Monthly Archives: September 2018

Benjamin Fortitude precharged rifle: Part 2

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1

Benjamin Fortitude
The Benjamin Fortitude precharged air rifle.

This report covers:

  • Point one
  • Crosman Premier lites
  • JSB Exact Heavy
  • Why such a large velocity spread?
  • Air Arms Falcons
  • RWS Superdomes
  • Shot count
  • Cocking effort
  • Trigger pull
  • Inlet valve failed
  • Evaluation so far

Today we look at the velocity of the Benjamin Fortitude. As this is one of the new price point PCPs, this test should be interesting.

Point one

My test rifle leaked down from the initial fill in three hours. I had filled it to 3,000 psi, then set it aside to do other work. When I returned three hours later nearly all the air had leaked out. However when I refilled it, I couldn’t hear a leak. It was apparently slow enough to allow testing, so I proceeded.

Crosman Premier lites

The first pellet I tested was the Crosman Premier 7.9-grain dome. They averaged 885 f.p.s. over 10 shots. The low was 872 and the high was 900 f.p.s. That’s an 18 f.p.s. spread. At the average velocity this pellet produced 13.74 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle. read more

Umarex Trevox air pistol: Part 2

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1

Umarex Trevox air pistol
The Umarex Trevox is a single shot breakbarrel gas spring air pistol.

This report covers:

  • RWS Hobby
  • Discussion
  • JSB Exact Heavy
  • Sig Match Ballistic Alloy
  • Firing behavior
  • Cocking effort
  • Trigger pull
  • Summary

Today we look at the velocity of the new Umarex Trevox air pistol. I said in Part 1 that this is a pistol to watch, so consider today’s report watching!

RWS Hobby

First up will be the RWS Hobby pellet. I’m going to show you more than just the average velocity today, because there is something more to learn from this test. Let’s look at the first 4 shots.

Shot………..Velocity
1……………..708
2……………..665
3……………..656
4……………..617

The Trevox started out dieseling strongly, like so many spring guns do when they are new. Veteran airgunners are used to this, but it may surprise a newcomer to the hobby. Let’s resume this string at shot 5. read more

Hy Score 816/Diana model 6 pistol: Part 2

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1

A history of airguns

Hy Score 816
This Hy Score 816 is a Diana model 6 recoilless target pistol. This is the photo from the auction.

This report covers:

  • RWS Hobby
  • Qiang Yuan Training pellets
  • Trigger improved
  • Sig Match Ballistic Alloy
  • Cocking effort
  • Trigger pull
  • I goofed on the trigger
  • Summary

Today we look at the velocity of my new/old Diana model 6 target pistol. There was a lot of interest in this gun last Friday — more than I expected. I really do feel fortunate to have acquired it. Now that I’ve learned that a reseal could cost over $200 with shipping, I really hope this one is doing okay! Let’s find out together.

RWS Hobby

First up is the lead lightweight, the RWS Hobby wadcutter. These are often the fastest lead pellets in an airgun, though my Diana model 5 actually shot a heavier target pellet faster. Let’s see what this pistol does. read more

Hy Score 816/Diana model 6 pistol: Part 1

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

A history of airguns

Hy Score 816
This Hy Score 816 is a Diana model 6 recoilless target pistol. This is the photo from the auction.

This report covers:

  • The deal
  • Almost a PCP!
  • Sights
  • Model 6 variations
  • My pistol
  • Hold
  • Size
  • Power
  • Cocking
  • Trigger
  • The real world

It’s Friday and you now know what pistol shot that small group this week. It was a Hy Score 816 that’s actually a Diana model 6 target pistol. I had told you that I won this auction on Gun Broker. In fact, let’s look at what I said.

A seller had listed a Hy Score model 816 pistol for $119.99. Now, if you have listened to reader ChrisUSA, you have purchased your Blue Book of Airguns that has a manufacturer cross-reference table in the back. Hy Score was based in Brooklyn and did manufacture some airguns in the 1940s through the ’60s. They also bought airguns made by other companies that were marked with their name — not unlike business is done today. One company they bought from was Diana. I search Hy Score listings frequently, hoping to stumble across a model 807 rifle which is really — quick, someone tell me! That’s right, it’s a Diana model 27. read more

Benjamin Fortitude precharged rifle: Part 1

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Benjamin Fortitude
The Benjamin Fortitude precharged air rifle.

This report covers:

  • Price-point PCP
  • Not a Marauder!
  • Description
  • Stock
  • Shrouded barrel
  • Free-floated barrel
  • Regulator
  • Impressive!
  • Conclusions

Today we begin our look at yet another price-point PCP — the Benjamin Fortitude. Unlike the Umarex Gauntlet that was the first price-point PCP to be announced, and then suffered early launch jitters, the Fortitude stayed under wraps until the airgun company formerly known as Crosman decided it was ready.

Price-point PCP

What is a price-point PCP? An argument could be made that the Benjamin Discovery was the first one, though if you go down that path you will soon turn up a crowd of similarly low-priced PCPs. We have looked at several of them over the years. But they are not what I am calling price-point PCPs. Those airguns are fine, basic airguns. A price-point PCP is a precharged pneumatic that offers features formerly found only on guns costing many times the penny-under-$300 that the market has decided to make the line in the sand. In short, a price-point PCP (PPP) is one that gives a lot of value for the price. read more

Diana Chaser air pistol: Part 3

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2

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

This report covers:

  • The test
  • Qiang Yuan Match pellets
  • Adjusted the sights
  • JSB Exact RS
  • Pellets jamming
  • Trigger pull changed
  • Sig Match Ballistic Alloy
  • RWS Superdome
  • The magazine
  • Open sights visible?
  • RWS Superdomes through the magazine
  • Discussion
  • Surprise!

Today is accuracy day for the Diana Chaser air pistol. I threw in some extra tests just for fun. This should be interesting, so let’s go!

The test

I shot off a sandbag rest at 10 meters. I used the single shot tray for the first 4 groups, then switched to the magazine for the final group. There were some interesting results that I couldn’t have predicted.

Qiang Yuan Match pellets

I shot the first group with Qiang Yuan Match pellets. No particular reason for that, other than I had them ready. They hit the target low and to the left, but I left the sights where they were and shot all 10 pellets. They landed in a group that measures 1.052-inches between centers. This was larger than I had hoped for the Chaser. read more

Hatsan 135 QE Vortex .30-caliber pellet rifle: Part 3

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2

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

This report covers:

  • The test
  • Sight-in
  • JSB Exact 44.75 grain
  • JSB Exact 50.15-grain
  • Predator Polymag
  • Next
  • JSB domes at 25 yards
  • Predator Polymags
  • Polymags with the tips removed
  • Popeye?
  • What’s next?
  • Summary

Time for me to bend the bow of Ulysses and see what it can do. Today I have a slightly different accuracy test for you.

The test

I tested the rifle at both 10 meters and 25 yards. I shot 5-shot groups today because this rifle is just too hard for me to cock. A tired BB is a sloppy BB. All shooting was off a sandbag rest in the normal fashion and I used the artillery hold, both because I knew the rifle would be twitchy, something several readers confirmed.

Sight-in

Sight-in took five shots. As it came from the package the rifle was shooting high and right. The open sights have scales to tell you where they are and I found the windage scale most helpful, getting on target. read more