crossman .22backpacker[air]questions

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ratherbefishin

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I just picked up a Crossman 22 backpacker[$89 at Canadian tire].It says ''modified to reduce the velocity to 495 FPS''.Question-

[1] can it be altered back?-if so how?
[2] what was it's FPS before it was modified?
[3] is this practical?
[4]-any preference for pellets?[flat-domed or pointed]

Presumably if it's velocity was increased above the 500 FPS mark-it would be required to be registered to be legal.I note it also comes with an alternative ''pistol grip''is that legal to carry and shoot-or does it constitute a ''restricted weapon''?
 
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Over 500 fps you have to register it since it magically becomes a firearm.
Just keep it under 500 fps. If you want to go higher just get a real .22
 
There is a bleed hole in the valve.

It reduces velocity to approximately 425 fps with standard pellets.

The US model shoots just over 500 fps.

1 pump = 175fps = 1fpe
2 pumps = 285fps = 2.6fpe
4 pumps = 380fps = 4.6fpe
6 pumps = 450fps = 6.4fpe
8 pumps = 483fps = 7.4fpe
10 pumps = 515fps = 8.4fpe

If you were to plug the hole or install a US valve you will gain some speed.

Due to the piston (plastic), limited cylinder volume and sealing issues, you will never get these to shoot much faster without modifying the tube to pump more air.
 
It should do the trick. 25 yards might be pushing it stock.

If you mount a metal breech on one and install a scope no problem.
 
An air rifle is under 26" and shoots under 500fps.
You alter it to shoot over 500fps, and it's still under 26"(OAL)

Is it restricted or non-restricted?
 
It's an air rifle sold to you as under 495 fps so it isn't registered. If you don't squak to anyone about it, no one really cares.

However, using any airgun for commiting a crime, regardless of it's velocity and power, and you will be charged for using a firearm! They will put your AZZ in a sling and give you your 15 minutes of fame for it!;)
 
an airgun is hardly the weapon of choice for obtaining cheap bank loans-especially one that does not resemble a military style weapon.This one will likely be mainly used to deter squirrels from raiding my bird feeder or put a rabbit in the pot .I've just shot it-the front fiber optic sight is pretty wide,obscuring a 2"' disk at about 50'.A scope might be better-but the ''backpacker ''doesn't seem to be set up for it.I had some idea it might be a viable way of potting a grouse when out for larger game -but the accuracy would have to be ''minute of grouse head''[do I envy our southern neighbours who can pack a .22 handgun when hunting!]
 
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ratherbefishin said:
I just picked up a Crossman 22 backpacker[$89 at Canadian tire].It says ''modified to reduce the velocity to 495 FPS''.Question-

[1] can it be altered back?-if so how?
[2] what was it's FPS before it was modified?
[3] is this practical?
[4]-any preference for pellets?[flat-domed or pointed]

Presumably if it's velocity was increased above the 500 FPS mark-it would be required to be registered to be legal.I note it also comes with an alternative ''pistol grip''is that legal to carry and shoot-or does it constitute a ''restricted weapon''?
Click to expand...
It can be modified by installing an American valve, or older valve. Some of the valves can be modified, some can not.
At 20+ pumps it probably got 600-700 fps depending what pellet was used.
Because the piston rod is plastic it overheats from consistantly pumping it 20+ times. The Crosman Forum can tell you how to make a metal pump rod and how to change your valve.
Being that the barrel isn't designed for long range accuracy, wadcutters will work great for small game and targets. For plinking anything will do. Usually the airgun will shoot some pellets better than others, so you have to experiment. KD
 
Me and my buddy bought them for canoe tripping out in the bush last year. We did the mod... you take the thing apart and take out this valve. We filled it with solder and put it back together. We used a computer program to clock it but this was problematic. Using a tin soup can before mod and after mod damage as an indicator we decided there was a substancial power gain.

This gun is not the greatest quality if you ask me so I wouldn't really expect it to perform at top notch for long anyways. At 25 yards you may kill a rabbit but it will be really hard. It's a good survival type gun and you can take it anywhere w/o getting in ####. Don't forget to turn the back site thing upside down for some fun.
 
As mentioned check out the canadian airgun forum, lots of info, lots of ideas, easy to modify to up power and accuracy. keep it under 500fps unless you're going to register it though, you'll have some explaining to do if you get busted.

The backpacker is a fun little gun if you don't mind pumping a bunch. a longer barrel, and steel breach plus an el-cheapo tasco scope and it's a squirrel eliminator at 25 yards. very accurate, very fun.
 
faswagon said:
As mentioned check out the canadian airgun forum, lots of info, lots of ideas, easy to modify to up power and accuracy. keep it under 500fps unless you're going to register it though, you'll have some explaining to do if you get busted.

The backpacker is a fun little gun if you don't mind pumping a bunch. a longer barrel, and steel breach plus an el-cheapo tasco scope and it's a squirrel eliminator at 25 yards. very accurate, very fun.
Click to expand...

You won't 'get busted' because cops don't walk around with with equipment to measure muzzle velocity. Maybe if you killed someone with it and they took it to the lab to examine... but I doubt that's your intention. Even if you did the mod, I might still be under 500fps.
 
Tyler582 said:
You won't 'get busted' because cops don't walk around with with equipment to measure muzzle velocity. Maybe if you killed someone with it and they took it to the lab to examine... but I doubt that's your intention. Even if you did the mod, I might still be under 500fps.
Click to expand...

I wasn't really suggesting that the RCMP was going to break in your door to chrony your air rifles:slap: ...however unlikely, if for any reason it's status does come in to question, you will be in possesion of an unregistered firearm, they frown on that.
 
FTPgraph.GIF


The above graph was posted on

http://www.airgunforum.ca

by a fellow that manufactures and sells flat top pistons made of delrin for the 22-89. I don't think much of the gun in it's un-modified store-bought form. It's very well under 500 fps- not even 400 for that matter. If you are willing to make a small time and labour/learning investment, these little air guns can be a lot of fun. 25 yd rabbits will still be pushing the envelope a bit though- the pellet is only 14.5 gr, and it ain't travelling all that fast- compared to even a subsonic .22 LR. If you've got a choice between a quiet .22 LR, and the air-gun, go for the .22 LR.

Regards,

Doc Sharptail
 
True, bolt action 22LR with subsonics is really not much louder that the 2289 and by far the better choice for rabbits etc... If you go the CO2 route there's the 2240 that has endless possibilities for modding also, but is even louder
 
I just reviewed your question and I forget if anyone answered the pistol grip question. No, it's not restricted. Don't go shooting it around downtown tho, you can still get in trouble if you scare ppl with it.

According to the graph in the post above me you have nothing to worry about doing the modification. Even if, for some reason, they took it to the lab.

-Tyler
 
Unless they've changed lately, you'll get a bit of heat trying to discuss power mods over on that forum. They think they're the police, and it's 'hip' to publicly delouse people for attempting to discuss any such things.
 
Generally, just about every Canuck shooting forum is paranoid to the extreme- nothing new about that at all. Hardly even worth mention these days ;) Power mods can be had for the 22-89 platform- but there's a physical limit to what can be practically achieved with them. If you can get up to 650 fps with one and a bit of work, that's about as good as it's gonna get...

Regards,

Doc Sharptail
 
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