hounddawg
02-03-2011, 09:44 AM
My B3 Chinese air rifle arrived today. It is a solidly made rifle, and on intensive study appears to be new and unfired. While I do not expect a Feinwerkbau or Anschutz for $30, I am a little put off by the bright orange finish on the stock.
First off, I tried to mount a scope on the dovetail mount. That took almost 3 hours, and the use of gunsmithing tools. The grooves on the rifle were NOT 3/8 inch. They were about 35 thou wider, so I had to mess with the clamps of the scope, but I got the job done while discussing with myself the ancestry of the idiot who cut those grooves.
Next was to zero the scope. I placed a A4 size paper with a dot in the center at 30 meter, and fired the first shot. The rifle is advertised as shooting a .22 cal. pellet at 700-800 fps. That is a lie. I don't have a chronograph at home, but I estimate the velocity at about 500 fps. Still not bad for a $30 air rifle, and enough for what I want it to do (kill squirrels that damage my house), but not what is advertised.
I dailed the pellets in, and the shots were sort of consistant. At 30 meters I consistantly shoot 2 inch groups. Sure, not too bad for $30. Nobody gets a Feinwerkbau at $30, right? Still, not the kind of accuracy a guy who shoots golf balls at 200 meters likes.
Loading this rifle is something I am not used to. The underlever cocking rifles are more accurate than break-neck air rifles, but I am used to the loading-gate systems found on the Gecado/Diana or BSA rifles. This rifle requires the pellet to be inserted into the barrel while the lever is pulled to the rear, exposing the breech. Any failure of the mechanism while loading the pellet will result in the loss of at least one finger, unless the underlever us firmly held with one hand while loading the pellet with the other. Inserting the pellet is not easy. The BSA or Gecado rifles' loading gate just requires dropping the pellet in, while this gun requires pushing the pellet directly into the breech.
The front sight of this rifle is attached with rivets. I will remove it, but only when I get to my workshop. Personally, I think a pair of retaining pins would have been enough.
For the price, not a bad buy, but not the rifle i would buy to give to a boy to learn on. While it is fairly accurate (relatively speaking), I have serious reservations about the loading system. I was young once, and I remember how stupid I could get without the risk of an inherent design flaw in the loading system of a rifle. I would recommend this rifle only for adults with stable mental faculties.
What I liked:
Price. I don't think you will find anything in this class at this price.
Craftsmanship. The rifle is well built, solid, with no rattles when shaken.
Accuracy. 2 inch groups at 30 meters is not wonderful, but it is not bad at all.
What I did not like
Finish. Very orange. Not a big deal, and easily fixed with sandpaper, tung oil, elbow grease, and time.
Loading system. The loading is cumbersome. For somebody who intends to kill vermin, it is not a rifle that is easy to reload quickly (safely) if a second shot is needed in the case of a wounding shot.
Overall: I think I did all right with this buy. The real test will come when I have some time to kill the pests that are damaging my house.
First off, I tried to mount a scope on the dovetail mount. That took almost 3 hours, and the use of gunsmithing tools. The grooves on the rifle were NOT 3/8 inch. They were about 35 thou wider, so I had to mess with the clamps of the scope, but I got the job done while discussing with myself the ancestry of the idiot who cut those grooves.
Next was to zero the scope. I placed a A4 size paper with a dot in the center at 30 meter, and fired the first shot. The rifle is advertised as shooting a .22 cal. pellet at 700-800 fps. That is a lie. I don't have a chronograph at home, but I estimate the velocity at about 500 fps. Still not bad for a $30 air rifle, and enough for what I want it to do (kill squirrels that damage my house), but not what is advertised.
I dailed the pellets in, and the shots were sort of consistant. At 30 meters I consistantly shoot 2 inch groups. Sure, not too bad for $30. Nobody gets a Feinwerkbau at $30, right? Still, not the kind of accuracy a guy who shoots golf balls at 200 meters likes.
Loading this rifle is something I am not used to. The underlever cocking rifles are more accurate than break-neck air rifles, but I am used to the loading-gate systems found on the Gecado/Diana or BSA rifles. This rifle requires the pellet to be inserted into the barrel while the lever is pulled to the rear, exposing the breech. Any failure of the mechanism while loading the pellet will result in the loss of at least one finger, unless the underlever us firmly held with one hand while loading the pellet with the other. Inserting the pellet is not easy. The BSA or Gecado rifles' loading gate just requires dropping the pellet in, while this gun requires pushing the pellet directly into the breech.
The front sight of this rifle is attached with rivets. I will remove it, but only when I get to my workshop. Personally, I think a pair of retaining pins would have been enough.
For the price, not a bad buy, but not the rifle i would buy to give to a boy to learn on. While it is fairly accurate (relatively speaking), I have serious reservations about the loading system. I was young once, and I remember how stupid I could get without the risk of an inherent design flaw in the loading system of a rifle. I would recommend this rifle only for adults with stable mental faculties.
What I liked:
Price. I don't think you will find anything in this class at this price.
Craftsmanship. The rifle is well built, solid, with no rattles when shaken.
Accuracy. 2 inch groups at 30 meters is not wonderful, but it is not bad at all.
What I did not like
Finish. Very orange. Not a big deal, and easily fixed with sandpaper, tung oil, elbow grease, and time.
Loading system. The loading is cumbersome. For somebody who intends to kill vermin, it is not a rifle that is easy to reload quickly (safely) if a second shot is needed in the case of a wounding shot.
Overall: I think I did all right with this buy. The real test will come when I have some time to kill the pests that are damaging my house.