Anyone airgun?

Homesteading & Country Living Forum

Help Support Homesteading & Country Living Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
There was a time in my survival career where I would have claimed that an airgun was the ultimate survival hunting implement. I went as far as modifying several systems from mpp, pcc, bb etc, molding and swaging pellets from scavenged materials and pellets that I'd dug out if animals and even killing larger animals. I've done alot of airgun hunting- and became pretty knowledgable about airguns... all that being said its been a few years since I've even shot one. I feel that I took that about as far as I could and when I felt that it wasn't cutting it for me I moved onto the next system.
 
I have a couple. My target air rifle is a customized Daisy Avanti 853 with upgraded sights, additional barrel weights, my own home made LOP buttstock that does height adjustment and swivel angle, and some trigger work including adding an adjustment screw ( https://thecmp.org/wp-content/uploads/DaisySporterTriggerMod.pdf )

853.jpg


This is what it looked like before before I modified it (generic picture, not mine specifically):

DaisyAvanti.png


I also have a Daisy 953 rifle (similar mechanism to the 853, but with synthetic stock and does not have the good Lothar Walther barrel of the 853).

Both of the above are single-pump-pneumatics.

I also have a Gamo 1000 Shadow - a break barrel rifle which is more powerful than the above two, but nowhere near as accurate (not even close!) Break barrel springer air rifles can be very difficult to shoot due to their two way jarring recoil. You have to use a special "artillery hold". Even then, it's a challenge to shoot them well. That's why you don't see springers in target shooting competitions.

For air pistols, I have a Diana Chaser (CO2), a Crossman 1377 (multi-pump-pneumatic), and a Beeman P17 (single-pump-pneumatic). All three of these are super accurate. The Diana is the most accurate, followed by the Beeman and finally the Crossman. However, it is difficult to tell the difference in accuracy. The Diana and the Beeman came with excellent triggers out of the box. Unbelievably clean and light with zero slop. Fantastic for inexpensive air guns. The Crossman's trigger needed some work. I did some honing and smoothing of the sear, replaced the spring, and fashioned a home made trigger shoe. After these mods, the Crossman trigger was very good.

All of these air guns are pellet only, no BB's. BB's are lighter and not as accurate as pellets (BB gun barrels are smooth bore, pellet barrels are rifled).

I do have one BB pistol. It's a 1911. For a BB gun it is quite accurate. CO2, all metal, size, weight and mechanisms of a real 1911 (the slide cycles, disassembles like a real 1911, etc.) I plink inside with it, down a hallway that is about 6 yards long. I constructed a backstop for the hallway that is a USPS Priority Mail box (free!) filled with chopped up rubber tire (that filling is sold as rubber mulch in Home Depot).

IMAG0530.jpg

IMAG0531.jpg

IMAG0533.jpg
 
IMHO an airgun is an excellent addition to the home/prepping arsenal. Good for small game or birds. Relatively quiet, Ammo is cheap, and you can carry a bunch. Lots of advantages and no isadvantages I can see.
 
Not many people know that the success of the Lewis and Clark expedition was due to an air gun?

It repeated 20 shots. The men would take turns pumping up the cylinder. They would take it out when they met potential hostiles and entertain them with a shooting demonstration. It was very convincing, A weapon ahead of its time?
 
Yesterday I posted I have an air rifle that has been behind the door for years and I never shot it.
Well today I shot it.
There was a redwing black bird with a broken wing hopping around the yard.
I used the air rifle to end it's misery.
I figured that was better than letting it suffer till a cat killed it.
Strange coincidence.
 
4300 psi?
How do you get that much pressure?
I use a special air compressor that cost more than the air rifle. The air compressor is designed for high power air guns. The max pressure is actually rated 4,350 psi. I can also use my air rifle hand pump, but I can't begin to pump it to that high a pressure.
 
I started with a RWS model 48, ended with a Benjamin Discovery PCP, Many in between, it's been a fun journey.

Used to shoot 5M pistol, and 10M rifle, it's fun, you learn things. I learned I am not all that good :p

It was cheaper than my lessons at Camp Perry, but they were fun too, till I couldn't see the target :(
 
At a time I had the use of a 177 cal break barrel rifle with an old cheap Tasco or the like rifle scope on it.. It worked well for things like red squirrels in the barns and ...taking care of business.. with predators I live trapped in the chicken house...

The Australian forum I follow saying many routinely use air rifles for farm, garden pests like cane toads, rabbits, and other things unique to there location..
 
I started with a RWS model 48
That is I think the very first air rifle I ever shot (not firearm). It was in a PE class on riflery at Texas A&M University. I remember them being very nice rifles that were fun to shoot. I remember that class using side-lever Diana (RWS) air rifles, but I can't say if it was the "model 48" (did they make different models of their side-lever back in the 70's?)
 

Latest posts

Back
Top