AOA Blog

If you have an affection for older airguns, whether it is because you have been around long enough to have actually owned or admired one in your youth, or simply appreciate the lines and mechanics, you may have the need one day to have it restored. Should that be the case, I would like to put in a shameless plug for my friend Tim Smith of Smith Airgun Repair. Tim is the editor and publisher of Airgun Hobbyist magazine, yet still finds time to run Smith Customs and the repair business with the able assistance of his wife Sue. I’ve known Tim for over a decade, yet had not approached him until recently about restoring one of the old, dilapidated specimens I picked up at either a garage sale or gun show somewhere. I decided it was high time to pull the trigger (see what I did there?) on putting the Crosman V-350 in my possession back into shooting shape.

               Crosman introduced the V-350 single-shot, Slide Action Barrel Cocking (aka: push-barrel) BB rifle in 1962 when the company was just getting into spring-powered airguns. Up until this time they had been producing CO₂ and pneumatic guns since beginning operations in 1923. It was based on an old Quackenbush design and held 22 BBs. It continued production virtually unchanged until it was discontinued in 1969, by which time over a quarter million units had been made. The V-350 was modified with some improvements in 1969, including a Monte Carlo stock, and redesignated the Model 3500, which carried on production until 1975.

               The V-350 was in pretty rough shape when I sent it to Tim and Sue. The stock was beat up and most of the bluing was gone and there was some rust pitting on the barrel where the shooter grabbed it to push the barrel back into the receiver in order to cock it. It was also missing its front sight and was basically a mess that needed some tender loving care.

               After sending the air rifle off, I put it out of my mind as I was in no particular hurry and expected it would be at least a couple of months before I would be getting it back. To my surprise, after just three weeks it was on its way back to me. I couldn’t believe the transformation and to say I was pleased was an understatement. Not only did it look good, but it was a shooter again and shoots very accurately, for a smoothbore, out to about 30 feet. A complete breakdown of the replaced parts and labor costs is provided on your receipt. Of course, labor accounts for the majority of costs involved and the V-350 will become a wall-hanger, no doubt, since it has more nostalgic value to me than dollar value as a collectible. And, even though it has been professionally restored, the actual collectible value is less than what I have into it. However, if you have a valuable old airgun that you would like to have restored, reach out to Tim and let him know what you have to determine if he can do the work and come up with a cost estimate. He can be reached at: info@smithairgunrepair.com.

               Additionally, if you are into vintage airguns, be sure to check out AofA’s available inventory of used and collectible airguns on their website which can be found here. Bookmark the page and refer to it often if you don’t see what you are looking for as they purchase collections, attend airgun auctions and accept trade-ins on purchases, so the available items change often.

There are a lot of scopes on the market today. Some good, some junk and then there are the quality scopes that deserve a shot at being the next scope on your favorite air rifle. Generally, the scopes coming out of Europe would fit that bill as some of the best lenses have come from that part of the world. Meopta is a Czech Republic company that has been in business since 1933 producing quality optics. They also are a leading manufacturer and partner to many of the world’s finest optical brands and their catalog even reaches into the semiconductor, medical aerospace and military industries.

The sample provided to me is their MeoPro 2-10×42 model, one without all the bells and whistles in order to compete with lower-end scopes on the market without sacrificing quality and value. Others in this Optika5 line include a 3-15x44mm, a 4-20 x44mm and 4-20x50mm or 4-20x50mm with illuminated reticle. The name for the scope series is derived from their 5x magnification capability (2-10 and 4-20…).

My sample is a beautiful scope with flawless finish. The image is bright and clear with a Second Focal Plane duplex style reticle Meopta calls Z-plex. Also available in this model within the series is holdover-style stadia called the ZPlus. In the 4-20x50mm models an additional BDC 3 “Christmas Tree” style reticle is an option. Rubber armored turret knobs and magnifying ring with raised triangular cuts make it comfortable and easy to grasp and turn the knobs. The scopes come with durable rubber lens covers having sturdy rubber bands rather than the wimpy elastic cords on most provided covers to keep them in place. The one-inch, single-piece aircraft grade aluminum tube makes for a strong scope body and is coated with a special abrasion -resistant matte black anodized finish that helps reduce glare. The turrets are zero-reset types that can be adjusted using a coin and the click adjustments for windage and elevation are in ¼-inch MOA. Proprietary advanced lens coatings provide true color representation and unsurpassed low-light performance in its class including MeoBright, the anti-reflective coating that provides up to 91% light transmission while cutting glare. All external optical surfaces are also coated with MeoShield anti-abrasion coating, plus a special hydrophobic MeoDrop coating to repel water, grease and dust. All Optika scopes are Nitrogen purged and waterproof. Additionally, these scopes are engineered to withstand heavy recoil and are built tough enough to handle the extreme bi-directional recoil of spring piston air rifles. A removeable throw lever is included with the scope and an optional sun visor is available.

Generally, European scopes run on the higher priced side of things. Because Meopta saves their costs by not advertising in magazines, etc., they pass those savings on to the consumer. As mentioned earlier, this Optika5 model is pretty much bare bones to keep its price point low so this unit does not have a side wheel parallax adjustment, but there is a version called the 2-10x42PA, with the “PA” standing for Parallax Adjustable. Additionally, the 4-20x50mm model comes in a version with an illuminated reticle.

The Owner’s Manual is printed in eight languages, which indicates the reach of Meopta’s market. Being made in a country that is part of the European Union, even instructions on how to handle the scope for recycling “after its useful life” are included because the EU is heavily committed to recycling. However, with reasonable care, this scope is sturdy and should last a long, long time. Costs are also saved on packaging as the box the scope comes in is entirely of heavy cardboard with corrugated supports to hold the scope in place. No foam or Styrofoam is used in the packaging of the scope. I suspect this is just a much because of the aforementioned EU recycling consciousness as it is for cost savings.

This unit will add 20.8 ounces to your setup and is just over 12 inches long. Its MSRP on this model runs $350, and that includes a Lifetime Transferrable Warranty for all Meopta optics sold in the U.S.; another indication of a quality product for the cost when a manufacturer stands behind their product with a lifetime warranty.

 While it is not yet showing on AofA’s ­­­­­Meopta web page, a quick call to my friends there should have you on your way to receiving one of these beauties on your doorstep.

The title is just a play on words to describe the 0dB .30 caliber silencer recently sent to me by AofA to test out. Obviously, silencers don’t completely eliminate the report of a shot, even on airguns. Although, shooting heavier pellets at subsonic speeds through a well-made silencer mounted on a PCP air rifle can reduce them to the level of a mouse fart.

I happen to be working with the .25 caliber Daystate Delta Wolf that AofA was kind enough to loan me in order to write about it. A barrel adapter was needed for its M20x1 metric threads in order to use my DonnyFL UNF threaded silencer so I requested for one. Only  expecting the adapter, when the package arrived I was pleasantly surprised to find a new product, the Magnum 0dB silencer in .30 caliber inside.

For the larger bore Delta Wolfs, the standard thread size on the muzzle is the metric M20x1 thread. This is approximately three-quarters inch across as opposed to the standard one-half inch seen on airgun silencers found here in the states. In order to keep with the tactical styling of the DW, this new Magnum model silencer has a matte black finish and is beefy without being very heavy. I wasn’t able to weigh the Magnum and the specs were not available at this time, however, the additional weight was not really noticeable once it was installed and it looks fantastic mounted on the DW.

Upon taking it out of its box and looking over the simple instruction sheet included I discovered that the adapter sold by AofA is actually not needed with this particular silencer. There is already a removeable “built-in” adapter that nests inside the M20x1 female threads so the silencer fits standard ½ x 20 UNF threads right out of the box. Spanner holes are located on either side of the face of the insert to provide a way to remove it and have access to the M20 threads required by the Daystate. No spanner wrench is included with the silencer but that is not a big deal as two small allen wrenches or nails could be used if needed to loosen the adapter.

While the DW’s shrouded barrel didn’t need additional help for the subsonic shots, lead-frees and lighter lead pellets could easily top 1100fps unless the DW was tuned down; and who wants less powerful shots? The Magnum only comes in a .30 caliber bore configuration and it did its work very well. I don’t have a decibel/sound level meter so my comments are subjective and yet I believe it was highly effective at taming the bark of the Delta Wolf sending 19 grainers at supersonic speeds. Of course, the Magnum will work on any .25 or .30 caliber air rifle you have with a threaded muzzle. It was, however, designed for the .30 caliber Delta Wolf with its capability of developing over 90fpe. Daystate claims extreme effectiveness in suppressing the DWs report and the Magnum gave no reason to doubt that claim.

Here is a link to the AofA website page for 0dB silencers although the Magnum is so new it is not showing there quite yet. Once the new Magnum appears on the page it will be listed at $279. If you have questions or can’t wait to get your hands on this impressive piece of kit, please contact the great people at AofA at: 480-461-1113.

I realize Steven Archer has already provided his thoughts on the new Daystate Delta Wolf in his July posting.  Additionally, a background blurb was posted in March. Yet, as I have been provided with a loaner Delta Wolf in .25 caliber by the great people at Airguns of Arizona for articles in other publications, it seemed prudent not to let this opportunity go by.

               Anyone following the storied history of the maker knows they’ve been at the PCP game over 40 years. PCPs are all they make and the Delta Wolf is the culmination of their years of experimentation and experience at building some of the finest air rifles out there. And, while Delta Wolf is a nice, strong name for this new airgun, if Daystate had me working in their marketing department, I’d have pressed for the name “Sans Kitchen Sink” model because they’ve thrown in everything but the kitchen sink!

               Just to recap, in case you haven’t read the aforementioned posts, the Delta Wolf is an ambidextrous bullpup design sporting AR styling. It is the world’s first all electronically operated/controlled air rifle. That means the trigger control, hammer strike and dwell time on the valve are all controlled via a built-in computer and settable/programmable by the end user through an on-board touch screen. Air pressure is controlled by a Huma regulator that is easily adjusted by the shooter. The Delta Wolf is relatively light at 8 pounds and adding the new MTC King Cobra FFP 6-24x 50mm scope added another 1.8 pounds. Its picatinny scope rail is reminiscent of the carry handle on the original M16s with a built-in 3 degree slope and it is adjustable forward and back if the eye relief isn’t quite right. It uses an all metal flip open, easy-loading rotary magazine that has strong magnets to hold it in place. The magazine holds 10 rounds of .25 and easily accommodates long skirted or polymer-tipped pellets and slugs. Magazines can be inserted from either side of the rifle and that feature lends itself to another nifty trick of the Delta Wolf; two mags can be inserted – one on each side. Once one runs dry, the other can be pushed into place to continue shooting. Those Daystate engineers really had their thinking caps on!

               Additional cool features include a metal trigger shoe that is adjustable vertically and for cant. It is connected to a fully adjustable match trigger which was breaking out of the box at a hair-trigger 6.9 ounces according to my trigger gauge. The cheekpiece is adjustable forward or back and the rubber buttpad can be adjusted vertically. The 480cc carbon fiber wrapped air reservoir is removeable and safe working pressure is 250 bar. An ambidextrous safety lever that will feel familiar to AR users also controls turning the LCD touch screen on if it has gone to sleep. Filling is accomplished from the bottom of the rifle via a male nipple that is protected by a neat little magnetic cover plate. The long, female quick-connect needed is provided with the rifle. The cocking handle is large, easily manipulated and smooth as butter. It is also easily swappable to the other side. A true carbon fiber barrel shroud surrounds the 23-inch German-made barrel optimized by Daystate A.R.T. – Accuracy Research Team – efforts, to give unparalleled results. The muzzle is threaded, yet requires an adapter in order to use a DonnyFL, 0dB (Zero decibel) or other suppressor. Since this thing is capable of launching heavy pellets at supersonic speeds, sound suppression might be a good investment if you are going for the upwards of 100 foot-pounds this beast is capable of.

               The Delta Wolf is available in three other calibers: .177, .22 and .30, or the barrels can be purchased along with matching bolt probes and magazines and swapped out easily making this a most versatile platform.

               Several factory settings are permanently stored in the onboard computer with the capability of user-input settings that can be saved in the Advanced Mode of operation..  Additionally, AofA pre-programs five settings in each rifle that goes out with one having the clever acronym WARP – With All Reserve Power – as in warp speed, because it maximizes the Delta Wolf’s tuning automatically. How? By using the chronograph that is built into the carbon fiber shroud! Yep, the Delta Wolf has an onboard chronograph, but you can’t tell it’s there. The velocity of each shot displays on the LCD screen as long as the unit is turned on. The results are not recorded or reviewable as the info is used by the computer to calculate consistent shots based on the user input. Still, it is a built-in chronograph! How cool is that?

Everything is powered by a rechargeable Li-Po battery held in the buttstock.  It can be recharged using the supplied USB–C cable and any cell phone portable charging pack, wall charger or computer. Lastly, a Bluetooth module is incorporated to provide for future additional features and updates.

As you might have surmised, this kind of bleeding edge tech and engineering does not come cheap. AofA is the exclusive U.S. distributor for Daystate and Delta Wolfs are shipping now for $3395 as fast as they can get them in the door. It includes a 5-year warranty in the U.S., and comes in a nice, hard-side padded case with the aforementioned quick-connect fill adapter and 0-round magazine, a charging cord and package of O-rings. This new Delta Wolf air rifle has now set the bar for others to follow.

               As with practically every other industry in the world, Covid-19 rocked the airgun world as it pertains to parts shortages, production halts, transportation delays and so forth. One of the few bright spots was Umarex’s ability to intro the second generation of their extremely successful Gauntlet PCP rifle. That model led the charge for bringing accurate and affordable PCPs to the market.

               This new Gauntlet2 offers multiple upgrades and design changes while coming in at the same weight of 8.5 pounds. Starting at the back, there is a thicker black hard rubber buttpad attached to a new precision-shooting style Flat Dark Earth color stock. An adjustable cheek riser in contrasting black is also part of the stock. This was redesigned to be adjustable via two hex head screws as opposed to the original Gauntlet which required loosening of the rear sling stud to adjust the cheek rest. The new stock has a thinner cross-section up to the point where it flares to accommodate the pressure gauge and new, larger 24 cubic inch air tank. This new air tank also handles 4500psi compared to the 3000psi tank on the first-generation Gauntlet. Coupled with the regulated valve set to 1900psi, this combination yields over 50% more power than the original. The drawback is that the longer bottle makes the Gauntlet2 more muzzle-heavy. The cover that doubles as a forearm now incorporates several M-Lok slots on the sides and bottom for accessory mounting.  

The aircraft aluminum receiver houses an improved hammer and spring, reducing the cocking force by 15% according to Umarex. The hammer spring is still quite stiff and cocking effort remains stout on this model so Umarex added a knurled, oversized cocking knob in order to aid in cocking. For the additional power, most buyers would find this acceptable. It is currently available in .22 and .25 calibers, both using a spring-loaded rotary magazine. The magazine in .22 holds 10 rounds and two are provided with the rifle. For those who purchased a first-generation Gauntlet, those magazines will work fine in the Gauntlet2. However, if you regularly shoot Predator Polymags or longer waisted pellets, they will be too long for the magazine and you’ll have to revert to using the provided single-shot tray.

The barrel is rifled steel and 28.25 inches long. It is surrounded by a shroud incorporating a new four baffle design to make the Gauntlet2 even more quiet than the original, which it does quite effectively. When shooting outdoors it should not be necessary for the shooter to wear hearing protection. No provision is made for attaching additional suppression; however, the original Gauntlet spawned a bunch of aftermarket mods included threaded barrel adapters. Some of those mods may work on the Gauntlet2 and if they don’t, I’m certain it won’t be long before a slew of mods are available for this version. At an overall length of 47-inches, additional suppression may or may not be desirable.

The trigger is the same single-stage as on the original Gauntlet with adjustments for overtravel, weight and sear engagement. The average trigger pull on my sample gun was a mere one pound, 15.9 ounces out of the box! Since adjusting the trigger requires removal of the action from the stock, I was glad no adjustment was necessary as I prefer not to disassemble loaner guns. The safety is a rotary type in the front of the trigger guard and disengages the trigger. It is easily manipulated by the trigger finger, at least for right-handers.

              The Gauntlet2 comes without any sights, as was true with the original. An MTC King Cobra FFP 6×24-50mm with Illuminated Reticle scope reviewed here last month was installed on the 7.5-inch combination dovetail/picatinny rail using a no-name mono-mount in my possession being mindful that the rotary magazine projects above the receiver by ½-inch.  At 14.4 inches long, the 30mm tube gathers additional light, yet added 25 ounces to an already long and heavy rifle, but was manageable. It is a very nice scope that works well with this more powerful air rifle and even though I was not able to reach out past 25 yards during my testing, this combo should work well for Field Target or long-distance precision shooting.

AofA was kind enough to provide some of the new Norma pellets that they just started carrying (so new they do not have them up on the website yet). The Gauntlet2 seemed to like all but the Superpointstrike pointed pellets. Umarex touts this air rifle as capable of sending .22 lead pellets over 1000fps and that was my experience with the Normas under 16 grains. The Golden Trophy FT domed pellets at 15.9 grains averaged 1017fps with excellent accuracy. The Norma S-Target Match Flat points at 14 grains travelled at 1061fps and yielded very good accuracy. These “mid-range” pellets yielded over 35 foot-pounds of energy. Several of the heavier pellets tried generally exhibited excellent accuracy as did lightweight Predator flat point lead-free GTOs at 11.75. The drawback with the lightweight pellets is that they break the sound barrier at 1118fps, increasing the crack of the rifle and making it less backyard friendly.

The MSRP lists out at $449. AofA does not currently show this model on their Gauntlet page as Umarex is just now able to start filling backorders due to the aforementioned Covid-related problems. However, I’m sure they can advise customers as they come back into inventory.

               MTC Optics, makers of excellent telescopic sights out of Great Britain, go by the mantra: “Designed by shooters, for shooters”.  Their focus was always on bringing high quality telescopic sights to shooters at a reasonable price point and that mission has continued after their becoming part of the Diana family back in 2014.

In 2018, a prototype of the Cobra F1 was revealed at the SHOT Show and received much interest. Now part of the F1 series, I have the King Cobra F1 variable 6-24x50mm scope in my possession and am eagerly looking forward to mounting it on a newly released PCP air rifle for review. The King Cobra F1 moniker relates to the fact that this is a First Focal Plane scope, meaning the glass-etched reticle sits ahead of the magnification lenses. Therefore, the relation between the graduations and target stays relative to each other no matter the magnification level. It contains the exclusive MTC designed SCB2 style reticle. SCB2 is an abbreviation of: Small Caliber Ballistic, Second Generation. It is suitable for all air rifles as well as powder burners due to its multi-stadia design providing many reference marks for holdover, holdunder and wind deflection. The spacings are in MILs and at the highest magnification can be used for accurate ranging based on the markings of the parallax focusing turret. Additionally, MTC has included red illumination of the reticle with six brightness levels. A rheostat ring is located in the parallax turret with “off” settings between each power setting. This makes it easy to power off the reticle without having to rotate through all of the power levels back to a single “off” position, an excellent idea in my way of thinking. The unit is powered by one CR2032 coin battery located under the rheostat cap.

The scope is constructed of a 30mm tube and measures 14.4 inches long. It weighs 26.3 ounces and eye relief is spec’d at approximately 3.4 inches. The lenses are multi-coated from edge-to-edge, providing optimal light transmission and clarity. The scope is fully water, fog and shock-proof, plus each scope is purged with nitrogen gas. A diopter in the eye bell has an adjustment range of +2/-2. A side parallax adjustment turret indicates the range to be 15 yards to infinity and a large focus wheel option is available for it according to the Owner’s Manual. Our friends at AofA should be able to help with that detail. The elevation and windage turrets are lockable by pressing down on the turrets after making any adjustments. Additionally, an allen wrench is included for loosening the center turret screw, allowing the turret to be zeroed.

All-in-all a very well-built scope that should provide many years of service to the shooter if cared for. And, for all its bells and whistles, it still comes in slightly lighter than its cousin the Cobra F1, a 4-16x50mm model. The King Cobra F1 comes with plastic scope covers attached by elastic bands for use in dusty conditions, magnetic flip-up covers with the eye bell cover having a 2x magnification window so the elevation vernier setting can be read without moving from the shooting position. It lists on the AofA website at $629 and comes with a one-year warranty that can be extended to five years by the original purchaser by simply registering the scope with MTC Optics within the first 30 days of purchase. I understand a new F2 version of the King Cobra is coming soon so fans of Second Focal Plane scopes don’t feel left out!

This Huntsman Revere is a beautiful airgun that checks all the boxes for the serious airgunner. Some of the nicest touches were covered in Part I and include the checkering on the gorgeous walnut stock, which also feels so nice in your hands; and a recess carved in the top as a thumb rest for the shooting hand to help you better align your trigger finger. The cocking lever can also be easily reversed if desired although I believe for a true left-handed shooter, the better choice would the slightly costlier true left-handed model with the proper cheekrest. It also comes with a single-shot tray and a flow control quick-connect valve that restricts airflow so the air cylinder doesn’t fill too quickly and generate a bunch of heat. Also mentioned in Part I was the extension of the warranty to five years instead of the three mentioned in the “Official Handbook” that comes with the airgun.

The two-stage adjustable trigger was great right out of the box although the takeup was a little long.  I did not attempt to change it and it requires a 1.5mm hex key to accomplish that. The Owner’s Manual indicates that removing the stock makes changes to the trigger easier. As stated in Part I, the trigger broke like glass at a light 1.7 pounds.

The standard working pressure (SWP) listed on the sample rifle was 220bar (3191psi). The cylinder volume is not huge at 162cc and my results were approximately 25 shots per fill with lead pellets on this non-regulated model. I experimented by adding the DonnyFL “Koi” silencer and it did make a difference on the report of the rifle, softening it noticeably. Even so, this is not something that is necessary on this .22 caliber as it has a low report, but if you would like to make it as quiet as possible, check out the silencer offerings here.

Accuracy is exactly as you would expect on an air rifle in this price range. The rings on the Mamba-Lite I had originally mounted to the rifle needed shimming as I ran out of elevation adjustment. I decided to switch to a Hawke scope, the Airmax EV 4-12x50mm with an adjustable objective bell using some Weaver rings and continued accuracy testing. Hawke makes excellent scopes and it was a handsome addition to the Revere. At 20 yards I was placing 5 pellets into a single ragged hole with the Predator GTOs pellets. Most other pellets tried with this air rifle shot very, very well also. Kind of unusual since most air rifles show a definitive preference with pellets and the Revere was liking everything I fed it. Results are shown in the table below along with average pellet speeds over a Chrony Alpha chronograph.

The only drawbacks of the Revere as I see it are the lack of a last round indicator on the rotary magazine and it will allow firing on an empty magazine. If the airgun was not a loaner, I would put a spot of paint on the rotary magazine to indicate the position of the last round. Additionally, it is possible to double-feed the Revere, so when in doubt, remove the magazine, point the rifle in a safe direction and fire it before running the cocking lever again. Better to be safe than sorry.

My friends at AofA are the major distributor of Daystate in the U.S. and can certainly put one of these fine pieces of British machinery in your hands. Reach out to them if you are ready to step up to a Daystate or want to add to your collection of fine air rifles.

It’s a .22 caliber carbine PCP stocked in beautifully executed Black Walnut made by Daystate. For those familiar with the brand, that is all I’d have to say and could end the blog right there. Just in case some reading this might, possibly, somehow not know about this 40-plus year-old airgun manufacturer’s products out of Staffordshire, England, please read on.

               Daystate was one of the early manufacturers to bring back pre-charged pneumatics to the marketplace. I say bring back since airguns using highly compressed air go back hundreds of years. A documented fact is that Lewis & Clark took one on their Corps of Discovery Expedition in 1804-1806.    

Sporting the Hunstman badge with a lineage back to the early Daystate lineup, this Revere lives up to its heritage. The sample rifle is a right-handed model in .22 with .177 or .25 calibers also available. An export version, avoiding the power limitations imposed in the U.K. forcing a 12 foot-pounds of energy limit, it is the first in the Huntsman line to incorporate the side-lever cocking mechanism. The breech has also been optimized to handle a new magazine designed by Daystate. This Revere was non-regulated, meaning there is no separate regulator controlling an exact amount of air being released per shot. For those shooting in competitions or longer distances, where shot-to-shot consistency comes into play, a regulated version utilizing the well-respected Huma regulator is offered. Additional included items were: a single-shot pellet tray, a Best Fittings brand quick connect coupler, a thread protector cap for the ½ x 20tpi muzzle and one of the new magazines. This magazine has a pivoting gate to ease loading and is self-indexing. Once its drum is rotated clockwise as far as it will go and the pellets have been dropped in nose first, the gate is closed and the magazine is ready to go.

               The gorgeous walnut stock is finely checkered at the fore-end and pistol grip. A large script “R” on either side of the grip stands proud of the checkering and the grip is capped by a contrasting piece of Rosewood. Incorporating a Monte-Carlo style cheekpiece, a true left-hand version (at additional cost) is available. The butt is capped with a red rubber pad to provide additional comfort. There is just something about holding a fine, hand-rubbed walnut stock and the elegance it provides to the highly crafted Daystate components. In this age of polymers it is so nice to handle modern works of craftsmanship that bring back the classic look and feel of high quality guns as they were made “back in the good ole days”.

               A trigger-blocking safety, located at the rear of the receiver, is easily manipulated by the thumb of the shooting hand without changing grip. The trigger is a two-stage adjustable match grade, adjustable for pull weight and length of the first stage. At an out-of-the-box pull weight of one pound, seven-tenths ounce; almost too light for hunting, but for my needs there was no adjustment necessary. The trigger trips the mechanical “Slingshot Hammer System” designed by Daystate and this system provides for the incredibly easy and smooth cocking of the Revere that is practically effortless.

               Its match-grade barrel is German made, 17 inches long and fully shrouded. While not terribly loud in .22, I opted to add a DonnyFL “Koi” suppressor and expect it will make the Revere even more pleasurable to shoot.

At an overall length of 36.5 inches, it is more a carbine and the weight without optics is 6.17 pounds. As Daystate is part of the corporate family that owns MTC Optics, naturally their scopes are recommended. My go-to scope is the MTC Mamba-Lite 4-16x42mm and so that is what I went with. Using Sports Match rings, I mounted the scope with the unloaded magazine in place to make sure everything had the proper clearance. Total weight with the scope and suppressor came to 8.25 pounds.

Daystate provides a full-color “Official Handbook” (in English only) on quality heavy stock covering the care and feeding of your new rifle, along with an exploded parts diagram and warranty information. There is a disclaimer related to errors or omissions that can creep into these manuals and an example is the manual showing filling the rifle with a probe when the sample rifle, made for export, has a male Foster quick disconnect nipple covered by removeable cap. Additionally, the non-transferable warranty is listed as three years in the handbook but is five years for U.S. customers. Additional paperwork included with each airgun is a factory Quality Control checklist and a completed Test Sheet showing a five-shot average of a specified pellet and the resulting energy statistics. AofA also typically includes a target showing accuracy results when they prep a gun for shipment.           

The MSRP on the AofA website lists the non-regulated version at $1365 and the regulated version at $1450. As mentioned earlier, a left-handed version is available for an additional charge and there is also an option to purchase an upgraded stock.

              As I received the Revere a few days prior to my scheduled posting date, there was no time to get behind the gun. Please stay tuned for those results coming next month. In the meantime, should you be looking to add this newest Daystate to your collection, or to purchase your first Daystate, who ya gonna call? AofA  at 480-461-1113 of course; they are the exclusive distributor for Daystate in the U.S.

The typical springer recoil is very much present as it pertains to the scope, even though the “Retrograde Break Mechanism” on this Airking Pro reduces the felt recoil fairly effectively. Even with this slingshot sled system the typical springer forward & backward recoil caused my Mamba-Lite scope to creep back until I installed a stop pin. I didn’t believe a stop pin was necessary due to the Diana system, but I was wrong. My suggestion is to use a non-permanent thread locker compound on the muzzle cap socket-head screws. (Don’t want to call it a muzzle weight as it is made of aluminum and doesn’t really fit that designation). This should secure them yet still allow easy removal should you desire to replace it with the unit that contains the ramp front sight. I had assumed that was done at the factory. Again, I was wrong and after a hundred shots or so the cap took a dive onto the concrete (Sorry AofA…). With springers it is a good idea to check the stock screws regularly to ensure accuracy doesn’t suffer. That would also apply to scope and scope mount screws when in use. Add to that list any set screws that hold other attachments or you might be sorry.

Results from my time with the Airking Pro were excellent, as would be expected from an air rifle in this price category. The trigger pull of the T06 trigger out of the box was a very light one pound 3.3-ounce average. I prefer a little less take-up on triggers, but since adjusting it would require rebalancing between the adjustment screws, I believed discretion was the better part of valor in this case and left it alone. There are good videos on YouTube regarding adjusting the T06 and the friendly folks at AofA would also be good resources to check with.

Using a variety of pellets from Hatsan, JSB, SigAir, RWS and Predator International, the Airking Pro showed a definite preference for heavier domed pellets. The one exception was with the Predator lead-free GTOs at only 11.75 grains, which are still domed pellets. They landed higher on the target, but after adjusting my elevation turret to match the point-of-impact, the accuracy was excellent. The other pellet I had excellent results with was the new JSB Hades at 15.89 grains (See accompanying photo). The Hades, for those unfamiliar with it, has three triangular cuts in the domed head that cause expansion on contact with soft tissue, making them a hunting round as opposed to everyday plinking or target shooting. The Hades edged out the JSB Exact Jumbos of the same 15.89 grain weight by just a bit in my testing.

Results from behind the chronograph were impressive. Diana rates the Airking Pro in .22 as a 900fps airgun. Typically, these figures are derived from the use of lightweight lead-free pellets. Shooting the GTOs, the highest individual pellet speed clocked at 889.3. Close enough for government work and most likely they would have broken the 900fps barrier if I were shooting at sea level versus 6200 feet. The Extreme Spread was 11.74 with the Standard Deviation being 5.00.

Consistency between shots was very good for a springer with ES and SD being low across the majority of pellets tried.

The Diana Model 54 Airking Pro Laminate retails on the AofA website at $739.99. As mentioned before, it comes with a two-year warranty. MTC scopes can be found here and scope rings/bases here. These German made beauties are brand new, so get ‘em while they’re hot!