Are tap loaders inheritently less efficient?

[45flint]

Probably matches my style as I seem to be a collector first and a shooter second. lol. Just seems the most elegant method of loading and the one displaying machining precision?

[Muskett]

When done well its not terrible. Just think of the gap revolvers have to hurdle to get into the barrel. For farmyard ranges then the accuracy was more than adequate. 10M bell target or rats in the farmyard over open sights and they did exactly what was required.

With the advent of cheap Jap scopes and the need to go beyond the farmyard did the poor pellets, iffy taps, plus stiff triggers start to show how very limiting the old systems were.

Taps are fine, just not crazy fantastic. Some of the old rifles with them have great open sights, point really well, and can keep it all under an inch if not 1/2" to 25m. Thats all most need for critter hitting plinking good target fun.

[Vic Thompson]

Whilst not tap loading, Steyr and Feinwerkbau use indexing magazines in some of their Rifles and Pistols. They managed to overcome alignment problems as all of the examples I've had of the above were capable of outstanding acuracy.

At a guess I'd say that the engineering challenges required for each method (tap and indexing magazine) are of the same order ? and good alignment can be achieved with either method subject to application of the right level of engineering skills/machinery.

I can't comment about lost volume etc, but again presumably not too much of a problem as I've seen a few tap loaders running smoothly at 11ftlbs +

Lastly, years ago someone told me that the Tap Loader taps were bored out fitted to the gun but whether that's true or not I don't know.

JMHO, Vic Thompson

[bill57]

A bit unfairly maligned. Tap alignment is everything - if it's off, and you don't know how to fix it, then accuracy will go out the window as the pellets clip. I once shot an Osprey at the club, diopter sight, and put 5 shots in an inch and a quarter at 45 yards. My mate, with his new Daystate Renegade, was not impressed.

[Garvin]

A bit unfairly maligned. Tap alignment is everything - if it's off, and you don't know how to fix it, then accuracy will go out the window as the pellets clip. I once shot an Osprey at the club, diopter sight, and put 5 shots in an inch and a quarter at 45 yards. My mate, with his new Daystate Renegade, was not impressed.

Is that maligned or misaligned?

I think it's no accident that the tap-loading designs gave way to those in which the pellet was directly introduced into the bore... That's partly why I love the old tap-loaders though - quality of workmanship had to be brought to bear against an inherently flawed design.

[bill57]

Funny how things change. When I was young the commonest guns were Milbros, Meteors and ASI. The Airsporter and Mk3 were viewed as the pinnacle of air rifle excellence, and in no small part because they were tap loaders.

[Lakey]

I think it is all about the levels of engineering brought to bear, by each maker.

Early Webleys and BSA's, were airguns built by Firearms manufacturers, so engineering tolerances were very tight, and high levels of engineering were brought to the table. That engineering ability dropped off in the 1960's, then again in the 1970's , when guns could not keep being manufactured to such high standards, whilst the companies still made money.

I think that the advantages of a fixed barrel, outweigh, some of the disadvantages of break barrel guns. The standard of the Tap in a 1920's BSA Standard is massively better than the standard of the Tap in a 1970's Airsporter. The first doesnt usually leak air, whereas the second ALWAYS leaks air in my experience. I know which one I would rather have

Problem is that all these guns are now old, and have varying stages of wear and tear. It is hardly fair to compare a Webley Mk3 with a HW77, say as the latter gun is so much newer than the Webley.

The reason I collect older guns is because of the high levels of engineering and manufacture that went into them, and a good tap loader always beats an average direct barrel loading gun IMO.

Lakey