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CO2 Crosman’s 2240 pistol – Part 1

Crosman’s 2240 pistol – Part 1

by B.B. Pelletier


Crosman’s 2240 pistol is a classic single-shot CO2 pistol. It has more potential than many airgunners realize, yet it sells at a rockbottom price.

The Crosman 2240 pistol is one of those bread and butter guns that have assured Crosman’s continued presence in the airgun world. It’s as simple as dirt, and thus has a following of tens of thousands of enthusiastic airgunners, many of whom are learning about guns through this very worthy platform. In fact, I have an interesting anecdote about such airguns to share with you.

In 2001, I was at the NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Kansas City, and the NRA hosted an airgun breakfast. Normally, the airgun breakfast was a SHOT Show event, but in the beginning they held it at both SHOT and NRA Meetings. Dennis Quackenbush and I were seated next to the then-current CEO of the Crosman Corporation. That was before Ken D’Arcy joined them.

We were talking about Crosman’s SSP 250 pistol and the 2240, and Dennis was telling the Crosman boss how his business had grown because of all the aftermarket add-ons he made for these guns. The Crosman guy seemed to be incredulous at what Quackenbush was saying, so Dennis summed it up for him in one simple sentence. “Yeah, you sell them the pistol for $39.95 (the 2001 price) and then I get to sell them $125 worth of modifications!”

Well, in two years, that man was gone and D’Arcy was the new head of the company. He had some things to fix right off the bat; but within five years, the Crosman Custom Shop had opened and they were starting to pay real attention to what their customers said they wanted. The result is that you can now buy many of those same mods directly from Crosman, though boutique shops like Quackenbush’s continue to make exotic parts.

This report will be an examination of the basic .22 caliber 2240 CO2-powered pistol and not an excursion into what modifications are possible. I still find the basic gun to be a wonderful value in an air pistol, as I believe I stated in the recent report on the Crosman Mark I and Mark II.

This is not the first time I’ve reported on the 2240. Back in 2005, I wrote a short report. Again in 2007, I wrote a report about modifying the 2240. The gun has appeared in a number of other reports on guns it has influenced and sired, such as the 2300T and the 2300S.

The 2240 is a .22 caliber single-shot pistol that operates via a bolt-action. The brass bolt is set into an engineering plastic receiver that’s the basis for many of the aftermarket mods. Quackenbush turned out solid steel receivers for many years, and now Crosman does the same, offering them through the Custom Shop. They also engineered the 2240 into their fine 2300T and 2300S target pistols, both of which come with a steel receiver.

The pistol might be seen as the descendant of the early model 150/157 CO2 pistols. There’s a passing resemblance between those early guns and the 2240, though time has changed many of the actual parts. The 2240 uses a brass bolt to both cock and load the gun. The 150 cocked via a separate knob located at the rear of the receiver tube, and loading was done by sliding a loading cover backwards. That cover was connected to the bolt that pushed the pellet into the breech and past the gas transfer port.

When I told Edith I was going to report on the 2240, she asked if we had one. I answered, “Of course.” Some pellet guns are just too fundamental to this hobby, and I hang on to them when I get them, because I know they’ll keep turning up over time. In fact, Crosman gave me this gun years ago. Crosman’s manufacturing director, Ed Schultz, sent it and told me to just keep it because I would find repeated uses for it. That’s exactly what happened. I keep the gun charged with CO2 all the time, and I know for certain that it’s been over a year since I last checked it. But it was still holding a full charge when I retrieved it for this report.

The gun is light, at 1.8 lbs., and with the 7.5-inch barrel it measures just over 11 inches. The ambidextrous plastic grips are raked back at the ideal angle for pointing. They discovered this angle back in 1950 and have held to it steadfastly for 60 years since. You pull the brass bolt handle up and straight back to cock the action. Here’s one place where Crosman has not yet fully listened to the market. Quackenbush discovered that right-handed shooters like the cocking bolt handle to be on the left side of the gun, but it’s on the right. So southpaws have a rare benefit with this airgun. What that means is that left-handers can hold onto the gun naturally in their shooting hand and still work the bolt, while right-handers have to take the pistol out of their shooting hand to cock and load.

I checked the blog archives for performance figures but couldn’t find any. In my feature article for Shotgun News, where I compared the 2240 to the Mark I and the S&W 78G, the 2240 came out the clear winner for power and accuracy. Maybe the S&W was more powerful, because I had Dave Gunter soup it up for me, but I remember being impressed with the 2240’s accuracy.

Plastic parts
We just had a guest blog from Brian in Idaho that explained the advantages of modern plastics in airgun manufacturing. So, where does plastic show up on this pistol? The receiver, front and rear sights, and grip panels are plastic. The barrel hanger looks like plastic, but it’s actually aluminum. These are the parts many buyers complain about, and the same ones that keep the boutiques humming. They’re actually stronger than they need be, but shooters want what they want and that’s what keeps the market lively.

The trigger is a simple brass-plated lever that a number of boutiques can improve upon. I guess TKO Airguns is the current flavor of the month for that part. They also have improved trigger internal parts to help with the trigger-pull.

Rear sight
The sights are fully adjustable, though only by sliding around. But so many shooters upgrade the gun with optical sights that I guess it doesn’t make any sense for Crosman to put more into them. One neat rear feature demonstrates the level to which Crosman has engineered this airgun. The rear sight is a square notch, but it’s also possible to flip it over to get an aperture. That’s for when you couple the pistol to a shoulder stock. Good job, Crosman!


Flip the sight leaf over and it’s a peep. Perfect for use with a shoulder stock. This gives an indication of how much thought has gone into this pistol design.

That’s my report for now. I’m sure I’ve missed a hundred details that our faithful readers will discuss for many days to come.

171 thoughts on “Crosman’s 2240 pistol – Part 1”

  1. BB,

    This post couldn’t have come at a better time, as I am recommending it to my step father for the rabbit problem he is having in the yard. He still can’t believe the comparative low price. I am trying to get back to him and drop my 1377 for him to use to develop pros and cons.

    I will probably just buy a 2240 and drop it off to him next week.

    KA

  2. I own a 2240, it is my only airgun. Cannot afford to keep up with you guys 🙂 but really like reading and getting info. I have Crosman’s steel breech mod which I really like, unfortunately you loose the rear sight in the process. I also have the shoulder stock, thanks to Derrick, hopefully I will be getting a scope very soon (once service dog training is done, another story), and hopefully longer barrel.

    I wish Crosman would consider moving the bolt action to the left side. I am right handed and I hate having to turn the gun over to reload.

    Looking forward to more info on the 2240! 🙂

    rikib

      • Gene,

        Too short for your rifle because it doesn’t look right or too short because you can’t get proper eye relief? What rifle are you trying to mount the bug buster upon? There are offset mounts that could be made to work.

        kevin

        • The Walther Force 1000, and yes its eye relief. I have it as far back as I can, I even took the scope stop off. It will work if I lay my face way forward on the stock, but that isn’t comfortable. It is a compact scope, and I didn’t read well enough before I ordered. I think I measured it at 8.5 inches long.

          Thanks.

          • Gene,

            Look at the cantilevered mounts and offset mounts on PA site. There should be something there that will allow you to move that scope forward far enough for eye relief.

            kevin

            • I guess i could, but I have several scopes, and not too in love with the BB. It was on my 2nd Walther for a short while. The #1 Walther has a decent scope and now W#2 will just be open sights, after I found it is a good shooter with a scope.

              rikib, the scope is yours if you want it, but, I am not sure if a scope on your pistol with a stock will work. The BB is now on my 1377, and to see I have to have the scope a few inches from my eye, and the grip is just in front of my face. With a stock, just guessing here, the scope will be so far away I don’t think you could see through it.

  3. rikib,

    I bought a steel receiver and ambidextrous bolt from Crooked Barn and it works very nicely. Also has scope rails built in. The bolt can be reversed to use on left or right side.

    Also got a 14″ barrel from them for around $12 plus a few bucks for s & h! And a shoulder stock from sportsman guide for $12.95 so I now have a 14″ barreled carbine.

    Nice gun. Crooked barn makes many nice mods for this gun including their BOSS “Max Flo” valve which when combined with the 14″ barrel will get you around 600 fps in .22 cal or a little more. Actually they say they can tune it to around 700 fps.

    They also make complete custom guns with fancy wood stocks but they are in the range of $250 – $350 depending on what you want.

  4. An enduring and essential American airgun.I think of it as the “ground beef” of the airgun grocery store!Dennis is a completely fascinating figure in our hobby.I love that he said that to Crosman!!! Not many guys would have,from a buisness perspective.He spent 30 minuites on the phone recently giving me a tutorial on repairing one of his guns that he didn’t sell me….then instructed me that if that didn’t fix it,send the part to him and he would repair it at no charge!! I told him I would have to send him something for his trouble! He politely informed me he would just send it back! Try finding 5 people like that these days….

    • DQ is a stand-up type of guy. I got similar help on the phone from him in the past, great guy.

      I just recently started modifying my 2240 with trigger shoe, steel breech, scope, wood handles. muzzle break, trigger tune, etc. The pistol is basically a blank canvas ready to paint to your own satisfaction!

      • Brian,do you have a big boomer too? With your background I bet you love it! Dennis’s pistols seem even more awesome when you think about the fact that they are half 2240….I especially apreciate the ability to make a Carbine for about 20$ Dennis has beautifully executed the K.I.S.S. principle of engineering.

  5. B.B.

    Working the bolt with my left hand would be one thing if the handle were on the left, but loading the pellet with my left would be a nuisance. I would still have to switch hands to load with my right.

    twotalon

    • I have the 2250b carbine…I’m right handed and I almost always operate the bolt and load with my left hand. I simply tilt the gun slightly to the left, work the bolt, drop in a pellet (which are carried on my belt in a Crosman bulk pouch), and return bolt. This allows me to keep my right hand in the same shooting position. Bub

  6. Morning B.B.,

    Interesting pistol. Going to have to make a phone call later today and get one on its way to Maryland. How hard is it to convert a 2240 to bulk fill. I’ve got the adapter for my Discovery to run it on CO2. I’m thinking there must be a way to put the male foster valve piece on the 2240. Good idea/bad idea?

    Oops gotta run and get daughter to school.

    Bruce

    • Mr. B,

      I know Crooked Barn has the bulk fill adapters as you must use bulk with their BOSS Max Flo valve. And I have found them to be very reasonable. If you go bulk you probably want to use the longer 2250 tube for more volume. They have that reasonable also as well as many other parts for the 22XX line of pistols/carbines.

    • There are guys out there who have also done 2240 HPA conversions but, I think that the only part of the stock 2240 left is the frame and sear etc. HPA requires some different thought and safety considerations that’s for sure.

  7. Plastic parts….I just don’t like ’em. I believe you’re correct, BB, in saying that they are stronger than they need to be (I play bagpipes made of delrin, which are far cheaper, stronger, easily maintained than wooden pipes), but as far as guns go, I just prefer metal. Everything is made of plastic these days, and when enjoying my favorite hobby, I stick to metal, thr tried and true material.

  8. Well folks, what I feared would come to pass has now happened. The Marlin Cowboy is at last in stock, 9 months after I first ordered it. Hallelujah! But now another item on my order has gone out of stock and my order coninues to sit there, still backordered, all in-stock items held hostage to the now out-of-stock item that has throughout the nine months almost always been in stock. The endless rolling postponement has truly begun. Pyramyd fails to make a sale of all items in my order because they never set aside the in-stock items for me, and all because they wanted to save a few bucks on shipping. The interest and cash flow benefits on an paid for order over a 9 month period would have covered that shipping fee if they had shipped the remaining items the instant the first estimated delivery date passed. If I ran my business that way I and my 49 employees would now be in the soup lines.

    Pyramyd’s order handling policies defy rationality (and it has taken me nine months to prove so.) I will now proceed to cancel this order altogether, and since clearly Pyramyd never cared in the first place, this insignificant lesson will go unlearned as well.

    To all who missed the many earlier detailed discussions on the subtleties involved in this experiment, fire away: I fully expect the firestorm of criticism that my comments will elicit. But before you shoot me, let me go on record that I fully appreciate the many GOOD things in Pyramyd’s customer service, and idiocy in one aspect of their policies does not imply the same in all other aspects. It is still by far the best air gun supplier out there.

    -AlanL

    • It would have been more practical if you had ordered only the things that were in stock at the time.
      I don’t even order when items are listed as ”limited quantities in stock’.

      I have no backorder problems this way. I may have to wait for some items to be back in stock before I order them, but I can still get the things that they do have.

      So I have to pay for shipping again. I’m not too cheap to do it. I also have to pay sales tax.

      twotalon

      • I do the same thing. There’s no way I’m taking any chances with my order. I want it and I want NOW, not when this or that item is in stock. Ordering out of stock items should just be removed… it would make things that much easier, no ? Am I missing something ? Maybe allow it when you know the shipment as left the factory and is on it’s way to you otherwise it seems to be creating more problems than it solves…

        J-F

        • Even when something leaves the factory there is often no way to tell when it will show up.
          Many things (even most things) come from overseas. Shipping times from place to place and holdups in customs can really stretch out the delivery time. PA can ony make their best guess on expected in stock dates, but there are too many ways for things to go wrong.

          twotalon

    • Dear AlanL,

      Firstly let me apologize for the inconvenience you have experienced and the long wait for the very anticipated product. Unfortunately there is no very straightforward way of dealing with orders that contain out of stock items. Over the years we have tuned our policy a few times, and continue tuning it.

      I would like to point out a few tools that we created for customers over the past few years that may help you achieve the best results for you:
      1. During the checkout we ask you if you would like us to keep your order on hold until all items are in stock to save in shipping. This choice stays with that particular order and is the guiding factor.

      2. As a customer you can always login and modify any of your backorders which you have not paid for yet. This gives you ability to remove items from orders that you no longer want, or those that pose additional hold ups.

      Our biggest challenge in holding inventory for other items on a backorder can become very inefficient in case of long delays due to supply issues (as you are probably painfully aware Marlin bb gun was delayed for 6 months, and we have had a lot of backorders for this item).

      We realize the above tools are not enough and we are working on creating a more streamlined way of handling such situations.

      Lastly, I would like to assure you that every negative comment we receive is reviewed thoroughly.

      Thank you,
      Pyramyd AIR Team

      • Dear Pyramyd Team,

        Thanks for taking the time to reply. It is the first time ever, and I appreciate it. I knew I could change my order at any time, but I was trying to prove a point since none of the items in my order is high priority for me. I have decided to let the order stand and see what happens. While I understand that a delayed delivery estimate is just an estimate and not a firm promise, In principle, once that date passes you should check with the customer (quick email) and ask if the customer wishes to continue waiting or would like his in-stock items delivered then. One thing that always bugged me is that I never ever received an email or phone call from Pyramyd advising of a further delay. Communication is the key. It shows a customer that you care.

        -AlanL

        • Dear AlanL,

          We do have a feature in the works which will notify customers who have backorders if the expected in-stock date changes. We expect it to be implemented in the 4st quarter this year.

          Thank you for your patience and continued support.

          Thank you
          Pyramyd AIR Team

  9. B.B.,

    on 9/1 you said, “I can’t answer for Volvo, but more power isn’t the reason I reload. I reload to get less power and more accuracy. In fact, I have a number of reduced-power loads that do just that. And once someone tries my loads and sees how little they recoil, yet how accurate they are, I make another convert. Reloading for more power is a waste of time, in my humble opinion. It’s the way guns blow up.”

    I agree entirely. I never said or implied that folks reload for more power; clearly, all of the care and attention that goes into doing this is for more accuracy. The question I asked was, do you derive more satisfaction from firearms or pneumatic arms? You mentioned that since you shoot airguns for a living, a switch to powder burners is a welcome change of pace. This is fully understandable. But, deep down inside, does shooting a very accurate firearm give more satisfaction than an equally accurate air gun? If so, is it because it delivers more power? My gut feel is that, yes, secretly, we’d all rather be shooting a gun that delivers 500 foot pounds of muzzle energy than one that delivers 25, if all other concerns (noise, safety, laws) were equal. True or False? (Volvo, don’t get mad.)

    -AlanL

    • Alan,

      That is a very difficult question to answer, because I don’t think there is one answer. Or even an answer! I enjoy shooting an accurate airgun to the point that I become absorbed in the moment. When I competed in 10-meter pistol, that was all I thought of when I was on the line. But the next day I might be on the rifle range with my Trapdoor Springfield, having just as much fun.

      I think my answer is I love the one I’m with at the moment.

      As far as energy goes, I could care less (I think) whether the gun produces 5 foot-pounds or 500. As long as it is doing what I want it to, I’m happy. I enjoy busting dirt clods with a .22 rimfire, but I also like doing it with a 1911 pistol, which is a little harder.

      What I do not like is needless recoil. A 454 Casull Magnum leaves me cold, while a well-loaded .45 Colt with one-quarter the energy can thrill me. I always load .44 Magnum cartridges down to .44 Special levels just to get rid of the recoil. But the holes in the target are the same size.

      Oh, and one more thing leaves me cold. Full-auto firearms. I yawn when shooting a H&K MP5. It seems so pointless when, with just a single well-placed bullet, I could accomplish everything I want to. I shot so many full-auto guns in the Army that my life’s quota was filled to overflowing.

      But let me see a fine Kentucky rifle or a handmade Tennessee Po’ Boy and I go ga-ga. Black rifles leave me cold. I guess I’m not in the mainstream.

      B.B.

      • B.B.,

        Thanks for your thoughts. I had not considered that possibility.

        I think you and my brother-in-law are similar in this respect. He has a huge collection of arms, including many fully automatics and never shoots them. Says they’re a waste of time. Instead, I see him spend hours over his reloading and then take a loupe to a half dozen carefully weighed cartridges that he has assembled and choose just one. With this single bullet he takes his beloved 7 mm rifle into the wilderness and chooses the deer or other game he wants to bring home. He may track it for an entire day. When he shoots, he almost never misses. Then he humps it (sometimes for days through the jungle) back to his 4×4 and brings home his prize, where his oldest and youngest daughters skin and butcher it. Thereafter, we all have a feast.

        In early 2000 he was invited to represent his country in the Sydney Olympics in shooting, but declined the honor, saying his sport was just for himself, and there was another friend of his who was twice as good as he was. (How this could be I can not imagine, and I think he was being modest.) But his friend did go and placed 4th or 5th I think, not sure exactly which events.

        What impresses me is his ethics as a hunter. If by some mischance he only hurts the animal, he will track it day and night through the forest, no matter how difficult or how far, until he finds it and can dispatch it mercifully. He NEVER shoots something he won’t eat. That, to me, is a hunter. And like you, he says that whatever he’s shooting at that moment captures his entire attention, to the tips of his toes.

        I realize that I will never be a shooter like that.

        -AlanL

        • AlanL, how does your brother-in-law dispatch a wounded animal if he only takes one bullet with him?

          Regarding your larger question about power vs. accuracy, I suspect that a mixture of power and accuracy are desired within rough boundaries of recoil that is so great that it is unshootable and rounds that are so weak that they can’t do anything. Otherwise, the enjoyment of the shot is based on details of the situation. I mentioned a few days ago one of my memorable shots which was drilling my shoot ‘n c target at 5 yards with a snap shot from my Walther CPSport. Another one was at the range in Hawaii. I had been having problems with the zero on my Savage 10FP in .223 at 100 yards, so I had been shooting at a chunk of concrete embedded into the berm just behind the target as a rough reference point. For one shot, I put the crosshairs on target, squeezed the trigger and saw the chunk erupt in a shower of fragments. I guess the scope was zeroed! Man that was incredible, as good as firing off a 105mm howitzer. I really must get into reactive targets.

          Matt61

          • Matt,

            I wondered if somebody would pick up on that. He also carries a 9 mm automatic (AaSig I believe) for self defense and a Bowie knife and a machete. But for hunting he takes just the one bullet.

            -AlanL

            • I understand the purity of using just one shot to make the kill, but I don’t understand not having some backup handy. For example, I read a spy novel where this James Bond type character was hunting an elk on a remote island with only one bullet in his pocket. Suddenly a Soviet spy started shooting at him, and the British guy had to fight back with one bullet. Now, wouldn’t it have been convenient to have more ammo? 🙂

              Matt61

              • Matt,

                He carries plenty of ammo for his 9 mm! But for his 7 mm hunting rifle he carries just the one bullet. It is his way of punishing himself if he misses, and eliminating temptation to shoot more. He will never shoot more than he can butcher and carry out of the bush on his back. If he only wounds his prey he will track it to the ends of the earth if necessary, and once he finally catches up to it, I’m sure the 9 mm to the base of the skull does the trick.

                -AlanL

                • If any large game animal is anything but prostrate, 9mm sounds borderline. But anyway, your relative sounds very driven and capable, and I’m sure he gets the job done.

                  Matt61

      • BB,

        I reload for both reasons. Depending what I want the finished round to do, I may tailor it for lower power and greater accuracy OR more power and greater accuracy. Who says you can’t have both?

        Case in point, when I was shooting falling plates and bowling pins I loaded to the lowest power level that would give me great accuracy and still drop the pins or plates reliably. Since both of those favor speed and accuracy over power that is what was required. However when I loaded for silhouette I loaded for the max power I could get with great accuracy as that sport requires knock down power and accuracy to score!

        For a self defense round I would pick a heavy bullet with an open hollow point some what like a flying ash tray and load it to medium power for more control. Something like a 200 – 230 gr .45 acp Remington golden saber loaded to about 950 fps. Accuracy is not the most important factor for self defense as most encounters are < 5 feet but is still nice to have so I load for best accuracy within those parameters. I could also load a heavy semi wad cutter hard cast lead bullet but prefer the better feeding profile of the rounded noses.

        As you and others have noted that is the draw for reloading. Having the complete ability to tailor your loads to the task at hand.

    • AlanL,

      When I was doing alot of shooting I loaded for the most accurate loads for my 22-250 which were always below the max ones in the manuals. I’d have to say for me that shooting a very accurate reload that I developed is more satisfying than shooting a smaller group with a pellet rifle, because of the challenges inherent in the reloading process.

      Notice that I didn’t refer to the power difference at all cause for me it doesn’t matter. Both levels of power have their place in my shooting.

      As a matter of fact, my Talon SS, AirHog silenced, with a 24″ barrel doesn’t get shot at my city range cause I don’t need or want that much power–small back yard neighbors all around, but in its stock form running on CO2 it’s perfect for my city needs.

      Just my 2 cents worth
      Bruce

      • It’s fun blasting the crap out of things, but it gets old.
        My TSS is quite adequate for the starlings in my back yard. I have yet to get a craving to pull out something a bit bigger and lay 1500 ft/lb or so on one of them. It would do an impressive job, but the neighbors would probably not like it too much.

        twotalon

      • Mr B. and TwoTalon,

        Thanks, that’s very interesting insight. Perhaps it’s an “inadequacy” thing ;-), but I just keep wishing my airguns were real smashers. I like the feel of recoil. And I like a real powerful car or truck too. Unfortunately, I don’t drive one. Isn’t shooting a gun with substantial recoil accurately a truer test of shooting ability than one that hardly recoils at all?

        -AlanL

        • Some inherent problems with shooting heavy recoiling guns (powder burners)…..
          Shoulder bruising, ear ringing, temporary crossed and out of focus eyes due to muzzle blast. Developing a bad flinch knowing what is going to come.

          Even some airguns can hurt. I have one.

          twotalon

          • BB,

            Wow that is kind of a harsh statement at best. Just hitting the target may be the goal for a target shooter, but I would not want to face an angry bear with a .177 cal target rifle!

            For THAT you need a gun that is going to recoil a fair amount AND you need to be able to hit the target. So it would seem to me that it would be important to practice with a heavy recoiling gun before going into grizzly country!

            In fact, I would not want to face a drug crazed killer with a .22 lr target pistol either. For that hand me one of my .45 acp’s! Do they recoil? Yes! Is it unmanageable? No!

            I realize that reducing recoil is a good goal, but face it. Some people LIKE fast cars and fast bullets! And I wouldn’t call them “chumps”!

            My favorite gun in my younger years was a Ruger 77V bolt action .220 swift! A real screamer for bullet speed and it WAS loaded to near max levels. It was also extremely accurate. From a bench at 100 yds it would shoot primers out of shot gun shells so regularly it got boring!

            • pcp4me,

              Yes, I guess I need to explain myself. A .220 Swift is a pussycat. I was referring to rifles in the .375 H&H caliber and up category. Some people load the .45/70 to almost equal the .458 Winchester ballistics. To me, they are chumps. The .458 Winchester is the round to use, if that’s what you want.

              I’m talking about real recoil now, not ladies’ deer guns. I once owned a 6.5 lb. .30-06 that kicked my teeth out when I shot hot loads in it. It wasn’t the light weight. It was the drop in the stock. Mv .270 Weatherby was a real pussycat in comparison.

              As for hitting the target, no that isn’t just for the target shooter. The hunter has to do it as well. When you hunt enough you will see some animals defy logic by absorbing amounts of energy they seemingly should not be able to handle, and other shots that drop them instantly. The instant drop is always due to accuracy and not energy, though enough energy has to get to the ultimate location. That’s why .22 long rifle rounds can take whitetail deer and .300 WSM rounds can leave the same deer wounded.

              Give me accuracy every time. And give it to me at the lowest possible recoil level, to eliminate as many of the chances for flinching as possible.

              That is what I meant.

              Anyone who just looks for recoil as an assurance of shooting ability is doing the same thing as burning off a cheap set of tires on the street in front of their house. It’s a meaningless waste, in my opinion.

              B.B.

              • pcp4me…I think you misinterpreted what b.b. meant. Doesn’t matter whether you miss that bear with a .177 or a 45-70…you got trouble on your hands 😉
                As to the car analogy being bandied about. I have a background in open-wheeled car racing (as well as a few years rallying). I started in Formula Vee, then Ford and for a brief period Formula Atlantic which is a training ground for Formula 1 and Indy car.
                Let me tell you, in the heat of competition the Formula Vee was just as exciting as the Atlantic’s, and required the same skill level to win (maybe more. in a FVee race their might be 35 cars…in a FA race 15).
                I’ve shot a lot of firearms in the past and after a long absence got into air rifles because of my two young sons. The plan was to spend a year or two training them to shoot safely…then graduate to ‘real’ guns. But once I discovered pellet guns (and I’m not really into hunting), I find I have no desire to take up powder burners in a serious way.
                I don’t miss the recoil, and after years of auto racing the hearing is pretty much shot so I don’t miss the big bang of a firearm either.

                • A race car driver! How fascinating. Maybe that hand eye coordination serves you in shooting as well. How fast did you drive in the races? I drive a 1/10 scale rc car that goes up to 30 miles per hour which is 300 mph scale speed. I get a sense of what it must take to drive a car fast. It’s also nice that the wrecks are not as destructive as with an airplane.

                  Matt61

            • B.B.,

              Squealing tires is asinine. So is a recoil that knocks you on your butt or leaves you black and blue. The recoil I mean is a satisfying thump you can feel that conveys the power of your weapon, while still maintaining total control and accuracy. A recoilless gun is just plain boring. A potato without salt. Fish without lemon. That’s why I’ve lost the taste for my RWS 54. I think a moderate amount of recoil is a nice thing, and doubly satisfying when you are still consistently hitting your target. Does that still make me a chump?

              -AlanL

                    • B.B.,

                      I bought the RWS 350 in .22 for that power/recoil thing, and I’m happy with its accuracy. I don’t group as well as I do with the HW30/S but then the 30 is lighter and (gulp!) recoils less. I will get around to parting with the 54 soon, following all of Kevin’s good advice on how to list it properly on the yellow.
                      I have been toying with a temptation to get a Condor with full muzzle brake but I’m still hesitating at crossing that rickety swaying bridge over the deep canyon into pcp world…

                      -AlanL

          • I shoot as a mental discipline. If I’m tense, it forces me to relax. If my back hurts, well the stance for 10m air rifle just happens to stretch the muscle that has made my life miserable for 18 months or so, and much of the time it gives me near-instant pain relief. I don’t want recoil, or power for that matter. I want the discipline to empty my mind (some of you will surely say “even more than normal?”) and focus on the 10 ring.

            OK, I’m not in the business of going anywhere near big grizzlies and other predatory species whether on 2 or 4 legs; I accept and admit that. I used to shoot firearms too. But I get more satisfaction from a good air gun — in part because I can walk downstairs and be shooting in less time than I can get my garage door open to drive to the nearest range (circa 15-20 miles through heavy traffic).

            Lots to be said for convenience!!!

            • PeteZ,
              I mainly shoot for relaxation or tune in with myself. I have the misfortune of not being able to shoot inside my house 🙂 . So at night I use a punching bag 😉 actually find it relaxing. Maybe though after I get my other 2240 mods I may get a tac-light. This is an after thought, maybe I could redirect one of my house security spotlights.

              rikib

        • AlanL,

          An important aspect that should be included in my definition of a “true test of shooting ability” is knowing your energy/ballistics.

          Knowing how much energy you want to arrive at target accurately and sizing your gun and ammo to accomplish that are intertwined. Learning to hit what you aim at with the amount of recoil your determined load/ammo generate in your gun is of course a key element in this equation. Minimizing recoil but still accomplishing your task at hand is a logical facet for the all encompassing “true test of shooting ability” since recoil in any amount is an accuracy enemy.

          For these reasons I don’t fear recoil but it’s not my friend.

          kevin

          • 8 shot magazine, .50 Cal. BMG with recoiling barrel and hydraulic (miniature) butt pad/stock.

            Accurate to one-mile + and very little felt recoil.

            Used in middle-east “peace keeping” efforts. (pull trigger, peace follows)

            • okay, now that’s annoying.
              I posted a comment above, responding to a comment. I immediately wished to respond to another comment and tried to do so, but got the prompt ‘slow down, your posting too fast’, and it ditched my comment.

              • CSD,

                I didn’t know that we couldn’t post as fast as we wanted to. I’ve sent your comment to Pyramyd Air’s programmer to see if he could disarm this feature.

                Edith

              • CSD,

                I just found out from our programmer that the delay you experienced is hard-coded into WordPress. They can dump it, but that would open up the blog to repeated comments by spam bots.

                The spam filter will block your comment if you submit one within 3.6 seconds of your last comment. I suggest you wait 4 seconds between hitting the submit button 🙂

                Edith

            • Brian,

              EXACTLY!!! I was playing catch up on the replies and was looking for the right place to comment when I saw yours. I was dying to say that the perfect weapon/gun/plinker/target shooting device would be a .50cal, non recoiling, single hand held device that made NO noise. and completely annihilated everything it hit, at what ever distance the objective happened to be at.

              This is the driving force for a laser gun, since Cap’n Kirk’s phaser technology did not make the transport to us in his time, our time, uh, time to come?… Past? Present? Future?

              Personally, I could use a cell phone that would annihilate a charging water buffalo with the dial selection and a gentle touch of the finger. More practical, the “stun” selection for road ragers I have to drive around with in L.A., or the punks running around slamming Monster drinks, wearing black flat billed hats and ‘Tap Out’ sweatshirts….

              KA

        • AlanL,

          If you like recoil and are ever going to be in the College Park area of Maryland let me know and I’ll take you to my club and let you wail away with my 4 pound 11 ounce double barrel 12 gage. Two quick shots with slugs should have you grinning from ear to ear. Neither of my boys will touch the damn thing.

          Bruce

          • Mr. B.,

            Thanks! That’s a mighty tempting offer. I really need to learn more about shotguns. I still haven’t bought the .410 pump that B.B. recommended for home defense because I know zilch about shotguns and don’t have enough time to do the research and acquire the knowledge. If you’re ever in Miami “mi casa es su casa”!

            -AlanL

        • AlanL,

          “Isn’t shooting a gun with substantial recoil accurately a truer test of shooting ability than one that hardly recoils at all?”

          NO, IT IS NOT!
          What you described is more like playing around with a woman that has really big b–bs, a pretty face and no other female parts.

          You can take her out and show your friends you’re with a hottie, but then what?

          THE true test of shooting is hitting what you shoot at. Depending on the objective and distance, recoil is a undesirable by product. Kind of like the girl I described with a mouth.

          Having fun, KA

  10. BB:
    Now here is a pistol I have shot.
    My buddy Tony has one and in comparable terms to most other air pistols,the 2240 is loud and proud.
    I loved it.
    Very well made and has a professional feel about it.Indeed quite a few of our pest control companies use them for close range work.
    In carbine form it is even advertised as the ‘Rat Catcher’ over here I think.
    With all the mods available,the 2240 would be an ideal present “The gift that keeps giving” 🙂
    DaveUK

    • Dave,

      Reading your comment made me reflect on how the state of airgunning has changed over the years. I can remember a time back in the 1990s when CO2 guns were illegal in the UK. And yet you have shot one, so the times change fast when they change.

      As you said, the 2240 in, “The gift that keeps giving,” because it is always ready for the next modification project. And yet it’s a great gun right out of the box. I’m glad I decided to do this report.

      B.B.

    • Dave, in the Airgun World mag, there are a lot of ads from “gun shops” specializing in airguns and accessories. Are most of these centered near London and do you frequent any of them in particular?

      Also noticed that your esteemed Parliament no longer allows shipment of airguns and ammo by mail or post in the UK? That must kill the retailers who advertise on line?

      • Brian In Idaho:
        Oh it is stupid this mail order baloney.
        We can still buy online but the dealer has to ship the air gun to a local dealer who you nominate.
        I lived in London for 30 years and do miss the comprehensive range of air gun’s that I could get,money allowing.
        The two shops in Streatham and one in Croydon I frequented just about had everything covered so I never went across the city looking at other stores really.
        We haven’t even got a McDonalds where I live now 🙁
        DaveUK

  11. When I ordered my 2240 with 10.1″ LW barrel from Crosman’s Custom Shop, what I received was a 2300KT. To this day I don’t know what’s different about it (besides the fact that it’s .177 caliber).
    It is a beautiful shooting pistol, and the one that got my wife to say, “I like this gun!” That in itself is a bigger endorsement than you can guess. She shoots it better than me.
    -AlanL

  12. If bullets cost the same as pellets and I could shoot firearms the same places I shoot pellets, I would not be an airgun owner. I guess that says, for me, there is more of a mystique with gunpowder than with air. Alas, as things are, I must spend much money to shoot as quietly as possible so as not to offend or disturb those around me. Airguns would only exist, then, to clear out warehouses.
    -CJr

        • Well there is the pistol…then there is the carbine at nearly double the muzzle energy….then there is
          the rifle (quiet shhhhhhh….) with at least 3 times the muzzle energy on tap.It happens to have a grade 5 stock to match the carbine,but a 2×4 would be equally satisfying.It will quietly go through a 1lb steel propane empty before it can fall over with a 70gr solid core slug! I mean,what is to miss,the smell and mess and cost?? If you want bigger holes…no problem! There is a .58 cal 830gr slug out there.
          Still feel like something is missing?Save alot of $$ and you could get a .87 cal “Chief Justice”Forget quiet there though! I am certain we could spend a week shooting and powder wouldn’t be given a thought…My door is open,but I Would Knock!!

    • CJr, I think all of us have similar dilemmas. We like one tool better than another, but we need to use the other tool because certain features make it fit the situation better. My problem is that I like airguns better than firearms. I think my preference comes from an interest in the technology and challenge of making air power something, plus feeling that I can experiment more with airguns (i.e. modifications).

      Right now we have a situation where an airgun is a better solution. A rat is in our wall chewing away every night, disturbing our kid’s sleep. I tried traps in the attic, with no results. I’ve located exactly where the rat is chewing and was able to remove an outside board that gave access to the wall. I’ve made a replacement board with a hole in it and taped a thin piece of cardboard over the hole so the rat can’t see out and won’t be bothered by the hole. The hole is in the right location so that when I hear the rat again, I can take my pellet rifle, shoot through the hole and it should take care of the problem (the rat was chewing on that board). I wouldn’t want to do that with a firearm! Fortunately the location is very restricted and will keep a pellet from going where it shouldn’t.

      AR

      • ArTinkerer,
        I love it! Man over beast everytime brains are used. My guns pay for themselves when they hit the x in the bullseye. Yours pay for themselves through practical use, also. Keep the hole for a while, there may be babies in there.
        -CJr

      • Ha! Last year I had a single mouse in my house and I knew it liked to come out into my kitchen right next to the dishwasher, yet evade the traps set for it. I sat for a couple hours a night for a week, but I got Mickey square with my Tempest!
        Proper tool for the job, no holes in anything that didn’t need it. If that were not a concern, a saiga would have easily done the same thing. But the pistol was more appropriate.
        And I agree with the first part, from the opposite side. When I go out to shoot, I have limited space and neighbors to annoy, so a .22 isn’t a good choice. Add that an afternoon with my IZH61 is only a couple dollars including food, and the nearest range is some distance away, I end up with the pellet rifle as my best choice. But what I preferr is a 1911 cupped in my hands. I love it! I do it all I can, but have had far more practice with my second love pellet rifles lately. In fact, I sadly had to let my 1911 go a couple years ago (don’t tell my wife, she didn’t know I had it!) so now renting or borrowing one is my only option if I want to fire one. And so I am left decapitating dandylions in the yard with a Tempest, or hitting dingers with my IZH to get my shooting/relaxing done.
        But would I ditch pellet guns entirely if they were the same price? Hmm. Probably not. There is something to be said about shooting a couple ballons across a yard with one pump from a crosman 760. Can’t do that with a .22.

  13. B.B., I thought that the 2240 was good out of the box. Are the modifications necessary or just desirable?

    How’s this for cheerful job news in our troubled economy? I read that the Rock Island Army Arsenal which, among other things, manufactures M14 Enhanced Battle Rifles (EBR) for the army employs two shooters to check the accuracy of the weapons. These two guys test 70 rifles a day between them and the average accuracy of the rifles with 5000 produced is .89 MOA. That is quite something to shoot sub MOA all day long with a new rifle each time. What a job. Some guys have all the luck.

    I had quite a lesson the other day in the deep attachment one can get for material objects. While whipsawing my Corsair fighter plane through maneuvers, I made a wrong move at low altitude and rolled it right into the ground. Caramba! Now we know why there are no old bold pilots. The fuselage was broken right in half. I was in a state of shock as I Iimped home. And when I ran into a woman who had given me an encouraging sendoff, she almost wept at the state of my airplane. I believe it must have animated her maternal instincts.

    Duskwight, are you familiar with the Nikolai Gogol story, The Overcoat? Man suffers from Russian winters with a cheap overcoat. He finally has a nice coat made but gets robbed of it on his first night out. He dies of despair and comes back as a vengeful ghost. There’s more to it than that but you see the application.

    Anyway, I’m going to try out the virtues of superglue, but I shudder to think of something similar happening to my guns by having them stolen or damaged by reloading. I would throw a fit. My security and safety procedures could hardly be improved but I will approach the reloading with due caution.

    Matt61

    • Matt61
      “I thought that the 2240 was good out of the box. Are the modifications necessary or just desirable?”

      It is quite good out of the box in overall performance but… it is a $60 pistol so, if you are after some higher levels of performance, looks and functionality, then the mods begin. For me, the grips fit well but I wanted wood. The sights are serviceable but I wanted mine scoped. The “plastic” receiver works fine, but no dovetails for scopes or etc. Put on a scope so I needed to remove sights and put on barrel compensator. The trigger is ok but wobbles a little on it’s axis and the spring is too strong and the sear needs polishing etc.

      You should look at the 2240 mod sites on the web, my list is only 30% of what those guys are doing!

      I think the joy of this pistol is in it’s potential and to what limit you want to play with it. Not many air pistols out there that are this easy to modify and tweek.

    • Matt61

      Sure 🙂 It’s a classic Gogol’s piece.
      I know how one can feel about one’s planes – I’m a Spitfire guy 😉 1:48 preferred, but I think when I’ll get some more time I’ll move up into copy-RC league.
      When I was a bit younger I used to fly some purpose-built air combat RC planes, you know it – cut a ribbon. So I had a very durable fuselage with aluminum alloy centerwing/tank and easy break-off engine compartment and a set of spare wings, airscrews and empennage. So I could smash them rather painless, wings were made in pairs in a sort of scaffold – it took me just a day to make 2 or 3 sets with control surfaces, and to change them was just to unscrew 3 bolts and screw them back.

      duskwight

      • I love the Gogol story especially the final line of the ghost to the Person of Consequence: “Now, at last I’ve, er, caught you by the collar. It’s your coat I want. You refused to help me and abused me in the bargain. Now give me yours.” Probably the original Russian sounds better, but even in English it is fascinating to read.

        So, you know all about this rc stuff. Why am I not surprised. I’m inching my way towards learning how to build planes as opposed to flying them, and the Corsair is giving me a big assist this way. It looks like the superglue works, and I should be flying again soon.

        Matt61

        • Matt

          They’re off in Moscow region. +15 and heavy rains are doing their job for almost 2 weeks now.
          There are some clusters of fire south-eastwards, closer to Volga, but they are being treated accordingly by nature and men. We’ve got a year to analyse and prepare for next summer – at least I hope guys in power would do so 🙂

          And Gogol, well I’m sure you’ve read Nabokov’s 1944 essay on Gogol. Guess there Nabokov said best about Gogol’s mastery over language.

          duskwight

  14. BB,

    Yep, I love the 13xx and 22xx lines of airguns! But I would have to say the 2240 is probably my favorite.

    AR
    P.S. The barrel band on my 2300KT is cast pot metal, are you sure yours is aluminum?

  15. AlanL,

    Said: “But, deep down inside, does shooting a very accurate firearm give more satisfaction than an equally accurate air gun? If so, is it because it delivers more power? My gut feel is that, yes, secretly, we’d all rather be shooting a gun that delivers 500 foot pounds of muzzle energy than one that delivers 25, if all other concerns (noise, safety, laws) were equal. True or False? (Volvo, don’t get mad.)”

    The question you pose is worthy of a blog topic, but since I don’t foresee any periods of unemployment that allow me to have adequate time to continue that endeavor I will attempt a mini version here.

    First, your fantasy firearm that delivers 500 ft lbs in reality would be sadly anemic. The little .22 Hornet will best that by 200 ft lb. A nice comparison would have been 12 /1200 ft lbs for a .223 or 27 / 2700 ft lbs for a .270 Winchester, but I’ll forgive your lack of technical expertise. I understand your query.

    Study this when you can:
    http://www.remington.com/ballistics/default.aspx

    Tom’s approach to loving the one you’re with is certainly valid. But most of us know the verse that precedes that lyric is “ if you can’t be with the one you love” So for me that is sort of a mixed message.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_the_One_You're_With

    I guess the heart of your questions is the satisfaction part. Is it more satisfying to shoot a target or game animal with an accurate cartridge rifle or air rifle? (we will leave handguns as separate topic if that is okay). The second piece you offer for consideration is a possible secret desire. For those in other countries that are not able to freely own firearms, I think this debate would take a different route. But in the good old USA I can run out a buy a .50 caliber BMG if that is what I desire or a Beeman R1. The difference in my example is meant to illustrate the diversity in the products and the needs they will satisfy. Ah needs, real or imaginary we all have them.

    I can share with you that I have spent countless hours shooting both firearms and airguns. Probably more than the average Ford, but this will still just be an opinion. Ready for it?

    When I want to shoot a firearm, I do.

    When I want to shoot an airgun, I do.

    On neither occasion do I secretly fantisize the rifle is anything other than what it is. A .223 at 100 yards or an R-1 at 50 yards yields no clear winner in satisfaction.

    Sometimes I want a beer and other times there is nothing like ice cold water to quench my thirst…shooting is the same.

    • Volvo,

      Well said. A scratch for every itch. I thank you for your considered reply.

      Yes, I threw the 500 ft lbs out there without much thought. I actually stole B.B.’s muzzle energy calculator off Pyramyd’s learning pages and turned it into a PDF, then reconstituted the data entry boxes and hid the formulas in the background so I can use it offline anytime I want to calculate m.e. without having to break out the calculator. My brother in law’s 7 mm rifle delivers nearly 3000 ft-lbs of muzzle energy with what I would consider light recoil and a high pitched crack of a sound. It is fun to disintegrate small rocks at 100 yards, and it shocks me that wherever I put the crosshairs I put the bullet. But a top quality gun and scope with custom barrel and reloaded rounds will make even a duffer like me into an Olympian. Man, I like that recoil though!

      -AlanL

  16. I really hope I’m not the only one who watched Stan Lee’s “super humans” tonight.Bob Munden was shown with his fast draw…his speed is beyond comprehension! His single action fast draw and fire
    is measured at LESS than 1/10 of 1 second.Is he accurate?? He drew the gun and shot two separated targets….one sound,under 2/10 of a second.It took highspeed photography to prove there were two shots fired. An accellerometer taped to his forearm hit 10 G’s accelleration.If anyone shot that fast in a western movie…they would walk out saying the movie special effects completely lacked believability!!

    • Frank,

      I’m sure sorry that I missed seeing Mr Munden’s shooting. Glad you’re 25 shoots as good as it looks and she sure is a beautiful lady.

      Where would you suggest I look for one? More of a working girl look though. Would make the ultimate woodchuck gun up at the cabin.

      Maybe a future blog topic for you?

      Bruce

        • Bruce,you are already comfortable with the Condor…why not pick up a .25 barrel?? With the right ending,I’m sure the Condor will get a longer shot count and flatter curve….and really pack a whallop!
          Because of all the beauty I’ve surrounded myself with,it’s difficult to grab the black menace,but I still shoot her ’cause of the green laser collimiter,for midnight shoots.

        • Frank,

          You’re a prince among men! I probably won’t be going up to the cabin until next summer. Family responsibilities are keeping me in Maryland. I’m trying to figure away to get up there for some deer hunting with my sister and brother-in-law. We’ll see if it will work out.

          Do you know anything about or have maybe shot one of Van’s, from AirHog, .25 cal Condors?

          Bruce

    • Frank,

      I have a DVD of Bob Munden’s trick shooting show. He truly is amazing.

      In 2006 I met Bob at the SHOT Show. He’s a short fireplug of a man with a grip like a first baseman’s mitt. Very gruff in person, but still active.

      B.B.

          • I know that handshake! Unforgettable is an understatement! I’m neither small (6′) nor weak(at 250lbs) and I have a friend who has been making cabinets for 35 years….forearms like cast iron…when he shakes your hand,buddy it STAYS shook.

            • I’ve encountered this kind of handshake at church with older guys. I don’t quite get the connection to brotherly love when it feels like my hand is broken. Most memorable incident is when an older fellow went up to a kid he knew (I assume). First, he executed a knuckle strike to the kidneys from behind–a legitimate martial arts technique. The kid sagged then whirled around angrily only to find the older guy giving him a joshing smile. The guy then proceeded to fracture the kid’s fingers with a crushing handshake–as I judged from his expression. Nothing like a bit of tough love.

              Defending oneself is no easy task. When you try to apply pressure in response, these guys bear down harder with you already at a disadvantage. I gave it some thought and found that the key is the early intercept. Close your grip before they do, and you’ll gain a controlling advantage no matter how strong they are. Sounds ruthless, but that’s what these guys do I noticed after some observation. Anyone with a vise-like grip always locks it up quickly; it never comes on slowly. Now you can go to church prepared. 🙂

              Matt61

              • Yes, I have known folks with grips like that over the years. Here’s a fix that almost always works.
                Extend your index finger and middle finger in line with their wrist. This lines up the bones in your hand and makes it very hard for them to apply enough pressure to make it hurt. My old Tae Kwon Do Master showed me this years ago. It works.

                Mike

                • Mike, that’s a new one that I haven’t heard of, but it sounds plausible. I’ll have to try it. I have some other remedies but they wouldn’t fit very well within the bounds of church. One would be drifting your thumb inconspicuously over the base of their thumb, then leaning forward as if to hug them in a spontaneous burst of affection and bringing your whole bodyweight to bear on their thumb joint. Or, you could subtly lock up your hand that’s being shaken with your arm, shoulder and back, making your body into one unit. If possible, close your other hand over theirs in a gesture of sincerity. Then suddenly lean back is if you’ve had a divine revelation and bring massive force to bear on their radial tendon at the base of their thumb.

                  Frank B. I have great respect for older folks which is why I would invoke the wisdom of the ages: speed, surprise, and violent execution will win every time.

                  Disclaimer: This is all not to be taken too seriously. 🙂 The whole idea of inflicting pain in what is supposed to be politeness has always seemed a little weird.

                  Matt61

  17. Mr B,
    I have not given that any thought! What a very interesting idea. Has it been done? Sounds like it hasn’t by the way you put the question. I have taken notice of the similarities of the two. But never thought of combining them. One could then take the left over Talon tank and valve and put those on the Edge, and then you’d have a…a…what the heck?!!! 😀
    -CJr

  18. Tom,

    Loved the blog on ARH and Beeman. This seems like such the newb question but I always see Beemans posted with Santa Rosa, San Rafael address, etc. I know this just corresponds to dates but can you fill us in a bit more? So is there something that tells date ranges for all the addresses and is one era better than another? Is this just a backhand swipe at Huntington Beech being after Beeman sold the company?

    • larspawn,

      I will have to do some research in the older Beeman catalogs to get some reasonable dates for you. It’s possible to do, but let me see if I can’t turn it into a whole blog. As long as I’m working, I’d like to get the benefits.

      B.B.

  19. B.B.

    I did a job on the Storm XT yesterday afternoon. Happy with the results so far. Smoother and quieter like the 48 was. No velocity increase, but very consistent.
    Both CPL and Exact 8.4 wanted to stay at about 4fps spreads with very few out of 10-12 of each exceeding the spread….and not by much. Av MV was 850 with CPL, 805 with Exacts.
    Pellets not lubed or sorted.

    twotalon

    • twotalon,

      Good for you! That new mainspring compressor is getting a real workout, eh?

      Speaking of consistency over velocity, you have reminded me of a report I’ve been wanting to do since before I went into the hospital. I decided a while back that the velocity of my 124 was going to be okay with me, so now I want to conduct an accuracy test that I had initially planned to do over a year ago.

      Thanks for the reminder,

      B.B.

      • Mr B.

        No thanks. It’s a dirty job, and you never know what you will have to touch up when you get into it. Even without custom parts I can see why ‘tuners’ charge so much.

        twotalon

    • twotalon

      What did your job consist of? I am intrigued by the prospect of turning one of these into a shooter. Also, you mentioned the 48 in the past tense. You didn’t get rid of it did you?

      Slinging Lead

      • S_L

        Heck no I did not get rid of the 48 . I worked on it a few days ago. I heard too many reports of Dianas coming from the factory in a pretty dry condition, and a few getting damaged because of it.
        Well, I fork out $400 for a gun that might need a little protection then I will do what I can to keep it working good.

        The Storm got a cleanup and honed in a crosshatch pattern. Steel wooled to remove any microburrs from the honing, cleaned again, moly burnished into the tube. Inside and outside of piston molyed, spring guides (there are 2 pieces) molyed. Cocking shoe, moly. Hinge parts moly.
        Breech face stoned where the seal contacts…..the surface had some nasty machining marks that could cause the seal to leak, and would certainly have eaten up the breech seal over time.

        And….THANK THE LORD for the guy who invented the impact tool!!!! That hinge bolt is not going to come out any other way!!!

        twotalon

      • Also…

        I shoot both rifles with open sights, so I can’t really tell you what kind of improvement in groups I got. Both are hard to miss with in the first place.

        My only scope guns are the Talons and the Titan.

        twotalon

  20. Anyone wanting any recoil will not want a pcp I think it’s fair to say.

    Right on about the machine gun comments earlier. When first laying out my purchase plans, I thought any self-respecting shooter should have a machine gun. So, I paid $20 ($30 shipping) for an airsoft M4 with a battery. What a disappointment. With that price it was cheaply made so that the red dot scope was not aligned with the bore. Even worse, it didn’t even feel like a gun. It was more like a typewriter which spit out plastic balls. The accuracy was zilch. I only used it a couple times.

    Matt61

  21. AlanL,
    I know what you’re talking about on the recoil. Seems like things end up going to extremes a lot of times here. But the nudge against the shoulder from your rifle is like the nudge of your loved one. She’s just letting you know she’s alive and if you don’t treat her right, lethal.
    -CJr

  22. Edith
    I can now see the menu on the right. Text is smaller at 125% though. I just have to move my eye a little closer to see clearly. Like putting my eye closer to a scope with short eye relief (smile)

  23. B.B. and others…
    B.B. I am so vey glad you are doing so well. Thsank you very much for keeping this blog going in spite of your ordeal. I had an extremely busy summer and was not able to write, but would check the blog everyday on my cell phone! I am back now and wante to give you my appreciation

    Today, I found a used HW77, .177 cal, for about $300. It is labeled as “factory sample,” whatever that means. This is about half the price of a new one. The obvious question is “what are the two or three things I need to look at before buying it?” Of course, I looked at the surface and the steel and wood look very good, no obvious scratches, etc.

    I haver the feeling it will be gone by tomorrow, but I sam sure I will see more similar guns in the future. Any input would be appreciated

    T.E.

    • TE,

      If you are allowed to cock the gun, feel for the mainspring during cocking. It should feel smooth, not crunchy. I trust that you know how to decock a 77? If not, here’s how it is done. Hold the cocking lever to the rear, but not all the way back. Push the safety off and pull the trigger. The cocking lever will be under the full tension of the mainspring and you can rind it back to the uncocked position. If you hold the cocking lever ALL the way back, the piston will be allowing the safety to continually engage, and the gun will not be able to be uncocked. It takes a little fiddling to find the right place for the cocking lever to be.

      If you are allowed to shoot the gun, the shot cycle should be reasonably smooth, with just a touch of vibration at the end. Be careful that the trigger has not been adjusted to a dangerous level. Never let go of the cocking lever when the sliding chamber is open — especially on a 77.

      When the sliding chamber is to the rear, examine the condition of the breech seal located at the rear of the sliding compression chamber. It should be solid, without any cracks or serious nicks.

      The safety should go on every time the gun is cocked, and it should disengage with a slight click. Sometimes the safety spring gets caught on the side of the safety button and prevents this, however, this is easy to correct.

      That’s all I can think of.

      B.B.

      • Thank you B.B.,

        this is very helpful. I figure that if all of the above looks or sounds good, it would be a really good buy. BTW, it is also fitted with a 4-12×40 Bushnell scope. Thank you!

  24. B.B. or anyone who has had a gas spring gun apart….

    Is there anything to watch out for other than the much heavier preload?
    How much farther will the ram try to extend once the preload is taken off?

    twotalon

    • twotalon,

      One of the endearing benefits of gas springs is they have almost zero preload. There certainly will not be enough to force the end cap or trigger unit completely out of the spring tube. You may still have to use the compressor to get a pin or screw out of the way, but expect the gas spring to move backwards less than one-quarter inch, or so.

      B.B.

        • twotalon,

          To get mainsprings to take their set (called scragging), use a long piece of fat drill rod and a nut and heavy washer on either end. You can tighten the spring until it is coil-bound and leave it there for five or six hours. When you take it out of this jig, it will have shortened to its lifetime length.

          B.B.

          • B.B.
            I have heard of doing that before. I have nuts, washers, and threaded rod that would handle the job.
            Would rather not have to do it because of a FUBAR main spring.
            Unless I get or have a springer that has a particularly short lived sring, I will not live long enough to break one or wear it out. I have a lot of airguns to choose from, and do not go through pellets with only one gun the way I did when I was a kid.

            twotalon

  25. AlanL. and Kid Again,

    “All,

    “You are not still a chump unless you were one to begin with.”

    Anyone in question over BB’s recovery?

    Laughing, KA”

    I must apologize for what I said on this matter. I have no right to call anyone, real or imagined, names. The beauty of this blog is we can all discuss the shooting sports in safety and with the respect of others, and I violated that with my outburst over the recoil issue.

    Now you have learned yet another thing about me. The subject of recoil and whether it makes you a man will set me off.

    Just as Edith and I have admonished others to remain civil on this blog, I must now say the same thing to myself.

    AlanL., I had no right to go off like I did, and I apologize to you for any hurt feelings I have caused.

    I hope the rest of you will forgive me for being human and allowing my passion to override my common sense.

    Tom Gaylord

    • Dear Tom,

      Absolutely no offense taken!! I really appreciate your kind words, even though they’re completely unnecessary! I simply figured you had misunderstood me to like recoil simply for the sake of recoil. I think CJr expressed best exactly what I was trying to say, when he wrote “the nudge against the shoulder from your rifle is like the nudge of your loved one. She’s just letting you know she’s alive…”

      Rest assured my feelings are not hurt, and that I hold you in the highest esteem and respect for your integrity and for all that your efforts and knowledge have taught me through this blog over the last 10 months. It is not easy to juggle the grave health problems that you have had to endure over this time with the continuous effort of maintaining this blog and your many other job responsibilities. Team Tom & Edith, through your dedication and unstinting sharing of your vast knowledge you do so much to bring enjoyment to so many that it could not occur to me to take anything you said amiss.

      Yours,
      AlanL

  26. B.B. or anybody…

    The piston seal on the Titan is wasted. I was afraid of that because of certain behavior problems.
    Where can I get a new seal for this pig? Not from Crosman I bet.

    twotalon

        • Well…..
          It had a bunch of cut places that were shaved out when they installed the piston. There are a lot of holes it has to get by before it gets in place. I think they just sort of lined it up and slammed the piston and tube straight down on the work bench, then drove it the rest of the way with a steel rod and a hammer. It did not fit very tight after that. Had a lot of gouges cut out.
          The chamber was really bad too. Really the whole tube. Honed the crap out of it and got it pretty well cleaned up, but still see a few flaws in the tube in the compression area. Can’t hone the whole thing because of the cocking slot…would tear the stones off the hone.
          Surprising that it would still shoot low 700’s with CP (.22) some of the time. Had to use chamber oil on it frequently to keep it sounding like ‘thuk’ instead of ‘thak’.
          I pretty well expected a torn up seal, but the condition of the tube was a real shock. Even rust on the inside, and the gun was soaked in oil from the factory.

          Lightended up a couple springs in the trigger assy yesterday and got it more liveable. Barrel seems very good and is even choked….probably by acident. Driving a dry pellet through really does feel better than expected.

          I could tell it wants to shoot even with the factory problems. Might work out good after the work. If it works out, I will get a replacement trigger.

          twotalon

  27. after modifying a 1377C to my liking I went ahead and purchased a 2240 and plan to leave it stock. My only complaint is the rear sight. After 500rds, the sight is all the way over to the right, no adj. left. This is the second 2240 I ordered from P/A. the first one was the same, but P/A replaced it. I understand I can add a steel breech, but I don’t want to because I plan to carry the 2240 in a holster on my walk-abouts in the woods, and would like to use the stock sights. Any one else have this rear sight problem, its such a great gun, its to bad they don’t re-engineer the adj.(windage) for the rear sight

    • pirouge,

      Have you tried adjusting the barrel hanger? This is a common correction for this problem.

      Just loosen the hanger screw and move the barrel in the direction opposite the one the pellet takes. In your case, move the barrel to the right and tighten the hanger screw.

      Please tell me if you have done this yet.

      B.B.

        • rikib,

          Yes, the barrel hanger is another name for the barrel band. There are two small Allen screws, one at the top of the band and the other at the bottom. Loosen them and simple move the barrel in the needed direction. Then, holding things in the desired position, tighten both screws.

          B.B.

  28. Hi everyone I’m Frank, just new to this and have bought several pellet guns through this website, and I can’t say enough but to give big kudos to Pyramid Air. Recently I just purchase my brand new Crosman 2240, I’ve heard enough as to know this gun can be modified in so many ways and maybe I can get some feedback from experience members here as what I should buy and how to modify my new gun. First of all I would like to know what is the best scope to buy as well as modifying the breech to install a good scope. I was leaning towards to a Crosman 64 Peep Sight for starters. Finally where is the best website (Crossman.com?) or anyone that can recommend me into buying parts that are at a reasonable price. Thanks!

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