What are Puncher Breakers like now?

[garymck]

Hi,

thinking about buying a Kral Puncher Breaker .22 as a first PCP.

Have looked at heaps of posts re problems, but pretty much all of them are dated from 2017 or so. Does this mean they are now OK and relatively trouble free? Or have people simply stopped buying them ......

I was thinking of this rifle as in Australia, there are very few brands of air rifles available, particularly in the low end...the Kral is pretty much all there is....

Would like to have something I wouldn't be too frightened to take apart, adjust and generally learn how a PCP works, but that at the same time would shoot pretty well from a bench.

Would appreciate advice whether they are a decent buy, or should I wait 3 months and buy something a bit higher end?

TIA

Gary

Geelong, Australia

 

[DirtyDovi]

G'day mate! [in my best Australian accent]

Hi Gary,

I've been airgunning for over 25 years, and to date, the Kral Puncher Breaker has to be one of my all time favorites!
For me personally, not only do they usually shoot Great, mine just 'fits me' absolutely perfectly. I love it!
I have a handful of PCPs - a few costing more - and I still enjoy the PB the most.. 
I kept holding out on them for the same reasons that you were/are.. The horror-stories.. 
For the most part, there's only really two issues, and that was that the valve stems that Kral used weren't correct.. 
The metal wasn't treated properly, and after x amount of shots, they'd fatigue and snap, and, the charge handles could bend/snap. 
Everything was 'supposedly' addressed with the newer runs/versions.

I got mine last year.. While the charge handle seems to be holding up just fine, the valve stem did snap.. *sigh* 
In my case, I ordered the gun through Pyramid Air, so, not only does Kral warranty it, so does PA / Air Venturi.. 
A quick e-mail to them explaining what happened was all it took, and they immediately put the warranty in motion.. 
Within a few weeks, I had my gun back, and not only did they go through the entire gun, and replace the stem to the New version, 
they also threw in another New version stem - as I had inquired about getting an extra - so I could repair it if/when needed - after warranties expire..

So, that said, they're not all 100% yet, but, the 'fix' is simple enough - even if it has to be done personally. And the part is like $8 bucks.. 

Now, the day I sent my PB into PA, I immediately got anxious, and hopped on KRALE's website in The Netherlands to see what was on there.. 
I got impulsive, and wanted something 'asap'. PA would take like a week to ship vs. Krale only taking like 3 days.. haha 
While on there, I found a 'replacement' to keep me busy shooting till' my PB was fixed and back..

I scored an Artrmis P15. It was a bit less than I had spent for the PB, and I swear, it is every bit as amazing and fun! My other favorite gun! 

In my case - Both copies are outstanding shooters, and if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't hesitate one second to get either one! 

I have a few links to my personal threads on here regarding the Kral Puncher Breaker and the Artemis P15 [just in case that's an option too]

Puncher Breaker: https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/my-puncher-breaker-puncher-broken-help/ 

P15: https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/artemis-p15-sight-in-and-10m-accuracy-test-video/ 

 

Sam -

 

[garymck]

Thanks so much for your reply. With low end PCP's so thin on the ground in Australia, and the old reports re Puncher Breakers, I was a little hesitant. I was worried that I would have to spend more than double the Puncher Breaker's price to get something decent. As I'm retired, I would have had to wait sometime to get any of the other guns. I won't wait now, I'll get it asap.

I'm also looking forward to taking it apart to learn it's inner workings and perhaps do some mods on it (I have a hobby lathe and mill).

Will report back after I get it. Only have to decide whether to get a .177 or .22. Will mostly be shooting benchrest (have a dud shoulder that cause issues) at up to 50 metres.

cheers

Gary

Geelong, australia

 

[MikeVV]

Gary -

Give this guy a call - http://annihilatorairgunsandtuning.com/

He's supposed to be the Puncher Breaker expert, plus he makes parts for them. Although, I did try to contact him a coupla weeks ago, with no success, you may have better luck.



Mike

 

[kayaker]

garymck I bought one this last Christmas from P.A. for 375 on sale , have put about 500 rds thru it . Only have a 33 yd range in my back yard it will do 3/8 groups with one mag off bags . I'm very happy with it , so far rabbits don't have a chance neither do the starlings ha ha . I pulled the action out & installed sling studs then at the butt made a small clay dam & poured some fiberglass around the stud to make it more secure . Mine is the syn. stock so I don't know if the wood stock is heavier. If it breaks I'll fix it no big deal you can get O-rings & valve stem from P.A. also . I took the chance & so far very happy with it . You will have to check out the different power settings , but with mine on full power -was to hot I have it set halfway between mid & full power with jsb 18.1 . Low power just lobs them in it likes crosmans domes 14.3s also. Good Luck Darell

 

[garymck]

Kayaker,

I only wish we in Australia could pay the prices that you do! A Puncher Breaker here is $AU900..... I will also end up doing a pile of mods like yourself. Mike, have emailed Annihilator Airguns before, but like others got no reply.

cheers

Gary

Geelong, Australia 

 

[JimNM]

From what I have read, the newer models like the Jumbo, the Pitbull and the Big Max, the Knight and the eikonos which are bottle fed tend to have better valves. My own Puncher Breaker did have a valve failure. It shoots great with the new valve and cocking lever. 

Were I to buy one now, I would go for one of the bottle fed guns rather than the tube guns.

 

[bowman]

ok guysI know troy hammer. he went through some personal stuff like we all do !! he will be back up and running soon!! he's working on some projects that are going to be awesome for us Kral owners!!

 

[DirtyDovi]

Gary,

You're welcome. I completely understand what you're going through over there, 
as I knew some high end motorcycle builders/fabricators from there, and they used to say the same things.. 
If not built, everything has to be imported, and the prices end up being astronomical sometimes.. Buzzkill. 

Right on man, it's great to hear that you're into doing some fab work of your own.. 
Those little lathes and mills are fantastic for making smaller things - like the pieces and parts found on these things..
If something does go wrong, you'd already be a step ahead - should you have to actually fab something. 

The PBs are very tune-able, so, either way, you'd be good to go.. Over the years, I personally gave up on .177 
They're nice / cheap, but, I've had much better luck going with .22 cal.
I like the added stability and knock-down power that they offer, especially at longer ranges. Totally preference though.

Sorry to hear about your shoulder, that's a real drag!

My right shoulder is completely trashed, and from trying to favor it over the years, now my left is starting to kill.. 
Rotator cuff surgery level at this point Plus peripheral neuropathy in my hands and fingers from chemo/radiation, so.. 
These smaller / lighter weight rifles are pretty much a Must if we're going to shoulder and hold them..
I have a few longer rifles that I really can't even enjoy using anymore - Unless I bench fire them like you mentioned. 

Sam - 

 

[DirtyDovi]

Puncher Breaker

 
There's my Puncher Nemesis .22/.25 bottle-fed rifle.. 
As mentioned above, they do have all of the upgraded components, 
but they're l-o-n-g . . .

I just measured the length of pull on a few of my different rifles, 
and if memory is correct: P15 was like 12", PB @ 14", Nemesis @ 15" 

 

[garymck]

Sam,

have decided on .22 like you and hoping to get the PB today if possible - will post pic if I do manage to get it. Sorry to hear about your shoulder and hope you can get some relief, hopefully without surgery. In my case getting old (I'm 67) sucks, right hip replacement and bypass surgery...body hurts, but in my head I'm 25 years old!!

I'm very lucky to have the tools I have, and whilst I'm very amateur in my machining skills, I have a couple of machinist friends (real craftsmen) who help, advise, and supervise me to ensure I don't screw up. So I will be asking for recommended mods etc to do to the PB. I also after a second night shooting at the local target club, getting an idea for how I want things to feel. The first night I tried I shot a pretty fair score for someone who hadn't shot for over 45 years, but last night I was all over the place and I couldn't figure out why. Only later did I realise that that the first club rifle I used had a really nice light trigger, but the one I used last night had a much heavier trigger.....so guess what is the first thing I'll be attempting to adjust!

DirtyDovi,

That Nemesis looks REALLY cool.......unfortunately not available in Australia. I'll be happy with the PB as there is a lot of info around about it. Who knows what I'll have to do to it - either by choice or necessity. I really want to use it as a way to learn about air rifles.

Will be asking heaps of questions here, so hope I don't drive all of you nuts!!

By the way, is there any consensus on what might be the best pellets to use in the PB at .22 calibre?

cheers

Gary

Geelong, Australia

 

[kayaker]

Gary As far as pellets mine likes jsb's 18.13s but try your different power settings , also not to bad with crosman domes 14.3s if I recall someone else has mentioned AA 16s , Clean your barrel when you get it so you have a fresh start . Good luck & hope you have a fun time Darell P.S. I have a 25cal. tatsu on mine , tried the 22 cal but it clipped pellets so I drilled it out to 25 cal.

 

[DirtyDovi]

ok guysI know troy hammer. he went through some personal stuff like we all do !! he will be back up and running soon!! he's working on some projects that are going to be awesome for us Kral owners!!

Hey bowman,

Thanks for the heads up about Troy! 
The only time I pestered him was just for inquiring about a Kral part - not sold in the states.. 
He got right back to me, and was a really nice guy to chat with.
Wishing him the absolute best, and hopefully he gets back in action in no time.

 

Sam -

 

[DirtyDovi]

Gary,

Very cool. I think that you'll be extremely happy with the .22 cal model! 
Another pro to the .22s are that ammo for them is usually readily available, and still relatively inexpensive..
Our Walmarts over here stock Crosman Premier .22 cal 14.3 grain Hollow Points, and they shoot Amazingly! 
Aside from those, I've used JSB 18 grain and also H&N 21 grain - And they all equally as well! [Probably better at longer distances]

Hey man, thanks! Yeah, falling apart really bites! Sorry to hear that you've seen better days too.. *ouch* 
Same here though buddy, only 38 years old, but mentally still a teen / 20's tops. haha

It's so cool to hear about your tools/machines, and man I'm stoked for you!
Having friends that can help guide/teach you is even better. That's Great!

I owned custom shops for over 13 years and also worked welding and doing light fab in industrial machine shops, 
so I've seen some of the things that can be created with lathes/mills/etc.. I give those programmers a lot of credit, 
and when manual comes into play [my favorite] it's a lot of fun doing things 'by hand'. 

I'm sure you'll think of all sorts of cool things to do to customize your rifle in the future.. 

Shooting - haha You just figured out one of the most important things in shooting [precision shooting] The Triggers! 
The lighter and crisper the triggers pull and break, the better! Less chance of us contributing any additional movement, 
so shots are way better and way more consistent!

The PB has the dual-stage trigger, and is adjustable for both..
I usually take up almost all of the 1st stage, so it's just a 1/4 to 1/8" of pull before the 2nd stage..
Then for the 2nd stage, I try to get it as light as possible. I've matched my air rifle triggers to my rimfire 10/22s, 
so I think I'm getting around 2lbs of pull.. I've had it even lighter though.. 
The PB is an easy one.. Adjust the grub-screws near the sear to set the pull and weight.. 
Adjust the weight and keep cocking the guy.. If you adjust too light, the gun won't stay cocked, the lever will just come back.. 
Adjust the screw the other way, til' the cocking catches, then give er' like 1/2 turn to a full turn, and call it good to go.

That Nemesis.. I loved the PB so much, I figured I'd better grab one of those too.. 
Then apparently, they disappeared from the market. They were re-branded as the Puncher Knight, but hard to find now.. 
Glad I grabbed one while I did. Either I'll keep it, or, someone else can enjoy it if I decide to sell..

Back to the PB though - like you said, you'll be happy. There are more and more of us PB owners coming out of the woodwork, 
so if/when questions come up, there will always be someone around to help out! That's one of the best things ever. 

When I had mine snap the valve stem, a few different things came to mind.. 
The guys here confirmed the issue though, and that's what helped me get it back in action so quickly. AGN rock! 

Questions - Fire away! We're always happy to talk shop / talk tech when it comes to stuff like this!

 

Sam -

 

[garymck]

Hi all,

Picked up the PB an hour ago. Ended up liking the all black version better than the marine (I intend to later hydro dip the stock and thought that the black barrel would look better)

Pick attached - the same as any other PB, but it's mine

cheers

Gary

Geelong Australia

 

[kkarmical]

Looking good.

Pellet wise mine shoots anything I load into it. Some shoot better at higher velocities and some on the low side, especially crossman 14.3' s and jsb 13.43's dialed down to 11-15 fpe. I like the redesigned jsb 25.39's and 18.13's a long with Polymags too on high power, those polymags at 30fpe are devastating if you're ever in the mood to take a walkabout..

Enjoy your new gun!

 

[DirtyDovi]

Guys, I think I have a sickness.. 
All this Puncher Breaker talk we've been having.. I just couldn't help myself..

I just got another one.  

Same as my .22 cal marine silent, only this time, silent black on black.
I'll probably do the same mod that I did on my current one.. 
Remove the shroud, 'free-float' the barrel, and suppress.
[I plan on fabbing some carbon fiber shrouds for a few of my rifles later on]

I've said it countless times already, and I'll keep saying it again and again.. 
I absolutely love these little guns!

 

Sam -

 

[MScottLeeman]

Here's my .22

Ported valve/enlarged air transfer through to the barrel. Polished bolt,hammer (exterior and interior) and related components,de-burred and polished receiver recesses,upgraded cocking handle also.

I'm getting 4 mags at 32-33 ft lbs w/JSB 18.13's and it easily groups 5/8" or less 12 shot groups @ 50 yds

These little guns are simple to work on and Way underrated. I just Love it!!

 

[garymck]

 

MScottLeeman,

Can you give me some detail on exactly what you did to - "Ported valve/enlarged air transfer through to the barrel" - sizes you enlarged oetc? I'd like to do this fairly soon, and will also polish the components you mentioned. Will just have a week or two shooting before I do it . Is it worth fitting a regulator, or are the mods you did enough?

cheers

Gary

Geelong Australia

 

[Eaglebeak]

Kayaker,

I only wish we in Australia could pay the prices that you do! A Puncher Breaker here is $AU900..... I will also end up doing a pile of mods like yourself. Mike, have emailed Annihilator Airguns before, but like others got no reply.

cheers

Gary

Geelong, Australia

Hi Gary.

Does that $900 AUD include shipping from Queensland and the scope and filling accessories? I've had a look at the supplier's web site and couldn't find any prices. I've read the guys spiel and it sounds like he's factoring in a pretty fat profit margin to cover any warranty issues. They used to advertise plastic Marauders for $1350 AUD + shipping when the exchange rate was a lot better than it is now. I know that he is pushing package deals so that price is reasonable if it includes the peripherals. If not, I will give them a wide birth.

Thanks, mate,

Ian, Vic.