A.E.A. the gun of the moment ?

[Nomadic Pirate]

When are companies gonna start to completely ditch those awful magazines ?

Kudos to JTS to come out with a decent one and not go the easy way and follow this route.

[DrGunner]

Thank you for the suggestions.  Id buy an adapter and moderator but no way am I going to drop $200+ on it (watch, I’ll be back in a week with one… approaching the event horizon of the new caliber black hole… lol)

I have a “spare part” to offer you... I tried sending you a PM, but your PM box is full...

DrG

[Spacebus]

Got ya.
Guess I have been lucky. I just counted up all the plastic covered rotating mags that I have. In .22, .25, .45 I have 37. Other than the first mags that came with the Avenger I think it was, I have never had a problem. I never had a different type of mag to compare to.

To me it's not so much if they are problematic or not, I just really dislike them, I dislike the way you have to load them, I dislike the way ammo rattles inside them and most of all I really dislike the way they look in a gun

I would buy a DAR just because of the magazines, I would buy a JTS because of the magazines before I would buy any brand that uses those Marauder style mags

That was the clincher for me, $300 for the gun and all aluminum mags.

I just noticed your avatar changed. That looks like a Chaser/Bandit in the photo based on the stock, but I can't see you using that for your avatar!

Yes, I did change my avatar to the Chaser with the SafePac. It's such a fun grab-n-go gun, tray load and pull the trigger. EZPZ. 

My bandit wears a chaser grip/stock. I think about buying an actual Chaser all the time, even though I basically have that in my bandit. How does yours do with CPHP and CP Domes? My bandit wears a .22 CP-1 barrel with the set screw weight and no threads for a mod, and is very loud. It was originally a .177 Chaser rifle barrel, but I wanted to convert to .22 on the cheap. Now I'm just wishing I had bought a full Chaser rifle kit to make the conversion in the first place. I probably will the next time I see a refurb on PA.

[Mr.P]

this is just my first print, but I have a working single shot tray now.  I will refine it a bit but it does what it needs to for the time being.

Happy to share the file although it is not a complicated model

I have a sovol sv-01 printer and it is amazing. Fantastic perfect prints from day one including many projects that push this thing a bit with overhangs and so on. I don’t know if they’re all like this but if they are that is just fantastic. 

[DrGunner]

Looks sweet! My .22 prototype should be arriving from my buddy any day now and I’ll get to testing and tweaking it for a final design run.

this is just my first print, but I have a working single shot tray now.  I will refine it a bit but it does what it needs to for the time being.

Happy to share the file although it is not a complicated model

I have a sovol sv-01 printer and it is amazing. Fantastic perfect prints from day one including many projects that push this thing a bit with overhangs and so on. I don’t know if they’re all like this but if they are that is just fantastic.

[Mr.P]

I can easily 3-D print a compact hopper for round balls or a gravity / spring fed loader for pellets or slugs.  Working on both of these right now actually. I’m still using tinker cad which is ridiculous but I can get stuff done with it quickly and simply so I keep going back to it instead of using Fusion or something better.


And I will say again this gun seems to be just fantastic, the construction and adjustability are just what the doctor ordered for an unregulated gun.

 Still need to test accuracy so that is an unknown but I am having “reverse buyer’s remorse” which almost never happens.  I started skeptical expecting a powerful gun with some compromises or limitations but after that first leak scare, this turns out to be rock solid construction and exactly what I have been hoping to find in terms of power and adjustability. I will have to order a mold that casts in the 80 grain range as well as the 96 grain I got from MP (pictures below, perfect fit for magazines).

[DrGunner]

I would love to have a nice anodized hinged single shot loader for all of my PCPs. I have one that I bought from some outfit in England for my Daystate Regal XL and it really works great, snaps into place with a neodymium magnet. I can’t remember the outfit that I bought it from, but the variety of airguns that they offered parts for was quite limited.

I can easily 3-D print a compact hopper for round balls or a gravity / spring fed loader for pellets or slugs.  Working on both of these right now actually. I’m still using tinker cad which is ridiculous but I can get stuff done with it quickly and simply so I keep going back to it instead of using Fusion or something better.

[AlanMcD]

I would love to have a nice anodized hinged single shot loader for all of my PCPs. I have one that I bought from some outfit in England for my Daystate Regal XL and it really works great, snaps into place with a neodymium magnet. I can’t remember the outfit that I bought it from, but the variety of airguns that they offered parts for was quite limited.

That outfit was most likely Rowan Engineering . . . https://www.rowanengineering.com/

In my opinion, they make some of the best accessories out there.

[DrGunner]

I would love to have a nice anodized hinged single shot loader for all of my PCPs. I have one that I bought from some outfit in England for my Daystate Regal XL and it really works great, snaps into place with a neodymium magnet. I can’t remember the outfit that I bought it from, but the variety of airguns that they offered parts for was quite limited.

That outfit was most likely Rowan Engineering . . . https://www.rowanengineering.com/

In my opinion, they make some of the best accessories out there.

Alan- YEP! That’s the place. I ordered an aluminum trigger guard, with the intent to have it anodized black, but I misplaced it in a remodeling phase and never did find that bugger!

Thanks-

DrGunner

[DrGunner]

And I will say again this gun seems to be just fantastic, the construction and adjustability are just what the doctor ordered for an unregulated gun.

 Still need to test accuracy so that is an unknown but I am having “reverse buyer’s remorse” which almost never happens.  I started skeptical expecting a powerful gun with some compromises or limitations but after that first leak scare, this turns out to be rock solid construction and exactly what I have been hoping to find in terms of power and adjustability.

Couldn’t agree more. I bought the 24” barrel long stock .22 Challenger for backyard plinking and pest raccoons. With a 70FPE ceiling out of the box, I figured it would be the perfect addition to my growing PCP collection IF
it’s durable & accurate. So far I have had to test mine in cold weather but I’m getting nice half-inch groups at 40 yards Shooting 25 and 30 grain slugs with the power turned down substantially, and found it’s pretty efficient on air. What’s nice about unregulated guns in 22 caliber is the broad range of pellets and slugs available in 2-4 grain increments from 14 all the way up to 34 grain, so as the air pressure drops, I simply load lighter pellets.

When I had mine torn down to install the depinger brush, I was pleasantly surprised at how sturdily it is built.  Apparently the .22 is built on the same action used for higher caliber’s, so it’s built like a Mack truck inside. I have had no problems with mine whatsoever, the only complaint I have is the magazines. Whoever designed those things needs to see the doctor and have surgery to reverse their  rectocranial inversion.

DrG

[Firewalker]

Got ya.
Guess I have been lucky. I just counted up all the plastic covered rotating mags that I have. In .22, .25, .45 I have 37. Other than the first mags that came with the Avenger I think it was, I have never had a problem. I never had a different type of mag to compare to.

To me it's not so much if they are problematic or not, I just really dislike them, I dislike the way you have to load them, I dislike the way ammo rattles inside them and most of all I really dislike the way they look in a gun

I would buy a DAR just because of the magazines, I would buy a JTS because of the magazines before I would buy any brand that uses those Marauder style mags

That was the clincher for me, $300 for the gun and all aluminum mags.

I just noticed your avatar changed. That looks like a Chaser/Bandit in the photo based on the stock, but I can't see you using that for your avatar!

Yes, I did change my avatar to the Chaser with the SafePac. It's such a fun grab-n-go gun, tray load and pull the trigger. EZPZ. 

My bandit wears a chaser grip/stock. I think about buying an actual Chaser all the time, even though I basically have that in my bandit. How does yours do with CPHP and CP Domes? My bandit wears a .22 CP-1 barrel with the set screw weight and no threads for a mod, and is very loud. It was originally a .177 Chaser rifle barrel, but I wanted to convert to .22 on the cheap. Now I'm just wishing I had bought a full Chaser rifle kit to make the conversion in the first place. I probably will the next time I see a refurb on PA.

I'll reply in the Chaser thread... 

[bear air]

Took my 30 caliber standard challenger out yesterday. Great results out at 50 yards. It actually punched a hole in two different el-cheapo walmart cast iron skillets. And being unregulated it didn't have hardly any poi change over a 18 shot string.

[Captain Paul]

I've been thinking about getting an AEA rifle for a long time and finally, after asking a gazillion questions, ordered a Varmin from Bin Yan at "The Pellet Shop".  I've put probably a couple hundred rounds downrange so far but because of the crappy weather I've mostly been shooting my 4" steel gong at 50 yds.  Here's the list of issues I've encountered so far and fixed (with Bin's and other's advice):

- POI was 1 foot left of POA - I flipped the shroud end for end, that fixed it.
- Pin fell out of the MFT stock - I removed the stock from the buffer tube, reinstalled the pin and locktighted the set screw in place.
- "Puff" of air from rear of receiver with every shot - this was actually not an issue per se but is a by product of the same receiver being used in both bolt and semi auto rifles.

Likes:
- Plenty of power - I was shooting 18 gr JSB's (.22 cal) and even with the TP closed to 1/3 open the pellets were still hitting the gong with authority.
- Reasonably accurate - I've only shot on paper (50 yds) once, and on a windy day, but with JSB slugs the accuracy seemed excellent

Dislikes:
- The bolt sux - there's no lipstick that will make this pig pretty.  That bolt just plain ugly.  It's really a workout for your fingers.  A longer receiver and a side lever would probably make this a lot easier to operate.
- The trigger sux - not as bad as the bolt, but definitely effects accuracy.  The pull is very (very) long and the weight is heavy.  The seer contacts look like they've been polished and the break is crisp, but it could definitely use some improvement.

I don't know what can be done to improve that bolt, might have to just live with it as is.  I hope to find some lighter springs for the trigger.  Now that better weather has finally arrived I plan on shooting over the chrony and test different pellets and slugs.  I have targets set up at 137 and 192 yds and I hope to see how well this rifle performs at those longer distances.

[sb327]

A dedicated bolt action trigger would help a bunch for the travel and gets rid of the ‘clunk’ that’s felt when the trigger releases. Doesn’t make it a match trigger but definitely makes it more predictable.

Nice write up!

Dave

[Captain Paul]

A dedicated bolt action trigger would help a bunch for the travel and gets rid of the ‘clunk’ that’s felt when the trigger releases. Doesn’t make it a match trigger but definitely makes it more predictable.

Nice write up!

Dave

Thanks Dave, and thanks for your help!

[DrGunner]

I've been thinking about getting an AEA rifle for a long time and finally, after asking a gazillion questions, ordered a Varmin from Bin Yan at "The Pellet Shop".  I've put probably a couple hundred rounds downrange so far but because of the crappy weather I've mostly been shooting my 4" steel gong at 50 yds.  Here's the list of issues I've encountered so far and fixed (with Bin's and other's advice):

- POI was 1 foot left of POA - I flipped the shroud end for end, that fixed it.
- Pin fell out of the MFT stock - I removed the stock from the buffer tube, reinstalled the pin and locktighted the set screw in place.
- "Puff" of air from rear of receiver with every shot - this was actually not an issue per se but is a by product of the same receiver being used in both bolt and semi auto rifles.

Likes:
- Plenty of power - I was shooting 18 gr JSB's (.22 cal) and even with the TP closed to 1/3 open the pellets were still hitting the gong with authority.
- Reasonably accurate - I've only shot on paper (50 yds) once, and on a windy day, but with JSB slugs the accuracy seemed excellent

Dislikes:
- The bolt sux - there's no lipstick that will make this pig pretty.  That bolt just plain ugly.  It's really a workout for your fingers.  A longer receiver and a side lever would probably make this a lot easier to operate.
- The trigger sux - not as bad as the bolt, but definitely effects accuracy.  The pull is very (very) long and the weight is heavy.  The seer contacts look like they've been polished and the break is crisp, but it could definitely use some improvement.

I don't know what can be done to improve that bolt, might have to just live with it as is.  I hope to find some lighter springs for the trigger.  Now that better weather has finally arrived I plan on shooting over the chrony and test different pellets and slugs.  I have targets set up at 137 and 192 yds and I hope to see how well this rifle performs at those longer distances.

Paul- I tore my .22 Challenger down and stoned/polished the trigger/sear engagement surfaces. Just that tuning trick took my trigger from a gritty feeling 5lb 10oz down to 2lb 10-12oz and improved the feel substantially. I originally planned on changing the reset spring and maybe drilling and tapping the trigger guard or trigger shoe and adding an overtravel set screw, but might not even bother now.
I’m shooting 25, 26 & 30gr H&N and Patriot Javelin slugs and getting better groups with them than with any of the JSB pellets, of which I tried 4 weights. The JSBs weren’t BAD, but mine seems to like slugs better in general.
I also have the power on mine turned down substantially, set at about the “10 O’clock” postition on the power valve markings. BTW- after about 2 weeks of use, the head on the set screw for my power valve broke off when I went to loosen it to reset the power. I replaced it with an Allen socket solid steel M6 screw that I had on hand- I just had to shorten it, chamfer the threads @ the tip and I added a washer. I contacted Bin Tac when it broke and he responded immediately via text and shipped me a replacement valve and screw. I haven’t installed the replacement yet, the screw that I shortened is much stronger then the original (I think the original screw is actually aluminum), so I’ll probably just leave my home brew screw in there for now.
Gotta say, Bin is REALLY great on customer service- prompt, courteous and helpful.

I’m not getting any puff of air from the back of the receiver; from what I can tell, the long stock Challenger (mine) only differs from the HP Varmint in the stock & air tube vs bottle.
It might be that mine’s doing the same thing, but I don’t feel it because it’s contained inside the wood stock. I’ll have mine out Wednesday for another shooting session & I’ll take it out of the stock & shoot a full mag with the action out of the stock and see if mines doing the same thing. I’ll let you know what I find.
Obviously, you wanna check the O-rings on your bolt if you haven’t already. I bought several sets of O-rings made with larger diameter material and have found them to be VERY handy to fix leaks in the shutoff valves & quick connectors that are in-line for my tank, compressor, and water filters.

I have a friend making single shot trays on his 3D printer for mine; I’ll post a thread here when I have a final tuned version. I plan to have a pile of extras made and send them to members here for free. Look for that thread in the weeks ahead and I’ll send you one.



Regards,

 DrGunner

[customcutter]

I’m not getting any puff of air from the back of the receiver; from what I can tell, the long stock Challenger (mine) only differs from the HP Varmint in the stock & air tube vs bottle.

Regards,

 DrGunner

Are you saying you could take the action out of the stock, and screw on a folding stock, and that an Aluminum or CF bottle will fit on the action?

[sicumj]

     I have the trigger on my AEA carbine at 2.75lb.  I stoned the flat side of the sear and then polished the contact surfaces with an extra fine rubberized disc.  Still has some creep but I'm shooting it some to see if it changes any.  Triggers are pretty basic on the AEA's I've seen, much like some 22 LR SA's.

          My bolt was too hard for me to cock one hand when I got it.  The last 1/2 in was very difficult.  Tore it down and the hammer spring was binding on the guide.  Polished the guide and filed the end of springs to remove sharp edges.  Oiled with Amsoil synthetic ND and reassembled.  Pull was about one third easier and last half inch was much easier.  Another trick I learned was putting o rings on the bolt handle.  Gives a bigger surface area to lpull on.  Works good for me.

     

[DrGunner]

Nooooo no no- I have the long stock .22 Challenger, with wood stock. His is the HP Varmint. I was just saying I can pull my action from the stock & test it to see if mine is making a puff of air with each shot like he describes his as doing. I’m thinking it won’t, but figured I could test for him...

I’m not getting any puff of air from the back of the receiver; from what I can tell, the long stock Challenger (mine) only differs from the HP Varmint in the stock & air tube vs bottle.

Regards,

 DrGunner

Are you saying you could take the action out of the stock, and screw on a folding stock, and that an Aluminum or CF bottle will fit on the action?

[DrGunner]

Funny- I actually stretched a Viton sleeve over mine that I had in a container full of them that Kidd sent me when I asked them for ONE.
I’ll have to swap with O-rings & see if that’s more comfortable. Mines not all that hard to cock, it’s definitely getting easier with time as it breaks in.

DrG

     I have the trigger on my AEA carbine at 2.75lb.  I stoned the flat side of the sear and then polished the contact surfaces with an extra fine rubberized disc.  Still has some creep but I'm shooting it some to see if it changes any.  Triggers are pretty basic on the AEA's I've seen, much like some 22 LR SA's.

          My bolt was too hard for me to cock one hand when I got it.  The last 1/2 in was very difficult.  Tore it down and the hammer spring was binding on the guide.  Polished the guide and filed the end of springs to remove sharp edges.  Oiled with Amsoil synthetic ND and reassembled.  Pull was about one third easier and last half inch was much easier.  Another trick I learned was putting o rings on the bolt handle.  Gives a bigger surface area to lpull on.  Works good for me.