Home Blog  
Education / Training Crosman’s new Nitro Piston Short Stroke – Part 3

Crosman’s new Nitro Piston Short Stroke – Part 3

by B.B. Pelletier

06-25-09-01

This .22 NPSS finished well in the accuracy test.

Part 1
Part 2

Well, the results are in! The Crosman Nitro Piston Short Stroke is a winner! But there are some things you need to know.

First, The scope we all wondered about performed fine. It proved to be clear, sharp and easy to adjust. I shot at 25 yards and the scope bisected the bullseye very clearly. I don’t think you need to upgrade from this glass.

I didn’t appreciate the one-piece mount packed with the rifle, though. It forced me to position the scope slightly too far forward for benchrest shooting. It probably makes good sales sense, because so many people find one-piece mounts easier to install than two-piece mounts. I don’t look for Crosman to change their strategy. And for offhand shooting this mount is fine.

A reader named Jay mentioned that this rifle is sensitive to hold, and he posted a link to a forum where he posted a lengthy report on his attempts to overcome the hold sensitivity. Jay shoots a .177 and I’m testing a .22, so of course we cannot compare things exactly, but I do agree with his observation that the NPSS is hold-sensitive. However, it is only sensitive in one way, I discovered, and the rifle will shoot very well if you overcome this issue.

The artillery hold has a component that I don’t normally discuss, but which with some guns like the NPSS is very critical. That is something I will call “hold deadness.” What it means is the tendency of the rifle to move when you relax your hold.

I discussed this in great detail in the R1 book. I said that after you align the sights on the target, you should close your eyes and relax. When you open your eyes again, the crosshairs should still be on target. If they aren’t, a shot from that hold will be thrown in the direction the scope or sights move when you relax. Most rifles are not this sensitive, but when you have trouble getting one to shoot, try this and see what happens.

The simple name for this procedure is follow-through, only I’ve never seen or heard anyone explain it this way. The usual explanation for follow-through is that you don’t move the gun after the shot. But true follow-through requires a gun that cannot move because the hold is completely neutral. Few shooters know that and fewer still practice it because it takes a lot of discipline. But that’s what you have to do to allow the Crosman NPSS to group. That and the right pellets, of course.

A word about the test
This test is to judge the accuracy potential of the rifle. I don’t want the pellets to hit the target where I aim because they will soon make it difficult to acquire the target when it’s blown away. So, I’ll purposely not let the pellets hit near the center of a bullseye. Once the’re impacting in a safe place, I will start the group and run it for 20 shots. The size of the group and the number of flyers will tell us how accurate the rifle is.

Sight-in was fast and quick. The scope was on-target at 25 yards after a single shot at 10 feet. Of course, more fine adjustment was required, but at least it was on the target paper.

Crosman Premiers
Crosman Premiers are not the right pellets! The groups they shot resembled shotgun patterns at 25 yards. And no amount of follow-through made any difference. The group was over three inches in size after seven shots, so I stopped shooting.

Air Arms domes
Air Arms domes were a different story. They grouped very well!

07-07-09-01
 

Twenty Air Arms domes grouped relatively well at 25 yards. The shots that appear to be flyers are mainly caused by improper follow-through.

RWS Hobbys
Because they did well in velocity testing, I decided to try RWS Hobby pellets in the accuracy test as well. They did not disappoint.

07-07-09-02
 

RWS Hobbys also grouped well for 20 shots. The two that appear to be flyers were definitely caused by a lack of follow-through, but I had better form for more of the shots on this target than on the other. Hobbys just don’t group quite as tight as Air Arms domes.

Summary
Crosman’s Nitro Piston Short Stroke is a winning combination spring-piston airgun. The gas spring is very quiet, the rifle has good power and, as we see in today’s report, it’s also very accurate. The trigger is quite pleasant and the scope is a keeper. Just keep in mind that the cocking effort of this rifle is on the high side. This is one for adults and for those who don’t mind using their muscles.

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.

71 thoughts on “Crosman’s new Nitro Piston Short Stroke – Part 3”

  1. BB, It appears that the boy's at Crosman are doing a heck of a job with newer innovations, great guns etc. One hot topic on the forums, is the question: "Is this gun made in America"? Can you help us out with this.
    PS glad to see Pa started selling a scope combo option for the Baikal 61.

    Thanks

    Dave S

  2. Thanks, BB, for the report and your high opinion of this rifle. Like Carlo, this appears to be my next addition to my collection – Now the problem is do I select .177 or .22. I wish this were the worst of my problems…..

    BB, I do have a question from your blog back in May, which I just listened to. In cleaning a fixed barrel rifle such as a Discovery, obviously it's not readily possible to clean (when needed) from breech to muzzle unless the barrel is removed somehow or we use a flexible cleaning rod. Any hints on cleaning from breech to muzzle you'd care to share with us? Should we own a flexible cleaning rod?

    Fred

  3. Fred,

    First, I never clean unless absolutely necessary. That means a loss of accuracy. I have yet to clean my .22 Discovery prototype.

    Second, I don't use flexible cleaning systems as a rule. When I can't clean from the breech. like a Discovery or a TX 200, I clean from the muzzle.

    My TX200 has over 10,000 shots and I have never cleaned the barrel.

    When possible–don't clean the barrel!

    B.B.

  4. One of the greatest features of this blog is the search engine. It not only searches topics but searches the comment sections. A wealth of airgun information lies waiting to be tapped inside this little blank box on the right side of this article with the word "Search" after it.

    If you use this feature to seek the answer to your question that has probably been asked and answered many times several beneficial things will happen. First, B.B. will have more time to delve into uncharted airgun areas and report on those topics that haven't been covered yet in over 1,000 articles. Second, you will probably find your answer. Third, you will probably find answers to questions you haven't thought to ask.

    Forgive me if I've offended anyone but if you give a man a fish he eats for one day. If you teach a man to fish he will eat for the rest of his life.

    kevin

  5. Kevin,
    Good advice, I've also found a wealth of information from browsing the old blogs and comments.

    B.B.,
    Thanks for the clarification on follow through. I was still very unclear on what was meant by that. And I think it's an area I can continue to work on. As I look back on what I've been doing, I can see that I have a tendency not to have the rifle neutral.

  6. Follow up to my above comment: The trick to me seems to be to hold the rifle in a neutral position while not at the table. Easier while sitting, harder while kneeling, very difficult while standing. I'll have to keep working on this one for a while.

  7. Fused,

    This holding neutral thing is a really big deal. No matter what you shoot, it will make you improve.

    This is why many expert shooters prefer guns that are muzzle-heavy, because they tend to hang in the right position for a neutral hold.

    B.B.

  8. Hello folks!!
    B.B. and Wayne… thank you very much for your opinion the other day (the Howa and the Savage 110 Series)…. I really appreciate it… Have any of you heard any comment about the Howa 1500 Axiom rifle??? It really caught my attention… Since I am looking for a tactical looking baby… LOL… For those who don't know what I'm talking about… I am new at the firearms world and looking for a great performing and long distance shooting rifle… Comments from anyone are appreciated… I must perform better than my Condor.. LOL…
    Gustav

  9. BB and Kevin and others – I was aware of the common sense practice of not cleaning a barrel unless absolutely needed – such as a loss of accuracy. What raised my curiosity was on Tom Gaylord's podcast for May (apologies I referred to it earlier as the Blog), he stated that if one uses Crosman Premiers, you should be prepared to clean a barrel in perhaps as few as 200 rounds or pellets. Since I use Premiers in my Discovery, and TG also stated in that Podcast to clean from the breech to the muzzle, I couldn't remember if he had specified another procedure in the case of fixed barrels such as the TX200 and other PCP's. Anyway, Kevin, you're correct in recommending using the search engine first before posting.

    Fred

  10. BB,

    Hey, great review of the NPSS. I’m really liking the power, accuracy and QUIETNESS of the gun. My question is, what is the long term reliability and longevity of an air gun spring piston? Are there other spring pistons out there for comparison? Are we talking a few years or decades? Obviously the NPSS is a brand new product, but what would be your best guess? I can tell you that auto spring pistons (shock absorbers) will leak after a few years, but then with my driving they should blow up—oh wait, one did!

    Thank you,

    Perra Dog

  11. B.B.

    Hm, I would have expected the gas spring to make the rifle less hold sensitive and not more. So, natural point of aim equals follow-through. I had not thought of that, but both David Tubb and Nancy Tompkins make a very big deal about this. And by the way, I just do love the way the BAM B30 hangs onto the target because of its muzzle weight. It is definitely more repeatably accurate than the IZH 61.

    Derrick, welcome back. My IZH 61 tanked. I can't believe it. So much for the AK-47 of airguns. I was shooting away and managed to double-load the rifle which I have done before. I got the rifle cleared and shot off a clip. But the next clip made this awful broken sound on discharge, and the rifle began shooting all over the place. At first, I was wondering if I could get it repaired at all. The highly unpleasant receptionist at EAA, the importer, gave me totally wrong information about repairs over the phone. Mike Melick said he would look at it and couldn't find anything wrong inside. Then before he could do shooting tests, a personal issue came up that needs resolving. It's all very unfortunate, but I suppose I stand to learn something interesting about airguns.

    Regarding the 550 yard Quigley shot, you might want to read about Vietnam War sniper Chuck Mawhinney who actually outscored Carlos Hathcock but is almost unknown. His CO claimed that Chuck could run half a mile and drop a target offhand at 700 yards–although I don't know if he actually did this. Apparently, Chuck is a very laid-back, mellow guy and when his small-town found out about his secret history, they completely freaked out. He almost had to move away before they acted normally again.

    CowBoyStar Dad, I had a long and interesting look at the Anschutz 1710. It uses the famous model 54 match action just like the Olympic rifles which is the main thing. I suppose that the dedicated target rifles just add adjustability for the stock. Along the way, I learned about the sequel to the famous Kimber 82 rimfire I read about as a kid. It turns out that for all their success, Kimber went out of business and this rifle was discontinued. But the company resurrected itself with a focus on 1911s and tactical gear. Now it has also released high quality rimfire rifles–this time called the Kimber 22. The accuracy is equivalent to the Anschutz which is 3/8 inches for five shots at 50 yards; no better than the Condor, S410, Marauder.

    I kind of see myself owning one really top-end rifle to culminate things, perhaps when I retire. Because of ease of use, an airgun would make sense, specifically the FWB 700. But I don't have a 10m range. I'm almost cleaning the target at 20 feet with the B30. I would have even less access to a field target range. It looks like rimfires are the way to go and the only choice there is Anschutz; the cheapest target model with the 54 Olympic action is the 1907.

    Matt61

  12. Matt61,

    Sorry to hear about the IZH rifle. Mike M. will do a fine job sorting it out for you. There's not that much going mechanically with a 61.

    You probably found all this from a couple month's ago:

    http://anotherairgunblog.blogspot.com/2009/04/derricks-izh-61-tune-part-uno.html

    http://anotherairgunblog.blogspot.com/2009/04/izh-61-tune-part-deux.html

    http://anotherairgunblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/short-note-on-izh61.html

    If you need to get into the gun yourself, these may help. The gun has relatively minimal spring pre-load making it fairly easy to disassemble.

    Typically when spring piston guns are making weird noises during firing, they're also making weird noises during cocking. The noises tend to come from broken springs or broken spring guides. I'd tend to focus on the spring guide in the 61 first. It's a really cheesy piece of rolled sheet metal. It works, but just barely. Wonder if the flange at the base is cracked.

    Derrick

  13. Fred,

    I didn't tell you in the Podcast that I often lubricate Premiers with something I call Whiscombe Honey when I shoot them in a PCP like the Discovery. That substance (1/2 Hoppes Gun Oil , 1/2 STP Engine Treatment, mixed thoroughly) will keep a PCP barrel clean indefinitely.

    B.B.

  14. Perra Do0g,

    While I can't say anything about the longevity of the NPSS gas piston unit, my R1 gas piston is over 10 years old and still holding.

    They tend to last a long time.

    And they can usually be rebuilt.

    B.B.

  15. STOP IT!
    STOP IT!!
    STOP IT!!!
    After all this talk I've checked out the Baikal website and now I really want an IZH61.
    Will probably order one this week.
    Sort OT…don't you just love the Russian companies websites? On the same website selling firearms/airguns they are selling pacemakers (you know…the heart kind).
    I was on another Russian website a few weeks back looking at a hunting rifle someone had sent me a link to.
    They sold bolt action hunting rifles, double barrel shotguns…AND….50 calibre machine guns to fit in Mig fighters and air-launched anti-tank missiles (with a cool little video of one of them taking out a tank).
    They have really embraced 'free enterprise'.

    But really…stop making me spend all my money!!
    CowBoyStar Dad

  16. Hey BB, I have a Gamo big cat and I was wondering what to use in order to oil the air transfer port.

    What would be the best thing besides crosman's expensive silicone chamber oil?

    You have said to others that they can use crosman pellgunoil (which I have) But wouldnt that cause massive dieseling?

  17. chris,

    Here's a couple of articles that B.B. has written about "Lubricating a Spring Gun". I typed in the word "lubricating" in the search box and this is what I found:

    /blog/2005/8/lubricating-a-spring-piston-airgun/

    /blog/2005/11/lubricating-your-spring-gun-part-1-chambers-mainsprings/

    /blog/2005/12/lubricating-your-spring-gun-part-2-cocking-linkage-breech-seal-and-trigger/

    kevin

  18. chris,

    Here's a few more articles that address your question. I typed in "what to oil" in the search box and this came up:

    /blog/2008/11/what-to-oil-part-2-oiling-piston-and-breech-seals/

    This is a two part series that B.B. did on oiling. You can access part 1 at the top of part 2 in order to read them in sequence.

    kevin

  19. Derrick,

    Thanks, I forgot that you have worked on the IZH 61 yourself. I don't believe I said that the accuracy is now terrible. I was missing by as much as 4 inches at 20 feet where before I could put 10 pellets into one hole–more or less. I can't imagine what in the mechanism could make it shoot like that. The gun cocks fine, and Mike said that the spring and seal look good.

    CowBoyStar Dad, yes, yes, order a 61. Even if my gun is beyond repair which I don't expect, it has more than paid its way with 60,000 odd shots for $100. Besides the accuracy, the Russian quirkiness is part of what I like. Why pour so much quality into such a cheap rifle? Why make your target rifle look like an assault rifle? A lot of it doesn't make sense from a business point of view, but I'm reminded of some of the after-action reports by the German army from the Eastern Front. Writing about the Russians, they said that some of their decisions made no sense at the time but turned out to be exactly the right thing to do.

    While in a reflective mode about my rifle, I've put together the IZH 61 challenge. You won't find another rifle that is more demanding too shoot accurately (the light weight) or more rewarding of technique (accurate barrel) or will put out more accurate lead with less expense and hassle. It's the ultimate training rifle.

    By the way, I see that the Russians seem to have cornered the market on acrobatic airplanes. They're not to be sold short.

    Matt61

  20. chris…
    A tube of the silicone chamber oil should last almost forever. There will be no need to worry about the expense, unless you keep misplacing it. you only oil when you need to.

    twotalon

  21. I've had good luck with the Crosman Premiers at 15 meters, I'm surprised they grouped as poorly as they did for you, were they out of the tin or box?

  22. Since I haven't seen Herb around here for a while, I'll take a shot at "hold sensitivity". Like everything else in life, it's all about timing. The pellet starts moving down the barrel about the time the spring and piston are fully extended.

    If things were ideal, the piston would stop and the pellet would go on its merry way. Instead, the spring bounces back and forth for a few cycles, being dampened by the air pushed out of the transfer port and the friction on the spring and piston.

    If the pellet exits the muzzle while all of this motion is going on, the rifle will be very hold sensitive. If the motion has stopped, then the rifle will be less hold sensitive. This is how "heavy tar" is used to tune a spring gun. It increases the friction on the spring, causing it to come to a stop sooner.

    I'm not sure how the gas piston affects the equation. I would guess that the manufacture of the gas piston coud be adjusted at the facory to affect the timimg of the gun's operation to minmiize hold sensitivity.

    BB, Vince, Herb, anybody else have any other ideas?

  23. Jonathan,

    "Almost" guaranteed that they were out of the box.

    B.B. endorses and emphasizes using crosman premiers in the cardboard box. I'd be surprised if he even has the crosman premiers in the tin.

    I was surprised as you were about the accuracy of the crosman premiers since they usually group the best of many pellets but in some guns they are a mediocre performer. This is one of many reasons why I like this blog. Honesty.

    kevin

  24. Jonathan
    Crosman does not seem to be very tight on their barrel specs. You don't even want to know how I know this.

    If the pellet fit is loose, it will not shoot good.
    pushing a pellet through the barrel will tell you to some extent if it is loose…the head of the pellet will not show rifling marks.
    If you can drop a pellet head first into the muzzle and the head falls into the bore, then the bore is too large for the pellet. Not a practical thing to try with a silencer or muzzle brake installed. about all you can do is push one through, feel for a loose fit at the muzzle, and look at the pellet for rifling engraving on the head.

    Too loose…get a bigger headed pellet.

    twotalon

  25. B.B.,

    Was talking on the blog to Kiwi90 today about cheek risers. I believe the cheek piece on Crosman's new Nitro Piston Short Stroke is adjustable. You drift out the pins and there are pre-drilled holes in the stock to move the "cheek riser" higher. I didn't notice this mentioned in any of your 3 articles in this series but it may be important to some shooters like Kiwi90.

    kevin

  26. B.B.,

    Not sure this little tidbit warrants a part 4 but as you have done in the past maybe mentioning it at the top of a future, unrelated, article would be appreciated by those contemplating a Crosman Nitro purchase.

    kevin

  27. B.B.
    Had to shim the Nitro scope with two credit card thicknesses to get her zeroed and have a few clicks left over. She's now shooting 3/4" groups at 20m. Crosman says return the scope not the gun as they don't think it's barrel droop on the 22 barrel.

    What's your take?

    bubbaj

  28. I concur…the Premiers are terrible in this gun…I've had success with pellets in the plus size 14 grains such as the Gamo Magnums for example.

    Also you term for closing the eye and rechecking the cross hairs is technically called "NPOA" or Natural Point of Aim and is something taught at most reputable firearms schools. There is more to this concept than what you've described but in the amount of time allotted for this piece/blog is sufficient.

    ~ Quirt

  29. Has anyone with a .22 npss had some decent groups with crow magnums or kodiaks?? Just wondering because thats what I ordered with mine. And how long exactly would you think the break in is. Im at 100 shots but still havent been able to pull tight groups at 30 yards with crowmagnums.

  30. Anonymous asking about the Crosman Nitro Piston Short Stroke grouping with crows or kodiaks and a breakin period,

    WOW. Great questions. Especially about the break in period for a piston gun. You've asked your question under an older article that B.B. wrote. Most avid airgunners, like you, are currently talking on the comments section of the most recent article that B.B. has written (he writes a new article every day Monday-Friday). I've taken the liberty of moving your question to that active discussion on the blog because I'm very interested in the answer too. I'll give you a link (that you need to copy and paste) that will always take you to the most recent article that B.B. has written. All you have to do in scroll down to the bottom of that article and click on "comments" and you will join the most active discussion. Here it is:

    /blog//

    Look forward to seeing you there!

    kevin

  31. Hello all,

    As a newbie to the adult air rifle community (my first Red Ryder in the 70's doesnt count 🙂 ), I also would like to say thanks to the wealth of information in the blogs here.

    While shopping I ran across a Crosman Storm XT at my local discount store and was simply amazed at the velocity of air rifles available. I purchased the Storm to deal with little masked critters who have a fascination with my garbage cans… As an avid shooter of traditional firearms, I had little trouble sighting this air beast in and then proceeded to delve into the world of air. Needless to say I am hooked and have a new found love for the power without disturbing neighbors. 🙂

    Now I am looking to expand my air arsenal a little and very interested in the new NPSS .22. I will probably never get into any competition shooting and get the 'nickel' and 'dime' grouping I see so many aspire to and achieve. Hopefully, I wont need more than one shot. 🙂 I simply want blackpowder power without all the noise to hunt small game and deal with pesty critters.

    I currently have my scope perfectly sighted in at 20 yds. What kind of distance can this rifle consistently remain accurate (given that my shooting style, follow through, etc. remain constant).. 50-75 yds.. 100 yds?

    I noticed on the pictures of the NPSS, there seem to be no open sights. I'm used to open sights more so than scopes, is there any way to have open sights installed on a NPSS .22 if wanted in addition to the scope?

    I see it's pretty much accepted that PCP rifles are far more accurate than other air rifles, just how much more accurate? Are we talking the difference between a .25 inch group and a .5 inch group in competition or an overall huge improvement of accuracy in terms of hitting small game/ rodent sized targets? I mean I can live with aiming between the eyes and end up hitting .25 inch off center. For me, that still ends up with the same result.. dead critter.. 😉

    Thanks again!

    Dane

  32. Dane,

    Wow, you've asked alot of good questions.

    First, blackpowder power and quiet are almost mutually exclusive even in airguns. There are some powerful pcp's that can be made quiet and big bore pcp's that are as powerful as some black powder that cannot be made quiet. But, you're talking thousands of dollars.

    Like you most of my shooting used to be with firearms. Unlike firearms accuracy in airguns with springs or pistons as a powerplant has more to do with the shooter than the gun. Are you using the "artillery hold" to wring out the most accuracy? If not use the search box on the right and type in artillery hold. There's a lot of good information on this site about the subject.

    The NPSS you're considering as your next airgun is extremely hold sensitive per B.B.'s experience so mastering the artillery hold will be critical to shoot the NPSS accurately.

    Accuracy in airguns also requires the shooter to get intimately familiar with his guns preference for pellets, where the gun wants to be held and how and pellet trajectory. You've adjusted your scope for 20 yards which is usually a good zero. Do you know where your next intersecting point is? Here's one of my favorite articles that B.B. wrote. In the article is another link to a great article he wrote on this subject: (you'll need to copy and paste this link)

    /blog/2007/10/why-are-there-two-zero-points-when-sighting-in-a-scope/

    You're correct that pcp's, in general, are more accurate than springers/piston guns primarily because of the lack of recoil. How much more accurate than a springer relates to the distances you're talking about and the ability of the shooter that is shooting the spring gun for comparison. Up to 50 yards some seasoned shooters can shoot a spring gun and a pcp with the same accuracy but he knows how to hold his springer, knows pellet trajectory and has mastered the artillery hold.

    It's also been my experience that many springers need a warm up period of 2-3 shots before they settle in and are as accurate as they can be in any shooting session.

    I would encourage you to join the majority of airgunners, like you, on the current blog. The overwhelming majority of airgunners are sharing their experiences, asking questions and answering each others questions in the comments section under the most recent article that B.B. has written (B.B. writes a new article every day, Monday-Friday). Here's a link that will take you to the most recent article every time:

    /blog//

    Look forward to seeing you there!

    kevin

  33. Dane, you might wanna head over to the current blog where you'll get better exposure to your questions.

    FYI your Chinese-made Storm XT is basically a Crosman Quest, and that gun forms the basis of a number of variants (differing in stocks and sights). The Quest itself is a variant of the old BAM B18/B19 air rifle, which closely copies the older Gamo 220/440/Shadow action. It's also available in .22 as the Crosman 800X.

    As for the NPSS – it looks to trace its lineage to the Remington Genesis and the now-discontinued Benjamin Legacy 1000. The Legacy was a bit unusual as it was American-made, the only strong spring-air gun (to the best of my knowledge) that could make that claim at the time. The Legacy was well-made gun in its price class, but it had one or two design flukes. In any event, it doesn't look like fitting the Legacy/Genesis open sights on the NPSS.

    If open sights are important to you (as they are to me), there are a number of of other .22 rifles to consider… all of which can save you a fair bit of money.

    The RWS models 34 and 34P will outpower the NPSS (as long as the breech seal is OK!) and come with high-quality open sights.

    The even-stronger Russian MP513 delivers a heckuva wallop and very good accuracy in a light package. Just don't expect to enjoy shooting it.

    The AR1000 variants (like the TF89) is a Chinese copy of a Spanish Norica rifle. It's just a little weaker than the MP513, but is a LOT more civilized and comes with an excellent trigger with a lot of adjustability. Some variants (like some offered by Beeman) don't have open sights – and a few do not have an adjustable trigger. STAY AWAY FROM THOSE!

    And it looks like the original Spanish gun is still imported as the Hammerli Razor. Pyramyd's website states that it does not have an adjustable trigger, but I believe this is in error.

    So keep in mind that there's a number of .22 cal guns to consider. So you might wanna check some others out before buying.

  34. My .177 has some serious barrel droop, too. I sent the scope back, but it is not the scope. I put a different one on today and it was 18" low & 18" right @ 25 yards. Can't adjust the scope enough to zero. I know I could fix it with some expensive rings or a shim, but I don't feel I should have to. I will send it in for a replacement, hopefully. I'm sure Crosman will make it right. I've only seen one other report of this.

  35. Allen,

    You may want to try switching your rings (move the back one up and front one back), turning your rings around in place and/or flipping your mount around.

    You may also want to consider adjustable mounts for your scope.

    kevin

  36. Thanks, Kevin.

    I have considered these things and actually tried a set of Burris rings with the same result.

    The reason I bought this rifle, in the first place, is because it was the whole package. One that I would not have to buy a scope for or a set of $65 rings.

    I am sending it in for repair or replace.

    Don't get me wrong, I like the rifle and its concept, but would like it better if the package worked out of the box 🙂

    Allen

  37. B.B.,

    Very nice report & I'd like to add, that it's also great to see that Crosman is still being very innovative & moving forward with creative new ideas with their airguns.

    I can't wait for the next Shot Show! It looks like there's going to be a lot of new & very interesting airguns to see.

    P.S.

    My last few additions that I just acquired in the last three weeks are a Crosman M1 with the real wood stock (I also have one with the plastic stock too),
    a Crosman AIR17 that was converted to CO2, a Crosman 99, Mike Melick tuned B40, an almost mint Farco that I just picked up in CA yesterday, & of course a Benjamin Marauder.

    I'm quite anxious to get a scope on the Marauder & try it out.
    I did fire it once to see what the noise level was, & I must say…. Not only is it the most quiet PCP I've shot, but it's probably the quietest airgun I've ever shot!
    I hope they'll start making all PCP's as quiet as the Marauder or at least as close as possible to it.
    I was extremely surprised, impressed, & pleased with just how quiet it truly is.

    BBA

  38. Big Bore Addict,

    Congradulations on your most recent additions. I don't know anything about a Farco except I think it's a 9mm or so shot gun. How about sharing it with the rest of us a guest blog please and thank you.

    Mr B.

  39. B.B.,

    Thank you.

    My collection is really starting to grow with a lot of great airguns. Some of the best current models, like the Sam Yang 909S .45 cal, the Sumatra 2500 500cc .25 cal, the Benjamin Marauder .22 cal, the AR6 Hunting Master .22 cal pistol, & a Career 707 Ultra 9mm, for my PCP collection, along with the Colt 1911, 5856-6, Beretta 92FS with compensator, from Umarex, the Magnum Research Desert Eagle, Crosman C11 Tactical, Beretta CX-4 Storm, RWS 850 Magnum, Mendoza R2000, Walther Lever action in both the regular & the Wells Fargo edition, & a lot of the old classics as well, from Crosman 600's, 677's, 451's, all the old Crosman six shooters, MK1's MKII's, S&W 78 & 79G's, even a one of a kind Troy Adams 78G in .25 cal, a couple of LD pistols, & others in that era as for some of my pistols, to the Crosman 160, 180, 400, M1 Carbine, AIR17, Z-77's, Trapmaster 1100's with ALL the accessories like original boxes of shot shells, skeet, skeet launchers, the model 76 reloading kit, etc., & a bunch more.
    I could go on & on, & have way too many to list, but that should give you an idea of some of what I have, in addition to what I listed in the post above.

    As for the Farco, I just picked it up in CA two days ago & only fired it once so far just to try it out.

    The Farco is a 28-gauge (.51-caliber) bulk fill CO2-powered air shotgun.

    I got mine for $375.00 which seems to be the going price.

    I loaded it with #4 shot, shot a Fosters beer can from 25 feet, & it just shredded it, not to mention that it sent it sailing 30 feet across my back yard & didn't hit the ground until it hit the brick wall first!
    I can't tell you much about it yet, but from that one shot, I know that #4 shot is great for taking birds down from at least 25 yards, & that it will probably excel with a larger # size shot.

    I have four Trapmaster 1100's & the Farco makes them look like a toy!

    I will experiment more with it, with different sized shot, & want to chrony it with a .50 cal ball as soon as I can get some.

    As I learn more about it, I will post up, but if you have any specific questions, let me know.

    Time for bed, I'll check back tomorrow night.

    Take care,

    The BBA

  40. B.B.,

    You got it!

    I'll try & get some .50 cal round balls & chrony them for velocity/fps for one.

    Test the accuracy with them & the fixed sites that are on the gun with them as well.
    Is there a specific distance you'd like to see with that?

    Then find out how many usable shots per fill it can yield.

    I also have 50lb bags of #6 & #4 shot, so I can report on spreads on those as well.
    Again… Any specific distances on those?

    I have some clay pigeons with a cheap hand thrower I'd like to see if the #4 shot will break, & if not I'll try some .22cal LRB's until I get some larger shot for it.

    I figure that's a decent start, & will give a more detailed run down later, on the gun, it's operation, construction, looks, performance, action, trigger, & handling characteristics too.

    And like I said above… If there is anything specific you want to know or for me to test, let me know & that also goes for our readers too. 🙂

    TheBBA

  41. You mention this gun is difficult to cock…..I know a kids gun you like to see at about 18lb, at 30lbs do you think it is too difficult for a stronger than average adult woman? Many guns I see at 38 or greater and I know they are too difficult.

    Thanks

  42. This rifle is easy to cock. A ten year old could easily do it. I have the .22 model. Once the rifle is sighted in it I have excellent accuracy with a tight or loose shoulder hold as long as I use an artillery grip. The aim point does change however. Do not waste your time with Crosman Premier Hollow points. I bought a tin of these along with a tin of Benjamin Discovery pellets. Although both are listed at 14.3 grain they are NOT the same pellet. The Crosmans fit very loose in the barrel and are very inacurate. The Benjamin pellets have to be pushed in and give very good results. This is an excellent rifle. The scope is good and does not need to be replaced. Try that with a GAMO. 300 plus pellets did leave a small bruise on my arm but that was only because I fired a lot of pellets with the rifle free floating. It fires slightly better in my opinion if you hold it snug but not tight to your shoulder. This rifle will not give you Benjamin 392 accuracy due to the recoil. It will however give you more power, greater range, and you don't have to pump the damn thing up 8 times everytime you shoot it.

  43. Quick question, would the "head" of the pellet show rifling if you pushed it thru, or only the "skirt" of it, since the skirt is always larger in diameter according to the Beeman Pellet Comparison Table of their pellets.

    Thanx for a great report.

  44. im looking to get the new npss but there is some contradiction of the amount of cocking effort needed. I plan on "sharing" the gun with my teenager. Is it to hard to cock for a 13 yearold boy?

  45. Anonymous looking to get the new npss,

    B.B. reported on cocking effort in part two of the series on the NPSS. Here it is:

    /blog/2009/06/crosmans-new-nitro-piston-short-stroke-part-1/

    In his test the cocking effort was 30 lbs. This is middle of the road effort for a spring gun. I think a stout 13 year old could handle it. I'm concerned about the "hold sensitivity" of this rifle for the gun you share with your 13 year old. As B.B. pointed out in this series this gun requires alot of technique to shoot well.

    You may want to ask other questions of airgunners that have more experience than I do. You can find them asking and answering each others questions under the most current article that B.B. has written. B.B. writes a new article every day, Monday-Friday. This link will always take you to the most recent article he has written, scroll down to the bottom of that article and click on "comments". You will now be part of the active discussion:

    /blog//

    Look forward to seeing you there!

    kevin

  46. Finally, a comprehensive report on this new gun and in my fav caliber too!

    That's pretty good power and performance for a 'budget' gun.

    Dang! I really don't need a new airgun, with 50 or so laying around the house, but I'm thinking hard about this new Crosman…

    Skillet

  47. I cant figure out how to adjust the cheek piece on my npss. How do you do it? there is nothing about it in the owners manual and i doesnt look like the two pins in the side are going anywhere. im confused

Leave a Reply to B.B. Pelletier Cancel reply

Buy With Confidence

  • Free Shipping

    Get FREE shipping on qualifying orders! Any order $150+ with a shipping address in the contiguous US will receive the option for free ground shipping on items sold & shipped by Pyramyd AIR during checkout. Certain restrictions apply.

    Free shipping may not be combined with a coupon unless stated otherwise.

    View Shipping Info

  • Shipping Time Frame

    We work hard to get all orders placed by 12 pm EST out the door within 24 hours on weekdays because we know how excited you are to receive your order. Weekends and holiday shipping times will vary.

    During busy holidays, we step our efforts to ship all orders as fast as possible, but you may experience an additional 1-2 day delay before your order ships. This may also happen if you change your order during processing.

    View Shipping Times

  • Shipping Restrictions

    It's important to know that due to state and local laws, there are certain restrictions for various products. It's up to you to research and comply with the laws in your state, county, and city. If you live in a state or city where air guns are treated as firearms you may be able to take advantage of our FFL special program.

    U.S. federal law requires that all airsoft guns are sold with a 1/4-inch blaze orange muzzle or an orange flash hider to avoid the guns being mistaken for firearms.

    View Shipping Restrictions

  • Expert Service and Repair

    Get the most out of your equipment when you work with the expert technicians at Pyramyd AIR. With over 25 years of combined experience, we offer a range of comprehensive in-house services tailored to kickstart your next adventure.

    If you're picking up a new air gun, our team can test and tune the equipment before it leaves the warehouse. We can even set up an optic or other equipment so you can get out shooting without the hassle. For bowhunters, our certified master bow technicians provide services such as assembly, optics zeroing, and full equipment setup, which can maximize the potential of your purchase.

    By leveraging our expertise and precision, we ensure that your equipment is finely tuned to meet your specific needs and get you ready for your outdoor pursuits. So look out for our services when shopping for something new, and let our experts help you get the most from your outdoor adventures.

    View Service Info

  • Warranty Info

    Shop and purchase with confidence knowing that all of our air guns (except airsoft) are protected by a minimum 1-year manufacturer's warranty from the date of purchase unless otherwise noted on the product page.

    A warranty is provided by each manufacturer to ensure that your product is free of defect in both materials and workmanship.

    View Warranty Details

  • Exchanges / Refunds

    Didn't get what you wanted or have a problem? We understand that sometimes things aren't right and our team is serious about resolving these issues quickly. We can often help you fix small to medium issues over the phone or email.

    If you need to return an item please read our return policy.

    Learn About Returns

Get FREE shipping on qualifying orders! Any order $150+ with a shipping address in the contiguous US will receive the option for free ground shipping on items sold & shipped by Pyramyd AIR during checkout. Certain restrictions apply.

Free shipping may not be combined with a coupon unless stated otherwise.

View Shipping Info

Text JOIN to 91256 and get $10 OFF Your Next $50+ Order!

* By providing your number above, you agree to receive recurring autodialed marketing text msgs (e.g. cart reminders) to the mobile number used at opt-in from Pyramyd AIR on 91256. Reply with birthday MM/DD/YYYY to verify legal age of 18+ in order to receive texts. Consent is not a condition of purchase. Msg frequency may vary. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help and STOP to cancel. See Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy.