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Shooting The SAM. The Semi Auto Marauder has been a part of the Benjamin Airguns product portfolio for some time. However, it’s been – surprisingly – somewhat of a “sleeper” in the market. This story is, in fact, the first part of Hard Air Magazine’s review of the SAM. Shooting The SAM At Extreme Benchrest The SAM was a sleeper, that is, until it burst into prominence at the 2023 Extreme Benchrest event! There, Benjamin Airguns design engineer Ethan Butterfield won the Pro Class Speed Silhouette competition using a SAM. In doing so, Ethan became the first person ever to win Speed Silhouette with a semi-auto. He also recorded the fastest time on record to clear the course – just 18.81 seconds to knock down all 20 targets at a...

A few days ago, we went shopping for gifts for the airgunner in your life at less than $50.00. Now we’re shopping for under $100 Christmas gifts for the airgunner at Airguns of Arizona. You’ll find that AoA has an excellent range of products in stock that would make ideal Christmas gifts without breaking the bank. Let’s look at a few now… 1. UTG P.O.I Scope Rings HAM has long been impressed with Leapers’ UTG P.O.I scope rings. They are a high quality product that work well and match the finish of even the most expensive scopes and air rifles. With a wide range available, there’s different saddle heights, scope tube diameters and scope rail fittings. But probably the most popular are the high rings to fit Picatinny mounts and 30mm...

VALUE FOR MONEY .177 caliber H&N Baracuda FT airgun pellets are priced at 4.0 Cents each when purchased in a 400-count tin. Given the rate of inflation that has effected the pricing of so many products recently, this is an attractive price for a quality pellet. Note that this price is calculated – as always – before accounting for the “buy four, pay for three” and similar offers offered by Pyramyd Air and other major online airgun dealers. BUY FROM PYRAMYD H&N Baracuda FT .177 Cal, 4.51mm, 9.57 Grains, Round Nose, 400ct 0.177 TEST DATA SUMMARY Price per Pellet 4.00 cents Most Common Weight 9.66 and 9.69 Grains Pellets at That Common Weight 14% Variation in Pellet Weight (Smallest to Largest) 1.77% Most Common Head...

Ho, ho, ho, it’s that time of year again! So to save you some time and effort, the HAM Team has selected a range of under $50 Christmas gifts for the airgunner in your life. Or – maybe – for you to buy yourself or suggest to others! Although there’s been inflation, there’s still some useful bargains out there at www.pyramydair.com, as you can see below.. 1. Allen 50-Inch Rifle Case Let’s face it, we all need rifle cases! As most air rifles tend to be fairly long, it’s good to have a suitably-long case that holds the gun together with a mounted scope. At $45.99, this Allen Plata rifle case won’t break the bank, but it will come in useful for all of us! BUY FROM PYRAMYD Allen 50 Plata Rifle Case, Black 2. FX Airguns 100 Yard...

The Crosman Fortify BB Gun is a new model from the company. Although it looks like a revolver, it can be loaded with 18 BBs at one time. There’s a strong resemblance to a “Single Action Army”-type revolver. However, it’s not actually a revolver as there’s no rotating cylinder. But it’s definitely a single action pistol. You need to cock the hammer every time before pulling the trigger to fire. BBs are loaded in an external tube magazine. It’s located approximately where you might expect to find the ejector mechanism on a powder-burning SAA. This BB magazine location makes the Fortify easy to load. It also provides a clear visual indication of how many BBs remain un-fired. Power for the Crosman Fortify BB Gun is provided by a 12...

Today, we’ll field strip the SIG Rattler BB Gun. HAM reviewed this CO2-powered airgun recently when it earned a Gold Award for its performance on test. The Rattler is SIG Air’s first field-strippable long gun. The Rattler itself is based on the SIG MCX platform, so you’ll find that there are some similarities with AR15s – if you’re familiar with them. First, shoot the gun until it stops to ensure there’s no BBs in the barrel, then drop the magazine. SAFETY FIRST! Next stepis to rack the charging handle to cock the action. Next, push out the takedown and pivot pins from the left side using a punch. The pins should then project from the right side of the gun as shown in the photograph below. Note that both pins are of the...

For many people – including me – IWA OutdoorClassics 2024 is the highlight of the airgun year. Yes, it’s true that the SHOT Show is a big deal here in the USA. However, it’s mainly associated with firearms. The world’s biggest airgun trade show is – by far – IWA OutdoorClassics. That’s where the majority of the airgun action is! Here’s my conclusions on the airgun industry after attending IWA in 2023. The IWA Show is held in Nuremberg, Germany every year. The next show will be from 29 February to 3 March 2024. HAM will be reporting from the show, of course. Many people in the airgun industry world-wide read Hard Air Magazine. So now is a good time to mention this: it’s not too late to book your place at IWA 2024! It’s always great...

The latest offer from Airguns of Arizona is this Daystate Wolverine 303 Hunting Special. There’s a very limited number of these bundles in stock at a massive $749 saving! In fact, this Wolverine bundle is set-up specifically for long-range hunting. Not only do you get the gun, but it comes with an additional magazine, a Ramus Trident Moderator and a mounted MTC Mamba Ultra Lite 3-10 x 40 scope with Duplex reticle. Lauren Parsons at AoA provided some additional background information. She explained that this model can give 20 shots per fill with a Muzzle Energy up to 95 Ft/Lbs. It is – Lauren says – “a monster”! Very accurate long-range hunting can be done with this gun using 50.15 Grain JSB pellets, Lauren added. HAM tested the...

From today, Crosman 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 online 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 Crosman’s great range of airgun products. 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 Crosman for joining the HAM Airgun Points loyalty program! Crosman’s HAM Airgun Points Offer From...

The Crosman Mag-Fire Diamondback and Mag-Fire Trailhawk are two new both multi-shot, magazine-fed breakbarrel air rifles. The manufacturer says that they will enhance the airgun experience for enthusiasts and hunters alike and are the latest developments of the Mag-Fire line. The difference between these two models is primarily the buttstock. The Mag-Fire Diamondback boasts a black, synthetic “all-weather” tactical stock. In comparison, the Mag-Fire Trailhawk features a traditional, dark stained hardwood stock. Both the Mag-Fire Diamondback and Mag-Fire Trailhawk feature Crosman’s patented multi-shot, auto-loading magazine system. The auto-loading mag. holds 12 pellets in .177 caliber, or 10-shots in .22 caliber. Crosman says that...

This is another update to the rapidly-evolving progress of the FX USA issues. The latest significant update is that a Receiver has been appointed to the company. As of October 30, 2023, the Court concluded that a receiver with certain limited authority should be appointed on an initial and interim basis to assess the financial records and financial condition of FX USA. As a result of the limited nature of the receivership, the management of FX USA shall remain vested solely in the current management. You can see full details of this in the “Order Appointing Receiver”, Docket 37 in the public court case records. (Link below). A definition of receivership is here, in Wikipedia. Major Warning (Again). I have zero personal knowledge...

Now you can be guaranteed the opportunity to shoot at Extreme Benchrest 2024! It’s possible due to this exclusive promotion being made by the EBR Team with Hard Air Magazine. Read on for details… Everyone knows that Extreme Benchrest is THE most prestigious airgun shooting event in the USA. And everyone knows that it’s ALWAYS over-subscribed. In fact, shooting slots usually sell-out within minutes of them becoming available online, leaving many hopefuls disappointed. Now – and only through Hard Air Magazine – you can GUARANTEE your place in the 2024 competition, simply by making use of this HAM Community offer. Extreme Benchrest Is Accepting HAM Airgun Points! With this latest HAM Community offer, a maximum of five lucky...

Newly available are two Sportsmatch one-piece mounts. These top-end mounts have quick release (QR) capability and are designed to fit both Weaver and Picatinny-spec mounting rails. Sportsmatch is a specialist manufacturer of scope rings and mounts – that’s pretty-well their whole business. The company is based in the UK and has always manufactured all their products there. In fact, Sportsmatch has been in business for over 50 years. It was founded back in 1972 by John Ford. John was a keen shooter and was not satisfied with the scope mounts on the market, so he decided to make his own. The company’s management is now headed by John’s son Matthew as John is now retired from the day-to-day activities of Sportsmatch. Its products are...

VALUE FOR MONEY The Weihrauch HW95 air rifle is a “quality first” spring/piston-powered break barrel air rifle. It’s been available for many years and sits solidly in the middle of the manufacturer’s range. In fact, it’s no mistake to describe it as a classic break barrel airgun. The HW95 makes no attempt to compete with other products claiming “Zillion FPS” Muzzle Velocities or with a marketing name – and acronym – for every part of the gun. However it is available in four calibers up to .25 caliber. If you want a .20 caliber air rifle, the HW95 is one of the few choices currently available. And yes – at a Street Price of $500 plus scope – it’s not exactly cheap. Quality never was. The Luxus model that’s the subject of this review...

From today, Airguns of Arizona accepts HAM Airgun Points! AoA 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 AoA’s great range of high quality airgun products. 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 AoA for joining the HAM Airgun Points loyalty program! AoA’s HAM Airgun Points Offer From today...

Hot on the heels of the new Daystate Alpha Wolf Blue airgun comes the Daystate Wolverine-R Sapphire Limited Edition PCP air rifle. The manufacturer says that production of the Wolverine-R Sapphire is limited to 250 for sale world-wide. That means the Wolverine-R Sapphire LE is a highly collectable limited edition air rifles that’s planned to satisfy both Daystate connoisseurs and serious airgun shooters alike. Featuring a newly shaped blue laminate stock and matching finish, this new model adds a next level of beauty to the Wolverine R platform. Inside the beautiful ambidextrous exterior is a reliable and tough regulated PCP action capable of muzzle energies up to 60 Ft/Lbs in its .30 (7.62) caliber, High Power version. In addition...

The preparation steps for the court case over FX Airguns problems are moving forward rapidly. So here’s an up-date to the story we ran a week ago… Major Warning (Again). Firstly, I have zero personal knowledge or “inside information” about FX Airguns or FX Airguns USA. What I cover here is publicly-available information that anyone can find on the Internet. However, please remember that – just because it’s published on the Internet – it may not necessarily be true. So I make no representation about the truth any of the information published in the links shown here, I’m just saying that you can read it online too. Also, given that legal action is in process, anyone commenting on this article needs to be very careful what they say...

Team Centercut has become a well-known part of many airgun shooting competitions, particularly in the South and West of the USA. Centercut members were extremely successful at the recent 2023 Extreme Benchrest competition, so I asked Mike Bricker – the team’s founder – to tell us more about the Team, which is proudly sponsored by Airguns of Arizona. Mike, it’s over to you… History of Team Centercut Hi, I am Mike Bricker and I wanted to take a moment to introduce Team Centercut to you… The Team started late 2019 just after EBR. I had just won the Sportsman 100-Yard Extreme Benchrest and the Sportsman Speed Silhouette competitions when Robert Buchanan of Airguns of Arizona called. He invited me to join the Daystate-sponsored...

VALUE FOR MONEY The SIG MCX Rattler BB gun is a very, very close reproduction of the SIG MCX Rattler SBR firearm. The main differences is that “our gun” uses a 12 Gram CO2 cartridge to power steel BBs downrange instead of 300 Blackout cartridges. Oh, and at a Street Price of $169.99, it’s a cool $2,330.00 less than its powder-burning relation, which sells for $2,499.99! Plus, the BB gun offers a three-shot burst capability that’s not included in the civilian Rattler SBR firearm. Price-wise, the Rattler is somewhere in the middle of the range for realistic, fast-firing BB long guns. Overall, that makes it very good value, particularly when we look at the performance of the gun tested by HAM. BUY FROM PYRAMYD AIR SIG Sauer MCX...

WOW! Now Hawke Optics accepts HAM Airgun Points! This means that they will credit your HAM Airgun Points as a discount when you make a purchase in the Hawke Optics US website. This is another great move for HAM Community members, as now you will be able to use them when you buy some great optics. 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 Hawke Optics for joining the HAM Airgun Points loyalty program! From today, Hawke Optics will accept 1,000 HAM Points as a 20% – TWENTY PERCENT – credit against the price of...