Best Break Barrel Air Rifle

[Sovietik]

I have a trail NP, I'll say go RWS if you can pay for it.

[MarkBrumbaugh]

Hw 97, tx200, or maybe Walther lgv.   Hw 30s if ok for smooth, lower pwer.   Don't get a walmart gamo or crossman.   May as well get a daisy red rider.  Save up and get a lifetime pride rifle.

[CSSWormy11]

Oh, did you get those donuts?

Man, ya'll are horrible about staying on topic...lol.  Actually, I didn't get donuts that day, but apparently my wife got some in support of a fundraiser two days ago at work.

On topic, I didn't really give ya'll much to go on.  I appreciate the suggestions for the other brands.  I already started looking at the RWS Diana 34P per ya'lls suggestions.  I'm mostly looking for something to shoot out to 45 yards at birds, rabbits, squirrels, and such in 22 cal (I won't be shooting rabbits that far before ya'll bring that up ) while carrying it around my landowners property (out in the county).  I'm hoping to pick up a 22 cal Disco before long to start tearing up, but I'm looking to use mostly PCP air rifles for anything past 50 yards.  That being said, before the spring in the Big Cat gave out, I was hitting a coke can at 80 yards.

I mainly bring up the Titan, because I've seen alot of people talking about it being a good shooter with a GRT-III and a E3650 with new seals.  I'm about to do the same with my Big Cat 1250 (except with a GRT-4) with the new trigger, the E3650, and the new seals, but it's a 177 cal and I'd like something that'll knock rabbits down a little further out with more authority.  The whole point here is for me to have a backup "springer" in case something goes wrong with my PCP that I intended to hunt with.  I'm not looking to really get too into the springer with the really expensive stuff.  I'd put my upper limit right at $300 and I'm not looking for a magnum like the Trail NP XL.

On a side note though, since so many ARE putting their two cents in, what would ya'll suggest for my brother-in-law.  He would like a magnum powered air rifle.  I'm trying to steer him away from the 177 cal, but he's all about that "1500 fps" nonsense.  I'm mostly interested in suggestions that fall below $400 (I know, hard to make suggestions at such a low price, right? ) and in 22 cal.  If Hatsan has any offerings that you'd recommend, I'm interested.  I don't know much about the magnum springers as I'm too concerned about the hold sensitivity, but if ya'll want to try and convince me to try one myself, I'm all ears! 

P.S.  I edited this just to remove the non-profane four letter word that is now "nonsense"...I'm going to start a dictionary for all the "non-vulgar" words I can't use here...lol.

[CSSWormy11]

Best break barrel IMO would be none of those OP has listed.
Not to sound the snob

I'll get over it...lol.

I would put away some more dough and get a diana 54 or air arms tx200, from what I've read these two are the creme' de la creme', last more than a lifetime and stay a little more accurate do to the fixed barrel

The fixed barrel part got my attention.  The price lost it...lol. So did the weight (WOW!!!).

I would say a Weirauch airgun.  HW95 is a bit over 7lbs.  but the 50 and 30 are under 7lbs.  JMO

I'm keeping my eye on the 50, but the 30 is only in 177 and doesn't even have the power I need, but it is the PERFECT weight!  The HW50 will just require me to get a little closer to them there "wabbits!"

[CSSWormy11]

My NP Trail AW weighs in at about 9.5 lbs with the scope on it. It's a moose to carry around all day. Keep in mind, that for a powerful springer, the extra weight helps damp down the recoil some.

I appreciate you weighing your gun for me.  I just want to make sure though, your gun is the same one I have pulled up, right?  I assumed the website had it listed wrong, but I put it on here to confirm.  I figured it was somewhere over 9 lbs since the synthetic model was.

[CSSWormy11]

I would avoid the Benji titan because the barrel lockup is very poor-after a while the barrel won't lock into place firmly and you'll lose accuracy.  I have heard the trail is better in that regard, but the crosman trigger is bad...it's not as bad as everyone makes it out to be but it is bad.  The SAT on the Gamo Bone collector is smoother and the gun is very quiet.

I would go benji trail (if the weight doesn't bother you too much) or Bone collector IGT (that would be my first choice)

I appreciate the info on the guns I listed.  How very ON TOPIC of you! 

Thanks for the info regarding the Titan.  Is that something that I can fix myself?  I plan to replace the trigger on whichever of these I get, so that won't matter, and besides...I doubt you can do worse than my Big Cat.  I wanted to avoid the Bone Collector and the 22 cal Big Cat since I already own a Gamo, but after your post, I'm leaning more towards it.  The Big Cat is by far the lightest.  The Titan is behind it and the Bone Collector behind that.  I don't mind having to do work to get any of these into good shape, so long as it's possible.  I don't want an issue like the Titan's if it's not fixable.  I'm probably going to end up with one of these 3 unless someone can recommend a European model that'll win the day.  I'm still open to suggestions, but I'd really like to know alot more about how these 3 match up post tune up and what kind of issues will be unavoidable down the road.

[Swedge]

Or wait a month or two and check out the new crossman 22s with the new "Improved" gas ram II...   although with those coming out i bet you can get great deals on the older Crosman stuff..
http://www.crosman.com/airguns/rifles/break-barrel/BTN292WX

[Marc]

For light weight I have been looking at the BSA Supersport GRT.  It's about 6.5#, and looks to have good power.  I read good reviews on Pyramyd's site, but would be nice to hear from someone on GTA.

I had a D34 and an HW30S - both were easy to get on the paper and shoot small groups with.  My son has a Titan GP, and that thing is hard just to stay on the paper with.

Money is very tight for me, but I'd rather wait and get a good gun, than waste $200 on a 10 yard can shooter.

[Swedge]

is light weight THE most important thing? Caliber? some of the multi-pump penumatics are dirt cheap relatively powerful and waaaay lighter than any springer.... daisy, crossman make a couple of pretty accurate ones.. don't know if the daisy can be found in 22 though...  seriously for walking around in the woods and blasting targets of opportunity i prefer a multi-pump pneumatic,, even over my RWS's mainly because they are so flippen heavy..  matter of fact i would be first inline if somebody built a 25-30FPE multi pump pneumatic, and i wouldn't care if i had to pump it 30x to get those energy levels!! providing it was accurate as well...   a non accurate gun is as useful as a Styrofoam hammer!! also i am a pretty big guy so it aint like i am some 150 pound waif  complaining about weight..lol just saying i prefer a good lightweight gun when hiking @ shooting...

[avator]

Oh, did you get those donuts?

Man, ya'll are horrible about staying on topic...lol.  Actually, I didn't get donuts that day, but apparently my wife got some in support of a fundraiser two days ago at work.

On topic, I didn't really give ya'll much to go on.  I appreciate the suggestions for the other brands.  I already started looking at the RWS Diana 34P per ya'lls suggestions.  I'm mostly looking for something to shoot out to 45 yards at birds, rabbits, squirrels, and such in 22 cal (I won't be shooting rabbits that far before ya'll bring that up ) while carrying it around my landowners property (out in the county).  I'm hoping to pick up a 22 cal Disco before long to start tearing up, but I'm looking to use mostly PCP air rifles for anything past 50 yards.  That being said, before the spring in the Big Cat gave out, I was hitting a coke can at 80 yards.

I mainly bring up the Titan, because I've seen alot of people talking about it being a good shooter with a GRT-III and a E3650 with new seals.  I'm about to do the same with my Big Cat 1250 (except with a GRT-4) with the new trigger, the E3650, and the new seals, but it's a 177 cal and I'd like something that'll knock rabbits down a little further out with more authority.  The whole point here is for me to have a backup "springer" in case something goes wrong with my PCP that I intended to hunt with.  I'm not looking to really get too into the springer with the really expensive stuff.  I'd put my upper limit right at $300 and I'm not looking for a magnum like the Trail NP XL.

On a side note though, since so many ARE putting their two cents in, what would ya'll suggest for my brother-in-law.  He would like a magnum powered air rifle.  I'm trying to steer him away from the 177 cal, but he's all about that "1500 fps" nonsense.  I'm mostly interested in suggestions that fall below $400 (I know, hard to make suggestions at such a low price, right? ) and in 22 cal.  If Hatsan has any offerings that you'd recommend, I'm interested.  I don't know much about the magnum springers as I'm too concerned about the hold sensitivity, but if ya'll want to try and convince me to try one myself, I'm all ears! 

P.S.  I edited this just to remove the non-profane four letter word that is now "nonsense"...I'm going to start a dictionary for all the "non-vulgar" words I can't use here...lol.

Well, If it were me, I'll tell you exactly what I would do. You want a lighter weight, woods friendly airgun that is accurate and powerful. Sounds to me like you already have one and you are in a great position to make it even better. Put the CDT trigger in the Big Cat and Gas Ram it. Use the rest of the money to buy an ^&* load of pellets. Just saying.... that's what I would do.

[Marc]

Yeah - a Benji 392 or 397 has to be one of the ultimate light-weight hunters! 

[tjk]

Ok let's get back on topic. They are all basically $100 guns with bling. Cheap scopes, etc. the only real difference in the  Benjamin's is the $50 sling swivel. They are proud of that too. Ouch. Now let's do some math shall we. Each of the for will require a $30 aftermarket trigger. And most likely a new seal. Say $15. Might as well add $31 for proper lubes,....that's including shipping. So you decide to get one of the $200 dollar guns. By the time you get it shooting the way it should, you'll have $276 (+/-) invested in a $100 rifle. To add insult to injury, the resale value will go south like a duck in winter.
Shooting anything past say 50 yards, you'll need more than one of these guns to do that humanely. More like an RX series cannon or a Theoben break barrel. And they are way out of your price range. Might as well get a .22 rim fire,....that is if you can find any ammo for it. Thanks to out splendid government for that.
So you see, some of us who have "been there and done that" aren't really knocking your choices, but more so, Looking out for your best interest financially . Sure, at Diana 34 at $279 now (?) seems a bit steep, but you get so much better a gun. Add $31 to that for a lube kit and at a little over $300 you'll have one of the best mass produced German built spring piston rifles ever made. And something to be very proud to own.
Look at all the different Airgun classifieds all over the net. How often do you see Diana 34 come up? Maybe a fraction of what other guns are on the classifieds.  Ex. The 460's,  the side cockers, 350's etc and so forth. In my opinion the 34 is the best rifle Diana makes. I would be hard pressed to sell my .22 34. It's that great of a rifle. It was my first serious springun. CDT tuned it, and since then I have worked on it and let me tell ya, it's about as smooth a rifle as you'll ever shoot. It's taken it fare share of fur and at good distances too. But I also know my reasonable ranges with it as well. Like Red-Feather has stated,.... Sometimes you just gotta "Indian up" for the shot.
Ive been down this road and have run the gamut of the springer world. Improving a cheap springun is loads of fun and a good learning experience. But it comes at a cost. $$$$$$ good luck with whatever route you choose to take. tjk

[Diver160651]

I bought the first one on your list for my son in 22. With real pellets that have a good BC the gamo bull whisper bone collector is slow, load and in accurate.  We shot it a few times then put it in the corner... Defiantly pass if 40 yards ethical hunting, quality, or accuracy are in any of your check boxes.

Jt

[Nico5999]

If you are going to replace the trigger anyway I would definitely go with crosman, because I have heard that gamo's customer service is non-existent and i had a very decent experience with crosman a while ago.  I do not know if you can replace the barrel lockup on the titan BUT on Pyramydair there is a Remington NPSS (Nitro Piston Short Stroke) that I think is $200  From various reviews it is supposed to have a very good lockup (I myself have never had any experience with it.)  You should be able to put a CDT on that.

I am going to stray just a little off topic and offer another suggestion.  The Hatsan 95.  It comes in both .177 and .22 and the quattro trigger is fantastic for the price of the gun.

But, I noticed most of your suggestions had a gas ram so if you want that I would go w/either the benji trail or the remington/crosman I just suggested.  If you can find any info on replacing the lockup on the titan that is also an option.

It really depends on how much time and money you want to spend on your new shooter-usually more money spent means less time you have to put into it and vice versa

[grackle blaster]

You can't go wrong with a German break barrel. I have been a die-hard pcp shooter from day one, but the quality of the German guns is impeccable. I own a Weirauch HW50s tuned with a vortek kit by Mike Sheron from piedmontncairgunner.com, and wow! I love shooting this gun so much. There is something very tactile about a good spring gun that you just don't get with any other airgun. I will never regret spending money on a well made gun.

[tomykay12]

CDT triggers can cause an unsafe situation due to the weak return spring, if the trigger is "balk fired". The other aftermarket trigger uses geometry rather than a lighter spring to lighten the trigger pull. I have a NPSS that I fortunately got really cheap, and it came with a cdt trigger, which I have since removed because of this condition. It is now back to it's factory horrid trigger, and better off for it. tk

[Alanheal]

 Deleted - Accidently posted on wrong thread

[powdermenot]

There is no doubt that the masses have said Diana 34. Go ahead and order one you will NOT be disappointed. As soon as you open the box the metal on the gamos and crosmans will begin rusting away in the corner and you will probably not care.
My first adult airgun was a crosman phantom .177 and i REALLY liked it then i found the forums and heard of these "german" guns 7 or 8 german guns later not sure where the crosman gun is right now. Other than maybe a little lube and a new piston seal there is nothing else that needs changing or upgrading. Once you have laid eyes on that deep rich bluing you will be hooked you may even have to be reminded to take it out and shoot it rather than sit and admire it. The only drawback for you may be the weight if that is a real concern then grab up a 392 and dont look back. One more thing if you go with a quality german gun your kids and grandkids will thank you for it when it is handed down. Im sure you cant say that for the crosmans and gamos.
BTW i cannot be held responsible when the second, third or any other proceeding German airguns show up.

[CSSWormy11]

Or wait a month or two and check out the new crossman 22s with the new "Improved" gas ram II...   although with those coming out i bet you can get great deals on the older Crosman stuff..
http://www.crosman.com/airguns/rifles/break-barrel/BTN292WX

I appreciate you for letting me know about that.

For light weight I have been looking at the BSA Supersport GRT.  It's about 6.5#, and looks to have good power.  I read good reviews on Pyramyd's site, but would be nice to hear from someone on GTA.

I had a D34 and an HW30S - both were easy to get on the paper and shoot small groups with.  My son has a Titan GP, and that thing is hard just to stay on the paper with.

You've got me interested in that BSA.  I'd like to hear someone's opinion on them as a company if nothing else.  Even if it's just about what you think of them from your experiences with their scopes.  Thanks for the info about the Titan GP and for your approval of the D34.  With all the things everyone has said about the D34, I'm going to recommend it to my father for a backyard shooter.

is light weight THE most important thing? Caliber? some of the multi-pump penumatics are dirt cheap relatively powerful and waaaay lighter than any springer

I'm looking for a lightweight 22 cal breakbarrel air rifle to use as a backup for a PCP in case it breaks down.  I have a Pumpmaster 760 that I enjoy shooting from time to time, but don't want to have to pump 10 or more times per shot (I don't know that me pumping 300 times to shoot 30 times will last very long...lol).  I don't think it'll take a rabbit at 45 yards humanely either.  I may look more into the multi-pumps to find a 22 cal and see if it has the power I want.  If you have a recommendation for me to search through Pyramyd Air for post its name so that I can highlight it and Google it.  Oh, and I weigh 120 lbs, so...lol.  The Benjamin 392 looks like it may work, so long as it manages the rated fps with 14.3 grain pellets.

Avator, I think you have a point, but I'd want to get the 22 cal version if I stuck with the Big Cat (and I'll hope it's as accurate as my 177).

Ok let's get back on topic. They are all basically $100 guns with bling. Cheap scopes, etc. the only real difference in the  Benjamin's is the $50 sling swivel. They are proud of that too. Ouch. Now let's do some math shall we. Each of the for will require a $30 aftermarket trigger. And most likely a new seal. Say $15. Might as well add $31 for proper lubes,....that's including shipping. So you decide to get one of the $200 dollar guns. By the time you get it shooting the way it should, you'll have $276 (+/-) invested in a $100 rifle. To add insult to injury, the resale value will go south like a duck in winter.
Shooting anything past say 50 yards, you'll need more than one of these guns to do that humanely.

Yes, they are all cheap guns with cheap scopes.  I don't want a nice fancy scope from the factory.  I already know what scope I'd use to replace the factory one.  The sling swivel might be nice, so long as it doesn't break due to poor quality.  The GRT-4 that I'd have to get for the Gamo would be $40 and the spring and seals are $50.  I still have to get the lubes.  I think Pyramyd Air has the Big Cat for $130 and SWFA has the scope for $90, I think.  That would have me shooting immediately (of course I'd buy ammo as well) and then the trigger, spring, and seals would all come after the spring went bad.  It'd be like an investment over time, rather than immediately.  If the factory spring lasts as long as my current Big Cat, we're talking 6 years.  It'd give me something else to do with the gun and I'd call it quits on springers with just 3 standard power models.  Nothing fancy or special (I'm more interested in PCPs, now), just two target guns and a backup hunting gun.  I really liked your comment about the 22LR ammo.  It's why I'm going PCP air guns instead.  My goal is a 25 cal Marauder (I know there are better, but get over it...lol).

I bought the first one on your list for my son in 22. With real pellets that have a good BC the gamo bull whisper bone collector is slow, load and in accurate.  We shot it a few times then put it in the corner...

Thanks for the heads up, but did you check the stock screws?  I know that a missing Stock Stud from the factory caused my Stoeger's cylinder to move upwards when the gun was cocked.  After that, my problems where solved.  I went from 8" groups at ten yards to "Quarter" sized groups at ten yards.

If you are going to replace the trigger anyway I would definitely go with crosman, because I have heard that gamo's customer service is non-existent and i had a very decent experience with crosman a while ago.

But, I noticed most of your suggestions had a gas ram so if you want that I would go w/either the benji trail or the remington/crosman I just suggested.

I've heard the same about Gamo's customer service, but I don't buy for the customer service with them at this point.  The same with Crosman (although, it is nice to hear that they have good service).  I went with Stoeger for the 2 year warranty and won't bother worrying about warranty any more.  The guy caused damage that wasn't there by overtightening the Scope Stop Pin in the Scope Rings.  He also dented the scope by overtightening it in the rings which I'm figuring is the reason why the scope is now blurry.  The gas ram doesn't matter.  I'll go spring just as readily at this point.  I used to think that a gas ram would make a difference with hold sensitivity, but some here stated it wouldn't, because of all the movement from the piston and after thinking about it, I realized they were most likely right.  That and alot of people here seem to agree that a well tuned spring will be just as smooth as a gas piston (probably better in some cases).

piedmontncairgunner.com

Thanks for the link!

CDT triggers can cause an unsafe situation due to the weak return spring, if the trigger is "balk fired". The other aftermarket trigger uses geometry rather than a lighter spring to lighten the trigger pull. I have a NPSS that I fortunately got really cheap, and it came with a cdt trigger, which I have since removed because of this condition. It is now back to it's factory horrid trigger, and better off for it. tk

Would a good tuner be able to correct this issue if I can't?

Deleted - Accidently posted on wrong thread

But I was going to comment that I liked that someone found something other than the artillery hold that worked for them...   Oh well...lol.

There is no doubt that the masses have said Diana 34. Go ahead and order one you will NOT be disappointed. As soon as you open the box the metal on the gamos and crosmans will begin rusting away in the corner and you will probably not care.
My first adult airgun was a crosman phantom .177 and i REALLY liked it then i found the forums and heard of these "german" guns 7 or 8 german guns later not sure where the crosman gun is right now. Other than maybe a little lube and a new piston seal there is nothing else that needs changing or upgrading. Once you have laid eyes on that deep rich bluing you will be hooked you may even have to be reminded to take it out and shoot it rather than sit and admire it. The only drawback for you may be the weight if that is a real concern then grab up a 392 and dont look back. One more thing if you go with a quality german gun your kids and grandkids will thank you for it when it is handed down. Im sure you cant say that for the crosmans and gamos.
BTW i cannot be held responsible when the second, third or any other proceeding German airguns show up.

Awesome comment...lol.  I'm going to start recommending the Diana 34 to people when they ask about a standard air rifle.  Too bad my brother-in-law is dead set on a magnum.  I don't think he'll consider the better options that are out there.    I may get a German gun eventually, but it'll probably wait until after I buy a Marauder (a few years from now).

I appreciate all the suggestions.  I'm actually glad I mislabeled this Post now.  I never would have known the Diana 34 was such a good air rifle if I hadn't.  If ya'll have anything else, I'm all ears.

[oldwolf]

If you are looking for a "quality shooter" as your first sentence states, you really need to look at German rifles rather than the gamo and crosman models you mentioned. They are built like toys compared to the HWs and Dianas and have VERY poor quality control... Spend a bit more and enjoy for a really long time, tk

I agree with this opinion. I have learned that a well built air rifle is going to cost me as much as a well built rimfire rifle. The trigger quality is well worth spending xtra $ imo. For that, go with a German built rifle. I hear the AirArms rifles are great too, but not having one yet I cannot comment on them.