Air guns - Pyramyd Air Report

Daisy 325 2-Way Target Outfit - Part 2 A different pump BB gun!

noreply@blogger.com (B.B. Pelletier) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 10:30:00 +0000

by B.B. Pelletier

Part 1

As a wrap-up to this report, I'm going to chronograph the 1936 version of the Daisy No. 25 pump BB gun. I'll also show you the Daisy target trap in the kit, and, just for grins, I'll chronograph a 1954 version of the same No. 25 pump gun that the 1936 version morphed into. This is playtime for me, and I hope it tickles your fancy, as well.

First - oil the gun!
Many of you haven't heard this story yet, so allow me to tell you a sad tale from my childhood. It's probably one of the main reasons I became such a devoted airgunner. After my mother embarrassed me with the world's weakest airgun, she relented from her "NO BB GUNS" policy by allowing me to buy a real Daisy. My older sister's boyfriend had a 1930 variation Daisy No. 25 pump (that's the same gun as the 1936, but with no engraving and a color case-hardened pump linkage) that he offered to sell me for $5. I couldn't get the money fast enough! (I had a paper route.)

I'm a dope
That gun was a beauty and I loved it--for all of 3 days. Then, on day 4, the BBs stopped coming out. Or, they simply dribbled out with no force. I was 12, so all I knew was to take it apart. I made it almost halfway before realizing I didn't know what to do after that. I couldn't get it back together again. So, to rid myself of the pain of the basket-case I'd created, I sold it to an acquaintance for a quarter. A couple days later, he comes around to show me his fully functioning BB gun and tells me, "My dad says you're a dope for not knowing you have to oil these things all the time!"

So, I'm a dope...and I became a diehard Daisy No. 25 BB gun collector on that very day. It would be 24 more years before I bought my second No. 25, but once I did the floodgates were opened. This 325 is one of the nicest in my small collection that includes every No. 25 variation from 1913 to 1954.

As I was saying, first you oil the gun by removing the screw-in shot tube and dropping 10-20 drops of plain household oil down the muzzle. Stand the gun upright for a few minutes, then load and fire. You cannot over-oil these guns, but you can make them so saturated they'll leak oil for weeks, so keep it real.

The 1936 variation fired Crosman Copperhead BBs at a velocity in the 330 f.p.s. range. There were, however, a number of shots as slow as 269 f.p.s. That tells me the leather seal either isn't saturated yet, or it's worn a bit. The former is more likely, because those seals can last more than a century with minimal care.

All No. 25 guns had a 50-shot, forced-feed magazine. The later guns that shot steel BBs instead of lead shot will have mags with an external wire spring to hold the BB at the shot seat, like this one.

Testing the 1954
For comparison, I dragged out my 1954 variation to test. In 1952, Daisy stopped bluing their BB guns and started painting them with a glossy black electrostatic paint. About the same time, they began experimenting with injection-molded polystyrene (plastic) stocks. However, the No. 25 went through one additional transformation. The early ones had engraved receivers that were actually engraved (stamped) with gold paint in the lines. Later guns had painted engraving; the stamped lines were left out. Mine is painted with a plastic stock and engraved, and the general consensus seems to be that this model should be called the 1954 variant, though it was probably produced earlier than that. By 1956, I believe, the engraving had ceased, and in 1958 Daisy moved to Rogers, Arkansas, so the guns marked Plymouth, MI, stopped being built. I found this gun at a flea market and got it for a great price, considering that it's in 98 percent condition.

This painted and engraved No. 25 was the first to wear a plastic stock. It was still made in Plymouth, Michigan, and, as far as I know, Daisy still used their stiffer spring wire in the spring. This one is in extremely fine condition.

The 1954 variation, which may have a leather piston seal or it may be synthetic, averages 344 f.p.s. with a velocity variation of less than 20 f.p.s. So neither this gun nor the older one are quite as powerful as I've seen, but both are still pretty hot for BB guns.

Daisy target trap
Talk about your liability potential! The all-steel Daisy target trap that comes in the 325 outfit is a lawsuit waiting to happen! It was probably fine back in the days of lead air rifle shot, but when the steel BB came out in the late 1920s, the phrase, "You'll shoot your eye out!" was born.

The blued-steel Daisy BB trap was made to hang on a nail (the hole in back). Shoot through the hole in front and you hit the bell inside. Note the folded lips on either side of the front. They accept Daisy red and white pasteboard targets.

Daisy's name on the front of the trap is what makes it collectible. Notice the several BB dents on the thick steel target face.

The trap has a bell inside the small hole and the BB that strikes it provides the clapper. A red and white Daisy target was dropped into the target holder and the bell signified when the red bullseye was hit. My trap has small dimples on the face and larger dents in the back, signifying some use. This trap was also sold separately in a red and white pasteboard box, and I've seen them going for $100 in the box by themselves. A trap without the box should be worth something less, I would think, and the amount of use would dictate the price, as well.

The BBs that got through the front hole and missed the bell hit the thin back, leaving these dents.

Whatever you do--NEVER shoot a steel BB at this trap! The steel construction guarantees that BBs will come straight back at the shooter with force.

I hope you've enjoyed this stroll down memory lane with me. For some reason, I have always been a sucker for pump guns and Daisy No. 25s are my special weakness.

Pro-Guide spring retainer system for RWS Diana rifles Part 4

noreply@blogger.com (B.B. Pelletier) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 10:30:00 +0000

by B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Today, I tested the Air Venturi Pro-Guide spring retainer in the .22 caliber RWS Diana 48 using a washer spacer to increase velocity. However, as sometimes happens, fate stepped in and changed the test. I had been testing with .22-caliber Crosman Premiers, and you may remember that I mentioned the gun was still more variable than I would like. Well, that turned out to be the pellet fitting too loosely in the breech, so I was unable to continue the test with Premiers.

That being the case, I installed the factory mainspring and spring guide and tested it with a pellet that fits the bore tight enough for credibility. It turned out to be the Gamo Hunter, a 15.3-grain domed pellet.

The washer
As long as I was inside the gun, I decided to add the washer to the factory spring, as well, so we would have a good comparison between both systems. It turns out that we need a 5/16" plain steel washer for the Diana piston rod. The hole in the washer has to be enlarged a few thousandths, which a Dremel tool can do in about five minutes. One washer is 0.079" thick; since I was advised that there might only be 0.10" remaining clearance in the mainspring, I went with just one. I smeared it with lithium grease on both sides and dropped it over the piston rod, then installed the mainspring and guide in the normal fashion.

Plain 5/16" steel washers worked fine for spring spacers, once the hole was slightly enlarged.

Factory spring test
I had forgotten about the vibration of the factory mainspring. It isn't bad, but you do notice it after having used the Pro-Guide system. The velocity range for the 15.3-grain Hunter was 774 to 801 f.p.s., with an average of 791 f.p.s. That works out to 21.26 foot-pounds of muzzle energy, which is right where an RWS Diana 48 belongs.

I removed the factory spring and guide and replaced them with the Pro-Guide system. The washer was still in place, so testing began immediately.

Pro-Guide test
The vibration was gone again with the Pro-Guide. I have to say that it's a nice feeling in a gun this powerful. The cocking effort does feel a pound or two heavier, but not that bad, because the sidelever linkage offers so much advantage.

With the Pro-Guide, the velocity ranged from 792 to 800 f.p.s., with an average of 796. That computes to 21.53 foot-pounds of muzzle energy. Not much more than factory; just like we saw in the original test with Premiers and no washer.

I've had this rifle apart so many times that it's getting to be as easy as stripping a Weihrauch. The T05 trigger deserves the credit for that, but don't forget to pull the trigger before you assemble the rifle and make sure that the safety doesn't slip into lockup as the trigger unit goes in. That happened to me and required another strip-down to correct.

The next step is to install the Pro-Guide in the .177 RWS Diana 34 Panther to see what it does.

Daisy 325 2-Way Target Outfit - Part 1 A different pump BB gun!

noreply@blogger.com (B.B. Pelletier) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:30:00 +0000

by B.B. Pelletier

Just a reminder for all of you within striking distance of Fredrick, Maryland, don't forget the combined firearm/arign show to be held on September 14th and 15th. Here is the info.

Going to kick back and enjoy myself today after all the testing I've done over the past several weeks. Today, I'm going to share with you a very special version of Daisy's popular No. 25 pump gun.

What do you mean "pump" gun?
Let me first clear up any confusion about that label "pump" gun. The No. 25 is not a pneumatic airgun. It's powered by a BB gun mechanism that's a combination of a catapult and a spring-piston. The air tube on the end of the piston actually pushes the BB off its seat and accelerates it to 50-80 f.p.s., then a blast of compressed air from the piston exits the tube, pushing it up to the final velocity - which in a No. 25 can be as much as 375 f.p.s.! It's generally accepted as the most powerful of the common BB guns.

Pump-action
In this case, the term "pump" refers to the gun's action. You pull a pump handle straight back, then push it forward to cock the gun. I already reported on the No. 25 pump in November 2005, and you can read that report for more historical information. But know this - the No. 25 is probably one of the two most popular BB guns of all time, with 20 million being made from 1914 to 1993 (the 25 production ended with the commemorative model in 1986, but the model 225, a variant, continued until 1993).

1936 - the most beautiful model
The most popular No. 25 is the 1936 model that continued until 1952. It's blued steel and stocked with a gumwood butt and pump handle. The reason for the popularity is the engraving on both sides of the receiver. Unlike later guns, this engraving is real - not just painted on. There are several variations of the actual engraving style, but most guys just notice that it's there. And the 1936 gun always uses steel BBs, unless the shot tube was swapped for a lead BB tube at some point. So, there's never a fear of ruining the gun by shooting steel BBs.

The Daisy No. 300 scope
A more special version of the 1936 varaition comes with the Daisy No. 300 telescopic sight - a huge scope in the style of the buffalo guns of the 1870s. Just the 2x scope, by itself, will command about $150 at an airgun show. However, there's one more version of the 1936 No. 25 that collectors really search for: the No. 325 2-Way Target Outfit that's the subject of today's blog. It comes in a box with the No. 300 scope, a Daisy steel (!) BB trap and a second shot tube for elastic (cork) balls. In other words, an indoor/outdoor gun.

Outfit includes a special shot tube made just for large cork balls. They are muzzle-loaded one at a time and the tiny puff of air blasts them out.

The 325 outfit came in a blue cardboard box. Inside was a Daisy 1936 version of the No. 25 pump gun, a separate cork-ball shot tube, Daisy No. 300 telescopic sight, a Daisy steel BB trap, ammo for both shot tubes, Daisy "Scope Dope" manual and an instruction manual for the BB gun.

Daisy's No. 325 2-Way Target Outfit
I searched for several years before locating my 325, and the only reason I got it is because the owner had just purchased a slightly better one. I'd seen a partial outfit (gun with target trap and nothing else) in a ratty box for $350 at the big flea market in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in the mid-1990s; but, by then, I'd attended enough airgun shows to know that was too much. Even today, I think it would be too much because you can buy a nice working 1936 No. 25 for about $100 at any good show.

A nice 325 outfit like mine is worth $400 or more. The box, alone, is worth a lot because they're flimsy and don't last. The Daisy target trap will sell for $75, alone, and I've never seen a shot tube for the big cork balls even offered. If it was, they would want at least $75.

Removing rust
My gun has good bluing coverage, but it also has the freckling of rust that's so common to blued BB guns of this era. So, in this report, I'm going to try to remove some of that rust with a cotton cloth and Ballistol. I had good success using Ballistol on a nickel-plated Daisy Buzz Barton some time back, so I'm going to try it again on this gun, and this time you'll get to watch.

The receiver is freckled with rust. A long exposure faded the blue to gray, but this receiver actually has a lot of deep blue.

Look what 10 minutes of Ballistol on a soft cotton cloth has done! Some of the freckles still show as a dull patch, but the rust is gone!

Using just a single finger to rub the Ballistol around the receiver produced this rust stain in 10 minutes.

More on the scope
The No. 300 scope was made for both the No. 25 pump gun and the Red Ryder. There are, however, two different rear scope mounts - one for each type of gun. The correct rear mount for the No. 25 has a strap to fit over the gun's backstrap--a la shotgun-style. The scope has a unique elevation adjustment via a cam at the rear. Since the front mount is on a swivel, no stress is passed to the scope tube. And, the 2x magnification really does work!

The scope adjustment cam is down for a close shot.

Cam is up for a distant shot. Isn't that cool?

The scope is free to tilt up and down because the front mount is a swivel.

Airgun makers often ask me what kind of new guns they should think about making. As I try to explain the neat things from the past, like this scope, they usually default to other considerations like maximum velocity and camouflage stocks. Did no one besides me actually PLAY with these things when they were kids?

Uh-oh!
As I examined the gun in the kit I discovered a couple of faults. The trigger return spring is broken and so is the air tube--common faults among vintage No. 25s. Fortunately, I have a second No. 25 with a 300 scope mounted, and that one works perfectly. It has even more deep blue finish than the one from the box, so I simply swapped them. The broken gun will go off to Jim Coplen in Minnesota for some work. Jim is also a collector, so I can trust that he won't do anything stupid like refinish my fine BB gun. For those who have need of his services, Jim can be reached at 507-281-2314.

Next time, we'll shoot the gun and see what a 25 can do.

Evanix Renegade double-action rifle Part 4

noreply@blogger.com (B.B. Pelletier) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 10:30:00 +0000

by B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

I'm still testing the velocity of the Evanix Renegade rifle. I'm doing such a thorough job because this rifle is very different than the PCPs we've seen to-date. The double-action trigger feature makes the Renegade stand on its own as a powerful repeater - something that, until now, has been very expensive.

Today, I'll finish those questions I'd asked about velocity in the last report..namely what do Beeman Kodiaks do on double-action and how do Eun Jins perform?

Test 5: double-action string with Beeman Kodiaks

Shots 1-6
763
750
758
757
769
775

Shots 7-12
781
773
773
782
774
790

Shots 13-18
789
785
784
781
794
811

Shots 19-24 (first acceptable string)
790
789
790
798
821
830

Shots 25-30
814
813
814
812
823
838

Shots 31-36
828
825
824
817
837
839

Shots 37-42
827
838
834
833
829
829

Shots 43-48
833
833
824
826
810
812

Shots 49-54
810
809
797
796
794
791

If we weren't convinced before that this rifle won't tolerate a 3,000 psi fill for double-action firing, this test certainly proves it! Sticking with my criteria that a 50 f.p.s. velocity spread is the most we'll tolerate, the first 3 strings have to be discarded. Yes, shot 18 was at 811 f.p.s., but shot 20 was back down to 789. The high was 839, so 789 just barely squeaks by. However, if we consider shot 18 as the start, we do get 37 good shots within the maximum spread criteria, but I would lop that back to 36 shots, because that's 6 full cylinders.

The average of the 36 shots I'm counting is 817.42 f.p.s., for a muzzle energy of 31.16 foot-pounds shooting double-action. My estimate was high by 0.84 foot-pounds.

If you're shooting squirrels in the bird feeder at 25 yards, forget the 50 f.p.s. spread criteria and use everything from the second string on, giving yourself an incredible 48 shots per fill! If you want small groups at 50 yards, better keep the velocity under tighter control. Remember how to control that by determining the correct maximum fill pressure for YOUR RIFLE! Don't be a slave to a number!

Test 6: single-action string with Eun Jins
The AR-6 rifle was made for Eun Jin pellets, so the Renegade cylinder accepts them too. In fact, they load easier than Kodiaks because of a narrower skirt.

Shots 1-6
755
765
766
766
773
768

Shots 7-12
767
771
775
779
780
778

Shots 13-18
779
783
782
783
783
785

Shots 19-24
773
779
790
796
787
785

Shots 25-30
778
793
781
776
776
772

Shots 31-36
776
771
776
766
763
760

I stopped recording here, for the purpose of calculating the average, but I also fired another string of 6 to demonstrate what happens when the gun falls off the power curve.

Shots 37-42
761
749
750
742
724
707

The average velocity for the first 36 shots was 776 f.p.s. That calculates to 37.98 foot-pounds. So, the Renegade is capable of 38 foot-pounds with 28.4-grain Eun Jins. That's pretty much the maximum you'll get from this rifle. Yes, even heavier pellets will extract a little more power, but notice that the 21-grain Beeman Kodiak isn't that far behind the 28.4-grain Eun Jin. About 2 foot-pounds is all that separates them. And, the Kodiak is 100 f.p.s. faster. It'll be interesting to see what kind of accuracy these two pellets deliver.

You can also see that the velocity drops off rapidly when it starts to decline, which is why it isn't a good idea to squeeze the last possible shot from every fill. Thirty-six shots is an unbelievable number for any PCP shooting at the 38 foot-pound range, and the maximum variation for those 36 shots was just 41 f.p.s. If you're paranoid about tight velocity spreads, you could knock off the first and last strings by adjusting the starting fill pressure and still have 24 powerful shots with just 29 f.p.s. maximum spread and a slightly higher power average.

There's a puff of air coming from around the cylinder with every shot; given how the rifle is made, I don't see any way around it.

Test 7: double-action string with Eun Jins
By now, you're getting a good grasp of how the Renegade performs. You've learned how to estimate the energy increase when heavier pellets are used, and, of course, you know how to convert energy back into muzzle velocity using the same muzzle energy article with interactive formulae. Knowing all this, forgive me for not shooting a complete string of double-action shots with the rifle. These tests are burning up pellets fast, and Eun Jins don't come that many to a tin to begin with, but we don't have to forgo knowing how the gun performs altogether.

Since you're now very savvy about how the Renegade operates, I don't have to shoot an entire string of shots to get a good picture of performance. I can shoot just a single string of 6 shots and get the same picture. We know the rifle doesn't perform well on high pressure, so I'll fill it to only 2400 psi. It should be very powerful there. We can tell from the Kodiak double-action test that Eun Jins will get as many or slightly more shots from a fill, so there's nothing more to be learned by shooting a huge string of shots.

Here we go. Rifle is filled to 2400 psi.

Shots 1-6
707
700
703
704
714
715

That string should be somewhere in the middle of the larger sting of double-action shots we know are in the rifle. The average of the string is 707.17 f.p.s., giving an average muzzle energy of 31.54 foot-pounds. Compared to the 31.16 foot-pounds we got from the Beeman Kodiaks, it seems a trifle on the low side to me. I would have expected 32 foot-pounds. But, you can see we're very close to the exact performance of this pellet in double-action. This is a good way to conserve expensive pellets.

Enough velocity testing. Next time, we'll shoot at some targets!

Crosman 1377 - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (B.B. Pelletier) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 10:30:00 +0000

by B.B. Pelletier

Part 1

We sure heard from a lot of readers on the first report of the Crosman 1377. Of all who responded, only one didn't like the gun, and he was a Canadian who later learned that we have a more powerful version in the U.S. The rest of you seem to be split 70/30 in favor of customizing the pistol vs leaving it stock. The No. 1 custom feature is a pair of wood grips, and Ralph Brown's name came up more than once. Several said that grips are easy to make, and I agree.

Some of you also mentioned the steel breech that Crosman sells out of the Custom Shop. This is a DIY project that I've been assured is not beyond most of you. I've done the job with other Crosman CO2 guns that are quite similar, and I'll add my vote that a breech swap is pretty easy.

Today, I'll do the velocity testing. I learned some very interesting things about this pistol as I shot it, and I'll pass them along as we go.

Test 1. Velocity as it relates to the number of pump strokes
For this test, I used Crosman Premier 7.9-grain pellets. The purpose is to show the relationship between the number of pump strokes and the velocity.

Pumps/Velocity
3...345
4...393
5...424
6...451
7...469
8...484
9...499
10...515 (No air remaining after shot)
11...520 (No air remaining after shot)
12...515 (No air remaining after shot)

We can learn several things from this chart. First, the velocity increase with each successive pump stroke diminishes. From 3 pumps to 4, the additional stroke raises the velocity 48 f.p.s.; but, from 9 pumps to 10, the increase is just 16 f.p.s., or one-third as much. Also, while 11 pumps did produce greater velocity than 10, pumping once more actually slowed the gun. So, 10 pump strokes should be considered maximum.

I also noted that the pistol warmed up considerably during this test. A second test revealed some interesting numbers.

Test 2. Velocity as it relates to the number of pump strokes after the gun became warm

Pumps/Velocity
3...361
4...387
5...416
6...445
7...451
8...463
9...466
10...474 (No air remaining after shot)
11...486 (Some air remaining after shot)

Some velocity was lost between this test and the first. I thought this was due to the gun being warm, but later testing revealed that wasn't the case.

Test 3. Velocity after waiting 3 hours for gun to cool

Pumps/Velocity
3...331
6...430
10...490

I shot only three times because we know the other shots will lie at their respective places in the string. Obviously, the gun has settled into a slightly lower velocity after a short break-in. Did the over-pumped shots have anything to do with it?

Test 4. Velocity with other pellets
The surprise was that Hobbys weren't much faster than Crosman Premiers were on the second test.

RWS Hobby
Pumps/Velocity
3...344
6...447
10...511

RWS Superdome
Pumps/Velocity
3...328
6...420
10...481

JSB Exact 8.4-grain domed
Pumps/Velocity
3...346
6...421
10...443

Test 5. Velocity with other pellets, after oiling
In this test, I oiled the pump head with Crosman Pellgunoil before starting. I put in 9 drops and worked it into the pump chamber after every 3 drops by partially pumping the handle without completing the pump stroke.

RWS Hobby
Pumps/Velocity
3...360
6...453
10...528

RWS Superdome
Pumps/Velocity
3...327
6...429
10...494

JSB Exact 8.4-grain domed
Pumps/Velocity
3...354
6...442
10...504

Oiling increased velocity a little by helping to seal the pump head. It also goes through the gun and gets on every seal along the way. This is a real health tonic for a pneumatic airgun.

Well, the 1377 is certainly not 600 f.p.s. with any pellets I would use. However, in the interest of fairness, I did try the gun on 10 pumps with Crosman Silver Eagle hollowpoints. They averaged 604 f.p.s., so this pistol met spec.

Pumping not difficult
Unlike a pneumatic rifle, the pump strokes don't seem to get much harder as you approach 10. That's always been true of multi-pump pistols. I suppose it has to do with a smaller compression chamber, but I'm not sure.

Next time, we'll try her on targets and see how accurate a 1377 is.

Evanix Renegade double-action rifle Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (B.B. Pelletier) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 10:30:00 +0000

by B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2

Papers, please!
First, we'll go over your homework. Your first assignment was to calculate the approximate average muzzle velocity of the Renegade in both single- and double-action. I didn't give you any parameters other than the velocities recorded in that report. What I did with this problem was use the 42 shots I told you I would accept for the double-action mode. The range was from 916 f.p.s. to 975 f.p.s., and the average was 948.57 f.p.s. So, that was the average velocity that I got for double-action shooting.

Single-action
Calculating the single-action average was slightly more difficult, because I gave you only 12 acceptable shots to work with (the first and third strings of 6 shots), yet I told you I thought there were about 18 shots available. We'll have to test that today to see if I'm right. To get the average, I added the first string and took the sum of the second string twice. Doing it that way makes a total for three stings of shots, even though one of them is just a guess.

I did it that way because the first double-action string used up some of the air before the second single-action string was fired. I figured the first shots of a real second string would, therefore, be faster than what was recorded, but the last shots would be slower. By using the slower string of shots twice (shots 13-18), I'd hoped they would account for the difference. Let's see if I was right.

And, now, the energy
Using my velocities, the rifle gets 28.58 foot-pounds average in the double-action mode with Crosman Premiers and 33.17 foot-pounds in the single-action mode. Of course, the single-action mode is only my best guess at this point.

And, when we move up to Kodiaks
Moving up to Beeman Kodiak pellets, I'm guessing that the rifle will average 32 foot-pounds in the double-action mode and 37 foot-pounds in the single-action mode. That's just a gut-feeling guess with no formula behind it, but I note that blog reader Malan is guessing that Kodiaks shot single-action will produce just under 35 foot-pounds, so we're in pretty close agreement. Only testing will tell!

Stop and think
Before I do the test, let's look at the Renegade for a moment. It gives you a fast double-action shot possibility in return for a reduction in gross power in both the single-action and double-action modes when compared to the standard AR6 rifle. The AR6, which functions only in single-action, delivers power in the mid-50 foot-pounds region. So, there's a very clear difference between these two rifles. And, the standard AR6 will continue to be offered just as it has been.

What do you want?
What you have to decide is if fast repeat shots are more desirable than sheer foot-pounds. Of course, we still have to take the Renegade to the range, so accuracy is still unknown, but we know a standard AR6 will group 5 Eun Jin pellets in an inch or so at 50 yards. Which brings up another question. Why haven't I tested the Renegade with Eun Jins?

Well, I will test Eun Jins in the Renegade, but given the performance of the rifle (i.e., a mid-30 foot-pound rifle), I figured that Beeman Kodiaks would deliver better velocity for making those long-range shots. I'll test Eun Jins for accuracy, as well, so no stone will go unturned. Remember that I warned you this was going to be a HUGE report! Let's get to it.

Test 3: the single-action string of Crosman Premiers
No more guessing, this is a string of shots all fired single-action. I will shoot at least 18 Crosman Premiers from a 3,000 psi fill, and if the velocity is still within 50 f.p.s., I'll keep on shooting.

Shots 1-6
1026
1032
1034
1034
1041
1031

Shots 7-12
1033
1034
1018
1027
1029
1007

Shots 13-18
1021
1018
1014
1015
1006
1010

Shots 19-24
1010
1003
1006
999
995
983

The average velocity for this 24-shot string was 1018 f.p.s., which is a muzzle energy of 32.91 foot-pounds. My estimate of the single-action muzzle energy by interpolating the third string of shots was too high by 0.26 foot-pounds. More importantly, I was off on the total number of shots by five, if we accept my criteria of a maximum spread of 50 f.p.s. Had I stopped shooting at shot 18, I would have underestimated the average power a little.

Test 4: the single-action string with Beeman Kodiaks
This test demonstrates what the rifle can do with 21-grain Beeman Kodiaks. They fit much tighter in the chambers (remember, with this gun you load the pellets skirt-first), therefore they seal much better than the Premiers.

Shots 1-6
872
869
879
893
898
890

Shots 7-12
888
880
894
898
900
898

Shots 13-18
892
901
897
900
896
897

Shots 19-24
892
891
892
896
DNR - Shot did not register
885

Shots 25-30
885
871
873
867
869
864

Trouble downrange
I stopped at shot No. 30, not because the string exceeded 50 f.p.s., but because I shot through the silent pellet trap! TWICE! Little bits of crap had been bouncing back at me from the trap with every shot, so when the first pellet went though it sounded the same. The next shot went through a little faster, though, and I knew at once what had happened. Below is what that looks like. I cannot blame the trap, because I used it wrong. You can bet I'll use a heavy steel trap with this rifle from now on!

It's only funny if it happens to someone else! This is what happens when you continue to shoot a 37 foot-pound air rifle at a trap rated for 20 foot-pounds. This trap has no steel backing plate and just a thin luan backer board.

A pleasant surprise!
These 30 shots are surprising because there are so many of them! Clearly, this rifle's valve is better adapted to Beeman Kodiaks than to Crosman Premiers! The average for the 29 shots that did register was 887.14 foot-pounds. That works out to 36.71 foot-pounds, so my estimate was over the mark by 0.29 foot-pounds.

This report is getting too large, so I'll stop here and finish the strings next time. Besides, I have to clean the splinters off my office carpet.

Crosman 1377 - Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (B.B. Pelletier) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:30:00 +0000

by B.B. Pelletier

Time for something different today. I reported on the Crosman 1377 in August 2005. In those days, my reviews were terse and filled with less test results than I provide these days, and the 1377 is such a classic air pistol that I thought it was time for another go at it.

This pistol is a direct descendent of the 105/106 Target pneumatics made in 1947-1953. Nearly two decades passed between the last of those pistols and the first 1300-series pistol, which was the .22 caliber 1300 Medalist in 1970. The first 1377 came about in 1977 and had a steel breech. In 1981, the steel breech changed to plastic and the gun became more or less what it is today. Let's evaluate that for a moment.

The 1377 is Crosman's counter to the Benjamin HB 17/HB 22, which I evaluated for you 18 month ago. The 1377 sells for less than half the price of the Benjamin pistols, and I think we all understand that the difference is partly due to the materials used in the Benjamin. However, is there really double the value in those guns? Or, perhaps the question should really be, "Is the 1377 a terrific value?" That's what this report will try to determine.

The 1377 (bottom) is larger than its ancestor - a Crosman 105 .22 pneumatic.

This is a large air pistol - make no mistake. The 10.25" barrel guarantees a muzzle-heavy balance, though I must comment that it isn't as much as you might think. The great size of the pistol also connotes power, and Crosman's claim of 600 f.p.s. seems to back that up. We'll see what the realistic velocity is with pellets you're likely to use.

When I freed my test gun from its clamshell, it appeared that the pump mechanism was well-oiled from the factory, but that was deceiving. There was oil on all the pivot points; but the pump head was dry, and the gun didn't develop much power when pumped. A liberal application of Crosman Pellgunoil to the pump head fixed that, and I was able to hear the gasp of air being sucked into the pump tube for the first time. That's a sound all pneumatics should make.

Sights
The sights are fully adjustable, but you have to examine them closely. There are no click detents to alert you to adjustment changes. Instead, you must pay close attention to the position of the rear sight. The windage adjustment even has an index scale, but it takes some close examination to find it.

The 1377's rear sight element adjusts for elevation, but there are no reference marks. The blade can be reversed for a peep sight!

The front of the rear sight has a small index scale for judging windage adjustments.

Customizing possibilities?
Both the grips and the forearm are made of plastic and are the prime targets for customization. The grips are fully ambidextrous and, in a rare twist of fate, the bolt on the right side of the receiver favors left-handed shooters.

The trigger is a simple mechanism and is another target for change. Those wanting a $1,000 trigger on a $50 airgun find the market full of aftermarket possibilities. You just have to search for them, but they're there. However, the $1,000 trigger isn't going to happen with a 1377. Settle for less creep, a lighter pull and some overtravel adjustment. A wide trigger shoe is also nice.

Steel breech
For those who really want to go crazy, Crosman offers a steel breech for the 1377. This breech has 11mm dovetails for optional sights and/or a scope. By the time you're thinking about the breech, you'll probably also want to put on a longer barrel for more power. Then, the entire kitchen has to be remodeled! By that I mean that there's almost no end to what you can do to a 1377 by way of customization. Your $50 pistol can transform into a mighty hunting rifle with the application of another $600 and a lot of elbow grease.

Scope or not?
These days, a scope is very popular on a gun like this. While a scope can get in the way of pumping on a shorter pistol like the Benjamin, the 1377 does have enough barrel for the Crosman 459 intermount to work, as long as the scope is a true pistol scope with long eye-relief or a dot sight.

Many of you have awaited this report for a long time. Let's be sure and test those things about which you're curious while the pistol's in play.

A reader looks at the TX200 Mark III in .177 and .22

noreply@blogger.com (B.B. Pelletier) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 10:30:00 +0000

A TX200 Mark III underlever spring-piston air rifle is a treasure to be enjoyed for many generations.

Guest Blogger
Gino is a recent and satisfied owner of not one but two TX200 Mark III spring rifles. I've tested this rifle for you already, but this report comes from a new owner and a reader perspective. I thought it was an important viewpoint. Gino originally posted this as a comment, but it was so complete that I asked him if I could make it into a guest blog.

If you'd like to write a post for this blog, please email me at blogger@pyramydair.com.

Bloggers must be proficient in the simple html that Blogger software uses, know how to take clear photos and size them for the internet (if their post requires them), and they must use proper English. We will edit each submission, but we won't work on any submission that contains gross misspellings and/or grammatical errors.

Special announcement: please don't use the Guest Blogger email for anything else
Just a reminder, I don't answer questions addressed to Guest Blogger or to tomgaylord@pyramydair.com. If you have a question, please post it as a comment to any post in this blog.

A reader looks at the TX200 Mark III in .177 and .22
by Gino

It's been awhile since I posted. I've been so busy practicing in my garage and cannot put the TX200s down. I still owe you a report on my rifles, so here you go.

Let me start with the .22 cal TX200 Mark III. It's just as good as the .177. The only thing I see that's different is that the .22 kills prey on the spot and the .177 needs better shot placement to execute the quick kill. The differences are very minimal, but I wind up picking up the .177 cal. 9 times out of 10 when I want to shoot farther, due to its greater velocity. But, the .22 cal. hits the mark with more accuracy on windy days.

Each caliber has unique traits. The .177 kicks a little harder than the .22, and I noticed that the .177 is a tad louder. Both will put pellets into the same hole as many times as you shoot, as long as you religiously keep the same stance/grip technique. I'm referring to the artillery hold--wink, wink.

The TX200 is so forgiving and simple to reload, and it's never tiring like the breakbarrels. There are no seals that fall out, etc. [Matt61, are you listening?]

The trigger
The trigger on the TX200 Mark III is so adjustable that I've gone through all the adjustments and set it the way I wanted. The trigger can be as light and dangerous as you want, but everyone's preference is different. My .177 is set at 1/4" first-stage travel and 16 oz. of pull on the release. Basically the trigger is set where my entire technique allows me to shoot with the most accuracy.  The .22 trigger is set to the same first-stage travel of 1/4," but has a little more tension than the .177 trigger. It just seems to shoot better/hit targets with a less sensitive trigger pull. Trigger adjustments are endless/infinite on the TX200 Mark III.

It gets better
New owners will be surprised when they shoot over 3,000 pellets and notice the rifle performs way better than when brand new out of the box. Everything gets better the more you shoot. The trigger smooths out, cocking gets even better and the overall feel just makes you smile each time you pull the trigger.

The overall weight is not bothering me, as it makes for a more stable rifle. By comparison, my friend's Gamo CFX is a bit jumpy and springy against my cheekbones.

Scopes
I scoped both rifles with Leapers SWAT scopes, with the .177 having Leapers Accushot 8-32x56AO with illuminated reticle and the .22 mounting the 4-16x56AO (also illuminated). Both perform great and are dead accurate. The ease of zeroing at any distance is a breeze with no tools needed. Be sure to get a solid mount; it works well.

My conclusion on both calibers is that you need both if you have the extra money. The .177 will the do the job just as good as the .22 when hunting, as long as your shot placement is good. The .22 always kills the prey on the spot. I currently have both calibers and have no regrets. I sold all my PCP rifles as of last month, and I'm keeping these. Field target events were never so much fun before the TX200's arrived. Just looking at these rifles is rewarding enough, to say nothing of shooting them.

Which caliber is my favorite? The .177 is an all-around rifle but I always hunt with the 22 cal. I take them both if I can.

Here is a TX200 anecdote I'll never forget. The day was calm (70 deg. F.) with no wind at all, so I took the rifles to the firing range with my buddies. A few onlookers challenged me saying, "Who takes an airgun to a firing range?"

I said, "Let's see who can group better on a 50-yard target." That's my TX200 MK3 rifles against their rifles. Guess who won? Yep, they couldn't even group inside 2" but blamed their lack of accuracy on the fact that I had Leapers SWAT scopes against their fixed scopes.

Then, they shot my rifles and everyone complained when their turns were over. They finally admitted defeat as they looked on their spotting scopes to see 10 rounds so close that even I was amazed.

Both my friends and these strangers now have a different perspective on the airguns of today. In the end, I mentioned the artillery hold and told them that you can shoot an airgun at home for free anytime in small areas that can't accommodate a rimfire or centerfire gun. I gave them all the Pyramyd Air URL, so they may comment if they see my comments.

My take on that experience is that to each his own and so be it if the toys/rifles/guns happen to be non-powder driven. They all shoot projectiles and give us joy and relaxation as hobbies.

Evanix Renegade double-action rifle Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (B.B. Pelletier) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 10:30:00 +0000

by B.B. Pelletier

Pyramyd Air is having a garage sale Saturday & Sunday, Sept. 20 & 21. If you can't make it, have a look at their used products. However, the garage sale will have much more than just used products, so it's worth attending even if you've got a ways to travel.

On to today's blog.

Part 1

Lots of curiosity about the new Renegade repeater from Evanix. I told several who asked, and I'll now tell everyone else, that the Renegade isn't just a single airgun. This double-action trigger has been incorporated into four different airguns. The line includes the rifle I'm testing, a carbine version, a Takedown Rifle (TDR) that isn't available right now and a pistol. I'll test all of them for you.

When we last left the Renegade, I'd discussed the history of the AR6 from which the Renegade descended. The AR6 will continue to be made because it's a more powerful repeater. We'll see that today when we look at the Renegade's velocity.

I also told you that this rifle gets a lot more powerful shots per fill than any other PCP I know of. However, since I haven't yet revealed how powerful those shots are, it's impossible to speculate just what that means. Let me show you a sample set of test strings so you can see what I'm talking about.

Test No 1: Alternating single- and double-action strings
This test uses only 14.3-grain Crosman Premiers. If you've been following this blog for a few months, you know that the Premier is a middleweight pellet that won't give the greatest power in a precharged pneumatic. However, because they're so widely used and also because they're one of the most accurate pellets generally available, they make a good starting point.

3000 psi fill
6 shots single-action (the hammer is cocked manually before the shot is fired)
Shots 1-6
1042
1037
1032
1032
1038
1033

6 shots double-action (the trigger, alone, fires the gun)
Shots 7-12
931
937
921
923
926
931

6 shots single-action
Shots 13-18
1028
1018
1019
1016
1007
1003

6 shots double-action
Shots 19-24
964
970
964
958
960
942

6 shots single-action
Shots 25-30
976
976
976
970
963
950

6 shots double-action
Shots 31-36
944
941
938
942
932
924

Test No. 1 demonstrated a lot
I ended this test with the shot 36. Here's what I learned. First, that there are about 18 shots per fill when firing single-action, which is the most powerful way to shoot this rifle. The velocity spread will likely be 50 f.p.s. across those 18 shots, but I'll need to test to know that for sure. Second, the rifle's valve is slightly locked at 3,000 psi if you want to shoot double-action. We know that because the first string of double-action shots (shots 7 to 12) is slower than the second string (shots 19 to 24). The velocity is climbing as we continue to shoot the rifle.

Test No. 2: All double-action
That tells me I want to test a straight set of shots on double-action, only to see what the power curve looks like when starting from a 3,000 psi fill. That's next:

6 shots double-action
Shots 1-6
906
885
904
896
908
894

6 shots double-action
Shots 7-12
910
906
916
903
910
915

6 shots double-action
Shots 13-18
938
920
917
916
925
931

6 shots double-action
Shots 19-24
949
952
935
941
947
945

6 shots double-action
Shots 25-30
956
955
957
960
965
957

6 shots double-action
Shots 31-36
969
968
964
967
966
967

6 shots double-action
Shots 37-42
975
972
961
963
961
958

6 shots double-action
Shots 43-48
971
956
955
951
947
948

6 shots double-action
Shots 49-54
924
937
923
928
925
918

6 shots double-action
Shots 55-60
913
910
907
905
900
891

Learn how your rifle uses air
This test was very illuminating. It demonstrates why you should never slavishly attach meaning to a fill number like 3,000 psi. Because your gun may not work best at that pressure. I hope you understand the difference between this test and the first one. In the first test, the first 6 shots were fired single-action, which dropped the pressure in the reservoir to bring the second string of double-action shots up on the power curve. Can you appreciate that the gun uses much more air when fired single-action than it does double-action?

A peaked velocity curve
Also, instead of a relatively flat top to the velocity curve, the Renegade has a peaked curve with gentle slopes on both sides when fired double-action. How much of that curve you choose to use is up to you, and you should base your decision on what you want to do with the rifle. If you want to take woodchucks at 50+ yards, I would fill to 3,000 psi and shoot the rifle single-action. That will net you about 18 shots (3 cylinders).

How much of the power curve you want to use double-action is your choice, but I would start with shot No. 13 and finish with shot No. 54. That gives me 42 shots, which is 7 full 6-shot cylinders. My velocity spread would be from a low of 916 f.p.s. to a high of 975. While 59 f.p.s. is a large spread, please remember we are talking about Crosman Premiers, and I'm probably not going to be shooting them. They were just used for testing. I'll probably go with a heavier pellet like the Beeman Kodiak. The velocity will be slower and should have a tighter spread over 42 shots.

Determining the correct fill pressure
If you agree that shot 13 is the place to begin your string, then you must determine what reservoir pressure it takes to deliver the first shot at that velocity. Goodness knows what those poor unfortunates will do who cannot reconcile starting air pressures other than 3,000 psi, but there isn't much we can do for them. For you, however, the procedure is to fill one more time to 3000, then shoot the gun 12 times through a chronograph. The next shot is shot 13, which is the start of the third cylinder of pellets. If the velocity is where you want it to be, stop shooting and try to fill the gun right there. You'll be able to determine from this the pressure at which the valve starts admitting air into the reservoir, and that number becomes your new maximum fill pressure. If shot No. 13 is NOT the right speed for you, keep shooting until you see the right speed and then determine the pressure in the reservoir. This is a simple procedure, yet it's fundamental to the correct operation of all PCPs!

What if you DONT WANT to shoot only single-action?
Well, that was the reason for the first test. Look at it and determine what sort of performance you would like from your rifle. If your problem is squirrels in the bird feeder 25 yards from the house, double-action all the time sounds like a good idea. If you also have a pesky woodchuck over by the hill 75 yards from your back door, maybe you want to be able to shoot both single and double-action. Remember, nobody is tying your hands from topping off the reservoir at any time. You can shoot just 5 shots and decide to add more air at that time.

Trigger action
It's time to let you know about the Renegade's two-stage trigger. In single-action, the one I'm testing breaks exactly at 2 lbs. It's as crisp as you could hope for, short of an Olympic target rifle. In double-action, I estimate the pull at nine lbs.--far lighter than, say, a Colt Officer's Model .38 Special and about equal to a well broken-in 1077. So, don't worry about whether you can fire it fast, because you can! Evanix says the trigger breaks in, so maybe a brand-new rifle will be somewhat stiffer, but you cannot fault the trigger on the rifle I'm testing.

Homework!
Okay, digest this information and next time we'll test velocities some more. Here's some homework for you. Calculate the approximate average muzzle energy of the rifle in both the single-action and double-action modes using Crosman Premier pellets. Then calculate the probable power increase when we switch to a Beeman Kodiak pellet. I've made all my calculations based on the information presented in this report. I'll show my expectations and then the test results next time. I'll also tell you how I arrived at the numbers.

Tanfoglio Witness 1911 BB pistol - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (B.B. Pelletier) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 10:30:00 +0000

by B.B. Pelletier

Part 1

Well, the BB pistol guys have waited patiently for this second report, so I thought I'd combine velocity and accuracy into one post. The Tanfoglio 1911 BB pistol turns out to be a genuine surprise! While it doesn't have all the neat switches and levers of more expensive BB pistols, this one has something very few others have - accuracy! In fact, this may be the most accurate BB pistol I've ever tested. Because I said almost the same thing when I tested the SIG Sauer SP 2022 BB pistol back in May, that statement deserves an explanation.

The SIG Sauer SP 2022 was and still is very accurate. I'm not changing my mind about that. But, if you look at the targets, it shot low and to the left. The Tanfoglio shoots dead-center at the same 15 feet. After seeing where it was striking, I couldn't resist shooting full magazines of 20 rounds at each target. Granted my groups are larger than those shot with the SIG, but look where they landed!

The first target I shot turned out so well that I couldn't resist dumping the entire 20-shot magazine! This target was shot with Daisy zinc-plated BBs.

The second target I shot was with Tanfoglio BBs. Although this group of 20 is smaller than the first, it's due more to me being in the groove than to the BBs.

One way I know a particular gun is a good'un is when I can't stop pulling the trigger. It doesn't happen too often, but it sure did with this Tanfoglio. I stood there shooting five shots at a time with rests between. As long as the white dot on the front sight stayed on the black bull, that's where the shots went. That doesn't happen often enough that I can ignore it.

I made fun of the white dot on the front sight at first, but when I used it, the pistol shot to it! Front sight shown slightly elevated for clarity.

After 40 shots, my arms tuckered out and I was unable to hold the sights still enough to repeat the performance a third time. It's nice to know that a gun is always there for you and makes you do your best because it'll show. I never thought I'd say that about a BB pistol, though.

Loading
The 20-shot stick magazine is the easiest BB magazine I've ever loaded. Pull the spring-loaded follower down and it locks in place. Then, the BBs seem to pour into the opening. There's even a grooved trough to help you align a bunch of BBs for the loading hole. The follower then unlocks in the same way the SIG Sauer 2022 magazine did, and the spring pushes against the BB stack.

The BB magazine is easy to load. Just pull the follower down to lock, then drop BBs through the funnel-shaped loading hole. There's a trough that runs almost the full length of the mag top that guides the BBs to the hole.

Velocity
With Daisy zinc-plated BBs, I got two different velocities. When the CO2 cartridge was fresh, they averaged 410 f.p.s. with a spread from 396 to 418. When the cartridge was almost used up, they averaged 430 with a spread from 407 to a high of 444. Tanfoglio BBs averaged 414 f.p.s. when the Co2 cartridge was fresh and remained there until the end.

Shot count
You get more than 60 shots per CO2 cartridge, but not quite 80, so that last magazine needs to be watched. The CO2 piercing screw is inconvenient to operate because they put it where it can't show from the side, and as a result you lose a little gas at each cartridge change. Screw in the piercing screw until you hear a hissing, then take two quick shots. Use Crosman Pellgunoil on every cartridge!

Trigger
This is a double-action only pistol, so there's no cocking of the hammer - which doesn't move, by the way. This is a modern DAO, and the trigger-pull is very easy and free from excessive creep. Look at my targets, and you'll see how tight you can hold the gun.

I don't often get excited about CO2 BB pistols, but this one is the exception. It's accurate, fun to use and easy to load. In fact, it's so accurate that I believe this BB gun could be used for serious handgun training. If you're into BB pistols and don't need blowback, try the Tanfoglio Witness.

Pro-Guide spring retainer system for RWS Diana riflesPart 3

noreply@blogger.com (B.B. Pelletier) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 10:30:00 +0000

by B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2

Assembly
Now it's time to assemble and test the RWS Diana 48 with the Air Venturi Pro-Guide spring retainer installed. Because I removed the piston to photograph, I put it back in the gun first, but you normally wouldn't take it out. So, the Pro-Guide system goes into the spring tube white end first. That's the end with the guide inside the spring.

I mentioned in the last report that the Pro-Guide isn't as long as the factory spring, so the trigger assembly also sits lower in the spring tube. Now the rifle is put back into the mainspring compressor again, and tension is put against the end cap shelf. As the tension increases and the end cap moves into the spring tube, it may twist so the pin holes in the cap go out of alignment with those through the trigger block and the mainspring tube. The trigger block will limit the twisting, but the black plastic end cap can get out of alignment just enough to make pin insertion impossible.

When the compressor bottoms out the end cap, the two pin holes are close to up-and-down alignment with the holes in the spring tube, but you may have to back off on the compressor tension just a touch. Then, you may have to work the end cap to one side or the other so the pins can be tapped through. A tapered punch is a good tool for this job, and you may have to start out using a thinner pin punch until the holes are close enough to insert the tapered punch.

The trigger unit is installed in the mainspring tube after the Pro-Guide system. It slips down into the mainspring tube farther than the factory spring because it's shorter.

Tap in the rear pin first. Don't force it, but to get it started may require a few hard taps with a plastic hammer. Once it starts going into the hole, it'll pull the trigger block into perfect alignment with the mainspring tube..and the rest is easy.

When the rear pin is all the way in, pull the trigger once to release it. If you don't, you'll discover later that the rifle won't cock and the safety slide will be stuck. After the trigger's pulled, tap the front pin into place. The rifle may then be removed from the mainspring compressor. The next step is to connect the sidelever. Insert the hinge pin first, making sure the two large washers are on either side of the hinge bushing and inside the flange that's welded to the mainspring tube. The smaller washer goes under the head of the hinge pin.

After the hinge pin is installed, you can connect the cocking link with its pin. Be careful that the link hasn't been unscrewed while you worked on the rifle; because, if it's too long, the sidelever won't stay tight against the side of the rifle after the gun's cocked. If you have that problem (you will sooner or later), just tighten the link by screwing it in as far as it'll go. That usually fixes it. It'll have a little bit of flex as the sidelever is brought close to the spring tube, then it snaps the sidelever closed and tight against the tube when adjusted correctly.

Next, put the action back into the stock and tighten both screws. You're ready to test the Pro-Guide system! This procedure takes someone familiar with RWS Diana rifles about 15 minutes, start to finish. If you're doing it for the first time, allow about an hour.

Velocity
The velocity of this rifle shooting .22 caliber Crosman Premiers with the factory mainspring was 797 f.p.s. With the Pro-Guide, it measures 805 f.p.s. That's not a large increase, but I think the rifle will continue to get a little faster as it breaks in with either the factory spring or the Pro-Guide installed. There's still a little velocity fluctuation because of how new the rifle is, and that was observed with both the factory mainspring and the Pro-Guide. Remember, there was no lubrication or anything else done during this installation.

Shooting notes
With the factory spring, I could feel a small amount of buzz after every shot. It wasn't objectionable and died off quickly. With the Pro-Guide, there's no buzz whatsoever. Just the solid "thunk" of the piston coming to rest. I can feel a definite difference. There's no measurable difference in cocking effort between the Pro-Guide and the factory spring, and the recoil also feels the same.

Is the Pro-Guide for you?
The advantages are zero vibration, possibly a small velocity increase, and a drop-in tune that you can do at home, as well as customize in several ways. You could add more lube to the mainspring if you like or you could put a washer ahead of the forward part of the Pro-Guide to bump up the velocity a bit. The Air Venturi Pro-Guide spring retainer system gives you one more alternative to expensive tuneups, and it's one you can install yourself if you're so inclined. Of course, you can also order the Pro-Guide to be installed when you buy the gun.

What's next?
Well, I won't insult your intelligence by claiming the Pro-Guide increases accuracy! Instead, I thought it'd be nice to see what the Pro-Guide can do for a .177 RWS Diana 34 Panther I've had for over a year. This is the same rifle I tested for you, and it's also one of the rifles I used for the Leapers scope base development project. It now has many hundreds of shots through it. You'll get to see what a Pro-Guide can do for a rifle that's already broken in.

This just in!
A customer just submitted a nice review of the Pro-Guide, and I thought you'd like to see what he has to say. It's also posted on the Pro-Guide product page:

"I did the install on my 34 Panther and it was quick and easy. She was clocking in at about 776fps prior to this addition and is now clocking in at around 839fps (10 rounds each, 14.3 grain chps). The gun cocks much smoother now and there's a solid 'thunk' when fired. The recoil feels a little harder than stock, but it's a nice and solid feel. I have another 34 that has a well-known aftermarket tune kit installed. That rifle shoots really well, though there was actually a small drop in velocity after installing the other tune kit, but her accuracy is incredible. I'd take accuracy over velocity any day, but won't complain if I have both. There's lots of speculation and rah-rah going on about this pro-guide kit so I thought I'd be one of the first to give it a try. So far so good; easy installation, good fitting parts and a velocity higher than that advertised for the stock gun. I'll post a follow-up after a couple hundred more rounds with this to see how it holds up compared to my other 34 with the other custom tune/spring kit installed as far as durability, velocity and accuracy goes..."

Evanix Renegade double-action rifle Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (B.B. Pelletier) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:30:00 +0000

by B.B. Pelletier

The new Renegade from Evanix is a double- and single-action 6-shot revolving rifle. Six quick shots as fast as you can pull the trigger!

Big series coming!
Starting a HUGE series for you today - a new and significantly different model line from Evanix with the ability to fire double-action as fast as you can work the trigger and more shots than we're used to. This first standard rifle I will review is called the Renegade. Before we get to the juicy details, though, you need to know the history of the AR6 in America to appreciate how far it's come, because the AR6 is the ancestor of all current Evanix models.

Brief history of the AR6
Back in the very early 1990s, when modern smallbore precharged pneumatics were just over one decade old, Davis Schwesinger of Air Rifle Specialists began importing the AR6 rifle from Korea. At that time, the ARS-6, as it was known, was unlike any PCP we'd ever seen in this country. For starters, you filled it by pressing the whole rifle straight down on a needle fixture attached to a horizontal scuba tank. The needle pushed into a valve on the end of the rifle's reservoir and filled the rifle in three seconds. In doing so, the reservoir became very hot, and American shooters complained that the internal seals and o-rings were being overheated. The Koreans responded by changing the fill port to a simple screw thread that accepted an adapter coupling.

This is the way we filled our Korean airguns in the early '90s! Three seconds to a full fill and a smoking-hot reservoir!

American dealer invented the quick-disconnect probe
That threaded coupling lasted for a couple years, but in 1996 Davis got them to change again to a quick-disconnect fill probe he invented. That probe is still being used to fill all Korean rifles today and spills over to some models from the UK. As novel as it was, that probe wasn't the biggest feature these repeating rifles had.

They were the power kings!
These were also the most powerful smallbore air rifles of their time. They shot heavy .22 caliber pellets at anywhere from 50 to 80 foot-pounds, completely overshadowing all other smallbore air rifles of the time. Not until the AirForce Condor hit the market in 2004 did the Korean guns have any competition.

Accurate, too!
With that power came accuracy. Using heavy Korean pellets, 1" 5-shot groups at 50 yards were possible. This gave hunters the equivalent power and accuracy of a .22 short cartridge with much greater safety, and they soon began taking larger game than airgunners had ever imagined. Coyotes were the No. 1 Western fare and javelinas, the so-called Weber pigs (one fits nicely on a Weber barbecue grill with the cover on), became the target of choice for those in the Southwest.

Designed to be double-action
Back in those early days, there was an airgun magazine called U.S. Airgun, and they examined the ARS-6 frequently. It was on those pages that many of us discovered that this rifle is actually a double-action revolver. Theoretically, it was possible to fire all six shots by pulling the trigger rapidly instead of cocking the hammer for every shot. I say theoretically, because the double-action trigger-pull of that early gun was as much as 25 lbs.! No rifleman alive can squeeze off six fast shots while fighting that kind of resistance. So, the design was there but it wasn't possible to use.

I remember reading in U.S. Airgun how a fellow came up with a trigger tune that reduced the double-action pull as low as 18 lbs. There was rejoicing and dancing in the streets for that tune, but in the real world nothing changed, because even an 18-lb. trigger-pull isn't easy.

Over the years, the AR6 continued to evolve. That trigger tune was built into the rifle, but as mentioned, nothing changed as far as the user was concerned. The company changed hands in the new millennium, and they started modernizing their stocks from classic Asian to a more European look.

The rise of Evanix
They became Evanix and forged a relationship with Pyramyd Air as their exclusive U.S. distributor. New design ideas started going back and forth between the U.S. and Korea. Evanix was eager to deliver what the customer wanted because their annual sales numbers under Pyramyd Air were many times greater than they had been with all the other U.S. airgun dealers operating independently. Which brings us to the Renegade.

While all AR6 rifles have always been and continue to be double-action, they are not and cannot actually be used that way because of the extreme pressure required from the trigger. In fact, under Evanix management, shooters have been warned not to fire their rifles double-action because it'll damage some of the internal trigger parts.

Here comes the Renegade
The new Renegade changes that. It's designed from the ground up to be operated in either the single-action or double-action mode. You can't tell by looking at the new rifle; but, to anyone with AR6 experience, all it takes is one pull of the redesigned trigger to convince them that this is all new.

Instantly selectable power
This new trigger makes it possible for the Renegade to have two different levels of power. If you cock the hammer before shooting, you're on high power. If you fire double-action by just squeezing the trigger, you're on low power. Low power doesn't mean weak, however, and I will, of course, report exactly what these power levels are.

Rifle must be charged for the trigger to work
One interesting fact cropped up in my first test. The rifle must have air pressure in the reservoir for the trigger to function in the double-action mode. I tried it out of the box with no air in the reservoir and the trigger only worked once, then it remained in the pulled position. However, after filling the gun, it works perfectly.

The 6-shot pellet cylinder is removed from the rifle by pushing it to the right with a thumb. On a new rifle, it takes quite a push; after removing it a few times, it gets easier.

Push the cylinder out from the left side with your thumb. It's held in place by a spring-loaded ball bearing on either end.

When you put the loaded cylinder back, those two small cutouts on the frame help compress both ball bearings as you push the cylinder in.

Loading
Pellets are loaded base-first from the front of the cylinder, typical of all Korean 6-shot repeaters. They come to rest against a small shoulder located at the rear of each chamber. There's plenty of room to load even heavy Eun Jin pellets, though I think a Beeman Kodiak is more appropriate for the power this rifle offers.

The pellets are loaded skirt first into the front of each chamber.

Enhanced performance from a brand-new valve!
I see a lot of airguns in my business, and it isn't often that I see something that's really new; but, the valve on this Renegade is something I've never seen before. Most PCP rifles will function within an 800 psi pressure band. A 3,000 psi gun will shoot well until the pressure drops to 2,200 psi, then the power drops off rapidly. A very few rifles will stretch that band to 1,000 psi. Well, the Renegade rifle I'm testing works well throughout a full 1,500 psi pressure band! What that means is you get many more useful shots per fill. How many depends on whether you shoot with full power (single-action) or reduced power (double-action). In the next report, we'll see exactly what those numbers are.

Those of you who're looking for a powerful precharged hunting air rifle, follow this report carefully. I think we have something special here!

Pro Guide spring retainer system for RWS Diana riflesPart 2

noreply@blogger.com (B.B. Pelletier) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:30:00 +0000

by B.B. Pelletier

Part 1

Today, we'll take the next step in evaluating the Air Venturi Pro Guide spring retainer system by testing a stock .22 caliber RWS Diana 48 right out of the box, then installing the Pro Guide system and testing that. Because many of you are interested in working on your own airguns, I decided to turn the disassembly/assembly into a tutorial.

Right out of the box, the first shot from the rifle shooting 14.3-grain Crosman Premiers was 646 f.p.s. I'm telling you that to reassure all of you chronograph hounds that a new air rifle needs a few shots to settle in. Shot No. 2 went 793 f.p.s.--a heck of a lot closer to the anticipated 800 f.p.s. average this model usually gets with .22 Premiers. I shot a dozen times to let the gun settle down, then a string of 10 after that measured an average of 797 f.p.s. - right in the expected range of 790 to 810 f.p.s., depending on the individual rifle. That works out to 20.17 foot-pounds with this loose-fitting pellet.

Now, it's time to install the Pro Guide system. The rifle's action was removed from the stock by loosening the front triggerguard screw and the one forearm screw. Then, the action was disassembled while the gun was held in a B-Square mainspring compressor. Don't look for one on this website; they don't carry it any longer, but you can make one for under $20. The two-part plans are located here. You absolutely have to use a compressor with this gun.

Once the action is out of the stock, remove the sidelever. These two pins held in by circlips must be removed. Remove the smaller pin first (on the left in this picture) and the larger hinge pin last. The linkage arm that connects the sidelever to the sliding compression chamber doesn't need to be removed.

The hinge pin has one washer under the pin head...

...and two washers inside the flange that holds the sidelever to the action. There's one on either side of the sidelever hinge pin bushing.

Once the action's out of the stock, the sidelever must be removed. It's held on by two pins, each secured with a circlip on the underside. Remover the smaller pin first and the larger hinge pin last. Look for three washers on the hinge pin: one under the head of the pin and one on either side of the pin bushing.

When the sidelever is off, fold the linkage rod down along the barrel of the rifle, so the action will fit into the mainspring compressor.

These two large pins located inside the sidelever flange must be drifted out of the rifle. Place your pin punch on this side. The action must be installed in a mainspring compressor with tension on the black plastic end cap before attempting to drift these pins.

Secure the rifle in a mainspring compressor and put some tension on the black plastic end cap. There's a flat shelf conveniently located on the cap. The next picture shows this flat shelf clearly.

Both pins have been drifted out, and all tension was taken off the end cap. See how far the factory mainspring pushes the trigger group and end cap? The flat of the end cap against which you can apply tension is seen at the top center of this photo. Because I was working on a gun while taking pictures, I cheated by using the flash.

First, drift the rear pin all the way out, then drift out the front pin. I'm not sure the order matters anymore with the T05 trigger unit; but, since it was critical with the T01 trigger, all airgunsmiths learned to do it in that order. These two pins are all that hold the trigger unit, which is sheathed by the end cap, in the rifle.

Here's a comparison of the RWS Diana sear on the bottom and a conventional sear (Hakim) at the top. Since most spring rifles use the conventional piston rod hook-type sear, their triggers have been designed for it. The Diana sear was originally designed for three ball bearings to hold the piston inside the groove. The current Diana triggers don't have ball bearings, but they have a hook system that does the same thing. This has no impact on the Pro Guide system, but it does impact a gas spring, which is why you don't see one on the market yet.

Here's the Diana piston in its entirety. See the swelling at the rear? It helps guide the piston inside the large receiver tube. It never enters the sliding compression chamber, which is why this piston is so long.

I removed the piston so I could show you some things, but you don't need to remove it (it simply slides out). Once the factory mainspring and rear spring guide have been removed, the Pro Guide system can be installed.

The Pro Guide system is much shorter than the factory mainspring. Even so, you still need a mainspring compressor to get the trigger unit to align with the two pin holes.

Next time, I'll describe the assembly of the 48, including a couple pointers that'll save you some time and heartache. I'll also report on the velocity of the gun with the Pro Guide unit installed. Please note, if I forget to mention it in the next report, that absolutely NO tuning was performed on this rifle. If I hadn't wanted to show those pictures of the piston, there would have been no reason to remove it from the gun.

Learning about airguns

noreply@blogger.com (B.B. Pelletier) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:30:00 +0000

by B.B. Pelletier

I get questions all the time that sound like this:

I know a lot about real guns. I shoot a Winchester .270 and a 12-gauge shotgun during hunting season, and I know how to take care of them. But I'm completely new to airguns. Can you recommend a book or books where I can learn about things like tuning a spring gun, shooting a PCP and how to scope a rifle?

While that sounds like a good question, it really isn't well thought out. If, for example, the writer REALLY knew a lot about "real" guns, he would know how to mount a scope on his .270, but he doesn't. He probably bought his rifle from a gun store with the scope already mounted.

Mounting a scope on a .270 is essentially the same as mounting one on a Beeman R1. The rings may be a little different, but the process is the same.

And, he says he wants to learn about tuning a spring gun. Fine - that's a noble pursuit. Some people spend their lives doing just that. However, don't think you can read a manual or a blog and become good on the first try. There is experience to be gained through trial and experimentation, and that's as important as the book knowledge.

But this person wants it all right now. He wants a book to tell him step-by-step how to do what others have learned over the course of years. I have only been writing about airguns since 1994, but in that time I have watched a number of tuners who now are very well-known. Back then, they were the ones asking the same questions, but they stuck to it and learned their craft.

From time to time, I'm asked to write a glossary of terms and definitions to help people learn airgunning faster. I used to think it would help, but now I know it won't. Just because you know what the acronym PCP stands for doesn't means you understand all that it implies. Let me give you a few examples.

Let's say there's an airsoft pistol with a magazine that holds 20 plastic BBs. It's an inexpensive springer pistol that has to be cocked every time before it will fire. That's done by pulling back on the slide. Do you know there are airgunners who call such a pistol a single-shot, because something has to be done by the shooter to make the gun ready to fire each time? Are you one of them?

What about the shooter who buys a Colt M1911A1 pellet pistol and calls it a semiautomatic, because every time he pulls the trigger the gun fires? Is he unaware that a Smith & Wesson 586 does the same thing? And it's a revolver, just like that M1911A1 Colt. It isn't what the gun LOOKS like that determines what it is - it's how it FUNCTIONS. A Crosman 1077 rifle is a revolver, and so is a Sumatra from Eun Jin.

I just got a message from J-F who asks for a maintenance blog. He says he knows about putting a drop of Pellgunoil on a CO2 cartridge, but what about cleaning a barrel? And how many pumps should be put into a multi-pump pneumatic for storage?

I've addressed those topics at least 5 times in this blog, but probably more. So, I took my own advice to J-F and used the search function to find where I wrote about them.

For cleaning the barrel I got this when I typed barrel cleaning into the search function:

Is your airgun barrel REALLY clean?

Should you clean a new airgun barrel?

and from that report, I got this link:

Cleaning airgun barrels - the stuff you need to know!

Incidentally, J-F, your question about the use of cleaning pellets was also addressed in the last link.

There were 41 more links, in addition to these - all addressing barrel cleaning. One of them, J-F, was devoted to the maintenance of a PCP. If I had used different search terms, I'm sure I could have added another 20-40 links to the list - all on the subject of barrel cleaning.

Next, I looked into the subject of how many pumps to put into a multi-pump for storage. I typed pump storage into the search function and came up with:

Safe storage of pneumatic airguns

A couple helpful tips/sealing CO2 guns and eliminating rust

Despite its title, the last report also works for multi-pumps. I'll admit there weren't as many reports for this topic, but I did get several others, and changing the terms to multi-pump storage netted me another couple.

Those are just two examples of how this blog works to answer questions. This is just one resource available on the internet. There are many other great sources to examine to find what you need.

The information is probably already there - you just need to learn how to search for it. This blog is fully indexed by Google, so even if you search outside the blog search tool, a regular Google search will probably still find what you're looking for.