07-02-2017, 05:39 AM
The more I read the more examples I come across where people have gone through a couple of guns before they got a "good" one. Yet most of the comments about this gun refer to trying different pellets, using the artillery hold, breaking in the gun, etc, as though all this is normal for any airgun. After my experience with the two barrels in my possession being lousy I am bitter and all these excuses reek of bulls**t. Why would the Marauder, Discovery, or Maximus barrels be any better? That's what I keep coming back to. How can they not have fixed this problem already? What does it say about the company and by extension all their other products?
All this pellet preference crap comes down to which pellet fits least awful in the barrel. The best performing pellet was the Beeman Kodiak 21 grain. It was the largest diameter apparently. It actually hung up right at the muzzle and had to be pushed through. Though the tightest, while at the muzzle I could see light all around the pellet. All the pellets must be hemorrhaging air past them as soon as they get through the breech. And why is the breech so tight if the rest of the barrel isn't? Is it just a fluke of the barrel being pressed into the barrel block or is it to disguise the fact that the rest of the barrel is not up to par? I for one never dreamed that these barrels would be like they are. It kind of enrages me to read all these posts saying "Yeah, these rifles take a coupla thousand pellets to break in" and "Magnum springers sure are hold sensitive", and ""They sure are picky about pellets". It is like looking at a horse, discussing breed, teeth, and whether he has had all his shots while meanwhile overlooking that he only has 3 legs. If Crosman sells a gun, and they sell pellets, then I expect the gun to shoot the pellets OK and I expect not to be sent off on some wild goose chase.
Birdmove, sorry I never answered your question about the spring compressor. The NP XL has a screw in cap at the end and the pre-load of the spring is all provided for by the nitrogen strut. Pop the strut in, thread on the cap, and it is finger loose for the first few turns. The last turns of the end cap compress the strut a little so it does not "bottom out" when fully extended. That part I really like.
All this pellet preference crap comes down to which pellet fits least awful in the barrel. The best performing pellet was the Beeman Kodiak 21 grain. It was the largest diameter apparently. It actually hung up right at the muzzle and had to be pushed through. Though the tightest, while at the muzzle I could see light all around the pellet. All the pellets must be hemorrhaging air past them as soon as they get through the breech. And why is the breech so tight if the rest of the barrel isn't? Is it just a fluke of the barrel being pressed into the barrel block or is it to disguise the fact that the rest of the barrel is not up to par? I for one never dreamed that these barrels would be like they are. It kind of enrages me to read all these posts saying "Yeah, these rifles take a coupla thousand pellets to break in" and "Magnum springers sure are hold sensitive", and ""They sure are picky about pellets". It is like looking at a horse, discussing breed, teeth, and whether he has had all his shots while meanwhile overlooking that he only has 3 legs. If Crosman sells a gun, and they sell pellets, then I expect the gun to shoot the pellets OK and I expect not to be sent off on some wild goose chase.
Birdmove, sorry I never answered your question about the spring compressor. The NP XL has a screw in cap at the end and the pre-load of the spring is all provided for by the nitrogen strut. Pop the strut in, thread on the cap, and it is finger loose for the first few turns. The last turns of the end cap compress the strut a little so it does not "bottom out" when fully extended. That part I really like.