by B.B. Pelletier
I have very good news. I was sent some pre-production samples of Leapers’ new RWS Diana scope base, and they look beautiful. I know the techs at Pyramyd AIR will love this new base, which mounts to the rifle in seconds, solving both the droop problem and the recoil stop problem at the same time. I’ll report on them soon. Today, however, we’ll look at the features scopes have, in an attempt to sort out what’s really important from what’s cool or nice to have.
Starting with the scope
You want a scope that is both waterproof and nitrogen-filled. While most models sold by Pyramyd AIR have both of those features, don’t think that all scopes do. The less-expensive scopes sold in discount stores and the cheap scopes available through some internet retailers and at gun shows may have only one or neither. Unless you shoot indoors exclusively, your scope will eventually get wet. I’ve seen shooters stop in the middle of a field target match because their scope fogged up on the inside and became unusable. One time, we were in a rainstorm that was on the fringe of a hurricane, and the misty droplets fell relentlessly. Over half the scopes in that match failed from internal fogging.
Another thing you want is a scope with strong erector tube springs. When you adjust very high or far to the right, the spring that pushes against the erector tube relaxes, and in some scopes the erector tube starts moving, causing POI shift. One reason I push Leapers scope so much is because they don’t do this. High-end Bushnells are okay, but the cheaper ones aren’t. The old Swift scopes had a problem with this, as did some of the Simmons, especially the inexpensive ones. And, as highly as they’re touted, certain Leupold scopes were problematic, as well. Especially the Vari-X II, which is a lower-end scope for them. I haven’t tested all scopes, so I don’t know how to tell you which ones are safe and which aren’t; but, if you feel the adjustment knobs going soft toward the high or right ends of the adjustment range, stay away from that part of the range with that scope.
Reticles
If you hunt, you want a duplex reticle. Nothing stands out so well against an uneven background of woods or grasses. If the hunting is slow-paced, a mil-dot reticle may be as useful as a duplex. Either type gives the benefit of multiple aim points.
Plain crosshairs are not suited to hunting, except in limited situations such as long-range varmint hunting. They’re also best for long-range target shooting.
A plain crosshair, while great on a firing range, isn’t as helpful in the field.
A duplex reticle stands out in uneven backgrounds such as a field or woods. The center still has the precision of narrow crosshairs.
The mil-dot reticle is very popular and common today. They’re almost as useful for hunting as duplexes.
Illuminated reticles
Illumination is great for hunters and for anyone who loses sight of the reticle against the background. Before you decide, know that there are two different kinds of illumination. The first kind reflects off the reticle and is the brightest. This is the most common type of illuminated reticle, and the whole reticle is illuminated at the same time. A second type is more subtle and not as bright but appeals to the true fringe-time hunter. That’s the central illuminated reticle in which only the center crosshairs are lit. There’s no loss of night vision with this type, but you have to be in very dark surroundings to see it. The key to this type of illuminated reticle is an etched-glass reticle.
When the illumination isn’t turned on, the reticle is black, the same as non-illuminated reticles. So nothing is lost by having the illumination feature. But for general shooting, it is useless. I wouldn’t get illumination unless there is a need for it, or the scope you want only comes with it.
Adjustable objectives
AO, as it’s known, is for parallax correction, though most shooters think it’s for focusing the scope. When you adjust the objective (or the sidewheel that I’ll mention next), the target becomes clear at some point. At this point, there’s as little parallax as possible, and the shot should not be affected by it as long as your eye is going to the same spotweld every time. AO is extremely valuable and should always be ordered with a scope, if possible. The cost is minimal and only the really cheap scopes or those of very low magnification do not have it today.
A sidewheel
Let’s get something straight – a sidewheel refers to parallax correction that has been moved from the objective bell to the left side of the scope turret for convenience. Some illuminated reticles have their intensity adjustments in that location, but that does not constitute a sidewheel, regardless of what their advertising may say. The benefit of a sidewheel parallax adjustment is that you don’t have to reach as far to make the adjustment. This is a nice-to-have feature when it is offered.
A sidewheel refers to parallax correction, only. Large sidewheels like this make small yardage increments visible for the shooter.
Some scope knobs can be unlocked and their scales slipped to whatever point the shooter desires. The rifle can be sighted-in, then the adjustment knobs can be set to the zero numeral on the adjustment scale. This feature will appeal to careful shooters who document everything about their gun and scope. But for those who do not, nothing is more confusing than a return-to-zero scope adjustment knob if you move it, because you will forget where you came from. The return-to-zero (also called zero locking) function is for shooters who keep careful notes. Most shooters do not need it.
Variable power
Variable power used to be a bad thing, but today it’s good. It’s hard to buy a scope without it, and you can rest assured that all the bugs have been worked out. Get it if you can. You can operate at one power most of the time, or you can adjust power to find the target, then zoom in for an accurate shot. If you buy a variable, get one that goes low enough. High power can make your target appear hazy or muddy, but lower power will make it crisper. Scopes that go down to only 8 power are destined for field target or benchrest work. That’s too much power for many shots in the field. In my opinion, the best variable is a 4-16x, with a 3-12x coming right behind.
BB, Good article about scopes. I installed a Simmons Pro Diamond shot gun scope on my dads Benji. Since it’s not a springer, I’m not too concerned about damaging it (recoil). It’s zeroed in at 15 yards and fairly accurate. I like the diamond shaped reticle which is like the duplex one shown in your article. Others might try it on their pump up’s too. Still looking at the Marksman we’ve been talking of lately, and it’s very similar to the SS650 Beeman. I have another question on springers. When I was looking at it at the pawn shop, the “spring” lever seemed a little loose. I could move it with my finger where it’s exposed at the end of the stock where it’s notched out to “break”. Now it’s gotten tighter and seems to lean a tad to one side. it shoots fine so far without any problems but I thought I’d ask anyways. Can I remove the stock with out anything flying apart? I’m not interested in messing with the internal mechanics, but I would like to inspect/clean/oil the linkage. There are 2 screws at the fore arm and two in the trigger guard. Any suggestions/blogs/articles???? Thanks, Thomas
Thomas,
You can remove the action from the stock without anything flying apart. Everything is contained within the action, itself.
The only part that might come off is an end cap at the back of the action, but if it does, it will be apparent how it goes back.
B.B.
Great!! Is the end cap where you can grease the spring? Might as well do that and get it over with. I don’t ever plan on dissassembling the gun anymore that I have too! Thomas
B.B.Great info.In your Feb.2006 story on the Gamo CFX you said that you mounted a Leapers Mini Swat 3X12 with B Square 30MM non-adjustable scope rings,and a B Square scope stop,because the rings did not have a vertiacal pin. In pyramids product discription of these rings, the now say that these rings have a vertical pin. I would like to get this scope and ring combo, did B Square recently add the pin, or do I still need the scope stop. Thanks, Your a wealth of knowledge.
B.B. Scott298–after reading the blog I’m a little confused-which isn’t hard to do. You mentioned 2 things that caught my eye very quickly-rws Diana and barrel droop. The scope base that your refering to in the blog-is it something that I can add to my existing rws 350 and leapers scope or does it involve buying a new scope to enjoy the benefit of this scope base that you are refering to in the blog (I currently have the scope mounted with a one piece B-Square adjustable mount but haven’t had any luck on my day’s off with the weather-either rain or wind gust in the 30 mph range) to sight it in yet. Also I am buying a 22 cal barrel for my rws 350 which is now .177. Other than putting the new barrel on is there anything that has to be replaced in the 350-ie-main spring, seal etc. I contacted Umarex and the 22 cal barrel will run me about $185. Will Pyramyd get this for me or will I have to deal with Umarex directly?, or do you know a better place to contact? Now when the 350 has the .22 barrell I’ll then have a 350 that can go both ways-.177 and .22. My next gun will be the Air Arms tx200mk111. Should this be ordered in .177 if I have a .22 cal barrell for the rws( there may come a time that I may want to try field trials but in all honesty I don,t know if this will happen, and at some point I will be buying a pcp which will definatly be at least in .22 Thanks for your time and don”t forget to tell “mom” that I miss her home cooking. Rhanks -Scott298
What kind of illuminated reticle do Leapers scopes have?
Hey BB, I should have put this in question form. Like I said about the linkage tightening up after shooting the Marksman 0035. Is this normal or a bad thing? I’d say I put about 500 rounds through it since I bought it. Thomas
Thomas,
To grease the spring the rifle must be disassembled. Taking it out of the stock is just the first step.
The cocking link doesn’t sound like a problem. Just keep watching the gun and see where it leads.
B.B.
Vertical pin,
B-Square makes many different kinds of scope rings. Some have stop pins, while others don’t. If the description says the pin is there, it is.
B.B.
Scott298,
You’ll have to deal directly with Umarex USA for the barrel. The barrel requires no additional parts. Other than the barrel, the gun is the same in either caliber.
To install the .177 back on your 350 Magnum, you will have to be able to disassemble the rifle, because the barrel must be disconnected from the mainspring. Unless they plan to push out the cocking link pin, which nobody does, that means full disassembly. It’s a large part of the price of the new barrel.
As for the TX 200 caliber, I recommend .177 over .22 unless you plan to hunt with that rifle. But with a .22 caliber 350 Magnum, why would you?
Have you noticed that the price of lead has driven the price of pellets sky-high recently? I think more shooters will be shooting .177 in the future.
B.B.
Illuminated reticle,
If by “what kind of illuminated reticle” you are asking whether they have the reflected type or the center-illuminated type, the answer is both. Leapers is a pioneer in the illuminated reticle field.
The center-illuminated reticle comes on their most expensive scopes, as it requires an etched glass reticle.
B.B.
Thomas,
I forgot to ask your question about the new Diana scope base. It is something you can install. It doesn’t require a new scope, but you will need new Weaver-style scope rings.
The new base should be out in about a month.
B.B.
Thanks BB, I’ll keep an eye on it. Maybe the spring relaxed from not being used for a period of time, and my constant shooting has tightened the whole thing up. Who knows. I think you got me mixed up with someone else’s question. Hope they read get your messege (Diana Scope Base), Thomas
PS, I’m going to call the Beeman/Marksman Customer service and see if they can help with anything else on this rifle. Let you know what they say. tjk
Scott298,
My last remarks to Thomas were intended for you.
B.B.
Got some good knews to share with you BB. I called Beeman/Marksman and they said that the model I had was made for Marksman by a Spanish company called Norica Laurona, and that they (Marksman) don’t deal with Norica anymore. So we at least know my rifle is at the minimum 12 years old. Better yet, The customer service rep was able to find a manual for it, and is going to mail it to me. I did look up the Norica online, but it’s all in Spanish,…wouldn’t ya know!! But I did stumble on a page that had a model 56 that was as bout as close to my rifle as I’ve seen so far. More later! Thanks, Thomas
a little off topic BB, but I hope you can help.
I just ordered a Slavia 630 (I live in Canada). I have read a number of comments on the ‘net that have said that the Slavia’s ship very dry from the factory (lube-wise).
Do you know if this is true and what do I do? Other than lubing the pivot points and any lube ports is there anything I should be doing.
Thanks
I own a Slavia 631, which is identical to the 630 but with a fancier stock. Yes, compared to Weihrauchs or Mendozas the CZs are dry, but they work fine. They are no so dry as to be a detriment to themselves.
Just shoot the gun, in my opinion. That’s all I do with mine.
B.B.
B.B.
Congratulations on getting your Diana scope base out. This is the one you’ve been working on, right?
What a minefield these scopes are and thanks for your advice. Putting all of this together confirms me in my choice of the Leapers 6-24X50 scope for my B30. I would have gone for the 4-16, but I already have a fixed 4X. I also want maximum power which might also save me from buying a specialized spotting scope. I’m assuming that I will need to order a high mount (one piece B square adjustable) because of the 50mm objective. Is that right? Thanks.
Matt61
Matt61,
To use the B-Square adjustable mount with that Leapers scope I would advise the high-profile version.
B.B.
Hello all. I thought there might be some general interest in the way my B30 saga turned out. To recap, I was floored when the second B30 I ordered had the exact same sighting problems as the first one which is to say that the sights seemed too low to acquire a sight picture and shot to the right with the windage all the way left. I called technician, Stacey Greene, at PA who told me that she would personally inspect another B30 if I wanted to exchange.
She was as good as her word and damn it if number three had problems at the shop. It was shooting high and she had to swap sights to make it work. She told me that PA would talk to BAM about their sighting problems. Number three which arrived recently is fine. Without having seen a Diana 48, I wouldn’t say that these guns are identical. The B30 has a very heavy trigger (although I haven’t adjusted it yet); a very slight amount of vertical travel in the sidelever; and a sloppy-looking red ink dot slightly offset that indicates the setting of the automatic safety. “German craftsmanship” are not the words that come to mind. On the other hand, the wood stock is gorgeous as it has been on all three rifles; the iron sights give a wonderful sight picture; the high comb of the stock acquires a scope very well; and, best of all, the rifle is super-accurate as all of them have been. Even with a much inferior trigger, the close range performance is indistinguishable from my IZH 61. This really is a lot of gun for the money.
I mention all of this because I think it confirms three themes from the blog.
1) The Chinese do have consistency problems with their manufacturing. The iron sights on three randomly selected rifles were unusable as issued.
2) Nevertheless, they, or at least BAM, can put together a very fine-shooting rifle. This latest one has a very solid discharge with no buzz whatsoever. I’m not even sure if I will send it to Charliedatuna.
3) The PA customer service is incredible. Let’s hear it for technician Stacey Greene who followed up on my problems and bent over backwards to make things work. Without her, I would have given up on this gun, and now I am just delighted.
By the way, B.B., my M1 Garand just arrived after 2 months! The CMP said that they have been swamped. I told them that I was worried they would run out of Garands before getting to me, but they laughed and said that wouldn’t happen for a long time. Amazing rifle. It’s much lighter and more balanced than I expected from what I’ve heard; it’s easier-handling than the B30. Now off to Clint Fowler. Reading the manual, though, with all of the ways you can damage your gun and hurt yourself is a caution. Without airgunning, there’s no way I would be up for this.
Matt61
B.B.
Thanks for the confirmation about the scope mount. At a cost of $65, I wanted to be sure before ordering.
Matt61
Matt61,
First, thanks for the rest of the story about your B30. I forwarded your kind remarks to the owners of Pyramyd AIR.
Second, shoot that Garand! George Patton said it was the most important weapon in World War II, and I’d agree that if I were in a war, that’s the rifle I’d want to have.
B.B.
Matt61,
Congratulations!!!!!
B.B.
Thanks for forwarding my comments. That girl deserves a raise.
Yes, I will shoot the Garand, but not right away. One of the prices of Clint’s personal attention and Old World craftsmanship is that the turnaround is about six months. During that time, no one will suffer as I will but it will be worth it….
In the meantime, I’m strongly tempted to get another rack grade to disassemble and play with based on the outstanding manual that was sent with the rifle. I’m going to make this gun an education which was missing from my first exposure to the shooting sports a long time ago. Thanks for your interest in the many directions that airgunning leads to.
Matt61
henry
Thanks. Do you have a Garand in your vast collection? What do you think?
I have another project in mind while I wait which will combine my interests. I’m thinking of getting a surplus bayonet and slicking it up with micrograin paper, strop and green compound until it is mad science sharp and then attaching it to the rifle. For educational purposes only of course! There’s a projection a few inches in from muzzle under the barrel that looks like it might be a bayonet lug for attachment. Would you know anything about this or the legality of putting bayonets on rifles? I probably wouldn’t show it outside in any case.
Matt61
Matt61, my aging Father gave me his Garand last year, and I put about 80 rounds through it in one sitting. Man, does that thing get hot!
As for the B30 vs. the ’48, I had a B22 and now have a ’48 – and the B22 was a very imperfect copy. The ’48 is a much better made rifle.
Matt61,
I have an M1 grand, not one from the war but a “reproduction”. Its a .308. The best part is that the mags are only $1, so you don’t have to pick them up (ethically you should). I think i have more fun shooting my grand than any other gun i own (yes, more than the AR15!).
Don’t come to me for legal advice. I have been taken to court by the majority of my 5 neighbors and there is no end in sight (all for different reasons – but don’t get me started). The law laws are different from state to state so thats something you have to look into for yourself.
I have a bayonet for my grand but never put it on. If you plan on sharpening anything with micro abrasives, make sure its somewhat sharp to start out, as micro abrasives are not great for heavy steel removal.
I picked up a Leapers 30mm SWAT 1.5-6X44 Full Size Duplex Illuminated Scope several months back and it seems nice.
bb,
Im looking into an inexpensive .22 breakbarrel for ridding myself of squirels. i was going to by the rws 34 panther, but wanted to know about the crosman 800 quest. statistically they’re in the same power range. i would only be shooting occasionally, and at half the price the crosman is looking good.
can you comment on accuracy, and power?
thank you. your help and advise is great
Kyle
vince, that’s kind of odd that the Garand heats up quickly since it was designed for rapid fire. Yes, I will concede that the Diana guns are probably better-made, but the hold insensitivity of the B30 is a nice feature.
henry, that says a lot that your Garand is the most fun of all of your rifles. Getting sued by all your neighbors? That’s quite a feat. I’ll say no more except that I’m sure they won’t try to take your place by direct assault…. Okay, I’ll save the micrograin paper for the fine work and lie low with the bayonet.
Matt61
Kyle,
The Diana 34 Panther would be more comparable to the Quest 1000, but the 800 is adequate for your needs. Since you don’t want to shoot it much and are probably not going to shoot for any reason other than to kill pests. get the cheaper gun.
All breakbarrels are difficult to shoot well. Once you learn how the RWS Diana 34 Panther will out=shoot the Quest by a good margin, but both will do what you want.
B.B.
B.B. I wish you had given a link to the two scopes you were talking about at the very end of the write up. How about it? From SavageSam
Henry,
You must be a real troublemaker. LOL! Either that or you live in a yuppie (does anyone use that word anymore?), covenant controlled neighborhood and didn’t paint your house an appropriate shade of beige… 😛 Keep up the good work of educating your neighbors to mind their own business.
BTW, I watched that movie “Shooter” last night. Enjoyed it! Thanks for the recommendation. But now I feel like I need to change my handle here. I ain’t in that league…
The /Dave formerly known as /Shooter
Matt61,
Congrats on your Garand! Law is a funny thing. Here in Colorado, I can’t have a bayonet shipped to me, although I can buy one at a store or gun show. I can however, have AK 47 parts kits and receiver blanks shipped to me to my heart’s content. That’s along with having the CMP ship me rifles, or ordering shootable antiques, such as my 8x 57 Turkish Mauser, and ammo from various places and shipped to me with no trouble. No FFL or background checks involved. Within Denver, airguns and knives with blades longer than 3 1/4″ can land you in hot water.
Have fun with your new Garand!
The /Dave fromerly known as /Shooter (:-P Too long…)
BB,
Nice article on scopes! I think I favor Leapers 5th generation scopes for their bang for the buck. They seem to be brighter, clearer, and hold up better, even with the extra doodads like the red/green illuminated, mil dot reticles.
That’s good news about the new scope bases! Maybe I can get over my barrel droop peeve now… Do you have an idea as to when they will be available at PA?
Thanks,
The /Dave formerly known as /Shooter
(Starting to feel like “The Artist formerly known as Prince” or whatever he calls himself now.:-P) Don’t worry, I’ll figure out another handle soon…
The /Dave fromerly known as /Shooter,
Only two of the neighbors can see the house. One accused me of shooting one of her five dogs). Won in court because all her dogs were alive and well. She has sued every one of her neighbors, so Im not alone.
The other says that her property is wetlands because of me. I won in court because she couldn’t prove that I control the weather. LOL
they are both old ladies that live alone and have nothing better to do than sue people!
Savage Sam,
I was talking about the AirForce 4-16 scope and any Leapers 30mm 3-12 scope they make.
B.B.
Hi BB
I have some problems I was hopeing you could help me with. My CF-X is inherently inaccuart. I cant hold a decent group at 25 yards.
Problem 1: flinching. For some reason when the gun fires i flinch. i cant control it, it just happens. Any tips on making this go away?
Problem 2: scope. Im using the cheap BSA scope that came with the gun. I like the thin duplex reticule. I want to get a better scope but have no idea which one. I dont have a huge budget. Any ideas?
Problem 3: dieseling. I wanted to see if i could make a pellet go BANG so i put a drop of pellgunoil on the skirt. It didnt work and now it diesels every shot. Is there anything i can do to stop this?
I was thinking of giving the gun a break in cycle. 400 pellets mabey. Do you think an induced break in will help with the dieseling and smoothness? I appreciate any suggestions. Thanks
Nate in Mass
BB,
I am sorry this is not about scopes. I am interested to see your post on the semi-auto airguns like the FX Monsoon or Revolution. Only one dealer in the USA, I am curious why? Is this the so called next level in airguns?
I really liked your recent philosophical post on why we collect airguns. Thanks.
David
Shooter
Thanks for your good wishes about the Garand. I’ll pass on anything worthwhile. And thanks for he heads up about the bayonet. Who would have thought it would cause this much hassle.
If you liked the movie “Shooter” I encourage you to read the novel it was based on, Point of Impact. And if you can’t get enough of Bob Lee Swagger in the series about him, you can read about his equally dangerous father, Earl. The book Pale Horse Coming where Earl teams up with Elmer Keith and Jack O’Conner is quite the page-turner.
Matt61
David,
There is only one U.S. dealer for FX because that’s what the company wants. However, there will soon be a semi-auto from a different maker that Pyramyd AIR will stock and the price should be considerably less than it is now.
B.B.
BB and Kyle, the Quest 800X and 1000X are the same gun except for the caliber. The 800X is a .22, and the 1000X is a .177. Either gun is comparable to the same caliber in power.
The Panther is definitely made better and has the better trigger. Might just be my guns, but the Panther in .177 is a lot easier to shoot accurately than the .177 Quest, but there was little difference in .22.
Also, the .22 Quest I bought needed some work to get it right – and this was the 2nd gun I got after returning the first. After I honed the pump bore (it was rough), installed a new seal, and enlarged the transfer port to 5/32″ it would do Gamo Match or Crosman Wadcutters at over 700fps.
Vincer,
I think Kyle probably knew the Quest 800 was the .22 caliber version of the 1000. I never paid any attention – sort of went by the Winchester and Beeman method of designating lower-powered guns with lower numbers, but they all relate to velocity, so I need to keep my eyes open.
Thanks,
B.B.
Scope Newbe,
Found an excellent site that explains many scope related issues in very easy to understand terms and even includes interactive video teaching tools.
I’m one of the scope neophytes; so please any and all you more experienced folks please chime in if this site contains bad or incomplete info. It looked very good to me though.
The following seemed very helpful:
DEMO-0 – TX200 Trigger Mechanism
DEMO-4 – Scope Mounting
DEMO-5 – Scope Adjustment
DEMO-12- Scope Parallax Error
DEMO-19- Scope Cant Angle of Rifle
(cant means to tilt or turn)
Not sure the “compensation control” discussed in demo-19 really exists but it would be cool to have – assuming it worked well. Then again it could teach you bad shooting habits. But ignore that and it should teach you the importance of holding the gun level for each shot.
Enjoy,
DB
DB,
Need a link. If you used “href”s, they got dropped on this page.
Thanks,
/Dave (/Shooter)
To Anonymous with the CFX,
Don’t bother with the B-square rings if yours is the newer CFX with the raised rail. I tried 2 different sets(models) of b-square rings.. neither will tighten on the CFX rail. Gamo made the rail too narrow, even the B-square technician told me to try another brand!
I purchased the Leapers Accushot rings. They work GREAT. Yes, I know they are inexpensive, but the quality is first rate! They are very nicely machined, and hold extremely well on my CFX.
BB,
I noticed your mention that “there will soon be a semi-auto from a different maker.” How soon is soon (3 months, 6 months, 1 year)? It wouldn’t happen to be a new addition to the Benjamin Discovery line would it?
Definitely interested! Keep us posted.
Thanks,
.22 multi-shot
.22 Multi-shot,
It’s not the Discovery and I estimate your be able to buy one in three months or less.
B.B.
BB,
I am looking forward to your reviews on semi-auto airguns soon.
Thanks for a great blog.
David
semi-auto airguns!!!!!
me too!!!!!
Henry
Link to site mentioned above that has cool demos:
http://www.arld1.com/
B.B.,
What’s this about a new semi auto airgun? Is it PCP?
The AR6 is semi auto – revolver actually. Is this new offering going to be true semi auto with a nice trigger?
What price range are we talking? Less than or more than $500?
DB
B.B.,
I am happy to hear that another semi-auto is coming out, and I know that many other enthusiasts are as well. I owned a Monsoon for a few weeks, and it suffered from leaking, auto-firing (like a machine gun, firing 2 or 3 pellets, innacurrately), and jamming. When I spoke to Alan Z., he explained that the design is flawed, and he was familiar with the trouble that I was having. The biggest trouble I had, though, something that all readers should be aware of, was getting my credit card credited after I returned the air rifle – it took over 3 months and many calls to the dealer (who will remain nameless, the scoundrel) whose word is absolutely worth dirt, and many calls to the credit card company to put the appropriate pressure on the dealer. I was one week short of contacting the Attorney General’s Office in Arizona, and later learned that I would not have been the first person to have done so. The whole process was time consuming and infuriating. I ended up buying a Rapid from Alan, who is a really helpful and wonderful person. – Dr. G.
DB,
The AR-6 is not semi-automatic. It’s a revolver. Semiautomatic means the gun cocks and loads for the next shot without the intervention of the shooter. The gun powers itself by the force of the shot. There has to be some kind of energy to cock and load the gun, so a semiautomatic airgun has to be either CO2 or PCP. There is no other contained power source.
No more info until the review.
B.B.
Dr. G.,
Thank you for posting your experiences with the semiauto FX. I have heard these same experiences many times, but I didn’t want to sound like sour grapes since PA doesn’t carry the guns.
The design was apparently flawed and the manufacturer used O-rings of the wrong material, which caused many of the rifles to develop leaks.
B.B.
B.B.,
PCP semi-auto is exactly what I told you was on my wish list about a month ago. So this is very interesting – hope the review comes out soon.
DB
DB,
Thanks for the link. I think I ran across it somewhere else, but forgot to bookmark it.
/Dave
/Dave,
Your welcome. I found the demos very helpful.
Tested the cant problem today. It works just about as shown. Tilt the gun to the left and POI moves to the left. Likewise with a tilt to the right.
I know this is just simple logic once you think it through… but I hadn’t thought it through until now.
DB
B.B.
I know you haven’t reported on it yet but I was wondering if you could give us an idea of the timeframe this new Diana mount will be available from Pyramid Air? I can’t wait…
Also, I don’t know if anyone has asked this question before but here it goes:
Instead of hanging the scope stop pin off the front of the scope mount rail could you simply remove the rail and drill out the shallow recessed holes all the way through? Wouldn’t you then have the same amount of “meat” or contact as you would by hanging it off the front with a correct looking fit up to boot?
Hope this wasn’t a stupid question.
Regards,
Bill S.
Bill S.,
I expect the new Diana scope base to go on sale sometime in May. It will be worth it.
I suppose you could remove the Diana base and drill out the holes, then reinstall the base on the gun (you need the base for the dovetails). But you would still be faced with the terrible droop these guns all have.
The new base solves everything and looks great.
B.B.
B.B.,
Sorry, I meant this as a temporary fix used with the B-Square adjustable mount you recommended until the new one is available.
A CAD Draftsman by trade, my gears are always turning…..albeit, most of the time SLOW.
Regards,
Bill S.
Top tip for target shooting… Place your gun on a stable surface, put your eye in the sweet spot move your head around a little. If you see the reticle shift up/down or left/right relative to the target then you need to tweak the AO/parallax ring. Keep doing this until there’s no movement.
Once completed and assuming your shooting from the same spot you should find your accuracy has increased significantly.