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Education / Training IZH MP655 BB and pellet pistol – Part 3

IZH MP655 BB and pellet pistol – Part 3

by B.B. Pelletier

Before we start, I have a some announcements.

Pyramyd Air’s 3rd annual airgun garage sale is on June 5 from 10 am to 3 pm. There will be discontinued, blemished and used guns, scopes and other accessories — plus dented tins of pellets. John Goff from Crosman will be flipping burgers and Pyramyd Air’s technicians will be on hand to help with any questions you might have. Come early for the best selection!

The 18th annual Daisy Get Together will be held on Sunday, August 22, at the Kalamazoo County Fairgrounds Expo Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan, from 9 am to 3 pm. Admission is $2.00…and well worth the entry fee! If you have any interest in buying, selling, trading or seeing vintage BB guns, cap guns and toy guns, this is THE place to go. Besides those great old Daisy guns, there will be plenty of other brands, many so rare that you probably won’t see a second example anywhere else. Contact Bill Duimstra (616-738-2425 or ) or Wes Powers (517-423-4148) for a brochure.

Last but not least, I’d like to thank our military men and women, both current and past, who have given so much to guarantee our freedoms.

Part 1

Part 2


The IZH MP-655K BB and pellet repeater.

The MP655K CO2 pistol is unique in that it shoots both BBs and pellets. In part 2, we looked at velocity with BBs. Today, we’ll look at velocity with pellets.

Update: The following crossed-out paragraph should not have appeared in this blog report. As stated in part 1 of the report on this pistol, the 655K does not have blowback, although the slide moves freely. We’re sorry for the confusion on this! I don’t think I stressed this enough in the first 2 reports, but this pistol has blowback. Not only do you get 90 consistent shots, but the slide moves for every one of them. The mass of the synthetic slide is low, so the felt recoil is lighter than you might expect. But it’s there. Normally, a blowback gun will get far fewer shots because some of the gas is used for moving the slide. Somehow, IZH has found a way around that. They’ve given us our cake and allowed us to eat it too.

Hobbys
Mac tested the RWS Hobby pellets with a fresh CO2 cartridge. Weighing only 7 grains, we expected to get good velocity from Hobbys. And, we often get good target accuracy at close range.

Shooting single-action, Hobbys averaged 292 fps, with a range from 269 to 328 fps. The average velocity produced a muzzle energy of 1.33 ft-lbs.

On double-action, Hobbys averaged 325 fps, with a range from 304 to 348 fps. The average muzzle velocity produced 1.64 ft-lbs. It’s pretty obvious that the MP-655K is a little more powerful double-action than single.

Premiers
The other pellet Mac tested is the Crosman Premier (7.9 grains) on double-action. The average velocity was 230 fps, with a range from 208 to 240 fps. That gives a muzzle energy of 0.93 ft-lbs.

On single-action, the pellet averaged 206 fps, with a range from 192 to 218 fps. That gives a muzzle energy of 0.74 ft-lbs.

How many shots?
We already answered this question when we tested BBs. You’re gonna get the same performance on pellets as you did on BBs. In other words, a useful string for plinkers of 90 shots. No reason to over-complicate this. A projectile is projectile — the gun doesn’t care what’s going down the bore.

The 655K, which is the Russian MR 445 Varjag, is a novel sidearm. We’ve already seen many innovations, such as how the BB magazine works. In our next and final report, we’ll look at accuracy with both BBs and pellets.

author avatar
Tom Gaylord (B.B. Pelletier)
Tom Gaylord, also known as B.B. Pelletier, provides expert insights to airgunners all over the world on behalf of Pyramyd AIR. He has earned the title The Godfather of Airguns™ for his contributions to the industry, spending many years with AirForce Airguns and starting magazines dedicated to the sport such as Airgun Illustrated.

83 thoughts on “IZH MP655 BB and pellet pistol – Part 3”

  1. Blog Index For May 2010

    3. Using nitrogen in PCPs
    4. Webley Junior – Part 2
    5. Teaching someone to shoot an air rifle
    6. Vintage Quackenbush airguns
    7. Using appropriate pellet guns
    10. How far will a pellet travel?
    11. Airgun darts
    12. Pellet preparation
    13. A tale of two Red Ryders – Part 1
    14. Beginning airgun design
    17. A tale of two Red Ryders – Part 2
    18. Single mom teaches children to shoot – Part 1
    19. The Benjamin Katana on CO2
    20. Mass production
    21. Pellet variation: What do you do?
    24. Projectile weight
    25. IZH MP655 BB and pellet pistol – Part 2
    26. More on manufacturing tolerances
    27. Benjamin Marauder, .25 caliber – Part 2
    28. IZH MP-656K or TT33 BB pistol – Part 1
    31. IZH MP655 BB and pellet pistol – Part 3

  2. Hi, sorry for some off topic questions below:

    1- if one could afford either HW30 or HW50S, which would be the better choice?

    2- how is the noise level between these two rifles, and how are they compared to the Bronco? (Pyramyd doesn’t list noise level for HW50S)

    3- cocking effort are really the same for both? (as Pyramyd lists both with cocking effort at 18 lbs)

    4- what is the difference between HW30S and HW30?

    5- can these two rifles be ok for lefty?

    Thanks a lot for your help.

    • Tdung,

      The difference between the HW30S and HW30 is a big mystery. There was a discussion about that on the blog a couple of weeks ago. What is important, if you buy one, is that it have the “REKORD” trigger. That is the best trigger mechanism Weihrauch makes. For a picture of this, see:

      closeup of HW30S imprint
      HW30 Trigger (1)
      HW30 Trigger (2)
      HW30 Trigger (3)

      I can tell you that the HW30/S is a sweet shooter– quiet, very accurate, and easy to cock. The only defect is the rear sight, which wiggles around left to right. That is the Achilles Heel of Weihrauch rifles.

      I too, am eagerly awaiting the answer to your question about the comparison between the HW50S and HW30S. Since the performance specifications for the 50 are more powerful, I would suspect the data on PA’s site is wrong (it’s been known to happen!) and the cocking effort will be commensurately greater.

      -AlanL

    • tdung,

      The HW30/HW30S controversy is actually settled. The HW30S is not marked with an “S” on the breech (at least not the ones currently in stock). Pyramyd AIR sells the HW30S, but I’ve labeled the gun HW30 because that’s what it says on the breech. We don’t want people to return the gun because an “S” is missing, even though they’re getting the exact same gun that Weihrauch lists on their site as the HW30S. The gun has the Rekord trigger. The HW30 without the Rekord trigger is the HW30 M/II. I don’t know if it’s marked M/II on the breech, but Pyramyd AIR doesn’t sell it, so there’s no confusion about which one you’re getting.

      The HW30 and HW50S (and I don’t know if there’s an “S” printed on the breech of the HW50 :-)) differ in several ways. The .177 HW30 delivers 675 fps, while the HW50S delivers 820 fps in .177, making them suitable for different tasks. Also, the 30 is somewhat shorter and lighter than the 50.

      Edith

  3. I want my rws hobby pellets back! I just can t adjust scope for gamo magnum-it is like i am throwing rocks! Maybe it is time for me to stop shooting and join Ryan 🙂

    • I still sometimes get around to shooting my pellets. I am sorry if I like looking at beautiful things, and don’t want them splattered on a steel trap.

      Today I caught a California Kingsnake in my front yard! He/she is beautiful. I can’t wait for it to settle down so I can handle it safely.

      -Ryan

      • I hear you man i feel the same way for my RWS hoby pellets!!!And i like snakes too seriously i had one in my terarium but i decided to let her go -it is for the best

      • Ryan/CS,
        I share your enthusiasm for snakes (and rikib, I respect yours because yours are poisonous). I have kept them for pets also (the non-poisonous ones). In Ontario, Canada at the Ojibwa reserve north-west of Kenora I’m known as snake man. On one fishing trip I did my best impersonation of Steve Irwin so the Ojibwa guides could start building a fire in their firepit for lunch (home of some snakes). They looked like they were impressed with me but I’m still not sure whether they think I’m stupid or brave. I have also been called snag man but that’s a place I don’t want to go.
        -CJr

        • Nice! Well it sounds like you are more daring then I. I don’t mind getting bit, but I try to avoid it. Minimizing contact is the best means to safely trap a snake I’d say. I used a rake end to get the California King. It struck at it and coiled a bit on it and I picked it up and put it in a cardboard box. Then put it in my corn snake’s vivarium. I don’t have a hide for the kingsnake yet so he is burring in the bedding. Very attractive snake, but I think my corn snake is a bit sexier. 😛

          -Ryan

        • So I handled the new Kingsnake. It is very strong and healthy. It clamed down a little after being handled for a few moments, but was still not really chill. In time…

            • Yes, King snakes do eat other snakes, but I have them in separate vivariums. I won’t be putting them together, especially with the one being wild. My corn is captive breed, and doesn’t hurt a fly. He will only eat frozen (thawed of course) mice. I have feeder mice and he will chill with them no problem. I will be killing and freezing the mice for his meals later. I will feed live to the King snake in another container so I don’t get bit when going in to handle him. 🙂

              -Ryan

    • And from what I’ve found, Gamo ammo (lol?) is not very accurate. The quality is kinda cheap for the most part. You know I can only endorse JSB, H&N and RWS. 😛

      • Ryan,
        I have shot:

        Gammo Match,
        RWS Hobby 7.0gr,
        R-10 Match 8.2gr,
        Meisterkugeln 8.2gr,
        H&N Match 8.09,
        Crosman Premire 10.5gr,
        CP Light 7.9gr, and
        H&N Finale Match (10m target pelets in the square tin separated in foam layers)

        in my Bronco and so far the Hobbys have performed the best.

        All of the above pellets are excellent for plinking and consistently give 1/2″ groups or less but for my 10m target shooting only the Hobby’s stay under 1/4″ groups for me and the Bronco.

        However the Meisterkugeln’s are the worst for the Bronco, followed by both Crosman Premiere types, however, the Meister’s are one of the best for my IZH-61. Goes to show you really have to try them all to find the most precise for any rifle. I agree with you about the Gammo’s. They seem to not work in any of my rifles.

        -CJr (formerly known as Chuck)

  4. Ryan mean -Californian King snake is BEAUTIFUL non-venomous snake!It is good for you having them around you know that they eat venomuos snakes rats and stuff

      • Croatia-Serbia and Ryan:
        I shot my elusive rat yesterday afternoon.
        Not a good clean shot I may add 🙁
        He staggered back a couple of steps then ran off.
        I did a bit of target shooting after and my groups are appalling.
        50 rounds up range and 90% were all over the place.
        H&N coppa and hollow points,RWS domeheads, no difference,all bad.
        I know my sites were welded on by Mr Wong on a Friday afternoon,when he was keen to go home for the weekend but I have always compensated for that fine.
        I fear I have knackered my rifle in the pursuit of power.
        Sure it can shoot a pellet halfway through a telephone directory now but accuracy
        has suffered it seems.
        Contrary to what they proved on ‘Mythbusters’ I have failed to polish this turd of a rifle.
        DaveUK

          • CS:
            It is a .22 AK47 look-a-like Chinese made side lever springer with a sliding breech.
            BB told me the name and make but I forgot to write it down.Sorry BB.
            Not a serious target or hunting rifle CS but it is all I have left now.
            The only redeeming feature is,that it looks mean as hell.
            This rifle has to double as a home defence weapon you see,that is why I kept it when I had to sell all the others I have owned.
            That also explains the power obsession I had as well I think.
            DaveUK

  5. B.B.,

    Great to have you back!
    B.B., I have a sort of practical question. I am modelling my trigger assembly and right now I’m calculating forces (levers, friction, springs etc.). By my calculations it turns out that my trigger pull should be between 450 and 550 grams with adjustments +/- 250 grams and adjustable travel.
    Can you tell me, please, what pull do other rifles have? e.g. your Whiscombe and other match springers. Isn’t that too much or too little, as my CFX pull seems lighter.
    Thank you.

    duskwight

    • duskwight,

      Straight from B.B. to you:

      The Whiscombe trigger can be adjusted that low, but I keep it at about 500 grams.

      My TX200 is lighter than 450…probably 200 grams. Most HW triggers are between 500 and 1,000 grams.

      Edith

      • Thank you Edith.

        So I guess the reason is safety – whiscombes are not the rifles to be dry-fired… Ok, so I will keep my current settings, as they are quite in line with the data I received from you. Well, then back to calculations – to re-check everything once again.

        duskwight

  6. Hello BB,Edith and Mac.
    After the handgun ban in the UK such air pistols made by all the big names, Berreta,S&W and so on came onto the scene here.
    Probably coincidental but it seemed at the time like a response by gun makers to our ban.
    Many former hand gun shooters I know bought these new Co2 pistols just to keep up their skills and a lot of non hand gun owners like me bought them because they looked so good.
    I had one made by Walther which was real nice.
    Like I said, maybe we in the UK were just lucky such pistols came onto the market at the right time.
    DaveUK

    • Dave

      Is that true that crime level grew significantly after handgun ban in UK? I’ve heard stories and figures, but I want to hear from UK citizen.

      duskwight

      • duskwight:
        Oh yes most certainly gun crime has gone up.
        When the ban came in after the ‘Dunblane’ shooting the government was meant to offer financial compensation to all owners who handed in their firearms.
        This either didn’t happen or the Compensation was below the value of the weapons handed in.
        It is to the credit of the overwhelming majority of responsible hand gun owners that even under such unfair circumstances they still complied with the law.
        Of course some didn’t and thus these unregistered pistols found themselves on the black market.
        The shifting sands of knee jerk legislation then focused on Brocock air pistols and some blank firers as well because they had the potential to be converted to fire live ammo.
        This was the net that trapped me.
        I had to get a licence for my air pistol or hand it in to the cops.
        I chose to chew it up myself with an angle grinder because I refused to jump through more flaming hoops for the state.
        75,000 un-licenced Brococks are still out there unregistered and good for them but I am an Ex Met Police employee so was forced to make a choice.
        DaveUK

  7. Good morning B.B.,

    In part two you said, “The pistol performs more powerfully in the single-action mode.” But Part 3 shows the Hobby pellets shooting faster when shot double action. I’m confused, still on first pot of coffee, got a late start this AM, and maybe brain still needs more wake up time. [ Twotalon, don’t go there:).]

    What cycles the slide when the gun is fired double action? I am thinking it’s gotta be a mechanical linkage of some sort.

    Thanks for defudduling my brain,
    Mr B.

    • Mr. B.,

      Part 2 was about performance with BBs, and it DID shoot more powerfully in SA. Part 3 was about performance with pellets, and it shot more powerfully in DA.

      It’s a CO2 gun, so that’s what cycles the slide.

      Edith

      • Edith,

        I’m hearing what youy said and observed, but it really has me confused. My logical thinking isn’t working today. What is the reason for the velocity figues being exactly opposit between BB’s and pellets being fired single and double action.

        Also, I don’t understand why then firing double action doesn’t take more CO2 than single action–might have just answered that question, does the slide recoil when fired in both single and double action?

        Thanks for putting up with me this holiday Monday ane please say hi to Tom for me and let us know when Mac arrives back safely in Maryland.

        Mr B.

  8. If you’re one of the people who is desperately trying to buy Tom’s Beeman R1 book, there’s one for sale at Alibris for [gulp] $124.99.

    A lot of money but at least it’s not $500, like the ones on Amazon.

    Edith

    • twotalon,

      He told me this morning that he feels stronger today than he has in recent past. He gets in and out of bed without assistance, can walk unaided but has to push around his IV tree when I’m not there to push it for him.

      He’s still in the hospital due to a procedure done in the first hospital in mid-April. Can’t change the past, so we’re going with the flow 🙂

      Thanks for asking,
      Edith

      • I know all about those IV things. I was hooked up to one that started beeping at all times of the day and night. Could not get any sleep. My last two days in the hospital it finally started working right and only beeped when it was running low or got empty. The main problem was caused by the needle in my arm. If I bent my arm the wrong way it restricted the flow, and the alarm went off.
        I got to calling mine ‘R2’. It beeped a lot and had to be unplugged and dragged with me every time I got out of bed. I don’t know how many times I said “come along R2”.

        twotalon

  9. Thanks AlanL and Edith.

    One important thing for me is if you know if these two rifles (HW30/S, HW50S) are ok for left hand shooter. I am right handed but shooting left hand because of my left eye dominant. I’ve noticed that there is a raised cheekpiece for right hand shooter on PA site, but not sure it would be ok for left hand shooter.
    Interestingly, when I click on “Ambidextrous Rifles” link, HW30 is listed there.
    Thanks.

    • tdung,

      The HW30 shouldn’t be listed in the ambidextrous rifle listing! I’ll have that changed. It’s hard to say if you will feel comfortable shooting the HW30 or HW50S as a lefty. I’m also left eye dominant and righthanded, but I continue to shoot RH. I’ve learned to help my right eye by closing my left eye when I sight. Not perfect (and it used to make Tom crazy…which was a plus :-)), but it works!

      Edith

    • tdung,

      I’m left eye dominant too, but am right-handed. So, like Edith, I close my left eye and aim with my right. Even though the target may be fuzzy, I focus on the front sight, and manage to shoot pretty well.

      The HW30 will drive you nuts: the rear sight is finicky and is almost impossible to avoid touching every time you break open the barrel to load a pellet, because it sits right by the opening.

      JSB Exact heavys require two clicks up from Crosman Premier Lights at 25 yards. I do not want to scope this gun but if I can find a way to adapt a better rear sight to it I will!

      AlanL

  10. I just purchased two of the BAM B-3 for my two young sons. Built like tanks, I have a feeling that, though ‘B-3’ and ‘precision’ can’t really be used in the same sentence…they’ll last for ever.
    Much like a true AK.
    Dave, you can make them even more threating to an intruder.
    A few years back someone was making snap on magazines…at 10 feet it looked like the real honest to god AK 😉

    • cowboystar dad:
      When I first saw my B-3 in a gun shop back in 1999 I assumed it was a .22LR semi auto.
      As soon as I found it was an Air rifle I got the credit card out.
      It cost me about £99.
      Never a serious air rifle but more a novelty in my collection.
      Now it is the only air gun I have because I had to sell everything else to pay my CREDIT CARD bill after becoming unemployed 🙁
      I made out of wood a vented barrel shroud that fits on top of the fore stock and sprayed all the wood furniture black.
      It looks real good, and most fella’s used to pick that B-3 up first over my former Logun and Webley rifles.
      Like you say,they are tough as old boots but unfortunately mine is as accurate as a thrown boot as well 🙂
      DaveUK.

  11. BB and others… The 3 parts of the review on the ISH MP655 have not mentioned how the pellets seat in the rotary magazine. On my Walther P99 (great pistol), the pellets are pushed in and will sit there without falling out. This means that I can preload a set and drop them in my pocket for an afternoon of plinking. On my two IZH rifles, both with plastic pellet magazines, the pellets are not at all held in place. If you tip the magazine, the pellets fall right out. This is a pain in the butt, on otherwise wonderful rifles. So my question is whether the pellets on this new pistol stay in like the Walter/Crosman/Umarex (this is good) or if they easily fall out like my IZH rifles (this is not so good). If they stay in, this pistol could make a great plinker, but if they fall out, the field enjoyability will go down (a little bit).

    Second question, are additional pellet rotary magazines available? On some IZH rifles, like the IZH MP-514K (nice plinker) (/brands/izh-baikal?mid=10), it is a great rifle but additional magazines are not available. I’ve shot mine so much, that the plastic indexing magazines that it came with are getting worn down. No replacements available, and once they stop working… the rifle stops shooting.

    • Bristolview,

      A piece of advice on cylinder clips – we drop them all down, and use a bit modified ones from MP-651.
      The only difference between them is the side on which the pin protrudes and the cavity. So drill the center out, make a new pin out of computer brass screw (straight hands, needle file and electric drill required), thread it and screw it inside, may fix it with something like LockTite.
      [img]http://talks.guns.ru/forums/icons/forum_pictures/000437/thm/437046.jpg[/img]
      [img]http://talks.guns.ru/forums/icons/forum_pictures/000437/thm/437048.jpg[/img]
      Just like this.
      Then you can take a fine saw, and study some weihrauch magazines – pellets are retained there by thin rubber band, you can easily convert your Izh mags into something like that.
      Good (and even better) as new and will serve you for years.
      I owned MP-514 about 2 years ago. Loading mechanism was awful, so I converted it into a “bolt”-loading single-shooter. A nice piece it turned out to be 🙂 However it’s not a beginner’s airrifle – too much parts, too much complications. Just remember Webley’s troubled SLR 🙂

      Hope that info helps.

      duskwight

      • Duskwight, thanks for that info. I’ll try that. Hopefully, it isn’t that hard to do. Great tip.

        What problems did you have with the loader/feeder mechanism? So far, I have not had any, in fact it has been working perfectly. Is this a temporary condition of mine or did you have a lemon feeder?

        • Bristolview

          Just keep in mind I’m a bit crazy when it comes to airgun functioning 🙂
          Well, first one is feedpiece. It moves front AND slightly back, giving you unneeded dead volume. Changing its pushing lever geometry can give you better cycle and no dead volume. More constant feeding, constant positioning, constant speeds and POI.
          Then, it DOES leak air. Cut a groove on its end and put there a seal. Use a small rubber ring from cheap lighter valve, or 3×1 rubber seal from carburetor needle valve. It must protrude just a hair out from the surface of your feedpiece, but it’ll give you enough sealing to raise speed 7-10 mps and make it more constant – a big deal when it comes to a matter of flat trajectory and constant POI.
          Then turning mechanism. It is made with too loose tolerances. It is stamped out. It MUST be machined, to work well, so first rifles were prone to jams until Izh raised their manufacturing standards.
          So one must polish it and change springs (a bit softer ones are a thing to look for) to avoid possible jams. After some time pieces can wear out and you’ll experience some very unpleasant self-openings, especially with a new/strong mainspring. If it works OK – don’t change anything 🙂

          There is another very unpleasant feature – cylinder lugs are a bit weaker than on MP-512, because of that silly cutout, so excessive force – be it too much use or stronger mainspring or just someone too strong for his IQ – can bend them downwards and make your rifle unusable. Keep that in mind, and treat it gently 🙂

          Just one more tip – “crocodile”, as we call it here, another name is “hunchback” (just look at it from the side 🙂 ), is rearward-balanced. Putting a weight – a simple weight on the front of the barrel – a pound is enough – can dramatically improve your accuracy and give you that menacing tactical suppressor look, just don’t forget to mark it with a pink or orange stripe for cops to relax 🙂
          Fixing a cover onto a barrel with reinforced epoxy can remove any its movement and give you another great leap in accuracy.

          All in all, it’s a nice rifle for plinking, not for serious shooting.
          If I were to build such one – I would change some things, not radical, but a bit more thought-out and sturdy way. My “perfect 514” exists on paper and my single-shot still shoots somewhere 🙂

          duskwight

    • Bristolview,

      There are no additional magazines available for the MP655K. Maybe Pyramyd AIR will carry some in the future. The pellets stick real nice in the magazine. We didn’t experience any that fell out.

      Edith

      • Edith,

        Thanks, I was afraid of that. The pistol looks great, really great, but without extra clips I’ll be holding off. Hopefully, Pyramid Air will be trying to push Baikal to sell extras.

        That’s great news that the pellets seat securely in the clip. I love that about the Umarex, makes for cleaner fingers after a plinking session (can preload then wash up). Now, if only we could get extra clips we’d be all set.

        Thanks

  12. Dave, too bad about the accuracy. Perhaps it’s a case of pellet choice.
    I tried some Crosman’s and some Gamo’s I had lying around. Not good.
    But at 10m 5 shots offhand with RWS Hobbies can easily be covered with a dime.

    • cowboystar dad:
      It is my fault for messing with the spring and trying to jazz the rifle up.
      Although the fixed sights were always slightly out,I used to hit pretty much what I aimed at by firing a little low and to the left.
      Maybe I need to shoot a few more pellets through it in the new configuration to get it to settle down a bit.
      Thanks for the tip.
      DaveUK

  13. Some Memorial Day Quotes:

    137 years later, Memorial Day remains one of America’s most cherished patriotic observances. The spirit of this day has not changed – it remains a day to honor those who died defending our freedom and democracy.
    Doc Hastings

    When the soldiers came home from Vietnam, there were no parades, no celebrations. So they built the Vietnam Memorial for themselves.
    William Westmoreland

    This maybe a repeat quote from the other day:

    As America celebrates Memorial Day, we pay tribute to those who have given their lives in our nation’s wars.
    John M. McHugh

    As a Retired Navy Veteran one of my re-enlistments was aboard the Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor. Being there is a moment you can never forget. I spent 4 years at Pearl Harbor (Ford Island), watching movies about the attacks hit so hard now because I recognize the places. I wish every American could go there, not as a holiday but rather as a historical journey.

    rikib

  14. “Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations, that we have forgotten, as a people, the cost of a free and undivided Republic.” – John A. Logan

    John Alexander Logan (February 8, 1826 – December 26, 1886) was an American soldier and political leader. He served in the Mexican-American War and was a General in the Union Army in the American Civil War. He served the state of Illinois as a Senator and was an unsuccessful candidate for Vice President of the United States.
    -CJr

    • Happy Memorial Day and thanks to all our veterans.

      On the subject of blowback, I understand that the slide on a semiauto firearm pistol moves at Mach 2. Don’t get your fingers in the way.

      SlingingLead, that video is pretty intense, but what a strange technique. Why bring your off hand all the way over to hit the hammer? His motion is pretty spasmodic and looks like he’s going to shoot something off himself. But I can’t argue with his results.

      My training is going at a leisurely rate. I draw and dry fire. I will say that I’m starting to understand the design of the single action revolver and get into the mind of Samuel Colt. When you draw the gun, it rolls in the hand just exactly right to point onto the target. It’s the way Stephen Hunter described the Winchester 1894 as finding the perfect “equipoise” between shooter and target. Elmer Keith also claimed that the Colt SAA was more ergonomic and pointable from the draw than the 1911. My theory as to why this should be has to do with the rounded grip. Theories about why the AR-15 stock is so ergonomical have to do with the fact that it makes a straight line which transmits full-auto recoil into the shoulder. In contrast, the pistol grip on the M14 is rounded, having what’s called “wrist,” which causes the rifle to rotate under full auto. The wrist may not be good for automatic rifles, but it is the very thing for quick draws from a holster. Anyway, I’m enjoying the Single Six.

      Leather workers! Can you tell me often you should oil a leather holster? How much and how often?

      By the way, a bit of news on rimfire ammo. I’ve looked at the sites specializing in competitive smallbore and apparently, one of the best values is Wolf. I steered away from their centerfire, despite its low cost, because the steel cases are hard on guns. But for rimfire, where they use brass cases, it is really topnotch. It is a Russian based company that does some if not all of its rimfire manufacturing in Germany. Is this a dream team or what? It’s very accurate and cheap. I just received a brick and cannot wait to try it out.

      Matt61

      • Matt,
        The Wolf rimfire is supposed to be made by SK or by the same contractor or something like that, which makes it very nice indeed. I think that was a good choice. The steel cased c/f ammo. made by Wolf is legendary in its own right:).

        I also think you might want to know that I cleanly split a playing card (on edge) with my MLer on Sunday woods walk. It was a good finish, as I missed quite a few other, easier targets:).

  15. Dave, the fixed sight of the B-3 are adjustable. You need an actual AK/AKS/SKS adjustment tool. You can find them online for about $10. Can adjust both windage and elevation on the front sight. Works like a hot-damn.

    • cowboystar dad:
      Thanks,at the moment I am using some very thin nosed pliers to get a turn on the front sight.
      I wish though it had indents for a scope.
      The scope rail it was fitted with was put on wrong.
      Just my luck though.
      Even my Mitsubishi car was a Friday afternoon project 🙁
      DaveUK

      • Dave man,good morning! Dont be discouraged,it is your gun!!! If those guys on this blog only knew how much time i dismantled my slavija and diana(several times i was tempted to throw them in garbage)

  16. Anxious to read the rest of your review of the MP-655. In particular I want to know what type of accuracy I can expect from any CO2 semi-auto pellet pistol; and given that, how does the MP=655 measure up.

    I just purchased (from PyramydAir) a well reviewed semi CO2 pellet pistol and found I had it hard to hit a 10m paper target (anywhere on the target) from 10′. With BB’s, it was downright dangerous, spraying them everywhere inside my garage.

    Can any CO2 pistol be useful for casual target practice, or do I need to invest in a match pistol (Avanti, IZH) and forget the convenience of CO2 and a magazine?

    Thanks.

    • JT, no, you don’t have to spend a lot. I don’t know why your gun is doing so badly… have you tried shooting it rested or are you using it freehand? Also, are you familiar with pistol shooting, or is this your first time?

      There’s always the chance that your gun is bad. Which pistol is it? Perhaps some others have had experience with the same one.

  17. jtchrist…something is amiss. I purchased the Beretta Elite II b.b. pistol for my son and Crosman laser (total at Pyramyd about $65). At 10 yrds I have no problem emptying the clip, 18 shots in a 4″ circle offhand rapid fire.
    My Walther CP99 pellet gun has no problem keeping 8 shots (the size of its magazine) in a 2″ cirle.

  18. I’m new to this blog thing! My question is what happens to a rifled barrel when you bounce steel BB’S down it??I wouldn’t do that to any of my other air guns!! What am i missing here!! I use brass cleaning and stuck pellet rods in fear of marring the rifling!! Help me out here please!!

    • Crowell,

      Bobby Nations answered your question.

      I’d like to add that there are a surprising number of airguns with rifled barrels that shoot BBs. Some mfrs have a glut of rifled barrels and decide to use them up by putting them on guns that shoot BBs only. There others who put rifled barrels on guns that shoot pellets and BBs. The rifling eventually gets damaged, destroying whatever accuracy there might have been for the pellets.

      Edith

  19. Well that settles that! I have used lead BBs in some of my clip handguns{CP 88] with fair results.Amazingly the BBs are held in the clips snugly! Thanks to those words of wisdom abt steel on steel! Crowell

    • Crowell,

      BBs are made of steel. If it’s round and made of lead, it’s called a round ball. Just wanted to set that straight so we’re all on the same page 🙂

      Edith

  20. Thank you Edith for setting this 75 yr air gunner on the straight and narrow.I’ve now shot my lead balls through my CP99,CP88 and my Beretta FS92 with good results.The Gamo lead balls are a snug fit in the Umerax clips, I set them to a uniform depth! I will try this on my Colt 1911 1a when it arrives.These balls I shoot @ abt 20-25 ft on my 10 meter range in my cellar.These pellet guns are a rediscovered blast to shoot!

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