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Thread: The best backyard rifle. European vs American tradition

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    Example today of advantage of variable power, got backyard metal target in the mail. The kind that has five metal "spoon" shaped targets that rotate up to a bar once hit. When all five are up you hit a target above to release them. Three pumps too much they would go up and bounce off, two pumps enough to let them stay up. Variability is a much underapreciate attribute because so few guns have it.

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    The Crosman 1400

    Can't let this end without mentioning another fine Crosman multi-pump the model 1400. It replaced the earlier 140 and is essentially the same design; however, this was during the "Going Great Guns" era that put an emphasis on quality design. The model 1300 Medalist II, was in the same class.

    The 1400 was the Crosman Arms best effort at designing a great, all metal and wood, multi pump. These came towards the end of Crosman Arms and are actually much rarer than the earlier 140 models. While the 140 is a nice rifle, the 1400 was really one of the finest guns ever produced by Crosman Arms. Rare for any Crosman, many of the 1400 barrels had scope grooves. There are a number of variations in the stock and 2 variations of breech (slide cover and bolt) so there's actually a nice bunch of things to look for in this model.

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    Quote Originally Posted by 45flint View Post
    With the success of PCP, don't see how anything like that would have much luck on the market. Personally, I've been a bit surprised at how deep Crosman has pursued their PCP designs. It wasn't too long ago that the idea of Crosman producing a big bore pneumatic wasn't on anyone's radar.

    I know Quigley put great effort and thought into trying to figure out what type of high end airgun he could build that would be attractive enough to mass produce, or at least get solid sales on. Getting Crosman/Benjamin interested would probably be a bridge too far; for any number of reasons.

    Of course there are examples of American airgun manufacturers picking up European designs, Benjamin and the Sterling being the prime example, but, Benjamin, if they wanted to expand the product line, had little choice: they had no design department, never did have one. Crosman, which now owns Benjamin, has had a solid engineering department since 1945.

  5. #20
    Blackrider's Avatar
    Blackrider is offline It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got a Spring
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    Apart from a Crosman "Ratcatcher", which I once owned, I'm not familiar with US air weapons. However, for many years I used a BSA Lightning .22 as a backyard gun which was light and easily handled.
    I currently use a Theoben .22 Fenman which is superb !
    “An airgun or two”………

  6. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by DT Fletcher View Post
    Can't let this end without mentioning another fine Crosman multi-pump the model 1400. It replaced the earlier 140 and is essentially the same design; however, this was during the "Going Great Guns" era that put an emphasis on quality design. The model 1300 Medalist II, was in the same class.

    The 1400 was the Crosman Arms best effort at designing a great, all metal and wood, multi pump. These came towards the end of Crosman Arms and are actually much rarer than the earlier 140 models. While the 140 is a nice rifle, the 1400 was really one of the finest guns ever produced by Crosman Arms. Rare for any Crosman, many of the 1400 barrels had scope grooves. There are a number of variations in the stock and 2 variations of breech (slide cover and bolt) so there's actually a nice bunch of things to look for in this model.
    With all the new technology one simple aspect of the early rifles that was needlessly abandoned was the peep sight. It is probably the one aspect of my early 102 that I find most endearing to a 66 year old shooter that has had catertact surgery. And it is the cruder 1930 peep that for me is field superior to the "finer" 1949 peep. It's hole size is about perfect for many lighting conditions and the thinner more carefully formed front blade, gives me deadly easy accuracy even with my eyes. I scoped the rifle for a while and have taken it off. It's just "right" the way it is.

    Better technology and then put on a cheap sight, reminds me of the Hy-Score as much as I love it?
    Last edited by 45flint; 30-05-2017 at 11:37 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Blackrider View Post
    Apart from a Crosman "Ratcatcher", which I once owned, I'm not familiar with US air weapons. However, for many years I used a BSA Lightning .22 as a backyard gun which was light and easily handled.
    I currently use a Theoben .22 Fenman which is superb !
    That Theoben Fenman looks like a great carbine size springer. You English have a advantage with your backyard shooting, this gun in the US has the silencer gutted

  8. #23
    Hsing-ee's Avatar
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    Feinwerkbau 300S with a scope is an excellent backyard air-rifle. Super-accurate and will last forever, no tanks or CO2, perfick.

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    Blackrider is offline It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got a Spring
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    Quote Originally Posted by 45flint View Post
    That Theoben Fenman looks like a great carbine size springer. You English have a advantage with your backyard shooting, this gun in the US has the silencer gutted
    I couple my Fenman's with low mag, wide angle what you Guys call "Turkey Scopes". A favourite over here is the little Simmons 1.5-5x20 WTC, a little long in the tooth nowadays but a cracking combo with a carbine air rifle for close-in shooting !
    And not just close quarters, that short 7.5" Anschutz .22 barrel is pretty accurate at longer ranges too !
    “An airgun or two”………

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    For the backyard I'm finding the peep sight a little more sporting? I can only get so far away, my latest metal target gallery has golfball size targets, even with the peep I'm hardly ever missing. Something cool about getting back to using a sight.

  11. #26
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    I run a FWB Sport and a Fenman for plinking good fun. My HW95 fully tuned is up there with them. All are light enough to be plinked standing unsupported. Some BSA's are good too with open sights.
    All the heavy weights can take a hike when it comes to standing sporting plinking.
    I don't want to make it easy as then I'd have a PCP.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Muskett View Post
    I run a FWB Sport and a Fenman for plinking good fun. My HW95 fully tuned is up there with them. All are light enough to be plinked standing unsupported. Some BSA's are good too with open sights.
    All the heavy weights can take a hike when it comes to standing sporting plinking.
    I don't want to make it easy as then I'd have a PCP.
    I think your right in that it's the weight and size of my R-1 that turns me off in the backyard.

  13. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by 45flint View Post
    For the backyard I'm finding the peep sight a little more sporting? I can only get so far away, my latest metal target gallery has golfball size targets, even with the peep I'm hardly ever missing. Something cool about getting back to using a sight.
    That's because we are all gentlemen of a certain age on this forum and grew up using open sights. The peep sights help with ageing eyesight

  14. #29
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    The best backyard rifle. European vs American tradition

    Quote Originally Posted by 45flint View Post
    I think your right in that it's the weight and size of my R-1 that turns me off in the backyard.
    Have you thought about fitting a uk 12ft/lbs spring into it? It would reduce the cocking effort a good amount & recoil too. I like pump ups for plinking on 2 or 3 pumps, my first was a little 766 crosman, but my favorites were the innovas from japan I had 3 & an ace too over the years.

  15. #30
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    When they were very little - we got the kids a Crosman Powermaster 66 pump gun (supervised by us at all times I add!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdasSrVT1tI We were amazed at what a good little rifle this was for the price - good quality and good fun!

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