And it only took
forty-five years!
No lie.
I started it in the 1970s when I got into vintage-collectable airguns, having been a serious airgunner for a quarter-century already. By then shooting NRA Airgun Silhouette competitions, I commissioned an old gunsmith in Fort Worth to build a custom stock to my specifications for a Crosman 160 Co2 rifle. He did a fine job, as you see.
Fast-forwarding about a decade, for some inexplicable reason I sold the custom-stocked 160 to a buddy in Dallas (Tom), who loved it so much he was holding it in every photo I saw of him on airgun forums until he passed away a few years ago. In the interim I captured titles and records with another Crosman 160 (
a 1950s vintage Sears & Roebuck Ted Williams Match Rifle variant, no less), against the finest air rifles modern manufacturing and technology can muster, wielded by the best Sporter Class silhouette shooters in Texas and the U.S.
In the same interim I'd also discovered the QB Chinese copies of Crosman 160s, been converting QBs and vintage Crosman Co2 guns to regulated-high-pressure air-bottle rifles and pistols, and capturing more State and National Champion titles with them (rifles, and pistol conversions).
When I read Tom had passed away I hoped the custom-stocked 160 would appear in the classifieds section. Lo and behold, a few months later it did! Although the stock was then on a QB, I jumped on it like sh...
... you get the idea.
By the time Tom's beloved QB became mine again I'd accumulated a multitude of associated QB and Crosman parts and pieces. Among those parts was the barrel from my first QB, that had captured a National Champion title on one of my conversions-
Although the award reads Second Place, since I was 'beaten' by a shooter now banned from AAFTA field target for cheating, it's actually a National Champion title.
Fast forwarding a couple more decades, I assembled the custom stock, National Champion QB barrel, and best of all other parts and pieces into an excellent Hunter Class field target rifle; unfortunately falling four foot-pounds short of my 19.99999 foot pound goal despite all the soup-up techniques I could muster. Nevertheless it prevailed against all comers in the only FT match I used it in, that included two other multiple National Champion title holders; one with at least one World Champion FT title.
Come Christmas 2023, a long-time buddy not only aware of much history you just read, but also a fellow airgunner, FT competitor, and QB modifier aware of my power short-fall surprised hell out of me with a Umarex Gauntlet Chrismas gift! The factory-regulated-HPA-bottle .25 Gauntlet's reg set at 1900 PSI, upon installing the Gauntlet reg on my custom-stocked QB the power jumped to 22+ foot pounds.
In searching for the secret to reducing the Gauntlet's Ninja reg output pressure to a 1500 PSI range I felt about right for my 20 foot pound goal, I discovered Ninja produces an adjustable reg model called the Flex; capable of
externally adjusting over an 800 PSI range with it's supplied spanner. NO OTHER MONKEYING REQUIRED!
Fast-reversing two decades, I once embarrassed another field target national champion while he was chronographing his Steyr by saying, "Let me take a few shots now" with my QB Co2 rifle converted to HPA bottle (above). He was not just surprised or embarrassed when the QB displayed extreme spreads of 3 and SDs less than 1 FPS to his Steyr's
triple that, but MORTIFIED.
Fast forward back to TODAY. Upon installing my new Ninja Flex adjustable regulator, guessing at the adjustment for about 1500 PSI output, charging to 3000 PSI, and firing ONE shot to settle the reg, the next five shots with 10.3 grain FX JSBs went like this- Low= 955, High= 959, ES= 4, SD= 1, Average= 956. TOO hot.
Six more shots that took two minutes to make three EASY adjustments later, the ten-shot string looks like this- Low=921, High= 927, ES= 6, SD= 1.7, Average= 923 FPS/19.5foot pounds.
BINGO!
In other words, it took all of
ONE SHOT "break-in"
for the Ninja Flex regulator to outperform a well broken-in Steyr.
The Flex sells for about $150. I'd tell you where I bought it, if I could recommend the seller. I can't. So I'll just say the Goggly lever is your friend.
I'll close this post with one comment to my Hunter Class FT competitors. Be afraid.
I lied...
Be VERY afraid! .
