by B.B. Pelletier
Big series coming!
Starting a HUGE series for you today – a new and significantly different model line from Evanix with the ability to fire double-action as fast as you can work the trigger and more shots than we’re used to. This first standard rifle I will review is called the Renegade. Before we get to the juicy details, though, you need to know the history of the AR6 in America to appreciate how far it’s come, because the AR6 is the ancestor of all current Evanix models.
Brief history of the AR6
Back in the very early 1990s, when modern smallbore precharged pneumatics were just over one decade old, Davis Schwesinger of Air Rifle Specialists began importing the AR6 rifle from Korea. At that time, the ARS-6, as it was known, was unlike any PCP we’d ever seen in this country. For starters, you filled it by pressing the whole rifle straight down on a needle fixture attached to a horizontal scuba tank. The needle pushed into a valve on the end of the rifle’s reservoir and filled the rifle in three seconds. In doing so, the reservoir became very hot, and American shooters complained that the internal seals and o-rings were being overheated. The Koreans responded by changing the fill port to a simple screw thread that accepted an adapter coupling.
American dealer invented the quick-disconnect probe
That threaded coupling lasted for a couple years, but in 1996 Davis got them to change again to a quick-disconnect fill probe he invented. That probe is still being used to fill all Korean rifles today and spills over to some models from the UK. As novel as it was, that probe wasn’t the biggest feature these repeating rifles had.
They were the power kings!
These were also the most powerful smallbore air rifles of their time. They shot heavy .22 caliber pellets at anywhere from 50 to 80 foot-pounds, completely overshadowing all other smallbore air rifles of the time. Not until the AirForce Condor hit the market in 2004 did the Korean guns have any competition.
Accurate, too!
With that power came accuracy. Using heavy Korean pellets, 1″ 5-shot groups at 50 yards were possible. This gave hunters the equivalent power and accuracy of a .22 short cartridge with much greater safety, and they soon began taking larger game than airgunners had ever imagined. Coyotes were the No. 1 Western fare and javelinas, the so-called Weber pigs (one fits nicely on a Weber barbecue grill with the cover on), became the target of choice for those in the Southwest.
Designed to be double-action
Back in those early days, there was an airgun magazine called U.S. Airgun, and they examined the ARS-6 frequently. It was on those pages that many of us discovered that this rifle is actually a double-action revolver. Theoretically, it was possible to fire all six shots by pulling the trigger rapidly instead of cocking the hammer for every shot. I say theoretically, because the double-action trigger-pull of that early gun was as much as 25 lbs.! No rifleman alive can squeeze off six fast shots while fighting that kind of resistance. So, the design was there but it wasn’t possible to use.
I remember reading in U.S. Airgun how a fellow came up with a trigger tune that reduced the double-action pull as low as 18 lbs. There was rejoicing and dancing in the streets for that tune, but in the real world nothing changed, because even an 18-lb. trigger-pull isn’t easy.
Over the years, the AR6 continued to evolve. That trigger tune was built into the rifle, but as mentioned, nothing changed as far as the user was concerned. The company changed hands in the new millennium, and they started modernizing their stocks from classic Asian to a more European look.
The rise of Evanix
They became Evanix and forged a relationship with Pyramyd AIR as their exclusive U.S. distributor. New design ideas started going back and forth between the U.S. and Korea. Evanix was eager to deliver what the customer wanted because their annual sales numbers under Pyramyd AIR were many times greater than they had been with all the other U.S. airgun dealers operating independently. Which brings us to the Renegade.
While all AR6 rifles have always been and continue to be double-action, they are not and cannot actually be used that way because of the extreme pressure required from the trigger. In fact, under Evanix management, shooters have been warned not to fire their rifles double-action because it’ll damage some of the internal trigger parts.
Here comes the Renegade
The new Renegade changes that. It’s designed from the ground up to be operated in either the single-action or double-action mode. You can’t tell by looking at the new rifle; but, to anyone with AR6 experience, all it takes is one pull of the redesigned trigger to convince them that this is all new.
Instantly selectable power
This new trigger makes it possible for the Renegade to have two different levels of power. If you cock the hammer before shooting, you’re on high power. If you fire double-action by just squeezing the trigger, you’re on low power. Low power doesn’t mean weak, however, and I will, of course, report exactly what these power levels are.
Rifle must be charged for the trigger to work
One interesting fact cropped up in my first test. The rifle must have air pressure in the reservoir for the trigger to function in the double-action mode. I tried it out of the box with no air in the reservoir and the trigger only worked once, then it remained in the pulled position. However, after filling the gun, it works perfectly.
The 6-shot pellet cylinder is removed from the rifle by pushing it to the right with a thumb. On a new rifle, it takes quite a push; after removing it a few times, it gets easier.
Loading
Pellets are loaded base-first from the front of the cylinder, typical of all Korean 6-shot repeaters. They come to rest against a small shoulder located at the rear of each chamber. There’s plenty of room to load even heavy Eun Jin pellets, though I think a Beeman Kodiak is more appropriate for the power this rifle offers.
Enhanced performance from a brand-new valve!
I see a lot of airguns in my business, and it isn’t often that I see something that’s really new; but, the valve on this Renegade is something I’ve never seen before. Most PCP rifles will function within an 800 psi pressure band. A 3,000 psi gun will shoot well until the pressure drops to 2,200 psi, then the power drops off rapidly. A very few rifles will stretch that band to 1,000 psi. Well, the Renegade rifle I’m testing works well throughout a full 1,500 psi pressure band! What that means is you get many more useful shots per fill. How many depends on whether you shoot with full power (single-action) or reduced power (double-action). In the next report, we’ll see exactly what those numbers are.
Those of you who’re looking for a powerful precharged hunting air rifle, follow this report carefully. I think we have something special here!
Morning B.B.I was hoping one of your readers could help me with suggestions on the best pellet to use with a 22cal. Tx 200mk111.I just got one and am not getting the pinpoint accuracy that I expected and have tried several brands and weights.Pyramid is out of stock on the Air Arms brand. I think Wayne from Ashland has one so I hope he reads this.So far I tried Crosman prem.,Beeman silver stings,Benjamin,and Gamo Match.All real good,but am open to comments.Thank You.
TX200,
I had an early model TX200 in .22 and it was extremely accurate with Crosman Premiers.
Give the Eley Wasps a try. I’ve always had good results with them in all the .22’s I’ve owned.
Also: are all your stock screws snug?
Derrick
Anon, TX200 .22
Mine is the carbine in .177, but the best pellets in it are the JBS EXacts 8.4 …. and the Air Arms, they make to different diameters.. so see if they have one, if they don't have both..
I've got some Wolverines that look like the Air Arms also… I think by the looks of them that JBS might make all of these brands.. is that true BB? they all do about the same in my TX200 which is very good..
B.B.
Now I see why you asked us to hold our comments on the AR6… pretty cool, but cocking the hammer is very quick and I like the trigger on the AR6 I just got, it isn't the new model is it? when do, or when did, they start shipping the new one?
Wayne,
Ashland Air Rifle Range & Rentals
Hello B.B.Pelletier!
I love these Evanix rifles soooo much.I had one for a while and I went hunting with it, but I couldn’t practice shooting with it in my back yard because it is so loud. I end up selling it because it had no shroud. I still miss it a lot. It was trully one awasome piece of art. Why, why and why can’t they make them with shroud? Is it that difficult? In my opinion people would buy it even more. I would buy it again.
Do you know anything about it?
Thank you
Tom
I understand that the South Koreans are now third in the overall medal count at the Olympics. Does anyone know if the Chinese dominated the shooting like they hoped to?
Matt61
Wayne,
The Renegade has just arrived at PA. It should be shipping soon, if not already.
B.B.
Tim,
A quite rifle is in the works. I have no details.
B.B.
Fellow shooters,,Thank you all for your input on the pellets.I will go back and retest all the brands mentioned and also try my favorites,the Crosmans again.Im sure shooter error also played a factor.I am also curious how the Air Arms pellets will work as there heavier than the rest,but they won”t be instock until Oct.
Yesterday, while reading an insert in an old “Airgun Digest” issue titled “Antique airguns and big game” by Robert Beeman, I had an idea. Those antique airguns producing 300+ foot pounds incorporated a cammed valve system that held the main valve open longer, a necessity to do the work required given the lower pressures (700 psi) of these old airguns. (Remember, work equals integral (P*dV) where p is pressure and dV is differential volume, from state one to state two). In contrast to the modern slam fire system, why can’t the modern airgun designer develope an airgun operating at 3000 psi while incorporating the cammed valve system of yore. What would the design limitations of such an airgun be, and, it’s theoretical muzzle energy?
hello b.b,
Which 6.35 mm spring piston airgun do you suggest ?
which is the most adequate for hunting ?
T. Clos,
The limitation of a cammed or timed-release valve is the pressure. For the cam to open the valve, the backpressure cannot be too high, or the valve will not open. A slam-fire hammer develops more inertia to open the valve.
Gary Barnes built an outside lock on .25 caliber that I owned for a couple years. The outside lock is a timed or cammed valve, and on 800 psi, this rifle developed 27 foot-pounds. But it locked up at over 1200 psi, so the cam is a big pressure limiter.
B.B.
.25 cvaliber springer,
Well, right now in the U.S. the Walther Falcon Hunter is the only powerful gun you can buy. If the Webley Patriot ever comes back, it MAY be a contender, though its design was poorly executed by the Turks. Strangely the Walther is also Turkish.
And with the Air Venturi gas spring you’ll really have a great hunting rifle.
The Whiscombe JW 80 was pretty good, but you’ll have a difficult time finding a .25 caliber barrel for one anymore.
And I would have to rate the Theoben Eliminator as the very best, but there is almost zero information about the U.S. line on the internet. No calibers are given at Theoben USA, so it’s just a guess that they still make the Eliminator in .25.
B.B.
B.B.
When I hear you say:
“Most PCP rifles will function within an 800 psi pressure band. A 3,000 psi gun will shoot well until the pressure drops to 2,200 psi, then the power drops off rapidly. A very few rifles will stretch that band to 1,000 psi. Well, the Renegade rifle I’m testing works well throughout a full 1,500 psi pressure band!….
I think you need to test the Air Arms .177 S410, I know you just did the .22 cal…. But either I have a special one, and that seems unlikely, because the beech stock one got about the same number of shots and didn’t have the valve lock issue from 50 bar 210 bar either…. and 50 shots on high power 1,000fps and 70 shots on half power 875fps (JBS heavys) with no real loss of POI in that range..
So isn’t the S410 in this group too?… at least the .117 cal?
Wayne,
Ashland Air Rifle Range
annon TX200- pellets
I found it very helpful to find the best pellets for your own particular gun… and you need some sort of fixed rest, where you just add your eye and fingers and gentle pressure holding the rifle into the rests..
I like the Beeman two set bags, that B.B. just blog on not too long ago.. and I bought a couple of the “The Cadillac of Bench Rests” at a local sporting goods store.. you can find them if you google them..
PA has the Beeman bags and the Gamo bench rest in stock I believe..
or just look at them and make some yourself… but that might be what you need to find the right pellets for YOUR gun…
Wayne
Ashland Air Rifle Range
Wayne,
I wondered if I would hear from you. You have been adjusting power to get your long string of shots from your S410. I used to get 100 stable shots from a .22-caliber Career 707 that way. This rifle is giving me the shots without a power adjustment. That’s the difference.
B.B.
Derrick,Checked the stock screws and guess what? They were a little loose.Nice call.I’ll start all over again,but thats how we learn.By the way where do I find Eley Wasps?Ichecked around and no one I know carries them.And am I wrong,or are they kind of light weight for a.22TX.You know your stuff.
Actually, I mistook the Russian flag for the Korean one. But you should have seen the Korean woman set a world record in weight lifting….
Matt61
TX200 Pellets
If you have not tried Beeman Kodiaks try them. I have had good accuracy in most of my rifles with them.
jeff
TX200,
I’ve always purchased the Wasps from a local airgun store. I don’t know how long he’s had them in inventory. The Wasps are slightly larger in diameter than most of the German pellets and maybe the tighter bore fit makes up for their lighter weight. They shoot great in my R1, too.
The Silver Stings have never been a great performer in any gun I’ve tried them in. I think the pointed head is just slightly too small and it sort of rattles it’s way down the barrel being supported only at it’s base. Try the Silver Bear and the Beeman Field Target Special pellets and I’ll bet your TX will like them.
Maybe BB knows if the Eley Wasp pellet is currently sold under a different name?
Derrick
Derrick,
The Eley company refuses to import Eley Wasp pellets into the United States. It has nothing to do with the market or laws – they are just being ornery.
U.S. airgunners have to buy Eley pellets from Canada, where the importer isn’t a jerk.
B.B.
B.B.
You know I’ve fallen in love with my S410, so I’m blinded by the light,
but….. I DO get the 50 shots on high power without touching the power adjustment, playing with the power adjuster and starting at just over half way, I can get the 90 to 100 shots…
The Renegade sounds great, I love our AR6,(except for the loudness) and maybe I should be sad I bought it right before the Renegade came out, but…
I enjoy cocking that hammer, it’s feels real cool, and meaningful, like “I’m getting ready to nail you, target” and you can shoot it really fast…. I also like the simple but effective magazine, mine is getting easier to push out now..
but I’d love to try the double-action trigger.. and new valve… so, I’ll be ordering the Ambidextrous thumbhole version, just to vary the inventory a little..
With the auto power adjuster on the cocking hammer, does that mean it won’t work as a revolver on high power.. it sounds like that’s what your saying, and it’s not much of an issue with all the power to start with…
You were right, this is very exciting, except the noise issue will be a big one for many of us..
Maybe, on the next blog a link back to the noise reducers, or how to make them, (I know you’ve blogged them), so we don’t have to wait for the next model that will be less loud.. when ever that might be..
That loudness is the other place the S410 outshines the rest… it is so quite..
Wayne
Wayne,
Steady, old boy! There is a lot more coming than you know about. For example, the Renegade isn’t just one gun – it’s four different models. And there are other exciting developments in the works.
As for silencers, read the article:
/article/Airgun_silencers_What_s_the_big_deal_August_2006/32
B.B.
Anybody…
To make for a more challenging afternoon, I opened up a tin of Crossman Premier Hollow Points, .177, 500 count (minus a couple hundred) and promptly dump them onto my well-manicured crabgrass. I spent the next fifteen minutes flicking ants and mosquitos from me, and plucking pellets from the ground.
My question is this: What shall I do with this tin? Can I (or should I) clean them and reuse? Or should I toss ’em (in an environmentally correct manner, of course)? If it matters, they’d be going through a Gamo CFX.
This site is great.
Curt
BB,
This Renegade looks interesting, and the price isn’t too crazy, but my problem with PCP’s always comes back to the noise. I see PCP’s variously described as “loud as a rimfire” and similar. For my purposes, where consideration for neighbors and a bit of discretion are the only concerns, I can’t see a good reason not to just use the rimfire. Am I misunderstanding how much noise a PCP produces at moderate power (8gr @ 900fps or so)? The PCP’s the girls used on Olympic 10M didn’t sound bad, although I would want a bit more power for 50m, which is a fun range for me. Have I missed a blog that addresses this issue directly and/or compares rifles?
Curt,
I’m normally against cleaning pellets, but this is an exception. Use dishwashing detergent, if possible, and rinse them thoroughly. After they air-dry (maybe a hair drier?) oil them with something silicone-based, or oil them as you would any other pellets.
Pellets are too expensive to just throw away.
B.B.
BG_Farmer,
Olympic rtifles are UNDER 600 f.p.s.
The Renegade is very loud! Not as loud as a .22 rimfire, but too loud for the neighborhood.
I have told others that there is work being done on a quiet model, but I have no specifics.
You may have missed the blog that reported the quiet Condor. It’s here:
/blog/2007/11/surprise-a-quiet-condor/
B.B.
All well and good, but when is someone going to make a true semi-automatic to compete with the FX Revolution, which is simply far too expensive, (about 3X a good rimfire autoloader), to be at all practical. ps – the noise is not an issue for me…
Ann Jansen
B.B.,
Maybe you’ll be getting to this, but does the 3000psi air actually pass through the removable cylinder, or is the pellet transfered to a firing chamber first? And if the HPA passes through the cylinder, what prevents/slows the leakage along the 2 faces?
Thanks,
Lloyd
BB,
Thank you for the information on Ballistol! I'm using it to clean up a used drill press my father-in-law gave me. Its working great!
I do have a question about Ballistol though. I noticed that the product information on the PA site says, "Dissolves traces of copper, lead, brass, zinc & tombac." Wouldn't disolving brass and zinc be a potential problem with some airguns? With the potsmetal (zinc) and brass parts (especially valves) in some airguns, and the fact that Ballistol is penetrating, it seems potentially hazardous.
Thanks,
.22 multi-shot
Curt,
You’d better just send those pellets to me for disposal. I’ll find a way to add them to my pellet trap.
BB,
I’ve got a few old tins of cheap German wadcutters. They’re rather white with lead oxide. Any ideas on how best to remove the oxide so I can shoot them through a cheap CO2 pistol for plinking and perhaps the next Olympic medal for poor shooting?
Derrick
B.B.
Thanks, I needed that….
I told you “blinded by the light”
I’ll calm down and wait…
Wayne
Good Evening B.B. Add me to the list of folks who want quiet in a PCP. Wayne your S410 is so quiet, but compaired to what? I want to hunt small game and put little one hole groups on paper, with the least amount noise. How about some suggestions please and thank you all.
mr b
Well, it might be best to read the last 5 weeks blogs and see my comments, so I don’t take up space again for the regulars.. but the bottom line is: quite as a kids cap gun, accurate as a TX200 or HW77 or maybe a $2,000 contest rifle, from what I read and I have done with mine.. 1-1/2″ groups at 50yards on quick fire, 1″ most times in a good bench rest and 1/2″ in the rest sometimes..
50 to 60 shots at 900fps plus with 10.6 kodiaks, without loss of POI on a tank and 30 or 40 more with scope adjustments at 750fps… on a 200bar fill shooting down to 55bar..
All this in the nicest stock I’m seen so far.. and quality metal work as well..
see I can’t be short about it..
Wayne,
Ashland Air Rifle Range
Hello BB,
Will you be reviewing the Evanix Renegade pistol in the near future? I hope pyramid doesn’t have tooo many Evanix NON-Renegade models stocked up! they will NEVER sell them… A sale perhaps? Thanks as always.
-Henry / former sumo
BB,
Reading your blog on a Renegade valve that you have not seen before really caught my interest. However, I hesitate to ask to see how it looks and works fearing it is too much to ask to open up a new Renegade for us your faithful readers of this amazing blog…But then, yes I said it though…can not help the tinkerer in me sir.
David
Wayne,
You read correctly. By cocking the hammer, which is single action, you get high power. By pulling the trigger to cock the hammer and advance the cylinder, which is double action, you get low power.
B.B.
Lloyd,
Yes, the high-pressure air does pass through each chamber of the cylinder. What prevents air loss is close machining. My 10-meter pistol works in a similar fashion.
B.B.
.22 multi-shot,
Yes, since Ballistol does dissolve brass and copper you shouldn’t use it on guns that contain those metals. But as a rust remover, it has few equals. And brass and copper don’t rust.
B.B.
Derrick,
There is no way to salvage those pellets. If you remove the lead oxide, they will have reduced dimensions. I melt them and use the lead for casting bullets.
B.B.
Henry,
Yes, I will be testing the renegade pistol. I will also test the carbine and the TDR.
Pyramyd will still sell the AR-6, because it is a more powerful gun. It doesn’t compete with the Renegade.
B.B.
David,
I doubt there is anything to see in the Renegade valve. The Evanix engineers have simply balanced the return spring strength, the flow port size and the valve seat angle to make the valve operate differently. It wouldn’t look any different from any other PCP valve.
B.B.
Wayne, thanks for your reply. If you start a mail rental business pleae let me know. A try before you buy sonds like a very good ting for everyone. You can reach me at Dropdog2@Aol.com.
Mr b,
Your welcome, we are in the idea and trial stage, I will email you..
Anyone else interested, please comment, we have three people now, who want to try this maybe, and need to work out the pricing and terms…
Here is what I wrote back to mr. b:
Mr.B.
We are testing the renting by mail now, you will be one of the first.. if you choose to. The idea is you buy it with a debit or credit card, we credit back 90% when you send back the gun about a week later…
We don't know if these numbers make sense, what do you think… if you decide to keep it of course, you can… If we don't have the gun in stock we would order from PA and send it to you first… then you send it back, if you don't want to keep it.
We have to agree that we want the same gun, as well, just in case you don't want it…..for instance, we probably don't want any more CFXs, we are selling two now, online..new and cheap if you want..
We have also thought about a rent to own, where we would charge your account a monthly fee.. and you could send the gun back and get credit on a different one if you want……again the numbers? what do you think?
Help us out people, we want to be fair and safe to all involved.. how to do it?
Wayne
Ashland Air Rifle Range & Rentals
OFFTOPIC:
can someone please tell me what kind of OIL I should use instead of pellgunoil. I am from Slovenia and there is no way of getting this oil for my CO2 airgun. I want some oil I could use to put on every CO2 cap.
Can it be silicone oil?
Could I use something like that:
http://www.waffenostheimer.de/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1752
or
http://www.waffenostheimer.de/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1209
I also have some balistol at home. That is not silicone based. Would it work.
thanks for help
Tomaz
Tomaz,
These products are for airsoft guns. They might work, but I can’t be sure. I would not use the Ballistol, though.
Non-detergent 20-weight motor oil is the best substitute for Pellgunoil.
B.B.
Huh, I will try to locate some in Europe but I am not sure where to look for. In what type of store could I buy this? Maybe I could get it here in Slovenia. Can you tell me please what it is used for primary? What kind of oil is that? For cars?
thanks
Tomaz
Tomaz,
Yes, it is the oil for a car engine.
B.B.