Cheap PCP's

[gsxrman]

I've always been a firm believer in what you pay for is what you get,so on that note surely the cheap PCP's like the kral npo2 and the likes cannot be that good?

Like another old saying "Horses for courses".
Some people cant even tell the difference and don't care.
Someone can look through a scope that cost £50 and one that's £1500 and cant see the difference so that scope is a waste on that person.
My dad has just gone through a run of buying 6 different "cheap" PCPs and each one had its issues, from really poor triggers, inaccurate and bad magazines to faults occurring almost straight away.
He has now bought a virtually new R10 which performs really well, for now anyway.
Most feel rough, are made of toffee and cant live with quality PCP where it counts which is consistency and accuracy and reliability.
The problem is that the cheap rifles aren't cheap anymore and neither are decent springers.
You wont get many KRAL rifles clearing a HFT course and ya wont find many Ripley's thrown in the back of a tractor!!

[aris]

We've all been there. You buy something 'cheap' and what you think is sensible, but in the long run you realise that buy once, cry once is the way to go. Been there done that. I now try to buy the best I can afford - and all the better if a second hand bargain. The best stuff keeps it's value better, so realistically you are better off financially in the long run too.

[Steyr]

Another way of looking at it is that a lot of the good stuff maybe overpriced iro of value for money Vs ability.

Just because it is cheaper, doesn't make it less capable.

You can still get a spoon to stir a cup of tea made of wood, metal...... the material varies as does the finish, but it does the same job.

I subscribe to the principle of buy the best you can in the long term but I often buy cheap to test principles befor committing a lot of money to a specific course of action

[Jesim1]

It may help to think of guns like tools? - no mechanic will use cheap tools, they are fine for DIY, but when the going gets tough they just lead to more problems.

I still think cheap guns have a place - like DIY tools, just not in my cupboard

[32:1]

It may help to think of guns like tools? - no mechanic will use cheap tools, they are fine for DIY, but when the going gets tough they just lead to more problems.

I still think cheap guns have a place - like DIY tools, just not in my cupboard

I can run with that theory James, and Ive enjoyed that expensive toolbox too and put it to good use when I needed to but now its all about tinkering and Im happy to explore these cheap guns as they often a little tlc can really help just like my kral project was matching my 9015 scores so Im the limiting factor for sure but you do get what you pay for generally and there is a difference, that Annie trigger was awesome and unmatched on an airgun Id say, this kral was more like an old Relum but its getting modded each week and its fun improving, something the Annie never needed and probably a factor in why I sold it, would I recommend a kral over an Annie for benchrest hell no and their so far apart its mind boggling, but it just what floats my boat.

My only other guns are a pesting tool that gets used and abused around a farm, a rather brilliant Benjamin Akela, gone are my Kalibrguns, Edguns and FiX’s and I rely on a cheapy to knock about, it kills as many rats or greys as the others and I do bash it about too without the sharp intake of breath, horses for courses. And a rather nice old MPR that I plan to use next year in the stick class hft, not shot it much at all not even a decent pellet test as Ive got all winter and I need some sticks anyway.

Things I would like to see more of on cheap guns would be far better QC, this is one area that lets these down for sure, also to see these restricted to sub12 in a better balanced way and not just choked up thus ruining the guns abilities and results, both these are not going to add much if anything to their price but be priceless to their performance / reputation.

My advice is to try as many different guns as you can, buy what you want and enjoy them as your only here once

Chris

[zephyr]

My twopeneth - try before buying and buy the best you can afford. By ‘best’, I mean the one that is closest to your our perfect.

We all have different depth pockets, both actual and mentally. We all have different preferences. My pockets aren’t deep, but buying secondhand means the money goes much further.