The Benjamin Cayden: Part 4

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 56 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Benjamin Cayden
Benjamin Cayden sidelever repeater.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

This report covers:

  • Today at 10 meters
  • The test
  • Sight-in
  • JSB Exact Jumbo Heavy
  • Second group of Jumbo Heavys
  • Time to try the H&N Slug HP
  • Trigger
  • Air Arms 16-grain dome
  • Discussion
  • Summary

Today I start testing the accuracy of the Benjamin Cayden repeating PCP. I read Part 3 of this series before starting the test where I see that I tested the velocity of the 23.1-grain H&N Slug HP. The one I tested was the 0.218-inch size and not the 0.217-inch one. I got the larger size to make certain they would fit most .22 caliber pellet gun bores. 

Today at 10 meters

Because of the slug, which is a solid pellet that looks like a bullet, I tested today at 10 meters. I have never had much success with solid pellets in the accuracy department. They don’t have the drag that diabolos have and they tend not to stabilize. I’ve also encountered loading issues, though we learned in Part 3 that the H&N Slug HP loads quite easily into the Cayden’s breech. I would normally begin testing a potentially accurate PCP like the Cayden at 25 yards, but I didn’t want those slugs going haywire inside my house. 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

Design an Airgun contest, Part 2

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 73 Comments

Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1

This report covers:

  • Several entries
  • Norica bullpup
  • Nerf gun
  • Two great entries!
  • Maximus Blowhardus
  • Learned something
  • Spaghetti blowgun
  • Catapult gun
  • Without further ado, My plinker:
  • Some of the features I incorporated:
  • Penny shooter
  • The simplest entrant
  • Stonebow
  • Wow!
  • A hard job
  • Summary

Today we learn who is the winner of the Design an Airgun contest. It began on September 10 and was supposed to end at the end of the month, but several readers asked me to extend the closing, so I did. The contest ended last Friday, October 16.

Several entries

There were several entries. Some were blue sky dreams and nothing was built. I didn’t take them seriously. But some folks submitted more than one entry and they built all of theirs. I considered everything on the basis of the contest rules, which were:

1. I’m guessing it will be a BB gun, but it doesn’t have to be.
2. I’m guessing it will be a smoothbore, but again, it doesn’t have to be.
3. When I say build an airgun, it doesn’t have to work with compressed air.
4. It can be any kind of powerplant — so long as it doesn’t use an explosion to launch the missile.
5. The winner would be the niftiest design that the most people could build. read more

1896 New King Single Shot: Part 2

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 174 Comments

Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

1896 King
1896 New King single shot BB gun.

Part 1

History of airguns

This report covers:

  • Design an Airgun contest
  • The bear
  • However!
  • Tapered breech
  • Something else
  • Clearing the barrel
  • Discussion
  • Cocking effort
  • Trigger pull
  • Summary

Design an Airgun contest

Today is the last day of the Design an Airgun contest, and we have several interesting entries. I will announce the winner next week.

The bear

Sometimes the bear eats you! That’s almost what happened to the 1896 New King single shot BB gun today. I got one shot out the muzzle at 157 f.p.s and the next BB didn’t come out. I was still inside the gun, along with a second BB I loaded, thinking the first BB had rolled out. At least that’s what I believed at this point.

It will be hard to say what happened exactly before I get this gun running again. That’s assuming I can even do that. I will try, and I will document what happens so I can report it to you. But for now I was sure Part 2 of the 1896 New King Single Shot, the velocity test, was over. read more

How to mount a scope: Part 4

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 114 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

This report covers:

  • What optically centering DOES NOT mean
  • What optically centering really is
  • How to optically center a scope
  • Why do we do it?
  • Field target
  • Counting clicks — mechanical centering
  • Erector tube return spring
  • A better way
  • What about left and right?
  • Why so anal?
  • Pragmatic approach
  • Summary

Today we are going to discuss optically centering a scope. It’s going to be a difficult report for me to write, because the subject does not have much merit for airgunners. So I will compensate by adding some things that do have merit. Let’s go!

What optically centering DOES NOT mean

Let’s start with what optical centering DOESN’T mean. The optical center of the scope is not the place at which there are an equal number of clicks up and down and side to side. I say that and some of you already know it and yet the website “RifleOpticsWorld” has an online article written by “Rifle Optics Team” that says that setting a scope to the optical center is simply returning it to the factory setting. Excuse me?????  read more

Dan Wesson Valor 1911 CO2 pellet pistol: Part 2

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 65 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Dan Wesson Valor
Dan Wesson Valor 1911 CO2 pellet pistol.

Part 1

This report covers:

  • First things first
  • JSB Exact RS domes
  • H&N Match Green
  • Air Arms Falcon dome
  • Falcons deep seated
  • Shot count
  • Drop-free magazine
  • Trigger pull
  • Summary

First things first

How does that Dan Wesson Valor 1911 pellet pistol 12-shot magazine work? Lots of interest and questions there. Let’s get right to it.

Valor magazine rotated front
This is the front side of the magazine with the cylinder unit swiveled for loading. It’s loaded from the other side.

Valor magazine rotated rear
This is the rear of the Valor cylinder unit, where the two cylinders are loaded. Rotate the 6-shot clips manually, one chamber at a time, to load. They stop at each new chamber.

Valor magazine loaded
The magazine is loaded.

There are your 3,000 words on how the Valor magazine works. Any questions?

Today we will look at how the Dan Wesson Valor pellet pistol shoots. This is velocity day, so let’s get going! read more

Reloading firearm cartridges: Part 4

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 72 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

This report covers:

  • Design an Airgun
  • Godfather’s Gold Gun giveaway
  • Reload a cartridge
  • Types of cartridges
  • Rimmed and rimless cartridges
  • Resize and deprime
  • Bell the case mouth
  • Prime each case
  • Put powder in the case
  • Powder measure
  • Insert the bullet
  • Summary

Design an Airgun

Just a reminder — the Design an Airgun contest ends on this Friday, October 16. The winner will be the niftiest design that most people can build. The winner will receive the American Zimmerstutzen as a prize. I have to limit the contest to residents of the United States because of international shipping laws but readers from other countries are welcome to show us their designs.

American Zimmerstutzen
The winner of the Design an Airgun contest will win the American Zimmerstutzen.

Godfather’s Gold Gun giveaway

Don’t forget that some lucky U.S. reader this month will also be drawn to receive the Godfather’s Gold Gun — an Ataman AP16 pistol designed by B.B. Pelletier. So, there is a lot going on this month! read more