Proper reviews

[Terry D]

Trouble is with 'professional' reviews, is that you never get an honest review, all the guns are 'the best thing since sliced bread', it isn't until the guns get into the public domain that you get the honest reviews

Do me a favour, SR, and point me toward any review I've done that was dishonest. I've done hundreds of reviews, so if your claim is true, you'll have no problem finding some that prove your point.

Thanks.

[davymole]

Do me a favour, SR, and point me toward any review I've done that was dishonest. I've done hundreds of reviews, so if your claim is true, you'll have no problem finding some that prove your point.

Thanks.

then there was silenceI read the mags ,read the reviews THEN as an adult usually make my own mind up,plus I do write reviews on my purchases on most things and write as I find

[neil180]

Reviews.....

They are generally a good thing but they are not the be all and end all. I used to do reviews of darts (I know....) and I always said to the manufacturers that sent them to me that I would be honest about them. Any poor manufacturing would be mentioned and pointed out etc. However - I used to get asked why I never said whether I 'liked' the darts or not. Well - some of them I positively hated but I am not going to say that in a review because they might not suit me but they will be perfect for someone else.

Guns are the same. I know that the TX200 is a superb gun but I simply can't get on with it. If yoiu see poor engineering then fair do's you can talk about it but how it fits, etc etc (unless of course there is something blindingly obvious that affects everyone - first stage on an LGU for example) then it is simply not worth mentioning as its very much a 'horses for courses situation'.

I don't read reviews - but I do watch videos as long as they are not overly long. At the end of the day I find out most things by asking people who know, trying a gun out or cruising a few videos.

[SuffolkRifle]

Do me a favour, SR, and point me toward any review I've done that was dishonest. I've done hundreds of reviews, so if your claim is true, you'll have no problem finding some that prove your point.

Thanks.

Terry, I wont say that any reviews are 'dishonest', just that often the bad points aren't mentioned or are glossed over - in how many reviews have you actually said (rather than hinting at) that the rifle is "over-priced for what it is/is pellet fussy/under-powered (in a 'full' powered rifle - i.e. 10.25 fpe as opposed to 11.5 fpe)/suitable for a back garden plinker"? I do know that often reviewers get sent/given 'sorted' items to review, rather than having one pulled from stock at random, so perhaps not always the reviewers 'bias'. In fact, the 'best' reviews I ever read were in a motorcycle magazine several years ago, where they were long term reviews & were written as a diary over (if I recall correctly) a years use.
I also know that in the past a magazine (not airgun related) did actually publish a review that absolutely rubbished a product and as a consequence had the advertising from the manufacturer of that product removed for two years - the manufacturer would regularly take out 6-10 full page adverts per month - meaning a significant loss of revenue to the publisher, funnily enough, after that episode you never read a poor review of that manufacturers product in that magazine.

[villaman]

Just look at the mags to day ,full of adverts for Daystate guns , never read a bad thing about Daystate guns , I wonder why !!

[Theob3n]

I asked on here about some feedback on the rm100 and only got bad feedback about the company

[angrybear]

I asked on here about some feedback on the rm100 and only got bad feedback about the company

Ok well first I'll point out that it's a different company the RM100 being Impact Airguns from the UK, while the HM1000 is Rapid Air Weapons from the USA.

This months (Jul 2015) Shooting Sports has a review of the RM100 by Pete Wadeson, while last month they had an item on a visit to the Impact factory by Mark Camoccio.

[Theob3n]

Ok well first I'll point out that it's a different company the RM100 being Impact Airguns from the UK, while the HM1000 is Rapid Air Weapons from the USA.

This months (Jul 2015) Shooting Sports has a review of the RM100 by Pete Wadeson, while last month they had an item on a visit to the Impact factory by Mark Camoccio.

Very true, my mistake

[Spewy]

Thanks for the feedback and I did read the review by gunmart it was the only one I could find.i was just impressed by a gun that had my wish list
.20 cal
Full lefty
And cocking on the left side makes a lot of different to me after using my hw100kt
I'd love to do a mini review with pics and hope it helps anyone thinking of buying the hm1000 and thanks for the offer TD

[Terry D]

I do know that often reviewers get sent/given 'sorted' items to review, rather than having one pulled from stock at random, so perhaps not always the reviewers 'bias'.

Do you actually know this for a fact? You see, in the real world, if a review rifle has a particularly nice piece of timber fitted to it, for instance, customers expect that and it causes all sorts of grief if the test sample isn't representative. Another fact is, the rifles we get for test are often those that have been on the test ranges at shows and fairs. To the best of my knowledge,never, in all the years I've been testing airguns, has anyone ever sent me a specially sorted example. As I say, if the test rifle doesn't represent what the customer gets, there will, quite rightly, be all sorts of trouble.

Final fact. If I get an airgun that isn't in my opinion fit for sale, I won't test it until the required changes are made to bring it up to spec.

Hope that helps.

[archie]

Do you actually know this for a fact? You see, in the real world, if a review rifle has a particularly nice piece of timber fitted to it, for instance, customers expect that and it causes all sorts of grief if the test sample isn't representative. Another fact is, the rifles we get for test are often those that have been on the test ranges at shows and fairs. To the best of my knowledge,never, in all the years I've been testing airguns, has anyone ever sent me a specially sorted example. As I say, if the test rifle doesn't represent what the customer gets, there will, quite rightly, be all sorts of trouble.

Final fact. If I get an airgun that isn't in my opinion fit for sale, I won't test it until the required changes are made to bring it up to spec. Hope that helps.

So if an airgun submitted for review is not up to scratch you send it back to be rectified. However this would seem to indicate that in theory you will never print a bad review.
If this rifle had been sold through a retail outlet to a customer they would not be too happy and immediately distrust your reviews, unless of course you receive a rogue gun for test.

[SuffolkRifle]

Do you actually know this for a fact? You see, in the real world, if a review rifle has a particularly nice piece of timber fitted to it, for instance, customers expect that and it causes all sorts of grief if the test sample isn't representative. Another fact is, the rifles we get for test are often those that have been on the test ranges at shows and fairs. To the best of my knowledge,never, in all the years I've been testing airguns, has anyone ever sent me a specially sorted example. As I say, if the test rifle doesn't represent what the customer gets, there will, quite rightly, be all sorts of trouble.

Final fact. If I get an airgun that isn't in my opinion fit for sale, I won't test it until the required changes are made to bring it up to spec.

Hope that helps.

As you've stated above, all teething problems sorted, rough edges 'knocked off', any issues with power sorted & NOT an item pulled at random out of stock, which is what the customer gets. Q.E.D.

[longsider]

Final fact. If I get an airgun that isn't in my opinion fit for sale, I won't test it until the required changes are made to bring it up to spec.

Hi Terry .
I know we have been here before and I understand your explanations as to how you personally go about reviewing rifles . The thing that worries me is that unless the manufacturer provides you with a rifle that is on top of its game you won't review it until they have changed whatever you didn't like . The other side of that coin is that your readers can save 5 minutes of their lives by looking at the make of rifle you are reviewing that month and then move on safe in the knowledge that you think the rifle is good . The fact that you don't review rifles you have issues with won't always stop them going on sale and it won't stop your readers buying a rifle that lets them down . Sometimes I think your readers , and I'm one of them , need to know what not to buy just as much as they need to know what is going to take the air rifle world by storm . As I said at the start of this thread you've previously taken the time to personally explain to me your methods of reviewing rifles and I was grateful for that but imo and indeed by your own admission any rifle you review is a rifle you feel worthy of that review . in my mind that makes your review more like just another advertisement / endorsement on behalf of the manufacturer . I think your extensive knowledge and years of experience in your field would be of more use protecting your readers from the poor rifles that a lot of dealers will swear blind is a excellent purchase . Feel free to comment Terry but that's my personal opinion and I think we will just end up agreeing to disagree . on a brighter note I'm not knocking your magazine , I'm just saying that particular aspect of it never gets read by me for the above reasons . atb Ricky

[neil180]

Terry D - would that be Terry Doe??

Guidedog for the thick - still my favourite book ever!!

[Spewy]

Reviews?
Mmmmmm
My first post I think on forum
Helpful informative airgunners
Sence of a darkside on my post
Kindly asked to write a mini review with pics which was kind and welcoming.
Do posts start innocently then turn into something unsavoury ?.
The main thing for me is I'm surprised that I have a hens tooth gun good or bad,no one has said yes I had one there great or there rubbish.so I will to the best of MY ability as a airgunner give a honest review.this review by looking at my thread be possibly pulled apart piece by piece but it's my review of my gun.
Thanks
Hope you liked my first review🙈