FX Is the FX King a step forward or backward?

[Airgun Al]

Buying an FX requires a mechanical engineer diploma and a good abillity to troubleshoot and circumvention(seems like).

I have purchased 3 different, brand new, FX products in my lifetime, and I do not have a engineering degree, and Ive never had to troubleshoot any of them!
The new Royale I purchased 10 or 12 years ago, is still doing very well to this day!
Sometimes the ones that THINK they have a degree, are the same ones that THINK they are troubleshooting, and end up with all the problems!

 

[Bigragu]

King use the dynamic action used on the original Panthera. Fitting a GRS stock to make it look like a traditional firearm what you get in the looks—> it is what it is ! Take it or leave it. There isn’t a logical place to put those two gauges in relationship with the Plenum inside the action.

But if u want the most powerful FX AG with the 9mm valve and plenum size option —> to some it will over come the ugliness of the gun.

Ernest

Good to see you back on AGN, Ernest. It’s been awhile

 

[qball]

@Sniperlabyo2 Like @Bigragu, it’s great to see you here on AGN again Ernest!!!

 

[RFORESTR]

Bottle is cf wrapped aluminum. We know they expand and contract. I fit the band when the tank is around 220bar, (generally fill to 230bar max) and don't wrench it down very much at all because I am aware of this. Whatever deformation if any is occurring inside the bottle I doubt is enough to induce any substantial weak points. Now if someone were to wrench it down tight at lower pressure then proceed to fill it, the band could potentially be exerting a LOT of force on the bottle. Which could be concerning.

So essentially, the band was keeping a portion of the bottle from expanding because of how it was fit.

Would be interesting to see something like this tested to failure if it is possible.

That said, all of the other concerns I've ever heard were about the forces exerted on the receiver, bottle neck, or adaptor.

Caldwell bench rest takes care of it if you are only interested in targets.

 

[Emu]

After considering the FX King it is my opinion that it is a step backward from the Crown in several respects. Is it really necessary to have both manometers angled on what is supposed to be a tradional stocked rifle? It has three negative points against it to me. I'm left handed so the manometers are on the opposite side. They make the King wider so it takes up extra space in a gun safe. It's like the 400 lb. passenger in the middle seat on an airplane. The edges of the gauges are a hazard to scratching wood stocks stored next to it. A tactical design FX Impact or Panthera with an angled manometer doesn't look as odd as a wood stocked King with two manometers sticking out of the side. It makes the King look "Rube Goldberg-ish". The King stock has a truncated fore end which also is less attractive than a Crown stock with a proportioned length fore end.

Sometimes manufacturers go too far off the deep end trying to be unique and ground breaking with new designs. I'll bet Kalibrgun Argus with its square barrel hasn't set the marketplace ablaze. The FX King might appeal to some but it's getting into hermaphrodite looking territory and a step backwards from the Crown it evolved from. King lovers, sorry to tell you your baby is ugly.

I assume that King has the same adjustability than my Panthera Compact Hunter….., If that is the case, doubtless the King is a huge step forward !

 

[Humdinger]

When I go shooting with an Impact, Crown, or any air rifle I rarely need to look at gauges. The pressure gauge on the bottom is no problem as it only needed to confirm when a rifle reaches full or nearing reg pressure. Unless a reg is faulty the reg gauge is rarely monitored until a pressure change is required. Therefore I much prefer gauges that aren't an eye sore. I may be behind the times but I prefer air rifles that don't look like test instruments or cobbled together. An Impact looks tactical and that is cool. A Revere sells because it looks like rifle. A Crown does what it's supposed to do and I greatly appreciate the gauges on the bottom. Anyone who has experience with a PCP knows when to refill by the accumulated shot count, or by the change in the sound at below reg set pressure, or by shot placement dropping that it's time to refill.

 

[jps2486]

I had a rifle with a GRS stock (Anschutz 1710). The contour of the stock was not conducive to bench shooting due to the shape and offset of grip area. So it has an adjustable cheek piece. That's not unique as many other wood stock have them too. It's also kinda heavy and bulky to carry around in the woods. IMO, the GRS stocks are merely eye candy.

 

[Ta-Ta Toothie]

I had a rifle with a GRS stock (Anschutz 1710). The contour of the stock was not conducive to bench shooting due to the shape and offset of grip area. So it has an adjustable cheek piece. That's not unique as many other wood stock have them too. It's also kinda heavy and bulky to carry around in the woods. IMO, the GRS stocks are merely eye candy.

I absolutely love the stock, fits me like a glove. The gun its self is another matter....

 

[Ta-Ta Toothie]

When I go shooting with an Impact, Crown, or any air rifle I rarely need to look at gauges. The pressure gauge on the bottom is no problem as it only needed to confirm a rifle is full or below reg pressure. Unless a reg is faulty the reg gauge is rarely looked at until a pressure change is required. Therefore I much prefer gauges that aren't an eye sore I may be behind the times but I prefer air rifles that don't look like test instruments or cobbled together. An Impact looks tactical and that is cool. A Revere sells because it looks like rifle. A Crown does what it's supposed to do and I greatly appreciate the gauges on the bottom. Anyone who has experience with a PCP knows when to refill by the accumulated shot count, or by the change in the sound at below reg set pressure, or by shot placement dropping that it's time to refill.

I believe the Dynamic block is a different beast from everything else. If you shoot the gun below set reg pressure, you risk damage to the value. That's why the gauges are on the side.

 

[Humdinger]

I believe the Dynamic block is a different beast from everything else. If you shoot the gun below set reg pressure, you risk damage to the value. That's why the gauges are on the side.

It seems that FX should design a durable valve rather than have angled gauges to make monitoring pressure easier for the shooter.

If a King is a Panthera in a GRS stock then aren't buyers going in circles if they buy a King then replace the GRS stock with an aftermarket chassis? Why not just buy a Panthera?

 

[RFORESTR]

After considering the FX King it is my opinion that it is a step backward from the Crown in several respects. Is it really necessary to have both manometers angled on what is supposed to be a traditional stock rifle? It has three negative points against it for me. I'm left handed and the manometers are on the opposite side. They make the King wider taking up extra space in a gun safe. It's like a 400 lb. passenger in the middle seat on an airplane. The edges of the gauges are a hazard for scratching wood stocks standing next to it in a safe. A tactical design FX Impact or Panthera with an angled manometer doesn't look as strange as a wood stocked King with two manometers sticking out of the side. It makes the King look "Rube Goldberg-ish". The King stock has a truncated fore end which is less attractive than a Crown stock with a proportional length fore end.

Sometimes manufacturers go too far off the deep end trying to be unique and ground breaking with new designs. My guess is the Kalibrgun Argus with its square barrel shroud hasn't sold well with it's quirky shape. The FX King might appeal to some but it's hermaphrodite looking and a step backwards from the Crown it evolved from. King lovers, sorry to tell you that your baby is ugly.

Eyesore for sure, but I am wondering if you can remove the angle bracket like you can on an Impact. For me using high reg 1 pressure it is essential to insure reg 2 does not get below it so I kinda monitoring the gauges. That just me.

 

[Ta-Ta Toothie]

It seems that FX should design a durable valve rather than have angled gauges to make monitoring pressure easier for the shooter.

If a King is a Panthera in a GRS stock then aren't buyers going in circles if they buy a King then replace the GRS stock with an aftermarket chassis? Why not just buy a Panthera?

Replacing the GRS stock with an aftermarket was already discussed. That's a very stupid idea. Don't buy the King of you really want a tactical looking gun. I own a King and don't mind the gauges one bit. The quality of the manufacturing is another story...

 

[Ta-Ta Toothie]

It seems that FX should design a durable valve rather than have angled gauges to make monitoring pressure easier for the shooter.

If a King is a Panthera in a GRS stock then aren't buyers going in circles if they buy a King then replace the GRS stock with an aftermarket chassis? Why not just buy a Panthera?

Actually, the valve stem has been beefed up. You still risk damage from over travel. The valve can get stuck in the open position tearing up the seals etc. This is what it is.

 

[RFORESTR]

Replacing the GRS stock with an aftermarket was already discussed. That's a very stupid idea. Don't buy the King of you really want a tactical looking gun. I own a King and don't mind the gauges one bit. The quality of the manufacturing is another story...

Yeah I have an Impact but I love the look the FX King GRS stock,especially the green one. Shooter 1721 reviewed it and it is a tack driver in the slug version.

 

[Humdinger]

Eyesore for sure, but I am wondering if you can remove the angle bracket like you can on an Impact. For me using high reg 1 pressure it is essential to insure reg 2 does not get below it so I kinda monitoring the gauges. That just me.

I don't own one but earlier in this thread others have asked this question and the reply was no you can't. The block is different than an Impact and the design doesn't allow for both gauges to be threaded directly into the block.

 

[beerthief]

If FX makes it , "they" will buy it !

 

[Normkel]

I have a crown and a dynamic. The dynamic outperforms the crown any day.

When I was looking to improve on, or add to my two .22 Streamlines, a number recommended the Crown, but none new in Canada and couldn't find any used. I ordered a Dynamic 500 .22 but am still interested in the Crown.

Would you mind giving some comparisons of the Crown & Dynamic, as well as Crown to Streamline and/or Dreamline?

There are virtually no PCPs around here so my only source of information or comparisons is online.

 

[bucketboy]

I much prefer the look of a traditional stock compared to a tactical and from one side the king looks very nice but the other has fallen from the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. Talking of trees and branches, there is a real possibility of knocking one of the gauges while hunting in the woods, this is the number 1 reason why I would never own one.

 

[terry mc]

Speaking for myself I have a Crown with the Saber Tactical Chassis and love it.
But always loved the look of the GRS stock.
My Crown is set up for 30 ft lb work, and I wanted something for 100 yard or more work.
So when the King came out it was too easy to sell me on it.

And in my view I love the angled gauges it was a selling point for me.
Easy to check where I am on bottle and plenum pressure, which I do regularly. I have noticed a correlation between getting close to reg pressure on the bottle and ES getting larger.

So far I have finally managed to get the King to my Crowns level of bench accuracy, with 50 ft lbs on 21gr JTS .22 pellets.
And I have some slugs waiting to be dialed in. That will be a while before I get too far down that rabbit hole.
It is definitely more finicky about the tune than my Crown, but giving 66% more energy and still being benchrest accurate is definitely a plus.
Could I have gone with a Panthera, yes. Should I for benchrest work, Probably. But I could not pass up that eye candy!

Now to set up that 700mm conversion, and improve that already impressive efficiency.