Well, I guess I'm the exception, I got back into air guns about three years ago, the high prices and shortages of Rimfire and centerfire firearms and ammunition coupled with the Covid lockdowns all helped to drive me in the direction of air guns, I had been using an airsoft clone of the 1911 for training and practice, I also had a late seventies model Sheridan Blue Streak, and a .177 Webley & Scott springer air pistol.
My first purchase getting back into it was a GAMO Swarm .22 cal. Gen 1 Bone Collector, it shoots great but needed some trigger work, my next was a Ruger Impact Max Elite on sale from MidwayUSA, a beautiful little .22 cal. air rifle, it too had a horrible trigger (must have been 8 pounds or so) then on an impulse I purchased a Crosman Vantage .177 cal. rifle, all are gas piston rifles, all came with bad triggers and junk bundle scopes, next was another impulse buy, a Hatsan mod.95 in .22 cal., a springer (can you tell I'm a sucker for blued steel and beautiful wood), each in turn got their triggers reworked to a reasonable 1-1/2 ~ 2-1/2 pounds, each got new Hawkes, UTG, and RWS scopes, had their barrels cleaned and lubed before shooting, and all were tested with different pellets to get the right match.
All of them are individuals, no two shoot alike, all have been great shooters, very accurate and extremely reliable, my last purchase was several weeks ago, it's a beautiful, lightweight, .177 cal. Beeman R-7 Elite which came with a 3x9x32 AO mill dot scope, the scope so far is extra clear (even at the higher power levels) and the settings are positive and sure, it came mounted on the gun and sighted in for 10 meters, the gun was also tested for velocity with 20 shots, it isn't broken in yet but shoots nickel sized groups at 25 yds. all day long.
I also have two Crosman carbines, a 2240 Co2 pistol/carbine with a 14.5" barrel and shoulder stock, and a Crosman 1322 Drifter pistol/carbine with the same 14.5 barrel powered by a pneumatic pump action, I like the 2240 Co2 gun allot, The Drifter is accurate and reliable, but if I had to name one gun that I didn't like it would be the Drifter, it has a very narrow pump handle and it is too hard to pump to make it a fun gun.
If I was asked to comment on all the complaints about all the different guns mentioned above, I have to say that I think there are way more careless shooters than there are bad guns, if more attention were given to regular cleaning (every 500 shots)) a little lube on the lever joints and breech blocks, and checking the tightness of stock and scope screws, along with the smoothing of triggers and actions there would be allot more happy shooter and far less bad guns.
My first purchase getting back into it was a GAMO Swarm .22 cal. Gen 1 Bone Collector, it shoots great but needed some trigger work, my next was a Ruger Impact Max Elite on sale from MidwayUSA, a beautiful little .22 cal. air rifle, it too had a horrible trigger (must have been 8 pounds or so) then on an impulse I purchased a Crosman Vantage .177 cal. rifle, all are gas piston rifles, all came with bad triggers and junk bundle scopes, next was another impulse buy, a Hatsan mod.95 in .22 cal., a springer (can you tell I'm a sucker for blued steel and beautiful wood), each in turn got their triggers reworked to a reasonable 1-1/2 ~ 2-1/2 pounds, each got new Hawkes, UTG, and RWS scopes, had their barrels cleaned and lubed before shooting, and all were tested with different pellets to get the right match.
All of them are individuals, no two shoot alike, all have been great shooters, very accurate and extremely reliable, my last purchase was several weeks ago, it's a beautiful, lightweight, .177 cal. Beeman R-7 Elite which came with a 3x9x32 AO mill dot scope, the scope so far is extra clear (even at the higher power levels) and the settings are positive and sure, it came mounted on the gun and sighted in for 10 meters, the gun was also tested for velocity with 20 shots, it isn't broken in yet but shoots nickel sized groups at 25 yds. all day long.
I also have two Crosman carbines, a 2240 Co2 pistol/carbine with a 14.5" barrel and shoulder stock, and a Crosman 1322 Drifter pistol/carbine with the same 14.5 barrel powered by a pneumatic pump action, I like the 2240 Co2 gun allot, The Drifter is accurate and reliable, but if I had to name one gun that I didn't like it would be the Drifter, it has a very narrow pump handle and it is too hard to pump to make it a fun gun.
If I was asked to comment on all the complaints about all the different guns mentioned above, I have to say that I think there are way more careless shooters than there are bad guns, if more attention were given to regular cleaning (every 500 shots)) a little lube on the lever joints and breech blocks, and checking the tightness of stock and scope screws, along with the smoothing of triggers and actions there would be allot more happy shooter and far less bad guns.
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