Hajimoto Review of the Umarex Gauntlet 2

Thank you all for the support!

It is much appreciated 

Mr. Hajimoto,

I'm trying to decide on this gaunlet 2 or the Air Avenger. Also, is Air AV coming out with an Air Avenger 2? You eluded to some internal changes to the gauntlet 2 that seemed to be important. Do I need regulated pressure above 1900? Is the accuracy of both rifles the same, at that pressure? Component wise how do they stack up internally? Also, does the G2 have the same quick connect fill port that the AV does? Can you help me out here? Thanks for all the reviews and information you provide.

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I am so sorry for the delay in responding. I am not sure how I have never seen this but hopefully, I'm not too late. I will be answering your questions one for one below.

• I am not aware of an Avenger 2 and AV or Pyramid Air would be the best source for that answer.
• In both calibers of the G2, the internal changes are huge to the positive side of performance generating changes.
• Regulator output pressure is directly relative to what power you are trying to generate for any given projectile. Each projectile will have a sweet spot that is specific to your barrel and rate of travel. All of this is directly relative to adjustable power and a goal is to have the operating pressure of the PCP to be only what is required to achieve that sweet spot. I go into more detail below. 
• As I touched on above, accuracy is not a fixed element that is chained to any specific operating pressure. Accuracy is achieved through tuning and finding that balance and the rifle needs to provide means to do that. One is manipulating the power output of the rifle the other is manipulating the projectile.
• Internals, the G2 will be more serviceable and customizable because previously produced airguns that share the same genetics, parts or mods are readily available. 
• The fill ports are nonproprietary and the same.

Out of the box capability
Let us get the obvious out of the way here straight out of the gate, any PCP can be modified or improved and that includes a PCP like the G2 which can have an adjustable reg and hammer preloaded added but I'm calling it like it is from a starting point of out of the box features and adjustability.


That being said, let us discuss the general classes that exist In the PCP world. Again this is very general and there are several niche or specialized groups that exist in between these generalized group sets but for the most part, all of those specialized groups can be realized from the starting point of either of these prime groups.

Group 1
Uses a lot of different ammo types and weights based on the shooting style that is desired. This group will need a rifle that allows them to easily adjust the rifle's power output either up or down to accommodate that variable use role.

Group 2 
Buys the rifle, finds the ammo that offers the best accuracy, and never deviates from that working combination. This group does not want complexity just simply fill with air load the ammo that has been determined as the most accurate and shoots it.


This is where the difference exists between the G2 or the AVA. Out of the box with zero modifications, only the AVA gives you full control of tuning the rifle with hammer preload and an externally adjustable regulator which is exactly what the Group 1 type shooter is looking for.

The G2 is a very accurate and powerful PCP that once married to the best ammo for it, is a very versatile PCP primarily suited for hunting applications but can also be a very accurate target shooter.

I hope this helps,

Hajimoto

Sir, My question is What is the operating pressure? ,For general shooting, or maybe i should ask what the regulated pressure is?

Can it be filled with a hand pump ?

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In .22 the operating pressure is 1900 PSI and in the .25 the operating pressure is 2100 PSI.
Both Gauntlets will ship with a 24ci 4500 PSI tank.

While this tank CAN be hand-pumped I would not recommend it.

Any regulated PCP needs to have clean dry air, with emphasis on DRY. It is virtually impossible to produce dry air with a hand pump. If you were filling a nonregulated PCP like the Umarex Origin, for instance, a hand pump is acceptable as there are not as many critical tolerance internals that moisture will alter.

Lastly, if you actually did fill a 24ci tank to 4500 PSI, it would be a very demanding exercise, literally!

Regards,

Hajimoto

Hajimoto

I purchased the Gauntlet 2.

Love the accuracy. Hate the bolt. I have to slam the bolt forward hard to chamber a round. After about 20 rounds I quit shooting it because it isn't any fun to shoot.

This is my first air gun and I want to shoot this gun badly. Please advise . Is there something I can do to resolve this problem ?

Bill

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Hey Bill,

The difficult chambering issue that you are describing is something that I have witnessed and documented in the past and there are a few things that you can do to alleviate some of the effort to chamber a round. I am going to get a bit geeky here but I want to describe what the internal of a bore look like from the breech end to the barrel.

Typically the breech will be just large enough to accept the projectile being offered and allow it to be transported by the pellet probe or cocking bolt into the chamber area of the barrel. Along the way to the final resting spot prior to firing the rifle, the projectile is being led into a narrowing transfer passage which introduces the projectile to the rifling. This chamber or lead-in (leed in) area of the barrel should be a smooth and gradual transition from breech to chamber. The Gauntlets breech to chamber transition is very steep and shallow. SEE PHOTO A



If you use a projectile with a fairly soft lead it will be able to be wedged past that very sharp and abrupt step you see there in the lead in but harder ammo like H&N or Crosman will be very difficult to push into that hard edge.

So what to do? There are a few things to consider.

1. If you continue to use the rifle and continue to chamber round after round after round that edge will soften over time or "break-in" but if you're in pain and the effort negates the interest to continue, that is not an option.
2. You can use only soft lead projectiles like JSB or FX which will require far less effort to chamber but that would limit your ammo choice and put you in what I consider "Premium Ammo Cost".
3. Physically working the problem, mechanically changing the chambers' current state.
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   Of these options, 1 & 2 really do not need any further discussion because they are what they are.
   
   Option 3 means you void your factory warranty. So you will have zero recourse for any future warranty claims. Option 3 can be achieved in two ways.
   
   1. Commission a gunsmith to execute the work.
   2. Do it yourself.
      [/LIST=1]
      
      Option 1, means you contact your trusted gunsmith and have them perform the barrel modification. If you do not have a trusted gunsmith and need one, ask around and get some opinions from your brothers and sisters in the airgun community. Hopefully, you will have someone local to you and it will make the modification a simple drop-off and pick-up affair.
      
      Option 2, As I have publically demonstrated over the years, I am very much a DIY type of guy and I do not allow warranties to govern my level of enjoyment with a product that bought and own. Now please understand that I am saying that a $30,000.00 purchase falls into this category, I do apply reason to the situation and here we are talking about a total loss of $400 if I completely destroy the product. Which to be honest could never happen, at worse, I'd need to replace the barrel.
      
      That said, there are a lot of means and methods to soften that hard edge or to deepen the chambering portion of the lead-in. It can and has been done by many DIY gun smiths in the past.. The best way is the way that gets it done for you. I have seen guys use a fine-tooth rasp and work those edges down by hand working through the breech, I have seen folks use a Dremel with finely tapered stone attachments, I have even seen folk purchase a tapered ream and work the transition. Any of those techniques will work but they have a risk of introducing inconsistency to the landings which can cause projectile deformity and possibly cause inaccuracy issues.
      
      If you do take on the DIY approach, I recommend two variables be employed when doing something for the first time.
      
      1. Work slow.
      2. Be concentric.
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         Point number 1 means stay away from course or rapid material changes. Use very fine tooling, sandpaper, emery cloth, polishing papers, or what have you, this affords you the luxury of time. Take it slow and easy which will prevent catastrophic material removal leaving you with a worse scenario than when you started.
         
         Point 2 means use something that keeps tooling in the center and that works all points of contact at the same time. This is where lathes come in handy because they help eliminate the runout (inconsistency along a length) that can be caused by doing things by hand but I am here to tell you, you do not NEED a lathe if you work slow and a concentric as possible.
         
         One method that I used for years was the tapered and partially split wooden dowel method. It is achieved by using a wooden dowel close to the size of the bore that is sharpened like a pencil at one end and the tip is split down its length for the first 1.5"-2" to allow 2000, 3000, or 5000 grit wet sandpaper to be introduced. You can lock the barrel in a soft jaw vise and chuck the dowel in a variable speed drill motor or cordless drill. This tapered ultra-fine grit assembly is introduced into the breech and allowed to work that shoulder down and create a smooth polished ramp into the chamber.
         
         I can expand on this or other DIY means and methods but I am certain that you will find some content out there that will demonstrate what I have described above. Please let me know if you have any additional questions or comments.

Thanks for this link Hajimoto.

I loaded a pellet into the G2’s chamber then pushed it back out, with a push rod, and the pellet was significantly damaged, and came out with lead flakes. I kind of came to the conclusion that, this was the cause of my G2’s lack of accuracy. That’s where I wondered what your thoughts would be on that conclusion. 
I’ve watched a bunch of your videos on the G1, and was thinking you have to be doing G2’s? I looked on your sight and couldn’t really find a catalogue of options? Where should I look? Also, is there a video of the three Gauntlet 2’a, at extreme bench rest, that you mentioned on a video, interview?

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Can you share what projectiles you're using for this bore fit test you described?

If you look at the SERVICES page of the site you will see an ala cart type listing option or the complete service which is most of the services combined into one package.

RMAC Video of the G2: Because I was competing (or trying to) I nor any of the other G2 shooters were able to produce any video of the G2's in action