Henry Rifle Forums

Hey BoM, North Country Girl is the expert. Daytime also has these. You can use whatever you want, but need hi pressure, litterally 1000's of psi.

I believe NCG uses a Scuba Tank LOL.

Yeah, mention air guns and just try to shut me up!

No, you cannot use a shop compressor to fill a PCP, at least not by itself. They won't get you the necessary 2000 to 3000 plus psi to do a fill. There is something called shoebox compressor, which runs in conjunction with a ship compressor that boosts the psi, but now we're talking more money than a lot of rifles cost just for the shoebox compressor. Most of us who shoot PCP either use special hand pumps (get in shape for this option) or scuba tanks, which you get refilled at a local dive shop and so on.

The guys pretty much nailed it on the options, so I'l just add a few notes, mostly on what NOT to buy. Avoid those cheap Wal-mart "magnum" gas piston or spring piston guns that advertise 1100 fps and avoid them like the plague. That also goes for the ones with big name company labels like Ruger. These have nothing to do with Ruger or other big names. They just pay to use the name. The higher the power on a piston gun, the greater the recoil and the greater challenge to shoot with accuracy. That, coupled with cheap construction and especially, lousy triggers (triggers are very important on an air gun for accurate shooting) almost guarantees a lousy and disappointing experience with cheap springers.

My favorite air gun type is the springer followed closely by the pump ups. These are the ones I typically post about. Springers are the most convenient to shoot, by far, but there's a learning curve on the technique needed to shoot them with accuracy. Won't happen, overnight. Once learned, though, you'll never regret taking the time to get there. If you shop around, you can find a Weihrauch (HW) 30s, 50S or 95S for that $300 figure and have a super gun that will last for the rest of your life. The little sweet shooting HW30S is easily my most used air rifle.

Classic American pump up guns are a very affordable option. The beauty of these is that you can use as many or as few pumps to get the velocity you want. I use 4 pumps on all my pump ups for target work (4 or 5 pumps is the sweet spot for velocity consistency). Benjamin (owned by Crosman) still makes a rugged and sturdy all metal and wood 397 PA (177, recommended) or 392 PA (22) for under $200.

And then there's the Crosman pump ups. Here's where you can actually buy a very serviceable air gun at Wal-mart. The Classic 2100 is a very affordable shooter. Cheap plastic construction, to be sure, but it will shoot. Same for the even cheaper 760. The 1377 or 1322 pump up pistols are also decent shooters and you can get an add-on stock to make them rifles.

Thanks for all the info, I may copy and paste this to a word doc for future reference so if I do make a purchase in the summer, I can have it handy.

If you go the pcp route, a hand pump is definitely the cheapest option. I paid around $150 for mine. I'm a pretty big guy, and I don't find it overly difficult, but it helps to have some weight behind those last few strokes. I usually top my gun off and shoot 20 to 30 rounds in a session, so it works perfectly for me. If you're the type that shoots a few hundred rounds at the time, I'm not sure I would recommend a hand pump.

Henry88 wrote:Hey BoM, North Country Girl is the expert. Daytime also has these.

Henry 88 nailed it right there. NCG is the expert here. I just have some.

Marine, everything NCG said is right on the mark. I have no experience with the QB-78 guns. However, I was about to pull the trigger on one when they began to be marketed under the Beeman brand. I was going to follow up and never did. I think that one of those, especially the repeater, would be a nice, easy gun to shoot. The PCP hand pump is an ordeal and I wouldn't suggest it for you or Miss Tina. The 397 and 392 are great guns and I would not hesitate to tell you, pumps 7 and 8 are not like 2 and 3. The multi pumps also work best for me at 4 and 5 pumps. When hunting, they get six pumps.

The simple, basic QB-78 intrigues me. The only criticism I know of is seal issues, but if they are mass marketed by Beeman, I would think you would hear more of it. A simple, drop in power unit, the two CO2 cylinders are easy to find and use. If the accuracy is there, I'd say that might be to your needs. Miss Tina can pop a varmint trying to get a free chicken dinner and you can do some target work, all on the same two cylinders. They also have an adapter for the larger tanks that the paint ballers use that are sold at Walmart.

For what they offer, the QB types were always packed with features.

For strictly 10 meter target work, the Civilian Marksmanship program sells used Daisy Avanti rifles that they refurbish and ship with a new sight, for around 100.oo plus shipping. They are great, one pump rifles. Not much for hunting velocity, but very accurate.

Hey, I just came in here to look around and saw this airgun section.. cool.
I just bought a Crosman 1322 with the add-on buttstock for my backyard. I had one in .177 in the 70s that I couldn't miss with, at close range. We shot hornets off an old log, even. Hit em every time. The kids thought I was Wild Bill Hickok.
I only got the .22 for easier handling pellets and bore cleaning, plus I never had a .22 so there's that. I only plink at close ranges (15-50 feet) and a few pumps so the simple Crosman will do fine. Cheap pellets, too! No need for match grade stuff here. My backyard has a lot of wood borers and I have some pop cans.

Great to hear you are back into it Conax. The 1322 is a fun gun. With the butt stock, you can be just that much more steady. Make a thread and post your airgun adventures in the airgun forum. If you can add photos, even better.

daytime dave wrote:Great to hear you are back into it Conax. The 1322 is a fun gun. With the butt stock, you can be just that much more steady. Make a thread and post your airgun adventures in the airgun forum. If you can add photos, even better.

Couldn't agree more with what Dave is saying. We have a 1377 and for the money, I think it is a best buy in a pump pistol. One thing I really like about it is that it much easier to pump than a Sheridan/Benjamin H series pump pistol. Have one of those, too. The secret is that long pump arm handle on the 1377. It's much longer than on a Benjamin/Sheridan and gives you a lot more leverage. That short arm on the Benjamin is a mean little bugger to pump. Another thing I like about the 1377/22 is its inexpensive modular construction. You can easily replace just about any part.

daytime dave wrote:Great to hear you are back into it Conax. The 1322 is a fun gun. With the butt stock, you can be just that much more steady. Make a thread and post your airgun adventures in the airgun forum. If you can add photos, even better.

Ok, I'll see if I can find a way to make it interesting.
Maybe a video of it knocking bees off a pop can..