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What Makes Leapers P.O.I Scope Rings Special

Friday, August 12, 2022

Most shooters think about three core features when choosing scope rings…

First – and most basic – is the diameter of the scope’s main tube. Typically these will be 1-Inch or 30mm, although other diameters such as 34mm are starting to appear on some high-end scopes.

Next is the type of mounting system that is on the gun. Nowadays this is typically a Picatinny rail. However, there’s also the very similar – but not identical – Weaver rail system. Meanwhile, dovetail rails still feature on some .22s and a number of airguns.

Then there’s the scope ring height. Mostly scope rings are graded as “medium” or “high”. However there are also “low” and “extra high” rings available. Although there is – to my knowledge – no standardization of measurement between manufacturers to match these descriptions, they all relate to the height at which the scope is carried above the action.

So what height scope rings to choose? This will be a combination of factors. One will be the diameter of the scope bell (front). Scope ring height will need to be chosen so that the scope does not contact the rifle in any way except via the rings. (If it does, that’s a sure way to ruin accuracy).

Now the shooter’s personal physique comes into play. How high does the scope need to be mounted in order to achieve a strong, consistent cheek weld when the rifle is shouldered?

Leapers provides a lot of information to help you make an informed decision on the profile of P.O.I rings. This includes the maximum objective diameter that can be accommodated, the saddle height and the center height for the rings.

For that extra personal touch, the experts at AoA will be happy to advise further when you phone-in your order.

To find out more, I visited Leapers, Inc. This company is based in Livonia, Michigan and they produce their P.O.I scope rings right here in the USA!

“P.O.I” is an abbreviation for “Precision Optics Interface”. To find out more, I visited the company to talk to the experts and find out some key features that should be considered when configuring your new air rifle.

The Director of Product Management at Leapers is Nick Lee. His advice was clear and valuable yet actually amazingly simple.

Nick explained that there are very precise specifications for the Picatinny rails. So, scope rings for these rails also must be designed to Picatinny specs. He directed me to the official specifications: MIL-STD-1913.

Although that’s a pretty basic statement, it’s clear that there are scope rings out there that are designed and manufactured to a somewhat “generous” interpretation of these specifications. Yes, they fit Picatinny rails, but they may do so rather more loosely than is ideal for that basic requirement of supporting a scope consistently and accurately.

To make his point, Nick pointed to the recoil stop bar that’s machined into the base of P.O.I rings. This bar is designed to be a solid fit in a Picatinny rail. And it’s rectangular in shape. There’s one in each ring. (See below).

Low cost scope rings often use a standard, mass-produced circular rod as the bearing surface against the “teeth” of the Picatinny rail. This is because it’s cheap. “But how,” asked Nick, “could that ever provide really long-term, consistent positioning for the scope against the battering the rings take from recoil? Particularly as they are often not a perfectly tight fit!”

Then there’s the material the rings are manufactured from. Leapers’ P.O.I rings are manufactured primarily from 6061-T6 Aluminum. That’s aircraft-grade material.

Why not steel? Nick explained that 6061-T6 Aluminum is plenty strong enough for this application. P.O.I rings are even qualified for use with .50 cal BMG! It also has outstanding corrosion resistance.

Plus, the light weight allows for a wide bearing area against the scope tube (it’s 22 mm for P.O.I rings). This minimizes the possibility of distorting the scope tube while also keeping the weight down.

We all expect to remove Picatinny scope rings from the gun and re-mount them later with minimal Point-Of-Impact change. So design and manufacturing precision also has to extend to the side plate: the part that clamps the rings in place onto the rail.

The locking side plate of P.O.I rings features dual spring-loaded guides to ensure that required secure and repeatable zero. They also prevent any tilting and mis-alignment. Again, another feature to consider as you choose your scope rings and an additional reason why Leapers labels these rings as P.O.I (Precision Optics Interface).

Leapers manufacture its P.O.I Scope Rings in-house in its “UTG PRO” facility on the company’s campus in Livonia. Manufacturing Director Kevin Jin showed me how P.O.I rings are manufactured.

At one end of a long conveyor belt system, strips of 6061-T6 Aluminum are loaded for delivery to whichever CNC machine is designated to produce the next batch of rings. As the P.O.I rings have a surprisingly complex shape, with many subtle curves to prevent snagging in use, they are manufactured on high-specification, Aerospace CNC-MAZAK 4-axis Horizontal machines.

Both Pictinny rail and inner bore hole for the scope are machined during the same set-up as this provides superior concentricity of the scope rings when mounted onto the gun. After that, the rings are cut horizontally into two pieces.

Particular attention is paid to the scope interface surfaces, Kevin explained. In order to secure the scope in place uniformly and without damaging the tube surface, the inner diameter is bored and finished with an endmill. Finally, there’s a final finish from a reamer to the precise diameter required.

After machining, the result is double-checked by Leapers’ extremely thorough Quality Assurance team.

Surface finish is provided by matte black, Type III hard coat anodizing. This gives a high-quality, non-reflective and long-lasting appearance to these scope rings. It’s a great match for the high quality airguns and scopes that AoA sells!

Kevin’s Manufacturing Team really cares about the quality of their products and you can see that when you look at P.O.I rings.

By investigating Leapers P.O.I rings, we’ve learned that there’s more to scope rings than meets the eye. We also found out some of the reasons why P.O.I scope rings are special.

Sure, you can buy cheap scope rings for $10.00 a set, or thereabouts. But a pair of high quality scope rings like P.O.I can be had for around $55.00 at AoA.

When you’re spending hundreds – maybe thousands – of Dollars on a new rifle like a Daystate Alpha Wolf, it just doesn’t make sense to skimp on scope rings!

Tags: scope rings
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SIG SAUER P320 M17 Air Pistol

Friday, January 28, 2022

Airguns of Arizona is usually regarded as an outstanding supplier of “serious” – make that expensive and often PCP – airguns. But the company actually sells airguns of all types – including “fun pistols”

It’s such a fun pistol that we’re looking-at today. The SIG SAUER P320 M17, in fact.

SIG is unusual in that many of their CO2-powered centerfire replica air pistols are pellet-shooters. True, they do have some BB-firing models, but their specialty is pellet pistols.

SIG’s air pistols are almost all CO2-powered versions of the company’s centerfire models. That’s the case also with the P320 M17.

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

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

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

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

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

The overall appearance of the sights is very realistic. However, it’s true that that sights do not offer the night vision capability of the military firearm. Nor are they adjustable. This means that we need to be creative if your sample doesn’t shoot exactly to the point of aim.

One alternative would be to mount a small laser on the Picatinny rail and make aim corrections using that. This is a Leapers UTG LS200 Red Sub-Compact laser. As you can see, it fits onto the P320 M17 air pistol very conveniently.

Another is the the SIG M17 Pellet Pistol Reflex Sight.

This is a huge asset to the M17. It provides elevation and windage adjustment capability, combined with multi-brightness control of the projected red dot. It’s delightfully small and light and makes accurate shooting the M17 so much more enjoyable!

SIG claims that the P320 M17 air pistol is a perfect tool for M17 firearm owners to practice with and stresses the similarity to the firearm. I agree.

The manufacturer also claims a Muzzle Velocity of “up to 430 FPS” – depending on temperature and other environmental considerations. Unfortunately, the maximum FPS achieved by the P320 M17 air pistol I tested was just 310 FPS, with 5.56 Grain alloy pellets.

Now it’s true that this was recorded in a cool – 62 degree F – test range in up-state New York. It’s also true that the Muzzle Velocity for CO2-powered airguns varies by about 2 FPS per degree F temperature change.

However, even if the range temperature had been 92 degrees F in sunny Arizona, the test gun would have only achieved a maximum of 370 FPS. That’s the 310 FPS at 62 degrees + (30 degrees difference x 2 FPS) = 370 FPS.

Actually, a maximum of 370 FPS would still be a pretty good muzzle velocity for a CO2-powered air pistol. But it’s still 60 FPS short of the claim.

Is that a big deal? For most people who plan to use the P320 M17 air pistol for practice and punching holes in paper, the answer is “no”.

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

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

Accuracy was quite consistent with all the pellets I tried. The RWS Hobbys performed marginally best however, so these were shot at the longer, 10 yards range.

Although to pellets struck low and right at 10 yards, they were still within the “minute of soda can” – just not exactly in the right place! Overall, this was a very creditable performance and with one of the add-on sights you could easily be “spot on”.

The SIG P320 M17 air pistol offers a very realistic-feeling blowback, particularly with a new, full, CO2 cartridge. Felt recoil is surprisingly strong, another big improvement over previous SIG non-blowback pellet pistols.

One complaint is that the slide does not hold back after the last pellet has been fired. This is not unknown among CO2-powered replica firearms, however.

The trigger is double-action only and has a rather long pull. The pull weight of the test gun was rather heavy at an average of 9 Lbs 8 Oz.

Both pull weight and length are clearly related to the pellet feed mechanism. It is the trigger pull which advances the next pellet into battery for firing, rather than the slide recoil. So technically, the M17 is actually a revolver!

However, the pull itself felt consistent and predictable.

My SIG P320 M17 air pistol gave just over 60 shots before the Muzzle Velocity fell below 200 FPS. This is around average for a CO2-powered air pistol with strong blowback.

However, I kept firing and eventually achieved 80 shots before the gas was completely exhausted. That’s a very good count for a blowback air pistol, although the FPS for the final magazine’s contents was very low.

The CO2-loading system employed in the M17 is – in my opinion – the best there is at the present time.

SIG’s cam lever system is simple, easy and quick. There’s no screws to turn and no unsightly levers hanging down below the magazine. There’s no need for an Allen (hex) wrench either and no issues if that wrench were to become lost.

Incorporating the cam lever system into the magazine itself is also a significant operational improvement compared to having it located in the frame, as with some previous SIG models.

As with any replica air pistol – both BB- and pellet-firing, loading the ammo is actually the longest task of preparing the P320 M17 air pistol for shooting. But the new, 20-pellet magazine is really quite convenient to load. It also has no need for the owner to hold down a spring-loaded follower, as can become tedious with some BB pistols.

So if you’re looking for some fun plinking, or some serious training action for a centerfire P320, the SIG P320 M17 air pistol could be just what you’re looking-for.

And at $119.95, it’s not exactly going to break the bank!

Tags: CO2
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Airguns of Arizona’s Secret Air Rifle Preparation Steps

Monday, August 30, 2021

Above. “Target”, AoA’s in-house mascot was keeping a close eye on me to make sure I got everything right!

You know Airguns of Arizona. You’ve bought air rifles from them. You’ve seen the test targets they supply. But maybe you do not know about all the secret air rifle preparation steps taken by AoA before they ship out your new PCP.

In this post, we’ll examine the huge amount of time and effort AoA invests to ensure that your purchase is perfect before it leaves their store. It’s more than any other other airgun dealer I know of. And it’s all performed at NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE!

Below. Logan Buchanan is at his work station, ready to show me how it’s done. Take it away Logan!

Airguns of Arizona's Secret Air Rifle Preparation Steps

So why are these steps a secret?

It’s mainly because they are not called-out in any specific way by AoA. It’s just the company’s normal way of doing business. To my knowledge, this is the first time they have been recorded and publicized!

To understand everything that AoA does before shipping an order, I joined Logan – one of the AoA employees who does this work – and observed all the secret air rifle preparation steps for a customer order.

This is what he did – and what is done as a matter of course when AoA fulfills an air rifle order.

Below. There’s a checklist on the wall. Just in case!

In my view this is outstanding additional value that’s provided by Airguns of Arizona to their customers. Read on to see what’s involved…

Step One. Check The Order.

First Logan selected a customer order. It was simply the next one in his stack. Then he pulled all the items on the order from inventory to ensure that the order could be fulfilled.

Below. There’s a lot of Daystate air rifles in stock!

The order for this lucky customer comprised a Daystate Red Wolf Safari, together with a 0DB silencer, an Athlon Cronus BTR scope and SportsMatch rings. Oh and there were some JSB pellets included, too.

Up high for the scope!

Next, Logan carefully checked the Red Wolf Safari all over. Of course, Daystate airguns are justly famed for their quality of workmanship, but Logan was taking no chances. He went over the gun just like the proud new owner will – for sure.

Satisfied that there were no blemishes of any kind, he then he removed the stock to fully check the battery and re-attached the stock.

He also confirmed that all of the voluminous paperwork supplied by the Daystate factory was present and correct. Ditto for the accessories that are supplied with the gun, including the magazine. That was checked for correct functionality, too.

Next the scope was subjected to the same deep scrutiny. The illuminated reticle was checked for operation (and a charged battery). The paperwork and accessories were confirmed in order, too.

This level of detailed inspection was impressive enough. But then Logan explained something I didn’t know…

Scope Mounting And Silencer Secrets.

When a customer orders a scope and rings with an air rifle at AoA, the scope is mounted – and sighted in – for free! The fact that this can sometimes take – as I well know – over 30 minutes per gun is accepted by AoA as a cost they absorb to ensure the customer is delighted with his or her purchase.

So Logan used the “double bubble” technique (bubble level on both gun and scope) to position the scope in the SportsMatch rings on the gun.

Once satisfied, Logan snugged down the scope mount screws – not too tightly – and the scoped gun was ready for test-firing. Or so I thought…

For his next surprise, Logan explained that – as the customer had ordered a 0DB silencer, this would also be installed before test firing. The chances of pellets clipping the baffles in the additional silencer are remote, but he was going to check this just the same!

Accuracy And Velocity Testing.

Positioning himself at one seat in the AoA 20 Yard test range, Logan settled the Red Wolf on a rest and fully-loaded the magazine with JSB pellets. He fired a first shot, then sighted-in the scope with well-judged adjustments to the elevation and windage turrets.

Finally he fired a 5-shot group. The accuracy was judged satisfactory – a “one hole” group as you’d expect from a Daystate.

Then Logan printed-out an image of this from the AoA system and attached the image, together with a printout from the Ohler chronograph (only the best will do for AoA!) to the test certificate that’s sent out with every air rifle.

As this was a Red Wolf, Logan tested the velocity and accuracy at all three power settings: Low, Medium and High.

All in a day’s work for Logan, that was an extremely impressive amount of attention – and, yes, love – provided for that customer order. And it happens time after time, every day at AoA. This was emphatically NOT done just for my benefit…

Below. Logan completes the customer’s test target print out.

So these are the secret air rifle preparation steps that Airguns of Arizona takes for its customer orders. Yes, now they are no longer a secret: but that’s how it should be!

In fact, there was one additional step that this particular Red Wolf would take before being cleared for shipment. The customer had asked for a Picatinny rail to be installed in the forend of the stock. This would require machining in AoA’s Repair Department and was a chargeable additional service – the only one of all this additional value that the customer would be charged for.

After that had been completed, I’d meet the same Red Wolf order for packaging prior to delivery. That’s another whole story!

Note that this “secret air rifle preparation steps” are applied to the models that the company imports and for which they provide the warranty. For example: Daystate, Brocock, RTI, Weihrauch, LCS Air Arms, KalibrGun etc. If you have a question, call your friends at AoA for clarification.

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Daystate Howler Slugs – You Need To Try Them!

Wednesday, June 30, 2021

These days, everyone’s interested in slugs. So, of course, you’ll find this new type of airgun ammunition available from your friends at AoA. Today we’re taking a look at one particular type of slug. It’s called the Daystate Howler.

Daystate Howler Slugs are the latest introduction from the British PCP specialists. But there’s a twist. They’re actually the result of teaming-up with Nielsen Specialty Ammunition here in the USA. NSA manufacture the Howlers for Daystate.

Naturally, these are not just any slugs. Howler hollow point slugs have been carefully formulated by Daystate’s Accuracy Research Team (ART) to deliver maximum accuracy and performance.

The Accuracy Research Team is a Daystate team guided by strict approval and testing protocols. Its role is to improve, wherever possible, the accuracy and performance of Daystate’s products and to do it with passion! Of course that includes considerable input and influence from the experts at Airguns of Arizona.

You can read more about the Accuracy Research Team in this story from 2019 https://www.airgunsofarizona.com/blog/2019/06/daystate-brings-art-to-producing-a-great-new-airgun-barrel.html

The first in the Howler lineup are .177 and .22 caliber .22 slugs. The .177s weigh 12.6 Grains, the .22s are 20.3 grains.

AoA has seen sub-1 MOA groups at 100 Yards in testing with this new ammo in .22 caliber with multiple air rifles!

While formulated to suit the ART barrels found in Daystate rifles, these US-made slugs have also demonstrated excellent performance from many makes and models of airguns, Airguns of Arizona reports.

And now for some unusual aspects to these slugs…

First, The Head Size Question

Unlike with many slugs, there’s no precise diameter given. Instead, the Airguns of Arizona website says that “Accuracy tested at sub-MOA. Daystate has confidence that these Howler Slugs are high precision ammo for the Daystate ART barrel as well as many other makes and models of airguns.”

However, we measured some to find the answer! The average diameter of the Howlers measured was 5.52 mm. That’s actually .217 Inches diameter, a very common diameter for .22 caliber pellets and slugs.

Next the Ballistic Coefficient

In testing, we found the Ballistic Coefficient (BC) for 20.3 Grain, .22 caliber Daystate Howlers to be 0.60. Let’s take a practical example to see what this means downrange.

Starting with a Muzzle Energy of 35.46 Ft/Lbs in tour test gun, no less than 78.9% of that energy – 29.97 Ft/Lbs – was still available at 50 Yards downrange. Even out at 75 Yards, 70.7% of the Muzzle Energy – 25.1 Ft/Lbs – remained available at the target.

Here’s the Chairgun graph showing that performance graphically…

That’s serious downrange hitting power that makes these Howlers ideal for hunters. Just look at this mushrooming!

Now for another word about BC values. There’s a tendency to think that higher BCs are the only factor of importance for slugs. But weight is important, too.

Our testing shows that slug weight and BC are linked. There’s actually a fairly straight line relationship between BCs and weights for cylindrical-sided lead slugs.

You can see how the Howlers fit into this in the chart below. Yes, heavier slugs will give higher BCs, but they require more – make that much more – power to fire them. That limits the range of guns that they are reasonably suited to.

At 20.3 Grain weight, the .22 caliber Howlers are actually lighter than some traditional lead pellets. So they can be fired with satisfactory Muzzle Velocity from a wide range of PCPs. That’s an important, useful benefit.

Maybe that’s not so surprising. However this next piece of information definitely is. These Daystate slugs are well-priced. OK – let’s say it – they’re cheap!!!

Now That Competitive Price

Cheap is not an adjective normally associated with Daystate products. But it’s true here! For the pricing of these Howler slugs really is attractive. They cost just around 5 Cents each…

One reason that Howlers are such good value is that they are packaged in large quantities. There’s 375 slugs in the tin of .22 caliber ammo. This is nearly double the normal 200 slugs per tin offered by most other quality slug brands.

(In .177 caliber, there’s as many as 600 slugs per tin!)

Daystate Howler .22 caliber slugs are sold in tins of 375 for $19.95. Calculating $19.95/375 = 5.32 Cents a slug. And that’s for just one tin – no need to buy multiples. That’s an outstanding price!

Or maybe it’s even less…

You see, there’s a card “coin” in each tin that entitles the purchaser to $2.00 off any Daystate, Brocock or MTC product. True, that $2.00 isn’t going to go far against the purchase price of that new Delta Wolf you’ve been promising yourself. However, save up these coins and they’ll be a welcome discount against further tins of Howlers in future.

For example, if we apply the value of one coin against another purchase of .22 caliber Howlers, the $2.00 “coin” reduces the price from $19.95 to $17.95. Then the price falls to just 4.79 Cents per slug.

I’ll bet you weren’t expecting that price to be so attractive!

As with any slugs – or pellets for that matter – there will be some experimentation necessary to establish downrange accuracy with your particular air rifle. However, that Daystate ART (Accuracy Research Team) testing means that Daystate and Brocock owners are likely to be pleased with the result. Many other airgunners may be too, so long as the slugs are fired from a fairly powerful PCP air rifle.

Daystate has plans to release other configurations of the Howler slugs, including .25 and .30 caliber options. Keep watching the AoA website for details…

Tags: Daystate, slugs
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The Umarex Origin – It Really Is A Great First PCP!

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Not everyone starts airgunning by investing in a new Daystate. As more and more people become interested in airguns, many are looking for that ideal first PCP air rifle. They also want their start to be at an affordable price.

But – and for many this is a BIG BUT – there’s the issue of filling with High Pressure Air (HPA). This presents numerous choices. “Do I need to buy an HPA compressor? Should I buy an HPA tank? Is a HPA hand pump best – and if so which one?” Plus, of course: “How much more will all this cost?”

Umarex USA has taken a bold approach to providing an ideal first PCP air rifle with the new Umarex Origin. It’s a PCP bundled with a HPA hand pump. Everything is in one box. All the new owner needs to do is mount a scope and rings to make that PCP immediately ready to start shooting.

True, the Origin does not have a regulator. However, it’s a much more sophisticated design than you might imagine. Instead, the Origin’s designers have put new technology into this gun to make it easier to fill with a hand pump.

The pump requires some assembly. But it’s really not difficult.

This new technology is called EPT – the “Ever Pressure Tank System”. It’s intended to make the Origin an ideal first PCP air rifle for existing break barrel air rifle owners, for plinkers, preppers and survival use.

There’s a side lever cocking system – an unusual luxury in an air rifle of such a low price – together with the manual safety lever between it and the trigger. The 10-shot magazine is compatible with the mags fitted to the Umarex Gauntlet and Benjamin Marauder air rifle.

I compared the Origin to what was – until recently – probably the best first PCP air rifle. That is, an easy, low cost, widely-available and practical way to start shooting PCPs: the Benjamin Maximus. That’s it, below.

Based on my testing, the Umarex Origin is waaaaay ahead! I predict that it will completely transform the “first PCP air rifle” market in a similar manner to the way the Umarex Gauntlet revolutionized the regulated PCP market in the USA.

The attraction of a low pressure (2,000 PSI) PCP like the Maximus is that it takes relatively few pumps to fill. Also these pumps are relatively easy and do not require a huge amount of effort.

The Origin has a much higher fill pressure – 3,650 PSI. So it should be tougher to pump-up, right? Well, actually, no! It incorporates patent-pending new technology that Umarex calls the Ever Pressure tank system.

To test out this new technology, I pumped-up and shot both an Origin and a Maximus. To make this comparison as equal as possible, I used the Origin hand pump and 14.3 Grain Crosman Premier Hollow Point pellets with both guns.

Also, the same high-quality, known-accurate pressure gauge was placed in-line between the hand pump and rifle for each test. The pressures were all read from that.

First, I pumped-up both air rifles using the Origin hand pump. Then recorded the number of pumps and the pressure. Here’s what I found…

The Maximus took 115 pumps to fill its 135 cc HPA tube to a full 2,000 PSI. That’s shown by the blue line on the chart above.

Now look at the red line! As you can see, the Origin fills extremely rapidly with the first 13 pumps. With only 13 pumps, we were at 1,450 PSI. That’s the Ever Pressure Tank technology at work.

Continuing on, the Origin filled to 3,650 PSI with 140 strokes of the pump. It has a 140 cc HPA tube. Surprisingly (to me at least), it was relatively easy to fill the Origin to full pressure. Pumping only became tough above about 3,300 PSI

Sure, individual strokes of the pump required less effort to fill the Maximus – but then we maxed-out at only 2,000 PSI after 115 pumps. The Origin had reached 2,000 PSI after only 50 pumps.

Having filled-up the guns to maximum pressure, I shot them over a Chronograph using 14.3 Grain Premier Hollow Points. Again, there was a significant difference between the two guns.

As we can see, the Origin peaked at around 980 FPS. It averaged 944 FPS for 60 shots. VERY impressive!

Compared to the Maximus’ slow FPS decline, typical of unregulated PCPs, the Origin’s Muzzle Velocity holds-up extremely well until there’s just about no air remaining in the tube.

True, this is not regulated PCP consistency. But it’s MUCH more consistent than is common in an unregulated PCP in this price range. The Maximus peaks at 802 FPS, giving an average of 763 FPS for 40 shots. Then look at the shot curve as the FPS dies away…

Having seen the FPS numbers, the power generated by both airguns will not be surprising.

The Origin produced a peak Muzzle Energy of 30.47 Ft/Lbs using 14.3 Grain Premiers. The average over 60 shots was 28.31 Ft/Lbs. In comparison, the Maximus gave a maximum of 20.44 Ft/Lbs and an average of 19.37 Ft/Lbs over 30 shots.

So obviously the Umarex Origin is a step change in performance for a best first PCP air rifle. That’s an incredible achievement at a remarkably low price. It even has an adjustable trigger that’s really not bad at this price point.

It shows how fresh thinking can be applied to a market area – the first-timers PCP air rifle – that seemed to have plateaued at a certain price/performance level.

And it’s available from your friends at Airguns of Arizona!

Tags: pcp
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Surprise! The QB78 Is Now Available At Airguns Of Arizona

Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Generally, it would be fair to say that Airguns of Arizona is better known for selling airguns in the $1,000+ price range, rather than those at around $100. But now there’s an exception…

You see, AoA now has in stock three versions of the CO2-powered Beeman QB78 air rifle.

These Beeman QB78 air rifles are the latest version of a model with a long history. The basic design goes waaaay back to that of the iconic Crosman 160 of 1955!

So, yes, this is basically a 60+ year old air rifle – with improvements! They’re still a great gun because – like the Mauser 98 bolt action firearm – it has a winning blend of features and a long, proven history of happy owners.

Of course, as a CO2-powered gun, it’s not a powerhouse. Don’t expect 1,000 FPS, or anywhere like it. But for plinking and target shooting, Beeman QB78 air rifles have many fans. At prices as low as of $94.95, they are great value!

AoA main man Robert Buchanan was turned on to the QB78 back in the Summer when investigating the DT Fletcher collection of historic airguns. This brought him back into contact with the classic Crosman 160 and – from there – to the QB78.

In fact, Robert considers that the finish and general manufacturing quality of current-production QB78s is far superior to that of the vintage 160s built many years ago in Fairport NY.

There’s three QB78 models in stock at AoA. All are bolt action and CO2-powered. Two have synthetic stocks and one – the QB II model – is actually a magazine-fed 10-shot repeater. Wow! That’s the ultimate development of Crosman designer Rudy Mertz’s original 1955 air rifle.

Any QB78 model can be a great choice for “back to basics” plinking or fun shooting. They’re also great for newcomers to the sport who want to start at the lowest-possible price

CO2 airguns have a generally bad reputation for shot-to-shot consistency. But it has to be said that the shot curve of Beeman QB78 air rifles can be less extreme than that of many unregulated PCP air rifles!

Yes, it’s true that FPS will drop rapidly if any CO2-powered airgun is fired rapidly. However, many shooters take their time when shooting, particularly with a single-shot, bolt action like that of the Beeman QB78 or QB78S air rifle.

For example, I fired a QB78S air rifle (synthetic stock, non magazine-fed model) with a shot-to-shot gap of 30 seconds for this test.

As we can see from the following chart, the result was 58 “consistent” shots. That is, 58 shots at between 600 and 625 FPS from a normal fill of 2 x 12 gram CO2 cartridges at around 65 degrees F. That’s a Standard Deviation (the statistical calculation of shot-to-shot variability) of 6.17 FPS.

This is an excellent number and is a shot curve that is not far behind some regulated PCP air rifles I have tested!

But let’s talk more about muzzle velocity…

Beeman is extremely conservative in its muzzle velocity claims for QB78 air rifles. This is a VERY unusual trait in the world of low-priced air rifles where “Zillion FPS” claims are common, whatever the actual performance capabilities of the gun in question.

Below. Two 12 Gram CO2 cartridges are loaded back-to-back in the QB78. Just like the Crosman 160!

Beeman specs are a maximum of 650 FPS in .177 caliber and 500 fps in .22 cal. But – unlike every other manufacturer in the low end of the market, these figures are given for lead pellets at an average 68 degrees F temperature.

This is important because, as with other CO2-powered airguns, the muzzle velocity of Beeman QB78 air rifles increases with ambient temperature. In fact by about 2 FPS per degree F.

This means that a typical .177 caliber QB78S air rifle will meet the 650 FPS claim with 7 Grain lead pellets at somewhere around 70 degrees F.

At higher temperatures, the FPS will continue to rise, reaching a maximum at about 90 degrees F. So, at 90 degrees, our QB78S will achieve 760 FPS with light alloy pellets and 695 FPS with 7 Grain lead RWS Hobby pellets. All in .177 caliber, of course and with no change except ambient temperature.

Trigger pull weight is also remarkably consistent for an air rifle of this price. The average pull weight for the Beeman QB78S air rifle I tested was 2 Lbs 11 Oz and it varied by only 2 Ounces around the average at most. That betters the performance of many more expensive air rifles I have tested!

And that trigger is easily adjustable for pull weight, sear engagement and overtravel. Just pop off the stock to find adjustment screws on the trigger housing. That’s a manual safety we see just in front of the trigger guard…

Beeman QB78 air rifles are easy to shoot. They’re light and point naturally. The trigger is good for the price and consistent, as we have described above.

Unlike all the powerful spring/piston break barrel air rifles at around this price, the Beeman QB78 has no recoil and requires no special hold to shoot accurately. That’s a huge advantage for it in the “around $100, entry level airgun” market, so long as the owner is not intending to use it for hunting.

Beeman QB78 air rifles come with iron sights as standard. However these are very much 1950’s style! The rear sight has elevation provided by moving back the ramp. This allows the sight leaf to “catch” in a higher notch and raise the point of impact.

And if you think that’s primitive, just wait for the windage adjustment! This is achieved by loosening the two setscrews holding the sight leaf in place, moving the sight leaf across “by eye” and re-tightening the screws. The “high tech” QB II repeater has fiber optic sights to go with the modern rotary magazine!

Fortunately, the breech of Beeman QB78 air rifles has dovetail rails for scope rings. If you want to benefit from the accuracy potential of this gun, you really need to mount a scope…

Some potential purchasers of the single-load QB78s are concerned about accessibility for loading pellets when a scope is fitted. However, there’s actually plenty of space, as you can see below.

With the single-load guns, I find it best to lay a pellet on the flat side of the breech and just roll the pellet across until it drops into the loading tray. At any event, there’s more space for pellet-loading than is found in Crosman bolt action breeches, like that fitted to the Benjamin Discovery and Maximus, for example.

The magazine-fed version makes loading even easier, of course. But it’s probably rather too easy and modern for “hard core” single-load QB78 fans!

Finally, the single-load Beeman QB78 air rifle is the Ruger 10/22 of the airgun world! It’s a small, light, cheap gun that has a load of fans and a vast array of upgrades and accessories available out there.

It’s incredibly customizable and has been the starting point for many amateur (and professional!) airgunsmiths, due to its simple, intuitive design.

If you are one of the few serious airgunners who has never tried the classic delights of a single-load QB78, now could be just the time to do so. It’s bargain-priced time travel!

Tags: advice for newbies, air rifle, CO2
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Check Your Pellets With A PelletGage!

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

The PelletGage is a simple-to-use device that is able to to determine the head size of pellets in 0.01 mm (ten micron) increments. Actually, it’s an extremely precise “go – no go” gauge

It is currently available in five common airgun calibers. There’s .177 and .22 calibers, of course, together with.20 cal, .25 and .30 caliber

Most air rifle shooters are interested in accuracy. They know know that their guns “like” – that is, shoot most accurately with – a particular pellet or pellets. In many cases, this may be due to the head size of that particular pellet. Pellet dimensions actually vary significantly between different designs and the head diameter is a particularly critical measurement.

That may not be too surprising, but it’s more surprising to discover that head size can vary significantly between the “same” pellets from one tin!

Testing has shown significant size variation in tins of quality pellets, and differences of mean diameter between tins of the same size and weight. This may be a key to finding that next tin of pellets that shoots so well.

Here’s an example of this variation in head diameter for JSB Redesigned Monster pellets. These are a high quality pellet, of course. But even so, you’ll see that there are two “fliers” with head diameters slightly outside the 5.56 mm aim from the 50 pellets that were measured.

If we look at a lower-quality, anonymous pellet, we can see a much wider spread of head sizes. It’s not difficult to see that these pellets are likely to be less accurate than the JSBs…

The PelletGage allows us to know the diameter of the pellet’s head, and to make that determination quickly. It allows us to check the pellets in one tin for consistency.

Each PelletGage has ten round apertures precisely cut into a thin metal sheet. These apertures allow a range of head sizes to be measured for each caliber.

To use a PelletGage, roll or drop the head of the pellet into the smallest expected aperture.

If the pellet head is larger than the selected hole, it will not drop into the opening. Move up to the next larger size(s) – diameters are etched in the metal – and the pellet will drop partially through aperture, caught by the skirt.

This establishes the size range of the pellet head as being between the largest aperture it won’t clear, and the smallest that it will. That’s why this type of gauge is commonly called a “go no-go”.

With a PelletGage, you can rapidly sort pellets by size, or simply to give you an accurate measure of the head diameter of that new tin of pellets you just received.

Once you know what diameter your gun “likes”, you can take steps to get that same diameter for better shooting results. You’ll be confident of consistent accuracy, whether you’re hunting with your air rifle, or shooting field target competition – so long as you and the gun do your part, that is.

Note that the PelletGage is a measuring tool. It’s not intended to “size” or change the diameter of any pellet.

Measuring the diameter of a round object isn’t easily done. Normal micrometers and calipers can measure one chord or section across the object only.

PelletGage is more accurate, repeatable, and faster than using calipers or micrometers. Also, it doesn’t demand the skill of using those devices. Lead pellets are very easily damaged and you could damage the very pellets you are measuring by incorrect use of calipers or a “mike”.

So why does the PelletGage measure head diameters in mm (millimeters)?

This is because many high quality .177 caliber pellets used for precision field target shooting are manufactured in Europe where they use metric units, such as mm. So, the head diameters of these pellets are designed to be 4.51/4.52/4.53 mm, etc. rather than .177/.178 inches etc.

You’ll often find this manufacturing aim diameter printed on a sticker on the bottom of H&N pellet tins. It’s 5.53mm in this example, below.

Actually, each 0.01 mm step is actually 10 microns, or 0.0004 inches. That’s four tenths of a thou – about the width of a human hair. The accuracy of the holes in a PelletGage is assured by a state of the art laser cutting technique, combined with special alloy sheet steel. The tolerance is +/- 0.0025 mm of indicated inside diameter. That’s precision!

The Pelletgage is available from your friends at Airguns of Arizona. If you’re interested in shooting accurately – and who isn’t? – you need one for each caliber of pellets you shoot.

Tags: pellets
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Slugs Are Here To Stay!

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

For some time, there’s been a move towards the use of slugs for long-range airgun shooting. Now that’s gathering momentum, with more manufacturers entering the arena and more shooters discovering their benefits.

But what do we mean by slugs?

Simply put, they are solid, un-waisted airgun projectiles. Unlike the traditional diabolo pellets which we know and love, slugs are shaped something like firearm bullets. They’re basically cylindrical, with a pointed nose, parallel sides and a flat (-ish) base.

In fact, there has been some confusion about what to call them. Sometimes they’ve been called bullets, but slugs – not to be confused with shotgun slugs, of course – has now become the standard name.

So slugs it is. But what is leading to their popularity and why now?

Basically the cause is the rapid development of technology and capability in PCP air rifles and their support systems. We’re experiencing significant increases in air rifle power as designers perfect valve and regulator systems. High Pressure Air brings the potential for power and that potential is being used more efficiently than ever before in new air rifle designs.

As the power potential of PCP air rifles has increased, so has the caliber. Larger calibers are essential to transmit the power inherent in large volumes of High Pressure Air, so no longer is .22 – or even .25 caliber seen as a “large” bore diameter for air rifles. Now we have .30 cal, .375, .45 caliber and above.

Of course it’s true that big bore – say about .30 caliber like the Benjamin Bulldog above – airguns have a long and honorable history. But in the past they were generally hand-built, custom pieces built in vanishingly small numbers for specialist, enthusiast users. Now that’s changed.

These big bore calibers are available as standard product from multiple manufacturers in mass-production build quantities. Customer demand has expanded to match supply. Although few PCPs – let alone big bore PCPs – have yet penetrated the “big box” chain sporting goods stores, they are increasingly strong in specialist online stores – like AoA, of course – where most knowledgeable airgunners make their purchases.

Below, the Huben K1 works well with slugs.

This means that .177 PCP air rifle sales are in relative decline. Let’s think about that for a moment…

Apart from specific target shooting disciplines, the fact is that less and less people are buying .177 caliber PCPs! Even .22 cal. is threatened as more and more airgun shooters consider .25 caliber and above to be the “new normal” for PCPs.

Large caliber PCPs use vast amounts of High Pressure Air. So – guess what? – this demand has been met by a growing number of HPA compressors at ever-lower prices. Think Omega Trail Charger, for example. Lower-priced, more available compressor technology encourages more shooters to move to PCPs.

What we have here is a technology-driven “virtuous cycle” of improvement in airgun performance, price and power. With this technology shift has come the desire to use the capability of increasingly-capable PCP air rifles to shoot at ever-increasing distances.

So we see more and more interest in competitions such as Extreme Benchrest, with airgun target shooting out to 100 Yards.

Such long range shooting blows the capabilities of .177 caliber completely out of the water. Ditto for springers, of course.

All of which focuses attention on the projectile…

As high power, long-range, HPA-powered airgun performance becomes ever better, there’s a natural demand for improved ammunition to maximize the capabilities of the hardware. Basically, the need is for heavier projectiles that can absorb the increasing power available in larger caliber PCPs at velocities that – preferably – remain subsonic (less than say 1,100 FPS).

With this comes demand for a Ballistic Coefficient that’s superior to anything that can be achieved with the traditional wasp-waisted diabolo pellet for long-range accuracy.

That is leading to experimentation with non-traditional airgun pellet designs and a move towards cylindrical, non-waisted airgun ammunition. Yes, we’re back to slugs!

So should I shoot pellets or slugs? That’s a question being asked by many owners of high power PCP air rifles right now. Airguns of Arizona gives you a choice because they carry both pellets and slugs – with a steadily-increasing range of the latter.

As with many things in life, the answer is not always clear, however…

One thing that’s apparent is that slugs can be appreciably more accurate at long ranges than diabolo pellets. This is confirmed by the rules for Extreme Benchrest, for example. Slugs are not permitted to be used.

The accuracy benefit of slugs is found particularly in their resistance to changing wind conditions. At least compared to a traditional diabolo airgun pellet.

But this improved long-range accuracy potential is not a given for any air rifle. Firstly, you need a powerful air rifle: say 40 Ft/Lbs muzzle energy for a minimum. This – in itself – rules-out .177 caliber as a viable slug caliber and further drives the move to .22 caliber and above.

Then you need a barrel that works well with slugs.

Being designed for the ballistic characteristics of traditional waisted pellets, it’s hardly surprising to discover that many airgun barrels do not give good performance with the completely different ballistic characteristics of slugs. This means that airgun manufacturers are working on the development of barrel profiles optimized for slug use.

Here we have another technology cycle in the making, based around barrel and slug design. Daystate is one company leading the charge towards new barrel designs, as we’ve discussed on a previous occasion.

So far, we’ve talked about slugs in the context of accurate – primarily target – shooting. But realistically, it needs to be recognized that competitive airgun target shooting in any form – benchrest, Field Target, 10 Meter etc – involves a relatively small number of airgun shooters, compared to the number who hunt.

For hunters, the overwhelming requirement is to deliver the maximum amount of kinetic energy downrange for an ethical, single-shot knockdown. Pinpoint accuracy, while important, is (just) the secondary requirement, particularly if you’re aiming to take down a bear or buffalo – as is now becoming possible with the most powerful big bore air rifles, like the Western Big Bore Bushbuck, for example.

In this case, there’s no competition! The Ballistic Coefficient of slugs is far superior to anything that can be achieved with diabolo pellets. That means more energy further downrange, combined with less susceptibility to wind. Providing practical accuracy is acceptable, slugs are the obvious answer.

So, while long range competitive shooting is the headline-grabbing area of slug development and shooting right now, in the long run, it’s the capabilities of slugs for hunting that will drive their broader adoption across the country.

Slugs? They’re here to stay!

Tags: Airguns
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The Tale of a Smoking Gun…A Springer Story

Monday, June 30, 2014

You don’t see it talked about much in the airgun forums, but many spring-piston air rifles and air pistols – springers – actually burn some of the lubricants in their compression cylinders during the shot cycle. Don’t worry; it’s a normal thing.

Here’s how G.V. Cardew and G.M. Cardew describe it in their book The Airgun from Trigger to Target: “The combustion phase is the phase in which most high powered sporting spring rifles operate. As the piston comes forward on firing, the temperature of the air in front of it rises with the pressure; this very high temperature causes oil, or any other combustible substance to burn, thereby increasing the pressure further, producing enough energy to drive the pellet up the barrel at a very high velocity.”

Further, they proved that the combustion takes place through an ingenious test that they called “The Nitrogen Experiment.” Starting with a .22 caliber Weihrauch HW35, they stripped it, degreased and rebuilt it with the correct amount of lubrication everywhere. They then fired it through a chronograph until it settled down at 636 fps with a 14.4 grain pellet (12.9 fp of energy at the muzzle).

They then placed the HW35 and a supply of pellets in a long plastic bag and sucked all the air out of it with a vacuum pump, leaving it sitting under vacuum for half an hour to remove all oxygen from within the seals and mechanism. The bag was sealed around the barrel and a rubber bung pressed into the muzzle to prevent oxygen from re-entering the gun. After that, nitrogen, an inert gas that does not support combustion, was blown into the bag to make it a manageable size for shooting the gun. The bung was removed and replaced for each shot, and a number of shots were fired. With the HW35 unable to enter the combustion phase of the shot cycle, the gun managed only 426 fps or 5.8 foot-pounds. The Cardews had proved conclusively that combustion is necessary for the proper operation of a sporting springer.

So, a little bit of lubrication is necessary so that combustion can take place. But what happens when your brand new airgun has a little too much lubrication? Check out the chart below.

This is the graph of velocities of an airgun that has too much lubrication and has entered into what the Cardews call the “detonation phase,” or what airgunners generally refer to as “dieseling.” Instead of making normal shot-cycle sounds, the shot goes off with a bang, producing the wild variations in velocity that you see above. Often smoke comes out the barrel and there is a characteristic smell. In severe cases, dieseling can actually bow out the walls of the compression chamber and drive the piston backwards with such force that it kinks the mainspring.

Fortunately, it is usually the case that a handful of shots with extra-heavy pellets will drive the excess lubricant out of the powerplant and settle the airgun back into normal operation. Below is the velocity graph of the same airgun after it was shot enough to settle down.

The bottom line: high powered sporting air rifles and air pistols require some combustion of their lubrication to operate properly. But there is such a thing as too much. If you find your air rifle or air pistol dieseling, 5-10 shots with the heaviest pellets you have of the appropriate caliber may help to correct the situation.

Til next time, aim true and shoot straight.

– Jock Elliott

Tags: Air pistol, air rifle, Airguns, break barrel, review, spring piston, Weihrauch
Posted in Airguns, Airguns 101 | 2 Comments »

Airguns 101 – Competition – Air Rifle Silhouette

Monday, April 14, 2014

Proponents of air rifle silhouette will tell you enthusiastically that air rifle silhouette is the most fun as you can have standing up. In involves shooting at four types of metallic animal shapes: chickens, pigs, turkeys and rams. The targets are the same size as the silhouettes used in air pistol silhouette, but you shoot at them at longer distances: chickens, 20 yards; pigs, 30 yards; turkeys, 36 yards, and rams, 45 yards. Generally, you shoot at 10 of each target, and when you hit them, they fall down (in the case of resettable targets) or go flying.

What makes air rifle silhouette even more challenging is that all shooting is done from the standing (offhand position), and unlike 10 meter air rifle competition, the use of special shooting jackets, pants, shoes, and so forth is forbidden. Competitors must shoot in ordinary street clothing. The irregular shape of the targets adds to the challenge and the fun.

If you want to get involved in air rifle silhouette, you will need an air rifle capable of shooting, at a minimum, dime-sized groups from a rest at 20 yards. Since during competition you will not be shooting from a rest but will be shooting from a standing position, you – like all humans – will wobble. Given that all of the silhouette targets have narrow elements (the legs for example), you want an accurate rifle that will hit what it is pointing at, should you inadvertently wobble your aim over a small portion of the target. Naturally, whatever air rifle you use, you will want to shoot groups with a variety of pellets to discover which pellet is the most accurate in your rifle. You’ll want to check to make sure that the pellets you select group well at 20 yards and at the longest distance, 45 yards.

You’ll also want a scope. Although selecting scope magnification can be tricky – low magnification diminishes your apparent wobble but makes it harder to view the targets, and high magnification increases wobble while making the silhouettes appear larger – but folks in the know tell me that a 6-12x or 6-18x scope is a good place to start. You’ll want a scope with an adjustable objective to reduce parallax error, and, if you are shooting a springer, you’ll need a scope that is springer rated. In addition, because the trajectory of your air rifle can vary from 20 to 45 yards, you will want some means to compensate for the differing trajectory. Some shooters use target knobs to change the elevation of the crosshairs and others use mil-dot scopes, selecting the appropriate dot for different ranges.

Many air rifle venues offer different classes of competition. Target class is for any unaltered 10 meter target air rifle. Since many 10 meter target air rifles launch pellets at around 600fps, compensating for the wind, particularly at the longer distance, can be pretty “entertaining.” Sporter class is where you will find spring-piston, gas-ram, and CO2 powered air rifles. All air rifles and scopes must meet an 11 pound weight limit. Open class is where you’ll find precharged pneumatic air rifles that do not fall into the target class. There are other specifications for each class so always check the current NRA silhouette rules to make sure your air rifle will be legal to use. You can find the rules on the NRA web site here: http://compete.nra.org/documents/pdf/compete/RuleBooks/Sil-r/sil-r-book.pdf

For practice, I can recommend this target: https://www.airgunsofarizona.com/Beeman%20Targets.html

The last thing you’ll need is a place to compete. You can find out about air rifle silhouette matches by contacting the National Rifle Association. This website — http://www.nra.org/nralocal.aspx — will help you find local NRA-affiliated clubs in your area. Unfortunately, you will have to contact them individually to see which ones offer air rifle silhouette competition.
Til next time, aim true and shoot straight.

– Jock Elliott

Tags: air rifle, air rifle silhouette, Airguns, pcp, pellet gun, spring piston
Posted in Airguns, Airguns 101 | 1 Comment »

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