New gun

[Novagun]

New gun.
I didn’t need a new gun and really didn’t want one but I bought it anyway.
A Gamo Hunter Maxim IGT. .22  I unboxed it and cleaned the barrel. It was not very dirty. Then I put a few shots through it and it didn’t diesel. Not at all. It had to be brand new because the plastic bag was sealed.
The barrel is plastic coated with a plastic breach block. I find nothing to criticize about that. The pivot pins appears to be screw in not pressed. The steel part of the barrel is 300 mms long and on the end of that is a plastic moderator, 140 mms, enclosed in the plastic tube . It can be taken out and as far as sound deadening goes it is useless but it does add weight to the muzzle and makes a long cocking lever. That is useful because holding the barrel at 300 mms makes it hard to cock. With it out inserted accuracy declines.
The stock is standard water based varnished beech or similar. It is blemish free and nice to hold. Nice checkering and brand name. The bluing on the compression tube is very acceptable. I was surprised that the trigger guard is steel and not plastic.
The sights are standard day glow Gamo and pretty good.  Trigger is a SAT and out of the box is very good. I have not adjusted it and see no point in putting in a longer screw.
I put the enclosed Gamo 4x32 non AO scope on it and accuracy immediately improved Tightening the stock screws made it even better The scope is not top class but very useful. The gun has such a smooth discharge that I suspect the scope might last quite well. The recoil for a light easily handled gun is gentle; a delight to shoot. With less than 100 pellets through it I have every hope that accuracy and shot cycle will improve.
When I sit and cradle my new toy I am impressed with the finish of a cheap gun. Every bit as good as the disastrous Diana I bought and this one shoots. The only thing I do not like much is the long barrel. I am not going to do any cutting/ shortening yet. If ever. With the baffles out I can reach the crown to polish if I need to> I may do that before too long as I explore the gun and its capabilities.  I wonder if Gamo have been noting my grizzles because I rate this gun as good.
Over the chrony it is putting out  703 fps with 14.66  gn pellets.  16  Ft/lbs.
At $599.00 NZ I consider it not a bad buy. How will it measure up against my BSA Spitfire or my Umarex Octane Elite?  Time will tell. They are steel springers and the Hunter will have the option of conversion if I so decide.

[Windmill01]

G’day Hugh,
Nice write up. A question though, are you guys across the ditch allowed moderators?

Gary

[Methuselah]

Every bit as good as the disastrous Diana I bought and this one shoots.

I too have one of those...

Congrats on the Gamo!

[Novagun]

Kia ora Windmill01.
No restrictions on moderators/ silencers here. I know there are in Australia
To me it is an examlle of how warped fire arms regulations have become , no more so than in New Zealand.
Thanks to the virtue brigade.c

[Novagun]

I am still pleased with my new Hunter Maxim . I could not leave it alone and kept tinkering but not so far as to go cutting anything . The barrel is a 300mm steei tube sitting inside plastic tube. Whatever to aim of the plastic shroud is eludes me because in my never humble opinion it does not work. I tried two or three muzzle weights inserted inside the shroud and all of them did no harm but not wildly successful   I wonder
I found some 22 mm OD plastic water pipe. I cut a piece and tappered the end and gently drove it inside the the shroud and around the steel barrel
A test fire showed it to be pretty good  if one is good two must be better  I split one side of anothe r piece on the saw bench to decrease its OD and gently drove that inside . Test fire and it is good
Accuracy has improved noticeably . I suspect the plastic pipe has stiffened the barrel assembly
Whatever this plastic age modification has done it works .

[19Sheridan57]

I have been very pleased with the Gamos I have owned.

[Novagun]

If two pieces of plastic are good three must be better . My Hunter Maxim now has three inserts in the barrel shroud and a neat plastic cap fitted to the muzzle to make it all tidy. Accuracy is very pleasing.
The next modification will be to shorten the shroud by 75 mms. I am reluctant to do that because the gun is shooting so well .
As Toxylon alluded in another thread , better value than an overpriced HW .

[Windmill01]

G’day Hugh,
                  Is the barrel the same length as the shroud? If so would you be shortening the barrel as well. I’m not up on Gamo’s but wouldn’t this exercise increase cocking effort.
Gary

[Novagun]

The steel barrel is 140 mms shorter than the shroud. The first bit of plastic pipe I put in went in right up to the point where the shroud narrows down to the breach block.Still undecided whether or not to dock the last70 mms of the shroud to make the whole thing shorter. If I do that will extinguish my warranty. I have asked the dealer to find out about a replacement barrel but he will forget.

[Novagun]

I am impressed by this second tier gun  .
I took three shots at a black cross on A4 paper at 26 metre  all complete misses .
I was reatedonthe door jamb and all three went through the black centre of the cross   not bad with an ordinary 4 x 32 Gamo scope.
Only thing wrong with this gunis thewobbly bloke on the end.

[lefteyeshot]

Is the stock wood or plastic?

[Novagun]

Wood  stock and rather nice but some sort of beach. Nice to handle.

[Novagun]

I couldn't leave it alone. I cut 70 mms off the barrel shroud. That removed all the supressor type thing off the muzzle. In effect it took off the wobbly bit . I am now utterly convinced that all the plastic muzzle breaks that Gamo puts on their guns for bling or market targeting actually are detrimental to accuracy . Tried it out rested on the door jamb and put 5 pellets in a 1/2 inch group at 26 metres. I hope I can do that again tomorrow.
No rabbiting tonight because it is raining.

[Toxylon]

Always useful info for future reference when Hugh takes to the keyboard.

It's -23C here, with plenty of wind chill to finish off outdoors airgunning for now.

I just bought a couple a Gamos in a very low-cost bunch, after years without one. I'll report here when there's stuff to report.

[A.K.A. Tommy Boy]

Hi Hugh.
So far I have been pleased with the .22 cal. Gamo rifle that I recently bought.
About 13 years ago, I had a .177 cal. Gamo that was also a good rifle.

Best Wishes - Tom

[Novagun]

Been out three afternoons in a row with my Gamo Hunter Maxim IGT. Three rabbits to show for it.  It is putting out 16 ft/ lbs and is firm to cock but not hard. It is light to carry around the paddocks and quiet when shooting. Easy to shoulder and the Gamo 4 x 32 scope is a good match for the ergonomics of the gun. It is also a good magnification for rabbit shooting. Nice looking rifle to my eye and pleasant to handle. It is an accurate shooter and I am sure that any inconsistency in POI is the fault of a wobbly shooter.
I just can't grizzle about value for money. It simply delivers what is asked of it.

[Toxylon]

Hold the Gamo flag high, Hugh!

My late 2015 Gamo Hunter IGT .22 cal would shoot Exacts at 15.7 fpe, or a hair under what my coilspring Hunter 440 did. Cocking the IGT irritated my left shoulder to no end (while I could shoot the same-power 440 from dawn to dusk), so it had to go.

As the years go by, I'm tempted to have a go at a gasram, but the risk that I don't get along with it just too high.