Gamo Arrow PCP air rifle.
This report covers:
- Texas airgun show
- Now today’s report
- Repeater
- Great price!
- What you get
- The rifle
- Repeater
- Ambidextrous
- Quiet operation
- Adjustable trigger
- Sights
- Size and weight
- Regulated?
- What does BB think?
- Summary
Texas airgun show
Before we begin today’s report, here is a word about the upcoming Texas Airgun Show from Jeff Cloud, who goes by Cloud9 here on the blog.
It is almost the end of August, which means that the 2022 Texas Airgun Show is just a little over 1 month from now on Saturday, September 24. If you haven’t paid for a table ($30), or haven’t submitted your raffle or door prize items as a show sponsor, please send me that info (or items) this week. I have filled all of the inside tables and have approximately 6-8 outside tables, not including the vendors/manufacturers who are under the big tent or setup on the ranges with demos.
I expect everything to run as it has in the past, because I haven’t made any changes to the schedule or events.
As always, you may show up starting at 6:30 to setup. The show opens to the public at 9 am and ends at 4 pm. During that time, please be at your tables or have a representative there to work with the public in attendance. I will start the raffle item giveaways at 11:00am and they will happen every hour until 3:30 when we will give away the last/largest raffle items and the door prize.
The Straight Shooters 4H club will have breakfast and lunch items and snacks and drinks available for donations again this year.
I have attached the show flyer for your reference (you have to get it from the show website linked above). There are quite a few hotels in the area; if you need help finding a good one, please let me know.
Two final notes, safety glasses are required to be worn outside on the ranges, and all rifles out of boxes must have their triggers zip-tied in the building.
Looking forward to seeing all of you again (and the new folks too) after a 2-year hiatus,
Jeff Cloud
Texas Airgun Show Director
(817) 360-0611
texasairgunshow@gmail.com
Remember, too, that BB Pelletier will have three tables with incredible bargains at this show. If you don’t believe me, read my report on the 2021 Arkansas airgun show where I practically gave stuff away. Now, many people have contacted me privately, asking about what I’m selling and for how much. After this show is over I may publish a list of what remains, though I bet it won’t be much!
Now today’s report
Today we begin testing the Gamo Arrow precharged pneumatic (PCP) PELLET rifle! Why did I capitalize pellet? Because the name Arrow made stupid BB think it was an arrow launcher! Gamo didn’t attend the SHOT Show this year, so this is my first look at this rifle. But I did watch Tyler Patner’s Insyder review on You Tube (scroll to the bottom of the webpage to see the video) and I was very impressed with what I saw.
Repeater
The Arrow comes in both .177 and .22 calibers and BB is testing the .177. Tyler looked at the .22, so here’s your chance to get the other side. Both rifles are 10-shot repeaters that use rotary magazines and the mag does not protrude above the receiver. That’s a real plus!
Great price!
As this report is published the Arrow lists for $220 out the door. It has lots of features that make it a price point PCP and even beyond and I think Tyler is correct that the Arrow is poised to compete with the Diana Stormrider and the Beeman Chief II Synthetic that’s ten dollars cheaper. Actually, if we expand the price just a little there are several PCPs that are competing in this range, but I’m not going to compare and contrast them for you. I’m just going to test the Arrow.
What you get
The Arrow gives you:
- 10 shot repeater
- easy ambidextrous cocking
- quiet operation
- plenty of shots
- light weight
- compact size
- great price
- adjustable open sights
- an adjustable custom action trigger (CAT)
- made in Spain
The rifle
Okay, I will now go through that list and describe the rifle to you. You already know that it’s a repeater and you know the low price. How do they do that? Well, the exterior of the rifle seems to be two pieces of plastic joined together — as Tyler put it — a sort of clamshell. I know it’s plastic, but Gamo had to do things to keep the price down. I will agree with Tyler that the surface of the plastic feels good — smooth and well-contoured.
Repeater
As I said the Arrow comes with one 10-shot rotary magazine in either .177 or .22 caliber. It’s the same magazine as is used by the Gamo Swarm.
Gamo Arrow magazine is the same one the Swarm uses.
It’s very light — as in 5 pounds, even. Of course that is without a scope, but folks, you don’t NEED a scope because Gamo put adjustable open sights on the Arrow. Wow! It’s like they are listening!
The rifle requires you to fill the 125cc reservoir to 232 bar or 3365 psi. That’s not so high that it robs all your air if you use a carbon fiber tank and Gamo says it gives you up to 60 shots. Naturally I will test that for you.
Ambidextrous
Gamo has gone to great lengths to make the Arrow ambidextrous. If you like holding your thumb straight up instead of wrapping around the pistol grip there is a thumb-shaped depression on either side under the cocking handle. Even the cocking handle is shaped for easy operation. Just depress it lightly and pull back — it’s extremely easy!
Press down on the cocking handle and pull back — lightly! Notice the thumb depression on the top left side of the pistol grip.
Quiet operation
There is a baffled silencer on the end of the shrouded barrel and it’s one that can’t be removed because it’s molded in. I will record the discharge sound for you.
The Arrow has a baffled silencer.
Adjustable trigger
BOTH the first stage and the second stage of the trigger are adjustable. Wow! We don’t see that every day. Once again, Gamo has listened.
Sights
Both the front and rear sights are fiberoptic. I have to say that the rear sight dots are quite bright. And kudos to Gamo for the adjustability. Golly — it’s as though they are really listening!
Yes, the Arrow can be scoped and I will do that on the test rifle. Remembering the gun is made of plastic, the 11 mm scope rail is, of course, plastic. I will discuss mounting scope rings to a plastic rail when we get there.
Size and weight
You already know the Arrow only weighs 5 pounds. The overall length is 39 inches, yet they somehow managed to squeeze in a 20-inch barrel. Wow, again. It’s almost as though someone in Spain is aware of how a pneumatic airgun works!
I know I’m being silly, but I want to point these things out, because they are the exact things yours truly would be telling them if they asked me. Remember when Sig brought out the ASP20? They showcased it at the SHOT Show and I told them almost the same things when I first saw it. Of course they had Ed Schultz guiding them; so somewhere in Spain there must be an Edwardo Garcia with his (or her?) hand on the tiller.
Yes, Spain. Because that is where this one is made. Who says if you want cheap you have to go to China?
Regulated?
No, the Arrow is not regulated. That means the velocity spread might be a little greater than if it was reglated, but we shall see when we get there.
What does BB think?
Well, to be honest BB watched Tyler’s report before looking at the rifle and BB has to agree with what Tyler said. The Arrow seems like an ideal backyard PCP for those in suburbia. The power of the .22 he tested was around 16 foot pounds. If we get lucky this .177 might get close to 14 foot pounds. That’s just a guess at this point. At that power level it should be good for pests up to rat and pigeon size and game like squirrels, etc.
It’s light enough to carry and from what I saw in Tyler’s test, accurate enough for reasonable distances out to 50 yards. Guys and gals — that’s a lot of value for the price.
Summary
I think we have another good one here. The price is great, the features are thought out well and if what I saw in Tyler’s testing holds for this one, we have a world beater on our hands. We shall see.
B.B.,
Surprise, surprise; when I saw that name, “Gamo Arrow,” I figured it had to be a report about an airgun that launched arrows; so, you’re not the only one to be misled by that name. It’ll be interesting to see how she shoots. 🙂
Take care & God bless,
dave
BB,
Only the fact that the scope rail is made of plastic raised my eyebrow. Would it be possible to keep the zero? I realize it’s a PCP with no recoil. I don’t know what kind of plastic was used or if there is a metal insert to strengthen the rail. Probably there will be a weight limit to what kind of scope can be mounted on this safely and securely.
Siraniko
Siraniko,
That’s a great question about the weight limit for the scope and I think the answer is yes. I do plan to keep it small.
BB
BB,
They probably gave it this name because the cocking handle looks similar to arrow fletching. Many Mattelomatic fans will notice the similarity of the cocking handle. Open sights I like. As most know, I personally am not a big fan of glowy thingy sights, but they do have their uses and I do like the globe type guard on the front sight. Is the front sight easily removable?
I am not a big fan of the high fill pressure, but since it is not regulated, my personal experience has taught me that one may be able to reach the optimum shot curve with a hand pump. I used to have a Talon SS that I filled to only 1900 PSI.
I too watched Tyler’s video the other day. I know I sound awful critical of this air rifle, but all in all, it seems like a nice plinker and pester, most especially in .177.
When you are done showcasing this air rifle, if you do not decide to keep it yourself, I would not mind terribly if you were to send it my way. 😉
BB,
Happy to see another PPPCP being tested – great to have such a selection to choose from!
I’d bet that a very high percentage of airguns are only used for backyard plinking and the occasional pest, good to see a PCP that appears to be designed with that in mind. Hoping that the Arrow performs well.
Poor choice of name considering that “Arrow” implies that it shoots arrows. Maybe it’s a Spanish to English translation thing.
I’m not a fan of that style of cocking lever but for a modest power PCP the hammer spring would be light so it would be workable. …Just thinking about young shooters, my granddaughter had trouble cocking the Maximus.
Had to smile at RR and his “glow thingy” comment on the sights. Yeah may not be suitable for fine target shooting but they sure shine for fast shooting tins at reasonable distances.
Hank
Be looking to check this one out at the Newton show; maybe FM can do a test shoot. There is potential there for a good backyard plinker and iggy wacker. My Spanish-born dad would have approved. The first serious firearm he allowed in the household was a Model 1943 Spanish Mauser, made at the Coruna arms factory, 130 or so miles N of his birthplace in the province of Galicia. FM still has it. It is going nowhere. Good-looker and shooter too. The pic is from a Spanish blogger’s website.
Looks interesting, FawltyManuel. What is it?
Model 1943 Spanish-made Mauser 7.92 mm or as we refer to it in the USA, “8 mm.” Five-round magazine. My father paid all of $35 US for it in 1968. It was the second centerfire rifle young FM fired, the first being a 1903 Model Springfield in .30 caliber.
FawltyManual,
With HOT loads no doubt ;^)
Your dad was making you tough(er)!
shootski
Thanks FawltyManuel. Now I understand: it’s the Gamo Arrow that you thought had backyard plinking potential, not the Mauser. 🙂
First thing I thought also was a arrow shooter. Will be interesting to see how this gun does.
Thinking more will it hurt the gun on internet searches or help it get pulled up more on a internet search named Arrow.
At first I thought it was the wrong name for a PELLET shooting airgun. But maybe not.
Maybe Gamos marketing department has been doing some research. Will it work. We will see.
B.B.
I just watched Tyler’s video review. While the fill port appears to be protected in a recessed opening under the stock, Tyler did not say if there is a protective cover for that space to keep dirt out. Is there a protective cover for the fill port?
Charles,
No, there is not.
BB
cstoehr,
https://mocap.com/
Message from the Dark Side for you Charles; one of many go-to sources.
shootski
B.B.,
FYI It appears my email notifications of a REPLY to a thread by a reader has now ended too.
shootski
shootski,
Thanks for the reply about mocap.com. Like you I don’t get email notifications to replies to my comments. I haven’t received notifications since the last blog updates a while back.
The plastic scope rail may be okay on a PCP air rifle. However, it has been tried on a few break after models with predictable results. My neighbor ran out and bought one before I could arise him, and within a couple weeks the rail broke. Since I always read owner reviews on airguns, and had read of his problem, and seen photos of the breakages, I would have steered him clear of this air rifle. Too ad, because he let me shoot it before the failure, and it was a pretty good shooter. Me? If I see a break barrel with a plastic rail, and I had read that the plastic rail screws onto another plastic part under that rail, I run away quickly from that model.
Birdmove,
This stock’s molded dovetail should work.
GAMO says it is automotive grade filled Nylon.
B.B. won’t need a great deal of clamping force as long as the ring bases and the dovetail are “squeaky clean” of lubricants and perhaps mold parting agent on the stock.
Time will tell….
shootski
Sure hope the floods in Texas aren’t affecting Tom or anyone else in the group who lives there!
Hi BB, I have a chance to buy an FWB 601. I have read your blog about this series of rifles. Is there anything I should look out for and ask about ? The seller has not shot it, selling for a friend. Pictures look pretty good, but I know that doesn’t tell the whole story. I find that seal kits are available, but have no idea how involved the job might be. I appreciate any advice. Thanks
fishoot,
Resealing is a job I would not take on. I’d find someone to do it. Maybe Pilkington at pilkguns.com. They resealed my 600.
BB
No, I wouldn’t even know where to start on a rifle like that. Anything that I could ask the seller about it ? Thanks,
BB-
I do believe the magazine shown is for the Gamo Urban, not the Swarm. It is the old BSA design, I believe.
B.B.,
Just in front of the front sight tunnel is a molded in hole that appears to have a roll pin or a screw head showing. It appears to go through the silencer to perhaps hold the muzzle cap or the baffels in place could you explore for us readers. Also is the front sight in a real transverse dovetail or just made to look like it is? Can’t sell in some countries (Canada) in the big box stores to everyone unless you can remove that hush technology.
shootski