Comparison Chart: 77 Synthetic Springers .22cal – Power, Price, Accuracy, Links

[JungleShooter]

Hey, gun shoppers,
on another thread we are just discussing our airgun addictions.... – someone even wrote the script for a play, where the husband is trying to explain to his wife the importance and intricacies of airgunning. A very amusing conversation indeed.
https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=148453.0

As I have been shopping for a new gun (surprised? No, not really, I know) – I made a model comparison list for myself to see what’s out there, and with what features, at what prices.
After putting so much work into it, I made my purchase decision.  And then I figured, I might as well share this with you.


So, here you go (as attachment in PDF), on 26 pages you find:

77 Spring-Powered Air Rifles
.22 cal –
with Synthetic Stock –
and Data on Muzzle Energy and Accuracy –
Priced $300 to $500




How You Get the Most From this List
This list I made for me, not for you. Sorry, dude (or dudette). So, I noted info about the criteria that are important to me.
Criteria
• $300 to $500
• Synthetic Stock, with Thumb Hole
• Accurate – usually meaning German-made or similar, however at the end of the list I listed some manufacturers of guns that usually are not that accurate
• Powerful. You will notice that I have not written up many details about guns that do not have at least around 19FPE of muzzle energy. It's because I wanted 19FPE minimum.... (You pick your own minimum power :-)
I have often used green to highlight when a gun fulfilled one of my criteria.



The Prices are from the first half of 2018. They do change. There are often bargains. But you need to keep checking. In the box on the right is a list of my go-to sellers (sorry, no links, just the names, go Google).
If you want to buy a used gun, some sellers/ sites are also in the box, at the bottom.

The URL column in the table contains the internet link where (at the time) I found the price listed. You will only see a ragged line in this PDF document. But is is a link. You can enlarge the sceen to see it. Copy it and paste it into your browser. Over time, these links will break, of course. (I noticed that when I saved the document as PDF, some links added spaces between some characters, so you might have to correct that, or just go to the seller's webpage, and enter the gun's name in the search box.) 

The FPE column is a testimony to two facts: Some manufacturers lie about the performance figures. And each pellet has its own FPE (and each guns shoots a bit different anyhow). I sometimes reference where I got the FPE and other data, like accuracy, etc. I do that with the pound sign and a number, like #3. This refers to a review, a user, or forum comment that I have more details on below, usually the URL and maybe some reference to the credibility of the info.

The Accuracy column is of course a wild goose chase, I don't shoot as well as Tom Gaylord, so if he gets great groups with this rifle, that doesn't mean I ever will. But at least it gives me some idea. What I also was looking for also was comments on hold sensitivity.

The Spring column says either: Gas piston spring, or NO, meaning it does not have a gas piston spring, but a regular coiled spring.

The Loudness column simply repeats the data from the PyramydAir rating system.

The Silencer column is really more about adding some kind of muzzle application to the muzzle, to make it look better: These muzzle applications have different names (and different functions, pick your favorite): muzzle shroud, muzzle weight, muzzle brake, cocking aid, barrel shroud, silencer, moderator, suppressor, flash suppressor, compensator, etc.
I comment if the gun has one, or if the gun has a threaded muzzle where a silencer of muzzle break or muzzle weight can be installed ("not possible" means no thread – but there are modder's ways to make it happen anyhow...). If you are interested in muzzle weights/ muzzle applications and which gun can be modified with which, shoot me a PM, I have collected a few links over time.


So, happy shopping. And don't tell your wife that it's my fault that you bought another(!) rifle. 
In fact, don't blame me at all for any money you spend after going through this list.
And now I'll let you go, because I need to get back to looking at guns. I need to make a list of PCPs now. 

               :–)  JungleShooter


Table of Contents
   How You Get the Most From this List   3
   RWS–Diana   4
   SIG Air  (formerly  SIG Sauer)   10
   HW (Weihrauch)   11
   Walther   12
   BSA      17
   Beeman   17
   Crosman   17
   Umarex   20
   Ruger   21
   Stoeger   22
   Gamo   23
   Hatsan   26


The list is in the attachment as PDF.

[mobilemail]

Wow!  You put a lot of work into picking an air rifle!

Most of us just keep buying airguns until we find what we want.  Then we want something else and start over!

[Roadworthy]

And then there are those of us who buy simply because the deal was too good to pass up.  This is not to be misconstrued as an airgun addiction but more a lack of "won't power" when confronting a good deal - almost any good deal.

[JungleShooter]

Yeah, there are all kinds and types of gun buyers....

I want exactly what I want.
And if I don't know what I want, I surf and collect information.
In the process I figure out exactly what I want.
Then I usually need to save up money for a long time, because that which I want is exactly that which is very much outside my budget.
And that is just how things are.
And I'm having fun all the while. 

If I can afford only a couple of guns, they better be the right kind of guns!   

[JungleShooter]

Just modified the PDF file attachment with the gun comparisons (cf. first post). I added on the last page composite picture of some of the rifles -- to scale -- for better comparison.

Happy shopping!
 

[TF89]

Nice list, a man after my own heart. 

[SlowWalker]

Wow! That's an impressive piece of research! I make little pro and con comparisons once in awhile but nothing on the order of what you have done. Thank you very much! I love this kind of stuff.