What makes the impact so unreliable, yet so desirable?

Had one in 2017 and hated it. Just ordered one today. Fascinated also. I want to believe I am not marrying the same girl twice with this one though.

LOL 

It is intriguing. I have one, don't shoot it that much anymore ... may want to sell it at some time.

It's like we used to say ... "Never buy a Harley unless you have a trailer hitch on the back of your car ... so you can get it home."

Shalom

John

I bought a mk1. Hated that gun. Sold it at a big lost.

Or if Harley Davidson built an airplane, would you fly in it?

Had one in 2017 and hated it. Just ordered one today. Fascinated also. I want to believe I am not marrying the same girl twice with this one though.

Click to expand...

A real cutie that looks like your ex's identical twin sister...

I think the word unreliable is more of an opinion than a known fact. Mine has served me very well over the past year+.

I get it, some people hate them and hate they do. Often.

There's this also.

https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/how-many-impact-owners-here/

Affirmative and that's what a forum is for so there are no surprises if you are one of the "lucky ones" (OR NOT) at least you know what you are getting yourself into and no surprises. Well but at least not SHOCKED because of what you already have read (IF YOU WERE SMART ENOUGH TO DO YOUR OWN DUE DILLIGENCE BEFORE DROPPING YOUR HARD EARNED LONG SAVED PRECIOUS $2000.00)(OR NOT)good and bad. I STILL bought another Impact after my first 2 out of my 3 leaked I have lots of other guns to shoot anyway so it's not like it was my one and only primary daily use gun at all.

I’m at least giving the gun a second chance now that my knowledge base of what makes a PCP tick has tripled since I last owned one. I will openly admit that when I had my first one, it was above my pay grade. I was too nervous to tear it apart and other issues were self induced. Now I know a bunch of guys have my back.

Lucky you have the mechanical inclination and cognitive dexterity and motivation and time and Will and spirit and drive.

Just think about the others who are not.

I told myself I’d never own one, ever. Mainly because I didn’t wanna “keep up with the Jone’s” in that respect, but also cause I just didn’t see myself ever having the spare $$ to come up with for one. 

I recently picked one up, used, but never used. MK2 in the Oakland Raiders colors of Silver and Black. Near mint, for near half of what one costs new. This is the first used gun I bought where I couldn’t tell it was used. I had the gun apart completely a week after I got it, and now I see the fascination. The fascination I see that’s shared amongst the folks that know how to work on these things, mod them, and tweak on them to perfection. One really needs to tear it apart to realize the engineering that went into this platform to truly appreciate it. It is an engineering marvel of a gun. It goes against how most PCP guns are designed. Definitely a “think out of the box” design. This gun alone has made me “tool up” with more complex pcp tools to make disassembly and reassembly easy. I’m a big believer in using the correct tool for the job.

Now I understand why Chuck(a true blue wildcat only guy) called me the day he had his, and told me to sell all my guns or do whatever it took to get one of these. This gun, with all its capabilities is truly the only gun one would ever need. Yes, one can argue about all the added costs for barrel kits, slug liners, etc, but a barrel kit to convert over to another caliber, as Bob O put it, is still cheaper than buying a new gun. Thankfully, I’m not made of money so I don’t foresee me buying everything that belongs to an Impact, so I will keep this a 25 cal, and make it the best it could ever be, and it’ll be a sole bench target gun. 

If you learn the gun, you’d look at a leak as just another walk in the park. Stock up on o rings, and fix it. Easy Peasy. Parts needed? Download the parts diagrams from FX and order them from FXUSA. It’s just all part of this great hobby, maintaining your pcp’s.

What is with the Impact?



It looks SO TOUGH! Bad to the bone. Don't mess with me or else...



At least it is for me BUT it's waaaaaaaaay more than I need and am willing to spend (at this point) for what it is. I would spend that amount of cash but for something less mainstream like a FWB 800W. That's just me.



What makes it unreliable? Too many moving parts? At least thats what it seems to me looking from the outside in. What is the AK47 of the airgun world? We NEED an air powered equivalent. At least in the durability dept.

I love mine.

Do remember, the Impact is an incredibly complex gun. It ain't no gun for kids. and when I treat my gun right, it's been extremely reliable. Only when I treat it wrong does it get out of whack.

I tell people, my Marauder has something like 10 o-rings in 4 sizes. The Impact has 20 sizes and probably over 40 o-rings. It's a tinkerers dream, it's finicky, problems can really be hard to find, but it's incredibly accurate.

It can also be upgraded to new parts and keep up with technology. Mine is a Gen 1, but I've installed the STX barrel and am waiting for the Plenum Upgrade now. Hopefully the plenum appointment will be in the next couple weeks.

I'd never recommend the Impact for a first time PCP shooter. Start with something simple like a Marauder, or now days, maybe an Avenger. Learn then if you really want a Ferrari of Airguns, get an Impact and expect to spend time tinkering, tinkering, shooting, tinkering, shooting.

FX USA is great with Parts, they'll talk and tell you what your best bet for the repair or upgrade is. Utah AIrguns services (about 40 minutes from my house) and can provide support. For me, it's an ideal gun because I like tinkering with it almost as much as shooting it.

What is it with the impact? It’s like a love/hate relationship. It’s considered THE airgun to own, yet common issues continue to occur and they are known as unreliable guns. 
what are the appeals of this platform, and what are the flaws. Are they still worth buying if you don’t want to tinker and repair them all the time? 
There’s a lot of other brands out there, but non seem to be as popular. I’m fascinated!

Click to expand...

Not sure what gave you the idea that it is unreliable. If it was it would not sell so well and be used in so many competitions. I expect most problems with the gun are self inflicted and still with the huge number sold I would expect that is still a very low number. One must remember that what you see on the forums is only the tiniest drop in the bucket compared to what is out there and usually it's only those who need help that come here so it really does not relate to the many thousands sold every year.

The Impact is really a tinkerers dream with so many internal adjustments that can be made and so many aftermarket parts that can be purchased. So it's both a blessing to many and a nightmare to some. If one does not want to tinker then leave it at the factory presets which are very good I might add.

Love mine not that I have not got myself into trouble with it a couple of times but I figured it out on my own. Half inch groups at 100 yards and pegging spray paint cans at 200. It's hard to beat this kind of action.

+1 for Bigragu's explanation it is well said.

I love mine.

Do remember, the Impact is an incredibly complex gun. It ain't no gun for kids. and when I treat my gun right, it's been extremely reliable. Only when I treat it wrong does it get out of whack.

I tell people, my Marauder has something like 10 o-rings in 4 sizes. The Impact has 20 sizes and probably over 40 o-rings. It's a tinkerers dream, it's finicky, problems can really be hard to find, but it's incredibly accurate.

It can also be upgraded to new parts and keep up with technology. Mine is a Gen 1, but I've installed the STX barrel and am waiting for the Plenum Upgrade now. Hopefully the plenum appointment will be in the next couple weeks.

I'd never recommend the Impact for a first time PCP shooter. Start with something simple like a Marauder, or now days, maybe an Avenger. Learn then if you really want a Ferrari of Airguns, get an Impact and expect to spend time tinkering, tinkering, shooting, tinkering, shooting.

FX USA is great with Parts, they'll talk and tell you what your best bet for the repair or upgrade is. Utah AIrguns services (about 40 minutes from my house) and can provide support. For me, it's an ideal gun because I like tinkering with it almost as much as shooting it.

Click to expand...

Totally agree on this one, especially about the impact not being a good entry level gun. I, too, learned with a Marauder. 

I’m going to throw myself out there. I have 4 impacts and haven’t had any issues of really any major sorts like I read on these forums. Yes like any pcp a oring has caused a leaked. I replace then get back to business. For me the impacts are the perfect tool for what I do or any FX gun for purposes of an air rifle, Other airguns on market would not fit the bill. I’m a user. I set it and forget it. There’s plenty of keyboard jockeys that will tell you different. All my impacts have been reliable as all get out. 

Like most car problems you mostly hear from people who do have problems, you hear some praises from people who love them and the majority who are happy are simply enjoying them. That being said it's fairly easy to jack up an impact just because it's a rather complicated piece of machine and by no means beginner friendly. We get constant stream of questions from first time impact users on what's wrong with their impact in PCP section for that very reason. BUT once you figure things out on the impact it's a very rewarding relationship, absolutely tinker's dream.



Also first gen did have a heck lot more problems than the latest iteration.

LOL 

It is intriguing. I have one, don't shoot it that much anymore ... may want to sell it at some time.

It's like we used to say ... "Never buy a Harley unless you have a trailer hitch on the back of your car ... so you can get it home."

Shalom

John

Click to expand...

That's funny. I once met a computer tech in the 1979 that fixed mini-computers. He came by with a Harley. During another visit he had a KZ1000. I asked why did he also have Kawasaki. He replied to buy parts for the Harley.

Multiple FX owner, 3 impacts, crown and bobcat. I am a fanboy, but also honest. I just don’t like long guns so the impact has always been my favourite “problem child”

I have had every problem listed on this forum and some that are not and required special attention that I don’t feel comfortable sharing for the sake of safety!

I am not bashing as I am an engineer, but if I were not I would have given up on the platform long ago.

This would have been a shame as now is probably the safest time to buy an impact, I was fortunate enough to test and access a few pre production superior liners in .22 and I was blown away by the accuracy.

I now have one impact in stock pp config except for a Transfer port and probe mod shooting 18.1 JSBs 1 inch at 100yards, 95 bar reg, 960 FPS, 140 times per fill! It’s bonkers fun.

IMHO the barrel is the most important part of the system, most guns are fixed so a bad barrel becomes a bad gun, my two spare parts impacts were leak fixed, re barrelled and sold to good homes with a set of spare o rings and the commitment to refund the buyers money if they weren’t happy, no comebacks on either yet!