The Crosman 2240 is, I think, one of the best values in a CO2 powered pellet pistol. Based on the same chassis as some Crosmans costing up to three times as much, it’s a simple bolt-action pistol in .22 caliber offering good accuracy and solid power.
Right now Amazon has the 2240 for $59.95- over 40% off its list price of $109.95. Click here for details.
You can customize this gun heavily, adding a scope rail, target grips, shoulder stock, and different barrels. Or you can purchase one of the cusrtom versions with a lot of options already installed, like the Crosman 2300S 
. ($300 list, $249 Amazon).
Thursday, January 21, 2010
A few months back I mentioned the Daisy Wirestock project- a plan to reverse engineer and issue a limited edition, exact replica of Daisy’s very first gun. This is the gun that changed Daisy form a windmill maker into a BB gun maker. Since then, Daisy has completed engineering and production, and begun to marketl these stunning replicas.
The first batch went to “Friend of the Daisy Museum” members, and now sale has been opened up to the public at large. You buy one (or more!) for $300 plus $12 shipping- expensive for a BB gun, but cheap for a limited edition collectible. Daisy notes that attention to detail is meticulous on this gun- they’ve even replicated the original piston seal, which is made from waxed candle wicking! (It’s not a perfect replica of the original; the replica has a cast bronze frame, which will last a lot longer than the brittle cast iron frame of the original.)
They also state that some buyers have purchased as many as ten guns- which suggests that the buyers are betting prices will be going up in the future. No doubt it will, but keep in mind that most Daisy reproduction collectibles tend to appreciate not much faster than inflation.
More details at Daisy’s web site.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
There’s been a lot of improvments in guns since I last shot competitive field target. Case in point: The Steyr LG110 High Power, based on Steyr’s very successful 10M LG100 Matchline target gun.
The LG110 is available in both FT and High Power hunting versions, with the hunting model also being available in .22 caliber, and with a claimed power of 40 joules- that’s 29.5 foot-pounds, which is about as much energy as you can safely push a .22 pellet with. Price? Around $1600 and up, depending on model and accessories. You can get LG100 with the illustrated wood stock, or a fully synthetic stock.
Steyr advertises the High Power for “vermin control”, but I suppose that’s EU code for “hunting.”
More details at Steyr’s web site.
Monday, December 21, 2009
While the Daisy/Avanti 717 is still the cheapest entry point into target shooting with a pellet pistol, the Baikal IZH-46M is the cheapest way into the top circles of target shooting. While past Russian guns have had, let us say, questionable quality control, the IZH-46M has a reputation for quality and accuracy. The grip provides plenty of wood for custom shaping, too. With similar Feinwerkbau single-stroke pneumatics pistols selling for around $2,000, at under $400 for the Baikal it’s hard to imagine a better deal for paper punchers.
