FX Impact: The Wait and Anticipation

"zebra"

"APerfectMiss"I was notified by precision that the next order is due to show up sometime this month. They have not received any information in regards to the quantities of what calibers and or colors. They appreciate everyone's patience with the preordered impacts. Craig and Nancy are top notch on customer service. 

- Mike

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Precision are just resellers for AOA. In the event that there is an issue with an FX or Cricket you buy from them and you need to use your warranty, they will just direct you to AOA. As nice as Craig and Nancy may be, they can't or won't do anything to help with any issues on those guns. 

My Cricket arrived with a horrible scratch on the anodized metal from them. AOA said cosmetic damage is "normal" on their guns so Nancy wouldn't help me with it. I had to go directly to Kalibrgun myself to get a replacement part. Luckily for me, Kalibrgun stood behind their product although it took forever.

I have an indexing issue now on that Cricket and I am very nervous about sending my air rifle to AOA given that my transaction was with Precision. If AOA can't fix it or damage it, it's not like they are going to give me a refund (even though it's under warranty) as I bought it from Precision).

There is literally no point in ordering from Precision. They just pass your order on to AOA who are the worst vendor in the world. As much as AOA suck, you are still marginally better off than you would going through Precision. I specifically bought from Precision to avoid having to deal with AOA and I got stuck dealing with them anyway....

I believe that WildWest import and distribute some brands so they are a genuine alternative to AOA. I think Kalibrgun is one of those brands. I hear they have better service but they are also more expensive. I might have paid the extra had I known though. I believe AOA is the only distributor for FX in North America so no point in buying from anyone else unfortunately.

There is only one air gun vendor that actually has good after-sales service when you have an issue and that is Pyramyd Air. They return all guns no questions asked, even if they have no issues. If there is an issue, they pay for return shipping and immediately dispatch a replacement. AOA and their henchman (like Precision) make you pay to ship back the broken air rifle they sent you and it takes an eternity to get anything resolved. It's just a shame that PA don't stock any of the decent brands so we have to deal with those snake charmers.

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How about StraightShooters. Are they also got FX from AOA? 

AOA is the FX dealer. I've never had bad customer service from them.

What is the cost of changing calibers? I haven't been able to find a price list. Also, just how practical is it and is it just a novelty? Also, it would seem that IF you were to change calibers, it would be from a .177 to something larger (and .177 isn't offered).

Any way to permanently pin the mod in the extended position? I don't ever shoot my rifles without a mod. I like that it fits in a small case but once I get mine it won't come apart unless I change calibers.

"ComplyHunter"

"zebra"

"APerfectMiss"I was notified by precision that the next order is due to show up sometime this month. They have not received any information in regards to the quantities of what calibers and or colors. They appreciate everyone's patience with the preordered impacts. Craig and Nancy are top notch on customer service. 

- Mike

Click to expand...

Precision are just resellers for AOA. In the event that there is an issue with an FX or Cricket you buy from them and you need to use your warranty, they will just direct you to AOA. As nice as Craig and Nancy may be, they can't or won't do anything to help with any issues on those guns. 

My Cricket arrived with a horrible scratch on the anodized metal from them. AOA said cosmetic damage is "normal" on their guns so Nancy wouldn't help me with it. I had to go directly to Kalibrgun myself to get a replacement part. Luckily for me, Kalibrgun stood behind their product although it took forever.

I have an indexing issue now on that Cricket and I am very nervous about sending my air rifle to AOA given that my transaction was with Precision. If AOA can't fix it or damage it, it's not like they are going to give me a refund (even though it's under warranty) as I bought it from Precision).

There is literally no point in ordering from Precision. They just pass your order on to AOA who are the worst vendor in the world. As much as AOA suck, you are still marginally better off than you would going through Precision. I specifically bought from Precision to avoid having to deal with AOA and I got stuck dealing with them anyway....

I believe that WildWest import and distribute some brands so they are a genuine alternative to AOA. I think Kalibrgun is one of those brands. I hear they have better service but they are also more expensive. I might have paid the extra had I known though. I believe AOA is the only distributor for FX in North America so no point in buying from anyone else unfortunately.

There is only one air gun vendor that actually has good after-sales service when you have an issue and that is Pyramyd Air. They return all guns no questions asked, even if they have no issues. If there is an issue, they pay for return shipping and immediately dispatch a replacement. AOA and their henchman (like Precision) make you pay to ship back the broken air rifle they sent you and it takes an eternity to get anything resolved. It's just a shame that PA don't stock any of the decent brands so we have to deal with those snake charmers.

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How about StraightShooters. Are they also got FX from AOA?

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I thought straight shooters and precision were the same company. Some of my documentation from Precision was labelled Straight Shooters. I never asked about the relationship. I just assumed one was the holding company.

"Scott_MCT"AOA is the FX dealer. I've never had bad customer service from them.

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You're lucky. Plenty of people have. Google it. 

To me, the simple policy of making you pay to ship back faulty goods yourself is bad customer service. There are plenty of posts about them doing a lot worse though. In any event, if you want to buy FX, you have to deal with them one way or another. 

Anyway. I don't want to hijack this thread. I just couldn't read one more comment about Precision's customer service without saying something. I bought from them based on one of those comments and I would have preferred to have had accurate info. The discussion on the Impact is far more interesting than AOA....

EDIT: Didn't mean to hijack either, this is my final off topic comment.

I think a lot of that started on the Yellow and then everyone else piled it on. AOA fell out of favor not because of their service but because it was perceived they were trying to control the market both on price and stopping a Canadian company from importing HW parts. They had the lowest price on the Cricket and they included the cheek piece. This was considered an unfair business practice. Stopping the Canadian company from importing HW parts which were way cheaper was also considered an unfair business practice.

Im not saying I agree with the Canadian issue, but when it comes to price and the fact they are one hour away I purchased from AOA. As far as service, I had an issue with my AirWolf. When the part came in they replaced it for free, even though it was me that damaged the part. A lot of people say AOA inflates FX products but no one has produced any evidence to support this claim.

Not saying I'm a huge fan of AOA, or that their service is good, but don't forget they were a major reason for the annual Quail Creek match which brings everyone from around the world. No other airgun event even comes close.

Scott where do you live?

Southern Arizona

The wait and anticipation can be very exciting, but also torture. I'm excited for you as I know the feeling. One day I hope to own an Impact. I have a wildcat and am looking for my next rifle soon. Maybe a Fx 500 or HM 1000x .25. ( more conventional rifle). The Impact would be a nice addition in the future.

"Scott_MCT"I think the Impact should be the talk because FX has been more leading edge than anyone else lately. With that being said I'm a one holer guy and work in an engineering world. ANYTHING that has a changeable barell and sliding moderator simply can not replicate what a fixed system can do (assuming same quality). Maybe when the component is new, but the bass locking system on the barell will eventually wear if you like changing calipers and a sliding moderator may induce POI shifts simply because its design is to change the level of moderation. Each time it slides there is wear. If the Impact was one caliber only and had a fixed moderator I would have dived in, but the Wilcat was more down my Ally.

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As you work in the engineering world, I'll assume you know way more about this stuff than the majority of us but I wanted to ask why you think the Impact having a changeable barrel makes it different to most other PCP rifles? You can remove (and change) the barrel on almost every PCP rifle. They unscrew if you know how. The difference on the Impact is it is designed to be easier for end users to do it and they have groove to help you attach it in the same position each time. Why does this make it less accurate or weaker?

Unless you change the barrel every day or very regularly, there shouldn't be any noticeable degradation of the barrel threads or the groove for many years (assuming FX used decent metal). Even high carbon folded and tempered steel can be chipped and damaged but it usually takes deliberate force. I bet that, after the initial novelty, most people will only change barrels occasionally. Saying that, I have no idea what those barrels are made of. If the metal is anything like the cheap practice swords we used in a martial arts class I used to attend.... 

There are plenty of advanced shooters who upgrade their air rifle barrels and I don't know of many PCP guns that have their barrel welded to the action to make it one piece. What am I missing?

The telescoping moderator is a different matter as that is unique to the Impact. I assume this is FX's solution to the US hysteria about moderators in general. Having a fixed moderator means less risk of it being used on a firearm. Telescoping allows users to make it shorter without actually removing it so they still have the same choice as people in other countries. It's the next best thing I guess. 

I am sure that the telescoping components are weaker than a solid one-piece moderator but I doubt it's going to be an issue. The one thing telescoping can't replicate is the weight reduction from being able to actually unscrew and remove the moderator. My NC LDC is heavy so if I am not using it, I want to be able to take it off...

"zebra"

"ComplyHunter"

"zebra"

"APerfectMiss"I was notified by precision that the next order is due to show up sometime this month. They have not received any information in regards to the quantities of what calibers and or colors. They appreciate everyone's patience with the preordered impacts. Craig and Nancy are top notch on customer service. 

- Mike

Click to expand...

Precision are just resellers for AOA. In the event that there is an issue with an FX or Cricket you buy from them and you need to use your warranty, they will just direct you to AOA. As nice as Craig and Nancy may be, they can't or won't do anything to help with any issues on those guns. 

My Cricket arrived with a horrible scratch on the anodized metal from them. AOA said cosmetic damage is "normal" on their guns so Nancy wouldn't help me with it. I had to go directly to Kalibrgun myself to get a replacement part. Luckily for me, Kalibrgun stood behind their product although it took forever.

I have an indexing issue now on that Cricket and I am very nervous about sending my air rifle to AOA given that my transaction was with Precision. If AOA can't fix it or damage it, it's not like they are going to give me a refund (even though it's under warranty) as I bought it from Precision).

There is literally no point in ordering from Precision. They just pass your order on to AOA who are the worst vendor in the world. As much as AOA suck, you are still marginally better off than you would going through Precision. I specifically bought from Precision to avoid having to deal with AOA and I got stuck dealing with them anyway....

I believe that WildWest import and distribute some brands so they are a genuine alternative to AOA. I think Kalibrgun is one of those brands. I hear they have better service but they are also more expensive. I might have paid the extra had I known though. I believe AOA is the only distributor for FX in North America so no point in buying from anyone else unfortunately.

There is only one air gun vendor that actually has good after-sales service when you have an issue and that is Pyramyd Air. They return all guns no questions asked, even if they have no issues. If there is an issue, they pay for return shipping and immediately dispatch a replacement. AOA and their henchman (like Precision) make you pay to ship back the broken air rifle they sent you and it takes an eternity to get anything resolved. It's just a shame that PA don't stock any of the decent brands so we have to deal with those snake charmers.

Click to expand...

How about StraightShooters. Are they also got FX from AOA?

Click to expand...

I thought straight shooters and precision were the same company. Some of my documentation from Precision was labelled Straight Shooters. I never asked about the relationship. I just assumed one was the holding company.

Click to expand...

JIm and Nancy have nothing to do with another dealer. If you received a rifle via them and it listed another dealer on some kind of papers(other than the importer AOA) my guess AOA "ACCIDENTLY" mixed up a returned from Straight Shooters that was repaired as a NIB ...has happened in past quite common mix up at the importer 

"FieryPellets"

"zebra"

"Scott_MCT"I think the Impact should be the talk because FX has been more leading edge than anyone else lately. With that being said I'm a one holer guy and work in an engineering world. ANYTHING that has a changeable barell and sliding moderator simply can not replicate what a fixed system can do (assuming same quality). Maybe when the component is new, but the bass locking system on the barell will eventually wear if you like changing calipers and a sliding moderator may induce POI shifts simply because its design is to change the level of moderation. Each time it slides there is wear. If the Impact was one caliber only and had a fixed moderator I would have dived in, but the Wilcat was more down my Ally.

Click to expand...

As you work in the engineering world, I'll assume you know way more about this stuff than the majority of us but I wanted to ask why you think the Impact having a changeable barrel makes it different to most other PCP rifles? You can remove (and change) the barrel on almost every PCP rifle. They unscrew if you know how. The difference on the Impact is it is designed to be easier for end users to do it and they have groove to help you attach it in the same position each time. Why does this make it less accurate or weaker?

Unless you change the barrel every day or very regularly, there shouldn't be any noticeable degradation of the barrel threads or the groove for many years (assuming FX used decent metal). Even high carbon folded and tempered steel can be chipped and damaged but it usually takes deliberate force. I bet that, after the initial novelty, most people will only change barrels occasionally. Saying that, I have no idea what those barrels are made of. If the metal is anything like the cheap practice swords we used in a martial arts class I used to attend.... 

There are plenty of advanced shooters who upgrade their air rifle barrels and I don't know of many PCP guns that have their barrel welded to the action to make it one piece. What am I missing?

The telescoping moderator is a different matter as that is unique to the Impact. I assume this is FX's solution to the US hysteria about moderators in general. Having a fixed moderator means less risk of it being used on a firearm. Telescoping allows users to make it shorter without actually removing it so they still have the same choice as people in other countries. It's the next best thing I guess. 

I am sure that the telescoping components are weaker than a solid one-piece moderator but I doubt it's going to be an issue. The one thing telescoping can't replicate is the weight reduction from being able to actually unscrew and remove the moderator. My NC LDC is heavy so if I am not using it, I want to be able to take it off...

Click to expand...

You brought up some nice points, Zebra. I think maybe some of us are a little worried about the little things that might arise with the Impact. Personally, I won't be doing too much of the barrel changing anyways. I have several thousand JSB 16GR/18GR .22 pellets that I have. I just acquired 8000 rounds of JSB/various .25 pellets from a friend who's going oversea. He also gave me his Benjamin Trail NP XL air rifle in .25 to go with the pellets. More than likely, I will buy the .25 barrel to go with the Impact. With that said, I take care of my toys. After all, it's a weapon.

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I hear you. I feel that way about all of my air rifles but especially with the expensive ones. None of them feel like they are built to last. 

You want to believe that because you spent the extra cash, the manufacturers would have used the highest quality metals on all the moving parts to ensure that they will last, even with heavy use. They just don't though, so you are generally better off buying guns with simple designs and fewer moving parts. 

The problems would be more manageable if the manufacturers made replacement parts easily available at reasonable prices. So far most don't do this. I would never buy an Edgun for this reason. They can hardly even make their guns available in America and it's easier to find a live T-Rex than spare parts for one of those things.

So far Kalibrgun have been very good at helping me with replacement parts so I feel like being a loyal customer (even though I am a little mad they still haven't fixed their indexing issues). Maybe it is worth dropping FX an email directly to see if they will do the same if you have an issue with their products. 

The good news with the Impact moderator is that they come attached to the barrels so all you have to do is buy a new barrel if the moderator breaks. Also, Fx sells barrel blanks so you can buy a new smooth twist and add a Neil Clauge if you want. Or, you can buy LW barrel blanks for $130 if you prefer.

I am sure that the telescoping components are weaker than a solid one-piece moderator but I doubt it's going to be an issue. The one thing telescoping can't replicate is the weight reduction from being able to actually unscrew and remove the moderator. My NC LDC is heavy so if I am not using it, I want to be able to take it off...

Click to expand...

You'll find the actual telescoping portion of the Impact's shroud's weight almost negligible, very sturdy with no slop. It's really quite ingenious! Interesting your NC LDC is heavy. Perhaps he has changed his components since then as my recent NC suppressor made for the Texan is quite light and efficient! 

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Here's what I'm curious about.

This barrel tightening system with multiple hex tightened screws:



VS

This barrel mounting system with a single hand tightened screw:




Not saying it wont work. I'll buy one if it works and lasts with occasional barrel changes. I'm just waiting on the sidelines waiting to hear real world reports. 

This is the issue I have. I do not like this system even though it may work perfectly. It simply lends itself to production problems that may result in inconsistencies. The fixed barell is done out of the factory and nothing will change unless it sustains an impact. I think the Impact is almost perfect in design, but I would never want to swap barrels ever. Nor would I want to slide a moderators fowards and backwards. If I've got a one holer the last thing I want to do is change calibers or moderators.

Regarding the POI shift with moving shroud; first, barrels (on any rifle), rarely have bores that are concentric with the OD, and since the shroud centers on the OD, the pellet is usually going to travel closer to one side of the shroud than the other. Even if it doesn't hit the baffles, the air compression in front of the pellet, as it passes the baffles is going to be higher on one side than the other. the pellet doesn't actually have to touch to be deflected. just getting close on one side will do it. Second, Shroud tubes are supported only at the ends, or on the Impact, one end and near the middle when extended. in either case if the tube is not perfectly straight, it can cause pellet deflection, for the same reason. finally, barrels are rarely straight, even after being straightened on the outer diameter as close as the manufacturer is willing to do it, the bore may be aiming at a different spot than the outer diameter would indicate. So, now you have 3 sources of error in one barrel/shroud combo that could compound or cancel each other to varying degrees. add to that a shroud that could be slightly bent with one of the supports near mid length when extended, and the open end could be easily off center from the bore centerline. Even one-off custom guns that are built with tollerances as close as humanly possible are not perfect, let alone mass produced assemblies. So, I am not surprised in the least that some of these guns will have issues with POI changes when moving the shroud fore and aft. As a gun manufacturer myself,(not air guns), and knowing industry practices, I can just about guarantee that the first dozen or so prototype guns FX put out there, had much more time and effort spent on minimizing these inconcentricities than the guns that went out in the production runs. Short of checking everything yourself with a good lathe and dial indicators, your best bet is returning the barrel assembly for a replacement and hope for better luck the second time.
I do like the idea of a telescoping shroud myself, for the convenience of the shorter package when necessary; carrying/handling in confined places, like between boulders, heavy brush, or inside my car, when shooting out the side window; it also makes for a shorter carry-case. The sliding shroud is one of the reasons that I ordered an Impact. The system does seem to work for many owners, so I think your issue is probably just one of quality control.

Scott, as a fellow engineer, I agree with everything you have said. I am waiting a little until FX works out some of the bugs, like others have said. One of the things that I see happening with the FX Impact is the potential for a lot of aftermarket customization / tuning. It seems like a "modular gun", meaning many systems could be swapped out or modified by tuners. One of my first predictions is somebody will come out with a "receiver" that will accept a threaded barrel instead of the side pin. Seems to me like it would be a lot more stable / repeatable and would be nearly as easy to swap barrels (for those who want to). It looks to me like nothing else would need to change to make this type of barrel system on this gun. It would seem easy enough to order a barrel with whatever length, caliber and moderator system you wanted.
I could also guess optional equipment like different adjustable stock piece and an add-on adjustable cheek rest could be nice additions.
Bottom line: I see a lot of potential to make this gun platform into some cool, customized systems. Does anybody else see this?

Deleted by OP