Stephen Archer - AOA Blog

Posts by Stephen Archer

Daystate’s Newest Products Launched In Britain And Germany

Friday, March 31, 2023

All airgun enthusiasts in the US know about the SHOT Show, the annual trade show for the outdoor and shooting industry. But there’s two other shows that are arguably more – much more – important from the airgun perspective.

Daystate’s newest products were launched at these two shows in February and March 2023. Let’s see what happened…

The Great British Shooting Show

The Great British Shooting Show is the closest thing in the U.K. to the NRA Show in the U.S. It’s a major shooting sports event that draws wide attendance from both the trade and consumers.

After three years of cancelled and reduced attendance, the great British Shooting Show is once again advancing. Attendance numbers were rumored to be over 50,000 people attending over three days which is a 40% increase on 2022 and likely a record.

That compares to the approximately 61,000-person attendance at the 2022 NRA Convention in Houston from a country with a population only 1/5 that of the USA and where shooting is strictly regulated. Impressive, huh???

For airgun shooters the Great British Shooting Show has become the new focus. It’s likely to be the biggest air gun show anywhere in the world, though the show itself is not exclusive to air guns and covers all shooting disciplines.

The highlight of the company’s display was the brand new Daystate Alpha Wolf Safari (above and below with PRS Adjustable Buttplate), which was launched at the show. In addition the BRK Ghost, was being seen – and shot – for the first time by many people.

Opposite the main display area was a six-lane, 30-Yard range where shooters could try a new BRK Ghost, Daystate Alpha Wolf Safari, Huntsman Revere or the tiny Brocock Ranger XR. That was a very popular part of the show, as you can imagine!

IWA OutdoorClassics Show, Germany

The IWA Show is an exact equivalent trade show to the SHOT Show. However, there’s a TON more airguns companies participating, including Daystate. About 35,000 visitors attended the 2023 show, including me!

Daystate launched the new Red Wolf GP at IWA. It’s the latest model in the rapidly-growing range of Daystate “Wolf”-family air rifles. This one is a dedicated Field Target model, as Max from Daystate shows us in our heading photograph at the top of this story.

The Red Wolf GP is based on a solid Aluminum chassis from PRS, but designed specifically to Daystate requirements. It has an extended bipod rail under the HPA tank, from which is mounted a fixed “hamster”.

“Why not an adjustable ‘hamster”? I asked. The answer is that the fixed hamster is more robust than adjustable types under conditions of demanding use. OK, that makes sense…

Then there’s the Daystate Alpha Wolf Safari. This was making its first appearance in an international business show after having been launched at the British Shooting Show just a couple of weeks ago.

Below. It took a long wait to get a clear shot of the Daystate booth, without too many people in front of it…

Another new model from the Daystate Group was the BRK (Brocock) Pathfinder XR (below).

The folding-stock Pathfinder XR is designed as an ultra-compact, yet powerful tool for hunters and pest controllers. It’s just 18.5 Inches long and weighs 6.4 Lbs. This looks to be a valuable addition to the ever-growing ranks of compact PCP air rifles, one of the most active sectors of the market right now.

The Pathfinder XR joins the BRK Ghost as yet another new model from the Daystate Group of companies.

Tony from Daystate showed me the Ghost, below.

And here we see the BRK side of the group’s booth…

MTC Optics is the third “airgun-related” arm of the Daystate group. Again there was a number of new products on display. These included the new MTC King Cobra 8-32×50 scope that’s available with a choice of First or Second Focal Plane Mil-calibrated reticles.

That’s it mounted on the Red Wolf GP, below.

There’s also a new Viper Connect 4-16×32 zoom prismatic scope (below). This combines an exceptionally-wide Field Of View with a high magnification and close to zero eye relief in a dedicated hunting scope for PCP air rifles.

What’s that second turret on the left side of the scope that we can see below? It’s a dynamic angle indicator that informs the shooter if her or she is shooting non-horizontally and allows for sighting corrections to be made as a result. Interesting!

Most of these new Daystate and BRK Brocock products are already available at Airguns of Arizona. If you don’t see anything I’ve mentioned here on the AoA website yet, you know who to call!

Tags: Brocock, Daystate
Posted in Airguns | No Comments »

The Daystate Red Wolf HP, Lauren’s Way

Friday, March 10, 2023

Many AoA customers know Lauren Parsons. Apart from working at the store, she is a familiar figure on the U.S. airgun competition circuit. For benchrest shooting, she uses a customized Daystate Red Wolf HP air rifle in .22 caliber.

Today she’s going to tell us more about it…

This particular Red Wolf is customized specifically for benchrest competition. Lauren has a completely different gun – the Red Wolf LPR for Field Target shooting. You can read all about that one in a previous AoA blog post from 2020. Hey, it’s a tough life…

Lauren shoots benchrest at all ranges from 25 to 100 Yards using this gun. It started-out as a standard Red Wolf HP model with laminated wood stock back in 2018. Now it looks very different and both shooter and gun make a very accurate combination, as was proved when Lauren took sixth place overall in the 2021 Extreme Benchrest competition.

But before we hear all about Lauren’s customized Daystate Red Wolf HP, its surprising to hear what has NOT been customized!

While the gun was tuned to her preferences when new, Lauren explained that – since that time – it has never been re-tuned, Neither has it been re-sealed. It just keeps-on shooting and she shoots it the way it is. It still has the original 480cc carbon fiber HPA bottle. So the basic action is completely un-changed.

Lauren always shoots 25.39 Grain JSB Jumbo Monster Redesigned pellets through this gun at 950 FPS. It loves them, she says and always shoots these pellets straight from the tin. The results are so good that she doesn’t find the need to sort, weigh, lube or head-size her pellets.

That’s a huge compliment to the quality of both the basic Red Wolf action and the Redesigned Jumbo Monsters!

The main obvious upgrade to this customized Daystate Red Wolf HP is the PRS chassis. Lauren explained that she loves the adaptability this chassis provides. She has it set-up perfectly for her own requirements: pull length, cheek piece, height, cast and so on…

The PRS chassis also provides convenient, waterproof, storage for the battery. The exceptionally-long lower rail provides huge potential to re-position the Accu-Tac FC5 bipod, if required for a specific shooting bench.

Lauren also likes the capability of being add additional weights to the M-LOK slots in the forend. However – it has to be said – that at an all-up weight (including scope) of 15.35 Lbs, this is not exactly a lightweight rig!

So what’s the difference between the Red Wolf with laminated wood stock and the PRS chassis?

Lauren explained that the Aluminum chassis is much stronger than wood. This gives her a more solid and secure feeling when shooting. The strength is also a bonus when traveling as there’s less chance of damage to that customized Daystate Red Wolf HP through airline baggage-handling, for example.

The rubber-bedded PRS chassis has different harmonics from a wood stock. Lauren feels that it makes for a somewhat more “dead feeling” when shooting. Interestingly, she also feels that it’s rather less hold-sensitive than the wood stock. The MDT pistol grip helps with a consistent grip.

That custom red Accu-Tac bipod has a wide body for stability and Lauren has the legs set to a 45-degree angle. She says that it’s easy to adjust for height, pan and can’t when shooting from the bench.

The scope is her favorite Kahles K1050, mounted in Sportsmatch rings. The rings fit onto an Air Superiority Products top rail with built-in 20 MOA droop. These even have matching red scope mount screws for that extra touch of class!

Mounted on the scope itself is a Long Range Arms electronic level. Lauren says “don’t leave home without a scope level”. She feels they are an essential accessory for the competition shooter in just about any discipline.

Up-front this customized Daystate Red Wolf HP air rifle is fitted with a 0dB 110C silencer. Why to a longer model? Lauren says that the gun is quiet enough already and that a longer silencer would require a longer case for travel.

And besides, Lauren is adamant that her Red Wolf shoots more accurately with the 0dB slender in place!

Even the trigger is customized on this gun! There’s a button trigger from Rowan Engineering that Lauren feels gives an even crisper feeling to the trigger release. In fact the button trigger is actually a type of trigger shoe that fits simply onto the factory trigger blade.

Finally, you’ll see that Lauren shoots from a single-shot tray. Again she feels that this improves accuracy and eliminates the possibility of becoming confused about the number of shots remaining in a magazine. But, she tells me that she’s aiming to use magazine-feed more in the coming year.

Does it matter that Lauren’s gun is beautiful as well as functional? “Absolutely!” she says. “I have so much confidence in this beautiful gun and that undoubtedly makes me shoot better too!”

As you may expect, just about all of the accessories on this customized Daystate Red Wolf HP air rifle are available from Airguns of Arizona. Maybe there’s something there that will appeal to you, too!

Tags: Daystate, pcp
Posted in Airguns | No Comments »

Selective Fire + Removable Mag + No Jams = Sidewinder!

Saturday, February 25, 2023

The new Western Airguns Sidewinder PCP combines removable magazine capability with selective-fire (full- and semi-automatic) operation in a ground-breaking new model.

“But whoa!” you say. “Aren’t there other PCPs on the market that offer this too?” Well, the answer is “yes-ISH”. But they don’t combine this functionality with absolutely “bomb proof”, jam-free cycling.

There’s no value in a PCP air rifle offering semi-automatic fire (or full-auto either) if the feed is not 100% reliable with all types of pellets and slugs.

In my experience the Sidewinder does offer that capability and – combined with interchangeable magazines – that makes it unique in the PCP airgun market today.

Oh – and it’s really accurate, too…

That selective fire capability compared with quality, reliability, power and accuracy means that there’s nothing in the market that can really compare with the Sidewinder at the present time. Did I mention that already?

Western Airguns is manufacturing and shipping the Sidewinder right now. Not surprisingly, demand is exceeding supply, but your friends at AoA will happy to help you acquire one immediately in .22 caliber. Twenty-five and thirty caliber models are also coming very soon. Your one can be reserved for a small deposit.

The .22 caliber Western Airguns Sidewinder air rifle I tested produced no less than 160 consistent, regulated shots from a full – 4,350/300 Bar – fill of the standard 580 cc carbon fiber HPA bottle.

For accuracy, the gun shot 25.39 Grain JSB Jumbo Monster Redesigned pellets best at around 899 FPS. This was using the “as set by the factory” power setting on the gun. At this speed, the Sidewinder was producing 45.22 Ft/Lbs of Muzzle Energy.

Given the current level of interest in slug shooting, I also undertook a test using 20.3 Grain Daystate Howler slugs. (These slugs are manufactured by NSA, as many people will know).

The results were outstanding! The USA‐made, TJ hammer forged barrel clearly can deal with slugs too. The 10-shot, 20-Yard group produced with the Howlers was only very slightly larger than that for the Redesigned Monsters…

Of course, the Western Airguns Sidewinder air rifle has that tempting, full auto “fun switch”. So I loaded a magazine full of Howler slugs, grabbed a tight hold on the gun and let go with a full 15-round magazine.

The result was a 15-shot group with a CTC size of around 0.5 Inches at 20 Yards. In my opinion, that’s outstanding accuracy and shows that the Sidewinder is capable of delivering the goods in full auto as well as semi-automatic operation.

I found the trigger to be very usable and with a pull weight of around 1 Lb 8 Oz.

In full auto mode, a quick “dab” of the trigger provides a “2-shot burst” capability. This is easy to do and is quite predictable. The main requirement is to completely release the trigger between “dabs” so that the action will re-set before firing again.

The magazine is a two-part affair, machined from steel. The cover plate is removed, pellets pushed into the magazine chambers and the cover replaced. So loading is very simple. (A .30 cal magazine is shown in the photograph below – I shot one of these, too).

Then the mag snaps into the magazine well and is held in battery using a small knurled knob. There’s a slight learning curve, but once the “knack” is developed, it’s fast and easy to install and remove the magazine.

Due to the level of precision machining required, additional magazines are expensive. Like $149.99 each expensive! However, that’s what allows the Sidewinder to function faultlessly, so it’s a relatively small price to pay…

I found the Sidewinder comfortable to shoot. However, I would definitely like to see an adjustable cheekpiece made available in future. The buttpad works well enough. However I’d also investigate fitting a more ergonomic, aftermarket buttpad if this were my gun.

At a “bare” weight of around 7 Lbs 11 Oz and a length of 35.5 Inches, the Western Airguns Sidewinder air rifle is not too large or heavy.

Because of this, the gun shoulders well and can be shot successfully offhand. The balance is good too.

However bipod support and firing prone or from a bench will be necessary to bring out the full accuracy that it is clearly capable of delivering. In this case, the extra-long lower Picatinny rail will be appreciated, together with the support band that bears up against the shroud, relieving issues of pressure on the 580 cc HPA tank that can occur from rail flexing when bipods are used with some PCPs.

Many will be happy that the Western Airguns Sidewinder air rifle is supplied with a high quality padded case. This provides good protection for the gun in transit and has two external pockets for storing ammo. It also accommodates the gun with a large scope mounted.

It’s pretty clear that the Western Airguns Sidewinder air rifle is something special!

Tags: full auto, pcp
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The New Daystate Alpha Wolf Safari

Sunday, February 19, 2023

The latest Daystate air rifle is arriving at Airguns of Arizona! The Alpha Wolf Safari Edition is everything that you would expect from the name. It is designed to combine superior performance with beauty and quality.

Daystate says that – with the Alpha Wolf Safari Edition – the world’s most advanced air rifle line just got even better. There’s new software and class- leading power up to 105 Ft/Lbs in .30 caliber.

The addition of a textured wood stock and bronze-anodized action match jaw- dropping performance with mouth-watering aesthetics, the company says.

Extending the appeal of the world’s most advanced PCP air rifle to serious hunters and extreme range target shooters alike, the new Safari sports a high-grip, practical and ambidextrous textured wood stock, matched to a very classy bronze-anodized monocoque frame for maximum rigidity.

Of course, the Safari Edition model still boasts Alpha Wolf’s vast array of ground breaking, high-tech features. These include a computerized and programmable operating system.

U.S. market specs are for up to 80 shots per fill from the .30 caliber version. The .25 model gives up to 165 shots at up to 75 Ft/Lbs. In .22 caliber, the numbers are 71 Ft/Lbs and 165 shots.

The AVT (Advanced Velocity Technology) touchscreen display allows users to fine-tune and customize their rifle, while the fast-swap interchangeable A.R.T barrel system to suit caliber and pellet/slug type.

The digitally-controlled HUMA-Air regulator aids consistent muzzle velocity, while the onboard chronograph monitors velocity throughout the rifle’s air charge.

Thanks to its modular design, components like cheek rest and butt pad are fully customizable and compatible with aftermarket alternatives.

Internally, the latest Alpha fast-flow valve has been married to new software profiles, resulting in even greater shot- to-shot consistency and significant increases in the maximum powers available – up to a massive 105 ft/lbs in .30 caliber.

In keeping with Daystate’s core philosophy to customer commitment, the company is making the Safari’s latest software available on a free-to-download basis for existing Alpha and Delta Wolf owners.

All the firmware upgrades can easily be carried out by Alpha/Delta Wolf owners via the rifle’s DTD interface and home PC. The new valve system is also retro-fittable into existing FAC Delta/Alpha Wolf models.

The official unveiling of the Alpha Wolf Safari Edition to the shooting public took place at The British Shooting Show (February 17-19). However the new model will be available very soon at Airguns of Arizona. They’re on their way already!

Summary of Alpha Wolf Safari Edition Features:

Textured Safari wood stock
Exclusive bronze-anodised action
Latest firmware (downloadable free for existing Alpha/Delta Wolf owners)
Improved consistency and ~ 15% increase in maximum power (up to 105 Ft/Lbs in .30 cal.)
Latest Alpha balanced fast-flow valve (retrofittable to older Delta/Alpha models)
Customised fine-tuning via Advanced Velocity Technology (AVT) display touch screen
Future proofed – upgradable as software as features develop
Multi caliber options (.177, .22, .25, .30) with fast-change barrel system
Factory-set power profiles for each caliber
Match grade A.R.T barrel for the best accuracy with a variety of ammunition (pellets and slugs)
Bult-in power correcting chronograph
OEM Huma-Air regulated
Large capacity and ‘twinnable’ magazine
Fully ambidextrous design – change cocking/loading bias in minutes
Compact ‘monocoque’ alloy chassis for consistent accuracy
Modular design accepts a range of official accessories
3-year warranty
Supplied with custom fit hard case

Tags: Daystate, pcp
Posted in Airguns | No Comments »

The Barra 400e. It’s A BB Gun Jim, But Not As We Know It!

Saturday, January 28, 2023

Whoa! AoA is selling BB guns now? And they cost over 400 Bucks?

Yes it’s true. But this is no ordinary BB gun !

The Barra 400e is – by far – the most accurate BB gun I’ve ever tested. It’s the only one that’s needed a scope to fulfill its accuracy potential and it shoots out to 25 Yards with better accuracy than some pellet rifles.

Plus, its selective-fire action also has a “fun switch” so that you can shoot it on full auto! Yip, go on: you know you just have to read about it…

You see, the Barra 400e is a revolutionary product. There’s been a step-change in the power output available using AEG technology. The result is that – for the first time – steel BBs can be shot at usable muzzle velocities in the 380 – 410 FPS range from an AEG.

That means more than 1,000 shots per charge of the required LiPo (Lithium Polymer) battery that’s stored in the buttstock. It means no issues with falling FPS due to CO2 exhaustion or rapid fire. There’s no re-loading with CO2 after every 150 – 200 shots. So the more you shoot, the more you save on CO2 costs!

The 50-round magazine has a greater capacity than that of most comparable BB guns, too. That’s another way the Barra 400e delivers more shooting between those pesky breaks for reloading.

The Barra 400e is an excellent representation of a typical AR15/M4 firearm. With the stock fully extended the overall length is 35.5 Inches, giving a length of pull of 15.25 Inches. Collapsing the stock reduces these measurements to 32.5 and 12.25 Inches.

In “as tested” condition, with accessories fitted, the all-up weight was 8 Lbs 10 Oz. (The bare weight is 7 Lb 8 Oz). So this is a substantial airgun that certainly has the looks and feel of the centerfire original.

There’s a non-functional, “faux” silencer incorporated into the product. Like the receiver, the handguard is a solid metal CNC-machined part that gives a definite feeling of solidity, weight and quality to the muzzle end of the gun.

I found a UTG Bugbuster scope an appropriate match for the 400e. And – with a Leapers UTG Picatinny Super Slim 0.5-Inch Riser below it – was finally able to explore the inherent accuracy of the Barra 400e.

At 25 Yards, the 400e grouped 10 shots inside a soda can-sized target. That’s FAR better than any other BB gun I have ever tested. More than that, 9 out of 10 shots grouped into 1.5 Inches Center-to-Center.

That’s better than some pellet rifles I have tested!

But you do need to be a little selective with the BBs you feed the 400e. I found excellent grouping with Umarex Steel BBs. However Crosman Copperhead BBs have a smaller diameter. That makes them definitely less accurate.

Consistency is another “Wow!” for the Barra 400e. The average consistency across my standard BBs had a Standard Deviation of just 2.06 FPS. That is definitely in Daystate country for consistency. And this is just a BB gun!!!

Put another way, 50 test shots gave an Extreme Spread of just 12 FPS. The low was 375 FPS and the high 387 FPS. And that was with five different types of BBs. You can’t get much better than that, even with a Daystate…

The trigger of the Barra 400e I tested provided an average pull weight of 2 Lbs 15 Ozs. There was a fair “two stage” feel to it and the release was also predictable and consistent.

The trigger also proved to be extremely consistent, varying only a couple of Ounces either side of its average pull weight.

Ah the sound…

That’s the real difference here. Unlike CO2-powered BB-firing replicas, the 400e does not provide a clear “bang, bang” when the gun is fired.

Instead you hear a grinding, whirring noise.

For anyone used to AEG airsoft guns, this is the normal sort of sound that’s inherent in AEG operation. But – if you’re not – it’s definitely unusual, unexpected and abnormal.

This grinding is accompanied by a small amount of recoil. It’s not exactly blowback, but it means that the gun does not feel entirely “dead” when you fire it.

Finally – as an AEG – the Barra 400e cannot be field-stripped in the realistic manner that’s possible with many CO2-powered replicas.

Instead of CO2 cartridges, you’ll need the correct LiPo battery, together with a balanced charger. Fortunately Airguns of Arizona makes it easy by offering all these items in a kit when you buy the gun.

In fact, you’re probably looking at close to 1,200 shots from a new, fully-charged battery. Maybe more. That’s a huge difference compared to the 150 – 200 shots that can be expected from a BB-firing replica using two 12 Gram CO2 cartridges.

It’s also why the total cost of the 400e becomes more reasonable compared to a conventional CO2-powered gun, the more you shoot it…

One potential downside is that the magazine MUST be loaded with BBs using a speedloader. You can’t load it by hand.

Yes, one is supplied with the gun. However BB speedloaders are somewhat unpredictable devices – at least in my experience – so it would be a sensible move to buy a spare or two. They’re cheap and this would be great insurance against problems with what is undoubtedly the weakest link in the chain.

We all need a little fun in our lives. You’re going to be shooting A TON of BBs with your new Barra 400e from Airguns of Arizona!

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.

Tags: bb gun, full auto
Posted in Airguns | No Comments »

BSA Meteor Super In .22 Caliber

Thursday, January 12, 2023

The BSA Meteor Super looks beautiful, is superbly-finished and displayed excellent consistency in operation. The trigger is good and the cocking effort smooth and not too heavy.

At 6Lbs 8 Oz “bare” weight, this is also a fairly light air rifle. Even with the Hawke Airmax scope mounted, the all-up weight was just 8 Lbs 9 Oz. So, it’s not heavy to carry and handles and points well in the field.

In addition, hunters will appreciate the fact that the safety is silent in operation. This is rarely achieved in airguns but allows the gun to be kept on safe until the moment of shooting – as it should be – without spooking the prey when disengaging the safety.

The balance is outstanding. It also shot best with alloy pellets. If you want – or need – to shoot alloys, this could be the gun for you.

The most accurate pellets I tested with this gas ram-powered gun were 11.75 Grain Predator GTO alloys – it’s in .22 caliber, but .177 cal is also available, of course. The GTOs gave a maximum of 780.89 FPS, with an associated Muzzle Energy of 15.88 Ft/Lbs.

That’s enough for hunting small critters and birds at fairly close ranges, should you desire. It’s also significantly above AoA’s claim for Muzzle Energy of “up to 13 Ft/Lbs”.

The BSA Meteor Super is an extremely attractive breakbarrel air rifle. At 42.5 Inches overall length, it’s a comfortable and harmonious size. The solid beech stock is ideally-shaped. The patches of checkering are tasteful and sharply applied and the BSA “piled arms” logo prominent on the stock.

And talking of that logo, I’ve always thought the guns look like the Martini Henry. Do you agree?

Metal finish of the sample Meteor Super was also first class, with excellent machining and deep, even bluing.

With an average pull weight of 2 Lb 13.5 Oz, the BSA Meteor Super’s trigger is light for a breakbarrel.

It’s also smooth and predictable in operation.

There’s a very light first stage. Pulling the trigger back through this, the second stage is clear and defined. This is not a “glass break” trigger, however it is one that is consistent and suitable for hunting use. I adapted to it very quickly during the test period.

Second stage trigger engagement is adjustable using a small screw located behind the trigger blade. However – as always – my test review was shot with the trigger in “as received” condition.

Cocking the gun is smooth. There’s no build-up of effort required as is the case with a spring/piston power plant. Rather, there’s a continuous requirement for about 28 Lbs of force throughout the cocking stroke. That’s a reasonable figure for most shooters.

That manual safety is light, easy-to-operate and effective. It falls readily to hand for a right-handed shooter, although left-handers may find it a little less convenient to operate.

The BSA Meteor Super is fitted with fiber optic front and rear open sights. The rear sight is adjustable for elevation and windage, as expected.

The front, post, sight has a red fiber optic element. However it is completely unprotected and care will be needed in use to prevent possible damage.

Of course, most owners will fit a riflescope, as I did for this test review. Traditional 11 mm dovetail rails are machined in the receiver tube for scope mounting. These are combined with a well-sized and positioned scope stop screw hole.

For the shooting tests, I mounted a Hawke Airmax 30 WA SF, 4-16×50 scope. This worked well, gave a sharp image and complimented the size and weight of the air rifle.

If you order the scope and rings at the same time as the gun, AoA specialists will mount and sight it in at no additional charge. That’s one of the “secret” benefits of buying from Airguns of Arizona!

With a power capability of approaching 16 Ft/Lbs and no built-in silencer, the BSA Meteor Super is fairly quiet, but probably not quite a backyard gun for most people.

However, remove the muzzle cap and you’ll find that the muzzle is threaded. This is to allow for the fitment of a dedicated airgun silencer, like a 0dB model – if required and where legal. However, the result will definitely be a longer and less elegant air rifle – at least in my opinion.

If you have questions, the friendly AoA staff will be able to answer them by phone. They can also help you decide if the Super Meteor would be best for you or – possibly a Diana or Weihrauch model.

It’s tough to have choices, but AoA will help you make them!

Posted in Airguns | No Comments »

It’s A Classic! The Weihrauch HW90

Wednesday, November 23, 2022

The Weihrauch HW90 is a beautiful, powerful and consistent air rifle. It offers an excellent, light trigger, plenty of power and superb quality of construction.

Traditionalists will love the comprehensive iron sights and the beautiful woodwork. While the limited lifetime warranty from Airguns of Arizona gives the comfort of long-term security.

But potential owners need to know that this is a big, heavy air rifle that’s best suited for a big, strong owner. That cocking effort is a real work-out!

The Weihrauch HW90 air rifle is the German manufacturer’s only airgun with a gas ram powerplant. Unlike any other gas ram airgun, it has the built-in capability to change the pressure inside the gas ram – and therefore the power. True, it requires the use of a separate, additional cost, pump and gauge, but it can be done and AoA has them in stock.

The .177 caliber Weihrauch HW90 air rifle I tested delivered a maximum Muzzle Velocity of 1,320 FPS with 5.0 Grain Predator GTO lead-free pellets. As with most gas ram-powered airguns, the lightest pellets also produced the highest Muzzle Energy of 21.35 Ft/Lbs.

As expected, FPS steadily declined with increasing pellet weight. However, the heaviest – 10.65 Grain – H&N Baracuda Match pellets still generated a strong 17.86 Ft/Lbs of Muzzle Energy. They also produced the best accuracy.

At 25 Yards, this HW90 achieved sub-1-inch groups for 10 shots. But the gun feels as if it has more accuracy to give. Weihrauch emphasizes that the HW90 requires a break-in period of several hundred shots before peak performance is attained. So accuracy could well improve with time…

Unlike other Weihrauch break barrels, the HW90 does not use the company’s famed “Rekord” trigger. Instead there’s an “Elite” trigger, with the automatic safety in front of the trigger guard.

The trigger was very smooth and easy to use. There was a clear two-stage feel and the release was very consistent and predictable. This is good!

Then the average Trigger Pull Weight (TPW) was just 1 Lb 11.5 Oz. That’s probably the lowest pull weight that I have ever recorded for a breakbarrel air rifle!

However, that light, easy trigger was offset by the extremely high effort required to cock the gun.

Having a gas ram action, the cocking effort did not increase through the stroke of rotating the barrel. It was high right from the start and continued there. I measured a cocking effort of no less than 45 Lbs!

But – there’s a big but! This test gun was tested at maximum pressure in the gas ram. While that gives the most power, it also causes the cocking effort to be highest, too.

As the Weihrauch HW90 air rifle has that unique adjustable gas ram feature, the cocking effort would be reduced – possibly significantly – if the gun was tuned to perform best with mid-weight lead pellets – say the 8.64 Grain H&N Field Target Trophies.

That’s something I hope to investigate in future…

There are plenty of airgunners who like to shoot using iron sights. For these people, the Weihrauch HW90 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 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.

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

In addition, the Weihrauch HW90 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.

For my review, I mounted a Hawke 4-12 x 40 AO scope on the HW90 using a solid, one-piece Leapers UTG mount. This scopes fairly light but has good optical quality and an Adjustable Objective (AO) for focusing down to 10 Yards.

At 12.9-Inches overall length, this is far from the longest scope that it’s possible to mount on the HW90. There was still 1.5 inches gap between the front of the scope and the rear of the barrel, giving plenty of flexibility for scope placement or installing a longer scope.

To obtain a nice low eyeline, we combined a Medium height mount with this one-Inch tube scope. Everything worked-out perfectly, with minimum clearances all round, yet no contact from the scope’s turret box or focusing ring.

The Weihrauch HW90 air rifle is a solidly-built air gun and the weight reflects that. The all-up weight of the test gun and scope was 11 Lbs 5 Oz. This, combined with the heavy weight and long overall length of 45.25 Inches, means that the HW90 is best-suited to a strongly-built shooter. This is not a kid’s gun!

The HW90 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 to shoot.

Note that the HW90 has a stock design that favors right-handed shooters with it’s cheek rest. However it can be shot by left-handers also.

At a price of $669.99, it’s clearly in the upper range of pricing for guns of this type, but if you have the physical strength and physique to manage it, the Weirauch HW90 can be a great classic choice for the connoisseur.

Tags: breakbarrel, Weihrauch
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Now There’s A High Capacity Magazine For Daystate Air Rifles

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

For all those of you who have been asking for a high capacity magazine to fit Daystate air rifles, here’s the answer…

Airguns of Arizona is now stocking Midwest Elite Airgun high capacity magazines. These fit the Daystate Red Wolf, Pulsar, Renegade and Wolverine 2 air rifles. And they’ve been field-tested in action at the 2022 Speed Silhouette competition at Extreme Benchrest and passed with flying colors

True, high capacity magazines can be bulky add-ons. But for specialist applications – for example Speed Silhouette competition – they can be a life-saver!

There’s no doubting the capabilities of Midwest Elite Airgun’s high capacity magazine for Daystate air rifles as John Bagakis placed second in the Open Class for Speed Silhouette at Extreme Benchrest in 2022 using one. That’s John with Red Wolf and magazine in our heading photograph above.

Indeed, there were several others using Midwest’s mags in their guns at EBR 2022, including Lauren Parsons (below).

This high capacity magazine has been expertly designed provide you with the highest quality possible, while still fitting perfectly in your gun when using high scope mounts.

It’s a tight fit under the scope, but it DOES fit, so long as the scope turret is avoided.

So let’s have a closer look at Midwest Elite Airgun’s high capacity Daystate magazines…

These mags hold a total of 34 shots in .22 caliber. In .25 cal it’s 29 shots and – even in .30 caliber – it’s 22 shots. That’s a lot of lead!

Midwest’s magazine use a high-tech additive manufacturing process for the main parts. Additive manufacturing is also known as 3D printing and it’s a great way to manufacture precise, robust parts using a variety of raw materials.

The magazine works by using a flexible belt to hold the pellets. This is pre-tensioned using a knob. The knob is locked into position for loading, so that you don’t need three hands!

After the belt is loaded, the lid is flipped down again and you’re ready to load it into the air rifle.

One of the many outstanding capabilities of Midwest Elite Airgun’s high capacity magazine for Daystate air rifles is that it can be mounted on either side of the gun. Installing from the left would be a big advantage for left-handed shooters, although it would obviously not be compatible with a big scope wheel!

Midwest Elite Airgun has produced an excellent instructional video for these magazines. In it you will see an explanation of the system, together with a demonstration of functionality.

Plus you get to hear about all the extremely clever extra features that have been designed-into it by the inventor Chris Smith.

You can buy these high capacity magazines directly from Airguns of Arizona, so you can order one with your next Daystate air rifle!

They’re available in .22 caliber and .25 cal as well.

One of the few disadvantages of Daystate and Brocock (make that BRK) airguns is the relatively limited mag capacity. However that has now been addressed by this high capacity magazine for Daystate air rifles from Midwest Elite Airgun.

Tags: Daystate, pcp
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Seen At Extreme Benchrest 2022

Friday, October 21, 2022

The eleventh Extreme Benchrest event has now come and gone. As always, it saw some spectacular shooting, combined with outstanding organization, dedication and prefessionalism by the whole Airguns of Arizona team.

EBR remains THE outstanding airgun shooting event of the season. Thanks to all the AoA folk who make this possible!

So – if you weren’t there (and even if you were), here’s a round-up of the 2022 event…

The overall winner was Jeffrey Hernandez – that’s him looking slightly “shell shocked” in our heading photograph above.

Jeffery placed first in the prestige 100 Yards Benchrest competition in Pro Class with a score of 229 7X. Congratulations to him for some outstanding shooting!!!

In the photograph at top, Jeffrey takes center stage in the top row with Nikolai Boldov (left) who placed second with 225 4X while Mike Bricker (right) was third in Pro Class with a score of 216 1X.

Below, Lauren Parsons was shooting a Daystate Red Wolf with this very stylish red anodized PRS chassis stock and matching 0dB moderator.

Competitors came from around the world to shoot at EBR. I personally spoke to shooters from Lebanon, Denmark, Great Britain, Russia, Mexico, Peru, Spain and more.

Representing the international contingent, we see Soren Drost from Denmark, below. Thanks also to all those who took so much time and effort to travel to Arizona for the event!

The Action Armour Steel Scramble was a new Course of Fire for 2022’s EBR. This was an exciting test of versatility, accuracy and speed, with shooting from a variety of positions.

The winner was Justin Welch (center), with Dave Thornton (left) second and Pete Papathemetrios third. Congratulations to all!

The Speed Silhouette is another exciting competition, with some real speed shooting taking place. Pro Class winner Tom Adams is always amazing to watch as he loads, aims and fires, seemingly all at the same time.

That’s Tom in action, below. If you look closely, you can see that he has modified the cocking lever of his Daystate Red Wolf for faster operation.

Below, another highly-successful Daystate Wolf Pack shooter – John Bagakis – has also modified his Red Wolf for rapid fire use in Speed Silhouette competition.

For Extreme Benchrest 2022, KalibrGun sponsored the very popular Extreme Field Target competition.

This is another tough competition with flat, long-range shooting being a major requirement from the competitor’s air rifle

And watch out for the cacti!!!

The big bore competition is a class that’s growing steadily, year-on-year. Below we see Tom Costan, owner of American Air Arms, competing with one of his own very fine airguns

And – of course – all the competitors receive a “Goodie Bag”! The Extreme Benchrest 2022 bag contained a huge amount of useful stuff, as we can see below…

See you at Extreme Benchrest 2023!!!

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AOA Blog

Airgun reports by airgunners for airgunners!

Posts by Stephen Archer

Daystate’s Newest Products Launched In Britain And Germany

The Daystate Red Wolf HP, Lauren’s Way

Selective Fire + Removable Mag + No Jams = Sidewinder!

The New Daystate Alpha Wolf Safari

The Barra 400e. It’s A BB Gun Jim, But Not As We Know It!

BSA Meteor Super In .22 Caliber

It’s A Classic! The Weihrauch HW90

Now There’s A High Capacity Magazine For Daystate Air Rifles

Seen At Extreme Benchrest 2022

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