Tag Archives: single-shot

How the Price-Point PCP (PPP) has changed the face of the airgun world

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Gauntlet
Umarex’s Gauntlet was the first PPP to be announced, but several others beat it to the marketplace.

This report covers:

  • Gauntlet dropped!
  • For Hank
  • For the manufacturers
  • What is a PPP?
  • Cost
  • Required features
  • Nice features to have
  • Caliber
  • ALL BOATS ARE FLOATED!
  • Compressors
  • Other PCPs
  • Sig
  • AirForce Airguns
  • On and on
  • Summary

Gauntlet dropped!

When Umarex announced the new Gauntlet air rifle the savvy airgunning world was stunned. A precharged pneumatic (PCP) that was a repeater, was shrouded with an active silencer, had an adjustable trigger and stock, was accurate and came with a regulator — all for less than $300. They named it appropriately, because it was a huge gauntlet to drop on the airgun community. I’m sure this is exactly what Umarex had in mind, though the particulars of how it has and still is unfolding I’m sure have been as much of a surprise to them as they have been to others. read more

Sig ASP20 rifle with Whiskey3 ASP 4-12X44 scope: Part 3

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Sig ASP20
Sig ASP20 breakbarrel rifle.

Part 1
Part 2

This report covers:

  • Trigger adjustment
  • Whiskey3 4-12X44 scope
  • Today’s test
  • Velocity with the lead Crux Pb
  • JSB Exact Jumbo
  • JSB Exact Jumbo Heavy
  • How fast will she go?
  • Easy cocking!
  • Barrel loose when cocked
  • Trigger pull
  • First stage?
  • Summary

Today we will find out about the velocity of the .22-caliber Sig ASP20 breakbarrel rifle that I’m testing. Before we get into that, though, I have a couple things to address.

Trigger adjustment

First, reader Siraniko asked this:

“You will have to show us a picture how the trigger is adjusted while in the gun. The only picture I could find of how to adjust the trigger showed it while separated from the gun (https://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2018/08/my-day-at-sig-sauer-part-2/).”

That’s a good question. He asked because I showed the bent Phillips screwdriver that’s used to adjust the trigger pull weight. So let’s discuss the trigger adjustments now. read more

Sig ASP20 rifle with Whiskey3 ASP 4-12X44 scope: Part 1

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Sig ASP20
Sig ASP20 breakbarrel rifle.

This report covers:

  • ASP20
  • Two calibers
  • Wood stock or synthetic stock?
  • First impression
  • What about wood?
  • And synthetic?
  • Description
  • Trigger
  • Safety
  • Whose gun is it?
  • Summary

It’s here! The Sig ASP20 breakbarrel rifle with the Whiskey3 4-12X44 scope arrived at my house Friday evening, and I already have an independent opinion to share. I will get to that in a bit.

ASP20

ASP stands for Advanced Sport Pellet—the original name of SIGAIR — the Sig Sauer group that’s responsible for airguns. The number 20 indicates the foot-pounds of energy that can be expected from a .177 caliber version of the rifle. Obviously this power varies by pellet, but it gives you a ballpark to consider.

Two calibers

The rifle is offered in both .177 and .22 calibers and in the larger caliber the expected output climbs to 23 foot pounds. I asked for the .22 caliber to test because at this power lever I feel it would be the smoothest of the two. Ed Schultz of SIGAIR agrees with that. read more

Hatsan 135 QE Vortex .30-caliber pellet rifle: Part 5

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Pyramyd Air Cup Part 2

Hatsan 135 30 caliber rifle
Hatsan’s .30 caliber 135 QE Vortex is a large breakbarrel — both in size and caliber.

This report covers:

  • Today
  • The range
  • The test
  • Pellet drop
  • Predator Polymags
  • Shooting form
  • JSB Exact 50.15-grain domes
  • Discussion
  • JSB 44.75-grain domes
  • Discussion 2
  • Summary

A lot of time has passed since I did the Part 4 report of the Hatsan 135 QE Vortex .30-caliber pellet rifle. I also linked to the Pyramyd Air Cup, Part 2, because that’s where I got to see and shoot Rich Shar’s highly modified Hatsan 135 that’s also a .30 caliber spring rifle. If you don’t read any of the other previous reports I linked to, read that one, because his rifle is the highest evolution of the one I am testing today. It could probably be made as a custom modification, but given what Rich had to do to build it, I think it would cost more than the original rifle by a significant margin. read more

A vintage FWB 300S tests new pellets

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

A history of airguns

FWB 300S
My FWB 300S is the most accurate 10-meter target rifle I own.

This report covers:

  • Background
  • Essentially sighted in?
  • The test
  • Qiang Yuan Olympic pellet
  • Sig Match Ballistic Alloy pellet
  • Sig Match Pb pellet
  • Sig Match Alloy
  • Qiang Yuan Olympic
  • Sig Pb target pellets
  • Summary

Before we begin I need to explain why a test of three current pellets is in the history section. Besides airguns I have a lot of other things I need to test and report, and pellets are one big category. I also have some .22 caliber pellets from Sig that need a test, as well as those samples of the new Baracuda Field Target that I received at the Pyramyd Air Cup. If I don’t stop and make the time for these tests, they will never happen.

When it comes to target pellets, my most accurate 10-meter target rifle is an FWB 300S — a spring-piston target rifle that is decades out of date. But it’s the best I have, so I used it. Since it is no longer made, I put the test that used it in the History section. read more

Sharpshooter rubber band catapult gun: Part 2

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
A history of airguns

Sharpshooter pistol
The Sharpshooter catapult pistol was made from the early 1930s until the 1980s by as many as 5 different companies. This one was made in the early 1940s.

This report covers:

  • Bulls Eye pistol
  • Sharpshooter velocity
  • The launcher
  • Velocity
  • One band
  • Chronograph problems
  • Discharge sound
  • Trigger pull
  • Accuracy
  • Next time

Before we begin, I want to share an email I received last Friday. It says a lot about the experience of attending the Pyramyd Air Cup.

“Hi Tom, 

Meeting you in person for me was one of the highlights of the Pyramid Air Cup 2018. I’m the tall guy shooting any tournament for the first time. I shot a TX200 and had questions about a second air rifle that weekend. We spoke about the Sig P938 and you recommended a Sig 365 you were testing. I wanted to give you my perspective of what I got out my first shoot and ask you to consider sharing my thoughts. Not the shoot but as a newcomer into competition. read more

Diana Chaser air pistol: Part 3

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2

Diana Chaser air pistol
The Diana Chaser is a new CO2 pistol.

This report covers:

  • The test
  • Qiang Yuan Match pellets
  • Adjusted the sights
  • JSB Exact RS
  • Pellets jamming
  • Trigger pull changed
  • Sig Match Ballistic Alloy
  • RWS Superdome
  • The magazine
  • Open sights visible?
  • RWS Superdomes through the magazine
  • Discussion
  • Surprise!

Today is accuracy day for the Diana Chaser air pistol. I threw in some extra tests just for fun. This should be interesting, so let’s go!

The test

I shot off a sandbag rest at 10 meters. I used the single shot tray for the first 4 groups, then switched to the magazine for the final group. There were some interesting results that I couldn’t have predicted.

Qiang Yuan Match pellets

I shot the first group with Qiang Yuan Match pellets. No particular reason for that, other than I had them ready. They hit the target low and to the left, but I left the sights where they were and shot all 10 pellets. They landed in a group that measures 1.052-inches between centers. This was larger than I had hoped for the Chaser. read more