B.B. Pelletier | Air gun blog - Pyramyd Air Report

Sig P320 pellet and BB pistol: Part 4

Posted on June 22, 2017 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 34 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Sig P320 pellet and BB pistol.

This report covers:

The test — 1
Sig Match Ballistic Alloy
Experimentation
Failure to feed
Qiang Yuan Training pellets
The breakthrough!
The test — 2
Back to 10 meters
RWS Hobbys
H&N Finale Match Light
Summary

Today we look at the accuracy of the Sig Sauer P320 pellet pistol with pellets. I will tell you right up front — this day went differently than I expected. I actually learned a lot about the pistol, but also about myself!

The test — 1

Normally with a pellet pistol I shoot off a rest at 10 meters. I shoot 10 shots per pellet and then measure the groups, just as I do when I test air rifles. That was what I started out to do with the P320, only things didn’t go as I anticipated.

Sig Match Ballistic Alloy

I thought I would begin with Sig Match Ballistic Alloy pellets, so 10 were loaded into the magazine belt. They fit the chambers very tight.

Checking out a Diana RWS 34P: Part 2

Posted on June 21, 2017 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 24 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1

The Diana RWS 34P is a classic breakbarrel spring-piston air rifle.

This report covers:

The breech
Velocity JSB Exact RS
RWS Superdome
RWS Hobby
Firing behavior
Cocking effort
Trigger pull
Next
Next
Evaluation

Today we are back with reader Geo791’s Diana 34P, and we’re looking at the velocity. This is a .22, and a fresh one should produce velocities and power in the same neighborhood as the Beeman R1, but not quite as powerful. George was never concerned about the power of his rifle — only the accuracy that he thought was sporadic. But I do plan to tune his rifle with a Vortek kit that was donated by Vortek for this series, so either way, he wins.

Power has little affect on accuracy. Sometimes if a shot cycle can be smoothed a lot you may see tighter groups, and other times if a weak powerplant is restored to new or better the airgun might shoot better. But typically I tell people that accuracy lies in the barrel and not in the tune. However, just because I say it doesn’t make it so. We shall see.

How to make a spring-piston air rifle shoot smooth: Part 1

Posted on June 20, 2017 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 69 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

The Benjamin Legacy SE.

This report covers:

Strange report
The beginning
Over and out
Throttle brought it back
Lower velocity
Summary

Strange report

Today’s report is a bit strange. It could be considered one about an historic airgun, because the gun I will talk about is no longer made. I decided instead to put it into the modern section, for reasons I hope will become apparent.

It also could be considered as an open letter to airgun manufacturers, because it deals with an air rifle many shooters potentially want, though most of them don’t know it until they actually shoot the gun.

Finally, it could be considered as a chastisement of some airgunners who think that more power is the only path to happiness with an airgun. Why don’t I just tell the story and let you readers decide?

Diana 240 Classic: Part 5

Posted on June 19, 2017 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 56 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Diana 240 Classic.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

This report covers:

The scope
The test
Sight-in
JSB Exact RS
Air Arms Falcons
RWS Superpoints
Summary

Today we examine the accuracy of the Diana 240 Classic at 25 yards when scoped. I think this will be interesting.

The scope

I mounted a nondescript Gamo 3-9X40 scope for two reasons. First, it was already in rings that would fit the rifle and second, it is the type of scope many shooters would mount on a rifle like the 240. This is the kind of scope that comes bundled in a combo, so I can’t give you a link, but we are talking about a $40 scope at the most. There is no parallax adjustment, so at 9 power the target was a little fuzzy, though I used a target with a one-inch red center that made centering the crosshairs easy.

Crosman’s V-300 BB pistol: Part 1

Posted on June 16, 2017 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 126 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Crosman V-300 BB pistol.

A history of airguns

This report covers:

For those who care
History
M1 Carbine
Enter the V-300
The model name
Oiling, loading and cocking
Sights
General specifications
Summary

Sometimes I write these historical reports about airguns that many of us know and have either owned or wanted. The Beeman R8 is one example. American readers could have bought one when they were new and readers from other parts of the world could have bought the now-obsolete Weirauch HW 50S that it was based upon. Both air rifles are no longer produced, but used examples should be available in their respective markets. And Weihrauch does still make a rifle they call the HW 50S, although it is based on a different platform.

Then there are times when I dredge up some strange airguns that few of us have ever seen. The Lov 21 target pistol I recently reported on is such a gun. Unfortunately I have jammed the CO2 fill cap in the gun and am still trying to extract it so I can write the accuracy report. That one will have to wait, but it wasn’t the only odd duck I found at the Findlay airgun show this year. Today we start looking at a scarce and little-known BB pistol that Crosman once produced — the V-300.

Sig P320 pellet and BB pistol: Part 3

Posted on June 15, 2017 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 65 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Sig P320 pellet and BB pistol.

Part 1
Part 2

This report covers:

The test
Air Venturi Steel BBs
Hornady Black Diamond BBs
Analysis
Trigger
Belt reliability
Air Venturi Smart Shot BBs
Evaluation

Today I look at the accuracy of the Sig Sauer P320 pellet pistol with BBs. These combination guns can sometimes be great with both BBs and pellets, but usually they are good with one and not as good with the other. The difference is due to the size difference of the projectiles. We will look at the accuracy with pellets in Part 4, so today it’s just BBs.

The test

I shot from 5 meters (just over 16 feet) with the pistol resting on the UTG Monopod. I was seated, so only the pistol was being tested — not me. This pistol has good crisp sights for target work, though they are not adjustable.

How do you know…?

Posted on June 14, 2017 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 46 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

This report covers:

August’s question
Experience
How do you tell…
Expected power
Piston stroke
Age of the gun
Chronograph or other means of power determination
How do you know? — case 1
Case 2
Last point
The last word

Today’s topic tries to address a question I am sure many newer airgunners have at some point. How do you know when a spring gun need repair? It was asked last week by reader August, who lives in Germany. Here is what he asked.

August’s question

”How do I recognize that an older gun piston seal is going bad? From reading the blog I gather that I can chrony it. But this gun delivered until right before the final breakdown. Only the last five shots it became slower. On opening the gun I saw that the outer part of the plastic seal was detached from the rest and had blocked the spring tube probably causing the older spring to break.