I ordered my .30 cal FX Impact back in May and, as per expected, waited a bit over 4 months to receive it. I’ve had it since October 4th (3 weeks) and have been having a fair amount of fun with it. I’ve read several threads in which other Impact owners spoke of issues like screws coming loose, in particular, the set screw for the pellet probe. I checked mine, and have had no such issues… Until last night, that is. I’m just glad no one was standing behind me…
I had no clue that the probe set screw had come all the way out. *** CORRECTION!! The pellet probe set screw DID NOT work its way out. Upon further inspection, it is still in the probe block. The set screw sheered off where it makes contact with the pellet probe! My allen key goes clear through it. This means that this could happen again at ANY time! No way, that I can think of, to assure safety from this happening again! (pictures below)*** Which, just to be clear, is absolutely NOT something ANYONE who pays $2K for a supposed high-quality, precision air rifle should have to be concerned with in the first place. I’d shot through one magazine last night and was on the third shot of my second mag. I cocked the rifle as usual and it felt like it always did… smooth as glass as the pellet was pushed into the chamber. I took aim and put my finger on the trigger. But instead of the incredibly quiet shot that I’m used to when I pull the trigger, I got a BANG that was every bit as loud as if I’d popped a round from my wife’s S&W 9mm. I felt a significant amount of air blow past my face and my right ear is STILL ringing from the sound of the blast. This occurred yesterday at about 6:30pm. The pellet probe hit my right shoulder as it was sent FLYING out the back of the rifle due to the set screw having come out, leaving quite a welp. The probe then bounced off the metal door behind me, leaving 2 small dents and small gouges in the paint, and landed about 8 feet in front of me. The probe is now bent and unusable, and the clear plastic side of the magazine is cracked as well.
To say I’m furious that I paid $2000 and waited over 4 months for a rifle, just to have a VERY dangerous malfunction after only 3 weeks of ownership is a ****ing understatement. If my wife or son had been directly behind me and struck when this occurred, I would most DEFINITELY be consulting an attorney. And given the situation as it is, I’m not sure that I won’t consult an attorney anyway. This is absolutely unacceptable out of a piece of equipment that’s supposed to be such a high quality and precision instrument. Something had better be done to make this right. Will be calling AOA as soon as they open this morning.
This situation could’ve been MUCH worse. My wife and 4 year-old son, while not directly behind me, were only about 10 feet to my right and slightly to the rear. My son LOVES to watch me shoot and is often directly behind me or beside me as he does. VERY glad last night wasn’t one of those times…
After realizing that the cause of this very dangerous malfunction was that the set screw sheered off, and having no way to be absolutely certain that this won't happen again, my confidence in the safe operation of this rifle is pretty much leveled. I am VERY disappointed to put it VERY mildly.
I had no clue that the probe set screw had come all the way out. *** CORRECTION!! The pellet probe set screw DID NOT work its way out. Upon further inspection, it is still in the probe block. The set screw sheered off where it makes contact with the pellet probe! My allen key goes clear through it. This means that this could happen again at ANY time! No way, that I can think of, to assure safety from this happening again! (pictures below)*** Which, just to be clear, is absolutely NOT something ANYONE who pays $2K for a supposed high-quality, precision air rifle should have to be concerned with in the first place. I’d shot through one magazine last night and was on the third shot of my second mag. I cocked the rifle as usual and it felt like it always did… smooth as glass as the pellet was pushed into the chamber. I took aim and put my finger on the trigger. But instead of the incredibly quiet shot that I’m used to when I pull the trigger, I got a BANG that was every bit as loud as if I’d popped a round from my wife’s S&W 9mm. I felt a significant amount of air blow past my face and my right ear is STILL ringing from the sound of the blast. This occurred yesterday at about 6:30pm. The pellet probe hit my right shoulder as it was sent FLYING out the back of the rifle due to the set screw having come out, leaving quite a welp. The probe then bounced off the metal door behind me, leaving 2 small dents and small gouges in the paint, and landed about 8 feet in front of me. The probe is now bent and unusable, and the clear plastic side of the magazine is cracked as well.
To say I’m furious that I paid $2000 and waited over 4 months for a rifle, just to have a VERY dangerous malfunction after only 3 weeks of ownership is a ****ing understatement. If my wife or son had been directly behind me and struck when this occurred, I would most DEFINITELY be consulting an attorney. And given the situation as it is, I’m not sure that I won’t consult an attorney anyway. This is absolutely unacceptable out of a piece of equipment that’s supposed to be such a high quality and precision instrument. Something had better be done to make this right. Will be calling AOA as soon as they open this morning.
This situation could’ve been MUCH worse. My wife and 4 year-old son, while not directly behind me, were only about 10 feet to my right and slightly to the rear. My son LOVES to watch me shoot and is often directly behind me or beside me as he does. VERY glad last night wasn’t one of those times…
After realizing that the cause of this very dangerous malfunction was that the set screw sheered off, and having no way to be absolutely certain that this won't happen again, my confidence in the safe operation of this rifle is pretty much leveled. I am VERY disappointed to put it VERY mildly.
