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synbadd · New Member

Hi All

i bought an airgun to shoot rats with (quite a few round the hens). left it cocked over night and now every time i hit a rat it squeeks and runs off.

reading in to it i see leaving it cocked over night was a mistake.

i'm not planning on buying a new air gun, id like to "mod" the one i have got. what would you recomend? i have come across a GAMO IGT Gas Ram Piston. will that fit a gamo nitro 17?

thanks all

Slavia · Moderator

After a quick search, it looks like the Nitro 17 (contrary to the name) has a steel coil spring. The gas ram probably wouldn't be a drop-in proposition.

Having Gamo repair it is one option. If it were mine, I would find a replacement spring and do it myself. While it was apart I would also tune the power plant - polished spring ends, fitted spring guide, proper lube, etc.

If you choose to open it up definitely build a spring compressor. Even uncocked the spring is under considerable preload, and can cause injury, damage, or lost parts if it's suddenly released.

synbadd · New Member

Hi Slavia

thanks for the reply. well it looks like i'll just have to invest in a new rifle. had a little hunt last night and once again hit a rat that just squeeked and ran off. plus the noise the damn thing makes scares off anything else lurking in the shadows.

i'm going to post in the rifles section but for any one that reds here what rifle would you recomend? i'm willing to put about €200 (anout 200 dollars i think) in to one.

It is for shooting rats. i'd prefer piston to spring. i'd like something quiet, durable and powerful in 177 (as i already have tons of pellets) with a scope.

Thanks
Liam

AirGunEric · Site Admin

If the spring totally crapped out after being cocked for one night- seems likely it was defective from the get-go. Any warranty on the rifle still?

As for a replacement, as you are obviously in the UK, it appears you budget would allow for some reasonable good guns such as the Weihrauch HW30, Walther Terrus, or maybe a Diana 34 (assuming anyone in the UK carries Diana, their pricing went bananas on the other side of the ocean a couple years ago, don't know about the UK).

paddyfritz · Member

200 GBP seems like a lot for a pest rifle, if that is all you want it for. Although airguns seem to be twice the price in the UK as they are here.
One of the Chinese Diana clones (SMK) would serve you well, but they are spring guns. The Crosman B18 series shooting at the FAC limit should work just fine for you, and they can be had in gas ram versions.

I prefer .22 cal for pesting, but .177 will work for rats.
A number of UK guys buy mail order from Germany as it is 30-50% cheaper.
Not sure how that works with rifles and customs.

toadmyster223 · Senior Member

I'll humbly suggest the Benjamin Titan (as board regulars have surely seen me do before)-

My .22 Titan GP has accounted for more confirmed kills than every other gun I own combined and then multiplied by 5

I have heard of fit and finish/quality control issues with them, but mine has always worked perfectly, and continues to. She cost 150 bucks at walmart. I've left it cocked for fairly extended periods of time, and have witnessed no ill effects. Took a little while to find out what pellets she likes, but have found 6 or 8 that she shoots consistently (although not all at the same zero). A 22 pellet traveling as fast as this gun propels one (8- or 900 fps, i'm guessing- no chronograph) sounds like a baseball hitting a bird or rat, and puts them down with authority. I grew to hate my .177, because it would usually shoot right through my target, which would then fly/run away.

It's not excessively noisy, either. I see now you mentioned that as a parameter in your other topic

synbadd · New Member

Thanks for your replies everyone.

The Banjaming looks good. I was looking at a crosman i like the Crosman Nitro Venom Dusk. there is a link here though its in french as i live in France..

http://www.armurerie-francaise.com/crosman-nitro-venom-dusk.html

half way down the page are the specs.

Does anyone have any comments on this rifle?

there are Benjamins on that site too. a little more expensive but if the nitro dusk is thought to rubbish i might invest a bit more.

toadmyster223 · Senior Member

I've never handled one of those, but I know this- I used to have a Gamo Viper with a synthetic stock, and the stock frankly felt like junk to me. I replaced it with an interchangeable wooden stock that someone here was kind enough to trade me for the original.

That's no indication that THIS stock will feel like junk- just something I'd like to check out first-hand before I decided to buy. Besides that, I've got no issue or complaint with Crosman.

I'm going to once again suggest you move up to a .22 (5.5), though. Besides killing a lot better than a .177, I get a lot better accuracy and consistency with the slower, more stable .22 projectiles. .177 is plenty for rats, but regarding squirrels, I'd want the larger choice. In my experiences dispatching squirrels and even our much smaller chipmunks, if you don't kill them outright with a perfect brain or heart shot, they're probably going to find their way into a hole before expiring, eliminating any convenience in retrieval. Maybe that matters to you, maybe it doesn't.

Mentolio · Veteran Member

synbad: I have the older version of that stock, and I can tell you that it feels anything but cheap. It is solid, to the point of actually being a little heavy. These guns can be really great, but they always need some help getting there. If you're looking for "out of the box ease of use," you may want to look elsewhere...and believe me, it pains me to say that. I am a huge Crosman fan-boy.

paddyfritz · Member

synbadd · New Member

No problem paddyfritz

There has been some great input and i have learned a few things. Im not a purest and probably wont be sanding down springs or dropping parts in. Im quite fond of the feel of the nitro 17 but its just the fact its so loud. When im shooting target practice in daytime its very accurate. Consistant head and neck shots on my little drawn rats. But hitting them at night is a bit different.

So lets sum up. I have 200 french Euros in my pocket ( equivalent to about $200). I will take your advice and go for a .22 i would prefer a nitro piston (or similar) over a spring and it must have a scope. I cant really be bothered to retro fit one. And i would like it to be very quiet. Its not for competition shooting. Just for rats and squirrels.

What would be your choice of gun. Make and model?

Thanks

paddyfritz · Member

For 200 with a scope and gas ram, I would go with a Crosman.
If you can have silencers in France, you may look for one with a built in suppressor, if not you could add one later.

AirGunEric · Site Admin

Robw · Veteran Member

Toadmyster stated:

I'm going to once again suggest you move up to a .22 (5.5), though. Besides killing a lot better than a .177, I get a lot better accuracy and consistency with the slower, more stable .22 projectiles. .177 is plenty for rats, but regarding squirrels, I'd want the larger choice. In my experiences dispatching squirrels and even our much smaller chipmunks, if you don't kill them outright with a perfect brain or heart shot, they're probably going to find their way into a hole before expiring, eliminating any convenience in retrieval. Maybe that matters to you, maybe it doesn't.[/quote]

You are right on the money with this one, Toadmyster.
.177 just doesn't cut it for hunting. They are mostly for target hunting
and kids guns. .22 delivers much more energy and shock.
If you are serious about hunting go for .22 cal. and don't look back.

With .177 you will not have very many clean kills and will have to
watch your prey suffer and die a slow and painful death.

With a .22 they drop instantly and usually without even a quiver.

I learned this the hard way 50 years ago. Most EXPERIENCED hunters
will agree. Don't listen to the armchair hunters! Get it in .22 cal.

Rob.