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Education / Training Benjamin Titan GP air rifle with Nitro Piston: Part 1

Benjamin Titan GP air rifle with Nitro Piston: Part 1

by Tom Gaylord, a.k.a. B.B. Pelletier

Benjamin Titan GP Nitro Piston breakbarrel air rifle

Benjamin Titan GP Nitro Piston breakbarrel puts .177 pellets out at up to 695 f.p.s.

This is a special report about an air rifle that can only be purchased directly from Crosman/Benjamin. It’s a Nitro Piston rifle, which is Crosman’s trademarked name for their gas spring, and this rifle has been limited to velocities under 695 f.p.s. The box says it’s a hunting air rifle, but I wouldn’t recommend it for that.

When one of our readers mentioned that this gun existed, I became excited because I liked the performance of the Crosman Titan GP (Lower Velocity). I did a complete report on the lower velocity Titan GP in .22 caliber. It was relatively easy to cock (for a gun with a gas spring) and had a wonderful firing behavior. It was also reasonably accurate. Those are all the things we look for in spring guns, so at the time I wondered if Crosman would ever release a .177 version of the rifle.

The gun I’m testing for you today is that airgun — a .177-caliber Titan GP with Nitro Piston that has been limited to no more than 695 f.p.s. for Illinois state law compliance. (That law has since been lifted, so these guns are being sold off by Crosman.) This is what I have been asking for, for a long time. Now I have the opportunity to test one and see what it can do.

The rifle
The Titan GP is a breakbarrel spring rifle that has a Nitro Piston gas spring in place of a conventional coiled steel mainspring. That does several things for the gun. First, it lightens it by close to a pound. This test rifle weighs 8 lbs., 2 oz. with the scope mounted. I weighed it that way because there are no other sights, and the scope is essential. That puts this right in the medium weight range for a springer.

Next, the Nitro Piston makes the gun cock differently, and this is why I’ve been wanting a lower-powered .177-caliber gas spring gun to test. Conventional gas spring rifles are all hard to cock because the full force of the gas is encountered at the start of the cocking stroke — when the cocking linkage provides the least amount of mechanical advantage. When a gas spring gun cocks with 35 lbs. of force, it feels like 50 because of how difficult it is in the beginning. But the test rifle is set to deliver much lower power, which means the Nitro Piston in this rifle doesn’t require as much effort to cock. That turns out to be a great advantage when you actually use the gun.

The Titan GP has an articulated cocking link, so the cocking slot in the stock is shorter than it would have to be if the link was one piece. That helps with vibration, as well, since there’s more solid wood in the stock. I also notice the pivot bolt is slotted. That means the owner can adjust the pivot tension as required. That’s a wonderful feature, especially on a gun for this price.

The rifle is housed in a hardwood stock that’s finished with a dull sheen. The wood is not too carefully shaped, and you can see evidence of power tools used to do the shaping here and there. The wood has a very tight grain that doesn’t stand out in any way. The stock is a stylized thumbhole that I don’t care for because you’re forced to keep the thumb of your shooting hand wrapped around the pistol grip instead of along the side of the stock. It’s a clumsy feeling for me; but if you aren’t used to the older way of holding a rifle stock, it may suit you fine. I know that thumbhole stocks do have a lot of proponents.

The stock isn’t too thick through either the wrist or the forearm. It feels about the same as a Beeman R9, which is a medium-sized spring rifle.

The metal parts are finished to a dull sheen, also. They’re uniform and give the rifle the look of a hunting gun.

This is a full-sized rifle, if not a heavy one. The barrel, including the muzzlebrake, measures 18-7/8 inches long, and the overall length is 43-7/8 inches. The pull is 13-7/8 inches long.

There are no sights, so this one is meant to be scoped. Indeed a basic Centerpoint 4×32 scope and mount comes packed with it. I mounted the scope immediately because it’s the only way to sight when shooting.

So the story is — here’s a lower-powered .177 breakbarrel air rifle with a gas spring. Oh, and Crosman is selling them directly for just $71! There — have I got your attention? That was what also attracted me when our reader pointed it out. This is not a magnum springer that doubles as a portable gym. It’s a tractable, lightweight .177 rifle that could be used for plinking if you like, and as far as I’m concerned there are not enough of those on the market today.

Trigger
The trigger on this rifle is supposed to be adjustable for the length of the second-stage pull via a screw located behind the trigger blade. Well, I turned that screw in both directions a LOT and nothing happened. The second-stage pull is extremely long and creepy and will have an effect on accuracy, I’m sure.

There is a safety, and I’m glad to report that it is manual. Take it off and shoot the rifle without worrying about the safety every time the gun is cocked. That’s a huge plus, in my opinion.

I have questions
First, is this rifle a suitable first air rifle? If this test proves out then it will be strong support that the market needs more rifles like this.

Second, can this rifle be accurate with the trigger that’s on it? The pull is so long, heavy and creepy that I really don’t think it can, but that’s what this test will discover.

Observations so far
I was very curious about the firing behavior of this rifle; so, as soon as it arrived, I took it out of the box and shot it several times. So far, I can tell you that it does cock easily, though not as easily as a Bronco. But for a gas spring, this is about as easy as they get.

The firing behavior is very smooth, although the rifle does lunge forward quickly at the end of the shot. Of course that is the case with all gas-spring powerplants, but this one lacks the slide-hammer effect of too much power.

The scope appears to be pretty nice for what it is. I find myself comparing it to a vintage American-made Leupold M8 scope I have that is also 4X, and this one is coming out okay.

Every so often there are deals that pop up for a while. I have made you aware of some of them in this blog, and I think the test rifle might be another one. I will therefore put it on the fast track, so you can get in line if it proves to be good.

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.

92 thoughts on “Benjamin Titan GP air rifle with Nitro Piston: Part 1”

  1. Sounds exactly like the one in my closet, except for caliber and velocity.
    Mine has a bigger bore and is much slower.

    I will pass on this one. I would give someone a Gamo with a broken spring first.

    twotalon

      • B.B.s description of this particular version is identical to the Crosman branded version that I have…trigger and finish both. Even the scope.

        Mine turned out to be a pig. Too much wrong with it. I really could have liked it if not for too many problems.

        twotalon

      • Kevin,

        I believe I have the same model as twotalon, except for mine had no issues. It is very accurate, and even powerful enough for plinking out to 100 yards. Of course, it helps that it’s .22 caliber for longer distance shooting. I did in fact switch the trigger to a GRT III. I’ve had about as much fun with this rifle as any.

        I do, however, know how twotalon feels when getting a lemon. It’s easy to waste a lot of time on one.

        Victor

    • illini,
      First welcome to the blog and welcome to Illinois. You ask a very good question and are looking into a can of worms, however,the best source of information is found by doing a Google search on “Illinois gun laws” to answer your question. There isn’t any one link that can answer your question, not to mention that I don’t know which question you want answered. For instance: do you want intrastate transporting laws, interstate transporting laws, concealed carry laws, pistol ownership laws, hunting laws, possession laws, purchasing laws, Firearms Owner Identification (FOID) laws, home protection laws, living in the city of Chicago laws, etc. There is no quick answer or quick link to answer all these. I suggest you do a search as I mentioned and study everything you get a hit on that is not merely someones personal opinion.

      The best of luck to you because Illinois is one of the worst states for gun ownership. Not THE worst but one of the worst and I think now the only one that doesn’t allow concealed carry.

      -Chuckj

        • kenholmz,
          I don’t see where you got that. Read this again.

          “Firearm means any device……EXCLUDING, however:
          (1) any pneumatic gun, spring gun, paint ball gun, or
          B-B gun which either expels a single globular projectile
          not exceeding .18 inch in diameter or which has a
          maximum muzzle velocity of less than 700 feet per second ”

          So below 700 is excluded and not a firearm.

          -Chuckj

          • chuckj, you are correct in what you say. I was actually referring to the .22 being restricted to less than 700 fps. However, I erred regarding the .177 because I missed the word globular initially. ~Ken

            • kenholmz,
              I don’t know how to interpret this now, in Illinois. Up until now .22 in any velocity required going through an FFL licensed dealer, and any .177 over 700 fps also required an FFL. This makes me think .22 under 700fps can be shipped to my door. I don’t know how many .22s are below 700 of if one that low is useful even if it is legal to be shipped to me. Regardless, if I ever want one that low I’ll let PA decide if I need an FFL dealer.
              -Chuckj

      • That “single globular projectile” clause could be taken to exclude PELLET guns COMPLETELY… “globular” applying to steel BB, 6mm AirSoft, and large diameter paintball ammo…

        • Wulfraed, oh my!! You are certainly correct about the meaning of globular. Yes, the word “either” was removed. Unfortunately, what is left suggests that devices expelling non-globular projectiles by “expansion of gas or escape of gas” may not be excluded. However, because the law makers and lawyers have determined this to be otherwise, I am sure I just don’t understand the intricacies of legal language.
          ~Ken

        • Wulfread,

          “Firearm” means any device…excluding, however:
          (1) any pneumatic gun, spring gun, paint ball gun, or
          B-B gun which either expels a single globular projectile
          not exceeding .18 inch in diameter or which has a
          maximum muzzle velocity of less than 700 feet per second”

          The “or” part excludes any air rifle under 700fps regardless of projectile shape. It could also be read to exclude a .22 pellet if it’s under 700fps since less than .18 describes only the globular projectile and not the Diabolo shape.

          -Chuckj

  2. Strange, I just received mine yesterday as I intend to give it to a friend for Christmas. The Illinois origin makes sense as I thought the lower velocity spring was reserved for the .22. It failed though on mine, after a dozen initial burn off shots I ran mine across the chrony and its average is 750 fps with 7.9g tinned CPHP. I have the same trouble I had with my low velocity Titan, the reach for the trigger finger is too long, I’ll probably swap it for the Remington Summit stock as this ones far a lady friend. They do scream for an aftermarket trigger, shame as the shape of the blade itself is excellent.

  3. The Bronco is a best buy (if not the best buy) in a sub $200 shoot all day utility air rifle, but my example also has some minor tool marks on the stock. Wisely, the stock is blond on the Bronco, so the toolmarks are not as apparent (and the finish is easier to maintain if scratched). The stain on the Titan certainly highlights the toolmarks on the stock.The Titan I ordered, without sights, weighs the same as my Bronco, although I have not weighed the Titan with sights yet (I am waiting on a weaver rail to arrive as I will be mounting a red dot sight for use at close range). I look forward to the rest of the report.

      • Loren…

        I cranked the T200 this morning, and shot with 8.4 gr Exacts.
        Fill 190 BAR, flow restriction screw backed out two turns even from where I had been with it (mid 500s). Ended at 100 BAR. 70 shots.

        I expected some problems with a change in the power curve. It looked good when it got there for 30 shots. Took 30 shots to climb up to it. Velocity ran in the 780s for those 30 shots across the top of the curve. Slowly trailed back down from there.

        So if you crank it very much, you need to drop the fill pressure. The curve will shift on you. I would guess this is because (primarily) of a large change in back pressure when the adjustment screw is backed out..

        twotalon

      • Loren…

        I should add this to make it more clear as to what I am looking at…
        I am looking at the self regulating part of the curve. I could have given it another 20 shots or so in the shot count if I had allowed for a 30 fps spread.

        This thing flat tops a curve really nice.

        twotalon

      • Jan…
        I remember now…it was you who was looking.

        I will answer anything I can for you. I know B.B. did a review on the S model some time ago.

        I really like this rifle in the feel and balance. Shoots flat top curves for a lot of shots. Not super power, but if you want that then you look for something else.

        There are some things to watch like being careful about fooling with the trigger. Five adjustments can get you in trouble. The one that really bites is if you set it up wrong and have something snag the striker part way through the firing cycle. You will get some very slow shots.
        If the striker preload is too light, the curve will be ragged looking with poor stability. When you have just enough preload, it will self regulate smooth and flat.
        Expect 60 or so shots over the flat part at 10m velocities. Cranked up, about 30 shots flat. You want to allow for more spread, you have more shots than that.

        It eats pellets. Small tank, but it is an air mizer. You go through a lot of pellets between fills.

        twotalon

        • Thanks for all the details, TT. The T200 sounds like a great choice for something to “share” with my boys.

          Now, the challenge will be the decision: once I have the $$$ in hand, what do I do with it? Take it to Pyramyd for a T200? Or perhaps CMP for something that goes “ping” after the eighth shot? Or that classic LGR or 300S that’s on my bucket list? First-world problems, eh?

          Thanks,
          Jan

          • Jan…

            Yeah…maybe the best thing to do is think on it for a while. You might come up with a particular reason why one particular rifle might be a better choice than another for what you want to do with it.

            I won’t twist your arm to pick one over another. Just because I like this one for certain reasons does not mean that you would feel the same. I often choose certain rifles to shoot because of a particular purpose at the time. I want to use the best one for the job. Sometimes it’s a tossup. That happens when you have too many that are about equal .

            twotalon

  4. This seems like it has enough going “for” it to justify correcting any inherent weaknesses as delivered! The price is certainly right! A reasonable assortment of pellets in any caliber would set you back as much…….and if you ordered a small assortment of accessories with it you could then give someone a nice “starter” airgun pkg. for Christmas (or Hanuuka,Kwanza,Festivus……)

  5. I checked and pyramyd air has a titan gp nitro piston. I’m interested in it. The price is right and theirs is a healthy 950 fps in a .22 cal which I prefer over the .177. My mind just cannot grasp a .177 caliber as big enough to hunt things like muskrats and groundhogs even though I have sucessfully hunted muskrat with a high powered .177 caliber before. But as I think about it, 4.5mm lead pellets just seem way too small for the job. I’m thinking I might spend the $150 and get the .22 titan gp. I’ve never used a gas spring gun before and I’d like to give one a try as a possible back up or alternate to my condor.

    I love my condor but in 95+ degree heat and high humidity pumping it up is a very unpleasant job. I have plenty of springers but I’m not overly excited with their performance in the field due to all the vibration. So, I’m looking for a happy meduim. Springer with airforce condor smoothness in firing. 950 fps is respectable enough for short range pest elimination the way I see it. (short range is inder 100 yards to me.)

    • John,

      Smoothness is relative. Think “smoothness for a springer.” The gas spring airgun has a big jolt at the end of the firing cycle that conventional springs have not prepared you for. And your Condor has spoiled you altogether.

      Also, a full-power gas spring breakbarrel will need the full Monte of artillery hold, to shoot accurately.

      Just know these things when you purchase the gun.

      B.B.

      • I’ll keep that in mind. I know I’ll never get the condor performance out of a springer. That condor is top notch equipment and all tricked out to my specifications. Mine has even had a hydro dip. (did it myself. One of the products I offer in my custom airgun business.) I’m just looking for something useful for when pest season starts in the spring. So, when it’s way too hot to make my condor an appealing working gun I have something alternate to fall back on. I’m no stranger to recoil having a bolt action Mossberg 100 ATR chambered in .270 Winchester magnum. That gun will knock you on your backside if you aren’t ready for some serious recoil.

    • John, the forums indicate there is a sizable group of people who like their Titans. I have one and I plan to keep it. However, please don’t buy into the 950 fps using anything but the lightweight alloy pellets. Typical fps with 7.9 gr lead pellets is sub 800 fps. I just don’t want you to be disappointed.
      ~Ken

      • I don’t like light weight pellets anyway. I prefer something with mass since that is what’s needed to do the damage I need done when hunting. I have some gamo raptors but never use them. They were free with a gamo gun I ordered a long time ago. Good gun, but not getting much use out of it since my condor came. I like that gun so much it even got a name “Marvelous, Magnificent Mad Madam Mim”. Extra credit points if you know where the name came from.

          • Ding ding ding! Bonus points for Ken. Fitting for a gun that can change calibers, optics, grips and power in seconds just like it’s namesake crazy disney villain. One of my favorite disney villains since i remember her dancing around singing and changing forms quite often.

            • Well I am somewhat ashamed of myself in a way. I bowed out of getting one of these and selected an airforce talon that I’ll be turning into a hybrid Talon P of sorts. I can’t just buy a Talon P in michigan so I have to do things the hard way. I thought about it and the titan won’t solve one problem I have when doing pest control in a corn field. The longer gun gets hung up in the corn, makes racket and fouls my shot. After carefully thinking it through the talon was a better fit to my needs with a 12 inch barrel and of course a scope for distance and fiber optics for close in work. I might experiment with this later. I have to get the good stuff while i got the money for it.

    • John,

      I’m very happy with my Titan GP in .22 caliber. Mine is surprisingly accurate, and because it’s a .22, it can reach out to 100 yards with reasonable authority. Yes, you will feel and hear a thump, but I haven’t found mine to be particularly difficult to shoot. I advise that you switch triggers to the GRT III. However, the stock worked well enough for me that the factory trigger was not too bad for plinking. It’s been a very long time since I last shot it, but if I recall I gripped mine low with my trigger hand.

      Victor

      • I’m thinking replacing the stock scope with something a bit more high end like those UTG 32 color mil dot scopes would be a good thing to increase accuracy. I’ve notices quality optics make a world of difference as well.

        • John,

          Because of the Titan GP’s long range capability, it warrants a more powerful scope, like maybe 16x. I don’t like to use spotting scopes when out in the field. 9x magnification barely allows you to see your pellet holes up to 50 yards with .22 caliber pellets, but 16x make it a whole lot easier.

          In my personal experience a scope doesn’t necessarily get you more accuracy when compared with a good set of iron sights. For sure, not when compared with target aperture sights. The reason for more magnification, for me at least, is to be able to see your shots on paper.

          Using a scope won’t make you steadier, and the higher the magnification the narrower your field of view and the more motion you see. It’s all about compromise. With a variable power scope, you use the higher magnification to test for accuracy (i.e., groups), whereas you use the lower power for quicker target acquisition when hunting.

          Victor

          • Well said but I’ll also be using a bipod from a good supported prone position with a high magnification scope. For things like muskrat and groundhog I find that works well. Especially when I know where they live or where they normally run. Then I simply set up in the area and quietly wait for them. When I see a target I take my time and set up the shot. This usually doesn’t end well for the critter but I get the job done. Of course nature being what it is. Sometimes the animal moves at just the right time in a direction I wasn’t counting on and it’s a miss. A nice powerful scope I find minimizes this because then I can “get up close enough” to see my target and I can figure out what it will do. With a lower power scope I see enough of the animal at a long distance to identify it as one I need to make recently dead but sometimes misjudge the direction it’s facing so i lead my shot the wrong way or perhaps don’t see the animal is on alert and stopping unexpectedly and miss by a few whiskers. I can work with the stock trigger. Once I’m used to it my optics are the thing I need.

            • John,

              Sure, what you say makes perfect sense. In all the times that I’ve been out to my favorite desert spot I’ve never seen a live critter except for an occasional bird. I don’t hunt, so I don’t have your experience. You’ve just added dimension and depth to my understanding of how a scope can help. Thanks!

              Victor

              • No problem. I target shoot when I’m out hunting and aren’t finding anything. I should be setting there good and quiet, but after a few hours of seeing nothing, watching dragonflies, bees pollinating, fish jumping, and trying to find out which bird up in the tree just crapped on me, I get bored and out come the prariechuck targets. I figure if I don’t have anything to hunt, i might as well practice a bit. In the winter I I bring it inside and target shoot. When you hunt target shooting is great to keep you sharp for when you have to take that shot.

      • I wish for a Titan GP or a Trail NP, but some people say they’ve been unreliable for them. Will a gas piston gun be dependable in the long run? I have several (metal spring) springers–some from China, an couple German, and haven’t had any trouble with any of them. I can deal with the negatives people mention about gas pistons (often snappy, harder to cock, and more expensive) and want to try one anyway. I just wonder if the Benjamin/Crosmans are as good as their metal spring guns, and will the piston seals ans gas charge hold for many years?
        RobT

        • Rob T,

          Will they stand behind the gun years from now? That is difficult to say. As you point out, with a coil spring, you don’t have to have the exact part to repair a gun. But with a gas spring you do. I own 4 gas spring guns. One is 12 years old and still works well. Two are about three years old and still work.

          However 50 years from now, I doubt any of them will be working. And the parts to repair them are so specific and often proprietary that they will be next to impossible to fix when the time come.

          B.B.

        • RobT,

          B.B. has an enormous amount of insight that I don’t. All I can add is that I’ve now owned mine for over two years, used it a great deal, and it still functions perfectly.

          Victor

    • John, I am surprised I made a mistake and surprised no one has mentioned it. I told you the Titan was shooting sub 800 fps with 7.9 grain pellets. I meant 14.3 grain pellets because we are talking about the .22 caliber version. ~Ken

      • No biggie. I’m still thinking this might be a decent gas spring gun. I’ve never had a gas spring before and I figure for the price I won’t be out much if I decide it isn’t all that.

        • John, I think it is a bit of a big deal because of what you wrote in the beginning. The 14.3 gr pellet traveling at 720 fps muzzle velocity will hit harder than the 7.9 gr pellet at the same muzzle velocity. And I expect the down range fpe will be greater with the .22. If the rifle has good accuracy I expect you will enjoy it. I look forward to your take on the gas spring system. ~Ken

          • What matters to me is when I take this into the field and set up the prariechucks. Once it proves itself on those then I’ll think about putting it to use in my hunting once I see it’s capability. I noticed they have a titan gp xl that fires harder but I don’t think I want to go with that extra expense and weight for a type of gun I am not sure if it will end up gathering dust in my armory or be an adequate hunting gun.

            • John, the Benjamin Trail XL models are built on a different power plant than either the Titan or the Trail (without the XL; this Trail is built on the same power plant as the Titan but it has the barrel shroud and the weaver rail).
              B.B. wrote this about the Trail XL,

              /blog/2010/03/benjamin-trail-np-xl1100-part-4/

              “The importance of the artillery hold was mentioned in yesterday’s report, but I’m repeating it today because it’s so important. There’s no rifle more difficult to shoot accurately than a breakbarrel springer. They’re twitchy and extremely sensitive to how they’re held. The worst are the super magnums (like this one) and those that have a long piston stroke–also like this one. I anticipate that hold will be critical.”

              The reported cocking effort for the XL models is 47 pounds. For the Trail it is 33 pounds, and one tested Trail for this blog cocked with 38 pounds effort.

              /blog/2010/07/benjamin-trail-nitro-piston-hardwood-part-2/

              The reported cocking effort for the regular Titan is 31 pounds.

              Just more grist for the mill. ~Ken

              • Critical thing is the barrel shroud for me. I live in Michigan where I need an FFL holder to get anything with a shrouded barrel, so the xl is right out for me then. I know a dealer that can get the gun for me but I’m not about to be bent over a barrel for his fees, which are a bit high. I can pump a condor to 3000 psi so I definitely have the brawn to handle the XL but for the first gas springer I think the gp will be a safer bet. I’m well familiar with springers since I have many and I used to hunt with them before my condor and discovery spoiled me rotten. I found the discovery was a good gun but a bit underpowered. I fixed that by re-valving it and sticking on a power adjuster. One of my friends begged me to sell him my highly modified discovery until i did, so now I’m in a market for other guns just to have a bit of variety. I just like to try different guns then say I have them in my collection and can comment on them based on what i have experienced. I figure this and that strange looking new crosman TR77 break barrel should be on my wanted list. Anyone here ever shot that one yet? I’m highly curious as to if it’s worth my time to buy.

                  • I’ll keep that in mind. I like the looks of the gun but I also require them to be adequate for my uses too. I’m sure I have passed up many a good rifle because my guns have to be sufficient exterminators too, not just good target guns.

                • Sounds like you have plenty of brawn, John. No Trail for you, it sounds like. The regular Titan may be in the cards. It isn’t the only one, of course, but if you want to try the Nitro Piston it may be a good one to try.
                  ~Ken

                  • That’s what I’m thinking. That way if I don’t like it I’ve spent around $150 instead of almost double that for a gun I may or may not use more than a handful of times. Problem is I have so many air rifles that they don’t all get used as much as I’d like.

  6. B.B.

    It seems to me I’m a military-grade bullet-proof and water-resistant fool 🙂
    From what I found 15 minutes ago the first reason behind DWR’s erratic shots is simple like eeer, I don’t know what. My rifle’s receiver is held in place by 2 screws in the front and 2 screws in the rear. And I screwed it up 🙂 Front screws are 2 M4, rear screws are 2 M5. Yours truly used all 4 M4 screws with results you’ve read not so long ago.
    *facepalm*
    Genius…
    Fixed it and now waiting for weekend to test it.

    duskwight

    • DW,
      Now I believe you are doing the work yourself, if I ever had any doubt! Just the other day I tried to use my 1/4-28 tap drill to tap 10-32 hole, after spending an hour setting up the drill press and setting up where it went :). I had originally intended 1/4-28, but found 10-32 would work fine and I had the type of head I needed in that size; unfortunately I forgot to inform myself of the change!

      • BG_Farmer, I have you to thank for the anatomical description of the shoulder pocket. The rifle stock is now resting more or less on the deltoid, but with the way the pectoral and other muscles move to get into that position, the pocket is stable and my shooting is the better for it! Thanks.

        Matt61

      • BG_Farmer,

        Reading you I’m glad I live in a metric world 🙂 All measures and screw dimensions are “square”, quite straightforward and logical.
        Every time I stumble upon an Imperial system screw it’s a real conundrum for me, a reason to search in a book and look for my screw gauge – and a real pain to get tap screws, bolts and nuts.

        duskwight

  7. $71 caught my attention too. “Tight-grained” speaks to me off high-quality wood but I guess it wouldn’t be much to look at without any features.

    /Dave, thanks for your encouraging post. So well-expressed and just what I want to hear. Who would have thought that snap caps that are dimensionally so close to actual rounds would behave so differently in the gun? This speaks to me of amazingly precise tolerances in the manufacture of the gun. And maybe the dimensions are not that close after all. My 30-06 snap cap is way off the standard overall length recommended in my Lyman reloading manual. What bothered me most about all this was not the apparent malfunction but that it came from my gunsmith with his specialty in British weapons. He went over every part of that gun, took special care to fix the feed-ramp, test-fired it 11 times and assured me that it was functioning perfectly. If he made such a blatant error as the gun not feeding, I wouldn’t know where to look next. My ammo arrives in a couple days and while cautiously optimistic, I await my range test this weekend like Frankenstein’s monster with “unutterable anxiety.”

    I seem to have quietly passed a stage in my shooting where the follow-through has become a matter of feel and not just an intellectual act. It feels bad and wrong when I don’t follow-through. So, I’m getting closer to the Jaws of the Subconscious. This phenomenon, in turn, may have a much deeper significance than I had supposed. I’m reading a book called Proof of Heaven by Eben Alexander a Harvard neuroscientist who went into a seemingly fatal coma with a severe case of meningitis and woke up some days later perfectly healthy with an elaborate vision of going to heaven. It’s an interesting counterpoint to the book The Boy Who Went to Heaven. There you could make the case that the boy was too young to assess what had happened and that he might have been influenced by his religious family. This guy, on the other hand, is the super-scientist from Harvard who was fairly indifferent to religion before. What exactly he’s proven remains to be seen, but it is interesting to see science now working towards religion than against as is commonly the case.

    In the early part of the book, he recounts an experience on his college skydiving team. There was a mistake in the team formation and he was plunging down towards a team-member who was opening his chute. The doctor says at their closing speed of about 150 mph they could have clipped off limbs from each other and a direct collision would have caused their bodies to explode. Without thinking about it, the doctor did some kind of complicated maneuver that caused him to catch the air and successfully avoid the guy. The Jaws of the Subconscious! The doctor himself attributes this “deepest” and “smartest” part of ourselves to something else altogether. Reading outside summaries, I gather that this is part of his theory about the mind and consciousness not being limited to the physical brain but having some outside existence that has a scientific reality. Well, no wonder it’s so easy to hit the shot in those cases. 🙂

    In my reading, the doctor has just entered heaven which looks like … rustic villages full of happy peasants singing and dancing. Hm, I can’t say that that is my idea of fun in this life. But from the viewpoint the doctor describes, maybe everything is different. 🙂

    Matt61

    • Matt61,

      Congratulations on your mastery of follow-through! The same will eventually happen with your trigger execution. Knowledge is rarely enough. You have to practice with the goal of not only executing what you know, but capturing the experience at all levels of your mind and body. It’s frustrating when we’re “almost there” and can do it 6, 7, or 8 times out of 10. Now that I’m getting a little more time at shooting again, I’m amazed at how much I can only learn from experience and practice. You might get shot execution down pat in terms of the fundamentals, but mess up at how you look through your scope (i.e., not perfectly centered). There’s always a good reasons why a shot is blown. Only you can figure out what you might have done wrong. I’m talking about shots that you thought were good, but that weren’t. Of course, it’s a whole lot easier if you stick with one gun, which I usually don’t.

      Victor

  8. BB,

    When I asked about this rifle a couple weeks ago I thought it would appeal to you. I am glad I alerted you to it although I’m sure you would have seen it sooner or later anyway. Let’s hope it’s a winner.

    I have had mine for several days now. I concur about the stock. It’s a shame because we know Crosman can do better. This is my third Titan. The .22 GP Lower Power has a much different, lighter color to the stock and is actually pretty nice. About the same color as my Marauder stock. The grain of the wood contrasts nicely with the lighter stain. The darker stain on my full power .22 and this new .177 is just plain ugly in my opinion. I guess someone might actually like it better but not me. As far as the grip goes I prefer to hold my thumb on top of the stock behind the spring tube. I have average size hands and average length fingers so you could give that a try. I find it comfortable.

    Just FYI I found my barrel to be really dirty. Countless patches with and without Ballistol pulled through with a brownish-orangeish crud left on the patches. Might have to get out the J-B bore paste and brush.

    I took the action out of the stock to inspect and clean with Ballistol. I noticed that the stock screws appeared to have blue locktite on them. I don’t recall seeing that before though I may not remember. I used some Vibra-Tite (Thanks Kevin!) when I reinstalled.

    Of the three Titans this one has the best factory trigger but I am sure it is just luck of the draw. Stage two is discernible but vague if that makes any sense. The shot goes off just after I feel stage two so it’s predictable. Adjusting the screw had no effect on my trigger either. I have replaced the trigger on my tow older Titans with an aftermarket trigger which helps a lot.

    Mine shoots around 670 fps with CPL’s. My cocking effort was pretty hard at first but seems to be getting easier. Perhaps the seal is breaking in? An interesting point here is how pellet seating seems to affect velocity on this rifle. I experimented with seating the CPL’s into the barrel. Not real deep but a couple of millimeters beyond flush. Velocity dropped to 600 fps. That’s a 70 fps drop. I know that it’s normal for a little drop but this seemed extreme to me. Other pellets seemed to behave like the CPL’s.

    I shot a bit for accuracy and was disappointed. However, when I picked up the rifle today I noticed the scope had come loose. I now consider that testing invalid. New hope.

    I keep reminding myself that this is a $71 rifle. I could buy 4 for what I spent on my most recent R7 with change to spare. If I can get even decent accuracy out of it I think it’s a winner.

    Looking forward to the rest of your report.

    • Thank you for all your experience with this rifle. Except for the triggers is seems we have similar guns.

      I have tried deep seating and had planned to do it in the accuracy test, but now I’m not sure. I will definitely clean the barrel though.

      B.B.

    • Ken
      Awesome! It’ll play in Peoria but probably as a firearm since it comes with .22 and .25 barrels, also. It looks awesome shooting arrows in the video and probably worth the $2,500 it retails for.
      -Chuckj

  9. B.B. , I went to the Crosman web site and noticed that the lower power (495 fps 22 cal) Nitro Piston Titan is back in stock. It is listed as : Trail NP All Weather 495fps (.22) Model: BT5M22SNP. However, it is a lot more than this gun you are testing…at 299.99. I think I’ll read your report on it again and see if I can talk myself into buying one. Brad

    • Brad,

      That gun isn’t what I tested. It sounds like a Canadian version of the gun, which does accomplish the same thing, though the velocity does have to be below 500 f.p.s. The lower-power .22 I tested was in the 600 f.p.s. region.

      Thanks for this info. It sounds like Crosman is still listening, which they are very good at.

      B.B.

  10. I bought a Benjamin Titan GP a couple days ago from PyramydAir.com.

    “0.22” (5.5mm), 950 fps, Hardwood, Ambi, Brown
    950 fps with alloy pellets, 800 fps with lead pellets”

    …this is FALSE ADVERTISING. i don’t know what pellets are used for testing, but the crosman hollow point 14.3g .22’s are super slow. definitely SUB-sonic by a long shot! so to speak. i have put about 100 pellets through it since i received it on the 12th of december 2012, and done the requisite break in period. the first of two major disappointments was the trigger. solved this with a youtube.com video by a couple of 5mm i.d. zinc plated split washers on the sear actuator pin. this mod still has a short first stage and now has a nice, sweet, hair-but not too short second stage. previously, the trigger creep was so long that i had to guess where the shot would end up. the adjustment screw had no affect whatsoever. unacceptably long trigger.

    next disappointment was the lack of power. while now I’m getting nice groups cuz of the cheap, 0.20 cent trigger mod, (I feel for you $40 gtr3 buyers) i’m wondering if the break in period is over. when i put a drop of oil in the barrel there is a significant speed increase for two shots. it is obvious. will the gun still break in? is there a product that can help with the speeds and therefore the power? thanks guys,
    Jack

    • Jack,

      Calm down. Please tell us what your actual velocities are. 950 f.p.s. is also “sub-sonic,” so that isn’t telling us anything.

      Since Crosman Premiers weigh 14.3 grains I would expect them to go somewhere in the high 600s to the low 700s, in a gun advertised to make 800 f.p.s. with lead pellets. RWS Hobbys would be the lead pellet they tested it with.

      Stop putting oil in the gun. It just makes the shot detonate and does nothing to help the gun. Your gun needs no oil at this time.

      Now that you have a sweet trigger and are getting good groups, perhaps you can help others know about this airgun by writing a guest blog about your experience?

      B.B.

    • jack i found 2 videos on a trigger that looks to be what you’re talking about , but i’m not sure . i was trying to get more info about them The videos i found) on a forum and they weren’t well received . i’ll link to the thread with the videos in the first post . if i don’t have the right videos can you link me to the ones you were referring to please .

      thanks , jeff

      • ok. so i’m calm now, B.B.! LOL sorry if i went off the deep end, a bit. i have done the trigger mod and love the trigger now. grouping is real nice, with an occasional stray. I figure i gotta put at least 500 pellets thru it to get better groups. break in is still in process. no more oil, and i’m gonna get me a crony green in January. hopefully, things will improve. thanks for putting up with me, and anybody who wants a nicer, less foul mouth-ed walk thru of the trigger mod, get a couple 5mm split washers (lock washers) that is M5 split washers and i will be happy to talk people thru it. my alternate email that i keep for stuff like this is available as jackc396@yahoo.com. i Will BE NICE!!! LOL

  11. Mr. Gaylord, I am new to the sport of air gunning. I purchased a Titan GP in the .22 cal (not the lower velocity version) I did some research on line and the rifle received decent reviews and was within my price range. And I purchased it with the intent to hunt small game. I am preparing to hunt this fall season but before I venture out I wanted to know if you could answer a couple questions. First is this rifle equal to the task I am intending? And as I am in CA. where I am hunting prohibits the use of lead ammunition, What lead free do you recommend? Thank you for your time and attention to my query. And I do very much enjoy reading your posts so thank you.

    • Kurt,

      First of all, what are you hunting?

      I recommend the H&N Baracuda Green. No lead-free pellet is as accurate as a good lead pellet, but these are pretty good.

      Your maximum range is the distance at which you can put 10 out of 10 shots into one-inch, center-to-center.

      Welcome to the blog!

      B.B.

      • Hello B.B. and thanks for replying. Squirrel and Cottontail rabbit. I am planning on sighting in for 25 yards not quite knowing what the maximum effective range for the Titan GP to humanely dispatch my prey. Ive done some scouting and I have been able to get within @ 25 yards of both.

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