With NY trying its hardest to make every gun illegal, Airguns are looking pretty nice these days.

tgenec86

tgenec86

.357 mag
Messages
502
Reaction score
1,235
Location
Utica, NY
Was hoping to see a thread like this come up. I just picked up a Hatsan Flash with the real wood stock in .22. I've only put a few shots through it and already absolutely love it. The Flash comes with 12 round rotary magazines and has their QE (Quiet Energy) barrel. It's quiet, powerful, and accurate as they come. I had an old basic Simmons 7X scope that I put on it and it does the job just fine with no bells and whistles. For air, when I got the rifle I also sprung for their 4-Stage hand pump, which takes a little time and effort, but brings the rifle up to full charge in just a few minutes. I wanted something a bit quicker, but was very taken aback by the cost of compressors - until I saw an ad on Amazon. The Hatsan Spark compressor sells for around $450-$500, with another $65 for an AC power adapter, but you can get the EXACT SAME PUMP and power supply on Amazon for $300 total with free shipping. Read a review by someone who is part of a club who shoots daily that said they have two Sparks, and got the no brand one, and compared them side by side and could not tell the difference in any way, whatsoever. I just got it in last night and will have it wired up and running tomorrow. Will post on how it works, although it's got 4/5 star ratings already.

329490.jpg
 
Robin

Robin

.475 A&M Magnum
Messages
18,624
Reaction score
39,665
Location
Livingston County
Air guns have been around a long time, much longer than most people realize. Here are a couple articles on the subject that may be of interest.
www.pyramydair.com

The Girardoni repeating air rifle of 1780 | Pyramyd AIR Blog

by Tom Gaylord Writing as B.B. Pelletier The Girardoni of 1780 was the first successful repeating rifle, and it is an airgun! A history of airguns This report covers: History Girandoni or Girardoni? 1,000-1,500 rifles Equipment Firing the rifle Problems Lewis & Clark Replica Summary Today will...
www.pyramydair.com

truewestmagazine.com

The Amazing Air Rifle of Meriwether Lewis

The “Corps of Discovery,” led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark was one of the most incredible journeys in history. It numbered less than forty men on
truewestmagazine.com truewestmagazine.com

Of course these would be outlawed like any other gun if the progressives have their way.
Robin
 
A

alistair

6.5 Creedmoor
Messages
1,548
Reaction score
2,207
Location
Florida, NY, 10921
So if I wanted to spend $350-400 on a "nice" air rifle, what make/model would you recommend? .... Would you recommend a quality gas piston or a cheap PCP w/hand pump?
Are there manufacturers that should be avoided?
 
Blimey

Blimey

.450/400 Nitro Ex
Messages
11,252
Reaction score
16,228
Location
Western NY
Robin said:
Air guns have been around a long time, much longer than most people realize. Here are a couple articles on the subject that may be of interest.
www.pyramydair.com

The Girardoni repeating air rifle of 1780 | Pyramyd AIR Blog

by Tom Gaylord Writing as B.B. Pelletier The Girardoni of 1780 was the first successful repeating rifle, and it is an airgun! A history of airguns This report covers: History Girandoni or Girardoni? 1,000-1,500 rifles Equipment Firing the rifle Problems Lewis & Clark Replica Summary Today will...
www.pyramydair.com

truewestmagazine.com

The Amazing Air Rifle of Meriwether Lewis

The “Corps of Discovery,” led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark was one of the most incredible journeys in history. It numbered less than forty men on
truewestmagazine.com truewestmagazine.com

Of course these would be outlawed like any other gun if the progressives have their way.
Robin
Click to expand...
I am still amazed they had this technology at all feasible back then because it is way more complex than cartridge ammunition, which didn't get going until the next century.
 
tgenec86

tgenec86

.357 mag
Messages
502
Reaction score
1,235
Location
Utica, NY
alistair said:
Is this a worthwhile buy - PCP gun with pump?
www.pyramydair.com

Diana Stormrider Kit | PCP Air Rifle & HPA Pump | Pyramyd AIR

We've got a great price on the Diana Stormrider Multi-shot PCP Air Rifle and HPA Pump Kit. Get a great price and expert advice at Pyramyd for your next outdoor adventure!
www.pyramydair.com www.pyramydair.com
Click to expand...

Well, so far no one here seems to be an expert. I bought my Hatsan based on reviews, both customer and airgunner Youtube channels. The Flash was declared the best for the money in it's price range, and I didn't see any negative comments. The Diana you found seems to be a solid, entry level rifle with good specs. More than enough for targets or small rodents (die squirrel, die! :mg:). I'm just a random guy who decided to go with the Flash and I'm very happy with it. I got a hand pump as well - again a Hatsan. It's their 4-Stage, picked it up on OpticsPlanet for $120 and it takes around 60 strokes to fully pressurize. Again, very pleased with it's performance.

Depending on what you want to use the rifle for, the Diana could be a nice plinker. If you want to get a bit more serious, Hatsan, Benjamin and Umarex seem to get a lot of good press. I got mine off of MidwayUSA for a much nicer price than the airgun websites. $75 less as a matter of fact. Hunt around for the deals!
 
S

Scoot McGoot

.40 S&W
Messages
125
Reaction score
204
Location
CNY
xcvPro said:
I own a Chinese "Yong Heng" pump they run $150-$250 on Aliexpress and fill my .25 cal BT65-QE in less then 45 seconds witch give me about 30 shots. Hits just as hard and as accurate as a 10/22.
Click to expand...

Same here...I got a yong heng and it's filled my large carbon fiber tank many many times...still running strong! I also got a cheap 4500psi hand pump on Amazon and it's surprisingly easy.

I picked up an Evanix sniper x2 and a rex-p...both in 357. You can shoot .35 82gr pellets, 000 buck (.36 roundball), or cast your own slugs. I cast my own. It's fun.
 
S

Scoot McGoot

.40 S&W
Messages
125
Reaction score
204
Location
CNY
tgenec86 said:
Well, so far no one here seems to be an expert. I bought my Hatsan based on reviews, both customer and airgunner Youtube channels. The Flash was declared the best for the money in it's price range, and I didn't see any negative comments. The Diana you found seems to be a solid, entry level rifle with good specs. More than enough for targets or small rodents (die squirrel, die! :mg:). I'm just a random guy who decided to go with the Flash and I'm very happy with it. I got a hand pump as well - again a Hatsan. It's their 4-Stage, picked it up on OpticsPlanet for $120 and it takes around 60 strokes to fully pressurize. Again, very pleased with it's performance.

Depending on what you want to use the rifle for, the Diana could be a nice plinker. If you want to get a bit more serious, Hatsan, Benjamin and Umarex seem to get a lot of good press. I got mine off of MidwayUSA for a much nicer price than the airgun websites. $75 less as a matter of fact. Hunt around for the deals!
Click to expand...

I got a Hatsan bully .22. I've done a lot of tinkering with it and had a great time. Made a couple custom stocks for it. last weekend I cranked up the hammer spring and was pushing the FX hybrid slugs at 1060fps...those things are nasty! They mushroom out like a dime on soft targets. The bully is pretty accurate and good power range.
 
S

Scoot McGoot

.40 S&W
Messages
125
Reaction score
204
Location
CNY
GOPerfect said:
Seems like a decent option. Not taking that away from this.

Seems like a very, very expensive system to own. Between the guns, the air, the air cylinder, etc.

I will do some research and see if the overall price is worth the investment.
Click to expand...

To do it right, you'd be in about $1500 for a compressor, large carbon tank, and a setup to cast your own projectiles. But once you have that setup, you can pretty much shoot infinitely for no cost. Long term you actually can save a ton of money AND ammo shortage is not even relevant any more.

Last weekend I was target shooting for 3 days straight and it cost me practically nothing.
 
xcvPro

xcvPro

.38 Special
Messages
41
Reaction score
42
Location
Geneva
Scoot McGoot said:
To do it right, you'd be in about $1500 for a compressor, large carbon tank, and a setup to cast your own projectiles. But once you have that setup, you can pretty much shoot infinitely for no cost. Long term you actually can save a ton of money AND ammo shortage is not even relevant any more.

Last weekend I was target shooting for 3 days straight and it cost me practically nothing.
Click to expand...
Don't need to spend that much for a compressor a $150-$200 Yong Heng on Aliexpress will work just fine, thats what i use and have no issues. You can also get a large brand new DOT cert 9L CF tank from Acecare on Aliexpress for about $200 with fill setup.

YongHeng: YONGHENG Shop Store - Amazing prodcuts with exclusive discounts on AliExpress
Acecare: Acecare Official Store - Amazing prodcuts with exclusive discounts on AliExpress

The forums Airgun Forum | GTA International Airgun Forum | 17,332+ Members is a great Airgun forum you can learn and ask questions there and get support fast.
 
M

mca90guitar

.357 mag
Messages
569
Reaction score
612
Location
NY
xcvPro said:
Don't need to spend that much for a compressor a $150-$200 Yong Heng on Aliexpress will work just fine, thats what i use and have no issues. You can also get a large brand new DOT cert 9L CF tank from Acecare on Aliexpress for about $200 with fill setup.

YongHeng: YONGHENG Shop Store - Amazing prodcuts with exclusive discounts on AliExpress
Acecare: Acecare Official Store - Amazing prodcuts with exclusive discounts on AliExpress

The forums Airgun Forum | GTA International Airgun Forum | 17,332+ Members is a great Airgun forum you can learn and ask questions there and get support fast.
Click to expand...
Considering a yongheng for myself. That + a inline filter seems to work well for many.

Trying to figure out the tank situation. Mostly where to get it hydro tested after it's out in 5 yrs.
 
M

mca90guitar

.357 mag
Messages
569
Reaction score
612
Location
NY
togmaster said:
Local scuba shop will tell you where.
Click to expand...
Don't think binghamton has a dive shop. All the local airgunners filled at a paintball range that went out of business.

Downloaded a app that and it says a place just down the road from me does it, will have to call Monday.
 
Target

Target

6.5 Creedmoor
Messages
2,044
Reaction score
3,328
Location
Central NY
mca90guitar said:
Trying to figure out the tank situation. Mostly where to get it hydro tested after it's out in 5 yrs.
Click to expand...

I have mine hydro'd at the local fire extinguisher service facility. ( Jerome Fire Equipment) for $20 plus tax ( at least that was what it cost 2 yrs ago).
Mine are paintball but the same thing. Its best if you remove the tank regulator yourself. They used a pipe wrench on one of mine and marred the reg.

There are mail in places that do it as well like Hydrotester.com . $26 + shipping + $11.95 return shipping + $5 valve removal + $5 valve install.

Be aware that the tanks only have a 15 year life span per D.O.T. Runnings has a couple of new paintball tanks on the shelf that were made 7 years ago.
I have 4 or 5 tanks that look like new but are out of date. Can't hydro them, can't have them filled.
If I had a pump, i'd fill them myself and keep using them.
 

Attachments

  • HydroLable.jpg
    HydroLable.jpg
    17.8 KB · Views: 1
M

mca90guitar

.357 mag
Messages
569
Reaction score
612
Location
NY
Target said:
I have mine hydro'd at the local fire extinguisher service facility. ( Jerome Fire Equipment) for $20 plus tax ( at least that was what it cost 2 yrs ago).
Mine are paintball but the same thing. Its best if you remove the tank regulator yourself. They used a pipe wrench on one of mine and marred the reg.

There are mail in places that do it as well like Hydrotester.com . $26 + shipping + $11.95 return shipping + $5 valve removal + $5 valve install.

Be aware that the tanks only have a 15 year life span per D.O.T. Runnings has a couple of new tanks on the shelf that were made 7 years ago.
I have 4 or 5 tanks that look like new but are out of date. Can't hydro them, can't have them filled.
If I had a pump, i'd fill them myself and keep using them.
Click to expand...
Plan on buying new when I buy one. Probably get the great white or tiger shark from airtanksforsale.com
 
Target

Target

6.5 Creedmoor
Messages
2,044
Reaction score
3,328
Location
Central NY
mca90guitar said:
Plan on buying new when I buy one. Probably get the great white or tiger shark from airtanksforsale.com
Click to expand...


I assumed so,
When you get one, check the date on tank to ensure you have a "fresh" one. And make sure the regulator is tightened to 25 ft/lbs. The Runnings tanks were finger tight on top of needing a hydro and already 1/3 through their life.

People sell used paintball gear all the time and sometimes keep the tank dates quiet either by ignorance or being a dick.
 
tgenec86

tgenec86

.357 mag
Messages
502
Reaction score
1,235
Location
Utica, NY
If you want to go the pump route, and avoid the in-line cooling that the Yong Heng requires - go to Amazon and paste "
12V portable pcp air compressor with transformer
I purchased one about a month ago and so far it has worked perfectly. It is an unbranded Hatsan Spark and has worked pretty much flawlessly. The big positive is - take it with you out to the fields, camping, hunting. With the battery terminal hook-ups you won't need an outlet. It's not intended to fill a tank - just direct fill of the air rifle. To get the Flash to full capacity took a little over a minute - vs. about 75 strokes on the 4-Stage pump. I'm fit, but I know which I still prefer!
 
S

Scoot McGoot

.40 S&W
Messages
125
Reaction score
204
Location
CNY
xcvPro said:
Don't need to spend that much for a compressor a $150-$200 Yong Heng on Aliexpress will work just fine, thats what i use and have no issues. You can also get a large brand new DOT cert 9L CF tank from Acecare on Aliexpress for about $200 with fill setup.

YongHeng: YONGHENG Shop Store - Amazing prodcuts with exclusive discounts on AliExpress
Acecare: Acecare Official Store - Amazing prodcuts with exclusive discounts on AliExpress

The forums Airgun Forum | GTA International Airgun Forum | 17,332+ Members is a great Airgun forum you can learn and ask questions there and get support fast.
Click to expand...

Yeah GTA is a great resource. Been on there for a few years now.
 
A

alistair

6.5 Creedmoor
Messages
1,548
Reaction score
2,207
Location
Florida, NY, 10921
So if I wanted something to plink with in my backyard, for $450 this would work?
Air Venturi Avenger
www.pyramydair.com

Air Venturi Avenger | PCP Hunting Air Rifle | Pyramyd AIR

We've got a great price on the Air Venturi Avenger, Regulated PCP Air Rifle. Get a great price and expert advice at Pyramyd for your next outdoor adventure!
www.pyramydair.com www.pyramydair.com
with G9 hand pump
www.pyramydair.com

Air Venturi G9 Hand Pump, 4500 PSI | Pyramyd AIR

We've got a great price on Air Venturi G9 Hand Pump, 4500 PSI at Pyramyd AIR. Shop where the experts do!
www.pyramydair.com www.pyramydair.com

or for $600 get the Avenger with Yongheng pump.
www.aliexpress.com

155.0US $ |300bar 30mpa 4500psi Electric Air Compressor High Pressure Air Pump For Pneumatic Airgun Scuba Rifle Pcp Inflator 220v - Pumps - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com
www.aliexpress.com www.aliexpress.com
 
Catskillkid

Catskillkid

.450/400 Nitro Ex
Messages
9,648
Reaction score
17,568
Location
Livin' in a Gangsta's Paradise (AKA New York)
My cousin was into air rifles for a while. He got a pretty high end one if I remember correctly. Sighted it in on my family's property a few summers ago. It was very impressive and easily hit the target 100 yards out. Whisper quiet too. The loudest part of it was the spring. Seriously, if you want to take out someone "silently" forget suppressors and get an air rifle/pistol instead.

Pre-COVID he did a lot of international traveling for work. Said that everyone in New Zealand had an air rifle as even before the Christchurch Massacre the laws there were pretty restrictive. Funny thing is they were just as "deadly" as the cartridge rifles that were banned or heavily regulated.
 
togmaster

togmaster

.450/400 Nitro Ex
Messages
12,874
Reaction score
19,014
Location
Buoy 42
The hand pump is a lot of work. If you can't or don't want to invest in the equipment needed for a pcp just buy a quality springer. One of the most accurate rifles I own is my Beeman R9 in .20 cal. More than powerful enough to take rabbits and squirrels if need be.
 
H

holdover

.475 A&M Magnum
Messages
15,203
Reaction score
22,072
Location
occupied NY
I had an airforce condor PCP. it would blow right through a counter top, and the accuracy was stupid . I only shot out to 100 yards , and i could get 1 MOA out of that rifle. the beautiful part is that the silencer is legal . it was as loud as a daisy bb gun with the shroud. it was as loud as a .22 or louder without it.I used to run it off a scuba tank and get refills for 7 bucks The set up for pcp rifles is expensive . but once thats over its only 12 bucks for 500 rounds . I literally planted rats in the yard . all head shots , they never moved. DOA. Shot one in his forehead , came out his asshole . he was looking right at me then began to sit like a squirrel on his hind legs
 
LMS

LMS

.357 mag
Messages
605
Reaction score
714
Location
Monroe County
holdover said:
I had an airforce condor PCP. it would blow right through a counter top, and the accuracy was stupid .
Click to expand...

I have been eying that since this thread started. When I look at the tank being part of the stock though, I can't help but wonder about whether there is leverage going on between the tank and the mount to the frame? Seems like it would work the threads in a bad way. Did you see that at all?

holdover said:
I used to run it off a scuba tank and get refills for 7 bucks
Click to expand...

Can you tell me what that entails, equipement-wise and work-wise and cost-wise? Thanks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top