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Gauntlet

Umarex Gauntlet: Part 1

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Gauntlet
Umarex Gauntlet.

This report covers:

  • A price-point PCP
  • Two calibers
  • Features
  • Trigger
  • Sling swivel studs
  • Description
  • Fill
  • Overall evaluation

Yes, Jonah, it is the Umarex Gauntlet on which I will test the Bug Buster 3-12 scope with sidewheel! I had planned on reviewing this rifle last summer, but things happened on the production side and that window closed. Then I wanted to review it before Christmas, but that never happened, either. So now I’m starting my report on an air rifle that’s already in many shooter’s hands.

A price-point PCP

The Gauntlet is not just a price-point precharged pneumatic (PCP). It’s the rifle that defined the class. A price-point PCP has to have a lot of desirable features and retail for less than $300. Umarex drew that line when they announced the Gauntlet last year, but while they were getting the first rifles ready several other manufacturers got their offerings out first. They all stuck to the under-$300 retail price and the features differ from gun to gun. I will test several other price-point PCPs for you but today is all about the Gauntlet.

Two calibers

The rifle comes in both .177 and .22 caliber. I chose the .177 for no special reason other than it seemed best to me.

Features

What does this rifle offer? For starters, it’s a repeater. The .177 version I’m testing comes with one 10-shot rotary magazine and one single-shot adaptor tray. In the past those trays were sold as options. It also has a regulator that many newer airgunners seem fascinated with. I will test this one for you thoroughly so you know what to expect.

The barrel is shrouded but not baffled. Instead it has what I would call an expansion chamber that contains the compressed air before releasing it to the atmosphere. I will report on the discharge sound, but Pyramyd AIR says it is fully moderated, so I’m expecting a quiet gun.

Gauntlet moderator
Umarex used an expansion chamber to quiet the Gauntlet. It’s similar to a motorcycle exhaust. The spring keeps the loose chamber from rattling.

The air reservoir is removable! This is a feature that used to only come on higher-priced PCPs, so Umarex has really raised the bar with the Gauntlet. You can fill the tank  while it’s installed on the gun or remove it and replace with another reservoir that’s ready to go. A degassing tool is supplied to exhaust the compressed air from the reservoir before removal. Just know that all the air will be exhausted.

The cheekpiece is adjustable up and down to suit different shooters. A thumbwheel in the stock makes this easy. The rear sling swivel stud locks the adjustment wheel, so use the degassing tool to unlock the stud before adjusting the cheekpiece.

Trigger

The trigger is adjustable, but to access the adjustments you must remove the air tank and forearm. Looking at just the outside of the trigger housing, the safety and the location of the adjustment screws, this looks like a variation of the Crosman 160 “crossbow” trigger that I wrote about. If so, you are in for a real treat. I will look at it closer in Part 2. I will say that it came from the factory adjusted very light, but I would tweak the overtravel screw to stop the trigger right after the gun fires.

I find the first stage of the trigger a bit sticky, but it’s brand new and I can tell that it will wear in. Once it does, stage two feels very crisp.

The safety works with the trigger and is manual. Thank you, Umarex! It is an upgrade to the original Crosman 160 safety because it is spring-loaded and can be released very easily — with just a touch of the trigger finger. It takes a little more effort to apply, but it’s easy just the same.

Sling swivel studs

The stock comes with sling swivel studs installed. You will need a sling because the Gauntlet weighs 8.5 pounds without a scope. As mentioned at the start of this report I plan to mount the BugBuster 3-12X32 scope with optional sidewheel for this test, so the weight will not increase by much more. Each sling stud also serves to lock something, so that degassing tools that also loosens both studs will be handier than you suppose.

Description

The Gauntlet is a large rifle — measuring 46-inches overall with a 14-inch pull. The barrel is 23 inches long. The stock has been well contoured for a shooter. The pistol grip is very vertical, making offhand shots feel good, and the forearm just in front of the triggerguard where you place your off hand is very narrow. It feels great! The rest of the forearm is fat, to contain that removable air tank, so you will feel it if you hold the rifle out there.

The stock is dark gray synthetic. It’s smooth on the surface but not slick. It doesn’t reflect light, nor does the rest of the outside of the rifle. Only the air tank is shiny, and it is mostly concealed inside the forearm.

The butt pad is soft grippy rubber that will cling to your shoulder. It does not adjust.

Pulling the bolt back to cock is hard, so you want to cock with the rifle on the shoulder. The bolt has a notch at the back of its stroke to lock it safely out of the way when installing or removing the magazine.

Fill

The Gauntlet accepts a fill to 3000 psi, as expected for a regulated gun. According to the manual the reg is set to 1150 psi, so you get nearly a 2000-psi power band. That’s going to give a lot of shots. I will plan on Part 2 of this report taking a long time to test! Of course you can fill the tank less full and get fewer shots. The reg should give the same velocity, regardless.

 

Umarex wisely used a male Foster nipple for the fill port. More and more manufactures are using this nipple which makes filling PCPs easier. The fill nipple comes with a protective cover to keep dirt out.

Overall evaluation

This is an entirely new PCP. It’s a shame it took so long to hit the streets, but Umarex wanted it to be right, and from first glance it would appear they succeeded. I can’t wait to shoot it for accuracy.

I remember shooting the gauntlet a year ago for “American Airgunner,” but we didn’t have the targets, the time or a decent shooting bench to do it right. This time I’m going to take the time to really get to know this air rifle.

author avatar
Tom Gaylord (B.B. Pelletier)
Tom Gaylord, also known as B.B. Pelletier, provides expert insights to airgunners all over the world on behalf of Pyramyd AIR. He has earned the title The Godfather of Airguns™ for his contributions to the industry, spending many years with AirForce Airguns and starting magazines dedicated to the sport such as Airgun Illustrated.
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154 thoughts on “Umarex Gauntlet: Part 1”

  1. BB
    Can’t wait to hear what you think about it once you get shooting. I do love my .177 Gauntlet. Really is a nice gun. And very accurate. It actually surprised me at how accurate it is.

  2. It’s on my list, I just haven’t jumped yet.
    The expansion chamber looks suspiciously like a one piece larger Marauder baffle.

    I wonder if the Marauder baffle stack will interchange with fewer baffles or a different spring.
    (In other words, please measure the diameter of the expansion chamber against the Marauder baffle diameter) when you get farther along in the review.

    I was chatting with one Gauntlet owner that has added a 4500 psi regulated carbon fiber bottle to his Gauntlet, and is getting over 275 shots per fill on his Gauntlet.

    Ian

      • B.B.,

        My one experience with an “LDC” tells me a simple hollow tube can be quite effective. I once received a used CO2 Hammerli 850 air rifle that happened to have a moderator friction-fit to its muzzle. I removed it and could see that it was simply a hollow aluminum tube (with carbon fiber looking applique outside and perforated end cap) of 14mm or so in diameter. Pushed onto the barrel it probably added five or so inches of air space in front of the muzzle.

        I shot the 850 in my basement both with the thing on and off. It quieted the rather loud 850 a lot. I was surprised how much quieter it was.

        Nevertheless, it was a removable silencer and not why I purchased the air rifle, so after I played with it for a couple dozen shots, I put it on my railroad track anvil, flattened it with a hand sledge, and chucked it into the trash basket.

        I imagine the expansion chamber of the Gauntlet is pretty effective.

        Michael

          • GF1,

            According to some stuff that I’ve seen on the internet that chamber has funnel shaped baffles in it like the Marauder except they are not individual or stacked. The actual muzzle also has an air stripper pressed onto it that directs much of the air back towards the shooter inside the shroud. I’ve seen mods ( using 3D printing) that replaced the single baffle assembly with a stacked arrangement and some holes had to be drilled into the shroud to let the stripped air escape. It made the gun read barely 3 db quieter on a sound pressure meter but it looked like a lot of work for the return, IMO. The gun sounded too quiet on the video, to start with, to go through all that rigmarole.

            • Halfstep
              That’s what I get out of the Gauntlet baffle also. One peice instead of the multiple baffles the Marauder uses.

              And the peice your referring to as the air stripper that’s pressed on the Gauntlet barrel looks like the one that is pressed on the Marauder barrel. It’s basically the diameter of the shroud with a o-ring on it and it has some holes around it to let it go back to the shroud area.

              Well unless it has changed on the Gauntlet or I’m remembering wrong.

        • Michael,

          If you don’t mind, what was your rationale for destroying the moderator? Instead of selling or giving it away to someone who might have used it to further protect their hearing?

          shootski

          • Shootski,

            I don’t mind at all. Why did I destroy them instead of selling or giving them away? I protect my hearing with foam earplugs, electronic earmuffs if it’s my Sheridan indoors. Anyone else could do the same, so silencers are not necessary to protect one’s hearing.

            But ultimately, selling or giving it away would be breaking federal law, and I am law-abiding.

            Michael

            • Michael,

              Is that your home state law or some local ordinance?

              This Case Law: http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-1st-circuit/1527670 (although a convoluted case) appears to indicate that any moderator can be used on an airgun as long as it is designed for airguns only. I have seen reports of poor man’s suppressors made out of water or soda (pop) bottles and 100 MPH Tape for one time use.

              Every layer of ear protection is to the good; in most other countries that allow their citizens to shoot a suppressor Is de’rigur.

              shootski

              • Shootski,

                Suipressors in most other countries is indeed unregulated, but I live in the United States, where they are regulated.

                As for hearing protection and the effect of sound waves on human hearing, it is a subject I know a great deal about as an audiophile, sound reinforcement assistant, roadie, and musician. More layers of protection have no benefit over a single layer if the attenuation is sufficient to prevent hearing loss. As long as the sound is lower than 90 decibels, it is O.K., especially if it is in impulses, not prolonged and/or constant. Sound that is 80 decibels is no more harmful than sound which is 30 decibels, period. Therefore, earplugs plus a moderator is no better than earplugs alone, provided the attenuated sound introduced to the inner ear is lower than the minimum harmful level.

                Federal law requires any moderator which can be used on a firearm (and this one could have been), even only once, to lessen its report cannot be manufactured, transferred, or owned except by those with the appropriate federal license, which I do not possess.

                Anyone who decided to try to test this interpretation of the law could spend a lot of money on lawyers and risk prison time. They can be my guest as it makes no difference to me.

                Even so, suppressors are illegal to manufacture, transfer, or possess in my state regardless if one has a federal license.

                Earplugs, on the other hand, are perfectly legal. :^)

                Michael

              • Shootski,

                I almost forgot. I wrote “them” above because I recalled that I actually destroyed one other “LDC” a very long time ago when I first got into airgunning. It was a similar circumstance and a similarly constructed device, as I recall, anyway. That one was smaller and less robust, although it was a wider diameter and looked very spy-movie-like. It looked like something a professional assassin would use. that one I simply flattened in the middle and chucked.

                Michael

  3. B.B.,

    Thanks for the nice description of the features. A fine job indeed on Umerex’s part . I look forwards to seeing more on this one.

    Good Day to you and to all,… Chris

        • Chris USA,

          I wanted to get ahead of that right away since I introduced the notion here. I don’t remember where exactly I read it but it was a forum and not something I saw on YouTube. I took the top screw out of the rubber butt plate and swung it down. The stock is hollow and the comb is a separate piece but it just interlocks with tabs on the stock and is held in engagement by the butt plate. You can take it off and leave a gaping hole in the top of your stock but you can’t do any sort of adjustment. Can’t imagine why anyone would deliberately misrepresent a feature that way. Maybe just made an assumption ?

          • Halfstep,

            My favorite word in use again!

            A$$-U-ME… don’t you just love the mayhem that simple word introduces into conversations and activities!

            I second the no BS blog! B.B. certainly keeps to that and corrects himself or the blog when better information becomes available.

            shootski

            • Shootski,

              First off let me say that I’m so glad that now we understand why you are not polish, and secondly, I know I do my best to keep it real here as well. I am an absolutely fabulous BSer in my day job but I know folks here are making purchasing decisions and modding choices based on what they read in this blog and it’s comments, so I feel obligated, as everyone seems to be, to remain as factual as I can; which I can do when called upon, just not with the natural ease that I have with the ol’ BS. 😉

          • Halfstep,

            Perhaps a moveable cheek rest will be next? It is already a 2 piece affair. A good modder could probably get what is there to work. I really like the thumb wheel on the Gauntlet. That may come in handy when going from bench,.. to off hand. For most people, it would be a set it and forget it though.

  4. BB,

    I cannot say this particular air rifle is my cup of tea, but the Gauntlet is indeed most appropriately named. With all the features this PCP air rifle offers at a price of a mid level sproinger, it certainly has set a very high bar for the other companies to meet.

  5. Thanks, B.B., a lot of folks have been waiting for this one! I’ve got a Marauder and an Armada already…but can’t resist a bargain and this looks like a big one! The accuracy test will tell if the Gauntlet can play with the big boys. I’ve been reading some pretty impressive claims.

    • B.B.,

      My one experience with an “LDC” tells me a simple hollow tube can be quite effective. I once received a used CO2 Hammerli 850 air rifle that happened to have a moderator friction-fit to its muzzle. I removed it and could see that it was simply a hollow aluminum tube (with carbon fiber looking applique outside and perforated end cap) of 14mm or so in diameter. Pushed onto the barrel it probably added five or so inches of air space in front of the muzzle.

      I shot the 850 in my basement both with the thing on and off. It quieted the rather loud 850 a lot. I was surprised how much quieter it was.

      Nevertheless, it was a removable silencer and not why I purchased the air rifle, so after I played with it for a couple dozen shots, I put it on my railroad track anvil, flattened it with a hand sledge, and chucked it into the trash basket.

      I imagine the expansion chamber of the Gauntlet is pretty effective.

      Michael

    • Ahh! Somehow I double-posted.

      Hiveseeker,

      It seems to me the Gauntlet essentially IS a Marauder, except with removable bottle and an extra $200 in one’s wallet.

      Michael

      • Michael
        It’s more of a QB79 with a different stock and a repeater breech and shroud. Same trigger assembly, same air tube but correct threads for the regulated bottle like on my QB79 with out the drop down bottle adapter.

        Here’s a picture of my QB79. Look close at the bottle mounting area.

  6. Thanks BB. Been waiting for your blogs on the Gauntlet. My .22 is very accurate and prefers JSB 15.89 grain pellets (.353″ 10 shot 25 yds) and JSB 18.13 grain (.363″ 10 shot 25 yds). Both from bench in Lead Sled rest. Won’t say I can do it every time, but on the whole, get very good accuracy out to 50 yards if the wind is not blowing to hard at Buchanan Lake (blows most of the time). Generally, I’d say the Gauntlet is not quite as accurate as my .25 Marauder, but the Gauntlet will give the Marauder a good run for the money. And, the Gauntlet doesn’t cost near as much. I’m glad I have both. The Gauntlet will out shoot my Discovery every time. I have well over a 1000 rounds through my Gauntlet by now.

    The trigger will adjust below one pound, but blue loctite should be put on the little screws as they will move with the small vibration when shooting. The trigger return spring was replaced with one from a ball point pen.

    To answer 45Bravo, no the Marauder baffles will not work in the Gauntlet. But the Gauntlet is pretty quite. More of a burp.

    One thing you might address in the blog is POI change from leaning the Gauntlet against the shroud in the gun rack. I don’t have any changes on mine, but some people do say the POI moves when leaned against the shroud. Some people have a tendency to pick up the gun by the shroud and experience POI shift. But, you can get POI change if you pick up a Marauder by the shroud all the time. The rifles need to be picked up using the stock. That seems straight forward to me, but some people like grabbing the shroud to lift the gun.

    Can’t wait for all your blog entries on the Gauntlet.

    • Jonah
      Absalutly about the shroud. I lay mine on it’s side on a carpeted floor in my gun closet.

      Oh and I have a .177 Gauntlet. Here is some targets. You tell me if it’s accurate. This is when I first got it and was sighting it in. And I will have to say I shoot it out to a hundred yards and it’s a pretty flat shooting fun actually.

      • I would accept those groups at 50 yards any day. The comments I have seen on the web, have all indicated that the .177 Gauntlets are just as accurate as are the .22 Gauntlets. I seldom shoot on paper. I use paper targets to sight in and find the most accurate pellet for that gun. After that, my usual targets are metal spinners and small eye drop bottles all set up at various ranges out to 50 or 60 yards into any wind. I will on occasion shoot out to 100 yards, but I have to shoot across a portion of the lake I live on and its just not normally convenient. I have to shoot toward the east and the wind is usually blowing from southeast or south across the “range”. I have a few .177 airguns, but just prefer the .22s or .25. No reason, just like the larger calipers. In fact, any of my .177 guns that I could switch to .22 have be changed over. If I ever run across a FWB127 barrel, I’ll probably buy it and put it on my FWB124 like I did for my BSA Mercury.

  7. I agree with Michaels observation about the similarity of the form factor with a Marauder. I will add that I bolted on a jdsairman bottle kit for my PROD, it looks like a scaled down Gauntlet now, without the nice stock, or weight;) Seems like the manufacturers have settled on this sort of layout for a PCP action, and now I appreciate Airforces approach more with their bottle layout. A .177 Gauntlet may get me to venture out for some FT/ sporter class in the bay area, since the Mrod has way too much wack on it for targets! (and its a nickel a shot) Rob

    • 1stblue
      Read my comment to Michael above and see the picture I posted of my QB79. The Gauntlet more or less is a QB79 with what looks to be similar to a Marauder breech and shroud. It’s like they took a mix of guns to make the Gauntlet.

      And I will say that my .177 Gauntlet is definitely more powerful than my .177 QB79. So the different striker spring in the Gauntlet and I’m sure bigger inside diameter transfer port is what’s kicking the velocity up in it. So feild target definitely on accuracy. And mine is shooting JSB 10.34’s in the high 900 fps range. So it’s right on the same power level as the 3 different .177 Marauder’s I had over time.

      • Gunfun1,

        What I was getting at is that appearances and reservoir configurations aside, the Gauntlet and Marauder are almost the same air rifle, performance-wise. They are about the same size and weight. They have about the same velocity and the same fill pressure. They use identical magazines. They both have nice triggers and are quiet.

        The one really significant difference is $200., or forty percent, in price.

        Michael

        • Michael
          If the Gauntlet has a nice trigger that means the Marauder trigger is excellent.

          The trigger on my Gauntlet is indeed nice. But no way compares to a Marauder trigger.

          And I don’t think I would compare the two. I would say the Gauntlet is similar to the Marauder not the same. Or I can say it this way if I want to be bias. The Marauder is similar to the Gauntlet.

          What I think could be said about the Gauntlet though is it is a very nice gun for that price range.

          • Gunfun1,

            I wonder if the Gauntlet trigger, which adjusts in the same manner as the legendary Crosman 160, 167, 180, 187, and 400 triggers, can be adjusted gradually and carefully (the three adjustment screws are interactive with each other) to be just as crisp and light as a Marauder trigger, if not better. My 400 and 160 are adjusted as nice as I would want them to be, although it did take quite a bit of tinkering with my 400, which I acquired first, to get it just right. With that experience adjusting my 160 was easy. They are almost as nice as my FWB 124 trigger, which is definitely better than any Marauder one.

            The question for each potential consumer is if a slightly better trigger is worth spending $500 instead of $300. For some it would be, but not for most. This is not like the $200 difference between a $2800 Anschutz and $2600 Steyr.

            Michael

            • Michael
              No the Marauder trigger is not slightly better than the Gauntlet trigger. It is way, way, way better than the Gauntlet trigger.

              The Gauntlet trigger since we are comparing is close to the feel and build of a Discovery or Maximus trigger. So maybe that will help you understand the Gauntlet trigger better.

              And if you want to see how the Gauntlet trigger adjusts. Go to the Pyramyd AIR Gauntlet page and down load the Gauntlet manual. It’s highlighted on the page. At least that way you will see it’s definitely 100% different than a Marauder trigger.

              • Gunfun1,

                I checked the Gauntlet manual, and it is just like the Crosman 160 trigger. It is not like the Marauder trigger or Discovery/Maximus trigger at all. It’s a “crossbow” design (see below).

                You should take your Gauntlet action out and shorten its second stage and lighten its overall weight. It should get extra crispy! ;^) I saw in the manual that it even has an easy-to-adjust weight. The original ones were trickier.

                Michael

                  • Gunfun1,

                    My 160 and 400 triggers are adjusted for a light, medium length first stage followed by a slightly heavier (I’d guess by 10 ounces to a pound heavier) second stage, which is short and crisp. Its feel is similar to a Rekord or TX trigger. They are easily the best triggers of any CO2 guns of mine.

                    Michael

        • Michael,

          Don’t you think the adjustability /tune-ability of the Mrod sets it apart from the Gauntlet in a significant way? And the removable regulated tank of the Gauntlet is a striking feature that the Mrod lacks. Both of those things could be said to differentiate the two guns, performance-wise.

  8. B.B.,

    You piqued my interest in the differences between airguns that are regulated and those that are not. I believe I understand the basics and there are uses for both systems. I suspect those with unregulated guns have more need of a chronograph than those with regulated guns (although they can benefit from using a chronograph).

    Am I correct about this?

    ~ken

        • Ken
          True what BB said. But you don’t necessarily need a chrony for either. I can watch my air gauge on the gun and see when it drops off the regulator. And same with the unregulated guns. The gun can be filled and you can shoot and watch for POI raise or drop and where it stabilizes and drops again. You just have to watch the gauge.

          When I put the regulator in my Maximus that’s how I did it. And also on my Gauntlet. And just did my new .25 Condor SS like how I just described for unregulated guns. Did them all with out a chrony. I actually didn’t chrony the gun till later for velocity.

          So a chrony is not needed but does make it simpler.

          • Halfstep
            You know there are other ways to keep track of a gun health velocity wise.

            I did this before I got a chrony. Depth of penetration. A pine soft pine 2×4 works great for that. Of course unless you got a real week gun and the pellet doesn’t penetrate and bounces back at you.

            I guess some ballistic clay would be safer though. Anyway there are other options besides a chrony. Even a still paddle with a indicating needle could work. Heck you could just recover the pellet after it hit the spinner. Have you ever heard of splatology.

            • GF1,

              You can hollow out a log to fire a cannon ball but that is not the most practical way to shoot one through the air. The practical way that it’s done also yields the best chance that the ball hits where it’s aimed.

              There is a reason ballistic pendulums went the way of the buggy whip and natural materials vary in density and I don’t think the average shooter is going to be able to measure with the accuracy that would be required to compete with a chronograph. It really is the most practical and accurate way for the average person to measure projectile velocity. IMO

                  • Halfstep
                    If you do something enough you will be surprised how well you can learn to determine something.

                    Here is a picture I took with this phone from my old phone with a cracked screen. It’s something splatology.

                    Trust me if I take a pump gun and shoot at a steel spinner and with different pumps and put each pellet side by side and label pumps. I will be able to determine the difference. Promise you.

                    And these are just random different caliber pellets I picked up. And maybe you should retake the class and try again. And pass this time please. No failing allowed. 😉

  9. B.B.
    Thanks for the report . Also the other day I learned something someone mentioned storing their beeman chief I believe it was at around 1000psi guilty I have been doing that with my stormrider. Just goes to show if you tune in everyday you learn something here.
    Thanks
    Bill

  11. Thanks B.B.
    I am like many of the readers here looking forward to your review of this rifle. I normally lean toward .22 caliber but this one in .177 may be the perfect plinking product. Also I am skeptical of the first reviews of a new product because they may be of a pre production item and not fully represent the production model.
    Gerald

  12. BB
    And you know I do believe your report will be the first official review of a .177 Gauntlet. Everything I have read or seen is on the .22 Gauntlet.

    So I’m glad you chose .177. 🙂

  13. B.B.
    I’m super excited to see this report (been waiting). I have never had a PCP so I don’t know much about them, other than what I read on here. I have a couple questions for you (or others that already own the gun). 1. When you said you could remove the bottle/tank, but you have lose all the air, I take it that meant the air in the tank, right? So I couldn’t just shoot say 10 shots out of a full tank then take it out without looking all the air in the tank.
    2. Can you tell me (if you have time) how many shots the gun could get on a 2000 psi fill? If I were to get into PCP, I’d be a hand pumper, at least for a while.
    Thanks and I will sit back and look forward to the “rest of the story”

    Doc

    • Doc
      My .177 gets about 25 shots from 2000 down to 1200 psi. I have been using the 10 shot magazine instead of the single shot tray. So if you don’t want to fill half a magazine I would call it two magazines at 20 shots. But hopefully BB can let us know what his does.

      And about the bottle. I’m not going to change the bottle on my Gauntlet. But I do have the regulated Air Venturi HPA bottle on my QB79. It has a check ball design and I don’t have to degass it. I can slowly unscrew the bottle and it will slowly let the 1200 regulated pressure out that’s in the gun and won’t let anything out of the bottle. And it’s actually fairly easy to unscrew to let that pressure out and it only takes about 3 seconds for that air to release. It’s not abrupt.

      Now as far as the Ninja bottle that the Gauntlet uses. I don’t know if it has that check ball design. So it may not work like the Air Venturi bottle. So I would warn against trying it on the Gauntlet. Once you did get the bottle off the Gauntlet like it says with the degassing tool. Then you can maybe see what the bottle looks like.

    • The Gauntlet is not too hard to hand pump to 3000 psi according to many comments I’ve seen on the web. From 1100 psi back up to 3000 psi takes 60 to 80 pumps from what I’ve read. For 60 shots in .22 or 70+ in .177, thats not bad. I shoot airguns nearly every day and seldom shoot that much at one time just plinking. Don’t let a hand pump hold you back. I do have a compressor, but could still easily use a hand pump and I’mm 77 years old.

      • Jonah
        My .177 is getting about 60 usable shots per fill. It will go more though. Probably about 75 shots but poi (point of impact) starts dropping at about 65 shots. So I just call it 60 shots.

      • BB
        What I’m thinking is people want o change the bottle out in the feild. Lake say you go to a buddies house to shoot. You just take another bottle like what’s on the gun. Or maybe even a couple. That way you don’t need to lug a hand pump or compressor or bigger buddy bottle or tank.

        But I myself right now don’t have to worry about it. But I think I still would go the route of keeping the bottle attached to the gun and filling with a pump or buddy bottle.

        I know it’s designed for that. But the way I see it is the less I remove the bottle the better. Just less wear and tear on the bottle and the gun that way.

        • Gunfun1,

          If you were to fly with your Gauntlet TSA and the airline will want your cylinder to be depressurized.

          Perhaps that is why Umarex used this approach rather than a bottle that holds its air. Also, a PCP/GAS airgun is considered loaded by some folks if it is pressurized; anything that gets into the bore is a projectile that could be launched.

          shootski

          shootski

      • B.B.
        I see. I didn’t know if maybe it was to be taken off or the air drained if not used up during shooting for this gun. I agree, that if it can be left charged, makes no since to take it off. I’m learning, or at least I’m trying to.

        Doc

      • B.B.,

        Does Gauntlet bottle thread have a “safety” relief hole or slot cut in the thread? Many bottles and adaptors in SCUBA have that to “protect” users who try to unscrew a pressurized vessel; I believe I have also seen that feature on paintball cylinders.

        shootski

      • BB,

        If all the air has to be exhausted how can you put a new full tank on without leaking a bunch of air as you put it on? You don’t have any Tide Pod eaters in your neighborhood that you could encourage to just spin your full bottle off for you ( at a distance, of course ) just to see what happens?

      • Halfstep
        New Barracuda’s. But pretty much same results as the old ones.

        And I think eventually I will get better shooting it. The gun has a bit of kick to it when it shoots. It is not pcp smooth if you know what I mean. So I still need to try some different holds with it.

        I got got to spend some more time with it is what definitely needs to happen.

  15. I just noted the rather short scope rail in front of the loading port. As a check, I just looked at the Maximus and the M-rod and both have (more rail in front), than in the rear, but nearly equal. Not a deal killer, but having the extra total rail length sure is nice to have,… especially when mounting larger/longer optics.

    • Chris
      Here is the scope mounted on my Gauntlet. See what you think.

      And I’m at work and this is the only picture I have of my Gauntlet. So you get to see my WildFire and Condor SS again.

    • Chris
      I forgot to mention what to look at in the picture. If you notice the loading port is moved forward in the breech on the Gauntlet. That’s why the rail looks short in the front.

      The Marauder and Maximus port is more rearward. The scope and rings are basically in the same position on the Gauntlet as the Marauder. But the way the loading port is postioned it gives that affect when looking at it.

      • GF1,

        Thanks for the pic.. Good point on the loading port being more forward and giving the illusion that there is less rail. Total rail length would be the thing to consider then.

        • Chris
          Right and another thing is scope position in relation to legnth of pull. You have to think about eye relief position to the butt of the gun where it meets your shoulder. The scope mounting still ends up giving me good eye relief with no problem.

  16. I received my 177 Gauntlet for Christmas. Between weather, work, and everything else, I’ve had little chance to shoot except at 10M indoors. However, I did get a chance to shoot it at 30 yards for one of the GTA 30 yard rested matches. I hope I’ve go the picture of the target attached. For reference the black circle is 18.44 mm in size. A U.S. dime is 17.9 mm in diameter. I’m very close to having all 20 shots covered by a dime. The target was shot using .177 JSB 10.34 grain pellets, a UTG scope at 16X, and off a MTM Predator rest. (The gun and all other items are from PA.) BTW, the score is not representative of my usual score – it’s normally much lower. I have to say that I have really enjoyed my Gauntlet. No modifications to the Gauntlet; it is completely stock.)

  17. B.B.
    I hope you will thoroughly cycle these degassable removable tanks using a hand pump as it is my impression that some regulated degassable tanks don’t like to refill unless shocked with a sufficiently high pressure source of air.

    • John
      I filled my regulated Air Venturi HPA bottle from empty with a hand pump no problem.

      Now about the Ninja bottle that the Gauntlet uses I don’t know. I have not tryed with the one from my Gauntlet.

      From what I have heard the Ninja bottle uses the same design as the Air Venturi bottle. I just personally have not tryed with a Ninja bottle.

        • John
          Are you thinking about a Gauntlet?

          Don’t know what you have to shoot. But really. For the money the Gauntlet does have what it takes.

          If I had only a given amount of money and with no plans to by another in my life. I would be happy with a Gauntlet from my experience with mine in .177 caliber anyway.

          Do you have other air guns or are you shopping?

        • My two:
          – Benj Trail NP (the original, not the NP2) .22 HW, modified shroud, semi-floated Summit stock, home-tuned including deburing, honing, new Crosman piston seal, JM piston buttons, muzzle crowned, trigger group shimmed/debured, padded cocking lever, w/ CP3-9x40AO (3500CPHPs, 500CPUMs, 175CP pointed hunting, 4500RWS superdomes, 250 JSBExpress, 1000 JSBExacts, 250 H&N FTTs, for a total of over 10K shots so far). Likes Superdomes the best.

          – Falcon Prairie Sporter Carbine .22 Bull Barrel Multi Shot (paid gunsmith to install reg)(probably the last of its kind), Hill pump. Likes pretty much any pellet but I mostly use JSB EXACT Jumbo Diabolo 15.89gr.

          Don’t feel the need for another airgun, but always interested in the new gen of regulated pcp’s.

          Just took delivery on the .22 caliber Pellet Gauge to see if sorting will improve accuracy on the Trail.

          That Bugbuster with sidewheel looks tempting.

          Everything’s from Pyramyd.

  18. Hi all
    This references a couple of earlier comments. Watched a you-tube video yesterday where he took apart his degassed Gauntlet bottle to change the reg. pressure and rifle velocity. In the comments of the video U.A. made it clear that any modifications will void the three year warranty.
    Gerald

  19. I forgot to mention this yesterday about the Gauntlet with all the talk that was going on. And that led me to something else I found.

    Usually when I get a new air gun I will run through all the screws and such and make sure they are tight. Just so it don’t cause a issue later. Well with the Gauntlet everything was well tightened. So another plus for the Gauntlet.

    The other thing I found was with the Condor SS I recently got. After remembering about my normal rule of checking screws and such on a new gun I realized something. I did not check the Condor SS when I got it. So I did. And I found something. And a important something I believe. The two setscrews that secure the top hat on the valve tube was loose. That don’t sound like much but it is. The top hat will screw in or out to adjust how hard the striker contacts it to let a amount of air to flow. So the top hat was moving around to a different position as I shot. I think that might be my slight accuracy problem with it. And I do recall that the sound would change at times when it fired. So another indicator that the power could be changing.

    Needless to say I tightened it up this morning and fired a few tests shots. The sound is where it should be from what I can tell was the more powerful shots yesterday. So we’ll see. Now I got to get some more shooting time in today to see. Hopefully I’ll have a little better groups this next time around.

    Figured I should post about both.

    • A bit of a update on the Condor SS.

      I just tryed some more shots with the Condor SS. I think the loose top hat was the problem.

      I then tryed some with the power wheel turned down from 6 to 4. It still liked the 2650 down to 2000 psi fill but shots tightened up and mildot hold overs still the same.

      I think the end results is the gun is more consistent in velocity now.

      Will have to shoot it more this weekend and see.

  20. GF1
    No mention of removing a charged bottle from the Gauntlet. Hajimoto was about keeping it safe and did give a tip on how to tell it is empty before removing the regulator. I thought a person could have a second regulated bottle with the best pressure for a different pellet.
    Gerald

  21. Ok got to report this.

    I’m watching American air gunner on TV right now. Guess what is on. Tyler and Rossi shooting Gauntlet’s side by side. Tyler is shooting a .177 and Rossi is shooting a .22 caliber. They are shooting at 25, 50, and 75 yards.

    First they mention the wind is blowing pretty good and you can see the flags flapping around. At 25 yards they both got one hole 5 shot group’s. At 50 yards both got under a dime size 5 shot group. Then they ended by shooting plastic army men off of a board at 75 yards. All hits made.

    And they didn’t say what brand pellets but they did say the weight. The .177 was 10 grain and the .22 was 14 grain. The .177 was in the low 900 fps range and the .22 was in the 800’s.

    Pretty cool stuff and perfect timing for BB’s report.

      • Halfstep
        Yep I know the show can be found on You Tube. But thanks for the thought.

        I was sitting down eating lunch and knew the show was on so I watch it when I get a chance. Just figured I would post it since BB is finally reviewing it.

        • GF1,

          The only way I have to watch it is on YouTube. Is it a regular cable/ satellite show and if so, was this a rerun? I saw it in November or December 2017.

          I watched it back to see it I could catch a glimpse of the pellet tins and had no luck. The .22 looked to be in one of those giant JSB tins and the .177s looked to have a press on lid. That’s all the clues I could find.

          • Halfstep
            It is satellite. Can’t get cable out where I’m at. All I know is it was on and I was happy to see them shooting the Gauntlet in (both) calibers instead of only .22 caliber.

            And I didn’t pay attention to what pellet tins they had by them.

  22. BB,

    Interesting to read that the Gauntlet is not just a price-point PCP, but also the rifle that defined the class. I guess that explains the name; Umarex threw down the gauntlet to its rivals with the launch of this sub-$300 feature laden PCP.

    A few years ago Umarex launched another PCP that broke the price barrier in Europe – the Walther Rotex RM8. It is a much more elegant rifle that the Gauntlet, about 5 inches shorter, half a pound lighter, and sporting an eye catching Minelli wood stock. It is a big seller on this side of the Atlantic, where it costs only as much as a Hatsan AT44, even though it has a regulator and Lothar Walther barrel, not to mention superior build quality.

    To my amazement though the Rotex RM8 seems to have been largely ignored in the US, where it is marketed as the Walther Rotek. Can you tell me why this rifle has generated so little interest stateside? You took a photo of it at the 2015 SHOT Show but, as far as I can tell, have never tested it.

    • Bob,

      No, I have never tested the Rotek. I guess it doesn’t seem that interesting to me. It’s basically a Hammerli 850 AirMagnum that has been converted to use with air instead of CO2. People were doing that for years before Umarex came out with the Rotek, so I suppose it looked like old news to the market.

      B.B.

  23. BB,

    Also, at the price it is sold at in the US (considerably more than the Hatsan AT44) the Rotek is not quite the bargain it is in Europe. I’d still love to see you test it though,as despite its humble origins it is by most accounts an excellent PCP. It caused quite a stir upon release in Europe, offering performance at nearly the level of the Air Arms S510 and Weihrauch HW100, but at half the price.

  25. Bob Ryan

    When I was researching my PCP purchase the Rotek was a strong contender and I agree it should get more attention. I do believe it would fall into the category I refer to as hybrid, using some elite quality components, including the barrel, and some lower grade, including the trigger. Reviews on it are excellent. I’m not sure there’s anything comparable at its price point with such a nice stock.

    • Idaho,

      Someone brought that Rotek up over the last few days. I looked it up and had a hard time getting past the bumped up rear stock. Other than that, it looked real nice.

      How are you making out with that new Daystate Wolverine? Weather still too bad to do any serious testing yet?

      Chris

  26. Chris

    I believe it’s the way they carved out the underside of the otherwise nice Minnelli stock that gives it an odd appearance. I think that’s part of why it’s not popular. Unfortunate.

    We’ve had nasty weather with heavy snow, rain and wind so no shooting yet. March should be better.

  27. Sorry, I don’t have time to read all the great comments, but here are a few of my own from what I have discovered about the Gauntlet.

    First off, I was in the first wave to get the gun after waiting a year for it.
    Right out of the box, apart came the trigger and I polished all the trigger parts with 2000 girt wet and dry sand paper. Then added molly grease. I also changed the pull weight spring and now I have a zero creep, no grit single stage trigger that breaks as easy as some of my $$$ spring gun triggers.

    I polished the cocking arm internals also and ran JB bore paste through the barrel.

    The one thing that didn’t take long to find at all is how easy the point of aim moves if the barrel is bumped. There is a lot of weight hanging off that pencil thin barrel that is only held in place with two small grub screws and no further support.

    I installed a Hajimoto barrel band and added two pieces of flat iron stock supports off the receiver that are screwed into the metal shroud.

    This set up seems to have kept the POI under some degree of control, but even with all that stiffening, I am still very careful not to bump the barrel.

    For a cheap gun, it performs well and I have often been able to shoot one hole groups at 40 yards, some way less than dime size, but that barrel movement almost made it a selling point.

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