Remington NPSS who remembers

[TF89]

Back in the day 2011, the NPSS was the talk of the town.  With all the offerings out there, does anyone even use theirs any more, are they just old new technologies replaced by better cheaper guns?

Curious as I mostly shoot PCP now and recently started shooting the NPSS again and was surprised by all the relatively inexpensive gas rams on the market.

Kind of curious. 

[mav72]

I remember. I actually wanted one back in the day.

[A.K.A. Tommy Boy]

Dave... what was the Short stroke supposed to do for the guns owner/shooter. I remember these guns but outside of having a gas ram I can't remember the advantages/selling points to this gun.             Please Enlighten Me !                Best Wishes Tom

[TF89]

What was so wonderful and awe inspiring about the NPSS?  Great question, at the time (2009) lots of hype, same as happens now with each new iteration of a gun.  My first springer was a Tech Force 89 and my re-introduction to airguns happened about the time the TF89 was popular and all the talk of the town.  That was/is a big gun, hold sensitive with a lot of spring bounce, however it is an accurate gun when tuned properly.  Then comes the new and ever exciting gas ram whose virtues were extolled in song and video.  Leave it cocked forever, not subjective to cold, no spring bounce and not hold sensitive, let’s not forget quieter, 70% they say.

Now that my jaded sarcasm has been exposed, should I really post in the AM without having coffee first?


Actually the NPSS is a nice gun, not as big and heavy as the magnum guns, is the NPSS a magnum?  I’m not sure, maybe a mini-mag?  Mine is in pushing .177  JSB 8.4 about 918fps.  After shooting the Tech Force Contender 89 in comparison the NPSS is not as hold sensitive and does seem to have the virtues mentioned above.  Gene_SC and Bob Warner both really liked the NPSS as it was built (assembled, not sure where the parts were manufactured)  in the USA.  The internal components were of better quality than the Benjamin Trail which is made and assembled in China.  That was back in 2009 and perhaps not an issue now?  The only real drawbacks with the NPSS (besides the fact they don’t make it anymore) is the plastic pivot washer (most people replaced those with hardware store brass washers) and the tendency for the top rear of the piston to gall the air tube.  This was heard and felt as a grinding upon cocking.  Not everyone had it, I did and it could be fixed by polishing the area and/or adding some plastic buttons on the piston.  Sounds like the NP2 is prone to the same thing, believe that Crosman fixed that by adding buttons at the factory.

The short stoke is supposed to move a large volume of air in a short space reducing the lock time.  Does it, I’m not sure?  The stroke is strong and quick, with a mighty thump at the end which can be felt on the cheek.  There is still some bounce and hold sensitive, in all reality I have never shot a spring gun that did not require some kind of  consistent hold technique.

The gun is quieter (not to the one shooting) for the person standing 5+ yards away.  The hollow synthetic stock is nice, still plastic and hollow.  I ended up adding about 10 oz to the gun by weighting and filling the stock,  discovering there is a good reason why these guns are made heavy.   It reduces/dampens the effect of the piston shooting forward.  Mine is very accurate if I’m able to do my part, grouping 10 pellets inside a penny size group at 30 yards can be done and I have.  Every day shooting can produce sub 1” 10 shot groups at 30 yards, it can also give me 2 inch groups.  I can say the same about any gun, its more about the shooter than the gun.  As my eye sight changes so does the increase in grouping size.

What else?  The NPSS didn’t live long as an offering I think because it cost $299  and the Benjamin Trail could be had for less.  The Trail shot just a nicely as the more expensive USA produced gun, so why spend more? 

So in the end, it looks like the NPSS was the beginning, NP2 took off from there and relegated another airgun to the closet. 

Now that I have waxed poetic and the reason for the post in the first place.  The NPSS is a good gun and I’m curious if others still shoot theirs or is the NP2 just that much better?

Dave

[dan_house]

I have one of the first  NPSS in.22
Love it. ITs much more refined than the F4 or Fury and its jsut a better gun all round.

need to get it out and work it some this summer......