BEARS BUDDY said:
Now I hafta play the 'Devils' Advocate'. :cry: Don't shoot the cat! I've ran almost all of the Chinese guns across a chronograph at one time or the other. The one absolute consistancy is that NONE (Zip, zilch, nada & nary'un) deliver the performance advertised insofar as velocity is concerned. Nor have I found one that delivers the accuracy that is an absolute prerequisite for hunting with a low energy device. When using the relatively miniscule energy delivered downrange by the vast majority of airguns in hunting, pinpoint, surgically placed shots and the knowledge of the anatomy of the quarry are required to be humane. A well-placed shot by a well-informed hunter is as deadly as one by a duffer using a Howitzer, but even so Howitzers aren't legal hunting weapons. So don't shoot the cat with your epicanthic pnuematic! :wink:
The single exception to the indictment of most Chinese guns is the QB-78, a Chinese built copy of the Old Crosman Model 160 available thru Compasseco Inc. in several guises, model designations and dresses. That gun (and that one only AFAIK) has a barrel that would be at home in Olympic competition if they have maintained their standard of excellence since I last bought one a few years ago. Since Bearridge frequents the airgun fora more than I do these days perhaps he can comment on the current accuracy reputation of the gun? I think enough of them to own 4 in several different states of tune, caliber, gas supply methods (they're a CO2 gun) and stocks.
Now-----having gotten the ugly truth out of the way I must admit that the inexpensive Chinese guns serve a great purpose---they are great for terminating the remaining life-force of 'dead soldiers', (empty beer cans
) acorns, leaves and other 'targets of opportunity' so common to just plain fun plinking. However, I do have one caveat even in this case. ALWAYS, without fail, restrain the cocking lever while loading the gun. The sliding breech that exposes the rear of the barrel for loading is a very powerful and highly efficient shear. While most models have redundant 'anti-beartrap' safety devices built in they HAVE been known to fail, (so whattya you expect from a $20 import built by slave labor already? :? ) removing those portions of digits inside the breech at the moment of failure. That will just ruin your day! The same warning applies, incidentally, to ALL spring piston guns from whatever source or country including barrel cocking models. Always restrain the cocking lever whether a seperate link or the barrel itself. It's simply common-sense safety.Should you choose to investigate or invest in one of the QB models please be aware that if your intended purpose is hunting that the .22 caliber version is FAR more effective for the purpose. Fired from guns with identical powerplants a .22 caliber pellet delivers to the target from 30% to 75% MORE energy than a .177 caliber pellet. For terminal ballistic reasons too obtuse for the current discussion let's just say that for all practical purposes the .177 is at its' best plinking or punching precision holes in paper and .22 is the proper medicine for delivering terminal intent to living tissue. As Chuck has previously noted in another thread the Brits, who have been seriously hunting with airpower much longer than we colonists, have a saying that sums up the difference in the calibers well in a practical no-nonsense manner, ".177 for feathers, .22 for fur".
The other primary use of the cheap inexpensive imports lies in using them as 'victims' by aspiring airgunsmiths. They are so crudely finished internally that almost anything one does to 'slicken' them, including the use of the proper lubricants in the correct amounts, can bring about surprising improvements in both velocity and smoothness. Triggers (as you have noted) are subject to much improvement as well. There are several fora on the 'net devoted to Chinese guns and improvements thereto should your interests lie in that direction. HTH, Tom