by Tom Gaylord, a.k.a. B.B. Pelletier
We learned this weekend that Robert Law, founder of the original Air Rifle Headquarters, has just passed away. For those who are new to airguns, Air Rifle Headquarters was the first informative airgun importer in the U.S., preceding Beeman Precision Airguns. ARH was the rocket that lifted airgunning off the pad, and Beeman boosted it into orbit. If you want to know more about this early history, read a three-part blog I wrote about Air Rifle Headquarters and Beeman Precision Airguns and how they started.
This report covers:
• Time to evaluate the gun
• The rifle
• Where is it made?
• Initial impressions
Benjamin Trail Nitro Piston 2
The day has finally arrived. And it isn’t what I’d envisioned. When I left the SHOT Show in January, Crosman and I were on the same page with this new Benjamin Trail Nitro Piston 2. I told them how important I felt this rifle was going to be, and they assured me that I would get one to review for you at exactly the right time. So, when the guns became available, my reports would have just started. They told me that would happen in April, but I assured them I knew things don’t always work out as planned.
Well, it’s now June and not only is the rifle hitting the market a little late, it appears that Crosman plans pumping them out as fast as they can. Pyramyd AIR received a large shipment of rifles just a little over a week ago, and those arrivals have all been spoken for — but more are coming.
Pyramyd AIR shipped me a wood-stocked .22-caliber rifle the next day, which is how I came to have the test gun. It’s serial No. 414DAO482, but that may not matter because I promised to buy the test rifle if it turns out to shoot like the rifle I tested in Las Vegas.
Time to evaluate the gun
I was pleasantly surprised when I shot the NP2 at the SHOT Show this year. The rifle I fired seemed to do everything Crosman said it would. It cocked easily for a powerful rifle with a gas spring, the trigger was smooth, light and crisp on the release, the shooting sensation was dead calm — and from the spinners I was hitting on the range, the rifle appeared to be quite accurate.
Of course, there were things I couldn’t evaluate under those circumstances. I was told the rifle’s discharge sound was less than that of a Benjamin Marauder, but there were a thousand other media members on the ranges, all banging away with firearms. It was liken a war out there, and I was unable to evaluate the sound of a quiet air rifle. But I can do that now.
I can also evaluate the accuracy potential much more precisely with paper targets that show the results. And best of all, I can address those nasty doubts that some people are trying to put in the minds of buyers that the NP2 Crosman is shipping is somehow not as nice as the gun that was available for testing in Vegas. The whole point of this rifle is to eliminate all those drawbacks that inexpensive gas-spring breakbarrel rifles have had up to now:
Heavy cocking effort (40-60 lbs.).
Heavy and creepy triggers.
Painful recoil and vibration at discharge.
Mediocre accuracy.
Sharp crack at discharge.
Gas springs have so many potential advantages over coiled steel springs that cleaning up this punch list of flaws makes perfect sense. You see, gas springs:
Can remain cocked without spring power degradation.
Are less sensitive to cold.
Have less vibration (buzzing) on discharge.
Have an even cocking pressure all the way through the stroke.
Are lighter weight.
If the new Benjamin Trail NP2 rifle addresses those faults mentioned above, then it will be a major step forward in spring gun technology, in my opinion. The rifle I tested at the SHOT Show certainly seemed to address as many of them as I was able to evaluate, which is why I said in my 2014 Gaylord Reports chapter in the new Blue Book of Airguns that the NP2 is the standout airgun product for 2014.
I said that because the majority of airgunners still shoot spring-piston guns. If that were not the case, the new NP2 wouldn’t be the story that it potentially is because tens of thousands of customers wouldn’t be interested in it.
From a technological standpoint, the AirForce Escape rifles are every bit as novel as the NP2, for what they are and what they can do. But the majority of airgunners in the U.S. do not shoot precharged guns, and that is not likely to change anytime soon. So, the NP2 is positioned to have a major impact in how the majority of airgunners view their sport/hobby.
I’ve explained my thinking so you’ll understand that this is not just another product test. It may seem like that; and if you are interested in this gun, you’ll get all you came to find. But there’s more at stake here than just one air rifle, or even a line of air rifles. This is a potential upgrade to gas-spring technology that has for so long been stalled because of the drawbacks mentioned above. If Crosman has truly solved all or most of these faults in gas-spring technology, then the future of this type of airgun seems very bright.
The rifle
As mentioned, I’m testing a .22-caliber rifle in a wood stock. This is from the first shipment of NP2s to hit the market, but there are 2 other versions of this model coming. One will rest in a black synthetic stock, and the other will be set in a Realtree camo synthetic stock.
The first rifles will be in .22 caliber, which I think is very wise. As powerful as this air rifle potentially is, you’ll want the bigger bore and heavier pellet to extract all the power to be had from the Nitro Piston. If you want a different caliber, I believe both .177 and .25 calibers will follow because the accompanying owner’s manual lists all 3 calibers.
Speaking of power, there seems to be some confusion about just how much we can expect. When I checked the Crosman website, it said this rifle will get up to 1200 f.p.s. with alloy pellets and up to 900 f.p.s. with lead pellets in .22 caliber. Pyramyd Air’s website description faithfully repeated that. But don’t memorize those velocities because Crosman has changed them. I expect they need some time for these details to settle down.
On the box the rifle is shipped in, it says to expect up to 1100 f.p.s. with alloy pellets and 950 f.p.s. with lead pellets. And the owner’s manual, which is extremely generic, is entirely mute on the subject. There are always slip-ups like this when a new product is launched, so I’ll test the rifle with both alloy and lead pellets and tell you what it actually does.
The test rifle has a wood stock. The wood is some unidentifiable Asian hardwood that looks like beech. It has a very straight grain, and the finish soaked into the wood in couple places, leaving dark spots or streaks. The wood is smooth with a matte sheen and has no checkering or stippling.
The stock is an ambidextous thumbhole design with a straight line to the butt that keeps the rifle high against the cheek when you mount it to your shoulder. It’s well-suited for mounting a scope. It’s a hunting stock that has a rear detachable sling swivel anchor installed and a front sling swivel located under the base block of the barrel. The cheekpiece rolls over to both sides, and the safety is ahead of the trigger, making the rifle completely ambidextrous.
The pistol grip is very vertical, making the trigger fall right where a shooter with medium-sized hands will want it. The feeling is very comfortable, though the styling doesn’t appeal to me. I liked the synthetic stocked rifle I tested at SHOT, but this wood stock feels very similar and not a bit heavier.
The stock is thick in places, but slims down where your hands will go. It seems to have been designed by a shooter. The buttpad is dense, black rubber that attaches to the stock with two screws. The fit isn’t perfect, but it’s close.
The metal parts are finished to a satin black that they call a hunter finish these days. The end cap, triggerguard and a couple parts of the barrel shroud are plastic and the rest of the action is metal. The front steel sling swivel has been thoughtfully covered in soft rubber to protect the gun’s finish in the field.
A Weaver scope base is permanently attached to the top rear of the spring tube. This is the best way to anchor scope rings on a recoiling rifle, and I wish other airgun makers would take notice.
The Weaver scope base that comes on the rifle will stop all scope ring movement issues.
The rifle comes without open sights, but a 3-9X32 Centerpoint scope and rings are included in the box. All you need to do is mount it and start shooting. More on the scope after I mount it. I think Crosman is making a mistake by not at least offering an open sight option on these rifles. I hear a lot of requests for them from shooters.
The weight is given as 8.3 lbs., but that can vary with a wood stock. I weighed the test rifle, and without the scope it came in at 7 lbs., 12 oz. The scope and rings added exactly one more pound.
The barrel is one long shroud, making it look like a bull barrel but without the weight. Crosman mentioned integrated sound suppression and they showed me the guts of the shroud at SHOT. So, yes, there is some technology (baffles) in there.
The NP2 shroud has this technology inside.
Unfortunately, the shroud unscrews from the barrel, and the rear portion of the shroud is made from plastic. People may overtighten their shrouds, causing this plastic to crack.
At the rear of the shroud, a plastic piece fits against the baseblock. This could be subject to crack if the shroud is over-tightened.
The overall length of the rifle is 46.25 inches, so it’s very large. It will dwarf your Remington 700.
The specs say the rifle should cock with 28 lbs. of effort. This one feels like it’s going to top 30 lbs. by quite a lot. I will tell you more about this in the velocity test that will come next.
Inside the box, there’s a huge warning paper telling you never to dry-fire the gun (shoot without a pellet). They say it several different ways; and by the size of the paper and the size of the type on it, I would say this is something Crosman wants you to pay attention to.
Where is the NP2 made?
Lettering on the right side of the baseblock tells us the NP2 was “Designed, engineered and assembled in the U.S.A.” Is there anyone who doesn’t recognize those words as code for not made here? The wood stock is strong evidence of the origin, but these words confirm it. That said, we are going to evaluate this rifle on the basis of its performance — not the country of origin. I only mention this to address the inevitable questions.
Initial impressions
Here’s what I see so far. The NP2 is relatively light and powerful. The trigger that Crosman calls the Clean Break Trigger is two-stage with a long, heavy first stage. But stage two is not breaking cleanly on my test rifle out of the box. There’s a lot of creep. The trigger is adjustable, so I’ll hold off commenting until I adjust it.
The test rifle definitely cocks with more effort than 28 lbs. That’s something that differs greatly from the rifle I shot at the SHOT Show. There’s little difference in cocking effort between this rifle and any other powerful gas-spring rifle. This one cocks on the light side, but it certainly does not cock with 10 lbs. less effort. Less effort than what is never addressed, but if they mean a powerful gas-spring air rifle, this one doesn’t.
I’ll check the cocking effort, again, after a hundred shots have been fired, just to ascertain if it’s just due to the roughness of a new rifle. In fact, I’ll bet that the one NP2 Crosman brought out to the range in Vegas probably had over a thousand shots on it, with everybody in the company trying it out. So, maybe I’ll do something similar for you.
I’m pleased to report that the firing behavior feels identical to what I experienced in Las Vegas. It shoots dead calm. Of all the shortcomings of a gas-spring gun, that and accuracy are the two biggies.
As I end this first report, I’ll address the discharge noise. I didn’t notice it! What I mean is that this rifle is quiet enough that the sound of the pellet hitting the silent pellet trap is louder than the report. When I shot it the third time, Edith noticed that I was shooting in my office and asked if this was the NP2. I said it was, and she said it wasn’t very loud. That probably says more than anything.
Very much look forward to this series–and precisely for the reasons you take pains to go through here. Potential watershed moments are worth keeping an eye on, and there aren’t nearly as many of them as the marketing departments want us to believe.
One of the many things that keeps me reading here! 🙂
Looks like I bought the .22 NP(s) limited at just the right time, getting in top performance simultaneously with the NP2s start and wondering what the improvements could make out mine. My interest is piqued, that’s for sure. I am glad to see the sling points, the weaver base, and apparent manuvuerability. Things Im not glad to see but unsurprised is a bland wood, no open sights, and the “crosman” trigger. Actually, that last one I am surprised to see, though I guess I shouldn’t be. The plastic piece at the shroud base is a surprise, adding the dreaded plastic for that one piece is an obvious and disappointing “skimp” that couldn’t have saved enough pennies to be worth the mark. One last thing, designed in the USA makes me more irritated that its foreign made product on things then if things just say made in China, I always yell “I know it was designed by you, your telling me you gave the job away!” Either way, with the demerits accounted for, its still a big thing to look forward to, and the evolution of the system is definitely a progression in spring airguns that is in good form, and good timing.
RDA,tried to comment to ya one yesterdays blog but something ain’t working? To answer you questing on the TalonP.I get about 8 good full power shots with 25 and 31 grns.Here’s the strange but good in a way. The TP loves only 1900 down to 1500 psi for the best groups with power setting on 6.And don’t forget I got the 24″ barrel on it now.These settings would not apply to the 12″ barrel.So I guess the longer is giving more time for more pressure to build up behind the pellet with less pressure in the tank.This is good for me not having to pump up to 2500 or more just for hunting.As for punching paper You can pump it up to 3000 then turn the power down to 1 and get more shot with it but I don’t think it will make to the 20 or so you want.I have not investigated a larger tank? Don’t know if that would fit? Probably not just a guess.Any way DNA this ain’t no target gun if you have to hand pump,but if you got a tank more power to ya wish I had a place to fill one here.Now one more thing I done and have discovered something buy accident.I just got a Hill pump and love it! But you know how the foot plates are really to small on probably all pumps.Well I made a 12×14 foot plate that sandwich’s the medal foot plate.So I have discovered that I don’t have to stand strait above the pump when pumping now.What this does is to allow me to step back maybe 6″ or more.What that does is I no longer have to bend my knee when pumping down and instead all my upper body goes into the down stroke and pumping is now say maybe 25% more easy then before.You wouldn’t think this little difference would be as big a deal as I am saying but believe me it is way easy er then before to me.I did not drill any holes into the foot plate so no warranty if at stake.
I hear ya Steve, I don’t know how many comments I lost over the weekend?! I figured I just got caught by the Spam filter again but maybe not? It’s a shame because there were a couple of ideas in the mix that I can no longer recallthat I wanted to air here for evaluation.
Reb
The Talon was novel. The Talon SS, Condor and Condor SS was what customer’s were already doing. Customers were shooting .25 two years before it was offered by AF.
The new trigger assembly was almost novel. Really it was more of a necessity.
The Edge was novel. Many are trying to up it to 12 FPE, but should just leave well enough alone.
The Talon P was novel. The Escape series is nothing more than what most people who bought the Talon P did with them. They almost always bought the stock, extended the shroud and many installed longer barrels.
AF was supposed to roll out a big bore that is a total new design, but apparently they are having some issues. Well, I can buy kits for .30, .357, .40 and .458.
RidgeRunner,
Would you please point me towards information on the big bore kits you mentioned above?
Have you tried one? If so would you recommend them?
Thank you so much for any help,
Aljoh
Check out talonairgun.com for more information about AirForce air rifles than you can possibly absorb. I have not tried any of the kits that one guy there offers myself, but some of the other guys seem to like them. Since I have access to a very extensive machine shop, I have found a source for Lothar Walther barrels and intend to make my own.
Keep in mind that to fully utilize the real big bores, you will need a custom valve. The AirForce high flow valve as it is will limit you to .30 or .357 at most and then to the new pellets, not cast bullets, that is if you want real performance at longer ranges. Also keep in mind that the bigger the bore, the more air you will need.
AirForce was supposed to be bringing out a big bore this year, but apparently they do not have all the bugs worked out yet. It is supposed to be a total new design as the old frame is just not up to it. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.
Thank you sir for your help!
No machine shop and I would not know what to do with one if I did.
I have entered myself in Dennis Quackenbush’s lottery twice a year for the last couple of years but no joy there yet.
I do have access to two LW barrels, both 26″ long, one in .30 cal and the other in .35 cal so I will check out having one of them machined to fit a condor and see how it shoots.
Thank you again,
Aljoh
Aljoh,
If you would like to get rid of that .30 barrel, I know someone who would like to have it. ;o)
I don’t know if I can fall in love with that stock or not. I hope the rest of it works out. If so, the stock can be changed.
Hi BB,
I had been meaning to ask you if you had ever interviewed Robert Law and Dr. Beeman. I understand the Mr. Law closed himself off from the airgun community after Beeman bought him out. If there are written interviews out there, I would enjoy reading them. The old Air Rifle Headquarters and Beeman catalogs are still good reading.
I am looking forward to reading about the NP2.
David Enoch
Hey BB, this rifle sounds like it has a lot going for it, but you’re sounding a bit skeptical.
I LOVE that it’s quiet…that’s one of the primary draws to airguns over powder–so that’s great.
I’m really irritated that this is another gun without open sights. Dang it, yes I Know it will shoot more accurately using a scope, but open sights are fun! And that’s THE primary reason we buy airguns. I really think that manufacturers sometimes miss this point in their race to ‘make the best’. I mean, do they understand that in some ways an accurate gun which fired only 300 fps…but which had buffalo sights would be more fun than another 1000fps gun with a cheapo scope. Let me get my Quigley fantasy on!
Anyway, that’s my rant.
Looking forward to the rest of the articles and I’m hoping the best for this gun.
Rob
I don’t mean to sound negative but when a gun maker keeps the cost to $250 they are in no way trying to “make the best”. Maybe the best for $250 but that’s all. But I will agree with BB about the firing cycle and accuracy being the biggies. If Crosman has accomplished this alone that is a step forward. The wood used for the stock looks like the wood used for the original Marauders, ugly.
G&G
It looks like this rifle has a lot of potential. I would like a gas piston for use in the winter, we have a lot of winter in the UP of Michigan. But, it needs to be accurate and have a good trigger, time will tell.
Mike
We’ve discovered that the address for you to tell Tom how this blog has changed your life is not working. Your message will bounce back to you. I’ve sent an email to the IT department but have not yet heard back from them that it’s fixed. We’ll let you know when it’s working. Sorry for the delay, but I was told several weeks ago that it was functional and ready. Don’t know what happened.
Edith
Hi Ms. Edith
It happened to me & I was wondering if I did things wrong. Glad for your clarification. Please do let us know when its fixed,
Thanks,
Errol
Errol,
That address has now been fixed. Please resend your email.
Thanks,
Edith
Update: That email address has been fixed. Feel free to send your input.
Thanks,
Edith
I just only wonder how much Robert Law contributed to air guns. And I loved receiving those catalogs and looking through them when I was a kid. The catalogs definitely had a influence on me and air guns that’s for sure. I’m sure he will be missed.
And as far as that plastic piece behind the shroud. That is the thing that bothers me about the gun. Doesn’t that piece take some of the cocking force.
But if the gun is smooth and quiet then that makes me happy. And I’m guessing the cocking effort should get easier in time. That’s not really a big deal to me about the cocking effort but the noise and smoothness is.
Now to see what the accuracy is like. I’m thinking its got to be better than the other model nitro piston guns that don’t have the NP2 technology. Smoothness does make a difference. That’s the test I want to see after reading what was said about the gun so far.
But here’s a question. I would like to see how the gun performs with the scope that comes with the gun. And with a different scope that would be a known good performer. That would give a little better idea of what the new NP2 could do. And if both scopes perform the same then better yet. Oh and I don’t have anything against the Centerpoint scopes. I have used them in the past with good results.
Do u have to refill the np2 in the gun sorry I’m new to air rifflenhunting
Cameron,
The gas spring unit inside the NP2 rifle is a sealed unit, just like the gas struts on a minivan. No refilling is required. Just cock, shoot and repeat.
B.B.
GA BB, I was very pleased with the NP2 part one, as I stated before, I own a Trail NP2 Plastic stock, and was wondering if you wrote part two. Any hints? Thanks
Cameron,
Here is the whole report with all the links:
/blog/2014/07/benjamin-trail-nitro-piston-2-part-6/
B.B.
All you have to do to find something like this is type the title into the Search box at the top right of this page.
Cameron hows it going.
BB already got you a answer but I was just going to say if you have a question just go to the current days blog. You don’t have to search a topic to post a reply.
Just letting you know. And you should visit today’s blog. Its about a very nice under lever spring gun called the Walther LGU.
This post suitably builds up the subject and its importance. 🙂 I’m newly interested in gas spring guns after the hassle surrounding the replacement of the spring in my IZH 61. And I shudder to think of the time when the spring on my B30 breaks as it surely will. Is it true that gas springs never need replacement? And I’m curious about the prohibition on dry firing. Is it for the same reasons as a mechanical spring or is the gas spring more vulnerable?
Matt61
B.B., Thank You so much for testing this gun. I had such high hopes for it. But……now I’m not so sure. Where the parts are made for this gun is subject to me. Also reading all the reviews on PA has cooled me some on it. Looks like quality control might be an issue. I’m hoping your tests fan the flames of interest back, but we’ll see. As of now, I don’t think it’s the Answer. I’m still thinking the nice springers are better. But that’s why they are tested. Proof is in the pudding. Also, have you ever considered becoming a suspense novel writer? Every time I reed a report, it just keeps me in suspense for the next installment! But, that’s what good writing does. Thank You, Brad
I’ve been waiting for some time for this series of reports. I’ve had a Benji titan np1 rifle for a little over a month now and overall I like it quite a bit. If it turns out the NP2 rifles are that much better than the originals I’ll be a happy camper. I know these guns are never going to be HWs or TXs but if they fill the role they were designed for at their price points then crosman will have a real winner.
I had decided a while back that I needed another spring rifle in my collection besides my RedRyder.Then I got the QB-36, I liked the idea of a fixed barrel but it was definitely heavy which was a huge leap from my last one which was a tiny Slavia, I believe it was a 618 in.177.I remember how light and maneuverable I felt with it in my hands and how easy,fast & quiet it was to cock,load&shoot! but it was a little light for anything heavier than dove past 20 yards.The QB-36 will never be light enough for stalking game,which is my favorite way to hunt. at 8 pounds with a scope this rifle won’t save me much weight(Too bad about the open sights) but if it’s got enough of a punch to take fur bearers out to 40-50 yards I guess it could use one & I’m probably gonna have to be in! Let’s see what this one does for now but I guess I need to see what this thing feels like!
Reb
Also I came across a really cool Beeman catalog from 1990\1991 if anyone is interested. I’m going to scan it in and make a nice qualitty PDF file of it if anyone’s interested. Lots of excellent specs and accessories in that catalog I never knew Berman offered back in the day.
I’d certainly be interested, Mitch. I have returned late, to airgunning, and feel I’ve missed a great deal in the interim. Would there be a way to link to it,, in the cloud, perhaps,, or would it be easier to simply give you my email address, so that you could send it to all us interested at the same time??
Ed
aphexian (at) gmail (dot) com – I could always just mail it the old fashioned way if you’d like once I’m done looking at it. Its a really cool blast from the past.
Mitchell in Dayton,
Be Careful. Hope you’re familiar with copyright laws and fines.
kevin
Kevin,
Yup. Beeman Precision Airguns still exists as a company, and their copyright has not expired.
Edith
Oh, I wasn’t planning on selling digital copies of it on eBay or anything. I just thought it would be cool to archive it on the internet for anyone who cared to thumb through it and see where airgunning came from to what it is today. I’ll take my chances, they couldn’t possibly be too upset over a 24 year old obsolete catalog full of products no longer available. Alternatively, I could always just send it to someone once I’m done looking at it.
Mitchell in Dayton,
What you plan to do with it doesn’t matter. Right to ownership is what matters when it comes to copyright law.
Getting a cease-and-desist letter in the mail from a law firm is an unsettling and nauseating experience. I know from first-hand experience. I wouldn’t do it if I were you. S/R Industries, Inc., in California bought the Beeman Company and still retains the rights to the Beeman name. I’m guessing they also own the copyright to all Beeman printed matter.
Edith
Yeah thats true. I honestly didnt consider all that. I don’t want to ruffle any feathers, particularly if they work for a law firm! I’ll just send it through the mail to whoever cares to look at it. I don’t need to keep it, but I thought it was too cool to not want to share with the folks here. Thanks for looking out for us Edith, your the best!
I was wondering BB,,, when you mentioned the cocking effort of this new gun,, it provoked a question in my mind. Has there ever been a spring gun designed to imitate a multi pump pneumatic one. That is to say,, a cocking method that would compress the spring to one third or one half, with each stroke? It would seem to me a logical solution to those wanting more velocity with less effort. I would imagine that there would be more cost,, because there would be a form of gear involved,, but,, it also seems to me that this might be a way to develop even higher power from a spring gun,,, for which some would pay a premium.
ed
Ed,
Two guns I know of did that. The Erma ELG10 lever action and the Rutten line of underlevers called the Windstars.
The problem was, both of them needed the same effort for both strokes. So the effort was doubled, not halved.
It has never been done successfully.
B.B.
Wasn’t there a guy named John Whiscombe that had some success with this?
I really like the Weaver/Pick-a-ninny scope base! It’s about time!! I hope the rest of the rifle lives up to the hype, but I don’t expect a fine German gun here either. Even though I have an HW90, I’m eagerly waiting for the next report on this just to see where things are headed and if the Chinese are getting better at qc… Still, it’s really too bad that Crosman shipped the skilled labor jobs overseas. I understand the economics, but it seems that the Europeans did fine by maintaining quality, reputation and local mfg for the most part. Why can’t American companies do the same?
/Dave
Robert Law, the Real Deal. Did it for the passion. RIP.
B.B.,
I am glad that you got this rifle from PA rather than directly from Crosman. This way we know that the rifle is completely stock and has not been tuned or modified Crosman to improve its performance for your review.
Looking forward to this one.
Do you plan on cleaning the barrel before you start testing? I have always found my new Crosman barrels to be very full of gunky stuff. I always clean the barrel of any gun I acquire before I shoot it. But that’s me…
Thanks,
Mark N
“…has not been tuned or modified by Crosman…..” is what I meant to write.
Mark,
I hadn’t thought to clean the barrel. I usually do that when the accuracy is off.
B.B.
I would rather purchase the rifle without the Center Point Scope. I want to select the scope I want and not pay extra for a bottom feeder. Crosman should save that deal for an entry level piece.
Mike
I’m interested to read the other parts to this report. Also I would really like to read a follow up review later on this rifle after a few thousand shots. My experience with a gas piston rifle started last fall and that rifle shoots markedly better after a couple thousand shots than it did out of the box. Accuracy, the trigger(weight, creep, consistency) cocking effort, almost every function improved after a substantial break in.
B.B.& Edith,
I believe my comments are going to the Spam folder again,I really have no idea what’s happening but I have no Idea how many of my comments let alone other’s have been lost over the weekend but it can be frustrating trying to remember who,what & where I have given input in order to add another viewpoint to these discussions.I hope whatever is wrong is an easy fix.Or if it’s something I’m doing, Please let me know
Respectfully Yours,
Reb
Since I have no idea how many rifles were shipped to the various dealers from Crosman on the first shipment of the NP2; I cannot judge statistically, the percentage of that first shipment of rifles that are/ are not meeting the expectation; but to judge from the few reviews at such an early few days; on the various forums, it looks as it is business as usual for Crosman, sell as many as possible, and take back the defective ones. Sad!!, I was hoping for Crosman to finally come with something that was going to be real quality with their spring/gas ram air rifles, so far, my personal impression is that it is not. Already too many complains. I hope I am wrong, but I doubt it.
BB,Thank You.I have been waiting for this series ever since you told us about the gun from SHOT SHOW.
I was wondering what the distance to the trigger was on this rifle.(I can’t remember the term you use )The butt stock looks shorter than most rifles.
Isn’t the fact that these rifles are assembled in the U.S.A. a step forward?I thought most of their other guns were assembled in China from parts made in China.
I was happy to see that with the improvements made to this model P.A. is selling them ,I think,$30 less than the NP Xl line.-Tin Can Man-
I believe the distance you are referring to is length of pull.
Tin Can Man,
That distance is the length of pull, and on the test rifle it measures 14-1/4-inches.
B.B.
B.B.
I don’t know if you’ve been asked already but I am keenly interested in the new FWB Sport Air Rifle. Would love to see a review asap. Based on my shooting with my TX200 and Walther LGV Master Ultra our USARB club president wants me to continue shooting a springer for our future matches. If the FWB turns out to be an improvement on those two rifles I need to know asap. Thanks BB.
I’m trying to keep my report about the impact of this blog concise and to the point but it is a bit difficult.
G&G
Hey G&G,
It would be great, since you are familiar, if you’d write a paragraph or two comparing and contrasting your experiences with the TX200 and LGV. Which do you prefer and why? Benefits and challenges with each versus the other.
Thanks. Just very curious about the two guns…one of which I’d like to own soon.
Rob
G&G,
I am hoping to get an FWB sporter to test as soon as possible. With Feinwerkbau not coming to the SHOT Show, it is difficult to keep track of them. But that new rifle is of great interest.
B.B.
BB,
Thank you for the information about Mr. Robert Law’s passing and providing a link to your three-part blog about Air Rifle Headquarters and Beeman Precision Airguns. A couple of years ago through a local estate auction I acquired a FWB 124 Deluxe for only $90.00. The rifle was manufactured in 1976 and came packaged in an ARH box that indicated the gun had been “accurized”. The gun also included an owner manual for the FWB 12/120/124 which was not the Feinwerkbau owner’s manual, but a 40-page, highly detailed manual compiled by Robert Law. I had previously read your fifteen-part blog regarding a 124 Sport, but until yesterday I had not read your blog entries regarding ARH and BPA. It’s nice to learn some of the history behind people, places and things.
This is my first time to leave a comment on your site, but I read your blog almost daily. I really appreciate the time and effort you dedicate to sharing your knowledge, reviews and experiences.
JG,
Welcome to the blog.
B.B.
My np2 arrived a few days ago and enjoyed shooting some paper targets. As mentioned in the blog by Tom Gaylord, a.k.a. B.B. Pelletier looks as if the weakest part of the rifle is the plastic shroud. Mine was broken when received even though I paid the $10 for testing (I assumed the checked both firing and inspection of the rifle it self). PA’s customer support was excellent my gun is now on its way back whence it came. Now I will have to wait for the next shipment for my replacement.
I think that unless the plastic shroud is addressed the problem of it breaking will continue.
asttro,
As stated on the Pyramyd AIR website, the 10-for-$10 service does not include a once-over of the gun. However, if during the testing process they find a problem with cosmetics or see something’s broken, they’ll get another gun rather than ship an obviously defective one.
Edith
Would like to shoot one before buying..
I bought a springer, in the poke, and would make someone a great deal on it.
How I wish I had my Benjamin 312 that burned up in a house fire 25 yrs ago.
Guess Ill have to get one of the ‘air’ guns and a tank.
How would I market a very little used springer and get info on repair of an El Gamo Expomatic..
Thanks
Chuck L.,
You could put a free ad on the classified ads section of the Yellow Forum found here:
http://www.network54.com/Forum/79574/
As for the Expomatic, the powerplant is probably a lot like the El Gamo 68-XP that I took apart in this report series:
/blog/2013/01/el-gamo-68-68-xp-a-futuristic-airgun-from-the-past-part-6/
What you want is in Part 5.
B.B.
i just got that np2 and all i can say is unbelievable.It shoots like a fine tuned target rifle. Working on second tin of 500 pellets or 3rd tin not sure ,i just cant put it down!!!!It likes diablo 18.13 gr also Benjamin 14.3 hp.I don’t like the fact that you have to manually set safety and the scope should be a bit better with a parallax adj.I cant say enough about how accurate it is 30yds and 10 shots covered by a quarter, with a good scope ill bet it could do that out to 50 yds maybe more.You wont waste you money on this one.One thing i did do was run a wire brush through barrel with j- bore cleaner about 15 times before i shot it. gt
Gary,
Welcome to the blog!
You are the first reader to weigh in on the NP2 and it sounds like you really enjoy your rifle. I will be testing it for velocity next week.
Thanks,
B.B.
Got my NP2 last week. The cocking effort was much lower than my Trail XL, trigger was a big improvement over the XL, but the second stage was bit on the heavy side. It is quieter and more accurate. The problem is the quality control and fit and finish are poor compared to the XL. After 25 shots the scope rail came off. Looked like it didn’t even get welded on one side. So it is on it’s way back to Crosman.
Jake,
Welcome to the blog!
Thank you for your report! This means a lot.
I know Crosman does care a lot about the quality issues with the NP2. I’m sure they will make things right for you.
B.B.
Not made here is correct! Saw a picture of the bottom end of a NP2 box. Said Made in China. I hate that. I wish it were “Made” here in the USA. But I still like the gun.
Bradly,
You have inspired me! I will write a blog on what Made in America really means.
B.B.
That would be great! Also please show the difference or remind people that made in America isn’t always Made in the United States of America. Thanks BB.
I just picked up my BT NP2 and went to shoot it for the first time and it wouldn’t cock. It sounds like it’s cocking but it never releases the pressure at the bottom. Am I doing something wrong? I’ve shot break barrels before but this one is different. Thanks for your help.
hello! I had a quick question. Between the NP and NP2 barrel shrouds are there any physical differences in their make? The reason I ask is because someone makes carbon fiber shrouds for the np. On their site it doesn’t list the np2. However I figured if the barrels did not change between the generations of this gun then It would be a safe assumption to go ahead and purchase the aesthetically pleasing shroud.
Thanks in advance for any replies!!!
My Regal has an aluminum shroud cover that I’ve never opened up.
Jordan,
That is a very technical question. I wouldn’t trust anyone who is not from Crosman to answer it.
My advice is to ask their customer service personnel.
B.B.
i purchased a ben.varmitNP ,the previuos owner could not get a group, i could not get a group smaller than a softball at 40 yards. Suspect Scope? Faulty? Did visual inspection with a flashlight.no apparant damage? Pulled suppressor. Still no group.s did trigger mode and applied dielectric grease,silicone grease, to a string and worked a little grease inside chamber walls via a thin nylon string about 4 feet ,my calculations approxamate 3or4 drops of grease made contact with inner walls, pulled string out put gun together, now i get 1/2″ groups at 50 yards, by my way of understanding the slicone grease is sluggish but created a more consitant action and by removing most of the trigger pull and increasing trigger weight i have fixed my problem for now,my question is? will the grease ruin my gun or should i be useing airgun silicone chamber oil?
Michael,
AirForce uses silicone grease inside the tanks of their sporting rifles, so I think you did no damage. Time will tell.
B.B.