VALUE FOR MONEY
OK, this one’s simple. The Crosman 3622 is a PCP air rifle selling for just $130. Actually $129.99. It works well. It comes with a 5-year warranty and it’s made in the USA.
Not only that, but – due to Crosman’s modular design process – it can accept a wide range of third-party custom parts, upgrades and accessories. These already exist for the 1377, 362, Discovery and similar models that use common parts with the 3622.
So how can it possibly not be outstanding value for money?
The Crosman 3622 is – at the time of writing – the lowest-priced PCP air rifle that’s available. By far!
First announced at the 2024 SHOT Show, the 3622 is becoming available for purchase just two months later. This test review was undertaken with a “full-production” gun but before they are shipped to retailers.
SPEED AND ACCURACY
The Crosman 3622 air rifle tested by HAM produced a maximum Muzzle Velocity of 831 FPS with H&N Field Target Trophy Green alloy pellets. The maximum with lead was 742.51 FPS with the 11.9 Grain RWS Hobbys, as expected.
The maximum Muzzle Energy achieved in these HAM tests was 16.30 Ft/Lbs with 21.14 Grain H&N Baracuda Match pellets. Full details are here.
| Pellet | Average Muzzle Velocity | Average Muzzle Energy | Accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|
| H&N Field Target Trophy Green 10.03 Grain | 831.24 FPS | 15.39 Ft/Lbs | Poor. |
| Predator GTO 11.75 Grain | 773.65 FPS | 15.62 Ft/Lbs | Good. |
| RWS Hobby 11.9 Grain | 742.51 FPS | 14.57 Ft/Lbs | Poor. |
| Crosman Premier HP 14.3 Grain | 697.21 FPS | 15.43 Ft/Lbs | Good. |
| JSB Jumbo Exact 14.35 Grain | 704.05 FPS | 15.79 Ft/Lbs | Very Good. Best Tested. |
| H&N Field Target Trophy 14.66 Grain | 690.47 FPS | 15.52 Ft/Lbs | Very Good. |
| H&N Baracuda Match 21.14 Grain | 589.37 FPS | 16.30 Ft/Lbs | Poor. |
Now for a few words about accuracy…
Firstly, we were surprised that best accuracy was produced using JSB Jumbo Express pellets. We had expected that Crosman Premiers would perform best!
Secondly, the HAM air rifle test protocol assumes that accuracy testing will be undertaken with a riflescope fitted to the gun. However, the 3622 really cannot accept a scope without fitting an accessory steel breech. (There’s a full discussion of this below).
So, the gun was shot with the “as fitted” open sights. Neither HAM Tester is used to shooting without a scope and Stephen – in particular – has eyesight that is not as good as it used to be for open sight shooting.
It is the conviction of both HAM testers that the accuracy potential for the Crosman 3622 we tested is better than we demonstrate in this review. In particular, you can see this with the 25-Yard target shown here.
Visible are 2- and 3-shot “micro groups” on the target, but the shooter could simply not see the target well enough to get them consistently in the same place!
One shot was “pulled” and known to be a flyer at the time. That’s indicated also.
Overall, this level of accuracy with open sights was judged to be very good. It’s certainly better than we anticipated, given the shooter involved!
TRIGGER AND COCKING EFFORT
Yes, it’s rather unfair to complain about anything when looking at $130 PCP air rifle. However, this is really the only part of the shooting experience that really could be easily improved and at virtually no cost.
The trigger looks to be the same non-adjustable unit as fitted to the Benjamin Maximus and inherited from the Discovery. The pull weight of the gun tested by HAM averaged 4 Lbs 8 Ozs.
Many people – including the HAM testers – dislike the plastic trigger blade. And it has to be said that this average trigger pull weight of the test gun was rather too heavy for our taste.
But the single stage trigger was predictable and consistent. And it has to be said that that heavy trigger pull was judged to be less of an obstacle to accurate shooting than the lack of a scope!
The manual safety is conveniently located in the trigger guard, just aft of the trigger itself. It’s easy to apply and, being non-automatic, gives the shooter full control over his/her air rifle.
Cocking the bolt action required a firm pull back against the hammer spring to set the trigger sear. As always, the small size of the bolt handle seems to magnify the perceived effort.
Pushing the bolt handle forward to chamber a pellet was easy with most pellets. But loading pellets does need a little care. The pellets tend to turn around in the loading tray and can load backwards – with the skirt facing forward – if you’re not careful.
However this issue seems less pronounced in the .22 caliber of the Crosman 3622 than it does in the .177 caliber versions of guns that share the same breech.
COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS
Crosman claims “up to 700 FPS with lead pellets” for the Muzzle Velocity of the 3622. As the sample tested by HAM propelled 11.5 Grain RWS Hobby lead pellets at an average of 742 FPS, it’s clear that this claim is well justified.
The company’s claim of “up to 25 shots per fill” is likewise very conservative. HAM testers achieved 27 consistent shots per fill, together with approximately 40 usable shots from one 2,000 PSI fill of High Pressure Air.
Finally, the Muzzle Energy claim for the Crosman 3622 is 16 Ft/Lbs. Again, that was handily exceeded when using 21.14 Grain Baracuda Match pellets.
CONSISTENCY
The Crosman 3622 air rifle tested by HAM displayed a predictable shot curve for an unregulated PCP.
As the chart below shows, the test gun produced 27 consistent shots from a full 2,000 PSI fill of High Pressure Air.
The trigger pull weight was very consistent. The maximum measured pull weight was 4 Lbs 12 Oz, the minimum 4 Lbs 7 Oz.
In practice, the trigger felt very consistent to the HAM testers.
NOISE LEVEL
The Crosman 3622 is not a powerful air rifle and so noise level is inherently pretty low. There’s no silencer fitted, nor will there a need for one, in the HAM team’s opinion.
Noise level is definitely “backyard friendly” for most people, although nowhere near as quiet as the class-leading Benjamin Marauder.
However – if the gun is shot from a full, 2,000 PSI fill, it’s possible to hear the shots becoming louder. That is, after about the first 10 or 12 shots.
The reason for this is clear from the shot curve shown above. The FPS increases to a maximum and then falls again. It’s these louder shots that are the result of the higher Muzzle Velocity.
A frequent user could probably use this change in noise level to detect when the 3622 is shooting at its top power.
(Oh, that flimsy fill nozzle cover will not be long for this world if the gun has any kind of use. Owners are advised to start looking for an alternative immediately!)
SIGHTS AND SCOPE
The Crosman 3622 is fitted with somewhat primitive open sights. Anyone familiar with the long-running 1377-type multi-pump air pistols will recognize them!
These comprise a rear sight that can be configured as a peep or notch. Elevation is achieved by loosening a screw and gingerly tapping the sight plate up or down. Then re-tightening the screw. We shot the test targets using the rear peep.
There’s limited windage adjustment capability by loosening the fixing screws and sliding the sight leaf across.
Don’t consider this “loosen, tap and tighten” sight a precision method of adjustment! However – with patience – it can give surprisingly good results.
The front sight is a simple post. It’s hooded for protection. However the HAM Testers found that this hood can also help with sighting as – when used with the peep rear aperture – it functions something like a “tunnel” front sight.
That’s very helpful!
In “as purchased” condition, the Crosman 1322 is not suitable for scope mounting.
Of course, you can mount a riflescope to the 362 by using those 459MT Crosman adapters that clamp to the barrel. But the HAM Team has never really favored this route.
Instead – like many folk – we’d prefer to install a Crosman steel breech kit. That incorporates dovetail rails that are ideal for mounting a scope.
Sure it costs more, however many shooters think that the Crosman steel breech is a great addition to their guns. It’s not difficult to do, as you can see in this HAM story about how we fitted one to a Crosman 362 multi-pump.
SHOOTABILITY
With its weight of 3 Lbs 11 Oz, the 3622 is one of the lightest PCP air rifles out there. It’s incredibly light and easy to hold.
That makes it ideal for off-hand plinking. It’s also one of the few PCP air rifles that all the family can shoot. The fact that it has a single-shot bolt action makes it inherently safer for use by supervised kids – where legal – than a multi-shot air rifle.
The stock of the 3622 provides excellent grip for the forward hand. (Those are some DEEP molds in the forend!).
Also the comb of the stock is ideally-sized for open sight shooting, while the grippy rubber buttplate does its job well, too.
One design element common to all other PCP air rifles – but missing from the 3266 – is a built-in pressure gauge.
Sure, very few of us actually use this onboard gauge as a guide to filling (we’ll talk about this below). But we’ve all grown used to being able to glance at a PCPs gauge to know how much air is still left in the gun. It’s a type of security blanket.
So, in a way, it feels somewhat “naked’ to not know how much pressure is in the 3622. Either you need to keep a count of the shots fired, listen carefully or just observe the point-of-impact drop as the pressure falls.
But – before writing this off as a terrible failing – let’s remember that this is exactly the way CO2-powered air rifles have worked for many years. And many people have done some very good shooting with them without having any idea of the pressure in their CO2 gun!
APPEARANCE AND FINISH
The Crosman 3622 uses “classic” design notes. It has a full-length stock and – while all black – is clearly not inspired by, or intended to have, a “tactical” look.
In fact, it’s appearance is VERY similar to that of the multi-pump Crosman 362. It’s thin, obviously light, yet not flimsy. Let’s call it a practical-looking air rifle.
Metal parts generally show good machining and surface finish.
However the black metal coating of the Crosman 3622 tested by HAM showed a number of sight scratches and handling marks: particularly on the barrel. That’s where the $130 price shows a little!
BUYING AND OWNING
The Crosman 3622 is likely to be widely available through online and physical stores.
By producing such a low-priced PCP air rifle with the 3622, Crosman has highlighted a basic issue with PCP propulsion. Filling the gun costs nearly as much as the gun itself!
However, Crosman is recommending its own Airmaster high pressure hand pump for use with the 3622. This costs $99.99 which – again – is a very favorable price for such an item.
This cost of filling is common to all PCP airguns. There’s nothing unique to the Crosman 3622 about this at all. However, the 3622 will introduce the topic to many people who previously had not needed to think much about it.
So, anyone considering the Crosman 3622 – and there will be many – needs also to budget for an HPA pump or tank-filling system (like a SCUBA tank).
There will also be those who hope that the 3622 can be charged from their workshop air compressor. The answer to this is, sadly, “no”. Shop compressors produce a couple of hundred PSI only, at most. The Crosman 3622 needs 2,000 PSI to fill, even though this is a low pressure for PCP airguns!
Filling with High Pressure Air is achieved by connecting to the standard quick disconnect at the front of the 3362’s air tube. Simple and easy.
Because the 3622 uses a fill pressure of only 2,000 PSI, it’s quite easy to pump by hand. About 100 strokes were required to fill from empty using the Crosman hand pump, but only about 30 strokes to raise pressure from 1,500 PSI to the full 2,000 PSI.
In fact, the vast majority of PCP users charge their guns using the large – and more accurate – gauge on their pump, compressor or tank – rather than the gauge on the gun.
Below we see the pressure gauge on the Crosman hand pump.
Although we have not tested it (yet), there is a hammer spring adjuster incorporated in the rear of the 3622’s tube. There’s clearly the potential for some power adjustment, however the stock will need to be removed in order to make the adjustment.
HAM plans to look at this in future…
Finally, it’s incredible to find that the Crosman 3622 is covered by a 5-year manufacturer’s warranty. That’s right, five years!
The warranty coverage is yet another aspect of the remarkable value offered by this air rifle.
TEST TARGETS
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