Tag Archives: single-shot

Testing H&N Baracuda FT pellets: Part 2

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1

This report covers:

  • The Baracuda FT
  • Head size
  • The test
  • Start 4.50mm heads
  • Discussion of the 4.50mm head
  • 4.51mm heads
  • Discussion of the 4.51mm head
  • Discussion of today’s test
  • Summary

Part 1 contains much of the background information for this test. Today I will add some more, to round out your understanding of the pellet I am testing.

The Baracuda FT

The Baracuda FT is a departure from the standard H&N Baracuda that was developed in the 1950s expressly for the Weihrauch Barakuda EL54 rifle. The EL-54 was an HW35 with an ether injector to purposely detonate when the piston went forward. It only shot round lead balls, because it blew the heads out of all diabolo pellets until the Baracuda pellet was created. The Baracuda pellet had a very thick head of pure lead that resisted the additional pressure from the ether explosion. read more

Tuning Michael’s Winchester 427: Part 6

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Diana 27
Michael’s Winchester 427 is a Diana model 27 by another name. The rifle pictured is my Hy Score 807/Diana 27.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

A history of airguns

This report covers:

  • Assembling the ball bearing cages
  • Two cages — inner and outer
  • The real sear
  • Trigger assembly
  • Finish the assembly
  • Trigger adjustment
  • Test the rifle
  • Summary

And I’m going to pick it up right where we left off on Friday. A reminder that I am in Las Vegas at the SHOT Show today and will not be able to respond to comments as easily as normal. Let’s get started.

Assembling the ball bearing cages

We have come to the most daunting part of the assembly — assembling the trigger unit. You have to put a swarm of loose parts into the spring tube under tension from both the mainspring and the trigger spring. First, put the lubricated spring guide into the rear of the mainspring. I forgot to do that the first time through and I assembled the rifle without the guide. Got the rifle all buttoned up and said those famous last words, “I hope I never have to do THAT again!” Then my eyes fell on the guide sitting on the table. It was smiling at me, and I’m pretty sure I heard God laugh a little! read more

Tuning Michael’s Winchester 427: Part 5

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Diana 27
Michael’s Winchester 427 is a Diana model 27 by another name. The rifle pictured is my Hy Score 807/Diana 27

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

A history of airguns

This report covers:

  • SHOT Show
  • Today and Monday
  • New parts
  • Scragging?
  • Lubricating the mainspring
  • Rust removal
  • Lubrication
  • Putting the piston into the spring tube
  • Pull the trigger!
  • Attach the barrel
  • Break

Many of you have been reading this series in which I tune reader Michael’s Winchester 427 that is actually a Diana 27. This is not an air rifle for beginners to learn on! The mechanism is too complex for first-timers for a number of reasons that should become clear today.

SHOT Show

I have to tell you — this is a very lengthy report. I won’t get it all done today, so Monday I will finish up. And on Monday I will be in Las Vegas at the SHOT Show. I won’t see your comments as frequently as usual while I’m there next week, plus after I walk out of the show every day I have to go back to my room, write the next day’s blog and have it ready to publish by 9 p.m. which is midnight on the east coast where the WordPress server publishes the blog. So please don’t ask me any lengthy questions. I am not going to have dinner with anyone this year, so I can do my work without being whipsawed! read more

Webley Service Mark II: Part 7

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Webley Mark II Service rifle
Webley Mark II Service Rifle.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6

A history of airguns

Today’s report is another in the series I did on the Webley Mark II Service rifle. Today’s post is by reader RidgeRunner, who now owns the rifle. He tells us about his rifle’s performance after the maintenance he reported in Part 6.

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

And now, take it away, RidgeRunner.

This report covers:

  • A Round Tuit
  • My Chrony Rig
  • Into The Breech!
  • RWS Super H-Point
  • Eley Wasp
  • H&N Sniper Light
  • H&N Field Target
  • JSB Exact Jumbo RS
  • JSB Exact Jumbo
  • Crosman Premier Hollow Point
  • H&N Baracuda Hunter Extreme
  • H&N Baracuda
  • Summary

A Round Tuit

round tuit

Well, it took me a while to get to this, but now that I have a round tuit I can start doing the velocity test on this old gal. Since I spent most of a warm, calm, sunny Sunday shooting this air rifle, you might want to make sure you have a full cup of coffee before you go much further. read more

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

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Sig ASP20
Sig ASP20 breakbarrel rifle.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

This report covers:

  • Hold?
  • Stock screw torque
  • Scope zero
  • Crux seated deep
  • Crux seated flush
  • JSB Exact Jumbo
  • 25 yards
  • DUH!
  • Last pellet
  • Where are we?
  • What’s next?
  • Summary

Today will be the start of the Sig ASP20 accuracy test, but it will be different than all the other rifles I have tested. I usually mount a scope and begin testing at 10 meters — looking for one or more pellets that are accurate for tests at longer ranges. I’m not doing that today. Before I get into the report, though, I want to address some readers’ concerns.

Hold?

Someone asked me to check the sensitivity of the rifle to how it’s held. But I already reported on that back in August. I discovered back then that this rifle likes to rest directly on the sandbag and not be held by the artillery hold. I will test the artillery hold in later installments, but it’s pretty much a given that this rifle likes to be rested right on the bag. read more

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