by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier
Dan Wesson nickel-plated BB revolver.
This report covers:
- What I think
- Speedloader
- Installing the CO2 cartridge
- The test
- ASG Blaster BBs
- Hornady Black Diamond BBs
- H&N Smart Shot copper-coated lead BBs
- Shot count
Trigger pull
Today we look at velocity for the Dan Wesson model 715 nickel-plated BB revolver. As fate would have it, I had dinner in Las Vegas with the staff of Action Sport Games where I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with their CEO, Johnny Pederson. Mr. Pederson is an engineer, and when the discussion turned to the Dan Wesson model 715, he became very interested in what I thought.
What I think
I told him the pellet revolver had tested quite well when I recently shot it. See my 3-part report on that revolver. And that is significant, because that revolver is priced at more than a hundred dollars less than the other pellet revolver of the same accuracy — the Smith & Wesson 586. Both pellet guns offer realistic weight, adjustable sights and good triggers. So for once there is a real choice available to airgunners. I think he was surprised to hear me say that. Surprised but pleased, because his company invested a lot of time and effort on that airgun.
Speedloader
We are testing the new model 715 BB revolver today, and in Part 1 I told you about the physical characteristics of the gun. Today we will look at the velocity in both single- and double-action. One additional thing came out of my talk with the ASG CEO and that concerns the speedloader. He asked me what I though about it and I told him I thought ASG should offer a belt-mounted speedloader holder. Well, of course they do! I never looked for it on the Pyramyd AIR website, but it’s right here. ASG Marketing Associate, Bob Li, who has been getting me the guns to test said he would send me a pouch to evaluate, and if it arrives in time I will try to work it into this report. Now, let’s get to today’s test.
Installing the CO2 cartridge
The first thing is to install the 12-gram CO2 cartridge in the grip. I praised this gun for 2 reasons in regards to the CO2. First, they put the Allen wrench in the left grip panel as a permanent installation so you always have it at your fingertips. And second, the rubberized grip panels fit the gun very tight!
You’ll never lose your CO2 piercing wrench because it’s inside the left grip panel.
The test
Like the pellet pistol, this BB pistol sealed almost immediately when the cartridge was pierced. And the test was ready to begin. I will present the velocity for each type of BB I test in both single and double action. I will wait a minimum of 10 seconds between shots, to allow the mass of the gun to recover its temperature. The room I’m testing in is right at 70 degrees.
I selected 3 premium BBs to test in the revolver. Two are steel and one is lead that is heavier. So we should get a good idea of the power potential of the test gun. The specs say to expect 426 f.p.s., so we shall see.
ASG Blaster BBs
First up were Blaster BBs from ASG. When I looked them up to get the link I noticed they were listed at 5.4 grains. I thought that couldn’t be right, so I first measured a few with the BB gage to see how large they were. They all came in at either 4.41mm or 4.42mm — not the .177/4.5mm caliber stated in the description. That will probably stay that way, though, because that’s what it says on the bottle, and Pyramyd AIR doesn’t want to confuse its customers. Nobody but me will be measuring them with a precision gage anyway! And they did all weigh 5.4 grains, just like it says on the website. Only 1 out of 8 weighed 5.5 grains.
Blasters average 373 f.p.s. in single action with a spread from 363 to 376 f.p.s. That’s a tight 13 f.p.s. spread. In double action the average jumped up to 407 f.p.s. and the spread opened to 393 to 423 f.p.s. So double action is faster with this BB and also it opened the spread quite a bit, to 30 f.p.s.
Hornady Black Diamond BBs
Next to be tested were some Hornady Black Diamond BBs. These are premium BBs too. They averaged 380 f.p.s. in single action. The spread went from 370 to 402 f.p.s., with is 32 f.p.s. In double action they averaged 404 f.p.s., and the spread was from 391 to 421 f.p.s. That’s a 30 f.p.s. spread.
So both steel BB performed similarly, and there was a shot that almost got up to the 426 f.p.s. advertised velocity. It looks like single action might be more stable with steel BBs, but at 5 meters it probably won’t make a difference. The ease of pulling the trigger in single action will be the deciding factor. In fact I probably will not shoot the gun double action in the accuracy test because the stiff trigger might cause me to miss the backstop.
H&N Smart Shot copper-plated lead BBs
The last BB I tested was H&N’s Smart Shot copper-plated lead BB. These are several grains heavier than steel, so we know they are going to be slower. They averaged 295 f.p.s. in single action, with a spread from 281 to 309 f.p.s. That’s a 28 f.p.s. spread.
In double action Smart Shot BBs averaged 324 f.p.s., which is significantly faster. The spread for these was from 315 to 343 f.p.s. That’s 32 f.p.s.
Shot count
After the velocity testing was over I continued to shoot. Shot 54 with Blaster BBs in single action went 358 f.p.s. Shot 65 left the muzzle at 321 f.p.s., so the gun is definitely slowing down. Shot 72 went out at 273 f.p.s. and I stopped with shot 79 that was going 221 f.p.s. There are about 80 shots in a CO2 cartridge and about 50 of them are good ones.
Trigger pull
The trigger pull in double action is too heavy to measure by any instrument I own. The single action pull is singe-stage and breaks cleanly at 5 lbs. 8 oz. While that is heavy, the ergonomic grips make it feel like less.
Evaluation so far
The Dan Wesson 715 BB revolver is powerful. It’s a little more powerful in double action than in single action.
I believe some of the velocity variation has to do with the cartridges that hold the BBs with differing tensions. That probably doesn’t matter to the users of the gun, who will be spraying targets of opportunity at close range, but it’s nice to know.
So far, so good is how I see it. The 715 is a very realistic BB revolver that comes at an extremely competitive price. Now, if it will just shoot as accurately as the pellet revolver, life will be good.
Too much thinking I think. 😎 In the section of Installing the CO2 cartridge the third word of the first sentence probably is thing
The first think is to install the 12-gram CO2 cartridge in the grip.
A little bit of apples and orange comparison regarding accuracy of the pellet vs. BB versions considering that you shot the pellets at 10 meters while I expect you would probably shoot the BB at 5 meters.
Siraniko,
Got it. Thanks!
B.B.
BB
Ok you know I kind of been on a air soft kick lately. Been asking about what Shot Show had going on with air soft. And then talked a little with Matt61 about training with air soft guns indoors.
Here’s a idea. Since they do offer a air soft model of the bb and pellet pistol you been testing. Maybe you could get your hands on the air soft version and test it at 5 m. Then add it in to the report. It would be interesting to see if it can compete or I should say group as good as the pellet or bb version. I know, I know easier said than done. But I think it could be a eye opener you know what I mean.
Here’s the link to the air soft version.
/product/dan-wesson-715-6-co2-airsoft-revolver-silver?m=3882
GF1,
I will think about it.
Thanks,
B.B.
BB
Ok thanks.
It looks like a very nice replica. I just recently received my Tangfolio Limited Custom from Pyramid Air and having a ball with it shooting at close range.
Gunfun1, a question for you? How come are you getting interested in airsoft guns? I really do not know much about them, in fact very little. I get the idea they are used by folks kind of playing war games and they shoot at each other. Am I on the right track . Your idea of a test is a great one. I wasn’t aware a airsoft BB would penetrate a target so you could try to shoot for accuracy.
t
K7uqshooter,
I think I can do this one. ASG is excited about their line of pellet and BB guns, but they started out as an airsoft manufacturer and that is still the long pole in the tent. A comparison of the two (or even three) guns might be interesting.
B.B.
K7
A few years back I just happened to get in to air soft I guess to see how well they really do shoot. Well you know me. Or what can be done to make them shoot good.
I wanted a rifle for outside plinking. And I thought it was a good way to show my teenage daughters about trajectory. They were already shooting pellet guns for at least 7or 8 years. But I knew they never thought about how a pellet actually flys to the target.
So I got a sniper rifle and modded it up with a spring kit and put a fixed 4 magnification scope on it. Then started shooting some heavier weight biodegradable air soft ammo out of it at some aluminum cans. Started messing with the hop up adjustment that adds back spin to the air soft ball. That’s the part about where I was showing my daughters about trajectory. With the hop up adjustment you can make the air soft ball basically shoot at whatever trajectory you want. You can make the arched curve like a pellet. Or you can flatten out the trajectory. You can even make the ball curve up at the end of its flight with all the hop up tuned in or as I said before the back spin.
Well I found out that once I got the back spin set up the way I wanted. Like the arched pellet flight of a pellet gun. The air soft rifle or maybe I should call it a long gun. The barrel isn’t really rifled. They are a smooth bore.
But anyway the gun was actually pretty accurate and fairly powerful. For a air soft gun anyway. I was hitting a aluminum can out at 30 yards 8 out of 10 shots and 2 of those shots would pass through the can. All the shots that hit would pass through one side of the can. Then the real test. A milk jug at 50 yards. Yep I could hit that milk jug about 95% of the time. It would just hit and bounce off at that distance. But at least I was hitting it.
So all in all I was happy with the results. And it was just another thing to learn about and see what I could get out of the gun.
And we had a little blow back pistol that was a semi-auto and had a full auto switch. I think it was a H&K but I could be wrong. If will have to look and see what it was. I had a laser mounted under the barrel. We use to shoot it in the basement at note book paper hanging from the ceiling by string or yarn. And we had them at various places and heights from the ceiling. Me and the kids and wife even sometimes would each take turns with a full magazine that I think was 16 shots. We would each shoot the entire mag out and then count how many hits we had and write it down on a paper beside or names. Was just a fun game we played when it was winter time and cold outside. Oh and that pistol was actually battery powered. So didn’t have to keep buying Co2. And it was AAA batteries. I think 4 of them. I only had to replace batteries about once a month if we shot both days of the weekend all month. So not to bad.
Put here’s the pistol. It was a cheapy but never had any problems with it working. /product/h-k-p30-electric-airsoft-pistol?m=1817
And the pistol ammo.
/product/air-venturi-pro-cqbbs-6mm-airsoft-bbs-0-12g-2-700-rds-orange?p=695
Here’s the rifle I had.
/product/utg-master-sniper-airsoft-kit-black?m=1005
And the rifle ammo.
/product/umarex-elite-force-milsim-max-biodegradable-airsoft-bbs-0-32g-2-700?p=1043
So that’s where the interest of air soft actually got started. I always thought of them as something people played war games with and shot at each other. Well I was taught growing up not to even think about pointing a gun at something you didn’t intend to shoot. Especially a person. So that’s why I never really thought about them. But learned real quick they can be fun plinkers and guns to practice and teach with. And there are some really cool replica guns and even full auto machine guns like the Tommy gun. So its another way to shoot something you would normally not be able to get within 10 feet of the real firarm version. Let alone own the full auto version. So that’s why I like them. There is a big variaty of them available that’s for sure.
GunFub1
Great post! Now you’re getting me interested in airsoft It’s fun to push a technology to its limits. Like BB guns. Who would have thought they could shoot asperin sized groups. I’m also curious as to whether hop-up tech can be adapted to BB guns.
Fido3030
Fido3030
That was brought up in the past about doing the hop up on a bb gun. I was talking to a reader named Dave back then about it. He was going to use a smooth bore 760 if I remember right. Then drill and tap a hole in the top of the barrel and place a piece of rubber threaded into the hole. That way it could be adjusted to how hard the bb would hit it when it passed by. We talked about where to place it at on the barrel. Back by the breech, in the middle or close to the muzzle end of the barrel. I think we decide back by the breech. That’s kind of where the hop up is placed on air soft guns.
But I never did hear back from him if he tryed it or not. Or I missed it if he did post about it. But yes I would like to know if that would help a bb gun shoot more accurately. Well what do think. You going to try it?
Oh and I know I (Fub) things up sometimes but really you didn’t have to remind me. Gun(Fub)1. You miss spelled my user name above. And you know I’m just mess’n with ya. Believe me I do flub up at times. 🙂
Gunfun1
Wow sorry! The Fido effect! Too much oil on the fingers; reached the brain and made it soggy.
I’d like to try the hop-up idea. Thinking about ways to test the concept…..
Dodo3030
Fido3030
All good. And let me know if you come up with something.
I was going to try it on my smooth bore 760 but never got around to it. Got a hundred things on my mind I want to try. But just don’t never seem to find enough time.
Fido3030,
I did a super strong button sized magnet on the 499 within the last month or so. Why? For the back spin you are talking about. I just taped it to the end of the barrel, barrel removed, top. It did stop the bb’s, but a BBQ bamboo skewer sent it rolling down the barrel. If the 499 was a breech loader, I would have left it on. I took it off so as not to magnetize the barrel. I think I did 20-30 shots and it did seem to help. The shroud on a 499 is big enough to accommodate a small magnet. Some of what you are testing have shrouds much smaller.
So anyways,…just something to think about incase you did not catch the magnet test. Chris
CHRIS U SA
Must have missed it. Interesting idea, experiments will tell. I thought maybe a piece of a file at the top of the muzzle but that will cut the BB. Hmmm
Fido 3030
Fido3030,
A file? As in a metal file? You lost me on that one. The rubber “shoe” sounds better and adjustable. The file, while interesting, sounds like it would induce a (deflection factor),.. even if it would impart a desired spin. Inducing spin prior to leaving the barrel sounds better.
The magnets, craft section at Wally’s. You put them on something and you almost got to slide them to the edge to get them off. Finger nails only are a challenge. They are that strong!
Chris USA
I’m thinking of a proof of principlr design, not a practical shooter. First we have to see if the hop-up principle will work on a BB at ordinary velocities and if so will it actually improve accuracy.
Fido3030
Chris,
Neodymium magnets, a type of Rare Earth magnet. Neodymium used to be extremely expensive until about 20 years ago, when the market changed and the price fell through he floor.
A couple things to know about them. First, they must be coated with a sealant such as plating, as they are easily corroded by exposure to air. Second, they are easily damaged by exposure to heat. They are so powerful for their mass that they can be dangerous to handle. Stop paying close attention, and you can end up with an injury.
Michael
Michael,
Thank You for that. That is something I did not know. Nothing ever close to an injury, but will keep that in mind. I do know,…they are strong.
Chris
Chris USA
But your missing something. When you put the magnet on the barrel that is a fixed amount of induced spin.
With the mod that I was just talking with Fido3030 about. You can adjust how much back spin you can put on the bb. That’s how the air soft hop up works.
I think you could get more performance out of your shot that way verses the magnet.
Let me know what you think.
GF1,
Always the “twist” to things,…..you are good for that! 😉 Of course you have a point, and a good one. I do not however think I will be drilling the 499 barrel anytime soon to install an (adj. rubber spin inducer thingy). Well,….????,…..naw! But,… dog-gon-it, you got me thinking! 🙂
Chris USA
Ah but there is other smooth bore bb guns you could try it on. (hint: another reason to get another air gun) see how I think. 😉
And for some reason if it ended up really working good. Just maybe you might mod the 499. But then the question is. Would it help the 499 as much as it would help the 760. Maybe the 499 barrels precision size to the fit of the bb is as good as that gun will get.
GF1,
As good as it can get??????????? It can always be better,…heh? 😉 Tweeker ’till the end!
Chris USA
🙂
GF1, thank you for the excellent reply and attached links. I also was taught never to point a gun at anyone and guess the war game stuff, like pqintball guns are a turn off. However you have stirred my interest. That little air soft pistol sounds great. 180 fps and no CO2 or pumping. What a neat thing to punch holes in paper targets in our hobby room and no need to be scared of steel BBs ricocheting . BB, how does the $130.00 price of the pistol under test compare to the BB pistol prices of the 50’s and 60’s, figuring inflation.
Another great test BB and looking forward to accuracy test.
K7
No problem. And if you get a chance go to the Pyramyd AIR home page and check out all the different types of airsoft guns that are made.
I bet there would be at least one or even more that would catch your interest.
There are some that use what they call green gas. They seem to be more serious air soft guns from what I seen. Well the other power plants work nice too. But here’s a link from PA with some green gas guns.
/search-results-ext?Ntt=Green+gas+air+soft+guns&sid=1375A617A415&N=0&Ntk=primary&q=Green+gas+air+soft+guns&cx=002970863286801882398:jlcminxfwdw&cof=FORID:11;NB:1&saSearch
I looked and still never found a definitive answer;
What are the advantages of using green gas over Co2?
Reb,
Green gas operates at around 115 psi. The reciprocal parts in a blowback airgun can be made lighter so they don’t weigh as much and the lower-pressure gas can still move them. Lighter means cheaper and also less wear on the parts as they operate, because everything than moves moves slower with less force. So the frame and containment parts can also be downgraded.
CO2 operates at 850 psi which strains the moving parts that much more.it also cools them as the gas flows and that lowers the gas pressure, which slows the BBs down as the gun is fired. ou don’t get that much cooling with green gas.
B.B.
Thanks B.B!
I’ll let you save the rest for when you start on that new wheelguns but I did sneak a peek at the physical properties and believe it was very easy to market against the dark cloud that comes with Co2 emission,
The inevitable question from a tinkerer like me is;
Can I run them off SHOP air?
Most residential compressors Wil regulate to very similar pressure and some much more so.
This brings us to the age-old question; If Feltmans can do it, why can’t we?
Reb,
Shop air? Sure — for one or two shots. Then you’re out of air.
B.B.
That would depend upon the volume available.
🙂
Reb,
I forgot you have been a carney. Yeah, you could hook up to a big bottle and run awhile.
B.B.
Reb,
You got my interest,.. once again.. 😉 ….What if?,………you had a an air gun tethered to an high speed air compressor? Kept at 120 psi. supply,…what would that do? Think of what supplies carpenters for air nailers. Even with a 1 or 2 gallon tank,.. -VS- air gun air usage,..it would seem that possibilities would be endless. Now that,…I would buy! bb’s of course to keep the cost down on the Bazilion shots that would surely be fired. Semi or full auto,….of course!
K7uqshooter,
Considering today’s guns work and the guns of the ’50s and ’60s often did not work, today’s airguns are bargains.
B.B.
Gunfun1,
I have read several articles and have seen a couple of tv shows where they were using air soft to train new shooters with replicas of their guns. Also police units using them for training, both for safety and economy.
That got me interested in air soft. I have not got one yet, so thanks for your references.
Jim
Jim
Your welcome. And if you do decide to get a air soft gun I would like to hear about it.
There’s so many choices. And everybody has their own interests in types of guns they like and the type of use they want the air soft gun for. Just like the air guns we own. Well and firearms.
To me airsoft guns is just another thing to learn about our shooting sport.
Had a buddy stop by with a couple pistols yesterday,the more interesting one was an Umarex SMP 40 blowback.
I’m pretty broke right now or I’d have both of them as well as about 30 Co2 cartridges and a tub of Daisy BB’s.
🙁
Reb
That is a bummer. Believe me there is deals I had to pass by because no money or didn’t get something sold in time that I had.
Sometimes it just don’t work out. But sometimes it does. Remember your treasure chest you ran into at the Texas gun show. I think that one made up for alot of the missed deals you know. I would of been happy.
It’s OK, I gotta pay my electric bill this month anyway.
B.B.,
With all due respect,…when might we see a report on the SHOT show? You did remark that it was one of the biggest and that you had lots of pics. and notes. No doubt a massive feat to compile all that info. into a report(s).
Just “chomping at the bit” for your take on things at the SHOW aside from the 2 “teasers” already posted.
Thanks, Chris
LOL! I too am chomping! He said he would start Wednesday.
Chris,
Tomorrow I will run the third part. I took this break because not everyone wants to see SHOT all the time.
B.B.
Congratulations on your Crosman 760 by the way!
And I got a pretty good idea about what that 760 is.
Maybe under a $100 dollar self contained pump pcp.
Sorry BB and all. Just thinking. And you know I could be completely out of my mind. 🙂
B.B.
I enjoyed this report about the Dan Wesson. I particularly like the part about the tight fitting grips. I am somewhat disappointed by the loose fit of the grips on the original Dan Wesson BB revolvers.
Also like Chris and RidgeRunner, I’m looking forward to more reports about Shot Show. I saw an Umarex Shot Show blog about some of the new guns they were introducing at Shot Show. One of them was a new Walther PPK/S CO2 BB pistol. The blog announcement was a little short on details, but it did highlight that this new PPK/S version has a hidden CO2 screw. No more wingnut protruding from the bottom of the grip. I’m hoping this new PPK/S has a full size magazine for CO2 and BBs rather than the old stick magazine. Did you happen to see this new PPK/S when you visited the Umarex booth?
Charles,
Oh, boy! No, I didn’t see it. But I will look around for a picture and see if I can show it to you.
B.B.
Here’s the link to the Umarex Shot Show New Guns announcement.
https://www.umarexusa.com/SHOT-Show.html
The new Walther PPK/S BB pistol is the sixth one from the top.
B.B.,
Thank you. With only a year here, new products and advancements are always exciting. I just started looking at PCP’s again, this time very serious. Besides the usual nice ones, the M-rod set up like you did is 1 option. Adj. comb is one concern. Length of pull seems ok. Added weight was another concern. Butt plate adj. was another. Other than that, the M-rod tact. mod. looks good and would save me some big coin.
I’ll look forward to turning on the computer first thing in the AM. Heck, I do that anyways. Right here is the #1 first stop, 100% of the time. No bull. Chris
( No post till the first cup of coffee. If not,…that can be bad.) 😉
B.B.,
Every time I see a large photo of one of these 715s, be it in the gray chrome or the nickel, I just marvel at how beautiful they are, like fine jewelry. Incredible. Appearance is probably the reason I am drawn much more to revolvers than I am to any semiauto (excepting the P08).
Thanks very much for reporting on these.
Michael
Michael,
I must agree — especially the gray chrome. That finish is stunning. And the guns are such good copies of Dan Wesson revolvers.
The odd thing is I never cared for Dan Wesson revolvers. I find them stiff and clunky next to a good Colt or Smith & Wesson. But these ASG revolvers sort of do penance for the firearms. Go figure!
B.B.
Michael,
My favorite Dan Wesson BB revolver is the gold finish 2.5″ revolver. Check it out if you haven’t already. It’s a beauty!
/product/dan-wesson-co2-bb-revolver-gold-2-5?m=3313
Charles,
I’ve seen that one, and I agree, it’s a beaut. But I already purchased the snubby pellet version in chrome, so . . .
Michael
Everyone,
You talked me into it! I’m getting an ASG Dan Wesson 715 airsoft revolver and we will review it. I may expand it into a series as I play with the Hop Up to show you how it works.
B.B.
That should be interesting!
🙂
BB
That is good news. I’m looking forward to it. Thanks.
B.B.,
Long ago you reported in three parts on the non-blowback, mostly plastic, accurate-as-a-Makarov BB pistol SIG Sauer SP2022: /blog/2008/5/sig-sauer-sp-2022-bb-pistol-part-3/
Pyramyd AIR later described it as not actually having BAXS, despite the verbiage on the packaging.
Are we absolutely CERTAIN this freakishly accurate steel BB pistol does not have BAXS?
Michael
Michael,
Absolutely certain? No, I can’t say that. I used to say things like that, but I’ve been wrong so many times that I learned my lesson.
Never say never. Always say sometimes. 😉
B.B.
Gunfun1, you sound like a company Rep and very good story teller? Maybe you should start writing more on guest blog? I too have some airsoft guns that have never been taken out of the box! I had children and Grandchildren and I am a Great Great Uncle! They ALL started out with rim fire and ended up teaching their children with airsoft! Like what you have to say very much! THANK YOU!! Semper fi!
J.Lee
Thanks. And yep very good to teach kids with.
And I guess I did kind of sound like a salesman didn’t I. Just figured it would spark somebody’s interest’s if I posted some links.
I just wonder if people look at air soft as toys. By all means their not. I mean even some take down like the firearm version they copy. Alot of interesting air soft guns out there is all I can say.
And a guest blog. Probably not. I just know bits and pieces about air soft. I think I should leave that to BB. I know he mentioned in the past that he rebiult air soft guns at some point in time. The mechanisms if I remember right.
I think BB knows where he’s going to go with this air soft stuff. I will be happy to see the results he gets with the pistol he has on the way now. That will be great for starters to me anyway.
I love speedloaders. An innovation that brings the revolver close to the semiauto. I was watching Jerry Miculek use one with what looked to be superhuman speed. But then I found that he was using moon clips, something that requires cutting into the gun, so it’s not an option. But speedloaders are still fast and fun.
Gunfun1, yes the paradox of thinking too hard is key to shooting for me. Trying too hard just makes things worse. On those lines, there is a shooting method that involves applying pressure to the trigger when the sights are on target and holding steady when they are not. This drives me nuts. But there are people who can make it work, so the mind can adapt to different methods. If I can focus on the technique and not the target, the Jaws of the Subconscious will invariably clamp down and put the shot on target. It is an odd feeling like being in a continual present and unified with everything. One of the Terminator villains, I believe it was the T10,000, the liquid man who could survive anything, apparently was built without any sense of time and felt like this. Buddhist monks also report that an instant of this kind of Enlightenment which they call an awareness of the Self is worth a hundred lifetimes of ordinary experience. I haven’t reached that level. But I can say that one shot like this is worth plenty of misses. With my five yard range, measuring groups and getting scores doesn’t really mean anything, and it’s all about getting this technique.
But the regular world is not to be denied. Last night, I received my long awaited samurai sword and medieval broadsword from Cold Steel. We don’t want to become too attached to the things of this world, but darn if some of them aren’t pretty nice. I feel like a larger person, sort of like acquiring a gun. First impressions are interesting. Popular wisdom such as Game of Thrones leads us to believe that the medieval broadsword is a heavy brutish weapon while the samurai sword is the tool of ethereal martial arts. In fact, the reality seems almost the opposite. True the samurai sword, with its beautiful curve, looks to be optimized for cutting through just about anything and anybody. But what makes it good for that movement, limits it for other things. On the other hand, the broadsword is light and seems to want to be swung and rotated through various axes because of its symmetry, sort of like the Garand.
There are also many costuming options to consider now. What gun will go best with my swords? There is a movie where Robert Mitchum and a Japanese colleague are cutting their way through a house of criminals with Robert using a .45 and a double barreled shotgun and the other guy using a samurai sword, so perhaps that is the place to start.
Fido, I had been thinking about Kent State as an example of rioting. That incident didn’t end too well. But I could see the military using bayonets in the field to control prisoners. One photo I saw of Guantanamo just showed the guards lined up with clubs, but they looked frightening enough.
Matt61
Matt61
What you just said about technique and thinking to much about the shot.
I believe that once the technique is found and becomes natural the better shot you will make. Of course the technique has to be learned. But the less you have to think the better off you will be when its time for the shot to be fired. Plus you have to be comfortable when making the shot.
I still make my best shots when I don’t think about what I’m doing. I get on target hold and shoot. But I will say practice does make perfect. The more you get a chance to shoot the better. Of course to a point. A long day of it will tend to get me burnt out. And if I change up the targets I shoot at to spinners and such along with the paper then it keeps me going longer. Got to keep it exciting or it ain’t no fun you know.
Yeah, I know. My spinners are all outside and I don’t need pellets bouncing around in here so I’m really missing that ping.
That’s what had me checking out the new Air Venturi targets and from what I can remember the Stampede included it’s own backstop/pellet trap and magnetized silhouettes sized for about 10yds.
😉
B.B, How’s that for a bit of hype?
Reb
Yep I been checking out them targets.
Matter of fact my wife picked me up two of the Crosman shoot to reset sqerrial feild targets Saturday night. Got to try them out Sunday. Had a blast. And I got some homade spinners set out along with some aluminum cans. And some two liter soda bottles at some long long distances. Have I ever said I like to shoot. 🙂
Reb,
Pretty good! In fact I have several action targets here to report on. What I need are more days in the week! Not really, though. 😉
B.B.
Matt61
I always enjoy your posts. No Kent State didn’t work out well! Symbols of menace only work when the menacee gets the message. And realize that soldiers usually carry LOADED weapons, and if they feel threatened, justified or not, may actually SHOOT them!
Question: I’ve read that a guy with a European rapier could easily defeat a Samurai and his sword and armor. And that a guy with a quarterstaff could take them both! Comments please.
Hey, 49 years ago today I got out of the army! Too dam many didn’t!!
Fido3030
I am still considering power plants for moving projectiles.Of course mass and rate are just two factors to consider.
When B.B. wrote the blog linked earlier about spring strength he noted that Robert Beeman redesigned the Weihrauch HW 35 to use a longer piston stroke. It was that and not a stronger and not a stronger mainspring that made Mr. Beeman’s design more powerful.
Just below those opening paragraphs B.B included this heading:
THE MAINSPRING DOESN’T ACT DIRECTLY ON THE PELLET
Of course catapult guns do act directly on the projectile.
I end up being baffled; I don’t doubt, I just don’t understand. The Umerex Reaxis and Crosman’s NP2 turn the gas spring 180 degrees. Umerex describes this a moving more mass and creating a more powerful end result. Of course, there are other factors that need to be dealt with. I am tempted to call Crosman’s latest NP2 engines NP2 part deux. I remain lost regarding the moving of greater mass and the result at the moment.
I thought I had an understanding of the gas spring. Apparently not. This link shows and states clearly that there is an orifice in the gas spring piston. I had to think about this. I know that such a hole in my break barrel piston would not work at all. Now I see that a major factor is that the gas spring is a closed system.
http://www.indgassprings.com/how-gas-springs-work.html
Click on the red Gas Springs Overview for a detailed PDF. The PDF also covers what is in this next link.
http://www.indgassprings.com/mounting-instructions.html
I am considering whether this also may apply to “storing”. I expect the spring pistons in our air guns are what this site refers to as standard air springs. Not long after I purchased my Titan in late 2011, i had some serious neck surgery. My shooting went on hold and then became sporadic. For most of the time since purchase, the Titan has stood upright with the stock butt on the floor. I now wonder if this led to the demise of the original Nitro Piston. I haven’t had the replacement I purchased from Pyramydair long. When I get home today, the Titan will be stored muzzle down, in hopes it will maintain the proper lubrication. Of course the NP2 guns will remain butt down when not in use.
As to the air soft guns questions. I know a few people that have bought them for multiple training reasons.
Holster draw practice is much safer with air soft as opposed to firearms. A BB in the floor or foot does a lot less damage!
A few people, like myself, use them for indoor winter trigger time. A simple trap to catch them and the undamaged one’s can be reused to save on ammo costs.
Have also seen them used in tactical combat classes as a cheaper alternative to the “dummy” replicas.
Silver Eagle
Silver Eagle
When we shot the pistol indoors. We did re-use the air soft ammo also. I forgot to mention that. Good point.
And we even had one of them gel targets the air soft balls stick to. We use to keep it up stairs in the family room. Used the pistol I was talking about above with the laser on it. That was pretty nice. They would stick to the target and you wouldn’t have air soft balls all over the place. Well unless you missed of course.
But air soft can definitely be used in places where air guns or firearms can’t be used. Plus most are pretty quiet. Some are loud. But most of the time not even as loud as a air gun. So they do have their benefits.
CHRIS USA
A question, wouldn’t the steel barrel act as a magnetic shield, or wouldn’t the barrel become magnetized and have the same effect no matter how the magnets were oriented?
Also, I wonder how the magnets would work if the barrel were made of plastic? Would magnets pull the BBs up against the top of the barrel where the friction would impart back spin? Glass probably wouldn’t work because it’s too smooth.
A plastic barrel wouldn’t have to perfectly match the BB size, just close enough to prevent too much blow-by. In fact you would want enough clearance that the BB would only touch the top.
The plastic barrel could be an extension on a 760 barrel stub so you wouldn’t have to fit it to the rest of the gun. In fact maybe it could be a muzzle attachment.
There you are, a million dollar idea!
Fido3030