Just been shooting my FAC Pro Elite...

[TonyL]

...after an enforced 6 year separation...

What a gun. Even though it's doing about 20 FP, it's a lot calmer than a factory HW95 at 11 FP. Easy to cock, great trigger, and awesomely accurate.

I know it's too big for a 12 Fp gun, and I know that fac springers don't really make much sense in the UK, but it's still a great piece of engineering. I was going to convert it to an HW80 seal (shortening the stroke 1/4" as a bonus), and lighten the piston a bit, but I'm not sure there's much to be gained... will probably just wait for the seal to wear out.

It was great to pick it up after such a long break, and with barely a couple of clicks of the scope turrets, be hitting everything I aimed at...

Always lovely to be acquainted after such a long, enforced break, Jon.

And great to hear you still love it to bits.

You working away at the moment?

[rapidresponse1]

very nice guns

[FPoole]

Had one in both calibers. They were 22 ft. lbs. in .22 and 20 ft. lbs. in .177. I sold them to fund TX200's when I got into FT heavy. I had $600 in the 2, both brand new, and I sold them for $1250. One had no stock and was bought as action only by a stock maker. He thought he was getting a .22, but it was the .177. I had a stock, so $200 was what I paid. I also had an early Beeman R1(HW80) at the time. The HW does not compare and feels flimsy and cheap next to the PE.

[Weasle]

Had one in both calibers. They were 22 ft. lbs. in .22 and 20 ft. lbs. in .177. I sold them to fund TX200's when I got into FT heavy. I had $600 in the 2, both brand new, and I sold them for $1250. One had no stock and was bought as action only by a stock maker. He thought he was getting a .22, but it was the .177. I had a stock, so $200 was what I paid. I also had an early Beeman R1(HW80) at the time. The HW does not compare and feels flimsy and cheap next to the PE.

I totally agree with your comparison with the 80. The ProElite feels substantial and beautifully engineered, especially when closing the barrel ....however that shows in its weigh.
Mine was rebuilt By the late Steve Pope (RIP) with a reduced cylinder of 25mm with a CZ Barrel in .177 flavour. It also has a .22 Barrel with matching spring to allow it to stay below 12fpe when the caliber is changed.
Very Accurate and a pleasure to shoot and own.

Cheers Steve

[Barryg]

WHY was such a nice break barrel like the ProElite discontinued and sold of cheap in such a short time after two years development ?

I have not heard a satisfying answer, its a real mystery as the 80 is such a success

[Shed tuner]

WHY was such a nice break barrel like the ProElite discontinued and sold of cheap in such a short time after two years development ?

I have not heard a satisfying answer, its a real mystery as the 80 is such a success

whilst the 80 is definitely not optimal at 12 FP, the PE is much worse.
THe PE does generate a fair bit more power than the 80 unrestricted, but 18-20 FP from an 80 is enough for most people.
IIRC the PE cost a fair bit more than an 80 at the time ?

So I guess it comes down to not enough of a power advantage to justify the extra expense (for most) - even though the quality is better, how many customers in this market would care ? Coupled with not very good at 12 FP...

I think we sometimes forget, we relatively discerning folks on this BBS represent a tiny minority of global airgun sales.

[stillair1]

I had a very nice example running at 24ftlb, though the piston seal suctioned onto the base of the cylinder and popped off the piston at one point. Sold to Baz iirc as I needed a slot.

[Barryg]

whilst the 80 is definitely not optimal at 12 FP, the PE is much worse.
THe PE does generate a fair bit more power than the 80 unrestricted, but 18-20 FP from an 80 is enough for most people.
IIRC the PE cost a fair bit more than an 80 at the time ?

So I guess it comes down to not enough of a power advantage to justify the extra expense (for most) - even though the quality is better, how many customers in this market would care ? Coupled with not very good at 12 FP...

I think we sometimes forget, we relatively discerning folks on this BBS represent a tiny minority of global airgun sales.

I have heard that explanation before but it still don't really make sense, Diana brought out the 350 and 460 after the PE and are still going strong, why did AA not give it more time instead of dropping them so quick and selling them off cheap, at the time I thought that they had a really big design fault but now owners are saying how fantastic they are, making me kick myself for not getting one at the time
Surely it would have been better for AA to have made some adjustments rather than a dead loss

[Barryg]

I also had an early Beeman R1(HW80) at the time. The HW does not compare and feels flimsy and cheap next to the PE.

LOL the HW80 Flimsy, I can agree that the AA bluing looks more expansive if if that is what you mean by cheap but just trying think where the 80 is flimsy next to the PE, it cant be the end block as that would be more robust if abused by over tightening a mount, that only leaves the breech area and I'm not sure how anyone could call that flimsy
A nice custom 80 would compare with a PE but the PE already looks like a custom job and it's the only gun I still won't but only if I can find one that has not been messed with

[Shed tuner]

the PE breech block and jaws are very substantial.. I don't have an 80 to hand, but I'm pretty sure the PE setup is beefier. But there's really nothing wrong with the 80 - they are not flimsy, I agree - so the PE is probably over-engineered.

[les allam]

After having a Hw80 and hw98 glided by V-Mach they also had the breech shims done as part of the conversion.A worth while upgrade.
When having the same conversion on my P/e Steve pope said it was unnecessary for a breech shim modification due to the gun being so over engineered in that area.
Les..

[Weasle]

After having a Hw80 and hw98 glided by V-Mach they also had the breech shims done as part of the conversion.A worth while upgrade.
When having the same conversion on my P/e Steve pope said it was unnecessary for a breech shim modification due to the gun being so over engineered in that area.
Les..

Hi Les
It already has substantial shims fitted....the breach, as you will know, closes like a safe door...
Cheers Steve

[FPoole]

LOL the HW80 Flimsy, I can agree that the AA bluing looks more expansive if if that is what you mean by cheap but just trying think where the 80 is flimsy next to the PE, it cant be the end block as that would be more robust if abused by over tightening a mount, that only leaves the breech area and I'm not sure how anyone could call that flimsy
A nice custom 80 would compare with a PE but the PE already looks like a custom job and it's the only gun I still won't but only if I can find one that has not been messed with

I always felt the 80 flexing as I popped the barrel back into the detent. Felt sort of springy, for lack of a better description. and those tiny little shims and the scoring on the breech block. The factory guide was a joke at best. The cocking link always jingled about from new and the piston stem is thinner than the AA guns. That lump of metal that screws into the receiver is the heaviest part of an HW and serves no strength purpose, but it does help the guns not feel as front heavy. The AA receiver is plenty strong enough to handle any amount of mount tightening and it's always in line from end to end unlike the HW unit which always goes a little past after the first time you open it up, easy to fix, but it still does it.. I had my 80 for 20 years or so and I liked it just fine, but the PE is a step up the quality ladder. My 80 and a $100 bill helped me get a fabulous deal on a Mark1 TX200. Now that is a gun built to last. The PE also had the same trigger unit as the TX's and it is better than the Rekord, this is fact not just my opinion and anyone who says different is simply wrong. They also don't know how to, easily and simply, adjust the CD. One thing the PE needed was the 80's open sights.

[charub]

I always felt the 80 flexing as I popped the barrel back into the detent. Felt sort of springy, for lack of a better description. and those tiny little shims and the scoring on the breech block. The factory guide was a joke at best. The cocking link always jingled about from new and the piston stem is thinner than the AA guns. That lump of metal that screws into the receiver is the heaviest part of an HW and serves no strength purpose, but it does help the guns not feel as front heavy. The AA receiver is plenty strong enough to handle any amount of mount tightening and it's always in line from end to end unlike the HW unit which always goes a little past after the first time you open it up, easy to fix, but it still does it.. I had my 80 for 20 years or so and I liked it just fine, but the PE is a step up the quality ladder. My 80 and a $100 bill helped me get a fabulous deal on a Mark1 TX200. Now that is a gun built to last. The PE also had the same trigger unit as the TX's and it is better than the Rekord, this is fact not just my opinion and anyone who says different is simply wrong. They also don't know how to, easily and simply, adjust the CD. One thing the PE needed was the 80's open sights.

I actually once owned a PE with factory open sights! Never seen another.

[Geezer]

I actually once owned a PE with factory open sights! Never seen another.

https://www.airarmsanorak.co.uk/air-arms-pro-elite

See the initial AGW review - open sights, but a suggestion they wouldn’t continue into full production (which they didn’t).