Monthly Archives: January 2019

Air Venturi Seneca Aspen .25-caliber precharged pneumatic air rifle: Part 1

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

Seneca Aspen PCP
The Air Venturi Seneca Aspen precharged pneumatic air rifle.

This report covers:

  • Pay attention!
  • The .25 is different
  • The real reason to buy an Aspen!
  • A brand new gun
  • The manual
  • Physical differences between the rifles
  • Things that come with the rifle
  • Power
  • Description
  • Summary

Pay attention!

Read this paragraph, because I don’t want to have this discussion a hundred more times. The Air Venturi Seneca Aspen PCP with a built-in pump is a complex airgun. The complexity isn’t in the design or in the build — it’s in how the rifle operates. So I have provided the links to the first 5 reports on the .22-caliber rifle I already tested last year, for those who want to go back and see how I tested it. After today’s report I will only link to the test of this rifle.

The Aspen is a PCP that also has a built-in pump, so it can also operate like a multi-pump pneumatic. In my opinion, at least to this point in the testing, it makes more sense to operate the gun as a multi-pump, because you can then regulate the pressure in the reservoir. That gives you precise control over the velocity, where just filling it like a PCP will only give a handful of shots. All this is speculation, because I have not yet done the testing, but after seeing the pressure curves in Parts 2 and 3 of the test of the other rifle (in the links provided above) I am almost certain that I’m right. read more

I don’t think about the money anymore

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

This report covers:

  • Missed it
  • Been there, done that — got the tee shirt, wore it out
  • Joltin’ Joe
  • The savings?
  • Buy what you need
  • The point
  • My situation
  • Bottom line

Missed it

There was a man who served in the American Army, and from the beginning of 1974 until almost 1978 he was stationed in Germany. Toward the end of his time there, let’s call it sometime in the last year, he had the opportunity to purchase a new Mercedes Benz 300D sedan for $10,300. He had the money to finance the purchase, but at the last moment he thought to himself, what am I doing? I’m about to pay ten thousand dollars for a car! When I left San Jose, California three years ago, I could have bought any number of nice condominiums for $14,000, and in El Paso, Texas, where I last served, I could have bought a three-bedroom house for $12,000. What am I doing, paying this much for a car? read more

2019 SHOT Show: Part 5

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

This report covers:

  • Diana model 30
  • Leapers
  • The really big news!
  • The King Bug Buster!
  • UTG Micro Reflex dot sight
  • P.O.I. rings in 11mm
  • Hatsan Speedfire
  • Crosman Triple threat
  • ASG
  • Summary

Diana model 30

We were in the Diana booth at the end of Part 4. There is one more thing I want to show you in that booth. We talked about it last year, but when I tested a vintage one, it failed during the test. Last August I reported about the Diana model 30. I told you then that this was an airgun that was made from 1972 through 2000. Well, I learned from a Diana representative that the model 30 is still in production today, and that it sells to shooting gallery operators for 1,000 Euro, which is $1,141 as I write this. So the price of $1,000 back in the 1980s wasn’t as far out of line as I had thought. read more

Webley Mark VI service revolver with battlefield finish: Part 2

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1

Webley Mark VI
Webley Mark VI service revolver with battlefield finish. This one is rifled and shoots pellets.

This report covers:

  • History and new together
  • The firearm
  • Field strip
  • Differences between firearm and pellet gun
  • Disassembly of the pellet gun
  • Loading the pellet gun
  • The rear sight
  • Summary

History and new together

This is Monday when I usually write an historical report about an airgun or something. Well this is about the pellet revolver called the Webley Mark VI with battlefield finish, which is a modern air pistol, but today’s report will also be historical. Remember — I own both the pellet gun and the firearm it is patterned after.

Normally Part 2 is the velocity report. Today, though, we will be looking at some things we don’t usually get to see in an airgun report. Let’s begin with one of the big ones — field stripping the revolver. read more

2019 SHOT Show: Part 4

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

This report covers:

  • Synergis
  • Gamo USA
  • The story
  • It gets better
  • AirForce Airguns
  • Diana Mauser K98 PCP
  • Summary

Synergis

We were in the Umarex booth in the last report, so we’ll start there. The one other airgun that caught my eye in that booth was the new Synergis underlever repeater. Yes, this is yet another spring-piston rifle that repeats!

Umarex Synergis
The Synergis from Umarex looks exciting. Photo courtesy Umarex USA.

This rifle has a gas piston/spring, yet is quite easy to cock. I am guessing it’s between 25 and 30 pounds of effort. It gets 1,000 f.p.s. with .177-caliber lead pellets and 1.200 with alloy pellets. It has a 12-shot rotary magazine, so it’s another spring-piston repeater. But this one has an underlever, so the mag is lower than usual with a springer that repeats. It has a shrouded barrel for quiet shooting and comes bundled with a 3-9X32 scope and rings. But wait for it — the really big news is the price. The Synergis retails for $169.95! When Umarex marketing manager Justin Biddle told me that I said, “What?” I expected $100 more. read more

2019 SHOT Show: Part 3

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2

This report covers:

  • Air Venturi TR5
  • Webley Nemesis pistol
  • Ataman BP17 PCP bullpup
  • Badabang!
  • Velocity Outdoors (Crosman and Benjamin)
  • Crosman Triple Threat
  • Ravin crossbows
  • Umarex
  • Ruger 10/22
  • Summary

We are still at the Air Venturi booth as we open today’s report, having just looked at the M1 Carbine. Let’s see what else they are showing.

Air Venturi TR5

The Air Venturi TR5 target rifle was shown and announced at the 2018 SHOT Show, but never made it to the dealer’s shelves last year. I was told we could expect it early in 2019. I think that means by April-May. That’s my fudge on their March stocking date.

The rifle will come in both the original black as well as a new bright green color that resembles the stock on the Umarex Embark more than a little! I asked if they were going to be targeting the SAR program and was told, “We’ll see.” read more

2019 SHOT Show: Part 2

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1

This report covers:

  • Clarification
  • Hatsan Vectis
  • Nova Star
  • Hatsan Speedfire
  • Air Venturi M1 Carbine
  • The stock
  • The rear sight
  • Summary

Clarification

This report is about the first day the SHOT Show 2019 was open. I must begin with a clarification. The Sig MPX PCP I reported yesterday has a name I never mentioned. It’s called a Virtus. I visited the Sig booth this morning because my pictures of the guns taken at the range weren’t that good, and that’s when I learned the name. So, It’s a Virtus that we are waiting for.

Virtus
The new Sig PCP is called the Virtus.

Hatsan Vectis

I started the day at the Hatsan booth, where Hatsan’s Cecil Bays showed me the new Vectis lever action PCP repeater. It’s available in .177. 22 and .25 with magazine capacities of 14, 12, and 10 shots, respectively. The lever both cocks the rifle and advances and feeds the next pellet. It runs on 200 bar air pressure (2900 psi — hurrah!) and gets 29 foot-pounds, 38 foot-pounds and 40 foot-pounds, respectively. read more