I have a crosman 38T that I bring on all camping, hunting and fishing trips. It’s a great gun to have fun with in camp or to use on a hunt to take small game. I am thinking about getting a companion rifle to go along with my 38T. Looking for you guys to suggest something. A few things I would like is rifle have to be in .22 so it will shoot the same pellets. Really leaning more towards a break barrel so springer or nitro. Tell me what’s the best between the two please. But I am willing to look anything pump or co2 And it don’t matter if the rifle is a pal version or not. I am willing to consider any rifle you guys suggest. Thanks for the help.
Looking for a companion gun
- Thread starter mattgoulding
- Start date
Weihrauch makes excellent air rifles, but none are side lever.
Actually strictly speaking, yes they do, the HW100 with the side-lever kit, but it isn't a side-lever springer, it is a PCP. Yes, I know what you meant. There should be some terminology to differentiate a side-lever springer from a side-lever PCP. Something like side-toggle for a PCP or ?!?
That's a loading system. Side lever refers to cocking to fire. The HW100 is not remotely considered a side lever rifle. No PCP rifle is a side lever. Springers such as a Diana 48 or 52 or a FWB 300 are examples of side levers.
gunsaholic
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
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Before we get carried away on side levers, the OP originally said he was looking for a break barrel.
Perhaps the manufacturers forgot to ask your permission to allow them to use such terminology. I know exactly what it is to both a springer and a PCP and I said so in my first response.
From Air Arms web pages:
The Air Arms S5 Sporter series takes the proven 400 series format and gives it a new level of sophistication. The rifles smooth, virtually effortless, sidelever action cycles each pellet with a flex of the wrist.
From Weihrauch web pages:
Weihrauch HW100 and HW100S purposely designed Biathlon Sidelever
From FX Airguns web pages:
Right hand positioned sidelever with an ambidextrous mount to be able to relocate sidelever on left side for lefthanded shooters (depending on stock).
etc, etc, etc.
and yes, I don't know much about nitro airguns. A friend has a .22 of some sort and it generates around 19fpe but the trigger is incredibly rough and heavy.
I have a couple of TX200 springers, one in .177 and one in .22. They require some sort of optics to use and they are fairly heavy to huff around. Power levels around 12-15fpe depending on what you get so they are likely not what you are looking for.
I'm thinking you understand the differences but chose nevertheless to stick to your questionable position.
For the unfamiliar reader, a side lever is indeed used to load the pellets themselves in the PCP rifles referred to above. In general airgun terminology, however, it shouldn't be conflated to include PCP repeaters. These are pre-charged pneumatics that use high pressure compressed air to power the airgun. Most use a lever of some kind to load the pellet into a chamber. These air rifles are referred to as PCPs or PCP repeaters.
In generally understood airgun terminology, side levers are a different kind of air gun. The term side lever refers to the cocking lever of a spring piston air rifle (and some air pistols) and it's located on the side of the action. The term distinguishes it from break barrel cocking and underlever cocking. (If in doubt check it out on a reliable website that has airgun terminology.)
If airgunners were asked to identify side lever models, they wouldn't be referring to PCP models. They would refer to springers such as the Diana 48 and Diana 52 and the FWB 300.
To illustrate, below is the venerable side lever Diana 48 (left) and FWB 300 (right). For comparison, an example of an underlever air rifle is shown below
The HW 97, a popular underlever, is shown below for comparison. (The lever that's literally under the barrel is the lever that cocks the springer.) The Air Arms TX 200 is another well known underlever.
The side lever loading system on the HW 100 below. This rifle and others like it are known as PCPs, not side levers.
My position is NOT questionable. If the manufacturers of their air rifles call it a sidelever then I am going to as well, no matter if it is a sidelever SPRINGER or a sidelever PCP. Simple as that. There should have been different terminology used for the PCP, but there wasn't, and now it is fully adopted by the manufacturers. If you want to take it up with them, please do. They publish their contact info on each of their individual websites.
Not only is your position questionable, it's also a lonely one. What makes it worth setting right is that it can contribute to confusion among those new to airguns.
No one but you is claiming that PCP rifles are also called side levers. PCP repeaters often use a lever to operate the loading systems. The rifles themselves are not referred to as side lever airguns. In the airgun world, side levers are springers as described previously.
I personally use a Weihrauch HW95 in 177 and a Diana 34 in 22 caliber.
The HW95 has a short barrel and have a 4-12 scope mounted on it so it makes for a light weight mid balanced rifle capable of taking small game out to 40 yards. I find with the shorter barrel it feels more like a powder rifle and is quite comfortable for long periods of shooting.
My Diana has iron sights with a rear peep sight. I had it scoped for a while but find the long barrel makes it very front heavy and sort of awkward for me as my arms are a bit on the short side. I really enjoy shooting it open sighted at pop cans though its a lot of fun to shoot but found the stock sights not to be all that great so upgraded them. A friend of mine uses nothing but Diana rifles on our squirrel hunts though.
If the prices of German air rifles are a bit on the high side for you which I understand they have seen a huge price increase in the last several years I friend has a Crosman Optimus which I borrowed for a bit out of curiosity. Its a bit crude in comparison but for the money works well and is easily tuned. There is a lot of information on it on the Canadian Airgun Forum. I wouldn't really look at too much other than the Optimus when it comes to the budget rifles really. I was fairly impressed with it.
As for non spring airguns I can't really comment on many except for the Benjamin Sheridan 392 I own. Its a fun little rifle of decent quality which has a lot of power if you want to pump it nine times. Myself I do not pump it that many times between shots. I took out my chronograph and got the speed per pumps. With 3 pumps I can get 400 fps which is very little effort.
Good luck with your search.
The HW95 has a short barrel and have a 4-12 scope mounted on it so it makes for a light weight mid balanced rifle capable of taking small game out to 40 yards. I find with the shorter barrel it feels more like a powder rifle and is quite comfortable for long periods of shooting.
My Diana has iron sights with a rear peep sight. I had it scoped for a while but find the long barrel makes it very front heavy and sort of awkward for me as my arms are a bit on the short side. I really enjoy shooting it open sighted at pop cans though its a lot of fun to shoot but found the stock sights not to be all that great so upgraded them. A friend of mine uses nothing but Diana rifles on our squirrel hunts though.
If the prices of German air rifles are a bit on the high side for you which I understand they have seen a huge price increase in the last several years I friend has a Crosman Optimus which I borrowed for a bit out of curiosity. Its a bit crude in comparison but for the money works well and is easily tuned. There is a lot of information on it on the Canadian Airgun Forum. I wouldn't really look at too much other than the Optimus when it comes to the budget rifles really. I was fairly impressed with it.
As for non spring airguns I can't really comment on many except for the Benjamin Sheridan 392 I own. Its a fun little rifle of decent quality which has a lot of power if you want to pump it nine times. Myself I do not pump it that many times between shots. I took out my chronograph and got the speed per pumps. With 3 pumps I can get 400 fps which is very little effort.
Good luck with your search.
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