I’ve seen and handled the Air Arms Galahad earlier this at the SHOT Show and the IWA Show in Germany. Each time, I’ve been impressed with its beautiful design, finish and handling.
And now, finally, the Galahad is available in the U.S. It’s shipping from both Pyramyd Air and Airgun Depot.
BUY FROM PYRAMYD AIR
Air Arms Galahad Rifle ![]()
BUY FROM AIRGUN DEPOT
Air Arms Galahad, Black With Moderator
Galahad is available in a variety of versions. Full length and carbine, walnut and black, soft touch stocks, with and without moderators and .22 cal and .25 calibers. U.S. versions are all fitted with a Weaver/Picatinny scope rail and regulator: at least for the initial deliveries.
Hard Air Magazine has just received a full-length, black version, with moderator, with regulator and in .25 caliber. Now, as our standard HAM test reviews are based on .177 and .22 caliber versions, rather than .25 cal – at least for the present – we’ll be trying to obtain a .22 cal gun for our full, detailed HAM test review.
But we can certainly show you how Galahad looks and share something of my immediate thoughts in this “first impressions review”.
The first impression was one of quality. The Galahad is – as you would expect from Air Arms – beautifully-finished and the design is just beautiful too.
The metal finish on our sample is just about perfect. Well actually it is perfect so far as I can see! The soft-touch wood stock feels pleasant to grasp. It’s just nicely “grippy” and is well proportioned.
Both breech and stock have subtle sculpting. These curves make the Galahad seems much less “blocky” than some other bullpup airguns.
After taking the Galahad out of the box, I grabbed a Leapers 3-9x40AO scope, as this one already had Weaver rings fitted to it. Attaching the scope was easy, of course. However, maybe because of my long neck, I was not able to see through the scope correctly using the Medium rings. The scope was too low.
But this is not an unusual issue with bullpup designs and I was prepared for it…
The Air Arms Galahad has an adjustable buttpad, so I dropped that down to its lowest position. Of course, this raised the eye line to the scope and I was able to shoot successfully using this arrangement. High rings will make things that much more convenient for an owner, however and I suggest that you plan on high rings as a basic requirement for Galahad.
Maximum fill pressure for this regulated model is 3,600 psi. This is not a problem for those with 4,500 psi tanks, of course, but it’s beyond the capabilities of most hand pumps – and many people’s desire to pump that much!
This is not a light gun, it measured 10 Lb 9 Oz on the scales with the relatively light Leapers scope attached. It certainly balances well in the hand, however, and the hold is immediately comfortable.
I found the unusual forward-placed cocking lever easy to operate and the trigger was just what I expect from Air Arms – outstanding!
Performance of the .25 caliber Galahad was immediately impressive. Shooting JSB King 25.39 grain pellets, This Galahad produced 782 fps – that’s 34.53 Ft/Lbs of Muzzle Energy on the full power setting. Of course, the regulator made muzzle velocity very consistent, as you can see from the test target below.
And yes, that’s pretty close to a “one hole group”!
It looks like this will be a great hunting air rifle…
As you can tell, it was a case of “love at first sight”, or something close to it, for me and the Air Arms Galahad. Yes, of course this is a personal, emotional opinion. We’ll have to wait for a full, complete test by the HAM team for our usual, fact-based, data-driven review that’s scored and comparable to other air rifles.
That’s what we will do as soon as we can obtain a .22 caliber Galahad from Air Venturi to testing. Watch this space!
BUY FROM PYRAMYD AIR
Air Arms Galahad Rifle ![]()
BUY FROM AIRGUN DEPOT
Air Arms Galahad, Black With Moderator
The post It’s Here! Air Arms Galahad Now Shipping in the U.S.A. appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.