by B.B. Pelletier
Daisy’s new No. 25 pump-action BB gun.
Tomorrow, Mac and I are departing for the Roanoke airgun show being held this Friday and Saturday. I’m asking the veteran members of this blog to help the new readers with their questions, as I won’t have much time per day on the internet.
Well, all the testing is done and the new Daisy No. 25 pump-action BB gun came out smelling like a rose. Today, we’ll look at accuracy, and I think you’ll be pleased.
When I tested the velocity, I was surprised that the heavier Daisy zinc-plated BBs weighed more than the Crosman Copperheads, yet they were also faster. I said they probably fit the bore better. If that was true, they should also shoot more accurately.
I test BB guns at 15 feet, except for the Avanti Champion 499, which gets tested at 16.4 feet (five meters). It gets tested at that distance because it’s shot at that distance in the International BB Gun Championships. Fifteen feet may seem very close to airgunners who are used to stretching out to 50 yards and more, but these smoothbored guns are not capable of accuracy like the pellet rifles and pistols are. All shooting was done offhand.
That doesn’t prevent you from plinking at tin cans at 20 yards with a BB gun. But I can’t run a meaningful test like that for you in this blog because there would be nothing to see. So, I shoot at paper here and trust that you will know what to do with the gun when you get it.
I was curious about the sights on this gun. Normally, peep sights are much more precise than an open sporting notch, so that,s what I used for the test. I do agree that this peep aperture is a bit too small for even target use.
I was surprised that the gun shot exactly to the point of aim. Back in the day, vintage No. 25 guns were an iffy thing. I can’t tell you how many front sights on BB guns I’ve seen bent to one side or the other to get the shots to align properly.
Daisy zinc-plated BBs
I went with Daisy zinc-plated BBs first. Ten shots offhand from 15 feet gave me a pleasingly round group that hit exactly at the point of aim. I used a 6 o’clock hold, and I’m darned if the BBs didn’t all strike at 6 o’clock! In fact, four of them went into a single hole at almost the exact aim point.
Only one BB strayed up into the black bull. The rest stayed in a round group at 6 o’clock.
Crosman Copperheads
Next up were Crosman Copperhead BBs. Surprisingly, they shot to almost the same point of aim, but the group was considerably larger than it had been with the Daisys. This is just the result I had anticipated from the velocity test.
Group is also at the point of aim, but is considerably larger than the Daisy group.
Overall opinion
Daisy hit this one out of the park! The new No. 25 has many of the best features of guns of the past, and it’s done up with the quality you would expect a gun like this to have. Yes, there are some compromises, such as the safety built into the trigger, but they’re not as bothersome as they seem at first. The new No. 25 shoots and performs as it should.
Aha! I knew if I waited long enough…. Looks like I’ll be adding this to my BB gun collection. Have fun in Roanoke, B.B., and take care of yourself. Many blessings.
B.B., My #25 was bought for me by my dad at the end of the 1950s as a birthday present to replace my Red Ryder. I remember it had a plastic stock but I don’t remember the sights being adjustable, other than the crude ramp affair for elevation. Do you have any idea what the velocity of that gun was back then? I’m curious how its mv compares with that of this modern 25.
Joe,
That model had pretty much identical velocity to thios one.
It was the pre-1936 guns that shot faster.
B.B.
Thanks, B.B.
B.B.,
Do you think that the Avanti BB’s may do even better?
TheBBA
BBA,
Just so we all know the answer, I will test the No. 25 with Avantis as well. I’m not going to test the other BB guns with them because they are expensive and I have found that BB-gun shooters don’t like to spend a lot for ammo.
B.B.
Morning B.B.,
I’ll second Joe B’s comments. Tell Mac that we all said hello and a very warm thanks for all he’s done for you Edith and this blog. Have a safe trip!
Bruce
WOW, this rifle does shoot WAY better than mine, and looking back at part 2 of the report I can also see that my rifle is also quite a bit slower.
It’s very impressive that you can almost cover your shots with a quarter as I’m not able to cover my groups with a dollar bill !
It’s not a year old yet, it’s been well taken care of and oiled like it says to do so in the manual… is there anything I can do to it to try to pick some speed and accuracy or should I spare the effort and use it as a display piece and just buy a new one?
I don’t think I’m at fault here since I’m getting pretty good groups from the 2 Red Ryder’s I have, I don’t think the ammo as much to do either as I’ve tried 3 different types of bb’s and they pretty much all shot the same (badly).
J-F
BB : This blog brings back some memories for me, as I had a 25 when I was a kid. We also found out back then that the copperhead BB’s were not as accurate as the gold colored Daisy’s in the card board tubes. The copperheads were cheaper though, and came in 5000 count milk cartons so we shot a bunch of them.
Speaking of round ball accuracy, I have been shooting some of the lead Gamo .22 caliber RB in a couple of guns and have been suprised with the accuracy. One was the Daisy SG .22 which can be a pain to load with pellets. I fact, I bought the RB because I hate to load pellets into this gun , as it is so fliddly to do so. I’ve been getting ten shot groups of around an 1 1/4″ at 20 yards , with only an occasional flier that opens the group to 2 ” or so. The other guns I’ve tried them in are a Crosman 120 pumper, a 160 (second varient) and a 2240 with a 24″ barrel and steel breech kit installed. The CO2 guns will all shoot them into less than 1″ at 10 meters. Only the 2240 and Daisy SG have a scopes so I am using open sights which I can’t see as well with. The 120 will shoot them into less than 2″ or less out to 20 yards and it is/was a basket case which has almost no rifling left in it’s barrel. All this is with no sorting , just pull them right from the tin and shoot. Will have to try some H&N RB sometime to see if they are better or the same. They are a lot cheaper than the Gamo’s which cost the same as some pellets. Just thought that this might be of interest to some , although the only real advantage is easy loading. Take care and enjoy Roanoke, Robert.
This moring, typical of Monday morning, was a bit of a drag. As I got my coffee from the coffee stand at the train station, I asked what time they opened as I’d stop by around 5am Friday for a coffee. Tom the coffee assistant asked where I was going. When I told him about Roanoke, he said he owned a Diana that was his father’s. He believed it dated to the ’30’s. When I asked him if he wanted to sell it, he said sure as he didn’t fool with it but remembers shooting darts with it as a kid. So tomorrow, I’ll find out what model it is and let you folks know.
You never know when opportunity strikes.
Fred PRoNJ
Have a fun and safe trip! 😉
BB and Mac:
Have a great time at Roanoke.you deserve it after the year you have had BB.
Sorry,no offence meant by yesterdays joke.
It was an old trad that never quite made it into the ‘Humour in uniform’ section of Readers Digest.lol
DaveUK
DaveUK
It is a misconception that all American men are rude and oversexed. There are plenty of American males that are complete gentlemen. I even met one once! 😀
No offense taken. However… your comments and responses are way funnier than your jokes! 😉
B.B.
Have fun at the show.
We will keep everyone beaten into submission for you. With Edith’s help of course.
twotalon
BB have fun!
BB
I get carsick when tied to the back bumper, so I guess I will have to try for next year.
B.B.
Thanks for the report on the Daisy No. 25. You should get a commission from PA for sales following your reports.
Jim
Ya…what JimK said, thanks BB.
At last, a test at the distance I normally shoot at! That accuracy looks good for a bb gun. Safe travels B.B.
Bristolview, a blog test awhile ago established that springers will work down to 0 degrees while pcps and multi-pumps are good down to -20. I don’t believe there was any explanation of what was going on inside the guns. On the same subject, I understand that in the Korean War the M1 carbine would break down at around -10 degrees while the M1 Garand worked flawlessly in temperatures of -40. I’ve been reading in particular about the fighting at the Toktong pass that had a Marine company fighting non-stop in -30 degrees for 6 continuous days and nights. No time to clean or lube your gun in those conditions. After this kind of performance from the M1 Garand, I don’t see why the government is spending unheard of millions to find another combat rifle. We’ve already got near perfection.
Vince, you’re right about the overpaid part. I think it was “overfed, overpaid, oversexed…” By the way, I should add that the steel trap minds in the German high command decided they would make their propaganda stories more excruciating by juxtaposing American and British cultural practices, but they lacked real world experience and the results came out sounding ridiculous. In one story, an American, post-conquest, walks off whistling “God Save the King.” No wonder those turned into collector’s items.
Toby T., wouldn’t the extra fatigue of golfing at altitude diminish your distance? 🙂 As to how to compare the air resistance to projectiles at different altitudes, that’s a tough one. Even measuring air resistance at a single altitude is very difficult and can only be done from tables compiled from experience or massive computer programs. In other words, unless you can find an online calculator, I have no idea how you would do these calculations.
Matt61
During WW II, the Brits said that the Americans were “Overpaid, Oversexed, and Over Here. The GI’s counter by saying the Brits were Underpaid, Undersexed, and Under Ike.” All in fun.
Mike
Matt61 I have lived at this altitude for 30 years. I guess I have acclimated to it.The ball may travel farther but unfortunately it usually goes in the wrong direction. Actually I find myself feeling sleepy and lazy if I go to a lower altitude. Don’t know why but I do. One thing for sure, it takes alot more beers to catch a buzz at lower altitudes after drinking at 7000 feet for all these years.lol. As far as the as the resistance issue, I was interested in the loss of velocity. Kevin answered that. It is the air density that causes that in springers and pump up pneumatics. I agree with you, it would be rocket science to calculate resistance.(or so it would seem)
BB said…”I was curious about the sights on this gun. Normally, peep sights are much more precise than an open sporting notch, so that,s what I used for the test. I do agree that this peep aperture is a bit too small for even target use.”
With BB on the road to Roanoke, does anyone know the dia. of the peep hole on this model 25?
Why not drill it out to a more functional diameter?
Brian in Idaho
Drilling it out is my inclination, too. In marksmanship quals, you are told that the beauty of the rear sight is that it will automatically center the front post with the rear peep sight. So why would it not work with a drilled, larger peep sight? I will try it once I get the 25 for my son.
Anonymous, Did you ever drill out the Daisy 25’s peep sight hole? Did it work? What size drill bit did you use? And thanks!
“Over paid, over sexed and over here” is the way I heard it when I lived in London. Of course, the over paid bit is a joke with the dollar tanking again.
-pete (from Munich, Germany)
BB,
Have a safe trip to Roanoke. Friends like Mac are treasures.
I won’t be able to make this year – I don’t have any spare vacation days, and I’m in the middle of moving.
I have a question on Loudness. I think it may have been touched on before but I couldn’t find it quickly. In most of the specifications on the PA website there is a “loudness” amount. For example the TX200 is rated as a “3 -medium”. I have a Benjamin 397 (loundess: 4) and I know if I go with 3-4 pumps it sounds like a medium hit of a hammer on wood. With 7-8 pumps its a much louder sound. But how is that determination made? What’s the scale that it references to?
I’ve read that the Marauder, a 2 on the loundess scale, sounds like a pen hitting a carpet. What would a “3” be?
An off topic question, how does the BSA Polaris compare to previous BSA’s?
Thanks,
Nate
Somehow,this close to Roanoke…I just found and pounced on a HW 55 Tyrolean on the Yellow classifieds.The price is fair for 5 years ago.Travel safe everyone…I hope you all find what makes you happiest!
BB, you know I like “neat stuff”. Be sure to find some neat and intriguing stuff at Roanoke to blog about. I hope you and Mac have a great trip. You deserve that after the year you have had.
David Enoch
You said you shoot the model 25 from a distance of 15 feet, and the Daisy 499 at 16.4 feet. I’m new to this sport. What are the two endpoints you are measuring? One endpoint is the target, but what is the other one? The end of the rifle barrel? You eyes maybe? I’m not sure what the standard is, but since it’s a competitive sport, there must be one.
Thanks for your reply.
Larry,
In all formal airgun target competition the endpoint is the muzzle of the gun.
The firing line is situated so that no muzzle sticks past the designated firing line.
B.B.
I bought one of the new model 25s recently.
The new 25 does not “breakdown” into two easy-to-store components as did the old model 25. It still has 2 major parts; stock/receiver and barrel. But the receiver-barrel joint wiggles when the gun is uncocked (this despite the former “breakdown” screw being tight). When you cock the gun, that joint becomes tight. It made me question the value of the sights since, with every shot, the joint comes loose again.
It would have been better had Daisy merged the receiver and barrel so that the sight picture could not vary from shot to shot.
I Know this review is a few years old. I have been thinking of buying another smooth bore BB rifle, since both of my Daisy Model 35s have not been, shall I say, marvels of reliability? I was thinking of a new Red Ryder, but then remembered the Model 25 is back. I’ve been reading tests of this BB shooter, and think I may get one. Metal and wood. Good looking. Seems to be reliable. Accuracy, not up to my pellet gun standards, but decent for a smooth bore BB gun.
By the way, when I was reading reviews of the new Red Ryder, I was surprised that many folks were asking about mounting a scope on one. Owners mostly said, no way without drilling and tapping, or a gun smith. This is not true, as Daisy offers a scope mount called the Brice Mount through the Daisy Museum Gift Store. You can look at the mount on line. It’s about $17.00, but the show shipping to me at $40.00+. No thanks.
I’m starting to get the hang of shooting the No. 25 Daisy a bit better. The last 3 times I’ve shot it, it’s been inside the house into a safe, but home made bb catcher. I’m shooting at 15 feet seated in a chair, and supporting the gun with my elbow on my knee. I use a flashlight to light up the black bulls, as the light isn’t great and my eyesight isn’t either. I’m shooting 5 shot groups with the Daisy bb’s. Best group was with the peep sight, and all 5 into 11/16″. Four of these went into 5/16″!! Most groups were an inch, or slightly less. The gun is operating flawlessly. No mre bb’s rolling out of the barrel, or missfires. I have ordered some Umarex bb’s to try them out. If the 25 keeps shooting, and grouping like this, I will be a happy geezer!!
Should I use pellgun oil for every thing that needs lubrication on the no.25?
Charliemeh,
Pellgunoil will work perfectly.
Welcome to the blog.
B.B.
B.B.
Thanks a lot I am going to order one in a week or two.
A friend recently infected me with BB gun fever. I never had the pleasure of having springers as a youth.
I’m enjoying many of these blogs. I have a new 25 on its way and my grandfathers 25 on the bench. His appears to be a short through and maybe between a 1927 to 1930 version.
Beanflip,
Welcome to the blog.
The short throw was 1913-1914. After that the throw was long.
BB
Oh wow! How do I tell for sure?
According to Daisyking’s information my gun is approximately 1917.
http://www.daisyking.com/history/PumpGuns/StraightStockNo25s.htm
Beanflip,
Then it has 6 grooves in the pump handle instead of 5. And it can’t be a short stroke 25 unless somebody swapped parts.
BB
Here’s a photo. The front sight appears to be an adjustable that was lost and modified. The gun did not have the correct breakdown screw.
Beanflip,
You have what appears to be a 1913 gun. Does the front sight blade slide side to side? If so then that is what it is. The stock looks wrong and it’s hard to tell from some of the other parts but from the picture that’s the best I can tell.
BB
I believe the front sight was adjustable. The base looks right but a screw has been modified and put in its place through the barrel and the sight base.