Monthly Archives: January 2021

Let’s make lemonade

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 47 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

History of airguns

This report covers:

  • Lemons
  • The bigger picture
  • Whodunit?
  • So what?
  • They got better
  • The point?
  • Summary

I was all set to begin telling you about my Beeman 400/Diana 75 today. Yes — my rifle is a Beeman 400. I’ve had people tell me Beeman didn’t sell a 400, but I’ve got one to show you. However — not today.

There is one part of the Diana 75 sidelever recoilless air rifle that I had to discuss with you first and, as I thought about it, this one component is more important than the entire target rifle. So today I tell all of you how to make lemonade. Some of you will make it, some will even set up lemonade stands while others will continue to curse the darkness.

Lemons

The world of airguns is replete with lemons. In 2018 I told you the story of a Benjamin 700 that was practically forced upon me at the 2018 Texas Airgun Show by one of our regular readers — I forget who. The price of $95 was certainly good. But then I had to get it fixed and, by the time that was over, I had three times the money invested in the airgun. By the way, that BB repeater now holds air indefinitely and is looking for a new home. read more

Benjamin Marauder Semi-Auto (SAM) PCP Air Rifle: Part 4

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 86 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

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

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

This report covers:

  • Setup
  • Sight-in
  • Trigger
  • JSB Exact Jumbo RS
  • Shooting the SAM is fun!
  • Air Arms 16-grain domes
  • Premiers again
  • Beeman Kodiaks
  • Discussion
  • Summary

Today we look at the accuracy of the new Benjamin Marauder Semi-Auto (SAM) PCP air rifle. I’m sure GunFun1 will have lots to say about his SAM, too.

Setup

The SAM needs a scope so I looked around and found one that’s pretty much ideal. It’s a UTG 4-16X44 SWAT. Because it has an illuminated glass-etched reticle I was able to illumine just the crosshairs in the center and, because it’s a UTG, I didn’t have to settle for just green or red. I picked blue, so I can see it.

The scope was already mounted in 2-piece rings and since they are Weaver on the bottom I didn’t have to move them at all. That is one of the beauties of air rifles like the SAM that use the Mil Std 1913 Picatinney rail system. The slots on all guns are the same width apart, so a scope can hop from gun to gun without loosening the ring caps. The rear ring was also shimmed under the scope, so I had no worries about a drooping rifle when it came time to sight in. read more

Reloading .22 rimfire cartridges: Part 4

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 60 Comments

by Tom Gaylord

Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1 Reloading .22 rimfire cartridges
Part 2 Reloading .22 rimfire cartridges
Part 3 Bore size versus performance

This report covers:

  • Mix and apply the priming compound
  • What do you need?
  • Acetone
  • Priming powders
  • Mix the powders
  • Think small
  • Be safe!
  • Prime the cases
  • The purpose of the acetone
  • How many cartridges?
  • What I did
  • Summary

Okay guys — today is THE DAY! This is the day when all the commenting on whether or not reloading rimfire cartridges is worth it, whether it’s possible, whether it is safe and whether I can actually do it ends. No more talk. Time to do! As Jedi Master Yoda taught us, there is no try.

Mix and apply the priming compound

Today I will mix a batch of priming powder and put it into the rims of the .22 long rifle cartridges that I cleaned in Part 2. I added Part 3, Bore size versus performance, because it bears directly on what I’m doing, though it will take me some time to make the case for that. read more

BSA R10 MK2 precharged repeater: Part 4

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 44 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

BSA R10 Mk2
BSA’s Mark 2 repeater has a rubber-covered beechwood stock.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

This report covers:

  • The day
  • The rifle
  • The test
  • Start with JSB Exact Heavy
  • Crosman Premier heavys
  • H&N Baracuda Match with 4.50mm head
  • Remove the silencer
  • H&N Baracuda Match no silencer
  • JSB Exact Heavy no silencer
  • Crosman Premier Heavy no silencer
  • Discussion
  • Summary

In yesterday’s report you learned that I also shot the BSA R10 Mark II at the 50-yard range last Friday. I took the three best pellets from the 25-yard test in Part 3 and I shot them both with and without the DonnyFL silencer, just to see if there was a difference.

The day

As I mentioned yesterday, it was a cold Texas day with a light wind that blew from 5-10 mph. The range on which I shot is not only covered, it also has walls on both sides. Unfortunately the wind was at my back, and that produced swirling breezes downrange. read more

AirForce Texan: Part 5

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 83 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Texan
AirForce Texan big bore.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

This report covers:

  • Upgrade to the TX2 valve?
  • Mr Hollowpoint
  • The day
  • Mr. Hollowpoint 333-grain bullet
  • Stretching the air
  • Cold!
  • First two bullets
  • Time to refill
  • Summary

The .458 Texan from AirForce Airguns I’m testing has been with me for many years. Mine is from the first production run. And AirForce has made significant changes to the rifle in the time since mine was made (read Part 3, where the new TX2 valve is discussed), but I don’t care. My rifle still hits hard and drills heavy bullets where I want them to go.

Upgrade to the TX2 valve?

AirForce offered to upgrade my Texan to the new TX2 valve if I wanted. I would gain additional power from the new valve, plus with the new carbon fiber air tank I would retain the 4+ good shots, because even though the new valve uses more air, the CF tank it’s in gets filled to 250 bar/3,626 psi. I could also switch over to the new barrel that is just as long as mine, but has a faster 1:30 twist rate that stabilizes the heavier bullets better. My 535 foot-pound rifle would become a 700 foot-pound rifle with the heaviest bullets. read more

Bore size versus performance

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 64 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1 Reloading .22 rimfire cartridges
Part 2 Reloading .22 rimfire cartridges

History of airguns

This report covers:

  • All started here
  • Bitten!
  • Problem
  • Solution
  • Bottom line
  • Airguns?
  • By the way
  • Summary

If you are a regular reader of this blog you know that I am exploring the reloading of .22 rimfire cartridges. Researching that endeavor has opened my eyes to a world of reloading that I didn’t know existed. Not only are people reloading .22 rimfire cartridges, they are doing it for most other rimfire calibers. Today will be an airgun-related discussion about bore size that started as research for reloading the .41 rimfire short case.

All started here

It all began when I posted the photo of the Remington double derringer in Part 1 of the reloading series. That image caught my attention and started me on a journey to see where this goes. read more

Umarex ReadyAir portable compressor: Part 2

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 97 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

ReadyAir
Umarex ReadyAir portable compressor.

Part 1

This report covers:

  • Setting up the compressor
  • Setting the pressures
  • Test plug
  • Not set and forget
  • The tests
  • Test One — BSA R10
  • Bleed valve
  • Test two — AirForce tank
  • Runtime
  • Test 3 — AirForce tank outdoors
  • Summary

Today we look at how the Umarex ReadyAir portable compressor operates. I’ve devised three tests that should demonstrate the operation quite well. Let’s go.

Setting up the compressor

To get the compressor ready for the first two tests I attached the 110 volt household power cord and the flexible air hose that comes with a female Foster fitting on the end. If only all airgun manufacturers would use the male Foster fitting for all their guns the world would be abetter place!

The other end of the hose that attaches to the compressor is a properly sealed 1/8 BSP threaded adapter that has a rubber seal inside. I tightened it hand tight for all the tests and it held air perfectly. read more