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Umarex Legends MP40 BB Submachinegun: Part 3

Posted on October 5, 2017 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 42 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Umarex Legends MP40 BB submachinegun.

This report covers:

Other interests
Hornady Black Diamond BBs
Semiauto?
Umarex Steel BBs
Full auto
Back to Hornadys
How many BBs?
Shot count
Summary

Today is accuracy day for the new Umarex Legends MP40 BB Submachinegun. I’ve read reviews that say it is surprisingly accurate, so I was hopeful.

Other interests

Besides velocity, you readers had several other things you wanted me to try. I tried a few and will also report those results. Let’s go!

Hornady Black Diamond BBs

First up were Hornady Black Diamond BBs. I loaded just 10 into the magazine, because I wanted to shoot a 10-shot group. The MP40 stops shooting after the last BB is fired, so there is no risk of dry-firing and wasting CO2. The gun already had two mostly fresh cartridges in the mag from the end of the last test, so I went with those until they were exhausted.

Diana Stormrider precharged pneumatic air rifle: Part 2

Posted on October 4, 2017 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 77 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Diana Stormrider precharged pneumatic air rifle.

Part 1

This report covers:

Wow!
Good enough for the price
Trigger
How loud?
Shots per fill
Crosman Premiers
How powerful?
The discharge?
Tremendous tuning potential!
The trigger
More power?
Powerful lesson
Summary

Wow!

Before I do today’s velocity test of this .22-caliber precharged rifle, I will begin by addressing all the issues, questions and concerns you have about the pedigree of the new Diana Stormrider. Right off the bat someone tells us the rifle is Chinese and made by Snow Peak. I knew that last time but decided to leave it out. Guys, it’s a global economy today and companies do that. Some don’t, and keep everything in house, but more and more often companies either source their parts from the outside, or they buy fabricated parts built to their specifications or they even buy entire products like the Stormrider, and put their names on them. It’s a fact of life.

Revisiting the BSA GRT Lightning XL SE: Part 2

Posted on October 3, 2017 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 33 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1

This is Part 2 of a guest blog from reader Dennis. He sent this to me a month ago, but I got so busy that I forgot about it until he reminded me last week.

This is about the 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: Part 2

By Dennis

BSA GRT Lightning XL SE.

This report covers:

Introduction
Mea culpa
Process modifications
Groups at 20, 30 and 40 yards
Trajectory
Conclusion

Introduction

In Part 1 I reviewed the BSA GRT Lightning LX SE (.22 caliber), discussed several issues and showed results of several groups shot at 15 yards. I was encouraged to extend the range beyond 15 yards and report back the results. Thus this Part 2.
If you have not yet read Part 1, you can find it via the link above. Feel free to check it out now. I’ll wait here for you.

The Golden Rule

Posted on October 2, 2017 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 46 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

A history of airguns

This report covers:

The foundation
Airgun Breakfast
How things developed
Next year
Undaunted
Progress
AirForce
Time marches on
Back to Crosman
Challenger PCP
Summary

I’m using the history section for a special report today. It’s history, but also very recent. Last Thursday when I started the report on the Diana Stormrider, reader William Schooley asked me the following question.

“Thought this might might be an interesting 3P juniors PCP rifle until you reported the 20 FPE and 26 FPE numbers. Something tells me that this rifle will exceed rule 4.1.7 limit of 600 fps muzzle velocity.

Will someone please explain why there are no sporter class PCP’s on the market that have been submitted for inclusion on the approved rifle list (Rule 4.2.1) at a $200 price point?

When that happens, that will be a PCP rifle a junior can purchase with their own allowance and odd job money and shoot at 3P and 4P matches.

The Diana 27: Part 2

Posted on September 29, 2017 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 154 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

My .22 caliber Diana 27 is actually a Hy Score 807.

Part 1

A history of airguns

This report covers:

RWS Superpoint
RWS Superdomes
Crosman Premier
Am I satisfied?
Cocking effort
Trigger pull
The ball bearing trigger
How to adjust the ball bearing trigger
Summary

Today we look at the velocity of my vintage Hy Score 807 breakbarrel air rifle that you now know is a Diana 27. Besides that I will test the trigger pull, the cocking effort and I will tell you how to adjust the ball bearing trigger. That, alone, is worth what you paid for this entire blog, so settle in and let’s have some fun!

RWS Superpoint

The first pellet I tested was my go-to pellet for a .22 caliber Diana 27 and many other old air rifles — the RWS Superpoint. I believe that Superpoints have such thin skirts that they seal the bore better in these lower powered spring rifles. I told you about the lithium grease “tune” I did about 20 years ago. It’s still performing well after all this time, and I never oil the leather piston seal. As I recall, the Superpoint averaged around 475 f.p.s. in the past. Today 10 pellets averaged 468 f.p.s. The spread went from a low of 458 to a high of 474 f.p.s., which is 16 f.p.s. So, the rifle is still pretty much where it has always been. At the average velocity this pellet generated 7.05 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle.

Diana Stormrider precharged pneumatic air rifle: Part 1

Posted on September 28, 2017 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 80 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Diana Stormrider precharged pneumatic air rifle.

This report covers:

What it is
What it isn’t
Description
Fill probe
Fill port is exposed
Stock
Free-floated barrel
Power
Sights
Summary

Today we start looking at the new Diana Stormrider PCP. Though this one snuck up on us, it’s getting a lot of attention now. That’s because of what it is.

What it is

The Stormrider is a precharged pneumatic (PCP) repeater that comes in both .177 and .22 calibers. It’s produced in China to Diana’s specifications. The biggest news is it retails for $200. I remember a time 5 years ago when many people thought that was impossible, yet here we are.

What it isn’t

Here is where the native drums are getting it wrong. The Stormrider is not a threat to the Benjamin Marauder. It doesn’t have the highly adjustable trigger, the sound suppression, the ability to vary the fill pressures or the ability to adjust the power. If it challenges anything it’s both the Benjamin Discovery and the Benjamin Maximus, but I’m not sure it even does that. Both those rifles fill to 2000 psi and the Stormrider fills to 2900 psi, and that is a make or break difference. If someone plans to use a hand pump, the Benjamins are the way to go. If they use a tank, the Stormrider excels because it’s a repeater. Assuming, of course, it is accurate.
What it also is not is a thousand-dollar PCP. Mention those three letters and people who don’t shoot them assume infinite accuracy. None of the comparison rifles mentioned above have that and I doubt the Stormrider does, either. My task will be to see just how accurate it is.

Umarex Legends MP40 BB Submachinegun: Part 2

Posted on September 27, 2017 by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 61 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Umarex Legends MP40 BB submachinegun.

Part 1

This report covers:

CO2 effect
Installing CO2
Loading
Umarex steel BBs
Fire control
The sensation
Daisy BBs
Hornady Black Diamond BBs
Shot count
Hornady Black Diamonds — again
Bottom line

Today we look at the velocity of the new Umarex Legends MP40 BB Submachinegun. Since it has a semiautomatic mode, this will be easier than expected. However, there are special considerations for a gun like this.

CO2 effect

Most of you know that CO2 chills the gun as it is fired. And CO2 loses pressure as the temperature drops. Will that affect the velocity of this full-auto airgun? I plan to test for it. My test will show the velocity you can expect from the gun at its fastest and also what will happen as the shots happen faster and the temperature falls. There are unlimited ways of doing this, and I have selected one.