Monthly Archives: August 2018

Benjamin 700 multi-pump repeater: Part 3

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2

A history of airguns

Benjamin 700
Benjamin 700 repeating BB gun.

This report covers:

  • Wrong ammunition
  • Two big clues
  • Filling the BB gun
  • The test
  • Sight-in with Daisy BBs
  • Pressure too high
  • Hornady Black Diamonds
  • Getting used to the gun
  • Daisy Match Grade shot
  • Bottom line

Today we learn how accurate the Benjamin 700 multi-pump repeating BB gun is. And we will learn a lot more than that. Let’s go!

Wrong ammunition

Some of you know how I harp on calling a BB gun a BB caliber and NOT .177/4.5mm. Because it’s not! A steel BBs is 0.171- to 0.1735-inches in diameter. It may not matter to people buying one BB gun at a discount store, but to someone like me who has to shoot oddball new and old airguns from all over the world, it makes a big difference.

The Benjamin promotional pamphlet from the 1930s says these guns (the model 600, 700 and 300) use steel Air Rifle Shot of 0.175-inches in diameter. There’s just one problem with that. As far as I can tell, nobody ever made steel Air Rifle Shot in anything but 0.171-0.1735-inches. I wondered if it was possible that the Benjamin writers of that pamphlet were as cavalier back in the 1930s as BB manufacturers are today. Did they really want us to use Air Rifle Shot that is 0.171 to 0.1735-inches in diameter and not LEAD Air Rifle Shot that is 0.175-inches? They did emphasize not using lead balls in these guns. read more

Diana Chaser air pistol: Part 1

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Diana Chaser air pistol
The Diana Chaser is a new CO2 pistol.

This report covers:

  • Chaser rifle
  • Crosman challenge!
  • The pistol
  • Grip is off
  • The bolt
  • CO2 chamber
  • More CO2
  • HOWEVER
  • Sights
  • Composition
  • Trigger
  • Bag
  • Evaluation
  • Summary

Okay, Bob, this one’s for you! Several readers have asked me to test the new Diana Chaser air pistol, but my brother-in-law, Bob, has been the most vocal. Not that he wants to buy a pistol — he is interested in the Diana Chaser air rifle that is built on the same frame. Today I’m starting the test of a .177-caliber Diana Chaser air pistol. Both the rifle and pistol come in .177 or .22 caliber.

Chaser rifle

The Chaser rifle comes with everything you need to convert it into a Chaser pistol. The owner’s manual describes how that is done. At this time I think that is the only way you can go. I don’t see the parts needed to convert the pistol into the rifle. So, the rifle and pistol combination together seems like the better deal than just the pistol by itself. Unless price is an issue. Give that some thought before you buy either gun. read more

Hellboy semiautomatic BB gun: Part 3

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2

Hellboy BB gun
The Hellboy BB gun is a realistic semiautomatic repeater.

This report covers:

  • The test
  • Air Venturi Steel BBs
  • Adjusted the sights
  • Hornady Black Diamond BBs
  • Dust Devils
  • Discussion
  • Summary

Today we look at the accuracy of the new Hellboy semiautomatic BB gun. Let’s get right to the test.

The test

I shot the Hellboy off a UTG Monopod rest at 5 meters. I said in Part 2 that if the gun was accurate enough at 5 meters I would extend the range to 10 meters for another test. We will see today if that is going to happen.

Reader GunFun1 wanted a video of me shooting at a can, but that’s not interesting for several reasons. First, if the can is missed the viewers have no idea by how much. And hitting a soda can with a BB gun doesn’t show up well on film. It’s better in person. But if the Hellboy is accurate enough, I have a plan for how to do what GF1 wants. read more

Hatsan 135 QE Vortex .30-caliber pellet rifle: Part 1

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Hatsan 135 30 caliber rifle
Hatsan’s .30 caliber 135 QE Vortex is a large breakbarrel — both in size and caliber.

This report covers:

  • Not only no…
  • Calibers
  • Description
  • Stock
  • Trigger
  • Sights
  • Scope base
  • Ammunition
  • Do you own one?

This is the airgun I mentioned at the end of yesterday’s report. The Hatsan 135 QE Vortex .30-caliber pellet rifle is intriguing because the caliber is so large. This is the only big bore breakbarrel I know of. But is it practical? Is it worth the effort (stay tuned for that!)? Is this an air rifle you can do anything with besides brag? I intend finding out.

Not only no…

It was 2006. I was in Josh Ungier’s office in Pyramyd Air’s old location. Josh had been showing me different cool things, like the pump-assist Benjamin 392 they were working on and we were having a great time, just talking airguns. Then he got a cagey look in his eye, which for Josh was common because he always had something bizarre cooking. He reached behind his desk and pulled out a large breakbarrel rifle and handed it to me. “Cock it, Thomas,” he said. Josh always calls me Thomas. read more

Ten-meter accuracy test — Daisy 499 versus Haenel 310

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

A history of airguns

This report covers:

  • Another failure!
  • The test
  • 499
  • Discussion 1
  • Haenel 310
  • Discussion 2
  • CZ75 P-07 Duty accuracy at 10 meters
  • Summary

I put today’s report in the historical section because it relates to both the Haenel 310 and the Diana model 30 that we tested recently. In the comments to the Diana 30 test the question was raised about which would be more accurate at 10 meters — the Daisy 499 Challenger or the Haenel model 310. I said I thought the 310 would beat the 499 because it is rifled, but several readers wanted to see. So, today we see.

Another failure!

Before I get to the results of today’s test, let me fill you in on another irony. I was going to test the accuracy of the Benjamin 700 today and the gun jammed as I started to shoot. This one has a happy ending, because I got it unjammed and working again, but that was after today’s test. There is more sweet irony in the story that unfolded there, but I will hold off on that until we get to the report. read more

Daisy Number 12 model 29 single shot BB gun: Part 2

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Daisy model 29
Daisy Number 12 model 29 single shot BB gun.

Part 1

A history of airguns

This report covers:

  • Today’s test
  • Where to get the right BBs?
  • The test
  • Test 1
  • Air Venturi Steel BBs
  • Daisy Match Grade Precision Ground Shot
  • Failure!
  • 4.4+mm lead balls
  • What is it?
  • End of the report

Boy, am I excited about today’s report! I have owned this Daisy Number 12 Model 29 for many years but have never tested it like I am about to. I oiled the plunger/piston about 3 weeks ago, and it is nice and juicy now. The gun has a leather piston seal, so that’s important.

Today’s test

Today is velocity day, but there is more than just running the gun through the chronograph. I will start with the ammunition.

The first BBs were sized 0.180-inches in diameter, nominally, because they were shotgun birdshot, size BB. That lasted until roughly 1905, when Daisy downsized the lead BB shot to 0.175-inches and started calling it Air Rifle Shot. There is always a transition period as the old goes away and the new takes over. That move saved on lead and the BBs went faster because they were lighter. read more

Hellboy semiautomatic BB gun: Part 2

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1

Hellboy BB gun
The Hellboy BB gun is a realistic semiautomatic repeater.

This report covers:

  • Preparation
  • Velocity Air Venturi Steel BBs
  • Rapid cool-down
  • Loading the magazine
  • Velocity Daisy BBs
  • Velocity Dust Devils
  • Shot count
  • Discharge sound
  • Trigger pull
  • Evaluation so far

Today we look at the power and velocity of the new Hellboy semiautomatic BB gun. According to the website description, we are to expect to see 495 f.p.s. That’s extremely fast for a BB gun!

Preparation

To get ready for this test I loaded a fresh CO2 cartridge into the magazine. If you remember, though, I told you this first cartridge exhausted a lot of gas before it sealed. I am testing the gun with this same cartridge that leaked a lot. I can’t say how many shots were lost, but it was several. For that reason, I did something different in today’s test to compensate. I’ll explain it when we get there. read more