Airguns of Arizona really specializes in high end air rifles from the likes of Brocock and Daystate. But they also sell a wide variety of other airguns – even BB pistols!

And let’s face it, we all like a little fun shooting occasionally! So today we’re looking at a new addition to the range of firearms-replica BB pistols: the Glock 19.

This BB gun has an unique benefit in the eyes of many shooters. It’s a Glock! It’s the first of the long-awaited range of Glock BB-firing replicas. That means a lot of Glock fans will want it. And so long as they accept it as a non-blowback action, they won’t be disappointed.

Non-blowback replica pistols are often regarded as inferior to blowback models. However they usually give an increased shot count and higher muzzle velocity than their blowback cousins. There’s also some evidence that they can be more accurate than replica BB pistols with extreme blowback.

The Glock 19 BB gun offers great realism, high FPS, strong shot count, very good accuracy and a low price. It’s an an outstanding replica of the iconic firearm. And it’s just $70. How can you go wrong?

The look and feel of the Glock 19 are extremely good. This is an extremely close representation of the Glock 19 Generation 3 centerfire pistol – the compact version of the Glock 17.

Size and shape are all but identical to that of the Glock 19 firearm. Weight is very close, too.

The appearance and finish of the Glock 19 CO2 BB gun are outstanding! At any range beyond about three feet, it’s impossible to tell the difference between centerfire and BB gun versions.

Due to the realistic appearance of this product, handle it as you would a firearm. Do not display it in public or in any place where it could be mistaken for a cartridge firearm!

As a non-blowback version, the magazine release operates correctly, as does the trigger safety. But don’t expect the slide, slide release, slide lock, extractor etc to work. They’re fixed moldings.

The back strap of the Glock 19 BB gun is removable for loading 12 Gram CO2 cartridges. However, this deviation in design from the centerfire version is so well executed that it’s not objectionable in any way.

This removable back strap also holds a folding hex key which is used to tighten the CO2 cartridge retaining screw. That screw is completely invisible in normal use as it’s covered by the base of the magazine.

Here we have another example of very careful and clever design being incorporated into the Glock 19 BB gun.

Accuracy is very good by BB pistol standards. As remarked earlier, strong accuracy is more common in non-blowback replica BB pistols and the Glock 19 CO2 BB gun conforms to that pattern. You’ll have no problem hitting those soda cans every time at 6 yards. And most of the time at 10 yards, too!

The Muzzle Velocity claim is 410 FPS. We saw a peak 10-shot string average of 412 FPS at 70 degrees F with Crosman Copperhead BBs. The fastest individual shots recorded 420 FPS. This is very impressive performance for a BB pistol.

We know that all CO2-powered airguns shoot faster in warmer temperatures by about 2 FPS per degree F. This means that – taking that 412 FPS average – the expected FPS for the Glock 19 BB gun would be as high as 442 FPS at 85 degrees.

The Glock 19 gave us an excellent 96 shots before the Muzzle Velocity dropped down to 200 FPS. Again, very strong performance!

Accuracy and Point Of Impact were also both pretty consistent across the range of test BBs, although the Crosman Copperheads just nudged ahead in our testing.

The trigger of the Glock 19 CO2 BB gun is very close in pull weight to that of the firearm original. Glock gives a specification of 6 Lbs 5 Oz for the firearm. The Glock we tested recorded an average of 6 Lbs 4 Oz. It’s tough to get any better than that with any firearms replica!

The trigger features Glock’s iconic trigger blade safety. That works well in the Glock 19 BB gun.

BB and CO2 loading has been very well thought-out in this product. The CO2-tightening hex key is cleverly located in the removable backstrap and swivels for use.

There’s an easy-to-use BB follower catch and a well-proportioned BB loading port. Why can’t all BB guns be as easy to load as this?

Go on! Treat yourself to a little BB gun fun with the Glock 19. You’ll be pleased you did!

The Crosman brand of Velocity Outdoors Corporation released this licensed copy of the iconic Remington 1875 a couple of years back. Officially titled: “Remington 1875/Sheridan Cowboy CO2 Powered, Single Action Revolver”, and listed under the SKU of: “RR 1875”.

The 1875 uses replica cartridges to hold BBs or pellets

I wanted one as soon as I laid eyes on it at the SHOT Show and although it took a little while, it is now in my possession. An all-metal replica in a bright nickel finish with faux ivory grip stocks it has all the classic lines and heft of the original. In deference to modern requirements and lawyers, there is a slide safety switch on the underside in front of the trigger guard and the hammer doesn’t sit flush when at rest. My understanding is that’s related to drop safety.
The hammer must be placed at half-cock to load and unload as on the original. At half-cock the cylinder can manually be rotated to align the replica cartridges with the loading gate on the right side of the gun. An ejector rod is also on the right side and although it functions like the original, the cartridges easily slide out of the chambers when the revolver is tipped up for unloading. A dual ammo gun, it comes with 12 brass colored cartridges; six hold regular BBs and six hold .177 pellets. Ammo is loaded into the back of the cartridge where soft rubber holds it. Make certain the ammo is flush with the back of the cartridge so cylinder movement isn’t hampered. Faster reloads are accomplished by simply placing the ammo into the cartridge without even removing it.
Made in Taiwan for Crosman, the fit and finish are top notch. The plastic grip stocks have a slight yellow caste to resemble aged ivory. They nicely fit the frame with tight joints that don’t belie the fact that the left grip panel pops off for inserting the 12-gram CO2 capsule. Conveniently clipped inside the grip panel is a small hex wrench used to turn the piercing screw.

The 1875 is a dual ammo CO2 revolver

Holding the gun upside down reveals the nail nick and allen screw. The metal was also nicely done all over in a bright nickel finish that makes this a great display piece when not being used to defend the homestead from tin can desperados.
Another touch of realism is the cylinder pin (called “base” pin in the instructions provided) can be released by pressing the black “base” pin screw on the right side, then withdrawing the pin as far as it will go. Caution: it locks when fully withdrawn and the screw is released, but is under spring pressure and will snap back if the screw is pressed. Doing so could possibly damage the pin. While it won’t need much in the way of maintenance requiring cylinder removal, the instructions do cover this in case of a jam. Cocking the action is also authoritative and makes the satisfying three distinct “clicks” like the old Remington revolver.
As it has been extremely cold for some time where I am located and I don’t have an indoor range, the 1875 has not been shot yet. Since I acquired it more for a wall hanger and collectable, I’m in no real hurry. It is not expected this gun will be highly accurate, just a fun plinker for lazy afternoons. Besides, it displays beautifully next to my nickel finish Peacemaker CO2 replica.
Specs: This hogleg weighs 2.3 pounds and is 13.25-inches long. The smooth bore steel inner barrel is 6½ inches long and the advertised velocity is up to 450fps. The gun comes with a one-year limited warranty and has an MSRP of $149.99. My friends at AofA don’t list this particular model on their website, but they do handle Crosman products and I’m sure could order ya one pardner, in case you have the same hankerin I did when I saw this shootin iron. www.airgunsofarizona.com

There’s a steadily-increasing number of First Focal Plane (FFP) riflescopes becoming available. But which is better, First or Second Focal Plane (SFP)?

Most riflescopes used on air rifles have the reticle in what’s called the Second Focal Plane. But new technological developments are seeing the introduction of First Focal Plane scopes.

So should you choose a First or Second Focal Plane scope?

In the end, it’s down to a matter of personal choice. But – as many airgun shooters are not yet over-familiar with FFP scopes – it’s interesting to compare the effect of reticle placement inside the scope.

To make the comparison, we’re looking at two scopes from Aztec Optics. Apart from the reticle placement, they’re extremely similar. They have the same zoom range – 5.5 to 25 x – the same objective size – 50mm – and the same size tube, 30mm.

Moreover, they both have the same reticle pattern – called the DYND-1. The only really significant difference between the two models is the positioning of the reticle. This makes them ideal to compare that positioning – first or second focal plane.

To make the comparison clear, we took photographs through both FFP and SFP versions of the Aztec Optics 5.5-25 x 50 scopes. Deliberately, we conducted this comparison under poor lighting conditions.

The light was dull and overcast. We also aimed at some almost monochromatic tree trunks to make the challenge greater.

Here’s what we found…

First The Second Focal Plane Scope

Here’s the view through the SFP scope at 8x magnification.

And here it is at 25 x magnification.

As you can see, increasing the magnification magnifies the target. But the reticle stays the same size.

Next The First Focal Plane Scope

Now, let’s see the difference between First or Second Focal Plane reticle positioning…

This is the view through the SFP scope at 8x. The reticle is somewhat smaller than the SFP version at this magnification.

Now we have the FFP scope at 25x.

Wow, what a difference! The reticle has increased in size in proportion to the target. It’s clear that this makes aiming MUCH easier in these dull conditions.

Now if we switch on the illuminated reticle capability of the Aztec FFP scope, it’s even easier! (Red illumination is also available, should you prefer).

Most of us know how many reticle graduations (Mil Dot or MOA) to hold over – or under – to achieve a hit at a specific range when sighting through a scope.

But not so many of us have really thought seriously about how the value of those graduations can change when ta Second Focal Plane scope is zoomed. Because they do…

With a conventional SFP scope, this means that a mil dot graduation at 9x, for example, will have a much different value from that same mil dot in the same scope when at – say – 16 x zoom. That difference likely will cause a miss unless you are aware of that change.

The Aztec SFP scope has red marks on the zoom ring at 9x and 18x because these are the magnifications at which the reticle graduations can be used for holdover using Minutes of Angle (MOA).

In a first focal plane scope, the effect of a mil dot holdover is the same, whatever magnification is chosen in the zoom range. As we can see below, there’s no red marks on the zoom ring because the MOA graduations work for holdover at any magnification.

This makes the probability of a hit much higher if you use variable magnifications on your zoom scope.

The main benefit of FFP scopes will be found by hunters. In hunting, it’s often valuable to glass the area at low magnification and then zoom-in for the shot.

That advantage is a huge one where you use varying magnifications in your zoom scope and need to take quick shots.

If you always use use your scope at a fixed magnification, there’s no benefit however. That’s why first focal plane scopes are of little value to Field Target shooters, for example, who always use the same magnification, even though the distance to their target is unknown.

And, if you’re used to Second Focal Plane scopes – as most of us are – it’s a little disconcerting to see how large – and thick – the reticle grows on a first focal plane scope when it’s zoomed-in.

There’s a concern that the thicker apparent reticle till obscure the target or somehow “hide” it.

But these concerns are likely to fade with time and when they’re considered alongside the massive benefit of consistent effective mil dot holdover at any point in the zoom range.

So do you prefer the First or Second Focal Plane reticle? Either way, you can find your choice available at Airguns of Arizona!

IWA Outdoor Classics is the major international outdoor industry trade show. It’s held annually in Nuremberg, Germany. As always, Daystate was a major exhibitor, together with its associated brands.

So, let’s take a look at the exciting new products from Daystate, Brocock and MTC Optics that were to be seen on the booth.

Above we see Robert Buchanan from Airguns of Arizona with the new Daystate Red Wolf Safari that was being launched at IWA 2019. This version of the Red Wolf is distinguished externally by a new brown wood stock with unusually strong surface texture – you have to handle this yourself to understand what I mean!

But the real interest of the lies inside. For this is the first Daystate model to feature the new technologies that the company is developing as building-blocks for future designs. There’s a new Daystate ART barrel and Version 2 of the internal GCU – Gun Control Unit – circuit board.

The GCU 2.0 system is an electronic control board, battery and other components. It provides infinitely variable control over the opening and closing of the air rifle’s firing valve. This makes multiple power level adjustments available, for example.

Of course, Daystate has been making electronically-controlled air rifles since 2003. The GCU 2.0 system shown at IWA 2019 is the latest iteration of their expertise in digital air rifle control.

Alongside this new control system is the Daystate ART barrel. ART is an abbreviation for Accuracy Research Team. It’s a new barrel system with outstanding claimed accuracy that’s been developed through a collaboration between Lothar Walther, together with shooters from Italy, the UK and Airguns of Arizona in the USA.

The ART barrel features a polygonal bore and slow-twist rifling. Daystate says that this reduces friction and optimizes pellet spin for improved downrange in-flight stability.

The designer of Daystate air rifles is the Italian Adriano Nodari. Here he is showing us the beautiful, limited edition Daystate Genus at the 2019 IWA show. Great work Adriano!!!

More new products from the Daystate group to be seen at IWA 2019 include the Brocock Concept Lite, with collapsible stock below…

… and the Brocock Bantam Sniper HP in a new laminated stock colorway. Robert Buchanan is delighted with both of them, as you can see!

MTC Optics is, of course, another part of the Daystate group. Sales Director Terence Logan showed me two new – and interesting scopes – that were being launched at IWA 2019.

First was the MTC SWAT Prismatic. This is a fixed 12X riflescope with an extraordinarily wide field of view. In fact, Terence told me that it has the same field of view as a typical 4 x power scope.

With a large 50mm diameter objective (front) lens, the MTC SWAT Prismatic also promises to offer outstanding light-gathering capabilities. With that huge diameter tube, it also requires a very special mount, as you can see from the photograph above.

The second new scope MTC Optics was showing at IWA 2019 was the 6-24×50 King Cobra F1. This has a first focal plane reticle and side focus parallax adjustment. It’s part of a clear trend towards first focal plane (FFP) scopes that is currently being seen in the airgun optics industry.

The Daystate/Brocock/MTC booth was also completely redesigned for IWA 2019. It had a stylish, minimalist look that focused attention on the new airguns.

The booth itself was located in the bright, airy and modern Hall 3A at IWA OutdoorClassics, along with a number of other top-tier players in the outdoor industry, as you can see from the overview below.

Of course, you can expect to find these new products become available from Airguns of Arizona in the near future!

In 2017 the U.S. Army adopted a special adaptation of the SIG SAUER P320 pistol as the new sidearm to replace the Beretta M9.  The Beretta had served in that role since the mid-1980s and the military was looking for a Modular Handgun System to replace it.  Trials were held and when the smoke cleared (literally!) the SIG came out on top.  Obviously, a huge coup for SIG SAUER of New Hampshire, the U.S. arm of the Swiss-German parent company.  Being a large multi-national corporation has its perks and one of those is the ability to form divisions that make products which compliment your core business.  SIG did just that several years ago to license and sell branded airguns and accessories known as the SIG Advanced Sport Pellet line.  It’s really nice when your parent company owns all the rights to a design because they can copy that design into a new airgun in a very short turnaround time.  By SHOT Show 2018, a 3-D printed prototype M17 was on display.  As of SHOT 2019 it was a production reality that was already shipping to retailers. [Side note: in 2018 SIG SAUER also increased their commitment to the world of airgunning by becoming a charter member of the Airgun Sporting Association, an industry association promoting all aspects of airguns and airgun hunting. (Airguns of Arizona is also a charter member by the way.) Along with that they began to pull all airgun manufacturing back to the U.S. and re-branded as SIG AIR.]

The M17 is a cool .177 replica with even cooler bells & whistles such as an all-metal slide with blowback feature, ambidextrous safety, dust cover rail for mounting accessories, field-stripping capability and the Rapid Pellet Magazine.  For those unfamiliar with RPM, it is the SIG AIR patented belt-feed system.  Holding 20 pellets, the belt rides inside a plastic stick magazine which, in turn, is inserted into the drop-free extended magazine.  The RPM only fits one way in its channel so all the user has to do is avoid loading the pellets backwards by paying attention to the wording molded into the plastic RPM housing.  The CO₂ cartridge, along with a clever cam lever piercing mechanism is also housed in the magazine.  Open the lever, drop in a cartridge, close the lever and the magazine is charged.  No hex wrenches to misplace and no exposed wing nuts to fiddle with or spoil the lines of this replica. 

The only operator control that is non-functional is the ambidextrous slide lock release lever.  It is there just to add to the realism as the slide does not lock back.  The take-down lever, however, is operational and the owner’s manual shows black & white photos with text on how to remove the slide and barrel housing to clear a jammed pellet.  The steel barrel is 4.6 inches long and SIG AIR claims a velocity up to 430fps.  The color is called “Coyote” tan and the pistol weighs in at slightly over two pounds. The MSRP is $140 and a one-year warranty is provided. My sample is marked “Made in Japan”, but as mentioned earlier, eventually all airgun production will be in-house in New Hampshire.

Being the windbag that I am, I’ve run out of my allotted space so details on how it performed will have to be in a separate blog.  Airguns of Arizona does not yet have this model listed on their webpage, but if you are a replica collector and can’t wait to get your mitts on one of these beauties, reach out to them and they’ll help you out.

BSA PCP air rifles have a long history of innovation and quality. But until recently the best and newest models from this famous British manufacturer were not available or supported in the USA.

This situation is changing, right now!

Precision Airgun Distribution has announced that the company is officially importing a range of new BSA regulated PCP air rifles direct from the Birmingham, UK, factory into the USA. That means that they are available from your favorite local dealers – including Airguns of Arizona.

Among these models are the innovative and compact BSA Defiant bullpup. This has a midships-mounted side lever action and sleek walnut stock. The Defiant provides 26 consistent shots of up to 30 Ft/Lbs muzzle energy per fill of the HPA tube.

That’s the Defiant, below.

Another interesting model is the BSA Ultra XL. This is a compact yet powerful PCP of conventional configuration. In addition, there’s the BSA Ultra JSR which is designed specifically for younger shooters of smaller stature.

The BSA Gold Star SE (above) is bolt action favorite that’s now available with a new, improved match trigger. It comes complete with an adjustable palm rest (or “hamster”) for Field Target shooting. This is another model that will be available through Airguns of Arizona.

All these air rifles will be available in “full power”, US specifications, with Muzzle energies up to 32 Ft/Lbs in .22 caliber.

The exception is the BSA Ultra JSR. This cute little air rifle is power-limited to 6 Ft/Lbs of muzzle energy . That’s due to its mission, which to appeal to enthusiastic younger shooters who are entering the exciting world of PCP air rifle shooting for the first time.

“There’s a large demand for BSA PCP air rifles in the USA,” said Robert Buchanan, President of Precision Airgun Distribution. “This is because they combine distinctive design with high quality British manufacture. Now they will be readily available through Airguns of Arizona and Precision Airgun Distribution dealers across the country.”

Simon Moore, the Managing Director of BSA Guns Limited, endorsed this view. “We see a great future for the latest BSA PCP air rifles in the USA,” he said. “The Precision Airgun Distribution dealer network has many high quality, knowledgeable stores. They are a great resource to re-vitalize the BSA brand throughout the country and introduce our outstanding PCP air rifles to a new generation of enthusiastic airgunners.”

BSA PCP air rifles will be available in .177 and .22 calibers. They all benefit from the iconic in-house cold hammer forged barrel manufacturing that’s a specialty of this British airgun manufacturer.

Contact Airguns of Arizona for more details. These BSA air rifles are in stock today!

If you read Part I you know that the M17 semi-auto CO₂ pellet pistol is one awesome replica of the SIG SAUER sidearm adopted by the U.S. Army in 2017. This is the follow up as to how it performed.

First, the pistol is substantial at 2 pounds. The fit and finish are excellent with stippling on the grip replicating the firearm. The controls and trigger are metal and there is a short M1913 accessory rail on the dust cover.  An ambidextrous safety disengages the hammer and while it was stiff to engage, it was easy to disengage. The front sight appears as if it is drift adjustable, but upon field-stripping the pistol and looking on the underside of the slide the front sight is actually pinned in place. The rear sight is also not adjustable.

As with many replica pistols, the CO₂ cartridge and ammunition are contained in the drop-free magazine. Differences between the M17 and other replicas are the Rapid Pellet Magazine (RPM) belt-feed system, the cam lever piercing system and the valve not being part of the magazine assembly. Replicas I’m familiar with have the valve assembly included in the drop-free magazine and no gas is lost each time you drop the magazine. However, the M17 has the valve assembly attached to the frame and the magazine incorporates a self-sealing valve where a tiny amount of gas escapes each time the magazine is released. The system works well and I experienced no leaks. The cam lever piercing system worked flawlessly. No guesswork on how tight to turn a thumbscrew or hex wrench is a welcome advancement in technology. (A caveat: the manual suggests wearing gloves when installing cartridges due to the frostbite hazard. I concur because of an experience when the cam lever slipped from my grip after piercing the tip but before the lever was completely closed. All the gas escaped at once and luckily no harm was done.) The RPM system worked well and other than wishing for younger, more nimble fingers to aid in loading .177 pellets into the belt, reloading goes pretty smoothly.  At a mile above sea level I was getting between 4 and 5 full magazines of twenty pellets from one cartridge. That equates to around 90 shots before velocity drops off significantly.

The trigger has a long double-action-only pull at a pleasant 6 pounds, 11 ounces. Also, the trigger does not have a short reset. If this model was incorporated to augment skills of the firearm user, that limitation would have to be taken into account. Keeping in mind this is a modestly priced CO₂ replica, some accommodations would necessarily be required.

Experimenting with lightweight alloy pellets the highest velocity achieved was 377fps using SIG Match Ballistic Alloy (5.25grs.) and Predator GTO’s (5.5grs.). Accuracy was lacking so moving to lead pellets helped somewhat. H&N Excites Plinking and Econ pellets weighing 7.3 and 7.45 grains respectively, gave velocities in the 300fps range. Crosman pointed pellets at 7.5grs. shot well as did Rifle Brand Premium Series flatheads at 8.18grs. but this sample gun tended to shoot low. Not that you’d go after prey with these replica pistols, but long pellets such as Predator Polymags will not fit the RPM magazines.

This pistol will sell internationally so the manual contains instructions in 5 languages. I also mistakenly referred to black & white photos in Part I when all the photos are actually color.

The M17 was fun, easy to shoot and quiet so for a one-to-one replica of a new U.S. military sidearm it doesn’t get much better for plinkers and collectors. Oh wait; maybe it does. I understand a SIG ROMEO1 reflex optic mounting plate is coming in the near future! I want to thank SIG Air for providing the M17 gratis. To get your hands on one reach out to my friends at www.airgunsofarizona.com.

The first ever EBR Mexico 2019 has just finished. It was an outstanding success. All the competitors had a great time!

Alvaro López is the owner of Sun City Airguns of Hermosilio Sonora, Mexico. He deserves great credit for promoting, organizing and running this event. That’s Alvaro above, shooting the benchrest competition. He had fun, too.

As with the 2018 Extreme Benchrest competition in Arizona, Daystate and Brocock air rifles made some outstanding scores…

In the 50 Meter benchrest competition, Daystate Red Wolf HP air rifles placed first, second, fourth, sixth and ninth.

The 100 meter benchrest saw Daystate Red Wolf HP guns in second, fourth, seventh and ninth positions. In addition, Brocock Bantam Snipers placed third and fifth.

And a Daystate Red Wolf HP won the Speed Silhouette competition, too, in the hands of Alvaro’s son Sebastian (below).

EBR Mexico featured Benchrest and Speed Silhouette competitions, with categories for both PCP and Spring air rifles. Prizes were offered to the winners, with up to 20,000 pesos for the winner of the Extreme Benchrest PCP finals.

Here’s the EBR Mexico 2019 winners. Congratulations, gentlemen!!!

From left to right, they are…

– Gabriel Valenzuela – 65M spring rifle ( Benjamin Trail NP )

– Enrique Gómez – 100M EBR (FX Impact Mkll 30)

– Humberto López – 50M EBR ( Daystate Red Wolf HP 22)

– Sebastian López – speed silhouette ( Daystate Red Wolf 25 HP )

The 50 Meter benchrest competition was closely contested. Humberto López just pipped Sebastian López and Enrique Gómez, as we can see from the results below.

In the Speed Silhouette competition, the winners were (from left to right):
– Guillermo Días 2nd place
– Sebastian López 1st place
– Álvaro López 3rd place

Of course, the 100 Meter Extreme Benchrest competition was the highlight of EBR Mexico 2019. Those targets look a really long distance away!!!

The Extreme Benchrest 100 M winners were, from left to right:
– Edgar Escalante 2nd ( Daystate Red Wolf 22)
– Enrique Gómez 1st place ( FX Impact Mkll 30)
– Jesus Rodríguez 3rd place ( Brocock Bantam Sniper 25 )

Great work Alvaro and all the Sun City Airguns team. Let’s hope that this was the first of a long line of annual EBR Mexico competitions!

For some years after their introduction, many manufacturers promoted gas ram air rifles as being unaffected by changes in temperature. The FPS would be pretty-well the same at any temperature, they said.

Is that true? Well, on the basis of some testing I’ve undertaken, the answer is definitely “no”. At least in the cold weather we have here in up-state New York.

I’ve found that here is definitely a change in FPS for gas ram air rifles at different temperatures. And it’s more than you may have thought!

To find out what the change in FPS can be with gas ram air rifles shooting at different temperatures, we used a new .177 caliber SIG ASP20.

We shot the ASP20 at a temperatures of both 20 degrees F and at 63 degrees F. In each case, the gun was allowed to “season” at the ambient temperature for several hours before shooting. This meant that gun and ambient temperature were definitely at the same.

Also, we shot the gun slowly – about every 30 seconds – for each test. This was to avoid any effects from the ASP20 heating-up as it was fired. We took 10 shots at both temperatures for each of the six types of pellets. Total 120 shots.

So what did we find?

The answer that – taking the SIG ASP20 as a representative of gas ram air rifles – the gun shot faster, on average, by 1.28 FPS per degree F at the higher temperature.

On average, that means approximately 55 FPS difference when the gun was shot at 20 degrees F and 63 degrees F. That is very definitely enough to make the point of impact on the target very different at most ranges.

So if you’re shooting gas ram air rifles, either on the range or hunting, make sure that your gun is sighted-in at approximately the same temperature as for that critical shot. If not, you could miss the target just due to the change in temperature!

Here’s a chart showing how the Muzzle Velocities changed with temperature for different .177 caliber pellets:

And here’s the average…

So if you’re shooting gas ram air rifles, either on the range or hunting, make sure that your airgun is sighted-in at approximately the same temperature as for that critical shot.

If not, you could miss the target just due to the change in temperature!

Fine European firearms and airguns have a long tradition going back hundreds of years.  Created at the hands of guild craftsmen who spent years perfecting their skills, their finest guns were masterpieces fit for royalty.  Today, the guild system is gone but fine craftsmanship still exists and it can be seen in the products turned out by the 40-year old Daystate Company of Staffordshire, England.

What makes me wax nostalgic like this is the loan from Airguns of Arizona of a Huma Regulated Huntsman Regal XL in .177 to review.  The latest iteration of the classic Daystate Huntsman, the Regal doesn’t disappoint.  Collaborating with Dutch pneumatic specialist company, Huma, Daystate incorporates their well-known regulator into the Huntsman.  It metes out an exact measure of air for each shot, giving shot-to-shot consistency and efficiently utilizing the available high-pressure air.  Daystate indicates it helps increase shots per fill by as much as 70 percent.  An additional gauge embedded in the stock shows the regulator pressure. 

The XL designation refers to the high-power version above 12fpe only sold outside the UK (or to UK owners having a firearms license for it).  We Americans tend to subscribe to the “more power” theory and the XL meets our criteria by cranking out 18fpe in .177 caliber.  With Huma regulation, a shooter can expect 60 full-power shots from a 230 Bar (3300 psi) charge in its 162cc air reservoir.

Fitted to a beautiful, oiled walnut right-handed sporter stock with a monte-carlo style cheekpiece, it will provide the lover of classically styled airguns much to admire.  A contrasting black grip cap and traditional style rubber buttpad that harkens back to an earlier age provide additional style points.  Nicely done checkering on the pistol grip and fore-end area adds further elegance and excellent gripping surface.  The action sits lower in this stock to more closely mimic a traditional hunting firearm and the fit and finish are superb, as would be expected on an airgun in this price range.  Daystate offers an option for left-handed shooters as well.  Lest I sound like a totally infatuated fanboy, my only negative comment regards the polymer trigger guard.  My view is it diminishes a top-quality high-end air rifle. 

A bolt-action repeater, it is fed by a 10-round rotary magazine; a single-shot tray also comes with the rifle.  Both use neodymium magnets to hold them in place while in use.  The receiver houses the patented Harper Slingshot hammer system to operate the valve.  A self-adjusting system, it compensates for declining pressure in the reservoir to prevent wasting of air.  The receiver is mated with a 17-inch match-grade barrel that sports an Airstream carbon fiber moderator on its threaded muzzle giving an overall length to the gun of 36.5 inches.  Weight without optics is almost 6.5 pounds making for a light but powerful platform. 

The two-stage curved metal trigger has a smooth face and is adjustable for both weight and length of pull as well as angle of the trigger blade.  The safety is a manual type at the back of the receiver with a large red disk that is rotated away from the red dot to place it “on safe” and block the trigger from moving.  It is easily manipulated without the shooter having to shift hand position.

Daystate recently upgraded their warranty from 3-years to 5 years and it is transferable to a new owner. The full color instruction booklet is easy to follow plus includes an exploded view diagram of all parts.  Also included with the rifle is a completed Test Sheet showing velocity and power results plus a Quality Control checklist.  MSRP is listed at:  $1299 and AofA carries the full line of Daystate airguns.  Details on how well it performed in Part II.

Yes, the Diana Outlaw PCP air rifle is good! I found it very easy and comfortable to shoot. 

At a Street Price of $499.99, the Outlaw is priced between the rash of $300 PCPs and the more traditional $1,000-ish starting point for the premium brands.

Probably the Benjamin Marauder is the gun to beat at the price. Compared to the Outlaw, the Marauder has a better trigger, is quieter and can’t be blank-fired with a magazine in place. But the Diana has a far more consistent regulated shot count, side lever action and more sophisticated looks.

In itself, this comparison to the Marauder means that the Diana Outlaw offers very good value for money. That’s always been the Marauder’s strong suit and the Outlaw clearly trades punches with the long-established champion in performance, value and quality.

The stock design worked well for me, even though there is no adjustable buttpad or cheekpiece, as is now becoming common in similarly-priced PCP air rifles.

The Outlaw has a two-stage trigger. Sear release is predictable and the overall effect quite pleasant. Pull weight averaged a comfortable 1 Lb 11 Oz on test.

The cocking lever works well and easily. Again, it’s less slick than that of more expensive PCPs, but it’s definitely better than any bolt action I can think of. 

There was a definite roughness in chambering some pellets, primarily the alloys, FTTs and Baracudas. However, that clearly made no difference to accuracy so far as the heavier H&N pellets were concerned. Heavy, 21.14 Grain H&N Baracuda Match pellets turned-in the best accuracy of any I shot!

At 25 Yards, the 10-shot test group was very respectable at about 0.3-Inches center-to-center using a scope at 9X magnification.

Muzzle Energy also peaked at 31.11 Ft/Lbs with Baracudas. However, it’s likely that many owners of the Diana Outlaw will choose to shoot mid-weight lead pellets in the 14 – 15 Grain range, they will see a Muzzle Energy of around 28 – 29 Ft/Lbs. That’s fine for much airgun hunting.

Accuracy was very good or better with 14.3 Grain and heavier pellets. As is frequently the case with quality PCP air rifles, the lighter pellets did not perform so well.

The Diana Outlaw has a regulated action. I tested this using JSB-manufactured Daystate Rangemaster, 15.9 Grain pellets. The result was a good, consistent Muzzle Velocity for 49 shots. 

From shot 50, pressure had fallen sufficiently that the regulator was no longer activated. The FPS then dropped steadily from shot-to-shot, as is expected and you can see in the graph below.

The top of the breech is grooved with standard airgun dovetails. As there’s minimal recoil when firing, a Weaver/Picatinny mount is not required.

The magazine does protrude above the top of the breech. However, there’s still sufficient clearance for the scope above the clip, even when using medium height rings.

One issue is that the magazine is loaded from the left side of the gun. This may cause issues with large diameter scope sidewheels, so the new owner should check this aspect before selecting a scope.

Weight of the Outlaw I tested was 6 Lbs 10 Oz without scope. This compares to the 7 Lbs 5 Oz of a synthetic Marauder. 

This relatively light weight and svelte size of the Outlaw means that a mid-size scope – like an Aztec Emerald – is ideal. Bigger, heavier scopes run the risk of making the rig top heavy. 

The Outlaw’s magazine is an interesting, quite complex design. It has an 11-shot capacity in .22 caliber, one more than many competitive products. It feels robust and substantial in construction. 

It’s also easy to load without the need to hold back a sprung cover plate, as is often the case with other rotary magazines, due to an internal ratcheting system.

However, it does not block the action when all pellets are used and there’s no pellet counter. This means that it’s necessary to keep count of the shots fired to avoid a blank discharge.

The magazine worked well in testing. It slides easily and slickly into the breech, being retained in place by a magnet. Capacity is 13 pellets in .177 cal, 11 in .22 and 9 pellets in .25 caliber.

The Outlaw is an attractive air rifle with an elegant look. Machining finish is very good, with most metal parts having a uniform, black matt  finish.

The stock has a simple design with no unnecessary curves or shaping. Wood finish is generally good and smooth, with areas of  machine-made “checkering” on the forend and pistol grip to aid a good grip. 

The expected rubber buttpad seemed well-shaped and comfortable against the shoulder.

The Diana Outlaw uses a probe filling system to charge it with High Pressure Air. Personally, I’m not a fan of fill probes due to the lack of standardisation and potential opportunity for dirt to enter the gun through an open probe port. 

However, the Outlaw’s probe-filling system is by far the best I have yet seen!

Firstly, the probe itself has a standard “Foster” quick disconnect on the other end. This enables it to be connected directly to the standard female quick disconnect fitting found on HPA tanks and pumps without the usual, annoying need for an additional adapter. 

This makes it quick and easy to use, particularly for owners with other PCPs having a standard male fill nipple.

Secondly, the cover for the fill port is spring-loaded. It’s pulled forward to insert the fill probe, then released back after filling. This is a far better solution – in my opinion – than the more common separate screw-thread or push-in cover for the fill port.

Now there’s no chance of losing or dropping the cover and the fill port itself is automatically protected from the possible ingress of dirt! This is a first-rate feature that we have not seen on other PCP air rifles.

Overall, the Diana Outlaw may be the best $500 PCP air rifle in the market today. Airguns of Arizona has them in stock, so you can get yours today

ART stands for Accuracy Research Team. It’s a Daystate team guided by strict approval and testing protocols. Its role is to improve, wherever possible, the accuracy and performance of Daystate’s products and to do it with passion!

Designing a complete new airgun barrel is a task not often attempted. It’s tough, laborious and time-consuming, involving multiple engineers, developers and testers – not to mention costly. For it’s not just engineering involved here: there’s a real art in shooting barrels under development and interpreting the results.

So to read this “inside story” on how a complete new airgun barrel designed is created and tested is a rare treat. Especially when that barrel is the product of one of airgun’s leading manufacturers – Daystate.

The first ART project had a goal that was simple yet tough. Develop the best airgun barrel on earth for accuracy at long ranges!

Below. The first Daystate model to feature the ART barrel is planned to be the new Red Wolf Safari. This was launched at the 2019 IWA Outdoor Classics exhibition in Germany. Robert Buchanan of AoA shows us the new gun at this show.

ART Barrel Project Kickoff

It all started at the 2018 SHOT Show in Las Vegas. This was the venue for a meeting including Daystate, and it’s US distributor Airguns of Arizona.

The discussion centered around longer and heavier pellets. These are being developed to take full advantage of the ever-increasing power of PCP air rifles marketed in the USA. With this increasing power comes demand for increased accuracy at ever longer ranges. It was felt that this effect was especially marked with larger calibers at higher muzzle energies.

The outcome of the meeting was agreement to develop a new long range, high power barrel for Daystate. This would be not only a multi-disciplinary team, but an international one as well, with participants in England, Italy and the USA. It would also require a significant investment in both time and tooling costs.

The project would be especially tough given the benchmark against which the new ART barrel would be measured. This was to be Daystate’s existing polygonal design, a barrel already known for its long range accuracy capabilities. 

ART In .177 And .22 Calibers

Based on the initial meeting, a run of barrels was produced with multiple different internal profiles: choke, length, bore diameter etc. Each profile was identified by a letter. To ensure objectivity in the testing stage, one profile was actually the current polygonal barrel, but the testers didn’t know which one!

This testing concluded that the performance of Daystate’s current, 17-inch match-grade .177 and .22 caliber barrels could not be improved for shooting lead pellets at power levels up to 45 Ft/Lbs. The excellent results achieved by high-power models in competitions such as the 2018 Extreme Benchrest and the US FT Championships (among others) reinforced that view.

However, the ART project did identify one opportunity. It seemed that improved performance in high power .25 caliber was possible. The team focused on this with a vengeance!

Below. It’s not easy to photograph the bore of a barrel. But this is what the ART Polygonal barrel looks like…

ART in .25 Caliber

Both English and US testing teams now concentrated on testing .25 caliber barrels for long range accuracy and pellet tolerance.

This .25 caliber testing was undertaken with Daystate Red Wolf HP and Wolverine R HP air rifles, set to standard factory power levels. Each barrel was rigorously tested with the rifles fired from bags on a solid bench and also with an Atlas bi-pod attached.

The guns were shot indoors and outside at 50 and 100 yards. A wide range of popular pellets were tested. Everything was documented. Hundreds of hours were spent testing on multiple days and different weather conditions in this trans-Atlantic search for the most accurate and the least pellet sensitive .25 caliber barrel.

It was easy to eliminate half of the barrels. The tough work was sorting out the remainder as one day a barrel would shoot better than the next. A cleaning regiment was followed to ensure that science would dictate the results.

Below. Here’s a close-up view of the new Red Wolf Safari.

Once the shooting tests had been completed, the results were compared. The results were identical on both sides of the Atlantic. Two of the barrel profiles showed the best performance.

But that was far from the end of the project!

ART Stage Two

All of the results were shared and discussed thoroughly. Then stage two began! Another run of 23-inch long, .25 caliber barrels was produced, using the two favored profiles with variations in choke.

Now the testing started all over again, but with ranges stretching out past 200 Yards. Interestingly, the best results did not come from indoor testing, but from shooting outdoors in light winds.

At 100 Yards, it was easy to stack pellet on pellet with the best barrels. Pellets were touching at 190 Yards range. This was exciting stuff for the test teams!

Below. The UK test team also had a little fun, such as hitting exploding targets at 100 Yards!

Again, both US and English test results matched. The result was clear. The new Daystate ART .25 caliber barrel profile had been found.

This ART barrel is now a Daystate proprietary recipe and is being incorporated into future production plans. ART barrels can be retro-fitted into existing guns to provide current owners with the ultimate in accuracy, if required.

Of course, you will be able to buy ART barrel-fitted air rifles from Airguns of Arizona. I suggest you give them a phone call to find out the latest update on deliveries…

For ART, This Is Just The Beginning

Now the ART team is applying its passion and expertise to .303 caliber barrels. Look for the forthcoming .303 caliber Daystate Red Wolf Safari to be released with an ART barrel. There will be more airgun ART from Daystate in future!

Airguns of Arizona has announced that this years’s Extreme Benchrest will take place from October 10 – 13, 2019. It’s going to be the best ever, says “Mister AoA”, Robert Buchanan!

The venue will be the Rio Salado Shooting Range in Mesa AZ, the range that has hosted the EBR for several years past.

And yes, EBR 2019 will have the highest Extreme Benchrest prize money ever. The total value of the prizes to be awarded will be over $34,000. Wow!

And there’s more…

The first 120 contestants to register for EBR 2019 will receive a free PhoneSkope riflescope adapter – a $175 value. That represents a $21,000 value above and beyond the highest Extreme Benchrest prize money ever!

As always, there’s a limit to the number of shooters who can participate in this famous annual airgun shooting event. So, if you want a chance of winning your share of this huge prize pot, it’s best to register now. You can sign-up online to attend Extreme Benchrest 2019 at this page.

The format of Extreme Benchrest 2019 will be familiar to many, but has some interesting new twists. Of course, there will be the 100 Yard Extreme Benchrest competition itself. There’s also a 50 yard Benchrest open class and 50 yard Benchrest Spring class.

Then there’s the Speed Silhouette and two Big Bore challenges, too. Plus the American Field Target competition. Oh, and an indoor pistol competition, too. Below, we see Tom Adams competing in American Field Target last year.

As usual, competitors for each course of fire are divided into “Pro” and “Sportsmans” classes. This gives the maximum opportunity for prize-winning, particularly for new competitors.

The One Gun Challenge is an additional attraction. For this, shooters must use the same gun, in the same caliber, with the same scope. Prizewinners will have the highest combined scores from the EBR, 50 Yard Benchrest, Speed Silhouette and American Field Target competitions.

For full details, check out the Extreme Benchrest website. There’s an online contact form available, should you have questions.

The 2018 Extreme Benchrest Pro class was won by Claudio Flores from Chile. He used a .22 caliber Brocock Bantam Sniper HP air rifle. That’s Claudio above. Who will win this year and with what air rifle? The best way to know is to be there and experience EBR 2019 yourself!

And did we mention that EBR 2019 will have the highest Extreme Benchrest prize money ever?

To get a feel for EBR, check out the 2018 Extreme Benchrest video review.

As always, the entire Airguns of Arizona team looks forward to seeing you there!

In part I of my blog on the Huntsman Regal XL you heard me gush about the visual appeal and describe its many features. I gotta admit I’m unashamed to say I’m a fanboy of the Daystate line.

So, how did it perform when I kicked the tires? As to be expected with a high-end airgun, especially a Daystate, exceedingly well. First, it was paired with an MTC Optics Mamba Lite 4-16x42mm scope and SportsMatch High Range mounts with a side parallax wheel available from AofA. A handsome combination that performed very well together.

Let’s talk about the trigger. It is an adjustable two-stage affair that broke at one pound, 4 ounces right out of the box. The movement was smooth as glass and it broke crisply. The user also has the ability to adjust the cant of the trigger face if desired.

The cocking bolt requires a strong pull to cock the hammer spring and that takes a bit of getting used compared to the toggle style side cocking levers on some high-end airguns. The magazine is a rotary spring-loaded unit that is easy to load, even with fat fingers like mine.

Most PCPs on the market these days come equipped with some sort of sound moderator. Daystate now makes their own suppressors in-house and the one fitted to this Regal XL is a carbon fiber model that really does its job. PCP’s in .177 aren’t terribly noisy to begin with, and this one is an absolute pleasure to shoot because of the low report, adding to the shooting enjoyment of this rifle.

The Regal XL seemed to like most of the pellets I fed it with the exception of H&N Rabbit Magnum II 15.74 grain pellets. Possibly because they are so heavy, I can’t be sure. However, I could not get them to group well.  I’m not a great shot by any stretch of the imagination; still, at 75 feet I got some good groups. Close enough that your confidence should be high in using this rifle for pest control with just about any premium pellet. Predator Polymags 8 grain pellets were leaving the barrel at an average of 947fps equating to an energy level of 15.93fpe. They also exhibited the lowest extreme spread between shots out of the group of pellets used. Rifle Brand Premium Pointed pellets of 9.72 grains went downrange at an average of 896fps generating an energy of 17.33fpe. They also grouped well with some shots touching. H&N Baracuda Hunter Extremes at 9.57 grains traveling at 926fps produced 18.23fpe although they spread out a bit more. On a windless day with a better shooter behind the stock, all of the shots would most likely be touching.

Just for comparison, light (5.5 grain) Predator GTO lead-free wadcutters went zipping along at an average of 1068fps. These light pellets also grouped extremely well making this combination of gun and pellet a contender for indoor competitions where lead pellets are banned.

These are definitely airguns you will be proud to pass down to children or grandchildren for their shooting enjoyment (assuming our grandchildren still have the right to own a gun of any type. Support gun rights organizations and vote when the time comes! If firearms are outlawed, airguns will be targeted next. I’ll get off my soapbox now…). The great folks at AofA can certainly assist you in obtaining one of these, or any of the Daystate line, to become one of your family heirlooms.

The LCS SK-19 is a revolutionary PCP air rifle that will soon be available at Airguns of Arizona. It is a selective fire model which offers full auto and semi-automatic operation!

There’s a built-in 19-shot rotary magazine and Lothar Walther barrel with a choice of .22 and .25 calibers. The SK-19 is regulated, of course, giving a claimed 110 shots per fill in .22 cal and 90 in .25 caliber.

I have shot a SK-19. This gun certainly works! I found that brief dabs on the trigger gave accurate 3-5 shot bursts that were very controllable on the full auto setting.

Of course, the standout feature of this hammerless semi-auto and full auto air rifle is the high rate of fire! LCS Air Arms says that this air rifle can empty the 19-shot magazine in under 3 seconds. That’s a fire rate of around 6 shots per second in full auto mode.

The LCS SK-19 is claimed by the manufacturer to chamber the longest pellets and slugs in both .22 and .25 calibers without problems.

The barrels are supplied by Lothar Walther. They are covered with a carbon fiber style shroud and silencer for low muzzle report.

The regulator is adjustable using a small knob. This is located just above the rear of the 480cc carbon fiber HPA tank. Filling is by an industry-standard 1/8 Inch NPT quick disconnect.

There are two pressure gauges. One indicates the main tank pressure. The other shows the pressure of the regulated air.

In addition to adjusting the regulator, the power level can be altered using the wheel on the underside at the rear of the action.

As the LCS SK-19 utilizes a fixed magazine, safe gun handling is a priority! Of course – as with any gun – the emphasis must be on the shooter to be safe.

However, the manufacturer has provided this full auto air rifle with no less than two safeties. One doubles as the fire selector control, to switch between full auto and semi-auto mode.

Additionally, the design gives considerable access to the fixed magazine. After shooting, this mag can be rotated manually to check that it is completely empty and confirm clear.

The LCS Air Arms SK-19 full auto air rifle is being sold by Airguns of Arizona. They report that Muzzle Energy is up to 60 Ft/Lbs in .25 caliber. So this is also a powerful airgun.

In common with the tactical design of the gun, there are two Picatinny rails. The top one is for scope mounting, the lower for adding a bipod to the SK-19.

The bullpup design means that the SK-19 is fairly compact and not too heavy. Overall length is 35 Inches and weight 7.75 Lbs.

Finally, many potential customers will be pleased to hear that the SK-19 is assembled in the USA.

Currently, Airguns of Arizona is taking deposits for customer orders from the first delivery. I hear they’re going fast!

If you are a PCP shooter and don’t have a SCUBA shop or other HPA air supplier readily at hand, refilling can be a bit of a challenge. Sure, there are quality hand pumps available for very reasonable prices, and they work great to top off the air reservoirs on airguns. Wouldn’t you rather be shooting than spending time pumping or driving back and forth to the SCUBA shop?

There are multiple portable compressors now available on the market for the PCP enthusiast and and prices are coming down commensurate with the smaller sizes. Measuring 13.75 by 12.25 by 6.75 inches and weighing approximately 28 pounds, it is air and water cooled. This design provides a longer working life by efficiently dissipating the heat generated by the work the compressors is doing. A four-stage pump design, it runs on 12 volts DC. A voltage inverter is supplied so the unit can also be used with either 110/220 AC house voltage. A six-foot long cable is built in for connecting the unit to a car battery while in the field. A user-adjustable pin system inside the pressure gauge is used to automatically stop the unit once the desired pressure is reached.

Operation is easy and straight-forward: the provided high pressure microbore hose is unwound from the reel and the test plug removed from the female Foster quick-connector and stored for later retrieval. Supply power to the unit, close the bleed valve on the Trail Charger and flip the main power switch. The water pump and fan will start. Next make sure the gauge arm is set to the proper pressure to automatically shut off the unit. Some PCP airguns may require the user to cock the gun in order to fill and if filling a tank, be sure to open the tank valve slowly and completely. To start compression, simply press the illuminated green button.

The Trail Charger is remarkably quiet in operation. For larger fills it would be wise to stay near the machine checking that the water pump is working and monitoring the recommended duty cycle of 30 minutes on, 20 minutes off. There is an illuminated red stop button if you need to stop the compressor. The gauge on the Trail Charger goes up to 6000psi, however the instructions indicate the designed maximum pressure is 350 bar.

These units are typically designed to provide HPA for airgun reservoirs or air tanks only. The Trail Charger literature alludes its design provides for high purity air with extremely low oil and water content with no carbon dioxide or other harmful gases; making this air usable for human consumption. Additional testing might be wise prior to using it for that purpose.

Even though there is an onboard moisture filter, when air is being compressed to these high levels, any water molecules are being compressed at the same time. You don’t want this moisture to enter your airgun or air storage tanks as it will have a corrosive effect over time.  If investing in a portable air compressor, consider additional moisture filtration.

Available from my friends at airgunsofarizona.com, the Trail Charger retails at $800. Along with several wrenches for assembly/disassembly, it comes with extra grease in a syringe, extra O-rings, burst discs and parts to perform a reseal. A one-year limited warranty covers the buyer. Additionally, AofA can help with after-market moisture filtration questions or needs.

Labradar is a system that measures the velocity of multiple projectiles, including airgun pellets as well as bullets fired from firearms. It measures pellet velocities to an accuracy of 0.1% and offers some interesting benefits for airgunners!

Most serious air rifle shooters are familiar with the benefits of a chronograph – being able to measure the velocity of a fired pellet. Labradar takes this one stage further. It uses a different technology to chronographs and offers the potential benefit of being able to monitor the pellet’s velocity at more than one point during its flight.

Traditional chronographs measure a pellet’s speed using photo electric sensors. Labradar does it using a Doppler radar system.

This means Labrador is the ideal tool to determine those Ballistic Coefficient values for your specific airgun, pellet and location. It can also aid the hunter by indicating exactly how much kinetic energy is available at specific distances downrange.

Labradar is supplied securely packaged in a nicely-printed box. The unit itself looks something like a digital theodolite. It’s designed to be used on a photographic tripod.

Alternatively, it can be attached to a Bench Mount, which is sold as a separate item. The Labradar unit screws into the 1/4-inch x 20 thread on top of the ball mount.

In order to be used with an airgun, there’s an accessory microphone kit that amplifies the sound. This is particularly necessary with silenced air rifles and allows the unit to sense the shot being fired. The Airgun Trigger Adapter clips to the side of the main unit in use.

For power, Labradar requires 6 x AA batteries. Alternatively it can be powered by a portable cellphone battery pack.

Labradar provides a readout of velocity on the built-in LCD screen. But the power of the system is really utilized to the full if it’s connected to a computer. In that way, a large amount of data can be downloaded into a spreadsheet for subsequent analysis and manipulation.

If you plan to use the computer download capability, you’ll also need to add additional memory. This takes the form of a SDHC card. This is the type of card that’s used to record photographs in digital cameras. Only a small capacity card is required for Labradar.

We found it possible to use an old, redundant, SDHC card from a disused digital camera. You may find the same. Just plug the card into the port in Labradar. After use, remove the card and insert it into a computer. (You may need an additional adapter to do this).

For airgun use, set your Labradar and Airgun Trigger Adapter microphone kit to one side of the muzzle. This records the Muzzle Velocity, as indicated by the instructions.

Because Labradar uses reflected radar waves from the pellet to determine its velocity, it can also be troubled by reflections from the walls and ceiling of a room. So this is a system best suited for outdoor use.

Our testing was undertaken in the open and also on an outdoor 55-yard rifle range. Like most rifle ranges, this one had a system of overhead baffles downrange to prevent wayward shooting. These baffles are supported by posts.

We tested Labradar in a lane next to the post supports. The system worked perfectly and was not disturbed by the baffles or posts, as we had suspected it might be. Our concern was that the radar waves would be reflected back from the baffles and posts, giving false readings. This did not happen!

Another concern we had for Labradar to record airgun pellet velocities was that it would not be able to detect the noise of a silenced air rifle. For this test, we used a Benjamin Marauder in .177 caliber – our “gold standard” for low noise levels. Again, no problem!

Even without being set to its most sensitive setting, we were able to get Labradar to record airgun pellet velocities from the Marauder without any issues.

The manufacturer’s specifications for Labradar to record airgun pellet velocities say that the maximum range is 30 yards. This is due to the small size of the pellet, not being able to reflect back enough of the radar waves at longer distances.

However, we had no problems with Labradar to record airgun pellet velocities at ranges out to 55 Yards. That’s nearly twice the manufacturer’s claims. Maybe it could even have functioned at even greater distances, but this was the length of the range at which we were shooting the test.

Labradar recorded the distance to the target on the 55 Yard range as being exactly 55.0 Yards. We double-checked this by using a digital rangefinder. This confirmed the range as being 55.0 Yards.

Incidentally, the system needs to be preset to record certain maximum and minimum velocities. There’s no specific “airgun” setting for muzzle velocities in Labradar, but the “Handgun” setting is ideal for our purposes covered the range from 246 FPS to 1,722 FPS.

The system’s display screen will show the Muzzle Velocity, plus pellet velocities at the other distances you have preset.

The built-in menu system works well. For example, you can preset distances to be 10, 20, 50, 40 50 Yards.

If you want to use Labradar to record airgun pellet velocities at almost foot-by-foot distances downrange, it can do that too. Labradar has the capability to record the data for each shot on the SDHC storage card. Using the SD card, the data for hundreds – or even thousands – of shots can be recorded and stored.

Again, we found that the SD card functionality worked well. We were able to take the Labradar data and download it into a PC. It then opened-up easily in the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet program, allowing for easy analysis and charting of the data, if required.

Not being PC users, we also tried to download the SD card data onto one of our Mac computers. This was less successful. Although the Mac could see the SD card, we were not able to download the data into the Apple Numbers spreadsheet program.

However, we did find a simple workaround. We copied the Excel file from the PC, loaded it into the Mac and were able to use the data in Apple Numbers by that route.

Really the only downsides to Labradar are the fact that it cannot be used in most indoor situations and that we found it will not detect .177 caliber alloy pellets. Why? Don’t ask us, it just doesn’t…

But neither of these downsides will be real limitations for most users. This is a great product!

The MTC Optics Rapier Ballistic Laser Rangefinder is an interesting and useful accessory from the British company.

A laser rangefinder is an essential device for the serious airgun hunter. It can also come in very useful for sighting-in and working-out holdover for the Field Target enthusiast. This is a good one and now Airguns of Arizona has it on sale at nearly $100 off!

With a minimum focusing range of 5 Yards, this MTC rangefinder has a claimed maximum range of 1,300 Yards. We tested it out measuring ranges in comparison to a long surveyor’s tape out to 50 Yards. The readings were spot on!

Like most laser rangefinders, the MTC Optics Rapier Ballistic Laser Rangefinder is a small, portable unit. It’s not much larger than a tin of pellets, as you can see from our photograph above. It also comes complete with a comprehensive range of accessories.

The clamshell case can be fixed to your belt by the included carabiner. There’s also a wrist strap which can be attached to the rangefinder for security.

The MTC Optics Rapier Ballistic Laser Rangefinder can be used in two ways. As a stand-alone rangefinder, or as a complete, computerized, ballistic correction system.

1. Using the MTC Laser Rangefinder as a stand alone device.

The first is to simply take it out of the box, install the battery and press the red button on top. Looking through the viewfinder eyepiece, the rangefinder immediately springs to life and records the range of the target you aim at using the reticle.

If you want to select a different reticle pattern, or change measurements from Yards to Meters, this is achieved by pressing the two buttons on top, as explained by the instruction manual.

But this MTC rangefinder can be used in a different way, too…

2. Using it as a complete ballistic correction system.

While the MTC Optics Rapier Ballistic Laser Rangefinder can be used “just” as a simple rangefinder, it has huge capabilities beyond this.

To discover and use these capabilities requires you to use a smartphone – iPhone or Android. Download the free Rapier Ballistic Calculator App onto your phone and get ready for a whole new world of computerized shooting assistance!

There’s a link to this from AoA’s product page for the rangefinder.

First it’s essential to understand that once the MTC Laser Rangefinder has been connected to the Rapier Ballistic Calculator App, the rangefinder will be controlled by the phone. You will press the red “fire” button on the rangefinder itself, but everything else will happen on your phone, including turning the rangefinder off after use.

Next, check that the MTC Rapier App has correctly downloaded onto your phone (below, left). Then you MUST go through the “Using The Rangefinder” setup steps, as described on pages 5 and 6 of the manual, even if you are happy with the way the MTC Optics Rapier Ballistic Laser Rangefinder works out of the box.

This allows you to make a Bluetooth pairing between the rangefinder and your phone.

Having achieved Bluetooth pairing, you need to tell the MTC App the type of air rifle, scope and pellet you are using. The screen below left shows how to do this. As part of this setup, you’ll need to input the Ballistic Coefficient for the pellet. Time to find that from the Hard Air Magazine Ballistic Coefficients page , for example…

Repeat the same process to tell the App about the other airgun/pellet/scope combinations you will be using. (Hit the + button on the right screen, below). You can select the one you want when you’re ready to shoot.

The App will provide details of holdover based on the sighted-in (Zero) distance and other details you fed into the phone. Obviously they will be visible on your phone’s screen (we’ll see the display screen below), but they are also given audibly as well.

That’s a great feature, but what about if you’re hunting? Simply pair the included earpiece with your phone and you can listen to the instructions. That way the prey is not spooked and you don’t even have to look at the phone to understand the holdover required.

The Audio menu can be configured to speak just the range, or any other combination of information the MTC Optics Rapier Ballistic Laser Rangefinder generates. (See below, left).

Other settings include the angular units for your scope’s reticle (above right) and the environmental settings at the time you’re shooting (screens below). As you can see, the MTC App can even retrieve current weather automatically from the Internet if you wish!

So, finally, let’s look at the output display screen of the App (below). The range, target angle and appropriate holdover corrections are all indicated on this screen – and can be spoken to you as we discussed above.

You can also see if your rangefinder has been discovered by the App (the top bar) and the output selection you have made (next bar down). The third bar confirms the scope unit settings you selected and the one below shows the gun.scope/pellet combination profile you’re using now.

Below that is the graphic display for holdover, range, weather etc. That 10 min indicator shows the time before the rangefinder will automatically be switched off. You can change it, naturally.

If you choose to “go the whole hog” and benefit from this great App, it will take a little set-up time, of course. However the results are well worth it for the excellent, comprehensive and immediate results you will achieve when using the MTC Optics Rapier Ballistic Laser Rangefinder in the field.

And did we mention that AoA has this rangefinder at a close to a $100 saving right now?

Great things come in small packages is an old adage that rings true for this little rifle. Introduced about a year ago, it is the first dedicated PCP for youthful shooters.  BSA had their thinking caps on when looking at the market and realizing that if an adult is already shooting PCPs and has kids, then the infrastructure (tanks, hand pumps, compressor) is already in place so getting this PCP for junior is a natural step. 

This .177 version is available in two power ranges: 6 ft-lb. or 12 ft-lb.  It is purpose-built to introduce youth or small statured folks to PCP shooting and does an admirable job.  Based off of the BSA Ultra series of guns, and even utilizing some parts from the big brother, it has an overall length of 27 inches.  The barrel length is 11.8 inches of cold hammer forged steel made in-house at the Birmingham factory and comes with ½ UNF threaded muzzle with protective cap.  The scaled down sporter style Beech stock is made by Minelli and exudes class.  Nicely finished, it has laser cut checkering on the pistol grip and fore-end. As a bonus, as your young shooter grows, the Ultra JSR stock can be swapped into a full-sized Ultra model synthetic stock.  The metal is done in a matte finish.  The weight, without optics, comes in at 5.7 pounds.  Adding the MTC Mamba Lite 4-16x42mm scope and a Trident suppressor brought the package up to 7.1 pounds, a tad heavy for a child, but it balanced very well.  Of course, in .177 the Ultra JSR is pretty backyard friendly without a suppressor if the additional weight is a factor.  Assuming it will be used to introduce junior shooters to PCPs, most likely that will be done from a shooting bench so weight would not be as important as ease of loading and shooting, which the Ultra JSR excels at.  It is supplied with an easy to load spring loaded 10-round magazine. The bolt action is smooth and does not require a lot of force so kids will have no problems there. An adjustable 2-stage trigger is smooth and crisp and broke at 1 pound, 4.6 ounces after a long first stage takeup. There is no anti-double feed capability so don’t work the bolt more than once with a loaded magazine.  The safety is a lever on the left side of the receiver, with a large “S” and “F” so it is easy for the shooter to quickly tell which mode the airgun is in.  The rearmost position is safe and blocks the trigger. It was a bit stiff at first and can’t easily be manipulated without changing the shooting grip.

The under-barrel reservoir fills to a maximum of 232 bar, or 3365psi, and should give up to 40 shots per fill in the 12 ft-lb. version. More than twice that could be expected from the 6 ft-lb. model, thanks to the proprietary “StrikeFast” valve.

Although a bit unwieldy for me to shoot as a 6-foot adult, I managed to put 5 Crosman 7.5 grain pointed pellets into a ragged 2-hole grouping at 20 yards.  The pellets were travelling at an average of 537fps.  Imagine what a kid with good coaching and this air rifle could do!

All-in-all a sweet little package that really delivers on everything you would expect for an air rifle designed to start youths in the world of PCP shooting.  You can thank Robert Buchanan, owner of Airguns of Arizona for bringing these quality air rifles to our shores through his company Precision Airgun Distribution; as BSA imports and support were lacking here in the colonies.  Although quality doesn’t come cheap at an MSRP of $599.99 for the 6 ft-lb. model and $699.99 for the 12 ft-lb., you are getting the 150+ year BSA know-how along with all the modern steels, alloys and technology benefits backed by a 2-year, nontransferable warranty.  If adding a suppressor is of interest, AofA can help there as well with the Trident and 0dB lines they carry.

In our photograph above, we see Robert Buchanan from Airguns of Arizona with the Concept Lite at its launch during the 2019 IWA Show in Germany. Now it’s available and shipping from AoA.

The Brocock Concept Lite is positioned as a ‘modular gun platform” – that’s a concept that started with assault rifles, and has now spread to airguns.

Brocock claims that the Concept Lite is the most solid platform available for building a true tactical, firearm-grade air rifle system. The full-length backbone “chassis” machined from a solid piece of aircraft-grade Aluminum has a lot yo do with that.

To check this out, I spent some time working with a Concept Lite and customizing it to my taste. Above, you can see some of the additions I made. Now we’ll look at them in more detail…

Of course we need a scope! One option is to mount a MTC Mamba Lite scope, as above. Or an Aztec Optics 5.5 – 25 x 50 scope with Sportsmatch rings, below.

Alternatively, the Leapers Bugbuster could be a compact choice to match the small dimensions of the Concept Lite. (It’s particularly compact when that stock is collapsed into the closed position).

A bipod is a natural accessory to mount to the lower Picatinny rail.

There’s horizontal and vertical sling slots in the sliding buttstock. Then all you need is a Picatinny-fitting sling swivel for the front and the Concept Lite is ready for comfortable carry in the field. (If you have no need for the side accessory rails, they’re easily removed using the visible machine screws).

The shrouded barrel is tipped with a removable barrel nut. Removing this, the very cool-looking Brocock ported Muzzle Brake would be an ideal upgrade!

Brocock says that the pistol grip accepts standard AK47-type replacements, should you wish. So, using a 5 mm Allen wrench, I removed the very nice factory pistol grip.

Just to prove the point, I then installed a Chicom grip from an old AK47 firearm. Yip, it fits, but I much prefer the look of the Brocock factory part!

And there’s many more possibilities for this versatile, compact, yet solid-feeling air rifle.

Step one – of course – is to get your own Brocock Concept Lite and take it from there!