Attendees of the Great American Outdoor Show at the Farm Show Complex Feb. 7-15 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania will be among the first to see the all-new Benjamin Bulldog .357 big game hunting air rifle and the Benjamin Armada Magpul Edition tactical rifle, alongside new airgun and optics products from across the company’s family of brands.

Visit Crosman Corporation at the Great American Outdoor Show in the Shooting Sports Hall, Booth #736 to see these exciting new additions for hunting, shooting and backyard fun.

“Crosman is extending its lead in American air power at the Great American Outdoor Show,” says Crosman Vice President of Marketing, Jennifer Lambert. “We can’t wait to show everyone the exciting new Bulldog and Armada rifles plus a new lineup of pistols and Nitro Piston 2 break barrels,” she said.

According to Crosman Shooting Services Manager and Prostaffer, Mark DeBoard, “We’ll be there every day to share the these groundbreaking innovations in air rifles, pistols and optics products, and encourage you to take advantage of our exciting Show Specials,” he said.

“If you visit Crosman at the Great American Outdoor Show our Prostaff will be on hand in the booth to talk with you about hunting with Benjamin airguns,” said Lambert. “So come on by and talk with them face to face.”

For a chance to win a Crosmaniac Prize Pack, spend a moment and take a photo with Crosman Prostaffer Mark DeBoard while you’re in the booth. “Post the photo to Twitter or Facebook with hashtag #takeitoutside to enter the contest,” Lambert said.

You can find out more about the great American Outdoor Show here.

The post Visit Crosman at the Great American Outdoor Show, Feb 7 – 15 in Harrisburg PA. appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Benjamin Airguns, the premium hunting brand of Crosman Corporation, has announced the next generation of Shockey Signature Series air rifles designed by hunters, for hunters. The Jim Shockey Steel Eagle and Eva Shockey Golden Eagle both feature the Nitro Piston 2 powerplant. Crosman claims this provides more speed, more power, more accuracy and reduced cocking force.

“The Nitro Piston 2 platform leads the market in features and functionality, making it the perfect choice for the new Shockey Signature Series airguns”, says Jennifer Lambert, VP Marketing for Crosman. ”These quiet, powerful break barrel rifles go anywhere you need them to and are a great choice for game ranging from squirrels to turkeys.”

Both Benjamin Steel Eagle and Gold Eagle air rifles feature an ergonomically designed Monte Carlo stock with unique, custom designed soft touch inserts for a secure grip. The Steel Eagle and Golden Eagle both have the smooth, two-stage Clean Break Trigger as well as Crosman’s advanced seven chamber, K-style baffled suppression system. Sling mounts are also included.

The Jim Shockey Steel Eagle is a .22 caliber with a 3-9×32 mm CenterPoint scope that mounts to an integrated picatinny rail. It also has a synthetic all-weather stock. The Benjamin Steel Eagle will deliver shots up to 1100 feet per second while delivering 26 foot pounds of energy, plenty for turkey and raccoon-sized game. Crosman claims that the Steel Eagle is remarkably quiet for an air rifle generating this much power, due to the Crosman Baffling System for break barrel sound suppression.

”Nitro Piston 2 is the new benchmark for hunting with a break barrel air rifle and the Steel Eagle is a fantastic platform for going beyond the backyard into the world of airgun hunting”, says Jim Shockey, professional hunter and host of the award-winning “Jim Shockey’s Hunting Adventures” and “Jim Shockey’s UNCHARTED” on the Outdoor Channel.

The Eva Shockey Golden Eagle is a .177 caliber with a dovetail rail and includes a CenterPoint 4×32 mm scope. The synthetic all-weather stock features a unique outdoors pattern molded into the soft-grip inserts. The Nitro Piston 2 powerplant delivers velocities up to 1400 FPS and up to 23 FPE. Crosman says that this is an exceptional package for squirrels and other small game. Again, Crosman claims a nearly silent report for the Benjamin Golden Eagle.

”Airguns make hunting more accessible to those who may be new to the sport, have noise considerations or limited areas to hunt and the Golden Eagle with Nitro Piston 2 is perfect for them,” says Eva Shockey, co-host of “Jim Shockey’s Hunting Adventures”.

Both rifles will be available in March 2015. The Benjamin Steel Eagle will have an MSRP of $329.99 and the Golden Eagle will have an MSRP of $269.99.

The post New Benjamin Steel Eagle and
Gold Eagle Air Rifles appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Most of us use scopes with our air rifles, but few have looked inside them. So, HAM presents this airgun scope teardown. Now you can see what’s inside a typical 4 x 32 scope, as is bundled with many attractively-priced air rifles.

Obviously, zoom magnification capability, adjustable objective (AO), illuminated reticles and other features make scopes more complex. This airgun scope teardown shows a scope at it’s simplest with a basic, fixed focus, fixed magnification model.

Above, we see the complete scope in pieces – er, well at least almost complete. There’s also 3 or 4 tiny screws that would have been hardly visible in the photograph. Also, for simplicity, we’ve shown only one of the turrets. Both elevation and windage turrets are the same.

The scope tube is a one-piece part that’s manufactured from Aluminum. The eyepiece assembly screws into one end (the left as seen here), the objective lens the other. It’s easy to see the locations of the turrets.

Here’s the mechanical part of the eyepiece assembly. It includes a locking ring so that the eyepiece lens can be rotated for sharpest focus on the reticle, then locked into place.

Next we see the optical parts of the scope. The erector tube contains the lenses that make the image look “right way up”. Without this, the image would be inverted if the scope had just objective and eyepiece lenses.

Although not visible in the photographs, the wire reticle (crosshairs) is located just inside the rear of the erector lens tube.

Below we have a closeup of one  dis-assembled turret and the erector tube spring.

Elevation and windage turrets are essentially no more than screws that push against the erector tube. By rotating the adjustment knob , the erector tube – containing the reticle – is displaced and thus the point of aim of the scope is moved up, down, left or right, as desired for sighting-in.

The turret adjustment knobs are provided with a simple “click” sub-assembly to graduate the movement. As the turrets move, their motion is opposed by the erector tube spring that pushes the erector tube back when the adjustment knob is unscrewed.

The turret body fits against the appropriate location in the scope’s tube body. The rubber washer is to prevent moisture entering the tube.

This airgun scope teardown illustrates one type of low cost 4 x 32 scope. Others will be similar but different.

Of course, the more highly specified and complex a scope becomes, the more parts it contains. But all airgun scopes operate in basically the same way.

NOTE. Don’t try taking your airgun scope apart. They’re almost impossible to reassemble without special tools and jigs!

The post Airgun Scope Teardown appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

The Civilian Marksmanship Program has just announced results from the 9th annual Camp Perry Open air rifle shooting competition.

The 2015 Camp Perry Open was held on 16 – 18 January 2015 at the Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center at Camp Perry, Ohio. It combines a 3×20 Junior Air Rifle competition with a 60 Shot Open Air Rifle and Pistol event, along with the most distinctive part of the Camp Perry Open that sets it apart from the rest – the Super Final.

The match began with the Junior Air Rifle 3×20 competition. Three relays of over 130 junior competitors fired in the National Standard Three-Position event, with the top eight shooters in both the sporter and precision classes qualifying for each relay’s finals.

The rest of the weekend brought a two-day 60 Shot Open Air Rifle and Pistol competition, divided into three categories: Junior, Team and Open. All shooters fired 60 record shots in accordance to USA Shooting rules – all from the standing position.

Overall top shooters from the two days of competition in each event qualified for the finals – where all qualifying scores are dropped and each competitor begins with a score of zero. Finals were conducted in three shots series, followed by single shot eliminations.

In the Pistol Open Finals, SFC James Henderson, 47, of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU), bested the field with his finals score of 198.9. SGT Greg Markowski, 41, of the USAMU, barely trailed in second with a score of 198.5, followed by James Hall, 31, of the CMP, with a score of 174.9.

Glenn Zimmerman, 18, of The Ohio State Pistol team, fired a 191 in the final to become the overall Junior Pistol Champion, as Bryce Tucker, 19, of the Akron Rifle team, tallied a score of 188.2 for second. Zimmerman’s teammate, Irina Andrianova, 19, came in third, with her finals score of 166.1.

In the Rifle Open Finals, junior Michael Steinel outshot two members of the USAMU – SPC Erin McNeil, 26, who took second, and SSG George Norton, 30, who fired a score of 182.9 for third.

Steinel and McNeil added some excitement to the finals after they both stacked up a score of 203.4 – forcing a shoot-off. With calm confidence, both the experienced McNeil and the promising newcomer Steinel loaded their pellets. With the final shots fired, members of the crowd held their breaths as the scores appeared on the monitors – McNeil, 8.8; Steinel, 9.6.

In the Junior Rifle competition, it was the girls who led in the end, as Virginia Thrasher, 17, of Team Thrasher, overtook first place with her score of 203.3 – narrowly beating Samantha Peterson, 16, of Center Shots, who fired a 202.2 for second. MacKenzie Martin returned for the 60 Shot competition to give an outstanding performance with her third place finish – tallying a score of 181.9 in the final.

A three-man team event was also held concurrently with the individual 60 Shot Air Rifle match. Team members combined their two-day aggregate scores to determine the top entrants.

Winning the Open Rifle competition was The Masters, with an aggregate score of 3686.9. Members were Dempster Christensen, Ann Alves and Lisette Grunwell-Lacey. The Taunton Marksmanship Unit Diamonds was the overall Junior Rifle team, with a score of 3616.5. Team members were MacKenzie Martin, Ruby Gomes and Margaret Flanders.

The Ohio State University Varsity Pistol team overtook the Open Pistol competition with a score of 3244-37x. Team members were Glenn Zimmerman, Irina Andrianova and Michael Soklaski.

The Super Finals was also fired during the weekend – bringing fun, excitement and laughs with music blaring, fans cheering and blow horns sounding – contrary to the usually silent finals conducted during air events. After a tough internal battle with the external elements, USAMU members SFC James Henderson and SSG George Norton won the Pistol and Rifle finals, respectively.

For a complete list of results from the 2015 Camp Perry Open, visit https://ct.thecmp.org/app/v1/index.php?do=match&task=edit&match=11831. Photos from the event can be found at http://cmp1.zenfolio.com/.

For more information about the CMP and its programs, log onto www.TheCMP.org for more information and program descriptions.

The post 2015 Camp Perry Open Features Record Performances appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Young marksmen from Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) programs will be participating in one of the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s (CMP) largest air rifle events of the year at Camp Perry, OH (February 13-15); Anniston, AL (February 13-15, 19-21); and Phoenix, AZ (February 19-21).

This year, over 11,000 cadets participated in the JROTC Postal Competition on the road to the National JROTC Service Air Rifle Championships.

During the Postals, participants are issued official targets to be fired upon at their home ranges and returned to CMP for scoring. Top teams and individuals of the Postal Match are participating in the three JROTC Service Air Rifle Regional Championships

The event is a 3×20 air rifle event, meaning competitors fire 20 record shots from three positions: prone, standing and kneeling. Visitors are welcome into the range to observe the Regional Championships at any time during the match – with free admission.

Larry and Brenda Potterfield of the MidwayUSA Foundation have donated generous endowments to winning teams and individuals of the Service Championships. The MidwayUSA Foundation is a public charity that helps communities and organizations raise funds to support youth shooting teams and activities.

Winning teams and individuals from all three JROTC Service Air Rifle Regional Championships will be invited to participate in the JROTC National Championship, held March 19-21 in the Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center.

For those in the area wanting to try target air gun shooting, the Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center in Port Clinton, Ohio, is open Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., September through June (except for holidays and special events) and the CMP Marksmanship Center in Anniston, Alabama, is open Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., (except for holidays and special events) for air rifle and air pistol use. The range can also be rented for a fee for your next company or business/family outing.

The post 2015 JROTC Service Air Rifle Regional Championships appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Gamo Outdoor USA – in partnership with Buckmasters organization – is bringing back a sequel to the highly successful hunting event/TV show, the Squirrel Master Classic, for the 2015 season.

The Squirrel Master Classic is an airgun hunting outdoor event that started in 2014 and will be held each and every year with the “Best of the Best” in hunting across the nation.

Gamo Prostaff participating includes hosts from Bone Collector, Shawn Michaels MRA Hunting, Jackie Bushman from Buckmasters, Doug Koenig from Doug Koenig Championship Season, the latest addition to Gamo’s Prostaff, the hosts of Hardcore TV show, and special appearance by Chase Landry (Swamp People).

The hunting competition/TV event will take the best hunters and hunting personalities from the Top Hunting TV shows and pair them with different media editors, 4-H kids, and Gamo executives. The teams will then compete in an ALL STAR squirrel hunting competition, this is without precedents in the modern hunting TV shows.

“We are excited to see the sequel to this amazing hunting competition, last year we had incredible success and this time around is going to get bigger and better in every possible way. Gamo is aiming to make this competition an annual competition for all the squirrel hunting and airgun enthusiasts. The competition goal is to showcase the latest and greatest in Gamo technology, display the principles of hunting with air rifles, while having fun with all the Gamo Prostaff members. We expect the Squirrel Master Classic to become an event that everyone will wait for year after year.” said Jordi Riera, Director of Marketing of Gamo Outdoor USA.

The tournament will be held February 18th – 19th 2015 at Montgomery, AL. and it will be broadcast during the summer/fall season on major Outdoor TV networks.

The post Gamo Outdoor USA Brings Back
The Squirrel Master Classic appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

HAM Test Rating	86%
Value For Money	Great value for money in a PCP hunting air rifle.
Best For	Hunting varmints and small game.
Best Pellet Tested	H&N Field Target Trophy
Street Price at Time of Test	$777
Caliber Tested	.22
RateAGun Score	Easy to Shoot

VALUE FOR MONEY

HAM tested the Sumatra 2500 Premium Bundle that has a Street Price of $776.88. The scope and rings account for over $110 of that number.

For this price, you have an extremely powerful and capable hunting air rifle. We’re nearly into big bore pricing and – especially with the .25 caliber Sumatra (at the same price) – getting close to those power levels, too.

Of course, there’s an additional cost for the air supply – as with any PCP airgun. But for hunting, the Sumatra gives about the best “bang for the Buck” of any multi-shot PCP air rifle for power, accuracy and price.

BUY FROM PYRAMYD AIR

Sumatra 2500, 500cc Reservoir Bundles

SPEED AND ACCURACY

In a word, excellent!

As the table below shows, muzzle velocity was in the 1100 fps to 1350 fps range with all the standard HAM test pellets. Accuracy slipped a little with the lightest alloy pellets, the Gamo Paltinum PBAs, but it was still better than anticipated beforehand as the Sumatra 2500 air rifle is famed for its capability with heavy and super-heavy pellets.

The real strength of the Sumatra 2500 air rifle is it’s ability to generate high muzzle energies with heavy pellets. Again, you can see this in the table. The muzzle energy recorded in the HAM tests peaked at nearly 58 ft/lbs with the H&N Baracuda Match 21.14 Grain pellets. This is huge for a .22 caliber air rifle and makes the Sumatra a great hunting gun.

As the muzzle energy increased so markedly with increasingly heavy pellet weight, it’s clear that the .25 caliber version would be significantly more powerful, even that the results obtained in this HAM test.

As HAM tester Doug Rogers indicated in his notes, “If I was looking for a hunting air rifle, this would definitely be on my list”.

Note that the muzzle velocities recorded in this test were with the Sumatra’s power adjustment wheel positioned at its lowest setting. Changing to the high power setting increased muzzle velocity by about 6 to 7 per cent on the Sumatra 2500 air rifle tested by HAM. This is less than we anticipated, but given that the muzzle velocities recorded were so high already, we certainly aren’t complaining!

BUY FROM PYRAMYD
H&N Field Target Trophy .177 Cal, 8.64 Grains, Domed, 500ct

TRIGGER AND COCKING EFFORT

Trigger pull weight averaged 3 lb 7 oz in the Sumatra 2500 air rifle tested by HAM. This is clearly not in the hair trigger class, but it’s OK for hunting, the primary purpose of Sumatra air rifles. Specs for the Sumatra say that trigger has a two stage action, but we could only detect a single stage. Let off was predictable, a good attribute to accurate shooting.

The trigger of the Sumatra 2500 air rifle is adjustable for pull weight and the instruction manual provides instructions for how this can be done. As is normal for HAM tests, we resisted temptation and tested the gun with the trigger as set by the factory.

The underlever cocking action is, of course, somewhat unusual for an air rifle. It’s a natural action, although the HAM test team found that the cocking lever got to be uncomfortable on the back of the hand if firing many shots at one sitting. Of course the Sumatra is mainly a hunting air rifle, so this would not normally be an issue as few shots are generally fired when hunting.

The cocking effort seemed hard, compared to a sidelever action, for example, but it became easier as the Sumatra was shot repeatedly. HAM measured the cocking effort at approximately 21 lbs.

The manual safety is conveniently located just behind and above the trigger. It’s a push across type that worked well for the HAM testers.

COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS

The muzzle velocity claim for the Sumatra 2500 air rifle in .22 caliber is 1100 fps. The example tested by HAM exceeded this specification even with the heaviest pellets tested – the 21.14 grain H&N Baracuda Match pellets. With alloy pellets, the muzzle velocity was around the 1350 fps mark. The muzzle velocity claim for the Sumatra 2500 air rifle is thus extremely conservative, based on the gun tested by HAM!

The operator’s Manual for the Sumatra 2500 makes an accuracy specification claim of 3/8-inch at 30 yards using Eun Jin pellets. Now, HAM’s test did not include Eun Jin pellets, neither did we shoot at 30 yards. And the manufacturer’s specification does not specify the number of pellets in their accuracy claim – but we can probably assume it was for 5 shots.

Based on the accuracy achieved with the wide range of pellets tested by HAM in 10-shot groups, we’d say that the manufacturer’s claim for accuracy of the Sumatra is very likely to be achieved by a good shot on a calm day.

The only makers claim for the Sumatra that we could not substantiate was that for the trigger. The HAM testers’ view is that the Sumatra’s trigger is quite OK, but that it has s a single stage. We could not find the second stage claimed by the manufacturer.

CONSISTENCY

HAM testing showed that the Sumatra achieved great accuracy with a wide range of pellets. Only the very light Gamo Platinum PBA pellets showed a group that was less good (although still better than we expected). So, practical accuracy over a wide range of pellets can be classed as excellent.

The Standard Deviation (measurement of muzzle velocity consistency) for the Sumatra tested by HAM was interesting. It was consistently inconsistent! The Standard Deviations measured were all in the range between about 14 and 21 fps, with an average of 17.38 fps. This is due to the unregulated nature of the Sumatra’s design: as each shot is fired, the remaining pressure is reduced, so the next shot is slower, and so on. The high power output of the Sumatra means that this shot-to-shot drop is greater than you would find with lower powered unregulated PCP air rifles such as the Benjamin Marauder.

This Standard Deviation is far higher than normally found in HAM’s tests, but it certainly did not seem to have any ill effects on the accuracy – as you can see from the test targets.

Trigger pull weight was also pretty inconsistent in the gun tested by HAM. It varied between a low of 2 lb 9 oz to a high of 4 lb 11 oz, a spread of nearly 2 lbs. Again, despite this inconsistency in trigger pull weight, the accuracy obtained in the shooting tests obviously did not suffer as a result.

NOISE LEVEL

In a word, LOUD!

There’s no surprise about this as the Sumatra 2500 air rifle uses a lot of air for each shot, propelling almost all of the pellets tested at supersonic muzzle velocities. We were wearing ear defenders on the range for this test, for sure.

Obviously the Sumatra in standard form is not fitted with a suppressor of any type. However, the muzzle is threaded for an aftermarket silencer and this would undoubtedly make a big difference to the report. Just make sure that you comply with all ATF and other rules and laws if you take this route.

SIGHTS AND SCOPE

The Sumatra is fitted with a very robust set of simple iron sights. There’s no fiber optics and the rear sight requires a screwdriver to alter elevation. But most owners will see these iron sights merely as a backup and will fit a scope for their shooting.

The Sumatra 2500 air rifle tested in this review is the “Premium bundle” sold by Pyramyd Air. This bundle includes a Tech Force-branded 4 – 12 x 40 AO scope and Leapers high profile rings.

This Tech Force scope is well balanced in size and capabilities to the Sumatra 2500 air rifle. It has AO (Adjustable Objective) for sharp focusing down to 7.5 yards range and the 12 x magnification is about as high as most shooters are able to exploit successfully in the field. Optical quality seemed good for the price of the scope.

This scope has a mil dot reticle, which HAM considers an essential for practical airgun use. This reticle also has selectable red and green illumination, if this is required by the shooter for low light shots. We found the front focusing ring somewhat heavy to turn and the reticle illumination knob even heavier, but these would probably ease with use and in warmer temperatures than Up-State New York in a snowy January.

It looked as if the Sumatra’s scope rail would be rather short for mounting the scope. But we were mistaken – OK, actually Steve was mistaken! – as there were no issues on this score. HAM tester Doug Rogers found it easy to mount the scope and set its position to give him the right eye relief.

SHOOTABILITY

Make no mistake, the Sumatra 2500 air rifle is heavy. When fitted with the scope – as tested – the total weight was 10 lb 3 oz. This weight certainly made us think that a sling would be useful for use in the field.

Yet the Sumatra balances well when brought to the shoulder and gives a good cheek weld. When shooting, it didn’t feel as heavy as it weighed. This is confirmed by the RateAGun score of just 4.5, which means it’s easy to shoot.

Shootability is aided by the 6-shot rotary clip. This makes loading easy and obviously gives a rapid follow-up shot capability when hunting. We noticed that most of the HAM test pellets loaded into the clip better from the front rather than from the rear – as recommended by the instructions.

Pellets also tended to fall out of the clip if it was carried around in a pocket, so it’s not practical to pre-poad clips and carry them into the field. As pellets are held in the Sumatra 2500 air rifle’s clip simply by friction, it may be that Eun Jin pellets may work better in this respect.

The HAM testers noted that a few H&N Field Target Trophy Green pellets would not fit into the clip at all. But as the Sumatra is not really intended for use with super-light pellets such as these, we did not consider this a serious flaw.

It was good to find that the Sumatra 2500 air rifle features double feed protection – we could not manage to make it double feed, in spite of much trying. This is certainly a good practical advantage of the Sumatra over clip-fed air rifles – like the Marauder, for example – that can allow the gun to be “double loaded” if the shooter loses track of the loading and firing sequence.

APPEARANCE AND FINISH

From a distance, the Sumatra 2500 air rifle looks more like an “over and under” shotgun than an airgun! This, of course, is due to the double air tubes under the barrel. So this is an unusual-looking airgun, with an appearance that’s all its own. The looks certainly grew on the test team over time…

Finish of the metal parts is excellent, with strong, deep bluing for some parts and glossy black paint for others. The receiver, cocking lever and trigger are all castings, with the receiver having a deeply-inletted hunting scene on either side.

Wood finish was generally very good, with finely-figured checkering. We detected a very slight roughness on the sides of the buttstock, but didn’t find this objectionable.

Overall, the Sumatra 2500 is an all wood and metal air rifle of traditional construction – if not traditional looks. HAM tester Doug Rogers found it “A beautiful looking gun. Pictures do not do it justice”, he added.

BUYING AND OWNING

You’re not going to find the Sumatra 2500 air rifle for sale at your local “big box” sporting goods store. But it’s easy to find on the Internet as it’s distributed by Air Venturi, the associated wholesale arm of Pyramyd Air.

The operator’s manual is useful and quite comprehensive, featuring clear parts lists and diagrams for those owners brave enough to think they may open up the gun themselves. The US distributor, Air Venturi, has a full range of parts available for the Sumatra and provides support for the 12 month warranty on the air rifle.

The most important aspect of owning the Sumatra 2500 air rifle is to make sure you have enough air. HAM wouldn’t even think of filling this air rifle with a pump, so you need a large HPA tank or scuba tank, with the associated connecting equipment to support the use of this airgun. This is probably the most important aspect to bear in mind for owning the Sumatra.

TEST TARGETS

BUY FROM PYRAMYD AIR

Sumatra 2500, 500cc Reservoir Bundles

This entire article including scoring, test targets etc is Copyright Hard Air Magazine and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the publisher.

The post Sumatra 2500 Air Rifle Test Review .22 Cal appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Hard Air Magazine first previewed the forthcoming, new ASG TAC 4.5 air rifle in our SHOT Show coverage.

Now we have more information that the TAC 4.5 should be arriving in the US by the end of March 2015. The retail price is will be around $94.95. ASG will also have laser units and spare magazines available as well. ASG tells us that the TAC 45 air rifle will have a 3 month warranty.

The TAC 4.5 is a light weight, CO2 powered rifle with that holds up to 21 BBs in a stick type magazine that’s located in the ergonomic pistol grip.

The rifle feature a full-length picatinny styled top rail for optics and accessories. The lower part of the TAC 4.5 air rifle has a long rail for attaching the included fully adjustable folding bipod, and can be used for other equipment like tactical lights.

The TAC 4.5 air rifle also features an integrated mounting bay for a laser aiming module especially designed for it. The thumbhole stock has a built in rubber pad for added comfort when shouldering the rifle. Included is also a pair of removable fixed sights with a self-illuminated fiber optic front bead.

Hard Air Magazine hopes to be able to review the TAC 4.5 air rifle in future and bring you more details of this interesting new model.

The post New ASG TAC 4.5 Air Rifle
To Be Available Very Soon. appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Just arrived at the HAM offices is the Gamo Coyote PCP air rifle. The particular gun here is one of the very first to arrive in the US. So please bear in mind that there MAY be some changes to the guns that arrive for retail sale.

First impressions are that the Gamo Coyote is a chunky, almost carbine-length airgun. It’s short for a PCP of conventional configuration at just 37 3/4-inches long. Compare that to the length of a Benjamin Marauder at 43-inches and you’ll immediately feel the difference.

The Gamo Coyote air rifle weighs in at 7 lb 7 oz without scope.

Immediately obvious is that this is a 10-shot, clip-loading, bolt action repeater. It’s interesting to see that the Coyote’s clip design does not protrude above the top of the breech. This allows the 6 3/4-inch long scope rail to run along the full length of the breech – a very desirable feature that allows maximum flexibility in scope placement.

The next question in our minds was “How do you fill it up?” Yes. this is not obvious!

In fact, there’s a cylindrical, plastic end cap that pulls off the end of the gas tube. This gives access to the filler probe port for charging the Gamo Coyote and is pushed back into place after the fill is complete, as the photos below show.

You can also see that the Coyote’s pressure gauge is calibrated to a maximum fill pressure of 232 Bar – that’s 3365 PSI.

Also visible is the threaded barrel to allow for the fitting of a sound moderator. Given all the legal issues that surround the ownership and use of sound suppressors in the USA, it will be interesting to see if Gamo changes this in regular US-market models. As you would expect from a PCP air rifle with a short barrel and no suppressor, the Gamo Coyote air rifle reviewed here is LOUD!

So does it shoot?

Yup. Sure does…

For this initial Gamo Coyote PCP air rifle first impressions review, we charged the gun to 166 Bar – 2400 PSI – that’s exactly half way on the pressure gauge between the “too low” and “too high” areas marked in red.

Shooting at 2400 PSI, we recorded muzzle velocities of 1070 FPS with Gamo Platinum PBA pellets. With a pellet weight of 9.7 Grains, this gun is in .22 caliber, that gives a muzzle energy (knock down power) of 24.5 Ft/Lbs.

Using 14.3 Grain Crosman Premier HP .22 caliber pellets, we saw 929 FPS from this Gamo Coyote at the same fill pressure. That gives a muzzle energy of 27.4 Ft/Lbs.

The manufacturer claims a muzzle energy of 30 Ft/Lbs for the Gamo Coyote air rifle. Given that we were shooting with the fill pressure well below maximum and that muzzle energy almost always increases with heavier pellets in PCP air rifles, it looks as if Gamo’s muzzle energy claim will be met in the formal, structured HAM test review.

This first impressions review brings you immediate news on this significant new airgun from Gamo. HAM will follow-up with a full test review in future. Stay tuned…

The post Gamo Coyote PCP Air Rifle
First Impressions Review appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Gletcher, a brand under Sport Manufacturing Group Inc. that specializes in the production of pneumatic replica firearms, has introduced the Gletcher Parabellum CO2 Pistol. A copy of the original World War II firearm, Gletcher claims this CO2 pistol offers multiple entertaining and unique features that air gun enthusiasts will enjoy.

The Gletcher Parabellum CO2 Pistol is an advanced premium air pistol that accurately reflects the weight and size of the highly sought after original. Gletcher says it features an accurate toggle link breechblock system with blowback, and a functioning bolt hold-open device (BHO), a full-size magazine, and a light trigger pull. The rich black metal body of the Parabellum offers an unmatched realistic look and feel, says Gletcher.

The Parabellum is powered by a 12 gram C02 cylinder that is neatly concealed inside the pistol grip. Specifications are as follows:
– Magazine Capacity: 19
– Weight: 2 lbs.
– Length: 8″ 3/4
– Average Velocity: 328 fps
– Caliber: .177 Steel BB
– Propellant: one 12 Gram CO2 Powerlet
– Warranty: 18 months
– MSRP: $139.99

As Gletcher is a fairly new name to many of us, here’s some background on the company.

About Gletcher (in their own words).
Gletcher is a brand under SMG Inc. that associates with real pneumatic weapon enthusiasts with a goal to make a product, which absolutely fulfills the demands of their customers. Gletcher produces top quality replica air guns with meticulous attention to detail. They also provide an individual with the opportunity to attain new skills, train the reflexive skills they already possess as well as provide just plain fun! For more information, visit www.gletcherguns.com.

About SMG Inc. (again in their own words).
SMG Inc. is an American company established in 2008. They specialize in the production of pneumatic guns under the brand “Gletcher”, as well as tactical and outdoor knives under the brand “Steel Will Knives”. SMG prides themselves on making products with the highest level of performance, quality, and craftsmanship. For more information on their entire line of products, visit www.smgoutdoor.com.

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IWA Outdoor Classics – usually known as “the IWA Show” is the European equivalent of the US-based SHOT Show. It’s a trade-only event for the firearms and associated industries.

The IWA show takes place annually in March and is held in Nuremberg, Germany. Why IWA? It the abbreviation for the German words Internationale Waffen Ausstellung – that means “International Weapons Show”.

This year, the IWA Show will run from 6 – 9 March.

Although IWA is less well known among US readers, it is – in many ways – more significant for airguns than the SHOT Show. This is because the restrictions on firearms in European countries lead to an increased focus on airguns from the exhibitors there. (Our photos show the 2014 show, of course).

Hard Air Magazine’s Executive Columnist Stephen Lamboy will be at the 2015 IWA Show and will; be sending photographs and news daily to HAM for publication.

What will be new in the airgun world at IWA Outdoor Classics 2015? Watch this space to find out!

The post IWA Outdoor Classics 2015 appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

This is a sneak peak of what’s promised to be a new Brocock air rifle to be announced at IWA 2015.

Yep, that’s it. You know as much now as we do!

More information will be published in HAM’s IWA Show coverage as soon as we receive it.

The post New Brocock Air Rifle
To Be Announced at IWA 2015. appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Crosman Corporation invites trade attendees of the 2015 IWA Outdoor Classics show in Nuremburg, Germany from March 6-9.

Crosman at IWA 2015 will be in booth #120 in Hall 7.

IWA 2015 will be the European launch for the Benjamin Bulldog .357 hunting air rifle, Benjamin Armada tactical rifle and new break barrels powered by the Nitro Piston 2 powerplant. The Bulldog is offered in a bullpup configuration that allows for an overall length of only 36 inches and a weight under eight pounds.

“We created the Bulldog to respond to the growing demand for more powerful, higher caliber airguns,” said Jennifer Lambert, VP Marketing for Crosman. “The Bullpup style allows us to give hunters that power, but still offers maximum balance and maneuverability.”

The Armada from Benjamin is an AR-compatible PCP air rifle featuring the Magpul M-LOK modular accessory system.

“The Armada is the first commercially available PCP rifle that brings the same breadth of modularity and user configurability that is enjoyed by the AR community,” claims Lambert. “By designing the rifle to Mil-Spec dimensions for the grip and stock interfaces as well as implementing the M-LOK interface system, the Armada becomes a platform that gives shooters an infinite range of possibilities to customize their air rifle.”

Crosman also will be introducing Nitro Piston 2 break barrels in two new Shockey Signature Series air rifles. The .22 caliber Jim Shockey Steel Eagle and Eva Shockey Golden Eagle in .177 caliber both feature the NP2 powerplant and are claimed to have more speed, more power, more accuracy and reduced cocking force.

Crosman at IWA 2015 is showing new models first previewed at the SHOT Show in the USA. But it’s very likely that there will be launches of some exciting new products – that were NOT disclosed at SHOT – by some European airgun companies. HAM will bring you the details as, and when, we have them!

The post Crosman At IWA 2015 appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Still in the grips of a brutal Winter, Crosman is looking forward to Summer by announcing the 2015 Crosman Field Target Championship to be held on June 13 and 14 in Rush, NY.

Crosman reminds us that Upstate New York heats up in the summer with the largest field target event in the country.

Shooters from across the USA and many international competitors participate in the event hosted by Crosman Corporation in nearby Rush, NY at the Rochester Brooks International Skeet and Trap Club.

All types of shooters, from novices to members of Team USA enjoy a challenging course, compete for titles, enjoy side matches, a factory tour and the camaraderie of the shooting sports.

By staging this event at the Rochester Brooks Club, 962 Honeoye Falls 6 Road, Rush NY 14543, Crosman is changing the venue. Previously the Crosman plant in Bloomfield NY has been the location for this shoot.

You can register now at the 2015 Crosman Field Target Championship page.

Our photograph shows HAM tester Doug Rogers shooting at the 2014 event. Several HAM contributors will be shooting at this event. We’ll see you there!

The post 2015 Crosman Field Target Championship Announced appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Extreme Benchrest is an annual air rifle event that draws a wide range of competitors from all over the US and around the world.

Now first details of the extended, four day, 2015 Extreme Benchrest Competition have been announced. Mark the dates October 1 – 4 2015!

This year brings with it some exciting news and changes to the Extreme Benchrest event. Each year has been an improvement on the last, and 2015 will be the same. For starters, the event is moving to Mesa, AZ at the Rio Salado Sportsman’s Club 3960 N. Usery Pass Road, Mesa, AZ 85207 (on the outskirts of Phoenix, AZ). This move allows more options, a more convenient location, more room and most important more benches! There will be 40 seats per relay, which allows the opportunity for more people to come and enjoy themselves.

Another change is that the 2015 Extreme Benchrest Competition will be a 4 day shooting event at the new, larger venue. Basically that makes, 2x the available benches, and 2x the days of shooting with more events shooting opportunities than previous years.

To read more about the 2015 Extreme Benchrest Competition, check out the event’s website at http://www.extremebenchrest.com/2015/03/2015-extreme-benchrest-competition

The 4 day 2015 Extreme Benchrest competition will bring more shooting and new events. There will also be the opportunity to visit with even more fine airgunners and industry celebrities.

Registration for Extreme Benchrest 2015 is not yet open,  but we wanted to give everyone the dates to start planning.  Stay tuned for more news as details of the event are locked down.

The post 2015 Extreme Benchrest
Competition Announced appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

This video was released today and shows the latest Umarex airguns at IWA 2015 in Germany.

Please note that not all of these models are guaranteed to reach the US market and that specs are given in SI ( that is non-US ) form – for example 4.5mm is .177 cal, 5.5mm is .22 cal.

Click below and enjoy!

The post New Umarex Airguns at IWA 2015
- Here’s The Video. appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Hard Air Magazine’s Executive Contributor Stephen Lamboy reports from the 2015 IWA Show.

The new Czech company, Airgun Technology, exhibited it’s first PCP Bull Pup design named Vulcan at IWA 2014 and gained much attention.

Today, at IWA 2015, The Airgun Technology PCP Bullpup air rifle was shown in a generation II version of the Vulcan with some enhanced features. The core of this compact design is a full-length HPA  tank attached to a short, fully moderated 18-inch long barrel made by CZ. This system is integrated with a smooth ambidextrous cocking mechanism and one extremely crisp trigger with a 2lb pull. The gun is a multi shot model with rotary clip and available in .177 (13-shot clip),.22 (11-shot clip) and .25 cal (9-shot clip).

Airgun Technology says that the new black synthetic stock of the Vulcan is uniquely Czech (Duhhh?).

The full pistol grip is good for both right- and left-handed shooters and they say that the balance of the gun sits just aft of the grip for a natural feel. The butt pad and comb are both adjustable for elevation, which is good as one could easily see this Pup used in a “heads up” CQB shooting style with a red dot or acog tactical site. This short, compact design keep the mass very close to the body causing the Vulcan to simply turn with you as part of you.

Airgun Technology claim that the Vulcan has plenty of power developed at the maximum tank pressure of 3,625 psi with over 90 shots with .22 JSB pellets at 917 fps., and 40 shots with .25 at 884 fps.

You can see more information at airguntechnology.com

The post Airgun Technology PCP Bullpup Air Rifle
at IWA 2015 appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

New for Stoeger Airguns is a synthetic stock version of the X3 air rifle, shown here by Andre Wirth of Beretta, the ultimate holding company of the Stoeger Airguns brand.

The Stoeger Airguns X3 Synthetic is unashamedly a youth model and is a very nice starter gun for under $100.

The Stoeger Airguns X3 Synthetic has many typical features found on youth guns. However, the auto-safety is big, visible and easily used. The cocking force is said to the lowest available in a 600 fps gun – this is big for the target market.

The best feature of the X3 Synthetic may be the stock. They have nailed the proper LOP for youth and the comb height is very good. This silver version – yes, silver! – shows the stock proportions to good effect.

As you can see in the photograph of Andre, above, this buttstock style is also being incorporated into other models in the Stoeger Airguns range, such as the X20.

The post New Stoeger Airguns X3 Synthetic
at IWA Show 2015 appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

Of course, the IWA Show in Germany is very much on Umarex’s “home ground”.

So, the Walther LGU and LGV air rifles were prominent at IWA 2015. Above we see a display of the range, together with the Manager of Airgun Engineering who is responsible for these fine air rifles. The new Walther LGU Master features an adjustable match trigger and what Umarex claims as a revolutionary vibration reduction technology.

Here we see the Walther LGU Master.

And here is the Walther LGV Master Pro.

Steve Lamboy obviously liked the new Walther Rotek PCP air rifle! And yes, this is the Umarex booth at the 2015 IWA Show…

The post Walther LGU and LGV Air Rifles
Prominent at IWA 2015 appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.

The IWA and SHOT Shows are trade-only events. Like the NRA Show in the US, The Great British Shooting Show is an event for the public – this annual show took place in England for the seventh time between 13 and 15 February, 2015.

For those across Great Britain, this was an opportunity to see all the latest air rifles from Air Arms at The Great British Shooting Show. This video gives us a great flavor of this event!

Produced by Team Wild – and shown here with their permission – you’ll see Air Arms at The Great British Shooting Show, together with guest appearances from Air Arms’ Managing Director Claire West and cameos from long-time British Field Target guru Nick Jenkinson.

Just take a look at those beautiful air rifles!

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