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Robw · Veteran Member

I have a chance to buy one at a very low price.
It looks to be the same power plant as the Regal.

Anyone here have any experience with one of these?

http://www.crosman.com/airguns/rifles/break-barrel/BW8M22NP

Thanks, Rob.

toadmyster223 · Senior Member

I've got one! It has accounted for over 100 confirmed kills. Its extremely accurate and consistent with a few different varieties of ammo (polymags, crow magnums, a few others.) With the right pellet, it will shoot a dime at 25 yards all day. Some (good)pellets have will have a different POI than others, but it's always consistent. I've knocked several doves out of a tree that I lasered to be 70 yards from where I shoot.

I was surprised at how great of a gun it is, because I got it at walmart for about 150. Replaced the original scope, but the one it came with wasn't too bad, either. I've heard a few people complain they got a bad one, but I blame that on Chinese quality control. I think its a great gun.

toadmyster223 · Senior Member

Don't expect an amazing trigger- that's my only complaint. However, the care and attention you have to give the trigger it has, will make you a better shooter all around

robert w · Senior Member

I had a titan, bad trigger.I installed a grt trigger, helped a lot.but I never seen any accuracy.I tried a scope that always was dead on when it was on 1 of my diana 34's.it just never grouped good. I returned it to walmart n got another, same bad trigger so I put my grt in it same inaccurate rifle.removed the grt trigger n returned it to wm.got another diana 34 in .22 as I wanted a mid power rifle in .22.somebody else might have had better luck than I did.but I'm happy with my diana 34's.got 2 to1 in .177 and a to5 in.22.

toadmyster223 · Senior Member

that stinks, robert. mine's a honey

Slavia · Moderator

I bought one to try out the nitro piston. I came to the conclusion that it's no better than a tuned coil spring. Bad trigger, but I expected that. (I used the same geometry as the GTR/GTX but made my own mod parts.) The barrel pivot washers were plastic on a roughly milled surface, and ground themselves to dust in short order. Replaced those. Pellets were catching on the brake opening, so I had to open that up. Accuracy was poor until I chopped about 3" off the barrel. Now it's O.K. (not superlative) but still very hold sensitive.

On the other hand, some guys have good ones and are happy with them. If it were me, I would bite if the "very low price" were under $80. Otherwise I would pass.

toadmyster223 · Senior Member

My barrel pivot seems as tight as ever, and I know I've put at least 2500 shots through it. I feel bad that I've had such good luck with mine, and you guys got ****ty ones lol

robert w · Senior Member

Well we have to get bad guns with good guns.I'm just not that lucky.but 2 and I baled out of them.

Mike Lanum · Banned

I have one I bought from walmart. Was very happy with it until I ran it across the chrony. It was shooting 400 FPS less than the advertised 950. I know it wasn't going to be shooting at that advertised speed because I use the standard 14 grain pellets and not the super light non-lead pellets, but 400 fps less really ticked me off. Like I said I was very happy with the way it shot and it had many ground hogs and squirrels to its credit. The rifle is very accurate and will print sub 1 inch groups all day. I contacted crosman and was told there was nothing they could do because the rifle was over 3 years old. I only owned it for just under two years so it must have sat in a warehouse for a while. To make a long story short, I was told it was a rifle that was intended to go to the UK where they are restricted on the FPE they're allowed to shoot. Anyway, even though it shoots in the 500/550 FPS range it will still do what I want it to do as long as the scope and I do our parts. Still very happy with the rifle, just wish I hadn't ran it across the chrony.

Mentolio · Veteran Member

Hi Mike Lanum, welcome to the forum.
A US spec NP Titan should be firing in the ballpark of 750FPS, plus or minus a little with 14.3gr pellets. I'm not certain what the actual "de-tuning" of a Canadian spec gun entails in an NP, but I would bet it could be as simple as just changing the piston itself. I sincerely doubt Crosman uses a different, de tuned "gas spring." If you can find out what parts need to be changed, it's a fairly simple procedure (requiring a spring compressor, of course, which you can make yourself). Be warned: once you start playing around inside these guns, you won't be able to stop:)

Edit: had to check my numbers. 14.3 @ 750fps, not 700fps.
Double edit: meant Euro-spec, not Canadian (tho I suspect they are significantly identical)

rws48 · Member

I bought the Benji Trail on impulse from Walmart.
Junk. I ran it over the chrono and got right at 600 f.p.s., way less than the
advertised 950 f.p.s. with a 14.3 gr. pel.
Called Crosman and they said "just shoot it a lot and it will improve, g'bye."
So much for that.
I've got over 500 pels thru it and we all know shooting it won't make the veloicty any better but accuracy could improve.
It didn't.
So it's off warranty and I'm stuck with a lemon.
I read someplace Crosman will sell the improved nitro piston and trigger to replace the junk in this rifle.
Anyone know if that's true?
600 f.p.s. just isn't enough poop to take tough squirrels.
Might do in a rabbit if hit well but not squirrels.
Need at least 800 f.p.s. for reliable kills on squirrels.

Mentolio · Veteran Member

rws48, welcome to the forum. Check you serial number with Crosman? Maybe you got a Euro-spec (12 Ftlbs gun), like Mike Lanum mentioned? That, or your gun needs a new seal, which is hardly uncommon with Crosman products I'm afraid. Is you accuracy poor as well? If your gun shoots slow, and groups poorly, a new seal might do the business for you (and Crosman will send you a new seal for free if you complain enough). A four dollar seal, a Dremel, and some patience can work wonders with these guns (both power and accuracy). It took me a lot of cuts, cussing, and a little crying before I got my Vantage NP shooting like it should. What I learned from that gun is this: the Crosman product is (typically) a solidly made and designed product, but it is poorly assembled. I buy Crosman without reservation, but I buy them intending to rebuild every one. Was pleasantly surprised recently when a friend scored a Benji Trail NP all weather for 120.00 FROM CROSMAN (clearing out new-old stock?). I cleaned the barrel, shot it a few times over the Chrony (for a base line), then disassembled and inspected it's guts. The seal was in good shape, the insides were (relatively) clean and oiled, and the gun actually shot really well. I cleaned the air tube, dressed the sharp edges with my Dremel (including the sharp edges in the trigger group), installed a new seal, did the "bearing fix" on the trigger itself, lightly lubed and reassembled. Now my friend has a powerhouse/tack driver .177 from hell (Chrony'd yesterday, slinging CP Premier Dome Brown Box 7.9gr pellets @ 950fps Average, with an extreme spread of 4.58)! I like this gun so much, I'm going to offer to buy it, should she loose her mind and decide she doesn't like it.
Point is, these guns can be tuned to run like champs. I'm not saying you shouldn't be mad about buying a gun that shoots like crap out of the box. I'm just saying don't feel like you're "stuck" with a poorly shooting gun. Searching these forums and watching youtube vids is how I learned to fix springers. If I can do it, anyone can.
Lastly, you shouldn't need 800 feet per second to take a squirrel, unless it's some 18 lb breed of "super squirrel" I've never heard of. The Europeans smack squirrels with 12 ft lbs all day long (12 ft lbs = 616 fps with a 14.3gr pellet, which sounds like what you've got). I get the need for max power, that's why I tune all my guns. But proper shot placement is far more effective than an over abundance of power. I suggest tuning for max velocity, but only so you can sling the heaviest lead accurately. Heavier lead traveling a little slower hits the target more accurately, and usually harder, than light lead traveling faster. Just my 2 cents. Best of luck!

rws48 · Member

Wow Mentolio! Thanks for the tips. I might not have to throw th thing away after all.
I'll call Crosman tomorrow and whine like a child without a toy and see if they will send the seals.
Accuracy is as poor as the velocity.
I'll try a tune and see is she responds. Maybe Crosman will send me an improved gas piston?
It came with a Centerpoint 3 X 9 and I think it's also bad.
I have a new C.P. 4 X 16 to try out on it. C.P. scopes have held up o.k. for me on springers.
So you feel around 650 f.p.s. with accuracy is enough for Ohio Fox Squirrels?
Good enough for me then.
Thanks again.

Mentolio · Veteran Member

I saw somewhere that the way Crosman de tunes their guns for other markets is by drilling a small bypass hole in the face of the piston itself, to allow some of the pressure to escape. Might be nonsense, might make perfect sense, maybe one of the other members with more experience can comment. If this is the case, I would definitely check you piston face for that when you get it apart.
It is entirely possible that all you need (all said with a smirk, way to go, Crosman!) is a rebuild to get your power up to snuff. Also if you haven't already, clean the barrel (Crosman barrels are FILTHY fresh out of the box), check for a good crown, and check the breech seal. A credit card should catch on the edge of the seal, as you draw the edge of the card across the breach face (like the card is a knife, and you're trying to shave a bit off the breech). You can also tape a tissue over a closed breech and fire the gun. If the seal leaks, the tissue will respond.
It's less the FPS and more the foot pounds of energy on target. My "Vantom NP .177" (custom crapola Vantage) pushes H&N Terminator 7.25gr Terminators at an average of 940fps/14.37 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle.

This big, healthy gray was taken at 28 yards, with the aforementioned 14.37 foot pounds, with a less than ideal shot. Still dropped him like an anchor.

For the sake of comparison: this same gun, which is substantially the same power plant as yours, last month was pushing .22 Crosman Premier Dome (brown box) 14.3gr pellets at an average of 746fps, which is roughly 17.6 foot pounds. You get your gun pushing lead and grouping like it should, even big squirrels will be no problem with your NP!

rws48 · Member

Once again a big THANKS for the fine tips.
I didn't know about the credit card or tissue tricks.
I'll clean the barrel good again as it sat in the garage for a long time due to the poor performance and I have other rifles that are good ones.
Still I like the Benji, it just feels good to me.
I'm going to replace the CenterPoint that came on the gun too.
Seems it drew moisture somehow and the inside had water droplets in it.
It's long past the warranty period. I have a spare new C.P. 4 X 16 and
a Leapers 6 X24 not in use right now so I'll put one of those on the Benji.
Check seals, clean barrel, replace scope and see what she does.
IF I get some weather above 20 degrees here in N.E. Ohio.
Winters are hard on these 68 yr. old bones and 22.5 years of policing a nasty drug ridden city gave me 13 serious injuries.
Shoulda shot a few of 'em huh? Mr. Green