by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier
Remington 1875 pellet and BB pistol.
This report covers:
- The test
- RWS Hobby
- Sig Match Ballistic Alloy
- “Poof”
- RWS R10 Match Pistol
- Falcon pellets
- RWS Meisterkugeln Rifle
- Discussion
- Summary
Today I test the 1875 Remington BB and pellet revolver with pellets. I switched to the shells that are specifically designed for pellets and loaded a fresh CO2 cartridge into the gun.
The test
Using a 2-hand hold, I shot off a bench for this test, resting the butt of the pistol on a sandbag. I shot at 25 feet and used a 10-meter pistol target. I shot 6 rounds at each target and used a 6 o’clock hold for greatest precision.
RWS Hobby
I don’t sight in when the target is this close and I’m shooting the sights that came on the gun. The first RWS Hobby pellet landed a little more than an inch below the bull and was fairly well centered. Six Hobby pellets went into 1.527-inches at 25 feet. In all I’d say you wouldn’t have any reason to miss a soda can with Hobbys at this distance.
Six RWS Hobbys went into 1.527-inches at 25 feet. The bottom of the bull was the aim point.
Sig Match Ballistic Alloy
The next pellet I shot was the Sig Match Ballistic Alloy wadcutter. These were both the best pellet and the worst pellet of the test. Four of the six pellets went into 0.424-inches at 25 feet. The 5th shot landed high and near the center of the bullseye. That opened the group to 1.214-inches.
Four Sig Match Ballistic Alloy pellets went into 0.424-inches at 25 feet. They are right at the aim point. The fifth shot struck high, opening the group to 1.214-inches. A sixth shot was low and off to the right, but there was something wrong with that shot.
“Poof”
The first time I fired the 6th shot it didn’t come out of the barrel! I checked the cartridge and it had only moved a eighth of an inch forward inside the cartridge. So I indexed the cartridge again and the result was the same. The pellet did move a little farther inside the cartridge but it remained inside and didn’t come out. This is the dreaded “poof monster” that first visited us in the pellet velocity test in Part 3.
So I loaded a different Sig pellet into a different cartridge and this time it did come out, though the velocity was very low. Fortunately the pellet did strike the target paper at 25 feet. It hit about an inch and a half below and 2 and a half inches to the right of the main group. I didn’t include it in the photo or in the group measurement because it was clearly not shooting like the rest of the pellets.
I think the Sig pellets are slightly too large for the cartridges and because they are so hard they don’t pass through as they should. Maybe when the cartridges wear in this will change. If that’s not it, the revolver is malfunctioning. We should see that either way as this test progresses.
RWS R10 Match Pistol
Next I tested the RWS R10 Match Pistol pellet in the 1875 Remington revolver. Six of them landed in a 1.474-inch group at 25 feet. This group is also right at the aim point.
Six RWS R10 Match Pistol pellets went into 1.474-inches at 25 feet.
Falcon pellets
I wanted to test a domed pellet, so the next up was the Air Arms Falcon pellet. Six of them went into 1.245-inches at 25 feet. Once more the pellets hit the target at or near the aim point.
Six Falcon pellets went into 1.245-inches at 25 feet.
RWS Meisterkugeln Rifle
The last pellet I tried was the 8.2-grain RWS Meisterkugeln Rifle wadcutter. This was the heaviest pellet I tested in the 1875 revolver. Six pellets went into 1.428-inches at 25 feet. They did hit a little lower on the paper, but were still in line with the center of the bull.
Six RWS Meisterkugeln Rifle pellets went into 1.428-inches at 25 feet.
Discussion
We have five groups from different pellets before us today. The Sig Match Ballistic Alloy could easily have been the best one, except for some reason they had a problem that I attribute to their size and hardness. The other four pellets gave groups that ranged from 1.245-inches to 1.527 inches. That’s a narrow range! And all of the groups were at or near the aim point. I think the conclusion has to be that the 1875 revolver is very good with pellets to 25 feet.
There were no more “poofs,” so I think I was right about the Sig pellets either being too big or too hard or a bit of both.
Summary
This has been a thorough test of Crosman’s 1875 Remington revolver. We did see that a few of the cartridges were reluctant to fire pellets — at first. But given time they seemed to wear in. And then the “poof” monster hit us again today. I think the air pistol just needs a heck of a lot more shooting than I am able to give it!
As far as realism goes, this revolver is spot on! I don’t think you could ask for an air pistol to come any closer to the firearm at this price.
So get one if you like the realism. Just understand that the revolver does better with pellets than with BB.
B.B.
Poof Monster! I love it..
-Y
B.B.,
I decided to get one of these after figuring there would probably not be any forthcoming air versions of the classic Navy and Army Colts and Remingtons of the mid-1800s, and this looks the part more than my Crosman Shiloh. I am much more impressed with it than I thought I would be. In particular it seemed to get an incredible number of shots, many more cylinders worth than I expected. I have shot just Crosman Premier Lights and Hobbies with it and have not had the poof problem with it.
Like everyone I wish it came blued instead of “Look at Me” chrome (a bit white for nickel, it seems to me).
Michael
B.B.,
Not sure what you meant to type here under the Discussion section: before is today.
“Discussion
We have five groups from different pellets before is today.”
John Carlisle
B.B., I believe you meant ‘us’ instead of ‘is’. —JoeB
Joe,
You got it!
John, good catch!
B.B.
Looks like some of the targets the pellet is tearing the paper at a angle. Wonder what is going on with that.
GF1,
I should have addressed that. I think those pellets have tipped in flight.
B.B.
BB
Why? Are they snagging on something when they leave the barrel?
Maybe there is more accuracy to be had with this pistol. Or maybe not.
B.B.,
As you know RWS Meisterkugelns should have made neat circular holes. I almost just used the word “tumble,” but I then searched for and found a blog in which 103David commented that the correct term is “yaw.” Might a slightly-too-large bore, not rifled to put spin on the pellet, be to blame?
/blog/2014/09/big-bore-bullets-part-2/
Michael
Michael,
Yaw was my impression as well.
B.B.
Hi B.B., I wish you had tried some domed pellets when you were testing pellets in the Colt SAA BB gun, and at longer distances as well. I believe you’ve mentioned before that domed pellets do better out of smooth barrels at longer distances (or did I dream that?). :^)
Joe,
If I didn’t say it I should have. I believe you are right about that.
B.B.
Hi B.B., I’m glad you figured out how to easily remove the cylinder, one of the main reasons I returned mine. But I still (personally) feel that the hollowed out spaces between the cartridge chambers in the cylinder make this gun feel more like a glorified cap pistol. —JoeB
Joe On Bainbridge Island,
“…feel that the hollowed out spaces between the cartridge chambers in the cylinder make this gun feel more like a glorified cap pistol.”
Are you referring to the cylinder mass reduction grooves that are machined, in the actual firearm, most likely cast into this replica? If that is the case not having the grooves in the cylinder would be a failure to replicate the original revolvers actual features. I know I like the smooth cylinder look with just the indexing grooves but just not unless that is part of the original firearm design.
If I misunderstood your comment just ignore this post.
shootski
I think that Joe is referring about those cheap cap guns that have hollow cylinders, and you note it when you look at the gun from behind, when aiming. I have never seen one of the original Remington guns, so I don’t know if they were made that way also.
Greetings!
Anthony
Anthony,
I went back to Part 1 and saw the picture with the loading gate open; I think you are correct. I guess I was in a hurry when I looked at it the first time and only got 1/2 of the thousand words of information out! Yes, that is less than satisfactory in my book too!
shootski
B.B.,
That’s pretty good for an unrifled barrel firing pellets; and I like the cool looks of the gun.
But for accuracy, I’ll stick with my Umarex NRA Colt from PyarmydAir.
Perhaps I just lucked out, yet I’m happy either way. =>
Take care & God bless,
dave
I have one and like it despite its flaws. Crosman should offer a blues version with rifled barrel and two piece wooden grips. They should also offer an 1890 version. I spoke to the new owners of Bear River, and they are considering more versions of the Schofield, including Wells Fargo, different finishes and a rifled barrel version. Also will be packaging down the line in a replica box. Crosman should do the same . WesternAction Airgun matches are just a stagecoach ride away
“WesternAction Airgun matches are just a stagecoach ride away”
Cool; that would be awesome! =>
B.B.,
How does this pistol avoid (or ensure) the introduction of liquid CO2 Info the valve?
I’m thinking about an alternate possibility for the dreaded Poof Monster.
shootski
shootski,
Same as any other CO2 pistol I guess. I don’t know.
B.B.
Well on another subject, I sent a Hatsan Dominator back for warranty service due to a grinding during cocking. Without disassembly of the rifle, it was test fired and sent back. Wasn’t opened and inspected to check. I was pretty disappointed as I spent over $40 to ship it back. I am glad the thing was cheap, and I know that Hatsan won’t get any more attention from me in the future. Too bad, it was an accurate rifle when it was working.