SMK B2 .177 Air Rifle, HELP!

[theobencarbine8]

I've owned an smk b2 .. whilst they are good value for money you can forget target shooting at long range with one. I was happy with mine being able to group around 3 inches at 30 yards. Biggest problem i found is the trigger which is very basic & has a horrible stiff unpredictable pull that makes accurate shooting virtually impossible. A tuned one may well be better but still not up to much.

Even Spending an extra £50 or sumin on a 2nd hand rifle would do yourself a favour in the long run.

[walrus1#]

For a kids introduction to see if they like the sport It is fine and is probably responsible for getting thousands of shooters into the sport in the first place.But for an out of the box gun they are at best a back garden plinker.Don't get me wrong I like Chinese guns and have many of them.But there are better to be had if on the other hand you like to tinker then they can be made to shoot well with little effort.They will never win any beauty competitions but will keep you amused for a long time.But for long range which is where you have posted.Then forget it No cheap gun will ever be able to match up to the top end springers for long range target shooting.There are a few in the SMK range that will do the business but even they require a decent aftermarket spring and lube tune. The B2 is an entry level first time gun and should be treated as such,not ridiculed for it's short commings.Remember it is a 45 year old design (a Diana design at that) and therefor can not be expected to be up with the modern designs.The other factor in the equation is that they almost always give you SMK pellets with the guns these are best used as fishing weights or just very short ranges, they make any gun look rubbish.

[fat man]

For a kids introduction to see if they like the sport It is fine and is probably responsible for getting thousands of shooters into the sport in the first place.But for an out of the box gun they are at best a back garden plinker.Don't get me wrong I like Chinese guns and have many of them.But there are better to be had if on the other hand you like to tinker then they can be made to shoot well with little effort.They will never win any beauty competitions but will keep you amused for a long time.But for long range which is where you have posted.Then forget it No cheap gun will ever be able to match up to the top end springers for long range target shooting.There are a few in the SMK range that will do the business but even they require a decent aftermarket spring and lube tune. The B2 is an entry level first time gun and should be treated as such,not ridiculed for it's short commings.Remember it is a 45 year old design (a Diana design at that) and therefor can not be expected to be up with the modern designs.The other factor in the equation is that they almost always give you SMK pellets with the guns these are best used as fishing weights or just very short ranges, they make any gun look rubbish.

As allways agree with my learned friend Walrus 100 %

[secretagentmole]

I started with an SMK B2 many years ago, it was horrible. It recoiled worse than a donkey with a bad hangover, it was sloppily built, woefully inaccurate, but for £35 what could I expect? I knew it was goig to be awful but as a back yard gun it was ok! Ish.... Apparently the modern ones are a lot lot better, with a tune up kit (yes they do make them, they cost more than the gun though) you get a nearly decent shooter out of it! You also get an invaluable lesson in how to strip and rebuild a gun.

Try looking for a starter rifle at about the £100 mark though, I would recommend a Hatsan 55 or 60, these are widely available for twice the price and called a Webley Stingray mark 2! These have lovely solid walnut stocks, quality German mechanicals and a decent trigger!

If you can save up a little more, say get to around the £170 mark you can get a whole world of choice, TX200 or Prosport, HW95, 99, 97, 77 all of which are superb springers. Save a little more and you can move into the world of gas rams with the Hatsan 60S TG GR, which is a superb rifle, really superb, really really superb (I have one by the way).

Avoid a BSA if you can, you will be looking at the modern era BSA rifles, which are all made in Spain and have a patchy quality reputation, if you get a good one it is very very good, but if you get a bad one it is more rank than a 2 month old Paella that has been sitting in the noon day sun! Avoid!

[jetski]

If £40 is all your willing to spend on a gun then the b2 is perfect for you. As the same with anything else if you want better quality you have to pay for it.

The b2 does what promised. It fires a pellet in a particular direction. What more could you expect for £40 new? However if you want to hunt with it I would suggest spending a little more. Even a brand new db4 is only £50 and a big step up

[secretagentmole]

Oh and Jetski knows his oils as well, Walnut works well!

[jetski]

Oh and Jetski knows his oils as well, Walnut works well!

ya cant beat a bit of tesco walnut oil on your stock