Posts Tagged ‘review’

The handsome – and accurate – FX T12 FT – Part II

Monday, April 23, 2012

 

I find the FX FT very pleasing to the eye.

To ready the FX T12 FT for shooting, attach the filling probe to your high pressure pump or SCUBA tank and charge the reservoir to 200 BAR.

To load the magazine, begin by turning the transparent lid to the magazine counterclockwise until it stops. Put one pellet in the open slot on the rear (black) side of the magazine so that the tip of the pellet is pointing out of the hole. This locks the magazine spring in place.

Next, turn the magazine so that the transparent lid is facing you. Turn the lid clockwise one slot at a time and fill the slots with pellets with the tip of the pellets facing into the hole. When all the slots have been filled, slide the lid back into its starting position.

Pull the bolt lever all the way back and insert the magazine, black side toward the muzzle, into the breech from the right side. When setting up the FX T12 FT, make sure the scope mounts are high enough that no part of the scope interferes with the magazine sliding fully into place. If you are purchasing an FX T12 FT and scope from Airguns of Arizona, the good folks there can make sure you have the proper height scope rings.

 

The trigger is light and crisp.

Now you are ready to shoot. Push the bolt forward, flick off the safety, and squeeze the trigger. The first stage required only 10.4 ounces of pressure on the sample that I tested. At 1 lb. 4.4 oz., the shot went down range. This is an excellent trigger that is a pleasure to shoot, and while it is adjustable, I really can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t be delighted with the trigger just as it comes from the factory.

The built-in moderator subdues the report of the FX FT.

The FX T12 FT launches 18.2. JSB pellets at average of 836 fps, or 28.1 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle  and delivers 50 shots per fill with a 35 fps spread. Even with the built-in barrel, there is a significant POP when the shot goes off, but it is not nearly as raucous as one would typically expect from a .22 caliber PCP generating this kind of power. Still, this is not the air rifle you want to be shooting in the back yard while your neighbor is catching up on his sleep from the night shift. But this a hunting gun and out in the field the report should be just fine.

I have yet to test an FX rifle that was anything but a tackdriver, and the FX T12 FT is no exception. At 13 yards, from a casual rest, the FX T12 FT will put pellet after pellet through the same hole. At 30 yards with JSB pellets and fitful winds, I put 5 shots into a group that measured just .625 inch edge to edge. That works out to well under half an inch center to center.

The FX T12 FT is a handsome air rifle that shoots as good as it looks. It should put a smile on the face of any air rifle enthusiast.

Til next time, aim true and shoot straight.

– Jock Elliott

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Posted in Airguns | 2 Comments »

The handsome – and accurate – FX T12 FT – Part I

Monday, April 16, 2012

The FX T12 FT is one handsome bit of goods.

I try not to get emotionally involved with the airguns I am testing. I have learned – the hard way, I might add – that beautiful rifles that make my heart go pitty-pat can also break my cardiac organ when it came down to shooting them. And I’ve seen ugly airguns that suddenly became beautiful based on their performance on the firing line. As the hot-rodders say: “There’s show, and there’s go, and the two don’t always walk hand in hand.” So I try to stay dispassionate when I crack open the box of a new airgun.

The FX T12 FT, however, snuck up on me. When I lift the lid on its carton and slid away the foam insert that cradles it, I said, “Wow, that is one good-looking air rifle!”

The cheek piece is adjustable.

And indeed it is. The T12 stretches 44.75 inches from end to end and weighs just 6.8 lbs. At the extreme aft end of the T12, you’ll find a rubber butt pad that is vertically adjustable. Just loosen a single screw and slide it up and down as needed to achieve an optimal shooting position. Forward of that is a black plastic spacer and, moving forward again, an ambidextrous hardwood stock which features an adjustable cheek piece. All you have to do is loosen a couple of set screwes and slide it to the position you want.

 

The forestock has checkering on either side.

 

Moving forward some more, the nearly vertical pistol grip has checkering on either side. Ahead of that is a black metal trigger guard which encloses a black metal trigger that is adjustable for first stage length of pull and second stage weight of pull. A couple of inches forward and underneath the forestock is a single Allen head bolt that secures the action in the stock. The forestock extends forward and has checkering on either side for a secure grip.

Beyond the end of the forestock, the air tube extends another seven inches. There is a pressure gauge at the end of the air tube and a port for a filling probe just behind it. Above the air tube is the .22 caliber Smooth Twist match-grade barrel with built-in moderator.

Moving back along the barrel toward the receiver, there is a gold colored section on the barrel where it fits into the breech block. The bolt probe is also gold colored, as is a spacer between the air tube and the receiver. On top of the receiver, fore and aft of the breech, are dovetails for mounting a scope. The breech is wide enough to allow – with a bit of fiddling – single loading of pellets but is designed primarily to accept the 12-shot self-indexing FX magazine.

The black metal bolt protrudes from the right hand side of the receiver, which is equipped with two slots for locking the bolt in either the forward or aft position. That’s it. The T12 FT is a very smart, efficient-looking air rifle, nicely highlighted with gold accents in a couple of places.

But the most important question is this: does the FX T12 FT shoot as good as it looks? Next time, we’ll find out.

Til then, aim true and shoot straight.

– Jock Elliott

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The HW70A Pistol – What fun!

Monday, February 20, 2012

A very simple pistol that is very pleasant to shoot.

Okay, I’ll admit it; I was prejudiced. Before I explain why, let’s back up for just a moment. At the heart of the word “prejudiced” is the notion of “pre-judging,” and that carries with it the underlying concept of forming an opinion without sufficient facts to back it up.

We certainly see prejudice at work sometimes in interpersonal relationships, but we also observe it in airgunning. Some years ago, I got into a conflict with a fellow on one of the forums because had formed the opinion that a particular air rifle that I had reviewed highly had to be a certified piece of dung because he had once owned an air rifle made by the same manufacturer, and he thought not very highly of it. Now, in point of fact, he had never seen, handled, or shot the particular model that I had praised, so he had no basis on which to form that opinion. He was prejudiced. It would be as if I condemned all modern Chevrolets because I once had a nasty experience with a Chevette. That’s prejudice.

Nevertheless, I was just recently guilty of pre-judging an airgun . . . in this case, the Weihrauch HW70A. I remember that the first time that I saw a picture of the HW70A. It was in the 1999 Beeman Precision Airgun Guide. On Page 27 the HW70A appeared, along with its brother the HW70S. My very first impression of the wooden-stocked HW70A was that it looked crude, like someone’s first attempt at building an airgun: “Hey, look, I made it myself!”

So I continued on my merry way, thinking those kind of thoughts about the HW70A, never having handled one or shot one, until a sample of the HW70A actually arrived at El Rancho Elliott just the other day. When I pulled the it from its box, it didn’t look so crude after all. In fact, it looked pretty nice.

It is a breakbarrel spring-piston air pistol. The receiver, breech block, barrel, front sight, and trigger are all metal, finished in a black satin finish that is really very nice, and the rest of the pistol – the “stock,” pistol grip and trigger guard – are all molded out of black polymer. The pistol grip is ambidextrous and has molded-in checkering on either side. Above the pistol grip on the left side is the safety. It activates automatically when the HW70A is cocked, and you slide it toward the muzzle to click it OFF.

The polymer “stock” which embraces the lower half of the receiver has molded-in wood grain on either side. I find that a little silly, but it doesn’t detract from the appearance of the pistol. Ahead of the pistol grip is the trigger guard, which is molded from the same polymer. Inside the trigger guard is a black metal trigger which apparently can be adjusted for weight. The manual, however, says “The trigger pull setting as it comes from the factory is usually best for the airgun in question and should not be lightened.” So I didn’t mess with it.

At the far end of the “stock,” you’ll find the breech block. Attached to that is the barrel, at the end of which is the blade type front sight which is surrounded by a nice smooth metal hood. More about that in just a moment. At the extreme aft end of the receiver is the rear notch sight which is click adjustable for elevation and windage.

To ready the HW70A for shooting, grab the pistol grip in one hand and the front sight hood in the other, and pull the barrel down and back toward the pistol grip until it clicks. This takes around 30 lb. of effort and cocks the action and opens the breech for loading. What’s make this particularly nice is the smoothly finished hooded front sight. As you break the barrel, the sight doesn’t dig into your palm or cause any discomfort; instead it functions as a “cocking assist handle” and makes the process easier. Slide a .177 pellet into the breech and return the barrel to its original position.

Take aim, slide the safety off, and squeeze the trigger. At just over 3 lbs., the first stage comes out of the trigger; at 4 lbs. 15 oz. (on the sample I tested), the shot goes down range. There is a bit of recoil, but not much, and the muzzle report is very subdued. While the HW70A doesn’t buck like a bronco when it goes off, neither does launch pellets with blinding speed. JSB Express 7.87 gr. pellets averages 399 fps, which works out to 2.8 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle.

The recoil, however, makes a difference. That means you’ll have to work to master this air pistol. From a Creedmoor position, I found I could put four pellets in a group you could cover with a dime at 10 meters, but then the fifth shot would get away from me. The Beeman catalog claims accuracy of 0.32 inch CTC. I believe it, but I wasn’t able to achieve it.

In all, I found the HW70A was incredible fun to shoot . . . easy to cock, mild recoil, pleasantly quiet, and well built. I think it would be the perfect pistol for a pleasant afternoon with a friend, plinking at targets and spinning yarns.

Til next time, aim true and shoot straight.

–          Jock Elliott

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FX Royale 200 Synthetic .25 caliber – Part II

Monday, January 23, 2012

The left side of the FX Royale 200 .25 caliber

To ready the FX Royale 200 Synthetic .25 caliber for shooting, attach the filling probe to your high pressure pump or SCUBA tank and charge the reservoir to 200 BAR.

Now it’s time to load the magazine. Begin by turning the transparent lid to the magazine counterclockwise until it stops. Put one pellet in the open slot on the rear (black) side of the magazine so that the tip of the pellet is pointing out of the hole. This locks the magazine spring in place.

Next, turn the magazine so that the transparent lid is facing you. Turn the lid clockwise one slot at a time and fill the slots with pellets with the tip of the pellets facing into the hole. When all the slots have been filled, slide the lid back into its starting position.

The left side of the receiver.

Pull the bolt lever all the way back and insert the magazine, black side toward the muzzle, into the breech from the right side. Helpful hint: make sure the scope mounts are high enough that no part of the scope interferes with the magazine sliding fully into place. If you are purchasing a FX Royale 200 Synthetic .25 caliber and scope from Airguns of Arizona, they can recommend the proper height scope rings.

Now you are ready to go. Push the bolt forward, flick off the safety, and squeeze the trigger. The first stage required only 11.1 ounces of pressure on the sample that I tested. At 1 lb. 5.3 oz., the shot went down range. This is an excellent trigger that is a pleasure to shoot.

NOTE: The section below has been corrected. I had the wrong shot string. JE

FX Royale 200 Synthetic .25 caliber launches 31.1 gr. H&N Barracuda pellets at average of  800fps, or 44.20  foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle and will deliver 35 usable shots from a fill. Even with the shrouded barrel, there is a significant POP when the shot goes off, but it is not nearly as raucous as one would typically expect from a .25 caliber PCP generating this kind of power. This is clearly not the best choice for stealthy plinking in the back yard without disturbing the neighbors, but for a hunting gun it is just fine.

 

One other thing I notice while shooting the FX Royale 200 Synthetic .25 caliber is that this air rifle is generating enough power that you can actually start to feel some recoil when the shot goes off. Not some heavy-handed slam in the shoulder, but a gentle push that reminds you that Sir Isaac Newton was right: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. You don’t put .25 caliber pellets down range with the kind of power that this rifle generates without getting some push in the opposite direction.

Like all FX air rifles that I have tested, the FX Royale 200 Synthetic .25 caliber delivers the goods when it comes to accuracy. At 30 yards from a casual rest with JSB Jumbo pellets, I put 5 shots into a group that measured just .625 inch edge to edge. That works out to well under half an inch center to center.

The FX Royale 200 Synthetic .25 caliber is a powerful, handsome air rifle that does everything well. I think any air rifle hunter would be pleased to own one.

Til next time, aim true and shoot straight.

–          Jock Elliott

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FX Royale 200 Synthetic .25 caliber – Part I

Monday, January 16, 2012

The FX Royale 200 Synthetic .25 caliber is handsome and powerful.

FX airguns enjoy a well-deserved reputation for excellence and accuracy, and the FX Royale 200 Synthetic in .25 caliber is no exception. It is a big airgun – 45.5 inches from end to end – that weighs just 6.7 lbs. and delivers a tremendous wallop, nearly 44 foot-pounds at the muzzle.

The butt pad is adjustable vertically.

Starting at the extreme aft end of the .25 Royale, you’ll find a black rubber butt pad that is adjustable vertically. Just loosen a screw and slide the butt pad up or down to meet your need. The butt pad is attached to an ambidextrous matte black synthetic stock that has a raised comb, cheek piece on either side, and a pronounced thumb notch.

Here's the trigger, breech, and magazine.

Forward of the butt stock, the pistol grip is flared at the end and has ribbing on either side. Moving forward again, the matte black synthetic material of the stock forms a trigger guard that surrounds a black metal trigger. The trigger is adjustable for first stage length of pull, second stage weight of pull, and, if you have tinkered with the trigger adjustments, the safety catch adjustment. The manual warns that “Failure to adjust this screw (the safety catch adjustment) after altering the trigger can result in a non-functioning safety.”

Just ahead of the trigger guard is an allen head bolt that holds the receiver in the stock, and forward of that is a black and white air pressure gauge that is about 7/8 of an inch in diameter. Beyond that, the forestock is relatively unadorned, except for ribbing molded into the polymer on either side.

The air reservoir protrudes nearly a foot beyond the end of the forestock. At the end of air reservoir is a port into which a filling probe is inserted for charging the reservoir. This is the only thing about the .25 Royale that I didn’t like. I personally prefer that air reservoirs be equipped with male Foster fittings. In my experience, they work pretty well, providing a quick and secure connection for filling PCP airguns. I don’t understand why a special filling probe was required but then again I am not an airgun engineer, just an airgun shooter.

Above the reservoir is the fully shrouded barrel. The shroud stretches 25.5 inches from muzzle to where it meets the receiver, but the specifications say that the .25 caliber barrel itself, which is inside the shroud, measures 23.6 inches.

At the aft end of the shroud is the receiver, finished in shiny black with white lettering. On top of the receiver, forward and aft of the breech, are dovetails for mounting a scope. In the middle of the receiver is the breech, which is just barely deep enough to allow loading single pellets by hand and which allows the 11-shot self-indexing .25 caliber rotary magazine to be slid into place.

On the right hand side of the receiver, you’ll find the toggle-action bolt. You cock the action and ready it for the next shot by pulling it full back and then sliding it fully forward again. It’s smooth and easy. Just below the aft end of the cocking lever is the safety.

That’s all there is to the FX Royale 200 Synthetic in .25 caliber. It’s a handsome air rifle with a utilitarian and purposeful look about it. As a .25 caliber, it is most likely to be used as a hunting rifle, and I like that there is no wood to worry about scratching or damaging with moisture. This is a serious tool designed to withstand inclement conditions without serious concern.

Next time, we’ll take a look at how the FX Royale 200 Synthetic in .25 caliber shoots.

Til then, aim true and shoot straight.

–          Jock Elliott

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Daystate Huntsman Classic XL – Part II

Monday, January 2, 2012

It shoots as good as it looks!

To get the Daystate Huntsman Classic XL ready to shoot, remove the cap at the end of the air reservoir, attach a high pressure pump or SCUBA tank, and charge the reservoir up to 230 BAR maximum.

To remove the 10-shot magazine from the breech, first apply the safety catch. Next, lift the bolt handle at the rear of the breech block and pull it all the way back until fully cocked. Next move the bolt forward just a little bit until you feel a click. Now the magazine can be removed. (If you attempt to remove the magazine before you feel the click, it won’t work.)

There is a lot to like about the Huntsman Classic, but one of the things that I particularly like is the 10-shot rotary magazine. It is, hands down, the easiest to load magazine currently available. There is no twisting of top plates, no dropping in pellets to lock the top plate in place, no clicking your heels and saying “there’s no place like home.”

The magazine is super easy to load.

Instead, all you have to do is drop a pellet head-first into the large hole at the bottom of the backside of the magazine. You have to make sure that the pellet head slips past the o-ring that circles the perimeter of the pellet ring, and sometimes I use the tip of a ballpoint pen to give the pellet a quick poke to do that. Next rotate the pellet ring counter-clockwise to bring the next empty bay in line with the loading port and drop in another pellet. Frankly, it takes longer to describe the procedure than to do it. Continue this one click at a time until all 10 pellets has been loaded. When the magazine is full, slide it back into position in the breech block and return the bolt forward to the closed and locked position. Now you’re good to go.

Take aim at the target, flick the safety off, and start to squeeze the trigger. On the sample that I tested, the first stage required only 9.6 ounces of pressure. At about 1 pound 4.4 ounces, the shot goes off.

The Huntsman Classic XL launches JSB .177 Heavy 10.3 grain pellets at an average of 904 fps, making average energy 18.77 foot pounds. In addition, because of the extra large (that’s what the XL stands for) air reservoir, it delivers over 55 shots on a fill (see the curve below.)  Peak velocity is 918 fps, for 19.35 foot pounds of energy.

The XL produces a surprisingly subdued report. It is by no means completely silent, but it is not nearly as loud as I expected. There is some shrouding in the barrel, which helps to quiet the XL, but the main reason for the relatively quiet report is the Steve Harper designed “slingshot” valve. This patented valve design eliminates the hammer bounce that plagues so many other pre-charged, CO2, and multi-stroke air rifles and air pistols that store gas under pressure and employ a knock-open valve.

Here’s how hammer bounce happens.  When the airgunner triggers the shot, the hammer hits the valve and knocks it open. The very next thing that happens is that the compressed gas inside the reservoir acts like a spring and pushes the valve shut, often with enough force to drive the hammer back off the valve. The hammer then slams back down on the valve and pops the valve open again. When this happens, the gun wastes air (or CO2) and makes a louder report than necessary. Even worse, hammer bounce does absolutely nothing useful, since the pellet has already left the barrel when the hammer bounce occurs.

Because Harper slingshot valve prevents hammer bounce, it produces performance comparable to a computerized Daystate air rifle – including efficient use of air, a very high number of shots per charge, a flat power curve, an ultra-fast firing cycle and a relatively quiet muzzle discharge. As effective as the slingshot system is, it’s also remarkably simple and, therefore is backed by a three-year warranty.

The Huntsman delivers the kind of accuracy that I have come to expect from Daystate air rifles. At 30 yards, under far less than ideal conditions, the XL put five shots into a group you could easily cover with a dime. I expect that, under ideal conditions, it will deliver similar sized groups at 50 yards.

The Daystate Huntsman Classic XL has just about everything any serious airgunner would want: excellent accuracy, high efficiency, a very nice trigger, and a reasonable report . . .  and those good looks don’t hurt either. Who wouldn’t be pleased with an air rifle like that?

Til next time, aim true and shoot straight.

– Jock Elliott

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The Daystate Huntsman Classic XL in .177 – Part I

Monday, December 26, 2011

The Daystate Huntsman Classic XL

Some years ago, very early in my career as an airgun writer, I was taught an important and harsh lesson: when it comes to airgun performance, looks don’t matter. The gun in question was a Beeman Crow Magnum. It had been loaned to me, and when I pulled it from the box, I fell instantly in love. The exotic hardwood stock was a thing of beauty, and the bluing on the metal work looked like it was a foot deep. After just one look, I was already making plans to justify purchasing such an expensive springer.

As soon I shot the Crow Magnum, I rapidly changed my mind. I couldn’t adapt to the recoil of the powerful Theoben gas-ram powerplant, and I was unable to shoot better than 1.5 inch groups at 10 yards. Beautiful or not, I couldn’t wait to send that gun back to its owner. (Eventually I asked another airgunner who had mastered the Crow Magnum how he did it, and he said that the secret was to “apprentice yourself to the Crow Magnum and don’t shoot anything else. When you do that, the Crow Magnum shoots as good as it looks.”)

Having said all that, I would be less than forthright if I didn’t admit that I was taken with the looks of the Daystate Huntsman Classic XL in .177. It is a beautiful air rifle that stretches 38 inches from end to and weighs just a bit over six pounds.  The version that I tested was designated “XL,” which means that it has an extra-large air reservoir to extend the shot count per fill, although the folks at Airguns of Arizona tell me that the short air tube version actually out-sells the XL. Go figure.

The ventilated butt pad and other goodies.

At the extreme aft end of the XL is a ventilated rubber butt plate attached to a Walnut stock with a black spacer. The stock is right-handed and has a distinct cheek piece on the left hand side of the stock. Forward of the buttstock is the pistol grip, which is checkered on both sides and is fitted with the rosewood cap and a lighter colored spacer.

The trigger group, bolt, and magazine.

Ahead of the pistol grip is a metal trigger guard with a silver-colored metal trigger inside. The two-stage trigger is adjustable for second stage weight, trigger blade angle, and first stage travel. Above the trigger guard, on either side of the stock, the Daystate name and emblem are incised into the stock. Ahead of the trigger assembly is an allen screw for holding the action in the stock, and just ahead of that is an air gauge that reads in bar.

Moving toward the muzzle again, the forestock is checkered on either side. At the end of the forestock are a barrel band and a black metal cap, which when removed, reveals a foster fitting for filling the air reservoir. Above the air reservoir is the matte black finished barrel which is shrouded to reduce the report of the XL. At the end of the barrel is a cap that can be unscrewed for fitting a silencer where legal.

Traveling back along the barrel, you’ll find the receiver, which has dovetails for fitting a scope, the breech – where the ten-shot rotary magazine can be inserted – and the silver-finished bolt handle. Below the bolt handle on the left side of the receiver is the rotary safety. Flick the red anodized tab UP for fire and DOWN for safe.

Next time, we’ll see how the Daystate Huntsman Classic XL shoots.

Til then, aim true and shoot straight.

–          Jock Elliott

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The Weihrauch HW50S in .177 caliber

Monday, December 12, 2011

The layout of the HW50S is simplicity itself.

I think perhaps I have finally figured it out . . . what my favorite Weihrauch air rifle is – the HW50S in .177. Over the years, I have owned (and still own) a variety of Weihrauch air rifles, from the big, hairy HW80 to the tackdriving but heavy HW97 to the diminutive HW30S.

Each has its advantages and its charms, but as the years roll on (hey, maybe I’m getting old and creaky), I find that I turn increasingly to lighter air rifles for a day afield. The lovely HW30S measures just 38.78 inches end to end and weighs just 5.1 lbs, but there are times when I am shooting it that I wish it had just a wee bit more velocity and power.

Enter the HW50S. It’s just 40.5 inches long weighs only 6.8 lbs. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to test a couple of samples in .22 caliber (the standard and the Stainless versions), but I’ve never shot the HW50S in .177 until recently.

The is a slight swell of a cheek piece on the left side of the buttstock for righthanded shooters, but lefties should have no problem with the HW50S.

This is not an air rifle that is out to impress anyone with its glitz; there is no checkering or other adornment anywhere. At the extreme aft end, there is a brown rubber butt pad with a black spacer and a slight swell for a cheek piece on the left-hand side of the stock, but the buttstock is so nearly symmetrical that lefties should have no problem shooting this rifle. The forestock extends over the two-piece cocking linkage and breech block. The two-piece cocking linkage increases cocking effort (more about this later) but allows the action to be anchored by a single big screw in a steel seat underneath the forestock.

The Rekord trigger is crisp and adjustable.

The trigger guard is black metal. It fastens to the stock with two screws. Inside the trigger guard is a typical Rekord trigger setup: a silver metal trigger and a silver adjustment screw.

The front sight has interchangeable inserts.

The barrel is 15.5 inches long, and on top of it at the muzzle end you’ll find a globe sight with interchangeable inserts. The receiver has three holes for anti-recoil pins and a push-button safety at the rear. That’s it; the HW50S is a statement in simplicity.

With the two .22 versions of the HW50S that I tested in the past, I found the cocking effort to be pretty “stout,” between 30-35 lbs., but the .177 version I’m testing this time seemed easier. Maybe it is just unit-to-unit variation; I don’t know. In any event, you should realize, going in, that the HW50S is not going to be as easy to cock as an HW30S.

To ready the HW50S for shooting, grab the end of the barrel and crank it down and back until it latches, stuff a pellet in the breech, and return the barrel to its original position. Click off the safety, take aim, and squeeze the trigger. The Rekord trigger is crisp and clean and can be easily adjusted. With the factory adjustments, the first stage comes out between 1-2 lbs, and the second stage at 3-4 lbs.

The shot cycle is very subdued, kind of a muted “tunk,” and there is a just a hint of vibration that is heard more than felt. In all this is a very pleasant air rifle to shoot, and its subdued report ought to keep the neighbors happy. It is, in fact, to my ears one of the quietest springer air rifles that I have ever shot.

The HW50S launches 8.44 grain JSB Exact pellets at around 740 fps. I found it put five pellets into a group at 13 yards that you could cover with a pencil eraser. Overall, I have found the HW50S accurate enough to shoot in Hunter Class field target, and I actually took 2nd in a match with a .22 HW50S a few years ago.

I liked the .177 HW50S a whole lot, and I think it would put a huge grin on any airgunner’s face. Santa, are you listening?

Til next time, aim true and shoot straight.

– Jock Elliott

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Posted in Airguns | 16 Comments »

Webley Alecto Ultra – Just like before, only better

Monday, December 5, 2011

The Webley Alecto Ultra in its nice case.

Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while will remember that back in May of this year I had the opportunity to review a really nice air pistol, the Webley Alecto. If you want to check out that blog, you can read it here: http://198.154.244.69/blog/2011/05/a-happy-surprise-%e2%80%93-the-webley-alecto.html

I concluded in that review that the Alecto “delivers a whole lot to like an a handsome package: a virtually recoilless pistol suitable for high precision plinking, casual target competition, or pest control at close range,” and I stand by that conclusion.

Yet at the same time that I wrote that, a small part of my brain was mulling over whether the Webley Alecto would be a suitable highly-portable game-getter in survival situation. I thought at the time that probably one could get by with the Webley Alecto, but, gee, wouldn’t it be nice if it had just a wee bit more velocity and power . . .

So perhaps you can imagine my glee when I opened the vinyl case that the Webley Alecto Ultra comes in and discovered that “Ultra” means that the barrel has been extended by just a scootch over three inches. That has got to make a difference, right? We’ll get to that in just a little while.

The left side.

Available in .177 and .22, stretching just 13 1/8 inches long, and weighing 2.6 pounds, most of the Ultra is made of matte black engineering polymer. At the aft end of the pistol is a metal notch sight that is adjustable for elevation and windage. On either side of the upper cover of the Ultra just below the rear sight is a lever. Pulling both of these levers at the same time releases the upper cover for cocking and loading. On top of the receiver is a weaver-width dovetail that has one notch cut in it. At the far end of the upper receiver, is a blade front sight with a small red dot on it, so that the sight radius of the Webley Alecto standard and Webley Alecto Ultra is exactly the same. This sight can be rotated 90 degrees and another front blade of lower height pops up in its place. The barrel protrudes another 3 inches beyond the end of the receiver and is fitted with a series of circular grooves near the muzzle.

Underneath the forward end of the receiver, you’ll find another Weaver rail (this one with 7 notches) for mounting accessories such as a flashlight or laser. Moving aft, the trigger guard is molded of matte black polymer and encloses a silver metal trigger and push-pull automatic safety. The trigger is adjustable for left, right and downward movement; trigger position forward and aft; and trigger spring strength, from just under a pound to about 4 pounds. Moving to the rear again, you’ll find a match-style grip (available in left or right hand) with an adjustable palm shelf. It is, in all, a fancy looking air pistol.

The action, partly opened.

Getting the Ultra ready for shooting requires pulling the levers on either side of the upper cover upward and then swinging the aft end of the upper cover up and forward until the cover is completely open. Returning the upper cover to its original position charges the action, cocks the trigger, and activates the automatic safety. You can pump the Ultra up to three times (a fact the User’s Manual is strangely reluctant to mention), and the effort becomes stiffer with each successive stroke.  Before completing the last stroke, insert a pellet into the end of barrel prior to returning the upper cover to its original position.

The action fully opened for inserting a pellet.

Now you’re ready. Take aim at your target, flick the safety off (you can’t help but notice the automatic safety since it blocks the trigger), and squeeze the trigger. At 1 lb. 1.4 oz., the first stage comes out. At 1 lb. 12 oz., the shot goes off with a pop. (The pop gets louder as the Ultra is charged with more pumps). At one pump, the Ultra launches 7.9 grain Crosman .177 Premier pellets at around 379 fps; at 2 pumps, about 518 fps, and at 3 pumps, about 599 fps. By comparison, at one pump, the Alecto standard launches 7.9 grain Crosman .177 Premier pellets at around 365 fps; at 2 pumps, about 480 fps, and at 3 pumps, about 560 fps.

Do the math, and you’ll find that extra three inches of barrel delivers a 4 percent increase in velocity at one pump; an 8 percent increase in fps at 2 pumps, and a 7 percent increase at three pumps. This translates to an 8 percent increase in power at one pump; 16 percent increase in foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle at two pumps; and 14 percent increase to 6.29 fp at three pumps. That’s plenty good enough for taking small game at close range with proper shot placement.

I found I could shoot dime-sized groups at 13 yards with the Ultra. My only suggestion for improving this impressive pistol would be more notches in the rail on top of the receiver to make it easier to mount a red dot.

The Webley Alecto Ultra delivers all the goodies of the Alecto standard — a handsome package: a virtually recoilless pistol suitable for high-precision plinking, casual target competition, or pest control at close range – plus a wee bit more power, and I think a whole lot of airgunners just might find this is their favorite air pistol.

Til next time, aim true and shoot straight,

–          Jock Elliott

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The FX Gladiator Mk II – Part I

Monday, November 7, 2011

The Gladiator Mk II is a tackdriver and, thanks to two air reservoirs, delivers an enormous number of shots.

If I were a professional pest controller who needed an airgun to do his job, I think I have just found the air rifle that would be Numero Uno on my list: the FX Gladiator Mk II.

Before we take a look at the Mk II, a couple of items. First, I reviewed the FX Gladiator Tactical a while back, and if you want to check out those blogs for comparison, you can find them here http://198.154.244.69/blog/2010/10/the-outstanding-gladiator-tactical-%e2%80%93-part-i.html and here http://198.154.244.69/blog/2010/10/the-outstanding-gladiator-tactical-%e2%80%93-part-ii.html.

Second, I love shooting precharged pneumatic (PCP) air rifles. They have, as a group, a bunch of admirable qualities. Most will shoot one inch edge-to-edge groups at 50 yards with the right pellet, and often they will do substantial better than that. They have no nasty whiplash recoil to deal with, as do springers and gas-piston guns. Many offer a very neighbor-friendly report, and they are just plain easy to shoot well. Buuut, most require the shooter to have a SCUBA tank or a high-pressure hand pump handy to refill the air reservoir when all the usuable shots have been consumed. For me, that diminishes the pleasure of shooting a PCP air rifle; the less ancillary gear I have to drag out the door when I got shooting, the better.

The new FX Gladiator Mk II gets around the ancillary gear problem with a couple of slick tricks: a very easy-to-use power adjustor and two – count ‘em! – air reservoirs. As a result, the Mk II delivers a shot count that should allow the overwhelming majority of shooters to go out the door with the Mk II and a tin of pellets and not have to worry about refilling the Gladiator until they get back home from a day’s shooting. We’ll talk about that some more in a while, but first let’s take a walk around the Gladiator Mk II.

The Gladiator Mk II stretches 44.25 inches from end to end. With the rear air reservoir/buttstock unscrewed, the receiver and barrel assembly measure about 34 inches. Without a scope or rings attached, the Mk II weighs 8.5 lbs, and it looks – to my eye, anyway – just great. With the exception of a couple of teensy spots where dots of red paint appear, the Mk II is a symphony of matte black metal and matte black engineering polymer.

The rear air reservoir angles downward and makes for a comfortable shooting position.

At the extreme aft end of the Mk II, you’ll find a soft rubber butt pad (which can be adjusted vertically) attached to a polymer cheek piece assembly that slides over the rear air reservoir. The good folks from FX have wisely designed the Gladiator so that the rear air reservoir angles down slightly from the line of the receiver. This allows for a comfortable shooting position.

Just ahead of the trigger guard is an easy-to-read air gauge.

Moving forward, most of the rear half of the receiver and barrel assembly is swaddled in another engineering polymer molding that provides a pistol grip, trigger guard, and forestock all in one piece. This assembly secures to the receiver with a single allen bolt. The pistol grip has grooves on either side for better gripping and so does the forestock. Inside the trigger guard is a black metal two-stage trigger that can be adjusted for first stage length of pull and second stage weight of pull. Forward of that, you’ll find an easy-to-read air gauge on the underside of the forestock.

The power adjustor on the lowest setting.

At the end of the forestock is the forward air reservoir with a filling port at the end. Above that is a fully shrouded .22 caliber barrel. At the rear end of the barrel is the breech assembly, which is the same breech assembly used in the FX Royale air rifle. On the left hand side of the breech is a black metal wheel which is the power adjustor. Turn it to change the power setting: one red dot means low power, two dots means medium power, and three dots is high power.

In in the middle of the breech is a slot for receiving the 12-shot rotary magazine, and on the right side of the breech, you’ll find the breech lever and a lever style safety. That’s all there is to it.

Next time, we’ll take a look at how the Gladiator Mk II shoots.

Til then, aim true and shoot straight.

–          Jock Elliott

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Posted in Airguns | 4 Comments »

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