Pneumatic Pnews

Compasseco has a NEW blog!

2006-12-03T12:30:00.000-08:00

by Tex Force

This is the last posting on this blog. Compasseco has a new blog site, and I'll continue to publish news and stories there. No more comments can be posted on this site. If you have questions about postings on this old blog, ask them on the new one. I'll continue to answer them. See you there!

Tech Force Contender 49 A new spring rifle!

2006-11-27T05:30:00.000-08:00

by Tex Force

Scoped with a Tech Force 4x32, the new Tech Force 49 is a beautiful air rifle.

Are you looking for something new and different? If so, Compasseco has just brought out their new Tech Force Contender 49, a completely new spring-piston breakbarrel air rifle. Just in time for Christmas, this new rifle is lightweight, accurate and easy to cock. It's one of those guns you'll love to shoot all day and never tire you out!

Read all about it!
Compasseco has several new articles up on their website, with a review of this one, too. The article compares the gun to the Beeman R7, but you could buy three TF 49s for the price of one R7 and have money left over for a scope. The R7 is a fine gun, but the new TF49 deserves a close look, too.

This is a "big" little air rifle
What I mean by that is the dimensions are adult-sized, at 45" overall, but the weight is a mere 6 lbs., so this is an airgun you can carry a long time without getting tired. It's physically larger than the R7, but it's lighter and just as trim.

A surprisingly good trigger
I was surprised when I first saw the gun, because nothing had prepared me for what to expect. It looks like an average breakbarrel, but one with a better finish than Chinese guns have had in the past. Then, I saw the trigger. The Tech Force Contender-Series airguns have improved features, and this trigger is one of them. It is plastic instead of the rolled sheetmetal usually found. When you shoot the rifle, you'll see how easy and crisp it feels. It's a two-stage unit with a light first stage and a positive second. The pull-weight measured about 3.9 lbs. to 4 lbs. on my rifle, and the release was always crisp with no felt creep.

Scoping the gun
The rifle comes without sights, so a scope is needed. I installed a Tech Force 4x32 Heavy-Duty Hunting Scope, which suits the size of the rifle perfectly. It's clean and easy to use, and it doesn't stretch the budget too much, either!

Prep the barrel before you shoot
The barrel is long, at nearly 19". It's finely rifled, but after reading the Compasseco article, I cleaned my barrel with J-B Non-Embedding Bore Cleaning Compound. In fact, it's a good idea to clean all new barrels that way, because they all have rust and metal burrs that need removing, unless the barrel was handmade. Sure enough, the brush met with resistance at first but smoothed out toward the middle of the cleaning. Following that, I cleaned every bit of compound from the bore, leaving a clean dry surface. Then, I was ready to shoot!

Easy to cock, a dream to shoot!
The rifle is extremely easy to cock! I measured just 17 lbs. of force to fully cock the piston. Cocking automatically sets the safety, which is a button on the left side of the receiver, just above the trigger. Load the gun, close the barrel and push in the safety until it clicks off. You're ready to fire the gun! A word of caution during loading: always restrain the barrel of any breakbarrel rifle by holding the muzzle with your other hand as you load. If the sear slipped and the rifle fired, your hand on the barrel would stop it from closing on your fingers.

As mentioned, the trigger is very crisp. Shooters will enjoy it! The firing behavior is quick and solid, with no vibration or buzzing after the shot. It feels like the action of a finely tuned rifle, but that's just how it came from the box! Accuracy was in the 1" range for five shots with good pellets at 25 yards.

If you're looking for a neat new breakbarrel, the TF49 might be the gun you want.

Let's talk about oiling a spring gun

2006-11-20T05:30:00.000-08:00

by Tex Force

Spring gun oiling is a subject that baffles many owners. They buy a rifle, then they hear about oiling and wonder what they should do. I'll try to simplify the subject of spring gun oiling.

Where to oil?
There are two main places where a spring gun may need oil and a host of smaller ones. The smaller ones are various parts of the cocking linkage that need oil to operate smoothly. Every gun is different, but the basic guideline is this: if it moves, it needs to be lubricated. On breakbarrels, the barrel joint is obvious. On underlevers, the cocking linkage has several spots to lube. It's easy to figure out when the gun is in front of you.

Don't over-oil!
It's better to use too little oil than too much. A spring gun comes from the factory lubricated and ready to go for the most part. Lube it only when you can see a reason to...joints start squeaking, etc. You shouldn't need to lube any more than once a year, and I have guns I haven't lubed in five years.

The mainspring
The mainspring is one of two principal spots to lube. Use lube very sparingly. Just because a spring looks dry doesn't mean that it is. Diana mainsprings almost always look dry when they actually have adequate lubrication for several years. They are shot-peened, which creates a rough surface that appears dry but actually holds lubricant in the tiny pits on the surface of the spring.

Put lubricating oil on the mainspring. A good product is RWS Spring Cylinder oil. That sounds strange, but you need to know that chamber oil IS NOT suitable for lubricating metal-to-metal surfaces. It's too thin and will not protect the metal parts, which then rub together and create shiny spots known as galling. Always use a lubricating oil on the mainspring. If the spring is so dry that it has shiny spots, use about 10 drops of oil applied through the cocking slot. The action of cocking and firing distributes the oils, so don't worry about not being able to see the entire spring. If just the spring needs some oil, use five drops.

The chamber
You lubricate the chamber for an entirely different reason. The oil creates an airtight seal around the rim of the piston seal, making the gun more efficient. There's a danger in oiling the chamber. Excess oil burns off in loud explosions called detonations. This is not dieseling, which every spring gun does. Detonations are much worse and can break parts in a gun - especially the mainspring. If you lube the chamber of a gun that has a modern synthetic piston seal, use no more than two drops of oil down the air transfer port (that hole behind the barrel).

How do you know if you have a synthetic piston seal?
The age of the gun is the determinant. Almost all airguns made since 1980 have synthetic piston seals. Older guns had leather seals, and those got a lot more lubrication - maybe five drops every six months.

Some guns want very little oil
RWS Diana airguns such as the model 34 need next to no lubrication. Maybe one drop of RWS Chamber Lube every year or 3,000 pellets. HW guns need more - maybe two drops every 2,000 shots or year. Chinese guns also need more. The TF99 and 97 should be lubed like an HW gun. The rule to follow if you don't know differently is to err on the side of less rather than more lubrication.

Lubricating a spring-piston airgun is not a daunting task, nor it is one you must do often. If you watch how your gun performs, it will often tell you when it needs oil.

Crosman 2100B The affordable multi-pump!

2006-11-13T05:30:00.000-08:00

by Tex Force

A lot of you are looking to get into airguns, but you aren't ready to sink over a hundred dollars into a gun. Well, you don't have to! Crosman's 2100B is a 10-pump rifle in .177 caliber that shoots both BBs and pellets and is very affordable at under $60!

History
The 2100-series guns began manufacture in 1983, so they have been around in one form or another for over 20 years. During that time, there have also been .22 caliber 2200s made (1983-2003), but they were discontinued several years ago. Only the 2100B remains. There was a walnut-stocked version of the rifle for awhile. Curiously, it did not have the BB-firing facility, probably due to the solid wood stock that prevented loading.

Description
The rifle weighs 4.7 lbs. and is 39.75" long. It has a fiberoptic front sight and an adjustable rear sight that are all you'll need to get started. For extra accuracy, however, the rifle does have an 11mm dovetail atop the receiver to accept regular airgun scope mounts.

Two types of ammo
The 2100B has a specially rifled barrel that permits the use of steel BBs. A reservoir in the pistol grip holds up to 200 BBs, and 17 can be loaded into the magazine. When the magazine empties, you fill it from the reservoir; no BBs have to be touched for this operation.

Shooting BBs
BBs will go up to 755 f.p.s. on the full 10 pumps, but you can also pump fewer times for less velocity. This is called controlled power, and it's one of the reasons multi-pumps are so popular. For plinking in the basement, five easy pumps is all you need. Remember...when shooting BBs, there's a danger of ricochet and direct bounceback, so always wear safety glasses and don't shoot at hard targets, such as trees or metal objects.

While BBs give the highest velocity, they aren't as accurate as lead pellets, nor do they pack the same punch. Hunters will prefer lead pellets for all shooting. Here is an interesting fact. The owner's manual says you can pump the gun up to 10 times, but James House stopped at eight when he tested the 2100B for his book, American Air Rifles. Even with that, the 2100 was one of only two rifles that met the factory spec for velocity! With 10 pumps, pellets exceed the spec (725 f.p.s.) by a small amount, making it the power equivalent of the Benjamin 397, which sells for double the price!

Shooting pellets
Surprisingly, the 2100B out-grouped a Benjamin 397 when House tested both side-by-side for his book. It was shooting three-shot groups smaller than a half-inch at 30 yards, which would translate to a 0.70" group for five shots. That is excellent hunting accuracy from a rifle that has the power it takes to harvest game up to the size of rabbits, squirrels and pigeons.

Scoping the 2100B
I would recommend the Tech Force 2.5x20 Heavy Duty Hunting Scope for this rifle. It's priced right, and its power is perfect for the range of the 2100B. You'll also need to get scope rings for the rifle. With these extra items, you still have a wonderful air rifle combination for about $90.

2104 combo is a real deal!
To save even more money, get the 2104X combo that comes with a gun and a scope. You'll save about $25 buying it this way, because the package is put together by Crosman and they buy scopes in volume. While the scope included in the combo doesn't have the same big bright sight picture as the Tech Force scope I recommended, it's still fine for all purposes.

Christmas is coming
If the 2100B sounds like a good gun to you, this may be the perfect time to drop a hint to the right party. Perhaps you might even bookmark this web page to make the process a little easier! The 2100B has been around a long time and is one of those classic air rifles that never goes out of style. If you're in the market for a powerful, versatile multi-pump, this one will save money without costing performance.

AirForce Talon SS - Part 2

2006-11-06T05:30:00.000-08:00

by Tex Force

We began our look at the Talon SS last week. We learned that this American-made air rifle is modular, has interchangable barrels (and calibers), air tanks and adjustable power. We also learned that it comes with a one-hour instructional video telling you how to set up the rifle, maintain it, scope it and of course fill it with air. But, that's not all this amazing air rifle has to offer. This week, we'll look at the rest.

Accessory mounting points
With other air rifles, every accessory is it's own challenge of mounting and using. The Talon SS turns that around. It has more accessory mounting points than any five other air rifles combined! Almost the entire top of the rifle and everything in front of the forearm is an 11mm dovetail that accepts standard airgun accessories. AirForce has more accessories in their lineup for this one rifle than any other airgun model I can think of. The scope is necessary, but if you like open sights, they also offer fiber optic sights with a huge range of adjustability. A bipod is the No. 1 accessory picked after a scope because it turns the rifle into such a stable shooting platform without adding a lot of weight.

After that, you can choose from quick-detachable sling swivel studs, a thumbhole accessory bar, spare tanks, MicroMeter tank, three different barrel lengths in two calibers, a trirail scope base that adds another 18" of accessory mounting space, two very high-quality scopes and on and on....In fact, AirForce is the only manufacturer with its own accessory section here on the Compasseco website. They have the accessories well taken care of.

Another good feature of all AirForce airguns is that whenever a new product becomes available, they try to make it fit existing guns. For instance, owners who bought a Talon four years ago can attach a MicroMeter tank today. Other airgun makers try to make their older guns obsolete after time, but this company is interested in the long haul, which is why they offer the original owner of the gun a limited lifetime warranty. Everything except wearout items (seals and O-rings) is covered.

The SS is the quiet precharged air rifle
One big detractor to precharged airguns is the noise. They are much louder than spring guns because they use more air. The Talon SS fixes that. It was designed with the barrel entirely enclosed inside the frame, so the energetic muzzle blast gets stripped away before exiting the end cap. The pellet carries up to 25 foot-pounds of energy, but the rifle sounds like a magnum spring rifle that only gets about 18! The design is completely legal, which is why thousands are sold every year all over the world. Exterminators love them because they make so little noise when used inside a structure.

Accuracy
Although they cost less than European air rifles, all AirForce air rifles have Lothar Walther barrels, a company well-known for making some of the finest airgun barrels in the business, and it shows every time you shoot one at distance. We talk a lot about shots at 50 yards. If you've never tried it, it's pretty far. Most low-priced .22 rimfires will only group about 1.5" with the best ammo at that range. AirForce doesn't publish accuracy claims, but it's fair to say that all of their rifles will group 1" or better at 50 yards on a calm day. I have gotten my share of groups smaller than that with my SS, but there's a little bit of luck involved with that. However, the more you shoot the luckier you'll be.

Well, that's the story on an amazing air rifle. Of course, the Talon and Condor models have many of the same attributes, but always remember that the SS is the quiet one!

AirForce Talon SS - Part 1

2006-10-30T05:30:00.000-08:00

by Tex Force

AirForce Talon SS is a powerful precharged air rifle with more features than any other rifle. Shown here with optional scope and bipod.

With the holidays coming, many of you are thinking about that next big airgun. Perhaps, some have thought about getting into precharged guns. There has never been a better time, and one of the best rifles is made here in the U.S. I'm talking about the AirForce Talon SS.

The Talon SS has too many features for me to cover in a single blog, so this will just be the first part. When it was invented in 2001, there wasn't another air rifle like it. Although its looks have been copied, there still isn't another air rifle with its performance.

A lightweight classic!
The Talon SS weighs just 5.25 lbs., yet it is more powerful than most magnum spring-piston air rifles. It is made of aircraft aluminum and steel and has a distinctive tactical look. The air reservoir is also the butt, and it unscrews to make a portable rifle package under 28" long - even with a large scope! The rifle is finished in a beautiful matte black that doesn't reflect any light, which is one reason America's exterminators and the U.S. Department of Agriculture use it to eliminate pests. Another reason is adjustable power.

Adjustable power
A convenient thumbwheel on the left side of the receiver lets you adjust the power up for hunting or down for shooting targets, plinking or for those tight shots at pests inside buildings. Before the Talon SS came on the scene, very few air rifles had adjustable power, but now they almost have to in order to be competitive.

The power adjustment wheel makes it easy to change power. Dial it down for indoors or targets, up for hunting.

The DVD
Before we look at the rifle some more, let's discuss the No. 1 reason that holds shooters back from precharged guns: concern about the technology. That's why every AirForce rifle comes with a one-hour DVD describing the entire operation and maintenance and tips, such as how to mount a scope and sight-in. It's more than the owner's manual set to video - it's an education in precharged operations. And, it comes free with every AirForce gun. No other airgun maker in the world offers a video about their gun! If you buy just the video (under $10), you can look the gun over to see if it's something you want to get into. It's a heck of a good way to shop for airguns.

Modularity
All AirForce air rifles are designed as modules. What that means is that owners can make some changes and modifications to their guns without sending them anywhere. Take calibers, for instance. Let's say you bought a Talon SS in .22 caliber (the No. 1 seller), but now you'd also like to have a .177. All you have to do is buy an optional 12" .177 barrel for under $100 and put it in yourself. It takes about five minutes to change calibers this way. But, there's more! Let's say you want a more powerful rifle than the .22 SS. It produces 25 foot-pounds of muzzle energy, but what it you want 40 foot-pounds? All you have to do is install an optional 24-inch .22-caliber barrel (in just five minutes), and your rifle will produce up to 45 foot-pounds. Just by swapping barrels! Even that's not where the modularity payoff ends.

Micro Meter tank
This year, AirForce came out with the Micro Meter tank. It's identical to the standard tank that fits Talons and Talon SS guns and the Condor tank. It can be used on any of the the three models. What this tank does is make it possible to shoot with very controlled power at low velocity. It's perfect for shooting indoors and for eliminating tiny pests, such as birds inside buildings, where over-penetration can damage the building. For just the cost of a spare air tank, you get an entirely different air rifle. That's what AirForce has done with modularity!

We're just getting started with the features of the Talon SS, so come back next week and see the rest!

Daisy's Avanti 853 Legend

2006-10-23T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

Daisy's 853 is the perennial favorite target rifle for NRA youth competition. The inset shows the three butt spacers that allow the rifle to grow with the shooter.

With the holidays coming, many shooters are thinking about that big gift they want. If you like to shoot targets with the best accuracy possible, Daisy's Avanti 853 Legend is a rifle you should think about.

A classic!
The 853 has been around for decades. It's a true classic, and the No. 1 choice of over 700,000 junior shooters enrolled in NRA shooting programs each year. Clubs and individual shooters all over America have been using this rifle to set records. Despite the relatively low price, the 853 is deadly accurate!

Two models: a single-shot and a repeater
The 853 is a single-shot rifle, which is what you must use in all formal competitions. There is also a more expensive 853C 5-shot repeater. To make it meet the regulations, the C model can also be used as a single-shot. But the basic 853 is the model most competitors choose, and it's the one that Compasseco sells.

A single-stroke pneumatic
This rifle is a single-stroke pneumatic. It's pumped one time to make it ready to shoot. A second pump does nothing. The pump stroke takes about 20 lbs. of effort, which years of competition have demonstrated is about right for children 12 and older. Younger kids may find it too difficult to operate. The pump lever is plastic, which turns shooters off. In my 20-year experience with 853s, I have never known of a single lever that broke through normal use. Shooters have to keep the pump head oiled to maintain compression. A drop of 20-weight non-detergent motor oil (Daisy's recommendation) or Crosman Pellgunoil (what everyone really uses) on the pump head every six months keeps the rifle shooting strong.

Loading
The rifle is cocked by pulling back on the bolt handle. A single target pellet, such as the RWS R-10 target wadcutter, is laid in the loading trough, and the bolt is pushed closed. For target use, only wadcutter pellets are used because they cut a perfectly round hole in target paper. That makes scoring easier. Nothing but wadcutters can be used in competition. If you just want to practice, a less expensive pellet is the Gamo Match wadcutter. It's plenty accurate for basement shooting, and it costs a lot less than formal target ammo.

The trigger takes some getting used to
The trigger on the 853 is one of its shortcomings, being both heavy and creepy - two things you don't want in a target trigger. With use, it wears in...to a point, but it never becomes a fine trigger. Still, there are hundreds of thousands of kids setting records every year with the 853, so it can't be that difficult to learn!

Barrel and stock
Daisy uses a fine Lothar Walther barrel for the 853. This company makes airgun barrels that are as fine as any in the world. Most guns that have them cost about twice what the 853 costs. Such a barrel gives you a rifle capable of hitting the period at the end of this sentence from 33 feet away. The 853 stock is hardwood and adjustable for different sizes of shooters. There are plenty of adults who own these fine rifles, as well as kids, as the stock comes with butt inserts to make it adapt to shooters of all sizes.

Reliability
This is not a powerful air rifle, so the construction is robust enough to last for a very long time. Daisy uses common O-rings everywhere. When the time does come for a rebuild (club guns get rebuilt every 50,000 to 100,000 shots), you won't have many special parts to buy. Most shooters don't shoot more than 3,000 shots in a lifetime; but, with a rifle like the 853, it's easy for a dedicated shooter to put 5,000 shots a year through the gun. It will still be a decade or more of hard shooting before your gun requires any attention. When it does, the parts won't be difficult to find.

An 853 is not cheap; but, with the holidays coming, now may be the right time for target shooters to announce their favorite gift this year.

Hunters - spring gun or pneumatic?

2006-10-16T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

Thirty years ago, the choice between spring gun and pneumatic was far different than today. Springers were more expensive then; if you wanted real hunting power, you pretty much had to go pneumatic. That has all changed as spring gun technology has advanced and prices have dropped. The question that remains is this: Should you use a spring piston airgun or a multi-pump pneumatic to hunt small game?

Multi-pumps first
Airgun hunters want to use either .20 or .22 caliber for hunting. The larger pellets hit harder and don't penetrate as much as the smaller .177s. That's not to say you can't hunt with a .177; but, if you're still in the buying mode, look to the larger calibers. The Benjamin 392 should be at the top of your list. It produces around 14 foot-pounds. In the right hands, it can take game up to the size of crows and raccoons. Keep the distance to as far as you can hit a quarter, and you'll do fine.

Another good choice is Sheridan's Blue Streak and Silver Streak. Available only in .20 caliber, either rifle is virtually identical in performance to the 392. The one drawback is fewer types of .20 caliber pellets exist than .22 caliber, but all you need is one good one.

For hunters on a tighter budget, Daisy's 22SG is a wonderful bargain. It shortens the maximum range by 8-10 yards, but it's very capable out to about 25 yards. It's also the perfect tool for eliminating pests in tight spaces, such as attics, basements and barns. Key features everyone will love are the easy pumping and the fact that this rifle comes with a scope!

Let's talk springers
To keep this comparison fair, I'm going to stick with airguns in the same price range as the pumps. Obviously, there are very capable spring guns in the $200-500 range. Since there is nothing equivalent in a pneumatic, there's no choice. Spring rifles take some technique to shoot well, while pneumatics do not. A spring rifle has to be held very lightly to group its best, and this is not a natural hold for a shooter. So, shooting a springer is a learned skill.

Let's start with the Tech Force 97 in .22 caliber. This is the flagship of Compasseco, and one of the more highly developed Chinese air rifles. Hunters will find it plenty powerful for the same game they hunt with the Benjamin 392 and at the same range. Because it's an underlever spring gun, it's much easier to mount and use a scope than any pneumatic, because the scope doesn't get in the way of cocking the gun. The trigger is also much nicer and lighter than those found on multi-pumps.

Stepping up in both price and power, the Tech Force 99 is the real powerhouse in the line. It's a much larger rifle than the 97 but just as smooth and just as nice. It also accepts scopes very well - even big ones - and the extra power (in .22 caliber) stretches the maximum range out even farther than the Benjamin 392. Keep it to the maximum distance at which you can reliably hit a quarter.

Winchester, Remington, Crosman, Beeman and Gamo have spring rifles in this price range that are available only in .177. As I said earlier, you can hunt with a .177, but you are limiting yourself if you do. Your shot placement must be exact, or the pellet will pass through the animal while inflicting a non-lethal wound. If you want to try, there are a great number of models to choose from. All are breakbarrels, which means they will need the maximum technique for accuracy. With practice, a shooter can do well with any of them.

Recent years have seen big changes in spring-piston air rifles that make them competitive with multi-pump pneumatics in the same price range. But, for hunters who want the heavy calibers, Tech Force seems to be leading the way.

Repeater vs single-shot

2006-10-09T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

Which to buy? A repeater or a single-shot? In the past 15 years, the number of airgun repeaters has increased dramatically, and the buying public's response has been great. But, is a repeater really what it's cracked up to be? Let's discuss some things about repeaters and single-shots that you may not get to read on the airgun forums.

Load perfect pellets for best accuracy
For maximum accuracy, a few things are necessary. One of them is that an undamaged pellet be loaded into the breech the same way every time. With most single-shots, you place the pellet directly into the breech when you load the gun. You control how far it goes in and if it is a perfect pellet when it is loaded. Not so for all repeaters! A repeater takes over the loading function from you, and that's where damage to the pellet can occur. If the repeating mechanism bends the skirt of the pellet before it is loaded, you will not get a consistent shot. This can happen in a number of ways. Guns that have a circular magazine can bend the noses of pellets that are slightly longer than the magazine. This means every pellet will be damaged before it is shot. The FX precharged guns from Sweden that are also sold under the Webley and Logun brand names have this problem. The manufacturer highly recommends that only JSB pellets be used in their guns, because they know these pellets fit the magazines. Even then, the shooter doesn't load the pellet, a bolt probe does it, thus removing one of the controls shooters have over consistency.

Don't get me wrong, FX airguns are very accurate! But they are not more accurate than American-made AirForce single-shots that cost hundreds of dollars less. Both guns use the best barrels, but the AirForce rifles let you load pellets directly into the breech the same way every time. That does make a difference.

Single-shots have few ammunition limits - repeaters have many
A case to illustrate this point. There are presently two Korean 9mm air rifles on the American market. Both are made by ShinSung, a Korean maker with a good reputation. The Career Ultra is a lever-action repeater, and the Fire 201S is a single-shot. The Ultra is extremely limited as to the pellets it can feed through the magazine. They must be very short to work. That limits the shooter to pellets weighing only 60 grains! There's a place on the opposite side of the Ultra where a single pellet can be loaded, but it, too, is extremely short, and the pellet cannot be pushed into the barrel by hand. The bolt probe must do it. The single-shot 9mm barrel, in contrast, can be directly loaded with pellets of all weights, including 9mm lead pistol bullets up to 130 grains! That gives the single-shots far more effectiveness, because a heavier pellet or bullet means more power. The complicated Ultra repeater weighs over 9 lbs., while the sleek Fire 201S weighs less than 7.5 lbs.!

Repeaters can jam
Some repeaters, such as the Korean repeaters that use a linear (inline) magazine, jam if the length of the pellet does not exactly fit the space into which the pellet is pushed prior to transport to the breech. They will also jam if the nose of a pellet sticks too deeply into the skirt of the pellet in front of it. The feed mechanism strips off each pellet sideways, and pointed pellets will jam every time. Gamo had a repeating breakbarrel rifle for several decades that they simply could not get to work correctly. It started as the Expomatic in the late 1960s and matured into the larger, more powerful Shadowmatic that was sold until a few years ago. It was so picky about pellets that almost nothing besides the one pellet they recommended would work...and that only part of the time.

There are a few repeaters with very few feeding problems. They are the rifles that use a "harmonica" type clip that slides sideways in the breech, such as the IZH 61 and Daisy's Avanti 853C target rifle. As long as the pellets aren't too long (use flat-nosed wadcutter pellets in these target guns), they'll feed reliably all the time. Other airguns with circular magazines, including the Crosman's 1077 and all CO2 pistols and rifles made by Umarex, work fine if you use shorter pellets.

Single-shots, in comparison, usually have no feeding problems whatsoever. Some, such as the Benjamin 397, do use a bolt probe to seat the pellet in the breech. Others...such as all Tech Force spring rifles...allow the pellet to be handloaded directly into the breech. This allows you to experiment with all kinds of pellets without worrying about jamming. The only thing you must always do with a breakbarrel is seat the pellet deeply into the breech so the skirt doesn't bend when the barrel closes. If you remember to do that, the rifle is far more flexible than any repeater.

The choice is yours. Repeaters do offer faster second shots, as long as you learn their quirks. For the ultimate in accuracy, however, you should look to the single-shot.

IZH 46M A top-quality target pistol at an affordable price!

2006-10-02T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

IZH 46 is a wonderful value in a target air pistol.

Here's a real deal for you. The IZH 46M pistol is more accurate than many air rifles, and it's easy to use. For the power and accuracy this pistol delivers, you would normally have to pay three times the price, so this airgun is a real standout!

It's a single-stroke pneumatic
That means you have to pump the gun only one time to make it ready to shoot. However, it is a pneumatic - not a spring gun that some people mistakenly call a "one-pump gun." This one really is! With a spring gun, you are compressing a powerful mainspring when you cock the gun. That's usually hard to do. With the IZH 46M, you're actually pumping compressed air into a reservoir to power the shot. And, the manufacturer has designed the pump mechanism (the lever that forms the triggerguard) with a movable fulcrum, so the pumping is easy by comparison.

It's very powerful
This pistol generates about 500 f.p.s. with lighter target pellets. That puts it into the magnum class of air pistols. Single-strokes aren't usually this powerful, but this one and the FWB 103 that costs over $1,700 are exceptions. The power isn't quite enough to make this a hunting air pistol; but, besides the 10-meter competition it is designed for, it's also a wonderful silhouette pistol. It cuts perfect round holes in target paper when you use wadcutter target pellets such as Gamo Match and Beeman H&N Match.

General specs
Perhaps, I should have mentioned this earlier, but the 46M comes only in .177. That's because .177 is the only caliber allowed in 10-meter competition, and this is a competition pistol. It is fully capable of competing and winning at the regional level, but it lacks the sophistication for national and world-level competition. Even the Soviets never used this gun in World-Cup competition, though their top arsenal (Ishmash) made it...and still makes it today. However, no pistol shot who ever lived can out-shoot the pistol's capability. It weighs 39 oz., which is a little heavy for smaller shooters. The trigger is a match-type target trigger that can be set to the international specification of 500 grams (1.1 lbs.). The all-steel pistol has hardwood adjustable grips. The pump stroke takes about 16-18 lbs. of effort, making this one of the easiest-pumping single-stroke pistols.

Trigger
The trigger adjusts for the length of the first-stage pull, total pull-weight, trigger position and overtravel. The owner's manual (written by Americans who have never competed in 10-meter matches) says to not adjust trigger-pull to less than 24 oz., but that is absurd, as 18 oz. is the weight at which most competitors shoot. Those who have never used a target trigger will find this one to be very light and crisp.

Sights
The rear sight has two different notch widths, is adjustable for both windage and elevation, and the clicks are fine and repeatable. A word of caution if you attempt to reverse the rear notches...the rear blade is held by two screws that have LEFTHAND threads! Be warned before you twist off the tiny screw heads.

Accuracy
The 10-ring of an international 10-meter pistol target is almost exactly the size of the skirt on a .177 pellet. This pistol will hit it every time from 33 feet! That's the equivalent of a half-inch group from 50 .45 ACP rounds at 50 feet! No one in the world can hold a pistol steady enough to extract all the accuracy this pistol has to offer. So, no matter how good a shot you may be, you'll never keep up with the potential in this pistol. How do they do it for so little money? I have no idea. But you would have to pay a lot more to find another target pistol with all this one has to offer.

Get those old CO2 guns running again!

2006-09-25T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

If you attend guns shows, flea markets, garage sales, or you go to thrift stores and pawn shops, you have undoubtedly seen airguns for sale from time to time. If they were CO2 guns, they were often not working, which makes your bargaining position quite strong. You can buy these guns for a song, but do you know what to do with them once they're yours? I do, so let me tell you what a great store of inexpensive airguns awaits the careful shopper.

CO2 guns are the best bargains
Spring air guns are so simple that even the most casual person can figure them out. The old ones can often be gotten working again for almost no investment, so I find that they will usually be the hardest guns to really bargain for. Pneumatics will also be hard because they can often be made to work again with just proper lubrication, so once again, the bargains will be fewer. But CO2 guns are held in distrust by the general public. If there are any great bargains to be had, this is where they are most likely to be.

The miracle of Crosman Pellgunoil
Using Crosman Pellgunoil is a tip I've used to buy a great many airguns at bargain prices. The seller has a CO2 gun, but he knows very little about it. You can't ask him if it works, because he says he doesn't know. That's why I like to carry a powerlet with me when I go to these places. If you install it and there is a fast leak, the gun needs to be resealed. Having demonstrated that to the seller, you can then tell him it will cost you approximately $50 to get the gun resealed. That's transportation both ways and the cost of fixing. Try to get him to come that far off the price, if there is room. For guns like a Benjamin 262 or a Sheridan model F, this is a good strategy. For a plastic cheapie like a Crosman 454 that shouldn't have more than $25 on it to begin with, it isn't worth the trouble.

If, on the other hand, the gun has just a slow leak, you may be in luck! It still leaks, so you can still ask for the discount, but putting a drop of Pellgunoil on the tip of the next powerlet will fix about 75 percent of these guns! I once bought three Crosman rifles for $45 this way - two 180s and a 187. They were all fixed by the Pellgunoil. I sold the 187 for $100, the other 180 for $60 and I still own the third rifle.

Crosman 180 is a nice old gun that can still be found.

CO2 treasures
There are a few CO2 guns that command a lot of money. The Crosman 600 is well-known to collectors and to the general public. One in shooting condition is always worth $175 these days. A nice one in a box will bring upwards of $250. But, the 600 is just the beginning! The rarer 677 BB pistol is worth another $50. Most of the time you'll find the 677 in the box in nice shape, because back when it was new all the Powerlets leaked. After a kid shot a couple hundred rounds and found he was paying more to shoot BBs than if he had been shooting .22 long rifle shells, the gun was put away to be found a generation later.

A 10-shot semiauto Crosman 600 in its box is a nice find.

Above the 600-series guns is the Crosman 451, a copy of the Army Colt .45 that has a strange revolving cylinder that operates horizontally instead of vertically. A nice working 451 in a box will fetch $300-350. Above that is the Challenger Plainsman gas pistol. While the Blue Book top price of $750 seems a little high, I've seen non-working beaters bring $200, and a nicer working gun with some black paint remaining will go for $500, or so.

The treasures keep mounting from here. While the common Schimel CO2 pistol only brings $150 in the box, the much rarer American Luger (the same gun by another name) will fetch $1,000. The bulk-fill Winsel goes for even more than that.

Schimel .22 caliber single-shot is common; but, if it says American Luger, it's worth a lot more.

Yes, there are a lot of older CO2 guns still around and a sharp-eyed buyer can often find a diamond in the rough. All it takes in knowing what to look for.

Red dot sights

2006-09-18T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

A reader named Pete asked for this, and I apologize for being a week late with it. He wants to know how accurate dot sights are and if they can be damaged by spring-piston rifles. I'll do my best to answer.

Originally known as infinity sights
The dot sight concept has been around for the better part of a century, now. They were first used by sportsmen on shotguns in the 1920s and '30s. Then they were applied to battle tanks and possibly aircraft. Tank gunners would sight through what was called the "infinity window" of their M60A1 tanks and whatever came inside the "ghost ring" circle of light was within the circular error of probability of their .30 caliber coaxial machine gun. In other words, you could hose 'em down!

A dot sight is a simpler optical sight that projects a dot at infinity.

In the 1980s, several companies revived the sporting use for the dot sight, only this time for rifles and handguns. Instead of a ring of light, they used a 5 mil-dot that was collimated (aligned) to a point where the bullet would strike. Since the dot is optical, it is easy to adjust where it appears, which results in adjusting for windage and elevation.

Accuracy
A dot sight is about as accurate as open sights. BUT, it's easier to use, because the shooter doesn't have to focus on multiple objects at different distances. As a result, there are certain handgun target disciplines that permit the use of dot sights in order to encourage shooters with imperfect vision to enter the competition. Adjustment of the sight is identical to adjusting a scope, with windage and elevation knobs located in the same place. Because of the dot's lower precision, the adjustments may be larger than those made on a scope.

Strength
A dot sight is simpler and built somewhat more ruggedly than a scope, in that it has no erector tube mechanism. It should, therefore, be somewhat more rugged. Indeed, I have never heard of one breaking from a spring gun's recoil, but that doesn't mean it can't happen.

Speed
A dot sight gets you on target faster than a scope. Because there is usually no magnification, the view through the sight is exactly how the target would appear to your eye. Also, both eyes can be left open, which increases the shooter's depth perception. Parallax is nearly eliminated, too. However, the downside of a dot is the precision, which is lower than that of a scope. That makes the dot sight better for fast hunting situations, while the scope is better for precision shooting - though, the closer the target is to the gun, the more the balance tips in favor of the dot sight.

Not as easy as it looks!
The dot is not always easy to see - especially on a handgun! Unless the gun is pointed in close proximity to the target, the dot will be impossible to see. So, it takes some getting used to. Once you get the hang of it, it's much faster to line up than a scope.

Modern advances
A modern dot sight has variable levels of illumination, so it can be adjusted to the shooting situation. The brighter the dot, the larger it appears and the less precision you have, so the rule is to go with as little illumination as possible. Dots can also be varied in size in some sights, and some have more than just the red color, with green being the overwhelming second choice. The finest dot sights have different reticle types for different shooting situations, and they can cost upwards of $300.

Compasseco sells three models of red dot sights under the Tech Force brand name: model 47, model 90 and model 96. These are all great values that are built to the most rugged standards possible. The 90 and 96 are actually built to military specifications.

A dot sight is a different way to enjoy shooting. It offers fast target acquisition and ample precision for hunting. You might want to give them a try!

Benjamin AS392T

2006-09-11T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

Some shooters would like the inexpensive power and accuracy they can get from a .22 caliber Benjamin 392 multi-pump, but they don't want the hassle of pumping for every shot. For them, Benjamin has created the .22 caliber AS392T. It's very similar to the 392 multi-pump but uses an 88-gram AirSource cylinder to deliver hundreds of powerful shots without pumping.

Similar, but not the same
There are some differences between the AS392T and the 392. The stock, for example, has a shorter forearm to allow the AirSource cylinder to be attached. The aluminum cartridge has a foam sleeve cover that provides a warm handhold in all weather. Unlike the multi-pump, the dovetailed receiver is longer and adequate for mounting a scope. Regular scope mounts that clamp to an 11mm dovetail are all you need. The bolt, which cocks the rifle and also opens the breech for loading, has two positions at which it stops. The first gives you a low-power shot, while the second gives full power. The power level is lower than what the 392 offers, but still in the respectable range, with a stated top end of 610 f.p.s.

Other than those few differences, the AS392T is virtually the same as the 392 pneumatic. To shoot the gun all you have to do is cock the bolt, load a pellet and fire. This is a faster-firing air rifle than the multi-pump, and hunters can take advantage of that. For everyone else, there is the sheer ease of not having to pump.

Can you leave the AirSource cylinder installed?
This is a big question, because few shooters can shoot enough at one time to exhaust the AirSource cylinder. Hundreds of shots are available! The owner's manual recommends not storing the rifle with an AirSource cylinder installed. This doesn't mean you need to remove the cylinder after each firing, however. They say it to lower their liability; if there a cylinder is installed, the gun is always charged. I have kept my rifle for over two years with an AirSource installed, and it still holds perfectly and shoots strong. If I were going to store the gun with no possibility of shooting it, I would remove the cylinder.

Velocity
Shooting a .22 caliber Benjamin diabolo domed pellet weighing 14.3 grains, which is the virtual twin of a Crosman Premier, my rifle gets about 480 f.p.s. on low power and 575 f.p.s. on high. That's entirely realistic with this medium-weight pellet. The AirSource cylinder used in this test was new.

Easily scopeable!
The dovetailed receiver allows the easy installation of a scope for better accuracy. I suggest two-piece medium-height mounts to increase your positioning choices, and I'd keep the scope small, such as the Tech Force 2-7x32mm.

Accuracy
Using good pellets, you can expect to shoot five-shot groups smaller than one inch at 30 yards. If you're really a great rifle shot, that distance might stretch out to 35 yards, and that's over 100 feet - about the limit for hunting small game with this rifle. This rifle is fine for squirrels, cottontail rabbits, gophers and small birds (such as pigeons).

Fine quality
The Benjamin AS392T is a rifle your children will leave to their grandkids. Though it's modern in every sense of the word, it's built of the same materials and with the same care that Benjamin has used for more than a century. I have owned Benjamin guns that were 60 years old and still operating like new, so this one's a keeper, for sure.

Anics Skif A-3000 CO2 pistol

2006-09-04T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

The Skif A-3000 from Anics is a unique air pistol that has never been copied.

Anics is a Russian airgun maker that rose from the ashes of the fall of the Soviet Union. Their first CO2 pistols were BB guns in the form of pistols and revolvers. They were moderately priced but among the most powerful BB guns ever to be sold on the American market. Velocities of over 500 f.p.s. were possible from the longer-barrelled models. Then, they hit on something so revolutionary that even those pistols were shoved to the background. They came out with the Skif A-3000.

28-shot repeater!
That's right, the A-3000 is a 28-shot repeater. It uses a special "chain" magazine that's actually 28 loose pellet-holders enclosed in a continuous track. Each time the trigger is pulled, the next loaded chamber aligns with the barrel. When it was introduced, it blew away all the competition in the pellet pistol world, because few other airguns have even HALF that capacity!

The downside of the 28-shot magazine is that somebody (you) has to load it! In all the action movies they never show anyone loading cartridges into the magazines, they just always have a fresh one when they need it. That's what you will want with a Skif. Fortunately, Compasseco sells them. Look for Skif magazines.

The Skif magazine has 28 pellet and BB holders (chambers) arranged in a circular track. It is unique in all of airgunning.

Both steel BBs and pellets
Although the Skif has a rifled steel barrel, you may shoot both steel BBs and any kind of pellets in it. You can even mix them all up in one magazine if you want. The way the movable chambers work, they don't really care what is loaded into them.

Loading
The magazine has a loading port in the back through which the pellets and BBs are pushed into the chambers. All you need to ensure is that the longer pellets are completely inside the chambers and not sticking out either side, so they will clear the walls of the magazine as they travel around.

Both single- and double-action
You can cock the hammer to shoot each shot single-action, or you can simply pull the trigger for double-action. The trigger is long and somewhat heavy in the double-action mode, because it has to advance the chambers and move the hammer at the same time. In the Skif, the barrel acts as the hammer, so it moves forward when the trigger is pulled, then releases to slam back onto a loaded chamber, which then bumps into the front of the valve, opening it. This is another feature that you'll find nowhere else.

Great feel in the hand!
The Skif is one of the best-holding handguns around! The grip has been carefully designed to fit most hands very well, and it is covered in a rubber compound that grips your hand right back. You will truly love the way it feels! The triggerguard is designed for a classic two-hand combat hold, which is in keeping with the action pistol design.

This full-featured action air pistol is for those who love to shoot and shoot without stopping. Finally, there's a pistol that can keep up with your greatest fantasies!

How best to sight-in an air rifle

2006-08-28T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

In our last blog, we saw what the trajectory of a pellet looks like and how scopes are adjusted to compensate for it. Today, we'll learn the best way to use this information.

One zero point or two?
It's your choice when you sight in a scope whether you get just one zero point or two. If you look at the pellet's trajectory again, you'll see that to get one zero point, you must angle (sight-in) the scope so it just grazes the top of the falling pellet at the one distance you desire. Let's say you want to zero your scope for ten yards. All you do is adjust the scope so that the position of the pellet coincides with the intersection of the crosshairs at 10 yards. At all other distances, the shot will be below the intersection of the crosshairs.

New shooters often think this is exactly what they want, because it seems so simple and straightforward. But this is not how to sight-in a scope. They either haven't thought it through, or they don't know what's going on with the pellet in flight. But, you do, because you read last week's blog (Pellet trajectory - what you need to know). You know there is a much better way to sight-in a scope.

The pellet doesn't rise, but angling the scope down makes it appear that way.

Two zero points
If you look at the pellet's curving trajectory and the scope's straight line of sight, you soon realize that, if the scope is adjusted correctly, it will cross the pellet's path at a near point. Then, the pellet will seem to rise above the intersection of the crosshairs for several yards before it falls back to the intersection again. The pellet is falling all the time, of course, but the way the scope is adjusted in this second version, it looks down through the trajectory and makes this illusion of a rising pellet.

What you also learned in last week's blog is that pellets slow down rapidly. So, the curve of a pellet's trajectory becomes rapidly more pronounced the farther it gets from the muzzle. Initial velocity and the pellet's own ballistic characteristics determine what the curve looks like, but there is a common distance at which it makes good sense to sight in your rifle.

The magic!
The magic first sight-in point for adult pellet guns with velocities in the 800 to 900 f.p.s. range is 20 yards. Let's look at one specific case. A pellet rifle with a muzzle velocity of 850 f.p.s. is sighted to strike the intersection of the crosshairs at 20 yards. The pellet will then "rise" about one pellet's width above the aim point. Where exactly that will be I'm not sure, but it's about 28-29 yards. The pellet then starts sinking again and crosses the intersection of the crosshairs at 33 to 35 yards. By 40 yards it will be one pellet's width below the intersection of the crosshairs.

What this gives you is a rifle that is essentially zeroed from 20 to 40 yards. How much better is that than a gun that can hit the aimpoint at only 10 yards? There is a drawback. The way scope mounts and scopes work, you can't adjust these numbers very much at all. You can't, for example, have a rifle that's sighted in between 10 and 30 yards. The trajectory simply won't tolerate it. It's got to be 20 yards for the near point and anywhere from 30 to 40 yards, depending on the muzzle velocity, for the far point. Throw a tantrum if you must, but the numbers I've given you are THE numbers.

Where this came from
Don't blame me. I'm just telling you the facts. This phenomenon was discovered in the 1990s by American field target shooters who set up their scopes for adjustment for every shot. They noticed there was a band of distances at which they didn't have to raise or lower their sights. When I shot a Daystate Harrier in competition, my rifle liked 20 to 30 yards. The pellet was virtually on target at any distance between those numbers. Because I adjusted the reticle whenever it was needed, it didn't matter one iota where the flat spot occurred. Everyone else had the same sight-in data as I had.

Notice, I did not mention caliber in all of this? That's because caliber doesn't matter. My .177 Harrier, shooting 10.5-grain Crosman Premiers at 860 f.p.s., had virtually the same trajectory as someone else's .20 caliber Career 707 shooting the same speed.

Pellet trajectory - what you need to know

2006-08-21T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

Some people think a pellet shoots straight for a while and then starts to drop slowly from the bore line. Others believe that a pellet actually rises after it leaves the muzzle, then peaks at some distance from the gun before starting to drop. Neither of these impressions is correct. A pellet begins to drop the instant it leaves the muzzle. Let's see what actually happens.

The rise is an optical illusion
Sometimes, when the sun is at my back, I have actually seen a pellet seem to rise above the aim point of my crosshairs, then sink again at some point far away from the gun. This is an optical illusion caused by pointing the telescopic sight downward through the trajectory of the pellet. You do that when sighting in to compensate for the drop of the pellet. But, when the scope is looking straight ahead, the bore is actually tilted upward and the pellet seems to rise.

The pellet doesn't rise, but angling the scope down makes it appear that way.

Pellets and bullets do not generate lift
Actually, they do generate a tiny bit of lift, but it's so small that it doesn't make them rise. What it does is retard their fall by an infinitesimal amount. The amount is too small to measure. For all practical purposes, pellets and bullets generate no lift. They fall the instant they are not supported by the barrel. If you were to shoot a pellet from a barrel that's level with the ground and were also to drop a pellet at the same instant, both would stroke the ground at the same time. The pellet you dropped would land beside you and the pellet you shot would land far away. How far, you ask? Maybe 100 yards or so.

Diabolo pellets have extreme drag
Every watch a badminton birdie (shuttlecock)? It leaves the racket at high velocity, but slows to almost nothing by the time it has gone 30 feet. That's because its skirt creates a huge amount of drag. This air-braking slows the birdie faster than anyone can imagine. Well, a wasp-waisted, hollow-tailed pellet (called a diabolo) does much the same thing. It doesn't create as much drag as a badminton birdie, plus it is both smaller and denser, being made of lead, so a pellet may go as far as 500 yards when the muzzle is elevated to shoot as far as possible. But, a solid bullet (or pellet) of the same weight leaving the muzzle at the same velocity would go about three times farther.

The drop is not uniform
Over time, the fired pellet drops to earth at a uniform rate. Over distance, however, it doesn't. In the beginning the drop is small, but as the pellet slows (and we have just learned that it slows rapidly), the amount of drop seems to become more pronounced. What is happening is that the pellet is moving less far forward with every yard it advances, so the drop starts looking more pronounced. If you see it through a scope, it's very striking.

Each pellet type is different
Heavier pellets have less drag, and as will pellets with less of a wasp waist or a shallower skirt. However, the tradeoff is that such pellets are less accurate, as well. Always put accuracy at the top of your list and velocity at the bottom, because velocity means nothing until it connects with a target.

What can this knowledge of pellet performance do for you? We'll find out next time when we see how to best sight in a pellet rifle.

Marksman 2004 Deluxe Air Pistol

2006-08-14T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

Looking for a nice target pistol that won't break the bank? How about the Marksman 2004 target pistol? Back in February 2006, I gushed all over Daisy's 717 pistol. I told you it was a great informal target pistol, very accurate, quiet and the power was low enough for anyone's house. Well, the Marksman 2004 is another great target pistol that has Daisy's same great accuracy but at less than half the price!

Single-stroke pneumatic
Like the Daisy 717, the Marksman 2004 is a single-stroke pneumatic. That means the pumping lever, in this case the top of the gun, is pumped just one time and the pellet is fired with that stored air. A second pump stroke is impossible; the instant the pump lever swings open, all the air from the first stroke is lost. Single-strokes are not the guns to charge for long periods of time. So pump and cock it (the same effort does both) when you are ready to shoot.

The top of the pistol swings forward and back to pump the gun once.

Mostly synthetic
The pistol is chiefly synthetic but very well made. The use of synthetic allows the gun to be almost a pound lighter, at 1.7 lbs., than equivalent metal guns.

No recoil
This pistol sits dead-still in your hand when it's fired. Think of it as a CO2 pistol that never needs CO2! Only, most CO2 pistols have heavy triggers, and the Marksman 2004 has a nice light one with some creep in the second stage. An automatic safety pops on every time the gun is cocked, so it has to be released before you shoot.

Adjustable sights
The sights are adjustable, so you can set the gun up for either a target-type 6 o'clock hold or a sporting center hold - whichever you prefer. They are a target type square post and notch, so your sighting precision can be maximized in the 6 o'clock hold.

Hard to pump
The single drawback on this air pistol is that it's hard to pump. Where the Daisy 717 is extremely easy. This more powerful pistol is smaller, so there's less leverage, which means a much harder pump effort. It's an adult gun, make no mistake.

Pellets to use
You can easily shoot half-inch groups at 33 feet (10 meters) if you're a good enough shot. And, that's what a pistol like this is all about. It trains you to shoot better. Try Gamo Match pellets, Beeman H&N Match, Daisy Quicksilver wadcutters and RWS R10 Match pellets. These are all wadcutters, so they will cut perfect round holes in the target for easy scoring.

11mm dovetail for mounting optics
The pistol has a long 11 dovetail rail for mounting optics, but you have to think of how you will pump it, since the top of the gun is also the pump handle. Your optics have to be small to give you room to pump without pressing down on them. A Daisy Point Sight mounted as far forward as possible might be the best bet.

The Marksman 2004 is a lot of air pistol for the money. It's good-looking, accurate, and has a nice trigger for this price range. If you have wanted an adult target pistol with a great price, this is it!

Should you clean your airguns?

2006-08-07T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

Cleaning is a question that comes up a lot. Do airguns need to be cleaned and, if they do, how to go about it. The short answer is, some airguns need to be cleaned.

Barrel
Of course airguns do not suffer from the heat and burning powder residue of firearms. They also shoot slow enough that they USUALLY do not get lead deposits, but there are a few exceptions to this. Crosman pellets are made from lead that has antimony to make it harder. They function better in repeating mechanisms that way. But, if you shoot them at speeds much faster than about 850 f.p.s., they will deposit lead in the bore, just as firearms lead up when harder non-jacketed bullets are used. Contrary to popular "wisdom," pure lead does not lead the bore until velocities exceed about 1,200 f.p.s. Then they start leading, too.

Cleaning the barrel
If you have been shooting hard lead pellets at high velocities, there is a good chance your barrel needs to be cleaned. I covered how to clean airgun barrels in the posting titled Clean your barrels for extra accuracy, so I won't repeat it here.

Cleaning the action
Many airguns are protected from the elements enough that they really don't need their actions disassembled and cleaned the way firearms do. I have a Beeman R1 with 15K shots through it, and the action is still running fine. My 1978 Sheridan Blue Streak, which probably has the same number of shots, is still going strong after 28 years. In fact, in all my shooting experience, I have seen only a few airguns that really did need to have their actions cleaned. They were CO2 and multi-pump pneumatics that had lain in the Crosman repair center for 40 years (some of them). They were dusty and really did need to be disassembled and cleaned. I haven't seen a gun that was used that ever did. Perhaps, if someone stored a gun in a barn next to the hayloft, it might get that dirty, but I haven't seen it.

I take that back. There is another class of airgun I have seen that needed immediate stripping and cleaning. That was the gun that someone had tried to "slick up" by greasing the action. I have seen some pretty gross guns that were "tuned" in this way. They look great on the outside, but the insides are swimming in grease. They needed to be stripped and cleaned, then lubricated properly to have their power restored.

Cleaning the trigger
Triggers are a whole different story. If someone has lubricated them, they probably do need to be cleaned. And, some new triggers come over-greased from the factory. I clean them with rubbing alcohol and cotton swabs. For the really tight areas, a swab won't reach; a paperclip can be bent into a scraper to scrape out the grease.

Cleaning the finish
Many airguns have synthetic parts and finishes that never need cleaning. These are best wiped down and that's all. The Daisy Red Ryder is one such gun. On the other hand, the Gamo Hunter Elite has a blued finish and needs to be wiped with a silicone cloth to give it protection.

Long-term storage
I know I've said this before, but DO NOT store any airgun in a foam-lined case for a long time. A week is about where a long time begins. The foam in those cases absorbs moisture from the air, and your guns will have all sorts of moisture problems if you forget this rule.

So, do you need to clean your airguns? The answer depends on what you have been doing with them, and YOU must be the judge!

Tech Force 99: Part 2

2006-07-31T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

Continuing our look at the Tech Force 99, I chronographed my rifle with four pellets: Beeman Kodiak, JSB Exact 10.2-grain, H&N Finale Match and RWS Hobby. The Kodiaks averagerd 633 f.p.s. with a standard deviation of just 4 f.p.s. That's tight and good for long-range accuracy. The JSB averaged 684 f.p.s. with an SD of 5 f.p.s. The H&N Match pellets weigh only 7.6 grains and averaged 793 f.p.s with an SD of 19 f.p.s., which is pretty large. The Hobby pellets averaged 883 f.p.s., but they had a velocity spread from 807 to 978, so they are out the window for accuracy testing.

The cocking effort of my rifle is about 30 lbs. I measure it with a spring hay scale attached to the underlever. While it isn't exact, it does give a good ballpark number.

Sights
While the TF99 has adjustable open sights, I mounted a Tech Force 3-12x scope for better accuracy. The rifle has a scope stop already built in, so you don't need a mount with a stop of its own.

The TF99 comes with a built-in scope stop. Just butt the rear scope mount against this stop, and everything will be rigid.

Tech Force 3-12x scope is perfect for the TF 99. It mounts with plenty of clearance for loading.

On the basis of velocity, both the Kodiak and JSB pellets looked best. The H&N Match also looked like it might work, but things didn't work out that way at the range. I shot at 18 yards, and all shooting was off a bench, with the rifle rested on a sandbag AND floated on my hand (which rested on a bag). The TF 99 definitely likes to be floated with as light a touch as you can manage. Hold it tight ,and the groups open up to over 2" - even at 18 yards. Hold it very lightly so it can move and recoil, however, and the groups shrink right up.

The JSB pellets turned out to be the worst pellets, grouping up to 1.5" with a light hold (the best hold for all pellets with this rifle). I can't recommend using them in this gun. The H&N Finale Match turned in some 1" groups, which is okay but not great. But Beeman Kodiak pellets saved the day with groups hovering around 0.5" to 0.75" when the rifle was lightly held. Off the sandbag, they opened to greater than 2".

Good trigger
The TF 99 has a light trigger-pull. It's long and a bit creepy, but so light that I don't think most shooters will mind. When the rifle is cocked, the moving compression chamber locks to the back so you can load a pellet into the breech. There is plenty of room, but it will take several tries before you become good at it. You have to reach into an opening in the side of the outer tube, and there isn't a lot of room for your fingers. However, like I said, you will get used to it.

Safety, safety, safety!
There is a beartrap lock that holds the sliding chamber back but don't depend on it. Hold the end of the underlever tight enough to catch the spring should the beartrap latch fail. That will keep your fingers safe at all times. When you've loaded the rifle, depress the beartrap latch at the rear of the triggrguard to rotate the underlever back to its stored position. All good underlever guns with sliding chambers have latches like this. Or they should! Also, the safety must be taken off before you fire the gun.

The TF99 trigger is light and easy to get used to. The lever behind it releases the beartrap device so the underlever can be stored. The lever in front is the safety.

Shooting
Recoil is light, and the action is quite smooth when the gun fires. It acts like a nice European spring rifle rather than a typical Chinese airgun. Once you get used to the trigger, your groups will start shrinking if you remember to let the rifle move as much as it wants to when it fires.

The TF99 is a large spring rifle with light cocking and a smooth firing behavior. Accuracy depends on a soft hold and the right pellet, which I found was the Beeman Kodiak.

Tech Force 99: Part 1

2006-07-24T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

A reader who calls himself sav300 asked for a look at the Tech Force 99, so today I'll begin.

Where it came from
As you may know, Compasseco redefined the Chinese air rifle; not just in America, but for the entire world. They did it by starting a product improvement program on certain Chinese airguns and accessories to bring them up to European and American specifications. They knew the Chinese were capable of building better products, but nobody was showing them what was needed or desired in the airgun arena. So, they stepped in.

The target was the TX200
Compasseco knew that the TX200 from Air Arms was the most highly regarded spring air rifle of the day (the late 1990s, and still true today). That became the target. Could a Chinese air rifle be made as well as a TX200? It would have to equal it in fit, finish, power and accuracy. Compasseco was dealing with the Shanghai Air Gun Factory, an employee-owned and operated firm. They still had operate within the laws and regulations of the People's Republic of China, but those laws and regulations had relaxed in the area of consumer products, so almost anything was possible.

The challenge
To a person who doesn't understand how a factory operates, it might seem that all you have to do is make each piece exactly like a TX200, then assemble them and you're done. That's the same as saying that it doesn't take a sculptor to chisel an elephant out of a block of marble - just remove everything that doesn't look like an elephant!

When a factory undertakes a new design, they have to figure out how to achieve it with their existing equipment. If the Air Arms plant in England uses a $500,000 CNC mill to produce a certain part and the Chinese plant has a 30 year-old turret lathe that is only one-tenth as accurate, they have to figure out how to use their machine to do the work of the CNC mill. Even the Chinese cannot afford to spend an hour to make a part that is made in England in four minutes! When the difference cannot be made up by spending more time and care, other manufacturing processes (finishing, for example) are brought to bear to make up the difference. If the British plant can obtain seamless hydraulic tubing with a micro-finished interior that they can pass a reamer through once and end up with a compression chamber, but the Chinese plant can't, they have to find a way to work around the problem.

So, you don't just build a TX200 on the first try! Compasseco and the Chinese engineers formed a team that examined the rifles currently being built and selected the QB 36 underlever as a good starting point. The 36 was a Chinese attempt at producing a higher quality air rifle, so it was already headed in the right direction. And, it was an underlever.

Improvement by increments
The design team selected several features that needed improvement and set to work on them. Among these were the uniformity of the compression chamber, the quality of the mainspring, the quality of the front and rear sights, the quality of the underlever latch and the quality of the stock. Each of these features took many hours of engineering design work, prototype fabrication, and testing and sending samples back and forth from China to the United States. Several times a year, Compasseco representatives visited the plant in China for design reviews.

The short version
To cut to the chase, the first major milestone in this project was the introduction of the Tech Force 97 rifle. It was unveiled at the 1999 SHOT Show in Atlanta in February. Yvette Hicks, a Compasseco rep, could cock the rifle with one finger! A report written by Jess Galan gave 1/8" groups at 10 meters. It was quite a rifle!

Continued next week...

Daisy 499: the world's most accurate BB gun!

2006-07-17T17:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

In 1965, Daisy teamed up with the U.S. Jaycees to teach children to shoot. The program was centered around BB guns, but in the beginning there was no standard gun to use. Daisy promoted its model 99 Target Special that had been around since 1959, but it was a stop-gap measure. The gun did have good aperture sights, but the sling wasn't useful for target shooting and accuracy was mediocre.

In 1975, Daisy came out with the model 299, a 99-based gun with 1,000-shot gravity feed. It lasted only two years. Coaches who used the 299 and 99 have told me they would swap shot tubes to find one that shot better than the rest. Apparently, there's enough variation in bore diameter to make that kind of difference.

Enter the 499
In 1976, Daisy brought out a radical new model named the 499. It was a muzzle-loaded single-shot that had a precision smoothbore barrel to better handle BB shot. Although most places list BB shot as 0.175", it is actually smaller. That was one of the problems with the earlier BB guns, and it's also the reason you can't do well on targets with a Red Ryder. The overly large bores of most BB guns allow the 0.173" BBs to bounce around on their way down the barrel. The 499 has a bore just large enough to allow the BB to pass without excessive friction, and holding that tolerance is one reason the gun costs as much as it does.

Never meant for the public
Like a set of soapbox derby wheels, the Daisy 499 was not created for public consumption. It was designed specifically to support shooters competing in the International BB Gun Championship Match. Unlike other BB guns with dubious accuracy, the 499 will out-perform any shooter alive! It is exactly like an Olympic 10-meter rifle or pistol that can shoot better than humanly possible. The official range for BB gun competition is five meters, which is 16.4 feet. At that distance, the 499 will put every BB through the same hole if it is held right.

Special shot available
Like the barrel, the size of BB shot also needs to be closely controlled. Up to 10 years ago, regular BBs were not precise enough to deliver the full accuracy the 499 can achieve. Daisy produces special Precision Ground Shot just for this gun. For many years, they made only enough shot for competitors (they have in excess of a quarter million shooters annually!), but Daisy now sells the shot to anyone. Call Customer Service at (800) 643-3458.

Regular BBs work well, too
Today's BBs are made so well that they get great accuracy from the Avanti 499 Champion. Few shooters can hold the gun steady enough to notice a difference between common BBs and Precision Ground Shot.

Targets
If you're getting a 499, don't forget to buy the correct 5 meter targets, too. The bull is smaller than a dime, yet you will find it hard to miss the 10-ring with this special BB gun.

Should your child compete?
If you have a child between the ages of 10-14, maybe they would be interested in the competition. Contact Daisy to find out how you can enter your child in a sponsored youth program that leads to the International BB Gun Championships.

We often regret the things from the "good old days" that have passed from the scene. Well, the Daisy 499 is a rare exception to that. It's the world's most accurate BB gun, and it's available today. If you really want a shooting surprise, get one for yourself!

RWS 5G Magnum

2006-07-10T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

The RWS 5G Magnum is one of the most powerful spring piston pistols made. It is ahead of the Beeman Hurricane and about equal to Beeman's powerful P1. RWS touted it as a 700 f.p.s. pistol, but it really shoots in the mid-500s with standard lead pellets. It might get close to 700 with Gamo's new Raptor pellet, but expect around 500 to 550 with pellets you are most likely to shoot.

RWS 5G Magnum is a large pellet pistol. Tex says it's like a short rifle.

A breakbarrel pistol
This pistol is powered by a spring-driven piston that's cocked by breaking the barrel down. This is identical to breakbarrel rifles, and, in fact, that's what the mechanism is based on. It's really a small rifle action housed in a pistol grip. That's good, because it means the gun is very accurate, besides being powerful. Shooting from a rest, you can expect groups the size of a dime at 15 and sometimes even 20 yards.

The barrel breaks all the way down to cock the spring that powers the piston. The screw in front of the trigger is for adjustment of trigger-pull.

Quick target acquisition
The front and rear sights have fiber-optic inserts for quick acquisition of the sight picture in field conditions. This gun is not really set up to accept a scope, so plan to use the sights it comes with. They're sporting sights, not target sights. Put the red dot of the front sight on the spot you want to hit instead of using a target-type 6 o'clock hold.

Adjustable trigger
The two-stage trigger is both crisp and adjustable. The first-stage length and the pull-weight can be adjusted, then locked down so they don't change. The normal breaking weight is about 3.3 lbs.

Power and accuracy for a lot less money!
The 5G Magnum is just over half the price of Beeman's P1 pistol but just as accurate and powerful. It's even less expensive than the Beeman Tempest or the Beeman Hurricane, but it's more accurate and more powerful than either of those fine pistols. So this is one heck of a buy!

What pellets?
For an airgun this accurate, you'll want to use the best pellets. Beeman's H&N Match pellets are a great pellet for the 5G, as are Compasseco's own Tech Force Match pellets.

A year-round airgun
Because it's spring-powered, the 5G will work in all kinds of weather and at any temperature. This is not a gun you have to put away for the winter. That spring also saves you the cost of CO2 cartridges. Simply cocking the pistol gives you more power than any pneumatic or gas pistol can offer. If you're looking for an air pistol to keep and use for years to come, the 5G Magnum might be just the ticket.

Tighten those groups! Pellet sorting brings extra accuracy

2006-07-03T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

When I want to shoot REALLY tight groups, I sort my pellets into groups by their weight and shoot only from one group.

Why sorting works
Any group of ballistic projectiles will perform more uniformly if they are exactly alike. The closer the projectiles are to each other, the less randomly they will act (there will still be variations).

There are probably an endless number of things you can evaluate on a pellet, but the weight is the one that gives you the greatest return on your effort. We can discuss the reasons why all day long - there might be a void in some of the pellets that destabilizes them in flight, a heavier pellet may be larger and therefore fit the bore tighter, etc. The discussions can go on forever, but it doesn't matter. Simply sorting pellets by their weight will improve their consistency, which means tighter groups. So how do you do it?

You need a scale
The best type of scale for this is a powder scale that reloaders use. It weighs very small amounts and measures in one-tenth grain increments. I just checked on ebay, and you can buy a scale for under $20, shipped.

Two kinds of scales
There are two kinds of powder scales - balance beam and electronic. They are equally accurate and measure in the same increments, but the electronic scale dampens much faster and is easier to use. With a balance beam scale, you keep adjusting the scale until the beam balances perfectly. The weight indicated is the weight you record. With an electronic scale, all you do is place the item on the scale and wait a few seconds for the readout to stop changing. The number that remains is the weight of the item. An electronic sale is about four times as fast as a balance beam.

A balance beam scale is accurate and inexpensive, but it takes longer to use.

An electronic scale is just as accurate as a balance beam, plus it works about four times faster. The price has dropped in the past few years. This scale sells new at Midway for less than $30!

Sort into groups
Once you have a scale, you can begin sorting pellets. A premium pellet will vary in weight by an amount that will sometimes surprise you. Let's look at Crosman Premier 10.5-grain .177 pellets for example. The weight is listed at 10.5 grains. When you sort, you will find that about 30 percent weigh 10.5 grains, another 35 percent weigh 10.4 grains. Twenty percent weigh 10.6 grains and that leaves 15 percent of the pellets that will weigh anywhere from 10.1 grains to 10.7 grains. Now, let's talk about what you do with these sorted pellets.

What to do with the different weight pellets
The three primary groups of pellets weigh 10.4, 10.5 and 10.6-grains. If I wanted to shoot the absolute best group possible AT LONG RANGE, I would use pellets from one group, only. If I were competing in a field target match, I'd use pellets from a single group. But here is the deal - IT DOESN'T MATTER WHICH GROUP YOU USE! That's right - with all three pellets, your group will shoot to the same point of aim out to around 50 yards. There will be very small differences, which is why you only use a single pellet weight, but the sight picture, in general, does not change. If you are shooting groups beyond 50 yards, then stick with a particular pellet weight because it starts to make a difference at that distance.

What about the lighter & heavier pellets you sorted?
As far as precision shooting goes, they're junk! They can be used for function-firing or in cheap airguns, but don't use them when you want the best accuracy. The lighter pellets are the worst, as far as accuracy goes, because they are the undersized pellets. They will give a precision airgun lots of trouble.

Tech Force 97 now on sale!

2006-06-26T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

You've been cruising this site, trying to make up your mind about several powerful spring rifles. I'd like to help you by giving you a closer look at the Tech Force 97 (second rifle down). I mentioned this rifle in my October 17, 2005, blog - "A quick look at Tech Force 97, 99 & 78 rifles." Today, I'll take a much closer look to help you decide if this should be your next rifle.

Compasseco designed the TF 97
While all Tech Force airguns are made in China, Compasseco wrote the specifications for the TF 97, and they worked with the Chinese factory for many months and through several prototypes before they had the rifle they wanted. Tech Force is a trademarked brand of Compasseco, and they aren't about to put their name on an air rifle unless it does everything they say it can! If you're interested in this gun, you can get a good sense of it by reading Tom Gaylord's article - "The Tech Force 97: Compasseco’s flagship spring rifle gets a workout." However, I'm going to tell you some things Gaylord didn't touch on in that article.

Spring guns need a break-in
Spring guns usually don't begin working the way they should until 500-1,000 rounds have gone through them. They need a break-in period for all the mechanical parts to settle in and begin working together. This is especially true for both the trigger and the barrel.

Trigger
When you first start shooting a 97, the trigger feels stiff and sluggish. After 50 shots, it starts to smooth out. After 100 shots, it starts working much better - in terms of a lighter pull that's also crisper. If you observe closely, you can feel this happening. But that's NOTHING! After 1,000 shots, the trigger will feel so much better than it did at first that you won't remember it. As the shot count climbs, the trigger keeps getting better. Somewhere after 4,000 to 6,000 shots, it stops improving. By that time, you'll be shooting such a different gun that you won't remember it was ever anything but good. There is no need to disassemble the gun or to put anything on the trigger for this to happen. Just keep shooting the gun. It takes care of itself.

The barrel
When the gun is new, it will not group as well as after 500 shots. However, there is something you can do about it. Run a brass brush loaded with JB Non-Embedding Bore Cleaning Compound through the barrel 35 times in both directions, then clean the bore thoroughly to remove all traces of the paste. This is the same stuff that benchrest shooters use in their expensive target rifles to improve accuracy. After that, your rifle should group as tight as it's ever going to, which will be noticeably tighter than when it was new. If you don't want to do this procedure, shooting the gun 2,000 times accomplishes the same thing.

It's on sale right now!
You can save a whopping $20 right now on the TF 97 in the special sale Compasseco is having. When you order, remember to buy several tins of Chinese domed pellets. The TF 97 likes them!

Crosman 1077: The rapid-fire rifle for everyone!

2006-06-19T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

If you haven't tried a Crosman 1077 (third rifle down), you have a treat in store! Though the price is super-low, this air rifle packs a lot of value. It's powered by CO2, and in the standard form it uses conventional 12-gram Crosman powerlets. They provide the energy for pellet velocities up to 625 f.p.s.

12-shot repeater!
The 1077 comes in .177 caliber, only. Every rifle is a 12-shot repeater that houses a revolving clip inside the action. The trigger cocks and fires the gun as well as advancing the clip to the next pellet, so it's 12 shots as fast as you can pull the trigger.

A box magazine is removed from the bottom of the rifle, then the 12-shot circular clip comes out of that. Each gun comes with three clips, so you can pre-load them all and have 36 fast shots ready to go. It's possible to purchase extra box magazines as well, so you can have them ready to insert without doing anything else. Compasseco calls this the speedloader kit (second item down), and it comes with one box magazine and three spare circular clips.

It's accurate!
You don't expect to get accuracy for less than $70, but the 1077 is an exception. This rifle can keep them on a dime at 20 yards - if you can! While it comes with a great set of adjustable open sights (with fiberoptic inserts, even!), it really deserves an optical sight. The most appropriate sight for a 1077 is a red dot, and Compasseco's TF 90 or TF 96 (eighth and ninth down, respectively) is ideal! If you want to save a little more, try their TF 47 dot sight which is shown at the bottom of the same page. You can read a review of these fine sights in the Jan. 9, 2006 posting.

Shoot longer with AirSource
A few years ago, Crosman came out with a new 88-gram disposable CO2 tank they call AirSource (bottom of the page). Eighty-eight grams of gas gives you approximately 7.3 TIMES as many shots as you'll get with a 12-gram powerlet. Since the 1077 gets about 50 shots with a powerlet, let's be conservative and say you'll get around 350 shots (or more) with a single AirSource tank. Crosman now offers a 1077 set up to use the AirSource tank (second rifle down). It can also use powerlets after a simple owner conversion that takes less than a minute.

If you already own a 1077, there is a conversion kit (second item down) that lets you alter a standard 1077 to take the AirSource tanks. So, no one needs to miss out!

The 1077 is for the active shooter
If you're a shooter who likes to make targets dance around, the 1077 is for you. Twelve quick shots with pinpoint accuracy will make your shooting sessions both fast and fun.

Scope reticles: Part 2 - the mil-dot reticle

2006-06-12T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

The last post about scope reticles brought a lot of questions about the mil-dot reticle. I'd like to explain what a mil-dot reticle is and how it helps airgunners.

A mil is an angular measurement. There are 6,400 mils in a circle, so one mil covers approximately 3.6" at 100 yards or close to 36" at 1,000 yards. Military forces around the world have used the mil for decades for range estimating - most often to adjust indirect fire (artillery and mortar). Most military binoculars have a mil-scale reticle etched on the lens on one side.

A mil-dot reticle is a special type of mil reticle etched on the lens of a telescopic sight. Eight dots is sort of standard, but there are reticles with more than eight dots.

In scopes of fixed power, the reticle is used just as it appears. In variable scopes, there is just one power setting at which the mil dots are seen at the correct separation relative to the target. In most variable scopes, this is the 12x setting. The dots are separated from each other by one mil, so the distance from the center of one dot to the center of the next dot is one mil when the scope is at the correct magnification.

This mil-dot reticle has 12 dots on each line, instead of the more common eight. From the center of one dot to the next is one mil, when the scope is set to 12x.

Mils for range estimation
Mil reticles are used for range estimation by the military, where the size of equipment is more or less standard throughout all the armies of the world. The length and width of main battle tanks are very similar everywhere. A soldier can measure the number of mils between the sides of the tank and use that number to calculate the approximate distance to the target. For example, a main battle tank is about 12 feet wide. At 1000 yards, one mil is very close to one yard. If a tank measures three mils across the front, it's about 1,000 yards away.

For adjusting indirect fire it's even easier. The forward observer simply measures the amount of correction between the target and the last explosion. The fire direction center knows where both the forward observer and the target are, so the mil angle reported can be correctly transcribed from the forward observer's viewpoint and interpolated for the corrections to the guns. But that is of little interest to an airgun hunter.

Different aim points
While all scope makers explain how to use mil-dots for range estimation in the field, I find that, with experience, a hunter will soon learn to estimate ranges better without the math. As long as he shoots the same gun and load (the same pellet in our case), it will become second nature to factor in the distance to the target. So, mil-dot reticles are useful to an airgun hunter for other reasons. They offer different aim points. The dots on the horizontal reticle are good for wind compensation, and the dots on the vertical reticle are good for adjusting for distance. When I shoot field target, I use both sets of dots in place of adjusting my scope for every shot. It works quite well.

We can look at some of the other scope reticles if you like. Let me know!

Scope reticles

2006-06-05T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

A reader who calls himself sav300 asked for a blog on scope reticles, so today's the day.

Riflescope history
Scopes were first used as rifle sights some time before the American Civil War. The first crosshairs were two strands of silk or sometimes two strands of spider web. I won't go into the history of scope-making, but today's reticles are either actual metal wires or dark lines etched onto glass. When you adjust the scope, the entire reticle moves together as a unit inside a tube called the erector tube. Knowing this, you can understand how a scope reticle could be a single dot in the center of view, or it could look like the video landing display of a commercial passenger jet. Both those types do exist! In fact, with just a change of the laser etching software, your reticle could look like Madonna!

Avoid the hype
There's a lot of hype today about exotic-looking scope reticles. I believe this is due to so many young shooters never having served in the military, and all these different patterns look strange and cool. If you served in any combat force, you have seen, used and become bored with mil-dot reticles, ranging scales found in crew-served gun sights and so on. Since Hollywood is using them in action movies, they're the rage among those who don't actually have to use them.

Start simple
Let's begin with the simplest reticle of all - the plain crosshair. You may think there isn't much to a plain crosshair, but the thickness of the reticle lines makes all the difference in the world! Thick lines cover too much area to aim precisely enough for the best accuracy. When your crosshair intersection covers a 2"-square section of the target, you can hardly expect to shoot 1/2" groups. On the other hand, thin crosshairs are difficult to see if the lighting isn't perfect. You can see thin reticle lines against a stationary paper target that is well lit by bright sunlight coming from behind you, but you will never be able to find them in the deep woods when the squirrels are jumping from branch to branch. It's exasperating to look through a scope and see the target clearly without a clue where the reticle lines are!

Match the reticle to the type of shooting
So, a thick crosshair is easy to see in a fast-moving hunting situation, while a thin crosshair gives the most precision. Hate to say this, but you can't do both with just one reticle!

Enter the duplex reticle
Some bright optics engineer got the idea of combining a thick reticle for fast acquisition and a thin reticle for greater precision. What he did was start the crosshair lines thick at the edge of view and then taper them to thin near the place where they intersect.

The duplex reticle lines are thick at the edges and tapered to thin near the aim point. They give the best of all combinations for fast acquisition with aiming precision.

Okay, that's a look at the two most popular scope reticles found today. If there is any interest, I will continue this discussion with a look at other reticle types. Talk to me.

CO2 techniques

2006-05-29T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

A lot of shooters find CO2 guns fun. There are a few tips and techniques, though, that can extend your fun and keep those guns working a lot longer.

Buy some Crosman Pellgunoil
This stuff works like magic and every airgunner who shoots a CO2 gun has a supply close by. It doesn't take much, but Crosman Pellgunoil helps your seals do their job a lot longer. In fact, if you use it regularly, a CO2 gun can last for decades - as long as it isn't abused in some way. Put a drop on the tip of every new powerlet or AirSource cylinder (bottom of the page) you load. Crosman says to oil every third powerlet or cylinder, but I have NEVER seen Pellgunoil do anything harmful to a gas gun. I use it every time.

What's a good substitute for Crosman Pellgunoil?
Well, here is what NOT to use: 3-in-1 Oil and other household light machine oils, which are too thin for this job. They will actually make your CO2 guns leak. WD-40 should never be used on any gun - air or firearm - for any reason. It dries to a varnish that gunks up the mechanism. Some shooters say automatic transmission fluid (ATF) can substitute for Pellgunoil, but why buy a quart of that when a small container of the right stuff costs very little? Besides ATF, there is very little that can reliably substitute for Pellgunoil.

Not too tight!
When installing a new powerlet or AirSource cylinder, tighten the screw that holds the powerlet or cylinder just enough to pierce the tank - and no tighter. If there is a leak, no amount of extra tightening will seal it. It's Pellgunoil that seals leaks, not pressure! The seals can do their job without the screw being tightened overly hard. The seal that seals the powerlet or AirSource cylinder is usually a thin synthetic membrane that compresses and tears if the screw is too tight. Better to oil the tip of the tank that abuts this seal and tighten only enough to pierce it. When you hear the gas flow into the gun, stop tightening!

Can you leave a gun charged?
This question comes up all the time. Modern Crosman owners' manuals tell you not to leave the guns charged, but this is often because of safety - like leaving a gun loaded, which a charged CO2 gun is, in effect. While removing gas cartridges may not present a problem for a powerlet user, when an AirSource cylinder has to be removed, it's an expense you don't like to incur. I just tested a Crosman NightStalker that has had a charged AirSource cylinder in it for six months, and it's still holding fine. I have been told by an airgunsmith that some pellet guns are made so that leaving them charged puts a strain on the gas system, so those guns would have a problem staying charged. I guess it's up to the owner to decide what to do, and lacking specific knowledge to the contrary it's always best to follow the instructions given by the manufacturer. If there are no instructions that tell you to remove the source of CO2, it's best to leave the gun charged to keep the seals fresh and protected from airborne dirt.

These are some of the basic care tips that can prolong the life of your CO2 guns.

Collectible airgun condition - don't get swindled!

2006-05-22T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

This is based on a true story that was reported on one of the forums.

Airgun condition: Is it in the mind of the beholder?
A well-known airgunner recently sold a valuable gun. Naturally, he said the condition was excellent. Isn't it always? The seller packed the valuable gun poorly, and it arrived at the buyer's house in sad shape. However, after closer inspection the buyer decided most of the "damage" was on the gun before it was shipped! This so-called excellent gun was in about good condition at best. Who's right in a case like this? Isn't gun condition too subjective to really determine?

Wake up and smell the coffee, Virginia!
Guns are no more subjective than houses or used cars. There are always ways to determine what shape the item is in. There are also many ways to disguise faults in used guns, and you'd better learn them first. The biggest scam is the refinished gun.

No collector value
A refinished gun may look good, but a legitimate collector wants nothing to do with one. There are exceptions, however, and because there are, the scammers contend that refinishing is a personal choice. For collectors, it's not. Just try to sell a refinished Crosman 600 or Daisy Red Ryder, and you'll quickly learn that no real collector will touch them. What you will attract are unknowing newcomers who haven't learned the ropes.

The Plymouth Iron Windmill gun was Daisy's first-ever BB gun. A complete one in fair condition is worth about $10,000. Even a junk parts gun has value if it's this rare and desirable. Refinishing does not increase the value.

The real exceptions
A Plymouth Iron Windmill gun (the first model Daisy ever made), however, is extremely rare. Fewer than 30 are known to exist. A refinished Iron Windmill gun has about the same value as before the refinish job. Because a nice unrefinished one brings well over $10,000, a refinished one might be worth as much as $5,000. While veteran collectors won't touch most refinished guns, a buyer for a gun this rare can be found for an example in almost any condition. There are collectors who absolutely HAVE TO fill that hole in their collections.

Beware of the sharpies!
There are a few sellers of rare airguns who have earned themselves reputations as swindlers. They sell on the auction sites using out-of-focus pictures and lying descriptions. They count on buyers rolling over when they take delivery. Others are fly-by-nights who sell and then are suddenly gone. I got taken on gunbroker.com by one of them. He described a gun as excellent when it was actually highly modified by a home gunsmith with a file! The pictures didn't show the "work," and the seller was no longer there when I complained. Complaining to the auction site is useless, unless you want sympathy.

Use the Blue Book!
When you buy used airguns, MAKE the seller describe its condition by the Blue Book of Airguns, Fifth Edition (third book down) grading criteria. If he can't, because he "doesn't have a Blue Book," don't do business with him. The Blue Book is inexpensive and is widely used by legitimate dealers. Anyone who doesn't have one isn't in business for real.

Tech Force optics: Built to a higher standard

2006-05-15T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

Is there anybody left who doesn't know that nearly all riflescopes are made in China? This has been true for decades.

It began in the 1970s
In the '70s, Europeans had a booming economy and labor costs soared. Remember, many of these countries struggled after World War II, and for nearly a decade after the war it was pretty much "Anything for a buck." People were hungry and in need of basic necessaries, so they sold their labor cheap. But eventually businesses rebounded and began to prosper and there was no looking back.

Lens-grinding moves from art to industry
For a long time, certain German, Austrian and Swiss manufacturers had a lock on the optical market. Their products were so good that often they were as heavily advertised as the items they were in - for example, Zeiss camera lenses in non-Zeiss cameras. But in the 1960s, labor costs began putting pressure on manufacturers. Fortunately for them, the lens-grinding machinery had improved to a high degree, making it possible to send machines to other countries where labor was still cheap and hungry.

Japan was a center for optics in the 1950s and 60s, but they, too, surged ahead and their labor costs increased. However, in other parts of Asia, the cost of labor did not rise nearly as fast. So in the 1970s both Europe and Japan began exporting their manufacturing capability to China and the surrounding region.

Lens-grinding moves from art to industry
As the lens grinding machines became more capable, the level of training and experience the operator needed decreased. Automation took the place of experience. This allowed the exportation of lens-grinding to countries with lower levels of industrialization. China, having a nationalized economy, used this infusion of technology to further her military industrial base. And that is where Compasseco comes into the picture.

Compasseco found the BEST Chinese companies
When Compasseco decided to move into optics they realized that all Chinese factories were not capable of producing at the same level. While other American scope manufacturers were contracting with companies that had found them at the SHOT Show and IWA, Compasseco turned the process around. They went to China looking for the best optics factory, rather than accepting a factory who had found them by chance at U.S or European trade shows. They settled on a maker of Chinese military optics, so they were assured of quality at the military specification level, not the commercial level! That's why Tech Force optics are head and shoulders better than other brands costing the same.

Better specifications
But a good maker isn't the whole story. You can choose the level of materials used in your optics, so Compasseco raised the standards for optical glass and lens coatings. They found the cost of better materials was not much higher, yet it resulted in a product that was clearly superior to the competition. That's a big reason why Tech Force optics are among the sharpest on the market at almost any price.

The first project was the Tech Force 96 red dot sight (eighth item down on the page), but once the contract was running smoothly, the line was quickly expanded to scopes, as well. A Tech Force sight means great quality at an affordable price.

Single-shot or repeater: Which is better?

2006-05-01T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

This post should start some arguments, because this subject has been discussed since the first repeaters were made. I could do a review of the good and bad points of each type of system, but I already have a favorite, so I'll try to defend it for you. In my opinion, a single-shot rifle is always better than a repeater for a hunting gun. Allow me to explain.

Mindset!
This is the No. 1 reason for choosing a single-shot. You decide to make every shot count. This mindset is accurately portrayed in two movies - Quigley Down Under and Patriot. If a shooter has just one shot, he'll make it a good one. If he has a repeater, he may get caught up in the "spray and pray" routine of shooting fast, multiple shots with the belief that one or more is bound to connect. There is a very famous analogy to explain what I mean by mindset.

Working without a net!
If you work without a net, everything has to go right or there will be disaster. I recently stayed at Circus-Circus casino in Las Vegas and saw several trapeze and acrobatic acts. In one of the acrobatic acts, one of the tumblers was thrown nearly 20 feet in the air and landed on his feet on a flexible balance beam held by the throwers. There was no net. The trapeze act had several performers who were performing much higher above the floor, but they had a net. I watched both acts a couple of times and the acrobat never missed his landing. The trapeze act, however, did suffer a missed catch on a double flip and the guy fell into the net. The same guy hit a triple flip the next evening, so he was no slouch! But his focus may have been affected by the presence of the net.

When I hunt, I learn the anatomy of my quarry and where a shot will be most effective. If I can't make that shot, I don't take it. My goal is not to just hit the game, but to have it fall immediately and not move for long. That's why anatomy is important.

Know your gun
I also know my rifle. If I am not certain of placing my shot inside the area of a quarter (with a pellet rifle), I don't take the shot. That means being sighted-in BEFORE going hunting! It also means knowing the trajectory of the pellet at all ranges AND the ability of determining range accurately. If I need a rangefinder to determine the range for a shot, I wouldn't take that shot. That's for pellet-gun distances. For long-range firearms distances, it's a different story. I have passed up many shots that other riflemen have taken. But when I do take a shot, I expect the results just described.

One pellet per gun
I shoot only one type of pellet in each of my hunting guns - be they firearms or airguns. The fact that there are numerous loads available in every caliber and numerous pellets only means there are a lot to choose from. I reload nearly all my firearms ammo because the factories don't make the loads I want, and I hand-sort my pellets by weight when the ultimate accuracy is required. Hand-sorting can mean the difference between a group that can be covered by a quarter and one that can be covered by a dime.

I know there will be different opinions on this issue, and I welcome them.

The 1377: A classic air pistol from Crosman

2006-04-24T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

Blogger went down sometime late April 23d. Apparently Google (the Blogger host) uses Blogger to post the status of Blogger for all Blogs, so they are not able to post any news about this. Apparently no comments can be posted while Blogger is down, but past posts are unaffected.

This week, I'd like to examine an air pistol from Crosman that's been around a long time. The .177 caliber Crosman 1377 Classic (third gun down) has been made since 1977, in one form or another. For many years Crosman also made a 1322 companion pistol, but production ended in 2000 for that one. The 1377 is a multi-pump pneumatic that develops surprising power for a pellet pistol. Rated at 600 f.p.s., this pistol for under $60 has as much power as the celebrated Beeman P1 that sells for $355.95! And, it's very nearly as accurate, too!

Crosman 1377 Classic is a fine example of an American multi-pump pneumatic pistol.

A multi-pump is a reliable friend!
If you take care of a multi-pump airgun, it can outlast YOU! The best thing you can do is always store your gun with a pump of air in the reservoir, so both the inlet and exhaust valves remain closed against airborne dirt. The valves will remain fresh and good for decades! Another thing to do is always shoot premium pellets in your gun. Don't use anything but lead pellets to preserve the shallow multi-grooved rifling in the barrel. There's no need to ever clean the barrel of the 1377, because it doesn't shoot fast enough to need it. Pellets guns don't get the powder fouling that firearms do, so the only real problem they have is with lead deposits in the bore. Those form only when the pellets are going above about 900 f.p.s. Lastly, never over-pump your gun. It doesn't generate greater velocity, and it wears the joints in the pumping mechanism overly fast. Crosman says 10 pumps is the maximum, and you don't always need that.

Multi-pump maintenance
The one thing an owner can do is keep the pump head oiled, so the head seals well. That ensures the highest compression, which delivers the greatest velocity. Crosman shows exactly how to do this and how often to do it in their owner's manual. If you already own a pistol and need an owner's manual, contact Crosman at 800-724-7486 (800-7airgun). Use Crosman Pelgunoil to oil the pump head, as it has been specially selected for its sealing properties, as well as doing no harm to the seals of the gun.

Accessories
The 1377 description says it delivers rifle-like performance. Well, by attaching the shoulder stock, it can become a handy carbine. Then, you can add a Crosman scope mount 459 to accept scope rings for a scope mounted on the barrel. To that, you can mount a Tech Force low power airgun scope (fourth item down) on the gun, and you'll have a scoped air rifle for under $100!

The 1377 shoulder stock turns the pistol into a carbine.

Pellets
You'll want to shoot medium and lightweight pellets in the 1377. I recommend any of the Crosman Copperhead pellets (second, third and fourth items down) for their weight and because they're made to fit this barrel. Another good, low-cost pellet for this pistol is the Gamo Match pellet (third item down). It's light, made very well and gives wonderful accuracy.

If you're looking for a good buy in an air pistol, the 1377 Classic is one to consider. It has the power and accuracy that few other air pistols can match, plus it's one of the most affordable air pistols around.

What about a hand pump?

2006-04-17T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

You've finally convinced yourself to get a precharged pneumatic air rifle, now you have to decide how you're going to fill it. The two most common ways are from a scuba tank or with a hand pump. Let's take a look at the hand pump to see what it involves.

Can you REALLY pump 3,000 psi by HAND?
The hand pump looks a lot like a bicycle pump, but it's really very special inside. It's not just one pump but three - or rather it compresses air in three separate stages, which is how it is possible for a person to compress air to 3,000 psi (pounds per square inch). A shop air compressor goes as high as about 175 psi, and portable paint sprayers get up to 125 psi - so 3,000 psi is way beyond any of them. There is a device you can attach to a shop compressor that will multiply the air output to 3,000 psi, but it costs about $800 to $1,000. Nothing on the market is even close to the low price of the high-pressure hand pump!

It works by mechanical advantage
If you've ever lifted a car with a hydraulic jack, you know something about mechanical advantage. You can lift a tremendous weight that way, but it takes a lot of pumping, because each stroke only does a small amount of lifting. So it is with the hand pump. Depending on the volume of the reservoir you are filling, the hand pump takes from 8 to 14 pump strokes to increase the internal pressure by 100 psi. The AirForce air tank (second item down) is one of the largest tanks in airgunning, and it takes from 12 to 14 pump strokes to boost its pressure by 100 psi. If you want to put 1,000 psi into the reservoir, it will take 120 to 140 pump strokes. That's about a five- to seven-minute session.

You don't start from zero each time
Precharged guns are never shot until they are empty. You shoot until they are no longer satisfactorily accurate. For many guns, including all three AirForce models, there will still be something like 2,000 to 2,200 psi left in the air tank at that point. You need to put back only 800 to 1,000 psi. Airforce tells their customers that, depending on the power setting they use, they will need to pump from one to two full pump strokes per shot. That's a fair guesstimate, though with the guns set at the most powerful level, the number may be above two strokes.

How hard is it?
Until 1,500 psi, most adults can pump the pump with one hand. It is very light up to about 2,000. Somewhere around 2,200 to 2,500, you will notice the effort becoming greater and above 2,700, it is the hardest. Most people pump with their arms until the effort increases, then they stiffen their arms and use the weight of their body. As long as you weigh more than 140 pounds and have reasonably strong wrists, you will be able to reach 3,000 psi. Lighter shooters sometimes rest their stomach on the pump handle and make the pump try to support their weight, but shooters over 150 pounds shouldn't have to do this.

Does the hand pump remove all the moisture from the air?
No - the hand pump still permits a small amount of moisture to enter the reservoir it is filling. A scuba tank has drier air, but even then, there is always a small amount of moisture in the air. In the ten years hand pumps have been in worldwide use, they have not proved to be a problem in this respect. Incidentally, one type of pump has a moisture filter on the intake side of the pump, where it does almost no good. The only effective moisture filter is thermal mass inside the high compression chamber that all pumps on the market currently use.

How long will a pump last?
A pump operated correctly should last more than a decade with no maintenance. If it is abused, it can fail within a month. The biggest abuse is not allowing the pump to cool down after each five-minute pumping session. The final compression stage gets extremely hot (over 400 degrees F) and will fail early if not allowed to cool for 15 minutes between sessions. I always bleed the pump between sessions to help cool it.

Bleeding the pump means exhausting the high pressure air so the gun or reservoir can be disconnected. Proper bleeding is the other maintenance factor. Always bleed using the brass screw at the base of the pump. If you have a second bleed screw on the fill gauge, do not use it. The pump needs to have the high-pressure air blow out the collected moisture from the compression chamber every time you bleed it.

The hand pump is a great way to fill a precharged airgun if you're not averse to a little work. It lets you go into the field without a heavy scuba tank, plus it is the source of high-pressure air whenever you need it. If you operate it according to the instructions, it should give a long period of good service.

Gamo's CF-X: A hot new spring rifle!

2006-04-10T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

Gamo's CF-X is an underlever spring rifle with a synthetic stock. It may be the most exciting Gamo rifle ever!

There has certainly been a lot of excitement about Gamo's new .177 CF-X fixed-barrel spring-piston air rifle (eighth rifle down). Veteran airgunners love fixed-barrel rifles because of their better accuracy. Whether that's actually true or just a good advertising ploy, there is no doubt about this new Gamo. It is most definitely accurate!

Low cost and high performance
Airgunners are used to Gamo spring rifles offering a lot of gun for the money, but they haven't stood up to the top European spring guns like those from Weirauch, BSA and Air Arms in the accuracy department - until now! The new CF-X can group five pellets under an inch at 35 yards, where the groups from most budget air rifles are starting to fall apart. Of course the pellets you use make a difference in the accuracy, and my testing indicates that Crosman Premiers (top of the page) in the 7.9-grain weight are just about the best for this rifle. Gamo pointed pellets (fourth item down) are another good choice for this rifle.

Lighter pellets for better results
Spring guns can be particular about the pellets they like and I found that the CF-X does not like heavier pellets - at least not when I'm shooting it! I tried both Beeman Kodiaks (bottom of the page) and the heavy Crosman Premiers (top on the page), and neither one shot as well as the lighter pellets. I think other heavy pellet I didn't get around to testing are also probably not as good in this particular rifle. But that leaves a host of lighter pellets that out-number the heavies two to one.

Open sights or a scope?
The CF-X comes with a fully adjustable set of fiberoptic open sights that are fine for all kinds of shooting. If there's any light at all, the front dot will glow orange between two green dots in the rear. If the light is low, they'll revert to a regular black dot and notch type of open sight. They're fine for all kinds of shooting, but to get the most accuracy from this rifle you need a scope. A good scope! Almost any good-quality scope will be great on this rifle, but if I had my choice, it would be a Tech Force 3-10x44 Bright Vision (sixth scope down) scope. I like the size and the magnification for the CF-X.

If the barrel is fixed, where does the pellet go?
Gamo has created a rotary breech that rotates to the left to uncover the back of the barrel and closed when you are ready to take the shot. A deep, grooved ramp guides the pellet into the barrel. Because it's on an angle, long pellets are much harder to load. But the most accurate pellets prove no problem at all, once you get used to the different loading process. The thumb latch that opens the breech is very low to clear the scope, if you use one, so there shouldn't be a problem with clearance. Use medium or high mounts (second and third item down) just to be sure.

It's a large rifle, but lightweight
The CF-X is an adult-sized rifle for certain. At 44" overall, it's as long as any full-sized hunting rifle. But the weight is just 6.6 lbs. - amazingly light when compared to similar underlever rifles such as the 9-lb. Beeman HW 97 (fourth rifle down). The stock dimensions are also sized for an adult. I found that this rifle was sized very well for me, both in length of pull and the height of the cheekpiece, which proved perfect for a scope on medium mounts.

Like real wood - get the Royal
The CF-X in a wood stock is called the CF-X Royal. The stock adds $75 to the price tag, which is why I left it until the end, but some shooters want wood. Even at that price, the CF-X Royal still beats the competition by a large margin.

Any drawbacks?
Just one, as far as I can see, and everybody in the world knows about it. The Gamo trigger leaves a lot to be desired. It's a two-stage that's supposed to be adjustable, but I never felt any difference regardless of where the screws were. Some say the trigger gets better with use, and I hope so! It's very creepy and indistinct, though not too heavy. You feel as though you don't know when the gun is going to fire. Still, as bad as it is, I managed to shoot very well with the CF-X.

The bottom line
The Gamo CF-X has a lot going for it. Accuracy, light cocking, great sights and a smooth operation are too much to ignore - especially at this price. If your tax refund has a spring rifle in it this year, this is a model you should consider.

Try the BIG guns from AirForce

2006-04-03T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

When we looked at the three types of airgun powerplants blog, we learned that the precharged pneumatic or PCP is the oldest type of airgun of all. They were difficult to fill and to operate when charged, but they were a wonder for their time! Today's PCPs are modern, powerful, accurate and easy to use. So easy to shoot, in fact, that they are considered the most accurate airguns of all.

AirForce Airguns made in the USA!
Most PCPs are made in Europe, with a few examples made in Asia, but one very unique brand - AirForce Airguns - is made in Ft. Worth, Texas. They make three rifles, the Talon, Talon SS and the Condor. Each rifle has some characteristics that set it apart from the others, but all three share some common features, as well.

What's common to all AirForce air rifles?
To start with, all AirForce rifles have precision barrels made by the Germany's Lothar Walther. This firm has earned a reputation as one of the top airgun barrel makers in the world. The barrels AirForce uses are all choked at the muzzle for maximum accuracy potential, so you get equal accuracy from their 12", 18" and 24" barrels. And, this is a huge plus for an AirForce airgun - all rifles allow quick barrel changes! Because the guns come in both .177 and .22 caliber, this means you can buy just one gun and have it in both calibers, plus any optional barrel length you choose.

Another thing common to AirForce guns is an external power adjustment wheel on the left side of the frame. Other PCPs may be adjustable, but many of them require you to take the action out of the stock to make adjustments. AirForce expects you to adjust their rifles, so they put the wheel in a convenient place.

The power adjustment wheel on all AirForce airguns makes it easy to adapt the rifle to your shooting style.

The other things that are common to all guns are an amazing amount of 11mm accessory attachment points located all over the gun. The air tanks are huge 490cc removable reservoirs that hold more air than nearly all other PCPs. That gives you more shots on one fill of air. Because the air tank comes off, all AirForce rifles break down to very small packages for transport. Since they are made from aluminum extrusions, all three rifles are incredibly light - often several pounds less than their European competition.

Let's look at the rifles individually.

Talon
Like an eagle's talon, the Talon from AirForce (first rifle on the page) is powerful, quick and light. It's also their least expensive model. Being the cheapest often means something lacks features, but the Talon has everything the Talon SS has except sound reduction. In fact, the 18' barrelled Talon is slightly more powerful than the SS, so there's a benefit for the loss of sound reduction. In .22 caliber, the Talon will launch a medium-weight pellet at speeds of 900 to 950 f.p.s. In .177 it will go up to 1,100 f.p.s., which is too fast for best accuracy, but you can use heavier pellets to keep the speed down in the 900s. Remember, the gun has adjustable power, so it's easy to get the speed exactly where you want it.

Talon SS
The Talon SS (second rifle down on the page) is the rifle for the suburbs. The 12" barrel is hidden inside the tubular frame, so the muzzle blast is muted when you shoot. A powerful shot that generates about the same force as the Webley Patriot magnum spring rifle (first rifle on page) sounds about as loud as a loud hand clap. In .22 caliber on high power, the Talon SS generates 810 to 850 f.p.s. with medium-weight pellets, while in .177 with medium-weight pellets it increases to around 950 to 1,000 f.p.s. The low-end adjustability of the SS isn't quite as stable as the low end on the Talon, but speeds in the 600 f.p.s. range are possible in .22 caliber.

Condor
The Condor (third rifle down on the page) is a special air rifle. Although it looks a lot like the other two, it is the world's most powerful smallbore air rifle, generating a string of shots in excess of 60 foot-pounds. At the muzzle, the Condor is as powerful as a .22 rimfire shooting the standard speed short cartridge! Put another way, it is the only smallbore (.177, .20, .22 and .25 calibers) air rifle that will reliably shoot through a 2x4 in either caliber! Because of its high power, the Condor is noisy. It's just as loud as a .22 rimfire. You can dial the power way down, though. When it shoots with the same power as an SS, it's only a little louder than the quiet SS with its special technology. The 24" barrel of the Condor extracts all the energy from the compressed air charge, so you get wonderful adjustability - from a high in excess of 1,200 f.p.s. with a .22-caliber medium weight pellet to a low in the 600s.

Interchangable barrels means flexibility
Because the owner can change the barrel (fifth, sixth and seventh from the bottom) of an AirForce rifle, it can become more than just a single airgun. A Talon SS, for example, is the most popular model. With an optional 18" barrel installed, the SS develops the same power as the Talon. With the optional 24" barrel, the SS develops two-thirds the power of a Condor! All from a simple five-minute barrel change!

.177 or .22?
By far, .22 caliber is preferred over .177. AirForce rifles are so powerful that they take full advantage of the larger caliber. But the option to switch barrels at any time means an owner can have both calibers in one airgun. No longer is it necessary to make a choice.

AirForce rifles are probably the smartest buy for first-time PCPs buyers. American-made, they are fully supported by the factory in Ft. Worth. They come with both a printed owner's manual as well as a one-hour instructional DVD that shows you all operations of the guns. This is the only "systems" air rifle on the market, and a great choice for hunters and general shooters, alike.

How good is the BS4 target rifle?

2006-03-27T05:30:00.000-08:00

by Tex Force

Tech Force BS4 is a sidelever spring air rifle with a Chinese copy of German engineering that removes all felt recoil. It's an intriguing air rifle, but is it a good one?

If you're a target shooter, you've probably wondered about the Tech Force BS4 target rifle (last rifle on the page) from Compasseco. You know it's made in China, but the price tells you it's not a standard Chinese air rifle. So what is it, and how good can it be?

If you're gonna copy an airgun, copy the best!
The BS4 is an almost exact copy of Feinwerkbau's classic model 300 target rifle. Feinwekbau spent more than a decade perfecting this model, which progressed through the models 110 and 150 before arriving at what the company felt was the pinnacle of design. It remained at the top for the better part of two more decades, the standard against which all other target air rifles were compared. The 300 has a unique system that allows the rifle's action to recoil inside the stock in isolation from the shooter. Each time the gun is cocked, the action moves forward into position. When the gun fires, the action is free to slide rearward in the stock. It rides on steel rails in the stock, and the shooter feels no recoil. This works best when the rifle is held level, which it is during a shooting match.

Can a Chinese copy really be any good?
When the Chinese copy an air rifle, they often get the general look of the gun they are copying but not the function. Not so with the BS4! With this rifle, they got almost everything correct. For starters, the trigger on the BS4 is light, fully adjustable and can be set to be as nice as an FWB 300 trigger. It has the same vertical target profile and feels just as nice as the German trigger. The rifle also cocks as easily as the FWB 300 - which is legendary for how easy it cocks. Though the sidelever is short, the effort needed to cock the rifle is easy enough that it can be cocked from all three shooting positions in a 10-meter match (standing/sitting or kneeling and prone). The shape of the stock is also nearly identical to the one on the German rifle. It's big, thick and squared off, like target shooters demand. There is a rail on the bottom of the forearm for a hand stop and sling swivel. The curved rubber buttpad is adjustable up and down to suit the individual shooter's taste.

Sights
The front sight on the BS4 is a globe-type that accepts different inserts, just like the German sights. And, the rear aperture sight on the BS4 (third item from the bottom) is such a good copy of the FWB 300 sight that people have been buying it when they need a replacement for their FWB aperture sight. In the 1970s and '80s, a lot of FWB 300s were sold for a lower price without sights to shooters who wanted to mount scopes on them. Therefore, it's not uncommon to find the gun without sights today. Fortunately, the BS4 sights are every bit as good and sell for a lot less money!

Accuracy!
All the fine little touches mean nothing if the rifle isn't deadly accurate, and the BS4 is! Surprisingly it shoots just as accurately as the FWB 300 - a real feat, considering that rifle was at one time the world standard for 10-meter air rifles. The BS4 will never cost you a single point in a match. As long as you do your part, you might as well be shooting an FWB 300! I used to use Tech Force Chinese wadcutter match pellets, but they don't seem to be available any longer, so I would recommend trying the Beeman H&N High-Speed Match pellet. You must use wadcutter pellets when shooting target, because they are the only pellets that leave a crisp hole for scoring. Of course, you can use any shape pellet in this rifle if you want to plink at things. I would recommend using lighter weight pellets, though, to match the lower velocity of the rifle.

It comes in a special hard case!
When you receive the rifle, it's in its own special hard case that looks like luggage. It shocked me to see how nicely this rifle is presented - especially when the FWB 300, which costs three times as much, came only in a cardboard box!

Where are the drawbacks?
I said earlier the Chinese got ALMOST everything correct - what did they forget? I can sum it all up in a single word: finish. The wood is not finished as nicely as the wood stock on an FWB 300. The stippling (rough areas around the pistol grip and forearm) are cruder on the BS4, and they do not grip your hands like the FWB stock does. The metal preparation before bluing isn't as fine as the metal prep on an FWB 300. Even though the metal is equally dark and even, it looks less smooth and shiny on the BS4. The rear aperture sight seems rough on the outside, though it adjusts and returns to zero just as accurately as the FWB's sight. So, finish is the great separator between the German and Chinese target rifles. Finish and price. The FWB hasn't been made for many years, so now it is only sold used. It's starting to pick up some collectable status, which will surely drive the price higher. The BS4 is still being made - for now.

Is the BS4 worth it?
The BS4 is one of the best values on the airgun market today. Twenty years from now, people will lament its passing and wish they had bought one. Unless you just have to have an FWB 300, this is the target rifle for you!

Walther's Nighthawk

2006-03-20T05:30:00.000-08:00

by Tex Force

The Walther Nighthawk is dressed for action!

Walther pedigree
If you're an action pistol shooter, you're probably already familiar with Walther's exotic Nighthawk tactical pistol (second gun down on page). At its heart is the Walther CP99 (fourth gun down), the CO2 version of the P99. This is Walther's popular law enforcement pistol and the current sidearm of the world's most famous secret agent - James Bond. The CO2 version is an 8-shot pistol that fires with each pull of the trigger.

Something special
When law enforcement and special operations agents go on really exotic missions, they outfit their weapons specifically for the force they expect to encounter. That's where the Nighthawk comes in. On top of the standard CP99, which is pretty edgy to start with, they added a compensator to deflect muzzle gasses away from the base of the pellet. The company says this gives you better accuracy, which is the only reason for a compensator. It's not a silencer; it's an accuracy enhancer. But there's more. On top of the slide, they mounted a red dot sight to make target acquisition is faster and more precise in all kinds of light. Once you get accustomed to using the dot sight, you'll never want to go back to open sights again. Lastly, a tactical flashlight is mounted on the left side of the special wraparound mount attached to the frame. The thumb switch is located where your thumb rests, so switching on is a breeze. And, yes, all this can be easily moved to the other side of the gun for left-handed operations.

Really a revolver
The slide of the Nighthawk springs forward to allow the loading of a special 8-shot rotary clip. The gun comes with three clips, plus they are available in packs of three if you want to keep on shooting. A single powerlet located in the grip provides enough power for at least 6 clips, and up to 8 IF you give the gun a chance to rest between bursts of fire.

Get a Speedloader to keep on keeping on
The ease with which this pistol can be loaded and shot puts pressure on your ability to load more rotary clips. Fortunately, there is a solution in the form of the Diabolo Speedloader. Diabolo is simply what the rest of the world calls a pellet, so this is really a pellet speedloader that loads 7 rotary clips in a minute or so. If you own a fast-shooting gun like the Nighthawk or any other gun that uses the Walther rotary clips, you'll want this accessory to keep up with the action. It uses the "pour and shake" type operation that releases you from handling individual pellets. Compasseco lists the guns that can use it, so there's no question if it will work for your gun.

Things to shoot
For targets, you'll want to shoot at things that tell you instantly when they've been hit. The Daisy Shatterblast target system (fourth item from the bottom of page) does that with a satisfying burst of the biodegradable non-toxic target disk! Four target holders can be stuck into the ground anywhere you want, to hold the disks in positions that can be changed in an instant. Order two systems to match the 8 shots in your gun, and be sure to stock up on replacement disks, too (third from bottom). For even faster action, tether small balloons on a 3-foot string and let them blow around the yard on a breezy day. The random action will challenge the best shooter's skills!

A remanufactured Nighthawk is an affordable choice for those on a budget.

Can you build a Nighthawk from a CP99?
This question comes up a lot. CP99 owners wonder whether they can buy all the accessories to turn their pistol into a Nighthawk. While it is possible to accessorize a CP99, the wraparound mount that holds all the sighting equipment is not available separately, so it's not possible to build a Nighthawk from scratch, however, there is another solution! Compasseco also sells a remanufactured Nighthawk at a great price. All it lacks is the tactical flashlight. Don't let the remanufactured part frighten you. Each pistol has been inspected and returned to new operational condition by factory-trained experts. Many of these guns are unfired and were simply returned because the customer wanted a different model!

The Walther Nighthawk is the most accessorized action pistol available on the market, and it even has the mounting points for a laser, at the owner's discretion. No other action air pistol comes close to what's in this package. If you are an action pistol shooter, this is your gun!

Gamo's new Raptor hunting pellet!

2006-03-13T05:30:00.000-08:00

by Tex Force

Gold-plated pellets! Do they shine as much in the field?

Advertising being what it is, it's surprising when a new product lives up to its claims, but the new Gamo Raptor pellet seems to do at least part of that! The claims are 25 percent higher velocity, increased energy with double the penetration on game animals and ballistic media, and match-grade accuracy. (As I write this, Compasseco doesn't have it in stock, yet. Read more about it through the link I provided above.)

What IS the Gamo Raptor?
For starters, it's a non-lead pellet. They are only available in .177 at present and they weigh only five grains, so whatever they are made of is lighter than lead. The Performance Ballistic Alloy, as Gamo calls it, is plated with 18-carat gold for barrel lubrication, and Gamo claims the new pellet has "match-grade" accuracy. They call the nose semi-pointed, but it looks more like a round-nose to me. It reminds me of the nose on a Beeman Kodiak pellet (bottom of the page). The Raptor is sold strictly for hunting. Gamo even warns not to use them with an airgun pellet trap, undoubtedly thinking of the ricochet problem.

New packaging
The Raptor comes 100 to a pack, in two 50-pellet clear plastic tubes. They will seem very pricey compared to lead pellets; but, if Gamo's claims hold up, they will be worth it. As hard as the alloy is, these pellets should not deform when carried afield.

Let's put them to the test!
What does 25 percent more velocity really mean? Well, Gamo published the following numbers to help you understand. They say pellet guns that get 650 f.p.s. right now will get about 813 with Raptors. Guns that get 1,000 f.p.s. should get 1,250 f.p.s. with Raptors. And Gamo's own Hunter 1250 (second rifle down on the page) gets 1,600 f.ps. with Raptors! They had a segment on the American Hunter TV program that showed them going through the chronograph at 1,608. So, for that claim there's supporting evidence.

Actual velocity
I tested them in a Beeman P1 pistol (third pistol down on the page) and a TX200 rifle. The P1 gave an average of 565 f.p.s. with 7-grain RWS Hobby pellets (second item down on the page). With Raptors, the average jumped to 633 f.p.s., a gain of 68 f.p.s., which is an increase of almost 13 percent. Muzzle energy with Hobbys was 4.96 foot-pounds and with Raptors 4.45 foot-pounds, which is a loss instead of a gain. The TX 200 averaged 1018 f.p.s. with Hobbys and 1,205 f.p.s. with Gamo Raptors, for a difference of 188 f.p.s. That's an increase of more than 18.5 percent. Muzzle energy with Hobbys was 16.11 foot-pounds and with Raptors it was 16.13, which is almost no difference. They didn't quite make the full 25 percent velocity increase, but the increase they did achieve was still very impressive! Being much lighter, they actually lost muzzle energy or remained the same. And, yes, the Raptors did break the sound barrier in the TX, which is cool until your neighbors start coming out of the house to see what's going on.

Accuracy
Gamo says the pellets fly true at supersonic velocities. I shot them in a Gamo Shadow 1000 (third and fourth from the bottom of the page) at 30 yards. The Shadow likes Crosman Premier 7.9-grain pellets and delivered five-shot groups of a little less than 1" at that distance. With the Raptors, the groups were all between 2.5" and 3". Hardly "match-grade" accuracy! That's just one test with just one rifle, so I'm not ready to say they don't group - but in that gun, they sure didn't.

Penetration
I read a report last year about shooting pellets into clear bars of soap for comparative penetration testing, so I tried it with the Raptor. The soap bar shows the results. The Crosman Premier 7.9-grain pellet penetrated the bar slightly deeper than the Gamo Raptor, when both were shot from a Beeman P1.

The Crosman Premier 7.9-grain on the left, Gamo Raptor on the right. This was shot from a Beeman P1 with the muzzle almost touching the soap bar.

So, what do I think?
The Raptor is a new type of pellet that significantly increases velocity in airguns. The claim for good accuracy needs more testing. To be accurate, I think the pellet will have to stay below 1,000 f.p.s. The claim for increased penetration appears to be not true - at least in a bar of soap. Nevertheless, the Gamo Raptor was made for hunting and that's where the most important test will come. Please comment if you have had some experience with this new pellet.

Walther's PPK/S

2006-03-06T05:30:00.000-08:00

by Tex Force

There are a few airguns that are going to be classics from the start, and today we're looking at one - the Walther PPK/S (last three pistols on the page). This is a BB gun - not a pellet gun, so it has a smoothbore barrel and the spring-loaded inline stick-type magazine that holds 15 steel BBs.

A REAL airgun!
The gun's initials stand for Polizei Pistol Kurtz/USA (small police pistol made to U.S. specs). Secret Agent James Bond carried a Walther PPK for many years. The /S was added when the Gun Control Act of 1968 forbid the importation of pistols smaller than a certain size. Walther used the standard PP frame with the PPK slide and produced the PPK/S just for America. A benefit of this conversion is that the PPK/S does not bite the web of the shooter's hand the way the PPK often does. And, Walther makes the PPK/S, so this BB gun isn't a copy of anything. It is a genuine PPK/S in BB caliber!

Powered by CO2
The pistol draws its power from a 12-gram CO2 Powerlet that fits neatly out of sight in the grip. The left grip panel pops off to reveal where the powerlet goes, and the gun gets almost 100 shots from a single powerlet! It's not a magnum, but at the close ranges it's designed for, it does very well. However, shooting the gun reveals a big surprise! It recoils!

Blowback action!
Each time the pistol fires, the slide blows back, imparting a bounce that feels just like the recoil of a small-caliber pocket pistol. You can read about it all day long, but the first time you actually shoot the gun - you'll understand. In fact, the gun is so much fun to shoot that you may take out the magazine just so you can shoot it to feel the recoil! I'm serious! I know a gun store that sells these by simply letting their customers shoot them without BBs. If an empty magazine it in the gun, the slide remains open after the shot, so you must remove the magazine to keep firing.

How to have some real fun with a PPK/S
Because the gun isn't too powerful, you can use a cardboard box stuffed with crushed newspapers as a safe backstop. If you also put some whole newspapers in the back of the box, it will last a lot longer. Tape a Shoot-N-C target to the box and shoot it from 15 feet awat. Watch as each BB rips through the target, turning the bullseye from black to bright green. Or try Daisy's Sound Blaster target (third item down on page). It makes a realistic sound when hit, which you'll be able to do very rapidly with this pistol! Another target that would be fun is Daisy's ShatterBlast target (fourth item down). They break into pieces when hit; with a fast-firing gun like the PPK/S, it will be fun to see how fast you can break them all.

Don't forget the Pellgunoil
people always ask me how long these guns hold up. Well, I own two and the oldest one is five years old. I've never had a moment's difficulty with either gun because I use Crosman Pellgunoil on the tip of each new powerlet that I load. The oil gets blown through the gun and oils every seal, keeping the gun sealed for a long time. I can't recommend this product too strongly. It's cheap maintenance that keeps a gun running for a long time.

Disassembly is different
The PPK/S pistol used to disassemble just like the firearm, by pulling straight down on the triggerguard, but Wal-Mart started returning too many guns that owners had taken apart and could not put back together. At Crosman's request, Walther put a pin in the front of the triggerguard so the gun doesn't disassemble easily any more. There is nothing to do to the disassembled gun anyway, so there's really no need to disassemble it.

Remember safety
Because it's a BB gun, you have to be extra safe when shooting a PPK/S. Steel BBs bounce back from hard targets, so everyone in the shooting area must wear safety glasses. Also make sure your target area is free from hard things like trees, boards and metal objects. An aluminum pop can is okay, but a steel can is not.

If you like a fast action pistol, the PPK/S is made for you. It's a blast to shoot, plus the realistic blowback action is addictive. Be sure to buy plenty of BBs and CO2 if you get one.

Benjamin Sheridan 392/397

2006-02-27T05:30:00.000-08:00

by Tex Force

Back on January 16, I did a posting about the Benjamin Sheridan SHB 17 & SHB 22. I said those pistols are timeless classics, direct descendants of airguns made in 1946. Today, I want to talk about the Benjamin Sheridan 392 and 397 pneumatic rifles (third and fourth guns down) that are descendants of Benjamin rifles going back to 1940! People say they don't make them like they used to, but these air rifles are a notable exception to that statement.

The Benjamin 392 and 397 are made as well as the Benjamin rifles of decades ago.

Brass, steel and wood!
It's hard to find products made from real materials today, but these Benjamin rifles certainly are! Their barrels and pump tubes are made from brass the way they were more than 60 years ago, and the action parts are made from solid steel. The stocks are made of American walnut. That's right - walnut! While other companies have gone to injection-molded plastic stocks, these fine rifles are still stocked in the traditional way, with hardwood that is an American tradition. The one thing that's changed over the years is the metal finish.

The old Benjamins were nickelplated and had a dark coating on top of that called black nickel. The black was very fragile and flaked off as time passed. The bright nickel also wore away, and now some people think the old guns were originally shiny brass! Today's guns are electrostaticaly painted with a durable paint that wears about as well as nickelplating.

Variable power!
The nice thing about a multi-pump pneumatic airgun is that you can vary the power to suit your shooting simply by the number of pumps you put into the gun. For target shooting, three pumps is plenty. For hunting, you may want six to eight pumps for greater power. The nice thing is that all you need to do is vary the number of strokes, which is really easy.

Sights
Both rifles come with fully adjustable rear sights that many owners use just as they are. But there are other options. A Williams peep sight can be easily mounted to the receiver. The rifle is already drilled and tapped with the holes for it. This sight increases your sighting precision by about 50 percent, which is why the U.S. Army has used peep sights on their main battle rifles since 1884. They are easier and faster to use than conventional open sights and much more accurate.

If you want to mount a dot sight or scope on the rifle, it is possible with the special four-piece scope base (second item down) that clamps directly to the barrel. And 11mm scope ring clamps to this base, allowing the use of scopes and dot sights. If you mount a scope on the barrel, you may have to hold the gun differently when you pump it. You do not want to grab the scope when pumping!

Another option that works well with compact scopes is the B-Square Weaver base (fourth item down) that attaches to the receiver of the rifle. This mount brings the eyepiece of the scope back to your eye. It's just a base, so you'll still need to buy scope rings (for a Weaver base) and the scope or dot sight, itself.

Which pellets to use?
For starters, try the Benjamin Sheridan pellets (last item on the page) in the correct caliber for your gun. These seem to work the best in these rifles. Another great pellet in either caliber is the Crosman Copperhead domed pellet (third item down on page). And, the Crosman Premier on the same page is another great pellet for either of these air rifles.

What else?
Really that's about all you need to start shooting - a rifle, pellets and sights, if you choose not to use the excellent open sights that come on the gun. There is one more maintenance item, however, and that's a tube of Crosman Pellgunoil. Put a couple drops of oil on the pump head about every six months and your gun will keep its compression for decades.

One maintenance tip.
This is extremely important. Be sure to keep one or two pumps of air in your rifle at all times when you are not shooting it. That air keeps both the inlet valve and exhaust valve closed against airborne dirt and contamination. I have multi-pump pneumatics that are 30 years old and still function as good as the day they were new because I have done this faithfully.

Daisy 717: the perfect informal target pistol

2006-02-20T05:30:00.000-08:00

by Tex Force

Do you like to just shoot and shoot with no particular goal in mind? That's called plinking, and there's a Daisy pistol perfect for it - the Daisy 717 (bottom of the page). It's the easiest of easy-going air pistols, yet it has all the accuracy you need to make those really difficult shots.

Single-stroke pneumatic
This pistol is charged by a lever on the left side of the gun. The bolt is first withdrawn to cock the action, then the lever is cycled open and closed one time. One side of the compression chamber is the pump seal. If the lever is withdrawn a second time, the compressed air from the first stroke will be lost. You can't defeat the system. One pump is all you get.

Light pumping!
That one pump rewards you with a single shot in the mid-300 f.p.s. range when using light target pellets. It's also the easiest single-stroke pistol to pump. Even easier than the IZH-46 (second item down). Daisy deserves credit for that, because single-stroke pistols are usually more difficult to cock. Not only did they make it easy, they also made it possible to adjust the pump stroke from outside the gun. You can always keep your pistol shooting at peak performance! Included in that is the oiling of the pliable pump head seal, for which Daisy recommends 20-weight automotive oil, but I've used Crosman Pellgunoil on the piston seals of all my Daisy single-strokes.

Sights
The sights are fully adjustable, if a little low in front. Sharp eyes will reward you with a perfect sight picture that will result in very small groups if you do your part.

Background
The Daisy 717 was Daisy's first single-stroke target pistol - introduced in 1981. There was also a .22 caliber model, called the 722, introduced at the same time. Daisy dropped it in 1996. In target airguns, .177 caliber is really the only one that matters. In 1986, they added the 747 pistol, an upgrade of the 717. It had a Lothar Walther barrel and better adjustable sights. In 1990 the top-of-the-line 777 was added. It had a non-adjustable wood grip that never quite justified the higher price charged by Daisy. Today, the 717 and 747 are all that remain. Although the 717 doesn't have the Walther barrel, it's still very accurate.

Handling
Both the 717 and 747 are muzzle-heavy pistols. While that does help steady the guns for better control, it also makes them feel too heavy to many shooters. They really aren't that heavy at just 36 oz., but they do have a lot of that weight out in front of the triggerguard. If you don't like that feel, the lighter Gamo Compact (third item down) is probably the better airgun for you. The two-stage trigger is somewhat creepy but not too heavy. It is not adjustable, but you do get used to it pretty quick.

Pellet choices
Since this is a Daisy, I think you have to try Daisy's Quick Silver pellets. I would also recommend the Gamo Match pellet (third item down), because it often performs as well as more expensive target pellets. Finally, don't forget to try the light Tech Force Match pellet. It usually performs best in my target airguns - even better than other brands sold at higher prices.

The Daisy 717 is a fun gun that's also a wonderful informal target pistol. You'll be hard-pressed to find a better all-round plinking air pistol.

IZH-61: an air rifle for everyone!

2006-02-13T05:30:00.000-08:00

by Tex Force

Shame on me for not telling you about this wonderful little air rifle before now! If you don't know about the IZH-61 yet, you're in for a rare treat!

It may look like a futuristic combat rifle, but the IZH-61 is one very accurate target rifle!

A real value from Russia!
That's correct - this sidelever spring-piston rifle is made by the same people who make the AK-47. They're also the folks who make the IZH-46M target pistol (second item down), widely acknowledged as the best buy in a target air pistol! It should come as no surprise that the IZH-61 is also a very accurate air rifle. But, how good can it really be if it's selling for less than $85?

As accurate as $400 target rifles!
You may not believe that, but this little spring rifle can hold its own with a Daisy model 853 target rifle that sells for over $400. In fact, it's as accurate as Daisy's Avanti 888 precharged target rifle that sells for more than $500! From a rest, an IZH-61 will group all its shots in about two-tenths of an inch at 10 meters. One owner on the East Coast was so impressed with his rifle that he installed a laminated stock that costs over $200 and an Anschutz front and rear aperture sight set costing over $500 on his $80 Russian air rifle! Granted that was extreme, but the rifle can back up that kind of investment. It's that accurate.

Loaded with features that are perfect for beginners
The IZH-61 is the perfect starter air rifle for several reasons besides just the accuracy. It weighs just 6.5 lbs., or about the same as Daisy's target rifles designed for youth shooting. It has an adjustable stock, so it can be sized to fit smaller children. Although it is a sidelever, the pellets feed from a 5-shot magazine, so there are no places where small fingers can get pinched. This is one of the easiest-cocking air rifles on the market! All are good reasons to start a new shooter with one of these, but adults will also find plenty of features to love. The adjustable stock also accommodates larger shooters, and the rifle comes with both open sights and an aperture site conversion. There are even two mounting points for the rear site, depending on which form - peep or open - you choose to use. The front sight is a globe-type that accepts different inserts for different types of shooting. It comes with a square post insert.

It's a repeater?
Yes. The rifle comes with a 5-shot "harmonica"-type magazine that indexes the next pellet every time you cock the lever. It's practically foolproof, except that it doesn't sense when the last pellet has been fired, so it would be possible to dry-fire the gun if no pellet remains in the magazine. This type of magazine makes it easy to load pellets because they are put into the magazine when it's apart from the gun. Then the magazine is inserted in one side of the receiver, and you can begin cocking and shooting.

Trigger has some creep
The trigger is the one feature that's not absolutely first-rate on this rifle. It has a lot of creep or movement that can be felt when it is pulled. Still, it is light enough for younger shooters to use easily. Though it's creepy, it's just as good as many triggers on sporting spring rifles costing hundreds of dollars.

Lower power is perfect for indoor target use!
This rifle shoots lightweight .177 pellets at 450 to 475 f.p.s. While that is too slow for hunting or pest elimination (except for small mice), it's perfect for indoor target use, providing you shoot into an approved pellet trap such as the Tech Force flat pellet trap (last item on page) or the much larger Daisy pellet trap (last item on page). Though it's not powerful, do not attempt to catch the pellets in a cardboard box filled with crushed newspapers, the way you do with a BB gun. This rifle will soon shoot through such a stop and start hitting whatever is behind it.

The low power also means the rifle is very quiet, so it shouldn't bother others if shot inside the house. The noise of the pellet hitting the trap will be the loudest sound heard.

What pellets to use?
The Tech Force Match Pellet (Light) (bottom of the page) is the perfect match for the accuracy of this rifle. The Gamo Match pellet (third item down) is also a good choice. A lighter pellet with a wadcutter or flat nose cuts a perfectly round hole in the target and is easier to see and score.

The IZH-61 is already a legendary air rifle. Ask any owner and they will tell you what a wonderful little shooter it can be! I hope you can become a happy owner like the others. Let me know what you think of the gun when you get it!

Gamo Hunter 1250

2006-02-06T05:30:00.000-08:00

by Tex Force

You want power in an air rifle? This one's got it all. The Gamo Hunter 1250 (third item down on the page) is the first spring-piston rifle to break 1,250 feet per second in .177 caliber. You may not actually want to shoot that fast, especially if you want to hit anything, but all that power means this rifle can handle the heavy pellets faster than other rifles shoot the light ones.

Hunters rejoice!
This Gamo really performs! Actual chronograph tests show that there is some deviation, rifle to rifle, but all the .177 1250s I've tested were well over 1,200 f.p.s.! That means you can accurately shoot heavyweight pellets, such as the Beeman Kodiak Match (bottom of the page) at speeds about 1,000 f.p.s., so they will have a flatter trajectory and require less range estimation over longer distances.

A BIG air rifle!
When I wrote about the RWS Diana 350 Magnum air rifle on January 2, I said it's a big gun. Well, this one is even bigger. It's 48.5" long and weighs 9 lbs., give or take for the density of the wood stock. Cocking effort is about 60 lbs., which is almost double that of the RWS Diana 350 Magnum (second gun down). This isn't a casual air rifle for plinking at tin cans. It's a serious hunting rifle that can humanely take game as large as woodchucks and raccoons, as long as the right pellets are used.

Which caliber - .177 or .22?
You probably know that any airgun is about 20 percent more powerful in .22 caliber than it is in .177. It's just the nature of the beast. Well, in a rifle with this kind of power potential, I sure would think twice about getting the .22. The velocity will still be high enough for those long-range flat shots, and you're going to have smashing power on target! The Beeman Kodiak Match pellet in .22 is a great choice, but don't overlook the Beeman Crow Magnum hollowpoint (third pellet down) and Gamo's Magnum pellet (second pellet down). Both are lighter than the Kodiak, which means higher velocity for those longer shots.

Should you scope it?
Although the 1250 comes with open sights, it's really meant to be scoped. In order to reach out to the long ranges this rifle is capable of, you need the extra precision of a good scope. It won't make the rifle any more accurate, but it will help you sight more accurately. I recommend a Tech Force 3-12x44mm scope (5th scope down), mounted in B-Square Air Match 1" rings (high) (4th item from the bottom). You need the high rings to accommodate the larger (44mm) objective lens, and you'll want that large objective for the extra light it passes. More light means longer hunting, which means more game harvested.

Do you REALLY NEED this airgun?
That's a question we all have to ask with each new purchase we make. You may be doing well right now with a Benjamin Sheridan 392 (third rifle down), so why would you spend the money for a new 1250 - even if it IS on sale? With almost twice the muzzle energy of your current rifle, the 1250 is lets you reach those squirrels that taunt you from 100 feet up in the trees! And, it's going to reach out and touch that tough old woodchuck you've been after for the last three years. He knows exactly how close you need to be with your current rifle, so imagine his surprise when you open up from 20 yards farther back! If your hunting experiences dictate a more powerful rifle, they don't come much better than this one!

Last, but not least, is Gamo's quality
Gamo has been steadily improving the quality of their spring-piston air rifles over the past decade. The 1250 Hunter is their flagship rifle, and they put everything they had into it to make an owner proud. Despite the smashing power, this rifle is not a bit harsh to shoot. Oh, it does recoil, but the spring buzzing you may have felt in other powerful springers is tamed by the Gamo powerplant, which gets smoother with every shot. The only fact you must consider is the cocking effort it requires. Hunters usually don't shoot that many shots per session, but know that this is not a gun you are going to just plink with. All that power comes at the price of some extra cocking effort. Still, if you want the absolute power champion in a springer, this is it!

Beeman R7 pellet rifle

2006-01-30T05:30:00.000-08:00

by Tex Force

You want to buy a high-quality air rifle. You like accuracy, good triggers and guns that are well made. Power is secondary to quality in your book. Well, pardner, you're in luck, because the Beeman R7 (sixth rifle down) is probably just the air rifle for you.

Not a magnum
Not everybody wants the absolute last bit of velocity from an airgun. Instead, some like a smooth shooter that they can spend delightful hours with. It's not too much fun to cock a breakbarrel that takes 50 pounds of effort, but one that only takes 18 pounds is no work at all. Where most spring-piston air rifles weigh at least eight pounds, the R7 comes in at just over six. The stock is correctly proportioned for an adult, and you will really enjoy shooting this delightful little rifle.

Two calibers to choose from
The R7 comes in both .177 and .20 caliber. In .177, it reaches to 700 f.p.s. with lightweight pellets, and the .20-caliber gets up to 550. A good .177 pellet is the Gamo Match (third pellet down), and the RWS Superdome (sixth pellet down). In .20 caliber, try the Beeman H&N (fourth pellet down).

Rekord trigger
At the heart of the rifle, a special trigger called the Rekord controls the action. The Rekord has been produced continuously since the mid-1950s and is the one all other airgun triggers are compared to. It's a fully adjustable two-stage multi-lever trigger that can be set to break cleanly at less than three pounds. It has an automatic safety that disables the gun every time it is cocked until the safety button is pushed in. Once the safety is off, the barrel must be broken open all the way to re-set it.

Weihrauch accuracy
All the Beeman R-series air rifles are made by the Germany firm Weihrauch. Beeman specifies the shape and length of the stock, and in several cases the power level of the guns. The R-7 looks very much like its larger brother, the R1. Everything is scaled down on the R7 except for the length of the butt, which is practically the same as the one on the R1. Weihrauch is famous for making high-quality target rifles, and that skill carries over to their airgun line. All HW barrels are considered very accurate, and the R7 is a delight because it is so lightweight and easy to shoot.

A rifle worth scoping
Although the R7 comes with an excellent set of open sights, it accepts scopes just as easily as all other Beeman R-series rifles. Because of the smaller size, I recommend getting a scope to match. The Tech Force 2-7x32 scope (fifth scope down) would be a perfect match to this rifle's power and accuracy potential. Since it has a 32mm objective lens, you could use the B-Square fixed airgun rings with a built-in scope stop. Yes, there are cheaper scopes and rings, but the R7 has the quality and accuracy that merits spending just a little more.

Fun targets
If you want to have more fun with your new rifle, take a look at the Gamo rocker pellet trap (top of the page) and the Gamo metallic rat and squirrel field targets (third item down on the same page). Shoot at any of these targets, and you'll see the results right away! The rat and squirrel targets are used in the exciting sport of field target, so this could be the start of something new for you.

The R7 is acknowledged as a classic spring air rifle. It has Weihrauch quality that you will still be proud of 20 years from now, and Weihrauch accuracy that you can use anytime. Just look around and see how many used R7s you find for sale. People usually don't part with them. You won't, either.

What about those solid pellets?

2006-01-22T14:50:00.000-08:00

by Tex Force

I read a lot on the airgun forums about shooting solid pellets these days. Apparently, shooters have figured out that the heavier a pellet is, the more power it generates in pneumatic guns. What they haven't yet discovered is that almost no airguns work well with them. That's what I want to discuss today.

Pneumatics favor heavy pellets
If you weren't aware of this - it's true. The heavier the pellet, the more muzzle energy it will generate in a multi-pump or precharged pneumatic. Spring guns like lighter pellets for power, but today we're looking at heavy pellets. Let me present this example. In the AirForce Talon SS (second rifle down), the Crosman Premier pellet goes about 840 f.p.s., or so. The .22-caliber Crosman Premier weighs 14.3 grains, so that delivers a muzzle energy of 22.41 foot-pounds. The same rifle averages about 735 f.p.s. with a 21-grain Beeman Kodiak (last pellet on page), and that is 25.2 foot-pounds. This same relationship holds for all pneumatics. So if you want a little more oomph, shoot the Kodiak - it's that simple. Ah, but there is a catch!

Super-heavy pellets!
If you want EVEN MORE power, what about using a heavier pellet? Well, now the shooter begins to search for the heaviest pellets he can find, and that will lead him straight to the solid lead pellets. He makes this search with the blind faith that nothing else will change - he'll just get more power from his airgun. But that's not the way things turn out. As it happens, the pellets he's been shooting are all of a similar type called diabolos. They have a narrow waist and a hollow tail. The shooter doesn't give this much thought, but that shape is quite important to the functioning of his airgun. You see, the narrow waist and hollow tail create what is known as drag on the pellet as it flies through the air. This drag is what keeps the nose pointed forward and the pellet on track. If there were no drag, the pellet would have to be stabilized entirely by its spin, which is imparted by the rifling. And that's the catch!

Airgun rifling doesn't twist fast enough for bullets
Maybe you noticed that a heavier pellet goes slower in the Talon SS. Well, if you shoot an even heavier pellet, it goes even slower. As a result, the twist rate of the rifling spins the pellet more slowly when it exits the muzzle. That doesn't matter much when the pellet is stabilized by the drag on its tail, but when the tail is filled and the side of the pellet becomes straight, as it is on a solid pellet, it doesn't have the high drag anymore. Instead of a diabolo pellet, the shape we now have is called a bullet. A bullet has to be stabilized by spin, and pellet rifles have twist rates too slow to stabilize bullets unless they can accelerate them to very high velocity. The standard twist rate in an air rifle barrel is one turn in 16 inches - too slow to stabilize a 30-grain lead bullet at anything less than about 1,000 f.p.s. The AirForce Condor (third rifle down) can get 30-grain bullets up to that speed, and so can a few Korean air rifles like the Career 707, but most pneumatics and no spring guns can!

The downrange effect
The result is that a Talon SS can shoot a one-inch group at 50 yards (under ideal conditions) with both Crosman Premiers and Beeman Kodiaks but can't keep five 30-grain bullets inside a two-foot circle! That's pretty dramatic, and it's all because the shooter did not understand how his pellets really work.

It's your choice - make it a good one!
The pellets you feed your air rifle are a personal choice, but you have to understand what they do as far as accuracy is concerned. Standard diabolo pellets are far safer than solid bullets because they travel only a fraction as far when accelerated to high velocity. The high drag on their tail slows them down like a badminton birdie. But it also gives you most of your accuracy, and it's the reason your pellet rifle works as well as it does. If you want to experiment with bullet-like ammunition, know what the tradeoffs are before you invest in too many tins.

Benjamin Sheridan SHB 17 & SHB 22

2006-01-16T05:30:00.000-08:00

by Tex Force.

Do you ever feel you got into airgunning too late? That, if you could just turn back the clock 30-40 years, things would be great because that was when all the really neat airguns were available? Well, you may have overlooked a gun that's still made today in the same way it has been made for the past 60 years - the Benjamin Sheridan SHB17 and SHB 22 (second gun down on the page).

How far back does it go?
The models 132 and 137 began production right after World War II in 1946. They're the direct ancestors of today's multi-pump pistol and had an incredibly long production run - up until 1985. Over that time, they lost the "Tootsie Roll" pump handle, the finish changed from plating to paint and the wood grips become more modern. But, the basic gun remained the same.

The Benjamin 130/132/137 may have looked a little different. Underneath, it was the same gun as the one you can buy today.

Quality reveals itself
The gun had a brass barrel in 1946, and it still does today. The stock and forearm were made of walnut, and they're still made of American hardwood, which can be either walnut or other hardwoods. The adjustable sights have remained, as have the two calibers - .177 and .22. In short, this is pretty much the same air pistol you could buy 60 years ago, only this one has all the modern improvements that make it a better gun.

Seals have improved since WWII!
Synthetics and seal materials have improved vastly since the 1940s. No longer is leather used as a pump head seal. It worked fine in its day, but it had to be oiled frequently or it lost compression pretty fast. Today's pump head will probably outlast the first owner and maybe the second, too. The space program advanced synthetics quite far from the 1960s through the 1980s. However, you still want to leave one pump of air in the gun at all times to keep the valves closed against air contamination.

Pellets have improved, too!
The pellets they had in the 1940s were nowhere near as accurate and efficient as modern pellets. For this pistol, you'll want to use a light pellet to keep the velocity respectable. I like the Daisy Quick Silver pellets and the RWS Geco pellet.

Back in the '60s, you'd be lucky to get a 1" group at 10 yds. Now, that can be stretched out to 25 yds. by a careful shooter. The barrels haven't gotten better - just the pellets. Improvements in pellets have also sped up the guns! The .177 is now rated at 525 f.p.s., and the .22 is rated at 460. That's the equivalent velocity of a Beeman P1 for less than one-third the price!

How much longer do we have?
It's difficult to say how much longer these pistols will be made. In the past 10 years, Crosman (who owns Benjamin Sheridan) has cancelled all of the Sheridan pistols. The guns we see today in .177 and .22 are Benjamins - Sheridans are always .20 caliber. They have also done away with the nickel-plated versions, which were very attractive. So, a grouping of more than 10 pistols has been whittled down to just four - including the CO2 SEB 177/22. It's just a matter of time before these, too, will be history.

Are they too expensive?
In 1949, a Benjamin 132/137 was $13.50. Compasseco now lists the SHB pistols at $116.95. If Chevrolet had increased their full-sized car prices by the same percent, a 2006 model would sell for under $14,000. In my book, today's American air pistol is something of a bargain!

If you want one of the most powerful air pistols generally available, and one that is still made here in the U.S., this model is one to consider. It has a level of quality that will never diminish.

Tech Force 90 red dot sight

2006-01-09T05:30:00.000-08:00

by Tex Force

Today, I want to look at something you shoot WITH. This is not just for airguns - firearms can use it, too! I'm talking about the Tech Force 90 dot sight (7th sight down on the page).

Made to military standards!
I was there when Compasseco first began selling this sight. At a time when other red dot makers were charging more than $100 for their sights, Compasseco brought out the Tech Force 90, a HUGE improvement over the run-of-the-mill dot sights with features that would cost extra in other sights. But the biggest sales point of all was the fact that this sight is made at an optics plant that does a lot of business for the military. They make everything to the same exacting standards.

What makes this one so good?
Besides the quality, which should never be overlooked, the TF 90 has a huge viewing area! When they first came out, other companies had been bragging about their 30mm view area - this sight sent them back to the drawing board. The Tech Force 96 (8th sight down on the page) has a one-inch tube, but the TF 90 is an INCH AND A HALF! It's like looking through a picture window!

Precision-coated optics enhance bright dot
You get the same rugged lens coatings the military uses for maximum light transmission. The dot can be seen in bright daylight by adjusting the seven-level dimmer switch. Use the lowest setting you can for best results, as the size of the dot increases with brightness. A larger dot means a larger aim point, which can cover part of the target and make aiming less precise.

Two different mounts allow use on firearms, too!
The sight comes with both a Weaver mount and a dovetail mount to attach it to any rifle, shotgun or handgun on which bases for those mounts can be attached. Many airguns already have the dovetails, so you need nothing else. For example, the Beeman P1 pistol (3rd pistol down on the page) has an 11mm dovetail rail running the full length of the top between the sights. Clamp the TF 90 to this rail using the dovetail mount and butt it up against the front sight, which serves as a scope stop. Since the P1 recoils in the opposite direction of most spring guns, this works fine.

It adjusts like a scope
Although there is just the center dot, you adjust it for both windage and elevation, the same as for any scope. Once you're zeroed, all you have to do is put the red dot on the target and squeeze off the shot - the bullet will go where the dot appears. Best of all, only YOU will see the dot. No light projects from this sight, so there is nothing to spook game or to alert anyone to your presence. The dot you see stays inside the sight tube.

Dot sights are much quicker than scopes to get on target, plus they are more precise than open sights. Though there is no magnification of the target, you won't have any trouble knowing where your pellet or bullet is going. They are just as handy on rifles or pistols, and shooters are finding new ways to use them every day.

TF 96 or TF 90?
The TF 96 is a less-expensive version of the TF 90, but this isn't a place to save money. Get the larger 90 if you possibly can, because a great part of its excellence is in the 50 percent larger optics. If your budget is too tight to allow the stretch, the TF 96 is a wonderful sight in its own right and has all the features as the 90, except for the size.

Tech Force 90 on a Beeman P2 pistol. It's large but not heavy.

Don't think that the TF 90 is too big for a handgun, either! It is large, but the use of extruded aluminum keeps the weight manageable. It adds only a few ounces to the overall weight of your gun.

If you are not getting the scores you should with open sights, the TF 90 may be just your ticket.

RWS Diana 350 magnum

2006-01-02T05:30:00.000-08:00

by Tex Force

Let me be the 400th person to wish you a Happy New Year!

This week I want to talk about a spring rifle that is about the best value going. Oh, it's not cheap, though Compasseco has put it on sale as I write this blog. That will change in time, but even at the full price, the RWS Diana 350 Magnum (5th rifle down on the page) is a classic air rifle that's tough to beat.

It's a BIG gun!
The length and size of this rifle puts it into the LARGE category. It's 45" long and well-proportioned for an adult. Yet, despite the size, the 350M is not at all heavy. At 8.2 lbs., it's lighter than a Beeman R1 (5th rifle down on the page), a rifle it trounces in the power category. Diana managed to somehow make the 350 easy to cock. At just 33 lbs. of force when fully broken-in, this monster cocks easier than the R1!

One of the three power kings!
There are only two other spring rifles sold in the U.S. that have this kind of power - the Gamo Hunter 1250 (3rd down on the page) and the Webley Patriot (which is also sold as the Beeman Kodiak - end of the page). Both those rifles are heavier than the 350 and quite a bit harder to cock. The Webley is also considerably more expensive.

With the right pellets, the 350 is a slammin' powerhouse. Beeman Kodiak pellets (bottom of the page) will get more than 21 foot-pounds out of the gun. If you want the best, try RWS Superpoints! (bottom of the page) For some strange reason, this rifle seems to love this pellet and will shoot it at almost 24.5 foot-pounds! That's hummin' along at 875 f.p.s., which is about as fast as you want to go for the best accuracy.

How is it to shoot?
Like most spring-piston air rifles, the 350 Magnum requires some technique to shoot well. You hold it with the lightest touch you can manage, so it can recoil as much as it wants to. It'll reward you with half-inch groups at 25 yards. Hold it tight, and the group size will double.

Open sights are all you need
The 350M comes with an incredible set of open sights. They're fully adjustable, and the front globe accepts different inserts, though none come with the gun. The rear sight features four different notch shapes, so you can tailor it to your liking. Of course, the adjustment knobs have crisp detents, so you know what's going on.

Which caliber to pick?
The 350M comes in both .177 and .22. You're going to get the highest velocity with .177 (a bad thing, if you exceed about 950 f.p.s.) and the most power from the .22 (a very good thing). If you do choose the .177, remember to order the heaviest pellets you can find to keep the velocity under about 950 f.p.s. Then, you'll have real power plus a flat trajectory, but you won't go supersonic and blow your pellets all over the place. In .22, the 350M can really shove the heavy lead, getting as much as 685 f.p.s. out of 21-grain Kodiaks. But, that 14.5-grain RWS Superpoint is definitely a pellet you'll want to try, because it's going downrange at just under 900 f.p.s. - perfect for long-range accuracy and deep penetration.

Should you mount a scope?
Every gun benefits from a scope simply because the aim point is more precise. For the 350M, I'd recommend a Tech Force Heavy Duty Hunting Scope (third down on the page) in 3-9X40mm. I would mount it in a pair of B-Square fixed 1" rings. I like the two-piece rings because they give you more flexibility where you mount the scope.

Finally - it's on sale!
The 350 Magnum is on sale as I post this blog. I don't know how long that will last, but there's never been a better time to buy one than now. If you're looking for a large, powerful spring rifle, this is one of the top three available. It's a deal!

Three types of airgun powerplants

2005-12-26T05:30:00.001-08:00

by Tex Force

If you are new to airgunning, you may be confused by some of the terms, especially as they relate to how the guns work. This week, I will explain how the different airgun powerplants work, and I'll try to cover at least a few of the common terms.

Pneumatics came first!
We believe airguns were first made in the 16th century, though no examples that old have been found. The earliest air rifle mechanism known for certain is in the Danish Royal Museum. It has a date of 1604 on it, but it is advanced enough to make historians believe that something must have existed earlier.

A very common multi-pump pneumatic today is the Benjamin 392 (third rifle down on the page). An example of a single-stroke pneumatic is Daisy's Avanti 853 Legend (third rifle down on the page).

Three types of pneumatics
The three main pneumatics are: 1) the precharged, 2_ the multi-pump and 3) the single-stroke. The precharged is a gun that stores compressed air for one or more shots. The air is introduced by means of a separate pump or compressed air tank. This is the oldest type of pneumatic mechanism.

The multi-pump came next. This type uses several strokes of a built-in pump to charge the gun. Guns of this type are known to exist from as early as the 1700s.

The single-stroke is a pump-type pneumatic that uses only one pump stroke. If you try to put in a second pump, the first escapes. This type was first offered in the 1960s, making it the most recent.

Spring-air or spring-pistons were next!
This type of airgun does not store compressed air. Instead, the action of a spring powers something that compresses the air on the spot. The earliest type of spring-powered airgun is a bellows guns, where a flat spring rapidly closes a bellows and sends a puff of air up the barrel. You get the same result by rapidly closing a fireplace bellows! The earliest bellows guns are from around the year 1700.

The RWS 24 is a spring-piston air rifle. It isn't pumped, and it doesn't store compressed air. Instead, a powerful spring drives a piston to compress the air when the shot is fired.

Today, however, the most common kind of spring-piston airgun uses a piston with a tight-fitting seal to compress the air. A coiled steel mainspring shoves the piston forward, compressing the air in front of it as it goes. The first spring-piston guns were made in the 1840s. Spring-piston airguns have recoil, plus they have a current top power limit of around 35 foot-pounds.

Then came CO2
Carbon dioxide was first used to launch bullets in the 1870s. The first guns were made in France and were either 6mm or 8mm. The modern CO2 gun was invented by Crosman in the late 1930s. They had to wait until the end of World War II to hit the market. Some survival CO2 shotguns develop over 100 foot-pounds. CO2 develops around 900 psi at 70 degrees F.

Crosman's Nightstalker (second down on the page) is a CO2 rifle. It uses a large disposable cartridge (bottom of the page) that drives the pellet and cycles the semi-automatic action.

Other compressible gasses
Propane is used to power airsoft and now paintball guns. It's marketed as "green gas" and develops just over 100 psi at 70 degrees F. It's good for velocities in the 300 to 500 f.p.s. region but not much higher.

When you buy an airgun, give some thought to the powerplant it has. Each type has advantages and disadvantages - and dictates how the gun functions.

Clean your barrels for extra accuracy

2005-12-19T05:30:00.000-08:00

by Tex Force

This week's topic is in response to a comment that came in last Saturday. It was posted to the RWS 34 blog. "Use a brass brush to clean my barrel! I'm new to air gunning but I know not to use a wire brush in my barrel!

If you have only inexpensive American airguns, that advice is good, because many American airguns have brass barrels. They should never be cleaned with a brass brush because it would scratch the bore as it passed through. In fact, you should probably never clean a brass airgun barrel at all! Airgun barrels don't get dirty from the same things as firearms. There is no combustion taking place, no lead melting from the heat of burning gasses nor is any lead being scraped off and ironed into the barrel metal. Any dust that settles in the bore of an airgun gets scraped out when the next pellet goes through. In a sense, airgun barrels take care of themselves.

Steel barrels are a different story
Steel airgun barrels are just as tough as rimfire barrels. The big difference is the depth of the rifling. Airgun rifling is about half as deep as rimfire rifling. Steel barrels do collect lead if the gun shoots very fast. Anything over 1,000 feet per second, and you can be certain lead is being deposited in the barrel. And, if you use any Crosman pellet, including Crosman Premiers, that velocity gets lowered to 800 f.p.s., because Crosman uses antimony in their pellets to make them harder. Antimony make a lead alloy that sticks to steel.

How to get the lead out?
There is one best way to get the lead out of an airgun barrel. This way is used by many of the top field target champions in England, and it will not harm the bore. Use J-B Non-Embedding Bore Cleaning Compound on a bore sized brass brush. Apply the compound thickly to the entire brush, then run the brush completely through the bore, starting at the breech if possible. If you do it from the muzzle, you'll have to take extra care to not allow the cleaning rod to touch the side of the muzzle. If it does, the compound will wear away the rifling at the muzzle, which can cause inaccuracy.

J-B Compound is the ticket for best accuracy from a steel airgun barrel.

How many times to run the rod through? I could give you a number like 25, but what I do is feel how the rod binds and gets loose as it passes through the bore. That's the lead grabbing the brush. When that feeling goes away, I give about 10 more passes for good measure. The only spot that should still grab the brush is a two-inch length at the muzzle where the choke is. Better airgun barrels all have this spot, and it will never change.

Where do you get J-B Compound?
You can buy J-B Compound at better gun stores everywhere. Benchrest shooters use it in their rifles for the same reason. If you don't have a good gun store nearby, do a Google search to find hundreds of stores that sell it mailorder.

Afterward
When the barrel is free from lead, you have to remove the J-B Compound. Run several dry patches through the bore, and wipe the area around the breech and muzzle to get rid of all excess compound. When the bulk of it is gone, use a mild solvent or, better yet, a preservative gun oil on the next few patches. Alternate oily and dry patches until the patches start coming out clean. The rifle is now ready to shoot.

If you have a leaded barrel, this procedure will restore its accuracy. Don't do it more often than necessary, because any time you run a rod through a barrel there is a chance for wear at the muzzle.

Looking for a BB machinegun? Try a Drozd!

2005-12-12T05:30:00.000-08:00

by Tex Force

If you're into fast action shooting and rapid fire, the Russian Drozd submachinegun is for you! This novel gun has an electrically powered firing mechanism, but uses CO2 gas to launch the projectile.

This BB submachinegun packs a lot of fun into a small package!

Here's how it works
The Drozd works like an electric airsoft gun, in that a motor controls the firing rate and the number of shots fired with every pull of the trigger. Although it shoots full-auto, it only does so for bursts of three or six shots - you pick the number. A switch controls how many shots you'll get with each pull of the trigger. In the single-shot mode, the gun works as a semi-automatic; in the burst mode, as a controlled-rate full-auto gun.

Shoot one, three or six shots with each pull of the trigger!

The electric motor is powered by six AA batteries which fit in the front of the gun under the barrel. Remember, these drive the electric motor that powers the feed mechanism - they have nothing to do with how fast each BB goes. That's determined by CO2!

You can select three rates of fire
Another switch controls the rate of fire, which means how fast the shots go off. It only affects the rate when the other switch is set to either a three- or six-round burst. The three rates are 300 shots per minute, 450 and 600.

Select 300, 450 or 600 shots per minute!

It has a rifled barrel!
You can use regular steel BBs in the Drozd, but Gamo lead balls or Beeman Perfect Rounds will shoot harder and group much tighter. That's because they fit the barrel better, so no gas gets past them. I've shot 1" groups at 20 yards with a Drozd when shooting carefully aimed shots in the semi-automatic mode.

If you get the gun, don't forget these!
First, you're going to need lots of good BBs, and Crosman BBs are among the best. I recommend getting the 6,000-count container (the one pictured on the web page), because, at the rate you'll go through them with the Drozd, they will last longest. And, don't forget to buy some Crosman CO2 Powerlets. I recommend the package of 25. They'll provide a lot of shooting, and the price is a lot better than buying them in packs of five.

It's a great Christmas gift
The Drozd is the airgun for shooters who like action-packed fun. It's a little loud for shooting indoors, and it's also very powerful. Wherever you do shoot it, make certain your BB trap or backstop will really stop the BBs. This gun will cut through a half-inch of plywood board in pretty short order. The great thing is that Compasseco has them in stock (at least they did when this post was published) and for a great price! This is a gun that's selling for $225 and above everywhere else.

Act quick if you want one for Christmas. You'll be glad you did!

Super Christmas sale!

2005-12-05T09:30:00.000-08:00

by Tex Force

First let me help some of you who are new to this site. It's hard to find everything from the home page. But, there's a site map that has a hot link at the bottom of the home page. Using it, you can find just about everything Compasseco has to offer. And boy, do they have a lot to offer today! All you have to do is follow the links in this blog and I will show you the best airgun deals of the Christmas season!

I received an email of a special Compasseco Christmas sale. All of you probably haven't signed up to get this, so I want to pass along these great deals here.

Starting with the Crosman Nightstalker
I covered the new Nightstalker on October 31. This Nightstalker (second gun down on the page) is the only affordable semiautomatic air rifle in the world! Crosman will not allow any discounting of the Nightstalker, but still, the closest semiauto pellet gun costs over $400.

Walther CP99 compact
Here is the realistic version of the new Walther CP 99 pocket pistol that James Bond used in his latest movie. This one features realistic recoil like the firearm. The normal price is $75.95, but the Christmas sale price is a low $59.95. These are door-buster prices that you aren't going to find anywhere else!

Want a Walther Nighthawk?
Walther's most popular pistol this year has been the Nighthawk (second gun down on page), which is loaded with accessories to resemble a tricked-out tactical combat pistol. Compasseco has a super-special deal on remanufactured guns that include everything (gun, compensator, hard case, dot sight) except the tactical flashlight. They are only $99.95, according to the email! Now a remanufactured gun will look new, but it has been returned to the factory (Crosman, in this case) for some reason. After repair and testing, the gun is sold as reconditioned, but it works just as good as new. And you can save a bundle! The Nighthawk is in such demand that I am surprised there can be any savings, but here it is.

Celebrating 40 years of the Crosman 760
Many boys and girls started in airguns with a Crosman 760. This versatile pump rifle can shoot either steel BBs or lead pellets, by virtue of a specially rifled barrel. It's very easy to pump - and, as the owners already know, quite accurate. To celebrate 40 successful years and over 7 MILLION made, Crosman has produced this special commemorative 760 with real wood stock and special colors. They only made 1,500 of these, so if you keep yours in good condition, it will appreciate in value over the years (keep the box and everything that comes with the gun, too). Only $79.95!

For those who want the very best: a precharged adult rifle under $300!
Can't believe your eyes? Neither could I. The BSA Tech Star is an even more powerful version of the BSA Hornet. Compasseco had this rifle made especially for them. And they initially priced it at a very low $435, but for THIS SALE ONLY, they are dropping the price to just $299.95. The rifle develops 32 to 38 foot-pounds in .22 caliber and will take any small game suitable for airgun hunting. It has a BSA barrel, which is the recognized industry leader. Other big-name airgun makers use BSA barrels in rifles that cost two and three times what you will pay for this one.

The email says the sale is good until December 22. With holiday shipping being much slower, I would order today to ensure delivery on time. Remember - tell them you saw these things in the December 3rd Christmas sale email or in this blog!

RWS 34 - a classic spring-piston air rifle

2005-11-28T05:30:00.000-08:00

by Tex Force

RWS 34 is an attractive entry into the world of adult air rifles.

With Christmas coming, you may be wondering which rifle to ask for. If you're finally ready to move up into the adult airgun world, it's hard to pick a better beginning than the very popular RWS model 34 (fourth gun down on the page). Today, I'd like to tell you more about this wonderful spring rifle.

It cocks by breaking the barrel!
The model 34 is called a breakbarrel rifle. That means the action of breaking the barrel down and pivoting it as far as it will go cocks the powerful mainspring. Then, you load a pellet into the breech, close the barrel and get ready to shoot. Just before you take the shot, release the automatic safety and squeeze the trigger.

Spring rifles need a break-in
At first, a 34 will seem stiff and jerky to you. It will also seem hard to cock, and the trigger won't seem as nice as it should. That is completely normal. A spring rifle needs about 1,000 shots before it starts to smooth out. Some rifles are less harsh in the beginning, but all spring rifles need a break-in period. The RWS 34 is especially well-made, and it will break-in to become a wonderful shooting companion if you give it a chance.

For break-in, I recommend that you shoot heavy pellets such as Gamo Hunter or Gamo Magnum pellets (first and second on the page). I personally like the Hunter pellets better for their round nose, but either pellet is a good one for break-in. And, you may discover that they shoot so well that you want to keep shooting them after your rifle is broken in. They come 250 to a tin, so better order several at a time!

A 3-step plan to maintain your spring gun
1. Your rifle is well-lubricated from the factory. You don't usually have to lube it for the first year, unless you shoot more than 5,000 shots. Use RWS Chamber Lube (third listing from the top). Use the lube sparingly - it takes just a drop or two!

2. Barrel cleaning is generally not needed - BUT, you do need a cleaning kit! A spring rifle doesn't get dirty from shooting, so the normal cleaning you do after shooting a firearm isn't necessary. However, when accuracy falls off, cleaning with a brass brush can restore it. I will post more about this in the future. Also, if you get a pellet stuck in the barrel, a cleaning rod is the best way to push it out. I like the Gamo cleaning kit, but be sure to also buy a brass brush in the same caliber as your rifle.

3. Clean the outside of your gun before putting it away. The last thing to do is wipe it down all over with a silicone gun cloth like the one Beeman sells (second item down on the page).

Should you get a scope?
The decision to mount a scope on an air rifle is personal, but you should know that using a scope increases your sighting precision - and your accuracy. Compasseco has a rifle and scope combo on sale right now, so this might be the best time to get one, if you think you want one.

The trigger, and why you should actually READ the owner's manual!
RWS triggers can be adjusted very sweet - BUT they don't adjust the way you think! You MUST READ THE OWNER'S MANUAL to learn how to adjust the trigger. I spent 20 years annoyed at the triggers of my RWS rifles, only to discover the screws I had been turning didn't do what I thought they did! Bummer! I don't want you to make the same mistake, so read that manual!

The RWS model 34 can be a wonderful first adult airgun - or it can be a big mistake! The things I've told you today are all you need to know to have a wonderful experience with this gun. Give it a try. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Daisy's 22 SG: a hunter's delight!

2005-11-21T05:30:00.000-08:00

by Tex Force

We all talk about a gun that we leave in the corner, ready to dispatch a varmint at a moment's notice. Truthfully, most of our airguns are so expensive and beautiful that nobody really does that. Even a Sheridan pump costs the better part of $150, and no one in their right mind is going to leave a gun like that lying around. But, have you ever considered the Daisy 22SG?

The what?
For under $90, Daisy makes a fine .22 caliber multi-pump with enough power to drop squirrels and rabbits - and the accuracy to make it happen. It's easy to pump, compared to most guns, yet it has all the power you need if the shots are at a reasonable distance.

Yeah - but what do you get for less than $90?
For starters, you get a hardwood stock and forearm! That's right, both the buttstock and forearm are made of the same solid hardwood that comes on air rifle costing hundreds of dollars more. Then there's the metal receiver and steel barrel! Yes, Daisy listened to all the complaints about too much plastic on airguns, and they did something about it.

There is some plastic on this rifle. The bolt handle, triggerguard and pump lever are plastic, but don't worry about breaking them. I doubt you ever will. The way the gun is made, the parts are much stronger than they need to be. And, they help make the gun the rugged, stand-in-the-corner gun that it is. The only thing you have to remember is to occasionally oil the pump head with some good silicone oil such as Crosman Pellgunoil - but you have to do that with any multi-pump!

Best of all - it's a .22!
Yes, this is a real .22 pellet rifle, so hunting is its primary purpose. Muzzle velocity is in the 550 f.p.s. region, which is plenty of steam for cottontail-sized game at 25 yards or less, assuming a good hit.

AND - there's a scope!
Yes, for less than $90, they throw in a 4x scope. It's a fixed 4x with a 32mm objective, which means a very bright image of your target. The duplex reticle is the most favored for hunting and general target practice. The click adjustments are 1/4 minute, which means each click of the adjustment knob moves the strike of the pellet by 1/4" at 100 yards. At 10 yards, the movement would be 1/10 as far, so 10 clicks move the pellet 1/4". The scope rings are also included in the package, so there is nothing more to buy but pellets!

The rifle also has fine open sights. The front sight has a red TruGlo fiber optic dot, while the rear sight is a standard notch. The rear sight is adjustable for both windage and elevation.

What about pellets?
For hunting, use RWS Super-H-Points (3rd from bottom). A recent article in Shotgun News showed this to be one of the best hollowpoint pellets available - and the test was done with a 22SG! For general shooting or hunting, try Gamo Hunter pellets. They're budget-priced and very high quality. Remember to buy .22 caliber pellets!

I know there are fancier pellet rifles than the Daisy 22SG, but I doubt there's a better buy on the market. Whether you just want to get into airgunning on a budget or you want a rifle you really can leave behind the door for shooting opportunities, this one is a real solid shooting value!

Tech Force airgun scopes - part 2

2005-11-14T05:30:00.000-08:00

by Tex Force

We're still talking about Tech Force scopes this week. I'd like to look at some of the more powerful scopes, plus hit some points we missed last week.

One-inch tubes light the way!
All light that passes through a scope is subject to a small amount of absorption. No scope can ENHANCE light unless it is electronic. What you see through the scope will look brighter because it is magnified, but a tiny amount of light will actually be lost. How much loss is determined by the size of the lenses, the number of lenses and the lens coatings.

Tech Force scopes have one-inch tubes that allow a large amount of light to pass through and allow larger lenses to be installed. There are less expensive scopes, often touted as rimfire and airgun scopes, but their 7/8" or 3/4" scope tubes have smaller lenses and are not as bright. An example of one of these inexpensive scopes is the Tech Force .22 Cal. and Low-Power Airgun Scope (fourth scope down on the page). These are good for non-recoiling guns, but they are not as useful as the scopes with one-inch tubes I covered in last week's post.

What about more power?
A more powerful scope lets you see smaller or more distant targets, but it is also more difficult to control. As the power increases, every movement of your body is magnified by the scope. Even the beat of your heart can move you off target when the magnification is really cranked up. For that reason, powerful scopes usually have a broad range of power, so the shooter can dial down when he needs to see the target better.

Also, as the power increases, the field of view decreases. You may be able to see an ant crawling on a blade of grass, but determining WHICH blade of grass might be the challenge! A 4-16x scope is closer to ideal for general shooting than an 8-32x, so consider that when making your decision. Tech Force Target/Hunting scopes (2nd down on the page) are packed with features like sunshades and 10-yard focus to give you the flexibility you need and the high magnification you want.

What about the 6-24x and 8-32x scopes?
These are specialized scopes for hunters and long-range target shooters. Those who shoot the sport of field target often choose them. You already know that powerful scopes like these can give you a splendid closeup view of your target, but they are also useful for extremely fine rangefinding! When the power is cranked all the way up to 32 magnifications, the view through the scope is so good that you can focus to a very fine resolution at long distances. In other words, you can determine ranges at 50 yards with the same accuracy that a 16x scope will have at 25 yards. If you are careful, you can be accurate within a yard or less!.

Good scopes deserve good rings
You need scope rings to attach a scope to an airgun. If you are going to buy a good scope, I recommend B-Square Air-Match scope rings (4th item from the bottom of the page) because they are wider and support the scope tube better. They have four screws for each ring cap instead of two. When they clamp down on the scope tube, the pressure is spread over twice the area. If you pay more for a quality scope, it's better to protect it with quality rings. They don't cost much more, and this is the best set for the money. Be sure to buy rings with the recommended height for the objective bell of the scope you're mounting. For example, the 8-32x scope has a 50mm objective and needs the high version of these rings.

Do you need a scope stop?
A scope stop prevents the scope from slipping under recoil. You need one with most spring guns but not with pneumatics or gas guns. The stop projects below the scope ring or base into a hole or groove on top of the air rifle receiver. The B-Square mounts I recommended come with an adjustable stop pin that can be removed if you don't need it. While some airguns such as the Tech Force 97 (second gun down) and Tech Force 99 Magnum (third gun down) come with recoil stops built in, many guns - like the Beeman R9 (third gun down) - just have a hole for the pin in their receiver and need the scope stop pin that comes with better scope rings.

I hope these two postings have helped you understand scopes better. If you have any other questions, please send me a comment by clicking on the word "comments" at the bottom of any posting.

Tech Force airgun scopes - part 1

2005-11-07T05:30:00.000-08:00

by Tex Force

Many shooters mount scopes on their air rifles these days, and Compasseco has been an innovator when it comes to airgun optics. In a future post I'll deal with dot sights, but today I want to talk about Tech Force scopes.

Tech Force was a pioneer in rugged airgun scopes
You probably know what a strain a powerful spring rifle puts on the optics of a scope. Airgun scopes have to be specially braced to absorb this recoil and vibration. Tech Force was bracing its scopes long before the major American scope manufacturers got on board, and they're still recognized as rugged optics.

Bright, clear optics!
The description on the Compasseco website tells you that Tech Force scopes are made in the same factory as BSA scopes. What they don't mention (but I will) is that Tech Force scopes are usually BRIGHTER and clearer than BSA scopes with equivalent features (power, lens size, etc.). In the optics field, you get what you pay for, and Tech Force pays extra to get upgraded lenses and coatings to improve visibility. All you have to do is compare a Tech Force scope to another brand to find that the Tech Force scope is just as bright, if not brighter than most of the competition.

"Buy" the numbers!
Let's cut to the chase. Looking at Compasseco's site, you see a lot of scopes. Which one is right for you? Here's my recommendation - unless you have a specific reason to choose a different scope, either theTF 2-7x32mm or the TF 3-12x44mm scope (5th group down on the page) will be perfect! Both are extra-bright and the big differences are magnification, size, weight and price. If you can afford it, I'd go with the larger 3-12 scope, because, just like money, a shooter can usually use more.

Here's what the scope numbers mean
Here is what all those scope model numbers mean. The "2-7" figures mean this scope has variable power from 2x (target looks twice as large as it does with no scope) to 7x. The 32mm refers to the size of the lens at the object or target end of the scope (called the objective bell). The larger the lens, the more light can pass through the scope, making the target appear brighter. If the lens gets too large, it bumps against the rifle it's mounted on, and you have to use very high scope rings to clear the gun. That can be awkward when you have to look through the scope.

Parallax adjustment
Good airgun scopes also have parallax adjustments to keep the crosshairs from moving against the target at a given range. All you do is rotate the knob or bell until the image looks sharp in the scope and the parallax is adjusted for the distance to whatever you focused on. A real airgun scope adjusts as close as 10 yards or closer, and the two scopes I have recommended both focus to 7.5 yards, which is 22.5 feet. That is REALLY close, but if you want to shoot even closer, just dial the power as low as it will go and the target will appear clear as close as 10 feet! That's real flexibility that you won't find in firearms scopes.

I have more to say about scopes, and I'll say it next Monday. Until then, you might take what I've suggested and look around Compasseco's site to compare scopes for yourself.

Crosman's new Nightstalker is here!

2005-10-31T05:30:00.000-08:00

by Tex Force

There aren't very many true semiautomatic air rifles in the world, which makes Crosman's brand-new Nightstalker all the more interesting. A true semiautomatic gun is one that fires and reloads with one pull of the trigger. The reloading is performed by the gun, not by anything the shooter does. A real semiauto is much faster than any other kind of airgun.

True semiautomatic airguns are very special, because lead pellets don't like being fed through mechanisms. Even the manual bolt-action repeaters get jammed sometimes, so imagine what can happen when gas does the feeding in milliseconds!

Crosman's brand-new Nightstalker is a true semiauto pellet rifle. It holds 12 shots and uses a huge 88-gram AirSource cartridge to power both the shot and the realistic blowback action that loads the pellet.

Isn't the Crosman 1077 a semiauto?
The venerable Crosman 1077 (second gun down on page) looks like a semiauto and shoots 12 shots, each with just the pull of the trigger, but it's really run by a clever revolver mechanism hidden inside the gun. Each trigger-pull also has to advance the cylinder, and that makes the trigger-pull longer than it would be if all it was doing was releasing the hammer. That's what makes the new Nightstalker so exciting.

The Nightstalker features real blowback action with every shot
Until now, real blowback action was something you could get only from an airsoft gun. The blowback imparts a realistic feel every time the trigger is pulled. It feels like a firearm with so much going on inside the gun.

Crosman had a semiauto pistol back in the 1950s and '60s. The model 600 was a 10-shot .22 pellet pistol that shot as fast as the trigger was pulled. Today, a 600 sells for $200 or more because shooters love the way it handles. The new Nightstalker is just about half that, and it's a rifle, so there will be even more velocity.

Handles many pellets!
The model 600 pistol, has a problem feeding pellets that aren't wadcutters. The Nightstalker has a 12-shot rotary clip, so it won't have that problem. Two clips come with the gun, and you'll be able to order extras - which is highly recommended. You can load pointed pellets, domes and hollowpoints in the Nightstalker clips because the nose shape makes no difference.

How significant is the semiautomatic action?
Until now, if you wanted this kind of rapid firing capability at an affordable price, you had to get the IZH Drozd from Baikal. It's also a CO2 gun, plus it has an electric motor to allow semi- and full-auto fire in short bursts. The Drozd is limited to shooting only round lead balls through its rifled barrel, plus it's more expensive than the Nightstalker. It's a great gun in its own right, but the new Nightstalker offers more ammunition flexibility.

Truly a tactical airgun!
As you can see from the photo, the Nightstalker can hold a host of accessories that will soon be available in the deluxe model. So it's more than just another pellet rifle; it's a new tactical platform! And, with the huge Crosman AirSource cartridge as its power source, you'll get hundreds of shots before it's time for a new one. If you buy extra clips, you can reload quickly and get back in the fun!

If you like fast action and responding to targets of opportunity with speed and precision, the Nightstalker is for you. The Christmas season is now upon us, so supplies may be limited, because every airgunner in America has been patiently waiting for this new gun. If you don't want to be disappointed, the time to order is NOW!

Tech Force 79 - a bargain 10-meter target rifle

2005-10-24T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

If you like to shoot at targets, Compasseco has a rifle you should check out. The Tech Force 79 is a family of CO2 target rifles that offers features usually costing three times as much. If you also like to hunt with an airgun, you're in double luck because the TF 79 is also very powerful - AND it's available in.22 caliber!

Based on the TF 78
The TF 79 is based on the TF 78 that we learned about last week. That rifle is, in turn, based on the famous Crosman 160, a classic CO2 target rifle from the 1950s and 60s. The TF 79 has everything the 78 has, plus many more target features. The trigger is the same finely adjustable trigger Crosman perfected in the final version of the 160. It's based on a crossbow trigger and is extremely adjustable for pull weight, sear engagement and overtravel. It also has a positive manual safety - a rare feature on a target air rifle.

Competition sights
If you shoot at targets, a peep or diopter sight is something you need to have. The TF 79 comes with a finely adjustable rear aperture sight that helps you place your shots right where you want them. At 10 meters, this sight will be as accurate as using a scope! The front globe has replaceable inserts, that allow you to find the right sight for a given situation. You can even install aftermarket inserts.

Competition stock
Notice the deep stock on all the 79s. It naturally raises your eye to the line of sight so you won't have any parallax error. The deeply scalloped pistol grip positions your trigger finger perfectly to squeeze straight back without any sideway influence. Couple this with the crisp trigger, and it will be difficult to miss what you aim at.

Superior barrel
Don't think that because the TF 79 is affordable it isn't accurate. The barrel on this rifle is a legend, as far as accuracy is concerned. Of course, you will get back what you put into the rifle, so we recommend using Tech Force match pellets in either the heavy (8.9-grain) or light (7.6-grain) weights. Try both to discover which works best you and your rifle.

A thumbhole stock - what's THAT about?
So many shooters were buying the TF 79 for sporting use that Compasseco decided to do something about it. They created a special thumbhole stock that really moves the rifle over to the advanced sporter class. Even though they show the rifle with a peep sight, it's really made to mount a scope. Allow me to recommend the Tech Force 8-32 target/hunting scope (second scope down on the page) as the perfect companion to this rifle. Though any scope will work, this one has all the power you need for those really precise shots the rifle is capable of making. And, remember, you need to buy scope rings separately.

I saved the best for last!
The TF 79 is on sale as of the publication of this blog posting. Instead of the normal good price of $179.00, the standard Tech Force 79 (second rifle down on the page) is reduced to just $143.20. Just in time for Christmas, if you can wait that long, this classic target rifle is now more affordable than ever!

A quick look at Tech Force 97, 99 & 78 rifles

2005-10-17T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

One of the best things about Compasseco is their Tech Force airguns and accessories. I'll go into details in future postings, but today I'd like to take a general look at three of the air rifles they offer.

A great entry into adult airgunning!
For many years, Chinese airguns came into this country with no controls on how well they were made or what features they offered. Compasseco actually started by selling Chinese spring air rifles back in the 1980s. Then, they had a better idea.

Chinese economy with American tastes & quality controls
Because Compasseco was buying so many airguns from them, the Chinese factories were interested in what their largest customer wanted. Compasseco had enough dealers and customers telling them what THEY wanted that, before long, they were starting to make changes to what the Chinese produced. At first, the changes were in the safety and cosmetic areas, but they soon extended into accuracy, power and special features that American shooters said they wanted.

It wasn't long before Compasseco began to develop their own trademarked line of airguns, built to their more demanding specifications. These were called Tech Force and they surpassed any other guns coming out of China. I could talk about a lot of models that unfolded over the years, but for today I'll just briefly touch on three important models for you - the Tech Force 97, 99 and 78 rifles.

Tech Force 97
This underlever spring rifle was an outgrowth of the Chinese QB 38 (later called the Tech Force 38), which was an improvement over the time-honored B3-1. The Tech Force 97 (second rifle down on the page) was and is more powerful than the older 38 and also a lot more accurate. Significant improvements were made to the wood stock for a more American shape, to the quality of the front sight and underlever lock, and the powerplant to be smoother and more consistent. You can read more about the TF 97 on this website in the article, The Tech Force 97.

Compasseco had hoped to compete with European air rifles with their TF97, and in many respects it does. It's sold at a price you simply cannot find in any other seriously powerful spring rifle today. But, in the end, the company wanted to take spring rifles even farther.

Tech Force 99 Magnum
The Tech Force 99 Magnum (third gun down on the page) is all Compasseco's own design. It's the spring airgun they always wanted to build. Where the 97 had grown out of an existing gun, the new 99 Magnum is based on nothing else. It is bigger, more powerful yet just as smooth as the TF 97, and it maintains the same high quality and accuracy. It is truly a magnum, yet the cocking effort is light enough for most older youths and nearly all adults to operate.

Compasseco installs a mainspring from Jim Maccari in this gun as standard. Maccari springs are standard in no other spring gun in the world, and shooters often pay upwards of a hundred dollars just to have Jim tune their rifles with one of his springs. In the 99 Magnum, you get one with the gun for almost nothing!

The TF99 is ready for a scope when you buy it (scope stop is installed), or you can use the excellent fully adjustable sights. This is a big air rifle, so if you want something that's physically smaller, I'd advise you to select a TF 97. For the ultimate in power and accuracy, the TF 99 Magnum is the best Tech Force spring rifle made.

Tech Force 78
The last rifle I'll mention is actually a whole battery of CO2 rifles called the Tech Force 78 (fifth gun down on the page). These are modern recreations of the famous Crosman 160 air rifle of the 1950s and 60s - but with a lot of modern improvements! The standard TF 78 is a sporting rifle that sells for less than half of what a vintage Crosman would bring, yet you get the same power and accuracy PLUS the famous Crosman fully adjustable trigger that only the very last 160s had. Who says the golden age of airgunning is over? It doesn't end there!

Tech Force 78T
The Tech Force 78T (sixth rifle down on the page) is a special version of the 78 that operates with a large bulk CO2 tank or Crosman's newest 88-gram disposable CO2 cartridge. This makes the rifle ideal for target use, which its adjustable trigger and superior accuracy fully support. Even though it is designated for target, this rifle is still as powerful as a sporter, so hunting is certainly possible. Read more about the 78T on this web site at A Tech Force 78T Review. Be sure to also order some Crosman AirSource 88-gram CO2 cylinders (at the bottom of the page) when you buy this rifle.

Of course, there's a lot more to say about Tech Force. We'll get to the other guns and products in another posting, but for today we have looked at three of the classics.

Sheridan Streak for the best in airgunning!

2005-10-10T05:30:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

The Sheridan Streak has been made for over 50 years!
The first Sheridan Streak was a Silver Streak (scroll to the bottom of the linked page to see the Silver Streak), initially offered back in 1949. That rifle was made to sell at $19.95 because Sheridan was having a tough time selling their Model A, a premium pneumatic, at $56.50. The new Silver Streak had all the performance and accuracy of the Model A (some people call it the Supergrade today) but was designed to be less costly to manufacture.

This Silver Streak was made around 1951
and looks very similar to the first Silver Streak produced.

The Blue Streak followed shortly thereafter
The Silver Streak was such a success that it put Sheridan on the map! Soon, the company was humming with activity; within a few years (no later than 1954), the Blue Streak was added to the line. Both rifles are identical except for finish.

The Silver Streak is heavily plated with nickel (NEVER chrome, which is typically not used on guns), while the Blue Streak is finished in a matte black paint. The Blue Streak has always been a few dollars less than the Silver Streak, except at the very beginning, because the Silver Streak has to be polished before plating.

Sheridan introduced .20 caliber to the world
The inventors, E.H. Wackerhagen and Bob Kraus, found that the poor quality of pellets available in the 1940s limited the performance of their rifles. They developed their first prototype with a .22 caliber barrel, but they selected .20 caliber for the production guns so they could control the quality of ammo people would use.

Sheridans have always been the most powerful American multi-pump pneumatics because of their proprietary .20 caliber pellet. Though their velocity of 675 f.p.s. on 8 pumps of the mechanism is somewhat slower than a Benjamin pneumatic, the extra weight of the Sheridan pellet makes up for it.

Open sights, peep or scope?
Sheridans come with fine adjustable open sights. A shooter can do wonderful work with these sights, and I have taken rabbits at 35 yards with them. But if you want something even better, try an optional peep sight. Made by the Williams Sight Company, this sight attaches directly to all new Sheridan rifles in holes that are already on the gun. This is, perhaps, the best way to sight a Sheridan.

Some shooters will want a scope. To mount one, you'll first have to install a Sheridan four-piece scope base. It clamps to the barrel and lets you mount medium-height scope rings. I suggest medium-height rings, because I'm also recommending that you mount a smaller scope on a Sheridan. Because you have to pump this rifle, a large scope gets in the way of that operation. I like the Tech Force 39x40 scope (3-9x) (third scope down on the linked page) for a Sheridan.

Don't forget to order pellets!
The best pellets for a Sheridan Streak are the Sheridan S-P50 cylindrical .20 caliber pellets, shown on the page with the Silver Streak rifle. You won't find these listed on the pellets page, but you can order them on the page that shows the rifle. Another great pellet for this rifle is the Crosman Premier in .20 caliber. For best accuracy, buy the pellets in the cardboard box (shown at the top of the page).

These are still the "good old days!"
The Sheridan Streaks have been around for more than half a century, yet in all that time, and though the company changed hands twice and moved once, the rifle is as good today as it was when it was first introduced. The styling has changed several times, but the power, accuracy and overall quality have remained the same throughout the decades. You often hear oldtimers talking about how well things were made back in the good old days. Well, the Sheridan Streak is still made that way today, so you have a chance to join the fun!

Welcome!

2005-10-07T20:10:00.000-07:00

by Tex Force

Hi, there. This blog is a part of the Compasseco web site. I will be posting items of interest to airgunners once each week. You can make comments to each post and if there is a question, I'll do my best to answer it for you.

I hope this blog will help you enjoy the fascinating world of airgunning all the more. Watch this spot!

Tex

New Air Guns and Air Rifle Reports

2005-10-07T12:51:00.000-07:00

New Air Guns and Air Rifle information will be posted weekly, so check back for new articles each week on leading air guns from Compasseco.