Barra Schofield BB revolver.
This report covers:
- Quiet CO2 cartridge install
- Crosman Black Widow
- Avanti Precision Ground Shot
- Dust Devils
- Smart Shot
- Shot count
- Discharge sound
- Handling
- Summary
- Labradar Chronograph
Today we test the velocity of the Barra Schofield BB revolver. The factory rates it to 410 f.p.s. and Pyramyd AIR rates it to 445 f.p.s. This should be interesting.
Quiet CO2 cartridge install
Many CO2 guns hiss before their CO2 cartridges are fully seated — probably most do. This one is absolutely silent. I had no idea if the cartridge was pierced until I cocked the hammer and fired. I’m not saying they will all be like this, but this one is.
Naturally I used a drop of Crosman Pellgunoil on the tip of the cartridge before installing it. The oil gets blown through the gun’s valve with the gas and it seals all the internal seals and o-rings. If you do this your gas guns will last much longer. Okay, now let’s look at the velocity.
Crosman Black Widow
For premium steel BBs I selected Crosman Black Widows to test. In my past tests I have found all steel BBs are so close in velocity that it’s necessary to test just one to know how they all perform. Exceptions would be any unique BBs like the Marksman that is 0.176-inches in diameter rather than 0.171-0.1735-inches.
The first 6 BBs (the number of cartridges the cylinder holds) … well, I won’t give you an average. I’ll show you all the shots.
Shot………Vel.
1……………363
2……………394
3……………411
4……………404
5……………411
6……………413
Something seemed wrong. Does this revolver need a break-in period? I wouldn’t think so. But that string just didn’t seem right — especially since shots 3 through 6 were all in the 400s. So I shot the same BB 6 more times.
Shot………Vel.
1……………423
2……………400
3……………401
4……………397
5……………407
6……………397
That was a lot better. The average for this string was 404 f.p.s. and the spread was 26 f.p.s. I thought I had worked it out, but I wouldn’t know for sure until the next BB was tested.
Avanti Precision Ground Shot
Daisy Avanti Precision Ground shot are very much like premium steel BBs, but they are on the large side, at 0.1735-inches. However, if you think the first string was wild, looky here.
Shot………Vel.
1……………319
2……………400
3……………did not register
4……………DNR
5……………397
6……………304
Wow! What a spread! And this was the string that opened my eyes to what was happening. I had been seating the BBs by placing a cartridge over one on a table and pressing down until I felt it pop in. Apparently I needed to do more. I needed to deliberately press each BB into the top of the cartridge by hand.
Now see what I get when I’m deliberate.
Shot………Vel.
1……………405
2……………416
3……………405
4……………409
5……………399
6……………411
The average for this string is 408 f.p.s. The spread is 17 f.p.s. I believe this is much more representative of how this Schofield behaves.
Dust Devils
I know that the Mark 2 Dust Devils are smaller than steel BBs. I wondered how the cartridges would handle them. Well, they held them fine. They popped in just like the other two steel BBs.
The BBs must be deliberately pressed into the mouth of each cartridge. If you don’t, wild velocity swings will happen. These are three Dust Devils.
The average for Dust Devils was 398 f.p.s. The high was 420 and the low was 383 f.p.s. That’s a difference of 37 f.p.s. The smaller size of the BB is probably the reason for the larger spread.
Smart Shot
The final BB I tested was the H&N Smart Shot. At 7.4 grains these are heavier than steel BBs, so we expect them to go slower. Six of them averaged 289 f.p.s. with a spread from 288 to 296 f.p.s. That’s a spread of only 8 f.p.s.
Shot count
At this point I had fired the revolver 48 times. I switched back to Crosman Black Widow BBs that averaged 404 f.p.s. in the beginning. Shot number 50 went out at 416 f.p.s., so the pistol is still on the power curve.
Shot 60 went out at 357 f.p.s., so I think the gas is running out. But then I moved the light over the chronograph and didn’t get a shot recorded until shot 66, which went out at 337 f.p.s. Shot 70 was 291 f.p.s. and the BBs were bouncing back at me off the cardboard box of rubber mulch. Shot 74 was the final shot at 221 f.p.s. Based on all of that I’d say that you can expect 10 cylinders of shots per cartridge, give or take.
Discharge sound
I tested the discharge sound of the revolver and was shocked to see 113.6 dB on the screen. I actually tested it twice because it didn’t sound that loud and the other test came up at 114.1 dB. Apparently this little puppy is LOUD!
Handling
I find the Schofield easy to cock and fire, but extremely muzzle heavy. It wants to turn in your shooting hand if you don’t grip it hard. It is not a natural pointer like the Colt single action.
Summary
I find the Barra Schofield revolver to be interesting. It cocks and shoots easily, but the balance is too nose heavy. I think the accuracy test will be most interesting. And yes, the Webley Mark VI pellet cartridges do fit this revolver, so I will also conduct a test with pellets.
Labradar Chronograph
Reader Vana2 has convinced me to acquire a Labradar chronograph for my business. The way it works is by doppler radar and I won’t have to go downrange to record my shots. And this one doesn’t attach to the gun, which I find very troublesome and awkward. Maybe the ones that attach are good for a single airgun, but I test hundreds of different airguns and I need flexibility.
Labradars are sold out right now because the company can’t get the chips they need to make them, but I will keep watching and get one as soon as I can. They aren’t cheap, but their features make them ideal for my work.
They are sold out everywhere but Optics Planet has them listed for sale so I “ordered” one. They then “added it to my cart.” A day later I got an email telling me to expect a one to four month wait for my “order” to be filled. Well, that’s not an order at all, is it? That is a reservation. Other sites that sell them either don’t show them or they show them backordered.
Optics Planet should have said the item was backordered like all the honest businesses are doing, but they wanted to make the sale. They can’t legally charge my credit card until they have the item to ship so no harm was done.
I blasted their sales manager for using dishonest tactics to try to make a sale. How would you like to order an expensive airgun from Pyramyd AIR that appeared to be in stock and then be told a day after your “order” was “processed” that there would be a one to four month delay? Here’s the deal folks. If your credit card expires before they receive the the item they will decline your order, so your “order” isn’t an order at all.
Why do I tell you about this? Well, tomorrow I have a report coming that dovetails with several I have already written, with the one from yesterday on the Crosman Fire being the most germane.
Everyone,
Well, WordPress did it again. It was scheduled but decided not to publish.
BB
I spent a lot of years in S/W development. A billing system that processed call records was scheduled to start at midnight. About once a week it failed until time was moved to 1am.
Moving up to 11pm might work as well at avoiding “congestion”.
Gene,
That’s good advice. I will consider it.
BB
BB,
That’s alright, at least as far as I am concerned. I just started my day, and it is here.
I am afraid I would cancel my order with Optics Planet, with a rather disparaging remark. I have considered purchasing from them, but with this display of such business practices, my money shall go elsewhere.
As for the LabRadar itself, you will enjoy learning what you can do with it whenever you finally do get your hands on one. I have seen them in action, and it is pretty neat to be able to instantly know what velocity AND power your pellet has at various ranges. A very handy tool in your business and though it is expensive, it is far better than that FX thing. Cost wise it is about the same when you figure you have to buy a “smart” phone to be able to use that FX thing.
I have had several similar poor experiences with online purchases!
I’ll tell you about my first one: amazon.
Would you think November too late, to order an item for Christmas?
Well, the longer I waited, the more nervous I became, until, with just days to spare, I bought another elsewhere. When I raised the matter with amazon, they sided with the seller (to be fair, the item did arrive, the following year, in March).
Can you guess how much custom amazon have gotten from me since? 🙂
My friend had a similar experience attempting to purchase binoculars from Optics Planet. He canceled the order and found them elsewhere – may have been Amazon. He’s got them now, not 6-8 weeks from now.
I have never ordered anything out of stock, except books from B&N. I probably get at least 1 item per year from Optics Planet and more from Midway. I think they have both waved a flag if something was not in stock.
BTW, Kowa 6x30s, from OP, have been my most used optics for last 10 years. Wish I had them when sitting in a tree in VA. They are clear and have an amazing range of focus without adjusting. Depth of focus?
BB,
Does loading a BB from the front have an advantage to loading the BB from the rear?
Siraniko
Siraniko,
I think it might. When you load a cartridge from the rear the cartridge itself becomes a short second barrel the BB must pass through. Then it has to jump into the real barrel. With the front-loaded cartridges there is just that jump to contend with.
BB
Found this B.B. – don’t know if it could work for you. Assuming the company really does have them in stock, that is.
https://gunammo.store/product/labradar-chronograph/
Ummmm………. A few red flags-
No physical address, although the phone number for returns is somewhere in ‘middle Tennessee’.
Pay with Bitcoin? No. Just no.
And finally, the Labradar requires a $500 ‘insurance fee’? Are you kidding?
FawltyManual,
Run, Run, Run away from that DEAL!
I almost got caught by a Tennessee outfit selling ASP20s. They messed up and charged my
NAVY fcu credit card before i got the transaction complete page or even sending me an email acknowledging my oder. I called NFCU Fraud Unit, froze my CC and fortunately it worked. Tennessee has (had) weak E-commerce consumer protections so it became a hotbed for shady outfits.
shootski
Just LOST a long REPLY to FawltyManual!
WORDPRESS is a BAD joke!
shootski
Sorry that happened to you Shootski. It has happened to FM as well. One safeguard is to copy your text before hitting the “send a comment” button, in case it gets wiped out. As for the precautions for ordering anything online, good points made by all who commented. Had not looked at the Lab Radar vendor’s website in detail, but assumed all you who write/comment here are smart and careful when it comes to purchasing anything online. Definitely anyone who would allow Bitcoin payment is suspicious in FM’s book. “Fakecoin” I call it. “Let the buyer beware” is as true today as it was 2000 years ago.
Mrs. FM, former IBM-er, was telling her Worse Half a chip manufacturing facility is being built, or revived, in Poughkeepsie, NY by IBM in collaboration with the White House. Maybe chip shortages will ease, sooner rather than later. Certainly we need to wean ourselves from dependence on chips and a lot of other things – even airguns – manufactured in places not friendly to us, the sooner the better.
FawltyManual,
No worries.
I usually copy to clipboard when I get LONG WINDED; just about every time.
I had said that I had dealt with the actual store many decades ago and was Blinded By the Light of the .22 caliber Synthetic Stock with WHISKEY 3 bundle.
In the end SIG was the place I purchased my SynSIG from.
shootski
BB,
I am glad the Labradar isn’t expensive, LoL. I can see it’s value for your business. Time is money. Headaches are, well, headaches. Once you get the Labradar up and running it my save time and headaches. Enjoy the cool day!
David Enoch
David,
At least he can write the LabRadar and accessories off as a business expense and probably depreciate it.
shootski
B.B.,
I have had my LabRadar for two or so years. When you finally get it be sure to get the airgun triggering unit:. https://buymylabradar.com/products/air-gun-trigger-adapter
Product UPC: 708022203613
The Air Gun Trigger Adapter kit is used for guns that do not discharge sufficient muzzle blast to trigger the radar. This adapter should only be used on Air Guns, Rimfire or center fire cartridges that have little or no muzzle blast and some suppressors.
Match up your external rechargble battery specifications carefully if you don’t get the LabRadar unit. There have been reported instances of folks frying there units.
Using a PC/Mac makes much more data available and manipulation much easier
I received an email from LabRadar indicating the Bluetooth capable units would be back in stock late October/November timeframe. They have a list available to inform you as soon as they are available from LabRdar’s US distributer: https://buymylabradar.com/
shootski
PS, read up about how to aim the RADAR beam carefully. Some folks don’t understand the concept of the beamwidth and have real problems with projectiles not entering the beam. There are all manner of aftermarket “solutions” to their difficulties.
Given this replica Schofield is barrel heavy and not a natural pointer, are the powder burner models similarly weighted and balanced?
RemarQ,
I have to believe they are. Never held one though.
BB
BB,
Talked to the Lab Radar folks – Optics Planet is NOT an authorized dealer. They buy from a dealer and re-sell.
Best to buy directly from Lab Radar. You can sign up for an “availability notification” and they will contact you. New units are expected to be available end of October.
Hank
Hank,
I have signed up five times, plus I check their website several times each day.
BB