A guest Blog entry
It is not often that I invite someone to write an entry to my blog. As a matter of fact, I've refused offered money to accept blog entries skewed to some commercial purpose. Obviously, I don't want that for this blog. It is one of the few that remain completely devoid of ads/banners and other forms of propaganda.
So, when I find someone who is conscientious, dedicated, patient and perseverant enough to solve a problem many would have simply quit, or sent back to the retailer, I have to take notice.
Not everyone accepts the invitation, but those that do, usually end up writing VERY good entries, and so, without further ado, let me introduce Mr. Ken Wheeler.
Ken spent a good time battling some issues that the Stormrider has, he went through two guns to find the one he wanted to keep, and he listened to advise and was patient. The results he obtained are "professional grade". So I am happy to recognize Ken's dedication by publishing his adventure with the Stormrider.
Happy reading!
HM
So, when I find someone who is conscientious, dedicated, patient and perseverant enough to solve a problem many would have simply quit, or sent back to the retailer, I have to take notice.
Not everyone accepts the invitation, but those that do, usually end up writing VERY good entries, and so, without further ado, let me introduce Mr. Ken Wheeler.
Ken spent a good time battling some issues that the Stormrider has, he went through two guns to find the one he wanted to keep, and he listened to advise and was patient. The results he obtained are "professional grade". So I am happy to recognize Ken's dedication by publishing his adventure with the Stormrider.
Happy reading!
HM
A story begins
Late last fall (Nov. of 2018) I entered into a struggle against the local gray squirrel population that was destroying my lawn and a playhouse intended for my grandchildren. My initial weapon of choice was a .22 caliber Benjamin Prowler. I chose this air rifle because it was inexpensive and readily available at my local Walmart. Initially I was happy with my purchase and used it to dispatch several of the squirrels plaguing my property, but after a while I realized it was a rather difficult rifle to be accurate with, it was relatively loud and very slow to reload for follow up shots, so I began exploring other options. This exploration led me to Pyramyd Air and GatewayToAirGuns.com where my eyes were opened to the large world of air guns. These sources helped me decide I wanted a PCP and narrowed the options to a Diana Stormrider, a Benjamin Maximus or a Beeman Chief. I read all the reviews and watched all the videos I could find on these rifles and had almost decided on the Beeman when I ran across Hector’s blog posts outlining the potential of the Stormrider. Hector’s blog posts prompted me to reconsider and I took another look at the Stormrider. Coincidentally at about the same time DIANA was releasing the second generation of the rifle which incorporated a better trigger, bolt handle and sound moderator.
The primary motivations for moving to a PCP were their lack of the double recoil of a spring piston (making them easier to shoot accurately) and no requirement for multiple pumps between each shot. I also had a strong desire to be able to “tune” the gun to be back yard friendly (whatever that means), which is more difficult to do to with spring piston and multi-pump guns. My goal was to eliminate, if possible, the pass-through shots I experienced quite often when shooting the squirrels in my back yard with the Prowler and reduce the volume of the report so it wouldn’t bother the neighbors. According to Hector’s blog posts and the general research into PCPs I’d done it seemed the Stormrider was a good candidate, assuming I could install a regulator and find a source for transfer ports I could modify. I decided to purchase a .22 caliber second generation Stormrider from Pyramyd Air.
This began my initial love/hate relationship with this delightful little carbine. I say love/hate because the first one I received was not the best example of the weapon. The shipping box showed damage where the bolt handle had punctured it and the gun was slathered with a significant quantity of the preservative oil used by Chinese manufacturers (I hate that stuff), but this was just the beginning of my frustrations with it. Once I cleaned it up and filled it with air I found it didn’t leak so I ran a few pellets through it and was pleasantly surprised at how well it grouped right out of the box. I had to run close to 500 pellets through the Prowler to break it in before it began to group this well. I let it sit for a couple days just to make sure it wasn’t going to leak (it didn’t appear to) and then decided to mount a scope and adjust the trigger. This is where the frustration returned, first off there were (and as far as I know still aren’t) no instructions to be found anywhere on how to do this. This is one of the primary advertised changes to the new gun and there are no instructions on how to adjust it. Anyway, being the “do it myself” type I just dove in and figured it out, but in the process I also ended up completely degassing the gun. Not a big deal, just pump it back up, which I did.
At this point I should comment that this first gun did not require the hammer to be cocked in order to fill from empty, I don’t know why but that’s how it was.
Anyway, this is when the frustration level really rose as I discovered the gun now leaked, it lost ~500psi overnight. I found the leak locations using bubble juice, it was the fill port itself, the fill port cap where it threaded into the air tube and where the gauge threads into the sleeve. So, I destocked the gun, took the fill port cap off and removed the gauge from the sleeve. This is when I found the major issues that caused me to return this gun. First, there was a noticeable quantity of the preservative oil and associated crud in the air tube. Second, the o-ring at the base of the gauge was badly swollen and had to be replaced, fortunately a complete set of replacement o-rings is included with the gun.
I suspect the o-ring was exposed to and had absorbed the preservative oil ruining it. I cleaned as much of the crud and oil out of the air tube as I could but could never get this gun to stop leaking.
After finding these issues I thought it would be good for DIANA to be informed of the QC issue and remembering Hector’s blog I decided to inform him of my experience. This began a conversation and ultimately a friendship. This first gun ended up returned to Pyramyd Air for replacement. And in here I would like to thank PA for their great customer service.
At this point I should comment that this first gun did not require the hammer to be cocked in order to fill from empty, I don’t know why but that’s how it was.
Anyway, this is when the frustration level really rose as I discovered the gun now leaked, it lost ~500psi overnight. I found the leak locations using bubble juice, it was the fill port itself, the fill port cap where it threaded into the air tube and where the gauge threads into the sleeve. So, I destocked the gun, took the fill port cap off and removed the gauge from the sleeve. This is when I found the major issues that caused me to return this gun. First, there was a noticeable quantity of the preservative oil and associated crud in the air tube. Second, the o-ring at the base of the gauge was badly swollen and had to be replaced, fortunately a complete set of replacement o-rings is included with the gun.
I suspect the o-ring was exposed to and had absorbed the preservative oil ruining it. I cleaned as much of the crud and oil out of the air tube as I could but could never get this gun to stop leaking.
After finding these issues I thought it would be good for DIANA to be informed of the QC issue and remembering Hector’s blog I decided to inform him of my experience. This began a conversation and ultimately a friendship. This first gun ended up returned to Pyramyd Air for replacement. And in here I would like to thank PA for their great customer service.
STAGE 1
My experience with the second gun has been more positive but not without its trials. I’ve had problems with this gun leaking as well but none of the QC problems of the first. Yes, it did have some of that NASTY preservative oil on it when it arrived but it was reasonable. (DIANA: I suggest forgoing the oil and instead pack the guns in a plastic bag with a single desiccant pack). After my experience with the first gun I kept in contact with Hector and let him know whenever I encountered a problem, partly to document it and partly to see if Hector had suggestions for resolution. The issues were almost exclusively isolated to small leaks at the fill port cap. In one particular email Hector commented that the machining on these guns is not the most precise and there are usually micro-burs present that when eliminated can resolve leaks. This comment prompted me to tap the cap off the air tube and using a soft towel “polish” the threads on it and in the air tube. This procedure along with applying lube to the o-rings in the cap resolved the leaks and I was completely happy. Up to this point I was uncertain whether I’d keep this gun and if I returned it I planned to replace it with something besides a Stormrider.
To summarize the results and allow readers to come to their own conclusions, I implemented a "standard test" consisting of filling up the gun and shooting "economy priced" pellets to find where the powerplant exited the "sweet spot" for that specific configuration, the results of the gun as received (but corrected for trigger pull and leaks), with open sights, no regulator, max fill 200bar produced ~12 usable shots with a max FPS of ~900 using Crosman Hollow Point 14.3gr pellets and a relatively loud report making it marginally back yard friendly.
To summarize the results and allow readers to come to their own conclusions, I implemented a "standard test" consisting of filling up the gun and shooting "economy priced" pellets to find where the powerplant exited the "sweet spot" for that specific configuration, the results of the gun as received (but corrected for trigger pull and leaks), with open sights, no regulator, max fill 200bar produced ~12 usable shots with a max FPS of ~900 using Crosman Hollow Point 14.3gr pellets and a relatively loud report making it marginally back yard friendly.
Stage 2
During our conversations I had informed Hector I planned to install an Altaros regulator and somehow obtain a transfer port that hadn’t been drilled yet to use in tuning the gun. At the time I planned to tune it for ~12fpe thinking this would be a good level for backyard use. Well, apparently I impressed Hector with my tenacity and attention to detail because he offered to sell me a gunsmith version of the Altaros regulator and a transfer port drilled to 2mm as a starting point. He told me he felt confident I could install the regulator which replaces the stock gauge block, of course I agreed to the idea, although I have to say I was a bit nervous about the prospect of opening the gun again and taking all the guts out of the air tube. So, we made a deal where Hector sold me the regulator, the TP, a new fill cap with a gauge and some additional o-rings. Long story short here is I was able to successfully install the regulator without removing all the parts in the air tube. I was able to extract the gauge block using a wire hook made from a hanger. Maybe not the best idea looking back (if I’d scratched the inside of the air tube I might have created a leak that could not have been fixed) but its history and the gun does not leak at the regulator.
Now I have a working gun with the regulator and the smaller TP installed, it’s time to see how it shoots. Hector set the regulator to ~150bar and the TP has a 2mm opening, this was the starting point.
Here are a couple shot strings with this configuration:
Here are a couple shot strings with this configuration:
These show the base tune to produce ~15fpe while on the regulator and a slight rise then drop when off the regulator. The gun does well with the heavier H&N BHE pellets giving about 27 good shots and more than 30 usable (I neglected to waste the first 2 shots after filling to settle the regulator) with a fill to ~210bar.
Falling back on the "standard test", the gun yielded15 good shots with an avg FPS of 695 and 20 usable shots if you’re willing to allow an FPS as low as 650 using Crosman Hollow Point 14.3gr pellets, starting at a 200bar fill, the report is still loud but the rifle is more backyard friendly.
Falling back on the "standard test", the gun yielded15 good shots with an avg FPS of 695 and 20 usable shots if you’re willing to allow an FPS as low as 650 using Crosman Hollow Point 14.3gr pellets, starting at a 200bar fill, the report is still loud but the rifle is more backyard friendly.
Stage 3
I then decided to invest in a Free Flight Hammer (FFH) device in a quest for a few more shots and a reduction in report volume (the gun is loud even with the “improved” moderator). The only device I could find for sale relies on a micro-paracord arrestor for the hammer spring. I’m not thrilled with the design (it’s difficult to install and who knows how long the cord will last) but reviews online were positive so I took the plunge. The goal of such devices is to eliminate hammer bounce, which I believe the stock Stormrider suffers from, and this device accomplishes it. Here is a shot string with the H&N BHE after installation:
With this configuration 31 good shots are produced, 33 or 34 usable and the rise/drop when the string falls off the regulator is gone. If just the first 30 shots are examined a very stable setup is shown. Part of the increase in shots is due to a starting fill pressure of ~230 bar instead of 210.
Again, listing the results for the "standard test", the gun produced 25 good shots with an avg FPS of 690 and 31 usable shots if you’re willing to allow an FPS as low as 650 using Crosman Hollow Point 14.3gr pellets, the report is quieter still but still a bit loud for back yard. It is to be noted that this time the fill pressure was 230 BAR's
My original plan was to “tune” for ~12fpe but I’ve changed my mind after reading one of Hector’s posts where he discusses the BHE and its terminal ballistics. Coincidentally I had chosen the H&N Crow Magnum and Barracuda Hunter Extremes as my primary hunting ammo while I was still using the Prowler. Hector’s post reinforced my choice and convinced me to leave the gun tuned as is. The Crow Magnum and BHE pellets need more energy than 12fpe to be the most effective. In the time since I completed the tune I’ve taken 8 squirrels and 2 Starlings, only 2 of those shots resulted in a pass-throughs and those were relatively close head shots. For me the jury is still out on this topic, the Prowler produces ~14fpe with these pellets but seemed to be more likely to produce a passthrough.
Again, listing the results for the "standard test", the gun produced 25 good shots with an avg FPS of 690 and 31 usable shots if you’re willing to allow an FPS as low as 650 using Crosman Hollow Point 14.3gr pellets, the report is quieter still but still a bit loud for back yard. It is to be noted that this time the fill pressure was 230 BAR's
My original plan was to “tune” for ~12fpe but I’ve changed my mind after reading one of Hector’s posts where he discusses the BHE and its terminal ballistics. Coincidentally I had chosen the H&N Crow Magnum and Barracuda Hunter Extremes as my primary hunting ammo while I was still using the Prowler. Hector’s post reinforced my choice and convinced me to leave the gun tuned as is. The Crow Magnum and BHE pellets need more energy than 12fpe to be the most effective. In the time since I completed the tune I’ve taken 8 squirrels and 2 Starlings, only 2 of those shots resulted in a pass-throughs and those were relatively close head shots. For me the jury is still out on this topic, the Prowler produces ~14fpe with these pellets but seemed to be more likely to produce a passthrough.
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Stage 4
I added sling studs and a sling, as you can see in the pictures above.
This addition doesn’t increase performance but in my opinion adds the last bit that makes this carbine a very nice hunting setup.
This addition doesn’t increase performance but in my opinion adds the last bit that makes this carbine a very nice hunting setup.
Conclusions
I’m happy with the “final” result considering the goal was to create a backyard friendly pellet gun that can also serve as a general hunting rifle.
The one aspect of it that I find subpar is the magazine which was part of the original attraction of this rifle. In real world use I find the use of the single shot tray to be more than acceptable. Using it prompts me to slow down and take a better shot the first time and if a follow up is needed the reload time is not comparable to a break barrel. Overall I would recommend the Stormrider to anyone looking for a first PCP or an experienced air gunner looking for a gun that can be made into a good hunting setup.
The one aspect of it that I find subpar is the magazine which was part of the original attraction of this rifle. In real world use I find the use of the single shot tray to be more than acceptable. Using it prompts me to slow down and take a better shot the first time and if a follow up is needed the reload time is not comparable to a break barrel. Overall I would recommend the Stormrider to anyone looking for a first PCP or an experienced air gunner looking for a gun that can be made into a good hunting setup.
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