MY MRODAIR VARMINT .22 IMPRESSIONS

[cryptoad]

A few weeks ago, I canceled my order for the "never-to-arrive-in-stock" QB Chief .22 and ordered an in-stock Varmint .22 from MRODAIR.  So far, so good!  It is not what I would call backyard friendly, though.  I put some Crosman 14.3 gr pellets through it and got readings from 857 to 935fps.  The decibel reading is around 105.  The magazine loads okay but the center screw on the lid needs some thread locker.

Pumping it to 2900psi took a little time but not too much.  The air cylinder is somewhat small.  I have a pump from Taousa with the moisture filter added.

I cleaned the barrel before shooting and it needed it!  Got all kinds of goo out of it.

I have a moderator coming for it from TKO.  I refuse to shoot it for accuracy until it comes.  It has a much louder report than my break barrel air rifles.

For under $200, you get a 3,000 psi fill, multi-shot PCP that's not bad!  I have no complaints about the trigger, either.  Anyway, It got here in 2 days after ordering!  MRODAIR was very good to deal with!

[WesBob]

Congrats! Did you notice if you have the little Alan screw on the back of the mag? I was able to use that to tension the front screw and keep it from spinning. Someone else mentioned that their magazine was missing the little screw in the back.

[Rat Sniper (AKA: PaulT58)]

I have the QB Chief in .177, it's louder than the Varmint!  My Maximus is also louder, but I have a Rocker1 LDC that I can put on it, and that really quiets it down!

[cryptoad]

Thanks, Wes!  I found the screw!

[Ribbonstone]

Knew I was going to try both the Varmint PCP and the Beeman Chief.  Didn't knoiw at first which would be a .177 and which would be a .22, just knew I was going to spend the $350 for both of them in differnet calibers.
Got the Varmint PCP is .177 (because other MrodAir guns where already at hand using the same mags) and the Chief in .22.  Could reverse that and pretty well come up with the same basic results.

So any way....paid the $350 for BOTH.  Thats the buck-naked price..add on whatver LDC, Scope,mount, fill device you feel you need.

Can pretty well assume that the difference in visual size is about the same porportion as the weight....the short skinny VArmint really is about that mujch lighter (it's a wood-n-metal comparsion).

Which is "better"?
Better for what?
OH YEAH...the knee-jerk reaction is to think the prepater is "better"...maybe it is, maybe not, but either way it's "betterness"  not becasue it's a repeater.

 I will mention that a loaded mag attached to the rifle is the cleanest/most spill proof way of hauling around spare ammo, so I'm not OPPPOSED to the idea...I just don't speed up my shooting pace.
 
TOP 3 PLUS POINTS : of the Varmnint/SPA 900W are:

1. Light weight.  You can partly negate that up by putting some big azz heavy scope on it or you've pretty well lost the beneifit of light weight.  Keep it light/keep it sub 6 pounds all ready to go.

2. Repeater with a really decent single shot tray.  Do think it's the repeater factor that makes them so appealing.

3. 3k fill, but a really small air volume.  Whole lot of powerful shots just ain't in the cards.    Tend to think in terms of tuning for mg. shots.  One mg full (really powerful), two mags full (powerful), or 3 mags full (Ehh...moderate power springer powerful).



3 MAIN MINUS POINTS are:

1. Taking it apart requires you to degas. SHOULD degas with any of them, but this one doesn't make it an option.

2. History of bolt handle breakage.

3. Mags are slow/"twitchy" to load.




Chief is a whole lot longer/heavier and only a 2K fill.


TOP 3 PLUS POINTS:

1. Better, 3 way, trigger adjustments.

2. Wood and steel that seem under-stressed (but I do think the tube thickness and valve retention screws pretty well limit it to 2K for nomral safety standards...and I'm a little "iffy" about the screw quality).

3. Fill nipple rather than a fill probe.

3 MAIN NEGATIVES:

1. It's a single shot...which is a big negative to many buyers.

2. Not a light weight.

3. At least mine has a history of quickly eating bolt probe o-rings.


All in all, for the average guy, the SPA900W/MrodAir "Varmint" is likely the best choice, so long as you can live with the energy/shot count trade off from the small volume.

[WesBob]

Thanks for the comparison! How many shots do you get out of the QB chief? I was wondering also if the end cap is the same as a bulk fill Qb78 cap on the chief, with same threads? Would you say the QB is similar in loudness to the Varmint or a little louder?

[Ribbonstone]

Only the trigger unit and open iron sights  from a Chief will interchange with a QB sized tube...the air tube on the Chief is way fatter (and everything inside or on the ends larger).

[WesBob]

Only the trigger unit and open iron sights  from a Chief will interchange with a QB sized tube...the air tube on the Chief is way fatter (and everything inside or on the ends larger).

Right I forgot that they enlarged the tube ☺️. Must get a better shot count than the Varmint?

[Big Rick]

I love my Varmint but, to me, you gotta have a Rocker1 suppressor. Especialy to make it back yard friendly. That is not a concern of mine, I just like for the critters to have no idea they are being shot at.

[Wayne52]

I like my Varmint too, I've got the .22 with the Rocker1LDC on it.

[tomiboy]

Me too. Love it!   

[Bob Pratl]

I purchased one in .22 last week from MRodair  and I am very pleased and impressed with the quality, weight and accuracy. It does need a LDC to keep the neighbors  from poking their heads out the window.
The wood stock fits me perfectly without any mods. Well worth the short money. Bob

[Trigger_Finger]

does he have the Varmint 22 in stock? My father in law ordered Thursday the other week. The rifle is still not here. I heard people bought  last Monday, and it came Friday.

[JoeV]

I noticed that my Varmint .22 was a little too loud for my liking, so I made a new moderator for it like I did for my BAM XS-50 .177. The parts are the tube and baffle from the Crosman NP2, with an aliminum adapter I spun up on my lathe. I bored it to match the step in the end of the barrel, and tapped a 10-32 hole for a set screw to lock it into the groove in the barrel. Whe I got done I weighed the original and the new unit, and the new one is 5.35 oz vs 5.70 oz for the stock moderator on the gun. I can tell a noticeable difference in the noise reduction. I included a picture of the OEM moderator.

[Bob Pratl]

Joe, This looks like a nice simple and inexpensive LCD for the Varmint. I went ahead and ordered the parts from Crosman so now I have to fabricate the adaptor. The LCD that came with the Varmint does not seem to do much. I was in the process of making one using 7 of the Marauders baffles but this is a simpler approach. Bob

[JoeV]

Joe, This looks like a nice simple and inexpensive LCD for the Varmint. I went ahead and ordered the parts from Crosman so now I have to fabricate the adaptor. The LCD that came with the Varmint does not seem to do much. I was in the process of making one using 7 of the Marauders baffles but this is a simpler approach. Bob

You're correct...the Varmint LDC is doing nothing for noise reduction, and is just there to hold the front sight.


If I you don't already know, the Crosman baffle takes a 1/2"-20 thread. The adapter can be made with 5/8" stock. I used aluminum because I had a piece in the scrap bin. The set screw is cup point 10-32 x 1/4" lg., because I had a sleeve of them in the toolbox.

[Wayne52]

If I ended up ordering those parts for the LDC from Crosman I'd probably triple the order and save on the shipping for future LDC's

The one that I have on my Varmint is really nice, it's carbon fiber, I never did compare the weight difference between it and the stock one but in my hand it felt about half the weight.

[JoeV]

If I ended up ordering those parts for the LDC from Crosman I'd probably triple the order and save on the shipping for future LDC's

The one that I have on my Varmint is really nice, it's carbon fiber, I never did compare the weight difference between it and the stock one but in my hand it felt about half the weight.

LOL!! That's what I did, so I'd have them for future builds.

[Bob Pratl]

I did double up on the Crosman order because of the low cost; but you guys are right that I should have tripled up.
Joe, did you have to add any VENT holes in the Crosman shroud or is it unnecessary? Bob

[JoeV]

I didn't think it was necessary to add vent holes. I used SAE drills to bore the holes because I don't own a mini solid carbide boring bar that I needed to make the 2-1/4" deep hole for the smaller diameter of the stepped barrel, so the holes are slightly oversized enough for the air to escape out the back. I may remake the adapter closer to the barrel size steps if I can find a good price on the boring bar. Regular steel boring bar that small in diameter would flex being that far out of the tool holder on the lathe.