Category Archives: Uncategorized

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Buying used

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 160 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

History of airguns

This report covers:

  • Background
  • Buy used
  • Airguns
  • But I can’t afford…
  • Let’s talk
  • BB’s lesson in life learned late
  • Dealers sell used, too
  • Summary

Happy New Year!

Before I start I have an update for you. There was a lot of interest in my report on reloading rimfire cartridges, and I was inspired, as well. I have been working behind the scenes to get the next report ready but it involved a lot of different things that each took time to do. There will be a Part Two for that report next week and I have lots of interesting stuff to show you. I wanted to do that report today, but this topic hit me hard this week and I have to get it off my chest!

Background

I had some friends over for the holidays and while we were talking I showed them my metal detector and some of my finds. They were super excited because metal detecting is something they have wanted to do for a long time. So they asked me to name a good detector for them to buy. read more

Umarex ReadyAir portable compressor: Part 1

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 153 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

ReadyAir
Umarex ReadyAir portable compressor

This report covers:

  • The price
  • What about eBay compressors?
  • What is the ReadyAir?
  • Set but don’t forget
  • The noise
  • The connectors
  • The test
  • Maintenance
  • Summary

Today I start looking at the Umarex ReadyAir portable air compressor. When Umarex sent me their press release on the second of December, I asked specifically to be able to review a media sample. I did that for one simple reason — the price.

The price

Yes, it was the price that attracted me to the ReadyAir. At the SHOT Show last January they hoped it would retail for $500, which is a killer price. It’s gone up a little since then, but not that much. It’s now retailing at $550, but I see that Pyramyd Air has already deflated that a bit.

Why am I so impressed by the price? Because if Umarex stands behind this compressor it should work as advertised. And today I’m going to tell you some nice things about the scheduled maintenance Umarex recommends that supports that notion. read more

What you know

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 59 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

This report covers:

  • Everybody’s a prepper — let’s get an airgun!
  • What you know
  • The BIG one!
  • Clean that barrel
  • You can shoot quietly at home with the right airgun
  • A powerful air pistol
  • Bullets have to fit the barrel
  • A cheaper way to shoot at home
  • How did you know that?
  • Summary

The current world situation in the year 2020 has caused many people to become preppers. People who are not mentally suited to preparedness are doing things these days that they have never done before. I saw the same thing happen in 1977, when I returned from Europe and watched the aftermath of the 1973-74 gas crisis. People were eschewing land yachts in favor of more economical automobiles that they could sustain in times when there wasn’t enough gas to go around.

Everybody’s a prepper — let’s get an airgun!

Now that ammunition and even reloading supplies are unavailable (in the United States) I hear people talking about getting an airgun. But what they don’t know, and you do, is going to hurt them! read more

Springfield Armory M1A Underlever Pellet Rifle: Part 4

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 75 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

M1A
Springfield Armory M1A.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

This report covers:

  • The test
  • Sight in
  • JSB Exact Jumbo Heavy
  • Air Arms Diabolo Field Heavy
  • RWS Hobby
  • Accuracy with all pellets
  • H&N Sniper Magnum 
  • Discussion
  • Air Arms 10-shot group
  • Boxing the target
  • Summary

Today we begin looking at the accuracy of the Springfield Armory M1A underlever pellet rifle. Today I will shoot with the sights that came on the rifle. There is a lot to do so let’s get started.

The test

I shot the rifle off a rest from 10 meters. I used an artillery hold because this rifle is powerful and does move around when it fires. I shot 5-shot groups so I could test more pellets and do more tests, as you will see.

Sight in

It took nine shots to sight in the rifle. It was initially shooting low and to the left so I had to bring it up several inches and also about an inch to the right. The manual shows using a center hold on your target which is appropriate for shooting at personnel with a military rifle. This is a pellet version of a battle rifle after all. But for shooting at bullseye targets a 6 o’clock hold is far more precise. So that’s what I did. read more

AirForce Texan: Part 4

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 157 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Texan
AirForce Texan big bore.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

This report covers:

  • Mr. Hollowpoint
  • The test
  • Two important things
  • Bullet seating
  • Shot count
  • 255-grain bullet target 2
  • 300-grain bullet group 1
  • 300-grain group 2
  • 350-grain bullet
  • 365-grain bullet 
  • Discussion
  • Summary

Today I finally report on my AirForce Texan .458 that we looked at last in September. Some reader asked me to try different commercial bullets in my rifle, and while I was talking to Ton Jones at AirForce he said they really like the bullets Mr. Hollowpoint, Robert Vogel, makes. So I contacted him and ordered a selection of bullets to test.

Mr. Hollowpoint

Robert was on a hog hunt when I contacted him, but when he returned we communicated and he generously sent me a sampling of some of his .45 caliber bullets. I asked for them to be sized .459, because my Texan’s bore is .458. He said he understood and would try his best to satisfy my needs. read more

Winchester 422: Part 1

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 82 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Winchester 422
Winchester’s 422 is another lower-powered breakbarrel from the 1960s and ’70s.

History of airguns

This report covers:

  • History
  • Description
  • Sights
  • Stock
  • Breech
  • The breech seal 
  • Trigger
  • Summary

With the El Gamo David on the sidelines for a few weeks, I had to dip into my other vintage air rifles and bring out one you have never seen in this blog. Today we begin looking at a Winchester model 422, which is a Diana model 22 sold by Winchester.

History

Winchester sold 10 models of Diana airguns under their name from 1969 through 1975. The one I am testing has a date stamp of January, 1969.

According to the Blue Book of Airguns they imported a total of 19,259 airguns of all models during that time. The models they sold were: read more

What do YOU want?: Part 2

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 152 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1

This report covers:

  • In a handgun
  • A target BB pistol
  • What it’s for
  • A hunting handgun
  • Any holes?
  • Get real!
  • Over to you
  • Summary

This is a continuation of your opportunity to affect the world of airguns. I told you last time that airgun manufacturers all over the world read this blog daily. Of course there are exceptions to that from time to time. Sometimes a personnel change at a company diverts the attention of its people to other things and we loose them for awhile, but then someone in the company has a question about something airgun-related and they go online to research it. That usually brings them to this blog and they bring the others in their company back with them.

In a handgun

What do you want to see in an air handgun? It can be anything from a simple BB gun to a big bore airgun capable of taking big game. I’ll get you started and then turn the discussion over to you. read more