Simple improvements to my QB78 and the advantages and disadvantages of Co2 air guns
Although this article focuses on the improvements of my QB / XS 7 co2 gun, the information will most likely transfer directly to most basic co2 rifles. The QB 78 is a good out-of-the-box weapon and the one that I have and currently use. I have only made three modifications to my QB since new:
1) I tuned the trigger, which is an easy job for anyone who can handle a screwdriver and doesn’t need any extra parts to make a big improvement. More improvements could be made by adding a few wedges to either side of the trigger to stop the slope, which is quite remarkable, although I haven’t bothered with this yet. The trigger feel is now smooth and safe, whereas previously it was clearly uneven, making it difficult to judge when the gun was going to fire.
2) I improved the stock by adding some height to the comb to make the pistol more comfortable and improve my accuracy, especially using telescopic sights. This was a more complex job, albeit easy enough for anyone with some basic woodworking skills and access to a table saw or otherwise more skilled at hand sawing than I am!
3) I added an adjustable stopper / pad plate. This was an easy job with a bit of filing the new stop plate to do and just screwing it all into the position that suits the shooter.
These measures have greatly improved its performance and feel.
Advantages and disadvantages of co2 pistols over other types of aerial weapons
One of the biggest advantages of co2 air guns It’s their relatively low cost compared to comparable springers and even more so, preloaded pcp guns. Co2 pistols will give you the recoilless action of a pcp, which is a huge advantage over spring pistols in terms of accuracy, especially for the less experienced air gunner. They are also usually reasonably easy to tune in, as in the case of the quarterback.
Wanting a cheap but powerful and accurate weapon for hunting and never really mastering aiming with a jumper is what drew me to these weapons in the first place. I had been using a spring-loaded ASI Magnum pistol, which was a great pistol for the money, although I was used to using a Sharp Innova air pump beforehand and found it a lot easier to hit the mark. However, I was sick of pumping every shot and since UK gun laws had changed, making co2 guns legal, I decided to try one.
The disadvantages I have found that there is a considerable power drop once the powerlet begins to drain. I found that I get roughly 80 to 90 shots from a powerlet, but only the first 50-60 are consistent. With the QB it is necessary to remove excess CO2 before changing the powerlets. This can be done without loading pellets into the pistol, but it is time consuming. Unscrewing the tube cap before the powerlets are empty (the QB takes 2 powerlets at a time) can damage the seals. Co2 guns are also subject to a loss of power as the temperature drops. This is most noticeable below 5 degrees C.
In conclusion, co2 power has a great advantage over spring pistols in terms of recoil and can therefore be more accurate. There are good ready-to-go pistols that are great with minimal work. Power dropping as power outlets empty can make recharging laborious and cold weather affects them negatively, however as entry-level weapons they have great advantages as well as being a lot of fun.