Beeman R1 and R9 Air Rifles

[Kestrel]

Anyone have experience with the Beeman R1 and R9? I have an RWS 34 Diana in .177 and would like to upgrade to a better rifle and go with a heavier caliber.

The RWS seems to have a lot of plastic on it, where the Beeman appears to be all steel (receiver end cap, safety, trigger, sights, etc.). The RWS cocking lever is stamped and the Beeman appears to be machined.

There is a Beeman R9 "Goldfinger" package that looks good and is reasonably priced. The R1 is more expensive, but has a threaded receiver end cap and better finished stock. (The R1 looks like it's about a pound heavier than the R9, though. That may be a big detriment.) I don't have any place around to see these in person, so any good feedback would be much appreciated.

And last question. I'm trying to decide between .20 caliber and .22. Is .20 caliber popular? Is it much less effective on squirrels out to approximately 40 yards? Any other pros and cons would be appreciated.

Oh - by the way. How do the RWS 34 Dianas hold up over time? Is the plastic end cap or safety prone to crack or break?

Oops - another question. Is it better to go with the Beeman one-piece scope rings and mount, over the separate scope rings, such as on the Goldfinger?

Ahem - thought of another one. Is the Bushnell scope that comes on the R9 Goldfinger a good one for an air rifle? Is a Leupold EFR air rifle scope a good bit better? (It's approximately $350, compared to approx. $114 for the Bushnell Banner 3x9 air rifle scope.)

Thanks!

 

[aspade]

I've had an R9 in .177 for about 10 years. It is a fun pellet rifle. I can't compare it to the Diana or the R1 as I have never seen either but on its own merits it is well finished, has a great trigger, and feels generally solid. I don't hunt with it - that's what 22LRs are for - but as a quiet yard plinker with ammo that's practically free I like it a lot.

There are Chinese made clones of the R9 and several other midrange european air rifles available at about half the price of the real thing. At today's prices, I would have trouble justifying $350-400 for a toy gun and would buy the clone instead.

On caliber, keep in mind that whether it's a .177, a .20, or a .22 pellet you're hitting with 5 to 7% of the power of a lowly 22LR. IMO at this power level the only humane shot on a squirrel is a brain hit, in which case any size pellet will do. A smaller caliber will have the flattest trajectory to make range estimation less critical. If you take shots at anything but brain, a larger caliber destroys more tissue and kills better.

 

[Tokugawa]

I have a beeman .20. A powerfull flat shooting air rifle, I think it is an R9, sort of one step down from a R1. Nicely made and solid. It will punch through a steel tin can at 40 yards. A good pest control tool. Accurate enough to warrant a scope.

 

[jlmurphy]

I have had all three of those rifles. The Beeman marked R series is made by the German firm of Herman Weirach ( HW ), a very reputable company. They are generally superior to the RWS rifles, they can be found elsewhere as the HW 80 ( R1 ) and the R7, I can't recall. I second the smaller caliber ( .177 ) for general pest control, it shoots much flatter and is more accurate than the .20 or .22, with an air rifle shot placement is everything. A good scope really helps and if you can find a windage/elevation adjustable mount, get it, the Beeman rifles sometimes come with a scope angled barrel, otherwise it is sometimes hard to get the scope to adjust to the point of impact of the pellet. The scope on a spring piston rifle really takes a beating, so the Leupold might save you the hassle of breaking the Bushnell ( I have a box of cheap broken scopes ). Try Pyramid Air online, I would also recommend the Crosman Premier Lite .177 pellets. Good luck! By the way the R1 is superior to the R9.

 

[Kestrel]

Thanks for the comments.

Can you elaborate on how the R1 is superior to the R9? Is it finished better?

I noticed that a lot of sights don't list the barrel length on an spring air rifle. Any reason for this? I would guess it's better for the barrel length to be shorter on these things? The pictures of the R1 appear to have a longer barrel than the R9, but it doesn't state the length.

How well do the RWS 34/Dianas hold up over time?

By the way, why would the .177s be more accurate than the .20 and .22?

Thanks again.

 

[koja48]

Try this link . . . very informative. I own 2 Beemans - an R-7 & an HW97K, both in .177 & extremely accurate, thus in my opinion, flatter trajectory & consistent shot placement trumps the extra oomph of the .20. If you're planning to hunt anything larger than tree rats (such as rabbits), I'd opt for .20 caliber. Beeman makes very nice air rifles.

http://www.straightshooters.com/

 

[jlmurphy]

The R1 was the first " Magnum " spring piston rifle, approaching 1,000 fps in .177 cal. (The Feinwerkbau 124 was another great rifle but topped out at about 840 fps.) The compression tube was made thick enough to mill scope rails directly in the top. HW made the rifle ( HW model 80 ) to Robert Beeman's high standards and it was easily the class rifle for at least a decade. The rifle has been easily modified for much greater output and/or smoother firing cycles, one example is the Beeman Lazer. Premium wood for stocks, all metal hardware, top bluing and attention to detail were standard. The only complaint was the rifle was heavy, so the R10 was introduced with a thinner compression tube and a riveted scope rail. I don't remember the exact dimensions because I don't have either rifle now, but I believe the stroke or the bore was greater on the R1. The R9 was the replacement for the R10, and while a great rifle on it's own, doesn't have the pedigree of the R1.
The subject of barrel length is complex. Obviously a longer barrel puts the front sight farther away and makes cocking a break barrel easier. The problem is that the firing cycle of a spring piston is very complex, the piston is cushioned by the trapped air and pellet, the piston is rebounding before the pellet begins to move. Too short a barrel can make for a very harsh firing behavior, too long and the pellet wastes energy moving through the barrel after the power pulse is gone. Most magnum rifles have about 19" barrels, which seem to be a decent compromise, combined with a choked muzzle, the firing cycle is acceptable.
The ballistic coefficient of most round nosed heavy pellets is surprisingly similar, with the larger calibers having a slight edge. The problem is that with the same powerplant, the lighter pellets leave the muzzle proportionately faster. The trajectory and wind drift to the target is a function of how long it takes to get there, and the .177 gets there much faster. There is also the fact that the heavy .177 pellet seem to be more stable than the .20 and most of the .22, with the exception of the long Korean type used in the precharged rifles. I have made switch barrel rifles in .177,.20, and .22, extensive testing at 75 yds was a real eye opener, unless it was close hunting (.22), I always used the .177. You have to remember, it doesn't matter how hard a pellet hits if you miss.
The RWS 34 is a good rifle, just not as refined as the Beeman R series.

 

[Kestrel]

Thanks for the info. Is the .20 caliber very common? I've seen plenty about the .177 and .22, but not as much about the .20.

Also, I was looking at the straightshooters site that was recommended. There is another gun on there - there are a couple of other interesting models listed:

- The Beeman HW97, which looks like it has a separate cocking lever under the barrel.

- The Beeman R7, which looks like a nice little carbine for my daughter.

- The RWS/Diana 54. How does this compare to the RWS 34 and is it as nice as an R1?

Oh and one other question. Is the R1 an outdated design or is it still a great option?

Oh, I guess one other question. What is the story on the Beeman Kodiak? Beeman lists this thing in .25 caliber. Is it also made by Weirach, as is the R1?

Thanks again. This becoming a very interesting new aspect of shooting.

 

[koja48]

The HW97 is a great rifle, heavy, but very accurate. I will NEVER get rid of my R-7, nor do many others who own them (and they were designed with smaller shooters in mind . . . also much easier to cock than the more powerful rifles, although I shoot it just fine at 6'3"). I know nothing about the Diana series, but prefer the Beeman products to the RWS types I've handled. Bear in mind that the higher power/faster shooting rifles come at a price: require more strength to cock; are slightly less accurate due to greater recoil & as referenced above, due to more significant recoil & it's effect on the pellet (a spring piston gun is vibrating while the pellet is in the barrel; good form < I hold them more loosely than a conventional firearm> is important!); and typically are louder (all spring pistons seem loud due to the spring vibration transmitted via your cheekbone; the R-1 is the quietest & the HW97 isn't terribly far behind). Also, don't be too focused on high velocity. The "1200fps" ads are a selling ploy; accuracy suffers once a pellet approaches or exceeds the speed of sound (around 1100fps in my neck of the woods). I specifically tailor pellet weight to find the most accurate velocity in my guns (settled on Crossman Lights for the R7, and Crossman Heavies in the 97. Off a rest (a rolled-up towel works well & tends to absorb vibration; rest at the balance point, usually an inch or so forward of the trigger guard), I can maintain cloverleaf groups at 25-30 yards when I do my part. Airgunning is a great sport, I can practice sight aquisition, breathing, and trigger mechanics at home, ammo is inexpensive . . . try it . . . you'll like it! Oh & .20 cal pellets are common, but you usually need to buy on line for best selection, but this the best deal anyway; many vendors offer "buy 3 tins, get the fourth free" deals. For strictly hunting, the .20 is a good compromise between the .177 & the .22 & in my mind, the .22 doesn't shoot flat enough. If you will be plinking more & get hooked by the accuracy bug, go .177. It will do just fine on squirrels (and magpies, crows, gophers, . . . ).

 

[jlmurphy]

The R7 is a great rifle for anyone and would be perfect for your daughter. The .20 caliber was started by Sheridan in the 1940's. A compromise between .177 and .22, it doesn't really do either. I could never get my magnum .20 to work past 70 yds, the pellets became unstable, the rifling twist may have been wrong. The spring piston rifles are either barrel cocking or side/underlever cocking. The belief was that the pivoting barrel lockup would cause point of impact shifts, in fact it does, but only a very small amount, and the pivoting barrel is a great way to load a pellet. The underlevers are heavier do to an extra cocking lever and a sliding breech compression assembly for loading, although the fixed barrel and added weight help with accuracy. The RWS (Diana) rifles are good rifles, but generally the HW line is better finished, although a lot of that can be attributed to Beeman who insisted on top quality for his imports. The RWS 54 is perhaps my favorite production rifle, having the same sidelever action as the RWS 48/52, it is mounted on rails that allow the action to recoil in the stock, completely eliminating felt recoil. The double recoil of a spring piston rifle makes them hold sensitive, this action eliminates that problem. It was first used by Feinwerkbau for their 300 series Olympic match rifles in the 1960's. A RWS 54 rifle with the spring and guides tuned for smooth cycling in .177 is the perfect pest control rifle.

 

[Kestrel]

koja - Thanks for the info. Your HW97 looks great. Are you using the Beeman one-piece mounts there? (Which scope do you have mounted?)

Is that separate cocking lever under the barrel convenient to get a grip on? I haven't seen one in the flesh, but have wondered if it's easy enough to grab that lever right under the barrel to cock it.

jlmurphy - Go good info, too - thanks. I didn't realize the RWS 54 was a side-cocking rifle. Does that mean that the barrel cocks to the side, instead of down, or is there a separate lever?

Does anyone have a lot of experience with the Bushnell airgun scopes compared to the Leopold airgun scopes? Do the Bushnell scopes hold up well on the airguns?

Thanks again!

 

[jlmurphy]

The RWS 48/52/54 rifles have a fixed barrel, the cocking lever is on the side of the compression tube and uses linkage to retract the spring. The problem with lower priced scopes is the Q.C. during manufacture is spotty, also customer service is usually poor. The double recoil of a springer is especially hard on scopes, and air rifles scopes usually have an adjustable front lens to focus close (+/- 7 yds). I have a Japanese made Tasco that is fantastic, I also have other Tascos in my box of broken scopes. Buy the Leupold.

 

[jlmurphy]

You might try Burris optics, they are good scopes and less pricey than Leupold. Look on Pyramid Air online and visit the Airgun Forum, they have recent info on decent scope manufacturers.

 

[Kestrel]

Thanks. That's what I thought on the scope. I've always been comfortable with Leupold.

What air gun forum are you referring to? On Pyramid Air?

Thanks again.

 

[jlmurphy]

It is the Network 54 Airgun Forum, also called the yellow forum.

 

[koja48]

You depress a spring-loaded button on the end of the cocking lever, then pop it out of the retainer at the muzzle end & cock. With an underlever, always hold the lever once fully cocked while you load the pellet & KEEP ANY FINGERS AWAY FROM THE TRIGGER! If the breech were to inadvertently be tripped, fingers could sustain serious injury. It isn't as difficult or scary as it sounds, and one gets the hang of it fairly quickly. Without a doubt, a break barrel is easier to cock & load, however.

The scope is a 6-18 Bushnell. Super clear & no problems whatsoever. Ensure you buy an AIRGUN scope & mounts featuring a scope stop (I also use green or blue thread locker on the mount fasteners, but I do this for all scopes. Conventional scopes won't hold up to the double recoil of an airgun. Elements in an airgun scope are braced front & rear. More than one high-end conventional scope has been destroyed when mounted on an air rifle. I have an inexpensive Leapers Bug Buster on the R7, with no problems to date, but the R7 is very low power/recoil. This scope wouldn't last on the 97.

 

[Kestrel]

Does the cocking lever snap back up if you let go? If not, how do you release it? Are they that easy to "let go" and snap back? I just assumed it had a stop like a barrel cocking air rifle.

 

[Kestrel]

By the way, I had a little surprise with my RWS this afternoon. I've hardly ever fired it, so was prepping it a bit. As advised above, I checked the stock screws and cleaned the bore. I also lubed the cocking lever pivot area and the cocking lever slide part that is visible under the forearm. It has a pretty rough sound when cocking it. I used some RWS lube that is for the pivot pin/area.

Well, I also had a bottle of RWS lube called "Air Chamber Lube". Huh? I didn't think you lubed the air chamber, because of the chance of dieseling. The bottle said to put 3-4 drops in the "air chamber exhaust port after every so many rounds". (I thought that sounded like a lot of lube, anyway.)

Well, since it sounded so rough when cocking, I thought maybe there was something to this. The translated German manual/piece of paper didn't show anything about an "air chamber exhaust port", so assumed it must be where the chamber would exhaust when the barrel is locked up. When I had it cocked, I put two drops in there...

A few minutes later I went out back and shot a pellet. Smoke came out of the barrel. That concerned me a little, since I didn't want to damage any seals. Fired a second shot and very little smoke. Fired a third shot and - CRACK! It sounded like a .22 CB. (I had been holding the gun away and shielding my face, in the event my lube concern proved right.)

Fired about three more shots after that one and no more smoke (or cracks). It fired normally as far as I could tell. Think I may have caused any damage?

What is the story about the lube? Did I put it in the right place? Why would a compressed air chamber need lube?

Thanks again for indulging all the questions!

 

[yongxingfreesty]

I had a beeman r1 when I was 12.

Dad got it for me, I shot so many birds/squirrels with it 30yds and out open sights.

Had over 500 pellets fly thru it no problems. I sold it on ebay years back and not looking for a nice quality rifle.

 

[koja48]

It was "dieseling." Too much lube (the atomized oil droplets actually ignite, hence the smoke; temps in the compression chamber can reach 2,000 degrees F.). I lube mine rarely & very sparingly. My R7 will diesel occasionally on the first shot after it has been unused for long time. This can cause problems, but it sounds as if yours is okay. No noticeable drop in velocity or accuracy? Read this link: http://www.pyramydair.com/blog/

Holding the lever is just a precaution. Once cocked, there is no pressure on it, and it will only slam closed should you happen to actuate the trigger. The arm has a built-in safety feature (called a bear trap ratcheting device) in addition to the standard "safe/fire" safety (this engages when you reach full cocking stroke), but the generally accepted rule of thumb is to keep control of the cocking arm while loading. Common to all firearms and conventional "safeties," use them, but don't trust them. Trust muzzle control & sound gun handling habits/skills.

 

[jlmurphy]

The earlier spring piston rifles had leather piston seals and required periodic oiling to prevent drying out, modern seals are synthetic and require almost no lubrication. It has been proven that most magnum spring rifle derive at least a small amount of their higher velocity from dieseling, but too much can burn the seal and break the spring. Always use synthetic lubes, usually silicone, petroleum based lubes will almost guarantee dieseling.

 

[precisionshootist]

I have an R1 that i've owned for over ten years. The R1 is a beautiful rifle. Accurate, powerful and extremely over built. The down side is that it's heavy. I sent mine back to beeman for the "laser" treatment and to change from 177 to 20 cal. The best way I can describe it is this rifle is like the 1911 or M1 garand of air rifles. If you don't mind an air rifle that's nearly as heavy as an M1 you will love the R1.