. That's good advice.

    Here in Texas the castle doctrine is more lenient than in many states. We are even allowed to chase criminals away from our houses and to stop them in our neighbor's house. Our cars are also part of the castle and can carry loaded weapons without concealed-carry licenses.

    B.B.

  26. B.B,

    You're talking about the Maxabeam! Thats one helluva light! But way too big for daily use. (Though I would gladly buy one if I had the money!)

    But if you like them, there are other HID (High Intensity Discharge) lamp based lights that are cheaper than the Maxabeam. Pelican makes some really good ones at much lesser prices. So does MicroFire. The Microfire Warrior III makes 3500 lumens and costs around $600. Also AE lights make affordable HID handhelds. Polarion is more expensive than these, but better looking, sturdier and again cheaper to the maxabeam.

    But my favorite is the one made by costco. It comes in 3 variants and puts out between 1000 to 3000 lumens (upto 15 million Candlepower) and costs less than $200!

    What they did was take an existing searchlight and modified it to accept the HID lamps, battery and ballast. That explains the price.

    Mo.

  27. I found a great deal for great high power lights from dealextreme.com. I got a 250 lumen ultrafire light for $16 and change, shipping from Hong Kong was only one penny. I ordered one about three months ago and it's been great. I just ordered a second one with rechargable batteries a few days ago.

  28. BB,

    You sure do like flashlights. I did also, until my entire collection was slowly but surely loved to pieces by my (then) 2 year old. Now, I just buy the cheapest ones, because to keep the peace I really need to buy 2 of each:). The best regular flashlight I've had lately is a cheap Ray-O-Vac plastic LED one that has lasted more than a year of pretty much daily use and never had its batteries changed.

    The place I ordered my QB36-2 from sent me a complementary free LED flashlight that seemed to be machined from a solid bar of alumiminum. It was packaged under the name of "Two Working Boys" or some such — looked pretty tough and worked great for a few months, then just burnt out completely. Easy come, easy go; maybe it was free for a reason:).

    I have a Grundig FR-200 crank radio, which I don't think was expensive (Xmas gift one year), but it is pretty good. During this winter's ice storm (5 or 6 days w/o power) and several shorter outages in years past, it furnished entertainment and news — although I usually end up listening to a talk show or music on AM rather than shortwave.

  29. Quirt,
    I think you are right, but its sad that we have to be considerate with people who break into our houses. I don't know how gracious a host I would be under those circumstances:).

  30. BB and all,
    Speaking of tactical flashlights, I have a question. I have the (no name) tactical light that comes with the Crosman Nightstalker. Had problems with the gun, but kept the great little light. Recently I dropped it and broke the bulb. I have been unable to find a replacement, without knowing the brand of the light. Any thoughts on where I might find the bulb, or information about what kind of light it is.
    Thanks,
    JR

  31. On Another Light Topic…

    ….I have been shooting the bb shotgun and single action repeater Walther SG9000, which is powered by an 88 gram CO2 cartridge. It shoots steel or lead bbs as fast as you can pull the trigger in single mode, and shoots 3 steel bbs (lead jam) in shotgun mode as fast as you pull the trigger.

    In single mode I am getting 10 meter, 5-shot groups of 2" using steel and inexplicably closer to 3" using lead. The lead balls are 50% heavier than steel and obviously are always the choice when they work, as they penetrate sooo much better than steel. This is the first application where I have seen them significantly less accurate than steel.

    Of course, I only use the best quality steel bbs that I can find, which is Avanti. I have tried about 4 other brands and these are always the best.

    This steel bb performance is excellent when you consider that the Drozd gets about 1 1/2" in single (or 3-shot mode), which is only 1/2" better, and the Drozd costs 3X as much.

    This bb shotgun costs about $88, and it is still working after my first 150 shots/first CO2 cartridge.

    I put this in the same Fun Factor League as the Pulse Airsoft machine gun which I reviewed over the winter.

    I would like to hear if anyone else has any experiences with this bb shotgun? I think that it is worthwile enough for Edith to do a more thorough rewiew, as I prefer not to.

    Oh, for you backyard hunters and protectors of the the bird sanctuaries…this gun comes with LOTS of rails up front where you can place a laser. I did this of course, and found that within 15 yards this bb shotgun was extremely effective in initially grounding and then with followup 2nd and 3rd bursts, killing any medium-small or smaller bird (I suspect that nothing fatal would happen if a squirrel was shot at any range with this).

    When the li'l birds are struck with the bb shotgun blast, they flutter about helplessly in the same way that game birds flutter when wounded with firearm shotguns. There is no need to wait for the CO2 to settle after the 1st shot…(2) followup shots which fall in the same area can be taken within 1 second of the wounding shot, and invariably 1 of the 9 bbs hits the head, neck, or heart and it is immediately quite dead.

    Obviously this air gun could not work on crows, which would simply look back and laugh before slowly flying off, even if one was hit.

    – Dr. G.

  32. I think modern self-defense consists less of vaporizing the enemy than in steering a course between the enemy and the legal system. There's not much out there that would make prison time worthwhile.

    I have a confrontation method that would go over well with a jury. It's from an old Laurel and Hardy film. Hardy, done up as a villain, says to Laurel by way of a silent film title card: "Put 'em up insect, before I comb your hair with lead."

    Matt61

  33. Hi bb, i was wondering if you could help me decide between the CP99 and the Walther PPK airpistol.

    Which is more accurate?
    Which has more kick?
    Which will give me more shots per c02 cartridge? How many shots?
    Which will be more durable and less likely to break?
    Finally, which would you reccomend?

    Thanks!

  34. Matt61,

    In alot of ways you are unfortunatly correct, for example, the State of Maryland says that you shall flee from danger rather than stand and defend yourself–no castle doctrine here. Shame on you if you shoot me while I'm simply stealing your car. I met a person who did that and it cost him $30,000.00 in medical bills to get the car thief healthy. The man was lucky cause he didn't get any jail time.

    Mr B.

  35. CP99 is a pellet pistol. PPK/S is a BB gun. So the CP99 must be more accurate, because it has a rifled barrel.

    PPK/S gives over 100 shots per CO2. CP99 gives 50-60.

    No recoil with the CP99. Mild recoil with thew PPK/S.

    Durability is about the same, with a slight edge to the CP99.

    I really like the PPK/S, but don't expect to hit anything beyond 15 feet.

    B.B.

  36. cool, i've never realized what these nice lights can do.

    I'm actually have trouble figuring out exactly where and how to lube my 34 panther to make the cocking smoother. i see fine metal particles near the lever and feel a lot of squeaky resistance half-way through cocking. i think it might be washer/barrel area from what i've read so far. also, approximately when does a spring need tar?

  37. No amount of lubing will make a 34 Panther cock easier. The gun has to be disassembled and have a complete tuneup.

    Spring tar can be applied to a brand new gun. It isn't a maintenance item; it's a modification. I just did one and the results were pretty amazing.

    B.B.

  38. My brother works for Surefire, so my tactical lighting needs are taken care of 🙂

    He even gave me one of their X300 weaponlights for my XD-45 compact (which he also got me as a gift) one Christmas. Yeah I'm pretty spoiled.

  39. I have a question.I have a couple of CO2 pistols coming. I ordered a Crosman 357W, which, of course, shoots pellets. I also ordered a Crosman C11, which shoots BBs only.I have a couple of pellet traps.I know there is a trap for BB guns that uses "curtains", but I've heard the curtains have to be replaced pretty often.I also know that BBs will bounc back with a vengence if you hit something metal.So what can be used as a reliable target holder/back stop safely? I'm thinking just a cardboard box maybe with an old phone book in it?

    jon

  40. Jon,

    Your best and cheapest bet is to use a large cardboard box and hand a carpet square inside. Attach it at the top somehow, but let if hang down inside the box at the bottom. Because the carpet will move when hit by a BB it absorbs some of the energy and doesn't shoot through the carpet very fast.

    Phone books will cause bouncebacks in the beginning, and they get very messy after they start to come apart.

    B.B.

  41. Good Sunday Morning All,

    These lights might be helpful with my problem with rats in the chicken house..

    In the early morning and late evening when I let them out and back in.. the rats scurry to their hiding places all around my feet.. I've thinking about a bright light/dot sight combo and a night invasion of the chicken house, pistols in each hand blazing.. the light to maybe freeze them, and the dot for a quick accurate shot..

    Will this work.. and if so, which combo can I easily mount on my two Crosman 600 semi-autos and or S&W 586 pistols?

    And will they work on my Makarov 380 ACP, because I want the same or similar outfit to sometimes put on it .. for larger rats:) "you dirty rat" type..

    BTW.. (how would that phrase hold up in court?)

    Wayne
    Ashland Air Rifle Range

  42. B.B.

    I was thinking of a pistol in each hand.. it's a "split second" type thing.. kick in the door.. flood the room with light and start firing with both hands.. all in one moment!

    I should get lots of practice.. twice a day with real live moving targets.. lots of them at one time..

    I don't want to poison them with the wildlife.. or my dogs!!.. likely to find their bodies by the creeks.. Traps are a bother and not that effective I've found..

    I'm going for some kind of snakes that are friendly to humans and deadly to rats.. any suggestions? ..

    …and two handed pistols like in the movies…BUT.. I'm sure the snakes will do better, eventually I might get one!! they be real fast!

    The best way I've found so far is to bait their runway, and wait for them to stop..very effective, but that takes lot's of time..

    .. and I want to do the waking up and putting to bed of the chickens job… and rubbing out some "dirty rats" at the same time..

    .. besides I hate it when they scurry around my feet!!

    So how do I outfit my 600 semi-autos? or are you saying that Nightstalker short rifle will work for each hand? I can see them hooked under each arm… that might work..

    Tried it anyone?

    Wacky Wayne

  43. Vince,

    I was wondering about a solution to that:)

    Steel toe shoes are a start.. then reflector metal ankle covers to reflect the shot sideways across the floor:)

    Will you start making them soon?..

    This way I can shoot at my feet and send the pellets sideways at the floor level..
    I feel a new product coming on:)

    or maybe B.B. shot tubes that run down my pant legs to my shoes.. just slide my feet sideways:)

    I can see a whole cowboy rat killing outfit!! Are you listening Crossman? Vince and I will race you to market:)

    Wacky Wayne

  44. B.B.

    i have an idea for a gun review. i know you covered this in your podcast for this month, but i think it deserves more detail. how about you review in full detail one of the Beeman Double Gold rifles. i'm thinking the R7 or R9. i'm hoping to get one of them sometime soon, but i think it would be a great idea for you to review one of them in detail. they look like great rifles and i think it would be a very interesting thing to read. i hope you take my post into consideration. it doesn't have to be any time soon, i know you have that Crosman NPSS gun to tend to, and a couple of others, so it doesn't have to be hurried. but i'm thinking it would be another thing to add to the reserve list for if you ever get time.

    your blog posts are great, and so are your airgun reviews. i think this would be another opportunity to review a rifle, so i hope you take this post to consideration,

    John W.

  45. John W.,

    Without trying to anger anyone, all I see on the Double Gold guns that is different is a gold-plated trigger. Other Beeman rifles have been bundled with a scope before. In fact, the Goldfinger R9 even came with a gold-plated trigger years ago.

    While these are fine models at their core, I don't see the uniqueness of the Double Gold name. Can you tell me what attracts you to this line of rifles?

    B.B.

  46. Wayne,

    Drozd BB machine gun is great for killing rats with 3-shot blast and using laser/flashlight at up to 10 yards. I have not yet tried my new bb shotgun on rats…I may not try it at all on them.

    How many shots do you get from your 600s before you get a malfunction, typically? .. How much can I expect to pay for an excellent one, around $370?

    I recently received from PA a spring pistol called the RWS LP8. I thought that since I enjoy my .177 Slade tuned P1 a tremendous amount, it was incumbent upon me to purchase this air pistol and evaluate it.

    – Dr. G.

  47. Dr. G.

    The Crosman 600 spits .22 cal pellets like an automatic which maybe it is!

    The problem is it does jamb with all but the most perfect pellets.. which is the flat nose like a Hobby or H & N Diabolo Sport..

    And I find if I lightly lube them with the coconut oil they do even better.. The feeder block which transports the pellet from the spring fed magazine, moves back and forth faster than my eyes can watch, so only the most perfectly smooth moving sideways pellets will work..

    But when it works right, The Crosman 600 shoot very accurate, hard and fast!!!

    They are worth collecting for sure!! And fun to shoot as well…

    I'll check out the Drozd BB machine gun too.

    It's a 3 to 6 foot distance I'll be shooting at, with both hands blazing!!

    I'm hoping the bright lights will freeze the rats like B.B. said the dogs froze.. from lack of ability to see where to go I guess..

    Wayne

  48. Really? You have feed problems with the 600? The one I worked on for you worked flawless with domed and flats.

    That is, once I finally started feeding it .22's instead of .177's.

  49. Vince,

    Well…. it did… for awhile… until aaahhh… I.. aahh put a pellet in backwards and it jambed!!… and now it's in the next box back to visit you….

    I'm sure it made me load it without my glasses, because it missed your touch!

    And it was doing fine on the domes.. just not backward! But I'm just afraid to mess up my other one… so only the flat nose H&N or Hobby now..

    Wayne

  50. B.B.

    yes i am aware there isn't much special about the Double Gold guns. i had just thought at the time it would be a good idea to do a review article for Pyramyd on. probably the thing that attracts me most is the completeness of the combos. i know that they aren't ACTUALLY "ready to shoot out of the box," because even the scope was "professionally shot in at 10 meters," there is still adjustment to be done. but, i had thought it would be a good test of the quality Beeman really puts into the guns they sell in the combo, and just the quality of the combo itself. i know they're not big hits, and they're nothing new to you; heck, you wrote the R1 book. you know most of the stuff there is to know about Beeman stuff, but maybe someone who is new to airguns and is attracted to the series would like some more info, say an honest in-depth review. not just a short 1-paragraph customer comment on Amazon. it's easy to see how great the guns are, but some people may just want more. say, chrony tests and a real accuracy test, so people can see the specifics with their own eyes.

  51. Vince,

    Only when you need a laugh:) I'm sure..

    Now, everyone knows why I don't ever want to see it again!!

    What was it anyway.. I forgot..so go ahead.. embarrass me in front of the whole world!..

    It's always good to make others feel good and know they are not as stupid as some!!

    Wacky Wayne

  52. IF YOU INSIST!!!

    'Vince, this TF97 is almost brand new, but the velocity is only a couple hundred fps'.

    'Wayne, what pellet were you using in the TF97?'

    '8.4gr JSB'

    At this point I graciously point out that the breech hole is, uh, a bit big for an 8.4 JSB. Or any other .177 pellet for that matter. Because the gun is a .22.

  53. John W.,

    Okay, I just wanted to know your reasons for wanting to see a report on the Double Gold guns. Because they are Beeman guns and expensive, I'd like to do just one, so which one would you like the most to see reviewed?

    B.B.

  54. B.B.

    as you may have guessed that long post somewhere up there without a name is mine. forgot to tag it with my name. i understand completely you can't get to all of them. i was thinking about just one. mostly the R series. the R7 would be nice, but the R9 would be wonderful to see. i've seen quite a few reviews online but none are as deep into the subject as yours are. well, i hope you can do it. i think the R9 would probably be the best to review, with the R7 in a near tie for second.

    best of wishes,
    John W.

  55. John W.,

    I did a quickie report on the R9 back in 2006:

    /blog/2006/9/beeman-r9-breakbarrel-spring-rifle/

    But that was based on a rifle I tested a decade ago. It's time to test one again, so an R9 Double Gold it will be. I will order it today.

    B.B.

  56. bb, just to let you know, i understand that this isnt the topic of this blog, but all of the lead free pellets are very accurate if when using those pellets your gun does not shoot them past the speed of sound…under these circumstances they are actually more accurate than most of the other pellets…the gamo raptors also will damage the spring in any spring gun,because of their light wheight and loose fit, but do no harm to a pcp…and they also damage the blueing and rifling in the barrel…forgive me if you already heard or knew this

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