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CO2 Crosman’s 2240 pistol – Part 2

Crosman’s 2240 pistol – Part 2

by B.B. Pelletier

Part 1


Crosman’s 2240 pistol is a classic single-shot CO2 pistol. It has more potential than many airgunners realize, yet it sells at a rockbottom price.

Today, we’ll look at the power of the Crosman 2240 as well as some subjective things like loading, handling and trigger control. This pistol sure has hit the hot button of shooter’s passions! The response to the first report was quite heavy, even for a weekend. It seems that a great many readers have one or more 2240s in their collections, and some of you are even wild-eyed modifiers of the 22XX-series of Crosman guns.

Powered by CO2
The powerplant of the pistol is based on CO2 gas, using a common 12-gram cartridge. The gun uses a single cartridge, from which it gets a reasonable number of powerful shots. How many shots depends on exactly where you stop loading and firing. For some that may be around 45 shots, but for most I suspect it’s closer to 60 and more. If the target is a tin can at 15 yards, the loss of a little velocity is of no great concern. However, the hunters want every pellet to go exactly where the sights say it will. And those are the things that determine the useful shot count.

Unlike action pistols, the single-shot 2240 does not suffer from power loss during normal operations on a reasonably warm day. Cocking and loading the next pellet takes long enough that the gun has time to recover from whatever temporary power loss due to a momentary temperature drop.

Loading
Loading the 2240 reminded me of a couple of things. The brass bolt that comes standard in the pistol fits the receiver loosely, which results in a slightly jerky motion when the bolt is retracted. To compensate for that, I place the thumb of my right hand on the back of the receiver and squeeze my hand together. That brings the bolt along smoothly. The steel bolts found in the 2300 T and S models seem to cock more smoothly than this one, which is due in part to their longer bolt handles.

There’s a hex head screw at the bottom of the loading trough that causes most pellets to hang up and want to flip. The knack to loading a 2240 is to let gravity do the work. Let the pellet fall into the breech and use the bolt to push it past the gas transfer port once it’s in there. If you try to load this pistol like a British SMLE Mk IV bolt-action battle rifle (i.e., try to slam the pellet into the breech with the bolt), you’ll be sorry.


That hex head screw and the slight divot it creates in the loading trough catches the noses of most pellets being loaded.

Velocity with RWS Hobbys
The average velocity with the RWS Hobby pellet was 482 f.p.s. The spread went from a low of 473 to a high of 490. The average muzzle energy was 6.14 foot-pounds. Loading Hobbys was difficult because the front lip of the wadcutter nose kept hanging up in the depression for the screw head. That was when I remembered to just let them fall into the breech on their own and forget trying to push them with the bolt. Point the muzzle at the ground and hold the bolt back with your thumb. Then, let the pellet fall straight into the breech and it should enter smoothly.

For comparison, the Crosman Mark I averaged 472 f.p.s. with the same pellets. And their spread was from 464 to 479.

Velocity with Crosman Premiers
The 2240 averaged 448 f.p.s. with Crosman Premiers. The spread went from 444 to 454. That’s much tighter performance than the Hobbys, but even the Premiers had loading problems unless they were dropped into the breech. The average muzzle energy works out to 6.37 foot-pounds.

With the Mark I, Premiers averaged 431 f.p.s. The velocities of the two guns are close, with the 2240 just shading the Mark I by a little.

Velocities with RWS Superdomes
The 14.5-grain RWS Superdome averaged 455 f.p.s., and the spread went from 448 to a high of 458. That’s an average energy of 6.67 foot-pounds, which was the highest energy seen in this test. I didn’t test the Mark I with Superdomes, so there’s no comparison to make.

The trigger
In truth, the 2240’s single-stage trigger is very simple, and no amount of gunsmithing or aftermarket parts will turn it into a target trigger. But, it’s reasonably light and not too creepy, letting off at 3 lbs., 12 ozs. If you need something a little better, there’s no shortage of options available from third parties.

Well, here we have an air pistol that generates slightly more than 6 foot-pounds of muzzle energy. For the money you pay, it’s certainly hard to imagine getting any more than the 2240 offers.

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.

86 thoughts on “Crosman’s 2240 pistol – Part 2”

  1. I think Frank B and B.B. summed up the Crosman 2240 very eloquently by saying respectively: (I’m paraphrasing, forgive me….)

    “The Crosman 2240 is the hamburger of airguns” I’d add, The bread and butter of airguns.

    “Modifications on the 2240 are plentiful and easy to do which is one of the many attractions to the 2240. Most airgunners can do them by themselves.”

    I like this airgun since it epitomizes what those that read this blog (read: knowledgeable airgunners) can create with a solid foundation like the 2240. You can create a very accurate pistol or carbine with or without a stock that can or doesn’t have to be adjusted for power. You can improve the trigger, make it quiet, etc. etc.

    It’s one of the few airguns that can grow with you in this hobby as time, money and desire grows. Not many other airguns fall into this category especially when you consider the vast majority of modifications can be done by a dolt like me.

    kevin

  2. Quoted by Kevin…….the monkey just typed a Shakespear sonnet! This airgun is a rite of passage for American airgunners.You get a very fun gun for not much money.Think about the tight velocity spread….tight enough to make this pistol accurate at very substantial distances unmodified.PCP shooters spend lots of time and money getting velocity spreads that tight.Now someone out there needs to solve that screw in the loading trough problem!!

  3. I modded my fairly old 2240 to use for Pistol FT and Bullseye practice. The trigger is the most difficult fix — not because of the work, per se, but it was tricky with limited experience and information. I made a trigger shoe from PVC pipe (pick some pipe or a fitting that fits your finger first, then cut out a sector, groove it to fit the blade trigger, glue it on). Charlie Mellon has instructions for fixing the 22XX trigger that I found worked better than any others. I also heat treated the end of the sear after rounding and smoothing it. I put a rivet into the spring as a guide and used a somewhat lighter spring.

    A steel breech solved mounting a scope. Since I was looking for a Bulleye practice pistol, I chose a reddot (watch out for parallax — many cheap reddots have way too much parallax; I prefer Millets and Ultradots for this reason).

    I did not originally replace the barrel. I eventually decided that this was desirable and putting a 12″ barrel (from Charlie Mellon — highly recommended) upped my fps by almost exactly 100! I also put on one of Charlie’s Delrin anti-flips.

    Loading: I find loading with a scope is always difficult. Loading with the muzzle up and rolling the pellet onto the probe seems to work well for me. I will give the “drop into the breech” a try.

    Bottom line: Inexpensive way to practice Bullseye even out to 25yds and almost as accurate as my S&W M41 (I was lusting after the knockoffs you reviewed a few days ago). Does well with PFT, too, shooting just like in Bullseye!

  4. Morning B.B.,

    Called PA yesterday and have a 2240 on it’s way along with a bunch of pellets. Joe in MD, thanks for the info on its trigger mod. I’ll be looking for Charlie Mellon’s web site tonight.

    Kevin, we’ll see if I fall into the category of most air gunners when it comes to modding my soon to be here 2240.
    Does anyone recommend a particular steel breech and why?

    Thanks,
    Bruce

    • Mr B.
      I purchased the long steel breech from Crosman. Although I procrastinated a long time in the install (afraid of my first mod), it was easy once I did it. The steel breech seem to add more balance and did provide grooves for dovetail. Only drawback I found was losing rear sight. I have scope mount just waiting on a scope.

      rikib

  5. BB:
    Till you said about your co2 capsule being in the 2240 for about a year,I assumed(yep, assumption again) that once pierced, a capsule had to be used in one shooting session.
    Not so.
    That was kind of what put me off co2 guns as I only shoot on average 15-20 shots per go.
    A carbine 2240 would be a good choice for me thinking on it but what about the promise to myself about getting a Weihrauch springer?
    I gotta stick to my guns(pun intended)lol
    DaveUK

    • Dave,

      I would also stick to my guns on the Weihrauch decision. That is unless funds permit both.

      Yes, you can leave these guns charged a log time. Manufacturers tell you not to because the charged guns are essentially loaded. Anything put into the barrel can be shot out with force. So it’s a safety issue.

      B.B.

      • B.B.,
        I think you are right about it being a safety issue. I always put my safety on after shooting, problem is remembering to take it off for that next shot. I’ll get all lined up and then nothing, but I always feel better safe than sorry.
        Problem is I don’t shoot that often so I guess I forget to take the safety off. Anyway, my 2240 always has a co2 cartridge in it. I have never noticed any leakage. How infrequent do I shoot? I purchased a box of 25 co2 cartridges back in February and I still have at least half of them left. So no I don’t shoot much, don’t have and indoor range.

        rikib

        • I’ve found it handy to forget to take off the safety, as I invariably flinch when I try to trigger the first shot. By the time I remember to take the safety off, I’m back in the groove (ie. not flinching).

  6. This doesn’t seem like a gun that I would much like. I dislike CO2…I prefer a self-contained gun. And I would never be able to bring myself to start messing its guts around. I open=I destroy. Gunsmithing ain’t my thing.

  7. B.B.
    I can see that the position of that little screw in the breech could cause a problem with loading, but on the other hand if it needs to be tightened it is right out in the open.
    That screw on my 2300 is under the bolt probe and not accessible unless the hammer is removed to let the bolt slide back a bit farther. Even then it is pretty tight quarters.

    twotalon

  8. All you crosman pistol guys/gals,

    I’ve got a question.

    Went to a forum dedicated to crosman pistols. One of the links on that site has a list of 20 “stores” that specialize in mods for crosman pistols. Wow!

    If you wanted to build a small, accurate carbine using a crosman pistol as the foundation and wanted the option to mount a scope, what crosman model would you use? 2240? Mark I or Mark II? Would you mind sharing what mods you would suggest and where to go to get them? steel breech? mellon barrel has been suggested. trigger mod, charlies delrin anti flip etc. etc.???

    kevin

    kevin

    • Kevin

      Do a Google search and you will find everything from 100% home brewed carbines to the Mac 1 (Tim McMurray) hybrids.

      The available parts and options and ideas would be two or three pages of info here!

      • Brian in Idaho,

        I did a google search. Among others, the crosman pistol forum was listed. Just on the crosman pistol forum there were over 100 hits when I searched for carbine. There are 20 aftermarket modders/modification stores. Was hoping you guys with experience would provide some insight so I didn’t have to wade through this entire ocean of info.

        Something along the lines of, “If I had it to do over again I would………..”

        kevin

        • I have a 2240. Things I would have done differently… I would have consulted with Derrick & Sling Lead as to how a make it into what I wanted. I then would have checked on Crosman’s custom shop to see what was available and cost. If I could not get all I wanted then I would have gone back to Derrick and his website to modify to what I wanted. IMHO Derrick is the go to man about 2240’s.

          rikib

          • Kevin

            My first airgun was a 1377c American Classic which I purchased a little more than a year ago. I found this blog while trying to soup it up.

            The first step is the steel breech. I bought mine from Crosman. It is nicely made and with unusually good bluing. If I had it to do over again, I would get one of the custom breeches with the bolt on the left hand side, so I don’t have to switch hands or roll my wrist over to cock it.

            Then there are the grips. People complain they are cheap plastic, but that is why the gun sells for $56. To my eyes, they look better than most plastic wood and aren’t that bad. The feel however is harsh. I bought the Crosman shoulder stock, part #1399 which is smoother, black, and turns the gun into a carbine. The forestock, or pumphandle looked out of place with the black grips so I bought the forestock for a 2289, also known as a Backpacker or a Ratcatcher in Dave UK’s neck of the woods.

            I also read one of BB’s danged articles that explained MPPs were better hunters, and generated more fpe in .22 rather than .177. Then I read several articles from BB that impressed upon me that the simple addition of a longer barrel would increase my power. So I ordered a 18″ .22 barrel, and a 24″ .177 barrel, plus the necessary .22 bolt, 2289 barrel band, and hardware from Crosman. If I had it to do over again, it would probably have been easier to find a Backpacker on the Yellow Classifieds, but I hear they are de-tuned for the Canadian market. Another alternative would be a 1322, but they too are no longer available in America.

            I ‘tuned’ the trigger by adding an empty .22lr casing as a spring guide, I compressed the spring to make it lighter, and I polished all trigger/sear mating surfaces. I also polished the side of the trigger to make it pretty. Then I molyed the mating surfaces and bent the trigger pin washer into a curve to hold the trigger tight in the slot with no slop.( Note: I lost the safety detent ball no less than half a dozen times.)

            My American Classic which has been turned into a Backpacker, wears a Leapers Bugbuster 3-9x32AO scope. It focuses down to less than 3 yards. The clarity is perfect but the reticle is a little thick. I like it just fine on this gun.

            It really came into its own when I made the switch to the .22 cal 18″ barrel. I cleaned the barrel first with JB’s nonembedding bore cleaning compound thoroughly before assembly into the gun. It has moved from the ‘plinking’ category to a gun that shoots very nice groups. It is also no longer the $56 dollar airgun I bought to begin with. She is very popular with new airgunners, or people I hope to turn into new airgunners.

            Adjustable power is a nice plus for a gun this cheap.

  9. Had an email exchange with Matt61 yesterday and the question of what become of BG_ Farmer came up. BGF are you just lurking? Anybody heard from him? According to my research he disappeared (from the blog) around June. We miss him and I hope we didn’t say anything to drive him away.
    -CJr

    • Cjr.

      I typically view these e-mails on my g-mail account. BGFarmer also has a G mail account and I do see him or atleast, his computer, on line and available for “chat”. Not wanting to disturb him or anyone with idle chit-chat, I’ve never contacted him but he is on-line occassionally. Hopefully, he is still reading the blog and just not commenting as he doesn’t have anything to add. Perhaps he’ll respond now?

      Fred PRoNJ

    • Guys, if you were trying to drive me away, you failed:). I’m fine, actually; I just have never gotten the hang of logging in/following/responding to comments with new format the way I did the old one, especially when the volume gets high before I view the comments, but I’ve been reading along as possible and checking the blog every day as always. By the time I find a point in the discussions where I might contribute, its already too little, too late:).

      I’ve said it before, but it is good to see BB getting back in the saddle, and the information exchanges on the blog are as impressive as ever, if not more so. I’ll try not to make you regret your concern by posting too often, but don’t worry that I’m off sulking.

  10. Everyone,

    I have sad news. I learned this morning that Fred Liady, the organizer of the Roanoke Airgun Expo, passed away last evening at 7 p.m. Those of you who were planning to attend the show probably know that Fred has been very ill since last December. He was in and out of the hospital and was being cared for at home by his wife, Dee.

    Regarding the fate of the airgun show, I know nothing at this time. Right now the focus has to be on Fred’s family and respecting their needs and privacy. But when there is some news, I will publish it here in the blog.

    For those who didn’t know Fred, he was an airgun collector and enthusiast who took over the show when the former organizer, Mike Ahuna, could no longer run it from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The show has been run 19 times, thus far, and the bulk of those have been at the Roanoke location. Fred sold his airgun collection to Dr. Beeman several years ago, but continued to run the show out of his love for the airgun community. He made practically nothing from it, other than his basic expenses, but he relished seeing all his friends gather together each year.

    I am sorry to announce this sad news, but it is necessary for many who were planning on attending to know what has happened. I hope to have more on Fred and the show for you in the future.

    Tom Gaylord

  11. pcp4me,

    Art Alphin and I served in the same brigade in Germany. Art returned to the U.S. to invent the A-Square series of cartridges, chambered in the Hannibal series rifles.

    Art and I used to shoot at the Knob Creek Range together and he shot his rifles from the bench. At the time he weighed 135 lbs, dripping wet. Today he’s somewhat more luxurious.

    Art’s A-Square rifles include the .577 Tyrannosaur you see in those videos. He developed it in 1993. It takes a large man to hold such a rifle under recoil, and you can tell by watching those boys that they have not been taught what to do. That was a crime, in my opinion. It’s no joke to have your collarbone broken by the recoil you are not prepared for.

    B.B.

  12. I notice that loading my single shot airguns takes a slightly different method for each one. The Daisy 747, for example, requires rolling the pellet into the feeding tray, lowering the barrel to drop the pellet into the chamber and closing the bolt on it. The SMLE is truly a high standard of comparison for ease of feeding. I’ve read that it’s one of the very few firearms that will feed empty cases. I tried that with my 1911 and got a “category 3” jam that required me to rip the magazine out.

    Actually, I did see a video of a guy fire a T-REX more or less under control. He was some kind of professional hunter. I wonder if there are certain advantages to smaller size for larger caliber in being able to roll with the recoil. When younger, I watched two guys fire a .458 Winchester Magnum. One was a smallish fellow and the other was the enormous music professor, Jim Horner, whom I’ve mentioned who weighed 260 pounds at the time. Horner’s whole body shuddered at the recoil. The smaller guy said the gun kicked like a mule but didn’t seem to take the same impact. Maybe technique was more the issue than size.

    Kevin, CowboyStar Dad, and Desertdweller, I can’t believe all you guys have accomplished. How interesting to hear the details of cornering. In its level of detail, it sounded just like Stephen Hunter’s professional drivers although with somewhat different conclusions. Kind of odd since Hunter is usually meticulous about details, but he’s outside of his specialty which is guns. That business about braking and accelerating didn’t sound right. Maybe he got confused with the heel and toe manipulation of brake and accelerator which does sound quite complicated.

    Well, this is all great to try on my rc car as I take the corners hard on the dirt path that winds through an agricultural field. I have learned to slow from my 300mph scale speed when entering turns… A couple passing by was moved to watch as I started into one set of turns, and for some reason, they were convulsed with laughter watching my car…

    Matt61

  13. Very, very sorry to hear about Fred’s passing. He was a very active proponent for airgun shooting and collecting for longer than I can even remember. Condolences to his wife and friends.

  14. rikib,
    You’re comments are far too kind. My only “skill” with the 2240–or any airgun for that matter–is in chronicling some of the various exploits on a blog. As far as 2240 modifications, I came late to the party. Many, many clever individuals have figured out and been willing to share their knowledge about that particular gun for a very long time. We’re lucky enough to be able to pick and choose what we want from all their ideas.

  15. DaveUK,

    Which Weihrauch are you considering? Seeing as how you are stuck in the mother country with a 12 fpe limit, I would recommend the HW30S. It is light, easy to cock, deadly accurate, has sights and is good looking. Let us know what you end up getting!

    AlanL

  16. B.B.,

    Tomorrow I’ll get 4000 km closer to you 🙂
    I’m going to Portugal for vacation, so I’m afraid I’ll be offline for 10 or 11 days. I hope your health will improve at even faster rate in these days, and I wish you and Edith all the best!

    duskwight

      • B.B.

        What’s so crazy about Portugal? 🙂
        Old, sleepy, safe, respectable country with lots of old castles, wonderful nature and friendly people. A perfect place to explore IMO and 4000 km is just a 5 hours in flight. It’s not even half of Russia distance 🙂 and way closer than Taiwan or Yunnnan in continental China.
        It’s my second trip there, but this time I chose another route. Exploring and learning is the best pastime I can ever imagine. Pleasant and interesting memories are a nice equipment easy to carry around.

        duskwight

  17. These are my impressions of my 2240/50, back when I first got it:

    Crosman 2250B air rifle, carbine, .22 caliber, CO2

    1/7/09, 2:00 pm: First impressions:
    UNPACKING:
    • Gun seems thinner, lighter than my old SSP 250, the trigger pull is heavier
    • Bolt seems to pull back against a spring.
    • Gun comes with cheap little 4x scope, luckily un-mounted (HOORAY!)
    • Rear sight is too large for carbine use. It gets smaller as you hold the gun out at what would be pistol length; best to reverse the rear sight to its peep configuration
    SHOOTING:
    • Quick read of instructions
    • Load CO2 cyl with drop of Pellgunoil on its tip; the first test shot is a no go (thought I might have to tighten with a quarter on the slit at the end of the filler/charging cap) but then YES! Everything works the way it’s supposed to. I’ve since read that that first shot is a requirement for proper pressurization.
    • I’m using .22 Copperhead Wadcutters, bought back when I first got my Gamo Viper Express several years ago.
    • Fired first into backstop at end of garage; 2nd into 1’ diameter copper gong hung 35’ away (nice ring when hit). 3rd into a scrap of 2×6 redwood flooring, left over from building my last deck; it made an indent the length of the pellet but then bounced back out.
    • Soda pop can from recycling, set at 20’ (on dirt so I could see when I missed but I didn’t); then back to 35’, then out to 40 paces where I used a combination of the sights and The Force to hit it. I was already getting into a rhythm of opening the bolt, loading, closing the bolt, then shooting. But cold rain and sunset were taking the fun out of it for me.
    • Found fired pellet next to can; it was powerfully crumpled
    • Out of cussed curiosity, I tried firing the rifle with the bolt open and no pellet; the bolt shot home…there was no obvious damage but I won’t need to repeat the experiment.
    • Pretty loud; last time with SSP 250 had 150 acres to shoot on, then 40 acres, now 3. Conscious of neighbors near garage…otherwise fine. Wonder what 18” and 24” bbls would sound like. I read a PA review saying the 24” bbl was past the point of diminishing power returns, but I don’t know how scientific that was.
    • Overjoyed to once again have a reliable ‘go-to’ air rifle! Like the ‘80s with my SSP 250, skeleton stock and inexpensive variable-power .22 rimfire scope. I had used that rifle so much that I knew what it would do at most any range and with any particular pellet.

    I want to try it with the scope next time. Safety instead of prescription glasses makes target difficult to acquire much beyond 50 paces for these old eyes.

    1/10/09, 3 PM: Today I mount a scope and target shoot at 30’. I am shaky from a cup of coffee, even though it’s decaf, so it’s difficult to work all the small pieces, with their tiny little screws. The rifle comes with Crosman’s 459 MT intermount, which clamps onto the rifle’s barrel and allows you to connect the scope mount to it. It wobbles in place if not hard-tightened with the small hex key that comes with it. I try tightening the scope mount rings onto the intermounts first, but then realize the intermounts open a bit at the top when attached to the barrel first, allowing the scope mount screws to be tightened without stripping them past where they are meant to go. With no scope, the intermounts are low enough to still use the open sights.

    Years back I bought a Tasco rimfire 3-7×20 scope for my SSP 250. I prefer this variable scope for the 2250B, but decide to try both scopes. I start with the Crosman 4×15, because in theory at least it was designed to be used with this rifle. Crosman scope’s rings appear to be soldered to the scope tube; the scope cannot be moved rearward enough for my eye. The Tasco scope can move within its rings so I put the Tasco back on. Perhaps I will attach the Crosman 4×15 to my Viper Express, for when I’m not using it as a shotgun.

    What was Crosman thinking? Neither scope adjusts far enough back for a clear sight picture; I finally get the sight picture looking correct, but the Tasco’s rear ring now rests on thin air, ¼” off the rear Crosman intermount. Also, my head is too low. I rubber band a double width of hand towel around the skeleton stock, then double it again when my head is still too low. I will replace this with something more permanent later, but for now the rifle and I are still getting used to each other.

    I place a 2” sticky target on a cardboard box and set it 30’ from my makeshift benchrest.

    I begin sighting in with a partial tin of Crosman Copperhead Hyper Velocity wadcutters. I nestle the rifle into a beanbag chair atop a folding table. My hand rests lightly atop the small scope. For some reason this reminds me of the movie, Shooter. The crosshairs shift right and left in time to the beating of my heart.

    My first shot is a little low and a foot to the right. I loosen the intermounts and push them a bit to the other side of where they were (I make up my mind to buy the long steel receiver soon; it will give me a mounting surface that doesn’t wobble like these intermounts). This gets my POI closer to the bullseye.

    I forget to notice that my CO2 cylinder is running low. I adjust the crosshairs higher two times before it dawns on me that the pellets are dropping to the ground only 10 feet in front of the muzzle. A drop of Pellgunoil on a new CO2 cylinder and I am back in action. Next session I will count my shots, to see when the pellets begin to significantly drop below POA.

    I watch my dwindling supply of wadcutters with dismay. I begin to wonder if I can finish sighting in before I run out. I went to my favorite gun store recently to restock, only to find that the only .22 pellets they currently carry are Crosman Pointed Field Hunting pellets. I buy a tin out of desperation. Fearing POI changes, I do not want to switch ammo until I’ve got the scope zeroed with the wadcutters. I wish I had Premiers. In the ‘80s, when I was teaching my kids to shoot and we shot almost every day, the local sporting goods store carried every brand and type of pellet imaginable. These included Beeman felt cleaning pellets, which were great for shooting flies indoors.

    I begin to notice the slack in the trigger, and can reliably take it up right to the point where the trigger breaks. This helps, but the gun seems also to recoil upwards slightly with each shot. I will take that more into account later on, as I get used to the gun’s shooting characteristics.

    After adjusting the crosshairs up, down, left and right several times, back and forth, they finally settle in to a usable sight picture. I’m not going for Hawkeye accuracy yet; there are still too many variables until I use the rifle day in and day out. But for now, I’m pleased. I switch to the pointed hunting pellets. The POI is pretty much the same as the wadcutters. If I am going to adjust my aim each time the CO2 cartridge begins to run out, I’m going to want a mil-dot scope. Perhaps I’ll buy myself Leaper’s Bug Buster that I’ve been eyeing for a while now.

    I am now using The Force, which is a combination of s-q-u-e-e-z-i-n-g the trigger and yanking it as the sights swing past the bull. This is how I’ve always shot and it works well for me now. After a while of hitting the same hole, I content myself by moving the pellets around, trying to create one large orange-colored hole. I pretty much succeed. The whole spread is 1” C-T-C. I have now been at this for two hours. I oil the rifle and both scopes and put them away. I leave the rest of the CO2 in the rifle because B.B. said I could without hurting the rifle’s innards.

    Next time I’ll try to come up with some interesting targets, as I get used to this rifle. I tried my local sporting goods/gun store for swinging metal targets recently but all they had was a heavy one meant for up to a .44 magnum. I doubt if the 2250B would even move the paddles, much less spin them! The goal now is to shoot it as often as possible, until I know it forwards and backwards and inside out. This I’m looking forward to with much pleasure.

    I may have to break down and order a variety of pellets from PA, even though a 4-tin, $25.77 order of assorted Beeman .22 pellets (felt, Silver Jets, Crow-Magnums, H&N Match) costs $36.30 to have it shipped here to Hawaii. Until then I’ll shop around to see if I can’t find some at a more reasonable price. If anyone wants to suggest the most accurate pellets for this rifle with its 14+” bbl, I’d be much obliged.

    -Joe B.

    [The above two posts were uploaded to B.B.’s Blog on 1/10/09.]

    1/13/09: I was just outside, plinking with the 2250 (I’ve stopped adding a ‘B’ to the model number. Over the years this should save me much carpal tunnel damage…).

    Anyway. I chose a tin can, a soft aluminum soda can, and a plastic water bottle. It was pretty much as I remember it from the 1980s. You hit the cans right at the top or bottom seam and they really move. Hit the top and the can spins away end over end. Hit the bottom and it leaps into the air. Hit either of these two spots when the can is horizontal and it spins deliciously. I filled the bottle with tap water and shot it from 7 paces. I expected it to ‘explode’ but it didn’t. The pointed field hunting pellet merely passed through 3” of water and plastic and exited cleanly out the other side. I think a wadcutter or hollow point would have given me more ‘explosive’ force.

    And now, a word from our sponsor: Crosman’s CrosBlock ‘Tamper Resistant Deterrent’:
    I now have 7 of these little plastic trigger ‘locks’, from other Crosman air guns I’ve bought these past three years. When I saw how loose this one was on the 2250, I laughed. Surely I could just pull the trigger with the device still in place? I couldn’t. Crosman’s stock rose a bit in my eyes.

    Always before I’d assumed that the CrosBlock key was called a key because you pushed it in and turned it in the lock. Uh-uh. I twisted many a key out of shape before finally noticing that the key had ‘PUSH’ printed on it. I pushed and the lock opened…simple as that. An otherwise intelligent shooter, I now feel like a CrosBlockHead. And yes, it did make me feel a bit cross….

    So I dropped a handful of pellets in my right hand pocket, grabbed the rifle and targets and headed out into the yard. The first thing that happened was that the rifle under my arm wiggled out of the dishtowel that I’d rubber banded to the skeleton stock (to raise my head to the scope) and fell into the grass. I was prepared to shoot a wad of dirt from the muzzle without a pellet but the only dirt was a little bit on the side of the muzzle, which was easily wiped off. I rubber banded the towel more tightly and was good to go. Oddly enough the scope was still set correctly. I don’t know why, but scopes and I tend not to get along. At night, after I’m asleep, the windage and elevation settings reset themselves, leaving me frustrated and deeply confused in the morning. This time was the surprise to that rule.

    I know last time I promised to count my shots, to see how many I’d get from a fresh CO2 cylinder at 3100’, at 68 degrees here on the flank of Maui’s Mt. Haleakala. But this was an impromptu plinking session, and I just didn’t feel like it. I promise I will do so in a future session.

    I mentioned last time that I was going to read the instructions to see how to get a sharper target picture. They told me, in 4 different languages, to loosen the eyepiece locking ring, aim the scope at a wall or open sky, and ‘rotate [the] eyepiece left and right as needed until the reticle appears sharp and clear to you’. I did rotate it. And rotate it. And rotate it some more. The reticle appeared sharp and clear no matter how much I twisted it back and forth. However, after I locked it back in place, the cans I was shooting from 25 paces away did not. Was it me or the scope? I set it at 4x and started shooting. I noticed, strangely, that when I was target shooting, the target would suddenly blip into sharp focus and then right back out again. I assume this is some adjustment my eye was doing.

    I was getting more comfortable with operating the rifle. I pulled the bolt up and back with the edge of my right index finger between the first joint and the knuckle. I held the rifle with the bbl slightly elevated (otherwise the bolt slides home by itself), reached into my pocket with my right hand and retrieved a pellet. The pointed pellets were front heavy, so that sometimes they would tumble into the loading port sideways. I also noted that the bolt would encounter resistance sometimes when trying to slide the pellet home. I simply retracted the bolt slightly and it would slide smoothly home then. Sometimes I would turn the muzzle downwards after placing a pellet in the loading port and it and the bolt would slide easily closed…I just had to turn the bolt down. It was easy to get into a rhythm of cocking, loading and shooting, which I found enjoyable and relaxing. The one major difference I found between shooting now and shooting then is that I shake more now. I have familial hereditary tremors, diagnosed when I was in the Army, and they get worse with age (except when I fast, at which point they disappear completely). So I prefer to shoot from a rest; it’s much more fun for me that way. I could shoot from a kneeling position, but at 62 I keep hurting my knees by dancing twice a week (they don’t hurt WHILE I’m dancing, but they sure complain several hours later, and all through the week). Anyway, I held the gun with my left hand cradled around the filler cap, part of the fore end and part of the bbl itself. This felt the sturdiest and also just plain felt ‘right’.

    Installing a new CO2 cartridge: The manual suggests you turn the filler cap finger tight, shoot the gun without a pellet and, if you don’t hear a healthy popping sound, to tighten the cap again and repeat the shot. But I read Michael in Florida’s comment to me that, “the current crop of Crosman CO2 guns use the valve stem to pierce the CO2 Powerlet, so don’t over tighten the CO2 cap. I heard you mention that you would tighten it with a quarter. Finger tight is all you need. The first shot is weak because it pierces the Powerlet and fills the valve with CO2. If you over tighten, you compress the soft seal and restrict the valve stem, resulting in a very small hole in the Powerlet, and in most cases, reduced FPS by restricting the movement of the valve stem.
” So I suggest now that you fire TWO blank shots after installing a new CO2 cartridge. The first one will sound weak, but the 2nd should sound healthy and you’re good to go. Don’t forget to add that drop of Pellgunoil to the tip of the cartridge. For the first time that I’ve noticed, Crosman tells you to do this in their instruction manual.

    Once again after shooting, I oiled the gun and scope and put it away. It is like tucking someone I love tenderly into bed. I also remembered to wash the lead dust off my fingers, especially before eating anything.

    1/15/09, 4PM: Target shot with the Red Ryder BB gun & Crosman Copperhead BBs just now. Got 2 ¾”, 10-shot groups at around 5 meters. I was surprised at how spread out the groups were. I got out the 2250 and shot three ¾” 10-shot groups with both Crosman Copperhead and Daisy wadcutters.

    In a post from Kevin on B.B.’s airgun blog today, I discovered that my Tasco scope’s front does unscrew at the very front, so it looks like I’ll be able to refocus it closer than 50’.

    • Joe B,
      You have posted the longest comment ever seen on this blog. For that, you have been awarded the Medal of Brevity. Please stop by Blog Central and pick up your award. (just kidding, hope you appreciate the humor, please don’t be offended by my feeble attempt at humor)

      Seriously, when I saw your comment I thought I’d just skim over it and move on but you captured my interest. You write clearly and easy to understand, and with good punctuation which helps greatly. I actually read every word that you wrote and hope you will give us more of your observations in the future.
      -CJr

  18. B.B.,

    If you’ve already sorted out the optics issue for the 1862 Peabody. If so disregard.

    Curt, my old hunting buddy, called this morning. We finalized plans for a fishing trip at the end of this month. He’s leaving soon for elk season. He’s taking a new to him 45 .70 with a “wonderful” period scope mounted on top. Bell goes off. Ask him about the scope.

    It’s a Romano. Never heard of it. Maybe you have.

    Larry Romano builds these replica 6X Malcolm scopes to order, makes his own period mounts AND will mount them on your gun. Not cheap but an option for you? Larry Romano also makes his own bullet molds, guns, etc. Has a terrible web site but is very personable on the phone:

    http://www.romanorifle.com/index.html

    kevin

    • Kevin,

      Thanks for that lead. I have decided to scope the .43 Spanish rolling block, which is just as accurate as the Peabody but nowhere near as valuable. It has a perfect bore, too. And it was made by Remington in New York.

      I’m looking into a shorter Malcolm-type replica scope, like an 18-inch, though the 32-inch Malcolm still intrigues mew a lot. It just looks so fine.

      Got some more thinking to do. I will go to this website and see what he offers. Thanks,

      B.B.

  19. My sincerest condolences to the Liady family and I wish them well.

    I don’t have any pictures, but did manage to find some online. Tom has talked about Fred over the years. Not sure if he is in the last pic, but it is from the Roanoke show. My guess it may be Fred in the middle and Tom on the right if they belong to the AVA. I’m sure Tom can recognise this wacky group.

    /blog/2008/10/roanoke-2008-part-1/

    http://www.co2airguns.net/miscellaneous/roanoke_2006/Roanoke_2006_22a.JPG

    http://www.network54.com/Forum/79537/thread/1264272634/Fred+Laidy

    http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=roanoke+airgun+&form=QBIR&qs=n&sk=&sc=1-15#focal=aa04454e78748e166b15dc96c875b25c&furl=http%3A%2F%2Fi326.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fk403%2Fchuckjordan2%2FVintageAirguns001.jpg

  20. That is truly sad news about a man who gave so much to this hobby.I will of course keep a good thought for the Liady family.Is there something we can do as a group to express our condolences??

  21. CJr, AlanL

    Rat saga continued …

    The rat/mouse/? has been silent for two nights (no more gnawing). Don’t know if I hit him with a shot, the poison got him or he just decided there was too much action going on at his chew station. Hopefully there won’t be a stench coming out of the wall …

    Just checked the two traps in the attic. Both contained large mice. Perhaps that is the reason there is no more gnawing sound. 🙂 Time to clean and reload the traps! Low tech solution wins!

    AR

    • A.R. Tinkerer,

      I’m a mouse/rat specialist. Are you baiting the traps with peanut butter? Are you stuffing all the holes they can access/escape into with steel wool?

      kevin

        • AlanL,

          My cats are fantastic mousers! They’re natural hunters and don’t have to miss a meal, either. Since they’re indoor-only cats, they have to take advantage of every hunting opportunity. Besides the 20 or so catnip mice they regularly discipline, they’re superb at notifying us of invading spiders & chameleons. We’ve had mice in our attic, and there are several traps set up. Our cats sit in the living room and stare at the ceiling whenever they hear a critter walking or scratching in the attic. Usually, we just wait for the sound of a trap going off and then dispose of the rodent.

          In our last house, we had mice invasions as the weather cooled. The cats loved catching the mice that crawled under the door into the basement. They’d sometimes sit there for hours/days waiting for a rodent to slip in.

          We had an unusual incident in our house in Texas a couple years ago. We heard scratching in the wall between my office & Tom’s. The smell was horrible in my office but not in Tom’s. From the attic, Tom looked down between the walls but saw nothing unusual. However, when we went outside and looked at the ground, we noticed that the dirt was moved. The cats would sit next to the wall and just stare at it…fascinated with whatever was making the noise. It was obvious something had tunneled into the wall from outside. Our house was just 5 years old at the time and well built, so this was a real shock to me. I went to Home Depot and bought some rodent poison pellets. I distributed them in the dug-out dirt in the hopes that whatever was in the wall would come out, eat the pellets and die outside. The next day, we went outside and all the poison pellets were gone. The smell was gone from my room and no more scratching was heard. Tom bought a sack of Quik-crete, dumped it into the hole, added water & stirred and that sealed everything. It’s been 2 years since this happened, but I check that spot regularly to make sure nothing is trying to tunnel in again.

          Edith

          • Hi Edith!

            We lived in Angleton, Texas when I was a kid and our house had a lot of mice. Dad would set traps along the baseboards and every morning would empty them of the little mousecritters that had died in the night.

          • Edith,

            Thanks for the idea! The place the mice were chewing is a space vacated by a foundation form board that was left and dry rotted before we moved in. The people we bought from had some repair work done on that wall (inspection caught dry rot), but the person that did the repair work just covered it up with a small piece of wood. I like that Quick-crete idea instead!

            AR

        • 😀

          Don’t need to do that, we’ve got four cats of our own. Besides, with the Gaylord armory, it might be a bit risky! One of our cats loves to sneak into the attic, but then he doesn’t want to come down. We don’t want him deciding to spray up there!

          AR

  22. Hi everyone I’m Frank, just new to this website and have bought several pellet guns through this website, and I can’t say enough but to give big kudos to Pyramid Air. Recently I just purchase my brand new Crosman 2240, I’ve heard enough as to know this gun can be modified in so many ways and maybe I can get some feedback from experience members here as what I should buy and how to modify my new gun. First of all I would like to know what is the best scope to buy as well as modifying the breech to install a good scope. And finally where is the best website or anyone that can recommend me into buying parts that are at a reasonable price. Thanks!

    • First, you need to post on current blog, I know it can get confusing I’ve only been on about 10 months. The mods. that I have done to my 2240 have been in order: steel breech, shoulder stock, 3-9×32 AO scope and soon a 14″ barrel on it’s way.

      rikib

  23. Does anyone know why some shots fired from a 2240 are weaker than the others.. Not many, i d say 1 in 6 shots is noticeably weaker, you don’t hear the big pop, and after that it’s back to normal. My guess is the gun needs more time to recover?? Just curious. Txs….I have moded valve, power adjuster, and 10.1′ barrel.

  24. Thanks a lot, I guess I have to acrew it in more. I ran across another problem. Seems like my probe is too short.. Not pushing the pellet past the transfer hole, it’s clearly visible.
    It goes only half way… any suggestions?? Thanks

  25. I have been trying crosman premier hollow point, and the crosman pointy onces, doesn’t look like there is a difference between the 2 pellets. It looks like i need a longer probe to push the pellet the other half way?

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