Home Blog  
Education / Training Testing the Gamo Whisper – Part 2

Testing the Gamo Whisper – Part 2

by B.B. Pelletier

Part 1

Well, Joe in Maryland explained that a 50 percent reduction in noise is only 3 decibels, so in that light, I can accept Gamo’s claim of a 52 percent reduction. Sorry, but I was thinking in different quantitative terms (i.e., percentage of loudness).

A well-rounded stock
Let’s continue our look at the features on this Gamo Whisper breakbarrel. First, let’s look at the stock. It’s a black, synthetic stock with a fairly wide forearm and a deep pistol grip. The cocking slot is short because the rifle has an articulated cocking link I’ll talk about in a moment. The Monte Carlo cheekpiece is low, and the cheekpiece is on both sides of the stock. In all ways, this rifle is ambidextrous. The thick, black rubber buttpad is very nicely contoured to the butt and looks terrific. The pull is slightly short at 13-3/4″, so the rifle is well-suited to shooters of smaller stature.

What’s behind the easy cocking?
Archimedes said, “Give me a place to stand and I’ll move the world.” He was referring to the ability of levers to multiply force. That same science works on breakbarrel air rifles. The length of the barrel (the lever) and the location of the fulcrum (the cocking link pivot point) determine how easy or hard a gun cocks to a greater extent than the power of the mainspring. Gamo designed the Whisper right in this respect. On close examination, I see they’ve reduced the baseblock by a huge amount, so they can place the anchor point of the linkage exactly where they want it.

10_22_07_cocked
The barrel breaks back an incredible distance. This is relaxed. It comes back another 4-5 inches!

They also employ an articulated 2-piece cocking link that’s longer than a single piece. It allows the barrel to pivot more on the pivot pin, which means they use the cocking force over a longer distance. The net result is a lighter effort.

10_22_07_whisper_breech
There’s that small steel barrel I mentioned in the first report. Note the chisel detent. The easy cocking includes breaking the barrel open.

A nice set of fiberoptic open sights
The front is a post and bead that’s hooded for protection. After what happened to the RWS Diana 34 Panther front sight, I’ll accept that fiberoptic sights need protection. The rear sight is fully adjustable and is fiberoptic as well. Both windage and elevation adjust in smooth clicks, and the windage has a reference scale. They are so nice that I thought it would be nice to test them first, before mounting the scope that comes with the rifle.

10_22_07_whisper_muzzle
A red fiberoptic post and bead front sight is protected by a steel globe.

10_22_07_whisper_rear_sight
The rear sight is fully adjustable and also fiberoptic.

Nice trigger!
And somebody remarked, “If the trigger becomes nicer with use, what is it nicer than? Itself, before the use?” Obviously the answer to that is yes. And you readers all chimed in and made sure I knew about Charlie Da Tuna’s GRT-III drop-in replacement. I have looked at his website, and I’ll see what I can do about working him into this blog.

A trigger replacement will probably void the Gamo warranty. That wouldn’t bother me if this were my own rifle, but it’s not. Maybe I’ll scare up a cheap, used Gamo at Roanoke.

And I heard the usual anti-plastic remarks made on the first report. What I wonder is how do you wood-and-steel types every buy a modern car? When I have a choice, I’ll pick steel over plastic every time. That’s why I’m a 1911 fancier and don’t care for Glocks. But, I would never make the mistake of thinking that just because an airgun has plastic it won’t work well. I like the synthetic-stocked RWS Diana 34 Panther over the traditional wood-stocked 34, and I’m hoping this Whisper will show me the same great traits.

I may have to postpone the shooting, as I’m leaving for Roanoke in two days and the weather isn’t cooperating. But don’t despair; we’ll get there.

43 thoughts on “Testing the Gamo Whisper – Part 2”

  1. Hello Tom, I enjoy your post. A different subject but…Have you done a post on replacing seals in a 1077? The seals on the adaptor and in the rifle are gone. Naturally it was 6 months beyond the 1 year repair policy. Can you help? Thanks and enjoy the show.Mike

  2. I’ve been wanting a Whisper for a while due to its supposed noise suppressing ability, but the more I hear about it the less I like it. Its other features do sound nice and its suppressor does work, but its the spring that makes the most noise, so the suppressor is redundant. I bet if Gamo would put this suppressor on a CO2 or pneumatic rifle they would have a real winner.

  3. B30, I will take the liberty to answer. I believe bb couldn’t get the rifle from Pyramyd thus the delay. I’ve been waiting for it too… I have one in .22 and I like it a lot. It is heavy and slightly harder to cock than most break barrels, but it packs a good punch and is very accurate if you do your part. Responds VERY well to a good tune.
    Hope this helps.
    Chris

  4. B.B.
    I have a related question about the Crosman 1077. What is the source of its surprising accuracy? I haven’t heard that its barrel is anything special and the revolver trigger is very stiff, but this gun can really shoot!

    Matt

  5. B.B.–Scott298 asking for advice, I cheked with umarex and they said that i can purchace a .22cal barrell for my rws .177 350 mag. Have you ever heard of anyone doing this with this or any type of production rifle . If I were to do this, would i have a true 350 in .22 that had been ordered that way or just a mismosh of parts. Would you do it? Sounds like if it works it would make me feel better buying the air arms tx200mk111 in .177 as I am a little concerned that the tx in .22 would not have enough ftlbs of energy for using as a hunting rifle over 30 yards out—thanks Scott.

  6. Scott, I have had all 3 guns you mention. You can change the barrell on the 350 to .22 no problem as it has the exact same action. I however don’t think the TX200 in 0.22 is weak at beyond 30 yards unless you are shooting coons or chucks in which case you might be better off with a firearm in 0.22 as the 350 is hold sensitive enough for me to be an iffy shot beyond 30 yards. I shoot my 350 .22 wiht a beeman peep. On the other hand 30-50 yards easy to do with the TX on squirrls with 3-9 x 40 leapers.

    KTK

  7. KTX–Scott298–thanks for the input, it’s appreciated. Bought the 350 without any research and since have wanted to get the tx-how do the 350 and tx in .22 compare? B.B.–this doesn’t leave you off the hook-still looking for your response–thanks to everyone out there -Scott298

  8. Scott,
    The Tx is quiet and smooth vs. the harsh snap of the 350. Weight is simmilar as they are both heavy but possibly the 350 is slightly lighter but not by much but the TX is quite a bit shorter. I think the overall quality of the TX is much better. I like the triger on the TX way better than the T05 Diana triger. Scope stop holes and rails on tx supperior to Diana ramp.

    KTK

  9. Scott298, did you check on the price of a 350 barrel? You might be better off buying a 350 .22 and selling yours – you might actually save money and you’d have an intact warranty to boot.

  10. Mike,

    I don’t do seal replacement reports for two reasons. 1. I am not strong in that area, and 2. Too many people get in over their heads and need personal attention that I can’t give. I suggest you send your idea to Airgun Hobby magazine. They like to do articles like that.

    B.B.

  11. sumo,

    Yes, there is one final report on the Mark III.

    Now that my identity is out, I can refer to work I did with Daystate to cover the Mark III for Airgun Illustrated (actually Pete Wadeson did the work, but as the editor, I take all the credit).

    I’m checking one fact that has bothered me about how the solenoid works. I believe it is just a timed pulse, but I want to make certain that it isn’t desmodromic, which would be even more precise, if it is possible.

    B.B.

  12. B.B.–Scott- you still didn’t answer my question–and Vince I did check the price–approx $165. I figure with the 350 in.177 and having the ability to convert it to .22 and also owning the tx in either cal(possible .177) I wpoud then have the best of both worlds.. B.B. you san jump in at any time as I have to leave for the moment-wife is yll at me because the tv is on while I”M doing this

  13. Scott,

    Barrel swapping used to be very common with the Beeman R-series spring rifles. But it is less so with Diana, though I don’t know why it wouldn’t work just as well.

    I would have to take the word of Umarex USA on this. If they say it can be done, I would trust that they know what they are talking about.

    I will tell you this, for reasons of economy, all barrels are made as common as possible in a line of airguns, because they don’t want to have special short parts runs when manufacturing. So a .22 barrel and a .177 barrel are nearly always the same on the outside.

    Sometimes the numbers look different on the other side (i.e., many more sales in .177 in this case)

    B.B.

  14. Scott,

    In the TX 200 vs Diana 350 magnum contest, I have said this so many times I bet YOU could have written what I’m going to say.

    The 350 is more powerful than the TX, but the TX is easier to shoot accurately. It has plenty of power in .22, so make your choice accordingly.

    I liken the TX 200 to an M1 Garand. The darn thing is hyper-accurate and nobody knows quite why. I remember trying to qualify Expert with the M16 after qualifying with the M14 (a modernized Garand) and very nearly failing to do so. The 5.56mm round of 1968 was just not that accurate at long range.

    In WW II the Marine snipers didn’t want to give up their 1903 Springfield rifles until they discovered that a Garand sniper rifle could out-shoot them under most circumstances.

    Just get the TX and then you can help me tell everyone else why they need one, too.

    B.B.

  15. B.B.–I’ll drop the subject from here on in. You know a lot more than I do so the Air Arms rifle I purchase next will be in .22 having the knowledge that my 350 in .177 will reaally be able to throw them out there. Notice I said Air arms, because after your blog on the s410 it will be a tough call between the S410(knowing that it is a pcp) and the tx. So I guess you haven’t heard the last from me–just hope we live long enough to get thru the blogs I’ll be sending in the near future-it’s a game of chess -your move–great chatting with you–Scott298 over and out–ps it would probably a lot easier just to ad opt me-then I can shoot “our” guns DAD!!!!

  16. The trigger design being sold by CharlieDaTuna has a pedigree going back to 2004, when I first introduced true 2-stage modifications for the generic Gamo trigger.

    http://www.network54.com/Forum/79537/thread/1092022279/Tony+I.%2C+thanks+for+the+suggestion+about+a+2-stage+mod+for+the+Gamo-B18-Theoben+trigger%21

    Charlie(Bob Werner)’s current product is actually an unauthorized copy of a subsequent design of mine.

    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v398/pneuguy/kentrig.jpg

    That, however, is old news.

    Of greater interest is that a much simpler, cheaper, and more cost effective design (1/3rd the price) is currently sold by Skyler McConahy, of Power Stroke Pneumatics.

    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v398/pneuguy/microGTXratio.jpg

    pspairguns@hotmail.com

    Thought you might like to know.

    Cheers,
    Steve

  17. BB, with regards to Steve’s comment, be aware that there’s two sides to that story. Also, there’s a lot of hard feelings involved here that I’m sure you don’t want to get in the middle of.

    Personally I haven’t had first-hand knowledge of what transpired with the original trigger design and subsequent iterations, so I’m not in a position to say to what extent Steve’s claims are valid. But bear in mind that there’s more involved here than just a dispute over a trigger design.

  18. BB,

    Yeah, what Vince said.
    AFAIK, there is no patent as such, but there is still some lingering fallout from a business relationship gone sour.
    I’ll just say that the current iteration of the GRT-III trigger was made with no outside help, and that it works admirably, even astoundingly.
    The rest is jealousy and money oriented.
    Don’t worry about it, as there is one guy in particular (not on this blog at the moment) who has a bit of a history, and he inhabits a certain well known blog.
    Also, the GRT-III couldn’t be simpler to install, contrary to claims disputing as much.

  19. steve in nc,

    i truely am intrigued…what kind of work went into redesigning a trigger?(there are guns that the grt doesnt fit, and i want to know if i can try to do anything for them, or if theyre hopeless, like the genesis trigger)

    DED(if you would rather email me, my address is davided_1@hotmail.com…anyone that wishes to talk about airguns further with me is free to email me.)

  20. bb,

    if you want to feel for yourself what a grt-III trigger feels like, ill send you my turbo-tuned .22 cfx with the trigger, and let you shoot it a little…maybe youll want to do a review on it…let me know(my email address is in the above comment)

    DED

  21. If I’m not mistaken, the basic geometry of the GRT trigger – or the various inserts that have popped up – isn’t particularly new.

    The existing Gamo trigger has a single contact point that lifts the intermediate lever to release the sear. This trigger adds a second contact point (in front of the first) that partially (and slowly) lifts this lever during the first stage (which previously did nothing), leaving the 2nd stage to “push it over the edge”. The lighter pull comes largely from removing the standard (and virtually pointless) trigger return spring.

    I believe that this is the same basic geometry that had been used in the Benjamin Legacy 1000 and derivatives. Granted, in this application the execution leaves much to be desired, and the trigger doesn’t feel nearly as nice.

    I wonder if this might be why their dispute is not being settled in the courts, since someone else seems to have invented the design?

  22. I don’t know about the Benjamin, but my second generation Sheridan Blue Streak has an astonishingly good trigger as it is.
    It’s crisp and light, a real surprise, especially coming from an airgun.

  23. Scott,

    I’m not sure what you consider to be “outside help.”

    But if the unauthorized use of detailed, copyrighted, dimensioned drawings counts, then unfortunately you’re been misinformed if you’ve been told that GRT was made without any.

    Because it was.

    Steve

  24. Steve,
    Yep, just as I had feared, here it comes YET again.
    It seems that nowhere is safe from those who want to indulge in this old squabble.
    I’ll leave petty back biting for that “other” forum and those who seem to get a thrill out of that nastiness.
    I refuse to talk about it further.
    I have no dog in this fight.

  25. DED,

    I think you’re right. The Genesis is a synthetic stock sibling of the Legacy, isn’t it?

    In which case it is, as you say, a different trigger and no, I don’t have a design for it. Sorry. My mistake.

    Steve

  26. I haven't shot the Whipser I have than much to make a real call on it but enough to say the trigger does suck. I don't think that it suppresses anything in the way of sound either. I would like to see one of the so called baffle opened so that they may be looked at with total design and fromone model to the next for comparison. of anything different between models. Then truth be known. just sayin'

Leave a Comment

Buy With Confidence

  • Free Shipping

    TEST Get FREE shipping on qualifying orders! Any order $150+ with a shipping address in the contiguous US will receive the option for free ground shipping on items sold & shipped by Pyramyd AIR during checkout. Certain restrictions apply.

    Free shipping may not be combined with a coupon unless stated otherwise.

    View Shipping Info

  • Shipping Time Frame

    We work hard to get all orders placed by 12 pm EST out the door within 24 hours on weekdays because we know how excited you are to receive your order. Weekends and holiday shipping times will vary.

    During busy holidays, we step our efforts to ship all orders as fast as possible, but you may experience an additional 1-2 day delay before your order ships. This may also happen if you change your order during processing.

    View Shipping Times

  • Shipping Restrictions

    It's important to know that due to state and local laws, there are certain restrictions for various products. It's up to you to research and comply with the laws in your state, county, and city. If you live in a state or city where air guns are treated as firearms you may be able to take advantage of our FFL special program.

    U.S. federal law requires that all airsoft guns are sold with a 1/4-inch blaze orange muzzle or an orange flash hider to avoid the guns being mistaken for firearms.

    View Shipping Restrictions

  • Expert Service and Repair

    We have a team of expert technicians and a complete repair shop that are able to service a large variety of brands/models of airguns. Additionally, we are a factory-authorized repair/warranty station for popular brands such as Air Arms, Air Venturi, Crosman, Diana, Seneca, and Weihrauch airguns.

    Our experts also offer exclusive 10-for-$10 Test and 20-for-$20 Service, which evaluates your air gun prior to leaving our warehouse. You'll be able to add these services as you place your order.

    View Service Info

  • Warranty Info

    Shop and purchase with confidence knowing that all of our air guns (except airsoft) are protected by a minimum 1-year manufacturer's warranty from the date of purchase unless otherwise noted on the product page.

    A warranty is provided by each manufacturer to ensure that your product is free of defect in both materials and workmanship.

    View Warranty Details

  • Exchanges / Refunds

    Didn't get what you wanted or have a problem? We understand that sometimes things aren't right and our team is serious about resolving these issues quickly. We can often help you fix small to medium issues over the phone or email.

    If you need to return an item please read our return policy.

    Learn About Returns

TEST Get FREE shipping on qualifying orders! Any order $150+ with a shipping address in the contiguous US will receive the option for free ground shipping on items sold & shipped by Pyramyd AIR during checkout. Certain restrictions apply.

Free shipping may not be combined with a coupon unless stated otherwise.

View Shipping Info

Text JOIN to 91256 and get $10 OFF Your Next $50+ Order!

* By providing your number above, you agree to receive recurring autodialed marketing text msgs (e.g. cart reminders) to the mobile number used at opt-in from Pyramyd AIR on 91256. Reply with birthday MM/DD/YYYY to verify legal age of 18+ in order to receive texts. Consent is not a condition of purchase. Msg frequency may vary. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help and STOP to cancel. See Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy.