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Accessories 2017 SHOT Show: Part 5

2017 SHOT Show: Part 5

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

  • TexanSS
  • Silenced?
  • New BKL mount
  • Gamo
  • Leapers
  • New 3-12X32 Bugbuster
  • T4 Tactical Compact Prismatic scope
  • The incredible shrinking dot sight!
  • Defense LED Light
  • Steel scope rings
  • More from Air Venturi

TexanSS

Here we go, starting at the AirForce booth, where the big news was the TexanSS, That’s right, kids, AirForce is giving us a silenced big bore!

Silenced?

Can you silence a big bore airgun? Maybe, but not in a package that’s small enough to hunt with. What you can do is reduce the report to the point that it becomes more manageable in a built-up area, and that is what has been done.

TexanSS
AirForce representative, Keeva Segal, holds the new Texan SS.

The TexanSS is an entirely new air rifle. The first offering will be in .45 caliber, but other calibers are sure to follow. The barrel length is 24.75-inches to fit inside the shroud. A shorter barrel means less velocity, and the rifle develops up to 400 foot-pounds, compared to the 500 foot-pounds of the unsilenced Texan that carries the title, “The world’s most powerful production air rifle.” You trade almost a foot of barrel for the quieter operation and still get more power than many big bores can offer.

Overall length of the new rifle is 45 inches. It’s 3 inches shorter than the Texan. It still has the power adjuster that allows you to tune the rifle to the specific bullet weight you are using — gaining accuracy and saving air.

New BKL mount

This one is so new they don’t have it cataloged yet. It’s a one-piece mount with a 4-inch base, but the rings are offset on both ends to give greater separation. It’s for those longer scope tubes that are found on scopes with high magnification — to separate the rings and reduce the load on the scope tube, plus make scope positioning easier. AirForce/BKL isn’t certain this will be a regular production item, or one they just make on special order, because the demand is probably not going to be high.

BKL mount
This new mount from BKL spreads the rings apart as far as possible on a one-piece mount.

Gamo

I stopped by the Gamo booth, but the only new guns they have this year are the Swarm Maxim breakbarrel repeater and the Coyote Urban PCP that I shot at Media Day and reported in Part 2. However, Gamo now includes Daisy, and, although there are no new airguns, I found a couple of interesting new targets there.

Daisy slime oozing melon
Daisy’s Slime Oozing Melon target is a one-time target that’s ideal for large gatherings. You don’t do anything except hang it on a safe backstop in the package it comes in. You have no package to open!

Paintballs inside the target ooze a pink (melon-colored) soy-based ooze that looks realistic as it runs down the outside of the “melon”. This target should be fun at large gatherings. The target cannot be refilled when spent, which the Daisy rep told me is thousands of shots.

There is also a second target containing three “soda cans” that do the same thing. Again, nothing has to be taken out of the package, and the target is thrown away, once it’s used up.

Leapers

Today was Leapers day, and I got a briefing from the owner, David Ding. Lots of exciting things to see there, so let’s begin.

New 3-12X32 Bugbuster

The first thing I saw was the new 3-12X32 Bugbuster scope. It has superior optics (very clear), thin reticle lines, very precise click adjustments with locking wheels at the base of each knob, sidewheel focus and of course the big deal of the day — the magnification range! I remember the first Bugbuster from back in the 1990s, and at that time one like this would have been unimaginable. This is a compact scope I think a lot of you will like. Look for it later this year.

Bug Buster
The new 3-12X32 Bugbuster has come a long way from the old days!

T4 Tactical Compact Prismatic scope

If you think the Bugbuster is compact, wait until you see the new T4 Compact Prismatic scope. It uses the same folded (prismatic) optics that are found in better binoculars, and the length of the scope tube is less than 4 inches! With the built-in mount that increases to 5.5 inches.

T4 Compact Prismatic scope
The new T4 Compact Prismatic scope is tiny! It’s made for AR-15s, but why wouldn’t it work on airguns, as well? I plan to find out.

The incredible shrinking dot sight!

Just when I thought I had seen it all, David sets a doll-sized reflex dot sight on the table and tells me it’s made for handguns. Called the Micro Dot, I photographed it next to an American quarter coin that’s one inch in diameter. It’s designed to replace the rear sight on a pistol, so the shooter doesn’t have to align sights — he just places the dot on the target, once it is sighted in. Dot sights for pistols are not new, but sights of this size are recent developments.

Micro Dot reflex sight
UTG Micro Dot reflex sight is intended to replace the rear sight on a pistol. It’s just 2 inches long.

Defense LED Light

I remember when I thought 60 lumens was bright. David showed me a tiny Defense LED light that’s 400 lumens! It weighs less than 5 oz. and fits in the palm of your hand, yet when the strobe is turned on it will stun and disorient anyone. I think this is an ideal light for a woman’s purse, because she can also dial the light intensity down, once it’s turned on, to use it as a normal flashlight.

Defense LED light
The Defense LED Light is compact yet powerful. A strobe enables you to stun and disorient attackers.

Steel scope rings

Airgunners have been asking for steel rings for years, and I have to believe that firearm users have, as well. They aren’t necessary, as aluminum rings are plenty strong enough to hold any scope, but some shooters are conservative “belt and braces” types. So Leapers heard and responded.

These rings come in one-inch, 30mm and 34mm tube sizes and exist as both one and two-piece sets. They currently are offered with Picatinny bases only, but David told me he also plans to make them available in 11mm dovetail sizes for airguns.

steel scope rings
The steel scope rings are thinner to save weight. The rings you see make glued-in fabric inserts obsolete. The scope cannot walk when they are used.

Once again, Leapers brings a great many new products to the market. I’m not showing the new backpacks, tactical briefcase, AR-15 stocks and metal pieces I was shown. Over the course of 25 years Leapers has grown from a kitchen-table operation to a global supplier to all sectors of the shooting sports — including the U.S. military and law enforcement communities. They have done it by an unswerving dedication to quality products and customer relations.

More from Air Venturi

I’ll finish this report with a look at two more products from Air Venturi. The first is a shoulder stock they asked Diana to add to their LP-8 pistol. When I tested the LP-8 years ago I said it offered rifle accuracy in an air pistol. Well, now Diana and Air Venturi have turned it into a covert carbine!

Diana carbine
Diana built this extendable shoulder stock for their LP-8 pistol, in response to a request from Air Venturi. I can’t wait to test it!

The other product is a show-stopper. It’s a mainspring compressor that’s both compact and ingeniously designed. I wish I had thought of it! It attaches to the 11mm dovetail scope base on your spring rifle and, as you can see in the photo, it takes care of business with no extra fuss!

mainspring compressor
This is one of the top five products at this year’s show. The Gauntlet, Wildfire and Sun Optics’ compressor are three others, and I’m leaving a wild card, because there is no doubt something neat I have either forgotten or missed altogether.

Here is the best part of this new compressor. It will retail for around $100. Not only is it compact and easy to use — it’s affordable, to boot!

That’s it for today! There is still one more part to this report, and perhaps a little more. I might give it a break for one day, just because this stuff is wearing me down. I want to write about other airgun subjects for at least a day, then I’ll come back and finish this.

118 thoughts on “2017 SHOT Show: Part 5”

  1. Hate to keep harping on this, B.B., but when are we going to see a gunfighter model of the Colt SAA, with its 4 3/4″ barrel?

    And I’d still love to see an inexpensive fast-draw holster with a 45 degree angle steel plate at the bottom, to forestall anyone accidentally shooting themselves in the leg or foot,

    Joe B

      • Why would a safety feature be a liability issue? Is that angled plate something that was historically used or a modern innovation. My sense is that the original gunslingers had just about zero sense of safety. That goes right down to the Texas Rangers of the 30s who would apparently tie off the grip safety of their 1911s.

        I just happened to be thinking about the original short gunfighter length of the barrel. After extensive practice with my Ruger Single Six with its six inch barrel, I can see why a big iron on the hip is not really what you want.

        Matt61

        • Matte, in thinking about it, it occurred to me that an angled plate holster could injure a person standing next to the shooter. It would only work for a single shooter.

          Maybe I’ll make my own. :^>

        • Matt,

          Because it encourages people to fast-draw a firearm with live ammunition.

          Ask that question in a courtroom, when someone has put a bullet through their thigh because the pistol discharged after they cleared the leather — because they were thumbing the hammer while simultaneously holding the trigger down.

          B.B.

    • Joe,

      Why we don’t have the 4-3/4-inch SAA is a puzzle to me, as well. As for the fast draw holster — don’t hold your breath. Remember Jarts.

      BB

  2. It appears that a number of manufacturers are producing “silenced” airguns. We had all come to believe that silencers were against federal law under the National Firearms Act. What happened?

    • Rdstern,

      For airguns, that seems to have been the norm for quite awhile. I was unable to find the link, but I read where there is a strong movement to have them legalized for firearm hunting. For air guns, I think that was/is a bit of an overreach to begin with. Some have removable baffles, while others do not. Most can not be removed entirely.

      B.B. has written on this as well. Maybe do a search here. I am sure someone here can find more on the topic.

    • rdstern,

      Silencer laws are changing rapidly. It’s now legal for me to own one for a firearm without a tax stamp, as long as it is made here in Texas and I never leave the state with it.

      BB

  3. Airguns do not fall under the definition of firearms so the ATF doesn’t have jurisdiction per se. Yet. So a suppressor built into an airgun is not a concern on a federal level I believe. However, those that are removable and can possibly be used on a firearm is a big gray area. Years ago, someone tried to bring suppressors into the country that they purchased in the UK and was arrested here.

    Fred formerly of the DPRoNJ

      • Fred and Mildot52,

        When it comes to air gun silencers that are removable, my understanding is that the area is not at all gray. Any device that can be attached to a firearm and can reduce the report, even slightly, is illegal to own without having the necessary federal permit. Even if the device would be destroyed by the very first shot, it is illegal.

        This is why so many air gun manufacturers that have sound reducers on their products have them as integral to the barrel and not removable without destroying the device in the process. If you have a favorite “LDC” on an airgun and plan to have it on there forever, the safe bet would be to epoxy it in place.

        Baffled shrouds on Marauders and other PCPs? Well, I am baffled by that one.

        Michael

      • That is correct. However, the Black letter law reads that any device that can quiet the report of a firearm is considered a suppressor. So even if the suppressor only lasts for one round and reduces the report by ANY amount, the Feds will jump on that and call it a suppressor. It’s happened and there are court cases. I’m also fairly certain that it was brought up here on the blog in past years.

  4. BB,

    I can see a new Bug Buster in my future. A dot sight might be there also.

    Now, as for that spring compressor, I like it. I do have one concern though. In your picture, the screw is nowhere near center of the compression tube. I certainly hope there is some way to correct for such, either an adjustment or a block insert. I have to assume there are other pieces that are not shown.

  5. Another fine report,

    – Texan. They killed the looks, what there was anyways, and took some power to boot. Good idea none the less and I am sure that some will find it welcomed.
    – Love the new optics.
    – Steel rings. I looked for these at a point. Few and far between. Alum. turned out to be fine, but nice to see this offering.
    – Hats off on the spring compressor. Things look a bit misaligned in the picture. Looking forward to a review on this one. I can see why it made it in the top 5.
    – The flash light is nice. I hope it takes standard AA or AAA though. The special batteries are a buzz kill and will limit appeal to the mass markets. Coast brand has some nice offerings and I have several as an FYI.

    Thanks and looking forward to more. Take care and do not get worn down,… at least not too much. Chris

    • Chris,

      You may have bought your Maximus too soon. There are quite a few new PCPs this year in the low end price range. I just saw a Beeman based on the QB78 called the Chief.

      The truth is they will have to be something to top the Maximus, but there are a bunch of PCPs this year that will be less expensive than the Marauder and very likely as nice. Unless this new F&T Mrod really shines, Crosman is going to have some very serious competition this year.

      • R.R.,

        Yea,…. I just ran across a couple. It is good to see the lower end stuff coming out. It is a bit surprising that they are coming from several different directions all at once. None seem to match the look of the Maximus. For what I bought it for, (20-40yds.), it will do just fine. I am getting much quicker loading that breech.

        You might laugh, but I took a silver Calligraphy marker and colored in the fine recessed lines that are on the stock. Talk about a classy looking stock! The marker had dual chisel tips which I further reduced with a razor blade. Anything that went outside the lines was taken care of with cheap paint thinner on a rather dry-ish rag. It turned out very, very nice. The darn thing looks like it wearing a Tuxedo.

    • Chris,

      As for the Texan, there is a shroud available for the full length air rifle. Yes, it is long, but most people are not going to care. It is also removable. If you need it to be quiet, you just slip it on. If you are hunting, you are probably not concerned with the muzzle blast, so you slip it off.

      Neither one is very short really.

  6. That 3-12X32 Bugbuster scope looks like it would be ideal for a light rifle like the Maximus. Hope that there is a blog report on it in the near future.

    Good to see lower price PCPs hitting the market. Even the high-end companies I have been watching are participating, FX with their Streamline and Weihrauch with their HW110.

    All we need are reasonably priced compressors. That Sun Optics compressor B.B. mentioned the other day looks very interesting – the ability to run off of 12 volts DC would make it a fantastic choice when you need a portable HPA source in the field.

    Happy Friday all.

    Hank

      • Mildot52,

        The power draw may be a concern, we’ll have to see what the specs say.

        The 12 and 24 volt motors have come a long way over the years. I know that the 12 volt trolling on my 16′ boat will go a long time on a charge. I don’t run it continuously but it gets a lot of use in a day’s fishing and I have never run out of power.

        I’d use 12 volt setup for topping up a cylinder in the field… a thousand or so psi. Have no idea on how long that would take.

        Hank

        • Trolling battery puts out a small draw for a long time. car battery puts out a big draw for a short time. two different types. the reason I say that is I noticed bigger compressors can run on 220 which means they use a lot on 115. maybe with the car running it would be OK cause I would hate to try to leave and have a dead battery lol

          • Mildot52,

            Agreed – there is a huge difference between a deep-cycle battery and a regular car battery in what they are designed to do.

            I was comparing the dc motors (thought not clearly 🙂 ). My first trolling motor would run my deep-cycle battery flat in 4-5 hours of fishing use. My “new” trolling motor will easily last all day.

            Yeah, I am sure that the compressors will draw a lot of power. It remains to be seen if it is reasonable for field use. As you point out, finding out that you can’t get home because you killed the battery charging the rifle would not be much fun.

            99% of my shooting is done in my back yard (I live in a rural area and have a 55 yard range a couple of steps from the basement door) and my hunting rifle is good for 70-80 full power shots so I am not too concerned with my HPA even when hunting away from home. Still, given similar specs, performance and price I would opt for the dual voltage (12/110) even if it was a bit more expensive.

            Guess that a small gas-powered generator would take care of the portability issue as well. That is the setup at the local FT range – bonus is that the generator powers the microwave and a coffee pot as well as the compressor.

            Hank

            • yes the new trolling motors if you get the better one have micro processor that just sips voltage. nice you can shoot 50 yds at home I can do that also. the best bet would be like you said to get one that is 12 volt and 110

        • Hank,

          My Guppy tank and the Shoebox,…. it take 24 minutes to top the tank to 4500 from 3500 and that will get 4 fills on the M-rod to 3500. Each fill is good for 24 shots. The low pressure compressor will cut on 2x in that 24 minutes for less than a minute each time.

          That is with the Freedom 8 pulley and belt. They sent me a free 10 version which is just a longer belt and bigger pulley,.. fitted to the same chassis. It is supposed to work even faster. I am still running the 8 version and got the 10 for later if the belt ever breaks.

          If someone has a tank, I do not see much need for the 12V version. Heading all day to the range might be one. An all day shooting event might be another. Feeding your buddies guns might be another. The 12V looked to be 3 times the size of a Shoebox. Weight? Good idea though

          Gunfun goes direct to his gun from the Shoebox. In that case, a recharge will take mere minutes with an all in 1 set-up or the traditional home setup.

          I would like to see Shoebox bring the price of their product down in response to the new offerings and the fact that cost is so similar, given that you will still need a $150+ first stage compressor for the Shoebox. A 2-300 drop would still put them out front and keep them there. They had a good run, but the time has come to stay in the new game.

          • Chris U
            You know what I bought my Shoebox new for $560. Mine was one of the first ones with the belt conversion and hardened piston rods. The first ones were chain driven. They where even cheaper if I remember right then the belt driven model I got.

            But mine didn’t have all the bells and whistles like the new Shoebox has. No electric cooling fan. No oil wiper and no electric pressure switch for fill pressure.

            And one thing about the Shoebox is they are small and light for what they do. And you know sometimes simplicity is better than complexity.

            And they are very easy to get apart to rebuild. Well and to replace components if needed. And full support of repair parts if you go to the Shoebox website. Remember our conversation about repair parts for air guns. Well that’s what you get also when you buy a shoebox compressor.

            • GF1,

              I totally agree,….. more is not always better. OR,….. it is,.. until it is not,.. such as when something breaks. I think they have room to come down. Their longevity will require it in a couple of years. They do have a long track record. That is good. That is the one thing they have going for them against the new up and comers. You don’t have to sell me.

          • Chris U
            Oh and if you go on Amazon you can find small oil-less compressor’s slot cheaper than $150 and free shipping if you look hard enough. So you wee a bit off on your $150+ statement.

            • GF1,

              Yea,… but what do you get? My California Air had everything I was looking for. I looked long and hard at all the usual suspects and the more I looked, the more I knew what I was not willing to settle for. Customer reviews are one of the best sources and that takes time to dig through those.

              • Chris U
                Yep that compressor is probably on the upper end of the scale. But as it goes there are cheaper models out there if a person doesn’t want to pay the higher cost. I got my Husky compressor when I got my Shoebox compressor and it’s still going strong. I got it for under a $100 at Home Depot. And like the air guns we talked about and Shoebox. They have repair parts available for the Husky.

                Like I said before that is one of the important things I look for. Availability of repair parts.

                • GF1,

                  Yea,… for what ya need,.. a 100 ought to cover it. Mine was 165. Dual cylinder, super quiet, 5.5 gal. tank, wheels and handle. Supposed to be double the life. Pay a little more and get a little more. Parts too.

                  I imagine we are going to see a ton of questions on tanks, pumps and compressors in the near future with all of the lower cost PCP options. Cool! 🙂

                  Back to work Monday (after 6 months). 10 hrs./4 days looks to be it. So the “day crowd” will have to get along without me somehow. 😉 Thanks for puttin’ up with me as it helped to save what’s left of my sanity,.. for sure!

                  Heading out to shoot the Maximus and get it sighted in at 37 yards. Back later. 60 degrees F now.

                  • Chris U
                    Glad to hear your going back to work.

                    And you know something else I like about the Shoebox. It’s because the shop compressor or stage one low pressure compressor is separate from the Shoebox. That way it’s two separate systems. If one part fails simpler to work on or replace. Or up grade the shop compressor or the Shoebox even.

                    And good deal glad you getting out and doing some outside time with the Maximus. Can’t wait to hear your results today.

                    And yep glad the weather forecasters was wrong again here. They said overcast and 57° with a 10 mph wind. It’s 66° right now sunny and calm. You know what I been doing all morning. 🙂

          • Hi Chris,

            I’ve been (casually) watching the home HPA compressors for a while as settling up my airsonal had priority. Now that that is done I am looking seriously at what is available in the compressor scene.

            I expect it will be a while before I purchase – I am not an “early adopter”. I like to watch the market, read the reviews and see what level of customer satisfaction there is.

            Thanks for your comments on the Shoebox compressor, means a lot as I know you do a lot of research and are very thorough. I have a shop compressor so that is not a problem but I would prefer a complete, self contained unit.

            Would be nice if there was a small (enough capacity for a couple of fills) carbon fiber tank built in that the compressor could keep it topped up. That way you could fill the rifle without waiting.

            I have a large (150cf) steel scuba tank on a cart as my fill station – very practical at home but a bit on the heavy side for transporting around. I need to get one of those Guppy tanks.

            Hank

            • Hank,

              You sound good as is for now. The on-board tank is a good idea, but would add substantial cost. Maybe Shoebox will make like a “Deer in the headlights” and do some price dropping?

    • Hank,

      I am really excited about that scope. I am already planning on buying one and I do not really need one. I have two SWAT Compacts, but they are 44mm so they are really not that small, just short.

      /product/leapers-3-12×44-ao-swat-compact-accushot-rifle-scope-ez-tap?a=3429

      I like them, but I would like something slimmer. That new Bug Buster also has side parallax. That is the clincher with me.

      Now, as far as air compressors are concerned, that Sun Optics has some serious competition this year.

      /product/air-venturi-air-compressor-electric-4500-psi-310-bar-110v?a=7458

      This one may be a little more pricier, but I am going to have to see a lot more about that Sun Optics rig before I go there. A friend of mine has an old version and a new version Shoebox. Both needed a rebuild when I was over. Makes me hesitate on these small, light, inexpensive units.

      • RR
        How old was his Shoebox?

        Mine is close to 6 years old. Only thing I had to do was replace the belt about a year and a half ago. It broke. And I do know this. If you over lubricate them it messes with the check valves in the two cylinders and will harden the o-rings from the heat that’s created by the compressing air.

        Did your friend say why they needed rebuilt?

        • GF1,

          I do not recall. A concern I have always had is that due to it’s size, these would be running quite a bit to fill a large tank.

          With the new larger compressors such as the Air Venturi and the Omega three cylinder, with me it is a moot point. These perform much better and are in the same price range as the Shoebox, which I have always thought was overpriced. That is why I did not buy one to begin with.

      • RR,

        Thanks for the links!

        The 3-12×44 is interesting but still quite heavy at 21.3 ounces (don’t know if the weight includes the mounts or not), hoping that the new 3-12×32 is lighter.

        I used the weaver mounts (with a little adapter) that came with my 3-12×44 UTG but at over 5 ounces will be replacing them with lighter BKL dovetail mounts. The TX200 is heavy enough!

        Going to start watching the HPA compressor scene more closely. It’s fairly convenient to fill my tank (the dive shop is about 15 minutes from work) but it would be really nice to be self sufficient.

        Hank

      • RR,

        Ease of rebuild (seal/O-ring) and minimal parts. The AV appears to be an all in 1. Plus coolant and plus 1st stage plus dryer (?). Those all in one’s look to have a lot of wiring and a lot of stuff crammed into a small space. Just saying. Mine (Shoebox) only has 20 hrs. on it and rebuild is around 100. I got 6 O-ring kits included with mine. Just some more to think about.

        Whatever you get, you will love the ease of it all and it will make your PCP shooting a whole lot more pleasurable.

        • Chris,

          Yes, the AV also has a desiccant air filter on the output, which is very important to me as I live in a high humidity area. We will see what I end up with.

  7. BB
    As always, enjoyed your reviews, great photographs, and occasional humorous comments and insights. Have fun on your last day in Las Vegas and have a safe trip home to Texas.

    Bob

    • Derrick,

      My M-rod w/RAI stock w/ 6 position fully extended goes 45″, the length I use it at. The Texan goes 48″. So,…. close.

      The Texan weight is 7.65#. My M-rod is 7.3# stock. My TX comes in at 9.3# in walnut. So,… not bad either.

      I would get one if I had a grand to blow and had any real need/use. The ammo cost and constant air filling is what would gripe me.

      • Chris,

        I do not know if the Texan is capable of such, but when I shot my first group target at 100 yards with my HM1000X and it was one inch CTC, I knew why guys go for big bore. Yes, the pellets are expensive and the hand pumping is a chore and soon I will buy all that other paraphernalia, but GOLLYGEEWHIZ it sure is exciting to know I can shoot that far with impunity and start stretching it out further!

          • BB,

            That is pretty darn good! That is the performance I just have to have to be satisfied. You need to get your hands on one again and see how far you can stretch that out. I will be lengthening my range come spring. 😉

            I am so glad that manufacturers are stepping up and delivering what we want. It was not too long ago that if a mass production big bore would produce a four inch group at 50 yards it was phenomenal. Many were satisfied with that because they were using them to hunt bigger game and shooting them behind the shoulders with a large kill zone. With the coming of long range competition such as LASSO, Extreme Benchrest, etc., long range accuracy became imperative.

        • RR,

          I am happy for you. That is really cool that it does that well. You also paid a pretty penny for it,…. and for that,…. I am really, REALLY happy for you that it does that well. I would be disappointed with anything less for that coin.

          By the way,… I have revised my assessment of the Maximus,…… beyond 3 shots is waste at 41′. The overlapping first 3 shots make way for all that follows,… be it 2 or 7. This thing ought to really smoke at the 20-40yds. I bought it for.

          • Chris U
            Your underestimating the Maximus.

            40 yards and in is a price of cake for the Maximus.

            You really, really need to get it outside and try at some realistic distances.

            • GF1,

              I do not doubt you. Today was the day,.. but a trip to Mom and Dad’s and shopping killed that. No hurry. I have (full) confidence in it. I will do a 37 yard sight-in, set the AO long,… (as you say to do), and it will all be good.

              Of course,…. you know that I will be getting the hold-over’s for 70 and 100. 😉

              • Chris U
                It was 72 here today after the ice storm the other day. And I had to work! Man I did not want to go in today.

                But yep you got to get that Maximus and ring it out. I’ll tell ya it’s the best $156 I spent.

                • GF1,

                  That sounds like 2 pretty darn good endorsements for the Maximus to me!!! Plus,.. Vana2 and Buldawg76 has one. “the best $$$ I spent”,….. that Sir,.. is A LOT coming from you with all the guns that you have had!!!!

          • Chris,

            That is why I have not ruled out the Maximus. Not only would it be great for squirrel hunting, it is light and compact enough for my grandson when he learns to shoot with Gadada.

  8. B.B.

    How are the steel rings finished out (painted, blued, bright luster or dull)? Have some rings that I bought in the early 80s that are deeply blued and polished to mirror sheen. Very good looking with right gun and scope.

  9. I’m waiting for Tom’s review of the new Benjamin Wildfire. As an owner of a 1077 for almost ten years now, I think I know what the pluses and minuses will be. Someone has the Wildfire on pre-order for #139.95 already!

    Now a question. I have a fair number of traditional rifle scopes. I sometimes switch them from airgun to airgun and then zero them, or make small corrections in the windage and elevation. All of them have those super fine threads on the adjusting cap. These threads make it quite easy to cross thread the adjusting caps. Why can’t they make these threads much coarser, which would make it much less likely to cross thread the caps. Also the caps would screw on and off with much less turns. I haven’t destroyed the threads on an adjucting cap, or the threads for the cap that are on the scope, but would not be surprised if it happened.

    • Birdmove,

      Well,…. less stress on the threads. Unwind the thread on a typical cap and you would a have 6″ of thread, maybe more. Would you rather have that be only a 1/2″? If it does come loose, it will not fall off in a 1/2 turn. The metal is too thin for a coarse thread application. Just be careful. At any rate,..that is my take on it.

      • All the scopes I have seem to have the very fine threaded caps. Centerpoint, Winchester, NCStar, Woltis ( a comparatively unknown Chinese brand), Hammers, Leapers too I believe.

  10. That’s quite a list of new offerings. I’m consumed with envy at the continual progress of Leapers scopes. They make me want to upgrade although that would be prohibitively expensive. I’m also newly attracted to the dot sights for pistols. They would certainly change the paradigm of focusing on the front sight for rapid shooting. I hadn’t taken them seriously before because they were unwieldy, but a smaller size might change things.

    Gunfun1 and ChrisUSA, thanks for your clear explanations of the regulator. Now that I understand, I don’t see how a pcp could do without one. I remember the exhaustive testing required to find a usable number of shots and the shape of the power curve, and that all now seems unnecessary. This alone is keeping the Marauder in the forefront for me.

    Matt61

    • Matt61
      All good. And I really have a good feeling about the feild target hunter Marauder with the regulator.

      If they make one in a .25 caliber version with the regulator and new barrel process I’m afraid I just may have to get another next generation Marauder. And notice I didn’t say anything about getting rid of my .25 Marauder I have now. Well unless the new one if they make it is more accurate. Exciting stuff to me.

        • Matt61
          You know how they say history repeats itself. Well this will sound absurd.

          I had a gen1 Marauder in .177 and .25 caliber when I got my gen 2 Marauder in .25 caliber when they came out.

          I have no problem getting me one of the regulated Marauders if they decide to make one available in .25 caliber.

          Really how will I know for myself unless I get one. 🙂

    • Matt61,

      No problem. I wish you could get your hands on a PCP for awhile,… pistol or rifle. You would be in very real danger. 😉 A tank and a dive shop and you would be in business,….. plus your toy of choice.

      Chris

  11. BB,

    I’ve enjoyed reading about all of the new products in the blog this week. I also watched several you tube videos on the SHOT show and you seemed to be in the background of all of them! I bet you need a vacation now for some rest.

    Was there any one new product that stood out to you above all of the rest?

    Thanks,

    Jim

  12. Man the Texan looks big in the picture of it being held above. I wonder how much the muffler makes a difference in the report.

    The steel scope rings are nice. I always have wondered if the aluminum rings change with colder or warmer temperatures. The steel rings just might make for a more accurate gun.

    And last but not least. I love that spring compressor. Pretty sure I’ll be getting one of them. One of the first ones I have seen that is not over complicated with unessacery parts.

    And one more thing forgot. More of the report to come. Great can’t wait.

      • Chris U
        Make what? The spring compressor?

        First I’ll say you should wait to see some more pictures of it first before you say that.

        And where I come from they say “show me”.
        😉

        • GF1,

          Really? 1″ rings, 1″ rod, all-thread, nut, spacer, weld, nut to crank, slipper shoe on the front,…..

          OR,….. save all that and just buy one! I like it,… a lot,… but I am a do it your self-er.

          Show me?,…… Mmmmmm?,…… Well,…. I would,…. BUT,…. I have torn down everything except the LGU. I am not touching that one. In fact,…. we should talk about a “buy back”,.. of course there would be the small matter of “appreciation” and all. 😉

          • GF1,

            Well,.. did 40 shots. Topped at 20. Eight 5 shot groups at 37 yards. All groups were within 3/4″ and the last group was 5/8″. POI shift was unseen over 20 shot strings. If there was any, it was me. Wind was a steady 5-10 from my right. Very little scope adjust required from the 41′ setting,.. (8 out and 4 down – clicks). I think I will play with the spring(s) some more and see if I can get the trigger down to 1-1 1/2# from the current 3#. Scope did good too. I could tell the difference from the UTG/Leapers,…. but still very useable.

            Overall very nice and very impressed. Looking forwards to playing some more with it.

              • GF1,

                No. I was trying to collect some good data and the breeze would not let up. The trigger was messing with me. Not that it was bad in any way,… just heavier than what I am used to.

                It’s all good. Heck,…. like RR,…. I will even give it the highly coveted “CCC” rating! 😉

                • Chris U
                  Cool. Hopefully you get a good warm calm day and you can stretch it out a little.

                  Yep the trigger. A little different. Takes a little getting used to. You know there is a adjustable sear you can get from a place. Pretty cheap and simple to install.

                  • GF1,

                    I will work with I got for now. If I can get that V spring lessoned a little, it will be good. I cold mess with trigger return spring, but it is pretty light right now. I plan to trace the V spring on paper, tweak, compare. That way I know just where it was at to begin with.

                    Now you could say,… what about the hammer spring? Well, without the safety in, the trigger pull was 10-15 oz.,… no #. So,… getting that V spring a little lighter will do it. Plus, I have the 2 screws in the rear of the housing too. All of that and it should be just fine. Remember,…. I said that I was not going to make this into a project gun. A quick grab critter getter.

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