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Archive for May 2013
Ballard report: Part 1
by Tom Gaylord, a.k.a. B.B. Pelletier
The art of collecting airguns: Part 2
The art of collecting airguns: Part 6
The art of collecting airguns: Part 7
My Marlin Ballard was made in 1886 and still looks almost new.
Today is for blog readers Kevin, Robert of Arcade and for all airgunners who love more than just airguns. You love the shooting sports, and everything that goes with them.
This is an airgun blog and believe me, today's report actually does relate to them. This is the ongoing report of a Marlin Ballard rifle I acquired right after I got out of the hospital in 2010. As you can see in the photo above, the rifle is beautiful; but more than that, it touches the lives of all my friends — my late friend Mac, my shooting buddy Otho and Kevin, who often comments on this blog! In fact, Kevin is the one regular blog reader who has actually seen this rifle in person.
Kevin was so taken with this rifle when I originally reported on it that he sent me a gift of the book Ballard — The Great American Single Shot Rifle by John T. Dutcher. But he went way beyond just sending the book. He went to Mr. Dutcher personally with prints of the photos I showed in the first report and spent two hours with the author, examining the rifle through the photos. I was asked to take the rifle apart and photograph all the serial numbers plus various details inside the gun, which I did. From what he sees, Dutcher thinks this is a special-order, factory-made rifle, which is a specific category of Ballard made for high-volume retailers like John Lower of Denver.
I started shooting the rifle almost immediately after getting it, though I've always been very careful not to load it too heavy. As well-made as the Ballard action is, the metallurgy is not up to modern standards. So, it gets only reduced loads that develop low pressure and only lead bullets alloyed with a small amount of tin. The way I'm loading the gun, it should hold up for 100,000 rounds or more, only a few of which will be fired by me.
I wrote a couple reports on my early progress, which are in the links listed above. But I stalled out and stopped reporting on the rifle several years ago. Today, I will bring you up to speed with what's been happening; and, no, I haven't had a breakthrough in accuracy — yet.
I continued shooting the Ballard with commercial cast bullets, then I purchased a Lee mold and cast some bullets of my own. My bullets did as good as the commercial ones, even though they're not perfectly round. It's not uncommon for cast bullets to be out of round by a thousandth of an inch or sometimes more, but it would be better if they weren't.
Lee bullet molds are inexpensive, but they do make fine bullets.
Schützen shooting
One thing I tried with the Ballard was loading it like a schuetzen rifle. Schützens are extremely accurate target rifles that held most of the world's records for groups out to 200 meters until recently. They're single-shot rifles whose cartridges are loaded one at a time at the range. A schützen shooter sets up his reloading equipment right on the rifle range. His powder measure is set to throw a single charge of powder. If he wants to shoot more than one rifle, he has a powder dropper for each of them, and only a single powder charge is used.
The bullets he has cast and kept in order as they fell from the mold. He doesn't worry about weighing the bullets because he uses a mold that is so perfect it never varies by more that one-tenth of a grain in weight, as long as he keeps the lead alloy the same. But to guard against any variation, he shoots the bullets as they dropped from the mold…so the alloy will not be that different. And you thought airgunners were anal! Schützen shooters make benchrest shooters look like weasles on caffeine.
They use a single cartridge case that gets fired and reloaded hundreds of times. They file a notch into the edge of the rim of the case, and that cartridge is always loaded into the chamber with the notch pointing straight up so there's never any variation. The case is never resized because it doesn't hold the bullet. It's just filled with powder and a wad and then loaded without a bullet. Because the brass isn't worked and is always fired in the same chamber, it lasts a very long time!
This simple tool is all you need to load cartridges at the range: A Pope capper-decapper.
The bullet gets loaded into the bore and positioned 1/16 of an inch ahead of the cartridge case, which is loaded after the bullet. A special mechanical bullet seater is used to do this because it's difficult to push a solid lead bullet into rifling. Airgunners know this because loading solid pellets into a barrel is a nightmare! Only AirForce Airguns designed their barrels to accept solid pellets, and even then, they're still hard to load.
This is a simple bullet seater. The bullet fits into the mock cartridge on the end of the seater. The seater is then pushed into the breech, and the bullet is pressed directly into the rifling. Higher grade seaters are mechanical with good leverage.
I tried loading my Ballard the schützen way, and I can report the following. Doing it this way, where you reload the cartridge after each shot, slows down your shooting to one shot every five minutes, or so. I suppose you could do it faster, but that's one of the real benefits of doing it this way. You don't have to be fast. I can shoot a 10-shot group in the same time another shooter arrives at the range, sets up, goes downrange to put up his targets, shoots several boxes of commercial ammo, retrieves his targets, knocks down, packs up and leaves. It takes us both about an hour; but at the end of it, my heart is beating 55 times a minute and I feel like I've been sitting on the veranda drinking a mint julep!
Schützen shooting is relaxing! I enjoy it very much, so I figuratively bit the bullet and bought a top-quality handmade bullet mold from Hoch so I could seat the bullets properly and do it right. That mold was not cheap, and it took about 6 months to be made to my specifications.
A breech-seated bullet has two different sizes to its body. The forward part is sized to ride on top of the rifling lands, and the rear part is exactly as wide as the grooves. When I measured my rifle, I found the lands measured 0.376 inches across (one side of the bore to the other) and the grooves were 0.384 inches across. Those two measurements were what I gave to the mold maker, along with the lead alloy I intended using (40 parts lead to 1 part tin). The mold he sent to me throws a bullet that measures exactly those dimensions, plus it's uniformly round. Those of you who worry about pellet head sizes know what I'm talking about!
This custom bullet mold from Hoch is a nose-pour design, like Harry Pope used to make. This breech-seated bullet has two base bands that are 0.384″ wide and three nose bands that are 0.376″ wide. The nose bands are supposed to ride on top of the rifling — not be engraved. That makes the bullet easy to seat into the rifling.
But when I went to the range to try my new bullet — IT DIDN'T FIT! The nose was too fat and was being engraved by the rifling, which prevented me from seating the bullet in the barrel with anything short of a hammer. Obviously, I wasn't going to do that! I pouted instead. I lost interest in the rifle for several months. But I always come back, and this time I remembered what the black powder shooters say: Black powder is better than smokeless when accuracy is on the line.
The bullet from my Lee mold is a little too small for the barrel, but black powder upsets the base. So, I reckoned that might work. I loaded some cartridges with black powder and the Lee bullet and went back to the range. With black powder, I had to clean the bore after every shot, but working with the Nelson Lewis combination gun trained me to do that, so it wasn't a problem. Alas, these cartridges were no more accurate than the smokeless rounds I'd been shooting. I probably didn't spend enough time perfecting my loading technique and was getting frustrated. And a frustrated B.B. doesn't make good decisions.
Over the past 2 years, I've shot many targets like these with the Ballard. All have groups around 3 inches at 100 yards.
Over two years have passed since I acquired the rifle, and I was still stuck in the same place. I couldn't shoot even one of my new bullets from my expensive new mold, and the best I was able to do wasn't as good as I've done with other more mundane rifles shooting lead bullets. If I was a golfer, this would be where I wrap my expensive drivers around trees and take up drinking.
A strange encounter
Then something happened. Just a few months ago I was out at the range for another round of humiliation, and I happened to meet a real schützen shooter. I'd met him there before, but never when I had the Ballard with me. He was putzing around with one of his exotic thundersticks, and we got into a discussion of my frustrations. Well, maybe not a real discussion. Actually it was more like I went over and started sobbing on his shoulder about all my woes. But you get the picture.
He told me about another mold maker — the guy I should have gone to in the first place. Long story short, he sold me on trying another new mold. This one will be ready in 3 weeks, plus he told me all the schützen shooters go to this guy for their molds. I was straight on everything else. I was making my loads with the same equipment and in the same way he was. So, the mold must be the answer. Right? Please tell me I'm right because I've spent even more on this new mold than on the last one!
Oh, maybe I should also tell you this. I slugged the bore of the rifle again, to find those critical dimensions for the new mold. And this time I asked my shooting buddy Otho to check my measurements. I'd been two-thousandths off on the first mold, so it was engraving the rifling where it shouldn't. We not only confirmed that fact, we measured the slug with several different measurement devices this time.
The internal dimensions of the bore are determined by upsetting a lead slug in it so it completely fills all space. Then drive it out and measure it. The grooves measure 0.385″ across and the lands measure 0.374″ across. Two people used different measuring devices to arrive at the same dimensions, so they should be correct.
The moral of the story
I like giving you guys good news. Who doesn't? But not everything turns out the way we want it to, and there can be a lot of value in reporting the failures, too. I don't mean so we can go spray-paint the names of the evil airgun manufacturers on overpasses, but so we can better understand this shooting thing we all do.
So, for Kevin and Robert and everyone who's interested in the rest of the story, that's what's been going on with my Ballard. I've had visions of showing you impossible half-inch 10-shot groups at 100 yards from this rifle, all the while realizing with bitter irony that my AR-15 — a rifle I've publicly criticized for over 40 years — can actually do it. I'm not there yet (with the Ballard). Maybe I never will be, but the pursuit of excellence is what keeps me going. And the days spent with air rifles like the Walther LGV are what keep me sane.
Big Shot of the Month
Pyramyd Air's Big Shot of the Month is Chris Ennis. He'll receive a $100 gift card. Congratulations! If you'd like a chance to be the next Big Shot, you can enter on Pyramyd Air's Facebook page.
Chris Ennis is the Big Shot of the Month on Pyramyd Air's facebook page.
Walther LGV Olympia field test: Part 3
by Tom Gaylord, a.k.a. B.B. Pelletier
Walther LGV Olympia was a top-quality 10-meter target rifle from the 1970s.
It's play time again, today, for this is the day we shoot the Walther LGV Olympia target rifle at 25 yards in preparation for shooting it at 50 yards. This report is a look at the vintage Walther LGV platform as a sporter, rather than the 10-meter target rifle that it is. With Walther bringing out the new LGV models, I thought it would be nice to see how the original LGV did in the same test.
I have no idea which pellet to choose for shooting at 25 yards — to say nothing of shooting twice as far. So, today's test was nothing beyond my best guess of what might work well. Because I'll be shooting at a fairly long range with this relatively low-powered spring rifle, I knew the pellets had to be domes. Wadcutters start to fall off in accuracy after 25 yards, and pointed ones aren't that accurate to begin with. But good domes can be as accurate as good wadcutters, and they hold their accuracy a heck of a lot longer.
I'm shooting 10-shot groups off a rest at 25 yards, using the target sights that belong on the rifle. Ten shots should show which pellet or pellets are the best. I'll also try each pellet seated flush and seated deep, so there will be 2 groups shot with each pellet.
JSB Exact Express
The JSB Exact Express pellet is a fairly lightweight domed lead pellet that's new to me. I tried it in the velocity test for the first time and learned that flush-seated pellets leave the muzzle faster than deep-seated pellets. That was the reverse of what 2 other pellets did in that test.
The first 10 shots were with flush-seated pellets. They made a group that measures 0.657 inches between centers; but within that group, there are 8 shots in a 0.257-inch group. What can we say about that? There were no called fliers, and I feel the 2 shots that strayed from the main group did so on their own, without the rifle contributing. I'm looking at the entire group size and ignoring the smaller group-within-a-group. However, this pellet does merit another chance at 50 yards.
Ten JSB Exact Express pellets seated flush went into 0.657 inches, but 8 of them made a 0.257-inch group. Maybe I should try this pellet at 50 yards.
Next, I shot another 10 JSB Exact Express pellets, only these were seated deep with the Air Venturi Pellet Pen and Seater. This time, the group measured 0.778 inches, and you can clearly see the dispersion of the shots. Deep-seating does not suit this pellet.
You don't have to use calipers to see that this group of 10 JSB Exact Express pellets that were seated deep are scattered all over the place. Group size is 0.778 inches.
RWS Superdome
The next pellet I tried was the RWS Superdome, which so many shooters love. I had no idea how Superdomes would do in the LGV Olympia, and this test would be the way to find out. First, I shot them seated flush. Ten pellets made a group that measures 0.695 inches between centers. The group was fairly round, which I took to be a good thing, because it means the pellets are fairly evenly distributed.
Ten flush-seated RWS Superdomes went into 0.695 inches at 25 yards.
Next, I shot 10 Superdomes seated deep in the rifling. This time, the group wasn't as pretty, but it did measure only 0.649 inches, which is slightly better than the flush-seated group. It's a toss-up between the different seating methods, though deep-seating does seem a trifle better. Perhaps the difference would be greater at 50 yards.
Superdomes seated deep made the better group by a small margin. Ten went into 0.649 inches.
JSB Exact Heavy
The final pellet I tested in the LGV Olympia was the JSB Exact Heavy that I included in the velocity test. We wouldn't normally select a 10.34-grain pellet for a rifle of the LGV's limited power; but when you shoot out to long distances, the weight of the pellet is more important than its starting velocity.
The first group was shot with the pellets seated flush. It measures 0.354 inches, making it the best group thus far. This group is also very round, which is another point in its favor. I think I've found the best pellet to shoot in this rifle at 50 yards!
Ten JSB Exact Heavy pellets seated flush made this remarkable 0.354-inch group at 25 yards.
I now wondered if could this get any better. The next 10 pellets were shot deep-seated and, alas, the answer was…no. I'd gone as far as I was going in this test. Ten deep-seated Express pellets made a 0.79-inch group.
When seated deep, the Heavy pellets opened up to a 0.79-inch group at 25 yards. There's one pellet hole above the main group that may be hard to see, but it's there.
So, here at the end of the test we have a very clear example of one seating method triumphing over the other. The Express pellets wants to be seated flush in this rifle.
We also have a clear example of one pellet standing apart from the others. The flush-seated Express pellet made a group that was significantly smaller than all the other pellets I tried. That doesn't mean it's the best pellet in the LGV — just the best of these 3 that I tested. When I go to the 50-yard range, I need a day with zero wind — and I'll try the JSB Exact Express first.
Considerable drop
You may have noticed that the groups were all below the bullseye. That was with the rear sight cranked up pretty high. There's still some room for more height; but at 50 yards, I know the gun will be printing its groups low. I'll have to compensate for that.
Benjamin Trail NP pistol: Part 5
by Tom Gaylord, a.k.a. B.B. Pelletier
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4a
Part 4b
Benjamin's new Trail NP breakbarrel pellet pistol with cocking aid removed.
Before we begin today's report, a word about my late friend, Earl (Mac) McDonald. His family has set up a memorial page in his name to collect finds for research into the causes of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, which is one of the names prion disease goes by. Most of you knew Mac only through his writing and testing here on the blog; but a few of you were friends with him through this hobby, and I thought you would like to know about this.
Today, we'll continue testing the Benjamin Trail NP pistol. Although today's title says Part 5, it's actually the 6th report because I had to break Part 4 into sub-parts a and b.
We'll look at the accuracy of those 3 lead-free pellets that Crosman provided with the test pistol. As before, I'm shooting at 10 meters, and the gun has a red dot sight mounted. I'll describe all the other shooting conditions as we go. It has been so long since I last tested this air pistol that I had to read both parts of the fourth report to find out how to shoot the pistol for the best results.
I decided to shoot everything with the cocking aid attached. My testing demonstrated that it didn't hurt the accuracy, and in a few cases it seemed to help it. At any rate, it makes the pistol easier to cock, so I left it on for this whole test.
Crosman Powershot Penetrators
The first pellet I tested was the Crosman Powershot Penetrator. It's a synthetic-bodied pellet with a heavy non-lead metal core. They fit loosely in the breech, so I seated them flush but did not try to seat them deep. Since some of my best shooting was with the gun rested directly against the sandbag last time, I decided to start out that way. Imagine my surprise to see a near-pinwheel shot with the first pellet! [A pinwheel is a shot in the exact center of the target, and it refers to taking out the extremely small 10-ring of a smallbore target so that just the white scoring ring remains behind.] The shot was so good that I stopped and took a picture of it to show you — in case history was about to be made. This happens about one time every ten thousand shots or so for me, and it's usually by pure chance. It is, however, the sort of thing that gives rise to lies and legends and is probably the basis for the Cargo Cults.
Just in case I was about to make history, I photographed the first shot of the Benjamin Trail NP pistol with Crosman Powershot Penetrators.
Shot No. 2 (at the bottom of the picture) made it clear that the first shot was a happy accident. Resting the pistol directly on the sandbag was not the thing to do!
Much as I would have loved to bask in the radiance of that first shot, shot No. 2 dispelled the miracle. Pellet 2 landed 4 inches south of the first one, humbling me once more.
Here's a lesson in testing airguns. When something goes wrong like this, and all your experience says that it should have been wrong to begin with (resting a spring gun directly on a sandbag), take the hint and change your ways. So I did. I moved my hands forward of the bag and held the gun with no part of it touching anything except me. Then, I shot 10 more shots into a very decent group that measures 1.587 inches between centers. In the grand scheme of things, it's not a bad group for this pistol. Not the best by any means; but for lead-free pellets, it's not bad.
Resting the arms on the sandbag and holding the pistol free was the way to go. Ten flush-seated Powershot Penetrators made this 1.587-inch group at 10 meters.
Crosman SSP hollowpoints
Next, I tried the SSP hollowpoint pellets seated flush and with my arms resting on the bag but the pistol not touching it. This was how I held the gun for the remainder of this report. This time, 10 pellets made a slightly smaller group — measuring 1.513 inches. Amazing! Who would have thought that lead-free pellets could be so accurate?
Ten SSP hollowpoints seated flush made this 1.513-inch group at 10 meters. This is a decent group for lead-free pellets.
This pellet fit the breech tighter, so I figured I could try to seat them deeply. Next, I shot 5 of the same SSP hollowpoints seated deep with the Air Venturi Pellet Pen and Pellet Seater. When the first 2 pellets landed very close to each other, I thought I might be on to something; but after 5 shots, I knew differently. I had a vertical string that measures 2.013 inches between centers. It's very tight side-to-side, so I was holding the pistol okay…but the velocity of the pellet was way off, shot-to-shot.
It took only 5 shots to learn that nothing was gained by seating the SSP hollowpoints deep. Group measures 2.013 inches.
Allow me to explain what I mean by the velocity was off. I'm not referring to the velocity from the muzzle to the target. At 10 meters, you can vary the velocity by 50 f.p.s. and not affect the group that much. But the time the pellet remains inside the barrel while the gun is moving affects things greatly. That is what I mean by the velocity affecting things. I really mean the pellet dwell time inside the barrel because that determines where the muzzle will be when the pellet exits. Obviously, when this pellet is seated deep, that time varies enough to affect where the pellet strikes the target — even at 10 meters.
The bottom line — deep-seating is out for this pellet. And another testing tip — I don't need to fire a second 5 shots to figure that out. I can stop here and move on with the test.
Crosman SSP pointed pellets
The last pellet I tried was the Crosman SSP pointed pellet. This is another lead-free pellet. Instead of a hollow point, it has a pointed tip. The weight is the same 4 grains as the SSP hollowpoint. I seated them flush with the breech and started to shoot, but they were hitting so low that some were below the target paper. So, I stopped and adjusted the red dot sight up several clicks, then started the group all over. Ten pellets landed in a 5.004-inch group that told me the test was over. Sure, I could have tried seating these pellets deep or holding the pistol directly on the sandbag, but this huge group told me it wasn't worth the effort. What was the best I could do — shade the hollowpoints by a fraction of an inch? No, I know when to hold 'em, and I also know when to fold 'em. Now, it was time to end the test.
When your target looks like this, you'll know what to do.
Impressions so far
I remain impressed by the Benjamin Trail NP pistol. For the money, it offers performance well beyond what most airguns of equivalent price can give you. It's an air pistol you must be dedicated to, however, because it takes some getting used to. But for smashing power with decent accuracy, I can't think of another spring pistol in this price range that does as well.
There is still one final test to do. I want to rerun the velocity test. That will establish if the hundreds of shots we've given this pistol to this point have finally broken in the gun.
Gamo Whisper Fusion IGT breakbarrel air rifle: Part 2
by Tom Gaylord, a.k.a. B.B. Pelletier
Gamo Whisper Fusion IGT air rifle.
Today, we'll look at the velocity and power of the Gamo Whisper Fusion IGT air rifle. This breakbarrel rifle has a gas spring that seems to intrigue many new airgunners, so let's talk about that first. A gas spring is a unit that uses compressed gas rather than a coiled steel mainspring to power the piston. Besides that, it's identical to a conventional spring-piston powerplant.
What's in a name?
There are many names for the gas spring. Some call it a gas strut, others call it a gas ram, but all these names refer to the same thing. We're talking about a mechanical device that contains compressed air or other gas (Crosman uses nitrogen — hence Nitro Piston) to push the piston. When the gun is cocked, the piston unit is pushed backwards — making the compressed gas reservoir shorter. When the gas chamber inside the piston becomes smaller, it causes the internal pressure to rise. When the gun fires, this compressed gas pushes the piston forward, and the piston seal compresses the air in front of it.
None of the gas inside the gas spring mechanism escapes. It remains inside, where it can be used again and again. Gas springs are found on modern cars — holding open the heavy back decks and front hoods that used to be held by coiled steel springs. The gas springs on a car usually last for more than a decade, and it isn't uncommon to find them still working in cars that are 20 years old. Throughout all that time, they've been kept fully compressed 99.9999 percent of the time, yet they can still do the job for which they were designed. This is why we say that an airgun with a gas spring can be left cocked for a long time without loss of power.
The advantages of a gas spring in a spring-piston airgun are:
* Can remain compressed a long time without power loss
* Are lighter than powerplants with coiled steel springs
* Vibrate less
* Move faster than coiled steel springs
* Are less sensitive to temperature changes
The disadvantages of a gas spring are:
* Impart a sharp crack to the discharge
* Require nearly full effort even when the piston is all the way forward, making for harder cocking
* Have a sharp recoil that can hurt if the gun is held too tight
Now, it's time to look at the velocity and power of the Whisper Fusion IGT. The first pellet I tried was the JSB Exact RS, a 7.33-grain pellet that's pretty light for this powerplant. RS pellets averaged 938 f.p.s. after I allowed the rifle a few shots to settle down. The low was 919 f.p.s. and the high was 949 f.p.s., so the spread was 30 f.p.s. I think that will tighten with time and more shots on the powerplant.
At the average velocity, this pellet generates 14.32 foot-pounds at the muzzle. I'd expected more power; but once the gun had settled down, it was fairly consistent at that speed. The RS pellets fit the breech somewhat loosely.
RWS Superdomes
Next, I tried the 8.3-grain RWS Superdome pellet. They averaged 915 f.p.s., with a spread from 909 to 921 f.p.s. The gun is already starting to stabilize.
At the average velocity, this pellet generates 15.43 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle. Superdomes fit the breech snug but not tight.
H&N Baracuda Match
Then, I tried some H&N Baracuda Match pellets. At 10.65 grains, these were the heaviest pellets I tried. The Whisper Fusion IGT belted them out the spout at an average 824 f.p.s., for a muzzle energy of 16.06 foot-pounds. The spread went from a low of 822 f.p.s. to a high of 828 f.p.s., so the gun was extremely stable with these pellets.
Baracuda Match pellets fit the breech tighter than all other pellets. That tells me the rifle needs something to push against, and deep-seating would not be recommended.
Gamo PBA
The final pellet I tried was the lead-free Gamo Raptor PBA, a 5.4-grain domed pellet. They averaged 1,232 f.p.s. in the rifle, with a range from 1,217 f.p.s. to 1,245 f.p.s. Even with this lightweight pellet, the rifle is still very stable. The total spread is just 28 f.p.s.
At the average velocity, the Raptor PBA pellets produced 18.2 foot-pounds, so the energy is definitely up. But these pellets fit the breech the worst of all those I tested. Some were so loose that they fell out when the barrel was closed, while others fit extremely tight. Because of this, I doubt they'll give good accuracy.
Cocking effort
The Whisper Fusion IGT cocks differently than any gas spring rifle I have experienced. The initial part of the cocking stroke rises to about 30 lbs. and stays there until the final few inches of the stroke. It increases to 43 lbs. of effort for the last little bit. Most gas springs are consistent throughout their entire cocking stroke, but not the test rifle. It requires two hands for me to cock it more than a handful of times.
The trigger-pull seems light and smooth. Of course, we will find out more about that in the accuracy test, but for now it does seem very nice. This is the new Smooth Action Trigger, and it seems to be lightyears better than Gamo sporting triggers of the recent past. I think it'll be a winner. Stage 1 is short and takes 4 oz., while stage 2 breaks at 3 lbs., 12 oz.
Opinions so far
The rifle has less velocity than the 1,300 f.p.s. advertised, but in this case that's a good thing. It has exactly what a hunter wants in terms of power. It seems to want to be stable and should not require a lengthy break-in, which is a good thing. Accuracy testing comes next, and we'll see what it can do in the package Gamo provided. I'll shoot it with open sights…first at 10 meters, then scoped at 25 yards.
Walther 1250 Dominator PCP air rifle: Part 4
by Tom Gaylord, a.k.a. B.B. Pelletier
Today, we'll test the Walther 1250 Dominator at 50 yards. I had to go out to the rifle range for this test, and we've been having some winds lately, so it took some time before I got a calm day. But this day was perfectly calm — I couldn't have asked for a better day to shoot an air rifle at long range.
As you recall, the Dominator takes a 300-bar fill, which is 4,350 psi. I had to delay the test to get my carbon fiber tank refilled, and even then I didn't have enough air for a full fill. When you fill a tank, it gets warm; and when it cools back down, you lose several hundred psi. I was able to fill to about 4,100 psi this time, but that single fill was enough air to last for the entire test, which was about 50 shots. And the needle in the pressure gauge is still in the green, which means there are more full-power shots remaining in the rifle.
I normally shoot from one of two mechanical rifle rests when I'm at this range, but for this test I decided to use my long sandbag, instead. The rifle lays in the crease on top of the bag and doesn't move. There's also more flexibility to reposition the rifle when required. Since this is a repeater that has to be reloaded, this flexibility was a good.
Since the circular clip holds 8 pellets, I decided to shoot 8-shot groups. It's too much trouble to load just two pellets by themselves. So, all the groups seen today are 8-shots.
RWS Superdomes
The first pellet was the venerable RWS Superdome. They landed close enough to the bull that I didn't bother to adjust the scope. Eight pellets made a group that measures 2.017 inches between centers. The pellets spread out horizontally, but there was no wind whatsoever. I don't think this pellet is suited to the rifle.
Ten RWS Superdomes went into 2.017 inches at 50 yards.
Following this, I adjusted the scope up and to the left just a little to compensate for where the Superdomes had landed. Then, I shot a group of JSB Exact Heavy pellets.
JSB Exact Heavy
I expected the JSB Exact Heavy dome pellet to give good groups, and it did — sort of. Seven of the 8 pellets landed in a group that measures 0.753 inches between centers. But 1 shot landed apart from the group, opening it up to 1.933 inches. This shot was somewhere in the middle of the string of 8. It wasn't the first or last shot, and there was no called flier. It's just somewhere in the string.
When something like this happens, I'm tempted to believe that it was caused by a defective pellet or by something just as obviously wrong. I think the JSB Exact Heavy is a good pellet for this rifle.
Seven JSB Exact Heavies went into 0.753 inches, but an unexplained lone shot strayed higher to increase the group size to 1.933 inches.
Beeman Devastator
I probably shouldn't have tried Beeman Devastators because they're essentially wadcutters in profile, and wadcutters don't do well at long distances. But I did try them, and they strung vertically into a group that measures 3.067 inches. Obviously, they're a non-starter for this rifle at 50 yards.
Eight shots in 3.067 inches. Beeman Devastators were not too good. Sorry for the lines, but the Devastators overlapped another group and I had to mark them both to keep them separated.
JSB Exact RS
Next, I shot a group of JSB Exact RS domes. As light as they are, I wouldn't normally recommend them for a precharged rifle of the Dominator's power but had them along, so why not? Eight went into 0.945 inches, so I'm glad I tried them. This was the smallest group of the test. I do want to emphasize that the day was calm, because these light pellets do get blown around a lot.
Eight shots in 0.945 inches. JSB Exact RS pellets were the best of the test.
Crosman Premier 10.5-grain
Next up were the heavy Crosman Premier 10.5-grain pellets. I expected them to do well in this rifle, and they didn't disappoint. Eight went into a group measuring 1.19 inches between centers. While that number sounds a little large, look at the group it represents. It's a little vertical, but it's not a bad group.
Eight shots in 1.19 inches. Crosman Premier heavies were in the running.
Crosman Premier 7.9-grain
The last group I shot was with the 7.9-grain Crosman Premier lite. Eight of them made a group measuring 1.371 inches. That's a little large when there are other pellets that are better, but it's not a bad showing for 8 shots at 50 yards
Eight shots went into 1.371 inches. Given the other good pellets, Premier lites are probably not the pellet of choice, but this isn't bad.
The bottom line
I was glad to finally have the chance to test the Walther 1250 Dominator. It was a good rifle, overall, but I took exception to removing the air tank to fill it, the high fill pressure and the discharge noise.
However, out at the range, the rifle was much quieter — far quieter than a rimfire. Also, the trigger that I complained about when shooting indoors was actually no problem outside. I don't know what the difference was, except that it was a different day and I saw things differently. I must say, there are a lot of very powerful shots in the tank once you get it up to pressure.
I did get used to fiddling with the bolt handle, and the rifle fed without a problem during this test. Installing the rotary clip is easier than on most other PCP rifles.
I would have to say that the 1250 Dominator is a fine precharged air rifle, but it runs into a lot of stiff competition. Buyers will get it because they like the overall styling, the all-weather materials it is made from and the high shot count.
Walther LGV Olympia field test: Part 2
by Tom Gaylord, a.k.a. B.B. Pelletier
Walther LGV Olympia was a top-quality 10 meter target rifle from the 1970s.
Don't get confused. The title of this blog is the Walther LGV Olympia field test, but the first part was titled, We interrupt our regular program….I used that title so I wouldn't give away the topic that first day. This report is, indeed, about the Walther LGV Olympia of history, but this is a new take on it. I already reported on it two and a half years ago, but that report was about the rifle as a vintage 10-meter target rifle, which at that time was all the LGV had ever been. Only in 2012, when Walther brought out their new line of sporting rifles under the LGV model name, was the LGV anything except a breakbarrel target rifle.
We've now looked at the .177-caliber Walther LGV Master Ultra rifle and also at the .22-caliber LGV Challenger (which I now own), so I thought it might be nice to see how the original LGV stacks up to these new rifles. This test will look at the vintage LGV Olympia at 25 yards and at 50 yards. At both distances, I'll use the rifle's target sights. I mentioned last time that when I tested the FWB 300S at 50 yards, it didn't seem to matter that much whether target sights or a scope was used, so I see no need to switch the sights on this rifle.
One thing I have learned in the two and a half years since testing the LGV target rifle is how deep-seating the pellet often has a dramatic affect on accuracy. We have seen that with other airguns, but this will be the first time I think I've tested it on a vintage target rifle. This should be an interesting test. And, because the LGV is a breakbarrel, it plays right into the test plan, because breakbarrels are the easiest type of guns in which to seat the pellets deep.
Naturally, I'll use the Air Venturi Pellet Pen and PellSet seater to seat the pellets. It's so easy; because once you set the optimum seating depth, it never changes until you change it. If you don't have a tool, you can seat pellets with a ballpoint pen…but the seating depth is not adjustable.
Today, we're just going to see how well the rifle performs with some sample pellets that might get chosen for the 25-yard test. I'll test the velocity of all pellets both seated flush with the end of the barrel and also seated deep. That will be a good comparison.
JSB Exact Heavy
You must wonder if I've lost my mind, testing the 10.34-grain JSB Exact Heavy domed pellet in a rifle this weak. No, that's one of the types of pellets I expect might do well at 50 yards. It certainly has the capability to buck the wind, so I thought it might be a good one to test. I have almost no experience shooting airguns of this low power level out to 50 yards, so this is just a hunch.
JSB Exact Heavys averaged 500 f.p.s when seated flush with the breech. The low was 499 f.p.s., and the high was 501 f.p.s., so there was a total variation of just 2 f.p.s. That's remarkable for a spring-piston air rifle — I don't care what type it is! This pellet generates 5.74 foot-pounds of muzzle energy.
When seated deep, the same pellet averaged 511 f.p.s., with a low of 509 f.p.s. and a high of 512 f.p.s. The spread opened up to 3 f.p.s., which is still astonishing. Deep-seated pellets averaged 11 f.p.s. faster than flush-seated pellets. The average muzzle energy was 6.0 foot-pounds.
RWS Superdome
The second pellet I tested was the ever-popular RWS Superdome. This is another pellet that I believe might do well at long range when fired from this air rifle. When seated flush, they averaged 552 f.p.s., with a 17 f.p.s. velocity spread from 543 f.p.s. to 560 f.p.s. The average muzzle energy this pellet generated when seated flush was 5.62 foot-pounds.
When seated deep, the average velocity increased by 10 f.p.s. to 562 f.p.s. The spread ranged from 557 to 565 f.p.s., so it tightened up to just 8 f.p.s. The average muzzle energy was 5.82 foot-pounds.
Beeman Kodiak
Next, I tested the Beeman Kodiak pellet. This is another heavy pellet that I plan to try at 25 yards; and if it does well there, at 50 yards, too. At 10.65 grains, this is the heaviest pellet in today's test. When they were seated flush, Kodiaks averaged 483 f.p.s. in the LGV Olympia. The spread went from a low of 478 f.p.s. to a high of 487 f.p.s., so 9 f.p.s. in total. That's still pretty tight. The average energy was 5.52 foot-pounds.
When seated deep, the average velocity for Kodiaks increased to 501 f.p.s. The spread now went from a low of 479 f.p.s. to a high of 515 f.p.s., so a total of 36 f.p.s., which is on the high side. The average muzzle energy was 5.94 foot-pounds.
JSB Exact Express
The JSB Exact Express pellet is one I haven't tried before. It's a dome that weighs 7.87 grains. Normally, I would try the JSB Exact RS pellet in a rifle like this; but when I tested it in the past as a 10-meter rifle, I did try the RS pellets and they didn't seem to do very well at 10 meters. So, I welcomed the opportunity to include this new JSB dome in the test.
Although it's heavier than the RS, this Express pellet is still the lightest pellet I tried in this test. When seated flush, it averaged 585 f.p.s., with a spread from 569 to a high of 593 f.p.s. The average muzzle energy was 5.98 foot-pounds.
Of course, I expected this pellet to go even faster when seated deep, but it didn't. In fact the relationship between deep-seating and velocity turned around 180 degrees with this pellet. The average for deep-seated Express pellets was 547 f.p.s., with a range that went from 545 to 553 f.p.s. The average muzzle energy was 5.23 foot-pounds. So, just like we have seen in some tests of deep-seated pellets in the past, here's another surprise. I wonder what will happen in the accuracy test?
The Walther LGV Olympia has an adjustable 2-stage match trigger. The one on my rifle is set very nicely, and stage 2 breaks at 10.5 to 11 oz. I can do very fine work with a good trigger like this.
Impressions thus far
I was surprised by how consistent the rifle is with JSB pellets. The fact that 3 pellets increased when seated deep, while one decreased, is also something curious. It just points out the need to test a gun in as many ways as you can think of, I guess.
Best of all, this test gives me one more opportunity to shoot and handle this rifle. I own many nice airguns, but my work doesn't often afford the chance to play with them; so, tests like this one are a refreshing change for me. And I know that many of you get enjoyment from reading about a fine vintage airgun. It's a nice change of pace.
I do hope the newer readers will see how nice these older airguns are and maybe use the links to explore them more thoroughly. If you're new to the shooting sports, this is where a lot of the fun is found.


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[INFOGRAPHIC] How To Build A Culture of Innovation
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Using Consumption and Asset Return Data to Estimate Farmersï¾' Time Preferences and Risk Attitudes
AbstractThe generalized expected utility model is fitted to U.S. farm data to estimate farm operator's time preferences and risk attitudes. The estimated farmer's utility parameters are quite "reasonable" and exhibit high accuracy. The forward-looking expected utility model is soundly rejected in favor of the generalized expected utility paradigm. Importantly, the generalized expected utility model is also found to fit the data better than the myopic model typically used to study agricultural production under risk. Finally, U.S. farmers' relative aversion to risk appears to have diminished significantly over time.
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Bibliographic InfoPaper provided by Iowa State University, Department of Economics in its series Staff General Research Papers with number 1930.
Date of creation: 01 Nov 2000
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Publication status: Published in American Journal of Agricultural Economics, November 2000, vol. 82 no. 4, pp. 934-947
Handle: RePEc:isu:genres:1930
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- Hailu, Getu & Jeffrey, Scott R. & Goddard, Ellen W., 2004. "Impact Of Decision Makers Divergence In Risk Attitudes And Perceptions On Co-Operative Management In Canada," 2004 Annual meeting, August 1-4, Denver, CO 20246, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
- Xavier Vollenweider & Salvatore Di Falco & Cathal O'Donoghue, 2011.
"Risk preferences and voluntary agrienvironmental schemes: does risk aversion explain the uptake of the Rural Environment Protection Scheme?,"
Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment Working Papers
48, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.
- Xavier Vollenweider & Salvatore Di Falco & Cathal O'Donoghue, 2011. "Risk preferences and voluntary agri-environmental schemes: does risk aversion explain the uptake of the Rural Environment Protection Scheme?," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 37585, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
- Vollenweider, Xavier & Di Falco, Salvatore & O'Donoghue, Cathal, 2011. "Risk Preferences and Voluntary Agri-environmental Schemes: Does Risk Aversion Explain the Uptake of the Rural Environment Protection Scheme?," 2011 International Congress, August 30-September 2, 2011, Zurich, Switzerland 115552, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
- Myyra, Sami & Pietola, Kyosti & Heikkila, Anna-Maija, 2011. "Farm Level Capital: Capital positions, structures, the dynamics of farm level investments, capital accumulation and leverage positions," Working Papers 117488, Factor Markets, Centre for European Policy Studies.
- Pope, Rulon D. & LaFrance, Jeffrey T. & Just, Richard E., 2011.
"Agricultural arbitrage and risk preferences,"
Journal of Econometrics,
Elsevier, vol. 162(1), pages 35-43, May.
- Pope, Rulon D. & LaFrance, Jeffrey T & Just, Richard E., 2007. "Agricultural Arbitrage and Risk Preferences," Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley, Working Paper Series qt3tw1m1p0, Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley.
- Jeffrey LaFrance & Rulon Pope & Richard Just, 2008. "Agricultural Arbitrage and Risk Preferences," Working Papers 2009-01, School of Economic Sciences, Washington State University.
- Pope, Rulon D. & LaFrance, Jeffrey T. & Just, Richard E, 2007. "Agricultural arbitrage and risk preferences," CUDARE Working Paper Series 1041, University of California at Berkeley, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Policy.
- Livingston, Michael J. & Roberts, Michael J. & Rust, John, 2008. "Optimal Corn and Soybean Rotations," 2008 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2008, Orlando, Florida 6213, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
- Howitt, Richard E. & Reynaud, Arnaud & Msangi, Siwa & Knapp, Keith C., 2002. "Calibrated Stochastic Dynamic Models for Resource Management," 2002 Annual meeting, July 28-31, Long Beach, CA 19620, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
- Anton, Jesus & Le Mouel, Chantal, 2003. "Do Counter-Cyclical Payments In The Fsri Act Create Incentives To Produce?," 2003 Annual Meeting, August 16-22, 2003, Durban, South Africa 25811, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
- Wang, H. Holly & Du, Wen, 2005. "Intertemporal Risk Management Decisions of Farmers under Preference, Market, and Policy Dynamics," 2005 Annual meeting, July 24-27, Providence, RI 19526, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
- Hardaker, J. Brian & Lien, Gudbrand, 2010. "Probabilities for decision analysis in agriculture and rural resource economics: The need for a paradigm change," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 103(6), pages 345-350, July.
- Johansson, Robert C. & Livingston, Michael J. & Westra, John V. & Guidry, Kurt M., 2006. "Simulating the U.S. Impacts of Alternative Asian Soybean Rust Treatment Regimes," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association, vol. 35(1), April.
- Tveteras, Ragnar & Flaten, Ola & Lien, Gudbrand D., 2008. "Production risk in multi-output industries: estimates from Norwegian dairy farms," 2008 International Congress, August 26-29, 2008, Ghent, Belgium 43958, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
- Teklewold, Hailemariam, 2011. "Farming or burning? shadow prices and farmer's impatience on the allocation of multi-purpose resource in the mixed farming system of Ethiopia," 2011 International Congress, August 30-September 2, 2011, Zurich, Switzerland 116080, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
- Frechette, Darren L. & Wen, Fang-I, 2002. "Risk Aversion, Uncertainty Aversion, And Variation Aversion In Applied Commodity Price Analysis," 2002 Conference, April 22-23, 2002, St. Louis, Missouri 19062, NCR-134 Conference on Applied Commodity Price Analysis, Forecasting, and Market Risk Management.
- Keith Coble & Jayson Lusk, 2010. "At the nexus of risk and time preferences: An experimental investigation," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 41(1), pages 67-79, August.
- Mosnier, C. & Agabriel, J. & Lherm, M. & Reynaud, A., 2009. "A dynamic bio-economic model to simulate optimal adjustments of suckler cow farm management to production and market shocks in France," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 102(1-3), pages 77-88, October.
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J.D. Ryznar was contracted by Ask.com to produce a farewell video for Jeeves's retirement. The video can be viewed here and you can read more about the making of the video at the Ask Blog.
Want to comment or discuss? Visit our SEW Forum thread, Goodbye Jeeves.
The Original Search Marketing Event is Back!
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One of the necessities for any Oscar candidate is to do a lot of smiling, gladhanding interviews where they answer the same questions over and over again. An antidote to this madness is the annual Hollywood Reporter Roundtable Interviews. They're awesome. You take six leading Oscar potentials ...Read More »
You know what's a really good idea? Drawing out your award winners on Twitter all day. In what seems like the final act in a disastrous public relations year for the New York Film Critics Circle, they made the ridiculous decision to tweet their winners, one-by-one, as they vote today, turning th...Read More »
As if the "offer story" wasn't bad enough, the "testing" or "reading for" stories have taken that to a lower standard. And listen, we get it. We've run those things before because a peek behind the curtain is interesting, particularly for high profile projects a...Read More »
Too obvious? Aaron Sorkin, the Academy Award winning pen behind "The Social Network" and Emmy honored scribe of "The West Wing," and no stranger to portraits of larger than life figures in positions of power, is being sought to pen the gestating Steve Jobs biopic reports 24 Frames.Read More »
Considering they spend the rest of their time ignored, humiliated, rewritten and robbed of credit, it's only fair that screenwriters get two categories at the Academy Awards, effectively doubling their chances of being nominated. It's also their best chance of gaining real cachet; witness the career...Read More »
We're a couple of weeks now from the sad passing of Steve Jobs, and the long-term impact remains to be seen, not just on Apple, the company he founded and helped make a superpower, but also on Pixar, the CGI animation giants he also backed, who across the last decade-and-a-half have become the most ...Read More »
Get ready for a weekly dose of Aaron Sorkin once again. After a number of celebrated television ventures including "Sports Night," "The West Wing" and most recently "Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip," Sorkin will soon be back on the small screen, as his hour-long, untitled news-room drama series, forme...Read More »
As far as starts to careers go for young actors, having your first role in the first-line-up of hugely popular U.K. teen series "Skins," and then going on to the lead role in a global hit that swept the Oscars, namely "Slumdog Millionaire," isn't a bad one, and Dev Patel must consider himself fairly...Read More »
We've long suspected that John Krasinski is a much smarter, more talented guy that he's been able to demonstrate so far outside "The Office." His film work has been in pretty awful pictures, on the whole, but he's generally been the best thing in films like "Something Borrowed," "Leatherheads," and ...Read More »


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Fort Worth police are looking for a man who shot two men in east Fort Worth Saturday morning.
Police Capt Charles Ramirez says the shooting happened in the 5300 block of East Rosedale just before 5am Saturday morning. Homicide detectives were called to the scene to aid in the investigation. Ramirez says police are still not sure what happened leading up to the double shooting. A knife covered in blood was recovered at the scene and Ramirez says investigators don't know yet if the double shooting followed some type of stabbing incident.
Ramirez says officers had a problem with crowd control at the shooting scene. Two people were taken into custody for interfering in a police investigation.
The names of the shooting victims have not been released.
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Our award winning range comprises over 1000 wines from every corner of the wine world. Boutique family wine growers sit side by side with exceptional co-operatives and other large scale producers who offer unparalleled value. You can search by country, grape variety, wine style, closure or of course producer name. If you want to search by wine name or product code, simply type it into the search box top right of your screen.
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2004 Rioja 150th Anniversary Gran Reserva, Riscal(6x75cl)
Marqués de Riscal 150 Aniversario is a dark-cherry coloured wine with brick red hues. Its aroma is complex and balsamic, with burnt wood and hints of spices such as black pepper and cinnamon. It has an oily mouth-feel, with good backbone and concentration of tannins, round and supple with a long, silky finish.
2012 Acrollam Blanc (Chardonnay, Prensal) Mesquida Mora(6x75cl)
The delicate, aromatic nose is dominated by the citrus family; lemon, grapefruit and lime, with tropical hints, white flower and a mineral note from the Prensal Blanc. The palate is fresh, saline and mineral with good acidity and lots of tangy lemon zing.
2007 Priorat Selección Cop de Ma Fort(6x75cl)
The wine is deep cherry red in colour with black fruit, vanilla and toasted almonds on the nose. The palate is round, velvety and concentrated with hints of cocoa and marmalade.
2010 Reserva, Pago de los Capellanes(6x75cl)
The nose has a fine complexity with tones of ripened fruit such as cherry, cassis and plum all harmonised by the wood and spice character (vanilla and cocoa) with undercurrents of liquorice. The palate displays great balance with glossy, mature tannins and elegant fruit character that echoes the nose. The finish is long and elegant.
2013 Blanco Joven Chardonnay, Bodega Otto Bestué(6x75cl)
Pale lemon yellow colour. Fresh aromas of apple, white flowers and citrus fruits. Intense and rich flavours.
2010 Rioja Crianza, Vina Cerrada(12x37.5cl)
Bright garnet red in colour, with purple hues. On the nose there are attractive varietal aromas of red berries, fresh strawberry leaf and some hints of spice. Rounded and soft in the mouth, with a well balanced, medium bodied palate amply stacked with crunchy red berry and hedgerow fruit leading into an elegantly smooth, caressing finish.
NV Bella Luna Amontillado Jerez(12x37.5cl)
Amber in colour with complex, intense, saline aromas of hazelnuts and bitter almonds. Bone-dry and goes on...and on...and on...
2008 Reserva, Cop de Ma(6x75cl)
A complex, structured nose with layer upon layer of dried red berry fruit which is met with a soft vanilla spice and toasty oak. The palate is elegant and soft with impressive length.
2013 Viura Rioja Blanco, Bodegas Vallobera(6x75cl)
Straw and green colour tones. A fresh bouquet of floral aromas, balanced on the palate with floral and citrus flavours.
2013 Cruz de Piedra Garnacha Rosado, Bodega Virgen de la Sierra(6x75cl)
A medium bodied and dry Rose. Fresh and fruity, concentrated strawberry and raspberry flavours, supported by its structure.


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What is now Macy's at Battlefield Mall used to be Famous-Barr.
The department store opened in Springfield in November 1982 in space formerly occupied by Dillard's, which had recently moved to a larger spot in the mall. This photo shows shoppers on a Sunday in 1983.
Famous-Barr was originally the flagship store of The May Department Stores Company, which merged with Federated Department Stores, now Macy's, in 2005.
The Famous-Barr store in Battlefield Mall took on the Macy's name in September 2006.


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Automatically add links to published posts or pages to your Facebook wall, pages or groups and more
I'm basically a WP newbie and this was very easy to use. It had very clear instructions for how to link directly up with my Facebook page, and has a good interface as part of the posting page.
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Does what I wanted it to do - cuts down on the number of steps I need to publish posts to my Facebook page.
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Very good and nice for me plugin. But text in Facebook - all in one heap?
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It is really good to have a plugin like this because I have some trouble to link my new twitter account with facebook.
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Does what it says. Great support. Keep it up!
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BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - The former acting president of Southern Vermont College has killed himself after being accused of embezzling $400,000 from the school.
Vermont State Police say James Beckwith was found dead in his home Wednesday of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Beckwith was accused of taking the money between October 2012 and January, depositing it into his personal account, and using $260,000 to pay down two mortgages on his South Londonderry home. He was the former chief financial officer and chief operating officer of the small liberal arts school.
The U.S. Attorney's office said Thursday it filed a complaint alleging the home and account would be subject to forfeiture related to mail fraud and a money laundering charges.
Beckwith resigned from the college on Feb. 3 after being questioned about the matter.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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James Gandolfini, Peter O'Toole, Cory Monteith — 2013 saw the loss of many talented stars. Here, we say a final good-bye to the actors, singers, authors and other entertainers who died this year.
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(AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)
cyclingTejay van Garderen wins Stage 3 of USA Pro Challenge, claims yellow jersey
The evil "queen stage" of the USA Pro Challenge took riders 96 miles from Gunnison over Monarch Pass at 11,213 feet on the Continental Divide, down to Salida and back up to Monarch Mountain. But the nearly four-hour grind that unfolded over 155 kilometers was decided with one kilometer to go.
Massachusetts man finds bloody stranger in home
MARLBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts man who fell asleep in a chair in his living room over the weekend got quite the surprise when he woke up — a bloody stranger asleep on the couch.
(John Minchillo/AP)
B&N, Samsung unveil reading-focused Nook tablet
NEW YORK (AP) — Barnes & Noble and Samsung unveiled a new reading-focused tablet that will replace the bookseller's own Nook tablets. Full Story


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The dinosaur finished just outside of the Europa League places after struggling for much of last season. There was nothing about that Hamburg side that really stood out to impress you.
Hamburg are hoping that Johan Djourou and Lasse Sobiech can strengthen their defense after last season's poor defensive record that included an embarrassing 9-2 loss to Bayern Munich. Their biggest signing to date has been Jacques Zoua from FC Basel. The forward has been the only signing thus far in an attempt to replace the departing Heung Min Son. That doesn't cut it. Hamburg's lack of activity in the transfer window is one of the reason that they're in the group that I don't expect to really matter this season.
We still don't know if Thorsten Fink can cut it at a club like Hamburg, but I don't think he'll be in charge after this season if the club fails to qualify for Europa once again. There's not enough depth in the squad to qualify for Europe.
Finishing midtable was the objective last season for Nürnberg, and they accomplished it with a 10th place finish. They were 7 points out of Europe and 12 points out of the relegation zone. Stability is the key for this season.
Nürnberg sold Timmy Simmons and Timm Klose and have brought in several players to hopefully replace them. Daniel Ginczek has joined from Borussia Dortmund after spending all of last season at St. Pauli. Josip Drmic, Martin Angha, and Mariusz Stepinski will add some depth to the side. They also signed Emanuel Pogatetz in an attempt to bolster the defense. We'll see how that works out. Probably not too good, but let's wait.
The goal for the 2013-14 season for Nürnberg will be another solid midtable finish. With the talent on the squad, they could finish anywhere from 8th to 15th. It's really a tossup dependent mostly on how the remaining clubs do. In other words, don't expect Europe or relegation, Nürnberg. You're safe.
Die Nullfünfer's up-and-down season last year ended with them finishing in 13th place. They were the bottom club in the list of clubs far enough away from the relegation zone that they weren't really threatened. That's okay for Mainz. Right?
Mainz has been active this window in bringing in players to strengthen and rebuild a squad with so many players leaving the club. Jan Kirchhoff has gone to Bayern Munich and Adam Szalai has headed off to Schalke. The players that they've brought into the club aren't as good but will be adequate replacements. Christoph Moritz, Julian Koch, Shinji Okazaki, Dani Schahin, and Park Joo-Ho have been purchased. I like Okazaki --- I've always liked Okazaki. --- and I think Mortiz can produce.
This season will be another one for Mainz where they finish midtable without any legitimate threats to Europe or a threat from relegation.
Last season was a remarkable one for Freiburg. They were in the running for a Champions League place until the very last day of the season when Schalke took it from them. That was a great season and was only rivaled by Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt for greatness.
Freiburg has been more active in the transfer window than any other club. They've had to say goodbye to Cedric Makiadi, Jan Rosenthal, Johannes Flum, Max Kruse, and Daniel Caligiuri. These players were the stars of last season's fantastically entertaining Freiburg side. They've chosen to replace them with Gelson Fernandes, Christopher Jullien, Vaclav Pilar, Mike Hanke, Admir Mehmedi, and Francis Coquelin. We'll have to wait and see if these players can adequately replace the departing players.
Freiburg were going to struggle this season even with the same team the had last year with having to deal with the Bundesliga and Europa League. Christian Streich proved himself to be a great coach, but it has yet to be seen if he can successfully navigate two competitions while trying to rebuild a squad.


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More Articles for Doug Mitchell Scholarship
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Volunteering News
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Get on the waiting list for Christmas puppies. We will have MORKIES (maltese x yorkie) maltipoos (maltese x poodle) and PAPITESE (maltese x papillon)
These are pictures from past litters. Please call for an interview to get on the waiting list.
815 494 0912
Price will depend on gender, size & color.
17 years experience in raising HAPPY, healthy, well socialized, SMART and loving puppies.
Aug 17 -
Rockford :
Roscoe - Dogs & puppies
Family raised, 17 years experience. Quality, socialized, loved and beautiful puppies. T. HANK Phil Toby spoiled and Sopha the purebred, registered, parents of the 2 boys born on July 25th. they will be able to go their forever home between 9-12 weeks old. Please call for an interview 815 494 0912. Please understand I ONLY choose the best homes for my babies.
Thanks to Tonya Pro Photography for pictures of the siblings of these puppies.
We have maltipoos, morkies & Papitese due in September. Get ...
They are adorable! Born July 10th -3 males one female yet available on the right in the pink pic. I have both parents raised in my home and they will make you a very loving companion and always look like a puppy. I have excellent references call Deb 231 689 0488 or 239 404 4487.
Aug 17 -
Grand Rapids :
Grand Rapids - Dogs & puppies
We have male and female, they are up to date on shots and deworming. $275 cash for more information call or text 317-443-7828
Aug 16 -
Indianapolis :
Indianapolis - Dogs & puppies
8 week old female Daisey puppy is looking for her forever home. This little sweetheart is non-shedding and hypo-allergenic. She has had her dewclaws removed, 4 dewormings, first shot, pre-spoiled, love attention and to cuddle. Mom is a 12 pound Maltese/Poodle mix and dad is a 13 pound Coton/bishon mix both stand from back to floor just under 12 inches. She comes with a health guarantee and puppy starter pack. $600.00 Please call Harriet or Sara at 616-8976156, Harriet at 616-915-5030 or Sara at 616 ...
Aug 16 -
Grand Rapids :
Belding - Dogs & puppies
Maltipoo puppies born July 16 2014. They will not be sold until they are 8 weeks old but I will be taking non-refundable deposits to hold one for you. There are 3 males and 1 female. Please feel free to call or text me with any questions that you might have serious inquiries only please thank you. (Each puppy has 2 photos) 616-312-5474
These pictures where taken on August 7th they are three weeks old .
And just as a reminder my puppies will be ready at 8 - 9 weeks old.
Puppy # 3 has a ...
Aug 14 -
Grand Rapids :
Holland - Dogs & puppies
2 female multiple puppies
They are white, 8 weeks old, sisters, must stay together!
250.00 for both to good home
Will not place them in a home with kids under 10 yes of age!
Thank you
Please text or call 8123440990
I have no pictures sorry!
Aug 11 -
Indianapolis :
Columbus - Dogs & puppies
Taking names liter due at the end of August!!! Once the puppies are born I will call each person and let you know the sex and color. Then you can decide if you want to make a deposit to hold your puppy! Our puppies don't last long when they arrive. Our puppies stay very small and that is very hard to find! Father weighs 4.5 lbs and mom weighs 5.8lbs. Our puppies come from a very loving home and NOT a puppy mill or a home that has too many dogs to handle!!! We only have the mother and father!! Your ...
Aug 9 -
Fort Wayne :
Huntington - Dogs & puppies
We are beautiful bouncing boys!!! We will make your family complete! I am James Bond and my brother here is Sargent Friday. We are current on all vaccinations and worming and all the typical puppy stuff. We are hand raised and ready for our new home. For more information call 317-359-0383
Aug 7 -
Indianapolis :
Indianapolis - Dogs & puppies
Please no emails as it does not work right, please only call using the phone number listed. Thank you
Registered Apricot females and Males available from Annie & Fraiser. Super cute and will be ready to go late August/Early September.
Registered White with apricot ear male & A white with black markings male (We call him snoopy) maltipoos from Blessings & Renny.
I also have one sable (Black/chocolate) party girl too.
Super cute puppies, hypoallergenic. registration paperwork, vet checked with health ...
Jul 24 -
Grand Rapids :
Fennville - Dogs & puppies
We have two adorable baby boys. Mom is AKC Maltese and dad is AKC Toy Poodle. They will come to you with dew claws removed, age appropriate vaccines and dewormings, one year written health guarantee, new puppy starter kit/gift bag, and raised in our home. They will be ready in Aug. Taking deposits now to hold your pick until ready to go. Call 217-320-4554.
Jul 23 -
Central Illinois :
Virginia - Dogs & puppies
Tommy is a beautiful 3 year old 1st generation Maltipoo available for stud service. He is black and white with nice ticking throughout coat. Tommy has a gorgeous velvety curly coat and weighs 12 lbs. His temperament is very laid back, calm, not a barker and is a quick learner. Tommy is a very sweet and loving guy. Dad is an AKC black and white toy parti poodle. Mother is an AKC white Maltese. He is up to date on all shots and healthy.
Female must be clean, up to date on shots, and be able to come to ...
Jul 22 -
Grand Rapids :
North Muskegon - Animal services
L@@k at this handsome guy. Sweet as can be turned 8 weeks old on 7-13-14. He is ready to join his new family! Call to set up a time to come meet him.
He has had his first set of puppy shots and has been dewormed. Comes with puppy starter kit. Well started at using a litter box.
Mommy was the toy poodle 5 lbs and daddy is the Maltese 6 lbs. One black/silver male $300.00, I also have one little white/apricot female $400.00. 319-981-5431
Jul 12 -
Cedar Rapids :
Marshalltown - Dogs & puppies
We have a litter of maltipoo pups due any day. If you are Iooking for an awesome dog, this is what you want. Mom is an AKC Maltese and dad is AKC Toy Poodle. Pictures are of her last litter. We are taking deposits to reserve your pick. She always has 4 or 5 babies. Pups are due any day. They will be all partis and no solid colors. One year written health guarantee and new puppy starter kit. Email or call 217-320-4654.
This ad was posted with the eBay Classifieds mobile app.
Jul 11 -
Central Illinois :
Virginia - Dogs & puppies
potty trained on pee pads ...in and out side home hes 10 months
hes a cuddle buddy I need to get rid of him because my
landlord decided to let us know we could no longer keep
our puppy here his name is louie
able to send pic
Jun 26 -
Chicago :
Aurora - Dogs & puppies
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Patagonia Triolet Jacket
1 review
5-star: 1
4-star: 0
3-star: 0
2-star: 0
1-star: 0
4-star: 0
3-star: 0
2-star: 0
1-star: 0
20.8 oz / 590 g
|Shell Fabric
3 Layer, 4.2 oz 40-Denier GORE-TEX® Performance Shell 100% Nylon / DWR Finish
|Reinforcement Fabric
5.5 oz 70-Denier GORE-TEX® Performance Shell 100% Nylon / DWR Finish
This jacket is well worth the money you'll pay for…
Price Paid: $335
This jacket is well worth the money you'll pay for it.
The fabric is a fabric only made by patigonia that is wind proof, water proof, and tear resistant. I highly recommend this jacket for any season, as either a shell or a wind breaker.
Where to Buy
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Manufacturer's Description
Visit Patagonia's Triolet Jacket page.
Retailers' Descriptions
Here's what other sites are saying:
Patagonia's Triolet Jacket is made with 3-layer nylon GORE-TEX Performance Shell for waterproof/breathable protection in variable conditions, whether enduring summer storms or pushing through summit squalls.
- CampSaver.com
Sea-to-summit ascents call for serious human-powered drive, along with a go-anywhere, do-everything, fully stormproof shell?and our Triolet Jacket delivers. The durable 3-layer GORE-TEX(R) fabric features a waterproof/breathable membrane bonded between the tough nylon outer shell and a robust inner lining for all-conditions protection and durability; a DWR (durable water repellent) finish fends off wet weather. Features include a helmet-compatible, 2-way-adjustable hood with a laminated visor for optimal visibility; sleek Touch Point System? embedded cord locks in the hood and hem for quick adjustment without opening the jacket; internal mesh drop-in pocket and external chest and handwarmer pockets that stay clear of harness and pack lines. Other detailing: low-bulk, watertight, coated zippers on the pit zips and pockets, low-profile cuff closures and full-reach gusseted underarm panels for mobility.
- Patagonia.com
For the backcountry enthusiast who is up at 5 a. m. every morning to get first tracks before other skiers are even out of bed, Patagonia introduces the Triolet Jacket. Made with Gore-Tex Performance Shell, it will breathe easy and block water for seasons to come.
- Backcountry.com
On Sale. Free Shipping. Patagonia Men's Triolet Jacket FEATURES of the Patagonia Men's Triolet Jacket 3-layer durably waterproof/breathable and windproof nylon Gore-Tex fabric Drop-collar, helmet-compatible Optimal Visibility Hood with laminated visor provides good visibility in poor conditions Touch Point System with embedded cord locks in hood and hem for quick-and-easy adjustment Gusseted underarm panels let you reach without raising the body of the jacket Harness- and pack-compatible pockets and pit zips feature coated, watertight Slim Zips that reduce bulk and weight; internal zipper pocket Low-profile gusset cuffs create a tight wrist seal SPECIFICATIONS of the Patagonia Men's Triolet Jacket Weight: 20.8 oz / 590 g Regular fit 3-layer, 4.2-oz 40-denier 100% nylon Gore-Tex fabric Reinforcements: 3-layer, 5.5-oz 70-denier 100% nylon Gore-Tex fabric Shell and reinforcements have a DWR (durable water repellent) finish This product can only be shipped within the United States. Please don't hate us.
- Moosejaw
Patagonia Men's Triolet Jacket
currently retails for:
$300.00 - $429.00
$300.00 - $429.00


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Posts Tagged 'Air Arms Shamal'
I wish I hadn't…
by B.B. Pelletier
Our blog reader pcp4me suggested this topic; and since I spent both Saturday and Sunday at the Dallas Arms Collector's show (it's a tough life), I wanted something that didn't need a chrono, a range or lots of pictures. So, this report is one of my laments that will start all you veteran shooters crying in your beer. It's the story of guns I've loved and lost.
Yes, I've done this before and, no doubt, there will be some repeats. But, because I'm flawed and continue to make mistakes, there will be some new stories, too.
My first Daisy No. 25 pump gun
I had a paper route and when my sister's latest boyfriend wanted to score some points (he didn't last long), he sold me his 1936-version of the Daisy No. 25 pump BB gun. It was the Weatherby Magnum of the BB gun world back in the 1950s.
For three days, I was king of the hill, lording my good fortune over the neighbor kid who was making the best of a tired old lever-action Daisy 102 that shot to the left. My gun would shoot through one side of a tin can (the airgun chronograph of the 1950s), while his would only make a dent.
However, on day four, when I went to shoot my new prize, the BB just rolled out the muzzle after I pulled the trigger. I was beside myself and immediately went into the repairman mode, stripping the gun as far as I could with just a screwdriver, pliers and a lot of personal angst.
When the parts were far enough apart that I'd never be able to get them together again, I put them all in a paper grocery bag and sold them for a quarter to someone. I just wanted the gun out of my sight to forget the sad memory as soon as possible, and I thought the guy who bought the parts was a friend.
Several days later, the "friend" brings the whole gun back and shows me that it shoots fine. "My old man put it together for me. He told me you have to oil them every so often to keep the leather seals working, you dope!"
At that exact moment, I became a collector of Daisy No. 25 guns, and a potential airgun writer with his first cool anecdote. This is probably the tenth time I've told that tale, so I'm slowly ammortizing the pain though the catharsis of writing.
My Sheridan Supergrade
They don't shoot any better than a Blue Streak, nor are they more accurate; but Sheridan Supergrades have held a fascination for me ever since I read about them in the first Airgun Digest. Just like the former owner of what became the Golconda diamond mines, I wasn't poor until I knew what a Supergrade was and I didn't have one.
Mine was an "honest" gun, which means that it worked and wasn't a junker, but it had the signs of use. It was accurate, but no more so than a Crosman Town and Country 107 I owned at the same time. But it was a genuine Supergrade and it was mine!
Then I was forced to sell it and while doing so I told myself that when circumstances improved I could always by another one. But like the old doctor in the movie Field of Dreams, the man known as Moonlight Graham in the single inning of major league baseball he ever played, what I didn't know was that was the only day I would have. Supergrades went through the roof and now I absolutely refuse to pay what it takes to buy one in a condition similar to what I once had. So, I'm going to continue to sit by the curb and make mudpies and pout.
A .22-250 custom rifle
I was young and stupid and didn't know that all centerfire rifles cannot hit hovering bumblebees at 100 yards. My .22-250 was a nondescript custom job on a 98 Mauser action with a Douglas Premium barrel. I had the loading dies, brass and exact loads to put five into a half-inch group downrange. What I didn't have was the presence of mind to hold on to this most accurate rifle I ever shot. I forget what I traded it for or how much money I may have received for it, but I do know that it wasn't as good. I've been searching for an accurate .22 centerfire rifle ever since.
A .458 Winchester Magnum
Sure, it's an elephant rifle, but the guy who sold it to me at a local gun show also sold me the dies and the bullet mold and gave me all the cases I'd ever need to shoot the rifle. He also gave me the light load it preferred, and that was the first rifle I ever shot 10-shot groups with. I did that only because I was mesmerized by all the bullets passing through the same hole in the 100-yard target.
I was so stupid about guns that I thought all .458s would do the same as that Springfield-based custom gun. Now, I know better and continue to search for accurate big bores that can do as well. Perhaps, someday, I'll get the Ballard to turn in a group equal to what I once owned and stupidly traded away.
Ruger Blackhawk flattop with a 10-inch barrel
It was a great gun that I could load heavy but never seemed to kick me beyond my ability to absorb it. It wasn't a cowboy gun and, at the time, I thought the sun rose and set under the rampant Colt. I traded off the Ruger, telling myself that I could always buy another one…if I don't mind selling off a handful of my other favorites. I see them on Gun Broker from time to time and two thousand will buy one in good shooting condition these days. Once again, I refuse to be taken advantage of my own stupidity. Press onward and never look back is my motto.
Savage Anschutz .22 Magnum
This one is painful because it just happened this past weekend. I took my deluxe Savage Anschutz .22 Magnum bolt-action to lay on my table just to fill some empty space. I put a price on it that I was certain would insult everyone, because I really did not want to sell this rifle. Sure enough, a dealer walked up and paid my full price before the show opened. Mac later saw it on his table with another $125 on the price.
Back to airguns
If it seems like I've loved and lost more firearms than airguns, it's because I have. I've been shooting firearms as long as I have airguns and have owned many times more of them over the years. But there are also some more airguns I've sold that I shouldn't have. You generally find out that you shouldn't have sold a gun when you find that you cannot stop thinking about it after it's gone. For that reason, I know I'll have difficulty selling the current crop of 10-meter rifles I own.
Air Arms Shamal
But many years ago, I bought an Air Arms Shamal .22-caliber PCP. That rifle had a fill pressure of just 2,600 psi, yet it developed 20 honest foot-pounds over 20+ shots. The rifle had a gorgeous walnut stock, but that wasn't what caught my fancy. It was the incredible accuracy that could put five pellets into the same hole at 40 yards. Aside from one other British-made airgun, this was the most accurate .22 air rifle I've ever tested.
I sold it in a moment of weakness when I was panicked over money. I would probably do the same thing again, but I'm fortunate not to have been in the same financial straits for many years.
I would do it again
My last story has a happy ending, despite the fact that I don't have the gun. Fifteen years ago, I was heavy into tuning FWB 124 air rifles. I found them, tuned them and resold them to finance the next batch of similar air rifles. However, in all the confusion, I tuned one rifle that stands out from all the rest. It was a 124 Deluxe sold by Beeman back in the late 1980s, and it looked just like hundreds of other 124s, only this one was different. It turned out to be the hottest 124 that ever passed through my hands. After the tune, it was putting Crosman Premier lites out the spout at 881 f.p.s. with complete smoothness.
I knew it was a great airgun when I owned it, but familiarity finally bred, if not contempt, at least disregard, and I allowed it to go in a trade. The good news is where it went. My buddy Mac got the rifle and still owns it today. He says it still shoots as fast and smooth as ever and that makes me glad.
If I've learned anything over the years, it's this one truth. You may probably never, again, have the chance to acquire something as nice as what you now have. You should take the time to acknowledge when something is so good that it catches your attention. It probably does that for a good reason, and you should learn to listen to your gut when this happens.
I know something else, too. I don't have the time to enjoy all the wonderful things there are. If I take the time to enjoy fewer things more, rather than more things in less time, it turns out well. And that's my advice for today.
B.B.'s airguns – What I kept and why – Part 2
by B.B. Pelletier
Today, I'll continue the story of what airguns I hung onto over the years and why I kept them. I'll also throw in a few firearms just to spice things up.
Crosman M1 Carbine
I kept the second M1 Carbine BB gun I ever got, but I let the first one get away. It was a wood-stocked model that's considered more collectible, though I think the plastic-stocked gun looks more realistic. I kept this one because it was a gift, and I have the original box it came in plus the original owner's manual. I also kept it because it's an M1 Carbine, and I have told you many times how I love that little gun.
A military M1 Carbine above and my Crosman M1 Carbine below. It's very realistic!
I kept a boxed 78G that I bought in an auction years ago, then had Dave Gunter reseal and soup up a little. It's a fine-shooting air pistol, though it cannot compete with a 2240 accuracy-wise. I keep it because I've sold several boxed 78Gs and one 79G over the years. Ten years ago, these guns were being sold new-in-the-box at airgun shows for $100. I knew it couldn't last, and it didn't; but when there's a pile of 50 of anything, it tends to lose value in my eyes. I'll hold on to this one because it would cost too much to replace it.
The S&W 78G is a single-shot copy of S&W's model 41 target pistol.
Daisy 499B
I keep the world's most accurate BB gun because every so often I write about it. I need to have one to remind me of how really great the gun is. And I bought a case of Number 515 Precision Ground Shot, so I'd never run out for the rest of my life. I just opened the second box after 10 years. There are 23 more boxes to go, so you might plan on buying them at my estate sale.
Diana model 27
I've owned several Diana 27 rifles, both in .22 and .177, but the beautiful one I bought from Richard Schmidt at the first Little Rock Airgun Show I attended 17 years ago is the one I will keep. I've had it apart several times for photography and tuning, and I love the way it shoots. I've had several .177 model 27s, and I can say that I never warmed up to any of them. For some reason, the .22 caliber gun is the one I love.
I love my little Diana 27, which is a Hy-Score 807.
Airguns I no longer have – the Hakim
I've owned at least 15 Hakim spring rifles over the years. For a couple of years, the Anschütz-made Hakims were my weakness, just like M1 Carbine firearms are today. For some reason, I lost interest and slowly let them all get away. They're great air rifles, and you really should shoot one, but I'm no longer fatally attracted to them.
Now, if you have a BSA Airsporter you'd like to get rid of reasonably, we should talk. The Airsporter is a BSA-made Hakim design in a sporter stock. Same for the Falke model 80 and 90, though both of those rifles are much more collectible and sell for a lot more.
The Hakim used to be on my must-have list…but no more.
The Sheridan Supergrade
I owned one long enough to learn that it is neither more powerful nor more accurate than a standard Sheridan Blue Streak. But it's quite the air rifle from the style side. I don't normally care about style, but the Supergrade is one exception. Mine was an early rifle that had the long bolt handle, which I find particularly attractive. I had to sell it to raise money to live on, and then the prices tripled inside two years. I probably won't get another.
Sharp Ace
I've owned three Aces. Two were Japanese-made and one was made in southeast Asia. One of the Japanese guns was regulated to 12 foot-pounds and had a beautiful barred walnut stock. The other Japanese model was full-power and got up to 25 foot-pounds in .22 caliber.
The Ace trigger gets stiffer as more pumps are put into the gun. I could not reconcile that, so I let them all go. They're terribly accurate, though. Way more than the Sheridan rifles.
Daystate Sportsman Mark II
This is a sidelever multi-pump rifle that looks and feels like a PCP. It's just as accurate, too. But it weighs over 10 lbs. scoped, and the sidelever makes it unbalanced. I could not reconcile that feel, so I sold it. I still see it for sale every so often at airgun shows.
The Daystate Sportsman Mark II is a multi-pump made to look and perform like a PCP.
Air Arms Schamal .22
This rifle was a heatbreak to sell. It was another natural shooter, like the R8 I just reviewed for you. It had a great number of shots per fill and was reasonably lightweight. The stock was figured walnut that I thought was breathtaking. At 40 yards, it shot one-hole groups. I've seen other Schamals that didn't excite me, but this one was special. I sold it to get the money to live on, but if I got it again I don't think I'd let it get away a second time.
Baby Bernadelli .25 ACP
Forty years ago, I owned a .25 ACP Baby Bernadelli, which is an Italian copy of the Baby Browning. For some unknown reason, that little pistol was dead-nuts accurate. I could put three bullets through the bottom of a pop can at 30 feet every time. I'm talking a one-inch group! It was a natural shooter that I let get away…and have regretted it ever since.
Ruger flattop .44 Magnum with 10-inch barrel
I've owned eight Colt Single-Actions, including three that were first generation guns. I have also owned a genuine Remington 1875 single-action. Yet, I don't really miss any of them as much as I miss this Ruger. It was collectible when I owned it in the 1970s, and it's super-collectible today. I liked it because it was accurate and because I could load it to .44 Special power and it didn't kick much. I doubt I'll ever spend the money to buy another one like it.
Well, that's enough sob stories for one day. How about the rest of you open up between now and Monday with your own tales of woe? I have many more to come, so don't worry. We're just getting started.