This report covers:
- Hatsan Velox
- Crosman
- JTS
- Today’s point?
The five 2024 SHOT Show reports you have already read should demonstrate to everyone that the airgun manufacturers have listened. Today I want to start a conversation about the airguns we really want — not what we say we want — what we really want. I’ll start with the Hatsan Velox.
Hatsan Velox
The Hatsan Velox is a repeating PCP pistol that comes in .177, .22 and .25.
In .22 the Velox holds 12 pellets. Know what that makes it? It’s a modern Crosman 600. Only because it runs on high-pressure air instead of CO2 it is more powerful than the stock 600. And because Hatsan offers it, it also comes in .177 and .25. There was a steel BB-caliber Crosman 677 but it was a smoothbore BB gun — not a pellet pistol. And at no time did Crosman offer the 600 in .25.
I recently bought back my Crosman 600 that was modified and hot-rodded by Dave Gunter. Unlike standard 600s that may get 350 f.p.s. with medium weight pellets, the Gunter 600 breaks at more than 500 f.p.s with the same pellets. It has a longer barrel to maximize the CO2 push. I know that all of that is rolled into the new Velox that also has two additional shots in .22 and also comes in .177 and .25.
The Crosman 600 modified by Dave Gunter.
Gunter’s pistol gets about 40 shots per 12-gram CO2 cartridge. Mine is modified for bulk fill, so it gets many more than that. But the Velox gets about 20 shots per screw-in air tank and it comes with two tanks, so there’s your 40 shots. The power of the Velox in .22 is about 12 foot-pounds, while the stock 600 gets under 4 foot-pounds and the Gunter-modified gun gets 9.5.
The 600’s trigger is light with a little mush in stage two. The Velox trigger is light and crisp.
So — The Velox has more power, same number of shots, three caliber choices and a better trigger. Folks — they have listened! No one said it had to be Crosman that did it — just because the 600 was theirs.
Crosman
The 3622/3677 is the hundred-dollar PCP realized! When Ed Schultz showed it to me last week I know he was showing me that he could build hundred-dollar PCPs too. And I knew he could. All he had to do was stop thinking like a corporate engineer and think like an airgunner. We know he is an airgunner as well as an engineer, so for him it was no big leap. For Crosman, though, it was MAJOR! And, Crosman, just you wait and see. This 3622/3677 is gonna be your Open Sesame to a larger market! You’ll make money with this one — just like you did with the Discovery, and are still doing with the Marauder.
There’s open-mouth BB again. I’m still blown away that Crosman is making this airgun.
The $100 PCP made by Dennis Quackenbush in 2012. This is what a clever guy did with $60 worth of airgun parts.
And they made the new PCP to fill to 2,000 psi. And they put open sights on it. How great is that? Now, take my suggestion — bundle it with an inexpensive hand pump and retail it for $225. Or, better still, beat that price! You’ll make money so fast it will be like printing it! Maybe not on this one but for sure on all the other upscale PCPs you sell as a result of this one breaking the ice.
JTS
I guess it’s just me for this one but I like that JTS StealthHawk a lot!
JTS StealthHawk.
Okay, so it looks like a Snowpeak Snafferator or a WangPo Obzoxtagon from Village 2, but to me JTS is the one taking the time to bring it to the American market — so to me its a JTS StealthHawk. Maybe you like the Chevy Chevelle but I like the Beaumont because that’s what the dealers around me are selling. Same car with different names, but one is available to me and the other one isn’t.
Today’s point?
At the SHOT Show this year we saw a great many airguns that were just what the readers of this blog say they want. And remember, for every reader who comments there are about a thousand more just reading and saying nothing.
I already told you there are too many new airguns for me to test them all this year. But some, like the Umarex Canex, the Velox and the Crosman 3622, are so darned captivating that I just can’t stay away. Heck, just last week Pyramyd Air sent me a BM8 Black Bunker survival air rifle that I made fun of two weeks ago and, now that it’s in my hands, I see what was overlooked in their advertising!
I laughed at the thought of testing a Gamo Swarm Bone Collector Gen 3i, but now that I have seen it in person I see the potential. This is a strange time for airguns and I plan to make the best of it.
BB,
I am looking forward to your reviews on the Canex and the BM8 Black Bunker.
We are living in the heyday of airguns, and I think that’s pretty cool.
Meanwhile, I am enjoying some low-power plinking.
I was going to get a vintage Daisy model 25.
However, Michael convinced me to try one of the new ones.
For me, it shoots better with the peep sight (I found the open sight too close to me eye for good use).
At first velocity was 230 fps; but once lubricated with Crosman Pellgun Oil, it averages 260 fps.
That’s a bit less than my Red Ryder (300 fps), and the same as my Daisy Buck (also 260 fps).
While slower, the accuracy is better than the Red Ryder; and I’ll take accuracy over speed any day. 🙂
Thanking you for all you do,
dave
Dave,
Feral soda cans stand no chance! :^)
Michael
Michael, for sure; thank you. 😉
More smiles per dollar than any other currently manufactured airgun.
Yep; I’m with you on that! 😉
B.B.
Yes but is the Hatsan Velox as accurate as the Crossman 600. If I remember correctly the 600 was supposed to be pretty darn accurate.
What I want, I even e-mailed Meopta this, is a 8-16 MilRad reticle for Hunter Class FT, under $1,000.
I could sell a 1,000 of them at my range, and it the optics are as good as you say, they would sell tons and tons.
Yet nobody is listening to me!!!!
Please try and find out if Ms. Jackson got my e-mail.
I received a lame response from an Erik Muller
-Yogi
Yogi,
Erik Muller is from Meopta. The folks from the SHOT Show went immediately to another trade show, so they aren’t really cognizant yet. Give them a few weeks.
Shannon emailed me from that show as well.
BB
B.B.
I e-mailed him in 2019. His response was use one of our existing scopes that are not really Hunter Class friendly.
-Y
The Velox is interesting, I am excited to see it come to market. I also want to see what the tinkerers and 3D print crowd does to it in the months after it hit s the market.
The JTS Stealth Hawk does interest me, I liked the looks and the feel of it. And I can’t wait to see how it performs, and how the air system around the barrel is implemented.
The JTS Thunder Lance is also intriguing, and there again, I can’t wait to get my paws on it.
The Umarex offerings, well, lets just say they will keep us busy for a while going through their lineup of new airguns.
So many airguns, so little time..
Ian
Tom,
That converted 600 looks like a blaster! I wonder if the Hatsan Velox will reach my shore in the Far East. Wang Po doesn’t make anything like it yet. Then again Wang Po isn’t selling here either. The JTS StealthHawk is really beautiful because of the clean lines. That Low Cost PCP of Crosman by the way you are gaping at it promises to perform. The Canex looks like it could be disguised into a walking club.
Siraniko
The gaping problem as my fault, I took the photo, and just happened to squeeze the shutter at the least flattering instant..
But BB was extremely excited about the airgun, he and Ed Schulz discussed it at length.
Ian.
If the 3622 works out, may have to get a Velox. Sounds like a great pesting pistol.
BB
That Velox look like it will be a success. Based on the Evanix Viper concept but for less than half of its price. By the way after last year’s show you promised me to get one (Viper) for testing…
Regarding your (ironic) comments about Artemis compared to JTS I believe you would love the StealthHawk with the original slim wooden stock from Artemis.
That Velox looks like a candidate for a drop in PDW conversion kit with a folding stock, picatinny rails and barrel extension of some sort. I have 3 or 4 of them for various pistols.
Is the Crosman 3622/77 stock a one-piece unit now. I like that stock design. It works well with a light rifle. For ma anyway, Same the Seneca Dragonfly.
We’ll I’ll be, The Evanix Viper already has an adapter for an AR mil-spec stock. Perhaps this Velox will follow through. A Mini Carbine.
BB
The Velox does everything but meet the eye test, but your modified Crosman 600 sure does! Different strokes for different folks. But I had a Crosman 600 which I let get away so the heartstrings are tugging at me.
The Shot Show had to be overwhelming. So much to see there was no way to do it in the time you had. Glad you will plan an extra day next year. The airgun sport has taken off.
Deck
JTS is Artemis is Snowpeak. Snowpeak has been listening to airgunners all over the world for many years. There is mention above of the Seneca Dragonfly. It came from Snowpeak. With the exception of the very few German made Dianas for the last few years, Snowpeak built them for Diana. Umarex is doing business with them. Many of their new models comes from there.
Another airgun company in China that has been listening to airgunners is Nova Liberty. They brought to us the Freedom, which became the Aspen. They also brought to us the Liberty, which became the AV Avenger. They also listened to airgunners and brought out the AV Avenge-X.
Hatsan of Turkey has been listening also. They have been leading the rest of the Turkish airgun market into the USA. It is my hope that the other eastern European countries will learn and follow their playbook and introduce their offerings at reasonable prices.
I for one am so glad that Ed has returned to Crosman. That in itself shows that someone up there is listening to us. As BB has shown us, it is already beginning to bare fruit. I expect we will see more exciting things from Ed and company in the near future.
Yes, they are listening.
P.S. If for some strange reason they happen to be listening to me, I sure do wish that TCFKAC would do something with their sproingers. 😉
“the airguns we really want — not what we say we want — what we really want. ”
BB. You had stated a day or two ago that you thought the Velox gort about 8FPE. I was so disappointed by that as what I really want is a 10-12 FPE airgun that is actually handgun sized, not huge like a PROD or Bug Buster or the Beeman 2027 that I have (preferably with a magazine and/or single shot capability). Something small enough to fit in a regular sidearm holster or coat pocket but powerful enough and accurate enough to do some tree rat or bunny wabbit hunting.
To my knowledge this does not exist until maybe now? If the Velox really gets 12fpe and is accurate, I will be camped out in line for one!!! That is a gun I really want! Being from Hatsan, I doubt it will be terribly expensive either. Bonus!!
Bob
Bob,
I told you what I thought they told me. When I went to their website I got the higher number.
BB
All good BB. I wasn’t being critical at all, sorry if it came across like I was. I don’t know how you keep up with as much as you do with all that you and Ian saw there. We appreciate it!!
Bob
Honest Bob,
Educational Material: https://quackenbushairguns.com/shot_pistol.html
Just to rub it in more: https://quackenbushairguns.com/outlaw_pistol.htm
Decades ago. LOL!
Never shot a Thumper with my .58 Outlaw Pistol but one poor Nutter has met with a 283 grain round ball the hard way. Wouldn’t have shot it if i had the Mr. Hollowpoint 350 grain HP Bullet loaded the .575 ball was bad enough.
shootski
Shootski
Every time you bring up those pistols I feel like you put a knife in my belly. I must have read these linked articles many times over the years. Unfortunately these guns never reached Europe, at least not when or where I could get one. Anyway thank you for make me drool once again over that 25 cal I prefer.
Bill,
Not my intent.
What i wnt folks to know is that it can be done and what he manufacturers should be providing!
Are you looking fr his CO2 or for the PCP .25 Cal. OUTLAW pistol.
The CO2 .25 is powerful when combined with his Bulk Fill adaptor (most folks don’t even know tha exists) screws right in to the tube in place of the capsule and makes the tube about 100mm longer. No match for the OUTLAW in .25 that can get a 50 grain bullet going transonic…100+ FPE!
BUT his STUFF is OLD FASHIONED….
shootski
Shootski
Yes, I didn’t make it clear but I meant that pcp Outlaw in 25 cal. 50 fpe level would be great for a start.
B.B.
Darn, I do not have an unlimited supply of money. So many choices. Of all the guns, the Canex, Velox and 3622 have the most of my attention! I am a little OCD and on the Velox in .22, you said gets around 20 shots. With it having a 12 shot magazine, let’s hope it get 24 shots! Just me but that would drive me crazy to unscrew and put on another cylinder for 4 more shots to just have to reload again lol. Did I read right in that you said it comes with two air cylinders? Since they are so small (I assume they are) I would take it that a hand pump could be used very easily on them? Hmm, could this and the 2000 psi 3622 be the start of me going to the dark side?
Doc
Man, that Velox sure fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down!
The Crosman 3662 looks like the return of the Discovery in plastic!
Would “they” listen if I said I wish Cabelas, Bass pro or Walmart or some other big box store my wife shops at, stocked Benjamin Match, or JSB, or H&N pellets, so while she was shopping for more throw pillows/rugs I could say, pick me up a couple cans of…
Shipping is really getting expensive. I fix fishing reels and it used to be that shipping was the least costly aspect of parts. When she goes to Arizona she stops at AoA for me and shops. A keeper…
I did some web searching and one site, the only one that I found with a price listed, had a MSRP of $399 for the Velox. Sorry but that is steep considering the Jet1 basically does the same thing in a 3-4 inch longer package for $199. I really thought it would land at about $250.
Bob
Bob,
Really that is apples to oranges though. The Jet is a repeater (side lever/bolt if you will). The Velox is a true semi auto. That said, the actual selling price should be less than MSRP. Or at least in most cases it is.
Doc