by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier
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.
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.
Cecil ,Bays holds the Hatsan Vectis lever action PCP.
Although most shooters will mount a scope, the Vectis comes standard with flip-up front and rear sights. They can be removed for a cleaner look when using optics.
The lever has an amazingly short 45-degree throw for rapid fire. It will be almost as fast as a semiauto. And the safety is manual, so you really can move as fast as possible! The rifle can be manually uncocked, as well.
The Vectis lever throw is short for fast recovery.
Nova Star
The Hatsan Nova is not new, but in 2019 the Nova Star will join it in the lineup. The Nova Star has a beautiful Turkish walnut stock, a manual safety a 480cc air tank that does not come off the gun and no silencer. NO SILENCER!!!??
Yes, Hatsan wanted to give you a rifle that is as short as possible, so instead of a conventional silencer or shrouded barrel they provided a 1/2-inch by 20 thread coupling at the muzzle to accept aftermarket silencers. Everyone doesn’t need a silencer. Hunters can either run it loud or decide which aftermarket silencer they want to attach.
The Nova Star is a new shorter Nova that has lighter weight and shorter overall length than the Nova.
Hatsan Speedfire
Hatsan also climbed on the repeating breakbarrel bandwagon with Crosman and Gamo by introducing their Speedfire rifle. The Speedfire comes in both .177 and .22 calibers and gets 14 shots in .177 and 12 in .22. The safety on this rifle is automatic, which is because even though your hand should not be exposed to any danger while cocking, the action still is open and Hatsan doesn’t want it closing unexpectedly. There is a shock-absorbing scope rail so medium-height rings are all that’s needed for the bundled 3-9X32 scope to clear the magazine.
What is really unusual about the Speedfire is the front and rear sight. The front sight tucks out of the way when you don’t want it and flips up when you do.
Hatsan’s new Speedfire breakbarrel repeater has a few new tricks! Photo courtesy of Hatsan USA.
Air Venturi M1 Carbine
Moving on from the Hatsan booth I moved over to Air Venturi who was just two aisles away. They have so many new products that I won’t get to all of them in this report. But let me get to the most important one first — the Springfield Armory M1 Carbine!
Air Venturi’s Tyler Patner holds the new super-realistic M1 Carbine BB gun from Springfield Armory!
Normally I am the one telling you about the airguns, but in this case you readers were ahead of me and had absorbed each detail of the press release like sponges. So I will get right to the stuff you care about.
The stock
The stock is synthetic, but it is extremely well done. It feels solid and the wood grain looks the part. I am a Carbine afficionado, so this is more than a fanboy opinion. Springfield Armory nailed it! However, for those who absolutely cannot touch anything that is not real, a wood stock is an option. And, may I remind you that Mr. Spock assures us that nothing unreal exists!
The airsoft Carbine was in the genuine wood stock that will be an option for the BB gun.
The rear sight
You also wanted to know about the rear sight. Does it only adjust for windage and not elevation? Yes — only windage. Tyler assures me the one he has tested was on for elevation at a BB gun distance (16-25 feet). Why didn’t they make it adjustable for elevation, as well? We don’t know at this time.
And here is that elusive picture some of you wanted — how the rear sight attaches to the Carbine.
It looks to me like the rear sight can be swapped for an original type II or III adjustable M1 Carbine rear sight that has both windage and elevation. They cost, so be prepared to spend some money to get one, but I believe it will work.
This Carbine also comes with the bayonet lug that only came later in the production run. Does it accept a genuine bayonet? It looks like it might, but as I had none to try we will have to wait to see.
I asked for a Carbine to test as soon as possible, but it will still be awhile. I told them I’m buying the one they send, so they won’t release the one sample they have! Shoulda lied, I guess. Tyler admitted to me that for the first half of Day One, the Carbine was their top attraction! Crosman did well in 1966. Springfield Armory has also done well in 2019!
The BB Carbine has full blowback, which just adds to the realism!
Summary
This is just the beginning. I left the show at 3:30 p.m. to get back to my room and have supper by 4:30. Then I massaged all the pix and wrote this report, scheduling it to publish just prior to 9 p.m. That is midnight on the east coast, where WordPress lives. So This stuff is hot off my fat little fingers.
Guys, there is a LOT more to come — I can assure you! All the airguns guys are running around this show, trying to scoop each other. It ain’t like the old days, when I was one of just a few who cared. Stay tuned!
Everyone,
You will notice that this was published a few minutes late. That’s how much under the gun I was to get it out!
B.B.
Hey B.B.
Was there any discussion of a wood stock Vectis Model? Lever action is fantastic! No tube mag sadly, but still fantastic!
-W
Winterz,
None that I heard. Maybe that will come in a while, but who knows. The molds for these synthetic stocks cost so much that I think they wan to get their money back from them first.
B.B.
BB—Regarding the M1 carbine rear sight— I think that they copied the front sight , and it is so high that the carbine shoots low. So low that they had to elevate the peep to its highest position ( 300 yds on the firearm). Since there was no reason to lower the peep, they made it in one , non adjustable piece ( 3 pieces in the firearm). Also, they did not have to pay someone to assemble the peep to the slide. There is no point in putting the firearm sight on this bb carbine. You would have to set it to its highest setting to be on target. It might be possible to borrow an idea that was used on black powder rifle sights, Remove the existing peep. Drill and tap a vertical hole in the sight base. Insert a screw with a peep on top. Cut the screw to the length needed to zero the sight. Have several peep sights for different ranges. I shoot my Gletcher 1944 out to 25 yards. I would not be happy with this carbine if I could only use it at short range. Perhaps I would rather have a pellet version, if they decide to make one. ——Ed
Ed,
That is certainly good reasoning. It sounds good to me.
B.B.
B.B,
That M1 carbine certainly looks cool, but I’m with Ed on this one;
I hope the Air Venturi folk read this blog and make a pellet version.
Even if the capacity had to be a bit less, it would be awesome if they could have a magazine like this:
/blog/2018/11/sig-sauer-p320-m17-co2-pellet-pistol-part-2/
(and a rifled barrel, of course! =>)
Then you would have a nice, accurate CO2 repeater M1 Carbine…too cool!
Thanks for the excellent report,
dave
I also believe the rotary Sig mag should be adapted to Carbines and select fire pistols like the Mauser 712. I can live with a bbM1 Carbine, but would like to see a folding stock paratrooper version and a dual co2 30 round select fire M2
every front site mostly with peeps should be high so you can file it to where you want the zero. I had a few guns even black powder where the front site to low
B.B.
Nice work reporting it all. At some point please find out more about Hatsan’s shock-absorbing scope rail.
If this is more than just a rubber pad, it could be a real game changer.
-Y
Yogi,
I think it is just rubber bushings where the screws attach to the spring tube. That’s pretty much what you said. But I will go back and ask.
B.B.
BB,
I thought I would be giving a blowback Glock replica to my brother as a way to get him excited about airguns. Since he started carrying his firearm version he thinks the sun rises and sets on them and can’t understand why other companies even bother making guns. Unfortunately, the things I’ve seen reported about the newest Glocks leave me thinking he won’t be impressed. The good news is that the only thing he likes as well as his Glock is the M1 carbine that he can hardly afford to shoot. One of these Springfields may be just the ticket if they pan out. Will be awaiting your testing in the near future, I hope.
You have reported in the past how unsuccessful makers have been in producing self loading break barrels in the past. Why do you think that suddenly it looks as if we are going to have as many as 4 varieties available very soon?
Under “The stock”, I think you are probably a Carbine “aficionado” rather than “affcionado”
Half
Thanks Half,
I had NO time to edit this one!
B.B.
BB,
Don’t sweat it. Still the best written reports going.
Now, why have the self-loading break barrels suddenly started working? Are they all copies of the Gamo design?
Half
Half,
They are not copies. Each one has to operate somewhat differently to get around patents. What happened is Gamo figured it out first and the market exploded, so the others are playing catch up. Now Gamo is introducing a new design. TCFKAC announced their Mag-Fire last year and it has not yet come to market.
Half,
All they have done is emulate the function. Each of them is doing it in their own unique way.
B.B.
BB
About that rear site, remember, it was designed for an ‘airsoft’ rifle and probably just carried over without much thought. Its made in Taiwan so Springfield’s involvement amounts to a trademark. Still a nice touch.
Check out yesterdays blog for a pic of the rear sight mounting exposed. No dovetail there for M1 sight to mount to just two square cut outs and it’s wider than a real M1 sight so you can’t just transfer the screw adjuster assembly.
I checked out the bayonet lug and it seems to be the exact same set-up as an M1 Carbine. However it is made of aluminum and may not stand up to any real use or rough handling. Just for display. Airsoft may have a plastic bayonet?
Now for the somewhat bad news. It will not just drop into any stock designed for a real M1 Carbine. It may with some work. The trigger/ magazine area of the receiver is wider around the trigger. (see pic) The upper mount point / tab is about a half inch longer, also aluminum, and looks to be utilizing a wood screw instead of a machine screw that goes through the stock and engages a nut imbedded just behind the trigger. I have not taken it apart to see if the rest of the stock inside matches a real M1 stock yet.
Would be nice to have a folding or sliding stock option though. Hint Hint !
Bob M
Bob,
That plastic sure looks like real wood in your photo. You are making me drool to the point I might dehydrate.
Michael
Michael
That is the wood stock above the real M1Carbine. It has been out in the airsoft version for some time now.
BB,
The Nova Star certainly is a nice looking air rifle. For some reason Hatsan certainly seems to struggle with aesthetics with many of their air rifles. Yes, I know “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, but some of their airguns are just plain b’ugly.
RR,
On their wood stocked guns,… they look like something that a stock maker (mid-level) might put together. Not bad, but not great either. Only a gut feeling, but it seems that they have settled on this level of craftsmanship,… and dare I say it?,…….. maybe even consider it to be their “own” style. Really,… I am not sure. Maybe, they need to get it dead on with synthetics and leave it at that.
As I have said in the past,…. I do though like their ability to innovate.
Chris
Chris,
The Webley/Hatsan Tomahawk I have has a pretty nice stock on it. It looks nice and fits well. They can do well when they set their mind to it. Of course that also runs the price up.
BB
If you run across any new semi-auto pcp’s I would like to hear about them. Just a name of the company and the guns name would be great.
Also thought maybe you can put a bug in the ear of your new friends at Crosman and see if they have thought about making a true semi-auto pcp like the Monsoon and Sortie and Bullmaster and such. Not a trigger controlled indexing action. I would really like to see them make one knowing how they are about parts availability and such. And thinking about it maybe I just put a bug in their ear. 🙂
B.B.,
All of this understandable excitement over the M1 carbine has me ready to grab my Crosman in the basement and put a dozen BBs into my BB trap!
Michael
Michael!
ONLY 12? 13 if bakers dozen?
shootski
Shootski,
Have you ever cocked a Crosman M1 carbine? I would say it is harder to cock than my Gamo Socom Hunter Extreme, which is 50-something pounds.
Seriously, though, I think B.B., measured the cocking effort of his as over 30 pounds, and one has to do it one-handed, with a leverage-less grip.
Michael
B.B and Readership,
Happy National PIE Day!
Eat a few health pies!
Pie plates also make fun reactive BB gun targets!
What is the pronunciation being used for VIRTUS?
Thanks for the Part 2 report on the SHOT Show.
The report on all the newish airgun wannabe writers/airgun-video bloggers/reporters swamping the show is the biggest SCOOP of the 2019 SHOT!
shootski
I would venture to guess the standard Latin pronunciation.
As it’s spelled the same way, and has connotations of manliness, courage and other traits.
It is certainly stronger than the .177 version.
45Bravo,
I wondered what those that had no knowledge of The Latin would…
I suspect, ver Tuss, would predominate.
.177 is growing in (PCPs) strength! Mind you, I’m a BIG Bore shooter saying that, Lol!
shootski
Shootski
Vir-tus. A very appropriate name for this rifle. From the Latin word for man, ‘ Vir’.
A specific virtue in Ancient Rome. It carries connotations of valor, moral strength, manliness, excellence, courage, character and worth, perceived as masculine strengths. A frequently stated virtue of Roman emperors and was personified as deity — Virtus.
You know … all the virtues the left is trying to remove from men. They consider it … “Toxic Masculinity” 😉
Bob M
Bob M,
Pronounced as: Vir, Ambassador Lando’s assistant Vir in the Babilon 5 series?
I agree on all: but it is progressives, and now moderates (RINO & DEMs,) too!
But when they are frightened they look to those with VIRTUS.
We live in Interesting Times!
shootski
Shootski
I took Latin in my Catholic high school and never watched that movie series but after careful consideration and much thought and I guess I could throw in exhaustive research, why not, sounds official doesn’t it. I figure it depends on where you live. Greenpoint, Brooklyn New York or Rome Italy. … Many Ha, Ha’s .
We need to revive that word
B.B.
Will the wood stock M1 be available at the same time as the plastic stock M1, or will the wood stock M1 come later?
I think Air Venturi / Springfield Armory announced at Shot Show 2018 last year that eventually they will release a pellet shoot M1 as a PCP, not as a CO2 rifle. Is that still correct?
Do you think it is possible to convert the BB / pellet shooting M1 rifles to use the Colt SAA cartridges with an ejector mechanism similar to what is used in the Cowboy Lever Action?
Cstoehr
It would take a lot of energy to operate a magazine fed pellet cartridge like the SAA has. The bolt would have to be much heavier with a stronger return spring to overcome the magazine spring pressure holding the cartridges and feed them into the breach. About as strong as a real firearm. I imagine CO2 would deplete fast. PCP, perhaps?
Think about it, with the lever action western rifle ‘you’ do all that cartridge moving with the lever, not the rifle action. It would not be a convert. An entire redesign to operate just like a real firearm does with bleed air. Bob M
But hey, this is the golden age of airguns and anything is possible for a price if the market is there for it.
Charles,
I think the wood stock will come later. AV is working on a pellet shooting version of the gun, if I heard right.
Convert the gun to use the cartridges? No sweat. Just get Samantha Stevens to twitch her nose! 🙂
B.B.
BB,
That Hatsan Viftus looks interesting. Did you get to try the trigger. The triggers usually aren’t very good on firearms lever guns. If it has a really good triggrr and is accurate, it might make me rethink my next PCP purchase. A thumbhole stock and lever are an interesting combo. If she can cook, maybe she willl grow on me. If not, I can always put her back in the case.
Brent
Brent,
Yes I tried the trigger. It’s not bad. It seems reasonably light and crisp.
B.B.
Is that a shield and a representative sword next to the name on the Sig Virtus ? Nice representation for a solders weapon.
Off-topic alert!
Does anyone know where I can get a Schimel repaired? Holds air, but trigger acts like it’s not connected to anything and it doesn’t fire. Help!
Motorman
St. Louis, MO
Motorman,
Fixing a Schimel isn’t something anybody I know does. Their parts tend to weld together through electrolysis. And they are full of voids and tend to break without warning.
I’m not saying they can’t be fixed. Just no one I know does it. I have a broken one, too.
B.B.
Motorman,
Look for a copy of this book.
Anthology on the Schimel airgun. By Karl Paoletti.
I know nothing about the book or the gun but the cover says there is repair info in it.
Don
Hey Don,
I will look for that book, too. I bet it’s harder to find than a Schimel.
B.B.
Here is a link that may work: shows the cover
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/grantthekiwisairgunforum/a-couple-of-new-airgun-books-on-the-way-t1418.html#p11389
To purchase: Anthology on the Schimel Airgun”. 245 wonderfully illustrated pages
$39.95 shipped. Contact Karl Paoletti at karl3419@gmail.com
Don
Benji-Don:
Thanks for the Karl Paoletti recommendation. I was able to get in touch with him. He’s still selling the anthology as well as a repair manual! He was very helpful. Nice guy!
Motorman
St. Louis, MO
Motorman,
Just dumb luck on my part. Glad it worked.
Motorman,
Don’t know if these folks can help or not, but it may be worth contacting them to see what they may know.
http://www.tmacsairgunservice.com/page/home
Mike
MILDOT—-If you file down the carbine front sight it will no longer look like the firearm sight. It will probably be very short. It is easier to replace an altered rear sight than the front sight , in case it is filed down too low. The barrel is probably made of some soft alloy, with a steel liner. Removing and replacing the front sight could damage the barrel. —–Ed