Posts Tagged ‘review’

The Brocock Specialist – A diminutive tackdriver – Part I

Monday, June 3, 2013
The Brocock Specialist is less than a yard long and weighs less than 7 pounds with a scope mounted.

The Brocock Specialist is less than a yard long and weighs less than 7 pounds with a scope mounted.

It’s not an uncommon theme: when airgunners want to spend a day or half day wandering the woods and fields with their favorite pneumatic arm, they don’t want to be hauling around a lot of weight. Trudging around with a heavy burden diminishes the experience.

Some time ago, I wrote a blog on “The 7.5 pound hunting rig,” http://198.154.244.69/blog/2011/01/the-7-5-pound-hunting-rig.html and while it is not a hard-and-fast rule, 7.5 lbs seems to be about the limit of what many hunters want to tote afield.

The Brocock Specialist easily makes the weight limit. In fact, with a Hawke Varmint 2.5-10 x 44 scope mounted, the entire rig weighs just 6 lbs. 7 oz. In addition, the Specialist stretches just 34.5 inches from end to end. The ambidextrous stock is molded from matte black engineering polymer, and at the aft end, you’ll find a soft rubber butt pad attached to the buttstock. Moving forward, there is a raised cheek piece on either side, but the portion of the buttstock below the cheek piece is simply cutaway, thereby saving weight.

I found the unusual stock well finished and comfortable.

I found the unusual stock well finished and comfortable.

Moving forward again, there is a nearly vertical pistol grip that flares at the end and has molded-in checkering on either side. Forward of that, a piece of black metal serves as a trigger guard, but does not go completely around the black metal trigger. Beyond that, the forestock curves gently upward and has molded-in checkering on either side for improved grip.

Extending from the end of the forestock is the air reservoir, which has a screw-off metal cap at the end. Remove it, and you’ll find a male foster fitting for charging the reservoir with air from a SCUBA tank or a high-pressure pump. A barrel band connects the air reservoir with the barrel above which is fitted with some sort of bull barrel sleeve. Both the barrel and barrel band are finished in black. At the muzzle end of the barrel is a screw-off metal fitting which can be removed so that a silencer can be fitted (where legal). Between the barrel and the metal muzzle fitting is a silver metal spacer.

The pistol grip is nearly vertical.

The pistol grip is nearly vertical.

Moving back along the barrel, you’ll come to the receiver, also finished in black. On the left side of the receiver is a small rectangular protrusion which I presume has something to do with the operation of the magazine. On the right side of the receiver is a rectangular slot into which the six-shot rotary magazine is inserted. Toward the rear of the receiver on the right hand side you’ll find the bolt which has two locking slots – one to hold the bolt closed and the other to hold the bolt open.

The fit and finish of this rifle are excellent, and I found it very comfortable to shoulder and shoot. In addition, I really liked the Hawke Varmint 2.5-10 x 44 scope. It looks to be well built, the optics are nice and clear, and the mil-dot reticle has lots of aiming points. I prefer mil-dot scopes because you can zero them at one range and then figure out what ranges the other mil-dots correspond to. This gives you the option to instantly compensate for the pellet’s trajectory at various ranges. In addition, the side focusing knob was buttery smooth and an absolute pleasure to use.

Next time, we’ll take a look at how the Brocock Specialist shoots.

Til then, aim true and shoot straight.

–          Jock Elliott

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Posted in Airguns | 4 Comments »

An inside peek into what happens when I test airguns

Monday, May 27, 2013

It occurred to me the other day, while I was repacking an airgun, that some of the good readers of this blog might want to know what actually happens when I test an air rifle or air pistol.

We’ll get into that in just a moment, but first a few words of appreciation are in order. A hearty thank you is due to all the good folks who take the time to read this blog. If it weren’t for you, there wouldn’t be any reason for www.airgunsofarizona.com to continue sponsoring this blog. In addition, I am particularly thankful to the people who not only read the blog but respond to it with comments. Very often you provide useful information and spark ideas for additional blogs in the future, so thanks! Another big thanks needs to go out to the crew at www.airgunsofarizona.com who supply me with guns, scopes, pellets, and ancillary equipment to help make this blog happen.

Of course, it goes without saying that doing this blog is a pretty neat job. I am allowed to play with all the latest, coolest toys in the world of airgunning, and then I get to tell you about them. What fun!

The actual process begins when the UPS guy (aka Brown Santa) deposits a long rectangular package on the front stoop here at El Rancho Elliott.

The next step, since Airguns of Arizona routinely double-boxes its shipments and surrounds the inner box with a generous layer of packing peanuts, involves extracting the inner box(es) that contain the airgun(s). It’s at this point that my battle with an alien life form – packing peanuts – begins. I am convinced that they are alive, intelligent, and animated since no matter how I try to control them, they always manage to escape. They run, they hide, they make rebellious teenagers look like Mother Teresa. Since I don’t remember them being around when I was a kid, they must be from another planet. I think NASA is aware of the problem.

After I get the rifle or pistol box extracted from the outer packaging, the fun begins. Usually I will quickly unpack the gun from its factory box, figure out what caliber it is, grab some pellets, and, regardless of the weather, go outside for a few quick shots, just to get an initial “feel” for the gun.

On a couple of occasions, the entire gun review process has stopped right there. In one case, an air rifle with a hollow synthetic stock produced such a loud resonant sound on discharge that, after three shots, I wanted nothing more to do with it. In another case, a prototype of a pistol had a trigger pull weight in excess of 12 pounds. During my initial attempt to shoot the pistol, I thought I had left the safety on. Later I tested the trigger weight with my Lyman digital trigger gage, and it went off scale before the shot discharged. I called the manufacturer and reported that the pistol was a non-starter until the problem was resolved. Most airguns, however, sail through the initial “get acquainted” process.

As soon as the weather cooperates, it will be time to get serious. I’ll fit a scope to a rifle, sometimes a scope or red dot to a pistol, and shoot groups. With rifles, typically I will shoot from a casual rest consisting of some old cushions on top of a WorkMate. Frequently I’ll shoot pistols from a sitting position wearing my SteadyAim harness because I find it difficult to shoot pistols from a rest. I’ll try different pellets and do my best to shoot the tightest group I can. Usually I start at 13 yards and then work my way out to 32 yards with a rifle. When group shooting is going great, it is enormous fun; when it is not going so well, it can be frustrating, but it is always interesting and instructive.

After shooting groups, I’ll measure the speed of the pellets with my Oehler chronograph and test the weight of the trigger. During the process, I am taking notes and collecting impressions and thinking about what I am going to tell the readers of this blog. At some point, I’shoot photographs of the airgun, usually outside on an overcast day, to reduce reflections off shiny surfaces. The next step in the review process involves repacking the airgun, shooing those pesky alien packing peanuts back into the box, and returning it to www.airgunsofarizona.com.

My goal in writing the blog is to deliver enough information so that you, the reader, can have some idea of what it is like to shoot the airgun in question. I always appreciate your comments, feedback, and suggestions.

Non-airgun-related postscript: Recently I put together a small book (20 pages) that combines my Christian faith with my passion for sky photography. It’s entitled “The Heavens Declare the Glory of God,” and it’s a free download available here: http://198.154.244.69/blog/about-jock-elliott Just click on click on Download to open or save the file. If you choose to download it, I hope you enjoy it.

Til next time, aim true and shoot straight.

–          Jock Elliott

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Posted in Airguns | 7 Comments »

Yikes! It’s E.B.O.S.!

Monday, May 13, 2013
The E.B.O.S. is a BB rifle like no other.

The E.B.O.S. is a BB rifle like no other.

Once a year, after the SHOT Show, airgun manufacturers will frequently send me their latest catalog as part of their press kit announcing what’s new and interesting. These catalogs prove invaluable because, as the year wears on and I am looking for something to write about, I’ll pull out a catalog or two to see what might be a fun subject for a blog.

So that was the scene a few weeks ago as I paged though the catalog from UmarexUSA. When I got to page 35, I noticed something called the E.B.O.S. It is a BB gun that boasts 540 fps and “8 shot burst!” Could be interesting, I thought, so I called the nice people at www.umarexusa.com and asked them to send me an E.B.O.S.

One arrived a few days later in a deceptively small box. When I first pulled it out, it looked like a two-handed air pistol, but I soon realized that there is a buttstock that attaches to the main receiver. E.B.O.S. is an acronym that stands for Electronic Burst Of Steel. The EBOS is 24.75 inches long and weighs 3 pounds. It shoots .177 steel BBs and is powered by an electronic action and an 88 gr. CO2 cartridge (not included).

 

Under the pistol grip is a hatch for loading six AA batteries.

Under the pistol grip is a hatch for loading six AA batteries.

The entire EBOS appears to be made of matte black engineering polymer. Under the pistol grip there is a slide-off hatch into which you insert 6 AA batteries (not included) that provide power for the electronic trigger and firing mechanisms. Forward of the pistol grip, the engineering polymer forms a guard around a black polymer trigger. Forward of that is an additional grip that can be moved fore and aft along a rail under the receiver.

The safety (right) and selector switch for number of shots.

The safety (right) and selector switch for number of shots.

Above the rail on the left side of the receiver are two selector switches. One allows the shooter to SAFE the action so that it won’t fire, and the other allows the shooter to select 1, 4, or 8 shots to go down range when you pull the trigger. Above the two switches on the left side is a 24-shot BB magazine and a bb follower that pushes the BBs into the breech as they are needed.

The BB magazine with BB follower and (above to the left) the BB reservoir.

The BB magazine with BB follower and (above to the left) the BB reservoir.

At the extreme front end of the EBOS is the plastic muzzle which has threads that could possibly be used for mounting a barrel extension or faux silencer. On top of the receiver at the front end is a large capacity reservoir that can hold 360 BBs and the back edge of which incorporate the front sight.

Below the reservoir on the right side of the EBOS is another switch that can be used for selecting 300, 400, or 500 shots per minute. Moving back along the top of the receiver, you’ll find a Weaver/Picatinny type rail that can be used for mounting a red dot or scope. At the aft end of the rail is the notch-type rear sight which can be adjusted for windage.

The buttstock removed, showing the 88 gr CO2 cartridge underneath.

The buttstock removed, showing the 88 gr CO2 cartridge underneath.

To ready the EBOS for shooting, open the hatch under the pistol grip and insert 6 AA batteries in correct orientation. Next, screw an 88 gr CO2 cartridge into the back of the receiver. Slide the buttstock over the CO2 cartridge until it latches. Finally, having made sure the EBOS is on SAFE, slide the hatch back on the BB reservoir and pour in a generous supply. Pull the BB follower toward the muzzle and lock it in place. Shake the EBOS until 24 BBs load into the BB magazine and gently release the BB follower. The EBOS is now good to go.

Take aim at your target, slide the safety off, and squeeze the trigger. In single shot mode, I found the EBOS would launch steel BBs at around 525 fps. If you begin to shoot quickly, the velocity drops to around 449 fps average (on a 70 degree day). If you change the selector switch, you will indeed get 4 or 8 shots bursts.

I discovered the purpose of the EBOS while collecting my pellet trap from the garage. One of the empty soup cans that I keep for penetration tests made a smart remark to me, and I decided then and there to teach it a lesson. I tossed it into the driveway, flipped the selector to single shot and cut loose. The first couple of shots blew cleanly through the sides of the can.

Then I put the selector on 4-shot burst: pow-pow-pow-pow! The can fell over and began rolling around in an effort to escape. I flipped into 8-shot mode: pow-pow-pow-pow-pow-pow-pow-pow. I walked over to inspect the shredded can. “I’m sorry,” it said. “You should know better,” I said as I consigned it to the trash.

The EBOS is simply excellent for bouncing cans around, and I imagine it would be great fun with whiffle golf balls or a bag full of dollar store dinosaurs. If you decide to indulge yourself, make sure everyone on the firing line is wearing eye protection because BBs will ricochet, and, as always, be sure that you are firing in a safe direction where no people, pets, or property will be damaged.

Til next time, aim true and shoot straight.

–          Jock Elliott

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Posted in Airguns | No Comments »

The Benjamin Trail NP Pistol

Monday, May 6, 2013
The Benjamin Trail NP pistol with the cocking assist handle detached.

The Benjamin Trail NP pistol with the cocking assist handle detached.

I have a weakness for air pistols. They are both fun and challenging to shoot. (Heck, any pistol is challenging to shoot because they don’t have the additional support of a shoulder stock.) I particularly enjoy shooting spring-piston air pistols because they deliver a mild jolt to the hand when they go off, and managing the recoil is the key challenge.

Nearly 18 months ago, I became aware that Crosman Corporation had plans in the works to build a spring-piston break-barrel air pistol based on the Nitro Piston powerplant. I was particularly interested because, to the best of my knowledge, no other company is building a break-barrel pistol based on gas ram/gas spring/Nitro Piston technology. From time to time I would send an email to my contact at Crosman and inquire when the pistol would be available. For quite a while, the answer always came back: “Not yet.” A couple of months ago, though, I got an email telling me that Crosman would send me one soon.  And sure enough, not long afterward, a UPS truck arrived bearing a large box containing the Benjamin Trail NP Pistol.

I yanked it out of the box, grabbed some Crosman Premier Light (CPL) 7.9 grain pellets and began banging away at some soup cans at seven yards. I found almost immediately that the NP pistol would punch through one side of a soup can at seven yards, but not both.  I tried the very light non-lead Crosman SSP Pointed pellets that were in the package, but I still could not penetrate both sides of the soup can. The other thing that I found immediately was that this pistol was fun to shoot. My initial impression was: “I like it! Decent rear sight, manageable recoil, useful cocking assist handle, and enough power to defend the birdfeeder at close range, fun to shoot.”

The rear sight hangs slightly over the rear of the receiver.

The rear sight hangs slightly over the rear of the receiver.

Before I tell you about the rest of my experience, let’s take a guided tour of this pistol. The Benjamin Trail NP Pistol is a single-shot, break-barrel pistol in .177 caliber. It stretches 16 inches from end to end, 19 inches with the cocking assist sleeve attached, and weighs just shy of three-and-one-half pounds. A metal notch-type rear green fiber optic sight that is adjustable for windage and elevation hangs over the back end of the receiver. Below that, the powerplant is made of metal and the “stock” (including the pistol grip) is made of a matte black polymer.

The pistol grip is studded with small protrusions that aid in gripping the pistol, and the same black polymer forms a guard around a black polymer trigger. Above the trigger is a push-button safety that displays a red ring when the safety is off. Beyond the trigger guard is a slot underneath the pistol that provides clearance for the cocking linkage.

The Benjamin Tral NP pistol with the cocking assist sleeve attached.

The Benjamin Tral NP pistol with the cocking assist sleeve attached.

Beyond that is a black metal barrel with has a polymer fitting on the end that serves as a protection for the muzzle and a mount for a blade-type red fiber optic front sight. Moving rearward, you’ll find the breech block and the receiver, which has dovetails for mounting the rear sight or a pistol scope or red dot. That’s all there is to the Benjamin Trail NP Pistol.

To ready the pistol for shooting, you could grab the muzzle end of the barrel and pull it down and back until it latches. But the barrel is short and the front sight would dig into the palm of your hand, so Crosman has provided a cocking assist handle that clips over the muzzle fitting but provides a slot for the front sight to poke through. Unlike other pistols that have offered cocking assist devices, the cocking assist handle for the Trail NP is designed to clip to the barrel of the gun so that it stays on while you are shooting it. It extends the length of the pistol by three inches and provides a place to grip the pistol for cocking that won’t dig into your hand.

The sight picture showing the two green dots of the rear sight on either side of the out-of-focus fiber optic red front sight.

The sight picture showing the two green dots of the rear sight on either side of the out-of-focus fiber optic red front sight.

So you grab the cocking assist handle in one hand and the pistol grip in the other and pull the muzzle down and back until it latches. This takes, I estimate, around 30 pounds of effort, but is very smooth and free of any noise. Next, slide a .177 pellet into the breech and return the barrel to its original position. Take aim, push the safety off, and squeeze the trigger.

Now, here’s where things get a little weird. When I first shot the Trail NP pistol, I was banging away at cans using a two-handed weaver grip and pulling straight through the trigger. If you had asked me then, I would have estimated the trigger pull at about five pounds. Later, however, I checked the trigger pull with my Lyman digital trigger gauge and found that the first stage requires 3 lbs. 13 oz, and the second stage is 7 lbs. 13 oz. I was astonished because the trigger didn’t feel that heavy to me. But I rechecked the pull a couple of times and those really are the numbers.  The second stage also has a lot of creep. When I was shooting groups, I found I would pull halfway through the second stage, recheck the sight alignment, and then pull the rest of the way to trigger the shot.

The Benjamin Trail NP sends 7.9 grain Crosman Premier pellets down range at 506 fps average, which works out to 4.49 foot-pounds of energy. Crosman claims, on the package, 625 fps with lead-free pellets, but that turned out to be too low.  The Benjamin Trail NP pistol sent 4-grain Crosman SSP Pointed pellets through my chronograph at a sizzling 720 fps, generating 4.6 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle. The report was pretty subdued, not dead quiet but not loud enough, it seemed to me, to disturb the neighbors.

Shooting two-handed from a sitting position in my SteadyAim harness at ten yards, I found that the Trail NP would deliver 1.5-inch five-shot groups with just about any pellet I fed it. Generally I could put 3 shots into a group you could cover with a quarter but then I would get a couple of outliers that would expand the group.

In addition, as I was completing this review, I heard from the editor of Airgun Hobbyist magazine. He said that he had bought the Benjamin Trail NP pistol and could not get it to sight-in at 10 yards. There simply wasn’t enough elevation adjustment, he said. I did not have that problem with the sample that Crosman sent me, but I had to adjust the sight almost to the very limit of its travel. In addition, I have seen similar online comments from a couple of shooters. At this point, I do not know if the sight adjustment problem with this pistol is limited to a handful of units or is more widespread. Certainly this is something that Crosman should look into, in my opinion.

So where does that leave us with the Benjamin Trail NP pistol? Despite the heavy trigger, I found it a lot of fun to shoot. It is an excellent choice for an afternoon of plinking and is accurate enough and has sufficient power to defend the birdfeeder at close range. It would also be an appropriate pistol for controlling pigeons or rats in a barn. I believe a lot of airgunners will enjoy shooting this pistol as it stands so long as the sight can be properly adjusted, but with less trigger weight and creep, a pistol that I found enjoyable would be significantly improved.

Til next time, aim true and shoot straight.

–          Jock Elliott

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Posted in Airguns | 31 Comments »

The Walther Lever Action

Monday, April 29, 2013
The Walther Lever Action in all its glory.

The Walther Lever Action in all its glory.

When I was a youngster, cowboys were Big Time, Big Deal. Early on, it was Hopalong Cassidy, Roy Rogers, and Gene Autry. Later on, it was Maverick, Gunsmoke, and The Rifleman. Even now, any of the many fine books by Louis L’Amour are among my favorite reading materials. Part of me remains a ten year old boy who roamed the summer woods and fields of the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont with his Daisy Pump 25. My constant companion, the kid from across the road, carried a Daisy Red Ryder. High adventure usually included a nickel tube of BBs and a popsicle from the general store.

Recently, I had in my hands an airgun that made all of that come flashing back to me in the twinkling of an eye. The gun in question is the Walther Lever Action. Finished in blued steel and wood, the Walther Lever Action answers in my mind the question: “What would happen if the Daisy Red Ryder grew to maturity?”

That thick butt pad detaches to allow inserting an 88-gr. CO2 cartridge.

That thick butt pad detaches to allow inserting an 88-gr. CO2 cartridge.

The Lever Action is a eight-shot, .177 caliber repeating air rifle powered by an 88 gr. CO2 cartridge. It stretches 39.2 inches from butt pad to muzzle and weighs 6.2 pounds. At the extreme aft end, you’ll find a thick plastic butt pad that has a large screw in the end (More about that in a while). Ahead of that is a hardwood buttstock that is ambidextrous. Ahead of that, underneath the stock and receiver, is the lever which cocks the air rifle and advances the magazine and also serves as a trigger guard.

There is a saddle ring on the left-hand side of the receiver.

There is a saddle ring on the left-hand side of the receiver.

Forward of that is the hardwood forestock which has a polymer band at the end. Protruding from the end of the forestock is a false tubular magazine made of metal which is connected to the barrel above by another polymer band. On top of the barrel at the muzzle end is a hooded blade-type front sight. Moving back along the barrel, you’ll find a notch type rear sight on top of the rear portion of the barrel, and moving further back you’ll find the receiver proper. The front sight is moved to adjust for windage, and the rear sight is adjusted for elevation.

Press in the cartridge loading gate on the right side of the receiver, and the magazine pops out.

Press in the cartridge loading gate on the right side of the receiver, and the magazine pops out.

On the left side of the receiver, there is a saddle ring and one end of the push-button safety. On the right side of the receiver is the other end of the push-button safety and what appears to be a loading gate for feeding cartridges into the magazine as well as a small rectangular hatch. At the back end of the receiver is the hammer. The Walther Lever Action is made in Germany, and I think the fit and finish are spot on for an air rifle in this price range.

The magazine, ready for loading. It can be removed from its pivot for easier pellet insertion.

The magazine, ready for loading. It can be removed from its pivot for easier pellet insertion.

To ready the Walther Lever Action for shooting, undo the large screw in the butt plate using the tool that is supplied with the gun. The butt plate comes off, revealing a chamber into which an 88-gr. CO2 cartridge can be inserted. Screw the cartridge into the receptacle and tighten it using the special pliers that are also supplied. Reattach the butt plate.

Next press in the loading gate on the right side of the receiver. This will cause the magazine arm to swivel out, revealing the eight-shot rotary magazine. Slide the rotary magazine off its axel. Load eight pellets into the magazine by pushing them in nose-first from the back side of the magazine. (The back side of the magazine has what looks like a small toothed gear in the middle.) Put the magazine back on its axel and close the magazine arm.

Pull the lever all the way down and back up again to cock the action and index the magazine. This requires very little effort. Take aim at your target and squeeze the trigger. The first stage comes out at 1 lb. 6.1 oz. At 4 lb. 11 oz., the shot goes down range with a muted “pop.” At ten yards, from a sitting position, I found I could put eight shots into a ragged one-hole group that you could cover with a dime.

I chronographed the Walther Lever Action on a day that was barely 58 degrees here in upstate New York, and I found that it averaged 528 fps with Crosman 7.9 gr Premier pellets. The factory specifies that that the Lever Action will deliver 630 fps, but they don’t say what weight pellets will do that. Since CO2 powered airguns will vary in velocity with temperature, I would expect that the Lever Action would certainly launch pellets faster than 528 fps average at 70 or 80 degrees. I also tried Crosman non-lead SSP Pointed pellets and got 654 fps average. Certainly this airgun delivers enough oomph for defending the bird feeder at short range. UmarexUSA tells me you can expect 150-200 shots from an 88-gr. CO2 cartridge.

What's not to like?

What’s not to like?

In the end, I liked the Walther Lever Action a whole lot. It’s accurate, is easy to shoot well, has a neighbor-friendly report and repeats with a flick of a lever. Heck, if you have any cowboy in you, you need one of these airguns.

Til next time, aim true and shoot straight.

Jock Elliott

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Posted in Airguns | 5 Comments »

Another cure for the wintertime blues

Monday, March 25, 2013
The RWS 240 is simplicity itself.

The RWS 240 is simplicity itself.

A short while ago, I suggested that if you’re suffering from the wintertime blues and want to get  rid of the I-can’t-wait-for-spring grumpies, a little trigger time with some pistols indoors might be just the medicine that will soothe your soul while you wait just a bit longer for the temperatures to rise and the buds to appear.

Some folks are, by personal preference, training, or genetic proclivity, pistol freaks. I have a pal who wouldn’t walk across the street to shoot the best long gun in the world, but would put himself at considerable trouble to shooting an interesting new air pistol.

I realize, though, that pistols are not everyone’s cup of tea. So, what to do if you are a long gun enthusiast and seriously can’t whack up the ginger to shoot air pistols indoors?

Fortunately, I just recently shoot the answer: the RWS Model 240 Schutze. This is a small, light, low-powered air rifle that is just the ticket for low noise, high fun shooting indoors, even at very limited range.

RWS 240 004-001

The 240 stretches 41 inches from end to end and weighs just 5.7 pounds. At the aft end, you’ll find a soft rubber butt plate that is separated from the ambidextrous hardwood stock by a black plastic spacer. The stock is entirely free of any adornment such as checkering or grooves. The pistol grip is slanted at about a 45 degree angle and forward of that, a black polymer trigger guard surrounds a folded sheet metal trigger that can be adjusted for first-stage travel.

RWS 240 007

RWS 240 005

Moving forward, the slim forestock tapers slightly and has a slot underneath to provide clearance for the cocking linkage. Forward of that, you’ll find the barrel, which has a plastic fitting on the muzzle end that serves as a mount for the fiber-optic front sight. The front sight looks like a classic globe sight but has cut-outs on the sides to allow light to illuminate the red optical fiber. Moving back along the barrel, a notch-type rear sight is mounted on the breech block. It has green optical fibers on either side so that a proper sight picture looks like green-red-green dots inside the front globe. I found the buttstock has just enough rise in the comb to provide perfect alignment for my head behind the sights.

The receiver is fitted with dovetails for mounting a scope but no holes for anti-recoil pins. I am guessing that is because this air rifle generates very little recoil. The factory manual rates the velocity at only 490 feet per second (without specifying the pellet weight), and speeds of 565 fps can be generated only by shooting very light – 7.0 grain – RWS Hobby pellets. That works out to only 4.9 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle.  At the extreme aft end of the receiver is an automatic push-pull safety. That’s all there is to the 240. This is an air rifle of extreme simplicity.

To ready the 240 for shooting, grab the end of the barrel and pull it down and back until it latches. This requires only about 19 pounds of effort and opens the breech for loading. Slide a pellet into the breech, return the barrel to its original position, take aim, slide the safety off, and squeeeeze the trigger. The first stage comes out of the trigger at 12.9 ounces, and the shot goes downrange at 5 pounds, 2 ounces. While the trigger is a wee bit heavier than I would prefer, still I found the 240 a pleasure to shoot. It easily produced dime-sized groups at 13 yards with open sights.

This is a gun you could shoot all day in the basement, and the report is very mild. It is also a low-powered air rifle, so I wouldn’t recommend it for hunting or pest control, unless it is small game at close range, and you are very confident of your shot placement. In my casual testing of penetration with the 240, I found that, at 5 yards, a 7.9 grain pellet would blow through both sides of a tin can, but at 13 yards, it would penetrate only one side of the can.

But as a plinker or an indoor practice tool, this is a lovely gun, and it would make a wonderful gift for a youngster who wants to move up from a BB gun to his or her first “serious” airgun or an adult looking for something to do while waiting for spring.

Til next time, aim true and shoot straight.

–          Jock Elliott

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Posted in Airguns | 2 Comments »

The astonishing Walther LGV – Part II

Monday, February 11, 2013

Walther LGV 005

Walther makes several “claims to fame” with the new LGV.

The first is zero play in the barrel hinge, thanks to the wedge lock, and cocking rod. The cocking rod is mounted in synthetic material and backed by compression springs so that scraping, abrasion, and scoring of metal parts are eliminated.

A rotary piston eliminates friction losses and also eliminates contact with the cocking rod when the piston moves forward. Piston rings made of low-friction synthetic material ensure that the piston does not touch the compression cylinder wall and ensures smooth, quiet movement. Further, the piston has holes drilled in it to gently brake the piston at the end of the compression stroke and to reduce recoil.

The LGV uses a specially tempered valve spring with ground spring ends to safeguard straight movement. Walther further claims that the LGV will not suffer from spring fatigue if left cocked for a long time. Those are the highlights of the claims made at the LGV website, http://walther-lgv.com/

Now, I’ve come to realize that the readers of this blog are a pretty sharp bunch, and you know as well as I do that all the verbiage in the world and a clever website do not mean squat unless the claims that are made actually come to fruition in the product.

Walther LGV 007

So what’s it like to shoot the new LGV? To cock it, you first have to release the barrel lock lever, which is done easily enough by pushing up with your thumb. Then pull the barrel down and back until it latches. (I estimate this requires slightly less than 30 lbs. of effort). You’ll notice there is absolutely no spring noise, no creaks, no groans, no noise of any sort, until the cocking mechanism clicks into its latch.

Walther LGV 008

Load a pellet into the breech and return the barrel to its original position. Take aim, slide the safety off, and take the first stage out of the trigger (this requires only about 14.2 oz. of pressure). Squeeeeze the trigger. In the sample that I tested, at 3 lbs. 3.9 oz. of pressure, the shot goes down range. The shot cycle is incredibly smooth, making a kind of muted “tunng” sound as the action cycles. The recoil is remarkably subdued, compared to other spring-piston air rifles that I know and like. At the time of this writing, there is no other spring-piston or gas-ram production air rifle that rivals the new LGV for quiet and smoothness.

The LGV launches 14.3-grain .22 caliber Crosman Premier pellets at an average of 622 fps, which works out to 12.29 foot-pounds of energy that the muzzle.  At 13 yards, from a rest, I found that it would allow me to shoot the center out of the target with shot after shot. At 32 yards shooting in January under fitful winds, the LGV delivered a 5-shot group that measured 7/8 inch from edge to edge. That works out to .655 inch from center to center.

The fit and finish of the LGV are excellent. My overall impression of it is that it is incredibly fun, easy, and smooth to shoot. When I was testing it, I didn’t want to stop enjoying the supple pleasure of shooting it.

I have not been this impressed with a new air rifle in a long, long time. I have only one thing to say to the team at Walther that developed this rifle: well done!

Til next time, aim true and shoot straight.

–          Jock Elliott

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The astonishing Walther LGV – Part I

Monday, February 4, 2013
The new Walther LGV with optional scope.

The new Walther LGV with optional scope.

Greg from www.airgunsofarizona.com was on the phone with me, discussing what airguns he was going to send my way for testing. “Walther has come out with a new LGV,” he said.

I got excited. “Really?!! Send me one right away!”

“Whoa,” Greg said. “It’s not the same as the old LGV. It’s more of a sporting rifle, but they’ve put a lot of new technology into it.”

“Oh,” I said, wondering if the latest incarnation of the LGV would be a disappointment.

The airgun industry has been around for quite a while, and airgun manufacturers will, from time to time, bring out a new rifle bearing an old name. The last time this happened (with a manufacturer who shall be nameless), the result was a rifle that was really very disappointing on many levels.

The original Walther LGV, image courtesy of Walther.

The original Walther LGV, image courtesy of Walther.

And to set up this story properly, you need to understand that the Walther LGV was a high-precision ten-meter target rifle introduced in 1964. It was a breakbarrel rifle with a positive barrel lock that insured that the barrel hinge always returned to the same position. Original LGVs are still prized as collector’s items today, and they are still fun to shoot.

Similar to the original LGV, the new LGV also incorporates a positive barrel lock to insure that the break barrel returns to the same position every single time. More about that later. Let’s take a guide tour of the new LGV. There are several different variations of the new LGV, which you can see here http://www.airgunsofarizona.com/WaltherLGV.html I tested the LGV Master Ultra in .22 caliber. It stretches 43.25 inches from end to end and weighs 8.85 lbs before mounting a scope.

Walther LGV 009

At the rear of the LGV is a thick ventilated rubber butt pad. It is attached to a fully ambidextrous hardwood stock. There is a slight bulge and rise on either side of the buttstock for a cheek piece. The pistol is sloped at a roughly 45 degree angle and is checkered on either side and engraved with the Walther name. Ahead of the pistol grip is a black metal trigger guard that surrounds a black trigger. I believe the trigger is plastic, although it might be an alloy (a metal “tuning” trigger is available as an option, according the manual), and it is adjustable for first stage travel and for trigger weight.

Ahead of that, the forestock is unadorned and tapers slightly to the end. The underside is fairly flat-bottomed, and toward the end you’ll find a slot for the cocking mechanism. At the far end of the forestock is a lever for releasing the barrel lock. Above that is the barrel (the LGV is available in both .177 and .22) and attached to that is a large metal fitting that serves as a cocking aid, the mount for the globe front sight (which has interchangeable inserts), and a knurled barrel nut which can be unscrewed to allow the mounting of Walther’s proprietary three-chamber silencer (where legal).

Moving back along the barrel, a micro-adjustable notch-type rear sight is mounted on the breech block. Moving further aft, the rear of the receiver has dovetails for mounting a scope and three holes into which anti-recoil pins may be fitted. At the very end of the receiver, you’ll find a push-pull safety which is resettable.

That’s all there is to the Walther LGV . . . or is there? When I took the new LGV out of its box, I notice a couple of symbols on the edge of the manual. One of them said “Vibration reduction system,” and the other said “Super silent technology.”

Curious, I looked up “Walther LGV” on the Internet and found that Walther had created an entire new website devoted to this new series of rifles. Obviously, the good folks at Walther were serious about the technology they had put into this new rifle.

We’ll get into that next time, in addition to shooting the new LGV.

Til next time, aim true and shoot straight.

–          Jock Elliott

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The FX Royale 400 Field Target, a genuine tackdriver

Monday, December 31, 2012

The FX Royale 400 Field Target with benchrest plate shown below.

My experience to date with FX air rifles is that they are wickedly accurate. I cannot remember shooting one that was of merely average accuracy. As a general rule of thumb, you can figure that virtually any FX rifle with the right pellet under decent condition will put 5 shots in a one-inch group at 50 yards. In my mind, it has gotten to the point where I sometimes wonder if I really need to test an FX rifle for accuracy because they are so darn consistent.

Yet, despite FX’s richly deserved reputation for producing accurate air rifles, there have been those of you in the airgunning community who have requested that FX produce a full-out competition air rifle.

The flip side of the FX FT.

The FX Royale Field Target series of rifles is the answer to that request. The FX FT series is designed for bench rest and field target competition and is available in three variations: the Royale 200, available in .177 and .22; the Royale 400, also available in .177 and .22; and the Royale 500, available only in .25. The number after “Royale” tells you the capacity, in CCs, of the air reservoir. All models weigh right around 10 lbs. (some a bit heavier, some a bit less) before a scope and mounts are added. The overall length of an FX FT ranges from a bit over 41 inches to around 48 inches, depending upon the model, the caliber, and how the stock has been adjusted.

The butt stock and cheek piece of the FX FT are readily adjustable.

All of the FX FT models have a number of common features. Chief among these is a fully adjustable alloy stock with adjustable grip, cheek piece, length of pull, and butt pad. Basically, these guns are designed so that you can tweak the ergonomics so that you can feel completely comfortable, whether you are shooting field target or bench rest. In addition, each of these air rifles includes a precision air regulator that keeps the velocity of the pellets extremely consistent from shot to shot. Each Royale FT also features a multi-shot magazine that is self-indexing, a three-position power wheel, a pressure gauge and highly effective sound moderator. Finally, each FX FT includes a match trigger that can be highly adjusted to the shooter’s preference, all the way down to a few ounces.

The model that I tested was the FX Royale 400 Field Target in .22 caliber and was fresh from the Extreme Benchrest competition. It was fitted with a Hawke 8.5-25 sidewheel scope, and the entire rig was impressive. I don’t think the fit and finish could be improved upon, and the whole thing felt incredibly solid, as if it had been machined out of a solid block of metal.

The moderator is highly effective.

It launched 15.9 gr. JSB pellets at an average of 928.5 fps, and the report was remarkably subdued for an air rifle that was making slightly over 30 foot-pounds of energy. It makes a kind of “fap” noise that doesn’t sound at all like a shot and should not annoy the neighbors.

Included with the rifle was a machine rectangle of metal that could be attached to the front rail for benchrest shooting, but I didn’t mess with that. Instead, I laid the forestock in the crease of my Caldwell Tackdriver bag and started launching some pellets. At 13 yards, the results were predicable: a tiny group, but what really surprised me was that, at 33 yards, the FX FT would usually put three out of five 18-grain JSB pellets through the same hole! I tried a couple of times to pull off a 33-yard, 5-shot, one-hole group, but I couldn’t quite manage it. Either I would yank a shot ever so slightly or the wind would kick up (I was shooting in early December), and the group was “ruined.”

I really enjoyed shooting the FX FT. I think it would be a lot of fun to shoot in competition, and I also think it would be a delight to shoot as a long-range varminter.

Til next time, aim true and shoot straight.

–          Jock Elliott

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The surprising Crosman TR77

Monday, December 3, 2012

The Crosman TR77 is a break barrel air rifle with some surprising characteristics.

Recently, the good folks at Crosman Corporation sent me a sample of the Crosman TR77 air rifle. Right on the box it says “Tactical Break Barrel Rifle,” and that got me to wondering: what makes an air rifle “tactical?” Then I read further: “military-style all-weather synthetic stock” and “tactical muzzle break.” Then I got it: “tactical” is really marketing shorthand for “military look.” Okay, I’ll accept that.

This is what a “tactical” break barrel looks like.

The TR77 certainly is an interesting looking rifle. It stretches 43 inches from end to end and weighs just 7 lb. 6 oz. including the CenterPoint 4X32 scope and mounts. At the extreme aft end is a rubber butt pad which is attached to a molded black synthetic stock. The stock is fully ambidextrous and has a slight rise toward the rear that functions as a cheek piece. Ahead of that is a short section of stock that has a cross section like an I-beam. Ahead of that is the main receiver with a pronounced pistol grip at a fairly steep angle. The same black polymer forms a trigger guard around a black polymer trigger and lever-type safety. Forward of that, there is a slight indentation on either side of the stock, followed by a section of forestock that has fat ridges for easier gripping.

Underneath the forward end of the forestock is a long slot that allows clearance for the barrel during cocking.  Forward of that is the barrel, which has a fluted polymer muzzle break on the end that can be gripped during cocking. Moving back along the barrel, you’ll find the breech block and main receiver. Near the aft end of the receiver, there is a dovetail for mounting the CenterPoint 4X32 scope and mounts, which are included with the TR77.

To ready the TR77 for shooting, grab the muzzle break and pull the barrel down and back until it latches. I estimate that cocking effort is in the 30-35 lb. range, and the cocking stroke is surprisingly free of creaks or groans or other noise. This opens the breech for loading. Slide a .177 pellet into the aft end of the barrel and return the barrel to its original position.  Push the safety lever forward to the FIRE position, and squeeze the trigger. The first stage requires about 2 lb. 5 oz. of effort, according to my digital trigger gauge. The second stage is long, with lots of creep, and ultimately requires 6 lb. 7 oz. of pressure.

While this is clearly an air rifle that could benefit from some trigger improvement – either a trigger job or an aftermarket trigger – I found that I could shoot reasonably well with it and produced nickel-sized five-shoot groups from a rest at 13 yards using Crosman Premier 7.9 grain .177 pellets. I suspect that I could have achieved tighter groups with a higher-power scope, but the TR77 came with the CenterPoint 4×32 scope, so that is what I used.

What really surprised me was the speed and consistency of the TR77. It put 7.9 grain Crosman Premier pellets through my chronograph at an average speed of 943 fps, and the variation from high (946) to low (940) was only 6 fps! I find that quite remarkable in an unturned, inexpensive factory air rifle. Despite the TR77’s speed, the shot cycle was not harsh, and the report was typical of a medium-power springer.

 

The butt pad can be peeled off . . .

, , , to reveal storage spaces inside.

The other surprise that the TR77 has for the shooter is that the butt pad can be peeled off to reveal two small storage chambers inside the butt stock. This really spoke to me.

Ever since I was a kid, I have had a fascination with survival scenarios. Starting with Robinson Crusoe and the stories I would read in Boy’s Life and Outdoor Life, I loved reading about people who find themselves in survival conditions and the tools and ingenuity they use to stay alive.

In particular, I remember the story of three young men who decided to paddle the length of one arctic river. They had planned pretty well, but lost some of their gear (if I recall correctly) and found themselves in a subsistence situation. It seems to be that if game were available, an air rifle might be pretty useful for keeping body and soul together. I have even written about this idea a time or two in this blog and elsewhere.

So I could envision setting the TR77 up as a survival rifle, storing a supply of pellets, an allen wrench for the scope mounts, and some fire starting materials in the cavities in the buttstock. Maybe I would wrap some parachute chord around the I-beam section of the stock. The possibilities are endless, and I think the TR77 would be a fun gun for this type of project, defending the garden, or hunting small game.

Til next time, aim true and shoot straight.

–          Jock Elliott

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