The SHRED-ER from BUG-A-SALT.
This report covers:
- Thousand words
- Brightly colored
- However
- Service
- What is it for?
- Common sense
- Can the circular clips be reloaded?
- How to test?
- Salt?
- Summary
This is a poignant report for me, because when I looked at the last time I wrote about a BUG-A-SALT gun, it was July 30, 2015, four days after my wife, Edith, passed away. I wrote that report in memory of her, because she liked the yellow fly-zapper. Well, I know that she would just LOVE today’s topic airgun — the BUG-A-SALT SHRED-ER. This is a family blog so I won’t tell you what their tagline says, but I’m sure it appeals to many of their customers.
Thousand words
That first photo is a thousand-word picture for airgunners. So, I’m finished with my report!
Seriously, if you have been an airgunner for any length of time you can look at that picture and know instantly where this gun was made. For everyone else, think 7629 Routes 5 & 20, Bloomfield, New York. Or, as reader RidgeRunner is so fond of saying, the company formerly known as Crosman. This is a Crosman Vigilante set up to shoot salt.
If the appearance alone isn’t enough to convince you, the instructions say to use Crosman Powerlet CO2 cartridges only, and to maintain the gun with one drop of Crosman Pelgunoil on the tip of each CO2 cartridge. For the benefit of anyone reading this who is not an airgunner, do that BEFORE you install and pierce the CO2 cartridge, so the oil will be blown into the interior of the valve by the force of the gas and will get on every sealing surface inside the gun. If you do that and follow all the other instructions, this pest-blaster should last for many years. I sure hope so because my other BUG-A-SALT is more than 6 years old and is still going strong.
Except for the colors the grip is the standard Vigilante grip and the handle for the CO2 tensioning screw tucks neatly inside. So both grip panels must be removed to install a cartridge.
Brightly colored
As you can see in the picture, the SHRED-ER is brightly colored. Still the instructions bear the warning “DO NOT BRANDISH OR DISPLAY THE SHRED-ER IN PUBLIC — IT MAY CONFUSE PEOPLE AND COULD BE A CRIME. POLICE AND OTHERS MAY THINK IT IS A LETHAL FIREARM. DO NOT CHANGE THE COLORATION AND MARKINGS TO MAKE IT LOOK MORE LIKE A FIREARM. THAT IS DANGEROUS AND MAY BE A CRIME.”
That’s a pretty sensible warning, aside from the fact that EVERY firearm is potentially lethal. But that’s a minor redundancy.
However
In the eyes of airgunners, though, the only people who might think the SHRED-ER is a firearm are the students and faculty of clown college! BUG-A-SALT has gone above and beyond to make this thing look non-lethal. Am I hearing a calliope?
Service
Service matters to B.B. Pelletier, just as it does to most of my readers. So let me tell you what happened when I went online to purchase the SHRED-ER. The BUG-A-SALT website is hinky and said my business credit card was invalid. I tried three times to purchase it online, so if you use a Mac and use Chrome as your browser, I’m warning you that it may not work.
I then called them and a man named Ely took my order over the phone. He said they were all out of the SHRED-ERs, but they expected a small shipment in a week to 10 days. He would call me and take my order when they had more to sell. Wonder of wonders, that is exactly what he did! No fooling around. No, “I called and no one picked up.” business. Just a straightforward transaction that went exactly as it was supposed to. You gotta love that! And we charged it to that same credit card that their website said was invalid. Imagine that.
What is it for?
Now we get down to the nitty-gritty. If the other BUG-A-SALT guns work (and they do) why do you need this one? Well, they are for flies. This one is for dangerous game! Think:
hornets,
wasps,
scorpions,
large water beetles (sometimes called cockroaches, but they’re not),
and CARPENTER BEES!!!!!!!!!
If a bug a salt shredder had been available when I lived in Maryland, I would have eradicated swarms of carpenter bees. They were everywhere around my property. I tried tennis rackets, but they must have seen them coming. I shot them with my Sheridan Blue Streak when they would hover long enough. I even shot them with .22 long rifle bird shot! And I didn’t make a dent. I would have loved to have had one of these.
I once killed a tarantula on my front walk, here in Texas, using my old BUG-A-SALT 2.0. They seem to be smaller here than in California (up on Mount Hamilton) and elsewhere, but they are aggressive. I shot this one in the face with the gun and it reared up and charged me. I had to stomp it to kill it. I probably shot out most of its eyes. I’m hoping the SHRED-ER can eradicate critters like this completely.
Common sense
I know — common sense isn’t that common, is it? For sure and for certain you don’t fire the SHRED-ER into a hornets’ nest! If you know where it is patterned (this is a shot pistol, it doesn’t shoot a solid projectile) you might take out a single hornet if the shot presented itself. Many people mistake yellowjacket wasps for hornets. They are entirely different. A yellowjacket is small and its sting isn’t that painful. A hornet is huge and its sting is unforgettable. BB’s advice is to not take on hornets.
Can the circular clips be reloaded?
If you are an airgunner you have to know the answer to this question. According to the BUG-A-SALT instructions, it’s nix, nein, Frankenstein! It’s right there in the instructions. And, if you are an airgunner, you are fully prepared to ignore those instructions and then bellyache to the world if something that isn’t supposed to happen, happens. Every airgunner should be issued a can of paint to spray on the overpasses of the world. Oh, wait! We have the internet!
My SHRED-ER came with 24 ten-shot circular clips full of salt. That’s 240 rounds. That will be enough for all my testing and for the onslaught of the dangerous insect wars. And I’ll probably take a look at reloading the clips — I didn’t say that out loud, did I? But I am an airgunner and this is an airgun blog.
The clips come preloaded with salt. They are disposable.
How to test?
I have good plans for pattern/accuracy testing. But velocity testing will be iffy. The instructions do say in the specifications that the revolver gets 435 f.p.s. with pellets. I’m thinking the salt goes out faster.
Salt?
Rock salt in shotgun shells has been touted for years as a less lethal way of scaring off bad guys and critters you don’t want around. It can work, but only at very close range (under 10 feet) and it is definitely not non-lethal. The wad that’s behind the salt can kill at close range. The salt itself tends to turn to dust when shot from a shotgun, unless the velocity and powder charge is severely reduced. But the BUG-A-SALT salt is already going out slower, so this stuff really has a chance of success.
Summary
We gonna have us some fun with this one. And, if I find that it works, I’m going on safari for dangerous bugs!
BB-
Well, let me toss in waterglass (sodium silicate) as a contender for help in reloading the unreloadable ammo clips. I’m sure you will quickly arrive at the correct ratio of wg/salt.
B.B.
Love the report! Now please please do one on the toy gun that can shoot around the corner.
Edith, RIP, would approve, https://toytales.ca/pistol-that-shoots-around-the-corner-kenner/
-Yogi
Wow, can it be more obvious. Where the xxxxxx are the designers. If you are going to partner with the Vigilante then do it. How hard can it be to set the CO2 pistol to shoot salt from a reservoir like the bugasalt. WE WILL RELOAD THE CYLINDER ANYWAY.
Don,
as to the matter of the the 362.
https://hardairmagazine.com/news/new-crosman-362-and-drifter-multi-pump-pneumatics/
The Drifter is obviously the 1322 with a longer barrel and the tried and true TCFKAC shoulder stock added. OK fine.
The 362 looks like the 1322 and the 392 dated for a time and after a bit along came the 362. It looks as though the 1322 was lengthened and given a decent stock, unlike the 392. The reservoir likely has the internal parts of the 392. It is absolutely amazing that it took TCFKAC this long to figure out the 362. I guess they found out that giving the 397/392 a cosmetic makeover did not work. Add the fact that you could not use these with open sights anymore… You big kids out there better listen up. The 397/392 is very likely going to go the way of the Discovery/Maximus.
RR,
397/392 are too iconic. To save face, they could bring back the higher comb. Or do an adjustable cheek riser (an “upgrade” after the down grade). Still, it was a dumb move.
Chris
Chris,
The Discovery was an icon. It is no more. The Maximus is now special order from TCFKAC. If it is not selling, Velocity Outdoors will drop it and put time and money into what does. The Fortitude seems to be selling at the moment. That is where the parts for the Discovery and Maximus went. You can still get the 2260, where the Discovery came from. The Marauder versions are still selling. So well that they even named their new semi after it.
Rather than put money into engineering to create a side lever Marauder (which has been done many times over) they purchased some Turkish airguns to add to their lineup. I know a fellow who has one. I have not had an opportunity to shoot it any.
Where is the Sheridan Silver or Blue Streak? What about the Crosman 100 series? They made those for about forty years.
I’m just sayin’…
RR
I’m looking forward to getting my hands on a 362. I hope it has nice open iron sights and a dovetail for a scope or such.
GF1,
The 362 has OK open sights, but it has the plastic receiver of the 13XX and the 22XX. You can change it out to the metal receiver with scope dovetails. Take a look at the link above and you can get a pretty good picture of it.
RR
Well that bums me out. They should of put a steel breech on it. Yes it’s easy to do but then here we go again. Just one more thing I got to spend time and money on. And it would of made it a nicer solid gun if it would of had the steel breech on it from the factory.
That was the whole thing about when I took and combined parts from a Discovery and made a nice solid wood stock rifle out of a 1377.
I will still buy a 362 no doubt but darn Crosman anyway.
GF1,
Look at it this way. They are trying to keep the cost down. It is the numbers game. Also, many who bought the 397/392 did not scope them.
Quit whining. At least they did a better job with the stock design. I wonder if it will fit on the new 392.
RR
Not worried about the cost.
And I don’t like that the 1300 guns and 2240 don’t have a steel breech from the factory. Heck they put a steel breech on the 2260 and kept the cost down. They could of done it on the 362.
Sounds like a legitimate whine to me. 😉
GF1,
I am with you on the steel receiver. Legit whine.
Chris
Chris
Yep can live with the trigger but not having the steel breech was a stupid decision on thier part. Well other than it’s going to make them more money selling steel breeches to people.
I would rather have a steel breech that has a dovetail and no sights on the gun over a plastic breech that can’t have sights added that you want.
It’s something that gives me one more positive feature that would help me make the decision to buy that gun.
GF1,
LOL! You just gripe away my friend!
RR
🙂
B.B.,
What caliber is the barrel? Is it smoothbore? I think a shot out clip can be sprayed on with glue and onion skin paper (or maybe a thin plastic sheet like cellophane) can be used to cover the back then flipped over to be filled with rock salt (Kosher if the bugs you are hunting have a hard carapace) then covered with glue and onion skin paper (or maybe a thin plastic sheet like cellophane) to seal the front. Waiting for further experiments.
Siraniko
Siraniko,
I’ll put that in Part 2.
BB
Since it’s co2 powered, I would think blue painters tape or masking tape would be a great place to start the reloading trials.
Ian.
Ian
I’m going to try making tape.
GF1,
Walmart sells these 1/4″ dot stickers. They may work.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Colored-dot-stickers-inch-8mm-Purple-Dot-Stickers-900-Pack-by-Royal-Green/769286779
Look in office supply section. Mine are only 4 colors and packaged different. 5/16″ might be more ideal, if you could find them on-line.
Chris
Chris
I still got some of those colored dot stickers from back when you told be about them.
I will have to see if they will work.
Ian
Suppose to say masking tape.
That could be a DIY guest blog.
Making your own tape…
Bravo
🙂
Gun fun-
I think Siraniko’s suggestion for onionskin paper (about 6 lb tensile strength) would work better than the masking tape (26 lb tensile strength).
Paca
Probably so.
Still haven’t got to look at the gun. Going to mess with it later and see what’s up.
BB
Almost perfect timing on this report. I just got mine yesterday.
And I had the some thing happen when I ordered mine. I then went through pay pal and had no problem with the order going through.
And I’m definitely going to reload my clips. Just don’t know how yet.
And I’m going to shoot mine tomorrow. What I thought was cool is that the rear sight is adjustable. Guess I’ll have to sight and pattern it with some aluminum foil like I did my Bug A Salt. And it does have a dovetail above the barrel and they say it’s scopable. I don’t see myself putting a scope on it but I do see a red dot sight going on it. Like one of those 30 mm ones.
Well BB I wish you shot yours already. (the almost perfect timing thing) Now I have to be silent about what I find tomorrow shooting mine till you do your next report on yours. Looking forward to your next report. And I think this is going to be a fun gun.
GF1,
Go ahead and tell them what you have. I’ts okay, because I will probably do different stuff than you.
BB
Ok probably going to mess with it later if I can still see. Picking up my new eye glasses this morning. I hope they got the prescription right. My prescription on my old glasses was good but my lenses were getting scratched up. Will see later if they got them right.
New glasses are great. Thank goodness. My daughter not so much. She says she feels like she is falling forward when she wears them. Told her to wear her old ones till we get back to the eye doctor. And that’s a bummer. Something more to take car of.
GF1,
You may remember us commenting going back and forth a few years ago on this subject. I experimented with shooting salt out of a Umarex/Colt Python 357, the BB only version. I drilled the little nibs out of the cylinder holes and used a cheap hole punch to cut discs out of the cardboard backer on some old blister package that I saved for the card material. It was pretty thick and stiff, without being corrugated. I chucked the punch in my drill press and used it like an arbor press to cut the discs. I then pressed a disc flush into each hole on one side, then put salt in from the other side, leaving enough room to cap the hole with a second disc. My wife wouldn’t let me shoot it at flies in the house, but I killed a number of spiders, including a Black Widow, down in my basement. I was also able to load six #12 lead pellets in each hole. I think I recall the shot covered a mouse sized Mickey Mouse face ( I know, kinda sick choice of target )at 6 feet.
Half
I do remember you doing something with that. And it sounds like you didn’t have very much salt in your loads.
To me as much Salt should be in the load as possible. And the stuff used to contain the Salt should be as thin as possible so the air can blow the shot in the barrel very easily.
What I’m going to do is figure out what Bug A Salt is using to seal the salt load in the clip.
GF1,
Hope you share what you find. It could probably be applied to other CO2 revolvers. And just for the record, those spiders thought it held plenty of salt. 😉
Half
Was a busy day yesterday and so far today. Hopefully I get to mess with it today and get some info posted later.
BB,
Pretty cool stuff. Looking forwards to more.
How would you consider the overall build/fit/finish? How much is cast pot metal and how much is high quality/questionable quality plastics?
Chris
Chris,
It’s a Vigilante. Same ratio as one of them. The yellow is plastic, the orange and black is metal.
BB
Chris U,
If you’re familiar with the Crosman 357, the Vigilante is the same gun with different grips and a different shape to the barrel’s over-molding. They’re all very well made guns and since I just rebuilt a couple of them, I know that repair parts are readily available, if that influences anyone’s buying decisions.
Half
BB,
I do not know what yellow jackets you are talking about, but ones that I have encountered hurt like the dickens. Recently, I learned that what many call bald faced or black hornets are really members of the yellow jacket family. They hurt like the dickens also.
Now the hornets are real monsters. Yellow and about two inches long. You know, about like those Asian Murder Hornets they say have invaded the Northwest. We have had them in the Appalachians for a long time. I would really hate to have one of those buggas sting me.
There was someone talking of getting the clips and trying them in his Vigilante. Did that ever happen? Something to take out carpenter bees? Now we are talking. Let us know what its effective range is.
Gunfun1! If you do not want to share the information online until BB talks about it, send the info to me by email. I really, really want to know its effective range.
RR
If I can today I will pattern it on some aluminum foil and post the distances shot at and pictures of the patterns.
I’m the one who ordered the clips to try in my vigilante and said I’d report on it. Unfortunately I got hung up on trying to get good pictures of the results of the penetration testing, which I still haven’t managed to do to my satisfaction. If anyone tells you that BB’s job is easy, tell them that it’s only because he’s been doing it for over a decade and a half!
The Shred-er clips fit the Vigilante perfectly and fire their charge of salt with considerably more power than the Bug-A-Salt 3.0. I’ll leave the details of that comparison to BB because he’ll almost certainly make it, and illustrate it better than I can.
I will say that the Shred-er clips, when emptied, can be used with pellets. The pellets fit a bit more snugly in the Shred-er clips, but I haven’t done an accuracy comparison yet.
I’m looking forward to BB’s reports on the Shred-er, as well as everyone else’s contributions, and hopefully I can come up with another thing or two myself.
Airgun Geek,
The only downside to using the Shred-er clips is the Vigilante barrel is steel and steel does not like salt. But with a cleaning it should not be a problem, and you get a few extra pellet clips in the deal.
Perhaps a dowel with sandpaper could make the fit of the pellets a little better as the Vigilante is not a real powerful pellet shooter and the added resistance will not help
Mike
Getting residual salt out of the barrel was easy. I stopped shooting before the CO2 cartridge was completely empty. Then I rinsed out the barrel, and dried the outside as well as I could with a towel. I should note that the area around the breech end of the barrel has a lot of nooks and crannies that are hard to dry with a paper towel, and almost impossible to get with a cloth towel, but if you’ve treated the gun ahead of time with Ballistol, you can just get the easy stuff and let the rest air dry. Then I fired the few remaining shots of CO2 through the barrel (with the empty Vigilante clip inserted) to clear the water out of the barrel. To borrow a phrase from BB, it took longer to write about than to do.
I probably won’t modify the Shred-er clips unless testing shows they dramatically reduce accuracy. I should probably note that I was using Crosman Premiers, which are a relatively hard lead alloy, and while they were noticeably stiffer going in, it wasn’t enough that I was worried that they would get stuck, It would probably be barely noticeable with a pure lead pellet.
Geek,
Thank you for all that info. You are making my job so easy. 🙂
BB
AG,
That is just what I wanted to know as the Vigilante is less expensive. Cleaning the barrel is really a non issue for me.
The color of the Shred-r is a bit of an issue though. I have a Bug-A-Salt, but it is ineffective on carpenter bees. I have considered using Kosher ore Sea salt in it as it tends to be coarser and heavier, sort of like buck shot. Where did I put that round tuit?
BB,
Yes, this does look like something you would see at clown college. If it lives up to its expectations though, I will have to break out my big, red nose and propeller beanie cap and get one. 😉
I hate to be a wet blanket, but $125 for the kit and 10 cents a shot (plus CO2) thereafter? I applaud the company for making bug squishing into a money maker for themselves. I just look at that $125 as being 2.5 Crosman Vigilantes I could have bought. And who shoots yellow jackets one at a time?
pacoinohio,
IF you are a serious buyer for a “bug killing salt gun”, then you should look into the Salt Swat. Easily attaches to a Crosman 2240, salt is bulk loaded (no magazines) and easily detaches so you can use the 2240 as a pellet gun. You can buy a new 2240 and the salt swat attachment for less than the Shred-Er. It works very well too.
ps-the Salt Swat is made in Texas so you know it’s gotta be good 😉
Kevin
Need a link for that one when you get a chance.
I’ll take one. 🙂
http://bugblaster.net/index.html
Doc and Kevin
Thanks alot guy’s. Already done air gun broke. 😉
Yes I’m going to get one. But its going to get tried on my Huma regulated Maximus and my modded 13 cubic inch regulated HPA bottle Maximus.
I think this could be a very effective combination.
Doc I have the link. Thanks.
Doc,
Thanks! As I have just purchased a 2240, this looks to be a nice piece of kit for it. Now to decide which to get. Maybe both.
GF1,
Here’s a link to the Salt Swat:
https://saltswat.com/
Kevin,
Thanks! As I have just purchased a 2240, this looks to be a nice piece of kit for it. Now to decide which to get. Maybe both.
Kevin
Thanks for the link.
paco,
Check my comment to GunFun above and you’ll see some efforts I made to do this for free with a different revolver. Should work with a Vig or 357 too.
Half
Fun report – when my bro-in-law and I were checking out the Bug-A-Salt site earlier this month, wondered if the SHRED-ER wasn’t just a regular Co2 revolver adapted for this particular use, which you have confirmed. No doubt you or another smart reader will come up with a way to reload the cylinders so they work correctly and de-bug accurately. 😉
Interestingly, few suitable targets back home in contrast to the wealth of buzzing fly targets in the FL Panhandle, so Bug-A-Salt has been resting. On the other hand, have done some good iguana removal over the past week at home and at a neighbor’s trying to reclaim her backyard and seawall from the not-so-wee pesties. The HW-95 and the 38T revolver have been FM’s trusty tools for this task.
As for the Murder Hornets, this should work. Or not, if you’re too close to your or your neighbor’s house.
http://www.thorsenmachininginc.com/project/1179/
Yup! That’ll do it. What do ya got for moles?
Fred formerly of the Demokratik Peeples Republik of NJ now Happily in GA
Fred,
I would use a pellet rifle and for moles I’d use pointed pellets, in case they try to dig down.
BB
Don’t get me going on moles.
Fred
My dad had a very effective way to kill moles.
Smash thier tunnels down in the late evening. Then get up early in the morning. Watch for the ground to lift with their tunnels. Put a shovel in front and a shovel in back of them to block them in then either dig them out or give them a pop with your favorite projectile shooter while they are blocked between the shovels under ground.
FM,
OH Yeah! My wife sent me a FB video of a drone with a small flame thrower going after a hornets nest. It was awesome, but I think the Federalizes would have something to say about it here in the USA.
Last year I had hornets build a nest in the gable beams of my house. I sprayed them with hornet spray on a couple of occasions. They are some tough buggas. I never could kill them all. Fortunately, they built their nest somewhere else this year.
RR
Did the flame throwing drone have a fire extinguisher on the other side of it if it caught something on fire it wasn’t suppose to. 😉
What?! And deprive all of those attorneys of a ready made income?!
RR
True.
B.B.,
I might have agreed with:
“However
In the eyes of airgunners, though, the only people who might think the SHRED-ER is a firearm are the students and faculty of clown college! BUG-A-SALT has gone above and beyond to make this thing look non-lethal. Am I hearing a calliope?”. before a shop in Provo, Utah started selling the BLOCK19!
https://www.popularairsoft.com/meet-block-19-lego-glock-19-culper-precision
https://www.newsweek.com/block-19-makers-defend-selling-lego-style-gun-after-getting-overwhelming-amount-hate-1609918
So do be careful with your bug-a-sault if LEO comes within range!
shootski
Shootski,
Well, THAT is the stupidest thing I have seen in quite a while! Don’t LEO have enough problems without this cutsie little trick? 🙁
BB
B.B.,
No way to argue that!
It also creates a big problem for civilians who carry.
Is that person pointing LEGO Bricks at me? Or do I want to find out it shoots NOTHING, SALT, AIRSOFT, bb, pellets, spit balls or real bullets?
BANG, BANG, BANG!
BAD outcome regardless of who pulls the REAL trigger.
Yea, pretty durn STUPID!
shootski
Shootski,
It is no more stupid than making a toy look like a real gun. It is no more stupid than letting all these kids play these violence based games or watch these violent action movies where they learn that if you have an issue with someone, you kill them and you will face no consequences for such. To top it off, they are being taught to hate law enforcement.
RidgeRunner,
I agree that STUPID is a relative thing.
As far as replicas there was a time when you could walk around with one and have no one get upset. You could also walk around, as recently as the mid to late 60’s with a bb gun, pellet gun or even a firearm in most places in the USA and a number of other countries with almost no one giving a care. I know, I did in my youth in places like Fred’s PRNJ, NYC, and Philly…then something happened. What was it exactly that changed? And why did it seem to start in places like those listed above and places like Boston and of course in California? It couldn’t just have been the high profile assassinations. It was something far more sinister and Hollywood had a few films come out on both sides of the debate.
I have a daughter who is a LEO so I think on the “training” those games provide.
shootski
Shootski,
I also remember the times when no one thought about the teenager driving to school in a pickup and a shotgun or rifle hanging in the back window gunrack.
When did it start becoming an issue? I think it started with a small group which quickly grew into a large group that was demanding the government to take care of them and protect them. This is when the Democrat party slowly switched over from being the people’s party to being the Communist party.
Politics aside, there are a large number of people who have no concept of taking care of or protecting oneself or your family. They have no idea what it is like to live in a real community. The wannabe president Clinton, though she did not truly believe it herself, had it right. It does take a village to raise a child.
By the way, our county school board told our governor where he can put his transgender bathroom rules.
That was about as irresponsible as a gun maker could get. A flippin’ REAL Glock that looks like a TOY is criminal. Wonder how many lives of curious children it would have taken on that engineer’s conscience before it was burdened enough that he was compelled to eat his own invention? Sicko, stupid or just short sighted? Anything for a buck, I guess.
Half,
Why is that irresponsible? All the toys are made to look like real guns. All the video games and movies teach the kids to kill anyone you have a disagreement with. The irresponsibility lies with the adult.
RR,
I don’t disagree with anything you said. I guess it’s the bright color scheme and the fact that it looks like an already well established child’s toy. I just see it as being a bit too attractive to a 3 year old. Also, most adults would see a real firearm or a realistic replica of a real firearm in a child’s hand and know that they needed to intervene in some way. I didn’t even know this existed and if I had seen a little kid playing with it I would think it was the latest LEGO kit and wouldn’t react at all.
Half
Half,
I can remember being in Wallyworld and watching a woman buying her son an airsoft pistol that looked like a firearm. This was before the orange muzzle law.
I am playing the devil’s advocate to an extent. This thing is a bit colorful for my own personal taste. Also, I am not a big Glock fan.
Now what about these Cerakoted weapons. I have seen some pretty in pink. There are some ARi5s out there almost as outlandish as the Block 19.
Another devil’s advocate thing. What happened to the adult supervision? Why does that 3 year old have ready access to a firearm? Yes, the gaudy colors will catch anybody’s eye, but a black colored firearm will still attract the attention of a curious child. How many children have been killed with any firearm versus how many have been killed with a Block 19?
RR,
Ran out of room in the thread, so I had to come back here. Again, I’ll say, I agree about all that you said. Adults should be responsible with their children and certainly with gun access by children. My point was, if I see a child with something that looks like a firearm to me, acting as the responsible adult that we’re talking about here, I’m going to go have a look to see if it is, in fact, a firearm or some replica that is too dangerous for a child that age, a CO2 pellet gun in a 6 year old’s hands rather than a sguirtgun, for instance. If I saw anyone of any age with the BLOCK, I wouldn’t react at all. I have a 70 + YO friend that has more than one room that houses his LEGO creations, so even seeing an adult with it wouldn’t make me curious because I know LEGOs are such a popular toy with all ages and some pretty remarkable things have been built with them. I would just assume it was a toy, and the younger the person was, the more I would assume it’s a toy, because its a REAL GUN that looks like a LEGO CREATION and the result may not be the same as if I had known to step in. It takes a village, remember, and this sort of camouflage on a firearm could result in all the villagers just walking right on by a deadly situation. IMHO
B.B.
If the magazines can’t be reloaded with salt, can they be used with 0.117 caliber pellets and steel BBs?
Charles,
I don’t know. But I can find out.
BB
Everything I have read or heard about CO2 pistols say to not leave them charged with CO2 for long time periods because the CO2 might leak out and the CO2 seal might become permanent crushed and deformed to the point it won’t seal anymore.
For a CO2 gun specifically designed for sporadic use and possibly long storage while charged with CO2 between uses, what, if anything, has Crosman done to the gun design to prevent damage to the CO2 seal during long term storage under pressure?
cstoehr,
Ohh, you make an excellent point and I can vouch for the damage done by leaving a cartridge loaded. I’ve damaged many of my own guns that way. It is just about guaranteed to damage any gun except the ones that use 88g carts.
That was a good catch and needs to be addressed. We’ll find out from BB the shot count and velocity on this version of the platform, but one could suppose that the velocity has been cut back to keep from damaging your walls and furniture. If that’s true then the shot count could really be up there and, short of livin’ by the city dump, it could take a long time to encounter that many flies. Even at the normal velocity a Vig or 357 will get 60 good shots as a pellet gun.
Anyone know the velocity on the spring piston shotgun version of the Bug-A-Salt?
Half
cstoehr
I have seen the seals taking form to a cartridge that was left in the gun.
Then when the next cartridge is put in it doesn’t seal.
I bought a used wood stock 1077 some time back and it had a Co2 cartridge in it that was holding air. Shot it all out. Next new cartridge wouldn’t seal. Had to replace the seal. Has been no problem holding Co2 after replacing the seal and removing the cartridge each time when done shooting.
Thats how I always do my Co2 guns and will always continue to do them that way.
I took the warnings to heart when I started my airgun hobby. Use the Pellgun oil or silicone oil on the tip, put the CO2 in, shoot it till the CO2 is gone, and then take the cylinder out.
With 88 g CO2, if I don’t use it all the first day, I make sure I finish it off the very next day, then take the cylinder out. The new Umarex 88 g CO2 saver adapter will let me extend the use time of the CO2 on my Hammerli 850. I’ve got the adapter but haven’t had a chance to use it yet.
B.B.
I am not receiving email notifications of replies to my posts. Why is that?
Charles,
No clue.
Maybe dump your cookies?
Nobody else has complained of that.
BB
I have complained. I never get notifications since they went to the “new” thingy.
cstoehr
Well, as usual I got exited about the multi-use idea of recycling the magazines so as soon as I emptied the first mag I loaded it up with some H&N Match Pistol wadcutters. First shot made it very clear why you can’t use pellets and BBs. Sounded different and nothing hit the target so I opened it back up and found a wadcutter sticking out of the mag with a very pronounced groove in the head. Should have looked first to find the bar over the opening of the barrel. Also, running out of targets. For some reason flies are scarce this year here.
LMo
LarryMo,
Thanks for that information. It sounds like what you are saying is that the Bug-A-Salt Shredder has a barrel restriction to prevent the use of pellets and BBs.
However, your comment makes it clear that the Bug-A-Salt Shredder magazines will hold pellets. Do you have an original Crosman 357, Vigilante, or Triple Threat? Can you use the pellet loaded Bug-A-Salt Shredder magazine in the 357, original Vigilante, or Triple Threat?
cstoehr,
Yes, there is a restriction but then you are left with the plastic bore sans steel liner so IMO would not be worth this type of conversion.
Yes, the pellets fit quite well. I did not try the BBs but after the first pellet hit the restriction, that was moot.
Sorry, I won’t be much help to you on this. I have only two CO2 pistol reps, one of which is a copy of my EDC.
However, my brother has the Vigilante and got very interested in trying out cross-fitting magazines and using salt in his gun. I’ll try to let you know more later.
LMo
Can’t wait to see the rest of this one. Need a shoot out between it and a bug blaster, http://bugblaster.net/index.html
Bug blaster says can be used with most bb/pellet pistol and even some rifles. Requirements are at least 400 fps.
Doc
Going to get one and try it on both of my modded Maximus.
Doc,
Gotta be careful with the Shred-Er indoors since it can leave marks on furniture. It’s pattern especially at close range is too much. This is one of several reasons why I prefer the Salt Swat.
You want a shoot out between the Shred-Er and the Salt Swat? Here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C9Ib7DZPko
I love all the replica CO2 guns that are being made now and have bought my fair share of them in recent years, but I’ve never been tempted to buy any of the guns that used cartridges loaded with a pellet or BB in the tip. I don’t like the idea of single loading each shell, ejecting and then having to round up the “spent” casings from the yard before I could reload casings then reload the gun. I also feel that the shells are kind of pricey. I may have to seriously rethink that now. I’m envisioning a lever action rifle loaded with salt filled casings as a wood bee slayer. Think it would work? Anyone tried it?
Half
B.B. and Readership,
Why not buy empty Gelatine Capsules in the right diameter for your airgun bore? They come in lots of sizes and also have not too spendy autoloaders.
Sounds perfect for a Multipump, Single pump, or Benji-Don’s lpa PCP!
Thick (consistency) Gelatine thinly painted over the reloaded Chambers might work for reloading the Shredder?
shootski
Looks to me like there’s some kind of paper over the holes to keep the salt in. Can’t help wondering if you just packed in some damp salt it would dry to make a hard pellet which would stay in there.
Seems very wasteful for them to have the magazines disposable.
Interested to see what barrel they put on it as I’d have thought steel would be a bad idea.
Chasrles and RR,
Please give me your platform and browser. I am working with IT to correct the email situation for you.
BB
B.B.
My platform and browser are Windows 8 and Firefox. These were not a problem before Pyramyd AIR revised the blog. Thanks for looking into this.
B.B.,
As I’ve said before, since the site “upgrade” I no longer receive email notifications of replies to my comments. My platforms are:
1-PC running Windows 10 using chrome as a browser
2-Droid smartphone
3-Apple IPad
Don’t receive notifications on any of these devices since the site upgrade but prior to the upgrade I received email notifications on all devices
Kevin,
I just now received a reply from Gunfun1 on my laptop. I’m using Ubuntu (Linux) with Firefox. I did NOT get notified on my ‘Droid smartphone.
LMo
BB,
I am running Windows 10 and Microsoft Edge.
B.B.,
I am looking forward to your further testing of this gun; we have been infested with wasps this year, both on our front porch and in our car port out back. The Sheridan will take them out (with 7 pumps of air and no pellet) if they rest on a hard surface for a second or two (it just pushes them if they’re airborne, and makes them angry…not good); I just poke the rifle within a foot of them, and the air blast takes them down. But this gun looks like it would do a much better job on the “fliers” (that just won’t land), which is most of them.
Thanking you for this series,
dave
Dave,
That situation is exactly why I’m testing this gun. I don’t care how much they charge for it or for the clips. I only care that it works and how far I can shoot it with success.
BB
Amen! =>
BB
With you on that. I did order me two extra packs of the clips beside the one that came with the gun.
They should have something set up where we can send the empty clips back so the can reload them and give you a few bucks back or a discount off on the next time we buy more. That way they don’t have to keep making more and everyone just keeps throwing them away.
BB and you know what else I’m wondering about when I shoot it. How loud it is. It might not be in the house friendly because of the report. Have you shot yours yet with the decibel meter? I have yet to shoot mine. Hopefully later today. Hopefully it’s not to loud.
GF1,
I haven’t gone beyond what I reported yet.
You’re gonna like Monday’s report.
BB
BB
I will be reading your report Sunday at 11:00 pm my time at work.
Not thrilled for work Sunday night but for sure waiting for your report. 🙂
GF1
I’ve been shooting flies in my house. It does not seem very loud to me.
LMo
Larry
With the Shred er?
If so good to know.
Update on the damp salt. Drilled a hole in some wood about the same depth as a vigilante magazine and packed some damp, ground rock salt in. After half an hour in the sun it was baked solid. Came apart easily when pushed out so guess it would still retain the shot pattern
Ade C
It’s worth a try no doubt.
Ade C
Your idea worked the best. Even better than the factory loaded clips.
Read part 2.
Excellent news!
Ade C
Yes sir. Very happy.
Thank you.
BB, I saw a Hornet carrying a cicada to its’ lair in Maryland. It was huge, nearly as long as my finger.
For that thing, whatever size shot fills up a gel cap that fits your bore.
As for damaging furniture with salt, what about a wad of steel wool rolled into a long thin shape? Bronze wool if its a nice barrel?
I once got stung on the nipple by a Wasp but I cant imagine a Hornet. I went to the yard the other day to throw away the the now empty bird seed bag I left by the rat hole in the wood pile. The little bugger was in the bag!
Rob
Rob
I have seen a few of the big Hornets. You can hear them flying. There is no way I would want to get stung by one of those.
I got stung by I one of those big yellow and black bee’s that look like a bumble bee but the size of a carpenter bee. Stung me on the back of my neck. I still get a hard bump there like if I turn my head real far one way or the other. It doesnt hurt but is there still. That happened when I was a kid.
I bet they are capable of taking a mouse. I think salt would bounce off of the ones I have seen. What if they are agresive? No. I would experiment with an effective close range shot pattern of lead, and obliterate it using a .22 size or bigger bore air gun. I dont think the salt gun is a good choice David;)
R
Rob,
Don’tcha mean incapable? 🙂
BB
Rob
Don’t think I would take a chance with the Bug A Salt spring gun. But I think the Co2 Co2 powered Shred er might be able to take a Hornet. But I sure would hate to miss and make it mad. That could be not good.
BB, Are Hornets too much predator for a Buga salt?
What about traversable frontal sloped armor , like a main gun?
R
Rob,
As far as I know, hornets do not have Chobham (explosive) armor. And I think their armor is homogeneous, so it can be penetrated most easily.
BB
Thanks, that is reassuring. Maybe set up some light weight hanging style targets, like a washer on mono filliment.
R
Off topic? Maybe, but you all may enjoy this advertisement which appeared in the Aug ‘48 issue of “Popular Mechanics.” No Bug-A-Salt in sight back then.
FM
Always like seeing those old ads and catalogs. Cool stuff.
Fm,
I have one of those! Mine dates from about that time also! Cool!
FM,
That’s way cool; when I was a kid, I used to drool over those ads, as I dreamed about getting my first airgun. Thanks for sharing.
Take care,
dave
Happy to share – love the “old, simpler stuff.” Here is the original link to the Crosman ad and all the other interesting/nostalgic ones found in that issue of PM.
https://books.google.com/books?id=8tgDAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA268&dq=cadet%20vacuum%20horn&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=true
Wow, that’s a cool link; thank you! =>
Well, I know it can be a dangerous thing, but I have been thinking.
Instead of buying one of these Shredders or a Vigilante, I might have to buy one of those Bug Blasters to go on the end of my 2240 that I just bought. I have all the table salt and Kosher salt I want and I do not have to worry about gluing or taping or any of that stuff to reload.