Tag Archives: Daisy zinc-plated BBs

Air Venturi Dust Devil BBs: Part 3

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Dust Devil box
Air Venturi Dust Devils will hit the market in a few months.

Part 1
Part 2

This report covers:

  • The test
  • Daisy 499
  • Colt Single Action Army
  • Loading problems
  • Red Ryder
  • Conclusions
  • Summary

On Monday I got my right eye laser cleaned, so now it is back to as good as it will get. That means I can start doing accuracy testing again. For today’s report I tried the AirVenturi Dust Devil frangible BBs in three BB guns with three different feeding systems.

The test

I shot at 5 meters seated and used the UTG Monopod as a shooting rest. I shot five shots per target only because this test was very long. Let’s get started.

Daisy 499

The first gun was the Daisy Avanti Champion 499, which we know is the world’s most accurate BB gun. With this gun I used Avanti Precision Ground shot, because it is made especially for the gun. The use of any other premium BB in a 499 is a waste of time and money, because only this shot allows the gun to do what it does. Predictably, five BBs went into a group that measures 0.202-inches between centers. The group is high and left of the bull, so I must have bumped the rear sight. But I did not adjust the sight during the test. read more

A vintage Daisy Number 25: Part 2

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Daisy 25
Vintage Daisy Number 25.

Part 1

A history of airguns

This report covers:

  • Getting used to the Number 25
  • Not a double feed
  • Settling down
  • The test
  • First target
  • Second target
  • Third target
  • Fourth target
  • Conclusion

I’m skipping the velocity testing on this Daisy Number 25 pump gun because I already did it in Part 2 of the report on the Dust Devil BBs. The two BBs I will use today are the Daisy Premium Grade BB and the Dust Devil. The Daisy BB averaged 360 f.p.s. in the vintage Daisy 25 I’m testing and the Dust Devil averaged 365 f.p.s.. That’s really too close to call.

Getting used to the Number 25

It’s been some time since I shot this BB gun and I forgot a number of things. The first was that the 50-shot forced feed magazine always fires two BBs on the first shot. They aren’t a double feed. One is already in the breech when the shot tube is installed and the other loads when the gun is cocked. read more

A vintage Daisy Number 25: Part 1

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Daisy 25
Vintage Daisy Number 25.

A history of airguns

This report covers:

  • SHOT Show
  • A great find!
  • My interest
  • My collection
  • This BB gun
  • Cocking
  • Takedown
  • Number 25?
  • Sights
  • Summary

SHOT Show

I am at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas this week. Today I am at Media Day at the Range, where I get to shoot any airguns that are there. Not every dealer attends this event, but about 200 of them do and I get to shoot not only airguns, but any firearms I want. Imagine 200 firing ranges, side-by-side, a quarter-mile long with 2,000 shooters.

Having said that, when I return, I have to write tomorrow’s blog with pictures and get it up before I go to a hosted dinner at 6:30. The blog publishes at 9 pm, here on the West Coast, so I’m getting crunched on both ends. My reports will be slim and telegraphic this week. I’ll have more to say when I’m back in the office next week. read more

Air Venturi Dust Devil BBs: Part 1

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Dust Devil box.
Air Venturi Dust Devils will hit the market in a few months.

This report covers:

  • BBs rebound
  • Smart Shot
  • Weight
  • Composition
  • Accuracy?
  • Hard Target?
  • Do they work?
  • Acid test!
  • Application
  • What they will and won’t do
  • Long-term test
  • Summary

Today we are going to look at something entirely new — the Air Venturi Dust Devil BB. It’s a BB that can be fired at hard targets with little fear of rebound, because the BB disintegrates on impact. I have been playing with these for several months now, and they do deliver on that promise!

BBs rebound

Ask anyone who shoots BBs and they will tell you — BBs rebound from hard targets. They can come back at the shooter almost as fast as they went downrange. You may recall that little Ralphie Parker discovered that when he fired the first shot from his Red Ryder in the movie, A Christmas Story. Well, he wasn’t the only one! Little BB Pelletier busted his lower lip when a BB fired from an Anics revolver rebounded from 10 meters away. That BB left the pistol twice as fast as Ralphie’s — 500 f.p.s.! I shouldn’t have shot it into a steel bullet trap to begin with, but do as I say — not as I do. I said, “Aww — it’ll never come all the way back here.” Right! Reminds me of guys who shoot .22 long rifle ammo at golf balls and get surprised in exactly the same way. read more

Umarex Legends MP40 BB Submachinegun: Part 2

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

MP40
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. read more

Sig Sauer Spartan BB pistol: Part 3

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Sig Spartan BB pistol
Sig Sauer Spartan BB pistol offers a lot of pistol at a budget price.

Part 1
Part 2 

This report covers:

  • The test
  • H&N Smart Shot
  • Hornady Black Diamond BBs
  • The trigger
  • Air Venturi Zinc-Plated BBs
  • Overall evaluation

It’s accuracy day for the the Sig Spartan BB pistol, and I have to tell you I am excited. The trigger on this pistol, while heavy, breaks so crisply that I am expecting good things.

The test

I shot from 5 meters, seated and resting my shooting arm on a UTG Monopod. The Spartan’s sights are fixed but they are wide enough for good accuracy and the front post is sharp. There was no problem seeing the sights on the target for a 6 o’clock hold.

H&N Smart Shot

I tried the H&N Smart Shot lead BBs first. I did that because the Spartan only got 40 good shots on a CO2 cartridge in Part 2 and I wanted the pistol to be as powerful as possible with this heavier BB. read more

Sig Sauer Spartan BB pistol: Part 2

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Sig Spartan BB pistol
Sig Sauer Spartan BB pistol offers a lot of pistol at a budget price.

Part 1

This report covers:

  • Install the CO2 cartridge
  • Velocity with Daisy BBs
  • Recoil
  • Air Venturi Copper-Plated BBs
  • H&N Smart Shot lead BBs
  • Trigger pull
  • Shot count
  • Evaluation so far

Today we look at the velocity of the Sig Spartan BB pistol. The specs rate it at 410 f.p.s. Today we find out. I will also comment on things like the blowback and the trigger. Let’s get started.

Install the CO2 cartridge

The first step is to put a fresh CO2 cartridge in the gun. It goes into the grip, of course. Lift off the left grip panel and then pull the mainspring housing from the back of the grip. That is the lower flat part of the grip that’s has a coarse raised pattern in the metal for a better grip. In the 1911 firearm, it houses the mainspring, but on this BB pistol it’s the lever that pierces the CO2 cartridge. read more