Monthly Archives: December 2020

The AV-46M Single Stroke Pneumatic Match Air Pistol: Part 3

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 71 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

AV 46-M
The AV-46M target air pistol is a reincarnation of the IZH 46M for the American market.

Part 1
Part 2

This report covers:

  • The test
  • Sights
  • Sight-in
  • Shot a lot!
  • RWS R10 Match Pistol
  • Air Arms Falcons
  • New method of resting the pistol
  • Qiang Yuan Training pellets
  • RWS Meisterkugeln Rifle
  • Vogel
  • The trigger
  • Other pellets
  • Summary

It’s accuracy day for the Air Venturi 46M single stroke pneumatic target pistol. A day I think that will be the first of several.

The test

I shot off a rest from 10 meters. I started with the gun rested directly on the bag and held with two hands, but during the test I discovered a better way to hold the pistol. I will describe it when we get to it.

I shot 5-shot groups so I could test more pellets. That turned out to be a good idea with all the shooting I did.

Sights

I said in Part 2 that I would be changing the sights for this test, but when the pistol was extended far from my eyes the sights it came with are sized correctly. I will say, though, that the screws that hold the rear sight blade to the unit are left-hand threads — just like those on the IZH-46M. read more

Benjamin Marauder Semi-Auto (SAM) PCP Air Rifle: Part 2

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 88 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Benjamin Marauder Semiauto
Benjamin’s new Semiauto Marauder repeating PCP.

Part 1

This report covers:

  • What is it, again?
  • JSB Exact Jumbo — huge learning curve!
  • Wait a minute!
  • String two
  • Beeman Kodiak
  • JSB Exact Jumbo RS
  • Sound level
  • Shot count
  • More power?
  • The trigger
  • Summary

Today we start testing the velocity of the new .22-caliber Benjamin Semi-Automatic PCP air rifle (SAM). Your comments to Part 1 were thoughtful and enlightened. I was hoping you readers would understand that this rifle is no more a Marauder than a NASCAR racer is a stock car. And you did!

What is it, again?

The SAM is a semiautomatic air rifle. It looks something like a Marauder, and Crosman has chosen to brand it that way, but this rifle is quite different from what we have all come to know as the Marauder. Some of that will come out today. Let’s get started. read more

Umarex ReadyAir portable compressor: Part 1

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 153 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

ReadyAir
Umarex ReadyAir portable compressor

This report covers:

  • The price
  • What about eBay compressors?
  • What is the ReadyAir?
  • Set but don’t forget
  • The noise
  • The connectors
  • The test
  • Maintenance
  • Summary

Today I start looking at the Umarex ReadyAir portable air compressor. When Umarex sent me their press release on the second of December, I asked specifically to be able to review a media sample. I did that for one simple reason — the price.

The price

Yes, it was the price that attracted me to the ReadyAir. At the SHOT Show last January they hoped it would retail for $500, which is a killer price. It’s gone up a little since then, but not that much. It’s now retailing at $550, but I see that Pyramyd Air has already deflated that a bit.

Why am I so impressed by the price? Because if Umarex stands behind this compressor it should work as advertised. And today I’m going to tell you some nice things about the scheduled maintenance Umarex recommends that supports that notion. read more

What is it?

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 94 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

This report covers:

  • Is it real?
  • How far?
  • Some assembly required
  • How does it work?
  • Fletched arrows?
  • No sale!
  • A secret
  • Dense styrofoam
  • Velocity, cocking effort, trigger pull?
  • Summary

Well, what’s it going to be today? What sort of craziness has BB Pelletier dreamed up for you?

Some of you call me the Great Enabler. Maybe I am, but I’m not alone in that. Some of you say stuff that enables me, too. I don’t know where it was, or even if it was on this blog, but sometime in the past few months I became aware of the toothpick crossbow. That’s right — a tiny crossbow that shoots toothpicks instead of arrows or bolts.

Is it real?

I didn’t believe it, so I went on eBay and entered the search term “toothpick crossbow.” Sure enough, several toothpick crossbows came up, along with a number of Victorinox Swiss Army knives. Some research turned up that the crossbow is an official or quasi-official stamp of quality for Swiss-made products. Victorinox stopped using it in 2005, but several of my larger knives have the mark. It looks something like an umbrella and many people call it that. read more

About as new as you can get

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 71 Comments

by Tom Gaylord

Writing as B.B. Pelletier

S&W 79G Boxed
45Bravo stumbled into this treasure! A like-new S&W 79G in the box with everything — and more!

Merry Christmas everyone!

History of airguns

Today’s report is another guest blog from reader Ian McKee who writes as 45 Bravo. Today he shows us his latest acquisition — which is a real find!.

If you’d like to write a guest post for this blog, please email me at [email protected]

Over to you, Ian.

About as new as you can get

Ian McKee 
Writing as 45 Bravo

This report covers:

  • The right place and time
  • Limit yourself
  • Exposure drives prices up
  • A good one?
  • Back story
  • A tidbit for everyone
  • The air pistol
  • The S&W CO2 cartridges
  • The S&W pellets
  • A question

The right place and time

The deals are out there, you just have to be in the right place at the right time. This time I lucked out and stumbled onto a gem!

I have said before I have a standing notification on Gunbroker for any new listing that include 78g, and 79g, and anything with Daisy 780, 790 and 41 in the listing, along with Crosman MK1 or MKII listings. I am always looking for one of these, to pick it up at a good price and reseal it. Then to get it back in circulation.  read more

The AV-46M Single Stroke Pneumatic Match Air Pistol: Part 2

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 38 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

AV-46M lever open
The AV-46M target air pistol is a reincarnation of the IZH 46M for the American market. It is the easiest-cocking single stroke pneumatic around.

Part 1

This report covers:

  • The test
  • RWS Meisterkugeln Rifle
  • Air Arms Falcon
  • RWS R10 Match Pistol
  • H&N Match Green
  • Surprise!
  • RWS R10 pistol with boosted pumps
  • Pump effort
  • Trigger pull
  • Summary

Today we look at the velocity of the new Air Venturi 46M target air pistol. There is a LOT of interest in this pistol and I must tell you that when the initial stock of pistols is gone you’ll have to wait until late March to get one. Russia is a long way away from Cleveland.

The test

I’m going to jump right into the velocity test because there is something special I want to do after that. Oh, and by the way — let’s remember that this is a 10-meter target pistol. It isn’t a magnum airgun made to shoot heavy pellets, and there is no convenient way to soup it up. This isn’t a sporting air pistol; it’s a target pistol. read more

Crosman Vigilante CO2 Revolver: Part 1

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 67 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Vigilante
Crosman Vigilante.


This report covers:

  • Come on, Crosman!
  • The Vigilante
  • Dual ammo
  • Pellets?
  • Breakopen
  • Adjustable sights!
  • Overall impressions
  • Summary

Today we start looking at the Crosman Vigilante CO2 revolver semi-auto. The what???

Come on, Crosman!

Is this a revolver, or a semi-auto? Or, has Crosman resurrected the Webley-Fosbery semiautomatic revolver? A semiautomatic revolver has to somehow advance the cylinder to the next round and also cock the hammer for the next shot without any input from the shooter. The revolver does all the work. The Webley-Fosbery is recoil operated to accomplish these things.

Webley-Fosbery
The Webley-Fosbery is one of the very rare semiautomatic revolvers. Prepare to spend five figures for one, if you can find it!

This Crosman revolver is just that — a revolver. In no way is it semiautomatic. Pyramyd Air wisely avoided the Semi Auto portion on the pistol’s title when they put it online. read more