Air Arms S510XS Ultimate Sporter with Laminate Stock.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Meopta MeoPro Optika6 3-18X56-scope: Part 1
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
This report covers:
- The test
- Air Arms 16-grain domes
- The first intentional test
- JSB Exact Jumbo Monster Redesigned
- JTS Dead Center
- And the tank gauge?
- Surprise coming!!!
- Summary
Well, I have been wanting to write this one and today I have two things to do with my Air Arms S510XS Ultimate Sporter with Laminate Stock precharged pneumatic (PCP) rifle. I’ll test a new pellet for this rifle today and I’ll also test a theory that many of you believe to be true. Let’s get started.
The test
I shot the rifle off a sandbag rest at 25 yards with the rifle resting directly on the bag. I shot 10-shot groups with all pellets and, because of one of the two tests, I shot two groups with each pellet.
Air Arms 16-grain domes
First to be tested were the Air Arms 16-grain domes. This rifle has liked this pellet in past tests with the best 10 shots in a previous test making a 0.274-inch group at 25 yards.
The first group today was an unplanned third test within a test, as I overfilled the rifle to about 280 bar. My carbon fiber tank has brown algae , or something, growing inside the oil-filled pressure gauge and one clump is right where I needed to see the needle. Fortunately I recently learned that exposure to sunlight kills this stuff, but the sun wasn’t up when I filled the rifle this morning, plus I didn’t have time to wait. So I overfilled. The rifle’s onboard gauge told me that.
That brown stuff makes the tank gauge hard to read. Fortunately exposure to the sun for a few hours eliminates it.
So the rifle was overfilled. Now it does have a regulator, but it’s not there to allow overfilling the reservoir. I wondered how that mistake would affect the accuracy. Well it looks like it might have and the result wasn’t pretty. The rifle put 10 Air Arms Domes into a group that measures 0.437-inches at 25 yards. In fairness to the rifle I did shoot away the aim point about halfway through the 10 shots, so some of the group size is due to that.
The first group of Air Arms 16-grain domes measures 0.437-inches between centers.
The first intentional test
Several of you feel that an airgun barrel needs to be “seasoned” for each new pellet it fires, so I shot a second group with these same Air Arms 16-grain pellets. If that theory is correct the second group should be smaller than the first. The reservoir pressure had dropped to 250 bar for the start of this group. In the case of this pellet the second group was smaller, but since I also overfilled the reservoir for the first group we shouldn’t draw any positive conclusions.
The second group of 10 shots measures 0.375-inches between centers. In the picture it looks like the 10-dot remains but I couldn’t see it through the scope, either because the piece of paper it’s on was pushed out of the way or I lost a little focus with the scope, which was my fault. However, this second group is significantly smaller than the first, so the seasoning theory is looking good.
Ten Air Arms 16-grain domes made this 0.375-inch group at 25 yards. For this group I saw the center dot until almost the end of the group when either a pellet pushed it slightly back out of the way or I just lost perfect focus in the scope (my fault).
JSB Exact Jumbo Monster Redesigned
The next pellet I tested was the JSB Exact Jumbo Monster Redesigned. This one did the best in this rifle so far, with 10 pellets going into 0.214-inches at 25 yards. Today’s first group is ten in 0.226-inches at the same 25 yards. That’s so close to the best group that there’s really no difference.
The first 25-yard group of JSB Exact Jumbo Monster Redesigned pellets measures 0.226-inches between centers.
Group two had a called pull, so after three shots I started over. This 25-yard group of 10 JSB Jumbo Monsters Redesigned pellets measures 0.334-inches between centers. As you can see, it’s a horizontal group, where the previous one is very round. The aim point was retained for both groups. This sort of disproves the “seasoning” theory, or at least leans in that direction.
The second 25-yard group of JSB Monster pellets is horizontal and measures 0.334-inches between centers.
JTS Dead Center
I have tested the S510XS with some of the new .22-caliber pellets, but not the JTS Dead Center domes until today. They were my second intentional test. I refilled the rifle but was careful to stay under the max fill of 250 bar. Then, with the first shot I took I naturally shot out my aim point with almost a perfect pinwheel!
With the first JTS Dead Center pellet I shot out the aim point.
So I moved on to a clean bull and adjusted the Meopta MeoPro Optika6 3-18X56 scope down 6 clicks. Then I shot 10 pellets into a 0.26-inch group at 25 yards. It’s a fine group, but just wait a minute, because a better one is coming.
The first ten JTS Dead Center pellets made this 0.26-inch group at 25 yards.
The second group of JTS pellets wins the gold dollar comparison coin for being smaller than 0.15-inches — AT 25 YARDS! Yes, this time the S510XS put ten JTS pellets into 0.113-inches. Now that’s a group! Was it luck? Sure. But if you shoot a lot you get lucky more often.
Ten JTS Dead Center pellet at 25 yards went into 0.113-inches.
This group supports the “seasoning ” theory. So overall I would say that theory has been somewhat supported today.
And the tank gauge?
I set the carbon fiber tank out in the sun so the gauge would be exposed. After 3-1/2 hours it’s significantly better but not right yet. The day clouded up and rain is forecast, so I’ll have to resume the exposure another day. This was unplanned, but necessary.
The sun killed a lot of the algae, but not all.
Surprise coming!!!
Okay, if all goes as planned I have a big surprise for you next week. That’s all I will say, so keep your whining to a minimum!
Summary
I had fun today! The Air Arms S510XS Ultimate Sporter with Laminate Stock is still a world-beater! And the .22-caliber JTS Dead Center dome is, as well.
B.B.,
The accuracy displayed here is wonderful…it tempts me toward the Dark Side, LOL!
But what’s up with the brown algae? Have you ever seen that before?…freaky! #_#
Big surprise? Cool; I’m looking forward to that. 🙂
Blessings to you,
dave
Dave,
Get a Marauder. They can be had new for under $400 and can be “tuned” down to use 2000 PSI, which is easy for a hand pump. It will not likely be as accurate as that very expensive Air Arms, but it will be close. If you do not like it, let me know and I will take it off your hands.
You’re not making things easy for FM, RR; have about half a dozen “would be nice to have” airguns bouncing around the brain right now and another FM birthday is creeping closer. Dangerous times for the walloped wallet!
LOL! Do not believe the saying that “you cannot have too many ___________”. I would like to have a Marauder, but I need to get rid of some of these I have first. I do not seem to have time to shoot them all.
I might be able to help you with that problem…. All good airguns should have regular exercise.
RidgeRunner, I like the price and the hand pump capability…
…wow, now you’re really tempting me…enabling me…I’m sure B.B.’s proud of you, LOL! 😉
LOL! A good part of my “collection” came from him. You have no idea how much of an enabler he is.
Dave,
Yes, I have seen this algae before — in this gauge. That’s how I learned that exposure to the sun kills it.
BB
B.B.,
In the WICKA blog they say to change out the glycerin or silicon oil if it discolors.
In. This report covers:
“Well, I have been wanting to write this one and today I have two things to do with my Air Arms S510XS Ultimate Sporter with Laminate Stock pre] [charged [pneu) m (atic] (PCP) rifle.”
Nice shooting especially the JTS pellets…need to get some since you have had them shoot well before!
shootski
shootski,
OK, you are going to have to give us a link to that blog. If I try that WICKA thing in search, all I get is a bunch of witch stuff (Wicca).
Try looking under WIKA
RidgeRunner,
Sorry my pellchecker let me down, Lol!
https://blog.wika.us/knowhow/8-common-reasons-for-pressure-gauge-failure/?doing_wp_cron=1682052002.2447140216827392578125
shootski
shootski,
To guitarists “wicka” is the sound an electric guitar makes when one strums chords on it through a wah-wah pedal! As in “Wicka, wicka, wicka, Well, I’m standing next to a mountain — chop it down with the edge of my hand, wicka, wicka.” :^)
Michael
Michael,
Heard that sound often back when I played Solo Baritone Sax in a 22 piece Dance Band. We had a really great acoustic/electric guitarist with pedal and also the arm on the body IIRC called a vibrato arm?
shootski
shootski,
Yes! Those are vibrato arms, although most folks mistakenly call the tremelo arms.
The bari sax is a wonderful instrument, one of my favorites. Such a rich deep tone! I’ll bet playing in that band was tremendous fun. Did you have “Jump. Jive and Wail” in your repertoire?
Michael
Michael,
I also had a Bent Selmer Soprano that fit in the Bari’s bell.
Jack and Jill went up the hill to get a pail
Jack and Jill went up the hill to get a pail
Jill stayed up, she wants to learn how to jive an’ wail
We played a lot from Fake Books! I looked at mine and found…B. Setzer.
shootski
The Brian Setzer cover is phenomenal, but a sax player would most apppreciale the original by Louis Prima. It has an epic sax-trumpet-trombone-piano trading off of solos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJxoRIjyNlw
Check it out and you’ll thank me! :^)
Michael,
Thank you!
shootski
shootski,
Fixed it. Thanks,
BB
Gauges; sounds like a good topic for a report!
I have had at least a couple barely used air force gauges stop working — they were mounted on a Texan rifle which had been sitting on the rack unused for a couple of months or longer when they suddenly popped off the plastic display and all the other parts under it and dumped all the air. I wonder what led to that failure.
MisterAP,
Given the symptoms you describe I’ll wing it.
Just an educated guess, but if the gauges use the Bourdon Tube system then that would be the likely failure point. That tube is actually the only thing filled with the pressurized air at the same pressure as the bottle/cylinder (since no regulator) of your airgun. Since the tube is hollow and needs to be thin walled enough to flex a bit to power the gears and indicator it would be the likely culprit in my opinion.
shootski
Thanks, shootski! I’ll look at the link and pay more attention to the workings of the Bourdon System.
Based on my experience with oil and water based systems long term microbe contamination will lead to “MIC” microbial induced corrosion. This is caused by the acids between the metal and the microbe layer. This acid over long term will cause failure, frequently in a catastrophic manner. Once a system like a gauge or piping is contaminated there is no easy way to remove all of it. If you have never changed to oil this likely occurred during the initial fill of the gauge. Even a high intensity UV light / sunlight for an extended period of time will not stop the corrosion of the internal parts.
Side note: I have seen a failure of a stagnant water pipe in a little as 6 months due to contamination from the rest of the system form MIC.
Bmwsmiley and B.B., I’m wondering what this gun’s air pressure gauge is filled with. I would think that silicone oil would retard bacterial growth better than other liquids after reading Shootski’s link to the pressure gauge manufacturing site.
Also wondering how hard it would be to replace. That sludge would annoy me real quick!
I would expect mineral oil that is what filled gauges that I know about are filled with. The microbes will feed on any source of carbon. Silcone typically has CH3 attached to a chain of Silicon and Oxygen. So plenty of Carbon and Oxygen. As shootski said below, they will eat / consume almost anything.
bmwsmiley,
Totally agree! It doesn’t even need to be a WET environment given what i learned in macro and micro corrosion courses when i battled my Avionics Technicians about Cannon Plug pin corrosion being the problem with at least 90% of our Black Box FALSE (A-799) failures. So i sent them all to the schools. MIC is one of the big ones.
In our airgun World the PCP pressure cylinder/components corrosion is primarily caused by user and “fixer” contamination right off their sweaty, bug covered, and salty little fingers!
shootski
What are the microbes feeding on?
Roamin Greco,
Anything they want to! Okay that was MOSTLY a joke…but.
Ready for this! There are Iron reducing bacteria. There are Aluminum eating bacteria, there are Coal eating bacteria. There are PLASTIC eating bacteria. Don’t believe me?
Along railroad lines that had many Coal trains every hour with cars that spilled or leaked Coal onto the railbeds someone eventually wondered why there were no berms of Coal along them. Still not convinced? Then tell me where all the rubber that scrubs off all the tires ends up? Shouldn’t there be large berms of rubber along at least all the Interstates (Autobahn/Autostrada/Autopista/and more) in the place of litter that is there? Still not convinced? In the right environment the metal reducing bacteria can disappear a 10 Penny nail in under three days!
They are eating the stuff they are on.
Contrary to what the Ecofreaks claim there are ways to get rid of anything! You just need to introduce the right microorganisms to what you want to be rid of. And! It can most often be done very safely.
My Earth Day weekend contribution to the Blog!
shootski
Tom,
Glad to see that the Air Arms S510XS Ultimate Sporter with Laminate Stock precharged pneumatic (PCP) rifle retains it’s accuracy. What kind of surprise will it be on Monday? Goldie keeping up with the Air Arms S510XS Ultimate Sporter?
Siraniko
Siraniko,
I do want to shoot Goldie again to see if she can keep up, but that isn’t for Monday. Hopefully there is something very special coming for Monday! 🙂
BB
I’m closing my wallet more tightly and hiding it now!
BB,
A contest?
Would be interesting to see how Goldie will shoot compared to S510XS at 50ft and beyond.
BB
You took me back 40 years. There was a Rolex ad where a golfer named Ballesteros (I think), said “the more I train the luckier I get”. He was asked how he got those lucky shots or whatever they are called in golf.
By the way whatever happened to that ZRS?
Bill,
The ZRS will be done. It’s hopefully part of Monday’s surprise, though it won’t be written about on Monday.
BB
BB,
How does ZRS perform when you shoot at a target that’s high or low? A target on a tree, for example. A target that you cannot shoot at keeping the barrel horizontal.
Bill,
Severiano “Seve” Ballesteros Sota. Winner of 9 PGA tournements, including 5 majors.
Michael
BB,
WHINE! OK, we have that out of the way now.
I have never seen or heard of that algae thing before. Thanks for sharing the “cure” with us.
Wait a minute! This is a Friday blog! Do you really expect us to keep the whining down to a minimum when you left us without much else to discuss?!
RR,
Without much to discuss??? What about “seasoning” bores? What about JTS pellets?? What about accuracy drop off when a PCP is over filled???
BB
I’m usually good for a few paragraphs of off-topic stuff.
I for one have never “seasoned” my bores.
As for JTS, you know I am very resistant to Wang Po Industries.
It has been many years since I have been truly concerned with valve lock, most especially after I experimented with that .177 Talon SS you made for Mac. I always try to find the optimum fill pressure for all of my PCPs. I do have one with a regulator, but have not had the time to play with it and see if it even works. I hope so, but it does not really matter as I am used to not having one.
Sorry, but here it is, the corniest joke I can think of. What did the grape say when it got stepped on?
Nothing. It just let out a little wine.
I like that. I will try to remember that one.
B.B.
“If you shot a lot you get lucky more often.”
That is pretty profound!
Have a nice weekend! Hope the sun is out.
-Y
Yogi,
Sure is profound…Lol!
But since he said: “the more I train the luckier I get”
That statement actually is profound. Too many folks think they will get better by just shooting more. Unfortunately that works up to a point and then no more.
But I suspect you know that.
Enjoy your weekend to the Max!
shootski
shootski,
Agreed. That is indeed profound.
I used to ask my students, “What is it better to be at something, good or lucky?” They would all always answer “Good.” They would be shocked when I’d say, “Wrong.” (They were probably used to being asked questions to which there are no wrong answers — not for me!) I’d then ask them, “How often do people who are good at a sport lose? Those who win often do so because of luck. Never underestimate being in the right place at the right time, or the luck of being the Boss’s kid.”
Of course it’s really nice to be both lucky and good, but if I had to choose . . .
Michael
Michael,
Oh!
The suspense…Lol!
shootski
shootski,
The very first time she golfed, my Great Aunt hit a hole-in-one at a Par 4 course. She had never golfed before, so she wasn’t good (and it turned out she was not a freakish natural golfer, either). Nope, she was very lucky. :^)
Oh, one of my favorite movie lines, from The Rocky Horror Picture Show:
“Antici . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PATION.”
Michael
Michael,
That one is a retread! Lol.
shootski
FM was 17 when he had the opportunity to shoot an uncle’s M14 at a bullseye target set about 100 yards away, using the fixed sights. Did he fire 5 shots? Did he fire 10? Can’t remember, but do remember the excitement seeing one neat hole in the bullseye, a feat never to be repeated. Pure luck. First time had fired any 7.62 military rifle. That was a sweet one.
There is a line from the play Pippin,” It is smarter to be lucky than it is lucky to be smart.”
It has stayed with me for years and years…
-Y
Yogi,
Saw the musical in early 1973 don’t remember that line but do remember that things have only gotten worse with young people having a framework to understand what to expect in a life.
Sixty years have gone by and most young people are more “lost” today then they already were when the musical was the new thing to see.
So many of them choose to figuratively Set Themselves on Fire with mass killings and define reality with the STUPID Social Media Challenges…that mentally damage or kill many.
shootski
“All of you young people who served in the war (WWI). . . . You are all a lost generation.” –Gertrude Stein, quoted in Ernest Hemingway’s “A Moveable Feast.”
Michael,
Interesting that Stein could have meant those that served in WWI or the group of American writers who lived in Paris in the 1920’s.
It is very interesting that there was NO “lost” generation after WWII. Of course some think that the Millennials especially the early cohort are a “lost” generation. I have two of that generation and I can assure you that nether is “lost” economically or psychologically. I believe much of that harks back to that musical Yogi referenced!
shootski
shootski,
Many of the writer-expats were soldiers (or civilian volunteers) in the Great War. Hemingway, for example, served first as an ambulance driver, and F. Scott Fitzgerald was a soldier. Stein was likely referring to both veterans and war correspondents who decided not to return home but instead lingered in Paris and Spain and caroused and socialized aimlessly with each other and other writers like James Joyce who were drawn to the intellectual enclave. “The Sun Also Rises” captures much of the spirit of the time and place, reportedly.
All of my great uncles saw combat in WWI, and each was lost in his mind for a time afterwards. Two were lost in their minds permanently, and for many years afterwards. One of them came back to Wisconsin only to leave again and for several years ride the freight rails as a Hobo (“HOmeward BOund”) back and forth across North America, Canada, and Mexico again and again. He’s the one who eventually ended up working as a janitor at Sheridan Products, Inc. in Racine.
Michael
I am not whining, but agreeing.
The seasoning seems to be coming into the light.
Think how small some groups COULD have been over the years if a second 5 shot group had been fired in testing.
The JTS pellets have shot very well in every gun we have put them in, I am an admin for a JTS Facebook group, and everyone who has tried them in other guns has similar results.
There is the occasional post that someone says their “friend” tried them in such and such rifle and they shot shotgun patterns.
But it’s always hearsay, never firsthand experience.
As long as JTS keeps their quality up, their guns and pellets will be in my repertoire…
Shoot safe, have FUN!!
Ian.
The day FM achieves such groups at that test distance, we know the End Is Near. Believe that’s buried somewhere in Revelations. On a more serious track and at the risk of starting a snowball’s worth of comments – what air rifle do you consider comes closest to being an ASP20 clone, B.B.? OK with FM to throw in spring sproingers into the mix, not just gas-springed models.
Basil,
An ASP20 clone? The closest in my opinion would be a Beeman R9 that’s been heavily tuned.
Vortek is supposed to be fielding a gas spring for the Diana 34, and I guess that has to be the EMS now. That’s a possible contender if the spring is right.
BB
B.B.,
Speaking of the ASP20.
My wood stocked .177 caliber’s serial number doesn’t break 1,600 and my Synthetic Stocked .22 caliber doesn’t break 5,000.
Maybe we can get to an approximate number sold with help of readership that owns them. Mine were bought right at the bitter end so i wonder if there are folks with higher Ser. # and in what caliber and stock material?
shootski
Shootski
My ASP20 in .177 with synthetic stock is serial # JDH002908. It was purchased in spring of 2020 so manufactured in 2019 or early 2020.
PS: Much later I bought the correct Whiskey 3 scope from Sig thanks to an “enable tip” from you at an attractive price.
Deck
Decksniper,
So we could guess that IF SIG AIR sold 20,000 units in total that would be a generous guestimate. For a company that reportedly makes millions (US $$$$) in profit on all sales; the profit on the sales of the SIG ASP20 meets the definition of Chump Change.
shootski
Please let us know when (if) Diana finally can say the 34 EMS is truly modular. I was always intrigued by that concept.
BB
Didn’t you try to test a gas spring replacement for an R9 (HW95) that didn’t work out?
Did you ever hear anything more about it?
Just how modified would an R9 have to be, to qualify as an ASP20 clone?
Bill
Bill,
I did try to test one of those. The first one failed and the maker, Vortek, wasn’t interested enough in the project to fix it and get it back to me. If they aren’t interested, neither am I.
BB
HW90.
Fish, have been giving the HW90 more than “some thought.” Like the do-it-yourself tune feature it offers. Thinking .25 cal, believe there is a .25 version.
FM, ASP20 or HW90? I think HW90 is better; it comes with iron sights. Please, read the forums about its trigger though; I am not sure if it is the Rekord trigger. In my opinion, as you’re also fine with coil springers, I’d say consider putting the HW80 on top of your list. You see, at the end of the day, gas spring is gas spring; it might decide to fail despite being a quality brand. BB recommended HW80 as an easy to work on coil springer a few blogs prior. There are at least a couple of aftermarket coil springs that you can upgrade her with – do-it-yourself tuning right there. Also, there is the Rekord trigger, and .25 cal is avaliable…
Yet more food-for-thought, Fish. And there is the TX200. And…and… 🙂
FW, I don’t know if TX200 would be on the ASP20 clone list though. ASP20 was a hi-power air gun, and TX200 is a balanced springer tuned at a sweet spot for .177 pellets, I believe. BB listed R9 as only heavily tuned, for example. My question for him would be why a heavily tuned R9 instead of a standard HW80…
Get your point – comes down to “what does FM really want?” Not that he’s unhappy with what he’s already got.
what’s in your springer collection?
Diana 350 Magnum Premium
Fish, so far I have tested only 2 pellets in my .22 cal Diana 350 Magnum.
JSB Exact Jumbo Diabolo, 15.89 gr.
Average Velocity: 751.35 fps with an Extreme Spread of 13.7 fps and a standard deviation of 4.72. Average muzzle energy was 19.93 FPE.
H&N Baracuda 18, 18.13 gr.
Average Velocity: 694.65 fps with an extreme spread of 19.4 fps and a standard deviation of 5.19. Average muzzle energy was 19.43 FPE
Full testing to come as soon as I fix the too-high scope mounts I inherited from the prior owner. I have rigged up a cheek pad for now, but the scope won’t focus well at 10m anyway.
Thank you! This helps a lot. You rock!
These numbers prove that 350 Magnum is well balanced at .22 cal… 15 – 18 gr pellets’ fps numbers are at the sweet spot, and yet, the fpe still doesn’t fall into a decreasing trend. I wonder what the results would be with JSB Diabolo Exact Jumbo Express, 14.35 gr.
I may have some of those. If I do, I will let you know. I misplaced my digital calipers. Once I find them, I can report on group sizes from last night. I had one very good group with H&N Barracuda 15s. I need to go back and see if it is repeatable. And then retest at range. And also I need to replace my chronograph. It suddenly stopped working. ;o)
Interesting how no one mentioned BSA, Gamo, Crosman / Benjamin, or Hatsan, all of which make powerful gas spring breakbarrels. There is also Norica and another brand I am unfamiliar with called Black Ops. Didn’t Ruger also sell a gas spring break barrel under their name?
A .22 Diana 350 Magnum has found its way to my gun cabinet, and she’s a shooter, so far as I have tested her at 10 yards. I haven’t been inside to try to figure out why she shoots as smoothly as she does, and I haven’t shot her at distance yet. The prior owner put a droop compensating base and high rings on her, making it very difficult to use the Hawke 4 -12 x scope she came with. When I fix that, then we’ll see….
Roaming Greco, the thing about Hatsan is that FM has read many a complaint about premature failure of the gas spring, some owners stating they replaced the gas system with a metal spring. FM is fond of his HWs so if he were to spring for a gas springer, it would likely be an HW90.
Yep, like I said, it is interesting no one mentioned them as contenders for Sig ASP20 substitutes. I agree with you on the HW90. I read the article RidgeRunner referred Bill to, and the tunability is a BIG advantage imho. I also agree with B.B., that the Diana 34 EMS has a lot of potential, but we are still waiting….
RG, I replied earlier, but all was gone when I refreshed – nothing important, just hearsay concerns about the triggers of HW90 and 34 EMS… You’re right for finding the whole thing interesting, because we’re talking about HW90 as a contender for ASP20. A condender, but after almost doubling the price at the time – if I am not mistaken. If you really want to see a Hatsan in the list, I guess I am impressed with the video below – not a gas springer. Looking for a contender for ASP20 is like looking for a condenter for James Dean, a one of a kind legend who died young; no one can replace him.
https://youtu.be/EmsKDtCj2rk
Roamin
I bought a Ruger Yukon in .177 at a sporting goods store at an inventory reduction price several years ago. It delivers 14.2 fpe with 7.0 grain Hobby pellets and an average chronograph velocity of 955 fps. Group sizes are under an inch at 25 yards (10 shot groups). But trigger pull weight is high and took some getting used to. The ReAxis gas spring is advertised as a power advantage over other gas springers.
Deck
There’s another contender. Although probably not on par with the ASP20. But probably less expensive.
Readership,
For those of you that missed it above in my reply to RidgeRunner: https://blog.wika.us/knowhow/8-common-reasons-for-pressure-gauge-failure/?doing_wp_cron=1682052002.2447140216827392578125
Info to keep your pressure gauges healthy from one of the best sources for quality gauges.
shootski
Shootski-
I would propose an additional cause of gauge failure. Fire sprinkler systems require the pressure gauges to be exchanged every 5 years or less. Guess what? Manufacturers now make gauges down to that level. What goes on the shelf by the manufacturer is what the distributors, purchasing agents and customers are willing to spring for. When they cut back, the manufacturers respond.
pacoinohio,
Not surprising.
shootski
BB
Most of my air gunning fun is informal competition against myself at 25 yards shooting 10 shot groups. When making a pellet change or even during the initial wake-up period for the gun (or me) I will ignore the first and even the second shot of a group if they are fliers and score the next 10. Obviously this is against the rules in any formal competition. Also you are opposed and should be opposed to cherry picking the best 10 consecutive shots in your tests. Maybe you could just shoot a couple of pellets at a backstop to wake up the gun and or season the barrel for a pellet switch. This would not be as tiring for you as shooting for score.
Sometimes it takes more than a couple of shots to attain the best accuracy for a pellet. I think you already factor this in by sometimes shooting an additional group.
Deck
I’m sorry for the late comment, but on the ASP20 from SigAIR, I have to imagine that their other airgun offerings are not made in-house (please correct me if I’m wrong). So, I can’t help but wonder why Sig did not subcontract the manufacture to another firm. It seems like something that they already do. As long as they maintained a firm grip on quality control? Otherwise, perhaps we should just be patient. When the economic conditions are right, perhaps they will relaunch it.
Roamin,
The whole ASP20 story is in the links:
/blog/2023/04/sig-asp20-rifle-with-whiskey3-asp-4-12×44-scope-part-8/
BB
Roamin Greco,
You wrote: “So, I can’t help but wonder why Sig did not subcontract the manufacture to another firm. It seems like something that they already do.”
I’ll speculate on why SIG would NOT have someone else build the ASP20 and add that I hope you are correct on this: “When the economic conditions are right, perhaps they will relaunch it.”
Since they weren’t (apparently) selling many of the “Firearm Shooters break barrel of the Millennium” and had been extremely fortunate in winning a bunch of government contracts to build likely tens of hundred thousands of Service Firearms they needed the barrel making equipment that they used to make the ASP20 barrels and also the LASER welding equipment that was used to build the In-house airguns.
SIG seems to have spent some real money to develop the ASP20 and Scope Combo and MAY be holding on to the capability in case they have the production capacity come available.
Yes that is all speculation pure and simple but based on logic and quite a bit of reading and searching for insider information which SIG controls better than most government secrets keepers ever have or will be able to!
I’m with you that a relaunch would be fantastic with some modifications to the special needs of airgun customer relations…Lol!
shootski
B.B. and Readership,
Roamin Greco asked a really great question way up in the Replys and i think you all might find my reply to him interesting too.
He asked what the microbes eat:
Anything they want to! Okay that was MOSTLY a joke…but.
Ready for this! There are Iron reducing bacteria. There are Aluminum eating bacteria, there are Coal eating bacteria. There are PLASTIC eating bacteria. Don’t believe me?
Along railroad lines that had many Coal trains every hour with cars that spilled or leaked Coal onto the railbeds someone eventually wondered why there were no berms of Coal along them. Still not convinced? Then tell me where all the rubber that scrubs off all the tires ends up? Shouldn’t there be large berms of rubber along at least all the Interstates (Autostrada, Autopista, Autobahnen, M- Whatever) in the place of litter that is there in some countries? Still not convinced? In the right environment the metal reducing bacteria can disappear a 10 Penny nail in under three days!
They are eating the stuff they are on.
Contrary to what the Ecofreaks claim there are ways to get rid of anything! You just need to introduce the right microorganisms to what you want to be rid of. And! It can most often be done very safely.
My Earth Day weekend contribution to the Blog!
shootski
My Adult Red Ryder is gone. A great BB gun that delivers what it promises, but in my opinion, not an indoor toy. I recommend it for outdoor fun. And hours and hours of fun, I am talking about here. Now, I’m $12 poorer. 🙂
For my in home set up, I want a weak springer pellet shooter shooting light pellets under 400 fps. All of a sudden, things like smoothbore Hy-Score 805 has started to make a lot of sense to me.
/blog/2010/12/hy-score-805-part-1/
By the way, can you guys catch what is common in these videos?
https://youtu.be/TNUEyLyTQGo
https://youtu.be/g3cKQg4Hkks
A weak springer shooting lightweight .177 pellets under 400 fps. Pawn shops, here I come. 🙂
https://www.airgunnation.com/attachments/1594221223_19687057465f05e2a7988297-60642458-jpg.97326/
30S can use Embark’s stock’s dimensions for a version for kids. And Embark can use 30S’s stock’s dimensions for a version for adults.
Or you can try the Diana 11 or 240? The Umarex Embark is also the same as the Ruger Explorer, but the Explorer has a bit longer Length of pull.
240 has been under my radar lately. The new trigger and fiberoptics are the deal breakers, but still.
Diana 11, Embark and Explorer stocks / grips are for kids.
Are Air Venturi, Pyramyd AIR, and Airgun Depot related companies?
I think they have common ownership. If I’m right, I would imagine you may see Airgun Depot and P.A. merge at some point.
If that’s the case, then Air Venturi is the folks whom we have to give our wishlist here. 😉
Where’s everyone? I’m running a monologue here. 🙂
Enjoy the rifle. I just tried to order one and the laminate stock has been discontinued. Not sure about the whole S510XS line but the laminate stock is a no-go.
Update: Just spoke with PA. Apparently the order software they use has a flaw where a custom order will kick out an automated email every week or so that says “item is discontinued, we will refund money”. I did get the email and the customer service rep did in fact refund money. After speaking with PA the rifle is back on order and all is well. They said i should expect and ignore the email which their system sends out out every 2 weeks or so. Phew, that was close.
Reul,
Things like that happen, but fortunately you followed up. Thanks for reporting it.
BB