AOA Blog

Details on construction and features of the Big Bore Carnivore were discussed in last month’s blog. In this installment I’ll give some impressions and details of my shooting sessions.

The rifle initially had some cocking issues when I received it so I had the opportunity to engage with their technical support staff.  I had heard from other airgunners that Hatsan’s support was quite good and their staff knowledgeable and that was my experience as well.   After some minor tweaking recommendations did not resolve the issue, a color photo of the trigger group was emailed to me.  It showed the factory settings for each of the three trigger adjustment screws and I was able to approximate the settings, which resolved my issue.  A little further tuning from that point got me to a trigger pull just under two pounds — excellent for my purposes.

The rifle deserved a better scope than the big box store 3×9-32mm unit I  used for this session.  However, results were good and I’m certain more accuracy could have been wrung from this rifle if mother nature had not cut my shooting session short with some nice dust laden gale force winds.  Keep in mind that your rotary magazine sits high when installed and will require extra clearance when mounting a scope.   Speaking of the magazine sitting high, an interesting feature is that the shooter can insert single rounds into the magazine without removing it.

Results with the 95 grain Hunters Supply hollow points averaging a velocity of 653 fps yielded an energy equivalent of slightly over 90 fpe.  The 105 grain flat points launched at an average of 610 fps to yield an energy of 86.83 fpe.  At least two full 6 round magazines could be fired before a top off of the cylinder would be in order.

Three round string at 75 yards

Overall, I found the Big Bore Carnivore very pleasurable to shoot.  While it is  a hefty air rifle, it is well balanced and Hatsan includes a sling with the rifle which would make it easier on the shooter taking it afield.  Hatsan’s tagline reads: Serious. Solid. Impact. and what I see coming out of the company is innovative and lives up to that tagline.  I’ll add “Value” to it as the Carnivore in .35 has a retail value of $799.  All Hatsan airguns are warrantied for a period of one year.  Please reach out to the folks at www.airgunsofarizona.com to order one if you are in the market for a big bore air rifle.

My thanks go out to Hunter’s Supply (www.hunters-supply.com) for providing their superb Flat Point and Hollow Point bullets in .356.  I understand they have collaborated with airgun manufacturers to formulate an alloy for their bullets/pellets that has the best Brinell hardness for air propelled projectiles.  Also, I’d like to thank Thompson Targets (www.thompsontarget.com) for their American made quality targets used for this review.

Business end of the Big Bore Carnivore

Hatsan is a Turkish airgun company manufacturing high quality rifles and pistols for the past 40 years.  They pride themselves on the fact that 100% of each airgun is produced in their factories so they can control every aspect of the manufacture of each airgun.  Hatsan does use German steel barrel blanks for their barrels but again, does control all processing of the blanks in-house.  For their wooden stocked models, of course, Turkish walnut is used. A few years ago, Hatsan opened a U.S. operation for more direct marketing and sales to a U.S. consumer base.  While the Hatsan catalog includes everything from entry-level springers to their own line of German made lead and lead-free pellets, they are becoming known for their PCP airguns, especially in mid-bore calibers.  Enter the Carnivore PCP in .357, not to be confused with another Hatsan Carnivore introduced at the SHOT Show earlier this year.  That model was an aforementioned springer, only in .30 caliber!  A story for another blog…

The PCP version is a synthetic stocked model utilizing a 6 round rotary magazine.  It is part of Hatsan’s BT-65 series and is a side lever bolt action version. The Carnivore is also available in a .30 version and utilizes a 7 shot rotary magazine.  It is a bit on the heavy side, weighing in at slightly over 9 pounds without optics and is almost 49 inches long with 23 inches of that being the precision rifled German steel barrel.  It runs off a removable 255cc reservoir that can be charged to 3000 psi (200 bar).  The reservoir cylinder contains a built in color coded pressure gauge.  Additional reservoirs are available should you want to order one and have an extra for quickly swapping out.  The ambidextrous stock has an elevation adjustable cheekpiece, or comb, and the rubber buttpad is adjustable for length of pull as well as elevation and fit angle for added customization to the individual shooter.  An allen wrench is included for resetting the buttpad and a coin can be used to adjust the cheekpiece height.  It comes without sights and consideration must be given to the height of the rotary magazine that extends above the chamber/barrel during normal operation when selecting scope and mounting options.

Hatsan Carnivore muzzle

The rifle incorporates technology that prevents double-loading of the chamber. This worked as advertised when I inadvertently attempted to load two rounds at the same time.  Unfortunately, it was at a range session where I had also inadvertently left my one piece cleaning rod at home.  So, I was done for the day.

The trigger on the Carnivore is a two-stage adjustable match model Hatsan calls the “Quattro”.  It is adjustable for first-stage travel as well as pull weight and length of trigger travel through the access holes in the metal trigger guard. The safety is activated automatically when cocking the bolt.  The safety sliding button is mounted high on the left side of the receiver and a bit of a stretch for the right-handed shooter.

Hatsan has also been a leader when it comes to fully shrouded barrels and integrated sound moderation technology to reduce muzzle report.  This .357 Carnivore sounds more like a nail gun being fired, although I would still encourage readers to take care of their hearing and wear hearing protection, even when firing a moderated big bore.  It goes without saying that eye protection is always a must.

Hatsan believes in giving the shooter extra bang-for-the-buck by including such niceties as a second rotary magazine, gold plated metal trigger and built-in sling swivels.  Another nice touch is the inclusion of a nylon sling with the Hatsan name embroidered on it in large letters.  They also include a short section of picatinny rail under the forearm for ease of mounting a bipod or other accessory.  A brass protective cap for the valve on the removable air cylinder is included as well and doubles as a way to discharge a cylinder should the need arise.  Allen wrenches to fit all of the adjustable features on the gun as well as extra O rings for the probe filler and cylinder valve round out the kit.

The .35 caliber model I have received is rated at a velocity of 730 fps and is supposed to be able to deliver 95 ft. lbs. of energy out to an effective range of 225 yards.  –More on my impressions and results in the next blog.

Please contact www.airgunsofarizona.com  to find out about the availability of this and other fine models of Hatsan products.

It was necessary to break the blog into two parts because bad weather prevented me from spending time shooting the Royale and I also wanted to expound on the excellent FX scope that accompanied the Royale.  Before I get to the meat of the matter, allow me to make a correction from Part One:  I reported that the Owner’s Manual recommended limiting the weight of pellets to 16 grains.  That information only applied to another FX rifle and the Royale handled heavy .25 caliber pellets with aplomb.  I apologize for not catching the mistake – need new reading glasses I guess…

As mentioned in Part One, the Royale is a joy to shoot. It also liked the various pellets and weights I tried and it just kept on producing single ragged hole shots all day long from a bench at 50 feet no matter what I fed through it.  My plan is to attend the Extreme Benchrest competition in Mesa, AZ in October and I certainly hope I can cajole the good folks at AofA to loan me this bad boy again for the shoot.  For hunters reading this, the .25 caliber Royale can develop over 45 foot pounds of energy and the rotary magazine has no problem with polymer tipped Polymags.  This is great news if you are a Polymag fan.  Some rotary magazines can’t handle the extra length (Polymag came out with a shorter version to accommodate for this).  You could single feed the longer .25 cal. pellets out there (no separate single-shot pellet tray accessory needed) but it is great for hunters that like the polymer tipped pellets to have the 11 rounds at the ready in the field.

The chronograph results on the pellets run through the Royale showed: JSB Kings at 25.39 grains averaged 663.2 fps.  Predator Polymags at 26 grains averaged 679.1 fps generating.  All the shots were fired using the middle power level adjustment and were generating 24 to 26 foot pounds of energy at that power setting.  The Royale even liked the new 16.4 grain lead-free pellets provided by Dick at Predator.  They clocked at an average of 796.2 fps and were giving equivalent accuracy results.  Trigger pull averaged 15.6 ounces on the two-stage match trigger as it came out of the box and I found it perfect for me without any adjustment.  Shooting outdoors on the highest power setting, the muzzle report was still so quiet that I could hear the pellet hitting the target backstop.  The advances in sound dampening technology in both firearms and airguns have been dramatic and are very welcome changes.

The Royale can be stripped, serviced and assembled by the owner in 30 minutes according to the AofA website.  The pressure gauge is only marked in the bar designation and the warranty (mentioned in Part One) is one year, although the quality that goes into these guns makes me believe you will receive a lifetime of shooting pleasure with minimal maintenance.

FX Optics 6-18x44mm scope

Relatively new for FX, they have stepped into the scope arena with their line called FX Optics.  The line includes a couple of different scopes and the unit that shipped with the Royale was the 6-18x44mm Illuminated Reticle in the 30mm tube.  Here are some particulars:

• Weight: 25.4 ounces
• OAL: 13.25 inches
• ¼ MOA adjusting turrets
• Offers 10 feet to infinity parallax adjustment plus a large sidewheel comes with the scope
• The 30 mm tube handles more light than a 1 inch tube. Coupled with  the 44mm Objective bell give this scope a bright image and the quality lenses make for a crystal clear sight picture at all magnifications
• Power ring moved through its range very smoothly; not sticky or stiff like some variable scopes
• Red Illumination of mil-dot reticle has 7 levels of intensity and runs on one CR2032 button battery.
• Lenses are fully multi-coated
• A one year limited warranty is offered with the scope
• AofA price: $379.95

I wound up getting a TruGlo adapter as the only 30mm rings I had available matched Weaver mounts.  The adapter reduced that to the standard 3/8 (11mm) of most airguns.  This worked great and easily cleared the magazine port.  FX offers a unique set of scope rings as well.  The FX No-Limit is easily adjustable for an additional .170 inch height as well as tilt of +/- 1.5 degrees.  This pairing of rifle and scope was an awesome package that you couldn’t go wrong with.

As always, for more information on the Royale, other FX airguns, or any of the FX Optics line, reach out to www.airgunsofarizona.com and let their excellent staff assist you.  All of their staff live and breathe airgunning and offer excellent customer support.

Reminder to the U.S. citizens reading this blog: I respect you may or may-not be pro-firearm.  However, if you are sitting on the fence, keep in mind the gun banning crowd has never seen a restrictive gun law they didn’t like.  It is only a matter of time until their focus turns to airguns.  Please register to vote and make your voice heard this election cycle as it pertains to the Second Amendment.

Fredrik Axelsson is a driven man.  His passion has been to create some of the best airguns on the planet ever since his disappointment with an off-the-shelf air rifle he purchased years ago.  Fredrik shot that air rifle for a while and thought to himself: “I can do better than this” and so, he did.  Since creating that first air rifle under the Swedish FX brand, the line has continued to expand and that brings us to the subject of this blog, the FX Royale 500 Synthetic.  The Royale line is a collaboration with Fredrik’s close friend Ben Taylor of Theoben fame and took two years of development and testing of the breech block and valve system.  You’ll feel the result when operating the smooth-as-glass side lever.  The 500 in the name refers to the capacity, in cubic centimeters, of the non-removable air reservoir. The reservoir can be filled to 220 bar, or approximately 3200 psi, via the male foster fitting accessed on the bottom of the forearm.  A pressure gauge resides right next to the fitting.  FX provides a female foster quick detach coupling for attaching to your air charging hose. 

A black beauty in .25 caliber, the Royale is 47 inches long and, as the name implies, sports a synthetic stock in a thumbhole style configuration.  There is a molded in Monte Carlo cheek piece and it has a rubber buttpad that is adjustable vertically to get just the right fit.  It is also available in a left hand version as well as a walnut stocked version and in .177 or .22 calibers.  The 25 ½ inch free-floated match barrel utilizes the “Smooth Twist” method of rifling and the last 16 inches of the barrel are fully shrouded for sound dampening.  For those unfamiliar with it, Smooth Twist rifling is imparted to approximately the last two inches of the match-grade barrel and achieved by placing the muzzle end over a mandrel and concentrically hammering it from the outside so the inside takes on the spiral impressions of the mandrel.  This method allows a fired pellet to accelerate quickly down the smooth portion of the bore before encountering this “gentle” rifling imparting the spin just before it leaves the barrel.  If you have never shot an FX airgun, having grown up knowing barrels were traditionally rifled by cutting grooves the entire length of the barrel, this process may give rise to questions about how accurate such a barrel could be.  Rest assured, FX airguns are well known for their accuracy.

The rifle weighs in at 7 ¼ pounds without optics and does not ship with sights of any kind.   The Royale comes with a 2-stage match trigger that is adjustable for pull weight and length of pull.  A wheel on the left side of the receiver allows for low, medium and high power adjustments represented by dots.  The superb design and construction of the rifle assures the user that power levels will be consistent from shot-to-shot each time the power level is adjusted.  Even though this is a mid-bore rifle, the shrouded barrel is quite effective at reducing the sound signature and shooting outdoors would not necessarily require hearing protection.  Especially on the low power setting where the hits on the target were louder than the report from the muzzle.  Eye protection is always a must.  You only have one set of eyes; don’t take unnecessary chances.

A safety lever is situated on the right side just below the rear hinge point of the cocking lever with clear white lettering denoting “Safe” and “Fire”.  This safety does not automatically set as with other air rifles on the market.  The automatic safety is probably more of a corporate lawyer directive as opposed to a market-driven desirable feature and this rifle is ready to fire each time you cycle the action.  As mentioned earlier, it is glass smooth and cocking the rifle can be accomplished without ever breaking your cheek weld.

The Royale 500, as with the other FX rifles I’ve had the pleasure of shooting, is just a joy to shoot.  It is balanced, quiet and soft shooting with a fantastic trigger right out of the box.  The 11 round spring loaded rotary magazine takes a bit of getting used to because the first pellet is loaded backwards compared to the remaining pellets.  This process of loading the first pellet with the nose facing you (locking the magazine spring tension), then turning the magazine over to load the rest with the skirt facing you seems awkward at first.  Once the shooter has loaded a few magazines, it becomes old hat and you won’t give it a second thought. 

The Owner’s Instruction Manual recommends limiting pellet weight to 16 grains for best accuracy.  There is also not mechanism to prevent double loading of a pellet, so make certain you don’t work the action more than once with a loaded magazine in place.  If you do pull the bolt handle back and realize a pellet is already in the barrel, simply remove the magazine, close the action and fire the pellet.

The weather in my part of the country has been snowy and wet this spring and not conducive to putting the Royale 500 through its paces.  Plus, I want to get into particulars about the nice FX Optics that shipped with the test gun.  That, along with me being a wordy sort of fellow, dictates this blog be broken into two parts.  Look for Part Deux next month.

The FX Royale 500 retails for $1549.00 without optics and the walnut stocked version for $1750.00.  It carries a one year warranty and ships in a durable plastic foam lined rifle case emblazoned with the FX logo.  If you like what you’ve read so far and can’t wait for Part Deux, check this and other FX offerings and accessories by navigating to the Airguns of Arizona website: www.airgunsofarizona.com.

After 80-plus years of being out of the airgun scene, Remington returned in 2014 with a strong commitment to gain a piece of the market.  As part of that effort, Remington’s renewed airgun division introduced a line of reactive targets in several animal shapes.

Remington Shoot-To-Reset Crow Target

The Remington shoot-to-reset reactive targets work very well.  My sample was a crow and you can select from a choice of a jack rabbit or wild hog as well.  The targets are a sturdy 1/8” steel plate, painted black, sitting atop a 12” long angle-iron spike which holds it securely in the ground.  Overall height is 19 ¾” and a width of 6”.  Two rings attached to the back can be rotated in front of the bright yellow target paddle to adjust the kill zone from 1.5” to 1” to ½”.  Once your shot knocks down the target paddle, the unit is reset by an accurate shot on the yellow paddle hanging at the bottom.  Remington recommends a minimum safe shooting distance of 25 yards with .177 pellets travelling 1000+ fps and 35 yards if using .22 pellets at 800+ fps.  It is not rated for alloy pellets which tend to be harder and prone to ricochet, and of course, no steel BBs for the same reason (Well, duh…)  PLEASE, always wear eye protection any time you are shooting and make sure spectators are as well!  The target stood up well to the punishment of being shot by adult airguns and it was great fun.  As can be expected, a touch up of the paint is needed occasionally to protect the bare steel that becomes exposed when an errant shot chips the finish.  Made in China, they have a very reasonable MSRP of $29.95 and Airguns of Arizona actually offers these targets to their customers at an even better price of $19.95!  Check them out at www.airgunsofarizona.com.   Remington also has the same critters in a manual, pull-string reset configuration for the same MSRP and our friends at AofA sell them at the same discounted $19.95 price.  If you think you might get into field target competition or simply want an alternative to punching holes in paper, give these reactive targets a try.

I have always been a fan of the C96 “Broomhandle” Mausers and not sure what is at the root of the attraction.  Maybe because it was a pistol ahead of its time, maybe because of its distinctive look with the magazine forward of the trigger as opposed to inside the grip like with modern autoloaders; it’s hard to say.  The “96” part of the designation stood for the year of its release – 1896.  Originally in caliber 7.63 with a 10 round box magazine, it was copied by Spanish and Chinese manufacturers and saw action all over the world for more than half of the last century.  The M712 Schnellfeuer (rapid fire) was the select fire version of the C96.  Suffice that the C96 and M712 are iconic and historical firearms and this replica BB CO₂ pistol will satisfy the collector in you while also providing many hours of enjoyable shooting.  After going over the instruction manual to be certain I was familiar with any unique operational differences from the many CO₂ pistols I’ve had the pleasure of shooting, I was ready to take it outside.   Of all metal construction, the M712 has the heft of its real counterpart with the controls in the same places as the original and even a lanyard ring at the base of the grip.  The smoothbore barrel is made of brass and is 4 ¾ inches long.  In keeping with the original there is a ladder type rear sight, but with the M712’s limited range, you won’t do much with it.  It sports plastic grips made to resemble real wood with a slot in back to accommodate the wooden stock/holster that came with some original guns to turn them into carbines.  Umarex does not sell a replica stock at this time but I understand some internet sites have an aftermarket version.

The drop-free magazine holds both the 12 gram CO₂ cartridge and 18 BBs.  To charge the magazine: remove the threaded plug from the magazine’s base using the provided hex key, insert the cartridge and replace the threaded plug.  (Umarex recommends placing a drop of high quality silicone oil on the tip before insertion.)  Once assembled, but before piercing or loading with BBs, install the magazine into the pistol.  Then, continue to screw in the threaded plug until the cartridge is pierced.  Point the muzzle in a safe direction, pull back the charging handle and fire the pistol to make sure the CO₂ is flowing.  Remove the magazine and proceed to load BBs.  It is possible to load 20 BBs, but don’t do it – the follower will not work properly and you’ll wind up with feed problems.

The bolt does not lock back on this airgun version, so clearing a stuck BB is definitely a two hand operation.  Also, when firing full auto mode you will waste some gas not realizing the mag is empty and it is time to release the trigger.  The M712 was a whole lot of fun to shoot, especially in the rock n’ roll mode, with one drawback: it was slow to load.  It is possible to purchase extra magazines, but if Umarex could figure a way to help speed loading and/or hold more rounds, it would be just about perfect.

I’m not sure how to gauge the rate of fire, but it was fast.  You can empty a full magazine in just 3 or 4 seconds.   Of course, being CO₂ driven, this does not efficiently utilize the gas so velocity drops during full auto firing, but it is a blast! (Please pardon the pun…)  Have plenty of CO2 cartridges on hand because you’ll go through them quickly – and have great fun doing it!

After firing a couple of magazines to break-in the airgun you are ready to strike fear into the hearts of pop cans everywhere.  Accuracy was very good at 7 yards and the trigger was quite nice.  The chronograph showed an average reading of 357.4 FPS from a 5 shot string on a 64 degree day at 6,000 feet. The safety is excellent and disengages the trigger when the lever is pushed up.

Being a hundred twenty-something year old design, it’s different than what you are used to but proficiency comes quickly.  If you have interest in famous military arms or just want to have a great time plinking in your backyard, you owe it to yourself to check out this well-made airgun.  MSRP is in the $120.00 range and it comes with a 90 day warranty.  Airguns of Arizona (www.airgunsofarizona.com) can certainly be your connection to this and any of the Legends replicas from Umarex.

Brocock’s Grand Prix pistols are PCP airguns and the line up now reflects the design influence of the parent company, Italian gunmaker Marocchi.  The Grand Prix and Grand Prix Elite pistols shown at this year’s SHOT Show were 6-shot rotary magazine fed bolt action repeaters in either .177 or .22.  I received a sample of their Elite model in .22 caliber and it is a beautifully executed air pistol sporting hand-filling palm swell walnut furniture with a flat base.  The contours fit my hand nicely right out of the box, but for those who would wish to reshape it there is plenty of material to work with.  My sample was for right handers but a left-handed version can be a special order item.  The Grand Prix is the laminate stocked version and comes with basic target sights.  Weight of the pistol is 3 pounds without optics and adding optics positively shifts the balance back toward the shooter’s hand which is desirable due to the barrel heaviness of the 16 inch long pistol.  The Elite has a black matte finished barrel over top of a polished black reservoir making for an attractive air pistol.  Internally it carries a Lothar-Walther barrel, threaded at the muzzle for attachment of a suppression device.  The report was sharp, but not loud enough to warrant ear protection if shooting outside.  I would say similar to a nail gun.  (Sidebar: There is a movement to remove sound suppressors from under the National Firearms Act and make them legal to own without jumping through all of the current government hoops.  If that movement is successful, Brocock suppressors would be available to U.S. shooters.)  A built in pressure gauge resides at the end of the reservoir, which can be filled to 2900 psi/200 bar.  The trigger is a two stage affair, adjustable for pull weight, with a wide trigger face connected to the exposed transfer bar that releases the sear.  My Lyman trigger gauge showed a trigger pull of about 3 pounds 8 ounces out of the box.  The Elite pistol ships with two magazines and a brass male probe for filling from your high pressure air source.

The Elite

As far as what it can do, using a red dot sight attached via the 11mm dovetail cut into the top of the receiver, I was able to keep pointed pellets within an inch at 60 feet off a sandbag.  Mounting a dedicated pistol optic would no doubt increase the user’s capability of squeezing out the accuracy potential of this pistol and make it a great varmint hunter as well.  I found the Elite seemed to like the heaviest pellet used, the H&N Barracuda Hunter at 18.21 grains.  Average fps on the Hunters was 619.  I also had good results with lighter pointed pellets from H&N, the Excite Copper and Vortex Super (sold under the Hatsan name).

8 shots at 60 feet

Because these airguns are produced for adults and serious shooters, they are not required to have a manual safety and do not come with one.  As has been said many times, the best safety is the one between the shooter’s ears, so always bear that in mind and never relax when it comes to gun safety

MSRP on the Grand Prix runs $799.00 for the walnut stocked version and $715.00 for the laminate.  Airguns of Arizona www.airgunsofarizona.com have factory trained techs to keep you Brocock’s in fine shape long past the two year warranty offered with the guns.

Grand Prix on top, Elite below

Last Friday was the closing day for the 38^th SHOT Show and it was another one for the books.  With over 1600 exhibitors and over 64,000 attendees it weighed in as the second largest one on record.  There was an upbeat, positive attitude to the show and many of the exhibitors reported it was one of their most exciting and successful shows.

A few items of note seen at the show were some new Russian PCPs which appeared to be nicely made with decent triggers.  Another PCP of note was the massive Hercules revealed by Hatsan; a 13 pound, multi-shot .45 caliber rifle with a twin tank system.  For those who like historical replicas, a company named Gletcher came out with a pellet version of their 1895 Nagant revolver introduced last year and Air-Ordnance produces a .35 caliber single shot copy of an 1858 Remington Rolling Block.  There are just too many new airguns on display at SHOT to try and cover here so I’ll finish by mentioning that other exhibitors showed off all types of accessories needed by airgunners.  These included new optics, mounts, infrared sighting systems, flashlights and lasers, and cleaning/maintenance kits with the latest natural and synthetic based lubricants.  Not all of these items will be available to consumers right away due to production schedules, etc., so stay tuned and additional info will be forthcoming.  Check out the AOA website often at: www.airgunsofarizona.com, and watch for future blogs for reviews.

The SHOT Show is well under way and I’m enjoying my time with 70,000+ of my closest shooting buddies.  The convention center is huge and it is overwhelming to see all of the items that are being showcased/offered.  I’ve been able to catch up with my friends at AOA (www.airgunsofarizona.com) and this blog site will surely be awash with information on the new items they brought forth at the show this year:  a new, shorter Bushbuck model that is a full 6 inches shorter than their Bushbuck Magnum; a new Bocock “semi” bullpup with thumbhole synthetic stock and fully shrouded Lothar-Walther barrel and too many other great features to go into here; a Daystate Pulsar with Forest Green/Brown laminate stock; Brocock Grand Prix Elite pistol and a Limited Edition Griffin by Daystate that is awesome to behold.  Other things I’ve seen so far are the newest Texans to come out of the Lone Star state in .308 and .357 to compliment last year’s release of the original .45 caliber Texan  -“The Most Powerful Production Airgun in the World”.  They also released a new bipod that will appeal to enthusiasts.  Umarex’s Colt SAA BB pistol was their most popular model sold last year and they came out with pellet versions this year.  Umarex also brought their Walther PPK model back this year after re-tooling the model and doing away with the piercing wing nut that used to stick out from the base of the pistol.  Additionally, some new PCP and break barrel rifles were released, including the Throttle, which incorporates all of the newer Umarex technologies including the newest patented technology called “Stopshox”.  Stopshox reduces internal shock and slamming of the spring inside the receiver.  Can’t wait to get a hold of one to check out more thoroughly.

I was also able to be there when Crosman honored long time airgun writer and expert, Tom Gaylord for his lifetime of achievement in the airgunning industry.  Tom was presented with a bronzed model 760 mounted on a wooden plaque.  Very cool and well deserved.

That is all for now as I have to get back to my hotel room and soak my aching feet.  More later…