Great airgun finds

by B.B. Pelletier

This one is for anybody who's looking for a great airgun at a reasonable price. Wouldn't we all like that?

Internet gun auctions
There are some great airguns on the gun auction sites, but first a big warning. There are also a lot of shysters who prey on honest people. The following is an auction description. See if you can spot the problem.

BSA CADET-MAJOR .177 AIR RIFLE - The gun is not visably marked - I had a hard time finding info on this gun - It is listed on page 35 of Hiller's "AIR RIFLES THIRD EDITION" - The rear sight is the type that BSA used on their pre-war air rifles (the sight alone is worth at least $40.00) - Their gun had no visable model and name as well since the make and model was lightly etched on top of the receiver -

Know what's wrong? BSA always marked their airguns. There is no such thing as an unmarked BSA. There are, however, copies of every BSA model...but made in India, Japan or South Africa. These guns are also well made by today's standards, but they aren't in the same class as BSA. Sometimes, the Japanese guns have a few characters on them, but I have seen guns without any markings.

If a BSA Cadet-Major is worth $350, one of these guns is worth $150 or less. So, don't get suckered in. I wouldn't bother conversing with the seller, but if you do, be kind. He may not have known what he had was not the genuine article. However, I have seen a few who did know and tried to prey on the newer airgunners.

Another common ploy
Here is another very common trick that I see all the time. It's found on the auction sites, and on classified ads, as well. Can you identify it?

Seller's Description:
Sheridan Products Inc., Racine, Wisconsin - Made in the USA. "Silver Streak" 5m/m Caliber. Front Pellet Pump Rifle. Fixed iron sights - rear adjustable. Safety is behind bolt. Bore is shiny. 37" overall length. Used - there are some nicks and scratches in the wood. There is some surface rust here and there. Some surface wear and pitting. All seems to function - I have never used it.

Know what's wrong? It's the last sentence. "I have never used it." Some common variations on this same theme are, "It uses CO2 cartridges and I don't have any to try in it" and "I really don't know how this thing works." Yeah - right! They know how it works and they can get a CO2 cartridge the same as you, but when they did, it didn't work. They want you to accept that it might not work, while not telling you outright. I avoid dealers with sales jargon like this, and I advise you to as well.

So, are there any good airgun buys to be had?
Yes! There are TONS of them, if you know where to look. For starters, visit a local gun store and ask them if they ever get airguns. Chat them up and you might find they see a lot of airguns, even though they don't officially handle them. If you give them your card they may call you when a widow comes in to sell her late husband's gun collection. Or, when someone wants to sell them an entire gun collection, they will enjoy having someone to sell the airguns to.

Pawn shops are another good place to shop. Make friends with several local pawnbrokers by visiting their stores once a month. One day, they'll surprise you with an Anschutz 250 target rifle that's about to come out of pawn. Ask what they loaned for it and pay them 20 percent more. A typical buy would be an Anschutz 250 for $120, because they don't loan much on airguns. So you save a cool $400, as I have done more than once. Don't think for a moment that the pawnbroker will take the time to buy Blue Book of Airguns and look the gun up. If they can make a quick turnaround on something they don't normally stock, they're very happy.

Airgun shows
Bring a pocketful of money and just walk the aisles and talk. Sooner or later you will find the deals. Someone always wants to buy something else and needs money, so they're willing to make a super deal. This is so common at airgun shows that I see it at every show I attend. In fact, you really have to be up on your airguns, so what I do is limit my deals to guns I know a lot about. I take a super sleeper like a BSA Meteor and wait until I find it for $80 in excellent condition. Or a Diana 27 for $150. You get the idea. I can probably do this with over 100 different models today, only because I have been doing this for the past 15 years. You'll get there too, if you start today.

What came before the 10-meter rifle? - Part 1Zimmerstutzen

by B.B. Pelletier

I'm in Albuquerque today and all settled down for the evening.

Today's question is: What came before the 10-meter target rifle? Knowing what came before and how it evolved tells us a lot about today's 10-meter rifles.

The Zimmerstutzen was the ancestor of the 10-meter target rifle and extends back to at least 1840. Zimmerstutzen is the rough translation of "parlor rifle" in German. The first zimmer was powered by a percussion cap that propelled a small lead ball through a short rifled barrel. The barrel was located toward the end of what looked like a conventional long rifle, although only the final 8 inches of the barrel were used. The striker for the percussion cap, and later the firing pin that was used on cartridges, was very long - running from the rifle's action to the rear of the short barrel.


American Bandel Zimmerstutzen from about 1870 uses percussion caps to power a lead ball loaded in a breech about 8 inches from the muzzle. Note that the hammer is attached to a long striker that runs up to this breech.


Breech mechanism of Zimmerstutzen from 1910 shows the loading/extracting mechanism that handles the fixed cartridge.

Course of fire
The course of fire was 50 feet indoors and always offhand. Because zimmerstutzens were associated with shooting Vereins (literally "unions," but meaning clubs) where the summer was devoted to shooting outdoors at 200 meters with schuetzen rifles. In fact, a lot of American shooters think the word Zimnmerstutzen should really be spelled and pronounced zimmerschuetzen (it shouldn't). It may have had its origins that way, but zimmerstutzens soon developed their own rules and evolved into a different sport.


Fixed 4.3mm Zimmerstutzen cartridge (left) next to a .22 long rifle. The zimmer round uses a primer, only.

Characteristics
By 1890, zimmers usually had double-set triggers, superfine adjustable aperture sights and stocks that defined the breed. A high, cupped cheekpiece and usually a thumbrest were common features, as was a deep hooked buttplate. By the year 1900, the Zimmerstutzen had evolved to its highest level and would remain that way until the start of World War I.

Caliber
A Zimmerstutzen comes in the nominal caliber 4mm, but in fact there are over 25 discrete calibers that range from 4mm to 5.55mm, in half-milimeter increments. They also come in fixed and separate ammunition. The fixed ammo looks like a standard rimfire cartridge. It loads, shoots and ejects just like a rimfire cartridge. Of course, all target-shooting zimmers are single-shots, just like 10-meter rifles of today. Target shooters believe that top accuracy comes from precise loading directly into the breech, and they get that partly from the Zimmerstutzen heritage.

Accuracy
This is where the story gets interesting. When I was a boy in the 1950s, Zimmerstutzens were revered for their accuracy. Had they shot groups in targets instead of single shots, their groups would have been around one-tenth-inch for the best shooters. Wonderful accuracy for 1955, mundane after about 1985. Today's 10-meter air rifles can out-group a Zimmerstutzen by about 50 percent, if not more. Of course the distances at which they shoot are different, but that doesn't explain the difference in accuracy. It's really velocity and the accuracy potential of a diabolo pellet. A round ball cannot keep up, and the Zimmerstutzen typically shoots around 1,000 f.p.s., while the air rifle does about 580.

In the next installment, I'll show you some more unique things about Zimmerstutzen rifles and tell you where they went when the 10-meter rifles displaced them.

BB gets disappointed - Part 4 Wilson Combat...and the Taurus gets better

by B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3


You may recall that I went shooting a couple weeks ago. I took both my Taurus PT 1911 and my new Wilson CQB Christmas gun. This is an update on the Taurus and a first report on the Wilson.

Little things mean a lot
The Taurus had several major problems. The factory magazines do not work, even with the reliable Wilson. So, until I rebuild them with new springs, they're out. On the other hand, my one Wilson magazine works flawlessly in both guns.

The other problem was the Taurus extractor. It had a large burr, the part that fits over the cartridge rim was not smooth, but worst of all, the extractor was not properly tensioned. I corrected these faults and the last time out, the pistol fed 125 rounds perfectly. The rounds were a mixture of Winchester and Remington hardball plus two different reloads.

I'll keep shooting the Taurus to test reliability, but I think I have it. The next thing I was interested in was a comparison of the two guns. You may laugh, but I found the Taurus easier to shoot than the Wilson. The sights that I've now become so familiar with are much faster to acquire.

Not all is perfect
Faster doesn't mean better in all cases and definitely not in this one. While the Taurus sights come up very quickly, they're very distracting...to the point that I cannot aim them intentionally. For a minute-of-bad-guy gun, the Taurus is great out to 25 feet, but the Wilson is incredible!


Two groups tell all. Top group is 8 shots from the Wilson CQB. Bottom group is 7 shots and 1 flyer (to the left) from the Taurus. The crosses indicate the aim point. Clearly the Wilson out-shoots the Taurus. From 20 feet.

The groups were shot at only 20 feet, so don't get too excited. However, the Wilson shows its pedigree, and the Taurus suffers from combat sights that do not encourage precision.

How about that Wilson!
Several of you are curious about my new CQB, and here's where I'll make a tie-in with airguns. You could think of the Taurus as Gamo Shadow with which I've had growing pains. The Wilson is like a TX200...perfect right out of the box. You could buy 5 Tauruses for one Wilson, so there IS a reason the Wilson is a better gun. However, the Taurus is advertised as a $2100 value in a $600 package. While it's a very nice gun, there is no way it can be a $2100 value. The Wilson shows what painstaking work can do. The Taurus shows how far modern manufacturing can take you.


Wilson CQB Light Rail is their standard custom gun with a Weaver rail underneath.

Shooting report on IZH MP 513M

Good morning all. As you read this, I'm in an RV on my way to Las Vegas and the 2008 SHOT Show. Because I'm on the road and driving all day, I'm asking you veteran readers to please help out with the answers for the next two weeks. I'll return on February 11. Of course, I'll post the blog every day and answer those questions I have to, but I have to write a blog while I drive each day or am attending the SHOT Show, so I'll be pretty busy for the next two weeks.

I won't be doing any gun reviews during this time, but I have taken along photos, material and data to use for blogs, so things shouldn't be that different. I'll also give you a glimpse of anything extraordinary I see at the SHOT Show.

One of our readers sent a link to some good air rifle shipping boxes. If you need some, check with Cameron Packaging.

Today's post was provided by /Shooter, who has spent some time with a .22 caliber IZH MP 513 rifle....

More on the IZH MP 513M in .22 cal. Mine is about broken in now after 1000 or so shots, and I may seem like I’m stuck on this gun, but that's only because I really like it! I also have a .22 long rifle bolt-action made by IZH that I really like.

The 513M looks pretty utilitarian. It's like you said in your review of the .177 cal. 513M - it's not going to win any beauty contests. Not like owning a Daystate or a TX200 that you'd (well, I would) be afraid to scratch, this is definitely a hunting/knockabout rifle. It does look a little better with the Leapers 5th Gen 3-9x50 red/green illuminated mil-dot reticle scope on it.

I don't use the red/green illumination on the scope, but it looks like it'll be useful in low light. I use my scope at about 7x most of the time, and I'm still shooting 0.17 - 0.19" groups at 10 yards on a good day. If the groups look a little wide for 10 yards, it's because (I forgot to mention in the other posts) these aren't shot off a bench, but standing with my supporting forearm resting up against my Weider Crossbow exercise machine's bow arms.

Also, the velocities and muzzle energy are probably adversely affected by the fact that I live at 5500 ft. elevation and because the first screen of my ProChrono Digital chronograph is about 3.5 ft. from the muzzle. I don’t figure I’m losing that much velocity in 3.5 ft. though. It's not like I'm bucking a stiff head wind in my basement. You'll get more down around sea level, but I don't know how much. With that, here are the velocities and energies I’ve been getting. I really like the muzzle energy calculator on Pyramyd Air's site. I used it for all of the conversions here. Ten-shot groups for each type of pellet.

JSB Exact Jumbo, 15.8 gr.- 725 fps. av.- ES-22, 18.45 fp, 25.01 joules
Beeman Silver Arrow, 19.9 gr.- 693 fps. av.- ES-22, 18.03 fp, 24.44 joules
RWS Superpoint, 14.5 gr.- 753 fps av.- ES-19, 18.26 fp, 24.76 joules
RWS Super H-Point, 14.2 gr.- 741 fps av.- ES-13, 17.32 fp, 23.48 joules
RWS Meisterkugeln, 14.1 gr.- 760 fps av.- ES-8, 18.09 fp, 24.52 joules
RWS Hobby, 11.9 gr.- 833 fps av.- ES-12, 18.34 fp, 24.87 joules
H&N Baracuda Match, 21.6 Gr.- 554 fps av.- ES- 8, 14.72 fp, 19.96 joules
JSB Predator Ultra Shock, 15.8 gr.- 717 fps av.- ES- 6, 18.04 fp, 24.46 joules (Best Accuracy)
Daisy Precision Max, 13.4 gr.- 808 fps av.- ES-14, 19.43 fp, 26.34 joules
Beeman Ram Jet, 16.5 gr.- 697 av.- ES 17, S17.80 fp, 24.14 joules
Crosman Hyper-Velocity, 14.2 gr,- 755 av.- ES- 25, SD- 8, 17.98 fp, 24.37 joules
Crosman Premier (boxed), 14.3 gr.- 761 fps av.- ES- 40, 18.39 fp, 24.94 joules

Notice the drop in power for the H&N Baracudas. Too much weight at 21.6 gr. while the 19.9 gr. Beeman Silver Arrows delivered most of the gun's energy down range. Too bad, the Silver Arrow's accuracy at 10 yds. left something to be desired. I almost thought the Baracudas had broken my gun, but I shot the JSB Predator Ultra Shocks immediately after them, and the power and consistency were back to where they should be.

The Predator Ultra Shock (no plastic penetrator point, just a big yawning hollow) gave me the most consistent accuracy, while the Baracuda Extra Heavys, even with their really low extreme spread, were all over the place with this gun. I also noticed that the RWS Hobbys, while being the lightest, did not deliver the most energy. That was done by the Daisy Precision Max, which beat them out by over a full ft./lb. Too bad their accuracy was so mediocre. For accuracy in this gun, I'll go with the JSB Predator Ultras followed closely by the group of RWS Meisters, Superpoints and Hobbys.

I haven't needed the extra seals or mainspring that came with this rifle. Although it kicks pretty hard and buzzes a little with the lighter pellets (didn't get to the tar yet), I really enjoy it so far. Now, if I can just get some time outside without freezing my tail off, I'll shoot it for accuracy at about 25-30 yards and see what it'll do.

Beretta PX4 Storm pistol - Part 3

by B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2

Today, we'll look at the accuracy of the Beretta PX4 Storm. This has been an interesting review from the standpoint of all the comments I've seen. One reader said he was surprised that the velocity was so low (450+ f.p.s. in his gun with Silver Eagle hollowpoints) because the blowback made it feel more powerful. I never thought of that, but perhaps that is the big draw for blowback action - the power it conveys to the shooter.

Start close!
Because I had no idea of the potential accuracy, I started shooting at 12 feet. I normally reserve such close distances for BB guns, but with repeaters that have blowback I know the accuracy will probably not be great. Starting close keeps everything safe. Naturally, I wear shooting glasses; because this gun shoots Crosman Copperhead BBs as well, I used a Quiet Pellet Trap.

Gamo Match
One of the PX4 customer reviews mentioned success with Gamo Match pellets, so those were the first ones I tried. The first group looks great until you realize it was shot from just 12 feet. I'd normally group like this at 33 feet (10 meters) with a really accurate Umarex pistol such as the Colt M1911A1 or the S&W 586 revolver, so this isn't as good as it looks. Yes, the PX4 Storm is also made by Umarex, and I wanted to say the blowback was the problem until I remembered that the Desert Eagle also has blowback and is very accurate. Something else is at work in this case.


This looks good until you realize it was shot from 12 feet. Eight Gamo Match pellets.

BBs were next
For BBs I stepped up to just 10 feet, because they can really spray wildly. You can see from the resulting group that they aren't as accurate as pellets, but they're not that bad, either. Certainly they're minute-of-pop-can at 20 feet. However, as I was going to back up to 25 feet and BBs were already drifting to the left, I stopped testing them here.


Crosman Copperhead BBs opened up at just 10 feet! They'll tag a soda can at 20 feet but you'll have to aim to the right. There were only 7 BBs, due to one falling out of the magazine just before loading.

Other pellets
I also tried RWS Hobbys, Crosman Silver Eagle wadcutters and H&N Finale Match to see if there's a difference. If there is, I couldn't see it. In fact, the Hobbys seemed to perform just as well as the Gamo Match. The H&Ns were slightly less accurate, though I didn't shoot them enough to confirm that. Because they cost more, I figured why bother with them in an action pistol?

25 feet
I shot from a strong side barricade position, which means I rested my right hand against a door jamb and used my left hand to steady the pistol. I used a strong spotlight on the target, so the sight picture would be clean for me, and I disregarded the three white dots on the sights. However, I still had my bifocals on and they were causing some double images of the front sight blade. That's never good. The groups that resulted were in the 3" range, though curiously centered in the bullseye. The better sight picture did away with the gun shooting to the left.


Shooting from a strong side barricade at 25 feet, 8 Gamo Match pellets opened up like this.

Glasses off!
Finally, I took off my glasses so the sight picture would not look double. That gave me the best results from 25 feet, though the shots moved to the left again. All shooting was done using a 6 o'clock hold.


Glasses off made the front sight sharper, but this is still the best I could do.

So what?
The PX4 Storm isn't for target shooting, so why am I shooting it that way? Because you can't accompany me as I plink at pop cans and balloons. I have to have something to show you and targets are a good medium ground. Shooters who buy the PX4 Storm are not looking for one-hand target accuracy, they're seeking a fast-action pistol that can keep up with their shooting fun. I believe this pistol can do it.

What about jams?
There have been some reports of jams with this gun. I bet I know how they happened, too. After shot number 32 (or 40, if you followed my earlier report) the shooter kept on shooting even though the gun sounded weaker and weaker. That's a typical error for a new shooter with an action CO2 pistol. It happens with green gas airsoft guns as well. I think if you pay attention to the number of shots fired and to the sound of the gun, you can avoid any jams. I certainly had none in over 300 shots.

The bottom line
This is the least-expensive pellet pistol with true blowback action and a rifled barrel. If that's what you're looking for, this is a fine airgun. If you want more accuracy with blowback and a rifled barrel, consider moving up to the Desert Eagle.

10-meter rifle - Part 1

by B.B. Pelletier


She's 10 and that's an FWB P70 Junior rifle she's shooting. This 10-meter competitor placed well at the 2007 NRA/Pyramyd Air National Airgun Championships in Akron.

Several readers requested this report, and I'm glad to finally start it. Before we begin, allow me to define the sport as I will report it. Ten-meter air rifle competition is divided into men's and women's divisions. Men fire a course of 60 + 10 shots per event and women fire 40 + 10. Men have 105 minutes for the first 60 shots and women have 75 minutes for their first 40 shots. I will explain what "+ 10 shots" means in a later report.

The U.S. National Rifle Association (NRA) also has 10-meter competition, but their rules and equipment differ significantly from the formal rules of the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF). The ISSF rules prevail in the World Cup and Olympic competition, and that's what I'll report.

Shooting position
The only shooting position in ISSF competition is standing. The NRA uses kneeling and prone as well as standing; but at the world level, the competitors stand.

Target
The ISSF target is also used by the NRA, but the hits are scored differently. The NRA credits a pellet hole that touches the highest scoring line, while the ISSF requires that the line be broken by the pellet hole to score. Actually, in ISSF competition, targets as we know them are not used. Instead, they use a paper roll in a target frame that is instrumented with three sound transducers. The transducers can detect where the pellet tore through the paper by triangulating the sound of the paper tearing. Then, they plot the hole on a standard target overlay, and it appears on a video monitor at the shooter's position. This method has been demonstrated accurate to the thousandth of an inch, so arguments about scoring are a thing of the past.


This is the real deal - a German 10-meter rifle target sized pretty close to the actual size. The dot in the center is the "10-ring." The paper is a stiff, tan non-reflective paper that doesn't tear along any grain. Pellet holes are as clean as they can be.

The shooter sees a black spot that looks like a target and functions like one because of the electronic system in place. Not only is scoring easier, all tabulation of scores is entered into software, so what was once a laborious project is eliminated, plus the scoring and tabulation is faster and more accurate.

Caliber
The .177 caliber is mandatory. All scoring equipment (optical, mechanical and electronic) is built around .177 caliber and nothing else is permitted in ISSF competition. All guns and related equipment (pellet boxes, etc.) are available in .177 caliber only.

Wadcutter pellets
Wadcutter pellets are the only type of pellet used by 10-meter shooters. This follows the bullyeye pistol crowd that converted to wadcutter and semi-wadcutter bullets decades before world-class airgun competition commenced in the 1960s. When the scoring was done mechanically, a crisp hole left by a wadcutter was essential.


There are many variations on the theme, but all wadcutter pellets have a flat nose to cut a perfect circle in target paper.


Hole on the left cut by a wadcutter, domed pellet cut the hole on the right. Which would you rather score?

Velocities
Although velocity isn't regulated, per se, no 10-meter target rifle shoots a pellet faster than 600 f.p.s., with the average muzzle velocity being around 575 f.p.s. Velocity for rifles has declined since the 1960s, when the first true target air rifles were built. In the days of the FWB 300 and the Anschutz 250, the muzzle velocity was more on the order of 640 f.p.s., but a shift to CO2 and precharged pneumatics has brought about a reduction in speed, which also conserves the number of shots from a fill of gas or air. Having a lower velocity that match officials can rely on has made the construction of ranges and pellet traps easier, plus it's made it easier for insurance companies to write policies for events.

Powerplants
Ten-meter guns no longer have spring-piston powerplants. The Chinese BS-4 is the last hanger-on, but you won't see one in any national competition. In the 1960s, spring guns were very popular, but when CO2 rifles came on the scene, the springers vanished from the world scene. Clubs still have them, but top shooters prefer their own rifles and no longer choose springers.

CO2 is still used, but fewer and fewer shooters choose it as time goes by. It's one of those things where a shooter has a rifle that shoots and it happens to be CO2. They aren't about to change because the rifle does so well. There's still a small contingent of single-stroke pneumatic users, which keeps rifles like the FWB 603 on the market. But, PCPs have really taken over as the powerplant of choice.

I plan to cover the rifles in some detail. I'll also address sights, shooting equipment such as jackets and gloves, and shooting positions. Please tell me what else you'd like me to address.

Beretta PX4 Storm pistol - Part 2

by B.B. Pelletier

Part 1

Continuing our look at the Beretta PX4 Storm, let's examine functioning and then shoot it for velocity. I'll also record the number of available shots per 12-gram CO2 cartridge, because there's a lot of interest in that number.

Trigger
The trigger is both single- and double-action and is a bit strange in the single-action mode (when the hammer is cocked). The first stage is there and light as it should be, but the second stage divides into two distinct parts. The first part is a pull that stops at a definite point, and the second part is the letoff. If you're familiar with old (pre-1930) Colt double-action revolvers, you'll know they "stack" toward the end of the double-action pull...meaning they come to a definite pause in the pull as the effort to release the sear increases. You can use this stacking to control the release of the hammer if you're careful. The single-action trigger on the PX4 Storm feels remarkably similar to those old Colt double-actions. I suspect it has to do with advancing the 8-shot clip to the next chamber. It releases in the single-action mode at 4 lbs., 12 ozs.

Two types of shooting
I tried the gun two different ways in an attempt to learn how to get the maximum number of shots from a CO2 cartridge. The first method was to pause 30 seconds between shots to let the pistol recover from the cooling effect of the CO2. Using that method, I got 5 full magazines and half of a 6th, which amounts to 40 shots on a cartridge. At the end, the power was definitely falling, meaning that all liquid CO2 had evaporated and the gun was shooting on gas, alone. I dry-fired a few more shots; within four more shots, the slide was not cocking the hammer.

Gamo Match pellets ranged in velocity from 226 f.p.s. to 356 f.p.s., but the 226 was an anomalous shot. All other shots were above 332 f.p.s. The average for this pellet with a fresh CO2 cartridge (and excluding the lowest shot) was in the low 340s. Gamo Match were also the final pellets I shot under this technique, and the final string went from 292 to 360. The average was about 350, 10 f.p.s. faster than the first string, which proves that CO2 acts as a pressure regulator, as long as there is liquid CO2 remaining. The final shot at 292 f.p.s. was the result of the liquid being gone.

Crosman Silver Eagle lead-free wadcutters averaged 410 f.p.s. Of course, they're 2.3 grains lighter than the Gamos and H&Ns, so an increase is to be expected.

I also shot H&N Finale Match pellets on this CO2 cartridge. They weigh almost the same as Gamo Match pellets and produced an average velocity of 337 f.p.s.

When the cartridge ran out, I swapped it for another and started shooting with a string of Crosman Copperhead BBs. They're made of steel and are 2.4 grains lighter than the lead pellets I shot, but they averaged only 370 f.p.s. They're quite a bit smaller in diameter than the pellets and therefore allow some gas to blow past the BB in the barrel. They're held in the magazine by a magnet in the center of the revolving clip.


Steel BBs leave a lot of room in each chamber. The BB is held in by a magnet. Those ribs in the chamber are there to hold the pellets.

Fast shooting
This time, I shot as fast as the Chrony could register, which is about a shot every 1.5 seconds. The strings went down in velocity from the first shot to the last, as you might expect. For example, the first shot with Gamo Match went 360 f.p.s., while the 8th shot with the same pellet went only 328. Gamo Match went from a first-shot high of 334 to a last-shot low of 290. However, shooting this way did improve the total number of shots I got from the pistol, from 40 to 48. On the final string, I waited 30 seconds between shots and the average for Gamo Match was 318 f.p.s. So, if you want more total shots per cartridge, shoot the pistol rapidly. The temperature on my office range was 70 degrees F throughout the test.

Impressions
I didn't know what to think before starting this test. I've read reviews both praising and condemning the PX4, so I was ready for anything. I like the trigger and the way the gun feels in the hand. It's on the large side for me, so shooters with big hands are going to enjoy it. Next, we'll see how it does on paper.

Gamo CF-X gas spring! - Part 3

by B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2

Let's look at the accuracy of the .22 caliber Gamo CF-X with Air Venturi Ram Air gas spring installed. You'll remember that I commented about the soft aluminum scope rail that Gamo now mounts on its rifles. It cannot take the recoil, and you'll gouge the soft aluminum if you anchor a scope mount with a steel pin. So, I removed the rail and mounted the scope rings directly to the steel receiver.


The aluminum scope rail on the CF-X came off.

Three Allen screws hold the rail to the gun, but the large screw at the back of the rail is actually a steel stop pin screw that fits into the rifle's steel receiver. It has to come out also, and the plastic end cap must come off the rifle, so the action has to be separated from the stock.


The plastic end cap comes off, and the scope rail slides off the back.


With the aluminum rail off, the Gamo steel receiver has a nice hole for a scope stop pin.

Once the aluminum rail is off the gun, there's a hole for a scope stop pin in perfect position for any scope mounts you use. The aluminum rail used this hole already, so it's clearly intended for that purpose.

Scope
I mounted a Leapers 30mm 3-12x mini SWAT scope that is so short that it cleared the rotary breech by several inches. If you have a short neck this scope may not have enough eye relief, and you'll want a standard-length scope. Once the receiver was free of the aluminum scope rail, mounting took less than a minute, because the scope was already in rings from other tests.

Sight-in
Sight-in was a breeze because it took exactly one shot. The pellet was in perfect alignment and only required more elevation to hit the point of aim. I shot .22-caliber Crosman Premiers that did well in the velocity testing, but I've also had good reports from many satisfied customers. I did try 15.8-grain JSB Exacts, as well, but they didn't group as tight as the Premiers.

This rifle demanded that I relax completely to group well. I tried several locations for my off hand but the best was just behind the cocking slot in the forearm. There, the rifle was balanced perfectly and shot its best.


At 21 yards outdoors, the CF-X grouped like this. Five premiers in 0.176".

Summary
So, what have we learned with this test? First, that the Gamo CF-X is probably best-suited to .177 caliber instead of .22. Diana 48/52 rifles had a problem when they bumped the caliber up to .25 caliber, too. The rifles didn't shoot as hard in .25 as they did in .22. Maybe we've run into that here.

Second, we discovered that the aluminum scope rail cannot stand up to a steel recoil stop pin. Remove it and mount the scope rings directly to the rifle and everything will be fine.

Finally, we learned that the CF-X is a good shooter in .22 caliber, just as it is in .177. Forgetting the lower-than-expected power, the rifle is dead-calm and quite accurate, as you can see.

This was our third look at rifles with Air Venturi gas springs, and I like them more each time we check one out. I'll be going through the Gamo, Crosman and Remington guns this year and checking out several others with the Air Venturi gas spring. It's a great way to get a fine, smooth tune.

Beretta PX4 Storm pistol - Part 1

by B.B. Pelletier

The Beretta PX4 Storm pistol is a full-sized, semiautomatic pistol that's now available in three calibers: 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP. It's based on a polymer frame and incorporates features like removable backstraps to tailor the pistol to the individual shooter's hand. It's both single- and double-action and features a high-capacity, double-stack magazine.

The airgun version of the PX4 Storm is available in .177 caliber and also shoots steel BBs. It has a 16-shot magazine that has 8-shot clips at either end. When one clip is finished you drop the mag out and flip it over for the other clip. The pistol operates on a 12-gram CO2 cartridge that provides power for the projectile as well as a realistic slide blowback.

Semiautomatic or blowback?
Blowback is a big deal because not very many pellet pistols have it. There are several with semiautomatic action, but true blowback pellet pistols are scarce. I think the Desert Eagle is the only other one. Do you know the difference between blowback and semiautomatic? A semiautomatic gun makes itself ready for the next shot by indexing or loading the next round and cocking the trigger using the power of the previous shot. A semiautomatic generally has a light trigger pull.

Blowback
Blowback is when the slide of a pistol is driven backwards by the force of a shot. Blowback can cock the gun for the next shot and also index the next pellet, so a blowback is often a semiautomatic, too, but a semiautomatic pellet pistol does not need blowback to function. The Drulov DU-10 pistol and the Crosman 600 pistol are both true semiautomatics and neither one has blowback. The Crosman Nightstalker is advertised as blowback, but all that moves backwards is a small operating handle on the left side of the gun. And, the next pellet is not indexed at that time. It takes the force of the trigger to index the pellet, so the Nightstalker is technically not a semiautomatic - though that's shaving hairs and I don't suppose most shooters know or care about the difference.

The magazine
The magazine is really the heart of this pistol. Much of the functioning depends on the mag. It's also more complex than other mags because it's double-ended. There's an 8-round circular clip at either end of the mag, so when the first 8 shots are finished, you remove the mag, flip it over and reinsert for the final 8.


Eight-shot clip is rotated by hand to load the chambers. Only one side of the mag has the pellet graphic shown, so that's the side you load. Two projections on either side of mag are the spring-loaded ears that cause the mag to eject from the pistol when the button is pressed.

Two spring-loaded projections on the sides of the mag at both ends had me puzzled for a moment, because the owner's manual doesn't appear to mention them. They're simply connected to springs that eject the mag when the mag release is pressed. You don't have to do anything with them - the gun takes care of everything.

The circular clips are held captive in the mag. You load a pellet or BB from the correct side, then index the clip to the next empty chamber. A graphic at each end of the mag reminds you which side is correct and which way to load the pellet.

Safety
While the firearm PX-4 has an ambidextrous safety located at the top rear of the slide, this CO2 version has a separate safety located on the right side of the gun. It's got a sawtooth central locking lever that must be slid back against spring pressure while the safety lever itself is pushed up or down. It takes force to operate and cannot be worked with just the firing hand.


Sawtoothed block is pushed back to allow safety lever to move.

Sights
The sights are a wide blade front and a notch rear. Both are cast into the slide, so there's no adjustment. There are three dots - one in front and two in the rear - so the sight is meant to be tactical, which is suited to the pistol's purpose. The owner's manual shows the sight picture for shooting a target pistol, so you have the option of doing either, and that will give you two different aim points.

CO2 installation
A 12-gram CO2 cartridge is inserted in the back of the grip, once the removable backstrap has been popped off. What would be the floorplate of the magazine is actually a cammed CO2 cartridge-locking mechanism that pushes the cartridge up into the piercing pin. There's a tensioning adjustment wheel inside that must be run up tight against the cartridge before the floorplate is swung round to cam the cartridge up. Don't forget to put a drop of Crosman Pellgunoil on the tip of each new cartridge before you pierce it.


With the backstrap off, the powerlet is pressed into the grip. Tighten the tensioning wheel, then rotate the mag floorplate back to the closed position.

Judging by the rate at which these pistols have flown off the shelves, there are a great number of them in the hands of our readers, so please feel free to chime in with your observations.

The Benjamin Discovery - Part 3 Velocity

by Tom Gaylord

Part 1
Part 2

Before we begin, I have some announcements.

This will probably miss those for whom it's intended. For some reason, people have been emailing airgun questions to which they want immediate answers to tomgaylord@pyramydair.com. That address is for podcast questions, only. I never answer those messages. If you have a question, ask it here. Though there are now more than 750 blog entries, I get the comments from each of them all the time. I go to the segment where the question was asked and I try to answer it there. I do not send emails directly.

Right now, I'm getting 30-50 questions every day. It takes 3-4 hours a day just to keep up with the comments. I want to do it, but as the volume increases I can see the day coming when I can't do it. What takes the most time is when someone asks me to choose a scope or a set of mounts for them. Another question that takes time is when a person wants me to compare four rifles for them and give reasons for my choices. I may have to stop answering those questions soon so I can answer the fundamental questions from new airgunners.

One of our own, .22 multi-shot, has his own blog. I went there and took a tour and so should you. I'm fascinated by the air-powered car that gets 800 km on 1.7 liters of fuel. As long as it's not plutonium, that's great mileage!

Another reader, John, just bought a Crosman M1 Carbine. It came without the BB holder, as so many do, so he wondered if a real M1 Carbine mag could be altered to fit. Go here to see how he did it.

Now, on to today's topic and the Benjamin Discovery!

More development history
Remember those good-looking groups I showed you at 21 yards in Part 2? Well what I didn't tell you was the gun was also very quiet. I was so thrilled that I emailed Crosman and told them they had made a quiet airgun. Then I thought about it some more and the reason for the quiet dawned on me. The valve was in partial lock and I was shooting slow. For those wanting a sneak peek at CO2 performance, that was it, but a lot slower. My point is, accuracy doesn't suffer at close range when velocity drops.

Flirting with valve lock
Sure enough, the chronograph showed that the .177 was shooting Crosman 10.5-grain Premiers at about 575 and shooting .22 caliber Premiers at about 500! The valve wasn't opening all the way. So, I continued to shoot and both guns came up on the power curve at around 1,700 psi. I had filled them to 2,000 psi on my pump's gauge, which was pretty close to the built-in manometers on each rifle. Clearly, these guns didn't like that. You may recall some time back I told you about the inaccuracy of a small pressure gauge. It had happened to me! By careful testing, I'd found the point at which each rifle wanted to be filled, which turned out to be above 1700 but below 1800 on the pump gauge I was using. Who cares what pressure it really was, because that gauge was all I had to go on.

No free lunch
Once I found the right fill pressure, the guns started barking with great authority. And there's an answer to those who asked about the sound. These rifles are loud, just like any other PCPs in their power class. There has been some talk on the forums that because the rifle runs on 2000 psi, it should be quieter. Well, it isn't. My Barnes .25 that ran on 800 psi and had a 33-inch barrel wasn't quiet, either. Face it, guys, PCPs make noise.

Did Crosman think about a shrouded barrel? Yes, they did. They even considered putting one on the Discovery, but I strongly opposed it, because the cost of the rifle was climbing too fast. I wanted something everyone could afford to begin with, and we would worry about the issues of adjustable triggers and barrel shrouds on the next model. The Discovery is supposed to open the doors to precharged airguns, not to be the perfect PCP.

Initial velocity
Back to my report...the initial velocity in .177 peaked at 953 f.p.s. with 7.9-grain Crosman Premiers and in .22, using Premiers, a peak of 834 f.p.s. The power curve was not flat for more than 20 shots, but if you could accept a wider velocity variation (about 45 f.p.s.), there were around 35 shots to each fill. Say what you want about the wide spread, those tight groups at 50 yards were shot with the gun in this initial state of tune.

Additional refinements
At this time, the design engineer and I were discussing seals for the manometer, which was causing a minor problem. It sealed fine with plumber's tape around the threads, but plumber's tape is not a production sealant. Crosman needed something that was faster, required less labor and was positively reliable (no dependence on the skill of the worker). They settled on a flat seal, but then there were durometer questions to be answered (the hardness of the sealing material).

Another project he was working on was a filter to trap dirt before it enters the reservoir. Many, if not most PCPs do not have such a filter, but the Discovery does. It won't make the gun any more accurate, but it's evidence of the approach they took when building this gun.

After a couple months of playing with both rifles, Crosman changed the valve design and I was asked to return them both for an update. When I did, they also sent me the new breech cap that has a hole for the degassing tool. That's how you dump the reservoir to change types of gasses, want to ship the gun or when you've overfilled the reservoir (which happens only with air).


End cap of the receiver has a hole for a special tool that Crosman calls the degasser. It dumps the reservoir in seconds whenever desired.

A new valve
When the rifles were returned to me, both would accept a fill to 2000 psi on my pump gauge. The manometer on the .177 showed exactly 2000 when filled, and the needle on the .22 manometer just kissed the low edge of 2000 when filled. Neither manometer appeared to have been changed. Velocities were definitely up with the new valve. In .177, the high was now 975 with 7.9-grain Premiers, so lighter pellets will have no difficulty breaking 1,000 f.p.s. Of course, you'll actually shoot Crosman 10.5-grain Premiers and JSB 10.2-grain Exacts with velocities in the high 800s up to 900, because you want the most accuracy possible.

.22 performance
The .22 hit 860 f.p.s. with Premiers and averaged 856 for a string of 25. There are still 35 good accurate long-range shots in both rifles. If you shoot at 25 yards or less, you'll get even more. Accuracy remains unchanged. Many months later, after much more shooting, a retest showed the average had settled back to 820, which is probably more like what you should expect to see in the long run. I would guess 820-840 will be where they end up. The number of total shots is still 35 if you accept a larger spread, but hunters who shoot at 40-60 yards will probably go with a string of 25. At 820 with Premiers, the gun has 21.36 foot-pounds. With Kodiaks, the velocity drops back to about 700 and the energy climbs to 22.85. Kodiaks are about the heaviest pellet I'd use with this rifle.

There's the bulk of the report - the gun, accuracy and velocity. I've been asked to report the gun on CO2, which I'll do next month. If you have any questions I failed to address, please make comments and I'll look at them.

Gamo CF-X gas spring! - Part 2

by B.B. Pelletier

Part 1

Okay, we're back with the .22 caliber Gamo CF-X with Air Venturi Ram Air gas spring installed, and today we're looking at velocity. I discovered that a .22 CF-X is not as powerful as it is in .177. I guess the long transfer port through the rotary breech causes the air pressure to drop off enough that it affects the .22's velocity, but not the .177's.

When I tested the .22-caliber rifle with the gas spring, the velocity seemed low to me, so I checked what the same rifle had done with the factory steel spring installed. It was dieseling at that time and the velocity ranged from a low of 574 f.p.s. to a high of 638 f.p.s. with .22-caliber Crosman Premiers. The Gamo rating for this caliber CF-X is 800 f.p.s., so I wondered if anything was wrong.

Just to be extra sure, I asked the tech at Pyramyd Air to check a second new .22 CF-X with Crosman Premiers. He did that yesterday and the velocity of that rifle ranged from a low of 536 f.p.s. to a high of 618 f.p.s. The average for that rifle is 560 f.p.s. That may seem slow compared to the numbers of the first rifle but remember that all these guns vary a little, and some of them gain speed as they break in.

As you know, the purpose of a gas spring isn't to boost power, though that sometimes happens. The benefits are longer life, longer cocking without degradation, smoother shooting and a lack of spring torque. You don't gain any accuracy, though some people do feel that the faster lock time of the gas spring does help tighten groups.

Okay! Let's test the rifle.

Hobbys first
RWS Hobbys came out the spout at an average of 677 f.p.s., with a range from 661 to 683. The range is a little broad, but the majority were in the 670s. The average velocity calculates to a muzzle energy of 12.11 foot-pounds with this 11.9-grain pellet. Remember that 671 f.p.s. is a "magic" number at which the weight of the pellet in grains equals the foot-pounds of muzzle energy. You can always estimate energy at that velocity, if you know the weight of the projectile in grains.

Premiers next
This is the telling pellet. The two steel spring guns in the same caliber averaged 560 and 615 f.p.s. This gas spring gun, the same one that averaged 615 f.p.s. with Premiers and a steel spring, now averages 628 f.p.s. The range is from 622 to 634, so the spread is much tighter, but the cylinder was cleaned when the gas spring was installed. At that speed, the rifle develops 12.53 foot-pounds at the muzzle.

Air Arms pointed pellet
Air Arms sells a pointed pellet called the Hunter, and it's made for them by JSB. The weight varies between 15.5 and 15.9 grains, despite the 16-grain weight listed. Velocity ranged from 538 to 587 and I started smelling burnt oil, so I won't be shooting this one for accuracy.

RWS Superdome
The RWS Superdome is usually a fine domed alternative to Crosman Premiers, but not in the .22 CF-X I tested. Sample pellets ranged in weight from 14.2 to 14.6 grains.The velocity went from a low of 560 to a high of 647. Too much deviation for me, plus the smell of burnt oil grew even heavier.

Cocking effort
The rifle cocks with about 35 lbs. of effort. I don't have figures for the steel-spring CF-X, but I'm pretty sure this is heavier. As always, the resistance is there from the moment you grab the cocking lever.

So there we have it. It looks like the .22-caliber CF-X is a much different bird than the .177. I'm not sure why this is, but the long transfer port sounds reasonable for now. I would like to ask our readers who now have .177 gas spring CF-Xs if they would give us some numbers to compare, because our steel spring rifle tested at 942 f.p.s. with 7.9-grain Premiers.

For those who want to buy just the gas spring, Pyramyd Air is working on that right now. The Gamo warranty on the gun will be voided if you do your own work and there may be some other changes. I'll keep you posted.

Accuracy is next.

The Benjamin Discovery - Part 2 Accuracy

by Tom Gaylord

Part 1

Initial testing
I received two prototypes of the Benjamin Discovery for testing in July 2007...one in .177 and the other in .22. When you finally have a prototype rifle to test, every project gets scary, because you don't know what the gun is going to do. If these rifles shot groups the size of Oreo cookies at 25 yards, we would be in trouble. But they didn't!

I could test only the .177 at that time because the .22 had a fast leak at the manometer. I fixed it the same day after the shooting was over, so the first test was with the .177 only. The first test was in the backyard at 21 yards and the groups...well, just look at them.


Not bad groups for 21 yards. We're off to a good start.


Look at that group of JSBs in the center. Still 21 yards with the .177.

Not a lot of time was spent at this close range, because I could see the gun was going to shoot. And, if the .177 shot well, the .22 probably would, as well, so I shifted focus to sealing the leak on the .22 and getting them both ready to take to my rifle range.

At the range
The club I belong to has 25-yard, 50-yard and 100/200-yard ranges. I started on the 25-yard range, just to give the .22 a chance to show its stuff. The scope I used was a Leapers 8-32x56, because I knew this rifle was going to appeal to long-range shooters and those who want to get into field target. Yes, to answer one question, the .177 Discovery will be fine for starting out in field target. To answer another, the two-stage trigger breaks at 3 lbs., 12 ozs., which many will say is heavy, but I think it's right for a sporter. It's non-adjustable and not much can be done to lighten it, but a shooter who can't shoot a trigger of this weight needs to practice!


25 yards
The groups at 25 yards were okay, and one .177 group of JSBs was astonishing. It measured 0.234" for five 10.2-grain JSB Exacts. The average group of .177s was more in the 0.375" range. In .22, the smallest group was also shot with JSB 15.8-grain Exacts and measured 0.354". On average, .22 groups would enlarge to 0.60", so I was ready for one-inch groups at 50 yards. They happened, but were the exception.


At 25 yards, the .22 caliber rifle proved it could shoot, too.


This one group of .177 JSBs at 25 yards was quite astounding, measuring 0.234".

Then 50 yards
The average group size at 50 yards in both .177 and .22 hovered between 0.75" and 1.0", though there were several groups under a half-inch. The best group of the session was a .22 caliber group of JSBs that measured 0.374". For some reason, Crosman 10.5-grain Premiers took over from JSBs and produced the best .177 groups...0.458".


Best .177 group of 10.5-grain Crosman Premiers at 50 yards measures 0.458".


This is the best 50-yard group of the session. Five 15.8-grain JSBs in a 0.374" cluster.

Under ideal conditions, the Discovery is fully capable of half-inch groups at 50 yards. Now and again, it does better. But a puff of wind or a pellet that doesn't weigh the same as the others and the groups open up. This is way better than I would have guessed, especially since I was transferring the scope and mounts between the two rifles on the two different ranges.

Yes, you can shoot field target with it, and, yes, it'll make a wonderful hunter. I've told you where the trigger breaks and some will break even heavier. But, it's crisp and positive, without creep. The scope rail is 9" long to accept the largest astronomical observatory telescope your money can buy. And speaking of money, the Discovery left some in your pocket, didn't it?

It looks like Pyramyd Air sells the kit for a little less than Crosman; so when they list the gun by itself, we might see some savings there, too.

Can nitrogen be used in PCPs?

by B.B. Pelletier

This report was requested by Pestbgone, but, from my years working at AirForce, I know that a lot of shooters also wonder about it.

Here's the argument: Air is composed of approximately 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen and the remainder a smattering of other gasses. With nitrogen as the principal component, they want to know why a precharged airgun can't be operated on it exclusively. I will answer that today.

What I used to tell people who called in with this question is that we only recommended our guns for use with breathing air and no other gasses. The seals in our guns were selected for use with air (true) and we couldn't be responsible for their use with any other gas (also true).

Liability
Do you have any idea of how much money an airgun manufacturer pays EVERY YEAR for liability insurance? I won't tell you, but it's a heck of a lot more than many of you make in a year. I'm not talking about the level of liability, now, just the cost for the coverage (the bill)! The cost is based in part on how many guns you expect to sell, so as you prosper, your rates increase because the insurance company's exposure increases.

Just to get covered, a company has to have solid literature, solid technical data on its products and a solid base of customer information that directs the customer in the safe use of the product. Remember, and this is no laughing matter, that there once was a man who sued a lawnmower manufacturer for damages he received when he picked up the mower deck while the lawnmower was running in an attempt to trim his hedges! He won a settlement for that! That's why all mowers sold in the United States today have a kill switch that must be depressed at all times for the mower to run. It's that bar you have to squeeze when operating the mower.

So, is nitrogen dangerous?
Will nitrogen hurt your PCP? No, it won't. Nitrogen is an inert gas that doesn't react with most things. Oxygen, on the other hand, supports combustion, and the oxygen that both medical personnel and welders have access to has been known to blow up airguns!

Oxygen can kill you!
Now, here is the bad news. Do you think that nobody would be stupid enough to use straight oxygen in a PCP? Think again. It has happened many times, once probably resulting in death. That one happened in England in the 1990s, but look at Pyramyd Air's experience with it.

This Fire 201 9mm rifle was filled with oxygen instead of air. The caliber doesn't make any difference. It's the oxygen that does the damage.


This is what happens when a VERY HOT flame is held against aluminum for a long time! It looks like a cutting torch has been used on this gun from the inside out. This was a Fire 201 9mm rifle.


Note the discoloration of the anodizing. Forensic scientists use clues like this and the bending of the steel barrel to determine how much heat caused the damage and how long the fire lasted.

This is the SECOND time Pyramyd Air has had to deal with this same problem. The first time, a medical technician called in to ask them why his Career 707 was shooting a blue flame out the muzzle on every shot!

So what? We're talking about nitrogen
What this has to do with nitrogen is this. Simply this, people don't pay attention! Nitrogen can come in tanks compressed to 6,000 psi instead of 3,000 psi. I once met a guy who thought the way to fill a PCP was to connect the hose to the gun and open the valve as fast as he could. The gun filled right up in a couple of seconds, though it did get hot. If you don't understand why, please re-take your high school science class where they explained about the heat generated by compression.

Now, you take a paintball player who has access to nitrogen in 6,000 psi tanks and the same attitude as the guy I just described, and you'll have large pieces left to bury. But, take a medical technician with the same attitude and access to pure oxygen and the pieces will be both smaller and probably toasted.

What about other gasses?
What about helium? Yeah - what about it? Will it make a pellet go faster? Maybe. Do I care? No. I have firearms for whenever I need to go faster or hit harder.

Show some respect
Guys, these are AIR guns, and they need to be operated with some respect. Yes, the shark blowing up in Jaws was Hollywood theatrics, but we are dealing with some serious technology here, and we need to respect it. It's funny watching someone else on YouTube shoot a propane tank with a .22 rimfire and getting consumed in the resulting explosion, but it's not as funny when you're the one at ground zero.

So, what am I saying? I'm saying that our current precharged airguns are built to operate on breathing air and that's how they should be used. Let's leave the serious accidents to the skateboarders, stunt cyclists and America's Funniest Home Videos.

Benjamin Discovery - Part 1 The concept and a brief description of the rifle

by Tom Gaylord


The new Benjamin Discovery is going to introduce a lot of shooters to precharged pneumatics.

History
In October 2006, I attended an airgun writers' conference at Crosman in New York. They called us together to show us their new products for 2007 and to ask what things we thought they should make in the future. We had a wonderful time, and I learned how open the Crosman management is to new ideas. I had been nursing the idea for a unique type of American-made precharged pneumatic (PCP) rifle and had decided that Crosman was the only company who could make it. And, after some discrete conversations at the conference, I knew they were interested in starting a line of PCPs.

Late in 2006, I made a proposal to Crosman for my ideal American PCP, and they liked my ideas, which was to build a PCP based on a CO2 model they already produced, lowering the development time and cost. I suggested the Benjamin AS392T as a starting point. Through the blog, many of you knew I was working on that project back then.

The important points I wanted to see in a new gun were these:

• A pressure limit of 1,800 psi instead of 3,000
• Full power and full shot count (i.e., at least 25 powerful shots and at least 710 f.p.s. in .22 caliber with Crosman Premiers).
• A steel breech with an 11mm dovetail for scopes.
• Gun to be packaged with a hand pump.
• Price for the package (rifle with pump) to be affordably low.

Early in 2007, I went to New York to discuss the project and brought a mock-up PCP testbed to show them - not a gun, just some key components to convert one of their AS392Ts. So, imagine my surprise when Crosman's Ed Schultz walked into the conference room with not one but two working prototype guns...one in .177 and the other in .22. He'd based them on the 2260, which, frankly, looked more like a PCP than the AS392T. I never got around to showing them what I'd brought.

A good start
I was shocked to see two working prototypes so early in the project, and Ed told me he was equally shocked to discover that 2000 psi worked just as well as 3,000 psi. I knew it would because Tim McMurray gets 915 f.p.s. from 1,600 psi with Beeman Kodiaks in his USFT, and Gary Barnes built me a .25-caliber rifle that got 27 foot-pounds and 10 shots on just 800 psi! Ed's .177 prototype was getting 28 shots that were approaching 1,000 f.p.s. in .177-caliber with Crosman 7.9-grain Premiers (you KNOW Crosman isn't going to use Raptors, and their Silver Eagle pellets were not ready at that time) and around 800 f.p.s. in .22, again with Premiers.

Dual fuel
We already had a winner and the project was just getting started. But then Schultz dropped the real bomb. Just for fun, because his new valve was so similar to a CO2 valve, he also tested the rifles on CO2! They each got over 100 shots on a single fill and both were more powerful than any other CO2 rifles in the Crosman/Benjamin Sheridan lineup! Ed used the term "dual fuel" for this capability, which I thought was a killer term for it.

I'll flash back to the development period in the reports to come, but for now let me cut to the bottom line. During the year, they boosted the velocity of the .177 up to a solid 1,000 f.p.s. and the .22 to 900 f.p.s. The number of useful shots climbed up over 35, but how many there are depends on how far you are shooting and how accurate you want to be. When I tell you how accurate this rifle is (this week) you'll be astonished, as I was when I saw it the first time. Think about an American dime. Now imagine Roosevelt's head on that dime and all shots touching it at 50 yards in both calibers! For the rest of the world, imagine 11-12mm!


This photo of the rifle is with a Beech stock, but Crosman will be dressing it with a genuine walnut one!

The rifle
The Benjamin Discovery is a single-shot, bolt-action PCP that measures about 39" long and 5.25 lbs. (for my testbed prototypes). It comes in both .177 and .22 calibers. I will report specific velocities with real pellets in another post. The rifle has a steel receiver with a 9" scope rail. Although most shooters will scope it with a high-magnification scope, the rifle comes with good adjustable open sights so you can shoot it immediately after you fill it the first time.

I advised using an inexpensive set of adjustable open sights, but Crosman thought better and included a higher quality adjustable Williams rear notch sight. The sights are fiberoptic, of course. Crosman also built in a pressure gauge from the very beginning. On the bottom of the forearm just in front of the triggerguard, they've installed a custom manometer with a color-coordinated dial. Green is for good (pressure).


This is the prototype manometer. The real one is color-coded. Located in front of the triggerguard

The air/CO2 fill nipple is a steel Foster male quick-disconnect that makes the rifle incredibly easy to connect to air or CO2. Behind that fill nipple, they've installed a fine filter to keep foreign material out of the reservoir. Some of the top air rifles don't even have this.


Crosman wisely used a Foster quick-disconnect fitting, and they've added a filter inside to prevent dirt from entering the reservoir.

The barrel is a Crosman barrel, but believe me when I tell you this thing can shoot. You won't be disappointed downrange. I told them I thought the 2260 stock was good enough, because I wanted to keep the cost down, but Crosman wanted a fuller profile. The stock they decided on is very much a PCP style. Then, at the 11th hour, Ed Schultz found an affordable way to stock the rifle in genuine walnut, and he tells me the production stocks are knockouts! Go to the Crosman website to see them today. Walnut is lighter than the beech my rifle has, so I can't say what that will do to the weight because I haven't seen the profile of the walnut stock yet.

The metal is blued steel and the wood is genuine. The little bit of plastic on the gun amounts to the fill nipple protective cap, the front sight, the triggerguard and trigger.

The hand pump
Do you know how easy it is to pump to 2000 psi? I wanted Crosman to shoot an instructional DVD showing a teenage girl filling the rifle, because I'm fed up hearing about shooters who cannot fill their PCPs with a pump. Up to 2,000, it's not too hard, but from there to 2,500 it gets harder, and above 2,500 its a real challenge for many people. We didn't do the DVD, but there is an animated tutorial on the Crosman website that shows the same thing. I can pump the gun to 1,800 psi from the seated position using just one hand!

A hand pump that's rated to beyond 3,000 psi, as this one is, will have no difficulty pumping to just 2,000 psi. It should last for decades! If we can just get the tinkerers to keep their hands out of the pump's internals and the clean freaks from wiping off the lubricant on the pump shaft, this pump could last a lifetime. It's been tested with continuous pumping for 50 straight hours, so you never have to let the thing cool down (although it never gets warm).


The Benjamin hand pump is rugged and fast - especially with the Discovery.

How many pumps strokes?
One-hundred pump strokes take you from an empty gun to full and it takes about 25 to top the gun off after every 35-shot shooting session. Remember, we're stopping at 2,000 psi. That's more than one shot per pump stroke, yet the .22 caliber develops about 23 foot-pounds with each shot. That's conservative, and I'm talking Premiers. You'll get even more with heavy pellets! Folks, THIS is what can be done when the maker knows what they're doing and has a solid engineering base.

If you cannot abide physical exertion of any kind, Crosman will sell you a small carbon fiber air tank that relieves you from pumping entirely.

Oh - and it runs on CO2, too!
Yes, it does. One big objection to PCPs is, "Well I'm used to CO2, and I don't want to learn a whole new technology." Fine, then you buy the inexpensive optional CO2 adapter (sorry, but we had to stop adding things somewhere) and fill your gun from a paintball tank. Yep!, it's just that easy.

What if I have air in the gun and I want to switch to CO2? Well, it isn't hard to shoot it empty, but just for you, Crosman created a special tool that fits through the receiver end cap and dumps the reservoir. I told them they would need something when Joe Sixpack decides if 2,000 is good, 3,000 is better and they have to help him unlock the valve. Easier to make a simple tool than to listen to the guy whine over the phone. I believe this is the first time such a tool has been made for owners of PCPs, though every one of them needs it.

UK, you're not going to miss out!
While this is an American innovation, Crosman told me they intend to share it with the world. So, those of you in the UK can look forward to a similar PCP headed your way. Naturally, it'll conform to your legal limit.

I watched all the airgun forums debate last week about what the Benjamin Discovery would probably be, and many people thought it would probably be a rebranded Chinese PCP. Well - SURPRISE! This an American-made PCP with more innovations and value than you can shake a stick at. And, the package (rifle with pump) is available starting today directly from Crosman for UNDER $400! They won't be shipping for couple of weeks, though. If you can wait about a month, Pyramyd Air will have them!

This is the enormous surprise I promised you so long ago. I hope you like it.

The Pump-Assist Benjamin 392 - Part 5

by B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

First an announcement for all who have wondered if the GRT III trigger will fit the new Benjamin Super Streak. The answer is "yes." The trigger pivot pin has circlips on both ends and the other internal trigger parts look rougher than the corresponding parts in a Gamo trigger - especially the sear - but the GRT III fit and worked properly.

We last looked at the Pump-Assist Benjamin 392 on December 26. After that, the maker made some important changes to the pump mechanism, so I laid off reporting about the rifle again until Pyramyd Air had guns back in their inventory.

Today, I'm scoping the rifle and looking at accuracy at 21 yards. We looked at 10 yards with open sights, but with a scope the range extends considerably, because you're able to see and hold on a much smaller aim point with precision.

Sniper scope
I selected a UTG Tactedge 4x40 scope with extra-long eye relief for this rifle. The four-power magnification doesn't blow things up the way a more powerful scope would, but this is the brightest scope in my arsenal and I felt it complimented the 392 perfectly. The 392 isn't a tackdriver, after all. It's a fast little carbine and anything that enhances that adds to the enjoyment.

Air Venturi intermount
I'm using the Air Venturi intermount on this rifle, which positions the scope back over the receiver instead of far forward the way most intermounts do. I had to install this mount on the gun, which isn't difficult, but it did demonstrate a few things you want to look for. First, the mount legs go on individually, then the top rail ties them together. Second, there's a small amount of movement side to side until you snug down the mount. You can really put some torque on the Allen screws, because the mount legs attach to the thick receiver instead of the thinner barrel. You cannot crush anything by tightening this mount securely. Finally, you must level the mount before tightening it down, because you want the scope rings to be level with the barrel - not canted to one side.


UTG Tactedge sniper scope looks good and works great on this rifle.

The AV intermount raises any scope quite high, so be prepared to deal with it. An add-on cheekpiece would be a nice addition to the rifle if you're going to scope it.

Sight-in
Sight-in was two shots at 15 feet and a confirmation shot at 21 yards. I was on target and shooting groups in five minutes.

Session
I decided to test the rifle with six pump strokes. After all the testing was done, I tried both eight and five pump strokes and confirmed that six was the right number for best accuracy indoors at 21 yards. Six pumps delivered a velocity of 574 f.p.s. with .22 caliber Crosman Premiers and 560 f.ps. with Gamo Hunters.

Premiers
The Premiers are a long-time favorite of mine for 392s, and they didn't disappoint this time. Although the average groups were around 0.75", the best was just under a half-inch. I took the extra time to center the shots because this particular Leapers scope is so easy to use.


I had centered the shots before shooting this 0.489" group of five Crosman Premiers. After this, I never adjusted the scope again.

Gamo Hunters
I had high hopes for the Hunters. They just looked like they should shoot well in the 392, and as you can see, they did. This is a pure lead pellet that will deform more readily than a Premier when it hits flesh.


This group of Gamo Hunters looks tighter than the Premiers, but I was unable to measure a difference. It's 0.489," too.

Improvements to the mechanism
The pump assist mechanism remains as easy to operate as the first version, but the new one is quieter. Belleville washers have been added to tension the linkage and remove the slack. The method of attachment to the gun has changed just a little, and the anchor point of the mechanism seems stouter. The inletting of the forearm looks more finished now, as well.


New anchor for the pump assist looks stronger than the first one.

Throughout this test, I've probably pumped the rifle at least a thousand times and I must comment that it's easy, even when holding it by the pistol grip. Remember, you don't get more power from the Pump-Assist, it's just three times less effort to pump. Many of our readers with disabilities have asked how well it works and I can tell you, with the Pump-Assist it's very easy to pump this rifle.

Hammerli 490 - Part 4 Another great youth rifle

by B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Today, I'll scope the Hammerli 490 Express and test it again at 21 yards. Thankfully, the rifle has a scope stop built in. After yesterday's demonstration of how scopes and mounts move under recoil, I hope all of you are convinced. If not, prepare for a lifetime of "scope shift."

I installed a Leapers 3-12x44 Mini SWAT Mil-Dot scope in two-piece rings of medium height. No particular reason for choosing this scope other than convenience.

Quick sight-in, then on to shooting
After three sight-in shots, I was zeroed. I went back to the 21-yard bench and started shooting. Crosman 7.9-grain Premiers had been the most accurate with open sights, so I started with them. Would you believe I couldn't settle down? I shot group after group measuring about an inch c-t-c and my shots were stringing vertically. That's always due to hold with a springer, so I tried several alternative holds, but in the end settled back into the artillery hold described in part three.

The second time the rifle grouped better, but try as I might, I could not get the rifle to group any better than it did with open sights! It was very frustrating, because I know this gun can shoot. How am I so sure? Take a look at the one good group I managed to shoot and you'll see.


Best group of the day. Four Premiers in a tight cluster and one called flyer. I just wasn't able to get in the groove! The tight group is about what I expect this rifle to be capable of at 21 yards.