by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier
Springfield Armory M1 Carbine BB gun.
This report covers:
- Different mag
- The test
- Air Venturi Steel BBs
- Close to the aim point
- Smart Shot
- Discussion
- Hornady Black Diamond
- Gas management
- Air Venturi Dust Devils
- Summary
Today we look at the accuracy of the new M1-Carbine from Springfield Armory. I think you’ll be surprised, because I certainly was!
Different mag
You may remember from Part 2 that I had difficulty loading several different brands of CO2 cartridges into the magazine. They were just too fat to fit in easily and I had a problem getting the first one out after it was used up. One brand that was particularly difficult to load was the Crosman cartridge. So, Tyler Patner from Pyramid Air sent me a different magazine, and I returned the magazine from this rifle, along with the Crosman cartridge that was too big. That way he can see what I’ve seen and, if there is a problem, maybe they can fix it. Tyler also sent me a new box of Crosman cartridges that I started today’s test with. There was no problem loading them into the new magazine. I don’t think you will experience the same problem I had, although if you do, Pyramyd AIR now knows about it.
I will say this–-I still had to screw down the piercing screw an extra two turns to seal the cartridge. If you remember, I mentioned that in Part two with the first magazine.
The test
Today I shot the Carbine from 5 meters while it was rested on a UTG Monopod rest that is almost as steady as a sandbag sitting on the shooting bench. I was prepared to sight the gun in with the first BB, but when you see what happened you’ll understand why I didn’t.
Air Venturi Steel BBs
First up were Air Venturi Steel BBs. I started sighting in with them, but when I saw what they did I didn’t change the sights — I just finished the group. Ten BBs went into 0.804-inches at 5 meters with 8 of those shots in .362-inches. Now, that’s a group! When I saw that I knew this day was going to be special!
The new M1 Carbine put 10 Air Venturui Steel BBs into 0.804-inches at 5 meters. Eight of them are in 0.362-inches.
Close to the aim point
The main group with this first BB is so close to the aim point (6 o’clock on the black bull) that I decided not to refine the sight picture. The other BBs are probably not going to the exact same place. The rest of the test was shot with the same sight setting as was used for this target.
Smart Shot
Next to be tried was the Smart Shot lead BB from H&N. These fed through the Carbine mag as easily as any other steel BB used in this test. Ten of them grouped in 0.533-inches. And, while they aren’t in exactly the same place as the Air Venturi Steel BBs, they are very close! By the way, this is the smallest group of the test.
Ten Smart Shot lead BBs went into 0.533-inches at 5 meters.
Discussion
I have to tell you that shooting this Carbine is addictive. The trigger breaks so cleanly and the recoil is so realistic! And the accuracy is pretty amazing, too. I have no way of knowing if all M1 BB-firing Carbines are this accurate, but I can tell you that this one isn’t going back to Pyramyd Air! This one is a keeper! It even out-shoots my expensive Swiss K31 trainer made by Hammerli.
Hornady Black Diamond
I loaded 10 Hornady Black Diamond BBs into the Carbine magazine. In many BB guns this BB is the most accurate. What would they do in this gun?
Ten Black Diamonds went into 0.764-inches at 5 meters. Note that this BB shifted its impact to the center of the target, making it appear that the gun was purposely sighted-in for it. But I told you the sights were never adjusted throughout this entire test.
` Ten Hornady Black Diamond BBs went to the center of the bull in a 0.764-inch group.
Gas management
We learned in Part 2 that this gun has perhaps 35 good shots on a CO2 cartridge. At this point in today’s test there were a total of 30 shots on the cartridge, but it did leak some gas when I installed it, so it is probably low.
I went ahead and loaded 10 of the next and final BB, but the power dropped off sharply at shot 36. The final shot (number 40) barely made it out of the barrel and dropped to the floor before making it to the target. So I removed the spent cartridge and installed a fresh one to test the final BB.
Air Venturi Dust Devils
The last BBs I tested were Air Venturi Dust Devils. I expected them to shoot tight, as well, and they did, though not as tight as the one that went before. Ten made a group that measures 0.768-inches between centers. Not much larger than the Black Diamonds and still quite small for a BB gun.
Ten Dust Devil BBs made a 0.768-inch group at 5 meters.
Summary
The M1 Carbine I am testing can shoot! In fact it is one of the most accurate BB guns I have ever tested. I think I’m going to test it again at 10 meters to see if the accuracy holds that far. I won’t do that for awhile because there are so many guns being tested right now, but since I’m keeping the gun, I will get back to it.
This lookalike is not cheap, but it functions well and is worth the investment. It shoots better as a BB gun than my M1 Carbine shoots as a firearm. To quote the 18th century British seaman, “I am impressed!”
B.B.,
BB guns like these are what make me reconsider avoiding BB guns altogether. I’ve avoided BB guns mainly due to my local ammunition situation and the fact that this requires CO2 cartridges. But the accuracy and fun in this package may be enough to push me to seriously rethink my position.
Siraniko
PS: Section Discussion Fourth sentence: “I have no way of knowing is (if) all M1 BB-firing Carbines are this accurate, but I can tell you that this one isn’t going back to Pyramyd Air!”
Siraniko,
Got it! Thanks,
B.B.
BB
That is a pretty good shooter. I would definitely like to see 10 meters and maybe even 15 or so yards if it still groups good at 10 meters.
Gunfun,
I’m all about the 15 yard test. Heck this one may stretch it out to 20 yards. I’m sure we can get BB to do it since he is keeping the gun!
Doc
Doc,
Yes, but I have tested a hyper-accurate smoothbore pellet gun years ago that gave phenomenal groups at 10 meters and then blew up at 25 yards. Smoothbores don’t carry too far with accuracy.
/blog/2013/02/diana-25-smoothbore-pellet-gun-part-4/
B.B.
Doc
Yep you got it. Why not
B.B.,
Sounds like you had a fun time. Good. For B.B. to say that he’s keeping something is perhaps the ultimate endorsement.
Did you use the aluminum tape as a paper backer? bb testing would seem ideally suited.
Good Day to you and to all,……… Chris
Chris,
I didn’t use the aluminum tape but you’re right. That would have been a good one for it.
B.B.
BB, another idea that will give you nice clean holes in the target is using printed paper targets pressed onto your duct seal packed into your frying pan. I use a bread pan that is 3 inches deep packed with duct seal. I created a custom target with half inch bulls surrounded with one inch rings for easily estimating group size. I print 12 bulls per sheet of regular paper, then cut in half, so each shooting session I have 6 bulls backed with at least three inches of duct seal. My Pellets from my Gamo Urban have never made it through to the bottom of the bread pan, and it’s the most quiet backstop I’ve had yet. Plus, I’ve put over 500 pellets into that trap, with no sign of needing to redo it.
Toddspeed,
Thank you. That sounds like an excellent idea.
B.B.
If I was into replicas, this one would most definitely be on the top of the list. It shoots real nice. There are very few bb guns out there that can shoot better, replica or not.
B.B.,
Man, this is an amazing BB gun! I wonder, given how accurate it is, if the barrel is by the same manufacturer that did the Gletcher full-length Mosin Nagant.
Again, this is just amazing.
Michael
“Ten Smart Shot lead BBs went into 0.533-inches at 5 meters.”
B.B.,
Pretty sweet! That gal can hold a group…smart move to keep her. =>
It’ll be interesting to see how these Smart Shot hold up at longer range.
Take care & God bless,
dave
B.B.,
Glad your doing this test! I have always enjoyed this family of rifles as Firearms and just may need to get back to bb guns one day; this might just be the first home!
Fact check: “Ten Black Diamonds went into 0.764-inches at 10 meters.” Shot at 10 meters or at five like the rest of the bb today?
shootski
shootski,
Wouldn’t that have been nice? But you caught it. Five meters.
B.B.
B.B.,
Just nice?
That would have been much, MUCH more than NICE at 10 meters!
Still a great day for shooting…all of them are as long as we enjoy and learn something new!
shootski
Happy Birthday to Reb today!
Joe, thanks for the reminder.
Yep Happy Birthday Reb, I sure miss his comments and humor.
Don
So, for the collective air rifle gurus here, I have a walther Parrus, hates all pellets tried. I pushed a pellet through the barrel, from both ends, to find that there is one tight spot, about three inches from the breech. There is no relief in the breech, so the pellets are difficult to load and tend to be deformed when the barrel is shut. Any hope for this rifle?
MMCM13,
Seat the pellets,… deep seat with a tool,… to start. (Not sure) what to make of the confirmed 3″ from breech tight spot. Deep seating will at least resolve damaging the pellet when closing the barrel. Even 1/16 to 1/8″ would do it.
Hopefully more advice will be forthcoming,……….. Chris
Mmcm13,
You might try shining a light from the muzzle and see if you can get the angle of the light and barrel just right to see any kind of a burr or irregularity in the barrel. Or try the light from the breech.
If it is a burr the pellet should make an abrupt stop. If it is tight longer than the length of the pellet there is a constriction in the barrel. Mark the start and end of the constricton on the rod as you push the pellet through so you know where it is and how long it is.
If it is a burr you might build a steel rod with a sharp edge to cut off the burr. If it is a constiction then you can try some medium automotive polishing compound on a patch working it back and forth right at the constiction only from the breech. Either of these methods can make it worse than it is but it sounds like you have nothing to loose.
First I would try Chris’s recommendation of seating the pellets. You can use a ballpoint pen or a pellet pen to seat the pellet. The constriction may not be the main problem if the pellet is getting deformed when closing the barrel.
Some guns get better after 500 or more pellets are fired down the barrel. Not sure how much you have shot it so far.
Well that’s all I got. Maybe somebody has a better idea. You can always look for another barrel.
I have not shot a Parrus but I can tell you with all that power in a Springer I would not be able to shoot decent groups. Did you read B.B.’s review?
/blog/2016/10/walther-parrus-with-wood-stock-part-4/
Good luck,
Don
I have read the review of the Parrus, occasionally wished it was finished, but after my experience I can see why that test fell by the wayside. Although I wouldn’t consider myself a marksman with a springer, I have 10 of them, and have reasonable success with them.
The constricted part of the barrel is about where the barrel joins the breech block, and is about a half inch or so long. I guess the rifle is a write off at this point, it barely engraves rifling on a pellet head and all the normal suspects (pellets) in the accuracy pursuit scatter even at 20 yds. There are a couple outliers, a Gamo TS22 pellet will shoot with occasional wild fliers, but seems to be difficult to find. Gamo pellets seem to run large and have wide variations in size in an individual tin. I have a Pelletgage and some fall through the smallest size hole, and others won’t enter the largest one.
I guess the last resort may be to write the importer and see if they are willing to help. I wrote UMAREX about my Terrus and it was swapped for the cost of shipping. What I would like to see is a 20J Walther Classus in .22 available here. Not to impressed with this Parrus.
Yep, that about wraps it up.
MMCM13,
I have an Air Venturi pellet pen now to seat pellets. Before that I used a AA battery which controls the depth, so it is consistent. Pellet pens are nice because you can load 20-25 pellets easily and then if needed the other end has the cap with the seater on it.
You might try cleaning your barrel with non-embedding JB Bore paste and a bronze brush. I cleaned my RWS 34 .22 cal using the procedure outlined by B.B. here in the blog. The first few passes had some tight spots but then it got much smoother. There is always a lot of gunk from the factory in the barrel.
B.B.
“To quote the 18th century British seaman, “I am impressed!””
I actually had to LOL on this one.
Larry from Algona
Larry,
I have been saying that for the past 40 years and you are the first person to get it. It’s a shame they don’t teach history in school anymore.
B.B.
Tom Gaylord
Welcome to the blog ! I’m sure you will enjoy the wit of our host BB. You speak as one. 🙂
I think that impressed sailor comment is older than we are. It was not unnoticed before. Probably just considered old humor by anyone who got it.. Fitting and humorous but not comment worthy. And yes, I could see younger people having no idea what you were talking about.
That sailor must have been sober other wise the term Shanghaied would be more appropriate and way less funny.
Americans were impressed too, part of the reason we entered the war of 1812.
Come to think of it I was impressed into Naval service too. Only the new term was Drafted !
Bob M
BB
Be interesting to find out if there is anything found wrong with the tight mag that can be checked.
HAM recently did a CO2 cartridge comparison article but did not discuss the physical dimensions, especially around the neck, but there are some close up pics and there are obvious differences in the neck and plug setup. Some look very refined with a deliberate crimp in the neck and no plug overhang like a bottle cap that may be the problem.
Also, if I recall correctly, the Crosman CO2 cartridges weighed more empty so perhaps they are just a tad thicker and bigger ?
As I mentioned before I think the composite stock looks too good to be real wood and if you want a more realistic replica go for the wood stock. It can be distressed to look more realistic.
I plan on getting the plastic stock and swapping the Airsoft wood stock I have already. Along with all the parts I can that are void of white print.
Glad it turned out to be accurate enough to be worth the cost of the wood version.
Now you can imagine how impressive it is operating in full-auto. I may just keep both in full auto and settle for a double tap minimum.
Bob M