First off I'd like to say that I am very impressed with the quality of the wood details and the stock itself. I can't believe the difference the thumbhole stock makes when shouldering the rifle. You really feel like you have complete control of it. The included Center Point 3-9x40 AOE scope is quite nice and makes target aquisition a breeze. I found the optics to be very clear and the red/green illumination is also a nice feature.
The box states that it has the easiest cocking force in its class, well I have to say it is very easy to cock the rifle. At first I seemed to be having irregular readings when I did my velocity tests. Turns out the breech seal was not seated evenly. Firing the rifle was a little bit of a surprise as it is very quiet. There is no twang at all and the gun shoots very smoothly. I haven't done a lot of shooting this winter but I could hardly wait to try out this new gun of mine. Once I got the scope sighted in I was getting quarter size groupings offhand at 27 feet using RWS hobby pellets. Shooting from a bench at the same distance with the rifle on a bag I was getting nickel sized groupings with the same ammo. I have to say that shooting this gun is very nice. Considering that it has the same powerplant as the Crosman Phantom 500 the difference is like night and day. Out of the box my Phantom was fairly loud, and very twangy. I will be tuning this gun to higher velocity specs but believe it or not I actually consider not touching it as she is shooting so smoothly. I haven't adjusted the trigger mainly because I'm happy with it the way it is. Again squeezing the trigger resulted in a very smooth, gritless pull. I can see how this could become my favorite air rifle. If I wasn't so power hungry I would keep her stock. But power hungry or not this rifle is similar to what my stock Phantom was out of the box, weak. Below are the chrony results using my usual fair of pellets.
Crosman Hollow Points
419
432
425
431.5
431
410
Avg fps. 424.75
Crosman Pointed
428
431
430
430.6
432
428
Avg fps. 429.93
Beeman Laser
490
483.5
480.8
Avg fps. 484.76
RWS Hobby
455
481
469
465.3
472
471
Avg fps. 468.88
As you can see the results look similar to those I took of my stock Phantom. Adequate for paper punching but not much more. Not even close to the 495 fps. even with lighter pellets. The Phantom/Quest 1000 piston will fit this rifle so this is an option I'm probably going to go with like I did with the Phantom 500. However I have heard rumours that the company will be issuing Benjamin replacement parts etc that may actually bring this gun close to Benjamin superstreak levels. Now that would be exciting.
All in all I am happy with this rifle. For myself anyway it is a definite step up from any break barrel springers I have used in the past. Granted it's still a chinese made gun, it's a not as rough around the edges. This one has a bit more finesse and finish. The design is nice and the ergonomics is definitely there. It looks very close to it's big brother the superstreak, less 4 inches or so. With the quality scope included this gun is a welcome addition to your airgun collection.
Very nice. I had a look at one the other day. Feels very high quality in the hands.
ReplyDeleteIs this a detuned Super streak without the sites?
Is it just a spring (and or a piston) away from being a super streak?
It is a lot like the super streak though it is not the same length. The super streak measures
ReplyDelete49.75" long while the classic is 43.75". I presume it is as you say a spring and piston away from being as powerful as the superstreak.
I've heard from a reliable source that replacement parts wont be available for about 5-6 months. So I'd be looking at around the fall of 2009 to be able to tune it to the superstreak's specs.
"Turns out the breech seal was not seated evenly."
ReplyDeleteHow did you diagnose and then fix this issue?
I notice my seal seems to be pushed in slightly more at the top. I gently worked around it with a tiny flathead so it stuck out a more, but after closing it went back to the former seating. Should I shim it? I am kinda worried about damaging the ring if I mess with it too much.
When I was getting the inconsistent velocity readings on the stock gun, I checked out the breech seal. That is when I noticed it was not seated evenly, with part of the seal sitting higher and the other further in. It was pretty easy to spot once I noticed it. To fix it I applied a small amount of pure silicone oil on the seal then with my thumb, worked the seal until all of the seal sat evenly.
ReplyDeleteAre you getting inconsistent velocities? If you are willing to, you could remove the seal and examine it for any damage, then reinstall it. I have no experience shimming seals, but I believe I have read somewhere others having to do this. If the seal is damaged you could always replace it with a like sized o ring, otherwise you will have to order a replacement seal. Please note that I have not had to do any of this.
All that said, if you are not getting any drastic velocity variances between shots I would leave it.
good luck