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Education / Training Umarex Fuel air rifle: Part 1

Umarex Fuel air rifle: Part 1

by Tom Gaylord, The Godfather of Airguns™
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

 

Umarex Fuel air rifle
That’s right! The Umarex Fuel carries its own bipod legs tucked against the forearm until you deploy them.

This report covers:

• A modern breakbarrel
• Stock with an integral bipod
• Two-stage adjustable trigger
• SilencAir muzzlebrake & fiberoptic sights
• ReAxis gas-spring powerplant
• Firing behavior

A couple weeks ago, I started a new reporting format that combines Parts 1 and 2 for airgun reports of standard airguns. I felt that would speed up the reporting process a bit, since many of these guns are so similar. Well, today’s report is on the Umarex Fuel air rifle, which is different enough to warrant a standalone Part 1 description. I think as I describe the rifle, you will agree.

I’m testing rifle number 00514010. It’s in .177 caliber, which is the only caliber offered at this time.

A modern breakbarrel
The Fuel is a modern breakbarrel air rifle in every sense of the term. First, and I think foremost, in everyone’s mind is the set of permanently attached bipod legs that fold flat against the sides of the forearm when not in use. I know there’s a lot of curiosity about these. Heck — I’m curious! Of course, I’ll test the rifle resting on them, but let me answer the biggest question I see right now. Yes, it’s easy to cock the rifle with the legs deployed because they attach to either side of the stock and the barrel passes between them during cocking.

The rifle weighs 8.1 lbs. and is 44.1 inches long. The narrow stock makes it feel lighter than the weight would imply. This is an adult-sized air rifle, but not a huge one.

Stock with an integral bipod
What really drove me to say the Fuel is a modern breakbarrel is the shape of the synthetic stock. Just in front of the triggerguard, there are angled ridges that fit the fingers of your off hand nicely. They invite you to grasp the stock there. I’ll have to see if they help or hinder shooting, vis-a-vis the artillery hold. The stock is narrower here, so the rifle sits low in your hand and has a decidedly muzzle-heavy balance. It feels like a rifleman’s rifle!

The stock has different ridges at the forward end that don’t seem to invite the hand like those at the back. The bipod legs are held tight to the stock by powerful magnets in the tip of each leg that contact the stock screw heads. When they’re against the stock, that section is naturally wider than the rear portion.

The bipod legs are made of the same synthetic material as the rest of the stock. They lock into position when set up or when folded flat against the stock. There’s only one deployed position and no height adjustment. They raise the rifle 6 inches off the ground.

I should also mention that the forearm seems to have 4 screws — 2 on each side — holding it to the barreled action. In truth, the back 2 screws are only screwed into the plastic material of the stock and are just there to provide steel to attract the magnets in the bipod legs. The triggerguard has only one screw, located at the rear of the guard.

The stock has an exaggerated thumbhole design that’s completely ambidextrous. The vertical pistol grip invites the shooter to pull the stock into the shoulder. Only by shooting will I discover if this is desirable, but I can tell you it gives you a lot of control over the rifle.

The pistol grip has minor stippling on its forward edge that doesn’t add anything to the grippiness, but also horizontal grooves that do add something. The stock material is rough and doesn’t slip around in my hands.

The buttpad is a thin, black rubber pad that’s very sticky. It’ll hold the rifle on your shoulder or keep it from slipping when you lean it against something.

Two-stage adjustable trigger
The trigger is two-stage, and stage one adjusts for the length of travel. The pull weight doesn’t adjust, but I find it to be very crisp and free from creep. The specs say it breaks at 3.3 lbs., which I’ll verify in the velocity test.

Umarex Fuel air rifle trigger
The trigger adjusts for the length of the first-stage pull, only. The safety lever moves forward when the rifle’s cocked and must be pulled to the rear to make the gun ready to fire.

I must comment on the shape and location of the steel trigger blade. It’s very vertical, which feels just right to me, and the placement is perfect for my medium-sized hands. This is where that vertical pistol grip comes into play.

The safety is a steel lever forward of the trigger blade. It’s automatic and must be pulled to the rear before you take the shot.

SilencAir muzzlebrake & fiberoptic sights
Both front and rear sights have fiberoptic tubes. The front sight is a post on top of a ramp. It’s atop a SilenceAir baffled muzzlebrake that should help with cocking leverage, except that the fiberoptic tube is in exactly the wrong place for your hand. Good thing the Fuel is easy to cock!

Yes, this gun has a baffled silencer permanently attached to the muzzle. While it does somewhat quiet the report, the shooter will hear all the powerplant noise transmitted through his cheek where it touches the stock. While the rifle’s not silent, but it isn’t that loud, either.

Umarex Fuel air rifle front sight
The front sight sits on top of a muzzlebrake/silencer.

The rear sight is a fully adjustable sporting unit. The fiberoptics can be defeated with proper lighting, and then you see a sharply defined square post up front inside a square notch at the rear — perfect for precision sighting.

Both adjustments have definable clicks for precision. The horizontal adjustments use a scale for reference, while the elevation wheel is numbered.

Umarex Fuel air rifle rear sight
The rear sight adjusts for windage and elevation.

Of course, the Fuel does come with a 3-9X32 scope and mounts that fit on the Picatinny rail that’s attached to the top of the spring tube. That rail is clamped by 4 screws to a set of 11mm dovetail grooves cut directly into the top of the spring tube. So, if you want to use a set of 11mm scope rings for some reason, you can.

ReAxis gas-spring powerplant
The Fuel comes with the ReAxis gas piston, which is the name Umarex gives to their gas spring. They mention this in the advertising, but don’t push it. I find this rifle to be easy to cock and a very smooth shooter. Couple that with a trigger that breaks cleanly and the lower discharge noise, and you get the impression that the Fuel is less powerful than its numbers convey. The velocity test will be very informative.

Umarex says the cocking effort is 30 lbs. I can’t wait to see what this test rifle registers on my scale, but right now I would say they’re pretty close to that number.

Firing behavior
I’ll report more on the firing behavior in later reports; but because this rifle is easy to cock, has a crisp trigger and is quiet, I had to shoot it several times just to get acquainted. I have to say I really like how it feels when it fires. The impulse is quick and has no vibration after the shot. I’ll be able to tell a lot more when we begin accuracy testing.

I intend testing the rifle for accuracy with the open sights before I mount the scope. Open sights allow me to become familiar with the rifle’s behavior, as well as finding the best pellets for accuracy. Umarex sent a tin of Meisterkugeln Rifle pellets with the test rifle, so they’ll be included for sure.

The one thing that is a burning question in my mind right now is how the rifle will perform off the bipod. I’ve never recommended shooting spring guns with bipods because of their harmonics issues, so this will be an interesting test. I’m looking forward to it!

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.

113 thoughts on “Umarex Fuel air rifle: Part 1”

  1. I was wondering how long it would be before someone made a bipod friendly springer. This one comes with one? It’s a shame it’s not adjustable but I do understand why. I hope it’s just the angle of the photograph that makes it’s stance look so narrow, wouldn’t want it to be wobbly.I like the look of the gun, it has a gas spring and adjustable trigger and I’m sure you’ll let us know how the reaxis system works ;).

    Reb

  2. So you have officially accepted the title! LOL!

    All of the “features” of this air rifle are the very things that would prevent me from buying it, but I am somewhat curious about one of them and that is the bipod. I see that the magnets hold the legs in the retracted position, but what holds them in the extended position? Do they snap into a slot or are they just held in position by friction?

    • I would never buy another break barrel unless it has a barrel lock ( Achilles heel of break barrels). Love the idea of a gas ram. Wish some manufacturer would put one in an underlever.

      Pete

      • Well, here is one.

        /product/gamo-whisper-cfr-with-nitro-piston-air-rifle-combo?m=2582

        Personally, I am not all that sold on the gas springs. All of the “advantages” of them do not mean as much to me as others. Now if someone would bring out an adjustable one like the old Theoben, then I would like to have one in a top shelf underlever or a locking break barrel like the Walther LGV or the HW35E.

        I see myself in the market for one sproinger, so I want it to be a real nice one. If it has a gas sproing, that will be fine as long as it shoots like a top shelfer.

        • This is the gun I asked about a couple months ago,I like the adjustable comb, the rifle had a nice solid feel and the ergonomics seemed to have been given some thought but it was pretty heavy, the one I handled came with a 3-9×40 AO scope which I believe was a Center Point and was very clear down to 15 yards but was very stiff and difficult to adjust especially while shouldered.
          The pistol grip offers a lot of single handed control and I’m glad to see it being offered on so many of the newer guns. I’d like to see a thorough review of this gun although it’s price and heft may keep it out of many peoples reach.

          • I had a CFX. It was a great shooting air rifle. I tried a gas spring in it, but was not happy with things and had PA return it to original. If it had a wood stock I may have kept it. I personally am not in the least bit interested in these new pistol grip stocks. To me, that is a deal breaker before we even get started.

        • I know what you mean. I used Crosman parts to convert an older (all-steel) Gamo and a Crosman Sierra Pro (a fancy Quest), and wasn’t terribly impressed with the results. The Gamo certainly DID become smoother (it was pretty twangy to begin with), but the Crosman – not so much. Power was close to original, and there was the trade-off of greater cocking force.

      • In reality, a quality break barrel is just as accurate without a breech lock. There are cheaply made guns that have bad pivot catches but a quality made air rifle does not need a lock.

        David Enoch

    • This years shows are a lot better. With no lame shooting competition they spend more time on the round table or other features. It looks like Tom has been teaching Rossi to shoot because he is now shooting some and doing a few features like Crystal used to do.

      David Enoch

    • I’ve got a friend that’s recording this season but I can’t concentrate on the show due to all the activity over there so I’ve tried to pull one or 2 up online with no luck so I have the same question.
      If you’re listening:We want to watch!

      Reb

  3. I know this is in a different price category, but the similarity of features–especially the pistol grip synthetic stock, SilenceAir, and adjustable trigger–make me ask: How does this compare to its obvious marketing target, the Benjamin NP2 you just tested? (I know you used the wood stock version, though?)

  4. The safety somewhat concerns me — since prepping for firing requires a rearward motion on one lever, leading toward a second rearward motion lever (the trigger)… Some insensitive (I mean that in terms of, say, nerve damage to the finger tips) over-muscled klutz might pull the safety off and slip onto the trigger in the same motion.

    Also doesn’t look conducive to wearing cold weather gloves — having to fit between the narrow gap of the safety and trigger.

    I’d be more comfortable with a design where the SAFE position was to the rear, semi blocking the insertion of a finger, and using a forward push to set for FIRE.

  5. When I first opened the blog and saw the title, “Fuel air rifle”, my first thought was someone had finally brought to market another air rifle that used a combustible gas to aid in the propulsion of the pellet. Surprise – that’s obviously not the case. So tell me, am I the only one that had this thought?

    Fred DPRoNJ

    • First thing I thought.
      But I sort of envisioned something that required spraying a shot of volatile gas in the chamber with the trigger wired to a glow-plug or something…
      Hey! That might work! A shot of hair-spray…
      Oh, wait. I’m describing that gas model airplane many of us had in the 1950’s. Never could get it to behave.
      But still…

    • No, you’re not the only one. Of all the categories of airguns, they picked the one lacking any fuel source, except muscle power. In fact, I think this ranks up there with the weirdest and most inappropriate airgun names that includes the Benjamin Katana (culture clash like the Toyota Bowie) and the Air Arms Twice.

      Matt61

      • This one is hard to believe, but I swear it’s true.
        Many years ago I bought a C**d S***l Tanto as a mirthday present for my somewhat bloodthirsty then girlfriend. (Normally I’d add colorful anecdotal elaboration about this one (the girlfriend) but my recollections, while indeed colorful and true, are just beyond plausibility. Maybe another time. Maybe.
        Anyway, The item at hand was quite the beauty, even more so than the girlfriend. Not to say I was going to tell the girlfriend that, because HEY! she was now armed with a quite lethal weapon. I may be a romantic, but not entirely stupid.
        So I ordered one myself and came the day it was delivered at my work place, the Tanto was was a big hit and matched the “Real” Katana I’d inherited from my Dad perfectly. (The story of acquiring of that Katana is for another day.)
        The obligatory “show & tell” at the work place was very well received, with much handing-around,
        brandishment and great admiration by all…
        Until it came to the…”Special” person on the staff. (Every Staff had one…you know the one on your own Staff that I mean.)
        “This is quite the beauty,” he sez, waving it around a bit. The gang recedes a bit at the wavege.
        No ER trips today for this crowd.
        The “Special” then stops, brings it close, And squints closely at the blade, and sez, i swear-to-god, “Too bad it’s “”Made in Japan!”
        Anybody who believes the ‘absences of sound’ is not a sound should experience a moment like this. They will become a believer, I promise.
        Occasionally, I still run into folk from those halcyon days, and they always get a chuckle about the “made in japan” episode.
        Some get it, some don’t.

      • Anyone up to machining a prototype for a “Triple”… Instead of one barrel and two air tanks, put in one moderately large tank, and a set of barrels in a drilling design (.177, .22, .25) with a selector for first shot and automatic rotation to next barrel. Probably will need a break barrel design in which the barrels and reservoir move as a unit for loading (unless the reservoir is in the stock rather than underbarrel).

  6. I agree with WULF: the configuration of the SAFETY selector “switch” looks awkward at best, if not downright backwards. Can you PLEASE give us some input on how it feels to you, BB? Other than that, the gun looks good, though I’m not sold yet on the built-in bipod and their effect on accuracy.

      • Don’t tell the Germans that. They are extremely proud of their engineering. We obviously have no understanding of how a proper functioning safety should operate.

        • RidgeRunner,

          The Umarex Fuel is made in China, not Germany. Says so on the gun.

          I’m guessing this is how things work: A Chinese factory comes up with a gun design, and they offer it to known airgun companies. I’m guessing German engineers had nothing to do with the basic design of this gun.

          Edith

  7. I see we have another rifle with fiber optic sights. Unless you are shooting in really low light conditions they are very poor. But, it seems they are the current “Thing”.

    Mike

    • Are fiber optic sights good in really low light situations? Tritium sights do well in low light. I had a bow with fiber optic sights that could illuminated with a battery powered light that also did well. In my opinion fiber optic sights are not good in low light. Why do so many new guns come equipped with these sights? Are they just that appealing to the mass market. Or are they just forcing us to buy after market sights?

      • The reason so many rifles have them is they are usually plastic sights and therefore cheap. My experience with them is similar to B.B.’s. He calls them Minute of Soda Can sights, I call them Minute of Beer Can sights. I scope all my airguns but if I were to use iron sights I wouldn’t use day glow or regular iron sights. Since my days in the Army with a M16A2 if I use iron sites I have to use a peep site way at the rear with a lot of distance between it and the front sight, much more accurate.

        • Right on John,it sounds like you know a thing or two about marksmanship. Next time you come across a gun with these plastic fiber optic style sights, try shooting in really low light. I’m with you on the rear peep 100% it’s my favorite as well. I prefer a thin dull black front post though. I enjoy Knetucky sites as well or even a V notched rear site with a thin front blade. I like to see a lot more day light than these garbage fiber optic sights provide.

          • I’d like to note I’m not bashing the sites on the Fuel in particular but the fiber optics that seem to be on almost everything these days in general. It’s been festering pet peeve of mine. And it really galls me when I pick up a 100 year old rifle and get a great sight picture. Why has modern technology made our sights much less accurate?

  8. B.B.,
    I think it is important to some readers/buyers like myself to know how quiet an airgun really is because like you said, most airgun shooters, plink and shoot in their backyard.

  9. BB, I mounted my TX90 on my Crosman 1077 yesterday. Indoors, on my 10M range I got 3 consecutive 4 SHOT (sighting in) groups THAT MEASURED .5″ . Then I shot a 5 R group that measured .3″ and a 6 round group that measured .6″, followed by a timed fire 10 round group that measured .8″ All shots fired from a rest Crosman premier card box pellets. This 1077 has a barrel stabilizer and has been recrowned. I had to use the lowest brightness setting. Like many red dot sights (including my pro-point)I see 3 little dots not one round dot.Out of doors, on my plinking range, I had to use the maximum setting ,, even though the targets (old medicine bottles) were in the shade. I saw one dot, out of doors. This sight enabled me to dispatch many feral bottles. I have a halo sight on one of my pistols and the original 1970,s aimpoints on a few others. I see only one dot with these sights, unlike the many other red dot sights that I used or tried. Ed

    • Thanks for the report on this sight. I guess I’m not surprised that the 1077 can be accessorized like its firearm inspiration, but I’ve never heard of anyone accurizing a $60 rifle. 🙂 Actually, I’ve found mine to be extremely accurate in stock form.

      Interesting about the multiple dot phenomenon. Sounds like this is a quality item. Got to watch these multiple images. There is a Stephen Hunter book where a Marine in Vietnam has a particularly dangerous enemy sniper dead to rights. But he misses because the double-vision resulting from a brawl the night before causes him to aim at the sniper with the wrong crosshairs.

      Matt61

  10. FredDPRofNJ, you sound well-supplied. I didn’t know the CMP offered any surplus other the Greek. Wasn’t Lake City the official producer for military ammo? You hear that name associated with surplus of more modern calibers.

    Off to the range again tomorrow. This is the time to prove my new load for my M1. Everything should go well, but after the ups and downs with this gun, I won’t be certain until tomorrow’s test. Here’s the loading strategy. For IMR 4064, I have two clips each of the following: 51.0 gr. (the main load), 51.1 gr., 50.9 gr. Can’t get more cautious than that. The adjustment on my powder scale was extremely delicate. This is a vote of confidence for the load that did well last time, and I’m poking out a bit to establish the boundaries of function and see if this load is close to failure. I await the result with unutterable anxiety.

    Fred, glad to hear that you reload, but if not, I had the perfect story to motivate you and others contemplating reloading. The thrill of reloading for me is when the indicator is close to the balance point but not quite. Then I sift out a single particle from my pile with a spoon. I drop it into the tray and see that needle soar infinitesimally into the target zone. Oh joy. If the thrill of shooting is related to projecting power and control through machinery, then it must be related to this. B.B. once told stories of people who were obsessed with using guns for non-shooting activities. One case were people who like to fire through their chronograph without regard to the target. Another was a guy who enjoyed cycling the bolt-action of his airsoft rifle without shooting. I had trouble believing these stories initially, but it looks like I have become one of them. Matt61 ammo is correct to the last particle!

    All of this gives me another idea about the case of my jamming M1. Clint the gun maven wrote down for me the recipe for the gas adjustment he used which is 51.5 gr., but that definitely does not work after several tests. Three jams for 16 rounds is not acceptable. How could he be so wrong? Was he losing it? I’ve perfected every element of the process. My powder measurements are literally down to the particle and could not be more exact. I’ve even got the overall length down to +/- .003 inches. I use the right brand of bullet. I use the Remington cases that Clint used even though he said the brand didn’t matter. That leaves…the primer. Clint’s load used Federal large rifle match primers. At the time, these were unavailable, so I went with the regular Federal large rifle primers and thought nothing of it. Could this possibly be the problem? I can’t imagine how since primers respond to impact and a spark from one is the same as a spark from another. Still, that’s the only factor remaining. I also didn’t expect crimping to change bullet performance, but it does quite a bit. The mechanism wouldn’t be the same as the primer, but that does raise the question of whether a match primer changes the cartridge performance. One supposes that it must somehow, otherwise, why make them?

    On the subject of slam fires, Clint mentioned that he had never had a problem with them. Online you will hear a lot of talk about them, and I believe that Federal primers are supposed to be the softest commercial ones. But I’ve never had a problem with them. And that is even with seating my primers exactly flush with my hand primer rather than very slightly depressed which seems to be the case with manufactured ammo. So, I wouldn’t worry about slam fires.

    Matt61

    • I doubt that .1 grain of powder one way or the other is going to have much to do with jams in an M-1.
      As I mentioned before, you have a rifle that is set up for match shooting and is probably very tight. It’s a bit like a car set up for drag racing at the track. Very touchy. It needs to be taken down and checked. Something isn’t right.

      Good Luck and enjoy the range!

      Mike

    • Try “magnum” primers…

      I don’t know what the difference between “regular” and “match” primers are, but a weaker primer would result in a lighter ignition of powder, and lower peak pressure as the powder continues igniting while the bullet is moving down the barrel. A magnum primer may ignite more of the powder before the bullet even starts to move.

  11. Hey Buldawg! I just pulled it outta the mailbox! Had to slow down with the box cutter before I drew back a nub! Thanks again, I’m going to polish up the ends and I believe I may have a Torrington bearing that will fit the spring guide end but it’s across town so I’m torn between biking across town to get it or saving my strength and just finishing the prep work. Either way it’ll be too dark to chrony it today so I’ll try to get the numbers up tomorrow.
    Happy shootin’!
    Reb

    • Reb
      Glad to hear you got the spring so soon. I hope it gets you back shooting with your QB-36. Let me know how it does and if you put the Torrington bearing in it or not.

      Good luck and happy to help.

      Buldawg

    • I’ve been wondering how much truth there is to the “torrington bearing coming apart” stories… after all, that type of bearing is commonly used in other applications where there is some degree of impact loading.

      The only direct source I remember reading is a fellow who (at least used to) do a fair bit of airgun tuning, but I have reason to believe that his objectivity might have beeen somewhat suspect. Another man who actually used them in his build-ups claimed that he had never seen one fail.

      • When installed properly, with a shim on either side and properly lubricated the rollers themselves will have no place to go,they won’t last long if contaminated by grit.They are used in applications from Carnival rides to armored tanks, my introduction to them was in the transmission of a 400 hp”67 Mustang the one I have came out of an outboard motor rated at over 200 hp

        Reb

  12. BB, you forgot to mention the ReAxis gas piston is setup in reverse, thus the Re, the whole piston moves instead of just the plunger. Its supposed to have a more solid and smooth firing behavior. This looks like a suped up tr77 with all the bells, and would you look at that, open sights on a new breakbarrel! The Ruger Yukon has the same reverse piston, I looked at all the breakers before rushing off with the NP limited because the umarex octane was out of stock, if I could go back Id have tried the 135 I was set on or waited on an octane, though I read lots about the octane having faulty triggers or sears causing return barrel fires, scary… I picked up a pumpmaster classic 77 today, nice little plinker, keeps biting me though! Lol. Anyone know what’s the dif from the classic and the 1377?

      • One piece plastic breech, brass bolt. All stock except got some tac-tech style gray n black rubber grip panels I custom fitted, wicked BA can’t wait to match the pump handle, get a steel breech and a stock. Maybe a 12″ .177 barrel. I decided to go back to pumpers for awhile after shooting that 901 with my buddy. Loving this thing, the lego guns are right up my “can’t leave it alone” tendencies.

        • When you said American Classic it made me think of my first one with the sliding breech cover. with a stock you’ll be able to use the peep sight! You may not even need a steel breech or a scope to reach out 40-50 yards which is as far as it’s got enough power to hunt with. Ain’t been hearing much from ya lately, where you been?

          • My wife’s been starting a home business so helping with all that has me running and gunnin, But Im still here, some times I miss a page but I’ve tried to make sure to check in every night.

        • Tell me about that 901. I’ve been waiting to hear something from someone who actually shot one, after I saw one locally and asked about it a couple months ago and asked B.B. if he was going to review it. Did ya’ll Chrony it? Did it feel anything like a 880?

          • It is a good gun, its light weight but totally tight, not a rattle. The pumping is smooth and easy, you can pump to 14 and it feels like you can just keep going. It was good an accurate, nip bottle at 55 feet was our standing challenge and rested was no problem at all. The trigger was a tiny bit stiff but he had never used it, it will break in to a decent trigger. The ergos were good, especially on the pump handle, got nothing bad to say. For something you were looking for being easy to pump and lightweight, this things A+++.

  13. Matt61, Remove the stock from your M1. Remove the spring from inside the rod. Hold the rifle vertically (up and down). Does gravity make the rod slide down (with the bolt)? Reverse the rifle, does the rod and bolt slide forward and do the bolt lugs lock in place? Repeat several times. If the rod and bolt don’t slide back and forth (bolt locking and unlocking) smoothly, look for a place where the rod or bolt is rubbing or sticking. Repeat this test with both lubricated and unlubricated parts. If your M1 passes this test, change the extractor and its spring. I once belonged to a club that shot service rifle matches with M1,s ,and this procedure worked on most of the club DCM rifles that jammed. Look up some of the M1 sites and find the places that have to be lubricated. Skipping even one could cause problems, especially in rifles with tight fitting parts. Good luck and keep us informed . Ed PS Is your rifle one of the ones that have a receiver welded together from scrapped, torched rifles? I have seen some that were hard to tell from a normal receiver. I had one that worked and shot perfectly, but I saw others on the firing line that had loading and jamming problems.

  14. Matt61, Look up delrin barrel stabilizer and you will be surprised at how many inexpensive rifles can be accurised. The 1077 is almost an $80- rifle on todays market. I bought mine( at a give away price ) at a club flea market. The seller said that he never shot it because it leaked gas. It is a 20 year old first model 1077. 4 co2 cylinders and 6 drops of pellgun oil were all it took to get the rifle working like new (thank you BB). One of my gun clubs has youth day, twice a year. I help out at the air gun range. The club has 12 of these rifles (and 9 actually shoot after at least 10 years of use-abuse).I have tested most of them. A few do shoot good groups, but most of them group 3″ or more at 10@ yards. The stabilizer seems to work by eliminating most of the fliers. Ed

    • I noticed those Delrin stabilizers after I shimmed the barrel on my Airmaster 77 with leftover water supply line. Guess I made out judging by the price! Gun is rock solid all over now.

      Reb

  15. Well,I was trying to put the spring for the bear trap mechanism in and dropped it in the spring tube. Another left handed knockout! I may try to fish it out later but it looks like I’ll have to use the compressor again tomorrow. I done fed the skeeters enough for one day.

    Reb

    • Reb
      Please use the compressor to install the spring I know it not a magnum spring or has a lot of tension on it but the compressor does make it easier and will hold the action in place while you get the bear trap springs and plate put back in place because it will allow you top use both hands without having to hold the action also. I did mine the first time without a compressor and wish I had made one. then when I took them back apart to change springs with a compressor it was so much easier than without one.

      use the compressor cause you don’t need the spring guide or spring hitting you in those broke ribs that you don’t want to let heal.

      Buldawg

      • I used it . After seeing it only needing to go about an inch,I did try to compress it by hand ,just to see if I could. I need to swap this Torrington bearing for 2 half it’s size.Guess I’ll get back on it after I get woke up.

        Reb

        • Reb
          I don’t think you should put that Torrington bearing in your gun as they have been known to have the rollers come during shooting and will create many bad problems and break other parts as well. You would be better off to find a top hat type washer/spacer to put at the front end of the spring to keep it centered in the piston ( I used a half inch nut with a built in washer on the nut at the front) and then put a smooth washer on the guide end so the spring can wind up and unwind freely. Make sure to grease the spring and it seats with some heavy grease. Then grease the bearing surface of the piston and put together with the soaked leather seal and prepare for it to smoke like a worn out engine for quite a few shoots.

          Let me know your progress.

          Buldawg

  16. Apologies, BB. It looks like I have hijacked this comments section of the blog and turned it into an M1 Garand blog. I love it. The rifle that defeated Hitler.

    Fred DPRoNJ

  17. I think there will be a surprise waiting when the gun gets tested for accuracy with the bipod.

    I’m going to say it now. The results will be good. It will be just like the artillery hold if you don’t hold the gun down. Just let it the bipod legs rest free on a surface.

    If you let it rest on a table or on the ground it should work the same. Its when you try to control or restrict the movement that the gun makes is when you will see a difference in the way the gun shoots.

    I hope I didn’t spoil anything. But again I could be totally wrong. But should I say what my HW50S shoots like if I use my bipod shooting stick. Its not attached to the gun. But the gun is free to move in the yoke of the bipod. And of course I have a towel that the gun rests in so I don’t damage the HW’s wood.

    Oh and that is the only thing that I don’t like about the HW50S. I got to becareful handling it so I don’t mess the wood up. Its my baby. What can I say. 🙂

    • LOL! I understand. Hopefully, before the year is out I will have me a “Baby” that I will want to put gloves on when I shoot it. It will probably be an HW35E, but I have not ruled out a TX200 MK3 with a walnut stock.

      First though I have to find some time to finish up these FWB300S’s and then decide if I am going to keep my Edge or one of these. That is not going to be an easy decision.

      • Absolutely nothing in the world wrong with a beech stock.
        Nothing…
        Except life is short, and the walnut calls. And you’re going to spend at least part of the rest of your life just looking and appreciating the darn thing. A year from now you won’t even remember the price.
        Don’t shed another brain cell on the question.
        Get the Walnut.

        • Oh, I will. The HW35E has a walnut stock also. I have even considered contacting Diana. You can get any of there air rifles in a fancy grade of walnut also and custom checkering. For the price, that new FWB should be walnut.

      • RR
        I still got that thing going on in me making me want one of those TX200’s.

        And I like those FWB300’s also that you have. You will have to let me know if and when your going to sell one. I’m pretty sure I would be happy with one of them. Let me know. I hope not soon though. I’m broke after getting the Hatsan. 🙂

        • I tell you what, I will not sell one of these until I at least give you the opportunity to work out some kind of deal on one of them. Right now I am thinking they will be going for about $300.

          As we speak, one of them is going head to head with my Edge. I was shooting the FWB this afternoon. The objective is that I am wanting to make myself a minisniper rifle out of either my Edge, which was my original intent, or one of these FWBs. I will tell you right now that they are not pretty, but man do they shoot!

            • They are .177. Here is a little research for you to read up on.

              /blog/2012/04/fwb-300s-vintage-target-air-rifle-part-5/

              The ones I have are not anywhere near as pretty as this one, but the one I am testing right now is a real shooter.

              • RR
                I do believe I read them reports at one time.

                Have you tryed yours out to the 50 yard mark? Most of my shooting is done at that distance. That’s were I have my back stop set up in the yard. If it would hold a 1.5” group out at 50 yards that would be fine with me.

  18. These are my choronograph results for the Umarex Fuel.
    Average fps first, then type of pellet, then fps spread for 7 shots.
    759 JSB 10.34 gr 767-749
    814 JSB 8.44 gr 822-802
    837 H&N 8.64 844-831
    853 RWS Supermag 9.3 gr 869-837
    859 Falcon 7.33 gr 871-850
    875 JSB RS 7.33 gr 884-868
    876 Premier HP 7.9 gr 899-856
    880 Brown Box 7.9 gr 891-866
    911 RWS Basic 7.0 gr 919-907
    916 RWS R10 7.0 gr 918-910
    925 RWS Meisterkugen 7.0 gr 935-914
    971 RWS Hobby 7.0 gr 977-965

  19. Buldawg,
    I pulled the safety, trigger and it’s spring and was heading out the door to the spring compressor when the spring bounced off the threshold(lucky it didn’t wait til I got over any grass) so I didn’t have to remove the mainspring.I got a mitre box set up on the coffee table to hold it this time so If I have to walk around to use my right hand this time I can let it go long enough to do so.I’m putting it together with minimal use of moly this time. If it sounds as dry as it did before I’ll pull the spring and be more liberal.I noticed a little stepped looking wear on the upper half of the leather seal so if I go all the way back into it I will have a replacement ready for transplant.

    Reb

  20. Tom;

    This rifle has a lot in common with the Ruger Yukon, [mine is in the .22] are there any other major differences between the 2 rifles?

  21. Finally finished it! It took quite a few tries. Each attempt at the trigger left my legs quivering and my back on fire. The bear trap spring got loose from me again only this time I had to dodge it.It got away to some dimly lit corner somewhere in the living room,I didn’t spend long looking for it due to it’s lack of tension and fished out one of appropriate size and more important, tension! You could breathe on that thing and pull the lever back up, until now! Also had to make a breech seal.I found some of my Aunt’s oxygen tubing with the perfect cone shaped end and trimmed it to length.It’s a perfect fit !Well maybe a little overlength but I’ll see how much it compresses over the next few days and trim it some more if necessary. Somehow I had also missed stabbing the cocking linkage which called for a few more trips to the compressor.I don’t think I’ll be working on another springer until my left hand comes back around some more
    Thank you Buldawg! It hasn’t shot this stout in a little while,I don’t know how stout just yet but the 8.18 grain Stoeger match pellets I’ll be breaking it in with were flat moving!I’ll post some numbers tomorrow when I get some daylight to work with.

    Reb

    • Reb
      Glad you got it together and shooting and that it seem to be hitting hard. Post some number if you get a chance.

      Did you use that Torrington bearing in it or just a flat washer, the Torrington can drop the rollers out and tear up the rest of the gun, just use washers.

      Let me know some numbers

      Look in the hi-pac conversation blog for my post to Gunfun about the air gun range that I went to today to scope out joining.

      Buldawg

  22. These are my results with the Umarex Fuel rifle using a 4.5×14 AO scope
    On 8-1&2-2014 Earl shot 5 shot and 10 shot groups at 18 yards inside with several types of pellets with the scope at 14x and using the bipod. The RWS Supermag 9.3 gr and the Premier Brown Box Domed 7.9 gr grouped the best. The center of the Brown Box 7.9 gr group was 1.35 inches high and 1.30 inches to the left from the RWS Supermag 9.3 gr groups.
    RWS Supermag 9.3 gr = 10 shots at 0.60”; 10 shots at 0.88”
    Premier Brown Box 7.9 gr = 10 shots at 0.60”
    JSB 10.34 gr = 10 shots at 0.73”
    RWS R10 7.0 gr = 10 shots at 0.85”; 10 shots at 1.00”; 5 shots at 0.95”
    JSB 8.44 gr = 5 shots at 0.85”
    RWS Hobby 7.0 gr = 5 shots at 0.90”; 9 shots at 0.95+1=1.65”
    Premier Super Match 7.9 gr = 5 shots at 1.00”
    JSB RS 7.33 gr = 5 shots at 1.15”
    RWS Basic 7.0 gr = 5 shots at 1.20”; 5 shots at 1.30”
    RWS Meisterkugen 8.2 gr = 5 shots at 1.60”
    H&N 8.64 gr = 5 shots at 1.70”
    Premier Hollow Points 7.9 gr = 5 shots at 1.70”

  23. The sun isn’t cooperating today but I was able to get a few readings
    QB-36 with used B-3 spring& 8.18 grain Stoeger Match wadcutters; no particular order but it started out slow and got faster
    636
    641
    642
    649
    654
    The gun is still putting out 8 fpe which is where it was before the mainspring broke even though cocking effort has lowered and become much smoother.It only seemed to diesel slightly for the first half dozen shots or so which I burned off yesterday.
    Very pleasing results! I’ll be testing other pellets some day when sunlight is more reliable.
    Thank You so much Buldawg! I’ll be working out the sights today.I’ll have to cut out a front sight post to put in the front hood to get the irons dialed in(came with no inserts)and I might just stay with them for now instead of putting on the Red Star 4×20 or destroying my Tasco 4×32.The gun handles much better without a scope

    Reb

  24. I built 2 inserts for the front globe and when I went to adjust to adjust the windage the rear sight blade broke.- Back to the Red Star scope.The mounts this thing is in had a grub screw in the rear mount that someone left sticking out too far for it to grab the dovetail, there is a hole in the receiver but it’s about an inch behind where the dovetail ends and none for the length of the dovetail,I pulled it out. All the screws had Allen heads but were rounded out so bad that I had to drive a Torx bit in them to loosen and tighten them…What a mess!I’ve got it mounted now and will go see if I can get it on paper after it cools off a bit. I need all the luck I can get! Please wish some on me!

    Reb

  25. Buldawg,
    I just printed the purdiest 5/.625″ group at 20 yards with that QB-36, dead in the bull with those 8.18 match wadcutters that it’s spittin out @650fps! It’s dialed in! I never really got this gun to group before, I cleaned the bore and went through the scope & mounts, put your used spring in it, lubed it and got one good shooting rifle. Wow! I couldn’t have done it without this blog and it’s members as well as some other stuff posted online. Now this thing shoots way better than I can.
    Thanks for the help Ya’ll!

    Reb

    • Good to hear. And who knows… even though the Stoeger’s you are shooting are doing very well, there might still be a pellet out there which is even better for that gun!

      • Thanks Vince! Imagine my surprise when I saw that first shot land in the black at about 10:00 and just outside the red.I checked through the scope after every round and they just kept going where I was aiming. after I got the scope figured out and clamped back on I took a dozen shots to see how far it was off.The result was unconclusive but they were hitting to the right . I dialed in 15 clicks,as a guess, to the left and this was the result.Thank you for your guidance!

        Reb

        • Reb
          Those are some good numbers in fact that is right where my B3-1 is at with the new spring from the QF-2 kit that I got to build the two guns. Did you use the Torrington bearing in it or just a washer on the guide end for the spring. I hate that your rear sight broke, but it looks like you got the scope mounted so it will stay put. That was the problem on my 3-2 was I could not keep the scope from walking, so it just got the iron sight put back on it. My 3-2 has been beat around a bit before I got it, the front sight post was bent and the hood was shaped more like an egg than a globe so with some gentle massaging and hammering it is at least fairly round. it had that ugly orange paint on the stock so I sanded it all down good and painted it with rattle can spray on bed liner and it looks better in black than that ugly orange. It is not near as accurate as my 3-1 which was basically new when I got it and really did not need built as much as it needed cleaned and lubed.

          Happy I could help get your gun back shooting good and if you need something in the future please ask and if I can help I will.

          buldawg

          • About the installation, I just knocked the sharp edges off the ends and put it in with minimal lube and no spacers or preload.It don’t have that yucky Chinese springer smell anymore, and smells more like the shops did now. I’ve got the stock back off to address the drifting breech plug pin issue,which is now Loctited and a generous supply of sandpaper.I checked price and availability on Tru oil the other day and have the funds but it’s a long way to downtown on a bike. We’ll see what today turns up.

            Reb

            • Reb
              On that breech plug I do not understand how you are holding it in place by sanding and Loctite on it. We are talking about the cross pin that holds the spring seat, spring, piston and air chamber in the housing correct ?.

              If so I don’t think Loctite will work in that application because Loctite only hardens and secures fasteners in the absence of air. The tubes/bottles that Loctite comes in are actually porous in that that air is allowed to pass thru so that it does set up in the container.

              It would be better if you could find a piece of round tubing that is a snug fit around the rear of the outside of the housing to keep the pin from floating back and forth. I would think that some electrical tape wrapped around the pin area three or four times would work because the pin should not try to move that much once it has spring pressure on it. let me know if we are talking about the same pin or not.

              I have never heard of Tru oil ? what is it

              Buldawg

              • Never heard of Tru-oil eh?It’s only the best way to finish a gun stock ever! g/product/birchwood-casey-tru-oil-gun-stock-finish-3-oz?a=1095 rub it in in thin layers and buff with Ultra fine steel wool for as long as you can stand not shooting your gun.I’ve seen this stuff look like it’s 1/4″ thick!

                Reb

                • Reb
                  I guess I just always used linseed oil the way my father taught me many years ago so have never looked for anything else, the tru oil looks like it would work real good as long as it don’t require a lot of rubbing, if I can just apply it and rub it in until dry that would work for me because I ain’t going to rub or polish any more than I have to due to my arthritis in my hands.

                  Is the pin you loctited in the same one I am think of that holds the guts in the housing at the rear of the receiver. If so just try some electrical tape wrapped about four or five times around it, heck the Gator Boys use it to hold a gators mouth shut it outta hold that darn pin in place huh ?

                  Buldawg

              • Buldawg,
                In regards to the crosspin, I pulled the gun back outta the stock yesterday in order to try the Loctite for my curiousity.I’ve had good luck in the shop using this stuff for all kinds of stuff. One day as I was leaving work in my El Camino I felt the whole truck raise and a nasty clunk,when I looked in my rear view mirror I saw my Harmonic balancer and associated pulleys rolling across the street.I waited for it to cool while I collected it and drove it back 2 blocks to the shop where I parked it overnight. During assessment of the damage it was determined the crankshaft was stripped out. My manager suggested trying it”What ya got to lose?” I applied it to all contact surfaces as well as where the threads had been.I drove that thing hard every time I got behind the wheel until I blew a headgasket and traded that motor in for a reman but it lasted 3 more years. I’ve got my eye out for some thin spring steel (like a mop holder clip or so) so I won’t have to inlet for it. I’ll have it apart for as long as it takes to get enough of a coating on it for protection which will be 3-4 days.I’ll find something if it still moves

                Reb

                • Reb
                  I have done some of the same shadetree type repairs on my vehicles over the years and Loctite is some good stuff and I have used it to repair the seal surface on the front crank area with that kit that gives you a thin sleeve to loctite on the crank snout with a bigger ID seal to go in the cover, but those repairs are all on metal to metal surfaces with no way for air to get in to the loctite and that is why it sets up hard . The pin is going thru metal and plastic both and the fit is not tight enough to prevent any air from getting into the area around the pin when assembled. That’s is why it is called Anaerobic sealer ( means in the absence of air ) and the containers allow air to pass thru them.

                  You are on the right track with a piece of spring steel that would slide over it and fit in the stock, I still think that electrical tape would work until you find the right item to fix permanently.

                  buldawg

                  • I find myself checking it’s whereabouts before and after cocking it.It would have to slide about an inch before it could actually have enough leverage to bend the springtube but it’s a scary thought”What would happen if it turned loose while somebody’ face was there”? That’s why i’m doing something about it,like I did with the beartrap spring by replacing it with one that takes about 15 pounds instead of .5 which was another scary aspect of this particular gun.
                    I’ve finished stripping the stock(outside at least,I don’t know how much of the inletting I’ll do) and started looking for my water based stain,I’ll find it somewhere tomorrow with some daylight but gotta get it as smooth as I can in the next couple days so I can start layering and get back to shooting it.The repairs,cleaning and lube tune turned out too good to leave it looking that beat up for me anyway.Thanks again! Let me know if I can do anything to help repay your kindness and I’ll do what I can as soon as possible.Take care of you and yours!

                    Reb

                    • Rreb
                      There is no need to feel indebted to me for me helping you by giving the spring to you, you did not ask for the help and it was offered without any strings attached. I have been in your situation before and because of good people out there it was made easier for me to regain my dignity and get back to my happy place. I just felt like paying it forward when the opportunity presented its self as I would never have a need for that spring in the future and by giving it to you it has made us both happier and allowed us to create a bond that is one of the greatest gifts two people can share in this very short time we have in this world.

                      If buy chance in the future I find that you can repay it in some way I will let you know, but please do not feel like you owe me anything but friendship and brotherhood in our love of air guns and living a happy enjoyable life. Buy giving you the spring I can tell that you are in a better place and that is all that matters to me.

                      Stay safe and good shooting.

                      buldawg

  26. I ordered this rifle, what would you folks here recommend in a brake barrel piston rifle to be the best out there..someting below $350 and has no problems and not made in China..

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