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Now there’s another new air pistol introduction from SIG SAUER. The P229 CO2 Air Pistol is a blowback version of the long-running firearm model. As with all SIG airguns, the P229 CO2 Air Pistol is designed to provide an authentic experience compared to the firearm original. Identical weight, balance, and controls make it excellent for training, as users can seamlessly transition their skills – the company claims. Foe example, there’s blowback operation, a functional decocker and a Double Action/Single Action trigger. The P229 utilizes a drop-free magazine housing twin 8-shot rotary disk pellet-holders. Interestingly, these disks incorporate magnetic retainers, thus making it possible to use .177 cal. steel BBs in addition to lead...

A new addition to the burgeoning compact PCP air rifle market is the Reximex Throne Gen2 Compact bullpup PCP. It’s now available from Pyramyd. HAM readers first encountered the Reximex Throne in our report from the 2019 IWA OutdoorClassics show in Germany. At that time, it was available as a full-length model only. It was also the first model to appear bearing the Reximex brand name. Now the Turkish manufacturer has moved forward with a “Generation Two” version of the Throne. Improvements include the addition of a reversible sidelever. This can be switched to the opposite side of the stock by the user to provide ambidextrous operation. Another improvement is the adjustable hammer spring tension wheel. This offers an easy method to...

Right now, there’s HUGE reductions on Air Arms Springers at Pyramyd. In fact you can save up to 28% – yes TWENTY-EIGHT – percent on the previous selling price. For example, you can save that glorious twenty-eight percent on the TX200 MkIII Ultimate Springer with black stock. It’s down from $1,399.99 to just $999.99. The TX200 Ultimate Springer Hunter Carbine offers the same pricing and savings, again in the black stock version. Air Arms TX200 has long been known as an outstanding spring/piston air rifle. It was a HAM Gold Award winner with a 90% score. This offer expires 6/17/24 at 3 am ET. However the available stock may well be gone before then. If you’re interested in one of these Air arms springers, I wouldn’t wait!!! BUY FROM...

The 2024 TEXtreme Extreme Field Target (EFT) match was held on June 1 and 2 at “Ranchito Robinson” in Clifton, central Texas – that’s 20 Miles North West of Waco, TX. This Grand Prix was the third match in Season Three of the Extreme Field Target National Series. You can check out the Match Two report in this previous HAM post. Participants in EFT Grand Prix events receive points by attending. They also receive a maximum of six points that can be earned in these matches. These points will be added to their EFT score at the Extreme Benchrest Competition (EBR) to be held in Phoenix, AZ in October 2024. The top combined score wins the EFT National Championship title, in addition to whatever awards are available for EBR EFT. Read on as...

Just a couple of days ago, HAM reported on the dealer training sessions run by Precision Airgun Distribution. Now we can reveal more details of the BRK Ghost Workshop Guides that were used as part of this training. You see, these are available for BRK owners to use – should they wish. They’re not restricted to airgun dealers only. BRK is clear that these guides and their accompanying videos are intended for use by professional gunsmiths. However many owners feel confident in their ability to work on your rifle, particularly if the warranty has expired. If you are such a person – and many HAM readers are – then these guides will help you too. Plus, the guides are not available just for the Ghost, they also cover the BRK XR models as...

JSB Jumbo Monster Light pellets are now at Predator International, the US distributor. And they’re shipping – a couple of tins have just arrived at the Hard Air Magazine offices! The 20.83 Grain “Lights” are the latest introduction to the updated range of .22 caliber JSB pellets that were announced at the 2024 SHOT Show. That makes them somewhat lighter than the traditional 25.39 Grain Jumbo Monsters that are familiar to so many PCP air rifle shooters. Yet they bridge the gap from the 18.13 Grain JSB Jumbo Heavy pellets for those looking for an intermediate weight. This is useful for those with powerful .22 caliber PCP air rifles who are looking for that perfect balance of Muzzle Velocity and power. The JSB Jumbo Monster Light...

Last week I was in Arizona, visiting Airguns of Arizona and Precision Air Distribution (PAD). While there I was able to attend the airgun dealer training class being held by PAD. Below. Some of the participants are in this group photograph. Hey it was impossible to grab them all at once! For those not familiar with the name, Precision Air Distribution distributes Daystate, BRK (formerly Brocock), MTC Optics, Western Airguns and American Air Arms products throughout the USA. OK, I know what you’re thinking. “Who cares about airgun dealer training?” Well, actually, there’s a lot of commitment and a ton of benefits for everyone – including us, the customers – from events like this. Read on to find out… Below. BRK airguns are hot...

The Crosman Prospect PCP air rifle is a new addition to the range. HAM readers first heard about it in our report from the 2024 SHOT Show. At a Street Price of $369.99, it’s a high end model for the Crosman brand. Only the Challenger target rifle is a more expensive Crosman airgun. So what’s it like? We’ll take a look in this overview… The first thing you notice when picking-up the Prospect is that it’s a surprisingly heavy air rifle! At a time when synthetics are making an ever-larger contribution to the construction of “value priced” PCP air rifles and reducing their weight, the Prospect weighs-in at a chunky 8 Lbs 8 Oz. With the Hawke AirMax Touch scope mounted for this post, the weight climbed to 10 Lbs 1 Oz. The reason for...

VALUE FOR MONEY At a current Street Price of $129.99, the SIG P320 X-Carry CO2 Blowback BB Pistol is selling at a similar price to many other high-quality, BB-firing replicas. It’s a new introduction, but the price definitely seems competitive for the functionality and level of realism offered. BUY FROM PYRAMYD SIG Sauer P320 X-Carry CO2 Blowback Pistol 0.177 REALISM – LOOKS AND FEEL The SIG P320 X-Carry CO2 Blowback BB Pistol is a remarkably realistic version of the P320 XCARRY RX. Length, width, height and weight are all identical – or almost – to the centerfire original. Thanks to Rodd Rambo – SIG Air’s Assistant Product Manager – for clearly explaining where this model sits in the company’s bewildering range of P320...

This is the second part of our look at airgun improvements since 1980, based on the Air Rifle Headquarters catalog of that year. Part One is here. Airgun Improvements Since 1980 – Optics Judging from this catalog, it has to be said that the huge improvements in accuracy that we enjoy today compared to 1980 may have less to do with the capabilities of the airguns themselves and more to do with their sighting systems and ammunition. Scope use was new, unusual and exciting then! Forty-four years ago, Law wrote that “Our current custom scope lineup is the result of a 16 year program to eliminate all the handicaps and hassles associated with air rifle scope installation and use.” He continued educating his readers on the new benefits of...

Today, we’re looking at a historical document from the airgun industry. It’s the 132-page, Spring 1980 catalog from the Air Rifle Headquarters Inc. and it’s an ideal opportunity to see how airguns have improved since that time. So, yes, that’s 44 years ago and – frighteningly – some of us (including me) can still remember that far back! Long-time US air gunners will remember the Air Rifle Headquarters. It was a company founded in the early 1960s by Robert Law. Based at Grantsville, West Virginia, it was one of – or maybe was – the earliest high-end US airgun dealership that attempted to promote expensive European airguns as a quality ‘adult airgun’ shooting experience. Below. Law educated his readers about airguns. It was all part of...

Many airgunners have heard of Ed Schultz. He’s a lifelong airgun shooting enthusiast who has worked for almost 30 years in airgun product development at Crosman, SIG and now Crosman again. And – as of May 15, 2024 – Ed has become President and CEO of the Airgun Sporting Association (ASA). That’s in addition to his “day job” as Senior Design Engineer at Crosman. Phew! With Ed’s lifetime of interest and passion for airguns, he brings a wealth of knowledge to the ASA. What exactly is the Airgun Sporting Association? It’s a body that aims to aid both airgunners and the airgun industry. Most all industries – particularly the successful ones – have similar organizations. The ASA aims to help all airgun companies by expanding our...

Here’s an exclusive first look at the new Benjamin BD25 Match Grade Pellets. Yes, correct! They are the .25 caliber version of the company’s “Single Die” program. These new .25 caliber pellets are the latest outcome from the company’s comprehensive manufacturing process control improvement project. So far, there have been .177 and .22 caliber versions of Benjamin’s “Single Die” pellets. HAM has tested both and found them very consistent, Gold Award winners. Check out our .177 caliber review here or the .22 review. There’s no HAM test yet for the Benjamin BD25 Match Grade Pellets, but we’re expecting to see similar results when we do. Watch this space… These new .25 cal pellets are also produced in the company’s Bloomfield, New...

Here’s some more news from the 2024 Extreme Airgun Challenge in Oregon. Popular riflescope manufacturer Sightron wins multiple times in conjunction with SKOUT Airguns! The Sightron-sponsored Skout Airguns factory team competed in the 100-yard Benchrest Challenge in both pellet and slug categories. They also took on the Extreme Long-Range Challenge with targets waaaaay out at between 145 and 300 Yards. Competitors the 2024 Extreme Airgun Challenge attended from all across the country to compete in this 3-day event comprised of multiple disciplines. For example, the Skout Team traveled from Pennsylvanis for the match. That’s dedication! They also had to overcome extreme weather conditions, ranging from mid 70s and sunny to mid 30s...

Airguns of Arizona has announced a range of new BSA Lightning Woodsman packages. Each package includes a BSA Lightning breakbarrel air rifle, mounted, sighted-in scope, tin of pellets and carrying case. In other words, everything you need to be shooting within minutes of opening the package! In fact, there’s four versions of these BSA Lightning Woodsman packages. All are the same price – $549.99. The Lightning XL package is available in .177 and .22 calibers. This is a traditional spring/piston implementation of the gun. Lightning GRT packages are the gas ram-powered version. Both versions are available in both .177 and .22 calibers and all four models are set to the traditional British 12 Ft/Lbs power level. That means up to...

Wayne Burns, Match Director of the AirGun Oregon and Airguns of Arizona 2024 Extreme Air Gun Challenge, brings us this match report. This was a big three-day event that took a huge amount of effort to plan, organize and run. Thanks Wayne! New For The 2024 Extreme Air Gun Challenge The many weeks of steady preparation and testing of our new long range targets with LED lighting signifying a hit was worth the effort. They really helped the score keepers get it right with a lot less down time between relays in the Long Range event. Of course, seeing the lights flash with a hit is REALLY satisfying for both the shooters and the fans watching. The rest of the facilities needed only minor repairs to be ready for action this year. We...

VALUE FOR MONEY One hundred per cent!!! In the Umarex Komplete we have a complete “PCP in a box”. There’s no need for a HPA tank, hand pump or compressor. The power is provided by a screw-on, disposable NitroAir cartridge that’s pre-filled with 32 Grams of Nitrogen. For an MSRP of $199.99 – that’s deep into breakbarrel territory – the Komplete offers a huge range of features and benefits. Let’s list them here: – PCP power without complexity. – No need to deal with breakbarrel cocking effort, recoil and accuracy issues. – Exceeds the mandatory 1,000 FPS in .177 caliber with lead pellets. – Regulated action, up to 45 consistent shots per NitroAir cartridge (one included). – Sidelever action. – Multi-shot rotary magazine (two...

The Umarex Komplete launch is the biggest I have ever seen in the airgun world. And the most professional. It’s a strong indication of how seriously the company is taking the Komplete and how important it is to the entire community. Why am I writing about this? Well, the airgun industry is not exactly noted as a hotbed of marketing innovation. So it’s wonderful – in my opinion – to see a manufacturer taking such a comprehensive approach. It’s also a reminder to all of us that there’s a whole lot more involved in REALLY launching a new product than just designing and shipping it into dealers. Actually, I should probably stop calling the Komplete a product! In fact, it’s obviously more than that. There’s two interlinked products...

The Umarex Komplete NCR is a brand new PCP air rifle that’s launched today. In fact, it’s a revolutionary approach to the question of how to provide a “PCP in a box”. It’s well-known that adoption of PCP air rifles in “big box” sporting goods stores is minimal. That’s due to the perceived complexity of PCPs, with their need for separate charging equipment. The Umarex Komplete NCR addresses that issue head-on by not requiring a hand pump, compressor or HPA tank. It’s truly a “PCP in a box” that can compete on retail shelves with the inevitable breakbarrel air rifles that still sell in volume at such locations. Everything is included: gun, scope and HPA source. All the new owner needs is to buy pellets. That makes it comparable to a...

From today, EDgun West accepts HAM Airgun Points! The company has joined other big names in the industry to credit your HAM Airgun Points as a discount when you make a purchase in their store. This is yet another great move for HAM Community members, as now you will be able to use your HAM Airgun Points when you buy from the great range of high quality airgun products at EDgun West. Hard Air Magazine Airgun Points are our way to say “thank you” to HAM Community members. You accrue them by being an active member of the Hard Air Magazine Community, by helping others and generally having fun! So I would like to say a big THANK YOU to our friends at EDgun West for joining the HAM Airgun Points loyalty program! EDgun West’s HAM Airgun...