by B.B. Pelletier
Announcement: If you’ve been waiting for the Mendoza diopter sight to come back in stock, your wait is over!
The SIG Sauer P226 X-5 combo BB pistol comes as an adjustable-sight version for just a few dollars more than the same gun with fixed sights.
Today is accuracy day for the SIG Sauer P225 X5 combo BB pistol, and it’s a big day, indeed, for this is a gun that was recommended by several readers — starting with Rob from Canada.
I was told three things about this air pistol. First, that it’s extremely accurate. Second, that it’s very loud; and third, that it has the greatest amount of blowback-simulated recoil of any BB pistol around.
I was further directed to specifically test the pistol that Pyramyd AIR refers to as the P226 X5 combo, but which we know in Canada is called the Open pistol. That differentiates it from the standard version of the P225 X5 pistol, because that one lacks the compensator, the optical sight base and, most importantly, the adjustable sights.
Noise is about average
On the discharge sound question, my judgement is that this pistol sounds about the same as every other CO2 pistol in its power class. It might sound loud to someone who has nothing to compare it to, but I actually found it to be a reasonably quiet air pistol for a gas-powered gun.
Recoil is not the hardest
In the recoil test, the SIG Sauer P226 X5 doesn’t blow back as hard as the GSG 92 BB pistol. It does recoil, and the effect is realistic, but it does not have the most blowback I’ve seen in a gun of this class.
Accuracy is great
However, in a wonderful twist from the norm, the test pistol turned out to, indeed, be an extremely accurate BB pistol. It’s well ahead of the GSG 92, the Tanfoglio Witness 1911 pistol and the SIG Sauer SP 2022, which were all fine handguns.
It does not shoot better than the Umarex Makarov, however. I had to test that after seeing how well this pistol shot, and it did about as well. I’m getting ahead of myself. Here are the results.
First at 15 feet
The first test was offhand at 15 feet, just to see where the gun was shooting. I only shot five and then checked the target to see what kind of sight adjustments were needed. The first group was relatively in line with the center of the bull and hitting just below the point of aim. I used a 6 o’clock hold, so that put the shots below the bull. Nine clicks of elevation raised the point of impact about a half-inch.
The first five shots went low, then nine clicks up on the rear sight produced the second group of five. All shots offhand at 15 feet.
After the first two groups of five, I shot 10 offhand at 15 feet. The sights were raised another 6-7 clicks, or so. This group was also impressive and centered up a little higher on the target.
Ten shots at 15 feet were impressive. The rear sight was adjusted up for this target, as well.
This was impressive, because I was shooting offhand with a pistol for the first time in 18 months. The trigger is as nice on this BB pistol as the one on my Taurus PT1911 .45. Now, I was reasonably certain that Rob was right about the accuracy. I backed up to 25 feet and shot some more.
At 25 feet
Twenty-five feet was where Rob said he shot his pistol, and I was curious if it could shoot that far with reasonable accuracy. The first two 10-shot groups were pretty bad, and I was about to give up on the gun, but then I got out the Umarex Makarov to check myself.
At 25 feet I shot from a strong-side barricade position, and the Makarov front sight is so thin that I was seeing it as multiple images in my glasses. When I took them off, the image sharpened and the group tightened, so I went back and tried the SIG again without the glasses. This time it shot about as well as the Makarov, which is pretty good for a BB pistol.
Back at 25 feet, ten shots from a strong-side barricade position with the P226 went into a decent group.
The two shots low and to the right were made while wearing glasses. The rest were with the glasses off. Ten shots at 25 feet from an Umarex Makarov, also shot from a strong-side barricade.
But the SIG has a couple things going for it that the Mak doesn’t. First, because it has blowback, you always shoot single-action, and the trigger pull is far better. Of course, you can shoot the SIG double-action on the first shot, but why would you want to? The single-action trigger is so much nicer. You can manually cock the Mak hammer, which I did, but the SIG in single0-action still has the better trigger. Second, the SIG has adjustable sights. You can move the shot group anywhere you want within reason.
The bottom line
I’m going out on a limb and saying that this SIG Sauer P226 X5 combo pistol is such a fine shooter that you can even get maximum training effect for firearms from it. Of all the handguns I own, only a couple have better triggers than this one. Everything you need to do to shoot well, you can practice with this BB pistol. I’m going to add it to my Tom’s Picks page, because I think it’s a world-beater.
I got about 30 reliable shots per CO2 cartridge during this test. You would get a few more if you were just plinking, but there aren’t 40 shots available when the target is important.
Edith noticed how enthusiastic I seemed to be when testing this air pistol. It’s always a pleasure to test something that works as advertised and maybe even better than you thought it would. My thanks to Rob and others who asked for this test.
B.B. Sounds like a good addition to the Tom’s Pick list. It’s a shame your list isn’t longer with all the great products that seem to be out there. In the past you have periodically done blogs about top picks in various airgun categories, any plans for something along that line anytime soon? Bub
Bub,
Can you please elaborate on your idea?
B.B.
B.B.
What I was thinking was something along the lines of a top pick or two in different categories. For example for the beginners’ category you might have the Bronco, for BB pistols the Makarov and the SIG and so on.
Bub
Bub,
I think I have written blogs about all of my picks. That’s how many of them became picks, through testing like this.
I don’t think there is anything that hasn’t been reporter on my list.
B.B.
B.B. I was thinking about a rundown of some of your favorite picks, something like you did a few years ago at Christmas time. Didn’t mean to cause any confusion, I’m sure you have more on you plate than you have time for anyway. Bub
Bub,
Oh, I see.
Yes, I can probably do that again, but it will have to wait until the Christmas season is closer, I think.
It will be a sort of buyer’s guide, but personalized by me.
B.B.
B.B. Sounds good and again didn’t mean to be any trouble. Bub
Glad you liked it… last time I shot mine at 15 feet on paper I completly tore the bull out, with one mag,
it had made a quarter size hole where the bull used to be, I didn’t wait between shots I just took the time to aim between shots.
On the loudness of the thing : I got my GSG 92
/product/swiss-arms-p92-co2-pistol?m=2035
last week and I found it as loud as this one so I got my Tanfoglio out
/product/tanfoglio-witness-1911-co2-bb-pistol-brown-grips?m=2534
put a fresh CO2 in it and it is quieter than these two, all at the same time, all with fresh CO2, so the SIG is quieter but has less accuracy.
I really like these 3 pistols, in fact I like them so much I’m thinking of selling a bunch of others CO2 action pistols and keeping
only these and the Walther PPK/S (and getting a Makarov). I also found a tutorial on youtube on how to mod the GSG 92 so you can actually
use the selector/safety for semi and full auto fire… that should be fun 😈
Edith speaking of the Tanfoglio Witness 1911’s there are 2 of them named exactly alike, the name on one of them should be changed
so people know they’re not the same, maybe add “blowback” to the one that has it??
/air-guns/pistols/co2-guns/co2-bb
or maybe it’s already been submitted on the 2¢ for 5$… if you guys don’t have time to do it I’ll just resubmit it once
the promo is back on and get another 5$ 😉
J-F
J-F,
I usually stick to gun names as they’re printed on the gun. Please note that on the linked page you sent:
/a/BB_guns/170/Tanfoglio/brands_152
You can readily see the one-line descriptions below the name, and one of them says it’s a blowback, which is why it’s $70 more.
Edith
I know and I see the difference I just tought it could be confusing if someone wasn’t paying attention and ended up with the wrong product.
J-F
Using that logic then that should make it easy to understand why every Sig model with the same name is priced differently, when point of fact is that one is made in Tiawan and one is lisenced by Sig (one is a blowback and the other one is also blowback), one is NOT a blowback and one IS a blowback, another one is not a blowback but is a 4.5mm BB and one is an airsoft.
The fact is with replica action pistols you have to make sure you know what you’re getting by images (hopefully correct) and associated manuals if they are availlable. The description titles are unfortunately too numerous.
The top of the report refers to ROB, at the bottom of the report he is called ROD.
Fixed 🙂
Thanks!
Edith
Off topic question:
I’m having second thoughts about the expense and bother of lugging around an air tank for field target use, and am thinking about limiting myself to the piston division.
How would a BSA Polaris with a GRT trigger upgrade compare to a Air Arms TX200 or Diana 48 for field target use ? (Hold Sensitivity, Accuracy, Trigger, etc) ? Is it a lot less hold sensitive than the Diana 34 I’m shooting now ?
Thanks,
John
John,
I’m jealous of you since you have a group of FT guys that shoot nearby.
I read all your dialog over the weekend regarding which gun, scope and mounts would be best for you shooting FT.
Keep shooting your 34 and keep trying other guns that your FT buddies let you shoot. I think you said they already let you try a marauder and a TX200. Nothing like testing a gun already set up for FT to know if you like the fit, firing behavior, scope, etc. I’ll bet your FT buddies have guns for sale that they’ve used in the past for FT. Maybe they would even let you rent one or two for an FT match.
kevin
The 34 isn’t mine – so I need to buy something… I do like the easy loading of the break-barrel, the TX200 was very hard for me to load. But, if my groups would tighten up significantly, then it would be worth it ! (I’m shooting 3/8″ OD 5 shot groups at 10m with the 34 in .177, in prone with open sights and no sling).
John,
That’s good shooting with an open sighted 34.
I’d still encourage you to try as many guns as your buddies will allow before you buy.
I’m not as good a shot as you so I would choose a pcp to enter the FT world.
If you’re set on a springer to enter the FT world I would encourage you to get used to loading the TX200. They’re constantly winning or placing near the top of FT competitions. Here’s a breakdown of equipment used in the latest CASA FT shoot to underscore my point:
http://www.network54.com/Forum/451309/thread/1313370908/CASA+ft+results+for+8-13-11+at+Heavens+Ranch
kevin
I’m having a hard time justifying the TX200, since it’s price is close to a Marauder + pump. On the other hand, a TX200 is half the price of the Marauder (and more convenient) if I buy a tank rather than a pump (and there are a lot of forum posts implying a tank is so much easier, it’s almost mandatory…).
Since I’m undecided, I thought it might be wiser to start with a less expensive underlever like the Polaris. I’m hoping it shares the “not hold sensitive” characteristic of the TX200, is at least as accurate as the Diana 34, and that the a GRT trigger isn’t much worse than the T06 trigger the 34 has.
Also, there are a lot of posts on the forums about the Benjamin pumps breaking down a lot. Have the issues been fixed recently ? Are any of the other pumps better ?
John,
From my perspective your choice should also take into account how competitive you are and how competitive you want to be in FT.
I’m very competitive. I want to do my best. I don’t want my equipment to be the excuse for not being accurate. I give my equipment a fair chance but if I can’t shoot a gun accurately it gets sold quickly.
Overwhelming odds are that the TX200 you purchase will not be the weak link in shooting FT successfully. I can’t say that about the polaris. If you just want to shoot FT for the comraderie and don’t care about your scores by all means buy a polaris or diana 34.
I’ve never owned a benjamin pump so can’t comment on past or present problems. I used an FX pump for about six months. I know have two carbon fiber tanks. Yes, tanks are easier but many people use pumps exclusively. The lower fill pressure of the discovery was designed for pumping.
kevin
Competitive. I like that wording. My wife calls it “obsessive”.
Good advice though – I would hate to not be in contention for 3rd because of equipment.
My hope is that BB will say the Polaris recoils a tiny bit more because of the lighter weight, is just as hold insensitive, almost as accurate, and has a trigger that’s not as nice enough but you can get used to.
BB ?
John,
I’m assuming you read the three-part report I did on the Polaris?
/blog/2011/03/bsa-polaris-underlever-air-rifle-part-3/
Didn’t I say the things you just asked? I think I did.
Now a 52-ounce trigger is way different than the trigger on my TX 200, but if you want to save money, this rifle is a way to go.
As for hold sensitivity, look at my groups.
B.B.
Hi BB,
Yep- I’d read your reports on the Polaris, 34, 48, 54, TX200 & Sport, plus all your comments under those reports – before I asked the question.
Based on your reports, I knew the Polaris was a good 25m gun. Since your report didn’t address FT directly, I was worried about your comments that the Polaris shot best with the forward hand near the end of cocking slot, and it’s somewhat reduced velocity compared to the R8. ie: Would it work well for offhand shots or 35+m ranges ???
Thanks for confirming it will ! I’m still mulling over the “test the waters with a springer” versus the “jump in with both feet and get a PCP” alternatives. But – I have all the info (Thanks !), so now it’s just a matter of sleeping on it for a few days…
ps: If I end up deciding the Marauder is the way to go – which pump do you recommend ? (Is the Benji pump less reliable than the others ?) Or does everyone upgrade to a tank soon anyway, so it’s not worth spending money on a pump at all ?
John,
B.B.’s analogy using lawnmowing is spot on in my opinion. As for your question about the Benjamin pump, I’ve had 2, (the 2nd was a warranty replacement) niether of which worked well for very long. I then purchased an FX pump which I still have and use (some). Thing is about 3 months after I got the FX pump I saw the Shoebox compressor online and immediatly put in my order for one. Since I now have a compressor that will directly fill my M-rod I don’t have to use the hand pump any (unless I happen to take my M-rod to another range). I do almost all of my shooting at or near my house, so I don’t really have a big need for a tank, although it would be nice to have one. Just my 2 pennys.
David H.
Don’t have much experience here — though I’d swear the pump sold with the AirForce name for the Talon/Condor is identical in all but the quick disconnect fitting on the hose. I’m using mine with an adapter made from a Forster QD screwed onto an AirForce compatible nipple.
I do have some concern about the pump — there are times when I’m sure I bottomed out the stroke, but it seems the valve didn’t open to let the pressure flow on; let-go and the handle rises almost completely to the top, and then the next down stroke has no back-pressure.
Since I’m due for a lay-off in 7 weeks, I can’t justify ordering that, what, “shoebox” compressor to go with my old Sears “pancake tank” compressor (which might be able to keep up with the high pressure unit due to small amount of air taken per stroke — It sure couldn’t keep up with the air volume of a Paasche VL-3 at 50PSI <G> )
B.B.,
Adding this pistol to your top picks list is quite an endorsement for this pistol.
You hit another one outta the park with last Fridays blog topic. 154 comments! Wow.
Spent some time this weekend shooting my newly acquired Slavia 634. What a fun gun. Lightweight, easy to cock, decent trigger and accurate. Not sure if this is relevant for your 631 but I tried at least a dozen different pellet types and my Slavia 634 shot the JSB RS pellets best. I found it interesting that my 634 didn’t shoot the air arms falcon pellets very well.
kevin
Kevin,
I’m about to test the Slavia 631 again, so I’ll keep that in mind.
Thanks,
B.B.
Kevin
Are you shooting it with open sights, or have you scoped it? I think it is worthy to note that the scope rail is now a standard width, but there are no scope-stop holes. I suppose BKL mounts are in order unless you drill a hole in the receiver.
Editor’s Note,
I put a scope on the Slavia 634. Mine has a 13mm rail with cross slots. Does yours have the cross slots?
Initially I used BKL double straps that were machined for a 13mm rail. Scope was too high. I ended up using the sportsmatch TO3C two piece double straps with the built in hardened cross pin to marry with the cross slots on top of the rail. I had to reverse the foot on the mounts so it would accomodate the 13mm rail. I probably shot 300-400 pellets through that gun this weekend and the scope didn’t move.
kevin
Kevin
No, my Slavia 634 does not have the cross slots.
Any idea how old yours is, or how hot it is shooting?
Slinging Lead,
Mine has a fresh “smooth tune”. It was shooting 740fps with 8 gr. pellets at sea level and shooting in the mid 600’s with medium weight pellets here at 5200 feet elevation. Don’t have any idea how old the gun is.
kevin
Hi All,
I have an off-topic question. I know this has been answered in the past, I just can’t seem to find it. Can anyone tell me the minimum distance an Airforce Condor (on both HPA and CO2) should be set back from a Chrony so as to not get inaccurate readings from the gas fooling the sensors? I know I could just try trial and error, but I also know how much knowledge is here, so I thought I would try to tap into it. I just purchased a Beta Master Shooting Chrony and I have zero experience. I am just trying to get the most accurate readings while making as few rookie mistakes as possible. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Jason,
I shoot my Condor at full power about one foot in back of the first screen. Maybe back up to 18″ with CO2, since the discharge casts a shadow.
B.B.
BB,
Thanks for the information. One other question, if I may ask that of the resident Airforce guru. On the DVD that came with the Condor, you recommended that pellets should be lubed prior to shooting in the Condor. Do you still lube all pellets for the Airforce rifles and what do you lube them with?
Jason,
When I lube pellets I use Whiscombe Honey, which is a half and half mixture of Hoppes Gun Oil and STP Engine treatment.
But I usually shoot pellets at around 850-900 f.p.s. and I don’t shoot that many Crosman Premiers (which I always lube because they are hard and therefore lead the barrel), so I don’t lube pellet as much anymore.
B.B.
BB,
Thank you. Let’s say by chance, some unenlightened soul (me) shot Crosman Premiers with the Condor unlubed. What would be the best way to remove the leading in the barrel? Would J&B non-embedding bore cleaning compound and/or Ballistol work at removing any leading that may be present? Thank you again.
Jason,
JB Bore Paste (what you said) is the only thing that will remove the leading.
B.B.
Thank you again.
Whiscombe Honey = half and half STP and Hoppe’s Gun Oil or Hoppe’s No. 9? I’ve been known to put break-free on pellets, try for a thin film. This might be better (and cheaper).
flobert,
Use Hoppes gun oil. DO NOT USE Hoppes No. 9 solvent.
kevin
flobert,
Hoppes GUN OIL. Never use a solvent in an airgun.
B.B.
Thanks! Yeah, the idea of using a solvent gives me the creeps.
Hmm though, don’t you feel kinda weird giving out the “secret recipe”?
BTW, is PellGun Oil really just ATF?
flobert,
No. Pellgunoil is 20-weight non-detergent oil (or the closet equivalent, with o-ring preservative added.
ATF just looks like it because it is sometimes red.
B.B.
Thanks for enlightening me! I was thinking, Pellgun oil is rather expensive …….
Edith,
I’m placing my weekly order with PA and came across what appears to be another discrepency on the PA site.
I’m comparing the leapers 3-12x40AO scope to the leapers 3-9x40AO. They’re both have 1″ tubes, mil-dots, Illuminated Reticles and are True Strength. I’m comparing weight to make my final decision. In comparing them side by side (a feature I really like on the PA site) the weight of the 3-12x40AO is stated as .86 lbs. vs. the 3-9x40AO at .80 lbs.
When I click for details on the 3-12×40 it says it weighs 18.5 ounces (1.16 lbs.). See here:
/product/leapers-5th-gen-3-12×40-ao-rifle-scope-ill-mil-dot-reticle-1-4-moa-1?a=3695
When I click for details on the 3-9×40 it says it weighs 20.2 ounces (1.26 lbs.). See here:
/product/utg-3-9×40-ao-rifle-scope-illuminated-mil-dot-reticle-1-4-moa-1-tube?a=659
These two scopes, from the same manufacturer, are identical in all features except magnification. The side by side comparison feature shows the 3-9×40 weighing less (.80 lbs) than the 3-12×40 (.86lbs) but the individual page for each scope shows the 3-9×40 weighing more (20.2 ounces) than the 3-12×40 (18.5 ounces).
I wouldn’t bother you but stacy is at some boyscout jamboree.
kevin
Kevin,
I know the weights are off. This is something that would come to the editorial staff (me & others) rather than Stacey & the tech department.
I’ll fix these weights, but know that there are others that are just as far off. I’ve written extensively about this thru internal memos, and someone is supposed to be working on correcting them. I guess they haven’t gotten to these, yet.
I’ll correct them now.
Thanks,
Edith
Edith,
Not a life or death matter of course.
I’m just trying to stay in character purely for your annoyance. Kind of like that pesky fly that just won’t go away.
Thanks again.
kevin
Kevin,
I just took another look, and the problem in both cases is different than I thought. Apparently, when the program picked up the shipping weight (which is heavier than the product’s weight because of extra accessories, the box, etc.) for the compare feature, it picked up the metric (kg) weight but assigned the imperial scale (lbs.).
I’ve notified our IT department that they need to show the weight we have in pounds. The shipping weight will be properly configured even if they don’t get to this correction soon. What you see on your monitor is a visual glitch that does not extend to the actual shipping calculation. The calculation will be based on the # of lbs. the product weighs according to our database.
Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
Edith
Weekly order… You should have a platinum/gold status with PA.
Matt61
Everyone,
I missed a potion of the test of this pistol. I had promised to test it with lead balls, as well. I just forgot.
So there will be another report coming soon.
Edith, we may need to hold on to this pistol. 🙂
B.B.
Just shot the GSG 92 and SIG Sauer with 2 different BB’s. The GSG REALLY liked the Beeman brand BB’s!
I never tried the GSG for paper punching before as the SIG seemed more accurate at 30 feet.
Have a look at this : https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/lX85yLA27_4XUeNnu8kugg?feat=directlink
The GSG is on the left, the SIG on the right, the beemans are at the bottom and crosman copperhead at the top for both pistols. All the groups are 10 shots at 15 feet (from the back door to the end of the deck), sorry I didn’t go to 30 feet but it’s raining today and I didn’t want to get wet (and the paper would have been wet too).
I re-shot the groups and got similar results, no rest, no timed pause between shots…
I was able to get as good a group with the SIG a few weeks ago with the copperheads but not today.
Is it me, the BB’s, the guns or could it be inconsistency in the CO2 powerlet??? I’m lost here
J-F
Why didn’t anyone tell me the link didn’t work…
Let’s try this again :
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/lX85yLA27_4XUeNnu8kugvEc3CmECwxrmiuV4WPysF8?feat=directlink
J-F
Edith… heeeelp 😥 what am I doing wrong here???
Last try, if this doesn’t work I think I’ll quit, please delete the last 2 emails if the link still doesn’t work.
De
GSG 92/SIG Sauer P226
J-F
This one seems to be working for me, is it working for you?
J-F
J-F,
Only the first one didn’t work. The second & third ones work just fine for me.
Edith
I don’t know if this could be of relevance (I didn’t get half of what you guys were saying) to the barrel twist question of a week ago but someone posted this link on the CAF and I tought it could help or be of interest to the math inclined people hanging around here.
It’s a barrel twist calculator
http://www.border-barrels.com/barrel_twist.htm
they also have a drag calculator
http://www.border-barrels.com/drag.htm
J-F
Going back to yesterday and the exchange between Dave and me.
PZ:’My problem with special armed squads is that they aren’t dispatched unless somebody figures there’s an imminent need for armed force’
DaveUK: Who would that ‘somebody’ be then?
A senior officer,a senior officer who most likely is not a time served copper.
Like Cressida Dick,under whose command an innocent Brazilian was shot dead and she still gets promoted.
A better example of this fast tracked folly cannot be found.
Dave
Let me say that I did have both Cressida Dick and Jean Charles de Menezes in mind when I wrote about the lack of training for weapons discipline. Jeez, if CD were my name, I would look for one less descriptive of my command abilities. The Menezes case was a disgrace for the force, showing the trigger happy attitudes of the armed responders *and, especially* their commanders.
And yet, all of London was trigger happy. That was in the immediate wake of the 7/7 subway and bus bombings that killed 50+.
“Accidents” happen when police are armed, and by and large the London Met is one of the best uniformed services in the world. I’m glad that they are brave enough and disciplined enough not to carry guns. But to judge mainly from the news media, there seem to be some cowboys in the armed group.
PZ:
Things have indeed changed and not for the better I’m afraid.
I was a Met Police security officer at the Houses of Parliament from 1991-98.
Till the tragic events of 9/11 the only armed cops who protected us were the ‘Ranger’ units who patroled the whole Westminster area in two cars.
When I was on a major incident course back in the day,our instructing officer asked what we would do if an intruder gained access to the Parliamentry grounds.
Lenny,an older collegue of mine,aged about sixty,raised his fist and said,
“Give him some of that” lol
Now I see armed Police with Glocks and H&K’s stood at every entrance of Parliament.
Very sad to see indeed.
Dave
Very sad. Extremely intimidating. And getting into Portcullis House (MPs’ offices) is like trying to get into the plutonium handling area of a nuclear lab.
The US Capitol has been pretty tight since 1954 when a bunch of Puerto Rican nationalists got into one of the visitors’ galleries and started picking off Congressmen right and left. For the youngsters: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Capitol_shooting_incident_(1954)
Today’s blog coincided with my resuming my snap shooting with my stripped down Walther Nighthawk. This is a sport not to be overlooked. Actually, considering my layoff, I had not deteriorated as much as expected.
J-F, on the subject of a doctor for Flobert, you’re probably right, but I would prefer to have the doctor tell me what he/she can or can’t do. You’ve seen what they did to the woman who was attacked by the chimp (and the one whose face was blown off by a shotgun-wielding husband), and perhaps the name Lorena Bobbitt is known to you…
On the subject of the London police, I’m reminded of a point made by advocates of bear spray that when rangers carry guns, the bears somehow sense a change in attitude and get more aggressive–although I think the case for firearms improved with the recent murderous attack of the polar bear on a British expedition where the polar bear brushed past the camp’s defenses.
On the subject of training, I would expect that police thoroughly trained in the whole spectrum of force including water cannon, rubber and plastic bullets and so on right up to the threshold of lethal force, should have a pretty good idea of when it’s necessary. But I don’t know….
Reloaders, I am stumbling sideways into the reloading process. While practicing the throwing of powder charges, I have determined that each particle of my IMR 4064 is a little less than .1 grains. This allows me to see that repeated powder charges from my measure with a fixed setting can vary as much as .5 grains. And I understand that it should vary by no more than .1 or .2. What is your experience? I might make a virtue of necessity by adding or removing particles individually to make the right weight. There could be a line of Matt61 ammo with the slogan: We will make it right!
Matt61
Matt: It turns out the “cap” on my finger was smaller than I thought and probably a lot smaller than you guys thought. The reason it hurt so much that first day was, every little bump moved the “cap” respective to the cut tip which was really sensitive. It’s already *much* better and I don’t even have the “bumper” on it now.
Editor: Thanks for removing my post about carrying an airsoft as a security guard, it *was* kind of silly.
This gun sounds like it’s a *very* good trainer. These guns that actually have a realistic blowback action amaze me.
As to the bear incident:
I know Svalbard modestly well having been taken around much of the archipelago around 2002 by the Norwegian government — tho’ we weren’t lucky enough to see the bears. That is the only area in Europe, so far as I know, where walking around with open carry is encouraged. No, mandated. You cannot leave the villages without carrying a bear rifle. When you get off the airplane you are handed a brochure on the do’s and don’ts of the bears and other natural hazards. The notion of having school aged kids spend nights in tents polar bear country is pretty scary. I gather the group had only one gun, which was obviously not enough.
On Svalbard:
http://www.sysselmannen.no/hovedEnkel.aspx?m=45286
I remembered years ago hearing about a lady who was trying to be the first solo female to cross the North Pole, and that there were so many bears, it was a real problem. I found a good write-up on her, hope it’s OK to post a link to a gun site.
http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-131227.html
Took a while to find the archive
http://satwcomic.com/pacifist
and it seems there’s a follow-up based on the news
http://satwcomic.com/drama-bear
If you really need that level of repeatability, relying on a mechanical volumetric powder measure is not the answer.
Set the measure to throw a fraction light, throw into the scale/balance pan, use a trickler to bring it up to desired weight, pour pan into case.
Yes, it is a lot slower than: case under spot, throw charge, next case…
Traditional hand
https://www.amazon.com/RCBS-09094-Powder-Trickler/dp/B000PWF4O0
or electric
http://www.omegapowdertrickler.com/
The vast majority of the the time the .5 of a grain variation won’t matter unless you are using a very hot load. If you need it that hot, just weight each charge. In that case, just throw the charge a little under your desired load and bring it up with a powder trickler. You will find that ball or flake powder will give you a more accurate measure than stick powders will from most measures.
Mike
John,
If you mow your own lawn with a walking mower get a hand pump. If you have a riding mower for less than an acre, get a scuba tank, and if you pay somebody to mow your lawn, think about getting an air compressor and a carbon fiber tank.
B.B.