This report covers:
- Epiphany
- Technology
- Comment
- What of it?
- The impetus for today’s report
- What it’s all about
- Not much
- Summary
In a complete departure from character BB is going to become an un-enabler today. That’s right, wives. This blog is safe for consumption in the home.
Epiphany
I was walking the aisles at the SHOT Show when I stumbled into the Minelab metal detector booth. For those who don’t know — BB is a treasure hunter and his latest and greatest detector is a Minelab Equinox 800. Now stay with me, because I promise this story does get back to airguns real soon.
Minelab Equinox 800 metal detector.
I bought this new detector about three months ago, and then — what to my wondering eye did appear but a brand new Minelab detector that was (oh, you guessed it) better than what I had just bought. They say “More power; more depth; more finds.” Great. That was just what I wanted to hear. I held the new model in the Minelab booth and talked to the representative and then I thought that I didn’t even know how to use the detector I had just bought. It’s a technology that has changed vastly since I was a coin hunter and wrote about metal detecting many years ago.
Technology
Technology can be a good friend or your worst enemy. If you still use a flip phone you probably hate the newer “smart” phones because they do things you don’t like or don’t even need (put your hand down, RidgeRunner). You don’t need all those apps that promise to make your life better. You need a phone to make and receive phone calls — period! If you want a camera you’ll carry a camera, right? Never mind that BB accidentally left his camera at home when he went to the 2021 SHOT Show, and took all the pictures with his phone.
On the other hand the technology for some things doesn’t change that much. A fishin’ pole is a fishin’ pole — right? And someone says, “Oh no, BB. You don’t understand! When Thomas & Thomas builds their Sextant bamboo saltwater fly rod (that comes with TWO tips!), they guarantee longer casts that bring larger fish to hand. That’s why they sell that one for $5,000.”
Do you have $5,000 to spend on a fly rod? “Well, no. I use an Orvis rod that I bought on sale for $119.”
Do you suppose the fish are attracted to the Thomas & Thomas rod more than to yours? “Of course not. Fish are attracted to flies,” you respond. And that’s my point. Just because BB Pelletier tells you that a TX200 Mark III is a fine spring-piston air rifle (which it is), that doesn’t downgrade your ten-year-old Beeman R9.
Comment
Listen to what reader LFranke said, “My first Model 135 in .25 would not group. As I recall, I sent the first one back to P/A and received a replacement and then that needed help. I sent it in to Hatsan and had it converted to a gas spring. That improved the shot cycle but it was still inaccurate.
Some fellow BB Blog readers thought it was a problem of piston seal, but I thought otherwise. It proved out that the seals were all fine, The problem was elsewhere…
What i finally found was that the bore is OVERSIZED. I read that the JSB Exact King III was oversized (in a complaint about them fitting the breech). I tried them in the 135 and a new rifle was born! What was oversize in other .25 bores was just right in the Hatsan .25.”
What of it?
That comment was about exactly what I’m trying to say today. You probably don’t need a new airgun. You need to learn the one you already have. This is the reason I did a seven-part report on the Crosman Fire breakbarrel pellet rifle. I didn’t do it because the Fire was the latest and greatest thing. I did it because the Fire is (or was, now that Crosman has discontinued it) all some guys can afford. I understand that. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt and wore it out. I wanted you to look over my shoulder and see what can be done with an air rifle that isn’t a TX200 or an $1,800 precharged pneumatic (PCP). It’s the reason that, when Cecil Bays of Hatsan told me that their new Zada breakbarrel is a very accurate pellet rifle, I got excited. Because, if it is, I have something to tell the new guys about.
Cecil knows me and he knows I will test the Zada for accuracy. Sure, I know a few things that someone who is new to airguns or even new to shooting may not know, but that is the purpose of this blog. Despite what many of you think, this blog isn’t about selling airguns. It’s about helping shooters become the best they can be, so they will enjoy the shooting sports that much more. Now, THAT does sell airguns, but it’s the fulfillment of a desire — not a high-pressure thing.
The impetus for today’s report
I was crusin’ along several days ago, fat, dumb and happy when a comment from reader Decksniper hit my eye. He said, “Doc,
This replies to your questions to me on 1/24/23 several comments above.
There is both good and not so good. First the good. The air spring on the Hatsun 95 produced a high ping sound during the shot cycle. That has gone away I am pleased to say. I used TIAT on the metal coiled spring which dampened both feel and sound of the shot cycle. The not so good is it slightly less accurate which I believe is due to the rifle being more hold sensitive now. BB thinks it may be due to the pellet taking longer to clear the muzzle and Decksniper moving too soon — as in not following through.
Before with the air spring I got best accuracy balancing the rifle on a narrow bag rest and touching only the trigger area with my hands.. Group sizes with 10 shots at 25 yards were about 1/8 inch smaller before using the same measured pellets.
Best accuracy now is with what I call a modified artillery hold. The rifle is not touching the bag but my left forearm is supported by it. Everything else is as loose as I can be and still get the sear to release. This is easiest for me if my slightly curled left palm is under the forend near the barrel hinge. This rifle is still a sub 1 inch shooter at 25 yards so I live with it. At this power level for break barrels only my FWB Sport and Sig ASP20 are more accurate. My Diana 34 T06 beats all 3 but is not quite as powerful. I should point out that power means little to me as I don’t hunt with air guns, just punch paper from the deck.
Deck“
What it’s all about
And THAT, my friends, is what today’s report and this hobby of airgunning is all about, as far as I am concerned. The latest and greatest PCP doesn’t negate the one you bought three years ago. You can negate it by failing to learn its quirks, but not much outside of you has any influence.
Not much
I did say not much. When a new hyper-accurate pellet comes along it might behoove you to see whether it does anything for that rifle that’s collecting dust in the corner. When a scope that opens up the world comes along, maybe it’s something to think about. [Okay, wives, maybe a little enablement there, but at least I didn’t quote a brand name or a model].
In truth, my Minelab Equinox 800 will find coins and jewelry down as deep as I want to dig. So what if there’s a new one that’s “better”? And your R9 will still put them where you want them every time if you know how to shoot it.
Summary
In the world of sales there need to be good reasons why people should buy those new things. In the world of personal satisfaction there need to be things we are familiar with and can make perform when called upon. My job is to help all of you achieve the latter and to tell you when the former can help.
A very good Friday blog…
I can’t help but share some thoughts, especially on the summary; sometimes “good reasons” to buy new airguns can be the looks, or filling a niche, in our minds at least. If it turns out that they work as they should all the better.
A very good day for you all.
BILL: Uhh. . . “Friday”? Dang time warp got me again. Orv.
Hoppalong Doc, maybe Bill was referring to the style of blog, saying that today’s is a good one for discussing a general topic, you know, like a Friday blog? 🙂
———————
I certainly am guilty of having too many airguns to use regularly. Of course there are other reasons for developing a collection. For example, if I were to look at them as tools. 🙂
Anything that justifies their existence.
Hi3
It obviously takes a European to understand each other better…
I must be caught in that same time warp. Throw me an hour, will you?
Dang it Bill for a hot second you had thinking it might be Friday and I just thought it was Thursday 🙂
Single shot,R.R and everyone.
Guys come on, it’s just me and my way of expressing my thoughts. It could also be my old world sense of humor.
Cajun
Your comment fits well on me. BB’s much appreciated tip for me today concerns follow through. I think I am following through but as every serious golfer knows, what you think you’re doing ain’t necessarily happening.
Deck
>>> In the world of sales there need to be good reasons why people should buy those new things. <<<
BB,
Yeah, there's always a new and improved model, but just because it's available it's still up to the buyer whether they need it or not. The sales and marketing departments only have the enabling power you give them 😉
Makes me think of the FX Impact. People complain about the complexity of the rifle, its continuous development, and the cost of all the after market upgrades and accessories. They forget that, in addition to being a “hunter” the Impact is a competition level airgun. That market demands the latest and greatest technological advances and is perfectly willing and happy to buy whatever advantage they can get. As a casual airgunner, I'm very pleased with my factory stock Mk2 and feel no need to upgrade it.
Interestingly, in the world of personal satisfaction there's been speculation that the improved plenum and valve design of the new FX Panthera is going to result in a wave of upgrades to the rest of the FX line up rendering the old marks "obsolete". I don't think so but others will have their own opinions on that. There may be good opportunities to buy some nice slightly used airguns 😉
Speaking of which, I find it funny that people are buying the 500 mm "pellet version" of the FX Panthera which is designed as a dedicated slug shooting competition rifle. I'm just trying to understand their thinking.
Cheers,
Hank
The problem with the FX line is that when the owner of one tries to sell his “old” FX, the owner tries to recoup all of his investment in them. The owner wants the latest and greatest and wants you to pay for it.
RR,
Can you (really) blame the guy for trying to recoup his investment? LOL!
Still, there are deals to be had. A friend picked up an Impact MK2 like mine for less than half the price I paid and at under half a dozen tins of pellets shot I’d call it “new”. 🙂
If the new FX line price was cut in half, then they would be priced about right. Most of the cost of the FX air rifles is the exhorbent taxes charged by Sweden.
Do not get me wrong. I am not knocking their air rifles. Some of them are superb. My problem is I have a bit of Scottish blood.
To your last point on the 500mm Panthera, I’ll confess that I am one that is thinking of doing that very thing. Why? Because I love “long distance” accuracy and I really have no need to be shooting slugs. And I am one that is willing to treat the definition of “long distance” as being conditional on what you shoot – 75 yards is pretty much long distance for pellets, but not really so for slugs. I’d rather have a gun that shoots small groups of pellets at 75 yards than one that shoots small groups of slugs at 150+ yards, but that can’t shoot pellets well at all.
That said, I have decided to hold off on the decision – I’m hoping that people will find that 600mm version in .22 does well with pellets too, and then I’d opt for that one . . . and I’m hoping that I’ll lose interest in it before that is known and then I won’t get either and I’ll just stick with what I have already!
Alan,
I totally agree with your definition of “long distance” as being conditional on what you shoot. My definition of accuracy is how far can you consistently keep 10 shots inside a 1 inch circle, so, yeah, it’s a “near distance” (100 yards or less) thing for me.
My pondering is why you would choose a “slug gun” when there are so many very capable “pellet guns” available. I’m not familiar with all of the higher end airguns but I know from personal experience that the Crown and Impact would be excellent (and proven) for your application.
I’d be a hypocrite if I tried to talk you out of buying a Panthera – I have a .22/700 mm on order 🙂
I’m not an “early adopter” kinda guy but I’ve decided to make room in the gun cabinet for a “long range sniper rifle”. I’ve decided that, based on my good experience with 3 other FX airguns that I’m willing to invest in a Panthera MK1 as a slug test bed for now, and eventually retuning it to suit pellets. The FX PCPs are very flexible to tune so switching to pellets will be easy. I intend on getting a barrel liner ($100) with a twist rate for pellets anyway so I can have my cake and eat it to. 🙂
Shot count was a (brief) concern but I’d be bench shooting so that would be a minor thing and tethering would be an easy solution. I’ve since learned that the “dynamic block” on the Panthera will also accept a large bottle mounted facing forward (like that on the Impact) so that would be lots of HPA even for high power tunes.
FYI, there’s a guy on the Airgun Nation forum with a .22/500 mm Panthera and he’s getting a decent shot count from the 300 cc bottle (sorry, don’t remember the details). He seems to be new to PCPs so I haven’t been following that thread,
I figure that at this stage of life (71) the entertainment value of a new Panthera is worth the investment (gamble?) and I’d best not waste time waiting for a MK2. LOL!
That being said, if you are considering a Panthera I’d encourage you to go for a longer barreled version and shoot heavier pellets or get a pellet liner for the standard weights. In addition to being more efficient, the 600 & 700 mm versions have the larger plenum.
Cheers,
Hank
Hank,
Thanks for all the great info. Lots to consider. The reg plenum size is one of the reasons that I would prefer the 600 over the 500, but how it shoots pellets is a big factor. I had not been thinking about re-barreling it, but I suppose that is an option . . .
As to why this gun, simply because it is likely to be the best they offer. I do think that the “new tech” in it makes a lot of sense, I have a Daystate Air Ranger that is amazingly accurate, so the goal would be to beat it out.
I used to be an early adopter, but quit doing that once I realized how much it was costing me – and how much little real benefit I was getting from it! I learned to love what I had, and to slow walk my way “the finer things” usually by buying used (as I did with the Air Ranger). So I might get one, but it won’t be soon or an impulse buy . . .
BB,
Great to hear there is an oversized .25 JSB pellet that makes the Hatsan 135 accurate.
Do you know of an oversized.177 pellet that might solve the same problem? I got a Hatsan 125 Sniper 10 years ago, after a break from shooting of almost two decades, and was horrified at how much my marksmanship had deteriorated since I last shot an airgun – I could only produce dinner plate size groups with the Hatsan at 30 yards!
However, I soon noticed that the problem was not me, but the gun. The pellets were tumbling in flight and making keyhole shaped holes in the targets.
It was while trying to find the root cause and a solution to this problem that I found this blog and saw that you had the exact same problem with a Hatsan 125 you tested.
BB,
LOL! My hand did go up! I am glad you told me to put it down.
I do not have many “new” airguns, but I have a few. For a while I became hooked on the hype. I had to have the latest and greatest. The problem is that can be right expensive. I eventually went back to “What are you going to use that airgun for?” I still look for deals, like the $60 Beeman 800 in beautiful condition or the $280 .22 Talon SS with the Hawke scope on top. The scope was broken, but Hawke has a lifetime warranty. They are sending me a new one. Hey, the scope is worth more than that. I also picked up an almost immaculate thirty year old Diana 34 for $100. I could have probably talked it down some, but the money was for a widow. I now have a “powerful” .177.
RRHFWA may have to find new homes for some of these gals.
R. R.
So now that you, BB. and Yogi enabled me into (mostly second hand) springers you tell me that you have to let some go. Hmmmm (as Humor). Just for the conversation that Anschutz 250 got away before I could buy it but God is fair; an excellent HW 90, in 22 cal. found it’s way to my house. It’s the one with “Theoben” inscription along with the rest details, on the barrel block. Not laser etched off course. Testing starts tomorrow, after the real Friday blog…
If you need to find new homes for airguns, please consider Roamin’ Greco’s Club for the Appreciation of Classic Airguns (CACA).
RG,
That is a real good name.
Speaking of CACA, you had your chance once.
B.B.
Why would anybody use a .25 cal break barrel for just paper punching? Wrong tool for the job!
Expensive pellets, hard to cock, powerful. Just what paper punching needs….hahaha.
-Y
Why? Because when you shoot at harder targets, the impact makes a satisfying “thunk” sound. Or so FM believes. And as long as there is a pest reptile problem around here…too bad there wasn’t a .25 Ben Max made.
Yogi: I have to both agree and disagree! I agree that the .25 is quite pointless in my 10M basement range. It is a devil to cock (but helps build a tidy upper body) and is expensive to shoot just to make paper waste in the front of my ballistic closet. However….I also disagree…
I had a racoon problem in this house when we got it from the in-laws after they passed. The ‘coons thought that with the old farts gone they could own the place. Cost thousands in feces removal along with the contaminated insulation, the fumigation for 48 hours with industrial-level machines and nasty chemicals, and re-insulation of the house. I vowed to eliminate the masked banditos should they ever return.
The .25 is the certain pest-removal implement for a racoon, questionable for the .22 and doubtful for the myriad of .177s. Fortunately, the racoons must have spied the delivery truck for the Hatsan 135 and have stayed far away. (Actually, of course, the original felons probably died of due to disease or automobile traffic).
So I shoot a “bigger bore.” to make bigger paper detritus and keep the lube moved about while waiting for my next “big game” adventure. In so doing, I am reminded by the annoying sound of the Champion Pellet/Bullet Trap, that the .25, compared to the rest, has a different ring to it!
I also learned that the .177 and .22 don’t do so well on woodchucks, a.k.a., “whistle pigs.” Should one amble along seeking to make a home in the yard, with the .25 in the locker, they will not like their realtor…
Sometimes, the tool is in the chest for a long time before it is used. But, it is still there waiting for its time. Ask my wife about the wood working stuff in the garage. No, on second thought, please DON’T!
LFrank,
“I am reminded by the annoying sound of the Champion Pellet/Bullet Trap, that the .25, compared to the rest, has a different ring to it!”
Try an old towel or blanket folded and placed on the top and draped over the sides of the trap. You could also place it inside a corrugated paper, or better still plastic box, with proper cut outs muffling the DING! moreso.
shootski
Shootski: I have moderated the sound some what using silicone caulk in grid of 1/4″ lines. The gird was applied on the two exterior sides and the back. It makes the impact a dull clunk and not a ring with any hang time.
I have thought about those foam egg-carton pieces that are used for shipping delicate objects. They resemble the walls of those should chambers that damp all noise (which term I cannot recall properlty).
The pellet trap does sit in a small “ballistic closet” but the walls are all quite hard material; concrete basement walls and cement board over the wooden parts. Those surfaces are little help in damping the noise.
So I live with the thunk which is not discernable elsewhere in the house. As long as the wife is happy, I continue so to be….
LFranke,
This is the term you are looking for Anechoic Chamber: http://rcl.ee.psu.edu/Facilities.html
The P.S. chamber used to belong to the US Navy N.A.F. Warminster, Pennsylvania. I got to spend a number of days working on a Project I was in charge of back in the day. When it was closed up you could hear the blood flow in your body; crazy quiet!
I don’t think we need that much deadening but when the DAQ .308 with the 10.25″ of DonnyFL Emperor and 6.25″ expansion chamber puts a 130 grain bullet into the trap at 930+FPS it is a loud BANG that I need all the help possible to quiet.
The beads of silicone in a grid is a great tip that I’m going to add to my trap!
Thank you,
shootski
“Anechoic.” Thanks, Shootski. I could get the “choic” but could NOT bring the first part to mind. Being 75 sucks….
The grid I used, BTW, was about 3/4″ squares just drawn on with my caulking gun with a bit bigger tube nozzle cut than a 16p nail. Obviously, it doesn’t stop the noise but deadens it and pretty much shuts down the reverb.
I have heard, in a moment of irrelevancy, that some people absolutely can not stand being in one of those chambers. I can empathize with that as I have a degree of buzz that sounds like a slot car motor being run in after a rewind on 1.5 volts. This tinnitus is annoying, and I imagine that in one of those anechoic chambers it would be FAR more intrusive.
LFrank,
Thank you for the application details. I may overlay with the silicone tape to muffle it even more.
Ah another Way Back memory! Back in the mid ’60s i raced slot cars, IIRC 1/32 scale, with a 6 volt battery in my toolbox, blocking diodes, wires, and alligator clips to give me spectacularly FAST braking with just a quick lift off the plunger!
Great fun…especially on the long straightaways with an idiot challenging!
shootski
For hunting the large caliber makes all the sense in the world. However, for just paper punching, wrong choice!
-Y
Yogi,
Because they were unable to quickly get the .30 caliber that they really wanted?
shootski
My Razor flip phone is on it’s third battery, I do have an IPAD that my wife forced on me by giving it to me on my birthday. Against my will I do enjoy the IPAD, it connects to my Caldwell Chronograph 🙂
singleshotcajun, I remember the beauty of my flipper – I think it was sold as a ‘clamshell’ – in that it a) perfectly protected the screen from scratches, b) and the keypad from accidental activation and c) doubled it’s size when in use, placing speaker and microphone where you would want them.
Happy days! 🙂
Tom,
Happiness is learning to love what you already have.
Michael
Hmm Michael, are you sure it’s not a cigar? 🙂
All joking aside, I wonder whether true happiness is, and can only be, a memory. As in, to be happy is a condition of all being good and normal. Therefore, only when we’re not, like when depressed or elated, do we take any notice of- and remember the difference.
Or maybe, what happiness is, is a matter of personal definition… 🙂
This is so true! Most people don’t think that way though. I think the mechanism is simple, and has two key components. The first is the simple contentment side of things in the present, and most people simply never learn the concept of “hedonic adaptation” – the fact that after we acquire the shiny new object our happiness falls back to baseline pretty quick. But the real key is in the long term consequence of practicing this philosophy: learning to love what you have results in spending far less money, and thus saving much more. This speeds up the increase in one’s net worth, ultimately leading to financial Independence – the state of having more money than you need for your desired lifestyle. Once there, happiness is easier to maintain as all the financial stresses fall away.
This can be the anti-enabling thought of the day . . . 😉
“You probably don’t need a new airgun. You need to learn the one you already have” – BB
A concept that applies to many things…people too. The performance plateau often leads to dissatisfaction and frustration. Couple this with thinking that some new upgrade or technology will get us to where we want to be and it often seems easier to “buy” performance rather than seeking knowledge and developing skill.
“ After a time, you may find that having is not so pleasing a thing after all as wanting. It is not logical… but it is often true.”
— Spock, Star Trek: The Original Series, “Amok Time”
Sometimes cleaning the barrel of an airgun can have unexpected results ! 🙂
After having successfully installed a little 12g CO2 bottle, which, by the way, was not too snug to jam in it’s chamber – as happened to Tom Gaylord (B.B. Pelletier) – I remembered that it might be a good idea to run a cleaning cord through my brand new Springfield M1 bb carbine, in order to experience it’s claimed capacity for precision, without interference from any internal barrel residue.
So I fed the little brass aiglet into the breech and when it reappeared at the muzzle, pulled the thin lace until the soft but wider cleaning section was ready to enter the barrel. At this point I gripped a little firmer and pulled…
…the brass barrel out of the shroud/ gun. 🙂
hihihi,
Yikes! I don’t suppose you might simply insert the barrel into the sleeve keeping in mind the proper orientation of the rear chamber could you?
Siraniko
>>> the brass barrel out of the shroud/ gun <<<
OOOPS!!! Hope it went back in just as easily hihihi!
hihihi,
I hope it is back in the airgun already!
If not, well polished, it will be a nice straw.
CONTENTMENT is the life goal we should all praise.
Happiness and Despair run hand in hand in a neverending series of strawberried knees.
I will now go paddle my decade old EPIC 18X and still be the fastest human powered kayak on the river.
shootski
Gentlemen, thank you for expressing your concern.
I had indeed attempted to carefully reinsert the barrel. Two shots later and the thing lay by my feet! 🙁
Removal of the outer, fake barrel/ barrel shroud, to get to the barrel-to-action connection area, appears to involve a complete disassembly of the action.
Therefore my bb Springfield M1 carbine has become the newest casualty to “temporarily” join the collection of broken airguns! 🙁
Conclusion: I am not impressed!
The picture below shows the breech end, thus, what I guess to be, barrel holding notches and a hop up opening.
hihihi,
Without knowing the airgun, I’d guess that the cutout is part of the air transfer port.
Hank
Vana2, neither do I know this gun’s internals, yet.
But I do think that CO2 is directed into the round opening of the barrel because, racking the action, one can see a white plastic gas transfer tube that closes directly behind the bb that it pushes into the breech end of the barrel 🙂
About hop-ups:
Did you know that, typically, hop-ups are simply short elastic tubes that are slipped over just the kind of barrel cut-out as mine has in the picture. Also these cut-outs are always positioned on top so that a ball, in passing, gets lightly touched/ brushed by the elastic ‘roof’ and that makes the ball spin backwards.
There’s some fancy name for what this spinning does to the ball’s flight. It flies further and, depending on spin-rate, it has a more or less upwards trajectory.
I have seen this effect with the white plastic balls that airsoft guns shoot and it always reminds me of a frisbee. 🙂
Anyway, adjustable hop-ups allow the user to control how much a pusher depresses that hop-up tube through the opening into the barrel.
Now back to my M1 barrel. If you look closely at the previous picture, you might notice what I would guess is the shadow of where the hop-up tube was positioned, and it looks like it’s a black one. 🙂
When and if I ever get around to investigating this further, I shall mention my findings in a comment below that day’s blog. 🙂
My limited understanding of hop-up comes from my boys’ days with Airsoft many years ago, and in every case the hop-up was at the end of the barrel, not the start of it. It is hard to impart much backspin when the BB is barely moving, as it is in the first 1/4″ or so of barrel . . .
Ah yes AlanMcD, I am now thinking that my hop-up interpretation is wrong and that it’s a bb holder instead. Thanks for helping me. 🙂
This is likely a ludicrous, senseless suggestion from the Fawlty inexperienced “gunsmith” side, but wonder if lightly applying a suitable glue or “binder” to the barrel, maybe in different spots instead of along its full length might hold it in place and fix the problem? If in doubt, do not listen to FM.
FawltyManuel, what an idea!
I might end up doing something like that to better secure my barrel, thanks. 🙂
But not before I have disassembled the thing to better understand how it was meant to work.
You might be interested to see how the muzzle end of the barrel is designed to be held in place. In the picture, I have moved the o-ring a bit down the barrel to expose the groove that it sat in. That’s it, just an o-ring to centre the brass barrel within the shroud.. 🙂
hihihi,
I’m thinking that the square port on top is not actually a hop up but a form of BB retention to prevent it from falling out of the barrel. The white plastic, I think, precludes a magnet from doing the retention. I believe that you should hear/feel a click if those two notches re-engage the clip spring that will retain the barrel upon re-insertion.
Siraniko
Siraniko, you Beauty! 🙂
Hop-up was probably wrong and so I agree, it’s there to hold the bb in place.
However, what you said about expecting to notice the notches reengaging their holding whatevers, made me think that maybe I had not reinserted the barrel far- or firmly enough.
So, I tried to push the barrel in as far as my fat fingers could and then a bit further with a pen, and…
…not a click, but a feeling of pop and the barrel was properly back in it’s place (I hope!). 🙂
Then I shot a clip’s worth of bbs and the barrel hadn’t moved. I think it’s all good again.
HURRAH ! 🙂
PS SORRY you had to basically tell me twice to put that barrel back in properly!
hihihi,
It is a classic case of you need a bigger hammer, glad you got it worked out.
Mike
There you go! Glad you listened to the experts.
Decksniper,
Got another idea for you Deck; if you haven’t tried it already to answer your mystery! “I think I am following through but as every serious golfer knows, what you think you’re doing ain’t necessarily happening.” If you have that whizbang SmartPhone it probably has a video recording capability so video yourself for a few cycles of shooting and your answer to the, Does he or doesn’t he follow through long enough? will be evident. As long as you know how to delete it no one other than the Crime Lab will be able to pin it on you!
Now shoot straight with us! How big was that fish?
shootski
Shootski
Good suggestion. If this 15-20 mph wind ever calms a little I’ll be taking videos..
Thanks,
Deck
Regarding the problem reader LFranke had with his Hatsan 135, wonder if that is what is wrong with the BSA Meteor Super gas piston rifle recently reviewed by HAM; they mostly liked it but ruled it not accurate. It is in .22 caliber.
“It’s always something!” 😉
FM,
The chief problem with modern BSA springers is that they are rebadged Gamos.
Even the BSA Meteors that were made back in Blighty weren’t known for outstanding accuracy though. 1″ ctc groups at 25 yards were about as good as it got, which is perfectly fine for an entry level springer.
BB,
I commented about this one yesterday, but I think I came up with early conclusions based on a couple of Zada photos that I had found online.
Is the Zada same air rifle as Edge, AirTact, and Striker 1000S, but in different outfit? If that is the case, then Edge, AirTact, and Striker 1000S have got to be very accurate too, unless the synthetic stock on Zada has some sort of accuracy spell on it – otherwise they are all the same airguns. If the trigger on Zada is not Quattro trigger, and it is not the same trigger as the one on Edge, AirTact, and Striker either, then it means Zada is the third break barrel platform that Hatsan has introduced, which is a very exciting event. I wonder if Zada is an improvement to Edge, AirTact, and Striker, further than then its stock only.
Being inspired by today’s report, I would like to share the videos below with you.
https://youtu.be/Jv6pWeJp5xs
https://youtu.be/Y-_8GFENqKc
Fish
hihihi,
Back from my paddle! Cleared my mind.
The “notches” do they slightly dimple the inside of the bore? If so they probably keep the bb from just rolling out of the barrel since there doesn’t appear to be a magnet.
The cutout looks like a simple way to do a Transfer Port (TP) and have it lineup without tight tolerance required. It could also be the blow back bleed hole!
But those are just guesses without seeing the inside of the receiver and the barrel.
Look (hopefully there is a way) for the spot the air charge would be blown into the barrel from the receiver and you will have a better idea on how it fits.
shootski
Thanks again shootski, for your interest and help.
Interesting idea of what the notches might be for, but there are no deformations at all that I can see inside that barrel.
So maybe, what I called the hop-up cut-out is actually the bb holder?! 🙂
I’ll just have to take it all apart to see what’s what, some time. 🙂
Pyramydair have a parts diagram which is interesting (yet of limited help).
A happy update: pushing the barrel more firmly and further down the shroud has resulted in it being retained, ie the brass barrel has remained in place even after I shot 15 bbs. 🙂
It was Siraniko who pointed out the now obvious to me, in that, if the notches work to hold the barrel, it should be noticeable when the barrel reaches it’s correct position in the gun.
What a relief! 🙂
hihihi,
Congratulations! I’m very glad to be of some help.
Siraniko
hihihi,
Yay!!! Loud CLAPPING, FOOT STOMPING, and High Fives!
shootski
>>> Back from my paddle! Cleared my mind. <<<
Envious about that shootski! All the paddling water around here is frozen solid and will stay like that for another 2 1/2 months 🙁
Spent 2 hours shoveling a foot of snow off the paths and decks. Don't like winter as much as I used to LOL!
Hank
Vana2,
Don’t be envious! The water temperature is hovering between 39-41°F (4-5°C) so i’m out in my Dry Suit to stay alive if I get unlucky enough to swim due to some serious whirlpools, Overfalls, and Eddy Lines. The Flood Tide as well as the strong winds caused a Tidal Bore that I got to surf for a number of NM on the way back to my take out.
We had a period of time with some thin ice on the tidal part of the river in late December/early January but I was not paddling because of the eye surgery.
My son and his family are, on the other hand, skiing on a 140″+ (3+ meter) base and had 8-10 inches of Pixie Dust (reportedly 45:1 snow to water ratio) on top of the typical powder layer yesterday! I would much prefer to be playing with that kind of frozen water ;^)
I have been studying the 1515-mile Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail. They call it the CT as it is similar to the AT (Allegheny Trail) both in length and difficulty for a through paddle. So far fewer than fifty folks have completed it as a through paddle or in stages! No one near my age seems to have completed it or is currently logged in as being in progress trying for a through or segment CT attempt. It looks like most folks have done it between late November and April. Probably scheduled to avoid the bugs, heat, and hurricanes and in that order, Lol!
I was going to jump in on the FX PANTHERA but you covered it all really well. I have been checking out the Skout Airguns EPOCH. Interesting to see another paintball company trying to enter the pellet/bullet (slug) shooting World. I want to know who’s barrel they are going to use.
Maybe B.B. talked to them at Shot Show? HAM has a brief blurb on the EPOCH.
shootski