Tag Archives: springer

El Gamo David breakbarrel air rifle: Part 2

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 146 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

El Gamo David
The El Gamo David is a lower-powered breakbarrel from the 1960s or’ 70s.

Part 1

History of airguns

This report covers:

  • H&N Finale Match Heavy
  • Breech seal
  • Pick it out
  • Seal is out
  • What to do?
  • Cocking effort
  • Summary

Today we look at the El Gamo David breakbarrel rifle’s velocity. In Part One I predicted that, if the powerplant is in good shape, the David should be able to push an 8-grain pellet out at between 550 and 600 f.p.s. I have not chronographed a single shot yet, so I will find this out as you do. Let’s get right to it.

H&N Finale Match Heavy

The first pellet I tested was the 8.18-grain H&N Finale Match Heavy wadcutter. The tin says they weigh 8.18 grains. I weighed five and got this:

8.2 grains
8.3
8.3
8.1
8.1

Then I shot a string of 10. Before the string started I shot 2 pellets to “wake up” the powerplant. Then I shot the string and 10 pellets averaged 480 f.p.s. The low was 464 and the high was 487, so the spread was 23 f.p.s. That’s not a terrible spread for a springer, but I would always like to see it smaller. At the average velocity this pellet generated 4.2 foot-pounds. I had expected more like 5.5 foot-pounds. read more

El Gamo David breakbarrel air rifle: Part 1

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 67 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

El Gamo David
The El Gamo David is a lower-powered breakbarrel from the 1960s or ’70s.

History of airguns

This report covers:

  • Godfather’s Gold Gun Giveaway
  • Description
  • Stock
  • The markings
  • Sights
  • What is it?
  • El-cheapo or full of value?
  • Discussion
  • Summary

Godfather’s Gold Gun Giveaway

Well, the winner has been selected. Reader Decksniper won the Godfather’s Gold Gun. Let’s all congratulate him. Now on to today’s report on the El Gamo David.

The what? The David? Yes, the David. Several weeks ago I snagged this breakbarrel off an eBay auction. At first I thought it was a Spanish version of the El Gamo 300 that I reviewed for you in 2014, but it’s not. This is an air rifle we have never seen in the U.S. As far as I know, this is the first time this air rifle has been written about in our country. read more

Springfield Armory M1A Underlever Pellet Rifle: Part 2

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 76 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

M1A
Springfield Armory M1A.

Part 1

This report covers:

  • Firing behavior
  • Loading
  • Sights
  • Sight history
  • Front sight
  • Cocking effort
  • Operating rod handle is for show
  • Scope base
  • Summary

There was lots of interest in the new Springfield Armory M1A rifle. It’s a nice-looking lookalike. It’s a decently powerful springer. It’s an underlever, and yes, there are folks who like that feature over all the others. It has other features that I’ll get into today, Like I said at the end of Part 1, velocity testing will have to wait for Part 3.

The trigger

The trigger is two-stage and not adjustable. There are no screws in sight when you peer deep inside. Stage one on the rifle I’m testing is heavy and a bit creepy. Stage two is hard to feel, with the result that at present the trigger feels like a light single-stage trigger. I think as the rifle breaks in the first and second stages will become more distinct. read more

Springfield Armory M1A Underlever Pellet Rifle: Part 1

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 124 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

M1A
Springfield Armory M1A.

This report covers:

  • What is the  M14?
  • M14 magazine 
  • M1A
  • The pellet rifle
  • Underlever
  • Cocking and the safety
  • Safety is manual
  • Loading
  • Summary

The Springfield Armory M1A Underlever Pellet Rifle is here! This is the air rifle many of you have been waiting for, and mine just arrived. Let’s take a look.

What is the  M14?

The M14 is a U.S. battle rifle that was the primary personal rifle from 1958 until 1968. It was the successor to the M1 Garand (U.S. Rifle caliber .30 M1) that was the U.S. battle rifle from 1936 until being replaced by the M14 in March of 1958. Where the Garand was semiautomatic only, the M14 was made to be a select-fire rifle, though not that many of them were ever set up that way. It took some training and skill to control the rifle in the full-auto mode, because the recoil of the 7.62X51 mm cartridge was substantial. Because of the rifle’s look many assumed it was another BAR, but at only half the weight, it wasn’t. read more

Oh, Yes — I’m the Great Enabler!

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 46 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

This report covers:

  • Wants what he wants
  • So why?
  • What happens when a gun doesn’t live up to the hype?
  • Not-so-expensive
  • Don’t put words into my mouth
  • How to read me

Yesterday my brother-in-law, Bob, called me on his way home from buying groceries and told me that yesterday ‘s blog about the Umarex Fusion 2 had convinced him to buy one. He told me I am the Great Enabler.

Wants what he wants

I thought about that. Bob is an airgunner very much like many of you. He doesn’t want just one more airgun, but if he sees a good enough reason to own one, he will spring for it. Like many of you Bob loves to shoot. He shoots firearms almost every week and years ago I coached him into reloading, both to keep the cost of ammunition down and also to have ammo that more flexibly meets his needs. Reloading gives you the control you need over your ammo — both to make it as close to perfect as possible for your guns and also to ensure a supply in those times (like now) when it isn’t generally available. Airguns are like that in many ways. read more

Beeman R10: Part 4

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 131 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Beeman R10
Beeman R10.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

History of airguns

This report covers:

  • The test
  • Scope
  • Sight in
  • JSB Exact RS
  • JSB Exact 
  • JSB Exact Jumbo
  • Falcon
  • 10-shot group of Falcons
  • Shootin’ machine
  • Summary

Welcome to the last report on the Beeman R10 that I tuned. This will be the accuracy test at 25 yards.

The test

I shot the rifle off a sandbag rest at 25 yards. I used an artillery hold with my off hand back by the triggerguard. I shot 5-shot groups to test more pellets and then 10-shot groups when I found a good one.

Scope

I scoped the rifle with a UTG Bug Buster 3-12X32 scope. It fit the R10 quite well, and when you see my groups I think you will agree that the scope worked.

R10 scoped
The Bug Buster fit the R10 well.

Sight in

I knew the scope was shimmed to take care of moderate barrel droop so I fired two shots at 12 feet and was immediately able to move back to 25 yards. Shots three and four were used to refine the zero and then I fired the first 5-shot group. read more

Slavia 618 breakbarrel air rifle: Part 3

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 29 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Slavia 618
Slavia 618.

Part 1
Part 2

History of airguns

This report covers:

  • The test
  • RWS Hobby
  • H&N Match Green
  • Falcon domes
  • Gamo Match
  • RWS Meisterkugeln Rifle
  • JSB Exact Jumbo
  • RWS Superpoint
  • Summary

Today we test the Slavia 618 breakbarrel’s accuracy. I have described the rifle in Part 1, and in Part 2 we tested the velocity before and after it got a freshened breech seal. The one I’m shooting today could be considered a “hot” 618.

The test

I shot the rifle off a rest at 10 meters. Even though I tested 7 different pellets I shot 10-shot groups because the rifle is so light and easy to cock. Let’s get started.

RWS Hobby

The first pellet I tested was the RWS Hobby wadcutter. Right off the bat during sight-in I determined that the 618 does not like to be rested directly on the sandbag. I suppose it is so light that the force of the piston throws the rifle off target when it fires. The rifle is so small that it’s difficult to hold with the artillery hold, but I did the best I could. Ten Hobbys went into 0.91-inches at 10 meters. read more