by Tom Gaylord, a.k.a. B.B. Pelletier
Evanix Rainstorm 3D bullpup
Today, we’ll begin to look at the Evanix Rainstorm 3D bullpup precharged rifle — one of the most different air rifles we have ever examined. It comes in .177, .22, .25 and 9mm, and I’m testing one in .22 caliber. The serial number of the rifle I’m testing today is 12121-1013235.
When I first saw a photo of this rifle I called it a construction girder with a pistol grip; and now that I have one to hold, nothing changes that description. I am impressed by the weight of 7.8 lbs. without a scope. It feels like more because the whole rifle is only 27 inches long. Everything on the rifle suggests compact, so the mandatory scope should be a mini SWAT from Leapers or perhaps a Bug Buster.
In .22 caliber, the velocity from the 17-inch barrel is rated as 1,176 f.p.s. That’s pretty specific, and I’m thinking they used a very light pellet to get it. Perhaps even a lead-free pellet was used. I’ll be shooting the rifle/carbine/bullpup with the best lead pellets that produce the best groups, so the velocity may not be quite as high as the rating.
Bullpup
This rifle (it’s really a carbine because of how short it is) is a bullpup, so let’s start with that. Bullpups are rifles whose triggers are moved forward so their actions can sit at the back of the gun. The conventional buttstock is either eliminated or radically repositioned on the rifle. Instead of 14.50 inches of buttstock that does nothing but provide an anchor point for your shoulder, this Evanix Rainstorm 3D bullpup puts the action back where the buttplate is. That cuts a lot of length from the rifle.
In firearms, the bullpup design is a safety concern because your neck and head rest on an action where up to 50,000+ psi of pressure gets generated with every shot. If anything lets go, your safety glasses can’t protect you from the blast. I had a rifle let go last year, so I know what I’m talking about. My Nelson Lewis combination gun blew the nipple and hammer off the barrel when it let go. Had my face been there, I probably would not be writing this report right now. We never did find the nipple!
But a PCP airgun uses just 3,000 psi pressure or less — not 16,000 psi (approximate pressure on the black powder in my vintage gun) and more. So, the risk of an accident is virtually nil. If you’re going to have a bullpup, this is the kind to have!
Moving the trigger forward means all bullpups have a long linkage between the trigger blade and the actual sear mechanism. Because of that, they’re notorious for having creepy triggers. The test rifle has the long linkage, but I’ll evaluate the trigger-pull in my report of the accuracy because that’s when I really get to test the trigger.
The trigger linkage is about 13 inches long. The real trigger is back by the butt. It’s that silver thing sticking out of the bottom of the gun on the left side.
Mechanical action
The rest of the rifle’s action is mechanical. No electric motors or batteries are involved. The rifle is a bolt-action repeater with the bolt connected to a sidelever located at the right rear of the butt. The magazine is a spring-loaded circular affair that holds 13 pellets in .177 caliber, 11 pellets in the .22 caliber I’m testing, 10 pellets in .25 caliber and 7 pellets in 9mm. The magazine advances as the bolt is cocked, so all you have to do is keep working the sidelever. The safety is manual. Once the rifle is cocked and loaded, you’re ready to shoot.
The magazine is the same spring-loaded mag used by other Evanix PCPs. Two come with the rifle. Here you see both sides.
I cycled the action to learn about the safety, and I can tell you the cocking stroke is easy and smooth. Unlike some sidelever PCPs, the Rainstorm 3D feels like a luxury sedan car door opening. Given where the cocking handle is located (at the rear of the gun), that’s an important point.
Sights
The 3D comes without sights, but a Picatinny rail runs almost the full length of the top of the gun, giving you nearly infinite choices for scope or dot sight positioning. I mounted a new 3-9X32 UTG Bug Buster scope on which I’ll report separately. I mounted it because I wanted to make certain that scope would be high enough to use, given the very straight line of the bullpup’s profile.
The new Bug Buster comes with medium-high scope rings that are UTG’s new Weaver quick-detachable model. This is a high-end scope ring that others might sell for $30 or more but is included in the package with the scope. I find them to work okay, but I know many shooters will want a high ring to raise the scope higher to their eye level. I use what others have called the bazooka hold, which is the bottom tip of the butt pressed into a hollow on top of my shoulder. Many shooters prefer to have the butt contact the shoulder lower, and that requires high rings. Just keep that in mind when scoping this rifle.
There’s no magazine clearance problem with the top of the rifle because the magazine is covered by a synthetic plate on top of the action. When you mount a scope, there are no clearance concerns.
The magazine opening is under a synthetic plate, so scope clearance is never a problem.
The rifle
This is an all-metal rifle. It has no wood on it anywhere. There are a couple parts made from synthetics, like the grips, but the main component is metal.The metal that isn’t blued is anodized an even medium brown, lending a very attractive high-tech look to the gun. The buttplate is covered with a thin rubber pad so the rifle can be stood up against something and not slip on the floor.
The barrel is enclosed within a fat shroud, and there appears to be a chamber in front of the muzzle that might help attenuate some of the muzzle blast. A rifle of this power is going to be loud, so let’s hope this chamber does lower the sound, if only a little. The barrel shroud is deep inside the girder-like framework of the rifle. You have to look hard to see what’s barrel and what’s reservoir.
The reservoir is filled with a proprietary quick-fill probe that’s supplied with the rifle. It has male screw threads that attach to a 1/8″ BSPP coupling that’s very standard on fill hoses today. The rifle is filled to 200 bar, which is 2,900 psi. Although there’s a pressure gauge on the gun, trust your fill-device pressure gauge for the fill because its accuracy should be well-established.
The Rainstorm 3D is a different precharged air rifle, make no mistake. The look, feel and operation all have to be tailored to the bullpup design. Even though the controls are all fairly standard, except for the bullpup trigger with its long linkage, this rifle will probably take some getting used to. Given its power and cost, I plan on testing it out to 50 yards for you, so this should be a very interesting report.
This thing looks wicked!
Even if I had the money I’m not sure I’d buy one. I think it’s radical styling will be hit or miss, you’ll either love it or hate it. Me? I’m not sure yet. I’ll have to look at it some more before making a final verdict (and to say some people complain the airforce rifles are cold… if they are, this thing is like dry ice!)
It looks like it’s out from a post apocaliptic sci-fi movie. Is there anything ressembling it in the firearm world? I bet we’ll see some of them used in movies as plasma or lazer guns or something like that.
J-F
I’ve recently seen a few shotguns that look like this. It’s called a UTAS15. You can see it at
http://www.utas-usa.com
From what I am seeing it’s a 15 round semi-auto shotgun and looks very much like this air rifle.
It doesn’t look too bad! I think this thing is growing on me!
J-F
Lots… (unless you mean in airguns only)
http://www.keltecweapons.com/our-guns/rifles/rfb/
http://iwi.us/tavor.html
http://www.fnhusa.com/l/products/military/tactical/p90-series/
and for the weirdest of all, the somewhat experimental (NO CASES on the ammo)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heckler_%26_Koch_G11
I wasn’t talking about bullpups in general but some looking like this one, with a big metal “cage” surrounding the whole gun.
J-F
Don’t know why is posted that fast…
The H&K one is UGLY, the Evanix looks like a Italian designed exotic super car compared to that… thing.
J-F
It sure is different. I like the Evanix MAX Bullpup better but it’s a lot more money. I will be interested to see how the trigger is. As you said, Bullpups are notorious for bad triggers.
Mike
I was thinking that with the common complaint of creepy and/or stiff triggers on Bullpup type rifles, why haven’t the manufacturers fitted an electronic unit and relay in place of the mechanicals? Just a rehetorical question.
Fred DPRoNJ
Fred,
I’m just as glad they didn’t. The last thing I want on a sporting gun is a battery. I don’t like creepy triggers, but I dislike a dead battery when all the stores are closed even more.
B.B.
AND……….You really don’t want a battery operated trigger on a Military or Law Enforcement gun.
Mike
What if it had a crank like the ones found on emergency radios or flashlights? It’s not like it would look out of place on such a rifle…
J-F
J-F,
Yeah! That’s an idea! And it could also be the handle of a portable coffee grinder built into the frame of the gun. Coffee bean storage could be incorporated inside the frame as well, or in a small canister attached to the lower Picatinny rail underneath the frame.
B.B.
I don’t drink coffee 🙁 but a small refrigerated compartment to keep a snack would be “cool” LOL
J-F
Sounds like a Pyramid Air special release for early April, 2014.
Paul in Liberty County
Coffee grinder on a rifle. It’s been done! (I’m sure you knew!)
Mike
BB,
Sure but how are you going to heat the water on an air rifle ? Now on an old water cooled Browning
no problem , just loud and expensive.
B.B.,
A coffee grinder handle would be cool, very steampunk! Weren’t there some 19th or 18th century bellows airguns that compressed air with a handle crank? Certainly the Gatling gun looked cool with one.
On the other hand, whenever I think of a crank handle on a machine I think of the wrist buster on the Model T. At least airguns don’t backfire! (They don’t, right?)
Michael
Michael,
Check it out:
/blog/2012/05/gallery-dart-gun-part-2/
B.B.
B.B.,
That’s it! Your report is how I learned of ’em — that’s what I was remembering. What’s old looks good to me, even compared to today’s technology. I’m knd of a nut, liking high-tech looks AND antique looks.
Who is the fellow who painstakingly hand crafts air pistols with spherical tanks under the action that look like 18th century pistols? How does he charge those with compressed air?
Also, in the Lurch gallery gun, is that concentric spring the same basic kind of spring in the Acvoke-inspired Hy-Score air pistols? I’ve read that through efficient use of leverage and that type of spring, those pistols have more velocity than one might expect for such an easy-cocking spring pistol.
I’ve been intrigued by those for a long time but have never bought one because I’ve never had the opportunity to handle one first at a show. Everything I read online about those Hy-Scores conflicts widely. Many say that they are easy cocking, reasonably accurate, and light-triggered, while many others say that they behave like a Webley Senior in need of a tune. I recall you reporting somewhat negatively on the Hy-scores, but I can’t be sure.
Michael
Michael,
I don’t know who is building the air pistols you describe. So many people make them thee days.
No the double volute spring is a flat spring, coiled up. I showed a picture of one in the referenced blog report.
B.B.
How about a small MP3 player to keep you entertained while you shoot?
J-F
J-F,
Small MP3 player is an oxymoron. ;^)
That barrel shroud would have to be pretty effective to hear the tunes over the report.
My vote is for a beer reservoir and drinking tube, like the Camelback beer, er, uh, WATER carriers.
Michael
Oops! I meant to write “small MP3 is a REDUNDANCY.” Aaargh.
Michael
Hey Guys … My Pacemaker has a battery and I am betting my life on it. I had a choice at the time of an 8 year battery or a 15 year battery. Batteries will soon be a non-issue on most applications, I think.
A battery like that would probably cost a lot more than the rifle. 🙂
Mike
Love or hate, like J-F said. Put me down for 3 hates. Even the orange Chinese mystery wood looks better than this.
I like them.
But I always wondered how they feel when you hold them. It looks like the gun would be heavier at the stock end of the gun. If so I wouldn’t care for that much. But you never know. Maybe it works out good for that style of gun.
I like the way my Talon SS feels when you hold it. If you pick it up by the pistol grip with one hand the gun is pretty evenly balanced.
I like my regular rifles with a conventional stock like the Marauders to be heavier towards the muzzle.
But also still interested in seeing the results of the accuracy test.
Why is it that a lot of the new guns coming out have no sights(iron sights) is this just laziness on the manufactures side or is it pure greed so you have to buy a scope?
James,
I don’t think it is laziness or greed in this case. This rifle is so special that it begs for optical sights.
B.B.
I don’t mean just this gun BB look at all of the new break barrel guns that have no sights
Some people like me are starting to have increasingly poor eyesight so I have grown to love my scopes for shooting since I can’t really see a small target with iron sights any more. So even with iron sights I still put a scope on my gun which I found greatly increases my accuracy since I can see a smaller target. I have a feeling this is why some guns just don’t have iron sights. It’s because to get the most out of them you need a scopes so iron sights are kind of a waste. More often than not people complain about the scopes that come with a gun and replace them with scopes they like so again offering a gun with a scope is kind of a waste all the way around. As I get older I find I’d rather buy a gun without iron sights and go buy my own scope. That way I don’t have a drawer full of optics I don’t want and I have a gun that is better with my aftermarket scope on it.
I like iron sights for breaking in and for back up incase the scope gets damaged
I have no desire for a PCP gun, mainly because of the support equipment required.
But I have to admit, I do like this thing. While not really looking like a gun, it does not look like part of a high-pressure washer, either. Putting a scope on it would help it look like a gun, too.
Would it be too much of a stretch to use air from the reservoir to advance the rotary magazine, making the gun a semi-automatic? Perhaps a clock-spring could be incorporated into the rotary magazine to advance it as the gun was fired. The spring could be wound by moving the magazine one notch at a time while loading.
Les,
The magazine is wound exactly as you indicate. But (and this is a real big one), what moves the bolt? That takes many pounds of energy that has to come from somewhere.
B.B.
I used to say that about the pcp guns. I wouldn’t have one due to the extra expense involved with supporting one. I got a Discovery just to try it. From there I finally made the decision to get the airforce condor because I saw just how nice the discovery handled and how accurate it was without needing to put so much work into each shot. Now I’m hooked on pcp guns and rarely ever pull out my springers. I’d get rid of my springers but most of them I can’t get any more so I hold on to them thinking one day they’ll be worth something since I keep them in pristine condition.
I forgot also.
How is the outside metal frame attached to the actual gun?
I wonder how rigid everything is because the sighting device that you choose would be attached to the frame and not actually the gun itself.
I’m sure they got that under control. But if it wasn’t secured well that could play heck with trying to keep the sights zeroed.
GF1,
Substitute the word frame for the word receiver. That’s how rigid this gun it.
You try to mount scopes to the receiver if possible. With this gun, it is.
B.B.
I’m with B.B. on this. That is one ugly gun. Especially for the price. I have some experience with bullpup designed rifles or carbines if that is what you want to call them. I never really liked how they handled. This is one thing where you either like them or you do not like them. I prefer a more traditional styled tactical rifle over a bullpup. Some people just love the bullpup and will go to great lengths to make their guns like their Marauders into bullpups. Then they try to sell the ratted gun for twice the price of a marauder at pyramyd air. I learned quite a while ago to avoid a “tuned” gun if it hasn’t been tuned by somebody that knows what they are doing. My most recent experience was when a friend of mine bought an airforce talon somebody turned into a talon ss and he wanted me to change the barrel. It took me several hours to swap it through the back of the gun.
Strange how manufacturers market air rifles by using the FPS and shot count of the smallest calibre and the FPE of the largest calibre something for every body bring back the good old iron sights
You can always put on some flip up AR-15 iron sights on the gun if you like. You can find them at most places that carry shooting accessories.
That would require and FUL and cost the price of the gun itself that how much the dealers here inflate prices don’t bother trying to import either waiting period makes you give up waiting to get approve to import its a system designed for friends
I was going to buy ar iron sights for 60 off amazon. In the end went with a scope and a 45 degree offset reddot.
BB,
If I were looking for a PCP, that has got the “Logan’s Run” look I would prefer. I agree with the comment above that it would be more appropriate if it were semiautomatic and really cool if the barrel had a recoil spring and went back and forth when fired.
Making the barrel recoil would probably make the accuracy go all over the place. I’d rather have a pcp gun that stays rock steady on target than one that jumps all over the place using air to make that happen. Most airgunners want that accuracy that airgun makers strive to achieve. It’s more about getting the pellets to stack in the diameter of a dime than it is about having a powder burner feel with this level of guns.
I kind of like it! But then, I like the FNH PS90 too…. Really a handy little pdw. Given the funds, I could see myself owning this!
/Dave
B.B.,
I have decided I like the futuristic, form-follows-function look of this airgun a LOT. I tend to like these modernist designs. For example, even though I am not a powder-burner enthusiast, I have always like the squarish looks of the Colt 1911 guns, which some shooters considered boxy and ugly when it was first unveiled. Today it is revered as one of the sexiest looking handguns ever.
And believe it or not, my all-time favorite gun looks-wise is the Ingram Mac-10 with its WerBell/Sionics two-stage suppressor, the best Hollywood action movie firearm of all time after the Colt Peacemaker.
Michael
Off Topic …
I am considering buying Dennis Hiller’s “Collector’s Guide to Air Pistols”, Fourth Edition. It seems to be getting a little old. Is it up to date enough to make it worthwhile? Or, would you recommend something else that might be more complete?
Thanks Very Much
NRS
HI BB,
The Rainstorm reminds me of my old High Standard 10B shotgun. Of course with the ejection port right in my face (I’m a lefty) I didn’t keep it long. It was a neat gun. I even had the flashlight.
How would this Rainstorm work for a lefty? I know you would have to lower the gun to cock it unless the lever could be reversed as it can on some FX guns.
I shot an Edgun and it worked fine left handed but it was a single shot and the bolt was all the way back at the butt stock.
David Enoch
If you look at the pics it doesn’t seem to have a location on the left side for the lever but you could always cock it with your teeth if it’s not too hard to operate?
J-F
David,
This rifle is coming off the shoulder for righthand shooters, too. The cocking lever is too close to the shoulder to cocking in place.
B.B.
True. It works well using the left hand to reach over and cock for righties. Not sure it would be possible in reverse.
Hi
Sorry to jump in, have a daisy 105 over stamped 107 that’s needs help. The owner wants it to shoot again. It will cock and fire, but has no power. I am a gunsmith and I know that I could ruin the value if handled wrong.
Please help thanks jr
jr,
Good for you, checking like this. That airgun is worth considerable money, depending on condition. It’s in the model 70 Supergrade class.
Here is a man who might be able to fix it:
Larry Behling 315-695-7133 or co2bbjlts@juno.com
B.B.
I have this gun in .25. Its actually beautiful and very powerful. Its my new favorite gun. I like it so much I want one in .177 for shot count and in 9mm for power. I get a good 25 usable shots in .25. This gun is such a quality piece its hard to describe. It feels so good. The weight is not noticeable because its so close to the body. Try it, you just might fall in love.
also fyi, no cold metal. There is a plastic piece for the cheek weld and an angled foregrip. Very comfortable.
Funny, but when I first saw the picture of this rifle I thought of one of B.B.’s April Fools blogs. It’s just so way out there, looks-wise.
But, since it’s the real deal, I have to admit that I like it. I think it looks cool. I don’t see it as ugly at all, just intimidating. The power delivered by this thing sort of justifies it’s unique design. It looks intimidating because it is.
If I’m going to take out some pests in my warehouse, this is rifle to do it with. It has both a cool-factor and a wow-factor. But none of this matters if it isn’t accurate. I hope it is, otherwise there’s no way to justify its hefty price.
B.B.,
I’m glad that you’re testing such a odd-ball rifle. My only real issue with this rifle is it’s heavy trigger. I expect rifles in this price range to have great triggers, otherwise they just can’t be worth it.
Victor
BB
I asked about the frame mounting to the gun and you said to think of it as a receiver. So that means they did a good job.
But the barrel looks like it will be short. And you said it was shrouded with a chamber in front.
So is it quiet? And do you know what twist rate they made the barrel.
I like a crisp trigger but if its not I could ignore that if the gun handled good and was accurate.
Its extremely loud. To shoot it in my basement I need ear protection.
And can you adjust the striker hammer any kind of way? Or the air flow to the transfer port.
B.B.
Could we have a photo of the proprietary fill probe, magazines, etc. with a dime for scale? If you get a chance.
john
just FYI, its very similar to a Hatsan fill probe. I would confuse them but the evanix probe is a steel color.
John,
You can see the fill probe on the Pyramyd AIR website with the magazines. Just follow the linked photos.
B.B.
What a monstrosity! Why do they make stuff like this? These designs are OK for Military weapons and not Airguns.I think sporting weapons should be visually appealing in addition to good performance.
Fully agree with BB about Bull Pup triggers. Its to do with the completed linkages on them.
Errol
Errol,
You and other blog readers who dislike this gun and others like it will find this interesting. Pyramyd AIR gets emails from customers who have seen the Evanix guns on the site of the manufacturer and have asked us to stock the guns. In almost every case, the guns vaporize off the shelves. There IS a market for them. It may not be our blog readers, but these are people who seem to spend a lot of money on these guns. They love them, and they buy them. Evanix does have some unusual, non-traditional designs that seem to turn off some people…but not all of them.
I’d like to remind everyone that AirForce Airguns got (and still gets) similar comments because their air rifles are not traditional sporting airguns. Different isn’t necessarily bad. What we’ve discovered is that there are people who like radically different guns. Could be that these shooters like guns that look like something you’d see in a video game, which is how I view the Rainstorm 3D bullpup.
If people are buying these pricey guns and want to buy more of them, then that bodes well for all of us. That means more people are shooting, more people are coming into airguns and more people will support the sport. And that’s good for all of us.
Edith
I could not agree with you more. This thing is different, it may not be for everyone but it’s not like anything available for airgunners and there’s one sure thing it won’t be confused with anything else available out there.
Like I said earlier, I think this thing is growing on me and the more people say they don’t like it the more I do…
Different strokes for different folks, it wouldn’t be fun if we all liked the same things.
J-F
Hi Ms. Edith
I’m afraid I have to agree with what you have to say about the Evanix.I mean if people are willing to put down good money for something totally radical, why not manufacture them.J-F said it “different strokes for different folks!” Glad you mentioned the Airforce guns. In my opinion they are High Tech & High Performance but Sleek & Good to LOOK AT. I would buy an Airforce Airgun if given a choice.
Errol
Correction. I meant complicated linkages.
“I don’t know of any bullpup firearms that have open sights, either.”
Norinco 86S
Keltec KSG
Mossberg 500 bullpup
IWI Tavor
I could go on for a while, but they are out there and they are not rare.
As for the triggers – yes, many are not that good – poor design. But some are good; I owned an AWC G2A that had a very good trigger. It had a bellcrank at each end of a cable, and at the backend it pushed againsts the conventional M1A trigger.