Other More testing of the Gem

[AirNGasman]

Finally getting around to switching the Gem barrel and caliber from .175 steel BB to 6mm plastic BB, what a nice surprise to find she not only sighted in with the rear sight much closer to centered, but with much better accuracy than with .175 BBs. Three consecutive five-shot groups fired offhand at five yards averaged 1.25" c-t-c; the best group above measured 1". Now with a few hundred rounds through her, the trigger has slickened enough for better firing control. Penetration at the five-yard distance was through two spineless cactus pods, the plastic BB buried in the third pod.

Also at five yards, the dents in that aluminum can shed more light on the power. Nine of ten offhand shots at five yards in very gusty winds were hits.

Another test on a beavertail cactus bud at two yards failed to achieve full penetration, but the 6mm BB cracked it good-

A Red Wasp made the mistake of hunting my lawn just a few yards away, alternating between short flights and short stalks in the grass; seldom stopping for more than a second or two. My first shot on the moving wasp winged him... literally blowing one wing off. Unable to take flight, my second shot at the faster moving target took off his second wing. Unencumbered by wings in the grass jungle, my third shot at the even faster-moving wasp seperated thorax from abdomen. That slowed him enough to get this photo-

Chronograph testing of the 3.48 grain plastic BBs yielded these impressive results- Ten shots- Low= 413, High= 420, ES= 7, SD= 2, Average= 417 FPS/1.34 FPE.

Duly impressed, further offhand plinking from spitting distances to 30+ yards proved the little Gem fully capable of more gratifying accuracy than expected; and considerably better than with the .175 caliber (steel BB) barrel.

As the shooting session closed a large grasshopper offered an irresitable broadside presentation at two yards, resulting in a clean, one-shot kill. Unfortunately the cell phone (camera) was not available for a success photo.

I should close this with a warning that steel or plastic BBs are very prone to ricochets off hard objects with little loss of velocity, often right back at the shooter! Suffice to say my power tests confirm my suspicions that it would be entirely possible to shoot your eye out, Kid. CAUTION!!!

But what a fun little handgun!

 

[beerthief]

View attachment 573510

Finally getting around to switching the Gem barrel and caliber from .175 steel BB to 6mm plastic BB, what a nice surprise to find she not only sighted in with the rear sight much closer to centered, but with much better accuracy than with the .175 BBs. Three consecutive five-shot groups fired offhand at five yards averaged 1.25" c-t-c; the best group above measured 1". Now with a few hundred rounds through her, the trigger has slickened enough for better firing control. Penetration at the five-yard distance was through two spineless cactus pods, the plastic BB buried in the third pod.

Also at five yards, the dents in that aluminum can shed more light on the power. Nine of ten offhand shots at five yards in very gusty winds were hits.

View attachment 573511


Another test on a beavertail cactus bud at two yards failed to achieve full penetration, but the 6mm BB cracked it good-

View attachment 573512


A Red Wasp made the mistake of hunting my lawn just a few yards away, alternating between short flights and short stalks in the grass; seldom stopping for more than a second or two. My first shot on the moving wasp winged him... literally blowing one wing off. Unable to take flight, my second shot at the faster moving target took off his second wing. Unencumbered by wings in the grass jungle, my third shot at the even faster-moving wasp seperated thorax from abdomen. That slowed him enough to get this photo-

View attachment 573515


Chronograph testing of the 3.48 grain plastic BBs yielded these impressive results- Ten shots- Low= 413, High= 420, ES= 7, SD= 2, Average= 417 FPS/1.34 FPE.

Duly impressed, further offhand plinking from spitting distances to 30+ yards proved the little Gem fully capable of more gratifying accuracy than expected; and considerably better than with the .175 caliber (steel BB) barrel.

As the shooting session closed a large grasshopper offered an irresitable broadside presentation at two yards, resulting in a clean, one-shot kill. Unfortunately the cell phone (camera) was not available for a success photo.

I should close this with a warning that steel or plastic BBs are very prone to ricochets off hard objects with little loss of velocity, often right back at the shooter! Suffice to say my power tests confirm my suspicions that it would be entirely possible to shoot your eye out, Kid. CAUTION!!!

But what a fun little handgun!

View attachment 573516

great little testing , wonder what it would do with custom properly sized SS ball bearings ?

 

[AirNGasman]

wonder what it would do with custom properly sized SS ball bearings ?

In my previous testing of the BB barrel I tried Crosman COPPERhead and Umarex silver BBs, both brands much more flawless-looking than BBs of this 71 year-old tester's youth. The Umarex were more consistent than the Crosmans, as evidenced by the utter consistency in how they chambered.

In my opinion quantifying any accuracy difference(s) between the Umarex BBs and the best, silver-slipper fit ammo of any kind would be virtually humanly impossible given the 2.2587" sight radius, and long but smooth 2 pound, 8.7 ounce (average) trigger pull. And unfortunately I don't own a fixed mechanical rest immune from Earth's rotation.

But if I did, I'd estimate custom properly sized SS ball bearings would produce approximately .315" to .317" tighter average five-shot groups than Umarex BBs. Of course that estimate is based on perfectly-still indoor shooting conditions, no solar flares reaching Earth during the course of testing, and depending on the lot number of Umarex BBs used.

But assuming my accuracy-difference estimate correct, which, of course, why wouldn't we , I'm confident my first shot on the moving Red Wasp would have been a perfect heart shot had I been shooting custom properly sized SS ball bearings!

.

 

[TnCnDn]

In my previous testing of the BB barrel I tried Crosman COPPERhead and Umarex silver BBs, both brands much more flawless-looking than BBs of this 71 year-old tester's youth. The Umarex were more consistent than the Crosmans, as evidenced by the utter consistency in how they chambered.

In my opinion quantifying any accuracy difference(s) between the Umarex BBs and the best, silver-slipper fit ammo of any kind would be virtually humanly impossible given the 2.2587" sight radius, and long but smooth 2 pound, 8.7 ounce (average) trigger pull. And unfortunately I don't own a fixed mechanical rest immune from Earth's rotation.

But if I did, I'd estimate custom properly sized SS ball bearings would produce approximately .315" to .317" tighter average five-shot groups than Umarex BBs. Of course that estimate is based on perfectly-still indoor shooting conditions, no solar flares reaching Earth during the course of testing, and depending on the lot number of Umarex BBs used.

But assuming my accuracy-difference estimate correct, which, of course, why wouldn't we , I'm confident my first shot on the moving Red Wasp would have been a perfect heart shot had I been shooting custom properly sized SS ball bearings!

.

Have you tried spit wads?

 

[AirNGasman]

Have you tried spit wads?

Of course!

In junior high I discovered Bic pens with the guts removed make excellent... and CONCEALABLE, spit-wad blow-guns. I should have patented that idea, as it soon caught on like veritable wildfire (among the group of ne'er-do-wells I hung around with).

Also of course, I took it to the next level by turning Bics into real blow-guns by pushing pins through the spit wads to produce proper blow-gun darts. One of my classes being in a classroom also used for Home-Making classes the previous period, a ready supply of pins lay around the classroom floor.

No better way to break the boredom of Math than covert blowgun wars among disinterested juvenile delinquents. Although we theorized a well-aimed dart would be an excellent way to test for falsies, unfortunately no-one tested that theory. However...

The most poignant memory attached to that (particular) delinquency was when my best friend (John) said "Hey Barry" just before launching a dart. The dart arrived as Barry turned around, literally impaling his eye-lid and hanging from it until he plucked it out (the dart, not his eye)! His luckily-timed blink is all that kept Barry bifocal.

Of course every delinquent that witnessed it howled in laughter... including Barry.

True story.

.

 

[TnCnDn]

Of course!

In junior high I discovered Bic pens with the guts removed make excellent... and CONCEALABLE, spit-wad blow-guns. I should have patented that idea, as it soon caught on like veritable wildfire (among the group of ne'er-do-wells I hung around with).

Also of course, I took it to the next level by turning Bics into real blow-guns by pushing pins through the spit wads to produce proper blow-gun darts. One of my classes being in a classroom also used for Home-Making classes the previous period, a ready supply of pins lay around the classroom floor.

No better way to break the boredom of Math than covert blowgun wars among disinterested juvenile delinquents. Although we theorized a well-aimed dart would be an excellent way to test for falsies, unfortunately no-one tested that theory. However...

The most poignant memory attached to that (particular) delinquency was when my best friend (John) said "Hey Barry" just before launching a dart. The dart arrived as Barry turned around, literally impaling his eye-lid and hanging from it until he plucked it out (the dart, not his eye)! His luckily-timed blink is all that kept Barry bifocal.

Of course every delinquent that witnessed it howled in laughter... including Barry.

True story.

.

Awesome read! Darn near died from unexpected laughter that turned into a cough and hack attack.

 

[beerthief]

In my previous testing of the BB barrel I tried Crosman COPPERhead and Umarex silver BBs, both brands much more flawless-looking than BBs of this 71 year-old tester's youth. The Umarex were more consistent than the Crosmans, as evidenced by the utter consistency in how they chambered.

In my opinion quantifying any accuracy difference(s) between the Umarex BBs and the best, silver-slipper fit ammo of any kind would be virtually humanly impossible given the 2.2587" sight radius, and long but smooth 2 pound, 8.7 ounce (average) trigger pull. And unfortunately I don't own a fixed mechanical rest immune from Earth's rotation.

But if I did, I'd estimate custom properly sized SS ball bearings would produce approximately .315" to .317" tighter average five-shot groups than Umarex BBs. Of course that estimate is based on perfectly-still indoor shooting conditions, no solar flares reaching Earth during the course of testing, and depending on the lot number of Umarex BBs used.

But assuming my accuracy-difference estimate correct, which, of course, why wouldn't we , I'm confident my first shot on the moving Red Wasp would have been a perfect heart shot had I been shooting custom properly sized SS ball bearings!

.

I only mentioned the SS /BB;s because my dad had a friend that worked in a ball bearing plant and he voluntary just showed up with a wooden Shoe box of perfect sized SS BB;s , don't know what happened to the remainder of them after my friend and i discovered girls .