Air-rifle beginner UK

[Fee Fi Fo Fum]

I'm thinking of getting an Air Rifle but have no experience what so ever.

I'm only going to be using it in the garden, so I'm only looking for a cheap fairly accurate rifle.

So where do I start? I've been looking at some rifles on the internet and the prices change all the time from site to site, so anybody know any good reliable websites (good delivery, customer service and reliable)

What other misc items will I have to buy with the rifle?

. Cleaning kit?
. Gas?
. Ammo?

Cheers

[Thunder]

What kind of airgun? Spring, CO2, PCP, ...?
What's your budget?
What distance are you going to be shooting at?

[Rudi]

Hello everybody, ma first post :)

As Thunder said, you need to say "us" what you want, but i can give you a quite good page

www.redwolfairsoft.co.uk (http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/www.redwolfairsoft.co.uk)

Its a nice shop. Unfortunately i missed a visit during my holiday because they had closed ( Easter ).

[Death.]

Hello everybody, ma first post :)

As Thunder said, you need to say "us" what you want, but i can give you a quite good page

www.redwolfairsoft.co.uk (http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/www.redwolfairsoft.co.uk)

Its a nice shop. Unfortunately i missed a visit during my holiday because they had closed ( Easter ).


I think you mean www.redwolfairsoft.com , not co.uk, japanese site. :)

But uh, fee fi, for plinking....I would probably get a gas pistol, but you said rifle so hmmm. If you have absolutely no experience, and aren't planning to really get involved, then I recommend you stay away from almost every Airsoft Electric Gun (AEG) as they require usual maintenance and are more accident ****e then gas powered guns are.

[Thunder]

Are we talking about airguns now or airsoft toy guns?

[Rudi]

argh...yeah...thx D3ath

that's for the case you want airsoft toy guns...

If you won't spend much money, but get a gas rifle for "background - shooting" you should think about the KJW M700...it's a cheap rifle...but you could get in trouble with it....
But if you have enough money...and you want the "best" gas rifle...take the Tanaka m40a1 ;)

[brad 1]

http://www.genuinearmysurplus.co.uk/pages/products/category/categoryid=air-rifles/rowid=5

try these guys ive bought lots off them over the years dont know what their mail order is like as i live prety close to them no complaints about anything ,i beleve they do air rifle starter packs, their prices arnt to bad either.
prety good for booties to.

brad.

[Death.]

Well if it's air pellet rifle's you're talkin about....go Gamo, or go home.

Cheesy I know, but truth. :D

[Thunder]

Well if it's air pellet rifle's you're talkin about....go Gamo, or go home.

Cheesy I know, but truth. :D Gamo is the ****tiest cheapest brand around, next to Norconia and those other never-heard-of Chinese brands.

Weihrauch is good value for money, especially if you want a simple first airgun and actually hit something. I believe Weihrauch is called differently in the UK, I'll look it up.

Edit: They're called Beeman in North America.

[Fee Fi Fo Fum]

Sorry for the lack of information.

I'm indeed looking for a Air rifle, spring operated if possible.

I've been looking at the smk b2 .22, very cheap and looks good for a new guy.
My budget? Well I was only hoping to spend about 50pound (72euro?) so nothing special.

Distance shooting at ah? *Looks out of window* around 10m (30 foot?)

Hope that helps.

[Thunder]

Well, you can't expect a quality rifle for 50 quid. I take it you're going to be shooting at cans and the likes?
You might have to consider buying a pistol instead.

[Fee Fi Fo Fum]

Well, you can't expect a quality rifle for 50 quid. I take it you're going to be shooting at cans and the likes?
You might have to consider buying a pistol instead.

Exactly, I'm only hitting cans and crap in the garden. Not after high quality. Just a bit of fun. I've spent the last hour looking over reviews etc of the SMK b2, and it looks like i'll buy that for starters, very cheap 25 - 30 quid.

What is the difference in .22 and .177? Both are the same price, what should I get?

[DeltaWhisky58]

http://airsoft-guns.co.uk/acatalog/smk_b2_.22_air_rifle.jpg
SMK B2 .22 Air Rifle
The extremely low cost SMK B2 .22 air rifle
Telescopic Sight not included
Full size air rifle made in China to SMK Sportsmarketing specification. Features include:
19" Tapered Rifled Barrel
Adjustable Rear Sight
Full Length Wooden Stock
Overall Length 43" approx
Barrel Locking Lever
Grooved for Telescopic Sight
Weight approximately 6lbs
Cheap air gun, ideal to give you a taste of the sport

http://airsoft-guns.co.uk/acatalog/smk_air_guns_smk_air_rifles.html


.177 works on a higher muzzle velocity, but the slugs are very light - .22 will be less affected by light winds etc.

[Fee Fi Fo Fum]

.177 works on a higher muzzle velocity, but the slugs are very light - .22 will be less affected by light winds etc.

Hmm so at 10m shooting, none of thats really going to make a difference what so ever.

Cheapest I've found so far is 30quid (http://www.airsportdirect.com/acatalog/SMKB2Carbine.html) (Read a few reviews some people getting them for 20)

[DeltaWhisky58]

Hmm so at 10m shooting, none of thats really going to make a difference what so ever.

Cheapest I've found so far is 30quid (http://www.airsportdirect.com/acatalog/SMKB2Carbine.html) (Read a few reviews some people getting them for 20)

For general fun shooting, that one looks fine, just make sure the neighbours don't see you - don't want an ARV pulling up at your gaff do you? ;-)

[Fee Fi Fo Fum]

For general fun shooting, that one looks fine, just make sure the neighbours don't see you - don't want an ARV pulling up at your gaff do you? ;-)

Thats honestly going to be a problem, as I'm pretty inner city and surrounded left right and front by houses, and looking at the SMK B2, it's meant to be fairly loud too.

And I'm sure if they arrive at the home from a tip off from a good Samaritan, It will all be in good fun....

: S

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

For Rabbits and Mink I use an Air Arms S200 also known as a BRNO S200 it’s a nice and light pre-charged in .22 I use 11.5 grain Paragon pellets which is a very light .22 pellet these days as I have shot .177 at 12 grains and heavier. Its also my fun rifle for back yard plinking but since I no longer have a back yard I now use a pistol in the hall.
Some of the cheaper Russian and Czech rifles are pretty well suited for back yard plinking and they usually have better iron (open) sights than most of the Chinese models. Thunder might have a point, if you do have restricted space then why not go for a pistol there just as much fun.

[Fee Fi Fo Fum]

Thunder might have a point, if you do have restricted space then why not go for a pistol there just as much fun.

A pistol really does not appeal to me. As part of the whole fun factor, I would rather be gripping a rifle than a pistol. Also will help me practice my ****e stance ;)

Might sound shabby but it's what I'm after at the end of the day.

[gaz]

To be honest the SMK rifles I've handled (Which admittedly numbers only a few) felt like they were supposed to - cheap and nasty, but from the way you're talking they're ideal. If you want something that's going to last longer then you're obviously going to have to splash out more cash.

[gaz]

For Rabbits and Mink I use an Air Arms S200 also known as a BRNO S200 it’s a nice and light pre-charged in .22 I use 11.5 grain Paragon pellets which is a very light .22 pellet these days as I have shot .177 at 12 grains and heavier. Its also my fun rifle for back yard plinking but since I no longer have a back yard I now use a pistol in the hall.
Some of the cheaper Russian and Czech rifles are pretty well suited for back yard plinking and they usually have better iron (open) sights than most of the Chinese models. Thunder might have a point, if you do have restricted space then why not go for a pistol there just as much fun.

I'm on a Falcon FN12SW that I've had for about nine years now. I'll sell my first born child before I sell that rifle.

[Fee Fi Fo Fum]

If you want something that's going to last longer then you're obviously going to have to splash out more cash.

Yup, thats the plan. Have a bit of fun, get a bit of experience, and splash out the cash in time for an all round solid rifle.

[Thunder]

.177 works on a higher muzzle velocity, but the slugs are very light - .22 will be less affected by light winds etc. To put it simple: The trajectory of .177 is bigger with a higher starting velocity. This higher velocity also decreases faster which causes the energy at the end of the trajectory to be lower with regard to the mass than that of a .22.
Therefor the .22 has a higher output, but gravity has more effect on it and only at higher velocities will the .22 have a flatter trajectory than the .177.

I'd go for a .177 .


I have several airguns, one of them is a Haenel 310. It's used on almost every shooting gallery at funfairs over here. It's spring operated, but instead of a break barell, it uses a 'bolt-action' to tension the spring and insert a new bb into the barrell. It uses magazines which hold up to 6 or 12 bb's. The bb's it shoots are 4,4mm and have a lead core.

It's not very powerful (you don't need alot of power when you're shooting from a couple of meters anyway), but it's loads of fun.

http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/5599/haenel310k8cv.jpg

http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/7656/0000403k0du.jpgThe one on top is a Weihrauch Hw50

[Generation Kill]

What do the rest of you guys shoot at with these rifles?
I went into this store called jungle toy with 2 friends and we all got the same rifle. a cheaply made m4 for 30bucks, its a spring one. and went into the backyard and started shooting each other. lol it was great fun until i got shot int he mouth, it hurt like hell. it actually penetrated the skin. they are quite inaccurate for long distance but you can actually aim and hit somebody in or around where you want at a somewhat decent close distance. spent around $120 (including BBs and a cool looking knife) all just for a days fun. lol.

[gaz]

Bear in mind that air rifles are probably taken a bit more seriously in the UK than they are in the States and that we're not talking about airsoft stuff. My rifle (And the one Bacilli owns) are charged with high pressure air from a divers air bottle or stirrup pump. To give you an idea the average car tyre is charged to what? Something like 40 psi? My rifle is charged to 2700. It'll then give sub inch groups out to 55 yards (Assuming it's not too windy) and it'll do a lot more than "penetrate the skin".

[GazB]

Regarding picking calibre, would suggest you check the price of the ammo before you decide. A can or a sheet of paper wont care what you hit them with, but your wallet might care. I have two very cheap chinese 177 calibre rifles. One being larger and heavier while the other is tiny for a kid. Neither would cost more than $20 US to buy brand new. No maintainence, easy to use, relatively quiet. Just don't dry fire them as it tends to burn the rubber seals when there is no projectile to provide resistance.

You obviously have a computer so I'd reccomend getting pictures of unpopular people like OBL, Saddam, Tony Blair etc and using them with targets over top... a bit of fun.

[Herrmannek]

Don't buy smk, its a chineese crap it will fail catastrophicaly or will be unshotable for other reason. my version of it shot so far to the right I couldn't adjust sights, and sights screw was screwed. it was bored into barrel making a nice hole on the inner side of bore :) ...
here is video with little help of diseling oil showing the hole in the barel :)

http://media.militaryphotos.net/photos/albums/album208/aaa.avi
And for the wood, on my chinese crap smk alike shiat, stock cracked from the humidity, I've put it next to window while it was raining :).

if you want go realy cheap and still maintain basic quality buy turkey Hatsan 70 or 55(eventualy 90, other are weak not worth the money). 50-70 pounds should be enough for it... I bought my for ~100$ with polimer stock, it needs a little tunning right away to make it last longer and stronger, but that part can be made at any workshop with lathe, its a spring rail so it would not bend like a monkey tail...
here is blue print of the mod part in mm, not made yet so can't tell if sizes are uber correct, but you get picture its not a hard nor pricy modification.


http://hatsan.siecplay.pl/files/prowadnica_h70s_2006_6_v_2_949.png



Here is company page, maybe you will be able to find it near you
http://www.hatsan.com.tr/break_barrel_air_rifles.asp
as for callibre take .177 its fast and accurate, .22 is good for hunting long range shooting only...
I shot cans myself, I liketo have instant confirmation of the hit, paper targets are boring and I never know with shot was with...

Oh and here is my best gun **** :) Hatsan wasn't added yet
http://media.militaryphotos.net/photos/album17
go one directory up and you will be able to see deatils of my smk version, my had plastic sights versus metal ones from the pic but whole rest is probably the same as here both are sold at the same price :) Again don't buy them...
Oh and stay awayf from BB rifles they are toys, unbelievebly unacurate :)