Tag Archives: single-shot

My day at Sig Sauer: Part 3

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

ASP20
Sig Sauer’s new ASP20 gas spring breakbarrel air rifle breaks ground in many areas!

Part 1
Part 2

This report covers:

  • Why a gas spring?
  • Trigger
  • Why a breakbarrel?
  • Does the ASP20 have an internal shock absorber?
  • On with the build
  • Final assembly — the stock
  • The barrel
  • Off to the range
  • Shooting sensation
  • Cocking effort
  • Accuracy
  • Whisky 3 ASP 4-12X44 scope
  • Summary

Boy, is there a LOT of interest in this new rifle! You guys are asking a lot of very good questions about the new ASP20 breakbarrel rifle, as you should. I will begin by addressing some of the most prominent ones.

Why a gas spring?

Some call it a gas piston, others say gas ram, but we are all referring to the gas spring (the industry term for a spring that uses compressed gas in place of a coiled steel spring to do its job). Gas springs replace coiled steel mainsprings in spring-piston airguns. They are more modern and easier to make and obtain, they don’t take a set if left compressed, they are less susceptible to cold and, if the design is right, they are smoother operating. They also eliminate several parts that rattle and they remove some weight from the powerplant. read more

Punting with the FWB 124

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

FWB 124
Feinwerkbau 124.

A history of airguns

This report covers:

  • The ship hit the sand!
  • Plan B
  • Plan C
  • Open sights
  • Getting ahead of myself
  • The test
  • RWS Superpoints
  • JSB Exact RS
  • RWS R10
  • What’s up with the lone “flyer”?
  • H&N Baracuda Match with 4.50mm head
  • Discussion
  • The FWB 124
  • So what?
  • The big deal
  • Summary

Well, well. Sometimes the bear eats you! Today is one such day. I returned from my Sig trip last Thursday and wrote this report on Friday and Saturday. Everything that could go wrong did, giving me a lot to tell you about. And I have some exciting news to share today, as well.

The ship hit the sand!

I was going to test the Crosman 105 Target pistol for you today, but I couldn’t get it to hit the paper. Whoever guessed that it would shoot way low was spot-on. It shoots so low that I can’t get it up on paper, even using aim-off tricks (aiming at one thing to hit another). I have to work on the pistol before I can test it again. read more

It’s always something!

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

This report covers:

  • Don’t dabble
  • Retail sales
  • Prisoner joke 49
  • Mr. Fix-it
  • Success — sort of
  • Sell your skill
  • Build a better mousetrap
  • What am I saying?

Today I am writing to those readers who think they would like to have a business that deals with airguns. I hear from people all the time who think they would like to be involved in the airgun business. Sometimes they ask for advice. Here it comes, whether or not you asked.

Don’t dabble

The first thing I look for in a person who wants to get into the airgun business (or any business, for that matter) is passion. Do they have passion for what they say they want to do? If a person tells me they are retired and just want to dabble in airguns I tell them that’s like dabbling in skydiving. At some point you have to jump, and then you DEFINITELY have to pull the ripcord! Skydiving gets real serious real fast. read more

The Seneca Dragonfly multi-pump pneumatic rifle: Part 4

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Seneca Dragonfly
Air Venturi Seneca Dragonfly multi-pump air rifle.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

This report covers:

  • The test
  • Sight-in
  • Qiang Yuan Training pellet
  • First attempt at pumping
  • RWS Superdomes
  • Air Arms Falcon pellet
  • The solution
  • The hold for pumping
  • Best pumping hold found
  • JSB Exact RS
  • Summary

This is the 25-yard test of the Seneca Dragonfly multi-pump pneumatic rifle. Today the rifle is scoped with the 3-12X32 UTG Bug Buster scope, and we will see what the Dragonfly can do.

Seneca Dragonfly scoped
The compact Bug Buster scope is a perfect compliment to the handy Dragonfly multi-pump.

The test

I shot 5 shots with each pellet from a rested rifle at 25 yards. That was because I was pumping the rifle 3 times for each shot, and with the scope occupying the place where I wanted to hold the rifle, pumping wasn’t convenient. I selected the best pellet from the 10-meter test and 3 new ones, since the others I tested at 10 meters didn’t do so well. At the end of the test I decided to select the best pellet and shoot one final 10-shot group. read more

2018 Texas Airgun show

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

This report covers:

  • FWB 110
  • Daisy 99 first variation
  • Daisy Targeteer gallery and gun
  • Daisy Critter Gitter
  • Daystate CR97 prototype
  • O’Connell rifle
  • Shooting!
  • RAW
  • Big bores
  • Hammer
  • More on the show
  • Prizes galore!
  • The end

It happened last Saturday and if you were there you saw what I am about to report. If you missed it, too bad, because I think it was the best show yet.

Airgun shows usually have a theme; this one had several. Airguns that are never seen was one of them. Let’s start there.

FWB 110

Reader JerryC laid an FWB 110 on my table for display throughout the show. How rare is it? Well, this is the first one I have seen.

FWB 110
It may look like an FWB 150 or 300, but the 110 was the one that started them all.

The 110 is unique because it doesn’t have the anti-recoil mechanism in the stock. It recoils, though this one doesn’t move very much. It was tuned and resealed by Dave Slade and is a masterpiece of a recoiling 10-meter target rifle. Think of a tuned HW55CM or a Walther LGV and you will have it. How do I know? I shot it! Yes, you will be getting a 3-part review! read more

Umarex Forge combo: Part 5

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Forge
Umarex Forge.

This report covers:

  • The test
  • Trigger
  • The test
  • Accuracy — JSB Exact RS
  • Accuracy— JSB Exact Heavy
  • Accuracy— Crosman Premier Light
  • What next?
  • Final group
  • Evaluation
  • Summary

Today I complete the report on the Forge from Umarex. This is a breakbarrel rifle with a gas spring and … Well, you can read the past posts to catch up.

I’m running this test because the last time we looked at the Forge I felt the poor 4X32 scope that was provided with it might not have extracted all the accuracy the rifle can produce. I vowed to return and test it with a better scope and today the Force is mounted with the Aeon 8-32 AO scope with trajectory reticle, which is one of the best scopes I own. You can read about it here.

The test

This will be 10 shots with each pellet from a rested rifle at 25 yards. I started with the conventional artillery hold but soon discovered the Forge can be rested directly on the sandbag. I used the artillery hold in the last test, so that may make a difference today. read more

The Stiga Zenit – an EM-GE Zenit clone: Part 2

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1

A history of airguns

Today’s report is the completion of a guest blog from reader Paul that began last Friday. He is telling us about his Stiga Zenit — an airgun not many have heard of.

If you’d like to write a guest post for this blog, please email me.

This report covers:

  • Firing behavior
  • Power
  • Accuracy
  • Wrapping it up

Okay, Paul, finish what you started.

On Friday I showed you the basic construction of my Swedish Stiga Zenit pistol that closely copies the EM GE Zenit made in Germany. Today we will look at its performance.

When the cocking lever is first pulled upwards the spring loaded barrel will also tilt up about 15 degrees; this makes it simple to inspect or clean the barrel from the rear and also serves as a sort of “safe mode”. Swinging the lever through its arc completes the cocking action and requires about fifteen pounds of effort. read more