I... err... may have become so frustrated with the whole PCP shooting match (hah!) that I've just dropped an inordinate sum of money on an Air Arms TX200 springer. Whoops. Full-length version with integrated baffles, standard beech stock, fitted with a Hawke Eclipse AO IR 3-12x50 scope (which, once it's filled, I'll swap to my S410 and put the Sport HD 3-9x40 on the TX200) and a sling. Snagged it all from the Airgun Centre, which does a lifetime warranty for the original buyer - meaning that any time anything goes wrong, or even if I just want it serviced, I can send it to them (at my expense, naturally) and they'll do it all for free (parts included) before posting it back. Had to dig deep into the savings for this, though, so the race is now on to flog all my old vintage computer stuff to replenish the funds!
Nice, always liked the TX200. Proper weighty beast too which calms down any recoil that you'll get from the piston. I really wanted an AA Pro-Sport when they were available but there was no way I was going to be able to afford one and they are proper rare and expensive now.
I used to have a TX200 HC back in the day, lovely rifle, totally dependable Did Sir not consider a stirrup pump for those few times bottled air wasn't going to be available?
Sir did, but they ain't cheap - and despite the presence of filters and desiccants, I've heard scary stories of pumps ruining the PCP's cylinder with corrosion. Probably worrying about nothing, but hey: this way if the PCP is out of action for any reason I can still go to the range!
And who needs an excuse for another rifle Last time I used a pump was back in the day charging TAC cartridges for my Brocock Safari rifle, hard hard work, but they work. I still miss that rifle and place a curse on every asshat that got them scuppered.
I always loved the Brocock TAC system stuff, especially the revolvers. T'was a shame they got banned. Went to pick up my bottle today, so now I just need to figure out how best to pack it and send it to the testing service in Liverpool. Still waiting on the new TX200; turns out that the Airgun Centre have a somewhat casual attitude to despatch, and 'next day' doesn't actually mean that. It will, allegedly, be with my local RFD on Tuesday for my collection. Fingers crossed!
Subscribed to the digital edition of Airgun World magazine over the weekend, which appears to have given me access to back-issues going through to early 2013. Which is nice. What is less nice is all the adverts for The Airgun Centre, plastered with their slogan "Order Today; Shoot Tomorrow." Where's my TX200, eh? Still in bleedin' Essex, that's where. It's already been long enough since that initial "getting a new toy" rush that I'm regretting my purchase, and I haven't even laid hands on the thing yet!
Picked up the gun from my local RFD today. It's going back as soon as I can call them on Thursday. It arrived absolutely filthy, covered in fingerprints without so much as the hint of a wipe-down before it was boxed. There's a mark where something's eaten away at the blueing, scratches out of the stock, and rust (rust!) on the breech cover. If there are any police officers reading this, then the following isn't true: it also chrono'd at 12.55ft/lbs, despite a 'test certificate' claiming they'd tested it at 11.5 - meaning that it's a Section 1 firearm for which I am unlicensed. I've been talking with the Airgun Centre on Twitter, and they're closed tomorrow but have asked me to ring on Thursday to make it all right. I hope by 'all right' they mean 'picking up the rifle and giving me a full and complete refund including postage costs,' otherwise the call could get unpleasant. EDIT: Lots of "this can't happen," and "everyfink's check twice," and "we send out 'undreds of rifles, millions of pands a munf, and this 'as never 'appened," and a side-helping of "yeah, your chrono don't work mate," but they've sent a courier to collect the TX200 today and have promised a full refund. We'll see how long it takes 'em - there's a few horror stories about month-plus waits for refunds which were provided as a cheque in the post. Lesson learned, eh? I think I'll be picking up my next rifle from a local gun shop, where I can see the damn thing in the flesh before parting with my hard-earned!
Phew - the rifle has been collected, which means I can now confirm that it was reading above the legal limit on my chrono. Once the refund is through, I think I'll be heading to Kirklees Guns and buying something in-person, save all this mail-order faffing. I'll either pick up a replacement TX200 or switch to the Weihrauch HW97KT - I like the look of the stock and the adjustable butt-plate (snicker) is nice. Oh, and when I finally get my FAC, I know exactly what .22LR rifle I'm buying: Savage Arms Mark II BSEV. Ain't she a beaut? £430 at Kirklees Guns. Just hope they've still got one in stock six-months-plus-application-period down the line!
No word on the refund yet. Just taken delivery of my bottle, tested through to May 2020, and a new scope for the S410: a Hawke Sport HD 4-16x50 IR AO (Illuminated red/green reticle, adjustable objective). Still cheap, but better for various ranges than the 100-yard-fixed-parallax 3-9x40 it replaces. I actually wanted the 3-12 version, but the shop I bought it from discovered that their last one had a cracked lens so asked if I wouldn't mind the 4-16 instead. It'll be better for long-range target stuff, but the higher minimum zoom means it won't be so hot in extremely low-light close-range hunting circumstances (ratting, basically). Should still be usable, tho', and it was only £85 with mounts. Just hoping that the laser bore sighter I ordered arrives before Monday, so I can zero it in nice and quickly at the range. If not, no biggie, I'll just do it the old-fashioned way. EDIT: Called the Airgun Centre to chase, and was told neither Manager Steve nor Boss Peter worked on a Friday. OK for some, innit?! Told the guy on the phone that I needed this sorting as soon as humanly possible and that I'd be expecting a call; got a call back just now from Trevor saying he'd spoken to Peter and the refund would be processed back onto the payment card by the end of the day. Good enough, although I notice they've ignored the part of the letter I included with the rifle asking for "whatever compensation you deem appropriate" for my time and out-of-pocket expenses. Still, a refund means I can get myself over to Kirklees Guns and see what they have to offer.
Went to Kirklees Guns this morning, and left with a filled diver's bottle, pellets, and a Weihrauch HW97K Blackline - nickel finish, black synthetic thumbhole stock carbine - in .177. I also got a chance to shoulder the Savage Arms Mark II - it's even lovelier than the picture, and weighs *nothing* compared to an air rifle. Apparently it's a regular stock item, so there shouldn't be a problem picking one up once I've got a FAC. Hooray!
Ditto, I haven't really done any shooting properly since my Air Training Corps days, and that was nearly 16 years ago now... I really disliked using the L98 because the damn thing would jam and misfire quite frequently; for a 14 year old kid using live ammunition for the first time it's pretty terrifying when you pull the trigger and there's no bang. And that god damned cocking handle caused no end of problems. I also dislike them because I nearly broke one after using too much pull-through and getting it jammed in the barrel - it's fair to say that I was no friend of the range officer or the armourer on that day. Had no issues using full-fat SA80 - no misfires, no jams, damned easy to cock - although I only ever used one of those twice as cadets weren't supposed to be using them. I also used the SA80 LSW once which cadets DEFINITELY shouldn't have been anywhere near... I always preferred the Lee-Endfield No.8 rifle; used to get great groupings and it was such a simple rifle to use (and, more importantly for a cadet, clean). The old man has applied for a FAC recently, which I highly doubt he'll have any issue getting (ex-RAF NCO, OC ATC Squadron) so it's really tempting to go out shooting with him again. However I know how much I used to enjoy target shooting, and I know there's no way in hell I can afford to get into it.
The TX200 I sent back and the HW97KT I just bought are both springers. Shooting a springer (or gas ram) takes practice and skill in a way that isn't true with any other type of firearm. The piston makes it 'bounce' in two directions while firing, and making sure the barrel is still pointing at the target when the pellet finally emerges ain't easy. The biggest mistake most people make is by tightly gripping the rifle in the hope of absorbing the recoil with their muscles, which doesn't work; you need to hold it really loosely. Springers are extremely hold-sensitive; simply changing your grip a tiny bit can shift the point of impact by an inch or more between shots. They're also more limited in the type of rests you can use: hard bench rests are unsuitable, and you can forget about bipods. Learning to shoot with a springer, though, will make you a better shot with any other firearm you care to name (which isn't true in the other direction: being a good shot with my hold-insensitive and terribly-forgiving pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) won't translate to being a good shot with the springer). The biggest advantage of a springer: you can shoot so long as you've got pellets and muscle power, unlike a PCP which ties you to a diver's bottle (or a pump that may or may not ruin the cylinder with moisture.) The biggest disadvantages, aside from being difficult to shoot, is that full-power ones are fairly heavy and make a loud THUD noise that a moderator (silencer) does nothing to fix - although it's not something that travels more than a few metres down-range. You also can't quickly follow-up, making them less suitable for hunting - I can put three pellets down-range in a couple of seconds with my PCP, but I'm going to need 30 seconds or more to reload the springer. As for Gamo, they make cheap rifles. That's not a bad thing, but you certainly get what you pay for: the quality of a Gamo rifle won't be anywhere near that of a Weihrauch, Air Arms, or even BSA, but it'll be a third or less the price. If you're only thinking of target shooting, rather than hunting, the cheaper brands (Kral, Gamo, Walther, SMK, Remington (which is now SMK anyway), even the no-name Chinese stuff) are a great way to get started at low cost and see if you enjoy it - and when your skills begin to outstrip the quality of the rifle, you can always upgrade.
