What is the manufacture rated FPS for a Daisy 953 ?

[vigilandy]

I just took delivery of a 953 yesterday from AGD.  I only had a chance to open up the box for a quick inspection and dry fire to make sure all is well.  Some friends are coming over this weekend and I was going to give this to one of the kids.  As I was returning it to the box, I noticed it says "490 FPS."  The AGD website says 560FPS.   

I just checked Pyramyd Air:  500FPS
Daisy website:  490FPS
Airgun Source (Canada):  495FPS

I understand the Canadian version needs to be under 500FPS to avoid a special license... but what is going on with the US versions?  Are there actually two versions?  Or is there an older model that was a stronger shooter?  70FPS difference is quite a bit when when there is so little to start with!

Also-- I know this is a 10M target gun and is no cannon.  A little more power would make it easier to take out targets out to 20 yards as I was hoping.

[Bullit]

Andy,
Those 500+/- fps numbers are generally close to reality, when you consider that these rifles are designed to be shooting liteweight lead wadcutters at paper targets in 10m competition.  Maybe a typo, or they fired liteweight alloy pellet thru it to achieve higher numbers.  The  953 is accurate, and will easily take out targets at 20 yards. I'm sure your guests will enjoy it's simple cocking and accuracy.
Enjoy

[vigilandy]

Andy,
Those 500+/- fps numbers are generally close to reality, when you consider that these rifles are designed to be shooting liteweight lead wadcutters at paper targets in 10m competition.  Maybe a typo, or they fired liteweight alloy pellet thru it to achieve higher numbers.  The  953 is accurate, and will easily take out targets at 20 yards. I'm sure your guests will enjoy it's simple cocking and accuracy.
Enjoy

I'm hoping they'll enjoy it... because I am not bringing out my 888.  It might get adopted by some little kid with big eyes that I can't say no too.    

Actually, my main concern was that if a rifle rated at 560FPS shoots at 500FPS in real life, then one rated at 490FPS would be shooting at 430FPS.  That's gotta be a pretty loopy trajectory at 20m!  I just saw that Daisy rates the Avanti 888 as "only" 500FPS-- so all is good.  Hopefully. 

[Bullit]

In .177 it won't be as loopy as you are thinking "by the numbers" buddy.
Take it outside and play with it, and I'm sure you'll be happy
Have a happy weekend and shoot

[45Bravo]

I own a 953, and few weeks ago I was able to chrono it.
and with 8.44 JSB exacts, I shot 20 shots ranging from 498-503, with a standard deviation of only 2.8 FPS.
From a USED 953 I don't know the history of.

With a 3.5x10 scope on it, I can hit empty .22 hulls at 15-20 yards with the JSB's.
At almost the same hold over, but after 20 yards it starts to drop fast..

To me the greatest shortcomings of the 953 are the fiber optic sights, (the back notch is too wide)
and then the trigger pull.

I have adapted to the trigger, but a scope or red dot is necessary...

It lacks the power for hunting, but makes short work of tictacs, empty shot gun shells or pistol hulls, and animal crackers out to 20 yards..

Just shoot it, don't worry about the numbers...

[vigilandy]

I guess it's little silly to worry about this instead of just going out and shooting it.       I will try it out tomorrow and let you all know it shoots compared to the 888.  I've got a little 4-12x scope to try on it.   

[ac12]

@Ian and Andy
Here is the info you need to fix your trigger
http://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=39648.0

[vigilandy]

@Ian and Andy
Here is the info you need to fix your trigger
http://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=39648.0

Thanks for the link.   If I ever find the time, I will have to try it. 

The 953 was well received by some of the older shooters-- the young ones were actually happier with the 2260.  They weren't quite strong enough to work the pump arm on the 953.  You guys were right-- the fps seemed fine for plinking out to  15-20 yards.   It turns out this 953 liked the Crosman 7.9gr domes much better than the RWS Superdomes that may Avanti 888 prefers. Good thing too because I got about 5000 of those.... 

The main complaint though was the trigger on the 953.  Two times I had someone ask if the safety was on because the trigger was so heavy. 

[MikeSSS]

For comparison, my 888 shoots 470fps with JSB 10.34s and only 20fps higher with 7.9s.

[45Bravo]

It gets better as you shoot it, I am over 1000 pellets into my 953, it is getting better...

Or else I am getting used to it..

[lillysdad621]

mine got 511 with RWS super h points... but it did not matter. it was so accurate it could have been shooting at 10 fps for all i care about ... great airgun...

[ac12]

@Ian and Andy
Here is the info you need to fix your trigger
http://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=39648.0

Thanks for the link.   If I ever find the time, I will have to try it. 
...
The main complaint though was the trigger on the 953.  Two times I had someone ask if the safety was on because the trigger was so heavy. 

That was probably the burrs on the trigger sear.  If you have a burr on the sear and a burr on the hammer, the 2 burrs lock up, and then you need to pull the trigger HARD to get past the burr.

When I first got my 953, I could not shoot it for beans.  I was fighting the trigger more than I was aiming at the target.  And I had those exact trigger hangups, where I had to pull HARD to get past the hangup.  That totally ticked me off.

If you do only one of the 3 mods, do the deburr of the trigger sear and hammer.  That will give you 80-90% of the improvement of the 3 trigger mods.  You don't even have to polish the sear, just deburr and smoothen the sear and hammer and you will feel a BIG improvement.

And once you deburr and smoothen the sear and hammer, the trigger weight will drop, because of the reduced resistance.

[ac12]

dupe

[vigilandy]

I really should find some time to work on this.  I missed an "easy" shot this morning because I had to pull the trigger so hard.  20 yards offhand is hard enough, but the heavy trigger makes it impossible!!  I rarely get such an easy shot at starlings.  The last two I shot were at 50 and 55 yards (FDPCP rested).