Crosman Phantom 1200 FPS .177 Break Barrel Air Rifle (Includes 4 X 32mm Scope)

Comment: My folks have lots of critters running about, munching their garden.
They live in a semi rural area, enough that a 22 isn't an option.
So, I figured I needed a pea shooter (IE pellet gun) to ensure the safety of the vegetables.
After checking out pellet rifles across the whole spectrum, I settled on the Phantom for a few reasons.
A few things to know before I get into the pros and cons of this airgun.
First, I'm a firearms instructor. I've been shooting for decades, am well versed in ballistics, shooting form, and basic gunsmithing on most modern firearms.
As it's been 25 years since I owned a pellet gun, I had a bit to learn about the technology advances that have come about in the years since I last owned a Crosman (in my teens).
Out of the box, this rifle shoots quite well. Not a tack driver by any means, but for what it is, and the price paid, it's very good in my opinion.
The scope is pretty cheesy, but again, the value is in the rifle itself. The scope is marginal, but it works. I do give credit for the mil-dot type crosshairs on it. It's similar to what I have on my "extended range marksmanship" rifles that I use at the 500, 800, and 1000 yards. Plenty powerful for this rifle, and good optical clarity.
The feel is very good, it fits my form quite well for being as big as I am, and it's comfortable to shoot for extended periods.
It's got sufficient mass to it that accuracy is improved, as the basic physics of shooting dictate that even such a tiny pellet at such force out the barrel will give some recoil. The mass absorbs the majority of the recoil, and the little rubberized recoil pad is a great addition.
The scope mounting rings are pretty decent, keeping a similar form to what I use on high grade hunting rifle optics costing more than 10x what this combo runs.
And now, the cons...
The trigger flat stinks. The box says it's a two stage trigger. I disagree. It's slopville. There's no real crisp break, super long take up to get to the break point, and it's really stiff.
The fiber optic sights leave a lot to be desired. They're novel, they look cool, but they're about worthless in my opinion. The ones on mine wiggle significantly, which would be a tremendous detriment on accuracy if I were using them.
My recommendations are these - buy this air rifle. It's a great buy for the price. Ditch the scope and get a Beman, or something that's a step or two above this one. Not necessarily a Leupold, but perhaps a Bushnell. Then find a better trigger group, and have it installed.
Combine those two aspects with this rifle, and you've got a tremendous critter splitter.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot. After zeroing the scope at 25 yards, I was hitting 3 shot groups off an improvised bench approximately 1" diameter. Pretty good all things considered.
And, when the nasty woodchuck poked his head out from under the woodpile, it was his last mistake. He's now the dog's chew toy.

Comment: I do not consider myself an expert but I have a lot of firearms experience and people do ask for my advice. I have fired several of these spring piston type air rifles of different brands and these are my conclusions. The number one problem with these guns is the trigger.The amount of pull and the travel make it difficult to establish consistant shooting.I have tried different adjustments to no avail. I will shoot off a bench with sandbags and after making a good attempt to get zero with the scope, manage to get decent groups at 25 yards. The next day I will shoot again,same gun,same pellets,same hold and release. Guess what? point of impact way off. At first I thought there was a problem with the scope,but the same thing happens with other guns and scopes. Because of the design of these guns the triggers must be this way and it takes a long time to get used to. The heavy spring recoil causes movement and other things can cause a fluctuation in the way this gun shoots on a day to day basis. Practice,practice,practice. Next: If you use a scope, make sure it is mounted properly. I have noticed that the recoil of the heavy spring also tends to make the scope mounts slide and move in the dovetail. Not good. Some guns that come with scopes have the rear scope ring drilled in order to put a set screw down to the receiver of the gun (mine does) this helps a great deal.If you get frustrated with trying to sight in,don't give up. Try again on another day. As I stated before,the differences are amazing.Sure,there is always the possibility of a defective gun or scope,but try all things before giving up. One last thing that I have encountered is the lock-up mechanism on some of these rifles tend to get inconsistant. If the barrel does not fully seat when cocked, the gun will shoot totally different. This is why the open sights are mounted on the barrel not the receiver. The guns come from the factory heavily oiled,thus the first few shots are loud, almost like a .22. I would suggest using something like WD-40 to clean up the thick oil (especially the lock-up points)then re-lubricating with a very good quality thin oil and do this regularly. If you follow these pointers and again practice,practice,practice,you can have a lot of fun with this gun.It is very powerful and there is no need for multiple pumping,which I hate. I have shot some pesky squirrels at long distances with this gun. I have given it 4 stars because it has potential with some fine tuning and practice. If they can do something about the triggers we will really have something here. Have fun and safe shooting.

Comment: THIS IS MY THIRD AIRGUN(second crosman) and it is by far the best one yet. IT is very,very accurate and it blows a hole right through both sides of a tin can, without knocking it over. It is awesome! If you use Raptor Velocity Gold Pellets It Sounds Exactly like a .22. GO CROSMAN PHANTOM 1000X!!!

Comment: I'll be honest, this was my first airgun. I went to a retail store and picked the first break barrel gun I saw for a decent price. I didn't want to think too much or do research. For that kind of buyer, this gun is perfect. It has appeal and does the job.

Since then I've done a lot of reading and hanging around forums. I can tell you I won't buy another one like this. Since buying it, I've spent probably another $100 tuning it into a condition that allows me to hit where I'm aiming at.

This gun has a few problems. Fist the trigger is terrible. It feels more like a hand/finger exerciser than a trigger. Its a chore to pull. They went for safety and cheapness over accuracy and quality. You need to spend $30 to replace it with an aftermarket piece.

Next is the barrel latching widget. Again, not the greatest and cheap. The barrel pivot bushing are actually plastic. Not good. If you close the barrel too hard, the mechanism won't latch and will bounce back instead. Again, not good. Since this is a break barrel, its important that the barrel latch is consistent. On this gun its not. Your zero will wander around from day to day.

Thirdly, its very hold sensitive. With springers, you need to hold them very loosely and let the gun recoil freely, like a howitzer in its frame. If you palm it a bit too hard the gun will vibrate more and send the pellet off in some direction.

Lastly, the inside of this gun is dirty like a Chinese brothel. You need to degrease and deburr the receiver and put it back together using proper lubes like spring tar, moly lubricant for the piston and dielectric grease for the seal/compression chamber.

Now for the good things. This gun looks GOOD. Nicely shaped stock and well balanced all around. Secondly, it shoots okay if you want to shoot cans and not paper targets. It has quite a bit of power. Thirdly, the scope is decent. For beginning shooters it more than enough.

Overall, for the purposes that I got it for, it works well. If I had to spend my money again I would buy a $200 gun factory tuned from a good tuner. It would shoot a hell of a lot better and more consistently. For a starter gun/tuning practice something cheaper like a B3 or similar would have been better. For a 10m target gun, an ISH 61 would have been better as well. This gun does all of the above but doesn't excel in anything. Again, don't bother with this gun if you intend to shoot at paper. Thanks.

Comment: This buy restrinciones my country, not what I was.
Make the repayment of the product to the store, now I hope the refund my money.
LLego time my address box.