For all those of you who have been asking for a high capacity magazine to fit Daystate air rifles, here’s the answer…

Airguns of Arizona is now stocking Midwest Elite Airgun high capacity magazines. These fit the Daystate Red Wolf, Pulsar, Renegade and Wolverine 2 air rifles. And they’ve been field-tested in action at the 2022 Speed Silhouette competition at Extreme Benchrest and passed with flying colors

True, high capacity magazines can be bulky add-ons. But for specialist applications – for example Speed Silhouette competition – they can be a life-saver!

There’s no doubting the capabilities of Midwest Elite Airgun’s high capacity magazine for Daystate air rifles as John Bagakis placed second in the Open Class for Speed Silhouette at Extreme Benchrest in 2022 using one. That’s John with Red Wolf and magazine in our heading photograph above.

Indeed, there were several others using Midwest’s mags in their guns at EBR 2022, including Lauren Parsons (below).

This high capacity magazine has been expertly designed provide you with the highest quality possible, while still fitting perfectly in your gun when using high scope mounts.

It’s a tight fit under the scope, but it DOES fit, so long as the scope turret is avoided.

So let’s have a closer look at Midwest Elite Airgun’s high capacity Daystate magazines…

These mags hold a total of 34 shots in .22 caliber. In .25 cal it’s 29 shots and – even in .30 caliber – it’s 22 shots. That’s a lot of lead!

Midwest’s magazine use a high-tech additive manufacturing process for the main parts. Additive manufacturing is also known as 3D printing and it’s a great way to manufacture precise, robust parts using a variety of raw materials.

The magazine works by using a flexible belt to hold the pellets. This is pre-tensioned using a knob. The knob is locked into position for loading, so that you don’t need three hands!

After the belt is loaded, the lid is flipped down again and you’re ready to load it into the air rifle.

One of the many outstanding capabilities of Midwest Elite Airgun’s high capacity magazine for Daystate air rifles is that it can be mounted on either side of the gun. Installing from the left would be a big advantage for left-handed shooters, although it would obviously not be compatible with a big scope wheel!

Midwest Elite Airgun has produced an excellent instructional video for these magazines. In it you will see an explanation of the system, together with a demonstration of functionality.

Plus you get to hear about all the extremely clever extra features that have been designed-into it by the inventor Chris Smith.

You can buy these high capacity magazines directly from Airguns of Arizona, so you can order one with your next Daystate air rifle!

They’re available in .22 caliber and .25 cal as well.

One of the few disadvantages of Daystate and Brocock (make that BRK) airguns is the relatively limited mag capacity. However that has now been addressed by this high capacity magazine for Daystate air rifles from Midwest Elite Airgun.

The Weihrauch HW90 is a beautiful, powerful and consistent air rifle. It offers an excellent, light trigger, plenty of power and superb quality of construction.

Traditionalists will love the comprehensive iron sights and the beautiful woodwork. While the limited lifetime warranty from Airguns of Arizona gives the comfort of long-term security.

But potential owners need to know that this is a big, heavy air rifle that’s best suited for a big, strong owner. That cocking effort is a real work-out!

The Weihrauch HW90 air rifle is the German manufacturer’s only airgun with a gas ram powerplant. Unlike any other gas ram airgun, it has the built-in capability to change the pressure inside the gas ram – and therefore the power. True, it requires the use of a separate, additional cost, pump and gauge, but it can be done and AoA has them in stock.

The .177 caliber Weihrauch HW90 air rifle I tested delivered a maximum Muzzle Velocity of 1,320 FPS with 5.0 Grain Predator GTO lead-free pellets. As with most gas ram-powered airguns, the lightest pellets also produced the highest Muzzle Energy of 21.35 Ft/Lbs.

As expected, FPS steadily declined with increasing pellet weight. However, the heaviest – 10.65 Grain – H&N Baracuda Match pellets still generated a strong 17.86 Ft/Lbs of Muzzle Energy. They also produced the best accuracy.

At 25 Yards, this HW90 achieved sub-1-inch groups for 10 shots. But the gun feels as if it has more accuracy to give. Weihrauch emphasizes that the HW90 requires a break-in period of several hundred shots before peak performance is attained. So accuracy could well improve with time…

Unlike other Weihrauch break barrels, the HW90 does not use the company’s famed “Rekord” trigger. Instead there’s an “Elite” trigger, with the automatic safety in front of the trigger guard.

The trigger was very smooth and easy to use. There was a clear two-stage feel and the release was very consistent and predictable. This is good!

Then the average Trigger Pull Weight (TPW) was just 1 Lb 11.5 Oz. That’s probably the lowest pull weight that I have ever recorded for a breakbarrel air rifle!

However, that light, easy trigger was offset by the extremely high effort required to cock the gun.

Having a gas ram action, the cocking effort did not increase through the stroke of rotating the barrel. It was high right from the start and continued there. I measured a cocking effort of no less than 45 Lbs!

But – there’s a big but! This test gun was tested at maximum pressure in the gas ram. While that gives the most power, it also causes the cocking effort to be highest, too.

As the Weihrauch HW90 air rifle has that unique adjustable gas ram feature, the cocking effort would be reduced – possibly significantly – if the gun was tuned to perform best with mid-weight lead pellets – say the 8.64 Grain H&N Field Target Trophies.

That’s something I hope to investigate in future…

There are plenty of airgunners who like to shoot using iron sights. For these people, the Weihrauch HW90 air rifle is a joy because it’s fitted with a serious set of traditional open sights. There’s not a fiber optic element to be seen!

The front sight comprises a hooded housing with interchangeable elements. In fact, the manufacturer includes no less than six different interchangeable elements. These are easily interchanged and give the owner a wide variety of options for open-sight shooting.

The rear sight is click-adjustable for elevation and windage, of course.

In addition, the Weihrauch HW90 air rifle can also be fitted with a scope.
The rear of the compression tube is machined with standard airgun rails and there’s no less than three deep scope stop holes. These allow for flexibility in scope mount positioning based on scope size and the user’s eye relief requirements.

For my review, I mounted a Hawke 4-12 x 40 AO scope on the HW90 using a solid, one-piece Leapers UTG mount. This scopes fairly light but has good optical quality and an Adjustable Objective (AO) for focusing down to 10 Yards.

At 12.9-Inches overall length, this is far from the longest scope that it’s possible to mount on the HW90. There was still 1.5 inches gap between the front of the scope and the rear of the barrel, giving plenty of flexibility for scope placement or installing a longer scope.

To obtain a nice low eyeline, we combined a Medium height mount with this one-Inch tube scope. Everything worked-out perfectly, with minimum clearances all round, yet no contact from the scope’s turret box or focusing ring.

The Weihrauch HW90 air rifle is a solidly-built air gun and the weight reflects that. The all-up weight of the test gun and scope was 11 Lbs 5 Oz. This, combined with the heavy weight and long overall length of 45.25 Inches, means that the HW90 is best-suited to a strongly-built shooter. This is not a kid’s gun!

The HW90 air rifle has a simple, classic design. The stock is simple yet comfortable. Although there’s no modern touches such as an adjustable comb to the stock, it was comfortable to shoot.

Note that the HW90 has a stock design that favors right-handed shooters with it’s cheek rest. However it can be shot by left-handers also.

At a price of $669.99, it’s clearly in the upper range of pricing for guns of this type, but if you have the physical strength and physique to manage it, the Weirauch HW90 can be a great classic choice for the connoisseur.

This .30 caliber air rifle is the little brother carbine to the longer Magpul PRS-stocked version with minor give ups for the benefit of the lighter weight and portability in the field. It’s a tactically-styled beauty that is all business with obvious AR-15 DNA, it is no wonder that the grip and “Fixed Carbine” stock are Magpul MOE on the Magnon. Therefore, modding is the name of the game for those that want to swap parts with aftermarket AR-15 compatible components.

Thin and sporty and lightweight, the Magnon is one of several models of PCP air rifles produced by American Air Arms out of southern California. A small company started by an engineer who is an avid airgunner and airgun hunter, Tom Costan, they produce limited numbers each year. This smaller yearly output is a causal effect of the company’s mission and extreme quality. Their mission is to design and create airguns that meet specific vision, purpose and performance goals and are almost 100 percent American made. Except for the barrels, grips and bolts, all other components are designed, manufactured, and assembled in-house, allowing AAA complete control over quality. The outstanding fit and finish makes it easy to see the company is meeting its lofty goals. This airgun exudes quality with the main chassis parts and many components being made from the highest-grade aluminum and finished in matte black. The Magnon model weighs in at a mere six pounds without optics, thanks to the weight-saving benefits of a titanium air reservoir. The 250cc reservoir was made slimmer and thinner without sacrificing structural strength or safety.

Overall, the EVOL Magnon reaches a length of 32.5 inches with 15 inches of that being the shrouded, rifled steel barrel and an additional 5.75 inches for the housing containing the forcing cone air stripper which helps reduce the report. The EVOLs were built from the ground up around the available diabolo pellets and the barrels are optimized at the power levels and caliber weights to provide the best accuracy. The muzzle end is threaded to accept the proprietary air stripper unit (which will not fit other makes of airguns) and the breech end is threaded to screw into a massive lug as part of the breech block. Combined with the shroud, this produces a tensioned barrel system, far superior to barrels secured by set screws and Lock-Tite. In combination with a chamber insert system that ensures consistent transition of pellets into engagement with the rifling, the result is a high level of accuracy due to the consistent repeatability.

Taking a tour starting from the top – the upper picatinny rail is a two-section design that spans the magazine slot with a 2.5-inch rear section and 3.25-inch section in front for a total of 6.25 inches for mounting optics. Additionally, the upper rail incorporates a 40 m.o.a. incline to aid the long-range shooter. An all-metal, 9-round, self-indexing rotary magazine is included with the Magnon, and next up is the buttery-smooth side lever that gives good mechanical advantage for cocking the heavy hammer spring (which is adjustable). The cocking lever is held closed until needed by a neodymium magnet. Sorry lefties, but this one is not swappable. Underneath the barrel is the 14-inch titanium air cylinder incorporating a black (nice touch) QD foster hose fitting on the right side, just opposite of the easily readable one-inch, color-coded pressure gauge marked only in PSI. A fill is to 4000psi. Beneath the air cylinder is a sturdy 10.25-inch picatinny rail to which I immediately attached a UTG folding bipod with extendable legs and 360° swivel capability.  Between the bottom pic rail and the trigger guard sits the regulator pressure gauge. Factory set for optimized results, it is user adjustable and will require a YouTube search for instructions. Just above the pistol grip in a convenient location for either-handed shooters is the ambidextrous safety switch. A sliding switch, it is easily engaged by pressing upward to “Safe”, which blocks the trigger movement. Next comes the curved metal trigger blade that has been left in the white as a nice contrast to the all-black finish. A sweet, adjustable two-stage match trigger, the sample gun had more takeup than I like, but the second stage broke like glass at a feathery 11.3 ounces out of the box.  In order to adjust the trigger, the lower must be separated from the upper and an easy-to-follow YouTube video by Tom Costan is on the web. Lastly, there is the Magpul MOE fixed stock. It provides a 14-inch length-of-pull and incorporates a hole where a QD swivel for a sling can be attached.

The EVOL comes with a three-year warranty that is transferrable. AofA is an authorized repair facility for the entire AAA line so you’d be in good hands should you need warranty service.

Building airguns really is a labor of love for AAA and I imagine that is how they came up with the name for this model (read it backwards…).  In the next installment I’ll report my results behind the EVOL .30 and hope to include some long-range results using NSA slugs depending on the weather and ability to get to the range. In the interim, check out the EVOL lineup on the AofA website.

The intro in Part I gave the nuts and bolts about the EVOL .30. As mentioned, the company behind it, American Air Arms, is dedicated to providing serious airguns that meet specific performance goals and is built in the U.S.A. It is a powerful, yet lightweight contender and with its Magpul furniture, it lends itself to easy modding should an owner decide to get creative.

            Part II will cover my results with the sample rifle loaned by Airguns of Arizona so let’s get started. First, a shout-out to my good friend Travis at Airguns Outdoors in Parker, Colorado, for providing some JSB Hades pellets and NSA slugs in .30 to go along with the JSB Exacts provided by AofA. Knowing the EVOL .30 was built around a 44-grain wasp-waisted diabolo pellet, it was going to be interesting to see how it handled slugs.

The EVOL was topped with the MTC Optics King Cobra 6-24x50mm, a first focal plane scope also loaned from AofA. The King Cobra comes with side parallax adjustment down to 15 yards, locking turrets with resettable verniers, glass-etched crosshair, multi-coated lenses and is built in a 30mm body tube. It is nitrogen purged and fully water, fog, and shock proof. An excellent pairing for the long-range capability of the EVOL and worked equally as well at short ranges. Utilizing a second-generation reticle called the Small Caliber Ballistic (SCB2), the multi-stadia reticle design can be used in range finding and the center crosshair offers six brightness levels of red illumination.

Shooting from a bench at 25 yards using JSB Exact 44.75 grainers, the chrome-moly barrel and extremely light, crisp trigger made me look like a better shooter than I am by yielding monotonously consistent ragged single-hole groups. I did not adjust the regulator from its setting as it arrived (2200psi) and the Exacts were Chronographing at 825fps with a Standard Deviation of 5.3, translating to around 68 foot-pounds of energy.

The JSB Hades, also 44.75 grains, but sporting the 3-section hollow point, provided similar results with the pellets travelling at an average of 815fps and SD of 5.4, yielding 65fpe. Accuracy, as could be expected, was spot on as the results with the Exacts. The difference will be realized by hunters wanting to make ethical shots as the Hades design has a proven track record of excellent expansion and weight retention in tissue.

I realize slugs are designed for longer ranges and the ability to bring more terminal energy, but I was set up to chronograph at my 25-yard range so I ran a string to find what they would do. Nielson Specialty Ammo has built an excellent reputation with their airgun ammo and the EVOL seemed to like these 43.8-grain hollow points very much. Average velocity ran 829fps with an SD of10.9 for an fpe result of 67. Tweaking the regulator should provide even higher velocities and foot-pounds of energy should your type of hunting and quarry require it. Even so, at 25 yards the 43.8 grainers went 1.25 inches into a 2×4 board. Accuracy, again, was excellent at that short range. However, would this combination of barrel and slug hold that accuracy potential at 50 or 100 yards? Unfortunately, that is a question for another time as the weather in my area has not been cooperative.

Final thoughts:  The EVOL .30 Magnon Tactical is a smooth shooting air rifle that really delivers on the promise of American Air Arms. Its barrel shroud and air stripper were extremely effective at taming the bark of this powerhouse. The reservoir gauge starts to red-line at 4000psi and I was able to get around 25 shots before a top-off was required. My only issue with the rifle was that the foster fitting was a little too deeply set into the air cylinder, making connecting the refill hose a little challenging. I did appreciate that the EVOL can be de-cocked by holding back the cocking lever, pulling the trigger, and easing the lever forward. AofA has this particular model listed on their website at $2695. Extra magazines run $98. The King Cobra scope can be found here and lists for $629. They make a fine combination so please reach out to these fine folks to get your hands on your very own EVOL and I’m sure you’ll LOVE it.

The BSA Meteor Super looks beautiful, is superbly-finished and displayed excellent consistency in operation. The trigger is good and the cocking effort smooth and not too heavy.

At 6Lbs 8 Oz “bare” weight, this is also a fairly light air rifle. Even with the Hawke Airmax scope mounted, the all-up weight was just 8 Lbs 9 Oz. So, it’s not heavy to carry and handles and points well in the field.

In addition, hunters will appreciate the fact that the safety is silent in operation. This is rarely achieved in airguns but allows the gun to be kept on safe until the moment of shooting – as it should be – without spooking the prey when disengaging the safety.

The balance is outstanding. It also shot best with alloy pellets. If you want – or need – to shoot alloys, this could be the gun for you.

The most accurate pellets I tested with this gas ram-powered gun were 11.75 Grain Predator GTO alloys – it’s in .22 caliber, but .177 cal is also available, of course. The GTOs gave a maximum of 780.89 FPS, with an associated Muzzle Energy of 15.88 Ft/Lbs.

That’s enough for hunting small critters and birds at fairly close ranges, should you desire. It’s also significantly above AoA’s claim for Muzzle Energy of “up to 13 Ft/Lbs”.

The BSA Meteor Super is an extremely attractive breakbarrel air rifle. At 42.5 Inches overall length, it’s a comfortable and harmonious size. The solid beech stock is ideally-shaped. The patches of checkering are tasteful and sharply applied and the BSA “piled arms” logo prominent on the stock.

And talking of that logo, I’ve always thought the guns look like the Martini Henry. Do you agree?

Metal finish of the sample Meteor Super was also first class, with excellent machining and deep, even bluing.

With an average pull weight of 2 Lb 13.5 Oz, the BSA Meteor Super’s trigger is light for a breakbarrel.

It’s also smooth and predictable in operation.

There’s a very light first stage. Pulling the trigger back through this, the second stage is clear and defined. This is not a “glass break” trigger, however it is one that is consistent and suitable for hunting use. I adapted to it very quickly during the test period.

Second stage trigger engagement is adjustable using a small screw located behind the trigger blade. However – as always – my test review was shot with the trigger in “as received” condition.

Cocking the gun is smooth. There’s no build-up of effort required as is the case with a spring/piston power plant. Rather, there’s a continuous requirement for about 28 Lbs of force throughout the cocking stroke. That’s a reasonable figure for most shooters.

That manual safety is light, easy-to-operate and effective. It falls readily to hand for a right-handed shooter, although left-handers may find it a little less convenient to operate.

The BSA Meteor Super is fitted with fiber optic front and rear open sights. The rear sight is adjustable for elevation and windage, as expected.

The front, post, sight has a red fiber optic element. However it is completely unprotected and care will be needed in use to prevent possible damage.

Of course, most owners will fit a riflescope, as I did for this test review. Traditional 11 mm dovetail rails are machined in the receiver tube for scope mounting. These are combined with a well-sized and positioned scope stop screw hole.

For the shooting tests, I mounted a Hawke Airmax 30 WA SF, 4-16×50 scope. This worked well, gave a sharp image and complimented the size and weight of the air rifle.

If you order the scope and rings at the same time as the gun, AoA specialists will mount and sight it in at no additional charge. That’s one of the “secret” benefits of buying from Airguns of Arizona!

With a power capability of approaching 16 Ft/Lbs and no built-in silencer, the BSA Meteor Super is fairly quiet, but probably not quite a backyard gun for most people.

However, remove the muzzle cap and you’ll find that the muzzle is threaded. This is to allow for the fitment of a dedicated airgun silencer, like a 0dB model – if required and where legal. However, the result will definitely be a longer and less elegant air rifle – at least in my opinion.

If you have questions, the friendly AoA staff will be able to answer them by phone. They can also help you decide if the Super Meteor would be best for you or – possibly a Diana or Weihrauch model.

It’s tough to have choices, but AoA will help you make them!

Whoa! AoA is selling BB guns now? And they cost over 400 Bucks?

Yes it’s true. But this is no ordinary BB gun !

The Barra 400e is – by far – the most accurate BB gun I’ve ever tested. It’s the only one that’s needed a scope to fulfill its accuracy potential and it shoots out to 25 Yards with better accuracy than some pellet rifles.

Plus, its selective-fire action also has a “fun switch” so that you can shoot it on full auto! Yip, go on: you know you just have to read about it…

You see, the Barra 400e is a revolutionary product. There’s been a step-change in the power output available using AEG technology. The result is that – for the first time – steel BBs can be shot at usable muzzle velocities in the 380 – 410 FPS range from an AEG.

That means more than 1,000 shots per charge of the required LiPo (Lithium Polymer) battery that’s stored in the buttstock. It means no issues with falling FPS due to CO2 exhaustion or rapid fire. There’s no re-loading with CO2 after every 150 – 200 shots. So the more you shoot, the more you save on CO2 costs!

The 50-round magazine has a greater capacity than that of most comparable BB guns, too. That’s another way the Barra 400e delivers more shooting between those pesky breaks for reloading.

The Barra 400e is an excellent representation of a typical AR15/M4 firearm. With the stock fully extended the overall length is 35.5 Inches, giving a length of pull of 15.25 Inches. Collapsing the stock reduces these measurements to 32.5 and 12.25 Inches.

In “as tested” condition, with accessories fitted, the all-up weight was 8 Lbs 10 Oz. (The bare weight is 7 Lb 8 Oz). So this is a substantial airgun that certainly has the looks and feel of the centerfire original.

There’s a non-functional, “faux” silencer incorporated into the product. Like the receiver, the handguard is a solid metal CNC-machined part that gives a definite feeling of solidity, weight and quality to the muzzle end of the gun.

I found a UTG Bugbuster scope an appropriate match for the 400e. And – with a Leapers UTG Picatinny Super Slim 0.5-Inch Riser below it – was finally able to explore the inherent accuracy of the Barra 400e.

At 25 Yards, the 400e grouped 10 shots inside a soda can-sized target. That’s FAR better than any other BB gun I have ever tested. More than that, 9 out of 10 shots grouped into 1.5 Inches Center-to-Center.

That’s better than some pellet rifles I have tested!

But you do need to be a little selective with the BBs you feed the 400e. I found excellent grouping with Umarex Steel BBs. However Crosman Copperhead BBs have a smaller diameter. That makes them definitely less accurate.

Consistency is another “Wow!” for the Barra 400e. The average consistency across my standard BBs had a Standard Deviation of just 2.06 FPS. That is definitely in Daystate country for consistency. And this is just a BB gun!!!

Put another way, 50 test shots gave an Extreme Spread of just 12 FPS. The low was 375 FPS and the high 387 FPS. And that was with five different types of BBs. You can’t get much better than that, even with a Daystate…

The trigger of the Barra 400e I tested provided an average pull weight of 2 Lbs 15 Ozs. There was a fair “two stage” feel to it and the release was also predictable and consistent.

The trigger also proved to be extremely consistent, varying only a couple of Ounces either side of its average pull weight.

Ah the sound…

That’s the real difference here. Unlike CO2-powered BB-firing replicas, the 400e does not provide a clear “bang, bang” when the gun is fired.

Instead you hear a grinding, whirring noise.

For anyone used to AEG airsoft guns, this is the normal sort of sound that’s inherent in AEG operation. But – if you’re not – it’s definitely unusual, unexpected and abnormal.

This grinding is accompanied by a small amount of recoil. It’s not exactly blowback, but it means that the gun does not feel entirely “dead” when you fire it.

Finally – as an AEG – the Barra 400e cannot be field-stripped in the realistic manner that’s possible with many CO2-powered replicas.

Instead of CO2 cartridges, you’ll need the correct LiPo battery, together with a balanced charger. Fortunately Airguns of Arizona makes it easy by offering all these items in a kit when you buy the gun.

In fact, you’re probably looking at close to 1,200 shots from a new, fully-charged battery. Maybe more. That’s a huge difference compared to the 150 – 200 shots that can be expected from a BB-firing replica using two 12 Gram CO2 cartridges.

It’s also why the total cost of the 400e becomes more reasonable compared to a conventional CO2-powered gun, the more you shoot it…

One potential downside is that the magazine MUST be loaded with BBs using a speedloader. You can’t load it by hand.

Yes, one is supplied with the gun. However BB speedloaders are somewhat unpredictable devices – at least in my experience – so it would be a sensible move to buy a spare or two. They’re cheap and this would be great insurance against problems with what is undoubtedly the weakest link in the chain.

We all need a little fun in our lives. You’re going to be shooting A TON of BBs with your new Barra 400e from Airguns of Arizona!

SAFETY FIRST. As with all BB-firing airguns, it’s necessary to wear shooting glasses when firing this airgun. Also do not shoot at hard surfaces or water. BBs tend to bounce off these surfaces and may hit you, or something other than what you intended.

Happy New Year!

Every January the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trades show comes to town. That is, if your town is Las Vegas, Nevada. Held at the Venetian Expo and Convention Center attached to the Venetian hotel, the show has expanded since that nasty virus hit and actually spills over into a new convention hall call the Caesar’s Forum. An elevated walkway allows attendees to traverse between the two exhibition halls.

It is a trade show dealing with all things related to shooting and hunting — whether it be firearms, airguns, bows or blowguns, etc. — or anything remotely surrounding those endeavors and includes both the military/law enforcement side as well as the civilian side of the aisle. The show is not open to the public and I consider myself very fortunate to be able to attend the show as media along with over 52,000 of my closest friends from all 50 states and 115 countries. The show boasts over 2500 exhibitors spread over 18+ acres of floor space and this year marked the 45 annual show.

In the airgunning realm, big bore airguns are going strong with a few new items being introduced such as a new Hatsan Pile Driver in .62 caliber, Evanix’s new .50 caliber tactically-styled pistol and one you may have heard about, the AEA Zeus in .72 caliber. Umarex showed off a new .50 Hammer in a carbine configuration and indicated their Primal 20-gauge air shotgun, announced last year, will be shipping in the second quarter after running into supply chain delays.

Pneumatic arrow launchers are still making inroads. Currently only legal for hunting in a handful of states, behind-the-scenes efforts are taking place to get more states to approve them. A good thing since these items are capable hunting tools. Airforce Airguns introduced their TalonBolt that uses proprietary 18-inch, 400-grain reinforced carbon fiber bolts with shatter resistant impact collars at each end and glow-in-the-dark vanes. Sending the bolts at over 400fps, this 5.3-pound PCP utilizes a 2000psi fill and adjustable velocity to accommodate different types of hunting.

Another trend taking shape is the market for less-lethal means of self-defense against humans or animals. Umarex launched their “Prepared 2 Protect” line of .43 caliber CO₂-powered launchers. Made of polymer in orange and black to help delineate them from actual firearms, they use eight or 12-gram CO₂ cartridges and there is even a tactical looking rifle that uses 88-gram cylinders. The CO₂ cylinders and pepperball, or other rounds, are kept loaded in the P2P device and when needed a quick tap pierces the cylinder. Byrna was at the show and has a couple of new models of their launcher, reviewed here back in August 2022. At least two other companies specializing in this segment were also present at the show this year, so the trend is growing.

Of course, many other new and exciting offerings related to all things airgun were on display throughout the show. Over the course of this year watch for more posts on some of these that airgunners are going to want to know about and then we start all over again at SHOT 2024!

At a gathering during SHOT Week, our friends at AofA teased about announcements coming in March related to Daystate, BRK and their own in-house brand of Western Airguns. Alas, we were sworn to secrecy until the big reveal. However, if you poke around on the website you may find some good info!

The latest Daystate air rifle is arriving at Airguns of Arizona! The Alpha Wolf Safari Edition is everything that you would expect from the name. It is designed to combine superior performance with beauty and quality.

Daystate says that – with the Alpha Wolf Safari Edition – the world’s most advanced air rifle line just got even better. There’s new software and class- leading power up to 105 Ft/Lbs in .30 caliber.

The addition of a textured wood stock and bronze-anodized action match jaw- dropping performance with mouth-watering aesthetics, the company says.

Extending the appeal of the world’s most advanced PCP air rifle to serious hunters and extreme range target shooters alike, the new Safari sports a high-grip, practical and ambidextrous textured wood stock, matched to a very classy bronze-anodized monocoque frame for maximum rigidity.

Of course, the Safari Edition model still boasts Alpha Wolf’s vast array of ground breaking, high-tech features. These include a computerized and programmable operating system.

U.S. market specs are for up to 80 shots per fill from the .30 caliber version. The .25 model gives up to 165 shots at up to 75 Ft/Lbs. In .22 caliber, the numbers are 71 Ft/Lbs and 165 shots.

The AVT (Advanced Velocity Technology) touchscreen display allows users to fine-tune and customize their rifle, while the fast-swap interchangeable A.R.T barrel system to suit caliber and pellet/slug type.

The digitally-controlled HUMA-Air regulator aids consistent muzzle velocity, while the onboard chronograph monitors velocity throughout the rifle’s air charge.

Thanks to its modular design, components like cheek rest and butt pad are fully customizable and compatible with aftermarket alternatives.

Internally, the latest Alpha fast-flow valve has been married to new software profiles, resulting in even greater shot- to-shot consistency and significant increases in the maximum powers available – up to a massive 105 ft/lbs in .30 caliber.

In keeping with Daystate’s core philosophy to customer commitment, the company is making the Safari’s latest software available on a free-to-download basis for existing Alpha and Delta Wolf owners.

All the firmware upgrades can easily be carried out by Alpha/Delta Wolf owners via the rifle’s DTD interface and home PC. The new valve system is also retro-fittable into existing FAC Delta/Alpha Wolf models.

The official unveiling of the Alpha Wolf Safari Edition to the shooting public took place at The British Shooting Show (February 17-19). However the new model will be available very soon at Airguns of Arizona. They’re on their way already!

Summary of Alpha Wolf Safari Edition Features:

• Textured Safari wood stock
• Exclusive bronze-anodised action
• Latest firmware (downloadable free for existing Alpha/Delta Wolf owners)
• Improved consistency and ~ 15% increase in maximum power (up to 105 Ft/Lbs in .30 cal.)
• Latest Alpha balanced fast-flow valve (retrofittable to older Delta/Alpha models)
• Customised fine-tuning via Advanced Velocity Technology (AVT) display touch screen
• Future proofed – upgradable as software as features develop
• Multi caliber options (.177, .22, .25, .30) with fast-change barrel system
• Factory-set power profiles for each caliber
• Match grade A.R.T barrel for the best accuracy with a variety of ammunition (pellets and slugs)
• Bult-in power correcting chronograph
• OEM Huma-Air regulated
• Large capacity and ‘twinnable’ magazine
• Fully ambidextrous design – change cocking/loading bias in minutes
• Compact ‘monocoque’ alloy chassis for consistent accuracy
• Modular design accepts a range of official accessories
• 3-year warranty
• Supplied with custom fit hard case

The airgunning community is a diverse lot. Interests run the gamut from collecting antique air-powered arms to Olympic-style shooting, plinking, hunting and pursuit of wringing long-range accuracy out of a pneumatic lead launcher and everything in between. Some folks make their living from being a really good shot with an airgun while others simply enjoy firing at targets set up at a home range. A subset of this group sharing a penchant for pneumatic guns is the replica collector.

Airguns have long been made to appeal to this niche group going back to Luger lookalikes sold over 70 years ago.  Lookalikes were not only fun and inexpensive to plink with, they made great “wall-hangers,” were a whole lot cheaper to purchase than the real counterparts, and less of a danger to have around curious little ones. Being less expensive, generally speaking; as more companies came out with airgun replicas of famous and historical arms, it was possible for an aficionado to amass a collection without mortgaging the homestead.

A few years back, the big airgun gorilla on the block, Umarex, began obtaining license agreements with major firearms manufacturers in order to accurately create CO₂ replicas of famous firearms and be able to mark them with actual logo brands. Their copies of the famous Colt SAA “Peacemaker” and Model 1911 Automatic have been big sellers since being introduced. The natural progression to appeal to those of us afflicted with “collector-itis” was the introduction of their Legends line of historic replicas of arms from the 20^th century in .177 BB and powered by CO₂. While not everyone’s cup of tea, for those of us that wanted to own a fully automatic arm but knew that was a pipe dream, Umarex granted our wish through the Legends offerings.

The latest replica in the lineup is the iconic “Grease Gun” submachine gun developed late in WWII. The allied forces were up against the German firepower of the excellent MP40 and needed a sub-gun that was cheaper and easier to produce than the Thompson “Tommy” gun (both also in the Legends line…). Based on the M3A1 variant from 1944, the M3 Grease Gun is a full-metal construction faithful reproduction. Powered by two 12-gram CO₂ cartridges held in the 60-round drop-free stick magazine, when the “giggle switch” is activated, it can rip at the rate of 1025 rounds per minute! That’s a much higher rate of fire than the original, however, collectors and shooters of this replica won’t complain about that. The M3 Grease Gun is almost 30 inches long and weighs a hefty 7.7 pounds. It features a collapsible wire stock, flip-up dust cover over the bolt and fixed rear peep sight, just like the original. Launching BBs at approximately 450fps out of the smooth-bore 8-inch barrel, it provides a lot of inexpensive plinking fun while allowing the collector to add another authentic reproduction “wall-hanger” to the collection as well. It comes with a one-year warranty and has an MSRP of $249.99.

While not currently listed on the AofA website of Umarex goodies, if you are a collector of replica airguns or just want to enjoy a full-auto blast (pun intended), reach out to the folks there to ask about ordering. These Legends replicas won’t disappoint.

The new Western Airguns Sidewinder PCP combines removable magazine capability with selective-fire (full- and semi-automatic) operation in a ground-breaking new model.

“But whoa!” you say. “Aren’t there other PCPs on the market that offer this too?” Well, the answer is “yes-ISH”. But they don’t combine this functionality with absolutely “bomb proof”, jam-free cycling.

There’s no value in a PCP air rifle offering semi-automatic fire (or full-auto either) if the feed is not 100% reliable with all types of pellets and slugs.

In my experience the Sidewinder does offer that capability and – combined with interchangeable magazines – that makes it unique in the PCP airgun market today.

Oh – and it’s really accurate, too…

That selective fire capability compared with quality, reliability, power and accuracy means that there’s nothing in the market that can really compare with the Sidewinder at the present time. Did I mention that already?

Western Airguns is manufacturing and shipping the Sidewinder right now. Not surprisingly, demand is exceeding supply, but your friends at AoA will happy to help you acquire one immediately in .22 caliber. Twenty-five and thirty caliber models are also coming very soon. Your one can be reserved for a small deposit.

The .22 caliber Western Airguns Sidewinder air rifle I tested produced no less than 160 consistent, regulated shots from a full – 4,350/300 Bar – fill of the standard 580 cc carbon fiber HPA bottle.

For accuracy, the gun shot 25.39 Grain JSB Jumbo Monster Redesigned pellets best at around 899 FPS. This was using the “as set by the factory” power setting on the gun. At this speed, the Sidewinder was producing 45.22 Ft/Lbs of Muzzle Energy.

Given the current level of interest in slug shooting, I also undertook a test using 20.3 Grain Daystate Howler slugs. (These slugs are manufactured by NSA, as many people will know).

The results were outstanding! The USA‐made, TJ hammer forged barrel clearly can deal with slugs too. The 10-shot, 20-Yard group produced with the Howlers was only very slightly larger than that for the Redesigned Monsters…

Of course, the Western Airguns Sidewinder air rifle has that tempting, full auto “fun switch”. So I loaded a magazine full of Howler slugs, grabbed a tight hold on the gun and let go with a full 15-round magazine.

The result was a 15-shot group with a CTC size of around 0.5 Inches at 20 Yards. In my opinion, that’s outstanding accuracy and shows that the Sidewinder is capable of delivering the goods in full auto as well as semi-automatic operation.

I found the trigger to be very usable and with a pull weight of around 1 Lb 8 Oz.

In full auto mode, a quick “dab” of the trigger provides a “2-shot burst” capability. This is easy to do and is quite predictable. The main requirement is to completely release the trigger between “dabs” so that the action will re-set before firing again.

The magazine is a two-part affair, machined from steel. The cover plate is removed, pellets pushed into the magazine chambers and the cover replaced. So loading is very simple. (A .30 cal magazine is shown in the photograph below – I shot one of these, too).

Then the mag snaps into the magazine well and is held in battery using a small knurled knob. There’s a slight learning curve, but once the “knack” is developed, it’s fast and easy to install and remove the magazine.

Due to the level of precision machining required, additional magazines are expensive. Like $149.99 each expensive! However, that’s what allows the Sidewinder to function faultlessly, so it’s a relatively small price to pay…

I found the Sidewinder comfortable to shoot. However, I would definitely like to see an adjustable cheekpiece made available in future. The buttpad works well enough. However I’d also investigate fitting a more ergonomic, aftermarket buttpad if this were my gun.

At a “bare” weight of around 7 Lbs 11 Oz and a length of 35.5 Inches, the Western Airguns Sidewinder air rifle is not too large or heavy.

Because of this, the gun shoulders well and can be shot successfully offhand. The balance is good too.

However bipod support and firing prone or from a bench will be necessary to bring out the full accuracy that it is clearly capable of delivering. In this case, the extra-long lower Picatinny rail will be appreciated, together with the support band that bears up against the shroud, relieving issues of pressure on the 580 cc HPA tank that can occur from rail flexing when bipods are used with some PCPs.

Many will be happy that the Western Airguns Sidewinder air rifle is supplied with a high quality padded case. This provides good protection for the gun in transit and has two external pockets for storing ammo. It also accommodates the gun with a large scope mounted.

It’s pretty clear that the Western Airguns Sidewinder air rifle is something special!

Many AoA customers know Lauren Parsons. Apart from working at the store, she is a familiar figure on the U.S. airgun competition circuit. For benchrest shooting, she uses a customized Daystate Red Wolf HP air rifle in .22 caliber.

Today she’s going to tell us more about it…

This particular Red Wolf is customized specifically for benchrest competition. Lauren has a completely different gun – the Red Wolf LPR for Field Target shooting. You can read all about that one in a previous AoA blog post from 2020. Hey, it’s a tough life…

Lauren shoots benchrest at all ranges from 25 to 100 Yards using this gun. It started-out as a standard Red Wolf HP model with laminated wood stock back in 2018. Now it looks very different and both shooter and gun make a very accurate combination, as was proved when Lauren took sixth place overall in the 2021 Extreme Benchrest competition.

But before we hear all about Lauren’s customized Daystate Red Wolf HP, its surprising to hear what has NOT been customized!

While the gun was tuned to her preferences when new, Lauren explained that – since that time – it has never been re-tuned, Neither has it been re-sealed. It just keeps-on shooting and she shoots it the way it is. It still has the original 480cc carbon fiber HPA bottle. So the basic action is completely un-changed.

Lauren always shoots 25.39 Grain JSB Jumbo Monster Redesigned pellets through this gun at 950 FPS. It loves them, she says and always shoots these pellets straight from the tin. The results are so good that she doesn’t find the need to sort, weigh, lube or head-size her pellets.

That’s a huge compliment to the quality of both the basic Red Wolf action and the Redesigned Jumbo Monsters!

The main obvious upgrade to this customized Daystate Red Wolf HP is the PRS chassis. Lauren explained that she loves the adaptability this chassis provides. She has it set-up perfectly for her own requirements: pull length, cheek piece, height, cast and so on…

The PRS chassis also provides convenient, waterproof, storage for the battery. The exceptionally-long lower rail provides huge potential to re-position the Accu-Tac FC5 bipod, if required for a specific shooting bench.

Lauren also likes the capability of being add additional weights to the M-LOK slots in the forend. However – it has to be said – that at an all-up weight (including scope) of 15.35 Lbs, this is not exactly a lightweight rig!

So what’s the difference between the Red Wolf with laminated wood stock and the PRS chassis?

Lauren explained that the Aluminum chassis is much stronger than wood. This gives her a more solid and secure feeling when shooting. The strength is also a bonus when traveling as there’s less chance of damage to that customized Daystate Red Wolf HP through airline baggage-handling, for example.

The rubber-bedded PRS chassis has different harmonics from a wood stock. Lauren feels that it makes for a somewhat more “dead feeling” when shooting. Interestingly, she also feels that it’s rather less hold-sensitive than the wood stock. The MDT pistol grip helps with a consistent grip.

That custom red Accu-Tac bipod has a wide body for stability and Lauren has the legs set to a 45-degree angle. She says that it’s easy to adjust for height, pan and can’t when shooting from the bench.

The scope is her favorite Kahles K1050, mounted in Sportsmatch rings. The rings fit onto an Air Superiority Products top rail with built-in 20 MOA droop. These even have matching red scope mount screws for that extra touch of class!

Mounted on the scope itself is a Long Range Arms electronic level. Lauren says “don’t leave home without a scope level”. She feels they are an essential accessory for the competition shooter in just about any discipline.

Up-front this customized Daystate Red Wolf HP air rifle is fitted with a 0dB 110C silencer. Why to a longer model? Lauren says that the gun is quiet enough already and that a longer silencer would require a longer case for travel.

And besides, Lauren is adamant that her Red Wolf shoots more accurately with the 0dB slender in place!

Even the trigger is customized on this gun! There’s a button trigger from Rowan Engineering that Lauren feels gives an even crisper feeling to the trigger release. In fact the button trigger is actually a type of trigger shoe that fits simply onto the factory trigger blade.

Finally, you’ll see that Lauren shoots from a single-shot tray. Again she feels that this improves accuracy and eliminates the possibility of becoming confused about the number of shots remaining in a magazine. But, she tells me that she’s aiming to use magazine-feed more in the coming year.

Does it matter that Lauren’s gun is beautiful as well as functional? “Absolutely!” she says. “I have so much confidence in this beautiful gun and that undoubtedly makes me shoot better too!”

As you may expect, just about all of the accessories on this customized Daystate Red Wolf HP air rifle are available from Airguns of Arizona. Maybe there’s something there that will appeal to you, too!

A developing trend over the past few years has been toward both firearms and airguns being produced in small and compact sizes and being referred to as “backpack guns.” The obvious advantages of portability and concealability aside, if you just want to take a hike for some plinking fun or small-game pursuit, wouldn’t it be convenient to have everything you need in a single carry bag you can sling on your back?

               If your answer was ‘yes,’ then one of the new Hatsan Jet PCPs might be in your future. Introduced at this year’s SHOT Show, the Jet Series consists of the Jet I, a single 40cc cylinder pistol/carbine; and the Jet II, a dual cylinder model that doubles the capacity to 80cc. Made of black polymer, they have more than a passing resemblance to Olympic target pistols. I refer to them as pistol/carbines because at the press of a button the adjustable ambidextrous thumbhole-style buttstock can be removed, converting the Jet (I or II) into a 15-inch pistol. With the six-position collapsible stock installed and extended, the Jet becomes a 24.6-inch carbine. While Hatsan airguns can be on the heavy side, these Jets are pleasantly light at only two pounds for the Jet I and 2.4 pounds for the Jet II. The stock, which also has an adjustable cheekrest and soft, thick rubber buttpad, adds slightly over one pound to the package. The rifled German steel barrel is the same in both models at 7.9-inches long and the available calibers are .177, .22 and .25. The sample Jet II in .177 I received balanced very nicely in either configuration and the adjustable trigger was very nice out-of-the-box at an average four pounds, six ounces pull weight. By using the included 1.5mm hex key the trigger travel and load can be adjusted to your liking.

               Hatsan packed a bunch of other features into the Jet Series including: a left-side cocking lever, full-length 11mm dovetail top rail, 2.25-inch picatinny side rails for mounting accessories, three integrated flip-up sights, and a hand-filling grip with finger groove molding. Additionally, the muzzle is threaded internally and a double-ended male adapter is included to go with it.

               The sample Jet-II sent to me was a delight to shoot. The spring-loaded rotary magazine holds eight rounds and easily accommodates longer pellets and slugs. Hatsan provides two of these S/Roto Index mags with the kit. I also really liked the safety which is easily engaged/disengaged by the trigger finger. When “off” it lays flat within the trigger guard.

              More experimentation is needed, yet at this point it does appear to be somewhat pellet picky. So far, I’ve had good results with the lead-free pellets I have from the Student Air Rifle program which are 5.5gr. wadcutters and Rifle brand 9.72gr. pointed pellets. Best accuracy so far was with H&N Baracuda Hunter hollow-point domed pellets at 10.34grs. They averaged 734fps and SD of 7.5 and a full mag of eight shots at 25 yards could be covered with a half-dollar. The lead-frees zipped along at an average of 950fps. I’m confident this little powerhouse is capable of much better accuracy by attaching either a red dot or low-power scope, which is my next plan of action.  The flip-up sights with their fiber-optic pipe inserts are functional, but only allow for elevation adjustments. Fine for plinking, however, I am anxious to find out what accuracy can be squeezed out of that German steel barrel by attaching an optic. By the way, the reason for three flip-up sights is that one is the front post and one is for use in the carbine configuration with the rearmost sight for use as a pistol. When using as a pistol the sight radius is a generous 12 inches.

               Other noteworthy items are the air cylinders are swappable and available in red, blue and green if you’d like to make your Jet stand out. NOTE: the Jet-II must be depressurized before attempting to swap cylinders! Hatsan indicates up to 24 full-power shots from a 250 bar fill and double that with the Jet-II. Also included with the package is a single-shot tray, extended QD Foster fill fitting and package of spare ‘O’ rings.

               The only drawback worth mentioning in my short time behind the Jet-II is that this puppy has a loud bark. If planning to shoot it indoors, hearing protection or a moderator of some sort would be a wise choice.

               MSRPs run $289 for the Jet-I and $339 for the Jet-II. They are covered by Hatsan’s one-year warranty. While not listed on AofA’s Hatsan page, I’m sure the folks there can assist in obtaining either of these models for you if you’d like to get your hands on the latest in backpack airguns.

All airgun enthusiasts in the US know about the SHOT Show, the annual trade show for the outdoor and shooting industry. But there’s two other shows that are arguably more – much more – important from the airgun perspective.

Daystate’s newest products were launched at these two shows in February and March 2023. Let’s see what happened…

The Great British Shooting Show

The Great British Shooting Show is the closest thing in the U.K. to the NRA Show in the U.S. It’s a major shooting sports event that draws wide attendance from both the trade and consumers.

After three years of cancelled and reduced attendance, the great British Shooting Show is once again advancing. Attendance numbers were rumored to be over 50,000 people attending over three days which is a 40% increase on 2022 and likely a record.

That compares to the approximately 61,000-person attendance at the 2022 NRA Convention in Houston from a country with a population only 1/5 that of the USA and where shooting is strictly regulated. Impressive, huh???

For airgun shooters the Great British Shooting Show has become the new focus. It’s likely to be the biggest air gun show anywhere in the world, though the show itself is not exclusive to air guns and covers all shooting disciplines.

The highlight of the company’s display was the brand new Daystate Alpha Wolf Safari (above and below with PRS Adjustable Buttplate), which was launched at the show. In addition the BRK Ghost, was being seen – and shot – for the first time by many people.

Opposite the main display area was a six-lane, 30-Yard range where shooters could try a new BRK Ghost, Daystate Alpha Wolf Safari, Huntsman Revere or the tiny Brocock Ranger XR. That was a very popular part of the show, as you can imagine!

IWA OutdoorClassics Show, Germany

The IWA Show is an exact equivalent trade show to the SHOT Show. However, there’s a TON more airguns companies participating, including Daystate. About 35,000 visitors attended the 2023 show, including me!

Daystate launched the new Red Wolf GP at IWA. It’s the latest model in the rapidly-growing range of Daystate “Wolf”-family air rifles. This one is a dedicated Field Target model, as Max from Daystate shows us in our heading photograph at the top of this story.

The Red Wolf GP is based on a solid Aluminum chassis from PRS, but designed specifically to Daystate requirements. It has an extended bipod rail under the HPA tank, from which is mounted a fixed “hamster”.

“Why not an adjustable ‘hamster”? I asked. The answer is that the fixed hamster is more robust than adjustable types under conditions of demanding use. OK, that makes sense…

Then there’s the Daystate Alpha Wolf Safari. This was making its first appearance in an international business show after having been launched at the British Shooting Show just a couple of weeks ago.

Below. It took a long wait to get a clear shot of the Daystate booth, without too many people in front of it…

Another new model from the Daystate Group was the BRK (Brocock) Pathfinder XR (below).

The folding-stock Pathfinder XR is designed as an ultra-compact, yet powerful tool for hunters and pest controllers. It’s just 18.5 Inches long and weighs 6.4 Lbs. This looks to be a valuable addition to the ever-growing ranks of compact PCP air rifles, one of the most active sectors of the market right now.

The Pathfinder XR joins the BRK Ghost as yet another new model from the Daystate Group of companies.

Tony from Daystate showed me the Ghost, below.

And here we see the BRK side of the group’s booth…

MTC Optics is the third “airgun-related” arm of the Daystate group. Again there was a number of new products on display. These included the new MTC King Cobra 8-32×50 scope that’s available with a choice of First or Second Focal Plane Mil-calibrated reticles.

That’s it mounted on the Red Wolf GP, below.

There’s also a new Viper Connect 4-16×32 zoom prismatic scope (below). This combines an exceptionally-wide Field Of View with a high magnification and close to zero eye relief in a dedicated hunting scope for PCP air rifles.

What’s that second turret on the left side of the scope that we can see below? It’s a dynamic angle indicator that informs the shooter if her or she is shooting non-horizontally and allows for sighting corrections to be made as a result. Interesting!

Most of these new Daystate and BRK Brocock products are already available at Airguns of Arizona. If you don’t see anything I’ve mentioned here on the AoA website yet, you know who to call!

A recent addition to the extensive stable of goodies for the serious airgunner available from AofA is the Adjustable Bag Rider. Airgunners, like powder-burner shooters, have always tested the extreme boundaries of what their guns will reach out to. This pursuit led to the relatively recent long-range/extreme benchrest competitions now taking place around the country. A gentleman named Dave Pobutkiewicz, was already making his ABR to fit long-range firearms through his company, Long Range Precision, and finding success in that arena. He holds five patents or patents pending on his inventions which are completely made in the U.S.A. of 6061 aluminum; anodized black and weighing 12-14 ounces. Designed to eliminate the inconsistencies in vertical shot strings due to squeezing shooting bag rests, the ABR provides minute adjustments by turning its glass-smooth thumbwheel. On his own firearms, Dave has achieved one bullet diameter vertical adjustments at 300 yards with the ABR. Somewhere along the way his attention was directed to the potential for use with air rifles so Dave adapted his designs to work with several current air rifle stocks having picatinny rails located at the heel of the stock. Three models with a picatinny rail mount on top are currently being produced; one of which will fit current production air rifles listed on the ABR website and AofA currently carries two models.

               The sample ABR reviewed here is the Universal Rail Mount with Short ELR Adjustability (Short dowels). It was easily and quickly mounted to a .30 caliber Daystate Delta Wolf air rifle and the mounting screws were torqued to the recommended 18 inch-pounds. Along with the ABR, Long Shot Precision also sells the shooting bags for use with it. A choice of a “lite” fill weighs approximately 13 ounces, or sand weighing approximately 32 ounces is an option. In actual use it worked just as Dave has indicated. Minute elevation changes were possible once the rifle was situated on the provided LSP Small Bag and was stable. The adjustments were effortless thanks to the expert machining of the unit. Dave is particularly proud of the fact that none of his units have been returned by customers and that many customers own more than one ABR.

               This particular model of the ABR sells for $270 and the Small Shooting Bag sells for $50. If you are into long-range/benchrest, or considering it, and have rifles with buttstocks that accommodate attaching an ABR, you should get in touch with AofA regarding these units.

An interesting moniker for an air rifle – Ghost – however, that is what Brocock, now rebranding as simply BRK, chose to name this hard-hitting and accurate piece of kit (as the Brits would say).

A bit of a departure from previous Brocock offerings, it is a bullpup configuration that was inspired by sister company Daystate’s Alpha Wolf. Three models are offered, a High Power (HP) version sports a 23-inch Lothar-Walther barrel and comes in at an overall length of 33.6 inches, a Carbine with 17-inch barrel and OAL of 26 inches, and the Plus, also with a 17-inch barrel but OAL of 29 inches. The Carbine is fitted with a 300cc under barrel air bottle and weighs in at 6.8 pounds and the Plus comes with a 480cc bottle and weight of seven pounds. Either model is available in .177 or .22.  Because we yanks tend to like a bit more power (just joking; we like a lot more power) and generally aren’t restricted on this side of the pond, the HP model is offered in .177, .22, .25 and, a first for Brocock, .30 caliber. Its bottle is also a 480cc and the weight a hefty 7.5 pounds.

The fill for the air bottle is 250 bar.  A Huma regulator is built in and can be adjusted up to 200 bar. The regulator pressure can be raised on-the-fly, but lowering the pressure requires removal of the bottle and dry-firing until the regulator/plenum is empty. The bottles contain their own valves so will retain th fill.

BRK loaded the Ghost with additional goodies including:

• A picatinny scope rail with 20 MOA downward tilt as well as the ability to move the entire rail anywhere along the top of the receiver’s 11mm dovetail grooves for perfect scope eye relief
• Additional short pic rails on either side forward of the receiver and short sections on the bottom and toe of the buttstock.
• The buttplate is vertically adjustable for ease of fitting to the shoulder pocket
• A fully adjustable two-stage match trigger
• Easily swappable barrels and probes
• A power adjustment wheel giving 20 micro adjustments to the hammer spring
• A cocking handle that can be quickly switched to the other side as can the cheekpiece, making the Ghost truly ambidextrous
• A carbon fiber shroud ending in a threaded muzzle

The magazines are a breeze to load with the face of the mag being a door held shut by powerful magnets. The .25 mag holds 10 rounds and is deep enough to handle longer pellets and slugs. There is no empty mag stop so it is easy to mis-count and fire an empty mag, and care must be taken to avoid double-feeds. The cheekpiece that comes with the rifle is curved and will dictate which side the mags load from based on whether it is set for a leftie or righty. “Twinning” is the Brit term for placing a second mag in the mag well opposite the first mag. They have powerful magnets in their bases to keep both secure. After emptying one, the “twinned” mag is pushed into place to continue firing. This requires not only a second magazine but also a different cheekpiece at additional cost.

I did find it a bit on the heavy side for a minimalist-styled bullpup and the MTC King Cobra optic added another 26 ounces to the package. Speaking of the Cobra, it’s a First Focal Plane scope and excellent match-up for the Ghost with its ability to magnify from 6-to-24 power and its 30mm tube with a 50mm objective bell for additional light gathering capability. Its clarity is as good as scopes in much higher price ranges. The magnetic flip-up lens covers are convenient and the ocular bell cover contains a rectangular magnification window so the shooter can see the elevation turret setting by just lifting the head slightly. The reticle is a multi-stadia “Christmas tree” type called the SCB2 (Small Caliber Ballistic 2^nd Gen.) Marked in ½ mils it is extremely easy to use and the reticle center has six different intensities of red illumination. Additional niceties are locking turrets providing one click = one centimeter at 100 meters and which are resettable to zero once sighted in. My only negative comment is the parallax adjustment was extremely tight so my old, arthritic fingers had some difficulty adjusting it. Probably just this particular scope, however, I believe a large focus wheel is available from AofA which would eliminate that concern. The parallax adjusts from 15 yards to infinity making it an excellent choice for airgunners.

One minor negative — the Ghost is on the loud side. However, BRK equipped it with a threaded muzzle so it’s easy to add one of AofA’s silencer offerings. I attached the 0dB Magnum purchased from them last year. Actually a .30 caliber moderator, the Magnum did the trick nicely on this .25 Ghost and makes it “backyard friendly” at the expense of adding 7.4 ounces and 7.6 inches to the end of the barrel. Smaller, lighter and less expensive models found on the AofA website should work equally well.

Pricing on the Ghost runs $2200 for any of the available models and they are warranted for three years. An extended female QD connector is supplied with the rifle, along with Owner’s Manual and extra O-rings, and it comes in a black hardside carrying case. Also included are the target and chrono results of five shots. The King Cobra at $630 has a lifetime warranty against defects. The 0dB Magnum runs $269 and for those doing long-range work with the Ghost HP, which it is well suited for, the short picatinny rail on the toe of the stock is perfect for attaching a Long Shot Precision Adjustable Bag Rider. The Universal Rail Mount ABR is available for $270.

A genuinely nice package indeed and a joy to shoot. More on my results in Part II next month.

The Ghost HP is definitely worth a second look (as in Part II) because it is a piece of elite airgun engineering that should appeal to a myriad of enthusiasts within our hobby. To the folks that like high-powered, heavy-hitting air rifles for hunting medium-sized quarry, it certainly fills the bill with an output of around 70fpe in the .25 caliber. Plus, it is also offered in a .30 caliber configuration (always a bit of a dichotomy in my mind as the Ghost is produced in England where our counterparts are limited to a measly 12fpe to avoid having to jump through government hoops, so the majority of these beasts are shipped to other countries.) For the folks that have become enamored with all the new airgun slugs hitting the market, read on as I share some excellent accuracy results with the Ghost HP. Those that are interested in long-range/extreme benchrest shooting should definitely give serious consideration to this platform. And, while I’m not a Field Target guy, with its tunability, I’m betting FT folks would find it fits their needs very nicely as well.

In Part I, a negative I pointed out was the loud report even though the barrel is shrouded. Of course, the muzzle is threaded so aftermarket suppressors can be installed. However, that adds additional muzzle weight and barrel length which kind of defeats the purpose of a bullpup configuration. Also, while the long, skeletonized cocking knob is a nice feature, I found it too long as it interfered with getting to the crossbolt safety. Also, while the toe of the buttstock did provide a two-slot picatinny rail for attachments such as the Adjustable Bag Rider or a monopod, I would like to see that expanded with additional slots. Plus, attaching a device to the toe of the stock precludes adjusting the sliding buttpad. And, as also mentioned in Part I, in order to use the nifty feature of “twinning” a pair of magazines it requires the purchase of a “lift” for the cheekrest to clear the magazine opening on each side of the gun. Perhaps I sound nit-picky because all of these perceived issues taken together would not constitute a deal breaker as there are just too many positives with this airgun. Additionally, many folks out there are into modding and will take the basic gun and make it their own thereby alleviating or circumventing these things I noted.

Now on to the positives. I had experienced Brocock offerings in the past and knew they could really deliver. The Ghost has one of the smoothest actions you’ll come across. My sample Ghost had been through other reviewer’s hands so I can’t say for sure if the trigger had been adjusted, however, at an average trigger pull of 2 pounds, 11.3 ounces, it worked just fine for me and I left it alone. Since I was mostly shooting from a bench, the 0dB Magnum suppressor I added worked like a charm and made the Ghost even more pleasant to shoot. The MTC King Cobra optic was an excellent pairing with the Ghost if you are in the market for a new scope. Adjustable Bag Rider now makes a lower profile/lighter version that I attached to the toe of the buttstock for long-range work.

While I chose not to play with the HUMA regulator adjustment as it was set at 1900psi and logically, the power wheel can dial down the power level to 60% so I didn’t see the need. I started out with pellets, shooting at 25 yards. The Ghost HP appeared to like the variety of domed pellets I fed it, providing excellent accuracy. The best of the lot, resulting in a single, ragged hole, was the JSB Exact King Heavy 33.95 grains. They averaged 917fps at power wheel setting 15 with an extreme spread of 8.9 and standard deviation of 3.8 yielding an approximate 63fpe knockdown power. Predator Pellets also made a very good showing with their Polymag polymer pointed tips at 26 grains averaging 1004fps and developing 58fpe with a standard deviation of 12fps. For those needing or wanting to shoot lead-frees, Predator’s GTOs at 16.54 grains yielded excellent accuracy as well, zipping along at a brisk 1137fps and having an extreme spread of only 7.9fps. At that velocity they naturally increase the bark of the Ghost HP, even with the silencer onboard. Keep in mind the power wheel setting of 15, so there was room to experiment with even faster speeds and find the point of diminishing returns.

               Three different slugs were used with the Predator Knock-Outs at 34 grains coming out on top, with another single, ragged hole. They averaged 903fps with an extreme spread of 16, yielding 62fpe. Next came H&N Slug HPs at 36 grains, averaging 875fps with an ES of 15.5 and FPE of 61. The last slug in this series was from Apollo pellets – their Slug HP at 33 grains. The accuracy was good, easily enough for hunting applications and they averaged 916fps with an ES of only 5.4 and SD of 2.2, so they gave great shot-to-shot consistency. It yielded an average FPE of 62. Alas, so many pellets and slugs out there and so little time…

I was able to spend a short amount of time at the 100-yard range before bad weather shut me down and was close to zeroing in the Knock-Outs. It gave me confidence this combo would be an excellent competition rig, which I plan to test further.

I get to experiment with a lot of airguns and I have to say that shooting the Ghost is a truly pleasurable experience.  The range and ease of adjustability coupled with the smooth cocking effort and flip-open magazine loading, and of course, the accuracy out to at least 100 yards; it’s no wonder this Ghost series has built such positive energy in a short period of time.

If you ain’t afraid of no ghosts (apologies to the movie “Ghostbusters”) then don’t let the thought of missing out on owning a Ghost “haunt” your dreams.  Get over to AofA and let them help you trap your own Ghost.

For something a little different in this blog I’ll begin by asking: If you shoot a PCP airgun, do you ever give much thought to that quick disconnect (QD) coupling, or fitting, you are trusting your well-being to every time you attach/detach that 4500psi High Pressure Air (HPA) hose? The answer, most likely, is probably not. And that is a good thing because modern airgunners must be doubly vigilant when pursuing our hobby. We are not only firing potentially lethal projectiles, but dealing with HPA as well – both inherently dangerous if all safety rules aren’t followed. So, if we don’t have to dwell too much on the QD fittings we are using, then we can concentrate on safely using our PCPs. Therefore, not having to give a second thought to the strength and lockup of that little coupling is one less thing to take away from the enjoyment of our hobby.

               A little background into these indispensable items takes us back to 1915 when a man named Fred Hansen developed his first QD coupling. He produced them in Michigan under the Hansen Manufacturing Company and they soon became the industry standard. The name continues on as a division of Danfoss Corporation. Since they were originally invented by a man named Hansen, why do we generally refer to them as Foster fittings? That’s because there is a Foster Manufacturing Company out of Missouri making these couplings that are commonly used by the airgunning community. In business for over 30 years, they are now known as ZSI-Foster and part of Ideal Tridon Group. There are at least 15 other U.S. manufacturers that make these couplers and many more overseas companies producing them as well.

               They are a fast, accurate and secure way to repeatedly connect/disconnect just about any fluid line, but what makes them so effective?  There are three basic types of QDs, a Single Shut-off, Double Shut-off and Straight Through, with the Straight Through being the type used for airgunning. It is relatively easy to manufacture as it doesn’t contain any internal valving like the other two types. That means that with a ST type, some sort of manual shut-off and purge valves must be in the line to safely disconnect from the supply. The ST types can be made for less cost and handle pressures in the range of 1000 to 5000psi in the stainless-steel versions. There is also less pressure drop due to the lack of internal flow obstructions. Within the ST type connectors there are two styles, a Push Style and Sleeve Style. The Sleeve Style being more dominant because it is less costly to produce, is slightly more compact in size and its safe, strong operation. The QDs in airgunning application are considered miniature due to the 1/8-inch diameter of the plug.

Obviously, they are comprised of two parts, the male plug (or nipple or tip) and the female socket (or coupler or body) which contains the locking mechanism. The objective is to provide a positive method of retaining the plug in the socket while minimizing the effects of pressure in the system. And, while there are at least ten locking methods or devices used in the fluid handling industry, the Ball lock is the most common and the one used in a Foster fitting. The Ball lock is relatively easy to manufacture and reliable as well as having good swiveling characteristics along with load distribution capability. The Ball lock is made up of a series of hardened Carbon, Chromium or Stainless steel balls arranged radially in a ball cage inside the socket body. A spring-loaded sleeve covers the balls to keep them contained and recesses on the inside allow the balls to move out of the way when the sleeve is retracted and the plug inserted. Releasing the sleeve forces the balls to lock into the plug groove to complete the connection. For HPA use the female socket should contain six locking balls for the most secure lockup, as do the Foster and Hansen connectors. They are also made in brass but keep in mind that brass cannot handle the higher pressures that the steel QDs can.

               Like anything in your kit, visual inspection for excessive wear, metal galling or corrosion needs to take place regularly to stay safe. The same is true with your hose connectors. Keep safety in mind and that way you can enjoy this sport for a long time to come.

               Sort of like Hiram Maxim and his invention of the silencer, pieces of engineering genius over 100 years old makes airgunning a more enjoyable endeavor today.

While Extreme Benchrest is an “open” event with very many air rifle brands represented, there’s no doubt that Daystate air rifles dominated at EBR 2023!

Some competitors shooting Daystate – and BRK (Brocock) for that matter – were part of the official “Daystate Wolf Pack”. That’s a group photograph of the “Wolf Pack” above, together with the company owner (center rear) and designer (far left).

But many other Daystate shooters were genuine enthusiasts who have made the brand their choice. That’s a testament to the quality, accuracy and consistency of the company’s products!

Now, on with the results…

100 Yard Extreme Benchrest Pro Class Finals

Thayne Simmons won the headline Pro Class 100-Yard Extreme Benchrest 2023 competition. Shooting a Karma Red Panda air rifle, he scored an impressive 232 7X. Above we see Thayne with his prize, which included a $7,000 check, plus an expense-paid trip to Daystate in England to collect the Daystate Air Rifle of his choice.

100 Yards Extreme Benchrest Sportsman Class Finals

One Gun Challenge

The One Gun Challenge rewards the competitors who use the exact same air rifle for competition in (almost) all courses of fire in the EBR event. Almost? Well, yes, not including Big Bore, of course!

Fady Kiwan from Lebanon won this most challenging title shooting a Daystate Alpha Wolf in .22 caliber. That’s Fady shooting. below.

Speed Silhouette Open Class

This class is “anything goes”! Magazines are loaded and installed before firing commences. Semi-autos are included, too. Here the class was won by Ethan Butterfield, shooting a Semi Automatic Marauder with a record time of 18.81 seconds. That’s the first time ever that this class has been won by a semi-auto!

But Lauren Parsons was close behind shooting a .25 caliber Daystate Delta Wolf, while the 2018 100 Yard Extreme Benchrest winner Claudio Flores was third with an Alpha Wolf in .22 caliber.

Speed Silhouette Pro Class

This class really was dominated by the Daystate Red Wolf!!!

Meanwhile, Don and Larry in the AoA mobile support van were in “Maytag Repair Man” mode

Speed Silhouette Sportsmans Class

50 Yard Benchrest Unlimited

Extreme Field Target Extreme Class

Again, another outstanding result from Daystate shooters!

Extreme Field Target Sniper Class

Extreme Big Bore Open Class

Extreme Big Bore Production Class

Congratulations to all the shooters who took part! It’s very interesting to see how the scores have improved with time. The shooters – and their equipment – are clearly getting better and better!