Sharp Victory

[Novagun]

Not really a review but this is how it happened.

I was up in Auckland a few weeks ago and called in to Youngs Airgun Centre . It is not a very big shop but full of airguns and airgun treasure. It is the best airgun shop in New Zealand and reputed to be the best in Australasia.

I had a look at the pumpers there. He had a Webley Rebel made in China and also a Cannon 737. That is a copy of the Sharp Innova but made in the Phillipines; better than the Rebel in that it has a steel barrel. I did not shoot it. He has a testing range in the shop but I noted it as a possible. Both are priced at $198  NZ.
Next he showed me a Sheridan but it was in .20. Price $495.00 NZ. That is $431 .00  US. It really disqualified itself because of the price and .20 pellets are very expensive here and the range is extraordinarily limited.    However the Sheridan was a moderately heavy solid rifle but not really a good choice in NZ.

We chatted and he said to me that if I could ever get hold of a Japanese made Sharp then grab it because the Japanese don’t make them anymore.  I already have an Innova in .22 and like it very much.

Well last week a Sharp Victory in .177 came up for sale on Internet auction.  I grabbed it and paid $271 .00 NZ.  It was a bit overpriced I think but I am not upset about that. That is what I had to pay to get it.
It arrived this morning and I unwrapped it. The rifle is a bit battle scarred with scratches on the wood work. Mind you the woodwork was never outstanding even new. The bluing is worn.  It came with a Nikko Sterling Mountmaster 4 x 32 that was obviously very old but looked tidy.  There was no rear open sight.

I cleaned the barrel and clipped the scope on and nipped the mounts up tight.  It took me a bit of fiddling to work out the bolt action and the pumping and setting the trigger.  You can’t build up pressure without opening the bolt and cocking the trigger and the bolt opens by pressing button under the bolt rather than the lever in the side like the Innova.

I took a shot at 15 metres using Crosman Premier light. Not bad. Next shot in the same hole. I hadn’t even adjusted the scope.
This is an old battle scared gun with character and it shoots very well. I haven’t used a fixed 4 power scope for a long time and this it is a good one.  The joyful simplicity of the scope – it just works, no fuss. Pumping effort starts to build at about five and so far I have only taken it to six.

The Sharp Victory is different from the Innova in that it has a steel breach block and no plastic shroud over the barrel – just a steel  pea  straw on top of the tube. The for’d scope mount is a steel block that fits around the barrel.  The  trigger is much better than the Innova. 
I will try various pellets to see what suites it but looks like the first up Crosman Premier is the one.

That is it!! I am not buying anymore air rifles. All I bought when I visited Ron Young was pellets so I have proved I can resist temptation. 

[palonej]

Pics??

[sharppapa]

I live in Japan and recently got into Sharp air guns.  They are more fun than a grown man should have.  My youngest son gets upset with me for " shooting " his rifle.  These air guns are high quality, extremely well built, and will last for years.  I am discussing thru my local gun shop having my son's Sharp Pan Target STD, sent back to the factory for a complete rebuild.  A Christmas present for him that Papa will also greatly enjoy.