Crossman F-4 Nitro Piston, my personal thoughts

[Lakobe1]

Ok, so before I make a few statements about this break barrel air rifle, I want everyone to know that I am not knocking anyones Airgun preferences whether you have spent $1,000.00 or $20.00 on your favorite shooter. Its all about what you like for your situation.
I own several airguns ranging in various price points. This Crossman F-4 I have found for me personally to be the best shooter of the bunch. This Nitro Piston break barrel is sold at local wally worlds for $79.99. It comes with a Center Point 4x32 scope. Like most package buys the scopes are not of the best quality, but knock on wood the one I have has held zero through 3 tins of regular cheap Premier 10.5 gr Hallow point ammo. Ofcouse a 4x32 is made to shoot up to near about 40-50 yards depending on your eyes ofcourse. Thats why many shooters opt for better scopes with higher objectable magnifacatation.
Anyways, I shoot primarily at 25-30 yards and shoot about a 1/4" group consistantly with this air rifle that rates at 1200 fps using alloy, with lead Im more in the 975-1025 area.
This gun has taken rabbits, squirrels ad starlings off my Purple Martin Bird Houses with amazing speed and accuracy.
Its thumb hole design for my hands, works absolutely to perfection.

THIS IS MY CHALLENGE TO YOU FELLOW SHOOTERS: Spend the $79.00 and try out this gun and you might be blown away by the results and kick yourself just a little for spending lots more money on guns that do no better than this one. Share your thought on other low budget, quality Air Rifles...

 

[Pruitt58]

I have bought one and it is as accurate as you say! i would buy another. i did the trigger mods, bearing and longer screw. do it!

 

[bandg]

First, I'm glad you found a rifle that fits your budget and needs. Getting a good shooter for that price is nice. Enjoy it.

Second, I don't think anyone will "kick themselves" for their choices and I don't think such helps your cause here.

JMO

 

[Lakobe1]

My opinion is based on those of us that have the conception that the more money that we spend, the better a product we have.

Point being you dont have to spend a ton of money on something, when this compares highly to whatever you want to do.

 

[bandg]

I'll stick with my "second" above. Everyone's opinion is valid to them. If that rifle works for you, great. It's a bargain. Others choose a different route and that's great as well.

 

[Lakobe1]

I agree with you 100%. I guess what I was meaning to say is I have a $900.00 set up that does no better or no worse at 25 yards.

My apologies for the statement of 'kicking themselves'. Was not saying anyone made a bad choice by spending the big money.

Guess I should have just recommended this awesome air rifle for the bargin shopper and left it at that.

As I stated in my initial post, this wasnt meant to offend or defend anyones choices of what they shoot.

 

[kkarmical]

I have a Crossman Fire NP that I picked up a couple years ago at Wallyworld on sale for $50.

The only reason I do not shoot it more is that it's very loud. I'm going to put a real LDC on it before summer.

It simply loves polymags 8g's so much that is all I shoot out of it.

I like it so much I put it into a better stock, back when Crossman had them for $20, and had I'd known Crossman would raise the price of the stocks $60+, I would of ordered 3 of them.

 

[Lakobe1]

Yes mine is a bit loud as well, even with the muzzel break 

 

[Brian10956]

Before the bug got to me I was completely happy with my 760. 

 

[kkarmical]

Yes mine is a bit loud as well, even with the muzzel break

It's nothing more than a slip on plastic tube, no baffles or anything. You can heat it a little with a heat gun too loosen it up, then it slips right off.

I am going to add a one piece ldc, strong enough so that you can use it to cock the gun.

That and order up some heavier pellets, as this gun is pretty hot shooting imo.

 

[bandg]

I also have an NP trail and an RS2 around, as well as a couple of 13xx crosmans. Absolutely NOTHING wrong with shooting lower cost air guns. If they shoot well then they shoot well. Also NOTHING wrong with spending $3500 for a March scope as I noted elsewhere or $2500 for a PCP. It's all relative. Enjoy the hobby, however you want to go about it.

 

[Lakobe1]

Thank you will do likewise 

 

[MBG]

Good Guns - have a NP - re-stained the stock and added CF sleeve on Barrel, buttoned piston and cleaned internals, now is quiet and precise ...Sleeving the Barrel and cleaning the internals did quieten the gun down a lot...

Shot String JSB 8.44 Grain:

1- 899

2- 895

3 -899

4 -897

5 -896

6 -899

7 -899

8 -903

9 -904

10 -900

11 -899

12 -897

13 -899

14 -899

15 -897

Extreme Spread : 9 FPS

Standard Deviation : 2 FPS



A little tinkering and polish and these guns can be really good performers, this is now my sons gun



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6yekQhDcE8

 

[Windmill01]

Great video mikebeggs, best looking NP I’ve seen and a future airgun YouTuber in the making. Oh and one more thing, your son is a good shot.

Gary

 

[dan_house]

have had one for 3 years or so now

violent to shoot, 915 ish FPS avg with 7.9 CP. havent really tested accuracy very deep

IMO its over sprung. Also could stand some wieght added, might help tame the shot cycle. Ive buttoned the piston, and some other work, that did help it some



IF you have the time and the skills, I agree witht he OP, it came be a good gun. especially at that price point.

 

[MBG]

Great video mikebeggs, best looking NP I’ve seen and a future airgun YouTuber in the making. Oh and one more thing, your son is a good shot.

Gary

Thanks Gary

 

[kludger]

I agree. I bought an F4 Nitro Piston last Memorial Day at Walmart as an impulse buy to deal with a rat problem in our chicken run, it was my first airgun and it definitely took care of the rat problem, shooting ~30 rats last summer/fall.

It also introduced me to this hobby and led me to catching the bug, and I now own 7 more airguns (including a couple of great PCPs and a couple of Diana springers which I love) but the F4 is still my goto gun for shooting rats, it's light, simple, and deadly accurate with a UTG 4x32 scope, a really great product and I'm lucky it was inexpensive and available at Walmart for me to pickup on impulse, otherwise I wouldn't be here a year later still having fun.

 

[ptthere]

I too bought a a F4 at the end of last year. I was getting dime-sized groups with it at 27 yards until the barrel lockup went goofy on me (I'll be addressing that one of these days). I also put a 3K carbon fiber sleeve over the barrel as well as a mod.

P""""T

 

[Clancy]

I love cheap rifles. Some are truly shocking, but increasingly these days manufacturers are turning out some very decent kit for pocket money.

Looking at the pictures the Crosman looks like a clone of the Gamo 220/440, sold here in the UK as an SMK XS19, and available in varying levels of bling. I've got one myself an it's an accurate, consistent, and bloody fun rifle to shoot. I've since fired air rifles costing £2500, and you know what? Yep, they weren't £2400 better than the humble XS.