FX Airguns & ASI - How Not To Treat Your Customers..... ( FX Impact UK Release Saga )

So a bit of an update on the saga that is my continued wait for the FX Impact to arrive, I didn't want to post this but after being lied to now directly by several different people I think its important to share our experiences with ASI and FX Airguns. As you may know from previous posts ASI told me I was no.6 on their list and that 10 guns in batch 2 would be enough to fulfill my order, well 27 alone were sent to BAR last week and mine wasn't delivered to my RFD ...

So my RFD phoned them Monday to ask when it was due and what was going on, at that point we were told it was there and being sent out and that it would be with us on Wednesday. Ideal I thought, maybe an end to all of this and we may get to actually get our hands on the Impact

Wednesday came and went and still no rifle, so last night I emailed ASI to see what the deal was... The reply today basically states that the rifle was never there and was never sent out, so yet again I've been lied to, but this time by multiple members of staff. Its also worth noting that no reason was given for them lying.

I've now been told it might be here towards the end of October , not that I've been given rough dates for the last 14 months... To say I'm livid would be an understatement, lateness is one thing and with demand I expected it, but to be lied to is another thing. How FX and ASI think this is OK I really have no idea and I think it says a lot about both companies.

Its worth putting all of this into context. Over the last 14+ months we have constantly been given different dates, with dates coming and going and still no rifle, so its not like I'm just being pushy, I've been waiting for over a year!

With new lines such as the streamline now being pushed on social media from various avenues in anticipation of its release I would strongly recommend waiting and not parting with any of your hard earned money before you have the rifle in your hands. There's a growing trend of creating hype on social media and then not delivering and its not right.

Even IF the rifle turns up this has now left a really bitter taste. The way we have been treated as normal paying customers is nothing short of disgusting and I think both companies need to do some serious soul searching.

If either company wish to contact us and explain why you think the above is an acceptable way to treat a customer then please feel free, I'm happy to listen.

NiteSite Initial test preparation

Only a day after the new NiteSite Rtek and rangefinder arrive the phone rings and it's "Spot W", as timing goes this could potentially be perfect! we've had some great results from Spot W before and due to it's indoor location the Wolf will be brought along as light is often too low for conventional shooting.

thanks to the recording capabilities of the new R module i'm hoping we should get some good footage tomorrow and if so i'll get a short video put together. due to where the location is i'll be limited to filming through the scope as to not give the sites location away.

so the two batteries are now on charge, the rangefinder handily came with a battery in it and my dive bottle is filled to the max! with the number of pigeons shot last time i'm just hoping we now have enough of the trusty JSB exact pellets left!

if it all goes to plan we'll have the basis of our first "pest control" video and the in field testing of the new Nitesite range should give us a basis to form our review on, fingers crossed guys!

Hawke Airmax 30 6-24x50 Side Focus Scope - Review

Hawke airmax 30 6-24x50 telescopic sight, RRP £309

The quality of Hawke scopes just keep getting better, the optical clarity and finish of the scope is fantastic, the scope picture only going slightly milky of full power which I kind of expected but is still totally usable. The reticule is the Hawks and which is a modified mildot which is great, and illuminated by a rheostat so totally variable (not 8 or so fixed steps). Side wheel focus / range markings where accurate enough for me for normal air gun ranges - a 40mm none marked side wheel is also available. The adjustment turrets have a brilliant ¼ turn locking system and are resettable. The resettable turrets are the let down of this scope, the turret has 3 grub screws which tighten onto a plastic drum, once the turret has been reset, the grub screws mark the plastic drum which prevents fine re -setting of the turrets. This is a major downfall of the scope as the resettable turrets were one of the main features that attracted me to the scope. It could have been so different if it was a harder material so prevented damage in this way. 

The scope is supplies with 3inch side wheel, front and rear metal lense covers and 3 inch screw in sunshade

Overall, would I buy again, unfortunately not. I would save my money and buy a sidewinder.

Available from all good gun shops. 

http://www.hawkeoptics.co.uk/airmax-30-sf-6-24x50-amx-ir.html

Pm

23may16

H&N Hornet Vs. RWS Power Ball Pellets

It's no Secret I love testing different types of pellets, if there's something a bit different from the norm to test then I'll be straight down the local RFD to get a tin. So when i heard there was a new pellet doing the rounds that was designed for maximum penetration but without compromising accuracy it was no wonder a tin soon turned up in my locker. So with two tins of pellets both designed to do the same thing but with slightly different takes on how to achieve the ultimate goal i headed down the local shooting club for test one; Accuracy. but first off lets take a closer look at the two pellets and see exactly what they're about....

Ok so pellet number one is the H&N hornet pellet, a pellet I've been using on and off now for a while, and with devastating effect! for those that haven't seen the hornets before they can look a bit "blingy" and I've had people say "it's just a gimmick", but from actual day to day field testing and range testing I'm happy to say that having this brass tip that's designed to punch through the pellet and rapidly expand the soft lead skirt really does work, The quality of the pellets is exactly what you'd expect from anything that leaves the H&N factory, i'm yet to come across any imperfections or damaged pellets from any of the hornets tested. But this does come at a price, a quick Google search will find you a tin of 225 pellets for £15... and that's about the going rate! so they're certainly not cheap!

As you can see from this 10 shot group at around 25 yards they do perform to an acceptable level. For those looking for pellet on pellet accuracy then these aren't going to be for you, but if you are looking for a pellet that will take down your targets and be accurate out to 35 yards then I'd suggest picking up a tin to test. The group above was mostly through the central hole that you can see but two pellets did stray to the sides, making the grouping look bigger than it actually is. H&N rate these pellets out to 35 yards so I'll push the targets out a bit further next time and see exactly how far these pellets can remain accurate, as due to the point I'm expecting them to tumble a bit at longer ranges, but as i say, we'll see!

Now for the new kid on the block, the RWS Power Ball pellets. A very similar concept to the hornets with a metal object getting pushed back into the lead skirt to produce rapid expansion on impact, but this time in the form of a ball bearing... This i feel is important for two reasons. Firstly, when you look at the Hornets Dart you can see its just held in place with a pin so to speak, where as the Power Ball uses a spherical ball, so it will (in theory) expand evenly though the pellet giving quicker and unhindered expansion... that's my take on that theory anyway. Secondly is the fact the domed front end in theory should keep things steady for longer meaning you can reach out further, which is always a bonus as there's nothing worse than knowing you can make the shot but your pellet won't. Quality wise they seem well made, much like the H&N, but to be honest you can see the odd imperfection, just look at the slight blemish down the side of the skirt in the picture above for example, but this is me being really picky. With that said though these pellets come in a bit cheaper at around £9.50 for 200 pellets, which for what they are is a bargain! As you'll see from the 10 shot group above they do group really tightly. the left hand flier I think was just a one off and i've never been that gutted to hit dead centre but the 8 remaining shots may have gone through the same hole.

I have to say for pellets that aren't really designed to be match grade target rounds they are both reasonably accurate, or at least for what they're designed for. Of the two i have to say i think the RWS Power Ball pellets just out soot the Hornets. At a much cheaper price point but with the same expansion you can certainly see the appeal, that twinned with the fact that they performed better accuracy wise too makes them great value for money. If you are after a strong hunting pellet that will knock down targets with ease then these pellets really are worth a look!

I'm planning to continue the testing to see how they both perform at longer ranges and also to see exactly how much damage these two rounds will do at the business end. I'll also be doing some close up inspections of each pellet and review them each separately as at the end of the day; despite being very similar, they are different in their own right, If you want to check out the video review I'll post the link below.

The Facebook Campaign Against The Shooting Community

Ok so here's my thoughts guys.... as I'm sure you've all seen Facebook has launched a campaign against gun owners in recent weeks. whilst at first i assumed this was going to be aimed more at the states where people could bypass security checks etc it would appear Facebook have taken it upon themselves to start deleting anything that seems even remotely shooting orientated, which quite frankly is out of line. Yet again we find legal gun owners being persecuted for no good reason!

Its a well known fact that shooting has a certain stigma, you know the one i mean - that all gun owners are ticking time bombs waiting to shoot up a school near you or go out and carry out acts of terror... because we all know criminals and terrorists only use legally held guns don't we! but that's a different rant all together...  So anyway, because of this stigma you'd find that people, myself included, would not post pictures of shoots or new bits and bobs on our personal pages out of fear of offending someone we know, as lets face it - not everyone is into shooting! so we create pages where we can join like minded people and stay out of the way of those that would be offended, but it would appear that not even this is good enough... the anti's out there join these pages, complain about them, report them, and so on...

As a result we find the media jumping on the hype (as they do), and Facebook then need to be seen to act, so they start deleting pages... they won't delete the anti's pages that make constant threats of violence and openly support breaking the law to stop a legal pursuit as that might upset them, but they'll delete ours! so we find ourselves in a position where yet again we have to fall back into the shadows.

So what does this mean for our Facebook page? well if it gets deleted it gets deleted, there isn't much i can do about that unfortunately, as although we don't buy or sell, we show guns publicly... but that won't stop us being around, as you may have seen we have a Google+ page which we post on from time to time, but also we 'll just up the anti on YouTube, bringing you more updates which would hopefully fill the void that is left from a lack of Facebook....

I'd also encourage you to join as many web based forums as you can/want! its been commented on several times that the day of the forum is limited as Facebook offers an easier way to view groups etc, but why limit yourself? there are some great communities out there that regulate their own content, where you can post as many for sales adds as you want! and to be honest most have top atmospheres where the less, how shall we put it... "desirable" folk that give us a bad name are weeded out leaving a core of enthusiasts that will continue to drive our sport in the right direction. hell knows i may even start one myself with the way it's going!

At the end of the day this is purely my opinion for what its worth, but if we do disappear overnight that's by no means the end of Replica Reviews! my advise to all those concerned about the future of shooting pages on Facebook - regroup on the many forums available, where freedom of speech actually means freedom of speech and not just agree with the owner or I'll delete you! contrary to popular believe across the masses - THE WORLD DOES NOT REVOLVE AROUND FACEBOOK. people all thought the same about my space or whatever it was called and that fell off the face of the earth quick enough. shootings future is bright, we just have to go back in time and remember the forums!

just my opinion of course but until we are deleted (which after this i fear may be soon!!) i'll keep posting all the lovely non sales posts from all the latest shows, trips and anything else i can think of!

Sig Sauer P226 - First Impressions

Ok so for anyone that’s been living under a rock the past few days Sig Sauer have started releasing their own range of airguns, both rifles and pistols. Now the rifles have been delayed as they want to get the QC sorted and make sure everything is 100% before they hit our shops, which is good to see from companies these days that are all too often driven by instant profit etc etc etc....
So what we have here is the P226, now unfortunately i’ve been able to get out and get a review filmed as its just been awful down here weather wise but i have had it up the club a couple of times and spent enough time with it to give you my first impressions, so here they are!

First thing i noticed was the weight of this thing, it certainly weighs the part and feels solid to hold, notable is the fact on the safety is functioning externally with no slide release catch or take down lever, these are all just formed pieces of the frame. The decocker does however function as a safety which is good, once applied the gun decocks, you can continue to pull the trigger but it will not fire, which is something i like.

The magazine is also fairly neat too with a dual end drop out stick magazine, with each end having its own 8 shot rotary magazine which i have to say i was a bit doubtful about when i first picked the pistol up, but it seems to work nicely with a relatively smooth trigger action. Long story cut short but each time you pull the trigger you index the magazine around to the next round, so with previous pistols this has been a laboured affair, but not with the p226!

Also noted is the really neat way in which the Co2 loads into the grip, it has to be seen to be believed! It’s a really interesting pivot system that just closes up and gasses the gun. Long are the days where you have to faff around with a small tab or an allen key, simply put the Co2 in – close the grip up and job done! I will cover this more in depth though when we get the full review and the video review done as its a real stand out feature.

This however is where the tone of this first impressions write up changes, sorry! Because once you’ve fondled the pistol and loaded it - it’s time to fire it, and this is where it lets itself down massively! Now yes the blowback is strong resulting in a nice kick, but that’s about the only highlight... I’ve been called “too negative” before but sometimes things have to be said, and this is one of those times.

Today during testing we were getting about 20 shots per Co2, which is very poor, especially when the packaging said it was efficient, i beg to differ! I’ll be honest, it was only around 12 degree’s today, so some may argue it was cold, but all the other pistols we had on test today were managing normal numbers still and to be honest we weren’t shooting this sig quickly, i genuinely wanted to get the best from it! Accuracy wise its OK, nothing special and certainly not one of the most accurate i’ve come across, but it was usable.

Now i’ll get a full review put together once i’ve done some more testing and i’ll get you a video review too, but until then these are my thoughts. Now i know it’s not all good but with the hype that surrounded the release of these guns from Highland Outdoors i was genuinely expecting more. Soon we are due the rifles but to be honest i’m not sure i’ll be getting one, as i fear i’ll just end up being disappointed again. So would i buy this pistol again from what i’ve found so far? No i’m not sure i would, i think if i were in the position for a new gun i’d be heading straight to my nearest Umarex dealer, as these guys never seem to let me down! Thanks for reading guys and i’ll get more information for you as soon as i can!

Happy shooting!

Initial Testing - FN Five-seven

finally found time today to dig out the Five-seven for some initial testing and a bit of a plink, so here are my thoughts.... yes it's full plastic construction but its a solid pistol, it's safe to say though that the magazine is where all the weight is kept, it's massive! that said this gives the pistol a really nice balance point with most of the weight being centred around the hand, which i like!

the second thing i noticed was how high this pistol is in the hand! as you can see from the picture it towers above say the G17 for example, you have to adjust the way you bring up and sight the pistol, as its a tall beast! this for me took a few magazines as it just feels odd holding the pistol lower to align the sights, this may be as i'm used to "normal" height pistols such as sigs and glocks but i'm sure i'll adjust in time.

 One thing i can't quite make my mind up about is the position and design of the magazine release button, now yes it sticks out so that it's easier to use, giving faster reloads and all that tech rubbish, but again it just feels odd! unlike most pistols i've come across this mag release doesn't let you forget its there and is easy to knock if your hold is slightly off, but again i don't know if this is just because i'm not used to pistols of this design...

overall though it was a good laugh to shoot and really is something different, as soon as weather and time permits i'll get out again and give it a few more mags and get back to you!