In part one of our review of the Crosman American Classic, bolt action, variable pump pneumatic 0.177 cal handgun, we took a close look at the anatomy of the gun.

While Crosman has made judicious use of polymer and plastic, the $60.00 gun has a lot to like in terms of functionality. We made note of the fact that versatility and utility were bedrock features of the gun.

The American Classic is equally at home in the basement target range, back yard field targets, or as a constant companion for those wishing to carry an airgun on field trips. Today, we’ll take a close look at performance characteristics of the American Classic.

Velocity and Accuracy

With pellets weighing 7.9 grains, the gun will produce velocities ranging from 375 FPS with three pumps of power. The maximum is approximately 550 FPS when the shooter applies a full 10 pumps.

Ultralight alloy pellets are said to approach 600 FPS, and Magnum Weight (greater than 10 grains) will approach 450 FPS.

When the sportsman is pursuing rodents and small birds, the gun should be fully charged with 10 pumps of power. For short range targets (5 Yards), three pumps per shot produced excellent accuracy. And for targets at medium ranges, 10-15 Yards, 5-6 pumps produces velocities which will produce a flat trajectory, and activate a field target.

In my first accuracy test, I shot groups with the 7.4 Grain Crosman Premier Pointed pellets that had been recommended for the 2300T. They averaged 0.25 Inch/3-shot bench rest groups (stock open sights) at 5 Meters.

There seemed to be no difference in group size or point of impact with three, four or five pumps of power. I then shot the 7.9 Grain Crosman Premier, match grade wadcutter pellets Crosman had supplied with the 1377. The groups were nearly identical to the pointed pellets.

Groups shot with 7.9 Grain Benjamin hollow points were marginally more open, as were groups shot with 10.6 Grain Crosman Premier Copper Magnums and 6.4 Grain, alloy H&N Barracuda Green pellets.

Sighting In

After a short, “get acquainted” period with the American Classic, I decided that 5 Yards was a good sight in distance. I adjusted the rear sight blade all the way down. The POI was dead-on when the top of the blade was level with the top of the rear sight notch.

If you are shooting at a two Inch bull at 5 Yards, and you prefer a hold tangent to be bottom of the scoring rings for a bullseye, then you’ll have to raise the rear sight a small amount – about 1/16 Inch. With a sight radius of just over a Foot, the rear sight should be raised, or moved horizontally, in a ratio of 1:15. The reference markings on the front of the rear sight base are spaced 0.025 Inch apart, which will move the POI 0.375 Inch at 5 Yards.

I prepared a trajectory chart for the American Classic in Part One. That used standard Crosman Premier 7.9 Grain hollow points and the Ballistic Coefficient listed in the HAM BC database (0.010). The velocity was 400 FPS which is approximately what your gun will deliver with 4-5 pumps using that pellet.

We’ll repeat it here. As you can see from the table, your gun should shoot dead flat out to 10 Yards – maybe 10 Meters. That’s perfect for indoor target and backyard plinking with a comfortable number of pumps for each shot.

Trigger

Pyramyd Air lists the factory, non-adjustable, single stage trigger pull as 5.5 Lbs. That is exactly the reading I measured using my trigger pull gauge.

This is light enough to allow accurate shooting. Yet it’s firm enough to prevent accidental discharge when the gun is being handled by a novice shooter, or anyone using the American Classic in the field. There is a modest amount of trigger creep, but I didn’t find it objectionable.

The gun has a cross bolt trigger block (safety) to prevent accidental discharge. This safety should ALWAYS be engaged immediately after firing a shot, and before pumping the gun in advance of the next shot.

Holsters

A quick search of the internet and our favorite air gun sources for a holster which would carry the Crosman American Classic came up empty. That may be because most sportsmen who carry it in the field have opted to secure it in their hunting vest, field jacket, back pack or range bag.

As you can see, the gun slips nicely into game pouches found in most hunting coats and vests. I like to keep things simple.

Fun Targets

After sighting in and accuracy testing the American Classic, I had to have a little fun shooting it indoors at my Gamo Rocker trap, and in the back yard with my Air Venturi field targets.

Beeman, SIG SAUER and Umarex all make quality indoor traps, but I’ve had my Gamo reset trap for a decade now, and it is always a challenge. Just make sure you are using lead ammunition!

I found 3-4 pumps of pressure more than adequate to trip the paddles. I did fire two rounds of lead free (tin-based) pellets at 5 Meters just to see what would happen. Good thing I had on my safety glasses, because the H & N Greenies came flying back, right over my shoulder at 5 Meters.

Transition to Field Targets

It was raining when I started testing the American Classic. That didn’t keep me from setting up my Air Venturi Quiet Pellet Trap in Sportsman’s Room. But after an hour of punching paper targets with a variety of pellet styles and weights, I had to get the gun outdoors!

The American Classic was obviously designed to be carried and shot in an outdoor environment. And Air Venturi Field Targets are perfect for getting the feel of the gun in the woods or along the trail.

Ron Keller has invited Jak and I to join him on a spring trip to Deer Camp as soon as the rains subside, and you can be assured we’ll take the American Classic along to reduce the surplus rodent population.

In the meantime, I wanted to test Crosman’s latest iteration of their Model 1377 on the Air Venturi Field Targets that were languishing in the basement.

So next time we’ll join Ron Keller for an Air Venturi Field Target test. Since I had already established that Crosman Premier 7.9 Grain wadcutters produced the best groups, we’ll use that ammunition for the test. They consistently produced ¼ Inch groups at 5 Meters, so I could reasonably expect that the handgun would keep the Premiers within the 1.5 Inch Kill Zone of the Venturi Rat-on-a-run and Rat-on-a-stick at up to 20 Yards.

We’ll see if Ron Keller and the Crosman American Classic can step up to the challenge next time…

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Crosman 1377C / PC77, Black

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Crosman American Classic .177 Cal, Black

The post Ron Jones Reviews The Crosman American Classic – Part Two appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

VALUE FOR MONEY

The Weihrauch HW80 air rifle is one of the – now relatively rare – breed of “quality first” spring/piston-powered break barrel air rifles. It makes no attempt to compete with other products claiming “Zillion FPS” Muzzle Velocities or with a marketing name – and acronym – for every part of the gun.

And yes – at a Street Price of $530 plus scope – it’s not exactly cheap. Quality never was…

This traditional, dare we say old-fashioned, approach still has plenty of fans. However they will be those who are experienced airgun shooters who know what to look for and feel no need for the “latest and greatest”.

This – the HAM Team believes – means that the Weihrauch HW80 is somewhat of a polarizing airgun. For those wanting an understated, “quality first” spring/piston air rifle. And for those who have the skill to shoot it well, this is a no-brainer choice. We make our Value For Money assessment on this basis.

But those who prioritize price, features and FPS will probably wonder what the excitement is about.

HAM Test Rating	81%
Value For Money	Great for the right person.
Best For	Hunting (better in .22 cal). Field Target shooting.
Best Pellet Tested	H&N Baracuda Match
Street Price at Time of Test	$530+ scope.
Caliber Tested	.177
RateAGun Score	Skill and Experience required to Shoot Well

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Weihrauch HW80 Air Rifle

SPEED AND ACCURACY

The Weihrauch HW80 air rifle tested by HAM in .177 caliber produced a maximum Muzzle Velocity of 1109.17 FPS when firing light, 5.56 Grain, H&N Field Target Trophy Green pellets.

The Gamo Raptor Platinum pellets – the lightest in the standard HAM test suite – “only” achieved 1084.80 FPS, probably because they were a little undersized for the barrel.

The maximum Muzzle Velocity with lead pellets was achieved, of course, with the 7.0 Grain RWS Hobbys. This was an average of 944.71 FPS over 10 shots.

With the exception of the H&N Field Target Trophy Green, the Weihrauch HW80 air rifle gave Muzzle Energies between about 12.5 and 13.5 Ft/Lbs.

The 10.65 Grain H&N Baracuda Match pellets were the most accurate on test, giving excellent results.

Overall, there was a slight but definite tendency for the Weihrauch HW80 air rifle tested by HAM to vertical stringing on the target. We did, of course, check that all the screws were tight. And the lock-up felt good, too.

However HAM Tester Eric Brewer, an experienced and FT match-winning springer shooter was very happy overall with the accuracy he achieved with the gun, as you can see by his comment on the test target below!

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H&N Baracuda Match .177 Cal, 10.65 Grains, Round Nose, 400ct

TRIGGER AND COCKING EFFORT

Of course, the Weihrauch HW80 air rifle is fitted with the famous Rekord trigger. This two-stage trigger is adjustable for first stage travel and trigger creep by removing the stock. However that prominent screw behind the trigger blade allows the user to adjust pull weight.

Due to the design of the Rekord trigger, both first and second stage pull weights are adjusted at the same time by the same screw. As always, we tested this Weihrauch HW80 air rifle with the trigger as set by the factory.

As always, the Rekord trigger has a comfortable, ridged, metal blade that has a comfortable and natural feel for the ball of the trigger finger. HAM Tester Eric Brewer felt that the trigger was “heavy but predictable and tunable to your liking”.

Average trigger pull weight for the Weihrauch HW80 air rifle tested by HAM was 3 Lbs 2 Oz.

HAM Tester Eric Brewer noted that the Weihrauch HW80 air rifle is heavy to cock, as you would expect for a magnum-grade air rifle of this power. However, the cocking action was smooth and consistent. It was also aided by the long barrel.

We measured the cocking force as 34 Lbs. Precisely the same as claimed on Pyramyd Air’s website.

COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS

The manufacturer’s web site give the maximum Muzzle Velocity of the Weihrauch HW80 air rifle as 968 FPS. This is very close the FPS of the test gun using 7.0 Grain RWS Hobby pellets. It was far exceeded by the he lighter, 5.56 Grain, H&N Field Target Trophy alloys which zoomed out at 1109 FPS.

So, there’s no question about it, the Weihrauch HW80 air rifle exceeds the manufacturer’s muzzle velocity claim by a significant amount.

Weihrauch also claims that the HW80 is: “Probably the best break-barrel air rifle available, often classified as ‘the work-horse’. The robust construction, the excellent accuracy and the powerful mainspring guarantee an extraordinary efficiency and penetration power especially at longer distances.”

Is the Weihrauch HW80 the best break barrel air rifle available, as Weihrauch says? Well, it certainly was and still may be.

However, there was clear competition from the Walther LGV Competition Ultra – which shot more accurately for the HAM Team when on test – but was $170 more expensive and is now discontinued. And the forthcoming SIG SAUER ASP20 may be a strong competitor in future.

So, yes, the Weihrauch HW80 probably is the best break barrel air rifle available today – as the manufacturer says.

CONSISTENCY

The Weihrauch HW80 air rifle tested by HAM displayed good consistency. The average Standard Deviation – shot to shot variation across a string – was 15.04 FPS across the standard range of HAM test pellets. It fell to 9.43 FPS for the H&H Baracuda Match pellets which performed best in this gun.

Although this is not the best consistency of FPS for a spring/piston air rifle we have recorded in HAM testing to date, we would expect this to improve with further use.

The average Muzzle Energy was very consistent for a spring/piston air rifle, however. It varied between about 12.3 and 15.2 Ft/Lbs, with the majority of the pellets coming-in at around 13 Ft/Lbs. This is a tighter spread than we normally encounter.

The trigger pulled at an average weight of 3 Lbs 2 Oz. That’s very, very close to that of other Rekord triggers on Weihrauch-manufactured air rifles tested by HAM in the past, such as the HW97K and the Beeman R9. Of course, there’s inevitably some variation between any manufactured items of “the same” product and that’s what we are seeing here. Such variability is obviously well controlled by Weihrauch. It’s part of the reason for the relatively high price for the Weihrauch HW80 air rifle.

However, the variation between the heaviest and lightest pull weights we recorded of about +/- 12 Ounces was a little larger than we have recorded with the other Rekord triggers tested by HAM. Again, we would expect this to improve with use.

NOISE LEVEL

As a traditional, un-slienced air rifle, the Weihrauch HW80 air rifle gives an average level of report, appropriate to its power level.

Note that the ultra-light, alloy pellets were distinctly LOUD, however! This is because they traveled at the Speed of Sound (around 1,100 FPS) and so produced a sonic boom. No silencer or shroud would make any difference to this noise level, it’s simply a function of the velocity achieved by the ultra-light pellets from this magnum air rifle.

Lead pellets did stayed under the Speed of Sound and so were much quieter. And, of course, this issue would not apply to larger calibers where the maximum Muzzle Velocity would be less than 1,100 FPS.

SIGHTS AND SCOPE

There are plenty of airgunners who like to shoot using iron sights. For these people, the Weihrauch HW80 air rifle is a joy because it’s fitted with a serious set of traditional open sights. There’s not a fiber optic element to be seen!

The rear sight is click-adjustable for elevation and windage, of course.

The front sight comprises a hooded housing with interchangeable elements.

In fact, the manufacturer includes no less than six different interchangeable elements. These are easily interchanged and give the owner a wide variety of options for open-sight shooting.

Naturally, the Weihrauch HW80 air rifle can also be fitted with a scope. The rear of the compression tube is machined with standard airgun rails and there’s no less than three deep scope stop holes. These allow for flexibility in scope mount positioning based on scope size and the user’s eye relief requirements.

We mounted an MTC Mamba Lite 4-16 x 42AO scope for this test review and it worked well with the HW80.

Using a Leapers/UTG one piece mount, the Weihrauch HW80 air rifle tested by HAM displayed no tendency for barrel droop and was easy to sight-in. Very good!

SHOOTABILITY

The Weihrauch HW80 air rifle has a simple, classic design. The stock is simple yet comfortable. Although there’s no modern touches such as an adjustable comb to the stock, it was comfortable for the HAM testers to shoot. Note that the HW80 has a stock design that favors right-handed shooters with it’s cheek rest.  However it can be shot by left-handers also.

The stock is fitted with a comfortable rubber recoil pad and this aids in taming the not inconsiderable recoil of the Weihrauch HW80 air rifle.

HAM Tester Eric Brewer noted in his notes “The HW80 has a strong jolt when the piston comes forward. It feels fast because it is fast!” This pronounced forward recoil means that mastery of the “artillery hold” is required to achieve good, consistent accuracy – as you would expect. That makes the Weihrauch HW80 air rifle a gun for the experienced shooter.

Unlike many spring/piston or gas ram air rifles, the Weihrauch HW80 air rifle reviewed by HAM showed no evidence of dieseling at any stage during the test.

Eric’s estimation was that consistency and feel would certainly improve further with an extended break-in period of use. However he also was very clear that the HW80 was smooth straight out of the box. He was also impressed with the lack of twang from the spring.

The Weihrauch HW80 air rifle is a solidly-built air gun and the weight reflects that. The all-up weight of the test gun and scope was 10 Lbs 13 Oz. This, combined with the heavy pull and long overall length of 45.25 Inches, means that the HW80 is best-suited to a strongly-built shooter. This is not a kid’s gun!

APPEARANCE AND FINISH

The finish and appearance of the Weihrauch HW80 air rifle tested by HAM was very nice indeed!

The HAM Team likes the simple, classic design of this gun. We like the traditional wood stock, with it’s beautifully-executed checkering around the wrist.

We also like the deep – almost black – effect of the blueing and the perfect, polished finish of the metal parts. This is typical for all the Weihrauch-manufactured airguns HAM has ever tested.

BUYING AND OWNING

The Weihrauch HW80 air rifle is something of a specialist’s airgun in today’s market. This means that it’s not very widely distributed. However, it is readily available online from Pyramyd Air and other premium airgun dealers.

Although this is a long air rifle, you may need to remove the iron sights if you have a very long scope with flip-up lens cap. As you can see below, the MTC Mamba Lite scope we mounted fitted – just! But it’s easy to remove both front and rear iron sights if required to mount a longer scope.

The manufacturer supplies a generic instruction manual for the Weihrauch HW80 air rifle. This is in English, German and French and contains a huge amount of information. As is always the case with such manuals that cover multiple products, it’s somewhat confusing to understand, however. There’s also a separate booklet – in English only – of additional warnings and tips.

As befits a traditional air rifle, the Weihrauch HW80 air rifle has a traditional one-year warranty. However, this is looking rather out of date compared to the 3- and 5-year warranties offered by some other airgun manufacturers.

And in common with any powerful break barrel air rifle, you’ll need to check the stock screws regularly and tighten them as appropriate. These screws are inevitable loosened by the recoil. If they’re not tightened, accuracy will suffer.

TEST TARGETS

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Weihrauch HW80 Air Rifle

This entire article including scoring, test targets etc is Copyright Hard Air Magazine and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the publisher.

The post Weihrauch HW80 Air Rifle Test Review .177 Caliber appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

VALUE FOR MONEY

The SIG SAUER 1911 We The People CO2 BB Gun is a new model from this famous company. HAM brought you news of its availability last month. Now it’s time for the full test review…

The SIG SAUER 1911 We The People CO2 BB Gun has an MSRP of $119.99 and is selling at a Street Price of  $99.95. The centerfire version lists for $1,481.00! This – among other things – makes the BB-firing version ideal as a cost-effective practice and training tool.

This is the company’s tribute to the Second Amendment and features an aggressively aged appearance, together with a total of 50 stars on the grip plates. It’s a full size 1911, with the weight that entails. It feels and handles just like the firearm version.

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SIG Sauer 1911 We The People CO2 BB Pistol

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SIG SAUER 1911 We The People BB Gun

REALISM, LOOKS AND FEEL

There’s no better comparison of the SIG SAUER 1911 We The People CO2 BB Gun with the firearms original than comparing them side-by-side. Here they are at the 2018 SHOT Show, demonstrated by Joe Huston, the General manager of SIG’s airgun division.

It’s really, really tough to tell, but the BB-firing version is the one on the right in the photograph above. As we can see, this is a VERY close copy of the extremely popular SIG SAUER 1911 We The People centerfire pistol.

Length, width, height and weight of the BB version all match that of the firearm exactly. Trigger pull feels the same. About the only – slight – difference is that the firearm has the company’s “Night Sights”, while the BB gun has simple white dots on the front and rear sights. We can live with that!

Compared to many other BB pistols, the printed legal warning and caliber notices on the frame are not obtrusive either, as you can see in the photograph above. That’s another significant contributor to this pistol’s realistic appearance.

This realism is continued with a full set of functional controls. The grip safety, slide holdback/release and magazine release all function exactly as they should for a 1911. And – for the first time on a SIG SAUER 1911 – the regular safety is truly ambidextrous.

Another great step for realism is that the SIG SAUER 1911 We The People CO2 BB Gun is the first replica pistol the HAM Team has seen where realistic field-stripping is positively featured. This is an important feature for many replica pistol purchasers. It’s also another way in which this gun really steps up to the mark as a firearms training tool.

Yes, there are plenty of other replica BB pistols that can be field-stripped to a greater or lesser degree. But SIG SAUER has taken this capability one step further by actually highlighting the feature in the gun’s Owner’s Manual (it seems as if most of the instructions were missed-out). As it’s easy to see, similarity to field-stripping a 1911 firearm is just about identical.

ACCURACY AND POINT OF IMPACT

Using Crosman Copperhead BBs, HAM tester Doug Wall achieved “minute of soda can” accuracy at 6 yards with the SIG SAUER 1911 We The People CO2 BB Gun. They shot pretty-well to the point of aim, too.

However, other BBs tested tended to spread out – and down – on the targets, as you can see below. This is combat-grade accuracy.

While nobody expects replica BB pistols to offer outstanding accuracy, it has to be said that the example tested by HAM was less accurate than other 1911s we have tested, particularly the same company’s 1911 Max Michel BB Pistol. It may be that the extreme blowback has an impact on accuracy, as we have seen a similar tendency with other long-blowback BB-firing pistols.

This makes it important to understand the purpose of the SIG SAUER 1911 We The People CO2 BB Gun. It’s a firearms trainer, first and foremost. In this case, accuracy is less vital, but the test gun’s performance still left the HAM Team wishing for somewhat better results…

COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS

The main claim for the SIG SAUER 1911 We The People CO2 BB Gun is that it offers “authentic weight, balance and handling”, compared to the centerfire original. There’s no doubt that this claim is fulfilled. Likewise with the “full blow back slide” claim.

In HAM testing, we recorded a maximum Muzzle Velocity of 328 FPS at 62 degrees F. As we know that FPS increases with CO2-powered guns by 2 FPS per degree F rise in temperature, this means that the SIG SAUER 1911 We The People CO2 BB Gun tested by HAM meets it’s Muzzle velocity claim at a temperature of 68 degrees F.

Of course, the Muzzle Velocity will continue to climb with increasing temperature. This means that it would be around 375 FPS at 85 degrees F, for example, significantly exceeding the manufacturer’s claim.

CONSISTENCY

The SIG SAUER 1911 We The People CO2 BB Gun tested by HAM demonstrated generally good consistency.

Standard Deviation, the shot-to-shot variation within a string, was low at 9.2 FPS. And accuracy was quite similar with each of the standard set of HAM test BBs.

Pull weight on the “skeletonized” trigger varied between 5.5 and 6.5 Lbs. However, subjectively trigger pull felt fairly uniform to the HAM Team.

There were no jams during the test period and the SIG SAUER 1911 We The People CO2 BB Gun fed all the HAM standard suite of BBs faultlessly.

REALISM TRIGGER AND ACTION

The action and trigger feel of the SIG SAUER 1911 We The People CO2 BB Gun tested by HAM were about as realistic as it gets!

The single action trigger pull weight averaged a little under 6 Lbs. This is fairly close to the figures published by test reviews of the firearm version.

Operation of the slide, slide stop, safeties and magazine release were all identical to the firearm version. The slide locks open when the magazine is empty. This is not universal with all BB replica pistols.

Furthermore, the hammer flies forward with authority. Unlike some other CO2-powered replica pistols, the hammer actually contacts the “firing pin” instead of stopping short. This is another small detail that enhances the realistic shooting experience for many discerning owners.

SHOT COUNT

The SIG SAUER 1911 We The People CO2 BB Gun tested by HAM achieved 55 shots from one CO2 cartridge. The blowback stopped functioning at about 200 FPS, so that’s where we drew the line. This is on the low side for a CO2 pistol. However it is understandable.

There’s a set amount of energy potential contained in one 12 gram CO2 cartridge. This forces all designers of CO2-powered guns to make decisions about how that energy is used. The choices they have are to prioritize FPS, shot count and blowback effect.

In the case of the SIG SAUER 1911 We The People CO2 BB Gun, the priorities were clearly given to realistic blowback and relatively high Muzzle Velocity. The trade-off was that shot count had to suffer somewhat.

The HAM team feels that this was the correct compromise, given the emphasis on this 1911 as a training tool. Yes, we would have liked a higher shot count, too. But that’s not a realistic expectation given the laws of physics.

If you want a higher shot count and greater FPS, then the SIG SAUER 1911 Max Michel is your option. It gives those benefits but trades-off a certain amount of blowback realism to do so.

You can find more comparisons between the different SIG SAUER 1911 ASP pistols in another HAM story.

MUZZLE VELOCITY

The SIG SAUER 1911 We The People CO2 BB Gun tested by HAM achieved a maximum Muzzle Velocity of 328 FPS with Umarex Steel BBs.

As with all CO2-pistols, rapid fire will cause the CO2 to cool and FPS to drop. If you can bring yourself to shoot the gun fairly slowly, you will be rewarded with more consistent velocities and avoid possible vertical stringing on the target.

APPEARANCE AND FINISH

Both SIG SAUER’s 1911 We The People centerfire and BB-firing models feature an aggressive distressed, weathered finish, topped-off with metal, star-embossed grip plates. This is clearly an unique approach to finish and will divide opinion into “love it” and “hate it” camps. Judging by the sales success of this model, the “love it” group seems to be very large!

There’s no question that this finish style is extremely well reproduced on the SIG SAUER 1911 We The People CO2 BB Gun. As we saw above, it’s nearly impossible to detect the difference between it and the firearm. Even the magazine carries the distressed finish. That’s taking detail to extremes!

BUYING AND OWNING

The SIG SAUER 1911 We The People CO2 BB Gun is available from the usual online and physical stores, so buying it is no problem. Packaging is good, in the company’s now-standard “plastic clamshell in card box” format. That’s important, because it combines the product visibility required for physical store display with the security required for shipment when purchases online.

Unusually, there’s also a small supply of BBs provided in the box, although SIG SAUER does not sell BBs separately under it’s own brand at the present time.

The 12-month warranty will be a big plus for many purchasers. Many CO2-operated replica pistols have just a 3-month warranty, so SIG  is at the leading edge with this.

Another big benefit for the SIG SAUER 1911 We The People CO2 BB Gun is that it has a lock back capability for the BB follower. This makes BB-loading very easy and appears a simple, “no brainer” feature to have – see the photo above. Yet, it’s amazing how many BB pistols do not have a similar feature, requiring the BB follower to be held down by the operator while loading.

The owner’s manual for this gun is first rate. It’s comprehensive, well-illustrated and well printed. It’s in English only, but otherwise is right up there with the best we’ve seen. Only the field stripping explanation could be better (it starts well, but stops – apparently – in mid-stream).

SAFETY FIRST. As with all BB-firing airguns, it’s necessary to wear shooting glasses when firing this airgun. Also do not shoot at hard surfaces or water. BBs tend to bounce off these surfaces and may hit you, or something other than what you intended. If in doubt, don’t pull the trigger! Due to the realistic appearance of this product, handle it as you would a firearm. Do not display it in public or in any place where it could be mistaken for a cartridge firearm.

6 YARD TEST TARGETS

10 YARD TEST TARGET

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SIG Sauer 1911 We The People CO2 BB Pistol

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SIG SAUER 1911 We The People BB Gun

This entire article including scoring, test targets etc is Copyright Hard Air Magazine and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the publisher.

The post SIG SAUER 1911 We The People CO2 BB Gun Review appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

VALUE FOR MONEY

At a Street Price one cent short of $2,000 for the rifle only, the FX Crown air rifle could never be described as cheap. And then there’s the need to buy a scope, mounts and HPA charging equipment, of course.

First launched at the 2017 IWA Show, the Crown is still in great demand – particularly with the addition of a synthetic stock model this year. In may respects, it takes the features which have made the FX Impact so popular and provides them in a traditional, full-length format.

Whenever HAM tests an ultra-high end air rifle like this, we ask how it’s possible for such an airgun to be good value for money. The answer is that there is a segment of the market which values beauty, functionality, engineering capability, perfect finish and extreme consistency of results above all else. In fact, we’ve found that here…

HAM Tester Doug Rogers thinks that this test gun is so fantastic that he wants to buy it!

Here’s what Doug says in his testing notes: “Expensive, but could be the only gun you ever need to buy because of the adjustability and the ability to swap calibers easily. Other FX guns I’ve tried were nice, but this is the one!”

When one of our HAM Testers wants to put down his own money for the gun he’s just tested, that tells you it’s good value for money…

HAM Test Rating	97%
Value For Money	Very pricey but almost perfect.
Best For	Anyone who has to have the best.
Best Pellet Tested	H&N Baracuda Match
Street Price at Time of Test	$2,000+ scope.
Caliber Tested	.177
RateAGun Score	Easy to Shoot

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FX Crown Laminate

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FX Crown, Blue Laminate

SPEED AND ACCURACY

In a word: outstanding!

Of course, for the owners of an air rifle of this quality, the maximum muzzle velocities are rather meaningless. However, the maximum FPS achieved was 1,140 FPS with the 4.7 Grain Gamo Raptor Platinum alloy pellets. The highest velocity with lead was achieved using the 7.0 Grain RWS Hobby pellets, as expected, at 1,019 FPS.

Of much more importance was that the .177 caliber FX Crown air rifle tested by HAM produced muzzle velocities in the 900 – 980 FPS range with medium – to heavy weight domed lead pellets. That is what the Field Target shooter who buys this rifle really wants to see.

All these numbers were achieved with the rifle set to Max power – as received here at the HAM offices.

Accuracy was excellent with mid-weight and heavy lead pellets. All the HAM standard test suite of pellets grouped well from the 7.9 Grain Crosman Premier Hollow Points on up. Even the light alloy pellets didn’t behave too badly, although nowhere as well as lead pellets.

FX says that their Smooth Twist X barrels – as fitted to the .177 caliber FX Crown air rifle tested by HAM – are designed to work best with JSB pellets. However, the gun we tested proved most accurate with H&N Baracuda match pellets, as you can see here.

For the record, Doug also shot a 10-shot string of JSB Heavies – not a normal HAM test pellet, but one of his favorites. The results were excellent too, but the Baracudas still have the edge at least in our testing.

HAM Tester Doug Rogers commented: “This gun shoots better than I do!”

TRIGGER AND COCKING EFFORT

The trigger pull of the FX Crown air rifle tested by HAM was sublime. The first stage is incredibly light and smooth. On pulling back further, you encounter a very clear, distinct “stop”. That’s the second, release, stage.

That second stage has absolutely no creep or slack, there’s not a trace of “mushiness”. Instead a small amount of additional pressure trips the sear with no additional movement. This really is a “glass break” trigger.

The trigger blade itself is beautifully shaped and finished. It invites the ball of the finger to apply pressure in just the right way. Overall, releasing the trigger of the FX Crown air rifle is a tactile joy in itself.

Trigger pull weight of the FX Crown air rifle tested by HAM was a light 1 Lb 14 Oz. It felt – and was – incredibly consistent when tested with an electronic trigger pull gauge.

Of course, the trigger is adjustable for pull weight of both the first and second stages. But the HAM Team can think of no reason why anyone would ever want to change the factory trigger settings on this gun!

The only missing feature from this trigger is the ability for the blade to be moved forward or back, to accommodate particularly long or short fingers. But that didn’t matter to the HAM testers, it was ideal for us.

The trigger can be de-cocked by holding the cocking lever back, setting the safety to safe, and pulling the trigger at the same time as pushing the cocking lever forward.

The safety lever is conveniently placed on the right of the stock, just behind and above the trigger blade. It works precisely and easily. However, remember that the safety of the FX Crown air rifle is only intended to be applied when the rifle is cocked.

As expected, the side lever action was buttery smooth. Very light and easy to operate. We measured the cocking effort at just 8 Lbs 15 Oz.

This is the level of excellence in trigger and cocking action that you expect from a $2,000 air rifle! Again, the FX Crown air rifle delivers!

COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS

In common with most top-end airguns, the manufacturer makes very few performance claims for the FX Crown air rifle.

Maximum Muzzle velocity is claimed at 1,000 FPS for the .177 caliber model. The sample tested by HAM exceed this claim easily with all our standard test pellets of 7.0 Grains weight and less.

The other “hard” specification claim is that the Crown delivers a maximum of 18 Ft/Lbs of Muzzle energy in .177 caliber. This was matched by the 8.64 Grain H&N Field Target Trophy pellets and exceeded by the heavier Baracudas in HAM testing.

CONSISTENCY

Consistency was another outstanding attribute of the FX Crown air rifle tested by HAM.

The average Standard Deviation – the measure of shot-to-shot consistency across a string – was extremely low at an average of just 5.13 FPS across the standard range of HAM test pellets.

This performance is a tribute to the consistency of the Crown’s action – and in particular the regulator. Regulator pressure is clearly visible on the rear pressure gauge. That’s the one on the left in the photograph below. It would be even better if the two gauges were marked so that it was immediately obvious which was which…

Now for the trigger pull weight. This was so close to perfect that HAM Tester Doug Rogers had to resort to measuring differences of one tenth of an Ounce to detect any inconsistency from shot-to-shot. We’ll call that perfect consistency!

The FX Crown air rifle tested by HAM gave an outstanding consistent shot count. We achieved around 200 consistent shots from one fill of the Crown’s tank. Indeed, it was over 210 shots before the Muzzle Velocity really began to tail off perceptibly. Wow!

NOISE LEVEL

The FX Crown air rifle is supplied with a built-in shroud. This shroud has two operating positions: pushed right in and pulled right out.

When in extended mode, the shroud makes the report extremely quiet. It’s quiet even in closed mode, just not quite so much. The report is a little louder and sharper with the shroud closed, so there’s a difference in both volume and tone.

This makes the FX Crown air rifle one of the quietest air rifles HAM has tested. It’s certainly backyard-friendly by any standards.

SIGHTS AND SCOPE

As you would expect for a top-end model, the FX Crown air rifle is fitted with no open sights. There’s no need: nobody would use them.

Choice of scope is left to the owner, to be mounted on the standard airgun rails machined into the breech.

For this test, the HAM Team mounted a MTC Optics Viper Pro 3-18 x 50 scope using SportsMatch adjustable high rings. The high capacity – 18 shot – .177 caliber magazine dictated the use of high rings.

The MTC Viper Pro mounted easily on the Crown. It balanced well and altogether made an enjoyable shooting rig, weighing just 9 Lb 4 Oz.

As the FX Crown air rifle magazines load from the right side, there’s no issues with using a big sidewheel scope.

SHOOTABILITY

The FX Crown air rifle scores on shootability as well!

This is an amazingly light air rifle, weighing-in at only 7 Lbs 1Oz with a full HPA tank and empty magazine but without a scope. The HAM Team found that the Crown shoulders well and points naturally, with the light weight being an added advantage.

The thumbhole stock provides an ideal position for the firing hand: the trigger finger falls into place naturally. The point of balance falls directly through the natural position of the forward hand, just forward of the trigger.

Both comfort and cheek weld are facilitated by the adjustable cheek piece. The rubber buttpad is vertically adjustable using a 5mm hex (Allen) wrench.

Overall, the Crown is one of the best-handling air rifles the HAM Team has shot. Combining this with the delightful sidelever action and great trigger makes shooting the FX Crown air rifle a delight.

APPEARANCE AND FINISH

Top marks again here.

The combination of elegant design with obviously superior quality materials and flawless finishing makes the FX Crown air rifle a delight to view. It also gives a wonderful tactile impression for the lucky owner, whenever her or she uses it.

As always, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but the HAM Team feels that the Minelli stock is gorgeous! The blue/black laminate gives a sophisticated loom to the Crown. And if blue is not your color, there’s choices of other laminate colors, traditional walnut and a black synthetic stock available for the FX Crown air rifle.

BUYING AND OWNING

The FX Crown air rifle is supplied with one magazine. There’s also a special extended-shank female quick disconnect and a push cap for the male quick disconnect on the gun.

The magazines themselves are not marked with the caliber – you’ll regret this if you have multiple calibers. They also provide no indication of the number of shots remaining, as is common practice on even low cost magazine-fed PCPs. So you will have to remember how many shots you have taken.

This is not so easy with such high capacity mags – the .177 cal version holds no less than 21 pellets, for example. Of course, the empty magazine prevents a “blank shot” from taking place, but it would still be good to know how many pellets are still in the magazine.

And then there’s the need to place the first pellet skirt first into the magazine when loading. That’s really still un-intuitive to the HAM Team, although we’re slowly getting used to it with experience. Note that there’s no factory single shot tray available for the Crown.

The Owner’s Manual is specific to the Crown. It’s well-written and illustrated, however in English only.

At a time when it’s possible to buy a $110 Crosman Optimus break barrel that’s covered by a 5-year warranty, the one year limited warranty of the  $2,000 FX Crown air rifle does seem rather unimpressive – even if you’re never going to need the coverage.

On to more positive things. The ability of the FX Impact to be converted to different calibers is very well implemented. Just pull out the barrel and replace the bolt. And use a different magazine, of course!

If sticking with the same caliber, you can change barrel characteristics using the interchangeable Smooth Twist X liners. Together with the many power adjustment options, this provides the Crown owner with flexibility that’s un-matched by any other air rifle at this time.

Finally, the FX Crown air rifle is also supplied in a high quality hard case. This provides excellent protection for the air rifle both during its journey to you when new and also on trips to the range.

TEST TARGETS

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FX Crown Laminate

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FX Crown, Blue Laminate

This entire article including scoring, test targets etc is Copyright Hard Air Magazine and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the publisher.

The post FX Crown Air Rifle Test Review .177 Caliber appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Everyone seems to think that the Benjamin Maximus and Discovery are “the same”. OK, the Disco has a wood stock while the Maximus has one made of synthetic material. And the sights are different. But apart from that, they’re the same aren’t they?

Well, actually no. They’re not. Read on to find out why…

While the Maximus would obviously seem to be based on the Disco, the Benjamin Maximus and Discovery are actually different in many ways. Some of them quite unexpected…

When Hard Air Magazine reviewed the .22 caliber Maximus, we found significantly different shot curves between the Benjamin Maximus and Discovery when shot with the same pellets.

As you can see from the graph, the Benjamin Maximus has a lower maximum muzzle velocity, but a far more usable shot curve. The muzzle velocity does not fall as precipitously as the Disco and this will give much improved practical accuracy when shooting the Maximus compared to the Discovery.

But why is that?

One obvious difference is that the Maximus uses a longer barrel than the Discovery. This will increase the power of the gun. However, the purpose of this change was probably to compensate – in some part – for changes elsewhere in the Maximus.

To find more answers, we need to compare the internals of the Benjamin Maximus and Discovery.

Starting with the valve, we see that there are a number of obvious physical differences. The Maximus valve is red, for a start! But, more importantly, we can see that the valves themselves have physical differences.

When disassembled, we can also see that the Maximus and Discovery valve stems are completely different. In fact, the Maximus uses the valve stem assembly from the Crosman 760! It’s Part Number 760-201.

Crosman has a long history of using common parts among different models. This makes huge sense from an engineering and manufacturing perspective. Here, it indicates clearly that there are major differences in the valve design between the Maximus and Discovery.

And if there was any doubt about that, just look at the differences in the hammer springs!

There’s another major difference in the transfer port sleeve. Again, we can see that the Maximus and Discovery parts are different colors (Maximus is red).

But the pin gauges clearly show a small but significant difference in the internal diameter of the sleeve.

The Maximus transfer sleeve has an internal diameter that’s 16 thou smaller than the Disco. This means that the flow of air from the valve to the pellet is less in the Maximus, again contributing to that slightly slower, but flatter shot curve.

Comparing the Crosman EVP (Exploded View and Parts List) for the two guns reveals some other differences, too.

Surprisingly, the gauge ports are different too, although a simple visual inspection does not definitively indicate how.

Measuring the internal air passage with pin gauges showed a very slight difference. The inside diameter of the Discovery gauge port was 0.124 inches (124 thou), while the Maximus part was 122 thou. But such a small difference of 2 thou could just be found in a batch-to-batch variation for tolerances of these machined parts.

If there really is a 2 thou difference in air passages, that definitely is an indication of how hard Crosman engineers tried to improve the Disco’s performance!

Even more surprisingly, the diameter of the gauge port hole in the main air tube is different between the Benjamin Maximus and Discovery. This has no impact whatever to performance, so why change from the previous diameter that’s standard on the Discovery and Challenger? Dunno…

There are other differences between Maximus and Discovery parts, too. The bolt, bolt handle and safety all carry different part numbers from Disco parts. However, they seem to be parts of the same design but different finish (black or bright). The Maximus safety, for example, works just fine in a Discovery we tried.

And there are other minor parts changes associated with the different stock and front sights. Again, nothing that impacts performance.

So there we are. No, the Benjamin Maximus and Discovery are NOT “the same airgun”. Crosman should be given credit for making a lot of changes to the basic Discovery platform – far more than most people think – to develop the Maximus.

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Benjamin Maximus Air Rifle

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BENJAMIN MAXIMUS AIR RIFLE

The post Aren’t The Benjamin Maximus And Discovery The Same Airgun? appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

This is the third part of Ron Jones review of the Crosman 1377 American Classic multi-pump air pistol. Here’s the links for Part 2 and Part 1. Take it away Ron…

In Part Two of a recent interview by HAM Publisher Stephen Archer, Crosman CEO Bob Beckwith elaborated on how the company views the ongoing debate over airgun Pellet Velocity vs. Energy:

Bob Beckwith: “In my opinion, FPS will always be important to customers and the whole airgun industry. But hunters, in particular, understand that Ft/Lbs is a far more significant number and that will make Muzzle Energy more important going forward.

That’s why Crosman gives equal prominence to FPS and Ft/Lb numbers for our air rifles that can be used for hunting. Of course, accuracy is hugely important “

Those comments got me to thinking about appropriate ammunition for a handgun/carbine hunting gun with moderate muzzle velocity and somewhat limited range.

What pellet weight and style would optimize the hunting utility of the Crosman 1377 American Classic? The answer would most likely be found in the ballistics of the gun. So I headed for the gun club next door and set up my Oehler 33 Chronograph on the small bore range.

The numbers I found for the current version of the Crosman 1377 American Classic are better than those reported by others on earlier versions.

Testing Crosman Pointed Pellets

Briefly, the Crosman Premium Pointed Pellets (7.4 Grain) originally sent to me as the most accurate pellet for the Model 2300T (CO2 Power) recorded a velocity of 378 FPS with 3 pumps. It made a whopping 512 FPS with 7 pumps!

I assumed most shooters would not be charging their 1377 with 10 pumps of air for target use, 500+ FPS is more than adequate for targets at and beyond 10 yards.

Wadcutter Pellets

I then switched to the Crosman 7.9 Grain Match Grade Premiers with the Crosman 1377. I was testing the wadcutter/target version, but Crosman’s Round Nose Premier produces very similar short range ballistics.

With three pumps of air power, the Crosman 1377 delivered a reproducible velocity of 371 FPS, and with ten pumps the gun topped out at 545 FPS. You can easily round this number off to 550 FPS since the velocity was recorded a full yard beyond the muzzle.

Crosman Copper Magnums

Crosman included a tin of 10.6 Grain copper clad premium hunting pellets with the gun they sent me. Turns out, HAM reviewed these pellets recently, as you can read.

The stated advantage of this heavy hunting pellet is a high ballistic coefficient (0.022) which carries more energy down range, and a 20 % improvement in accuracy over Crosman’s standard uncoated pellet. I weighed 10 pellets and the average weight was 10.67 grains.

The head diameter in my tin of pellets was 0.177, and the skirt diameter was 0.180. The dimension and weight was uniform from pellets to pellet. Shot group size was 0.275-inch at 5 meters using the Crosman 1377 American Classic. Certainly respectable performance.

So after testing the Crosman 7.4 Grain Pointed Pellet, and the 7.9 grain Match Grade Premiers, I switched to Crosman Premier Copper Magnums. I made an educated guess than no one would shoot these with less than 6 pumps…

The six pump air charge delivered 401 FPS, and the maximum 10 pump charge delivered 448 FPS velocity.

I wasn’t surprised that the additional mass of the Copper Pellets dropped the Muzzle Velocity by 100 FPS compared to the 7.9 Grain uncoated pellet. What did surprise me was the reduction in down range Energy compared to the 7.9 Grain Premiers.

According to the Airguns.net trajectory calculator, the 7.9 Grain Premiers left the muzzle at 550 FPS with energy of 5.25 Ft/Lbs. At 17 yards, it should still be traveling at 500 FPS, with energy of 4.4 Ft/Lbs and a trajectory drop of 1.8 inch.

By comparison, the 10.6 Grain Copper Magnums exited the muzzle at 450 FPS and commensurate energy of 4.75 Ft/Lbs. At 17 yards the Copper Magnums dropped an inch more than the 7.9 Grain premiers, had slowed to 409 FPS and would only deliver 4 Ft/Lbs of energy.

Hunting Pellet Performance Criteria

There are at least three criteria we can use to compare the performance of Hunting Pellets. At the top of my list are Accuracy, Energy and Trajectory. The latter two are directly tied to Muzzle Velocity.

Given the fact that the Match grade, 7.9 Grain Premier Wadcutters were more accurate, delivered a flatter trajectory and greater Pellet Energy down range, I’d have to give the nod to this pellet in the Crosman 1377 American Classic.

That being said, if a hunter is more interested in deep tissue penetration at moderate handgun ranges, the Copper Magnums might be a better choice.

Field Targets With The Crosman 1377

In Part Two I promised to test the Crosman 1377 American Classic on field targets. My friend Ron Keller was a willing participant in the test, having spent the majority of his adult life shooting handguns. That’s Ron, below…

I’m here to tell you that if you haven’t tried shooting field targets in the woods with a pellet pistol – IT’S A BLAST! For anyone contemplating hunting small game with an air powered handgun, shooting Air Venturi Field Targets in a similar environment is great training.

We set our Rat On-the-Run and Rat On-a-Stick targets at 8 and 15 yard range. That turned out to be ideal for simulating hunting conditions with open sights in the woods. Ron had no problem repeatedly knocking the center out of the 8 yard target, but resetting the 15 yard target was more of a challenge. What we learned is this:

When the reset paddle on the Rat on-a-Stick has been struck multiple times, the bright yellow color chips off of the metal paddle and becomes extremely difficult (nearly impossible) to see with open sights. Regular maintenance to restore the color is required to make it visible in an overcast, wooded environment.

The fixed (no micro-click adjustment) open rear sight on the Crosman 1377 American Classic shot at different points of impact depending on the lighting conditions and the person shooting the gun.

The gun shot dead “flat” for me off of a padded rest in my Sportsman’s Room. It shot ½ inch high under the more subdued lighting of my Gun Maintenance Room, and shot a full THREE inches high for Ron under outdoor field conditions. We proved that on a bullseye target we set up at 10 yards in the woods.

Ron could not resolve this, because the rear sight blade was already set at the lowest possible setting. A Custom Shop Upgrade is in order for anyone encountering this issue.

The Crosman 1377 Custom Shop

Pyramyd Air offers the Crosman 1377 American Classic with accessories which many will find useful. The 10 inch barrel is long enough to convert the handgun into a Carbine with a Crosman skeleton shoulder stock available for $25.00. The basic gun does not accept dovetail scope mounts, but a special Crosman Mount (459MT) can be combined with the Crosman 0290 Red Dot sight for better optics.

I recommend you buy the gun sans accessories and shoot it for a while. If you are as thrilled with the experience as I have been, you should consider going on-line to the Crosman Custom Shop.

Look for the Model 1300KT. You can then explore a multitude of options guaranteed to convert your gun into a totally unique family heirloom. In addition to multiple stock upgrades, there are Crosman and Walther barrel options in varying lengths, an all steel breech replacement kit and high end micrometer adjustable sights. There’s even custom trigger shoes.

The web sight shows you exactly what your gun will look like after adding each option and the total cost of the custom upgrade. Have your name engraved on the gun after you’ve made the upgrade, then put it in the “Cart”. Have fun!

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Crosman 1377C / PC77, Black

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Crosman American Classic .177 Cal, Black

The post The Crosman 1377 American Classic Part Three appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

It’s widely known – or at least fairly widely – that PCP airgun corrosion is caused by moisture in the air that’s used to fill an air rifle. But what does this PCP airgun corrosion look like and how bad really is the damage?

These HAM photographs show how bad the corrosion actually can be. Our heading photograph shows a corroded Marauder gauge port. Look and be warned!

Note that our photographs happen to show corrosion in Benjamin and Crosman airguns. That’s because these are examples we have been supplied by a Crosman Repair Center. But every PCP airgun – not just Crosman/Benjamin models – suffers from this problem.

You can find PCP airgun corrosion in any make of airgun!

Above. There’s plenty of corrosion on this Marauder fill adapter. You can also see oxidization build-up on the sintered filter.

Every time you fill your PCP airgun without a dessicant system of some sort, you are causing this problem. You’re actually pumping water vapor – moisture – into the gun every time you fill it with High Pressure Air.

The result is long-term damage to your gun and an expensive repair bill just waiting for you in the future!

Over the long-term – say 3 years or more – PCP airgun corrosion will be the number one cause of failure for PCP air rifles.

First, you find that your favorite PCP is starting to loose pressure between uses. Then the pressure loss becomes more rapid. Then, finally, the gun will no longer hold pressure.

Below. Here’s corrosion on a Discovery gauge port. It’s even inside the gauge adapter (arrow)…

If you have been filling with “wet” air – that is air that has not been passed through some sort of moisture-removal system – it’s guaranteed that your air rifle will have PCP airgun corrosion.

Over the course of time, that water vapor inside your air rifle will cause corrosion.

The problem will be worse if you live in a naturally-humid area. It will be worse still if you live by the ocean – think salt water corrosion now. So if you live in – say – Florida and you’re filling your PCP with a hand pump and no dessicant system, your PCP air rifle WILL suffer from this PCP airgun corrosion!

There’s some evidence that PCPs with higher fill pressures – say 3,000 PSI and above – tend to suffer from this PCP airgun corrosion more than those with lower pressures – say 2,000 PSI. That makes sense, as the onset and progress of PCP airgun corrosion will most likely be worse the higher the pressure.

Below. Here’s another corroded Marauder gauge port.

But what actually happens?

Yes, rusting of the HPA pressure tube is one obvious result. If a pressure tube shows any signs of internal rusting, it should be replaced immediately!

You see, the O rings inside the gun seem to attract moisture like a magnet. The result is that rust occurs between the O ring and steel tube – usually in a circular pattern, exactly matching the location of the O ring.

Below. It’s difficult to photograph inside an HPA tube. But you can see both rust caused by the O ring and random rust in this badly-corroded Marauder tube.

I may be a coward, but the prospect of holding a rusty steel tube containing 3,000 PSI of air right next to my face every time I shoot doesn’t sound too clever. DON’T DO IT!

More surprisingly, perhaps, the majority of PCP airgun corrosion happens on Aluminum parts inside the gun, rather than the steel tube itself.

The high pressure moisture-bearing air causes the Aluminum to oxidize into a white substance. This white oxide then builds-up underneath the O ring seals inside the gun. But it doesn’t build up evenly!

Because the Aluminum oxide builds-up in peaks and troughs, eventually the rubber O rings inside the gun can no longer fill the gaps and leaking starts. It’s downhill all the way from there…

Prevention is better than cure.

The way to prevent – or at least massively reduce – PCP airgun corrosion is to ALWAYS fill your gun with “dry air”.

If you use a hand pump, make sure it is filled with a dessicant system such as this Hill pump has.

Alternatively, if you fill HPA tanks from a compressor, use a dessicant system – such as this Diablo Air Dryer – between the compressor and the tank.

In either case, you also need to monitor the dessicant beads and dry-out or replace them appropriately.

Or if you have your air tanks filled by a paintball store or dive shop, make sure that they are giving you dry air.

PCP airgun corrosion WILL happen to your air rifle unless you always fill it with dry air.

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Air Venturi MK4 Kit by Hill Hand Pump, Up to 4500 PSI

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Air Venturi Mk4 Hanp Pump

The post Warning – Distressing Content! PCP Airgun Corrosion – This Is What Moisture Does To Your Air Rifle. appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

VALUE FOR MONEY

The Hellraiser Hellboy BB gun is a remarkably interesting and unusual airgun. It’s also a new introduction into the market.

Yes, it’s technically an air rifle, but we’re testing it using the HAM pistol methodology because it’s clearly closer to a BB pistol in concept than, say, a high-powered PCP. And we have precedent for this approach. It’s how we tested the Umarex Legends MP BB gun which is very similar in overall concept and intention as a firearms replica.

The Hellboy uses a very different design concept to that of most other replica BB guns. Almost all of the operational parts – including the sear, hammer and valve – are  actually located in the magazine. The gun itself provides only the trigger blade and barrel!

This concept gives benefits for long-term reliability (replace the magazine and you pretty-well replaced the complete gun). The downside is inconsistent feel and performance between one magazine and another. Hey, nothing in life is perfect.

At a Street Price of one cent less than $150, the Hellboy is relatively expensive for a BB gun. Compared to other rapid-firing BB guns, it has limited magazine capacity, no full auto capability and no blowback recoil effect. It’s also rather lighter than an M4 and doesn’t carry a firearm-manufacturer’s brand name.

But it’s mainly metal, looks very realistic and has a full 12-month warranty.

Overall, the Hellraiser Hellboy BB gun offers fair value for money.

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HellBoy .177 CO2 BB Tactical Air Rifle, Black

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Hellraiser HellBoy CO2 BB Tactical Airgun

REALISM – LOOKS AND FEEL

The Hellraiser Hellboy BB gun scores highly for overall looks and feel realism.

Overall, the impression is of a very close copy of an M4 carbine. The size is very close, the multi-stage collapsible buttstock works in the same way and operating the charging handle opens the ejection port cover.

The iron sights are also very close to those of the M4 and there’s sling swivels, too.

The main disadvantage in this area is that the Hellraiser Hellboy BB gun weights just 5 Lbs 3 Oz – including a 12 Gram CO2 cartridge. This is far less than an M4, which weighs-in at around 7 Lbs 8 Oz with a full magazine.

The gun can also be field-stripped, at least in part. The front hand guard can be removed – and replaced if required with M4 parts. The upper and lower can also be separated: again in a similar fashion to an M4.

So the Hellboy looks good but there’s a downside…

While some of the controls operate, they don’t actually do anything. They’re for show only. Only the magazine release actually works as it would on an M4. We’ll cover this in more detail below.

ACCURACY AND POINT OF IMPACT

Accuracy of the Hellraiser Hellboy BB gun tested by HAM was generally very good at our standard 6-yard test range. Only the Dust Devils were somewhat less accurate – however, all the BBs tested demonstrated “minute of soda can” accuracy at 6 yards.

Best accuracy was achieved using the Umarex Steel BBs. However, at 10 yards, these BBs opened-out somewhat. Even so, 8 out of 10 hit the soda can-sized bull of our HAM test target.

Obviously no-one buys a BB gun with great expectations of sniper-grade accuracy. However this performance was comparable to that of other BB-firing long guns tested by HAM in the past.

Point of impact was initially a disappointment. The front sight was far enough out of alignment that the Hellraiser Hellboy BB gun tested by HAM shot to the right of the target.

However, thinking that this could be the effect of an impact during shipping, HAM Publisher Stephen Archer gently tapped the front sight assembly over using the flat of his hand. A couple more gentle taps and the point of alignment was corrected. Problem solved!

The rear peep sights supplied with the Hellraiser Hellboy BB gun are click-adjustable for both elevation and windage. There’s a dual-aperture rear sight that’s flipped to change the apertures. All-in-all the rear iron sights are just like those of a centerfire M4 carbine.

Unlike a M4 firearm, the front sight is fixed, however. It cannot be adjusted for elevation like that of the firearm.

Again like an M4, the rear sight/carrying handle of the Hellraiser Hellboy BB gun can be removed, leaving a “flat top” configuration.

The HAM Team attached a Leapers UTG model SCP-DS3068TDQ red dot sight to this flat top for testing. It certainly worked and looked good, as you can see. However, the Hellboy’s front sight assembly tended to obstruct the view.

A better solution would be to place a riser between the gun and red dot sight. Even better, some UTG red dot sights incorporate a riser and this would undoubtedly be the best solution.

COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS

Air Venturi – the company behind the Hellraiser Hellboy BB gun – claims a maximum Muzzle Velocity of 495 FPS for it.

In HAM testing of the Hellboy, we achieved an average of 481 FPS for Dust Devils and 474 FPS for ASG Blaster BBs. These average muzzle velocities were obtained in our relatively cool, 68 degrees F range.

As the muzzle velocity of all CO2-powered BB guns varies with temperature, we would expect to see higher velocities at higher temperatures. As muzzle velocity typically increases by 2 FPS per degree Farenheit for CO2 guns, that means the the Hellraiser Hellboy BB gun tested by HAM would attain the manufacturer’s specification at 75 degrees F with the Dust Devils and 78 degrees F with the ASG Blasters.

This means that the makers claims for FPS can be matched fairly easily in warm weather use.

CONSISTENCY

The Hellraiser Hellboy BB gun tested by HAM demonstrated reasonable consistency in operation.

The Standard Deviation – a measurement of consistency of FPS in a string – was held reasonably low at 13.6 FPS. This is good for a CO2-powered airgun.

Accuracy was also pretty consistent with all the BBs tested, except for the Dust Devils.

The trigger pull of the Hellraiser Hellboy BB gun tested by HAM averaged 6 Lb 14 Oz. However, it varied widely from 5 Lbs 8 Oz to 7 Lbs 6 Oz. This was a pretty significant spread.

It also should be noted that the “gun in a magazine” design concept (the sear, hammer and valve are all in the magazine) means that you will experience different performance from different magazines.

Below. The outer magazine is removed for loading BBs and CO2.

For example, the trigger pull was about 1 Lb lighter on the spare magazine shipped with the Hellboy tested by HAM than was the one in the gun. It also had a longer and significantly smoother pull. The FPS was somewhat different, too.

Such differences are due to the inevitable tolerances in manufacturing which are found in samples of every manufactured product. However, they  would normally only be found between different guns, rather than different magazines, and so are normally less obvious to the owner.

REALISM – TRIGGER AND ACTION

Although the Hellraiser Hellboy BB gun looks very realistic, this realism unfortunately does not extend to the gun’s operation. While some of the controls operate, they don’t actually do anything. They’re for show only.

Only the magazine release actually works as it would on an M4.

Yes, you can pull back on the charging handle and – yes – the ejection port cover snaps open when you do so. But operating the charging handle does not actually cock the gun. It’s not connected to the hammer has no real functionality at all.

Likewise, the fire selector switch offers “safe” semi” and “auto” settings. The safe and semi settings work fine, but there is no fully automatic capability. In the Hellraiser Hellboy BB gun, “auto” is just the same as “semi”.

The Hellboy’s trigger is set further forward than in an M4 firearm. It also has a very different feel and method of operation.

Below. Only a part of the trigger mechanism in inside the gun. The rest is in the magazine.

In fact, the magazine uses a combined sear and hammer design. This means that the trigger needs to be let right back out to its “rest” position in between shots. This makes the trigger action feel more like a double action revolver, even though it’s not.

The lack of a hold open also means that there’s no way for the shooter to tell when the Hellboy is out of BBs, except by the changing sound of the gun and – maybe – lack of impacts on the target.

SHOT COUNT

As a non-blowback BB gun, the HAM Team expected a strong shot count from the Hellboy. The sample tested by HAM didn’t disappoint.

HAM Tester Doug Wall recorded 90 shots from one 12 Gram CO2 cartridge before the Muzzle Velocity fell to 260 FPS. After that, FPS fell away very rapidly…

Remembering that this is 90 shots from just one CO2 cartridge and that the FPS is quite strong, the HAM Team feels that this is a good performance for the Hellraiser Hellboy BB gun.

MUZZLE VELOCITY

Muzzle Velocity of the Hellraiser Hellboy BB gun tested by HAM was strong. Three types of BBs achieved averages of 470 FPS and above, which is creditable at the cool – 68 degree – temperature in the HAM test range.

As with all CO2-powered airguns, the FPS will change with temperature (as described in the Comparison section, above). It will also fall if the gun is fired rapidly. Of course FPS also drops off once the CO2 cartridge becomes exhausted. However, these are not criticisms specific to the Hellboy.

APPEARANCE AND FINISH

The overall, flat black appearance of the Hellraiser Hellboy BB gun looks good at any distance. There’s a minimum of plastic parts on the gun: basically just the barrel hand guard, pistol grip and stock.

However, this finish seems very prone to scratch marks caused by fingernails. Such fingernail contact does not actually remove the finish, but after a while, it’s certainly easy to see marks on the receiver and pistol grip. You’ll be able to spot this is the photographs accompanying this review…

BUYING AND OWNING

As an Air Venturi product, the Hellraiser Hellboy BB gun is readily available from major online airgun retailers such as Pyramyd Air and Airgun Depot. However, you’re unlikely to find it in your local big box sporting goods store.

The Hellboy does have the benefit of a 12-month warranty. This is four times longer than that offered by some firearms-replica BB guns and may be a factor in your buying decision.

Also the “gun in a magazine” design concept means that most possible repairs can be made simply by swapping the magazine for a replacement. This is attractive for anyone concerned about long-term use of the gun. It also makes it possible for the owner to repair most problems just by buying another magazine. It does make spare magazines relatively expensive, however.

In addition, it does mean that the Hellraiser Hellboy BB gun can provide rather different performance levels, depending on which magazine is used.

The Hellraiser Hellboy BB gun is supplied in a well-made foam package that should help to protect the gun during shipping to you. The card top for this packaging is also of good quality. However it would be better if theses two packaging parts were taped together – that may have prevented the out-of-box POI issue found with the Hellboy tested by HAM.

There’s a clear and well-illustrated instruction manual included with the Hellboy. It’s in English only.

The ability to separate the upper from the lower could be useful to clear any jams in the barrel. However, this is not described in the otherwise-comprehensive manual.

Unusually, loading with BBs is a two-stage affair. The outer magazine cover must be removed first, before BBs can be loaded. The BB follower itself is easy to use with a convenient notch to hold it back in position for loading. That’s good, but the design also means that there’s no chance to speed load the Hellboy with BBs – it’s strictly a one-at-a-time process.

Combined with the low – 18-shot capacity – magazine, this means that you are almost certain to spend more time loading the Hellraiser Hellboy BB gun than shooting it! However, this is a situation common to many fast-firing BB guns.

Finally, the lack of a hold-open means that you’re certain to fire multiple blanks with the Hellboy – at least until you become used to the change in tone of the shot and are able to stop firing as soon as you hear this.

SAFETY FIRST. As with all BB-firing airguns, it’s necessary to wear shooting glasses when firing this airgun. Also do not shoot at hard surfaces or water. BBs tend to bounce off these surfaces and may hit you, or something other than what you intended. If in doubt, don’t pull the trigger! Due to the realistic appearance of this product, handle it as you would a firearm. Do not display it in public or in any place where it could be mistaken for a cartridge firearm.

6-YARD TEST TARGETS

10-YARD TEST TARGET

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HellBoy .177 CO2 BB Tactical Air Rifle, Black

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Hellraiser HellBoy CO2 BB Tactical Airgun

This entire article including scoring, test targets etc is Copyright Hard Air Magazine and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the publisher.

The post Hellraiser Hellboy BB Gun Test Review appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

How many shots can I get from a replica BB pistol? That’s one of the most commonly-asked questions about these CO2-powered airguns. It’s rapidly followed by “What’s the FPS from that replica BB pistol?”

As replica BB pistols are one of the hottest parts of the airgun market, that makes these questions important. Let’s answer both of them here, as they’re very closely linked.

To do so, we’ll be using test data generated from Hard Air Magazine test reviews. These are conducted in a standardized, consistent manner. This means that the data is about as comparable as possible.

But there’s still a ton of variables, as we’ll explain…

Above, the SIG 1911 We The People and the Umarex Legends P08 are very different replica BB pistols. But both combine strong and realistic blowback with a low shot count.

Replica BB Pistol Power Source

Just about all replica BB pistols use the same power source. It’s a 12 Gram cartridge, often known as a Powerlet, from the Crosman trade name.

So you would naturally think that 12 Grams of CO2 are available for use when the replica BB pistol is loaded, right? Unfortunately no…

As every manufactured product is very slightly different, it’s guaranteed that the amount of CO2 inside a “12 Gram” cartridge will be different. Less gas inside any specific cartridge will give less shots, of course.

And then that cartridge has to be pierced in order for the gas to pressurize the gun itself. Almost always, there’s a hiss of gas when doing this. Of course, that means that CO2 is being lost – and it’s never exactly the same amount. More gas lost when piercing means less available to power shots from the replica BB pistol.

Basically, something a little less than 12 Grams of CO2 is likely to be available to power a replica BB pistol. And it’s almost certain to be a different amount every time the gun is loaded with CO2.

Replica BB Pistol Actions

Another variable is the type of action used in the pistol. Is it a blowback action or not? If it is a blowback, how fierce is the blowback?

How heavy is the slide and how far back does it move?

All the energy to fire our replica BB pistol comes from that one 12 Gram CO2 cartridge. We naturally think that this energy is used to propel the BBs. But where there’s a blowback action, it doesn’t just happen, it is also powered by the CO2 cartridge!

Immediately we can understand that blowback replica BB pistols are likely to have a lower shot count and/or a lower Muzzle Velocity than non-blowback guns.

Below, the new Glock 19 is a non-blowback replica BB pistol with a high shot count.

Other Factors

Then there’s a couple of other factors that effect the number of shots and FPS available from any CO2-powered airgun, including replica BB pistols. These are barrel length, rate of fire and ambient temperature.

Simply put, any CO2-powered airgun will shoot faster with a longer barrel (within reason, at least). So we would expect replica BB pistols with longer barrels to shoot faster than ones with shorter barrels – all other things being equal.

Then the CO2 inside the cartridge does not give a constant pressure. It varies with the external (ambient) temperature. This is a simple fact of physics.

Higher temperatures lead to more pressure which leads to higher FPS and possibly more shots. Lower temperatures give less. This is why no FPS claims for any CO2-powered airgun have any validity if the operating temperature is not also specified!

As CO2 is a refrigerant gas, the faster a CO2-powered gun is fired, the lower the CO2 temperature becomes. Lower pressure means less “oomph” per shot, and so lower FPS. Fire any replica BB pistol on full auto – if it has such a capability – and you’ll see the FPS drop like a stone. Likewise the number of shots.

But Surely We Can Know Typical Numbers?

Yes we can and that’s where the HAM test data comes in.

By analyzing the results of multiple tests conducted under conditions that are as similar as possible, we can find some typical numbers for shot count and FPS for replica BB pistols.

The replica BB pistol that best combines blowback with high shot count and FPS in HAM testing is the Beretta Mod84FS from Umarex.

The blowback replica BB pistols tested by HAM give an average of 66 shots at 325 FPS at 65 degrees F.

Non blowback replica BB pistols give averages of 83 shots and 366 FPS, respectively.

So that realistic blowback action feel costs you an average of 17 shots and 41 FPS compared to non-blowback guns.

Let’s look at more detail below…

Blowback Results

The blowback replica BB pistols tested by HAM give an average of 66 shots at 325 FPS at 65 degrees F. The basic data is shown in this table. (You can sort for highest shot count or FPS using the arrows in the top row).

Translated into visual form, we see the data as points on this chart. We can see big differences in shot count and FPS, largely driven by the weight of the slide and the length of travel of the blowback.

Those replica BB pistols with heavier slides and longer blowback tend to be on or below the trend line. Those with lighter slides and shorter blowback are above.

The replica BB pistols giving the most perceived blowback effect are the Colt Commander, the SIG 1911 We The People and the Legends P08. As you can see, they pay the price in shot count and FPS. No surprise there!

Non-Blowback Results

Here we have the data and chart for non-blowback replica BB pistols.

The trend line here shows – as you would expect – that, generally, guns with higher shot counts produce lower FPS. Those with lower shot counts have higher FPS.

What’s that gun that manages to combine a great shot count with high FPS? It’s the new Glock 19 from Umarex. We’ve tested it but not yet published the comprehensive HAM review.

Is That Really All?

Well, actually, no. It is possible to obtain many more shots per fill, combined with high FPS if you are prepared to do without extreme realism in a BB pistol.

Giving away realistic appearance and trigger characteristics can allow for great improvements in both number of shots and FPS. Just look at this chart below. It’s the same data as the non-blowback chart above, but with one other gun added.

That “WOW!” performance of 180 shots at a maximum of 410 FPS was produced by the $25 Bear River Boa CO2-powered BB pistol.

However it’s not a realistic replica in the way that all the other BB pistols tested are. It’s a generic 9mm auto “lookalike”.

This lack of realism allowed the designers to use a completely different type of action. One that’s much more efficient – and obviously cheaper, too.

The Boa’s trigger pull is very, very heavy. Field stripping? Don’t even think of it!

Also the actual barrel of the gun protrudes from the front of the gun as part of the shooting cycle, as we can see from the photograph below.

Of course, all of these things would be unacceptable for most replica BB pistol buyers looking for realism.

Compared to the Boa, the average non-blowback replica BB pistol costs you 97 shots per fill and 44 FPS maximum velocity for that level of realism.

Add-in blowback and you’ll see that extreme realism in a replica BB pistol is purchased at the cost of 114 shots and 85 FPS.

So now we know the cost of extreme realism in a replica BB pistol every time you load a 12 Gram CO2 cartridge. We have plenty of choices, but – as always – we can’t have everything all at once!

Below. The Glock 19 and the Boa are both non-blowback BB pistols. One’s an incredibly-accurate replica. the other’s not.

The post How Many Shots Can I Get From A Replica BB Pistol? appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

VALUE FOR MONEY

The Benjamin Fortitude is a new entry into the “$300 regulated, magazine-fed, silenced PCP air rifle” market created by the Umarex Gauntlet a year or two ago.

With good accuracy and a strong shot count, it’s difficult to argue against the Fortitude being outstanding value. Particularly when that’s combined with a 5-year manufacturer’s warranty!

Many will also be drawn to this “made in the USA” gun for patriotic reasons.

Compared to the single shot, unregulated, unshrouded Maximus which sells at a Street Price of $230, the Benjamin Fortitude is clearly outstanding value. Crosman – or Velocity Outdoor to give the company its correct, new name – is going to sell a ton of these guns!

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Benjamin Fortitude PCP Air Rifle, Regulated

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Benjamin Fortitude Air Rifle

HAM Test Rating	84%
Value For Money	A great choice for a regulated, magazine-fed, shrouded PCP at this price.
Best For	General plinking and hunting small game.
Best Pellet Tested	JSB Jumbo Express 14.3 Grain
Street Price at Time of Test	$300 + scope
Caliber Tested	.22
RateAGun Score	Easy to Shoot

SPEED AND ACCURACY

The Benjamin Fortitude tested by HAM gave a maximum Muzzle Velocity of 846.19 FPS with the lightest Gamo alloy pellets. This still held up to 792.42 FPS with light, 7.0 Grain RWS Hobby pellets. This gun is in .22 caliber, remember.

You can see full details of FPS and Muzzle Energy below. As is normal for a PCP, the Muzzle Energy – or knock down power” of the Fortitude increases steadily with heavier weight pellets, in spite of the declining pellet velocity.

The factory test target shows a nice, one hole group at 10 yards, together with 735 – 744 FPS Muzzle Velocity with – presumably – 14.3 Grain Crosman pellets. This  closely matched the average 753.44 FPS achieved in HAM testing using 14.3 Grain Crosman Hollow point pellets.

As we normally find in HAM testing, the Benjamin Fortitude did not give great accuracy with alloy pellets. However it shot better than usual with the light RWS Hobby pellets and gave better results with mid-weight and heavier lead pellets in the standard HAM test suite.

Best accuracy at 10 yards was achieved by the 14.35 Grain JSB Jumbo Express pellets. So we shot the same combination at 25 Yards with the results you can see below. For a 10-shot group at 25 Yards, that’s excellent shooting for me, in spite of the heavy trigger.

It could possibly have been even better with a higher-power scope. Of course, it also could have been even better with a more accomplished shooter, but that’s another story!

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JSB Diabolo Exact Jumbo Express .22 Cal, 14.3 Grains, Domed, 500ct

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JSB Jumbo Exact Pelelts .22 cal

TRIGGER AND COCKING EFFORT

This is really the only part of the shooting experience that lets the Benjamin Fortitude down.

The trigger looks to be the same non-adjustable unit as fitted to the Maximus and inherited from the Discovery. The pull weight of the gun tested by HAM averaged no less than 5 Lbs 9 Oz. That is really much too heavy for consistent accurate shooting and very close to the 5 Lb 13 Oz average pull weight we found when testing the Maximus.

Cocking the Benjamin Fortitude is not so easy either. Unlike the Maximus and Discovery, which have very easy bolt operation, the bolt of the Fortitude is quite hard to pull back. It seems that there must be a pretty strong hammer spring inside the Fortitude!

And it’s important to pull the bolt right back all the way. If not there’s the chance of a double-feed or of no pellet feed.

Furthermore, the bolt handle of the Benjamin Fortitude is small and the shooter’s hand tends to be cramped in operation by the required scope. Fortunately the HAM Team used high rings for the scope in this test review. Medium rings would have made it even tougher…

COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS

The main specification claims made by the manufacturer for the Benjamin Fortitude are these: up to 90 effective shots/fill, maximum 800 FPS with lead pellets, maximum 900 FPS with alloy pellets.

Let’s start with the easy one! The Fortitude tested by HAM delivered a maximum of  792.44 FPS shooting the lightest lead pellets, RWS Hobbys. That is less than one per cent away from the manufacturer’s claim of 800 FPS. Claim met.

For the maximum FPS with alloy, Velocity Outdoors claim is 900 FPS with alloy pellets. In HAM testing, the Fortitude gave a maximum of 846.19 FPS using the lightest 9.7 Grain Gamo Raptor Platinum pellets. However, there are ave been some yet lighter Crosman alloy pellets with a weight of 9.5 Grains.

These 9.5 Grain Crosman SSP alloy pellets are not in our standard HAM test suite. They don’t seem to currently be available for sale either. However, we did have a tin in the HAM ammo dump and tried them out. The maximum we attained was 851 FPS with the Benjamin Fortitude on test.

(Don’t try this at home, folks. Feeding was very hard and caused considerable concerns about jamming to the HAM testers).

Now let’s discuss the shot count claim. The .22 caliber Benjamin Fortitude page at www.crosman.com states that the gun will deliver “up to 90 effective shots per fill”.

This may be true. However, it’s not the answer to the question most knowledgeable airgunners ask about a regulated PCP air rifle. That question is “How many consistent shots will I achieve per fill?” There’s a big difference between the meaning of the words consistent and effective…

HAM ran a shoot down test of the Benjamin Fortitude. The results are visible in the chart below. That shows that the Fortitude tested by HAM delivered 60 consistent shots from a fill – where consistent is taken to mean shots with a Muzzle Velocity difference of 40 FPS between highest and lowest. In this case that means between between 770 and 730 FPS.

Why 40 FPS? Well that’s widely considered by knowledgeable shooters to be the maximum difference in FPS before a noticeable difference in impact point is found at 50 yards downrange.

We stopped the HAM shoot down test after 70 shots. By this time the Muzzle Velocity had fallen below the regulator pressure point of 2,000 PSI – that was probably at around shot 55 – and was dropping steadily. The built-in pressure gauge showed 1,500 PSI at shot 70.

Maybe that would track down to a pressure of 1,000 PSI – where the yellow section begins on the Fortitude’s built-in pressure gauge – at shot 90. If so, would that mean that the Benjamin Fortitude is capable of 90 effective shots per fill? Maybe the answer would be “yes” for some people.

But let’s face it. 60 consistent shots per fill is a very good number for any regulated PCP of this price range, size and weight!

CONSISTENCY

Here’s the shoot down test results discussed in the section above.

The Benjamin Fortitude tested by HAM delivered outstanding figures for Standard Deviation, the mathematical expression of variation in FPS across a string. In fact, the average of just 3.23 FPS across the entire HAM test suite of 7 pellets is the lowest we’ve ever recorded for any air rifle at any time. Wow!

The consistency of trigger pull weight was also good. The trigger pull weights recorded by HAM varied by just 5 ounces either side of the average. That’s a pretty well imperceptible difference to most people. It’s a pity that they were all so high…

NOISE LEVEL

In a word “low”.

Subjectively, the Benjamin Fortitude tested by HAM was as quiet as our “Gold Standard”, the Benjamin Marauder. The Fortitude is definitely backyard-friendly, for sure.

SIGHTS AND SCOPE

As with many PCP air rifles, the Fortitude is not supplied with a scope. This is no hardship as just about everyone will want to fit a scope anyway and everyone has their own opinions about the scope they prefer.

For HAM testing, we mounted a Leapers UTG 3-9 x 40 AO scope onto the Benjamin Fortitude as we considered this would be a likely choice for many owners.

This scope worked well for HAM testing. Unlike many higher-power scopes, it’s not too long or heavy to make the Fortitude top heavy and overbalanced in either looks or weight.

The HAM Team found this Leapers/Fortitude duo to be a good combination for practical, cost-effective shooting.

SHOOTABILITY

The Benjamin Fortitude is light and easy to bring on aim. The Center of Gravity was just ahead of the pressure gauge with the Leapers scope mounted – just where it should be for easy shooting.

By sensibly using the Marauder 10-shot magazine, the Fortitude is easy to load in a way that’s well-known to many potential purchasers.

In out-of-the-box condition, the Fortitude’s shootability is compromised by the heavy bolt and trigger operation. At this price point, many purchasers will accept this. If not, the Benjamin Marauder has an outstanding trigger of course…

Regarding the stock, the HAM Team would prefer to see a more “grippy” buttplate than the shiny plastic one used here. That would help in achieving more consistent, accurate shooting.

Re-using the Maximus stock obviously makes sense from a cost perspective. However the Fortutude’s barrel is mounted higher due to the shroud and magazine-fed breech. This means that the stock no longer gives a good cheek weld in use. It’s actually more of a “chin weld”.

There’s a clear need for either an adjustable buttplate or adjustable comb on the stock for consistent, comfortable shooting with the Benjamin Fortitude.

APPEARANCE AND FINISH

Appearance is, of course, always a personal opinion. However, the HAM Team like the simple, slim lines of the Benjamin Fortitude.

The finish closely matches that of the Maximus, using the same stock and levels of external finish for metal parts.

That stock is generally well-molded. However it does have quite pronounced seam lines as we can see below. The inclusion of sling swivel studs is an useful feature and will be appreciated by those using the Fortitude for hunting.

Overall, finish is workmanlike, decent and practical. That’s pretty much what you would expect at this price.

BUYING AND OWNING

Given the extensive distribution network for Velocity Outdoor products, the Benjamin Fortitude is certain to be widely available for sale online and also in some physical stores.

The 5-year warranty is a great attraction for long-term customer confidence, of course. Beyond that, the ready availability of parts and parts diagrams is a great attraction for many owners of Crosman and Benjamin airguns. No airgun company does this better.

The substantial barrel band is also reassuring for its role in preventing the barrel/shroud assembly from being knocked out of alignment by minor unintended contacts.

Filling is through a standard “Foster” 1/8-inch NPT standard quick disconnect, this makes filling simple, with no need for adapters.

The pressure gauge is located under the stock, ahead of the trigger, in the normal location for Benjamin PCP air rifles. This is excellent for safety as it avoids the need to look down the barrel to check the gauge, as is the case with those PCPs having the gauge in the end of the pressure tube.

The Owner’s Manual for the Benjamin Fortitude is in the company’s usual “broadsheet” style. This is clearly-written and illustrated, with versions in English, Spanish, French, German and two other languages I can’t read – possibly Portuguese and Danish.

And it’s in the Owner’s Manual that you will find details for how to degas the Fortitude using a degassing tool. This tool is not supplied with Benjamin or Crosman PCP as it once was. However, they’re still available from aftermarket suppliers. The Discovery/Maximus tool will also fit the Maximus.

TEST TARGETS

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Benjamin Fortitude PCP Air Rifle, Regulated

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Benjamin Fortitude Air Rifle

This entire article including scoring, test targets etc is Copyright Hard Air Magazine and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the publisher.

The post Benjamin Fortitude Air Rifle Test Review .22 Caliber appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

VALUE FOR MONEY

The Glock 19 CO2 BB gun plays in a highly-competitive section of the market. $70 is the Street Price for plenty of excellent firearms lookalike BB pistols, together with some which are less accurate versions of firearm originals.

At this price point, most of the BB pistols are non-blowback, as is this Glock 19 CO2 BB gun.

Non-blowback replica pistols are often regarded as inferior to blowback models. However they usually give an increased shot count and higher muzzle velocity than their blowback cousins, as this HAM story explains. There’s also some evidence that they can be more accurate than replica BB pistols with extreme blowback.

And this BB gun has an unique benefit in the eyes of many shooters. It’s a Glock! It’s the first of the long-awaited range of Glock BB-firing replicas. That means a lot of Glock fans will want it. And so long as they accept it as a non-blowback action, they won’t be disappointed.

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Umarex Glock 19 Gen. 3 CO2 BB Air Pistol

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Glock 19 Gen. 3 BB Pistol

REALISM – LOOK AND FEEL

The look and feel of the Glock 19 CO2 BB gun tested by HAM were extremely good. This is an extremely close representation of the Glock 19 Generation 3 centerfire pistol – the compact version of the Glock 17.

At any range beyond about three feet, it’s impossible to tell the difference between centerfire and BB gun versions.

Size and shape are all but identical to that of the Glock 19 firearm. Weight is very close, too.

The Glock 19 CO2 BB gun tested by HAM weighed-in at 1 Lb 10 Oz (26 Ounces), while the centerfire version has an empty weight of 21 Ounces and a loaded weight of 30 Ounces. So, the Glock 19 CO2 BB gun weighs very much the same as a partly-full centerfire version.

The sharply-executed “Officially Licensed Product of GLOCK” wording on the right side of the pistol grip is a nod to the fact that this is a BB gun, but it’s not obtrusive.

Of course, this is the non-blowback version. That inevitably also means that few of the controls also function. The magazine release operates correctly, as does the trigger safety.

But don’t expect the slide, slide release, slide lock, extractor etc to work. They’re fixed moldings.

Concern for realistic appearance also extends right down to the base of the magazine – as we can see from the photograph below. Again, note the extremely sharp and realistic molding.

The back strap of the Glock 19 CO2 BB gun is removable for loading 12 Gram CO2 cartridges. However, this deviation in design from the centerfire version is so well executed that it’s not objectionable in any way to the HAM Team.

The removable back strap also holds a folding hex key which is used to tighten the CO2 cartridge retaining screw. That screw is completely invisible in normal use as it’s covered by the base of the magazine. Another example of very careful and clever design being incorporated into the Glock 19 CO2 BB gun.

ACCURACY AND POINT OF IMPACT

HAM Tester Doug Wall was impressed with the Glock 19 CO2 BB gun. He wrote in his testing notes: “Quite accurate and POI is right on when using a 6 o’clock hold”.

All 60 shots on the HAM test targets at both 6 and 10 Yard ranges hit the “soda can” section of the test target. This is very good accuracy from any BB pistol. As remarked earlier, strong accuracy is more common in non-blowback replica BB pistols and the Glock 19 CO2 BB gun conforms to that pattern.

In particular, the Point Of Impact at 6 Yards was very good – certainly better than the majority of BB pistols tested by HAM.

However, there’s plenty of space to mount a small laser like this UTG Red Sub Compact Laser from Leapers using the Picatinny rail at the front of the frame. This gives an easy option for POI correction with any fixed-sight replica pistol. Of, you may just prefer to use a laser for sighting…

COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS

Umarex claims that the Glock 19 CO2 BB gun offers “the unmistakable look of the original pistol and plenty of power”. HAM agrees!

The Muzzle Velocity claim is 410 FPS. For the first time ever, a replica BB pistol tested on the cool HAM range actually exceeded the manufacturer’s claims. HAM Tester Doug Wall saw a peak 10-shot string average of 412 FPS at 70 degrees F with Crosman Copperhead BBs. The fastest individual shots recorded 420 FPS!

We know that all CO2-powered airguns shoot faster in warmer temperatures by about 2 FPS per degree F. This means that – taking that 412 FPS average – the expected FPS for the Glock 19 CO2 BB gun tested by HAM would be as high as 442 FPS at 85 degrees.

Clearly, the manufacturer’s claims for the Glock 19 CO2 BB gun are very realistic and will be achieved by many shooters in practice.

CONSISTENCY

Consistency was also a strong suit for the Glock 19 CO2 BB gun tested by HAM.

FPS very uniform across the range of standard HAM test BBs. The Standard Deviation, the statistical expression of variability within a shot string was low at an average of just 6.13 FPS. This is very good performance for any airgun, especially a BB pistol!

Accuracy and Point Of Impact were also both pretty consistent across the range of test BBs, although the Crosman Copperheads just nudged ahead in Doug Wall’s hands.

Trigger pull weight of the Glock 19 CO2 BB gun tested by HAM was also very consistent. It varied by only +/- 4 ounces around the 6 Lbs 4 Oz average. This variability was undetectable to the shooter and – again – would be considered good for all but the most expensive airguns.

Below, the “Gen 3” designation for the Glock 19 CO2 BB gun is marked on the base of the packaging.

REALISM – TRIGGER AND ACTION

The trigger of the Glock 19 CO2 BB gun tested by HAM was very close in pull weight to that of the firearm original. Glock gives a specification of 6 Lbs 5 Oz for the firearm. The Glock 19 CO2 BB gun we tested recorded an average of 6 Lbs 4 Oz. It’s tough to get any better than that with any firearms replica!

The trigger features Glock’s iconic trigger blade safety. That works well in the Glock 19 CO2 BB gun.

So it’s particularly surprising that there’s a second, additional safety added to the trigger. This is a simple “push across” trigger block device that simply bears against the pistol grip to prevent a discharge.

Why two functional safeties? Who knows…

As a non-blowback model, the Glock 19 CO2 BB gun of course is limited in the realism that’s possible from its other features. It can’t be field-stripped and most of the controls don’t function – as already described. That’s just the way it is with non-blowback replica pistols.

But remember that you do get more power, higher shot count, better accuracy and a lower price in exchange!

SHOT COUNT

The Glock 19 CO2 BB gun gave an excellent 96 shots before the Muzzle Velocity dropped down to 200 FPS.

As we remarked in a previous HAM story about BB pistols, this is an outstanding performance – particularly given the high FPS it produces. Yes, that combination of FPS and shot count is higher than blowback replica pistols: it’s better than that of many non-blowback models too.

MUZZLE VELOCITY

Maximum Muzzle Velocity for the Glock 19 CO2 BB gun tested by HAM was an average of 412 FPS with Crosman Copperhead 5.13 Grain BBs at a temperature of 70 degrees F. That gives a Muzzle Energy of 1.94 Ft/Lbs, which is very creditable for a BB pistol.

APPEARANCE AND FINISH

There’s no question about it. The appearance and finish of the Glock 19 CO2 BB gun are outstanding! All the external plastic moldings are extremely sharp and well-executed. The engraving and printing on the metal slide is beautiful too. Just look at the close-up below…

Unlike most other firearms replicas, the Glock 19 CO2 BB gun has the obligatory legal information and airgun markings printed inconspicuously on the underside of the frame. And the printing is in low-contrast gray, too, not the stark white that sometimes disfigures otherwise-accurate reproductions.

BUYING AND OWNING

The Glock 19 CO2 BB gun is readily available from the major online airgun specialists such as Pyramyd Air and Airgun Depot. However, given the cachet of the Glock brand, we can see this being sold by big box sporting goods stores – and even smaller firearms dealerships – as a low cost trainer in future.

BB and CO2 loading has been very well thought-out in this product. The CO2-tightening hex key is cleverly located in the removable backstrap and swivels for use.

BB loading is an absoloute breeze! HAM Tester Doug Wall noted that the Glock 19 CO2 BB gun has “one of the best magazine loading systems out there”.

There’s an easy-to-use BB follower catch and a well-proportioned BB loading port. Why can’t all BB guns be as easy to load as this?

Of course, the high shot count makes the Glock 19 CO2 BB gun both economical to shoot and reduces the frequency of loading CO2 cartridges. It’s all good for increasing trigger time!

As usual with Umarex replica BB guns, the warranty period is only 3 months.

The owner’s manual is clearly-written and well illustrated. It’s in English, French and Spanish.

SAFETY FIRST. As with all BB-firing airguns, it’s necessary to wear shooting glasses when firing this airgun. Also do not shoot at hard surfaces or water. BBs tend to bounce off these surfaces and may hit you, or something other than what you intended. If in doubt, don’t pull the trigger! Due to the realistic appearance of this product, handle it as you would a firearm. Do not display it in public or in any place where it could be mistaken for a cartridge firearm.

6 YARD TEST TARGETS

10 YARD TEST TARGET

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Umarex Glock 19 Gen. 3 CO2 BB Air Pistol

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Glock 19 Gen. 3 BB Pistol

This entire article including scoring, test targets etc is Copyright Hard Air Magazine and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the publisher.

The post Glock 19 CO2 BB Gun Test Review appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

VALUE FOR MONEY

The Kral Puncher Armour PCP air rifle is a really polarizing air rifle. You’ll either love it or hate it! There’s no middle ground with this one.

Available in blue, green and black, the Kral Puncher Armour  features a distinguishing “exoskeleton” that’s similar in concept to that seen on the Evanix Hunting Master PCP air rifle.

The Puncher Armour is selling at $569.99 at the time of this review, although that price could increase in future if the Turkish Lira continues its exchange rate slide against the US Dollar.

At this price, the Kral Puncher Armour competes against a number of Hatsan PCPs, together the many Kral models which are cheaper. The Benjamin Armada is only slightly more expensive and the regular Marauder somewhat cheaper. And then there’s the Air Force Talon at the same price…

So, the Kral Puncher Armour faces some tough competition in the market. But none of these other PCP air rifles LOOK anything like the Armour! That may be its strongest suit.

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Kral Puncher Armour PCP Air Rifle, Blue

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Kral Puncher Armour, Blue

SPEED AND ACCURACY

There’s no doubt that the Kral Puncher Armour is a powerful air rifle in .22 caliber! The Muzzle Velocity peaked at 1102.85 FPS with H&N Field Trophy Green pellets. It also exceeded the 1,000 FPS barrier with RWS Hobby lead pellets.

These FPS numbers are high, but the more interesting result for most knowledgeable airgun shooters is the range of strong Muzzle Energies, peaking at 34.81 Ft/Lbs with the heaviest standard HAM test pellets – the H&N Baracudas.

However, accuracy was very variable. In HAM testing, it ranged from excellent back to very poor. It’s all down to the pellet.

Accuracy with the Kral Puncher Armour tested by HAM was frankly very disappointing with all the standard HAM test pellets except for the heavy Baracuda Match pellets.

This pellet-picky behavior is similar to that demonstrated by the Kral Puncher Mega in a previous HAM test.

But, because we know that Krals CAN be very accurate with the right pellets – and having seen a couple shoot well at the recent 2018 Extreme Benchrest competition – the HAM Team decided to try another heavy pellet. As you can see below, the JSB Jumbo Monsters shot really well in the Armour.

These test targets, HAM Tester Doug Rogers found real “one hole” accuracy at 10 Yards, together with a very low Standard Deviation (the variation in FPS among pellets in a string)…

So, he took this combination out to 25 Yards. Accuracy was excellent. Well, except for the one flyer called by Doug on shot 8. Don’t you just hate it when that happens???

So, for the Kral Puncher Armour tested by HAM, accuracy can be excellent with the right pellet. But that has to be a heavy pellet, in our experience.

Of course, that results in a very strong Muzzle Energy, making this gun ideal for hunting.

TRIGGER AND COCKING EFFORT

HAM Tester Doug Rogers commented in his test notes that this heavy trigger pull made it challenging to shoot good groups with the Kral Puncher Armour.

In fact, after the testing, he got busy stripping the gun to see how easy it would be to improve the trigger adjustment! “If this were my gun, I’d have to improve this trigger pull,” said Doug. “And I’m sure it can be done fairly easily!”

The Kral Puncher Armour is fitted with a 2-stage trigger. However, the gun tested by HAM certainly felt like it was a single stage unit. There was just about no perceptible first stage, just a long, drawn-out pull back through the heavy second stage.

The Kral owner’s manual does describe how to adjust the trigger for the adjustment of both first and second stages. Adjusting the second stage also changes sear engagement. In addition, there is a length adjustment capability built-into the rod linking the front and rear trigger assemblies – this rod being a standard part of most bullpups with mechanical triggers.

Cocking effort was not too high. But it was firm and quite even on both rearward and forward motions of the lever.

Although the shape of the cocking lever kept our fingers from slipping off during this test, we did have that experience with the similar lever on a previous Kral. Maybe the rear position was more suitable? It probably would benefit from a “field upgrade” of a length of rubber tube (or similar) to provide more secure purchase in wet conditions or with cold fingers.

COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS

On their website and in printed documentation, Kral Arms – the Turkish manufacturer of the Puncher Armour – makes no performance claims at all for their products, even muzzle velocity! In fairness, this is probably due to the vast range of models produced by the company and the large number of versions required to meet individual country regulations for air rifle performance.

So, we’ll use the Muzzle Velocity claim of 975 FPS given on the Pyramyd Air website for the .22 caliber model.

It’s clear that the Kral Puncher Armour tested by HAM was significantly more powerful than the Pyramyd Air specs. In HAM testing, we achieved no less than 1021 FPS with light lead RWS Hobby pellets and still faster with alloys.

Pyramyd Air also claims a maximum of 40 shots per fill for the .177 and .22 caliber versions of the Kral Puncher Armour. As can be seen from the “shoot down” test chart below, the Kral Puncher Armour tested by HAM was still shooting at 832 FPS after 40 shots on full power. Does that constitute a fair claim?

Well, it’s possible that some shooters could regard that drop in muzzle velocity as acceptable. It’s also not unreasonable in comparison to the claims made for many other unregulated PCP air rifles.

CONSISTENCY

There’s good news and bad news about the consistency of the trigger pull demonstrated by the Kral Puncher Armour tested by HAM…

The good news? It was extremely consistent.

The bad news? At an average of 5 Lbs 3 Oz, it was waaay too heavy!

Consistency levels for Muzzle Velocity varied considerably for different pellets. For the heavy pellets which proved most accurate, the Standard Deviation was very low – around 3 FPS. However, lighter – and less accurate – pellets had a consistently high SD of around 10 FPS.

As an unregulated PCP air rifle, it was no surprise to find the Muzzle Velocity dropping shot-by-shot.

In fact, as the chart above shows, this decline in FPS was actually quite consistent at about 4 FPS per shot. Typically, we take a difference of 40 FPS from the fastest shot to be the number pf consistent shots per fill. In this case, the Kral Puncher Armour requires re-filling after just 18 shots.

In the days of so many regulated PCP air rifles, this is a small number. However, it may be satisfactory for the hunters who will be attracted to the Kral Puncher Armour by its high power capability. Alternatively, some shooters may be able to tolerate the falling FPS further before needing to re-fill with High Pressure Air.

It should be noted that aftermarket regulators are available for Kral PCPs and this could obviously address the falling FPS issue.

NOISE LEVEL

OK, let’s make this one clear. The Kral Puncher Armour  is LOUD!

The barrel is fitted with a shroud. However, it doesn’t seem to do much to tame the report of this highly individual air rifle.

SIGHTS AND SCOPE

As expected, the Kral Puncher Armour  is not bundled with a scope.

There’s a very long Picatinny rail along the top of the gun’s exoskeleton, then Kral also supplies an additional riser that clamps into place with two setscrews, as we can see below.

For the HAM tests, we mounted a Leapers UTG Accushot 8 – 32 x 56 scope to the gun. This large scope seemed to balance well on the Kral Puncher Armour for looks and handling.

It’s representative of the type of scope the HAM Team feels will be chosen by many owners for use with their Armour. But the whole ensemble makes a heavy gun that’s best suited to rested shooting or a very strong shooter.

SHOOTABILITY

As a left-handed shooter, HAM Tester Doug Rogers was pleased to find it remarkably comfortable to shoot the Kral Puncher Armour.

He found that removing the adjustable cheek piece worked best for his hold. But he disliked the cold feel of the metal frame on his cheek when shooting, however. Stephen Archer is a right-hander and found the cheek piece helped him to achieve a comfortable hold.

The forend has a short Picatinny rail on the underside. This can be used to attach a for hand grip – as shown in the photograph below – of a bipod. The bipod can also be used as a vertical forward grip if required.

Either way, you’re almost certain to make use of one of these forend supports to hold the Kral Puncher Armour . If you do so, handling and balance can be surprisingly good for such a heavy gun.

The safety is large and easy to engage. It’s located directly below the cocking lever. As for cycling that cocking lever, it’s the typical bullpup situation. If you’re used to a conventional rifle layout, it can seem very strange – but you become used to it with time.

Given the size and weight of the Kral Puncher Armour, the HAM Team did consider that the provision of sling swivels would be very useful if you plan to carry the gun for any distance. Without KeyMod slots, it’s not too clear how this could be accomplished, however, short of drilling and tapping holes for sling swivels in the exoskeleton. And that, of course, would invalidate the warranty…

APPEARANCE AND FINISH

As we mentioned at the start of this review, the appearance of the Kral Puncher Armour provokes an “all or nothing” reaction in the viewer. Either you’re going to love this gun’s looks – particularly in the radical blue color, or – well – you won’t!

Overall fit and finish of both metal and plastic parts of the Kral Puncher Armour are very satisfactory. HAM Tester Doug Rogers, who is a highly-skilled machinist by trade, noted: “finish of metal parts was good. Looks nice. Nothing cheap.”

The powder-coated metal cladding is finished in a practical, functional manner and the printing is clear. It’s folded from one piece of metal and – overall – fits well around the action. The blued parts that can be seen look to have good finish too.

Plastic parts seem well molded and there’s evidence of practical thinking, as can be seen with the spare magazine holder that’s included at the rear of the gun.

The characteristic cutouts in the sides of the exoskeleton certainly shout “unique”. However, had they been KeyMod slots, that would have transformed the utility of the Kral Puncher Armour, by allowing a vast array of accessories to be mounted on the gun. That was a clear opportunity missed by the gun’s designers in favor of style.

BUYING AND OWNING

At a time when mainstream air rifle manufacturers are moving to 3- and 5-year warranties, the Kral Puncher Armour is supported by just a traditional 12 month warranty. This is provided by Air Venturi in Cleveland for US customers. Air Venturi has parts and service technicians trained to provide after-sales support.

The user instruction manual for the Kral Puncher Armour is produced in the US by Air Venturi. It’s well-illustrated and clear, but is a generic booklet for all Kral models. Most owners will find it informative, although it’s in English only.

One concern the HAM Team has about the Kral Puncher Armour  is the position of the pressure gauge. It always frightens us to look at a pressure gauge that’s mounted in the end of the HPA cylinder, particularly on short-barreled models.

The exoskeleton of the Kral Puncher Armour  makes it even more difficult than usual to see the pressure gauge without having to look straight down the barrel – as you can see from the photograph below.

Rule Number One of safe shooting is “never point the gun at anyone” – as is prominently pointed-out in the user manual.

Yet you have to point the Kral Puncher Armour directly at your own face in order to see its pressure gauge! In the HAM Team’s opinion, this is a clear safety issue with the design and requires the user to be about one Zillion percent sure that the gun is unloaded with the safety engaged before checking the pressure!

On a more positive note, the Kral Puncher Armour  is supplied complete with two rotary magazines and a single shot tray. As with everything about the Kral Puncher Armour, the magazines are oversized and contain 12 pellets in .22 caliber. (Magazine capacity is 14 shots in .177 caliber and 10 pellets in .25 cal.)

Also included is the brass fill probe. This has a screw thread connector and so will require most owners to purchase an additional adapter to connect to a standard female 1/8-Inch NPT quick disconnect, probably with some frustration. Fill probes supplied with some Chinese-manufactured PCP air rifles have a male quick disconnect fitting for the probe and this is a much superior solution for most users.

The Kral’s bipod closes down to form a vertical foregrip. This is an useful capability, but it’s rather a puzzle to understand how to open and close this folding bipod. It certainly took the HAM Team some time to figure it out – particularly as there’s no guidance in the user manual.

Finally, the Kral Puncher Armour is supplied in a hard plastic gun case. This is – in principal –  a great idea. The case provides excellent protection for the gun during its multi-stage journey from the manufacturer to you.

But, sadly, the case is not big enough to hold the Kral Puncher Armour with a scope fitted. So, you’ll need to buy a large case of some sort if you want to protect and transport the gun with its scope mounted…

TEST TARGETS

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Kral Puncher Armour PCP Air Rifle, Blue

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Kral Puncher Armour, Blue

This entire article including scoring, test targets etc is Copyright Hard Air Magazine and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the publisher.

The post Kral Puncher Armour PCP Air Rifle Test Review .22 Caliber appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

In this first post in HAM, Chad Kentner reviews his Daystate Red Wolf PCP air rifle. Take it away Chad…

The Daystate Red Wolf wraps up all of the British company’s cutting-edge technology into one beautiful package.

Over the past few months I’ve had the pleasure of owning and shooting this rifle both in competitions and informal plinking with friends. The consistency and accuracy that I have experienced has truly helped to build my shooting confidence.

As an example, Last year I went from shooting a best score of 23/60 and 40/60 on a two day event at the Pyramyd Air Cup, to now consistently shooting around 50/60 in several local events and at the Crosman All American Field Target Championships and placing 9th overall.

I also shot a .22 caliber Daystate Red Wolf at Extreme Benchrest this year and was happy with my first effort there.

BTW. As you can see, the gun I shot at Extreme Benchrest had no shroud…

Let’s begin with a look at the performance I have experienced with the Daystate Red Wolf…

I have been using JSB 10.3 grain pellets that have been slightly lubed. Wanting to really stretch the rifle and it’s capabilities, I choose to go beyond the standard 5 shot groups and up the challenge to 10 shot groups. Out to 30 yards it is a laser, producing almost single hole groups with 10 shots using shooting bags and a folding table in an open field!

At 50 yards I was able to produce ¾ inch groups with 10 shots. With both wind playing a factor as well as my stability shooting off a makeshift bench, I feel confident in saying that my groups at this distance have the potential to be much smaller given better circumstances.

Since we know that the Daystate Red Wolf can perform as advertised, let us take a closer look at the rifle itself.

It has a beautiful pistol grip laminate stock while –  for the traditionalist – it is also available in walnut. There is  a true carbon fiber shroud together with a factory attached moderator that makes this absolutely whisper quiet.

The stock is adjustable with the ability to raise and lower the cheek rest, a two way adjustable butt pad for the perfect fit, an adjustable trigger blade and two stage trigger. At the bottom of the grip you will find a small trap door for battery removal which is needed to charging and or replacement at some point in the future.

The heart of the Daystate Red Wolf is the Map Compensated Technology or MCT electronic system. As a traditionalist, I was both leery and curious as to how this would impact my shooting experience. All that I can say is that it is just as enjoyable if not more enjoyable than any mechanical system I have tried yet.

The MTC system uses solenoid powered valve to regulate shot to shot consistency. This prevents regulator creep and provides a huge number of shots you get on a fill. Also as a result of this electronic system, it has become extremely easy to cock the new sidelever.

This is a result of not having to pull a hammer back against the spring to cock the rifle. Remember we are talking about just reseating a electronic solenoid to shoot your next round!

The rifle also comes equipped with a LCD readout that shows remaining air pressure, your current power setting (Low, Medium and High), magazine shot count, low battery indicator and a menu when adjusting options.

One of my favorite features is the magazine and how the electronics prevent you from firing once you have expended all your shots, which prevents the unacceptable misfire.

The battery that gives the Daystate Red Wolf electronics life has been a bit of a debated topic among owners and onlookers reading online forums. I have seen this portion of the rifle called “cheap” and others have even suggested that this was “overlooked” by Daystate and should be improved. Let’s take a quick look at some of these possible concerns and I’ll explain my thoughts as well.

The first of many of the complaints I have seen state that there should be an external charging port so you do not have to remove your battery for charging. I understand that there is a bit of an inconvenience factor here but let’s also look at it from a safety perspective…

Lithium Ion batteries do go bad and when they do, they can become a explosive fire hazard if not handled correctly. By having to remove the battery, you are now also quickly able to examine the battery for possible replacement. The number one telltale sign of failure is that the battery itself will begin to swell.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you get thousands of shots off a single charge so you don’t need to charge as often as you would have with old style of batteries.

Some have said that the battery is a cheap foreign made product. My first response to this is does it work? The obvious answer is “yes” and it works well too! Secondly and much more importantly in my mind, is that this means it can be easily replaced by various retailers down the road and it won’t be prohibitively expensive to do so.

Something else that I have read is the concern that the battery must be removed before removing the stock. Although this is a true statement, I would argue it is like saying you have to remove a screw to take off the stock. It is just the nature of the beast and a moot point. Especially since you only need to remove a single screw and the battery which takes all of a minute to do.

Now that I have addressed a few of my feelings on the general complaints, I do have a few areas that could be improved on the Daystate Red Wolf.

I should state that these are by no means a deal killer and I would still make the same choice to purchase the rifle after knowing these things…

First on my list are the wires from the MCT electronics to the battery plug. They appear rather small and potentially fragile, unlike the wires coming off the battery itself. Only time will tell if this is actually an issue and from what I have seen inside the electronics they could be easily replaced if damaged. That’s why I’m thankful for Daystate’s robust 3 year warranty.

Another area to take a second look into is the battery charger. It comes with a plug for the European Market and needs an adapter for a US outlet to work. Mine did at least come with the adapter!

The charging port also is a bit confusing with a four prong receiving port where the battery only has a three prong plug. Duh!!!

Knowing that the battery is made of two cells, you can quickly determine that the plug goes all the way to the right so that the lights for cell one and cell two light up as charging. However for those who are not familiar with these chargers, this could easily become confusing. Not to mention the directions don’t explicitly explain how this works.

All in all as both an owner and reviewer, the Daystate Red Wolf is as near to perfection as I have seen an airgun get and would highly recommend that if you get a chance to shoot one that you should.

Even better yet, place an order and own the pride of the Daystate pack and see what all the fuss is about!

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Daystate Red Wolf, Laminate

The post The .177 Caliber Daystate Red Wolf – An Owner’s Perspective appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Sean McDaniel won the Hunter PCP Class at the 2018 Pyramyd Air Cup. For his prize, he chose a beautiful, Ataman M2S target rifle valued at $2,400. What a fantastic prize!!!

So what does he feel about his new air rifle, some weeks later? Here’s Sean’s highly-personal opinions on his new dream gun…

First A Little Background.

To better appreciate how I came into possession of the Ataman M2S Field Target Rifle I’d like to fill you in on how I got here.

It was at the end of last year (2017) that I made the decision to try and take my shooting to the next level. I was at DIFTA and managed a 57/60 which was my highest score to date.

While I had done well at monthly matches, the 2-day Grand Prix shoots were where I typically came up short.

At the time I was shooting my FX Streamline and it was shooting well. But it was with the help of the Dennis and Tom Himes – well downright nagging would be more appropriate! – that I finally took the plunge to really try to improve my scores.

My first Grand Prix of 2018 was at the Cajun Classic in April and I tanked. There seemed to be many dark shots I think and I had never ranged dark targets. Another lesson learned!

The Importance Of Practice

I continued practicing and working to improve my scores at our regular monthly FT shoots. By the time of the Crosman All American Field Target Shoot in July I was in a good place. I ended-up finishing third.

[Note, Sean is also Match Director for the CAAFTC, so he’s actually running the shoot, not just participating. This makes his score even more creditable – Stephen Archer].

Finishing this well at a Grand Prix showed me that my hard work was paying off. The Himes brothers then doubled down and got me to go visit them for a weekend to work on my shooting.

Personally, I think they wanted some competition to make life interesting!

After spending the weekend with Dennis and Tom Himes, I saw just how much practice they put into this sport. I also saw how much preparation they put into each match: sorting pellets, cleaning barrels, tuning their rifles.

Above. Tom Himes encouraged Sean, along with his brother Dennis.

As much as I didn’t want to, I started sorting my pellets because I saw the difference first hand. This, I believe, took care of the occasional flyer.

And when it comes down to a point between placing and not placing it’s those couple of flyers that can make or break you!

I also got back into doing several daily practice sessions in my basement at 10 yards trying to knock down a 3/8-Inch target in both standing and kneeling positions.

The 2018 Pyramyd Air Cup

Then came the Pyramyd Air Cup in September 2018. I had typically finished in the top 15 but being a big Grand Prix, I just couldn’t break that barrier.

I worked hard the week prior on my standing and kneeling shots. My rifle was in good shape and shooting well. But 50 people in my division?

There are some really good shooters out there…

Day 1 came and went and when the scores were posted I was in first place for Hunter PCP!

Great, but I still wasn’t expecting anything given my day 2 history. Yet when the Day Two scores were posted I remained in first place. I had won the class!

At the Awards ceremony, someone asked me what prize I wanted, and I hadn’t even thought that far ahead. So, I went to the table and looked. There was the Ataman M2S. It’s a 12 Ft/Lb gun, but absolutely stunning with its red, white, and blue fully adjustable laminate stock, and stainless barrel.

Something about it drew me to that Ataman M2S, but would I get it? Not sure as numbers still had to be drawn for pick order. Well, it was my crazy lucky day as I also drew first pick!

I’m pretty sure I floated up to Tyler Patner to pick up my First Place Cup and claim my prize…

Above. Sean, left, receives his prize from Tyler Patner. Photograph by Janice Himes.

It’s My Dream Gun!

Having a gun as nice as the Ataman M2S is a dream for most and mine had come true.

As much as I wanted to go try it out, the Field Target Nationals were due in a couple of weeks. Clearly it wouldn’t bode well to change equipment mid-season.

So reluctantly I put The Ataman M2S aside and would pick it up and admire it in the meantime…

After two and a half weeks, I returned from the Nationals and proceeded to take my scope off my current rifle and put it on the Ataman. I then set about changing the stock to suit me, something I’d never had the opportunity to do before…

The length of pull was brought out as far as it would go, and I adjusted the height of the butt-pad to better suit my large build. I pulled out the fill probe and got it filled up to 300 Bar.

Next, I put the Ataman M2S in “Trigger Test” mode to get the feel of it and thought for sure something was wrong because I didn’t feel any stage. It just kept going off…

Oh, the joys of having a rifle that is WAY superior to what you have ever owned before!

The trigger on this rifle is maybe an ounce or two. And first stage is so light it’s easy to pull right through. If your finger is cold, then forget it because you won’t feel the second stage.

After some time on the trigger, I then turned it on to get the velocity and start sighting it in. The velocity came in at 825 FPS with JSB 8.44 Grain pellets. After getting it zeroed at 30 Yards, I was making a single hole at 30 Yards with a bucket and bipod and some wind. Great!

Then I took the Ataman M2S out to 55 Yards and while I wasn’t getting single hole groups I was getting half inch or less with unsorted pellets.

Keep in mind that I shoot with the scope at 16x, so getting those groups at that magnification is, IMHO, doing very well!

Being able to fill up once every 200 shots is just crazy! I could fill it up and have it last me an entire Grand Prix weekend.

I’ve already put several hundred rounds through my new Ataman M2S and can see that my accuracy is getting better.

I didn’t realize just what a difference a trigger this light can do for you. The light trigger means that you must be crazy aware of gently squeezing the trigger. It also means that when it’s time to take the shot there is a lot less pressure required that would then be transferred to the shot.

The rifle is longer than the Streamline, which suits me well. I also think that having the bipod placement farther away also works in my favor.

In my eyes the Ataman M2S Field Target Rifle is a functional and precise work of art, and who doesn’t like to show off their art?

Sean, thanks for telling us about your new air rifle. Now we need to see how you perform with it in the 2019 season. No pressure!

We also need to mention that Sean is passionate about helping others start and enjoy airgun shooting, as in the case of this photograph above. He’s Match Director for Field Target at the Rochester Brooks Gun Club in upstate New York and a HAM contributor.

Sean also writes his own Field Target blog, “Confessions of a Field Target Junky”. Take a read, if you’re into Field Target, you’ll enjoy it…

The post The Ataman M2S Field Target Air Rifle – A Personal View appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

VALUE FOR MONEY

The Umarex Gauntlet .25 caliber has finally arrived! It offers the same overall value proposition as the smaller caliber Gauntlet models: regulated FPS consistency, high shot count, magazine feed and decent power at a very attractive, sub-$300 price.

Its taken a long time to appear. But at the time of writing, the Umarex Gauntlet .25 caliber is still the only PCP air rifle to combine all of those benefits. Low cost PCPs from other manufacturers miss either the .25 caliber option or have no regulator.

As you can read below, performance and accuracy are good too. And there’s an incremental improvement over smaller caliber versions of the Gauntlet, such as the .22 caliber model HAM tested in November 2017.

So, the Umarex Gauntlet .25 caliber is clearly great value for money.

And here’s a shameless plug! There’s a huge amount of useful information about the Gauntlet in all calibers – including .25 cal. – in HAM Publisher Stephen Archer’s 96-page hard copy book on this air rifle. It’s also great value at less than $20.00 for 96 pages of great information and is available from Amazon.

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Umarex Gauntlet PCP Air Rifle, Synthetic Stock

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Umarex Gauntlet Regulated PCP Air Rifle

SPEED AND ACCURACY

The Umarex Gauntlet .25 caliber  tested by HAM gave a maximum Muzzle Velocity of 994.69 FPS with 16.54 Grain GTO alloy pellets.

That’s just 0.5% less than the magic “1,000 FPS” that so appears to many airgunners. But, of course, that also was accompanied by the lowest Muzzle Energy, due to the relatively light weight of the GTOs.

The highest Muzzle velocity recorded with lead pellets was 938.93 FPS, with 19.91 Grain H&N Field Target Trophy pellets. Even the heaviest – 33.95 Grain – JSB Exact King Heavy pellets achieved 779.46 FPS. That’s still a good Muzzle velocity for .25 caliber and produced the highest Muzzle Energy of 45.81 Ft/Lbs recorded in HAM testing.

Accuracy was generally very good or better with the pellets tested by HAM. Only the H&N Silver Point pellets opened-out somewhat, all the others giving consistently strong accuracy.

For many hunters, the great accuracy of the Predator Polymags in HAM testing will be an important feature of the Umarex Gauntlet .25 caliber.

Best accuracy in HAM testing was achieved with JSB Exact King Heavy pellets. At 25 Yards, the 10-shot group below showed excellent performance. Yes, I knew I had “pulled” that flyer almost before it left the barrel. My fault!

TRIGGER AND COCKING EFFORT

Trigger pull weight of the Umarex Gauntlet .25 caliber  tested by HAM averaged 2 Lb 10 Oz. This is slightly less than the 3 Lb 2 Oz recorded in testing for the .22 caliber version and, again, was very consistent, varying by only 2 Ounces at most during HAM testing.

The single-stage trigger is still rather long and gritty. However, Umarex USA tells us that the factory settings for pull weight, sear engagement and overtravel are being improved, compared to earlier examples.

There was some sign of such improvement in the Umarex Gauntlet .25 caliber tested by HAM, however, it’s likely that trigger feel can be further improved by careful adjustment during assembly.

Cocking effort is still high and rather rough. It’s a cock-on opening action, as with most other magazine-fed PCP air rifles, and so is harder to pull back than to push forward.

The rear bolt lock slot in the breech of the Umarex Gauntlet .25 caliber is now quite familiar. This holds the bolt open for loading a freshly-charged magazine and – at the same time – acts as a second safety.

No matter how much you pull on the trigger, the gun will not fire when the bolt handle is locked back and down. This is a definite safety advantage compared to most other bolt action PCPs.

COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS

The manufacturer makes a number of claims for the Umarex Gauntlet .25 caliber. The primary one is “up to 27 consistent shots at 895 FPS with 25 Grain pellets”. They also claim up to 45 Ft/Lbs of Muzzle Energy and a trigger pull weight of 3 Lbs.

Compared to these specifications, the Umarex Gauntlet .25 caliber tested by HAM achieved 30 consistent shots. It also produced an average Muzzle Velocity of 874 FPS with JSB 25.39 Grain pellets. Very close to the claims.

So, the HAM test gun gave 11% more consistent shots than claimed. It was, however, accompanied by a Muzzle Velocity that was 2.5% lower. This would probably be caused by the test gun’s regulator being set a little “light”.

The maximum Muzzle Energy achieved by the Umarex Gauntlet .25 caliber in HAM testing was 45.81 Ft/Lbs.

Trigger pull weight of the gun  tested by HAM averaged 2 Lb 10 Oz. This was happily below the claim of 3 Lbs.

Overall, it’s clear that the Umarex Gauntlet .25 caliber tested by HAM met the manufacturer’s claims for its performance.

CONSISTENCY

As can be seen from the chart below, the Umarex Gauntlet .25 caliber tested by HAM gave 30 consistent shots with an extreme spread of 18 FPS. It appears that the regulator pressure was actually reached at shot 28.

This is very satisfactory and is typical of the performance we expect to find from a well-regulated PCP air rifle.

Trigger pull weight was also very consistent, varying by just 3 Ounces during HAM testing. This is excellent consistency, particularly at the price being asked for the gun.

Another aspect of consistency was the demonstrated ability of the Umarex Gauntlet .25 caliber tested by HAM to shoot accurately with 6 out of the 7 HAM standard test pellets. This lack of “pellet pickiness” is another good characteristic for the gun.

NOISE LEVEL

The Umarex Gauntlet .25 caliber is fitted with a shrouded barrel. This provides a reasonably quiet report. However, it’s louder than the .177 and .22 caliber versions of the same gun.

Overall noise level is somewhat higher than that of the Benjamin Marauder – HAM’s Gold Standard – in our subjective testing. But it’s still clearly much reduced from the levels that would be heard from an un-shrouded barrel.

SIGHTS AND SCOPE

As expected, Umarex does not bundle a scope with the .25 caliber Gauntlet.

There are long scope rails machined into the breech. These are standard .22/airgun rails, meaning that Weaver/Picatinny rings do not fit .

Of course, you have to budget more for the scope, but at least you are able to select the one you want. And, of course, the vast majority of bundled scopes have poor optical quality, so this way you’ll end-up with a better scope and a better overall shooting experience.

For HAM testing, we mounted a Leapers 4 – 16 x 40 AO scope. This complemented the overall balance and weight of the air rifle, proving effective in use. It’s the same scope as we used to test the .22 caliber version, for consistency.

SHOOTABILITY

The Umarex Gauntlet .25 caliber has the same overall length as the other calibers. This is long at 46 1/4 Inches overall. That’s about 3 Inches longer than a Marauder, for example. It weighs 10 Lbs 1 Oz as tested by HAM with the Leapers UTG 4 – 16 x 40 AO scope.

One difference between the Umarex Gauntlet .25 caliber  and the .177 and .22 caliber versions is the provision of a barrel band – or actually a “shroud band”. This braces the barrel/shroud assembly to provide better support in case of knocks in use. It looks like this…

Umarex USA tells HAM that this barrel band will be offered as a low cost upgrade to existing owners of .177 and .22 caliber guns for – probably – a limited time. Look out for this to be announced before mid-year 2019.

As with the other calibers, the  Umarex Gauntlet .25 caliber is supplied with a “degassing key”. This is a great feature as it enables all the pressure to be removed from the gun and tank – if required – for maintenance, or to make for jam clearance.

It works by camming open the valve, allowing all the air to exhaust through the breech (or muzzle if the bolt is closed).

Because of the regulated design and low, 1,900 PSI regulator pressure, the Umarex Gauntlet PCP air rifle offers remarkable flexibility for filling with HPA. This means that the tank does not have to be filled to the full 3,000 PSI in order to achieve full performance.

So, if you’re filling from a hand pump, you can have full power even if you fill to just 2,500 PSI, for example. The only difference is that you will get less consistent shots per fill. This is because fewer shots will be required to take the air in the tank down to the 1,900 PSI regulator pressure.

So, if you find it tough to fill to 3,000 PSI with a hand pump – and many of us do – just fill Gauntlet to the pressure you can easily manage. Filling is undertaken using a standard 1/8-Inch NPT standard quick disconnect.

Although the GTO alloy pellets shot accurately, they chambered VERY hard. Were they to jam in the Gauntlet, it could be (almost) impossible to clear. This made them stressful to shoot – I would stick to alloy pellets for peace-of-mind!

APPEARANCE AND FINISH

Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And familiarity usually brings more appreciation of appearance.

But this has not happened to the HAM team in the case of the Gauntlet! It remains a clunky-looking gun to the HAM Team, primarily due to the stock design.

That black synthetic stock is well-molded, with the seam lines disguised and/or finished to make them less obvious. Unfortunately, the stock material tends to show the effects of minor handling marks, like finger nail marks.

Metal parts are finished in matt black.

Overall, the quality of fit and finish are quite acceptable and will meet most owner’s expectations for an air rifle of this price. Remember: handsome is as handsome does…

BUYING AND OWNING

Unfortunately, the Umarex Gauntlet .25 caliber tested by HAM retains the “borderline unacceptable” pressure gauge found on the .22 caliber gun we tested. It’s very difficult to read accurately.

This is disappointing, given that we have seen other Gauntlets fitted with a red/green faceplate for easy and accurate reading, as is illustrated in the Instruction Manual.

Note that this gauge indicates the fill – i.e. unregulated – pressure, not the regulated pressure. This means that HPA filling pressure should always read using a larger gauge on the pump or HPA tank, as with any other PCP air rifle, to achieve the correct fill PSI.

The Umarex Gauntlet .25 caliber is just starting to become available from the usual online sources such as Pyramyd Air and Airgun Depot. However, we can expect that it will also be available from a number of the larger “bricks and mortar” stores such as Cabelas that already stock the smaller caliber versions.

The gun ships with one 8-shot magazine, a single shot tray and degassing tool.

The Gauntlet is supplied with a 3-year limited warranty, provided by Umarex USA. This shows that Umarex has confidence in the product. Spare parts are available by phone order from Umarex USA.

There’s a separate, new instruction manual for the Umarex Gauntlet .25 caliber. This is comprehensive, well-illustrated and includes English, French and Spanish sections. It covers trigger adjustment and instructions for removing and replacing the regulated HPA tank.

It’s important to note that the Umarex Gauntlet .25 caliber has a 1,900 PSI regulated tank that is removable and which can be replaced by another. As the tank itself contains the regulator, do not replace it with one designed for a .177 or .22 caliber Gauntlet as these give a much lower output pressure.

10 YARD TEST TARGETS

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Umarex Gauntlet PCP Air Rifle, Synthetic Stock

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Umarex Gauntlet Regulated PCP Air Rifle

This entire article including scoring, test targets etc is Copyright Hard Air Magazine and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the publisher.

The post Umarex Gauntlet .25 Caliber PCP Air Rifle Test Review appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

VALUE FOR MONEY

As a break barrel air rifle, the SIG ASP20 is priced towards the upper end of the price range. It’s competing in the same price bracket as a number of Diana, Walther and Weihrauch products – both spring/piston and gas ram-powered.

The Street Price is $429.99 for the wood stocked version tested here and $349.99 for the synthetic model – at the time of writing, at least.

Of course, a SIG-designed and manufactured air rifle was never going to be a bargain basement product. SIG is just not that sort of company. A concentration on quality and performance is foremost in the minds of every SIG employee that I have met. That’s what we see in the SIG ASP20.

In fact such is the perception of the SIG brand that a number of people have told me they think the gun is less expensive than they expected. That’s the power of the company’s brand and it must be good news for SIG!

HAM Tester Eric Brewer is an experienced spring/piston shooter who competes successfully in Field Target competition. He couldn’t wait to test the ASP20. In his test notes, Eric wrote: “At $430 the ASP20 is rather high priced for a breakbarrel – until you shoot it! I will own one!”

The ASP20 scope bundle tested by HAM is not yet available at retail. However, SIG tells us that they expect the price for the bundle of ASP20 and Whiskey3 ASP scope with rings to be about $150 above that of the “bare gun” price. That would be between $500 and $600, depending on the stock – a very attractive price for a bundle of this quality.

All of this, together with the performance of the ASP20 on test, means the ASP20 is clearly excellent value for money.

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SIG Sauer ASP20 Gas-Piston Breakbarrel Air Rifle, Beech

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SIG Sauer ASP20, Beech

SPEED AND ACCURACY

The SIG ASP20 tested by HAM achieved a peak Muzzle Velocity of 1294.2 FPS when using H&N Field Target Trophy Green pellets. These light, 5.56 Grain alloy pellets also gave outstanding accuracy in HAM testing.

Unsurprisingly, the fastest lead pellets in the standard HAM test suite were the light 7.0 Grain RWS Hobbys. These gave an average FPS of 1150 FPS.

It’s interesting to note that the SIG ASP20 tested by HAM performed well with most pellets. However it really did not like the 4.7 Grain Gamo Platinums. Muzzle Energy was well down and Standard Deviation very high when compared to the other HAM test pellets. The test target shows that accuracy suffered accordingly.

At 25 Yards, HAM Tester Eric Brewer put 8 out of 10 JSB Exact pellets into a 0.5 x .025-inch group, making him very happy! As you can see, he manfully takes responsibility for the two fliers. Let’s blame the 23 degree F temperature for that and thank Eric for his dedication to HAM testing in such weather!

TRIGGER AND COCKING EFFORT

The average trigger pull weight of the SIG ASP20 tested by HAM was 2 Lbs 1 Oz.

This is, of course, a light pull for such a powerful gas ram air rifle. SIG Air makes much play of the fact that the ASP20’s trigger can be predictably and safely adjusted. This is true. However, as always, we shot the test gun with the trigger “as received”.

HAM Tester Eric Brewer found the trigger feel to be rather long and spongy. At first, the sear break seemed hard to find. But he did find that he could predict the release point after a little practice. Now he’s really keen to start adjusting the trigger to his own preferences!

This trigger can be adjusted for a single- or two-stage pull. Or, indeed, a point in between! We covered the theory of this in a previous HAM story. So Eric has some more fun ahead of him there…

The ambidextrous safety is manual, which many serious shooters appreciate. It’s positioned exactly where your trigger finger should be when it’s not on the trigger! This sliding safety works well, demanding definite effort to engage and disengage.

COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS

The power claim for the SIG ASP20 is in the product name. The “20” in ASP20 indicates this air rifle’s Muzzle Energy in Ft/Lbs. That would be 20 Ft/Lbs…

The ASP20 tested by HAM exceeded this power claim with every pellet except the ultra-light Gamo alloys.

Wisely, SIG Air is stressing Muzzle Energy as an indication of power for the ASP20, rather than Muzzle Velocity. This is a smart move and one that is shared by too few other airgun manufacturers. It removes the ambiguity of FPS claims given that raw speed is so dependent on many factors. As you can see from this test review, the “fastest” pellets produced the lowest “power”. That’s not an unusual situation!

Now SIG does specify – with great precision – that the ASP20 in .177 caliber has a Muzzle Velocity of “up to 1021 FPS using 8.64 Grain pellets”. The SIG ASP20 tested by HAM also met and beat that claim. We saw 1035 FPS when shooting 8.64 Grain H&N Field Target Trophy pellets.

The manufacturer specifies an adjustable trigger pull weight of between 2.5 and 4.0 Lbs. The SIG ASP20 tested by HAM recorded a trigger pull weight averaging 2.0 Lbs. We’re OK with that…

Another claim by SIG is that the cocking effort is lower than other breakbarrel air rifles of this power level. HAM agrees with that too. We found the cocking effort to be 32 Lbs.

That’s significantly lower than we would expect for a 20 Ft/Lb breakbarrel. It’s even a little lower than SIG’s estimates.

CONSISTENCY

The SIG ASP20 tested by HAM delivered great consistency. At least with everything except the Gamo Platinum pellets!

Excepting the Gamos, Muzzle Energy varied only between 20.21 and 20.77 Ft/Lbs. This is a very tight range for a gas ram air rifle.

And Standard Deviation – the measure of shot-to-shot consistency in a string – was also very low at an average of just 4.44 FPS. Adding-in the enormous and atypical Standard Deviation of 42.22 FPS for the Platinum pellets, the average climbed to 9.8 FPS.

Trigger pull weight varied by just plus or minus 2 Ounces around the 2 Lbs 1 Ounce average. Again, this is very good consistency.

NOISE LEVEL

The SIG ASP20 is fitted with a built-in silencer. This worked well, taming the report to backyard-friendly levels. The HAM Team assessed the noise level as being about average for a silenced breakbarrel air rifle.

However, note that it’s possible for the ASP20 to shoot light .177 caliber pellets at FPS levels higher than the Speed Of Sound (around 1100 FPS). In this case, there will be a significant crack as the pellet travels through the air.

No built-in silencer or suppressor can deal with such a sonic boom! In that case, the answer is simply to use heavier pellets weighing 8 Grains or more. That will lower the Muzzle Velocity sufficiently to restore backyard-friendly sound levels.

SIGHTS AND SCOPE

The SIG ASP20 is supplied either without a scope or – in future – bundled with a SIG Whiskey3 ASP 4 – 12 x 44AO scope. This SIG scope was included with the HAM test gun.

This Whiskey3 ASP scope has been designed to operate with a pellet drop compensation elevation turret. This works exactly like the BDC scope turrets which are increasingly popular in firearms use.

The scope is calibrated by first zeroing at a set range – say 30 yards. The turret is then set to that zero range. Elevation changes are then made based on the distance to any specific target. These graduations can be seen in the photograph below. (Note how there is a larger rotational angle between the 70 and 60-yard markers and the 50 – 60 yard ones).

Of course, to work correctly, the pellet drop compensation turret needs to be graduated to the specific combination of airgun and pellet being used. The first SIG AIR ASP20 air rifles shipping in .22 caliber with a bundled scope have the SBT compensation turret installed.

However, .177 guns – like the HAM test example – have a regular elevation turret. SBT turrets for .177 cal will be available in future.

The potential for scope creep is eliminated on the SIG ASP20, thanks to the Picatinny rail laser welded to the compression tube. Neither scope, nor rail is going anywhere! (Laser welding is used in the ASP20 to prevent the distortion that can occur to parts when using other welding techniques. SIG Air tells us).

SHOOTABILITY

The SIG ASP20 does not have an adjustable cheek piece or butt plate. But in spite of that, it still fits most people well. The wrist of the stock is well-dimensioned. It allowed the trigger finger to engage the blade naturally, with no strain.

HAM testers found handling and pointability to be good. The center of gravity of the gun is also exactly where we put our forehand when shooting the gun. Again this makes for comfortable, consistent shooting in the field.

This means that the ASP20 is a new addition to that select group of air rifles – including the Air Arms TX200 and Weihrauch HW100 – that feel “just right” as they come from the factory, with no need for the stock adjustments they don’t have.

In his test notes, HAM Tester Eric Brewer wrote: “It can shoot! Very nice. You have to pay attention and be consistent but there’s less kick than I expected”.

HAM testers found the Artillery Hold – pivoting the forend on your open palm – to give the best consistent accuracy. Like most powerful gas ram and spring/piston air rifles, holding the gun tightly (like a firearm) will ruin the accuracy. There’s some jump when fired, of course, but it’s less than we were expecting.

As previously mentioned, cocking effort was low for the power level. This makes the ASP20 suitable for plinking as well as hunting. There’s a good chance that some will find their way to Field Target matches also.

The weight of the ASP20 and Whiskey3 scope tested by HAM was 9 Lb 11 Oz. This is heavy enough to feel substantial, yet not so heavy as to be unmanageable for many shooters. The overall length of 45.5 Inches is in line with expectations for a breakbarrel air rifle of this power.

APPEARANCE AND FINISH

With the company’s focus on military weapons, it’s no surprise that the SIG ASP20 has a tactical look to it. The appearance takes design keynotes from the SIG SSG3000 centerfire rifle, particularly in the design of the trigger and stock. This is not your traditional wood-stocked springer look!

So, while appearance will be a matter of personal taste, the HAM team likes it. We feel it looks sleek and sophisticated. Well, except for that “straight” trigger blade, perhaps.

The dark stain of the hardwood  – actually beech – stock makes it surprisingly difficult to tell it apart from a synthetic stock. However, once you look closer, you can see that it’s beautifully machined and finished. The quality of the stippling and the company logo are excellent, as you can see from these close-up photographs.

All metal parts exhibit high quality machining. Surface finish of the metal parts is a military-style matt black.

This is SIG’s tough Nitron Coating. It’s the same as used on the company’s firearms. Metal parts are dipped and then baked to make a tough, long-lasting finish.

As expected from a SIG. There’s definitely no danger of unwanted reflections spooking your prey when hunting with an ASP20!

You’ll see that serial numbers for the SIG ASP20 all begin with the initials JDH. This unusual prefix is a memorial to Justin Daniel Heckert, one of the gun’s key design engineers.

Sadly, Justin died unexpectedly before the ASP20 entered production. Serial number one of the SIG Air ASP20 was presented to Justin’s family as a mark of respect by the company.

BUYING AND OWNING

SIGAIR has spent time, effort and money on the packaging. That’s really important to ensure that your new air rifle arrives in perfect condition – in spite of whatever the parcel delivery company may do to it en route!

As we see below, the SIG ASP20 is carefully packaged in a high quality foam cutout. There’s more foam under the top lid, too.

This quality of packaging is very impressive and it’s part of a clear trend among some airgun manufacturers to provide improved packaging for their products. It’s waaay better than the minimal packaging protection provided by many other manufacturers.

The owner’s manual is comprehensive and well illustrated. It’s in multiple languages, including English, German, French, Italian and Spanish.

Given SIG’s huge customer base of powder burner shooters, there’s a section of “Special Notes To Firearms Shooters”. This gives basic advice for holding the ASP20 for best accuracy, together with a stern warning not to use a riflescope intended for centerfire use only! This is sensible, correct advice, so long as owners bother to read the instructions. RTFM springs to mind!

Also included with the SIGAIR ASP20 is a hangtag with essential safety information and a screwdriver and Allen wrench for trigger adjustment. Because this gun was bundled with the SIG Whiskey3 ASP 4-12×44 scope, there’s also a Torx wrench for the scope ring screws.

The ASP20 is supported by a 5-year warranty. Almost yesterday, it seems, most airguns had a 12-month warranty. Increasingly multi-year warranties are becoming more common on mass market air rifles and this SIG warranty is among the longest. That’s obviously great for the consumer.

Finally, given SIG SAUER’s outstanding distribution strength, you’re likely to find the SIG ASP20 widely available from online specialists, firearms dealers and big box sporting goods stores.

10 YARD TEST TARGETS

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SIG Sauer ASP20 Gas-Piston Breakbarrel Air Rifle, Beech

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SIG Sauer ASP20, Beech

This entire article including scoring, test targets etc is Copyright Hard Air Magazine and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the publisher.

The post SIG ASP20 Air Rifle .177 Caliber Test Review appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

For some years after their introduction, many manufacturers promoted gas ram air rifles as being unaffected by changes in temperature. The FPS would be pretty-well the same at any temperature, they said.

Is that true? Well, on the basis of some testing undertaken by Hard Air Magazine, the answer is definitely “no”.

There is definitely a change in FPS for gas ram air rifles at different temperatures. And it’s more than you may have thought!

To find out what the change in FPS can be with gas ram air rifles shooting at different temperatures, the HAM Team used a new .177 caliber SIG ASP20.

We shot the ASP20 at a temperatures of both 20 degrees F and at 63 degrees F. In each case, the gun was allowed to “season” at the ambient temperature for several hours before shooting. This meant that gun and ambient temperature were definitely at the same.

Also, we shot the gun slowly – about every 30 seconds – for each test. This was to avoid any effects from the ASP20 heating-up as it was fired. We took 10 shots at both temperatures for each of the six types of pellets. Total 120 shots.

So what did we find?

The answer that – taking the SIG ASP20 as a representative of gas ram air rifles – the gun shot faster, on average, by 1.28 FPS per degree F. And it shot faster at the higher temperature.

Here’s the data…

On average, that means approximately 55 FPS difference when the gun was shot at 20 degrees F and 63 degrees F. That is very definitely enough to make the point of impact on the target very different at most ranges.

Here’s some charts showing how the Muzzle Velocities changed with temperature (obviously the heavier pellets shoot slower):

And here’s the overall average:

So if you’re shooting gas ram air rifles, either on the range or hunting, make sure that your gun is sighted-in at approximately the same temperature as for that critical shot.

If not, you could miss the target just due to the change in temperature!

The post Do Gas Ram Air Rifles Give Different FPS At Different Temperatures? appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Here are the 2018 top ten most popular air rifle reviews in Hard Air Magazine.

During the course of 2018 HAM readers – that’s you – read well over HALF A MILLION airgun product reviews in Hard Air Magazine. That’s a huge number and it’s an increase of nearly 20% over 2017.

As the average time you spent reading HAM reviews was over 4 minutes, it’s clear that you found these reviews useful and worth spending your quality time reading them. Thank you!

So this really is YOUR choice of the 2018 top ten most popular air rifle reviews. Here they are…

Top Position – American Tactical Nova Freedom

The Nova Freedom is an innovative and interesting PCP with a built-in pump. It’s selling at a great price, too! This is a HAM Gold Award winner. And it was a good head above the next-ranking most popular airgun reviews.

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American Tactical Nova Freedom

Number Two – Diana Outlaw

The Outlaw just pipped two other competitors in the HAM 2018 top ten most popular air rifle reviews. It’s an interesting and attractive PCP that’s available in .177 cal, .22 caliber and .25. It also scored a HAM Gold Award in our review.

If you want a ton more information beyond the review, it’s all in the HAM hard copy book Choosing and Shooting The Diana Outlaw.

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Diana Outlaw

Number Three – FX Impact

Close behind the Outlaw was the FX Impact. Yet another HAM Gold Award winner, the Impact is certainly near the top of many airgunners “wish list”!

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FX Impact X Black

Number Four – Weihrauch HW100

Almost too close to call in our 2018 top ten most popular air rifle reviews and just a few points behind the Impact was another long-term favorite, the Weihrauch HW 100. This PCP is a favorite of several HAM testers, for good reason, as you’ll read in this review.

And, oh yes, it’s a HAM Gold Award winner, too!

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Weihrauch HW100 .177 Cal

Number Five – Umarex Gauntlet

The Gauntlet changed the game in the PCP market. This HAM review covered the .22 caliber model. There’s another new review dedicated to the latest .25 caliber version. Both are HAM Gold Award winners.

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Umarex Gauntlet PCP Air Rifle, Synthetic Stock

Number Six – Gamo Swarm Maxxim

This was the gun that started the multi-shot breakbarrel trend.HAM found the cocking and loading to be flawless when we tested the Swarm Maxxim in this review. It’s a HAM Bronze Award winner.

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Gamo Swarm Maxxim IGT Air Rifle

Number Seven – Weihrauch HW97K

Another perennial favorite, the HW97K was another very close call for the German company. The HAM Team liked this underlever Weihrauch springer a lot. It was another HAM Gold Award winner in our review.

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Weihrauch HW97K

Number Eight – Diana Stormrider

The Stormrider just squeezes into eighth place in HAM’s 2018 top ten most popular air rifle reviews. Another popular low-priced PCP, it gained a HAM Gold Award in our review of the original Generation One version. Current models are substantially similar but have a couple of improvements.

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Diana Stormrider PCP Air Rifle

Number Nine – SIG SAUER MCX

The MCX was one of the original SIG Air products. It continues to be very popular with a huge range of buyers. The MCX scored 65% in its HAM test review. The only CO2-powered firearms replica in this list, like its close cousin the MPX, it’s widely used as a plinker and firearms trainer.

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SIG Sauer MCX CO2 Rifle + Scope, Black

Number Ten – Gamo Coyote

Last in this list, but far from last in HAM’s 2018 top ten most popular air rifle reviews is this Gamo PCP. It just pipped the Benjamin Marauder out of the tenth slot.

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Gamo Coyote PCP Air Rifle

Again, thanks to all of you for reading HAM’s test reviews throughout the year! In the next post, we’ll check out the most popular air pistol reviews of 2018.

The post 2018 Top Ten Most Popular Air Rifle Reviews appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Here are the 2018 top ten most popular air pistol reviews published in Hard Air Magazine.

During the course of 2018 HAM readers – that’s you – read well over HALF A MILLION airgun product reviews in Hard Air Magazine. That’s a huge number and it’s an increase of nearly 20% over 2017.

As the average time you spent reading HAM reviews was over 4 minutes, it’s clear that you found these reviews useful and worth spending your quality time reading them. Thank you!

So this really is YOUR choice of the 2018 top ten most popular air pistol reviews. Here they are…

Top Position – Weihrauch HW44

The HW44 leads our 2018 top ten most popular air pistol reviews list by a fair way. It’s also the only PCP pistol in the list. Furthermore, the HW44 is the only “traditional” air pistol in that it’s not CO2-powered firearms replica. It won an easy Gold Award in its HAM test review.

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Weihrauch HW44 Air Pistol, FAC Version

Number Two – SIG SAUER P320

SIG Air has smashed its way into Hard Air Magazine’s 2018 top ten most popular air pistol reviews with four models. That’s a clear testimony to the brand power and widespread interest in SIG products. The P320 was just a nose ahead of the third place P226 in this ranking. Unusually for a firearms replica, it’s a pellet-firing air pistol. The P320 scored a creditable 81% in its HAM review.

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SIG SAUER P320 Pellet Pistol, Coyote Tan

Number Three – SIG SAUER P226

A second pellet-firing SIG Air pistol in this list is a good, functional version of the P320 firearm. It also uses the patented SIG Air cam lever loading system for CO2 cartridges. This P226 scored 73% in its Hard Air Magazine test review.

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SIG SAUER P226

Number Four – Glock 19 Generation 3

There’s been much excitement about this first Glock air pistol. It’s a very close copy of the firearm and makes third place in this list, in spite of only being introduced mid year. This is a non-blowback version but – because of that – performance is very strong. But wait – it’s a HAM Gold Award winner, too!

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Umarex Glock 19 Gen. 3 CO2 BB Air Pistol

Number Five – Umarex Legends MP40

Is it a pistol or a rifle? The HAM Team struggled to decide. In the end we ranked it in the 2018 top ten most popular air pistol reviews as that’s how the Wehrmacht saw it. MP stands for Maschinen Pistole (machine pistol). We loved it and this CO2-powered MP40 won an easy HAM Gold Award.

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Umarex Legends MP Full Auto BB Gun

Number Six – SIG SAUER 1911 Max Michel

SIG Air is back again in the 2018 top ten most popular air pistol reviews! This time, it’s with a BB-firing version of the tricked out firearm used by SIG Shooting Team Captain Max Michel. It’s a HAM Gold Award for SIG…

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SIG SAUER 1911 Max Michel BB Pistol

Number Seven – Umarex Legends P08 Blowback

HAM Publisher Stephen Archer loves Lugers – and the Umarex Legends  P08 is no exception! This is an extremely accurate replica of a regular, WWII-era P08. The blowback action is great, in spite of using a lot of CO2 to make it happen. It’s a HAM Silver Award winner.

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Umarex Legends P08 Full Metal Pistol with Blowback

Number Eight – SIG SAUER 1911 We The People

Another outstanding CO2-powered, BB-firing replica of a custom 1911 SIG firearm! And a Silver Award winner in the Hard Air Magazine 2018 top ten most popular air pistol reviews.

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SIG Sauer 1911 We The People CO2 BB Pistol

Number Nine – Colt Commander

The Colt Commander is the third 1911 replica in Hard Air Magazine’s 2018 top ten most popular air pistol reviews. It won a HAM Gold Award for its performance in our test review. This 1911 has one of the strongest blowback actions the HAM Team has found to date. That gives it a ton of realism to shoot.

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Colt Commander CO2 BB Pistol

Number Ten – Smith & Wesson 586

The S&W 586 is an oldie but a goodie. This pellet-firing CO2-powered firearms replica is the only wheel gun in HAM’s 2018 top ten most popular air pistol reviews. It won a HAM Bronze Award with a 90% score and was only held back by its relatively high price.

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Smith & Wesson 586

Again, thanks to all of you for reading HAM’s test reviews throughout the year! In the final post in this series, we’ll check out the most popular airgun pellet reviews of 2018.

The post 2018 Top Ten Most Popular Air Pistol Reviews appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

VALUE FOR MONEY

At a Street Price of $120  – less one cent – the SIG SAUER P320 M17 air pistol is priced a little above the average CO2-powered replica. However there are reasons for this which will be understood by most customers. HAM feels this price is right for such a realistic pellet-firing air pistol.

It’s clear that any pellet-firing air pistol will cost more to manufacture than a BB-shooting model. This is due to the additional complexity involved in the magazine and pellet-feed compared to a BB pistol, plus a rifled barrel. SIG’s BB-firing CO2-powered air pistols generally retail for about $100, so it’s not an unreasonable price premium.

SIG Air is one of the few manufacturers producing pellet-firing replicas and this capability will make it a “no-brainer” purchase for some. The fact that it’s such a CO2-powered version of the M17 will make it a must have for many more!

The 12-month warranty is strong positive, too, as many other replica pistols have just 3 months warranty coverage. A longer warranty has to be paid for somehow, too…

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SIG Sauer M17 P320 ASP, CO2 Pellet Pistol, Tan

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SIG SAUER M17 Pellet Pistol

REALISM – LOOK AND FEEL

Let’s be clear. The SIG Air P320 M17 air pistol is a remarkably realistic version of the US Army P320 M17 service pistol. Length, width, height and weight are all identical – or almost – to the centerfire original.

HAM Tester Doug Wall commented “Very realistic in size, looks and weight.” in his testing notes.

SIG sets high standards throughout the organization and its products. It’s clear that this is the most realistic pellet pistol that they have introduced to date. It’s thus ideally-suited for the training role that the company sees  as a key value proposition for its airgun products.

The overall appearance of the sights is very realistic. However, it’s true that that sights do not offer the night vision capability of the military firearm. However, that’s a very small difference and one that’s expected in a CO2 replica.

The P320 M17 air pistol features a fully-functional ambidextrous manual safety – a first for a SIG Air pistol and an exact match to the firearm.

There’s also a functioning takedown lever. Unlike previous SIG pellet pistols, the M17 can be field-stripped, which will please many people.

The drop-free magazine release is not ambidextrous. But, again, this is a relatively small difference from the centerfire M17.

ACCURACY AND POINT OF IMPACT

The P320 M17 air pistol tested by HAM showed very good accuracy. The gun was certainly “minute of soda can” accurate at 6 Yards.

However, there was a clear tendency for the pellets to strike slightly to the right of the bull. This was not an issue at 6 Yards, however the group dropped down and to the right on the 10 yard target, as we can see below.

Accuracy was quite consistent with all the standard HAM test pellets. The RWS Hobbys performed marginally best in the P320 M17 air pistol tested by HAM and so these were shot at the longer, 10 yards range.

Although to pellets struck low and right at 10 yards, they were still within the “minute of soda can” – just not exactly in the right place! Overall, this was a very creditable performance and the owner could clearly learn to aim off at 10 Yards range if required. The fixed sights – normal on CO2 replica pistols – do not allow for correction, of course.

One alternative would be to mount a small laser on the Picatinny rail and make aim corrections using that. This is a Leapers UTG LS200 Red Sub-Compact laser. As you can see, it fits onto the P320 M17 air pistol very conveniently.

COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS

SIG claims that the P320 M17 air pistol is a perfect tool for M17 firearm owners to practice with and stresses the similarity to the firearm. HAM agrees.

The manufacturer also claims a Muzzle Velocity of “up to 430 FPS” – depending on temperature and other environmental considerations. Unfortunately, the maximum FPS achieved by the P320 M17 air pistol tested by HAM was just 310 FPS, with 5.56 Grain alloy pellets.

Now it’s true that this was recorded in our cool – 62 degree F – test range. It’s also true that the Muzzle Velocity for CO2-powered airguns varies by about 2 FPS per degree F temperature change. However, even if the range temperature had been 92 degrees F, the test gun would have only achieved a maximum of 370 FPS. That’s the 310 FPS at 62 degrees + (30 degrees difference x 2 FPS) = 370 FPS.

Actually, a maximum of 370 FPS would still be a pretty good muzzle velocity for a CO2-powered air pistol. But it’s still 60 FPS short of the claim.

Is that a big deal? For most people who plan to use the P320 M17 air pistol for practice and punching holes in paper, the answer is “no”.

CONSISTENCY

The SIG P320 M17 air pistol tested by HAM was consistently accurate with all of our standard test pellets. Furthermore, trigger pull weight – although rather heavy – also demonstrated good consistency around its 9.5 Lb average.

Muzzle Velocity varied more with different pellets than we find with a BB-firing air pistol. However this is entirely understandable as the weight of the pellets used varies far more than the difference between various types of BB.

The point of impact on the target was also very consistent for all the pellet types.

The average Standard Deviation – the shot-to-shot variation in a string, was higher than average, however. The overall average SD was 21.92 FPS in HAM testing.

REALISM – TRIGGER AND ACTION

The SIG P320 M17 air pistol offers a very realistic-feeling blowback, particularly with a new, full, CO2 cartridge. Felt recoil is surprisingly strong, another big improvement over previous SIG non-blowback pellet pistols.

One complaint is that the slide does not hold back after the last pellet has been fired. This is not unknown among CO2-powered replica firearms, however.

The trigger is double-action only and has a rather long pull. The pull weight of the test gun was rather heavy at an average of 9 Lbs 8 Oz.

Both pull weight and length are clearly related to the pellet feed mechanism. It is the trigger pull which advances the next pellet into battery for firing, rather than the slide recoil. However, the pull itself felt consistent and predictable.

SHOT COUNT

In HAM testing, the SIG P320 M17 air pistol gave just over 60 shots before the Muzzle velocity fell below 200 FPS. This is around average for a CO2-powered air pistol with strong blowback.

However, HAM Tester kept firing and eventually achieved 80 shots before the gas was completely exhausted. That’s a very good count for a blowback air pistol, although the FPS for the final magazine’s contents was very low.

MUZZLE VELOCITY

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APPEARANCE AND FINISH

Overall appearance and quality of finish of the SIG P320 M17 air pistol tested by HAM were excellent!

The extended magazine allows for the high pellet capacity and matches the long magazines to be found on the SIG M17-Comemorative firearm.

Fit and finish are outstanding. The plastic-molded frame is very well done and the mold seam lines are close to invisible. The obligatory warning messages are molded into the frame, rather than being printed. This makes them less distracting than white-printed text and further adds to the overall realism of this air pistol.

BUYING AND OWNING

The SIG P320 M17 air pistol is widely available from online airgun dealers. It’s also carried by many big box sporting goods stores. So it’s easy to buy.

The CO2-loading system employed in the P320 M17 air pistol is – in the HAM Team’s opinion – the best there is at the present time.

SIG’s cam lever system is simple, easy and quick. There’s no screws to turn and no unsightly levers hanging down below the magazine. There’s no need for an Allen (hex) wrench either and no issues if that wrench were to become lost.

Incorporating the cam lever system into the magazine itself is also a significant operational improvement compared to having it located in the frame, as with some previous SIG models.

As with any replica air pistol – both BB- and pellet-firing, loading the ammo is actually the longest task of preparing the P320 M17 air pistol for shooting. But the new, 20-pellet magazine is really quite convenient to load. It also has no need for the owner to hold down a spring-loaded follower, as can become tedious with some BB pistols.

There’s a comprehensive and well-illustrated owner’s manual that’s provided in multiple different languages.

SAFETY FIRST. Due to the realistic appearance of this product, handle it as you would a firearm. Do not display it in public or in any place where it could be mistaken for a cartridge firearm.

6 YARD TEST TARGETS

10 YARD TEST TARGET

The post SIG SAUER P320 M17 Air Pistol Test Review appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.