For those of that don't already know, I purchased a .25 caliber Benjamin Marauder some time ago. Well, things have calmed down

enough that I thought I should get familiar with it and try to make some Christmas present dollars. So I'm reading the

instructions, ( There's a first ) and I get it all put together properly. This is when I realize that I paid over $500 for an

air rifle that doesn't have sights! All you see when you look down the barrel is this ugly plastic pellet clip that blocks

everything! Not to fear. I happen to have a wonderful scope that I bought for just such an occasion. So I attempt to put this

wonderful new scope on and realize that it won't come even close to clearing that stupid pellet clip that blocks everything.

Just as I am about to commit Hari Kari, I notice my Gamo air rifle hanging on the wall. Amazingly, the scope mounts from the

Gamo can be perfectly traded for the mounts on the Marauder. My day is saved. ( Until I find out that I need to invest another

almost $200 to get an air pump for my Marauder which will actually get it to work. Next time I will use something like a .222

and pay the fine. It will be cheaper!

LOL, Sometimes life can be like an Abbot & Costello movie.

BigBob, you are so right but why do I always have to be Lou Costello?

Paul,

I just got my .25 Marauder today along with scope and extra magazine clip. I've also got the .22 Marauder pistol with the R.Arms AR stock conversion kit on it. I like the AR stock a lot better than the one that comes with the pistol and will be discussing both in upcoming WCT articles as the .22 pistol is almost the perfect urban air rifle/pistol out to 25-30 yards.

Right now, the only downside I see to either Marauder is that the rail is 11mm so you end up having to replace most Weaver style scope mounts (get medium or high to accommodate the magazine) that come with the scope or use an adapter. Also, I've tried a 4-16x40 scope on the pistol combo and while it is great for times when it is used as a rifle, the close eye relief and 10m focus point can cause problems. I'll be trying a red dot on it so hopefully I can use it instead of a .22 rimfire for fur trapping dispatch.

Key items to remember for anyone considering any of the PCP guns (Air Force, Benjamin, FX,etc) is that almost none of them come with any kind of sights and require special hand pumps or connection fill gear for compressed air/nitrogen to fill the reservoir. In other words, an air pump/fill adapter for a Benjamin will not work on an Air Force or FX gun.

When purchasing a PCP air rifle/pistol, also plan the following expenses:

Gun/Pistol
Scope
Scope Mount
Extra magazine (Not all magazines are interchangeable between similar models. For instance, the .22 Marauder rifle magazine is not interchangeable with the .22 Marauder pistol.)
Hand Pump ($150 - $300) or Fill Tank w/ adapter ($300 - $750) or air gun compressor w/ adapter ($1,200 - $3,000)
Degassing Tool
Pellet loading shelf
Chronograph
Cleaning/maintenance gear
and lots and lots of pellets.

While this all seems very expensive to start with, most of these items are a buy once type of item and can be transferred to other air rifles with minimal fees (i.e., new fill adapter for a fill tank/compressor). Also, if you look at the cost of ammo it works itself out to be equal to or cheaper down the road than a center fire rifle.

Of course, the other option is to go with a good spring/gas piston air rifle as the start up cost is much cheaper since you don't have to purchase all the additional gear. Spring/gas piston rifles are more difficult to achieve constant accuracy with, but there are tricks and other things that can be done to help improve it.

Thanks Eric. That extra clip does sound like a wise investment. ( Especially for someone who constantly leaves the stuff he needs in

a pair of pants or jacket that he is not wearing )

Paul,

Just filled my .25 and it took 165 pumps from empty to 2900 psi. When you get your air pump, refill the reservoir after each 8 round magazine so you don't have to do all that pumping each time. (This is a PITA during sight-in and barrel break in, but not that inconvenient for actual usage). I highly recommend getting one of the fill tanks and for use around the office/range and the air pump for on-site usage when necessary.

I don't know yet how many pumps it will take for the .25, but the .22 pistol takes 15 - 20 pumps after each 8 round mag so I'm guessing that the .25 will be 20 - 30.

No problem Eric. I figure I can hire someone with lots of muscles and no brains for about 8 bucks an hour. ( Boy, that description

sounds a lot like me 50 years ago. Nothing has changed except the loss of muscle )

I was wondering why a "real" .22 with a silencer wouldn't be as cheap and a lot more simple?

A .22 w/ a silencer may be cheaper. PCP airguns will run anywhere from $250 - $3,000, but like most firearms, one gun doesn't do everything so you need multiples (at least that's what I tell my wife).

If you're shooting birds in a box store, a .22 is out regardless if you have a silencer on it or not. Also, there are areas where you cannot use a rimfire but you may be able to use an air rifle.

Also, you can get almost any production air rifle within several days of ordering if not immediately and most will come with some sort of noise reduction system. What's the wait time on a silencer these days? 8 months, 12 months, 18 months?