Benjamin Marauder Regulated .22 Video Review by AEAC

[Saltlake58]

By the way, I thought it was a very accurate review. I own a Marauder, so am familiar with all of the basics. Steve's comments about the trigger are spot on, and sadly, my unregulated gun shoots better than the reviewed gun, with 18.3 gr JSB's.

Of the low end guns, Crosman has one of the better triggers, and definitely better than their break barrel triggers (those really suck). If it's a match trigger, it's just barely a match trigger.

​If I have mine tuned correctly, I can shoot 20 shots (yes a regulator could help here) with 18.3 Gr JSB Heavies at 75 yards with about 1 to 1.5 inch groups. I can do that because it's adjustable. The regulator really limits you to 14grain pellets to achieve 800 fps. It really isn't all that accurate, considering competition. Maybe my expectations were too high?

​I know Crosman can do better, it's just a matter of deciding whether to replace the Marauder, or to do something to keep it viable in the low end of an expanding PCP Market. We'll just have to see what Crosman decides to do. Next gun will be top end, that is very adjustable, so not another Marauder.

 

[fpgt72]

"NMshooter"

"fpgt72".
And your bias in the reviews is very clear......you are doing everything you can to make some guns look good and others look bad.....perhaps you could get a job at CNN with this kind of viewing of what is in front of you.


Not sure if I agree to this statement
Understand that it is Steve's job to promote these products. I would image it might be his last review if he trashed a product. Steve is a very pleasant man and if you listen closely he will give you both the Pros and the Cons. He critiques in a very gentle way. I have listened to more reviews than I care to admit and I would say Steve is more upfront than most. I had commented to a friend that "was there any rifle that was NOT the greatest rifle on the planet "after listening to their review.
Like anything else you have to read the small print and between the line, but more importantly, know the qualities that you want to get the rifle you want. I believe Steve does a great job in showing you what each rifle can do. +1 to Saltlake in that all rifle are tested with multiple pellets at 50 and 100 yards. The groups don't lie!
I have met Steve only once and have no affiliation to AEAC but it is my opinion he is great for promoting this hobby as well as the products he tests.
Doc

This will be my last post in any of the review threads.

I was under the impression that this was a review, not a commercial. If it is "Steve's job to promote" the products,.... he sells.....then I totally completely mis understood the nature of the videos....they are commercials and not reviews. I expect reviews to be flat facts, with even handed stats on whatever the product is being "reviewed" I don't care if it is an air gun, or a blender....if I see REVIEW in the title a review is what I expect. With you making it clear that his job is to promote products....or another way of saying it is he is a sales person that sheds new light on the videos. I had hoped I had found a channel that gave....to coin another "reviewer" facts not fluff.....but I guess I am mistaken.

Perhaps I will take to heart and give a lash at making videos on youtube.....I am sure I will do no where near as good of video production as AEAC does, but if I do decide to make them, I will only review stuff I own. And rest easy that if I buy something that is a....to use another phrase....golden turd.....I will indeed say so.

Who knows it might be fun.....I also know with how youtube is doing everything it possibly can to silence anything "gun" related...interesting how if you don't say what some like you get muted...... I know there will be no chance of making any money off of it....even if someone other than me watches the silly things.

So bottom line, do not worry I will stay away from "review" threads and topics, I will try to chime in on things that I actually know about. I have been doing the "adult" airgun thing for over 20 years, so there are a few bits of good stuff that rattles around my empty head.

We will see.

And I will leave you to your.......I had several things in here that would get me in the corner again, so I will say I will leave you to your mutual admiration threads.

Also some have said I made personal attacks on others....If I did I am sorry, I know I will attack ideas and such, but not the person. Saying that is the most stupid thing I have ever read is very different from saying a poster is stupid.

I operate under that no product is perfect, no new product is better over the one it is replacing.....eh enough....this has gone long enough and I doubt most will read the entire thing.

We will see if the powers at be find me worthy of staying around.

 

[Michael]

Greg (fpgt72)

Airgun Nation is a community & what we say & do affects everyone in it. For the sake of record, integrity, & transparency I'm making the favor I asked of you last night a matter of public record. From it you drew some weird conclusions, missed the point entirely, and went public with your response. Your actions make it clear that you're not a good cultural fit for Airgun Nation & our community so we're saying goodbye.

"Dear Greg 

My name is Michael, I am the owner of Airgun Nation forum. I'm glad you're here & making good use of the forum. But I'm gonna need your help with something important. You've only been a member here for 90 days and already several of your peers are upset with your conduct. These guys have been sending you "Accuracy" messages as they feel the style in which you commune is off putting and inconsistent with the forums pleasant culture.

Here is a link to your profile and I've copied them below for your convenience: http://www.airgunnation.com/members/fpgt72/accuracy 

Unnecessary Sarcasm. Perhaps becoming a reviewer on YouTube is in order. Get access to as many guns as you can and give them an honest unbiased review.

Did you watch vid? When he says this he shows the breech with \"Made in China\" on it. Can you understand SARCASM?

Take a deep breath... don\'t hit \"submit\"... sleep on it.

I think you like being a negative influence? So here\'s some negative for you.

Not good for this forum

Doesn't know what pcp guns are about

Steve portrayed the gauntlet very well. Gave it plenty of praise for its shortcomings. Sure, if you took the entire trigger group apart and polished everything it would probably be nicer. But then it would not be \"out-of-the-box\" now would it?

Inappropriate comments....

Name calling? Poor form.....

Insulting

Grow up. Temper tantrums don\'t help anything.

You would think that after all these negative feeedback, you might try a different approach. 

I noticed you're headed down the same path tonight on the AEAC Marauder vid & I wanted to make sure you knew that this is the perception of my forums members. If you'd like to stay, & I hope you do, I'm gonna need you to get your approach under control to where its not frustrating other members & detracting from their experience here. 

Thanks
Michael" 

 

[AEAC]

"Andy"Nice review, Steve. If it was offered in .25, I'd be sorely tempted. With the camo synthetic stock to save some weight. And, a more power - less shots tune would definitely suit me better as a hunter. But, thinking about 100 shots on a fill from the perspective of a guy who's hand pumping a Disco is pretty sweet! Being in the market for a new gun, I really appreciate your reviews which give me a good idea of what I can expect if I buy a particular rifle. It's a great service to us, thanks. Maybe, even if they don't figure the .25 would be a good fit with the regulator, they'll offer it in the custom shop unregulated version.

Hey Andy. Thanks man. I'm glad you're finding them helpful.

I think I'm with ya on the .25 stuffed in a synthetic, albeit black for me... about 43 fpe X 25 shots in the current 215cc chamber would also be nice. Agreed, the hand pumpers ought to value this tune as is't efficient and works just fine.

Best,
Steve

 

[AEAC]

"Saltlake58"I've been looking forward to seeing the gun in action for at least a year, since Crosman took it off their site, and finally they got around to making it happen. Must admit though, one aspect of the Marauder I like is the adjustability. With a regulator, seems like the ability to adjust for various pellets is gone. The regulator spits out whatever it spits out, so the hammer spring and hammer throw don't matter any more. Is there any ability to adjust by the end customer, or once it's setup at the custom shop, it's set?
​Nice gun all the way around, but with all the other low cost and now regulated Gauntlet and Fortitude, does this gun really have place in the market? We'll have to see. Even comparing to the new Crosman Fortitude, it seems the main advantage of the Marauder is a better trigger. Fortitude is regulated, gets 90 shots, and uses a much smaller air cylinder. The market is changing rapidly and I question the Marauder's position long term. Hope Crosman keeps it strong for the long term.

Yeah, I think you're right. When I asked Crosman if this new regulator was adjustable they said that it is, it's just not very consumer friendly to do so. I too like the idea of an adjustable reg in the Marauder. Since you've already got pretty much the most hammer adjustable $500 platform out there, you may as well continue with the theme for all the years of tinkers you've been recruiting on account of it. 

I too am curious to see where they go with it along side the Fortitude and I still see a world where both the Gauntlet and Marauder make sense to exist together. They've each things to offer the other doesn't... the Gauntlet a nicer stock, easily tunable reg system, and a reduced price... the Marauder an upgraded trigger, more rigid platform, and rightly placed sling studs.

If Crosman hears us and is able to make a few small changes, they'll be right there at the front of the $500-$700 pack... and that's all they'll need to stay relevant. Everything else there is already in good order.

Steve

 

[AEAC]

"Deja"meh, the smart choice imo would be a streamline every day. Sound suppression is about the only thing the marauder is better / just as good as?
Maybe the pic rail has merits if you like to switch around scopes.

I don't know. Don't get me wrong I very much value the Streamline but at $900, I don't think that Crosman is trying to replace it with the Marauder. I do think they need to proceed with a little caution though. $150 isn't a long way to go to the "next level" the Streamline brings.

Best,
Steve

 

[AEAC]

"USAFANG67""Someone at Crosman should have spent time on this Forum and the Marauder forum and see what MOST of the Marauder owners are doing………exactly what you stated you would do".
Crosman relegated the Marauder to the Custom Shop because this is the last call for this model. While Crosman might appear to be the lost soul wandering aimlessly, one thing it knows is when a model has reached it's pinnacle and has very little market maneuver, wiggle room, left. PCP's like the Gauntlet has set the tone and Crosman and others know that. It's akin to the shot across the bow if you will. 
Given the price of admission of the Marauder I don't see as many people buying it compared to the Gauntlet to tinker with. Crosmans 5 year warranty makes the statement that they want to stand by their product but it's also a double edge sword, look but warranty is void if tampered with.
The above is A.I.M.H.O .

I can speak to this some. 

It's been a transitional 12 months for Crosman. They changed hands and several of the previous decision makers have moved on down the road. I've had a chance to converse with 2 of the new guys calling the shots and it's my takeaway that they both care very much for the future of Crosman and want to take it in a direction synonymous with success. They've approached me as a consultant of sorts and seem very receptive to what I had to say. Crosman's a big ship and it may take another 12 to turn it but I foresee very good things from them going forward, case in point - the new Fortitude.

Best,
Steve

 

[AEAC]

"parallax"Looks like Crosman views this gun as a Hunter Field Target solution & the data Steve provides suggests they did a pretty good job. I'm particularly interested in a tear down of this rifle....are the regulator & hammer energy adjustable? Serious Marauder enthusiasts will be quick to point out they have already achieved the new guns efficiency levels with currently available aftermarket regulators. They will have achieved similar function with lower total cost & weight than the new gun. Still a great offering by Crosman.
Steve -
I laughed hard at your trigger comment, you could not have made that point any better. Well done!

OMG.. I've had my hands on most everything relevant across all brands & price points over the past 18 months and nobody's got a first stage that heavy. The first thing I did to my Gen1 five years back was remove that darn first stage spring but I'm obligated to review it as they sent it so there ya go, lol. 

Steve

 

[AEAC]

"Bruce"This gun is not for me. It seem to preform very well but the looks of the beach stock just turns me off. I will Crossman Would offer this with a walnut stock. This is just me but I would rather spend some extra money for a decent wood stock. I have only owned 1 Crossman, a .25 S rod that would never shoot consent. At the most this seems to be only a 50 yard gun at the most.

I would love to see the Marauder in a skeleton synthetic. Scrap the Armada, consolidate, and produce the Marauder with a few appealing stock options... a black synthetic skeleton, a classic thumb hole walnut, and a traditional firearm looking synthetic camo. For me, the stock & trigger make the gun man.. I'm with ya.

Steve

 

[AEAC]

"NMshooter"Steve,
Great review! Thanks for always being upfront and honest (and not a commercial). You do it in a very respectful way that truly gives the consumer the facts and also gives the manufacturers honest feedback. This is a true gift and is why you have become so successful! 
I agree 100% regarding tuning to 28 FPE with 40-50 shots. Combine that with a Lothar Walther barrel and you have an out of box kickass rifle at a great price. Someone at Crosman should have spent time on this Forum and the Marauder forum and see what MOST of the Marauder owners are doing..........exactly what you stated you would do. Most other high end rifles (in the US) are offers a .22 rifle shooting 28-32 FPE and shooting 40 shots (and more). It is easy to coach from the bleachers and I am sure the Marauder is in the "hot seat" with all the new entry level rifles........ and they have to sell rifles. Setting yourself apart from the crowd is important, however, Is Crosman seeing something different or are they off the mark? Also, if they have a true custom shop, they should be able to offer the Marauder at different power levels. Like the trigger, it should not be hard to do. Looking forward to a .25 Renegade HP review!!!!!????
Enjoy your reviews as always,
Doc
PS- I guess I'm stupid silly but I get a kick on seeing the squirrel roar every time! lol

Thanks Doc. I like to tell the industry that if they want to sell guns, they need to let me connect with my followers... Integrity/Community/Message, in that order. Nobody (except for 1 guy I know) wants commercialized YouTube reviewers where the host just regurgitates everything they can read on a box or web description. They want a guy to form an opinion framed up within the context of their experiences and relay the information in a truthful encouraging way. 

Crosman will be ok. They've have a lot a change this year (read earlier replies) and have some good people at the helm now.

Steve

 

[AEAC]

"Kev"Steve you nailed the changes needed in your assessment of this new Marauder. That is a regulator that gives 50 shots at 30 fpe instead of 90 shots in the low 20 fpe range, improved trigger, and the stock is still a 2 by 4. I would add accuracy. The LW barrel shot no better than my tuned gen 1. 
To really make a splash at this price point the Marauder needs to shoot more of a consistent 1/2" group at 50 yards while getting the mentioned 50 shots. With a LW barrel, different regulator, and factory tuned valve it seems that a Marauder could achieve this on a mass produced scale. That would be the real game changer in the airgun industry. I would stand in line to buy one even though I already own one in each caliber.

Thanks Kev. Like you guys, I live on the forums... not just AGN and have a good idea of what the community is longing for in a $600 airgun, myself included. 

The Marauder I reviewed this week didn't have the Lothar Walther barrel in it. It had in it the New York made Crosman barrel that they've been working so hard on all year. The LW barrels came available just a day or two ago actually, so you guys can get em' now. Either way, half inch at 50 and sub 2" at 100 is all the gun I'll ever need to hunt & play around with. I sincerely do hope they do produce the Marauder as a staple with LW barrel, reg, & weaver rail... add in some improved stock options and call it day.

Best, Steve

 

[AEAC]

"Matt247365"Thanks for another great Video, Steve. I appreciate all that you do
I have a .22 Synrod which is nice but this new regulated model seems like a nice step up!
Matt

I appreciate you guys Matt. Thanks for the encouragement. Steve

 

[AEAC]

"dodge3500"It's a nice offering from crosman but man a regulated Marauder bullpup would have been cooler.

I second your request of a pup. If the secondary market can come up with a good kit, so can the gang at Crosman. Marauder based is not a bad thing so far as I'm concerned. Steve

 

[AEAC]

"Saltlake58"By the way, I thought it was a very accurate review. I own a Marauder, so am familiar with all of the basics. Steve's comments about the trigger are spot on, and sadly, my unregulated gun shoots better than the reviewed gun, with 18.3 gr JSB's.
Of the low end guns, Crosman has one of the better triggers, and definitely better than their break barrel triggers (those really suck). If it's a match trigger, it's just barely a match trigger.
​If I have mine tuned correctly, I can shoot 20 shots (yes a regulator could help here) with 18.3 Gr JSB Heavies at 75 yards with about 1 to 1.5 inch groups. I can do that because it's adjustable. The regulator really limits you to 14grain pellets to achieve 800 fps. It really isn't all that accurate, considering competition. Maybe my expectations were too high?
​I know Crosman can do better, it's just a matter of deciding whether to replace the Marauder, or to do something to keep it viable in the low end of an expanding PCP Market. We'll just have to see what Crosman decides to do. Next gun will be top end, that is very adjustable, so not another Marauder.

Crosman triggers are a total enigma to me. Benjamin Maximus, Marauder, and Bulldog all have very good triggers. What the heck happened to the rest of em, lol? I agree... we're behind ya Crosman! Steve

 

[rwsmike]

Nice review Steve I still like the mrod even after owning many high end guns. 

 

[Crusher]

Still love my Marauder 25 since it was my first PCP. I was looking forward to this regulated version. Bit I have to say that under 800 fps is just going to be difficult for guys like me. I would want to tune it UP a little. The guys on the marauder forums can get really big power out of these albeit with fewer shots for sure. 

I appreciate the honest review Steve. And your video production is very nice. You get a lot of info on the screen so we can see what is happening. Well done.

Crusher

 

[Saltlake58]

"AEAC"

"Saltlake58"I've been looking forward to seeing the gun in action for at least a year, since Crosman took it off their site, and finally they got around to making it happen. Must admit though, one aspect of the Marauder I like is the adjustability. With a regulator, seems like the ability to adjust for various pellets is gone. The regulator spits out whatever it spits out, so the hammer spring and hammer throw don't matter any more. Is there any ability to adjust by the end customer, or once it's setup at the custom shop, it's set?
​Nice gun all the way around, but with all the other low cost and now regulated Gauntlet and Fortitude, does this gun really have place in the market? We'll have to see. Even comparing to the new Crosman Fortitude, it seems the main advantage of the Marauder is a better trigger. Fortitude is regulated, gets 90 shots, and uses a much smaller air cylinder. The market is changing rapidly and I question the Marauder's position long term. Hope Crosman keeps it strong for the long term.

Yeah, I think you're right. When I asked Crosman if this new regulator was adjustable they said that it is, it's just not very consumer friendly to do so. I too like the idea of an adjustable reg in the Marauder. Since you've already got pretty much the most hammer adjustable $500 platform out there, you may as well continue with the theme for all the years of tinkers you've been recruiting on account of it. 
I too am curious to see where they go with it along side the Fortitude and I still see a world where both the Gauntlet and Marauder make sense to exist together. They've each things to offer the other doesn't... the Gauntlet a nicer stock, easily tunable reg system, and a reduced price... the Marauder an upgraded trigger, more rigid platform, and rightly placed sling studs.
If Crosman hears us and is able to make a few small changes, they'll be right there at the front of the $500-$700 pack... and that's all they'll need to stay relevant. Everything else there is already in good order.
Steve

The big advantage the Marauder has is adjustability. Other guns with the same adjustment features are in the FX Impact and Crown range, and extreme top end. The Marauder doesn't limit me to a single pellet that the gun "Likes", but I can adjust to what I like and in most cases get it to shoot pretty well.

I view it as my reloading bench. I can adjust the powder load and bullet weights, basically on the fly with a couple hex keys. To get that ability in any other air gun requires huge outlays of cash. (Think FX Impact)

It seems that if Crosman wants to get out of the low end of the market which is rapidly getting over-crowded, they need that adjustability, combined with a regulator (like the Impact or Crown) and the accuracy. The LW barrel should help on the accuracy front, but I think the main thing is to allow that adjustability WITH the regulator (by the way, Ted of Ted's Holdover never adjusts the regulator, just the hammer and transfer port.) What I see with this regulator setup is losing the Hammer Spring and Transfer Port adjustibility. If I had those back and maybe 40 or 50 shots so I had enough air out of the regulator for the other adjustments, plus the LW barrel, that would be a real winner! Might even consider that instead of the Crown I have my eye set on currently. Still a few months away from having the cash, but closer every month.

Plus, as a Field Target gun, if I understand it correctly, this gun can't be used in European matches. I believe those guns are limited to 12 foot pounds Energy. As such, the 20 to 21 FPE gun limits the market to the US. Odd limitation?

I have a few more months before I pull the trigger on the Crown (beautiful stock for that price too. Listen up Crosman!), so I'll see what happens in the meantime.

Thanks Steve for the review.

 

[Saltlake58]

"AEAC"

"Saltlake58"By the way, I thought it was a very accurate review. I own a Marauder, so am familiar with all of the basics. Steve's comments about the trigger are spot on, and sadly, my unregulated gun shoots better than the reviewed gun, with 18.3 gr JSB's.
Of the low end guns, Crosman has one of the better triggers, and definitely better than their break barrel triggers (those really suck). If it's a match trigger, it's just barely a match trigger.
​If I have mine tuned correctly, I can shoot 20 shots (yes a regulator could help here) with 18.3 Gr JSB Heavies at 75 yards with about 1 to 1.5 inch groups. I can do that because it's adjustable. The regulator really limits you to 14grain pellets to achieve 800 fps. It really isn't all that accurate, considering competition. Maybe my expectations were too high?
​I know Crosman can do better, it's just a matter of deciding whether to replace the Marauder, or to do something to keep it viable in the low end of an expanding PCP Market. We'll just have to see what Crosman decides to do. Next gun will be top end, that is very adjustable, so not another Marauder.

Crosman triggers are a total enigma to me. Benjamin Maximus, Marauder, and Bulldog all have very good triggers. What the heck happened to the rest of em, lol? I agree... we're behind ya Crosman! Steve

If you think the Marauder trigger isn't all that good, compare it to a Crosman Break barrel trigger. I even bought the after market trigger to "Fix" the trigger on my Titan. Good gun, functional trigger. Marauder is light years ahead of that one.

 

[rwsmike]

I maybe wrong on this but doesn't a Thomas airgun have a mrod trigger ....maybe I'm wrong so don't bash me.

 

[AEAC]

"rwsmike"Nice review Steve I still like the mrod even after owning many high end guns.

Me too buddy. I'll never sell my Gen1 .25 with Boyd's blue Blaster stock & removed lawyer spring.

... the way a Marauder should be.