Air Venturi Avenger Bullpup.
This report covers:
- The test
- Good with air
- Velocity
- Discussion
- However
- However 2
- Surprise, surprise!
- What’s coming next?
- Summary
Well, today I have a few surprises for you as we take our second look at the Avenger bullpup from Air Venturi. Today will be the first of at least two velocity test days, and perhaps more, for reasons I will mention.
The test
I shot the .25-caliber Avenger bullpup over the chronograph using JSB Exact King Heavy pellets. They weigh 33.95 grains and you will remember that 671 is the “magic” velocity at which the weight of the pellet in grains equals the energy it generates in foot-pounds. That will help when we get to the velocity part.
Good with air
The bullpup I’m shooting is a .25 and we know that caliber goes through a lot of air. But this is also an Avenger which we know to be quite stingy with air. So, how many good shots will we get from a fill?
That would be nice to know but my carbon fiber tank wasn’t quite full, so all I got into the rifle was 4,000 psi. That will be our starting point, so there will not be a shot count in today’s test.
Now, the two gauges on the rifle (regulator setting on the right side of the receiver and reservoir pressure gauge on the left) are identical. So, pay attention to what I tell you that you are looking at. The reg gauge was set at 3,000 psi when the rifle came from the box. Theoretically the gun will shoot on the reg from 4,000 psi down to 3,000 psi, then the shots will start going slower.
This is the regulator setting at the start of the test with 4,000 psi in the reservoir.
Velocity
Okay, I wish I could do this in a slower more dramatic way, but if I do it will probably confuse you all. So here are the first 30 shots.
Shot…..Vel.
1………786
2………792
3………782
4………792
5………793
6………787
7………786
8………782
9………793
10……..788
11……..792
12……..799 Fastest shot with 3200 psi remaining in the reservoir
13……..783
14……..792
15……..784
16……..782
17……..786 3,000 psi remains in the reservoir
18……..789
19……..782
20……..783
21……..788
22……..787
23……..789
24……..790
25……..779 — slowest shot. Is the Avenger falling off the regulator?
26……..785 — nope!
27……..793
28……..788
29……..791
30……..784
Discussion
What we have at this point is a lot of shots on that high regulator setting. Forget the reg for a moment. The average of those 30 shots is 788 f.p.s. That produces 46.82 foot-pounds of energy with this pellet. Folks, that is a lot of shots at a very powerful level! This .25-caliber Avenger is a real thumper that gets lots of shots!
The maximum velocity spread for these 30 shots is 20 f.p.s. That’s not bad for this kind of power.
However
The pressure in the reservoir (NOT the regulator) had dropped to 2,200 psi by shot 30. So, by the 30th shot the rifle had to be off the regulator. Yet the velocity says that it isn’t. I have never seen a PCP hang on like this. Well, let’s shoot some more shots.
31……..788
32……..780
33……..783
34……..783
35……..782 the regulator now read 2,200 psi.
36……..776
37……..777
38……..775
On shot 35 this is what the regulator gauge said.
However 2
I say that on this factory setting there are 35 good shots on the Avenger bullpup I’m testing and then it falls off the regulator like a stone. But why is the rifle still shooting its shots in a narrow power band? Is it possible that the regulator doesn’t really come set at 3,000 psi, but when you fill the rifle some air bleeds into the regulator pressure gauge and makes it read higher than it’s set? I don’t know the answer but in future tests I hope to adjust the regulator lower and see what happens.
Surprise, surprise!
Remember in Part One I promised you a huge surprise? Here it comes. On today’s first shot the rifle fired before I was ready.
Why did it do that, BB?
It did that because the trigger on this Avenger bullpup breaks with just one pound, one ounce of force! That’s correct, sports fans, this bullpup has a 17-ounce trigger! Well, BB, did someone set this trigger up just for you? Perhaps. I have no way of knowing. What I do know is this is the best trigger I have ever tested on a bullpup and, yes, I have shot several Edguns whose triggers couldn’t compare. Maybe they weren’t adjusted well enough, but this one sure is.
Single stage
It’s a single stage pull with no crisp breaking point, but don’t touch it until you are willing to let lead fly. You will feel some movement as you squeeze and then, Bam! the rifle fires before you are ready.
What’s coming next?
This is a note to myself because I had forgotten what the big surprise was for this report until the first shot fired before I was ready. Oh, yeah, the light trigger! What comes next is an adjustment of the regulator to a lower pressure to see what happens to the velocity. And I will fill the rifle all the way to 300 bar next time so we get a good shot count.
Summary
These Avengers continue to surprise me. I may not know what to expect (like the big shot count and the trigger on this one) but I know it’s always going to be good. There, readers — if you have been sitting on the fence on this one I hope I pushed you closer to the edge! Enable, enable.
Thats promising. Like really promising. For me dialing down to 18fpe in 22 would be about ideal.
I have the .22 caliber Avenger in the wood stock, tuning it down to 18fpe is easy, I shoot with friends out to 100 yards, so mine is tuned to about 28 fpe. And over 100 shots per fill.
I have ordered the bullpup Avenger in .177.
If it shoots as well as the .22, my Air Arms 200S in .177 is probably going to find a new home…….
BB,
Just a little more and the fence sitters will be toppling over. Now you have them on the hook. Reel them in with the accuracy report which will unfortunately be in Part 4 probably.
Siraniko
We need him to pretend it’s a FWB24 and do parts3-5 between now and Friday….
But he will probably wait to finish the series the day before it starts shipping…..
Anticipation…….
Ian
BB,
As you’ve noted in the past, on unregulated guns, you can sort of test the reservoir’s gauge by filling very slowly with a tank and noting the tank’s gauge reading at the point that the reservoir gauge begins to move, assuming, of course that you trust the gauge on your tank. Is there a way to do something similar to test that the regulator’s gauge is not bad/sticking? BTW, when you filled the gun did the reservoir reading match the tank reading? Is it possible that the reservoir gauge is reading low?
In a couple of YouTube reviews that I’ve seen on this gun (can’t remember if the caliber was the same) the testers noticed that at the point the gun went off the reg the velocity actually climbed an appreciable amount for the next few shoots. They theorized that with less pressure holding the valve closed, the hammer was able to knock the valve open further than normal and, as a result, release a greater volume of air, although at a lower pressure. It made sense to me, so I was watching for it in your test, but it didn’t happen, Since the gun also has an adjustable hammer spring could a difference in that adjustment account for that?
Half
More than my share of questions, I know, but I really would like to hear your thoughts on the matter. LOL
Half,
You ask all of the questions you want. Now, whether he answers them…?
Half and RR,
I often let you guys do the answering because you give better answers that I do.
Yes, adjusting the hammer is a thought. This bullpup is deceptively adjustable!
BB
Half,
Your thoughts on the gauges are certainly valid since 10% error is considered great on these and only applicable to the center half of the total gauge range. Regulator stability at this price range is an issue as well as the recharge time and internal leakage.
Without a good scale drawing this is mostly just a guess: “They theorized that with less pressure holding the valve closed, the hammer was able to knock the valve open further than normal and, as a result, release a greater volume of air, although at a lower pressure.” I can’t see a way for most valves to open further but I can see a quicker open and then a longer time open (greater dwell time) doing some of what BB experienced. The problem with a regulator comes when we assume the air is an Ideal Gas and that the pressure/work curve can be matched by a simple spring regulator. Since air does not act as an Ideal Gas especially right around 3,200 psi BB’s discussion, as well as that of the YouTube scientists, about on or off the regulator point is suspect (a line from Ghostbusters comes to mind) but understandable. On top of all the above is the stability and induced turbulence of gas flow as velocities and pressures change. Not to be left out the fit of the projectile to barrel.
Although PCPs SEEM to be simple they really are the most complex powerplant for airguns.
shootski
shootski,
The quicker valve opening and longer dwell ARE probably the events that caused the velocity rise, now that you’ve mentioned it. The valve will open until it is coil bound or until the spring generated forces between the hammer and poppet equalize and neither of those should be impacted by the air pressure assisting in holding the poppet closed before the strike. When it’s all said and done, I guess it still boils down to more air at a lower pressure causing a higher velocity for a few shots. BTW, I don’t really see the sort of rise I’m describing at the end of BB’s test. It was more prominent in some YouTube videos that I watched, when they were testing a different gun, set up differently and maybe even in a different caliber.
Half
Figured this was a good place to chime in, as something similar was noted when we did our original Avenger .25 review video in 2020. At the high reg pressure the gun is currently set at, if the hammer spring was adjusted in more, BB should see a pretty significant jump in velocity/power. If it’s consistency and shot count he is going for, then backing off the reg to where the velocities started to fall in this test (let’s say 22-2400 PSI) would settle things out and should eliminate that spike in velocity when the pressure drops below the initial reg set point. Suffice it to say the reg is set too high for the hammer spring setting, or alternatively, the hammer spring isn’t set properly to take advantage of the higher reg pressure. Personally, I took the reg set too high approach and adjusted it down to provide a more consistent shot string…but will be curious to see what BB decides to do.
BB
Do you really like the trigger so sensitive? I mean up to a certain force the trigger will be a challenge for the accuracy (if you must fight with it). But even a harder trigger threshold when it is clear and repeatable you will learn fast. I’m a bit afraid of trigger which is very sensitive and without this “end-stop” information. Just don’t like to be surprised when I’m not ready.
tomek,
That’s why I said don’t touch the trigger until you are ready. It’s just lighter than I expected. Now that I have shot it this much I won’t be surprised again.
BB
Tomek,
Most of the old gals around RRHFWA have single stage triggers. Fortunately, they are not long, creepy things. Yes, a nice two stage trigger is desired, but sometimes you do not get that. This one can likely be adjusted to a decent two stage setup, but you are not supposed to put your finger on the trigger until you are ready to shoot.
BB,
The truth is you had me at the Avenger and the Origin. I would have likely bought the Avenger already if Gunfun1 had not shown me the screaming deal on the Maximus. Now I am going to have to sell one or two of the younger gals to have room for another.
As for this ‘pup, it is not what I am looking for in one and it is a Gen 1 anywho. I am not saying that this is not a fine air rifle. It is just not my cup of tea.
R.R.
Have you considered the AEA Plus semi auto series? Short, folding stock, accurate and adjustable, although non regulated. I believe that it is also fairly priced, in US at least.
Those things have my attention, but that Zues keeps calling to me.
RidgeRunner, what qualifies as a “younger gal” at RidgeRunner’s Home for Wayward Airguns?
RG,
Oh,I guess something less than 20-30 years old.
BB, I think a 1 lb trigger is with an indistinct breaking point will score less well than a 2.5 lb trigger with a nice glass break, and it’s crazy for field carry for hunting in the great outdoors, ymmv. Another thing is having a comfortable place to rest the trigger finger while handling your ‘piece’. If my finger is uncomfortable on the stock, I fix that. I think that’s an ergonomic thing. If you are not ready to fire, dont cock the hammer, right?, So there are a few stages of readiness for shooting I think.
I glued my PRods trigger pivot pins into one side of the housing with a slow set adhesive, put the cover back on untill it set, so now, adjusting its trigger can be done with trigger housing cover off without the pins and sears wobbling while I cock and dry fire safely. The Avenger series is as Ridge says, a screaming great deal, a better deal than my hotrodded Crosman, but I really like it still ! And I nabbed a Grey at seventy yds with HN FTT with two mils of holdover yesterday, and a monopod. Awesome!
R
I wasn’t considering the .25 before, but I’m thinking more about it now – due to those shot counts. I was firmly set in my decision, go with .22 with it’s very wide range of pellet weights, mid-teens to 30gr is a wide range, plus it’s cheaper to shoot. Ugh. Back to wondering which to get. ¡Thanks a lot BB!