gas spring | Air gun blog - Pyramyd Air Report

A million questions

Posted on August 23, 2017 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 45 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

This report covers:

Lots of questions
Down to the basics
Shape and balance
Accuracy
What about droop?
Reliability
Which does BB enjoy the most?
Who makes what?
BB’s evaluation
It takes time

I get a lot of questions on other parts of the blog. Sometimes the people asking them seem frustrated by all the things they don’t know. Last week I received this comment from reader Winterz.

“Yes, I am the person who uses obscure threads to ask you questions like the dual collaborative piston breakbarrel air rifle. I also wrote you about the Forge review.

I don’t know where to ask this, and it might be worthy of a writing topic, but of the springer varieties – breakbarrel – underlever — sidelever…. which style do you most enjoy shooting? Which is the most reliable?

Sidelevers look awkward to me, and seem to add complexity. Underlevers are less attractive…but if they have a durability benefit or if droop is a serious problem in some rifles, then they could be considered.

Umarex Forge combo: Part 4

Posted on August 17, 2017 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 61 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Umarex Forge.

This report covers:

Mounting the scope
Sight in
The test
Poor scope
JSB Exact RS
Falcon pellets
H&N Hammer pellets
Don’t care for the flex
Evaluation so far — world class!
Next

Today I mount the scope that came with the Umarex Forge and I’ll step back to 25 yards to test the accuracy. Part 3 was a blessing because I found two good pellets and I also learned the best way to hold the rifle That sped up today’s preparation time a lot.

Mounting the scope

Mounting the scope was easy. The rings have two screws per cap, so there is no need to tighten them in any pattern and the base is a Weaver that fits the Forge’s Picatinny rail well. Since I knew the Forge doesn’t recoil too much, I also knew the mounting screws only needed to be snug.

Gamo Swarm Maxxim: Part 4

Posted on August 9, 2017 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 34 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Gamo Swarm Maxxim repeating breakbarrel air rifle.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

This report covers:

The issues
Things I like
Recoil Reducing Rail
The scope
Sight in
First group
Second group
Third group
The best hold
Evaluation and summary
2017 Texas Airgun Show
Pyramyd Air Cup

Big day, today. We learn whether the .177 Gamo Swarm Maxxim multi-shot rifle I’m testing is accurate, or not. You may recall in the last test that the scope was the big issue. The one that comes with the rifle isn’t very clear and I attributed at least half the group size in the last test to that.

The issues

There are two issues to examine today. This first is that scope I just mentioned. The second is what kind of hold the Swarm likes. Several owners have said their Swarms like to be held firm — not with the artillery hold. A couple say it doesn’t seem to matter which hold you use. I will try holding the rifle firmly today and we will see how that affects things.

Umarex Forge combo: Part 2

Posted on August 3, 2017 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 56 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Umarex Forge.

Part 1

This report covers:

Crosman Premier 7.9-grain
Baracuda Match with 4.50mm heads
Evaluation so far
Air Arms Falcons
Gamo Raptor
Cocking effort
Trigger pull
Barrel pivot
Trigger
Still good

Lots of interest in the Forge from Umarex. Many of you like the styling, as do I. Today we discover just how powerful it is. It says 1250 f.p.s. on the box, but the Pyramyd Air website says 1050 f.p.s. We are going to discover which is right and how the Forge performs today.

Crosman Premier 7.9-grain

I started with the Crosman Premier 7.9-grain pellet. The first shot out of the barrel went 1236 f.p.s., but it was obviously an explosive detonation. Shot number 2 went out at 880 f.p.s. Already the rifle had settled down to normal.

I think some gun companies see these artificially high velocities like the first shot and rate their guns there, without realizing that’s just an anomaly of the break-in. I think they believe such velocity will help sell the gun, and to the uninitiated, it no doubt will. But it is a complete turnoff to the growing crowd of educated airgunners.

Gamo Swarm Maxxim: Part 3

Posted on July 26, 2017 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 56 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Gamo Swarm Maxxim repeating breakbarrel air rifle.

Part 1
Part 2

This report covers:

The scope
Pellet length?
Accuracy
What went right?
What remains?
Targets

Today I start testing the accuracy of the Gamo Swarm Maxxim multi-shot rifle. I decided to go straight to 25 yards, as that is the distance at which they say their scope is parallax adjusted.

The scope

The scope comes with the mount installed and all you need to do is attach it to the rifle. I found it very quick and easy to mount.

The scope is installed in the rings when you get it, and the mount just has to be clamped on the rifle. Easy! The stop pin (right) slips into a hole on the Swarm base.

You absolutely cannot see the repeating mechanism in the scope. The image is clear. However, with a dot sight mounted at the same height the mechanism is clearly visible.

Umarex Forge combo: Part 1

Posted on July 25, 2017 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 78 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Umarex Forge.

This report covers:

Different
Ballbearing detent
Power
Stock
Size
Picatinny rail
Scope included
Open sights
Trigger
TNT
Synthetics
Where is it made?
Many good things

Today we begin looking at an air rifle I have been waiting to review since first seeing it at this year’s SHOT Show. Every SHOT Show has dramatic new products that all writers scramble to review. Then there are the quiet new products that don’t seem to attract as much attention. But some things I am always looking for fall into this quiet group, and the Forge from Umarex is one such gun.

Different

The Forge is a different breakbarrel. For starters, although it develops an advertised 1,250 f.p.s. with lead-free pellets, it’s relatively easy to cock! Of course I will measure the effort in Part 2, but I’m estimating something around the specified 30 lbs. For a gas piston, that is remarkable! Easy cocking is one thing I am always looking for.

Revisiting the BSA GRT Lightning XL SE

Posted on July 20, 2017 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 131 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

This is a guest blog from reader Dennis. He may have a handle, but I don’t know what it is.

Today he presents an air rifle he really enjoys. If you’d like to write a guest post for this blog, please email me. Now over to you, Dennis.

Revisiting the BSA GRT Lightning XL SE

By Dennis

BSA GRT Lightning XL SE.

This report covers:

Introduction
The rifle
The optics
The shooter
Issues and solutions
Results
Conclusion

Introduction

The BSA Lightning was reviewed a few times a few years ago [However, not on this blog — as far as I can tell, Ed.]. The results were mixed. One had no idea whether or not the gun was a keeper. Well, she is for me, and I want to tell you why.
I love this gun! It is beautiful and accurate. It is light and ergonomically designed. Yep, I love her, but getting to this point was difficult. The courtship was long and tortuous. Let me take you instead by the straight and narrow path directly to the end which is quite good.