Can one of you guys recommend me an air rifle?

[Mikeflys]

Welcome to the GTA Leif.
I'm going to shoot you my generic response to this question. It's a little bettersweet however. First of all... I'm not sure why you require a gas ram because you didn't say but if it's just because of things you read or heard...... well, anyhow.... My recommendation would be a fully tuned XS-25 in .22 from Mike Mellick at Fliying Dragon Air Rifles for right at your $200 budget. Mike is a member/vendor here at the GTA and if you do a search on him or visit the Flying Dragon gate you find his work and integrity impecable. That's the sweet.
Here's the bitter...
I just responded to a post from Mike that reports that he will be out of his shop for the next 2 weeks helping out his good friends at Pyramid Air with some backlog.
Good Luck

Mike at Flying Dragon is the way to go for under $300.00. I am not fond of break barrels. Just a personal preference. I purchased the XS46U full tune in .22 from Mike, along with his Rex scope. Under $300.00 for the package and it's a great setup. It is louder than my Hatsan PCP, but that has a moderator. Talk to Mike, you won't regret it.

[avator]

Quote: I've heard that gas ram rifles with some sort of noise dampener can be dead quiet. I need this because I do pest control jobs on some of my landlord's other properties, some of which are in town where I can't exactly fire off a .22LR


This statement just changed my response.....
Under the back seat of my truck in a vintage leather gun bag lives one of my $100 '50's Crosman 140s I purposely didn't do all the cosmetic restoration on this gun. The bluing is about 75% and the wood could stand a good sanding and refinish. But it has a fresh MAC1 kit in it and it shoots better than the day it was new. This is the gun I now recommend for you to use for the purpose mentioned above for the reasons below...
The closest thing I have to a $400 gun is my Vorteked Diana 34 Panther and I'm not dragging it around to shoot critters on someone else's property. Especially because pass thru will be an issue in close, in town range. I'm pretty sure my 140 truck gun has been drug around a few times already in it's life and I think it likes it. But more importantly.... I can control noise and power at will with variable pumps. And I asure you, my little 140 is dead eye accurate. Oh... and it's a classic.

[TXSlayer]

I'm going to hold out for a more expensive rifle.
Just curious, if gas ram don't do much for sound, what gives it an advantage over spring piston? Marketing gimmick?

[nervoustrigger]

Just curious, if gas ram don't do much for sound, what gives it an advantage over spring piston?

The ability to leave it cocked without degrading it.  With that said, the concern about springs taking a set is often considerably overstated.   People have run tests and leaving a springer cocked a couple of hours while on a hunt is no big deal.

[Bullit]

The majority of the NP hype...is just that...Hype.  The "leaving springers cocked hurts" myth, has been explained ad nauseum.  I like NP theory, but feel that it's better days are a few years away,  for mass production air rifles.

[mobilehomer]

The only real world advantages to a gas spring are no "twang" and no twist from the spring uncoiling. As far as accuracy or  longevity, there is no difference.

[Brazos]

I believe the gas ram, at least in the cheaper big box store rifles, is all hype.  The Chinese can make them cheap and the marketing departments can advertise them as the greatest thing in air rifles with the hopes people will think their current spring rifle is obsolete.  Theorben (sp?) gas piston rifles on the other hand are nice rifles but they are expensive.  A quality spring rifle, the HW95 for example, will shoot really well.  The nice thing about a quality spring rifle is there are good aftermarket springs and spring kits.  You can easily repair or improve them yourself.  Though I pushed the HW95 another fine rifle is the RWS34.  Those can be had for $250-$300 depending on model.  I typically recommend the 34 (along with many others) as the best alternative to a $200ish box store rifle.  With the HW95 being so cheap right now I have to recomend it over the 34.  It's just a nicer rifle.  When I first got serious into air rifles back around 2003-2004 they cost a little more than $300.  I don't know how long the AoA HW95 sale will last but if you ever wanted one this is the time. 

[bmb]

I have an Umarex Octane with a .25 cal barrel with no moderator. It is easily my quietest gun but none of them have been tuned. It is also the most challenging to shoot even after trigger mods.
Check for other members in your area. If you can find some close to you, I'm sure they would be proud to show you some different guns.

[packard8]

The "leaving springers cocked hurts" myth, has been explained ad nauseum.  I like NP theory, but feel that it's better days are a few years away,  for mass production air rifles.

I've often wondered about the same thing. As my screen name suggests, I dabble with old cars. I've resurrected old cars that have been parked for 20-30 years and the valve springs are still within spec. When an engine is shut off, a good portion of the valve springs are left in the fully compressed condition, yet don't seem to suffer from this state after many years. Are AG springs that much more sensitive to remaining compressed for extended periods?.....just askin'.

Re the original question, I bought a used, mint condition tuned .22 Diana 48 for $250, and will receive this week an HW95 in .22 on the AOA sale for $329 shipped. Can't comment yet on the HW95, but I see a BIG difference in quality, accuracy and trigger precision between the Diana 48 and the dozen or so lesser AG's I've owned.

As they say, "Do it once and do it right" if you are in a position to do so.

[Bullit]

Any quality spring will suffer more damage by "exercising" it...rather than resting it compressed.   Same as valve springs.  Valve springs are not that heavy for the job they have to do.  Their job is to seat the valve and keep cam follower assy from "floating" at high rpm...keeping it in contact with the cam lobe...without excessive force / wear to them.
Yeah...it is a marketing myth.
Heck...if you scored a 48 in mint condition that's properly tuned...for $250.  You got a goodeal

[Joe Brancato]

This is surprisingly good news. Even though both my "springers" are gas ram, its nice to know that one could keep them cocked (though it would be dangerous to do so with children, etc.).

[Bullit]

This never gets mentioned about Gas Rams, so I'll give you all something to chew on....

Leaving any Gas pressurized cylinder compressed makes great amounts of CONSTANT stress on the SEALS within the cylinder.   It's always better to leave them in a "neutral" or "un-powered", position if left innoperative for longer than a hour period.   This is common practice in machine design, to extend the life of the seals in industrial pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders.     The same goes with NP pistons...the seal is their weak link.  The term "NP" ram is just a marketing term for what you have on your car that holds the hood or the tailgate up, same cylinder.  They are spotty and the seals fail to the point they won't perform at all when it turns cold outside.  It's all NP hype.

[avator]

Everytime I read about this subject I can't help thinking about all the springers with up to 2" of preload on a spring. I know it's not in the full cocked positon but still.......

[Bullit]

Everytime I read about this subject I can't help thinking about all the springers with up to 2" of preload on a spring. I know it's not in the full cocked positon but still.......

Fear Not my Freind...
Springs need the preload to hold everything in place,,,while they are in the Horizontal position.  You wouldn't need all of this if the spring was Vertical and didn't get "jostled" around by us guys, running around with them LOL.   This goes into the designer's thinking.
As far as the 2" figure...   Once a new spring has been compressed the first time, it will take a "Set", so natually it's gonna be shorter.   Again,... it's nothing to be concerned about in a well designed spring powerplant.

[mobilehomer]

Don't forget the gas springs that hold up your hood or trunk lid. They stay fully compressed for weeks or months without leaking. Also, magazines that stay loaded for long periods without losing anything! I know that any thing can break, but odds are your favor of that not happening!

[avator]

Springs and seals are considered the perishables of spingers.

[packard8]

Heck...if you scored a 48 in mint condition that's properly tuned...for $250.  You got a goodeal

Yes, very pleased with the purchase. I've gone through several Chinese, Spanish and Turkish guns and while they are a good value and a few were "winners", there is an obvious difference in quality, accuracy and I assume in longevity. I'd advise anyone looking at $200 "big box" rifles to save up a few more dollars and get into something like the Diana 34 or HW95. 

[Bullit]

Don't forget the gas springs that hold up your hood or trunk lid. They stay fully compressed for weeks or months without leaking. Also, magazines that stay loaded for long periods without losing anything! I know that any thing can break, but odds are your favor of that not happening!

Do you mean the "Coiled Springs" that held up your Hood or Trunk Lid for years and years?  I agree to that, and made a previous post about Mfrs replacing them w/ Gas Pistons.  I will take the Coil spring all day long for jobs like this all day long.  Maybe a mistype, or maybe not.  I will take the history of the device, everytime.  But like I posted before...
I think the NP piston has much merit.  The problem is quality and attn to making a dedicated NP piston for the specific situation that air rifles demand.  I hope this for the future.  I am sure that Air Rifle buyers will pay a few extra bucks,... for a better NP piston design and powerplant.   Piston Slam tolerances is another issue w/ NP designs.

[packard8]

Here's another new German AG that the OP might consider:

https://www.pyramydair.com/product/walther-terrus-breakbarrel-air-rifle-black?m=3653

Seems to be getting good reviews and at $229 looks to be a good value. Personally I like wood stocks, but for pest control under all weather conditions the synthetic stock might make sense.

On edit, I see it is offered in wood also:

http://www.airgunsofarizona.com/WaltherTerrus.html#TerrusW

[packard8]

Don't forget the gas springs that hold up your hood or trunk lid. They stay fully compressed for weeks or months without leaking. Also, magazines that stay loaded for long periods without losing anything! I know that any thing can break, but odds are your favor of that not happening!

True, but I've had to replace many gas pistons used on hoods, trunks and hatchbacks on cars from the 80's and 90's. Never had a broken or worn out steel spring serving the same applications on cars from the 40's and 50's.