by B.B. Pelletier
The Mayhem .45 Sport Tactical air pistol is a big, heavy airgun.
Well, it all came down to accuracy, and the Mayhem .45 Sport Tactical air pistol has it in buckets. However — and it’s a big one — the trigger is so hard to pull and it’s also double-action only that it creates a problem shooting the gun accurately. If this had a single-action trigger, I bet I could shoot half-inch groups with it — especially at 15 feet. But I’m getting ahead of the story.
The first BBs I used were the RWS BBs that I’ve mentioned in the past. They seem to group just as tightly as Daisy’s zinc-plated BBs, and I wanted to give them a chance in this pistol.
I started the test at 15 feet, and the nature of my range dictates a one-hand hold at that distance. I didn’t expect very much until seeing the BBs all go to the point of aim. However, I wasn’t able to hold the gun still enough to pull the trigger, which requires over 12 lbs. of effort, and still keep the pistol steady.
At 15 feet, the pistol shoots to the point of aim, but the heavy trigger-pull caused it to move around more than a little. This 10-shot group measures 1.468 inches between centers.
Since it shot so straight at the close distance, I decided to back up to 25 feet and try it. Normally, I don’t shoot BB pistols that far back, but at that distance I could use a barricade rest and this pistol might surprise me.
Barricade rest
A barricade rest is a very steady hold for a handgun — especially an air pistol that doesn’t recoil. I grab onto the barricade, in this case a door jamb on my right side, with my left hand and rest my right (shooting) hand on top. Then, I lean into my hands to further steady myself. This eliminates the shakes and allows for a good arm’s-length sight picture.
The Mayhem trigger-pull is so heavy that, after the first group at 15 feet, I had to pull the trigger with my middle finger because my index finger was out of strength. The BBs also went slightly higher at 25 feet.
A fair group from 25 feet with a BB pistol. There are 9 shots in 2.192 inches.
After this group, I reloaded the magazine with Daisy zinc-plated BBs for another try. My trigger finger was giving out at this point, so this was the last group I would be able to shoot with any accuracy.
This time, I gave it my best for 10n shots. From where I stood, every shot looked like a perfect release; but when I walked to the target, I saw that the group was more spread out. Ten shots went into 1.873 inches.
The final group of Daisy BBs did best at 25 feet.
Summary
The Mayhem BB pistol has several things going for it. It gets an incredible number of shots per CO2 cartridge, yet the velocity remains high. The BB magazine is very easy to load and manage. Accuracy is also well ahead of many BB pistols.
On the down side, the sights aren’t adjustable. As we see from this test, it would have been nice if they were.
But the trigger is the biggest sticking point I had with this pistol. It’s double-action only, so there’s no possibility of relief from the excessive pull. I’m usually pretty neutral when it comes to triggers. I shoot so many airguns that I can adapt to just about anything. But this one is too much even for me. I know I could have shot better with a trigger-pull half as heavy or with a single-action pull.
B.B.,
All things considered, being that there are things that you do like about this pistol, do you think it’s worth adjusting the trigger (e.g., modifying/changing springs)?
As for non-adjustable sights, couldn’t you add an adjustable laser sight to center the group?
Victor
Victor have seen this comment? It was posted on an old blog yesterday.
Victor, I was just wondering if you are talking about Stan Hulstrom that was an instructor at a range in City of Commerce, CA. I am doing research on his life in shooting comps for his 80th birthday he would love to know that somebody is still refferencing the things he taught so many years ago.
Thank you ,
Sara
You can see all comments on this post here:
/blog/2011/04/bsa-supersport-25-cal-part-1/#comments
J-F
J-F,
Thanks for the link to Sara’s comment! It’s good to know that some is interested in writing about Stan. As I commented to Sara, Stan Hulstom is among the wisest, most professional, and humble men I’ve ever met in my life. Even a decade after retiring from shooting, he was still an incredibly good shooter.
Victor
Victor,
The way this gun is made it doesn’t lend itself to modification, so I would have to say, “No.” Better to find a gun with the accuracy that also has a good trigger and adjustable sights.
B.B.
I was going to suggest a trigger job, but I see that is out. I’m reminded of the current search by the U.S. Army to replace the Beretta 92. Specs call for a .45 but the 1911 design was not invited because the want a double-action trigger (as well as polymer construction). But while reading in Safeway about a new model of the HK USP, I see that it’s double-action pull is so heavy that it is advised to carry it cocked and locked for an initial single-action pull. So, Browning’s design of genius wins out after all, and single action is the way to go.
Thanks for the info yesterday on the German nomenclature. So, the Germans are at it again. As Mark Twain said, “German syntax is a like a dog diving into a river and coming up on the other side with a verb in his mouth.” My own experience with full-auto airguns has been a little disappointing. Thinking that any serious shooter must own at least one machine gun, I bought a cheap airsoft M4 at $20 (with $50 in shipping!). It worked fine, but the idea of an electric motor had a pedestrian feel that I couldn’t shake. It sounded like a typewriter rapping away and devouring my money at a high rate. On the other hand, there may be something to the concept of precision full-auto that could be realized with a pellet gun. I see in photos that the famous German MG 42 with a cyclic rate of 1200 rpm was sometimes equipped with a scope. What in the world was that for? And I believe that the MP5 is renowned for its accuracy and also equipped with a scope. With the lack of recoil in a pcp, you could have quite the instrument on your hands.
Mike, it was also my thought that a slightly heavier bullet would give better accuracy and a 168 gr. for 30-06 would seem to fit the bill. However, while reading the latest Gun Digest in the local library, I found an article about surplus military rifles where the guy experimented with all sorts of loads and claimed that the ones that worked best were closest to the service specs because they were worked out by the experts. That would seem to make sense and would justify a 150 gr. bullet and IMR 4895 for the M1. However, Clint as a longtime competitor found that IMR 4064 worked for him and apparently this is a popular powder for M1s in competition. Having endured the toils of experimentation and handloading, I’ll just see what I’ve got. My target was not impressive since I was adjusting the sights, and I was just shooting for function and enjoyment without looking at the spotting scope. But upon examination, there are some groups that are most interesting.
Say, on the subject of handloading, how does one go about using cases that are scavenged at the range (or are retrieved from remanufactured ammunition)? I thought that you were supposed to know exactly how many times the case was fired. Without that knowledge isn’t the case unusable? Can you reliably inspect for signs of wear?
Also let me talk up the latest Mission Impossible as a most entertaining film. Consider one scene where a spy jumps off a building, then turns over as he is falling to shoot his pursuers as they skyline themselves while shooting down at him….
Matt61
Matt,
A lot of what is written about handloading is bunk. Use range brass for casual loads and brass you know for your target loads.
Inspection is the key to good brass in any case.
B.B.
The scopes on some of the MG’s may have been for light-gathering. The Germans have a heritage of hunting in forests, most of the action happens in low light conditions. So they may have been scopes of low power, maybe 2.5X and that sort of thing, and also the Germans were big on scopes with post reticles. Just the thing for shooting at der schweinhunds.
Matt,
If you have not read Col. Hatcher’s Notebook, it is worth getting. He covers load development of the service .30-06 round, amongst many other interesting topics. The service load did change over time due to different projectiles, gunpowder, etc, so there is no single “service load” spec that is better than all others.
One interesting tidbit concerned the National Match ammo. These lots were developed to meet a certain accuracy level and almost always changed from year to year. One year’s batch happened to have powder charges that varied more than the previous year’s. A gun crank at the time broke the rounds down, discovered the increased variation, and declared the new batch inferior! The reality was different…
Paul in Liberty County
I have used IMR-4064 in my M-1 with 150 gr. bullets. However, I only load 49 gr. of it. The Hornaday 150 gr. PSP is very accurate in my rifle. For what it’s worth, one of the “Service” loads used a 175 gr. bullet. I also use RCBS Small Base Dies. They re-size the brass more at the base for better feeding in Autos.
As to the USP, I have one. The double action pull is in the same class as the other DA autos. It has a safety/decocker in the same location as the 1911. It can be carried cocked and locked if you want to.
The mag holds 12 rounds which is way better than 7.
Mike
my sheet metal clamp that holds the cocking lever broke does anyone know where i can buy one ( i got industry brand b3-1 pellet rifle ) or anything else that will hold my lever up while im shooting pllz help
Crosman just posted this as a “spy shot” (they’ve been doing this all week) before the SHOT show…
is it just me or does it look like the grip from a Tokarev pistol?!?!
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150501755898778&set=a.136489638777.109372.117637493777&type=1&theater
I hope it’s an all metal BB gun and not just another airsoft.
Tom are you going to the SHOT show this year?
J-F
J-F,
Yes, I’m going to the SHOT Show, the Lord willing.
Last year In was within 8 hours of flying out and had to go to the emergency room for a hernia instead. Got it fixed, so this year is clear.
B.B.
fyi
http://www.network54.com/Forum/79537/thread/1326421068/I%27d+like+to+give+some+credit+where+it%27s+due-++Thank+you%2C+TexasSteve+%28LTLurker%29%21
I picked this gun up at a garage sale in mint condition for 25 bucks and couldn’t be happier considering the price I paid for it. There’s not much I can say because B.B. pretty much hit the nail on the head on this one. I found the same results from the accuracy to the trigger pull, and even use the same shooting technique. If it only had adjustable sites and an easier trigger pull, the gun would be perfect for it’s price, but you still can’t go wrong with it. So if you want a heavy gun that shoots straight and hard, and don’t mind a heavy trigger, it’s a great piece for the money and offers a lot of nice options with its large rails.
I wish I could be more helpful but, I’ve been very busy and it’s been a while since I posted, so I wanted to post something and let everyone know I’m still around. lol
P.S.
I am so glad to hear that you’re doing better Tom, please say hi to Edith for me, and all my best to the both of you,
TheBBA