Fiber Optic Front Sight Repair Kit Fits Many Air Rifles.

New at Archer Airguns is a repair kit for fiber optic front sights.

If you have broken fiber optic front sights or are worried about them breaking, this kit could be for you!

This repair kit provides parts and instructions for repairing broken fiber optic front sight elements on many air rifles. It has been tested to work with most Umarex air rifles such as the Octane, with most Ruger air rifles including the Air Hawk, with Beeman RS-2 air rifles and many Crosman air rifles such as the Optimus and 760 models. It also fits the QB78 Deluxe.

The photo below shows the typical appearance of front sights that can be repaired with this kit.



Nine fiber optic rods are included as - given the exposed nature of these front sights - it’s likely that their fiber optic elements will be broken repeatedly!

The high quality fiber optic rods included in this kit are much brighter than the factory originals. They also make it possible for you to change the color of a fiber optic front sight if you don’t like the factory color. Red, orange and green rods all are included in this kit.

Note that each rod will be suitable for making two repairs on short front sights, such as those fitted to the Ruger Air Hawk and Beeman RS2 air rifles.



The only tools required are a controllable heat source, such as a lighter, and small end cutters.

With the Archer Airguns Repair Kit for Fiber Optic Front Sights, you will be able to change quickly and easily from this...



to this, with bright red, green or orange fiber optic elements.

Read more...

Archer Airguns Replacement Tube Cap Fixes Problems with Umarex Fusion and Xisico XS60C

I’ll go on record as saying that the Umarex Fusion - and its very close cousin the Xisico XS60C - is a very innovative CO2 air rifle with some excellent high-level design concepts. I like it!



But it’s sad to see that there are often some major issues with this air rifle as it is currently shipping. These have been highlighted in several places on the Internet, and a number of customers have written to me asking for help. Basically the problems are:

1. The guns can leak unacceptably. Leave it gassed-up and 24 hours later it’s probably empty. This is in stark contrast to QB78-type air rifles which can remain gassed up for weeks - and even months - at a time.

2. The tube cap is very complex. It’s confusing to operate and you may need to wait as long as an hour after releasing the CO2 from the gun before it’s possible to remove the tube cap. Again, this problem does not exist with QB78-type air rifles.

3. The tube cap O ring is very soft. It swells like a balloon when the gun is gassed-up and is quickly damaged by blistering and cracking when the tube cap is removed - this leads to further leaking. These O rings can have a very short life before they require replacement. The QB78? Guess what? No problem.

Again, I want to say that I think the degassing tube cap fitted to the Umarex Fusion and Xisico XS60C is an outstanding and innovative concept. But somehow it’s just not up to the task at hand. My testing shows that the tube cap is THE major source of gas leaks from the Fusion and XS60C, and then there’s the issues about the O ring which is the cause of difficulty in removing the tube cap itself.

So........

Archer Airguns introduces a Replacement Tube Cap for the XS60C and Umarex Fusion Air Rifles!



The Archer Airguns Replacement Tube Cap overcomes the leak issues, allowing these guns to remain gassed up for an extended period.

It’s very simple to use. Just screw it on and unscrew after use. There’s no need to wait after the CO2 is used before removing this tube cap.

It uses a different, harder, O ring that swells much less, doesn’t blister and crack with use. Yes, it still swells in use, so we supply a spare O ring with this tube cap. Simply roll off the swelled O ring, roll on the new one, gas up your Fusion or XS60C and keep shooting! The swelled O ring will return to size and can be used again by the time you need to reload with Powerlets.

The only downside is that there’s no degassing capability with this tube cap (although some would say that’s another benefit!). Again the solution is very simple, just “shoot down” the remaining CO2 in the gun in the time-honored fashion, as has been done with generations of Crosman 160s, QB78s and similar CO2-powered air rifles.

If you still want to keep with the factory tube cap, you’ll be needing replacement O rings!

So, Archer Airguns offers a pack of O rings for the Umarex Fusion and XS60C Air Rifles. These are for use on the degassing tube cap as replacements for the orange O ring supplied with the gun. These black O rings are the same as used with our replacement Tube Cap, they swell less and resist blistering and cracking much better than the factory O rings.



You may be asking “Why not fit O rings that don’t swell at all?” The reason is that these O rings - typically hard urethane ones - will not allow any current tube cap design to be fitted into the gas tube of the Umarex Fusion or XS60C air rifles. This is due to the design of the main gas tube itself, which will not allow hard O rings to be pushed into the end of the tube - that’s why the factory supplies those problematic soft O rings in the first place!

Read more...

The Xisico XS60C. Do You Want Maximum FPS or Maximum Ft/Lbs?

Above, the Xisico XS60C air rifle.

"Everyone" - or at least many people - want the maximum possible muzzle velocity - FPS - from their air rifles, believing that this is best. But is it always?

Pellet weight can play a big part in determining the muzzle velocity achieved by an airgun. Different pellet weights can produce significantly different muzzle velocities in the same gun, with no other changes.

The other major factor to be considered is muzzle energy - Ft/Lbs. This is the "hitting power" of a pellet.

A higher muzzle velocity - FPS - might be best for a flat trajectory and maximum range, but the highest muzzle energy could be most desirable for hunting where a "one shot clean kill" is desired.

Let's look at the muzzle velocity and muzzle energy results achieved from testing a .177 caliber Xisico XS60C air rifle.

Here's the test data for a .177 cal Xisico XS60C shooting a variety of pellets. (Click to enlarge).



Now, if we take this data and graph the results, we find that the lowest weight pellet shoots the fastest. No surprises here!



Yet, if we graph the results for muzzle energy, we find that the slowest, heaviest pellet gives the most muzzle energy, or "hitting power".



So what should you choose - maximum muzzle velocity or maximum muzzle energy? Or a mid-point somewhere?

It's your choice, dependent on the type of shooting you do. But it's good to remember that the highest muzzle velocity is not always the best if you're hunting and aiming for a humane "one shot kill". In this case a heavier pellet, traveling slower, could be a much better solution than a lighter pellet traveling faster.

To take an extreme example. Would you prefer to be hit by a very light ping pong ball traveling at 500 FPS, or a 24 Lb cannon ball traveling at 50 FPS? I'll take the light, fast ping pong ball any time, it's WAAAAAAAY less dangerous, even though its' muzzle velocity is much higher.

This data applies to the Xisico XS60C air rifle. But the same principal applies to any airgun. Maximum muzzle velocity sometimes may be the best solution, but not always. It depends on what you're aiming at when you pull the trigger.

Read more...

Umarex Fusion First Test Targets and Review

Well, it’s been a long time coming, but the Umarex Fusion CO2 air rifle is finally here! Archer Airguns sample gun arrived today and I ran it through its paces for an initial test before I take it apart...

As many people know, the Umarex Fusion is a development of the Xisico XS60C which, in turn, was a development of the QB78. And of course, the QB78 is a modern clone of the original Crosman 160 of 1955, or thereabouts. So, CO2 air rifles powered by two Powerlets have a long history and there are strong design similarities across all of these guns.

The photograph shows the Fusion (with scope) alongside an original XS60C and a QB78.



The original XS60C - there’s a new version arriving soon that will be very similar to the Umarex Fusion - was a CO2 air rifle of great potential. Unfortunately it suffered from seemingly unstoppable gas leaks and an automatic safety that did not work consistently. That’s why Archer Airguns never sold the original XS60C, although I really, really liked the gun if it could just have been safe - like the Fusion.

+++++

High points of the Umarex Fusion are as follows:

- The noise reduction system works. It’s quiet. Not Marauder quiet, but still much quieter than a QB78.

- I detected no gas leaks.

- Although this was a short test, the new automatic safety clearly works. I’m sure that Umarex has done much more testing than me and are very sure of that!

- Muzzle velocity is less than I expected but still OK. I found 630-640 fps with “normal” 8 - 9 Grain pellets. Umarex claims 700 fps with “lead pellets”, probably based on 7.0 Grain RWS Hobby pellets - and likely at a higher temperature than the 68 degrees F I tested at. The muzzle velocity of all CO2 air rifles like this increases by about 2 fps per degree Farenheit - so any muzzle velocity claim that does not include at least the ambient temperature along with the pellet weight is really not worth the paper it’s printed on.

- My test gun was very pellet “picky”. Will this be typical? Obviously I don’t know yet.

++++++

For this first test review, I simply set up the Fusion as I would for a normal “Gold Service” test of a QB78 - as we’ve done thousands of times over many years.

Benchmark performance for a QB78 in our standardized testing environment is:
- Temperature approximately 65 degrees F
- “The Peak” wadcutter pellets (7.92 grain in .177 caliber)
- 10 shot group in the 3/8-inch to 1/2-inch range at 10 yards
- Muzzle velocity in the 610 - 620 range for .177 caliber
- Standard deviation for 10 shots around 5 fps
- 50 “good” shots per fill (before the point of impact begins to fall)
- Sighting undertaken with a Leapers red dot sight (no magnification)

This old test target gives an example of a QB78 Deluxe in factory condition (except for a 2-stage trigger conversion) that shot a little faster than usual - in the 635fps range with Peak wadcutters at 62 degrees F. But it’s fairly representative and so is a good baseline for our Umarex Fusion test.



++++++

So here’s the first 5 test targets I shot with the Umarex Fusion, in order and just as I shot them.

Target 1 gave poor accuracy with the Peak pellets that usually work well in QB78s. I tended to spread them across the target, as you can see. But Standard deviation - muzzle velocity consistency - was excellent and muzzle velocity OK at 638 fps.



++++++

For Target 2, I decided to try that other great general purpose pellet, Crosman Premier Light hollowpoints - as widely sold at WalMart.

Whoa! What happened here? Muzzle velocity and consistence were good, but my target looked like one from a shotgun, not an air rifle! This is unfortunate as many Fusion customers are likely to buy these pellets from WalMart, in spite of the manual’s exhortation to use only RWS pellets.



++++++

Target 3 was shot with Stoeger X-Speed pellets. These are the best-performing lead free pellets that I’ve found. Here the group was much better and the muzzle velocity hovered around 700 fps. Still below Umarex claims for the Fusion, but not bad. I called one flyer from this target.



++++++

Target 4 restored my confidence that I could actually shoot! The Stoeger X-Match wadcutter pellets gave good results and a group that’s about as good as I can normally achieve with any air rifle.



++++++
Finally! That’s more like it! Target 5 gave excellent accuracy with Stoeger X-Field pellets, although it was clear that the Fusion was starting to loose muzzle velocity from around shot 40 - rather than shot 50 as I had expected.



++++++

So there’s my first review and test of the Umarex Fusion. It will certainly not be the last and I look forward to the arrival of the similar “new” XS60C as well.

Read more...

Shooting the XS28M. Brent’s Progress

Brent purchased a Xisico XS28M from Archer Airguns recently. As an experienced firearms shooter with his first “magnum” spring-powered air rifle, he faced a learning curve (finding the best hold and pellets) on shooting his air new air rifle successfully. This blog post lists the emails we exchanged during his journey to mastery of the XS28M.



This is not an untypical experience for anyone new to big, powerful spring/piston air rifles (not just the XS28M), but please note as that every individual airgun has it’s own pellet preferences, the one that worked well with Brent’s gun may not work with another - and pellet’s that didn’t work well for him may work very well for another gun.

****

Brent wrote on 7 May...

Do you have any suggestions for "the" pellet for my new XS28M???? Purchased the Stoeger sample pack and none of those are close. Crosman Premier hp 7.9 gr are climbing low to high shot at 10yds and then out to 30 by about 5 inches.

I know some of it is me as I learn to handle the gun but dang, this is frustrating as hell. Suggestions????

****

Steve wrote on 7 May...

We test the XS28M using Stoeger X-Field pellets and have good success with them, although our tester is very experienced at shooting high power spring/piston air rifles and can tame the recoil consistently.

Also every gun is different, as you know, and will like it's own particular pellets. I'd certainly be looking for domed pellets, probably mid weight, as you are trying.

One suggestion is to make an internet search for the "best" pellets people find in the Ruger Air Magnum. This is a very similar air rifle to the XS28M and you may find some good suggestions there.

I hope this helps. Please let me know how you make out.


****

Brent wrote on 8 May...

Yes sir, have tried that primarily after watching your video. I can flat tell you it does not like being shot of my lead bags! LOL. I tend to be heavy handed so I am concentrating on learning to go light. 

****

Brent wrote on 8 May...

I do understand that taming the recoil is a lot of it with this magnum springer and learning the hold it wants is what I am working on.


I am experienced in centerfire and have considerable trigger time with those. I have a 22-250 I did some work on and I can consistently hold <1" groups at 300yds with it and the barrel I turned and made into a .17 Ackley Hornet will always do .275-.325 at 100 yds.  I remove the the stock and checked to see if anything was apparently loose or mis-aligned. I have cleaned the barrel twice now and have about 350 rounds down the tube and can manage about a 3/8 group…at times at 10 yds. I move out to 25yds and it's all over the place. I kid you not, with the Steoger x-magnums it will throw a pattern 3 feet wide…at times.  Seems to be a huge variation in pellet choice with this gun. Crosman Premier hp I have to adjust windage almost all the way left to hit and if I change over to the Stogers I have to adjust way right and then it is inconsistent too.  Nothing seems to pattern with any consistency. 

****

Steve wrote on 9 May...

One other thought. If you are using a scope, have you checked the 3 screws that hold the scope rail on the compression tube? It's possible these can work loose. If they have that would obviously cause a problem. A drop of Loctite Blue on the threads should stop that.

Good luck!

****

Brent wrote on 10 May...

Wasn't anything loose. I revisited the copper coated 10.19gr x-power pellets while ago and with the learning how to hold the rifle to tame the recoil I think I am now on the right track. I used my bags and corrected the parallax for 10 yds where I knew for certain I had it out and then shot off hand with the hold you recommend and managed 3 groups under .300. I then again used my bags and corrected parallax at 25 yds and shooting again off hand I managed 2 groups under 5/8ths. I marked my AO ring as the factory marking are incorrect by about 7 yds ea. 

For me, I find that the artillery hold and not wrapping my thumb around the grip but rather lying it along the side really tightened things up. I very well could be on my way to figuring this thing out. 

If I could hold the heavy thing steadier I would do better!! I'm only 5' 5" so it's dang near as big as me LOL. 

****

Brent wrote on 17 May ...

If I do my part, it'll do it. Looks like 4 but it's 5. Shot at 25yds, averaged 1082fps measured 3 ft from muzzle, sub 1/2" group with H&N Crow Magnum 9.26gr.  I shot several of these like this this morning with 5-10 mph winds crossing left to right. I have one 10 shot group that is a touch under  5/8th's. Best pellet I have found for it thus far. 

I did ever so lightly chamfer the breech, just enough to break the sharp edge over and then polished with a brass round head screw and jb's bore paste. Other than that, bone stock as you sent it to me. I have about 600 rounds down the tube now and am getting comfortable with it. 


Here’s Brent’s 25 yard 5 shot target. Success! Brent, congratulations for your persistence and determination!!!




Brent wrote again on 17 May...

I am still searching for magic pellet at 50, when I find it I'll let you know. What I did Stephen is purchase one of Straight Shooters .177 big sample kits and worked my way through them shooting 5 shot groups at 10 and 25 yds without changing anything…aim point, windage or elevation on the scope, magnification. I tried to keep everything as close to the same as possible for each. Once I had my top 3 I did it again and that gave me my top 2. The crowmag is the best overall for anything out to 25 and the 9.3 RWS supermag wins at 10yds for punching paper.

I just couldn't get the Stoegers to group as tight for me… Still could be me though. I may order some more of the copper plated 10.19's to try again though where I have more of them to play with.


Brent, thanks for recording your journey and for being prepared to share it with others!

Read more...

The Archer Airguns Seasonal Sale Starts Today

You can find sale bargains throughout the store, including special prices on the QB78, QB78 Deluxe, QB79, AR2078B and AR2079B.

There's special prices on many parts kits and we now have Xisico XS28M barrel kits (fit Ruger Air Hawk Magnum and RWS350) available in .25 caliber as well as .22 and .177

If you're looking for a special gift idea for your favorite airgunner (or yourself!) we have just a few one of a kind specials available on our Gift Guns page.

Here's a photo of the beautiful Benjamin Superstreak that's one of the Gift Guns. It includes a camo stock, Gold Service test target and hard Plano case...

If you're choosing a Stoeger X20 Suppressor, you can benefit from the $50.00 value Stoeger mail in promo.

To ensure that your orders are shipped in time for Christmas delivery, please order before 19 December with USPS Priority Mail shipping. If you prefer free shipping or choose USPS Parcel Post, the deadline is 12 December. Obviously we'll be shipping everything out as rapidly as we can, but the Post Office can't GUARANTEE delivery before 25 December for parcels shipped after those dates.

Read more...

Fit This Beautiful Thumbhole Stock to your Ruger Air Hawk Air Rifle

Above and below, the Ruger Air Hawk fitted with this beautiful, unique bamboo thumbhole stock.

If the buttstock of your Ruger Air Hawk air rifle is looking a little tired, or has been damaged in use; this could be the ideal solution. You can dress up your Air Hawk with the beautiful, stylish Xisico XS25 Bamboo Thumbhole Stock - it fits perfectly!

This laminated bamboo stock adds a whole new dimension of usability to your Air Hawk and it looks beautiful, too. The design gives a good cheek weld - essential for accurate shooting - and the palm swell in the forend encourages the use of the "artillery hold" that's so essential for good shooting with any spring/piston air rifle such as this.

Many people find the pistol grip of the thumbhole design easier to grip and - best of all - it adds no weight to the airgun. Bamboo is a very strong wood and this is a durable stock, in spite of its delicate appearance.

The Xisico XS25 Bamboo Thumbhole Stock Kit is not supplied with a trigger guard, but you can use the one that came with your airgun as it fits correctly. And you can simply reuse the stock screws from your Air Hawk too. What upgrade could be easier?

The XS25 Bamboo stock can also be used to upgrade the Ruger Air Hawk Elite air rifle in just the same way, it will be lighter as a result. It also fits the Ruger Blackhawk air rifle, but in this case, you will also require the Xisico XS25 Trigger Guard Kit and Xisico XS25 Wood Stock Screw Kit, as the synthetic stock does not have a removable trigger guard and uses different stock screws.

This stock looks great, doesn't it?

Read more...

Customer Review of Xisico XS25SFB Air Rifle

We recently received the following email from Archer Airguns' customer Randall. As you can see, he's very happy with his new Xisico XS25SFB air rifle! Randall's email is reproduced here with his permission.

"Hello Stephen,

I received a gorgeous Xisico XS25SFB yesterday, yet didn't get to shoot but a few pellets through it.  I couldn't wait to zero the scope and give it, and me, a bit of a workout this morning.  Well, after no more than 25 pellets later, I shot this 5-shot target from 10 yds. bench rest. 

I use JSB Exact 8.44 gr. pellets, as I've found them to be very consistent in springer rifles.  With a CO2 powered gun my expectations are rather high regarding repeatable accuracy, but with springers, I know that some take a while to tame and settle down. 

It seems that's not the case with the Xisico, since from my initial shots to set up the scope it was grouping remarkably well.  It's a fairly heavy rifle which lends itself to a steady hold, and that's always a welcome feature. 

Last night I did polish the sear which made the second stage very smooth.  The flawless, and comfortable bamboo stock, solid scope stop, and the very nicely done muzzle break help make this rifle an exceptional choice.
   
Once again, I couldn't be more pleased with the quality of your products, and your very accommodating service, and for that, a big thanks and a tip of the hat.  I'm going to have a lot of fun with this superb rifle. 

Warmest regards, Randall"

Randall, thanks! And that's great shooting by you!

Read more...

Xisico XS28M - Same Price in .25 caliber

We've answered a number of email questions recently about the Xisico XS28M air rifle - particularly in .25 caliber. This post aims to make the same information available to a broader audience.

This photo shows an XS28M scope combo with a Rex 4-16x40AO scope, UTG Weaver rail adapter and Weaver rings.

Question 1: Do you have the XS28M available from stock in all three calibers - .177, .22 and .25.
Answer: Yes.

Question 2: What is Archer Airguns' price for the basic XS28M (no scope)?
Answer: $149.99.

Question 3: Do you charge more for the .25 caliber model?
Answer: No. All three calibers are the same price, including .25 cal.

Question 4: What's .25 cal performance like?
Answer: Below is an example of "Gold Service" testing for the XS28M in.25 caliber. This gun looks beautiful, has excellent standard deviation (shot consistency) of just over 4 fps and has a nice trigger with a light pull of less than 3 lb. Accuracy is fine with The Peak .25 caliber pellets, but I'd also welcome reader's suggestions for pellets that they have found to work well in this gun. We're still gaining experience with this caliber...

As you can see, tested muzzle energy is in the 22 ft/lbs range. We're seeing muzzle energies with this gun from 21 ft/lbs up to 24/25 ft/lbs.

Actually, the breech seal of the tested gun felt to be a little low. This means that muzzle velocity and - hence - muzzle energy on this particular gun are almost certain to be significantly increased by installing the Archer Airguns XMV Tune Kit for Ruger Air Hawk and Blackhawk Air Rifles. The XMV Tune Kit also fits the XS28M and is an easy, low cost way to optimize the muzzle velocity of these air rifles.

I'd welcome input as to whether Archer Airguns should offer a service to install the XMV Tune Kit on Xisisco break barrel air rifles for our customers in future.

Read more...

Xisico XS28M Now in .25 Caliber - and Pellets!

Recently in stock at Archer Airguns is the Xisico XS28M air rifle in .25 caliber. This magnum power air rifle has been unavailable for some time - now it's here and we're shipping them to customers who have waited patiently for availability. Thanks for your patience!

Of course, we have the XS28M available in a variety of scope combos also.

The muzzle energy of the .25 cal XS28Ms we've tested to date is in the 620 - 660 fps range with 25.1 Grain pellets. This is a very similar power level to that of the Benjamin Trail NP XL air rifles that we have factory refurbished in .25 caliber in our www.archerpelletguns.com store. It's a power level that makes the XS28M very suitable for hunting varmints and small game.

As you may expect, the Archer Airguns XMV Tune Kit for Ruger Air Hawk and Blackhawk Air Rifles can be used to achieve to maximize muzzle velocity, if you wish. This typically brings muzzle velocity up into the 660 fps range.

To accompany the XS28M, we also have "The Peak" pointed pellets in .25 caliber available. These are available in individual tins and also in case packs at a great price.

Oh yes, we also have the XS28M in stock in .12 and .177 calibers also.

As many of you undoubtedly know, the XS28M air rifle is a very similar design to the RWS 350 Magnum and we've received some very positive customer comments comparing the XS28M to it's far more expensive German counterpart.

Read more...

Xisico XS46U Close Up Photos

New to Archer Airguns is the Xisico XS46U underlever air rifle. So, I thought many readers would be interested to see some closeups of this model, particularly as there's a surprise to be found once the stock is removed.

There's an underlever release mechanism situated below the front sight assembly. Pull back on the end of the lever to disengage.

The cocking lever comes down like this.

Here's a view of the cocking mechanism linkage.

Passing towards the rear of the XS46U, we can see the rear open, fiber optic sights, adjustable for elevation and windage. The loading port is directly behind the sights.

For safety, there's a lever that must be thumbed forward before the cocking lever can be raised back to the shooting position.

With the stock removed, the linkage for this safety mechanism is clearly seen.

Here's the surprise! This comparison of the XS46U with the mortal remains of an old Shanghai Airguns QB36-2 (aka Tech Force TF 99) shows a very strong family resemblance, as you can see. The compression chambers of both guns are actually the same length, although the perspective of the photograph makes them look different.

Now obviously the XS46U is not "the same gun" as the QB36-2, but it looks as if both use some common assemblies. That certainly makes sense from a product design and manufacturing perspective and such similarities are far from uncommon elsewhere in the airgun world, as many people know.

Read more...

XS28M Combos Now With Weaver-Style Mounts

As a result of continued testing, we've found that Archer Airguns XS28M scope combos will be a better solution for most users if the scope mounting is done using Weaver-style attachment. So, we're bundling a Leapers dovetail to Weaver rail adapter with our XS28M combos and - obviously - Weaver mount rings also.

The Weaver-style adapter fits the Xisico XS28M perfectly - as you can see from this photo.

It makes a really strong scope mount and prevents the possibility that the scope mount will "walk back" off of the standard airgun dovetail rails.

Below is a photograph of the revised XS28M Weaver combo with the 4-16 x 40AO Rex scope.


So are there any downsides to these revised combos? Well, the price is increased by $20.00 and the centerline of the scope is raised a little - although we are minimizing the effect by using low rings. I still find the cheek weld to be good, however, even with the slightly higher scope position.

To me the XS28 Weaver combos make a lot of sense for most of us. But if you're happy with the non-Weaver approach, we have maintained one XS28M combo that uses the factory dovetails.

Read more...

Test Target for Xisico XS28M

Here's an early Archer Airguns Gold Service test target for an Xisico XS28M air rifle. As you can see, there's a great 10-shot group, with good shot to shot consistency (shown by the low standard deviation of 8.94 fps) and a low trigger pull weight of only 2.5 lbs.

Muzzle velocity averaged 872 fps - this was a .22 caliber gun - giving close to 25 ft/lbs of muzzle energy with mid weight Stoeger X-Field pellets. Of course this much lower than the manufacturer's specification of 1,000 fps, but realistically it's what we would expect from a magnum spring/piston air rifle of this type.

Overall we have very good performance, particularly given the price of just $149.99 for the gun only.

Oh yes, there's just one more thing...

You'll see that the test target describes the gun as XS-B28. The gun itself and it's box are marked as XS-B28, but Xisico is starting to use new names for its products - XS28M in this case - and that's how we are describing them in our store.

Read more...

Closeup Photos of the Xisico XS28M

In response to a number of emails for more information about the Xisico XS28M air rifle, here are a number of photographs I've taken today of a gun drawn entirely at random from Archer Airguns stock...

The scope mount.



The ventilated buttpad looks like this.


Here's some checkering on the wrist of the stock.


This is the T-05 style trigger assembly.


The rear sight area from above.



A lower view of the rear sight and barrel pivot area looks like this.



Here's part of the stock inletting. It's surprisingly good for a part of the gun that's not expected to be seen by most owners.


And finally, here's a view of the cocking linkage, obviously with the stock removed!



I hope you're as impressed as I am!

Read more...

Archer Airguns Introduces Xisico Air Rifles

Xisico - pronounced "Sisco" - rhyming with San Francisco - is the manufacturer of many very popular air rifles that are marketed under other brand names. And while the majority of Xisico production is made for other companies, Archer Airguns is proud to be selling a range of Xisico air rifles under their own brand.

Xisico is a US company with manufacturing facilities in China. Their factory has been manufacturing rifles since the 1960s, today the vast majority of production is air rifles and pistols for customers around the world.


The first model we're introducing is the XS28M air rifle. This is a magnum power airgun that's offered at a great price. It's ideal for long range shooting and hunting so long as it's shot using the Artillery Hold to achieve the inherent accuracy of the gun.

As you can see in our store, we're also offering the first of what we plan to be a range of scope combos with the XS28M air rifle - these combos offer even better value in pricing.


More details to follow as we expand the range of products in the Xisico pages of the Archer Airguns store. Watch this space!

Read more...