I've still got my Gamo Magnum Swarm and for the price I don't feel it's a bad rifle. It's not even remotely on the same level as an HW95 however. The trigger on a Gamo can be made to be halfway decent by just swapping out an adjustment screw. For a break-barrel it's extremely powerful, it's lightweight and it's nowhere near as hold sensitive as it should be considering how light and powerful it is. It's also quite cheap. Mine was $300 with the scope and if you get it without the Swarm mechanism it's even cheaper. I keep mine behind the back seat of my truck and it's perfect in that role. It will pretty consistently shoot 2" or smaller groups at 50 yards, which I feel is pretty decent for the kind of gun it is.
The main downside to it that I see is the autoloader. When you examine the materials that it's made of and the motions that it goes through to load a pellet, pivoting 90 degrees and back with every shot, it's amazing that it works at all. In my own experience though it still doesn't work well at all and it's a mechanism that makes accidental dry firing very likely to happen. Part of the reason I bought it was to experience what an autoloading springer was like, but having experienced it, I wouldn't do it again, unless maybe it was done with an underlever or sidelever and had a different design.
Other downsides are the cheap construction, very heavy cocking effort and lack of spare parts. To be fair though it's appropriately priced for it's level of fit and finish and that same cheapness is very practical and makes it a gun that you don't feel you need to wipe down each time you use it or worry about scratches. The scope it comes with is pretty marginal, but I've seen worse. The cocking effort however is extreme. I own a Hatsan 135 and I used to own a Beeman Kodiak and the Gamo Magnum is significantly harder to cock than either of them.
For some guys they may be perfect rifles. And the multi shot function has been a long time coming. I'm sure they will get better as time goes by.
Personally I don't see the need for one. But for hunting and pesting it does make sense.
I'm all about budget pellet rifles you don't have to baby. I like my Hatsan 95s in .22 a lot. They have their issues to be sure. For my purposes I like them better than my buddies gun. But each to his own. I'm sure the Gamo has its virtues and faults as well.
In different hands that Gamo might perform well. I don't like it and haven't shot many shots through it so I am biased. My buddy can't hit anything with his and thinks it's the best thing since maple syrup. So he is biased too.
I have found anything shoots pretty good once you get used to it. A fellow figures it out with desire to hit what he aims at. In this case I don't have the desire and he is in denial. So the potential of that rifle is definitely not being realized.
If I were new to shooting and had $300 bucks to spend I think I'd stick with a traditional style rifle with good iron sights. Then as I mastered the skills and got some experience move up to something better.
I shoot many air rifles these days and have a few scope mounted tack drivers. Still my go-to gun is the Hatsan 95 with iron sights. For $129 bucks it's hard to beat. But then again I am biased. I think I'm on #16 so far.
They are problematic and the quality control is non existent. They arent worth the time and money to rebuild. But if you have the patience they make really good shooters....Excellent even.
I just ordered a Cometa 400. I haven't received it yet but I have high hopes. It's about twice the price of a Hatsan 95 and if it is as good as the Hatsan I'll call it a value too.
I'm certain I would not have purchased either if it had a multi shot function. For me it's a complication that holds no value. For others it may be just what they need.
No doubt someone will come up with a quality multi shot that will impress. I'm sure I'll be the first in line to get one. Until then I'll be plopping lead in the dirt with my single shot rifles.
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