Completely off topic... Air rifles/pistols

[Juvecu]

Since I did a beginners course in archery a while back and enjoyed that I thought I might have a go at air rifles/pistols too. I used to shoot when I was younger and still in South Africa and I'm not too terrible (not air rifles either,more powerful stuff.) I believe that you don't need a Firearms Licence if the air rifle is less powerful than 12lb/f or for air pistols if it's less than 6lb/f. Anyone on here savvy on these kinds of things and know how I go about finding a good club/whatever in the Rugby area that does a good beginner course? I don't want to go about it in the wrong way and get trouble for it.

[Ptarmigan]

Contact BASC at the Midlands office, they should be able to give you local advice Juv.  

http://www.basc.org.uk/en/in-your-area/midlands/index.cfm

[Strommer]

12ft/lbs.  Generally you'll need CO2 to get near that.

If you're just popping at targets then a club is the way to go.  

If you're after your dinner then a CO2 gun that is subsonic is the way to go, as you can get in a few shots before the bunnies scarper.  Had a Theoben back in the day... decimated many a warren and lined many a fishtail parka...

No harm in getting a firearms licence though, as you can get more powerful airguns then.  Not sure if that is still legal.  Here though, people tend to go for a proper .22 at that stage, but the noise and the single shot means it'll take longer to fill your pot!

[carlos]

I love shooting
got a tanfoglio 1911 witness is CO2 and use ball bearing (metal BB) not pellets. but is the closet thing to  the real thing it even field strip as  the real steel and the weight is even similar


rifles is another thing  depending what you want  break barrel  or co2  or neumathinc
this blokes have load of videos review...

my rifle  is one of this ones   is a fantastic shooter ....

[carlos]

laws for  air guns in the UK are weird...  FYI the two guns I own  I didn't need a licence  I just walked into a store and got them...   now were to shoot is  the worst thing  ,what is considered private land and owners permision .. and  such... those will probably will give you head aches...   you can shoot in private land but if the pellet stry into public land you can get done for it ...  Clubs is the safer option...  or find a chiken farmer with a serious  rat infestation and go ratting .....  love the sport
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS_jxZTQ5Cg&feature=fvwrel....
was a sniper in my army days in Cuba  and use to own a few shotguns .... for clay shooting and pigeons...  find the whole thing to expensive  in the UK...

[Drew 3]

Sent you a PM Juvecu.

[Juvecu]

I like the idea of a spring for a bit of recoil to give it some character. Not shot something with CO2 before so I'll give it a go anyway to see what it's like.  Thanks for the link and other info, it'll get me started.

[carlos]

springers  are the more reliable   rifles you can get .   but  they are mainly single shots... there is a lot of new stuff on air rifles now .. shrouded barels  that reduce noise and vibrations . This is important on the spring guns  as their  recoil is double ( once when the spring is  released pushing the piston  forward to  propell the pellet  and the subsequent  rattling  when the piston  stop after the shot..   shooting a springer is a bit diferent   you need to hold it  tight at but end and  your triger hand  but  light  at he other hand so the Vibs don't mess your aim...
good springer  is the ''Gamo Socom''  

there is another tech been used  IGT(inert gas technology)  and  you don't have a spring  to push the piston  you got a sealed  piston with an inert gas ehen the barel is cocked the piston compress the gases and the gas  move the piston when  the triger is used...  this make  the  rifle  more stable than the  traditional springer.  
Co2   mayor  drawback is the temperature effect during shooting  as the cartridge will become colder reducing the  energy trasmited to the pellet ( for precise shooting with CO2  you need to givve time between shots, if not the velocity and accuaracy will suffer) other thing  is outside temperature in winter  no so good in summer  prety good. All this mean  less shots in winter  more shoots in summer  per cartidge.

Air compresed  rifles  (PCP)(the more expensive) but  the best rifles  you can get ...  in term of  accuaracy number of shot. power . everything... you can get big bore PCP rifles for big game  as well but that is definitly a lethal  weeapon :violence-uzi:  

Companies that make good quality stuff
GAMO
Weihrauch
UMAREX
BSA

[Juvecu]

I like the sound of the ones that uses the piston to compress air to use for the shot. I don't think I have an issue with single shot. The CO2 thing seems a hassle, I get that no recoil will mean that it's more accurate though. Maybe a good trade off is a CO2 pistol that can shoot multiple shots and a spring or piston type rifle? I quite fancy the Weihrauch rifles, like the HW95/HW98/HW97K. I also like their spring HW45 pistol and their piston type HW40. The HW40 is interesting in that it can shoot at 3 different settings dependent on how many times you 'pump' it. That pistol you linked, the one with the blowback, looks lovely. I must admit I have a fondness for a bit of recoil so I'm not too sure how I will get along with CO2, but who knows I might love it?

Looks like I will definitely need to get around to a club sometime to have a go to help me decide what I like and what I don't.

[carlos]

I used to have an old  M1911 colt  .45 caliber (the real deal) when I lived in the states.
the  Tanfoglio bb gun is the best looking replica , so I just bought it  for the nostalgia. Cybergun  the company have a few other  pistols wich are  working replicas of real firearms...  wich mean that allow you to  practice filedstrip and handling  and to some point  practice  shooting (without the big noise and massive recoil).  The only drawback of co2 blowback pistols is  that you just don't get  as many shots  per cartridge like a non blowback... but that is OK for me as the shooting is the closet you can get to real handguns...  
 I have owned a few co2 blowbacks they are all fun  and they require little maintenance.
Rifles  are another thing ... this is  a cool one really weak on the power deparment and won't kill a rat  but it look  and work like the real old 30.30 winchester.
But I prefer PCP rifles for  proper target shooting  and  small game  hunting ( rats for sport ) (rabbits for pots).

[Juvecu]

I've read up a bit on the PCP guns now and I get how they are different. Seems like a very viable option to go for. I think initially something that doesn't need CO2 cartridges or charging with air might be the route to go and then I can later consider the PCP route. I have a compressor at home, would I be able to fill a PCP gun from that providing that I have a proper water trap and air filter for the compressor to get the cleanest air into the gun's gas chamber?

[carlos]

yes  is the short anwser, but  you  also want to make sure the compresor don't put more than what the rifle reservoirs can take  during charge   as this can damage the  reservoir  ove time . I normaly  use a compresor  to  fill up a scuba  tank and use the tank to fill up the  rifle . But yes as long a you use a good regulator when charging  froma compresor  your  rifle reservoir  will be allright.
the good pcp rifles have a gauge  and the istruction are clear at what sort of rate they can  be  charged.. and also have a bleeding valve to get rid of the moisture  during the charging.
hand pump are the safest. time comsuming  but you can take them with you  on the field ...
all the diferent stuff is just the usual horses for courses people go with what they think is best ansd what it feel right to them

Spring rifles have come a long way to and they are second to none when it come to the power and accuaracy. and are the cheaper  .  one thing if you going to get a scope for a springer  make sure is springer  safe . the double recoil of the spring  will mess up normal scopes with time.

[carlos]

http://www.sbftc.co.uk/pages/aboutft/charging.pdf bit of reading on charging pcp

[Juvecu]

I have a regulator on the compressor, just need a moisture trap for it. It's probably a good idea to get a smaller scuba tank for the sake of having mobile air if you need it. Would be handy for taking with you to the shooting range for example. That's good advice about the scope for the springers too, thanks for that.

[RobWales]

if you re looking for some kit the private ads in air gunner magazine is a good place to start, save a fortune by buying a package as it soon mounts up buying separately,on the whole air gun owners treat theyre guns better than theyre wives,I use a Air Arms S400 in .177,happy shooting Rob

[carlos]

Air Arms S400  that's a good looking rifle  love the mini bolt action .

[Locky]

http://www.cosfordsg.co.uk/page4.html
Been into it for years but not so often these days , had  various PCP rifles eg Logun , Rapid 7 , Airarms 410 etc etc but always went back to springers until I tried a Theoben Gas Ram (Sirocco 2000)
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=theobe ... 0,s:0,I:71
I can hit a target the size of a 2p @ 50yds repetedly with the Sirocco , its a fantastic gun .
I've still got a springer that gets used on the odd occasion , its a Webley Stingray like this
http://media.photobucket.com/image/webl ... A70108.jpg
I just got fed up of running out of air with the PCP's and I like a self contained gun ..
I also own and have restored a BSA Mercury and a Webley MK3
Like these
BSA http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=bsa+me ... s:15,I:165
Webley MK3
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=webley ... ,s:0,I:103
I rebuilt  these 2 guns from scratch getting all new internals from John Knibbs ..


Juv , I would consider selling the Webley Stingray if your interested ..

[carlos]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zAaENXagP8&feature=plcp  
this lady got to much time on her hands ...  but it is a craking set up for night hunting

I was wondering if looksmith was a shooter too.

[Locky]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zAaENXagP8&feature=plcp  
this lady got to much time on her hands ...  but it is a craking set up for night hunting

I was wondering if looksmith was a shooter too.

Not much these days , I shoot here http://www.harriersftc.co.uk/  when I get chance , they are a very friendly group , and also Woodlands Gun Club in worcester . Only been about 4 times this yr , just to many hobbies !

[stangbanger]

The air arms s410 has been consistantly on the upper end of the air rifle scene for years, I have had one for 12 years now and its never missed a beat. extremely accurate to the point of getting pellets into the same hole on targets.
I have never used a Co2 powered air rifle before but having to constantly by cartridges to go shooting would be a pain and probably quite expensive. with the pcp guns you need a dive tank, these can be had second hand in any dive shop for around £50 and wil last a helluva long time.... ie years. both mine are out of test now and still havent needed filling.
as far as power goes, I live in Northern Ireland so we need a firearms licence for anything but it has perks, my s410 is an export extra meaning 35 fl/lbs plus and " apparently" not available in England ( I'm not sure myself but this is what I was told)
another reason for a pcp over springer is the scopes they can use, the recoil from a springer will damage most scopes and any of the specific ones from springers are more expensive, a pcp has no recoil so any scope will do.
my other rifle is a BSA and I wouldn't go near them with a bargepole. it sheered off the stocks screws after 2 months and was away getting sorted for 9 weeks under warranty.
all in all its a fantastic sport and wish you all the best in whatever you pick. my advice is to read reviews on the top pic guns and stay away from the new tech ones that are unproven, go for a model that's been around and doesn't let people down