by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier
The XD-M BB pistol from Springfield Armory.
This report covers:
- Compact pistol
- The grip
- Installing the CO2 cartridge
- Not a small pistol
- The loading assist — doesn’t!
- Velocity Air Venturi Steel BB
- Dust Devils
- Slide does not remain open
- Smart Shot
- Shot count
- Blowback
- Trigger pull
- Evaluation
- Summary
I don’t encounter many airgun copies of firearms that I am unfamiliar with, but the Springfield Armory XD-M Compact blowback BB pistol is one. So my report will be a first hand observation of all the features I notice about this handgun.
Today is the day I test the velocity of this BB gun and we will get right to it, but first I need to make a couple observations. They came from installing the first CO2 cartridge in the pistol.
Compact pistol
In Part One I told you I was testing the smaller version of the Springfield Armory XD-M pistol. There is a larger pistol whose barrel is 4.5-inches long. The pistol I’m testing has a 3.8-inch barrel. On the cover of the owner’s manual Air Venturi refers to this one as the Compact. The other one they call Full-Size.
The manual distinguishes between the Full-Size pistol and the Compact I am testing.
The grip
The Full-Size pistol has a conventional grip. The Compact has a grip that’s in two sections. Let me show you.
The gip of the Compact pistol has a separate section that’s held in place by the magazine. I left the magazine sticking out in this photo.
When the magazine is locked in place, it holds the separate grip section in its place. The grip then feels like the grip of the Full-Size pistol. The only thing that’s smaller on the Compact pistol is the shorter barrel and slide.
The Compact version of the firearm does not have this two-part grip feature. It has the same 3.8-inch barrel as this BB gun, but the grip appears full-sized and solid. It must not be quite full-sized though, because Springfield Armory differentiates between the magazines for the Compact and for the Full-Size handgun.
On the BB guns the magazines for the Compact and Full-Size guns both hold the same 20 BBs. So in terms of the grip size, they are the same. But the Compact barrel is 0.7-inches shorter than the Full-Size barrel, so the velocity will be lower.
Installing the CO2 cartridge
To install a fresh CO2 cartridge the magazine floorplate must first be removed.
The magazine floorplate has to come off to install the CO2 cartridge. Press down on the button (arrow) and slide it off.
The magazine’s floorplate comes off and the CO2 cartridge end cap is accessible.
Once the floorplate is off the end cap is unscrewed by a large Allen wrench that comes in the box and a new cartridge is dropped in. Obviously the piercing pin is deep inside the grip, so I inverted the pistol and dropped in three drops of Crosman Pellgunoil before inserting the cartridge and screwing the cap down. I never heard the slightest puff of gas, and the cartridge pierced perfectly. And the floorplate went right back on.
Not a small pistol
I have to comment that the Compact XD-M is not a small pistol. In fact, it is on the large side. A little bigger around than a classic M1911A1 grip, by a few millimeters. Mostly that’s due to the width of the firearm double stack magazine, which the BB gun faithfully copies. My point is, this BB pistol is for regular-size to larger paws. Not giants, perhaps, but larger hands for sure.
The loading assist — doesn’t!
There is no lockdown for the spring-loaded magazine follower. Instead a loading assist tool is provided. You use it to hold the follower down to load the BBs. I found it very inconvenient and fiddly, and after dropping it many times I abandoned it.It’s easy enough to hold the follower down with a fingernail, but this needs to be addressed!
This little piece of plastic does nothing to assist loading!
Velocity Air Venturi Steel BB
This gun is sold by Air Venturi, so I tested their BB first. Ten shots averaged 288 f.p.s. The low was 284 and the high was 290 f.p.s., which is a difference of 6 f.p.s. Two shots failed to register on the skyscreens, so this string actually took 12 shots.
I waited a minimum of 10 second between shots and sometimes a lot more. I tell you that because the CO2 cools the gun as it flows, lowering the gas pressure and slowing down the BBs. Though I must say this gun doesn’t have that problem as much as most CO2 pistols.
Dust Devils
Next up were Air Venturi Dust Devils. At 4.35-grains (though I measured them in Part one at 4.6 grains) these BBs are slightly lighter than conventional steel BBs. Through the XD-M they averaged 287 f.p.s., though the spread was much larger. It went from a low of 276 to a high of 297 f.p.s. — a difference of 21 f.p.s.
Slide does not remain open
In this string two shots failed to register and the slide did not remain open after the last shot, so another blank shot was fired at the end. On that blank shot, though, the slide did stay back. To get the 10 shots that registered on the chronograph I had to shoot 13 shots. I’m telling you this because I’m doing the shot count as I go.
Smart Shot
We know that the lead Smart Shot BB is heavier, so it will go slower, but in a CO2 gun it won’t be as different as it would in a spring-piston BB gun. Smart Shot averaged 252 f.p.s. in the XD-M. The spread went from a low of 248 to a high of 259 f.p.s. — a difference of 11 f.p.s. There were no failures to record any velocity on this string and, although the slide did not remain back after the last shot, I did not pull the trigger again.
Shot count
At the end of the last string there were 35 shots on the CO2 cartridge. I wondered if the gun was still shooting at its best, so I fired another string of Air Venturi BBs. Nine of the 10 shots registered, giving an average of 282 f.p.s. In the first string the average was 288 f.p.s.
The low for this string was 276 and the high was 287 f.p.s. The high was the very first shot and the low was the last shot, so the gas is starting to run out. But the power is still good, so I continued shooting Air Venturi BBs. There are now 45 shots on the CO2 cartridge.
The next string is indicative of gas pressure decline. I will show the entire string.
Shot……..Vel.
1…………277
2…………276
3…………273
4…………273
5…………271
6…………268
7…………265
8…………261
9…………258
10………..257
Yes, the gas is definitely running out. But the slide still cocks the pistol and still does not remain open after the last shot. There are now 55 shots on this CO2 cartridge. Since the gun seemed to be shooting okay, I shot four more times. Let’s look.
Shot……..Vel.
1…………254
2…………DNR
3…………247
4…………244
After these shots (shot 59 was the last one fired) I shot 9 more blank shots and the gas exhausted itself. The slide continued to blow back right to the end, though not far enough to cock the pistol on the last couple shots. From that data I’m saying there are about 50-55 good shots on a CO2 cartridge.
Blowback
The pistol does have a full blowback slide. It imparts a smart push to the hand that simulates recoil pretty well, though nothing like the force of even a .380 ACP cartridge. It’s more like a .22 Short.
Trigger pull
The two stage trigger is single-action. Stage one takes one pound and stage two breaks crisply at 2 lbs. 14 oz. For an action BB pistol that is right there with the best of them.
Evaluation
The XD-M pistol is very realistic. It has a beautiful trigger. The Compact model that I am testing is on the large side.
The blowback is realistic. The slide does not remain open after the last shot. That is probably a magazine issue that will vary from mag to mag.
Summary
So far so good. The pistol behaves like a good copy should. Of course we are waiting to see the accuracy, and with a trigger as nice as this I hope this pistol can drive tacks!
B.B.,
I think you are mixing up the Dust Devils together. It is the Mk2 that weigh 4.6 grains. The first version weighed an average of 4.35 grains.
Looks like another pistol that could be easily mistaken for its firearm equivalent.
Siraniko
Siraniko,
I shot the Mark II Dust Devil. The first Dust Devil is no longer available, so I no longer test it unless I specifically mention it.
B.B.
BB,
Uuuhhh, why? If the real pistol does not have a two piece grip, why does this one?
That loading assist tool looks small enough to become quickly lost. That is probably the intent. Perhaps a banjo pick would work well.
Don’t forget to test the holster.
RR,
The follower spring up and set the little tool on a ride and I have not yet found it. 🙂
No clue why this pistol has the two-piece grip.
B.B.
RidgeRunner,
If I recall correctly the compact version uses a ten round magazine. The short grip extension allows it to use the standard magazine. Unfortunately you can’t fit a CO2 cartridge into the short magazine.
Siraniko
Makes sense.
There are two version of the 3.8″ Compact in Springfield’s lineup. There is one with a shorter mag (10 rds I believe) and one with a full grip length (uses the same frame as the 4.5″ version, 19 rds mag). Springfield sells extended magazines with a grip frame extension for the shorter framed compact so the user can have the full 19 rds capacity on deck and a full grip. That is what this setup is simulating.
Two things to point out:
1) In the future (actually pretty soon) there will be a much larger follower tab in the magazine, and the odd loading assist will be done away with.
2) I believe this version of the compact will be no more, and the full size frame compact version will be what we see for steel BB guns. Though this shorter frame version with the magazine extensions will still exist for the green gas airsoft version.
Tyler
Tyler,
That is good news on the loading assist. Thanks.
B.B.
RidgeRunner,
Hey, that sounds like an excellent idea! I don’t have one of these Springfields, but I have a number of CO2 magazines that are effective torture devices for my thumbnails. I also have quite a few metal fingerpicks and will try to modify one such that it will work. I was also wondering about the medium sized black spring clips for stacks of paper.
Good tip.
Michael
Michael,
I was referring to the pick that wraps around a thumb or finger. It would make a great artificial thumbnail.
RidgRunner,
Yep. It’s a design that was originally by National, but they’ve been made by lots of companies over the years.
Michael
Here.
Yep.
I knew a guy who played the bass guitar with the bottom style pick.
B.B.,
But in /blog/2020/03/air-venturi-dust-devil-mk2-frangible-bb-part-1/ when you examined the Mk2 it weighed 4.6 grains on the table you included comparing it to the first version.
Siraniko
Siraniko,
Yesterday I was thinking about how your neighbors and you are doing these days. We don’t get enough news about people around the world. I hope all of you are doing well during this crisis.
Stay healthy,
Michael.
Michael,
We are doing relatively well. Our testing and detection capabilities are increasing which in turn reveals a high number of previously undiagnosed cases. from a previous day of 128 cases we have 538 new case. On the bright side the new cases have brought down the computed death rate from a high of 8% down to about 4%. On the other hand the increasing infected population probably will indicate an extension of our Enhanced Community Quarantine by another month.
Siraniko
Siraniko,
Extensive testing and a strict quarantine combined to be effective in South Korea. They really showed the rest of the world how to do it.
Michael
Michael,
In my side avocation I found this some weeks ago:
https://asiatimes.com/2020/03/why-are-koreas-covid-19-death-rates-so-low/
“Buttressing prior experience with SARS and MERS, the KCDC – by coincidence – conducted a table-top exercise on a coronavirus outbreak in December 2019.” I invariably find the words “By Coincidence” in the media to mean that the source couldn’t tell the reporter the sources and methods that created that “serendipitous” event. I’m in work on probing the reality of this prescience by the ROK.
As a caution the article also reminds us:; “It is consistently in the interest of medical pros to overstate risks in order to win more funding from governments: ‘Fund me and you might not die,’ is a compelling argument!”
Culture-specific factors could be at work. In previous epidemics, some postulated that the Korean diet – heavy on such supposedly immune-boosting ingredients as garlic – might offer the populace superior in-body defenses.
Professionals are skeptical. “There is no evidence that Koreans, or other populations, have specifically strong adaptive immune systems” to the virus, said Gurel.
And big picture, Korea’s high testing/high numbers/low mortality ratios are not the only way forward: Neighbor Japan has lower overall numbers, but a higher percentage of fatalities.
“We were very strong in the early spread,” Kim said. “In Japan, there is a shortage of testing kits and they only focus on patients which show symptoms. You could say that is a strategy.”
South Korean confirmed Covid-19 cases
Jan. 20: First case
Tues Feb 18: Woman connected to Shincheonji Church tests positive
Wed Feb. 19: Total 51 cases.
Thurs Feb. 20: New cases: 53. Total 104
Friday Feb. 21: New cases: 100. Total 204
Saturday Feb. 22: New cases: 229. Total 433
Sunday Feb. 23: New cases: 169. Total 602
Monday Feb. 24: New cases: 231. Total 833
Tuesday Feb. 25: New cases: 144. Total: 977
Wednesday Feb. 26: New cases: 284. Total: 1261
Thursday Feb 27: New cases: 505. Total: 1,766
Friday: Feb 28: New cases: 571.Total: 2,337
Saturday Feb 29: New cases: 813. Total: 3,150
Sunday March 1: New cases: 586. Total: 3,736
Monday March 2: New cases: 549. Total: 4,335
Tuesday March 3: New cases: 851. Total: 5,186
Wednesday March 4: New cases: 435. Total: 5,621
Thursday March 5: New cases: 467. Total: 6,088
Friday March 6: New cases: 505. Total 6,593
Saturday March 7: New cases: 448. Total, 7041.
Sunday March 8: New cases: 273. Total 7,314
Monday March 9: New cases: 164. Total: 7,478
(current best data for ROK: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1095848/south-korea-confirmed-and-suspected-coronavirus-cases/)deaths are still rising so victory is not assured as it indicates potential for additional waves of infection)
Data: Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Note: The KCDC releases figures at various times of the day. The above chart is collated from figures released at close of business, daily
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I certainly hope that all countries learn from each other once we are in the after reporting stage. As this article and recent history so well shows each Nation, each region, each city, and each neighborhood is going to have differences that result in likely different requirements and outcome.
Lots of work in my avocation for some time on this topic; hopefully another topic of more importance doesn’t raise its head all too soon! Black Swans are everywhere on the Horizon…
shootski
Shootski,
Thank you for the additional insight. Besides NYC “predicting” a peak in 2-4 weeks, there is still the down slope to that. In the mean time, there will be peaks all over the the US that will occur a later dates, at different/same times, to various severity.
I do not give so much attention to % of new cases (because testing is going way up), but rather what % are hospitalized and what % end up in ICU. (Recovery %, known/unknown?) and mortality % are #’s that will make things looks worse or better, but I think those #’s are still pretty fresh.
Gov. Cuomo had a good simple point today. Prepare yourself (mentally) for another 4 weeks of this, at the minimum. If anyone wants a peek behind the curtain, watch NY and NYC. Some (variant) of that will coming your way in the near future.
I am praying for,.. over prepared and underutilized.
Chris
I think you are right Chris. This thing isn’t going to be over soon…in spite of Trump’s optimistic forecast of getting people back to work soon. Doing that too soon would only make the situation worse. Strange thing is, it appears most manufacturing plants are considered “essential” and continue to operate as usual. I thought it was strange too when I read today that Trump deems gun stores as “essential”. I guess we need access to guns in order to protect our inventory of TP. 😉
Geo
Geo,
Same here in Ohio. There is a bunch of factories still open. Even if they did a severe crackdown on “essential”,… there is still a ton of legit essential workers out and about. Then,… people that are at home by in large now,.. are still getting out and about 1-2 times per week. It is minimally minimized at best.
I do not see it changing unless a city is getting overrun on hospital(s) capacity.
Chris
Chris,
I agree, but maybe we will feel foolish for having been careful. I doubt that people who are being lackadaisical will feel foolish if they die, because, well, they’ll be dead.
Michael
shootski,
My avocation is napping, and I take pride in being one of the world’s foremost at that discipline!
Rather than try to argue how deadly and widespread or how minor and trivial this will end up being, the thing to do is revisit this in 9 – 18 months and see what hindsight has to teach us. No one can know for certain how things will go. Discussing who WILL be correct is pointless. The outcome will be the arbiter. Writing about it has become, at least to me, tiresome.
In the meantime my thinking of how people should behave has evolved. Those of us who consider this serious can self-quarantine, hand-wash obsessively, and avoid social distances of less than 6 feet while those who think it’s overblown should go out and party, work as usual, congregate in large groups, shake hands frequently, and wash their hands no more than usual.
Then in 18 months one of two things will be the case. Those who are now unconcerned can point at laugh at those of us who were too careful and allowed the virus to frighten us into changing our lifestyles. Or, a disproportionate percentage of those who now think it’s overblown will be dead, and we survivors who self-sheltered and washed our hands until they were chapped can say something petty and ironic like, “Well, that’ll teach ’em!”
Now I think I’ll spend an hour or so on my avocation. ;^)
Michael
Michael,
Because they don’t have a Constitution like ours, the South Koreans have been free to put tracking apps on their citizens smartphones to make sure that home quarantined citizens are not leaving their homes. The app also requires them to input their symptoms twice a day or they receive a visit from an enforcer of some sort after the app monitor calls in the absence of the daily update. It works, but I’m not sure I want it here.
Half
Halfstep,
Do you have a source for that? That sounds false to me, but some of what you describe could be true and covered under that country’s “National Security Act.”
For what it’s worth, the Republic of Korea (South Korea) has a Constitution VERY much like ours and patterned after ours down to the same three branches of federal government. Their Constitution also guarantees freedoms in ten articles, much the same manner as our Bill of Rights (all from ISBN 978-8984351936.and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_South_Korea#cite_note-5):
“1. The Republic of Korea is a democratic republic country.
2. The Republic of Korea should be governed by the provisional people of the provisional government.
3. All citizens of the Republic of Korea are equal without gender, wealth and stratum.
4. All citizens of the Republic of Korea have the rights to be free of religion, media, writing, publishing, association, assembly, the charge of address, body and ownership.
5. The citizens who have the qualification of the citizen of the Republic of Korea have a right to vote and to be elected.
6. The citizens of the Republic of Korea have a duty to education, taxation, and military service.
7. The Republic of Korea will join the League of Nations in order to exert its founding spirit in the world and to contribute to human culture and peace by the will of the citizens.
8. The Republic of Korea gives preference to the old imperial family.
9. The Republic of Korea forbids the punishment of life, body, and licensed prostitution.
10.The Provisional Government convenes the National Assembly within one year after the restoration of the country.”
Furthermore,
“South Korean Bill of Rights (or fundamental right) is Constitution CHAPTER 2. RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF CITIZENS (4-687) Individuals may not be punished, placed under preventive restrictions, or subjected to involuntary labor except as provided by law. Those detained or arrested must be informed of the reason and of their right to an attorney, and family members must be informed. Warrants must be issued by a judge “through due procedures,” and accused persons may sue for wrongful arrest in certain cases.
“However, individual rights are qualified by other constitutional provisions and pre-existing laws, including the National Security Act, which restricts due process.”
Michael
Michael,
So,… you have rights,.. 1-10 in this case,…. (up,.. and until) the Government say you no longer have them,…. because of X,Y,Z……..? Got it! Not so sure I care for it. In fact,… pretty sure I detest it.
Chris
Chris,
I’m not saying that it is how I feel, but more than a few Americans (libertarian, conservative, progressive, you name it) would say the same about our system. For any of the first 10 Amendments there are exceptions.
Michael
Mike,
On some of your other points between you and Half,… yes,… “they” need to honest about what they do know and do not know on reinfection/immunity. I have not seen anyone say for sure that you can not be. We will have keep an eye open for seasonal like re-occurrence,.. like the flu.
While there may be some trusted stuff on You-Tube (.1%?) on [serious] stuff,… I am not willing to sift through the other 99.9% to find it.
I find FNC to not be politicizing all of this (at least bare minimum). This is no time to be divided and absolutely time for pork barrel add ins on bills. I cringe when I hear Pelosi, Shumer speak. Cuomo seems to be doing pretty well in (communicating) given the awful situation in NY. Yesterday he said that (no one) has the answers now,… only best guesses based on ever changing models.
There will be more to be done,… but last I heard the politicians are not sure they want to come back just yet. Extend recess so to speak. It is hard enough to get anything done when they are there. What a big mess! 🙁
Chris
Chris,
I suspect a reliable way to develop tunnel vision is to watch either Fox or MSNBC more than a half hour a day.
Michael
Michael,
Here is the reference to the tracking app part of my comment. I actually did not know what the SK Constitution said, but instead was sharing what this interviewer and his subject said (both Korean). I assumed that their laws didn’t provide protections,but I could be wrong. I get pretty worked up over the Constitution some times. It is a point of pride to live under it for me most of the time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAk7aX5hksU
Half
Half,
I confess I do not plan to watch the video. Just the same, youtube is quickly becoming the website where the truth goes to die. :^(
Michael
Michael,
Please look at this video. It is an interview with the doctor that is in charge of informing the press in South Korea and the rest of the world of what they are doing. It is conducted by a very respected Korean YouTube channel called Asian Boss that has a wide audience.The doctor/government representative even points out that those credentials, on the part of the interviewer, are why he want’s to speak to them. It is very informative and does point up some differences in how each country is dealing with the virus.
As an aside, I want to say that I’m disappointed that you would ask for my reference base and then acknowledge that you have no intention to look at it after I provided it so promptly. May be a generational thing. I just wouldn’t do the same to you is all I’m saying.
Half
Half,
I didn’t mean to offend. I will watch the video. And regarding generations, I’ll bet you are young enough to be my . . . cousin? ;^D
Michael
Half,
I am pausing with 10 minuttes to go, which I will watch as I drink my coffee tomorrow.
The two big takeaways for me so far is first that this Korean government health official seems more honest than what we get from our federal government. We were lied to by our Surgeon General and CDC regarding masks. (Now, finally, they are beginning to relent on that.)
Also, we are being told that having fought off covid-19, one is 99 percent resistant to it, with 99 percent assuredness. We were told that today by our federal government. But this doctor said in no uncertain terms they have determined infection followed by healthfulness does not secure immunity. Reinfection has been documented in Korea.
That last bit is of special importance to me as I believe I have had COVID-19 with mild symptoms.
Michael
Halfstep,
I apologize for being so quick to dismiss ithe video. I am sorry.
I just now watched the last ten minutes and then decided to watch the whole video again from the start. It is quite informative and lays things out very well.
Michael
Thanks Half,
A very telling and interesting interview, USA media might take a note and provide more information rather than just politicizing this rather nasty situation.
Mike
Michael,
I’m glad you liked it. I learned a lot from it. Sorry I got so preachy on you. I’m having to weed through the hacks on YouTube myself so I should have understood your reluctance to waste time on yet another click bait rant. Again I’m sorry. Self isolation can wear on a fella.
Half
Half,
You got preachy on the other Mike, Michael above. I usually follow everyone’s links, you never know how much good info may be there.
Mike
Halfstep,
They can only activate/utilize the app only if there is a pressing need such as this emergency. Otherwise it is not used (supposedly). The Koreans also have a different social view on such technology considering they are still technically in a Cold War.
Siraniko
Siraniko,
Yes, the new Mark 2 Dust Devil weighs 4.6 grains. And that was what I shot in the XD-M pistol, which is why I said it weighed 4.6 grains.
Here is what I did not say. On the Pyramyd AIR website they still list the Mark 2 Dust Devil as weighing 4.35 grains. But I weighed them and they do weigh about 4.6 grains. I guess I should have said a lot more than I did.
B.B.
B.B.,
A BB that is lightweight but large (to minimize blow-by) could have advantages, especially for those who are shooting weaker BB guns at short distances.
Michael
Michael,
A light coat of oil on the bb can help with that.
Chris
B.B.,
I just had a vague memory. Wasn’t there a .175 BB made of plastic a while ago?
Michael
Michael,
Blaster makes a plastic BB that is larger but I don’t know if it is precisely that size. It appears to be aimed at allowing regular BB guns to be used for Air Soft. It must be a European thing because I had to get mine from the UK.
Half
Halfstep,
YES. That’s it! Do they work in a standard .175 BB gun?
Michael
Michael,
I have shot them from the polymer Colt Python with good accuracy. That combo will hit the tiny Dixie cups that you use in the bathroom for tooth brushing and gargling at 7 – 10 yards easily. A backstop made from fabric strips will catch them for reuse. I have fired them from other BB guns as well but don’t remember the results off hand. If you are interested I could look up my source in the UK. They were sort of expensive to have imported but being reusable mitigates that a lot.
Half
Half,
I just now bought some on The ‘bay. Thanks very much for the tip.
Michael
B.B.,
I wonder if the manufacturers and designers of blowback air guns are beginning consciously to make guns that conserve CO2 more than they used to. 50-55 shots strikes me as pretty good for a blowback CO2 pistol, while velocities well under 300 fps strikes me as pretty low. If the desire is to use such replicas to supplement training with an actual firearm, I can see how increasing CO2 economy, even at the expense of velocity, could be desirable.
For plinking, it is debatable. Everyone likes getting a lot of shots from a CO2 cartridge, and it is nice to be able to see the BB in flight to adjust one’s aim. Nevertheless,hits on a pop can bottom at 25 feet might leave a disappointing dimple rather than rip a hole through the aluminum.
Michael
Michael
Usually that dented hole will send the can flying rather than just bumping the can if the BB or pellet passes through.
When I plink I like seeing the can move especially when I’m shooting a semi auto type gun.
Don’t forget velocity as well as distance add to the equation.
Gunfun1,
Since the can is only dented does that translate to more funtime shooting at the can? Swinging cans on a string make a good target.
Siraniko
Siraniko
Yep target conserving too. 🙂
And yep I hang cans from strings sometimes. Also I put a stick in the ground and attach about a 3 foot long string to it with a can on it. That way the can don’t keep getting knocked into a place in the yard where I can’t shoot at it. Works pretty nice.
Gunfun1,
I always thought the tabs on aluminum cans was for the string to be attached to.
Michael
Michael
Depending on what kind of hit you make on the can most of the time the tabs will pull right off and the can goes flying.
GF1,
If you turn a can opener sideways and clamp it to the left side of a tin can you will be able to remove the lid with all of the thick ridge still attached to the lid to stiffen it. Punch a hole in one edge, add some string and you have targets of varying sizes that spin when hit and sometime present a narrower target to shoot at if they don’t spin all the way back around. BBs don’t usually come flying back at you either. Be careful with the cans though because they are left with a sharp edge.
Half
Half,
I have tried this method with a motorized upright can opener in the past. While it does open the (horizontally positioned) can as you describe,… the contents of the can spill all over the can opener and counter. After a dozen or so cans,… I gave up and just had a PB and J sandwich for dinner. 🙁
That folly aside,…. what is the specific advantage of a rimmed can VS a non-rimmed one? Myself,… I would prefer the rimmed version for the extra sturdiness to impact.
Chris
Chris,
As you say the rim makes it sturdier. You almost got me with the motorized can opener until I saw the parenthetical “horizontal” in your comment. Bad Chris!! For what it’s worth, I never take anyone that uses an electric can opener seriously when they speak of “recycling” so we can never have that debate. After all, you’re opening a tin can with coal. 🙂
Half
Half,
Well, well, well,…. my house is all electric with propane back up and I do use an electric can opener. Some of that is not by choice,… but it is what it is. As for recycling,… I consider myself to be in the top 5% of the best.
I have never opened any can with a piece of coal,… but I will have take your word on that. If desperate,… I would use my carry knife and proceed with hard stabbing actions. If it has been awhile since I have shot my PCP’s,… I might even shoot the can open.
Chris 😉
Chris,
If you are using an electric can opener, then you are, most certainly, opening it with coal, unless you live in one of the few areas that generates electricity by nuclear, hydro, wind or solar. I use a hand crank model to help save the world. To each his own, as they say. Furthermore, electric car owners are, for the most part running their cars on coal. That’s turn of the century technology. I think Dickens even wrote about it. 😉
Half
Half,
Of course I did “get it”. Yes,… Carbon Footprint.
Ethanol? While good for farmers selling corn, but what is the (total) footprint for that VS fossil fuel? Yup on electric cars. I often wonder about recycling and post consumer waste. (Most think they are one in same.) What carbon footprint is there? I do it well and will continue to, but still I wonder. I live rural and drive 7 miles one way to drop off at a central site in a small town. 12 large bins that must be emptied 2x per week. Was just there yesterday.
It is all a wide topic, but everyone should be aware of it and do what they can.
Chris
Half
That’s why I definitely save the tin cans with pull open lids. They have that inner area of the lid that stays. Very sturdy. And that’s usually what I aim for when I’m plinking. That and the bottom and edge of the side of the can. That’s usually the more stronger part of the can. Usually when you hit those areas of the can it will send them flying good.
And I can’t say that I have tried opening a can like that. May have to give it a try one day.
A few months ago I shot a Sig P365 SAS. Hated the sights. Had a chance to shoot the new Hellcat. The muzzle flip was more pronounced than the P365 because of a lack of porting and the Hellcat trigger was gritty compared to the P365. Maybe it needed more break in. Don’t know. The sights on the Hellcat are terrific.
I’m in the midst of a campaign to replace my .380 ruger lcp as my ccw. These 9mm compacts are a challenge for me to shoot accurately since I’m not a pistol guy.
I’m not into replica’s so I wonder if the target market for these compacts is for firearm owners that need practice to master their newly acquired compact 9mm firearm. Any thoughts?
ps-seems like they tried to package a maglula type fixture with the Springfield Armory XD-M BB pistol and failed. The maglula works very well
Kevin,
That’s definitely one of the target groups for these modern replica’s. I actually use my Gen4 Glock 17 and XDM BB pistols frequently in my basement for that exact purpose. Not necessarily for mastery, but just to keep the knife edge sharp and make sure my draws are where they should be. It beats the heck out of dry fire practicing, I will say that much.
Tyler
Tyler,
Makes sense. Apparently the Hellcat has problems when it’s dry fired. Broken strikers being the most common. Maybe snap caps would minimize this issue. Don’t know. Thanks for the reply
Interesting, I hadn’t heard that, but I’d imagine a snap cap would be the smart thing to do when dry firing one.
As for the sights, you might check out the standard P365 with the night sights, I shot one of those a while back and really enjoyed it for a micro compact. If I was going to go to something that size for a carry gun, I’d probably opt for the longer 365XL or a Glock 48 for the longer sight radius and less snappy recoil. And they’re just more comfortable for me to carry than the shorter stuff. But to each their own in that regard.
Off topic – my trigger for my Marauder arrived yesterday. Since Pyramyd AIR was out of stock and Crosman is closed, I found someone on ebay who had a couple. As I think Chris said, replacement was easy once I got the screws off the trigger assembly. However, who ever assembled this rifle initially must have used a gorilla to tighten the screws. I broke my 7/64″ Allen wrench and then a T6 torque driver. Finally had to resort to a Harley wrench and screwdriver. For those who don’t speak “biker”, that’s a big ball peen hammer and small chisel to get the screw to turn. Now I have to replace two tools and find this screw. Sheesh.
Fred formerly of the DPRoNJ now happily in wet GA (raining again).
Fred,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AFf0ysgNiM
One of my, if not my favorite movie (walk this way).
Fred,
Abby,….Abby Normal.
Kevin,
Not the third switch!
Siraniko
Awesome! Not telling my age, but I remember when it came out.
Fred DRPoNJ,
Fred, glad you are out of NJ!
Any evidence that Crosman’s assemblers used a thread locker? Sometimes a quick touch of the solder iron on the screwhead will overcome that issue.
Gorillas? Probably using impact drivers!
Harley wrench! Always called them SPECTs (Stationary Powerplant Engineer’s Custom Tool) made to keep things within specs.
One step forward, two steps back.
good fixing!
shootski
No, no sign of any threadlocker or corrosion on any of the screws. That photo I included shows the varmint that destroyed my two tools and if you look closely, you can tell there is no blue or red tell-tale locker threads on the screw threads.
An impact driver? Probably air driven like the son of a gun who worked on my brakes and tightened the caliper bolts past the two grunts and a groan spec. That took a 3 lb. hand sledge hammering away on a breaker bar to free those two bolts up. Calipers were hanging up due to insufficient lube on the slider pins – by that same mechanic. As the song goes, if it wasn’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.
Fred formerly of the DPRoNJ now happily in GA
Fred,
Those caliper bolts can be really difficult to break loose sometimes. I once had to replace all of the brakes on my daughter’s Pontiac Grand Prix. The front calipers came off fairly easy, but not the back calipers. There wasn’t room to get much leverage with a breaker bar, and I was afraid of snapping the bolts off too. I drove down to my local Walmart and bought a cheap air impact wrench kit. The impact wrench is only rated at 250 ft lbs, so it’s not very strong. But, the caliper bolts came loose quite easily with it. Sometimes just the hammering of the impact will break stubborn bolts loose.
Now the crank pulley nut on my wife’s Volvo, that’s another story. My cheap impact was not strong enough for that job and I had to borrow a friend’s impact wrench to get that one loose. I would love to have one of the new battery impact wrenches but they are too expensive for only occasional use.
Geo
Good morning,
I have read your speeches and I need help.
A friend gave me a Diana 50a which, unfortunately, needs to be restored but I can’t find the spare parts.
I am in Sardinia, an island in the middle of the Mediterranean sea and, honestly, I don’t know how this rifle ended up here. Can anyone help me out?
In particular, I need some pieces of the foresight and rear sight, corroded by rust.
Thanks.
Zeleddu,
Don’t know if they ship to Sardinia but they will ship to the USA:
https://www.airgunspares.com/store/category/64/791/DIANA-ORIGINAL/page3.html
also try here:
https://www.gunspares.co.uk/products/24393/50/
Many thanks.
Unfortunately both have spare parts of the more recent Diana 50 model not the 50/a model which seem to be nowhere to be found.
I hope someone can help me find them.
Zeleddu,
Don’t give up so easily. Neither of these companies list all parts on their websites. Suggest you email them and ask if they have the parts you seek and if they don’t if they can suggest a source. You may also want to ask the good folks on the American Vintage Forum if they know of a source:
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/americanvintageairguns/american-vintage-airguns-f405945/
Here’s a bit of dialogue on that forum about the Diana 50A:
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/americanvintageairguns/viewtopic.php?p=33373#p33373
Kevin,
Well done!!!! on finding good pics in the 2nd link. I contributed some Blue Book info..
Chris
Hi Kevin,
thank you for your suggestion.
I will try to write as you say.
To have more possibilities it would be necessary to know in which other rifles both the foresight (perhaps Diana 35b / M as well as the Diana 50a and b) and the rearsight (Winchester, MILBRO, RWS?) Were mounted.
Many thanks for your help.
zeleddu,
Welcome to the blog. I saw your first comment and saw that Chris USA advised you to post it here. This is the right place where more than 100,000 readers worldwide will see it.
I hope you get what you seek,
B.B.
Hello B.B.,
thanks for the help you will give me.
Thanks for what you wrote about the Diana 50, your articles are the only things I have found complete about it on the whole web: congratulations.
zeleddu,
I’m glad this blog helped you. I hope you will continue to read it.
B.B.
Zeleddu,
Looking in the Blue Book of Airguns, there was several models of the 50. 50, 50 standard variant 1, 50 A variant 2, 50 B variant 3, 50 M variant 4.
The A description states,… “similar to the model 50 standard, except hooded front sight with 4 posts on a rotating star, click adjustable rear sight with four-notch insert, extra dovetail on the rear of the receiver”
Sales from 1952 ~ 1965 for the above listed models. The sights seemed to be what changed among the models along with a few other things.
That is as much as I can add for you.
Chris
Different models of the Diana 50:
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/americanvintageairguns/viewtopic.php?p=33373#p33373
Hi Kevin,
yes, it is precisely that indicated in the article.
Unfortunately of this rifle the sights are the ones most damaged by rust and, in particular, the spring that regulates, blocking them, the different types of the foresight.
Hi Chis,
thanks for the clarifications.
Unfortunately of this rifle the sights are the ones most damaged by rust and, in particular, the spring that regulates, blocking them, the different types of the foresight.
Many thanks.
I hope to find what I’m looking for.
It would be a shame not to find the right pieces but of this model all I found is on your site and your articles are the only ones that exist.
Again many thanks.
I just went through this with a Winchester 450, which is a Diana 50 variant. I found a few pieces on eBay, (ruizsport on eBay, out of Bulgaria has a lot of sights and pieces, not so good with English, discovered he is better with German since my wife speaks German) and some from posting want to buy ads on airgun boards, such as American airguns classifieds. I discovered that the sights were used across a few different models, allowing me to ask for one part from several models listed. It helps immensely if you have pictures or descriptions of the specific parts needed. I managed to assemble the front, rear and a diopter sight for mine. I don’t know if you can search this site, but there were a few guys that chimed in with good info on my search for Diana sights and parts earlier this year.
Hi MMCM13,
thank you for your suggestion.
I will try to write as you say.
To have more possibilities it would be necessary to know in which other rifles both the foresight (perhaps Diana 35b / M as well as the Diana 50a and b) and the rearsight (Winchester, MILBRO, RWS?) Were mounted.
Many thanks for your help.
Some other links. GTA is good if you get in on one of the chats or start a new one.
https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?board=120.0
https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?action=mall
Chris
Hi Chris,
thanks for the suggestion.
I will definitely try.
On a different note, has anyone seen a Glock G17 gen 5 for sale? Kinda wanted to try it, as it is a pellet pistol as opposed to the bb versions currently offered?
B.B.,
As it is April 1st, I should make clear the following is not a joke. Well, maybe it IS a joke, but it is real, a pellet from Russia called the Kvintor Tornado. I can’t decide if it is something by Cogswell Cogs or Spacely Sprockets.
Michael
Michael,
I don’t care where it’s from,…. I want one!!!!! 😉
Chris
I’m pretty sure you have to buy them 300 at a time. ;^)