by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier
Schofield BB revolver.
This report covers:
- The test
- ASG Blaster BBs
- Air Venturi Copper-Plated Steel BBs
- H&N Smart Shot lead BBs
- Center aim
- What to make of all of this?
- Evaluation
Today is accuracy day for the Schofield Number 3 BB revolver. Lots of interest in this one, so let’s get started.
The test
I shot from 5 meters. I was seated and the revolver was resting on the UTG monopod. I used a 6 o’clock hold for most of the targets and I shot 6 shots at each target.
ASG Blaster BBs
First up were ASG Blaster BBs. Six of them made a vertical group that measures 1.579-inches between centers. It’s a lot larger than I thought it would be.
Six ASG Blaster BBs made this 1.579-inch group at 5 meters.
Air Venturi Copper-Plated Steel BBs
Next I loaded 6 Air Venturi Copper-Plated steel BBs into the cartridge noses and shot them. Again, the hold was 6 o’clock on the bull. These BBs went low and a little to the left, making a 1.488-inch group.
Six Air Venturi copper-plated steel BBs made this 1.488-inch group at 5 meters. This one tended to go a little to the left.
H&N Smart Shot lead BBs
Next to be tried were the H&N Smart Shot lead BBs. These are slightly larger and I thought they might show some improvement over the first two steel BBs. They did, or maybe they didn’t. You’ll have to wait until the end of this report. They also showed something else that may or may not be happening, and I will address at the end.
Six Smart Shot BBs went into a 2.314-inch group. Four BBs are in a tight 0.777-inch group, but two BBs went way outside that, to open up the group. When I first saw this target I just thought Smart Shot BBs were not good in the Schofield, but later examination of all the targets revealed the possibility of something else.
Four Smart Shot BBs went into a tight group that’s well centered and under an inch (0.777”), but two other BBs opened that to 2.314-inches — the largest of the test.
At this point I had planned to end the test, but I wasn’t satisfied that I had really seen the gun’s potential, so I got a bottle of Hornady Black Diamond BBs for another try. This time the group was more like what I expected. Six BBs went into 0.978-inches at 5 meters. The 0.978-inch group is slightly left of center and below the aim point.
This is more like it! Six Hornady Black Diamond BBs made this 0.978-inch group at 5 meters.
This was good, but was it just a fluke? Six shotsdoesn’t reveal much more than approximately what the gun can do. That’s why I normally shoot 10 shots per group. I could shoot 12 shots, which is two cylinders, but I also wanted to try something else. Since this revolver was hitting at or below the aim point with all BBs, I decided to try a different aim point on the next target. This is the one target in whch I did not use a 6 o’clock hold.
Instead, I aimed for the center of the bull, which is many times more difficult. The black front sight post gets lost in the black bull, and it’s also difficult to determine exactly where the center of the bull is. If I were hunting, though, this is how I would aim — knowing the bullet/BB would strike the target at the top center of the front sight post, under ideal conditions. I figured if these Black Diamond BBs were really that much more accurate, I could raise the group higher on the target and still shoot a credible group.
Center aim
I got what I was going for — almost. Five of the six BBs landed in a 0.781-inch group that was higher on the target but just as far to the left as the first group with the same BB. The group is still below the target a little, but higher than it had been with a 6 o’clock hold.
Unfortunately, the sixth shot landed far below the other five, opening the group to 1.265-inches. It is still the second-smallest group of this test, which proves the Black Diamond is the BB to beat in this airgun, of the four I tested.
Six Hornady Black Diamond BBs made this 1.265-inch group at 5 meters. Five went into 0.781-inches.
What to make of all of this?
At this point I stopped shooting and took pictures of all the groups. Then I looked at the pictures and a couple things occurred to me. First, the Hornady Black Diamond BBs were noticeably more accurate than the other three. Even when I used a center hold, this was the second smallest group of the test.
But I also noticed something curious. All of the groups except for the first group of Black Diamonds have one BB that isn’t with the others. In the case of the Smart Shot BBs, there are two that are wild. If this was a firearm I would suspect that one chamber in the cylinder was not bored concentrically with the breech. But the way this Schofield BB revolver works, I have to suspect the cartridges, because they are equivalent to the chamber in a firearm revolver cylinder. That is fortunate, because you can always swap cartridges until you have 6 that you trust. It’s worth considering.
Evaluation
The Schofield Number 3 BB revolver is a very realistic BB gun replica of a rare and expensive historical firearm. If you like the firearm but have problems owning them, this may be as close as you can get to it. It operates, looks and weighs very close to the original.
On the down side, my testing shows that the accuracy is only average for a BB revolver or worse. Don’t buy this BB gun for shooting targets. But for an authentic cowboy action pistol you can shoot at home, I think you will be very pleased with the Schofield.
Sorry, guys. This report failed to publish, so I did it manually this morning.
This is why I watch the blog 18 hours every day!
B.B.
B.B
Great relief. I was a bit worried & also starting to feel like Siraniko
Errol
The date on the top is still in the past though!
Errol
Errol,
Wow! The software is really messed up today. I fixed everything and tried to publish it and the software re-scheduled it for later this morning!
My give up! 😉
B.B.
Whom computers would destroy, they must first drive mad.
The revolver tended to shoot low for me as well as to the right Shoot left handed and went to a slightly above center hold and moved into the bull . Using shoot and see or red dot inthe black bulls eye helps . The long barrel and the grip shape tend to make the Schofield point low but all in all got around 1.5inch groups using daisy steel bobs. There is a difference between fanning and slip shooting . At some point will do a little video on both
I started to feel like a junkie looking for his fix a few hours ago. Now all is right in the world.
It posted right on time for when I read this. Thanks for all your hard work.
I will second Siraniko’s comment. 😉 I believe Fido3030 has had real good results with the Black Diamonds as well. That is a pretty big change for just switching bb’s. Nice job on finding something that worked.
BB
Glad your ok. I checked last night and nothing also. I don’t like when that happens. Makes the mind think to many thoughts.
It back to the pistol. I have to ask this. Remember the Brodax and I tryed shooting pellets in it with the metal Python clips and it was pretty successful.
Well made me think. Can pellets be loaded into the cartridges that come with this pistol? Or is there cartridges available that will shoot pellets that will work in this gun? That could just be the trick in this pistol to have a more accurate action gun.
GF1,
I don’t know if pellets can be loaded but I think it’s very doubtful. The cartridges load from thje front and they are so tight that even 0.173-inch BB pop in.
B.B.
BB
Ok well then that’s out.
Next I guess see if other revolver cartridges that are made to shoot pellets will fit in this gun.
Or maybe the hole can be opened up bigger in the cartridges for this gun to accept pellets. Maybe could be as simple as running a rat tail file through the hole a couple times to open it up to get the pellet fit how a person would like.
If I get one of these which I have thought about. I will probably order another set of cartridges with it and try what I just mentioned and see if I can get it to shoot pellets.
One way to test your theory is to use only one particular “shell” to see if the POI remains the same or shifts regardless.
B.B.,
Are additional cartridges (same as for the Webley MKVI, I understand) available?
By following Siraniko’s suggestion and trying multiple shots with each individual cartridge, perhaps you can also determine which ones put the shots closest to your point of aim. Through painstaking trial and error, one could buy extra cartridges and end up with a pretty darn accurate Schofield
Michael
I am very sorry to go off topic so quickly (again), but does anybody know anything about this gun? The company (Kral) (http://kralav.com/en/) is apparently Turkish (sama as Hatsan and also produces shotguns (also like Hatsan. This particular model costs approximately the same as a synthtic stock Discovery here in South Africa, so it may be a very good buy. (http://pellet-guns.com/precharged-pneumatic-pcp/459-kral-puncher-s-pcp-55mm.html)
KRAL PUNCHER S PCP 5.5MM
Maximum Muzzle Velocity (Factory supplied) 5.5 mm JSB 18.13 grain 950 fps / 33 j
Magazine Capacity 12 Shots 5.5 mm /. 22 cal
Air Tube Capacity 230 cc
Shots Per Fill 200 bar – 120 bar 42 Shot180 bar – 120 bar 30 Shot (4.5 mm)
Fill Pressure 200 Bar
Stock Synthetic (adjustable cheek piece)
Overall Length 100 cm/39.3 inch
Barrel Length 48 cm/18.8 inch
Weight 3.10 kg/ 6.82 lbs
Side Lever Cocking
Trigger Adjustable
I would really appreciate any feedback.
Vasco,
The Kral rifles are poorly made. I looked at them for Pyramyd AIR and they made the decision not to carry them.
They will promise almost anything, but they deliver a sub-par sample that will not sell.
B.B.
That is a bit disappointing! Thanks BB.
Vasco,
I second what B.B. said about Kral air rifles. I remember looking at the two Kral copies of the Gamo CFX that B.B. brought to an airgun show to sell. They were indeed very poor quality. If someone was to give me one I might tinker with it to see if I could “make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear”, but I would not buy one.
RR,
Those are the rifle I was referring to.
B.B.
BB,
I looked at them and you told me they were $60 each and I went and bought a Gamo CFX for $150.
BB
Seems we may have a lot of variables that may affect these cartridge pistols.
There must be some barrel / forcing cone play in order for them to move in and out then you have cylinder bore play for the cartridges as well as the cartridge bore on back loaders or a distorted plastic tip. Not to mention an imperfect or distorted cartridge itself. Does it touch the cone a little and prevent it from centering on the cylinder bore.
Then there is cylinder play and possible misalignment between the cone and any one particular cylinder.
Then if a bb happens to strike the forcing cone edge a little would it throw the barrel out of alignment a bit ? … or would a slight dent in the bb, that may have resulted, cause the bb to spin off target ? May have to remove each fired bb to find a flyer and check for dents.
So what to do ? Use the same cartridge and fire it six times ‘in the same cylinder bore’, 36 bb’s total per test for all bores, six targets. Then do it all over again with the remaining five cartridges. Something may eventually come to light, either with the pistol or the cartridges. Then of course you can start it all over again with different bb’s ! Mind the shots fired for the CO2.
For a total comprehensive test you could mark and rotate the cartridge lets say at the 3,6 9 and 12 o’clock positions and fire six times in each. Hell of a test, probably kill an entire afternoon, but it may be very interesting and offer a course of action to isolate any revolver problems !
Might make a difference between actually killing a can or just wounding it some day !! 😉
Bob,
There is no cylinder gap. The barrel actually moves forward as the cylinder rotates.It is spring loaded and seals each cartridge when it springs backwards.
B.B.
Point taken. I was under the impression that the forcing cone was centering the cylinder and the cartridges were kind of free floating. The rattling of the other five cartridges through me off. It does seem to center the cylinder some when it’s empty, but not really locking it up hard.
I placed one cartridge in the Colt SAA cylinder and aligned it with the barrel and it did not rattle. I then tried the Python, same thing, Then opened the cylinder and suspended a cartridge between the cone and the back of the receiver and it stayed in place from cone tension alone.
Interesting to see if a perfectly aligned cartridge firing a bb in this position (open cylinder) stays in place or drops out from a possible unseating of the cone that may permit CO2 to escape ? Using precautions of course.
Perhaps it may be as simple as Siranko suggested, check out each cartridge for consistency and POI. What could be left ? A slightly lose barrel or out of round bb’s ?
Hi BB and the group . Here in Mountain Time, Western Idaho, your new blogs usually show up at midnight or very shortly after . So last night I was truly worried something was wrong. I did not get my BB fix. Glad everything is ok .
Sometimes I wonder if we expect too much out of these replicas. I wonder what the actual accuracy would be of the actual firearm at the target distances.
BB, another one of my replicas bit the dust. This time the Tanfoglio Limited Custom. The magazine failed. allowing multiple feeds. No way could I repair it. I have several pistols that the CO2 system failed, leaking CO2. Have you ever done a report on how those systems work.? I have no idea how to disassemble one for repairs. I have tried the Barr’s automatic transmission fix with no avail. With so many failures, I am almost scared to buy another CO2 pistol. If I want a CO2 pistol that shoots constantly with no problems I go to my Crosman 2240 . Thank you in advance for any help.
Best wishes
Harvey
K7ugshooter,
I have a 92FS and it started messing up around 2500 shots. By 3000 shots the cocking was messed up, the advance was messed up, the safety was messed up. I tore it down 100% and studied it very carefully over about 2-3 days. After I understood what did what, all looked good and I just cleaned everything and lubed as needed. It has worked good ever since.
I say tear into them. What have you got to lose at this point? You will learn things and maybe get them fixed. Exploded views are often on line as well getting parts. Plus you have YouTube videos of other people tearing stuff apart.
I say,… go for it!!! 🙂
Hello Chris and the group. First of all, I should have edited my previous post. The time BB’s new blog appears here in Western Idaho is usually 10:00 PM, not midnight . Great on your repairs of the 92 FS . I have the Umarex Colt which I understand is a similar pistol and so far no issues, but it does seem like the grip safety requires a lot of pressure to engage. I am getting braver in the tear downs . I have the Umarex S&W TRR8 that leaks CO2 and so far I have not found any videos on how to disassemble the CO2 mechanism. Looks like a person would need a special tool to loosen up the frame mounted CO2 assembly, like a special right angled screw driver. That was a real accurate BB pistol within my collection, but of course by now out of warranty. I would like BB to do a blog on those CO2 mechanisms with his usual great drawings on how the critters work.
Thanks
Harvey
Harvey,
When I did the 92, I split the case open. Like I said, I tore it down 100% including the valve guts. When it came time to do the CO2 cartridge seal area, I used an electricians wire staple, like the kind you would hammer in. I stuck that in some small vice grips and it screwed right apart. Keep in mind, this was (out) of the gun. In the gun would be tough to do. I am sure that process would be done with the gun apart at assy. time. Can it be done with the gun assembled?,… I do not know.