Gamo Arrow

[TroyHammer]

Ordered a Gamo Arrow Monday from PA. Got here today. Came doubleboxed from GAMO already. I knew from the YouTube reviews it was a 40 shot at 16fpe gun in .22 so didn't bother shooting it stock. Takes about 90 seconds to disassemble and another 5 minutes on the lathe opening up the TP to .147" and doing a spring swap. Valve and barrel are already ported above that. Used a .059" wire diameter with .48" OD and 2" OAL spring. Reassembled and aired up. Compressor sheared the drive shaft last week so handpumped the gun. First fill takes 3 minutes maybe but now getting 20 shots at 27fpe in the sweet spot of the curve and only 55 pumps to top it back off. I am only filling to about 3100psi down to about 1800 psi. 125cc tube pumps quick. Magazine handles standard polymags too so that's a plus. I have cphp, H&N FTT, Hades, 15.89JSB, Polymags and 18.13 JSB to test this weekend and I'll do an update. Trigger is a little long but smooth and shoulders really nice. Wide foregrip feels great. If accuracy is good out to 25 yards it should be a great squirrel gun this year.

[ranchibi]

Congratulations Troy! Hope it shoots to your expectations and you bag many squirrels!

[TroyHammer]

Congratulations Troy! Hope it shoots to your expectations and you bag many squirrels!

Light $200 pcp that gets 27fpe and nice opensights (very nice ones too) that can hit a nickel at 20 yards is a big win. 55 pumps to top it off makes it the perfect camping gun for me. Squirrel, rabbit, Quail and raccoon are the primary I hunt and rarely shoot over 25 yards. I have an ultralight .25 cal that is scoped and does right at 50fpe if I decide to go for anything bigger or further but it's double the pumping for the same 20 shots. And have never truly needed the extra power but it's there if I do. I started a catch and cook Youtube channel that focuses on budget equipment for hunting and fishing plus more of a gourmet cooking style rather than simple pan fry or cooking over fire/coals to show people it doesn't take a ton of money to get started and wild game/fresh caught fish/foraged mushrooms and plants can be fancy too.

[wll2506]

A couple of questions ?

1) Is a single shot tray included, or if not can one be easily made ?

2) Can the hammer spring be adjusted from the outside  or must the gun be taken apart ?

Looking to buy one in .177 cal to shoot heavy Monsters in the 725fps (average in bell curve) area
for 45+ shots.

Thank you,

wll

[rkr]

Is Gamo using BSA barrels in those guns or their own barrels?

[SADave]

Gamo's website says it's a "Metal jacketed rifled steel barrel". So probably not the heavy BSA CHF barrels. Ive had good luck with Gamo barrels. Both my CFXs and the old Hunter I had were pretty accurate

[TroyHammer]

Is Gamo using BSA barrels in those guns or their own barrels?

It's made in Spain and appears to use their springer barrels jacketed in a polymer.

A couple of questions ?

1) Is a single shot tray included, or if not can one be easily made ?

2) Can the hammer spring be adjusted from the outside  or must the gun be taken apart ?

Looking to buy one in .177 cal to shoot heavy Monsters in the 725fps (average in bell curve) area
for 45+ shots.

Thank you,

wll

No singleshot tray. Would be difficult to make one as the magazine retaining system is rather detailed.

No hammerspring adjustment whatsoever. You must disassemble but it only takes 90 seconds max to have it fully stripped to main parts and access to the hammer and trigger. At the power you want you'll probably need a little porting and/or a heavier spring and doubt you'll get that many shots on a single fill. Gun only gets 45 shots at 16fpe in .22 so getting 18 fpe in .177 isn't impossible but more likely 35-40 max in the curve.

[TroyHammer]

Final tune.

Port stayed at .147" Bumped the spring up to a 2-1/4" oal .059" wire with 1/2 a coil removed. Removed about 1/16" from the hammer face to increase the stroke and drilled the center of the hammer with a 1/4" drill bit 3/8" deep and press fit a peek striker. So a lighter hammer and much less mechanical noise during the firing.

15.89gr .22 HADES
20 shots from a 3300psi fill
125cc tube volume

[wll2506]

Is Gamo using BSA barrels in those guns or their own barrels?

It's made in Spain and appears to use their springer barrels jacketed in a polymer.

A couple of questions ?

1) Is a single shot tray included, or if not can one be easily made ?

2) Can the hammer spring be adjusted from the outside  or must the gun be taken apart ?

Looking to buy one in .177 cal to shoot heavy Monsters in the 725fps (average in bell curve) area
for 45+ shots.

Thank you,

wll

No singleshot tray. Would be difficult to make one as the magazine retaining system is rather detailed.

No hammerspring adjustment whatsoever. You must disassemble but it only takes 90 seconds max to have it fully stripped to main parts and access to the hammer and trigger. At the power you want you'll probably need a little porting and/or a heavier spring and doubt you'll get that many shots on a single fill. Gun only gets 45 shots at 16fpe in .22 so getting 18 fpe in .177 isn't impossible but more likely 35-40 max in the curve.

Thank you very,very much. That helps me a lot.

wll

[avator]

Yep, helps me decide that I don't need or want one... 

[TroyHammer]

Yep, helps me decide that I don't need or want one... 

I'm really liking it.  It will likely be the only airgun I hunt with this year.

[avator]

I guess I should have added that this has been a record year for me buying guns in this class and price range. I have way more than I need.
It just proves the fact that I can't just eat one cookie, I have to have the whole box.
I have a GAMO Urban in .22 and a BSA Buccaneer in .177 among many others that fill this niche very well.
IMO.. GAMO was just a little late to the party with this one.

I truly hope that all those who jump on this one enjoy a great experience.

[ER00z]

Troy, that tune you did is outstanding! A budget priced pcp and solid performance, things that usually don't go hand in hand. 

This air rifle intrigues me, and might fit perfectly into something I've been looking for, but I have questions.

1. How steady is the barrel? (Any POI shift concerns, aside from hard smacks?)

2. Is the transfer port an actual transfer port "sleeve"?

Ok, only two main questions at this time   

If the barrels are "solid" and can keep their POI, that would be great. Having to 're-zero an optic every outing is a total pain. Having a TP sleeve that can be modded is a huge plus, not only for enlarging but reducing also. At some point I may pick one of these up in .177 to make a LOW powered plinker, if possible. Thinking fill in the TP with epoxy (JB-Weld) and drilling a smaller orifice and possibly a soft spring to get 8-10fpe and bunches of shots... Thoughts?

[TroyHammer]

Troy, that tune you did is outstanding! A budget priced pcp and solid performance, things that usually don't go hand in hand. 

This air rifle intrigues me, and might fit perfectly into something I've been looking for, but I have questions.

1. How steady is the barrel? (Any POI shift concerns, aside from hard smacks?)

2. Is the transfer port an actual transfer port "sleeve"?

Ok, only two main questions at this time   

If the barrels are "solid" and can keep their POI, that would be great. Having to 're-zero an optic every outing is a total pain. Having a TP sleeve that can be modded is a huge plus, not only for enlarging but reducing also. At some point I may pick one of these up in .177 to make a LOW powered plinker, if possible. Thinking fill in the TP with epoxy (JB-Weld) and drilling a smaller orifice and possibly a soft spring to get 8-10fpe and bunches of shots... Thoughts?

Barrel is solid. It won't move.  I don't think you'd lose poa if you dropped it.

Here's the tp sleeve.

[ER00z]

Barrel is solid. It won't move.  I don't think you'd lose poa if you dropped it.

Here's the tp sleeve.

Awesome, thanks!

[TroyHammer]

Barrel is solid. It won't move.  I don't think you'd lose poa if you dropped it.

Here's the tp sleeve.

Awesome, thanks!

I made a few spare TP sleeves to test different tunes.  They are brass. .800" long .327" diameter with an oring groove on each end .045" deep. I'm sure aluminum would work fine too. Again easiest disassemble of any PCP I've ever seen. Absolutely no joke, I can take apart the rifle. Swap both the TP and hammerspring and put back together in under 3 minutes.

[wll2506]

Barrel is solid. It won't move.  I don't think you'd lose poa if you dropped it.

Here's the tp sleeve.

Awesome, thanks!

I made a few spare TP sleeves to test different tunes.  They are brass. .800" long .327" diameter with an oring groove on each end .045" deep. I'm sure aluminum would work fine too. Again easiest disassemble of any PCP I've ever seen. Absolutely no joke, I can take apart the rifle. Swap both the TP and hammerspring and put back together in under 3 minutes.

Troy,

Great report, sitting on the fence on 177 or 22 - I may go 22 as I have so Many CPHP's.

I will decide by end of day :-)

wll

[wll2506]

Well because of the HUGE supply of 22 cal CPHP's I decided to go with a .22 cal Arrow.

I also have lots of Daisy HP's and my supply of Norma 17.6gr Domes is getting there.

The CPHP's should get me ~725 fps

The Daisy's should get me ~710 ish

The Norma 17.6gr domes should go out ~665fps.

These are all ~ velocities based on manufactures specs and are factory. I can live with those speeds for the stuff I shoot.

I will shoot more CPHP's than anything else. More than fine for 25-35 yard shots at Pigeons, Starlings and HOSP's. Ground Squirrels in the ~25 yard range are fine.

Troy, thank you very much for your testing and updates on this gun.

wll

[wll2506]

PS.

Can a washer shim be added to increase hammer spring tension a little ?

Thank you

wll

[TroyHammer]

PS.

Can a washer shim be added to increase hammer spring tension a little ?

Thank you

wll

It can but the light spring is really long and under a ton of preload. I'd go with a shorter spring with a larger wire diameter.