Crosman’s Icon is a new precharged pneumatic (PCP) air rifle.
This report covers:
- The price
- Repeater
- More
- The calibers
- Trigger
- Fill
- Threaded muzzle
- Sights
- Description
- Summary
Today we start looking at the new Crosman Icon precharged air rifle. When I was at the SHOT Show this year I asked when this one would be available and when they told me March/April, I was interested. Ed Schultz asked if I wanted to test it right away and I said yes. Today you’ll learn the reasons for that decision.
The price
First of all, the Icon is retailing for $280 when it hits the stores. That’s less than my minimum used to be for a price-point PCP (PPP). I raised the price for the PPP to $350 because I saw prices increasing, but if you’re on a budget, keep an eye on the Icon.
Repeater
The Icon comes with two rotary magazines! The exclamation point is because of the low price for a PCP with two mags. And wait — there is more.
More
There is also a single-shot tray. In fact, there are two identical single-shot trays packed with each Icon. I even called to ask Crosman! Why — it is as though somebody who is an airgunner put this package together!
This is the stuff that comes with the rifle — two magazines, two single-shot trays (the other one is in the rifle, two Allen wrenches and a degassing tool that you have to read about in the manual. There is also a little bitty o-ring that goes I-don’t-know-where.
The calibers
The Icon comes in both .177 and .22 calibers. I’m testing the .177 caliber rifle at my request, because I have tested a lot of .22s in the recent past. The .177 magazine holds 12 pellets and the .22 holds 10.
Trigger
Okay — you want an adjustable trigger with your PCP, but you know at this price they can’t do it. But wait — they can! The Icon trigger is a two-stage adjustable unit that I will fiddle with and report on in Part 2. I can tell you right now, though, it’s a nice one. Now, don’t you pester me with all kinds of questions like, “Is it as nice as the Marauder trigger?” and stuff like that. I’ll get to it when I get to it.
The safety is manual, thank you very much and pulls back for safe. Your trigger finger can operate it by itself. And, yes, you can uncock the rifle by holding onto the bolt handle and pulling the trigger.
Fill
Well, folks — it’s a Crosman air rifle. So the rifle’s connection for filling is a male Foster fitting, like 80 percent of the PCP fill ports on the planet. And the rifle fills to 3,000 psi, so a hand pump is possible. Ed Schultz works for Crosman and they seem to be listening to him, so we get none of these 300-bar fills and proprietary fill couplings! Ed knows what we want.
Looking at the green zone on the built-in pressure gauge, it looks like the firing valve operates down to 1,000 psi. I will of course test that for you and we’ll see. But don’t forget that Ed Schultz is the guy who designed the Benjamin Discovery, a PCP that operated on a fill to 2,000 psi. Ed knows valves!
The green area of the gauge is hard to see here, but it stretches from 3000 psi down to 1000 psi.
Yes, the Icon is built in China; what PPP isn’t? But it looks like Crosman is on top of the production. We shall see.
Threaded muzzle
And the hits just keep on coming, folks. The Icon barrel ends with 1/2-inch by 20 threads for airgun silencers. Now, let’s see — do we know anyone who owns an airgun silencer? Oh, yeah. Me!
Yeah! That’s what I’m talking’ about! No problem attaching a silencer.
Sights
The front sight is a fixed green fiberoptic (boo!) and the non-fiberoptic (YAY!) rear sight adjusts in both directions. There are click detents in both adjustments that you can both feel and hear. The windage adjustment has an index scale for remembering where things were and seeing which way they are going.
Description
The Icon is a bolt-action repeater. It’s solid, at just over 7 pounds and 38.5 inches long, overall. The pull is 14-inches long and the thick black rubber buttpad is grooved and grips the shoulder well.
The buttstock is a fixed length and the cheekpiece is also fixed, though it looks adjustable. The butt pad is also fixed. The pistol grip is one piece with the stock, however, I find the distance for my trigger finger is ideal instead of cramped like the grip and trigger on an AR-15.
Summary
Guys, the Icon should be out soon. If it is accurate, Crosman better order a container of them, because they are going to sell quite well.
Yes, I know there are other inexpensive PCPs. I have tested most of them. I’m cutting the Icon no slack when it comes to performance, and we will start looking at that tomorrow.
Yogi,
It has a viewable SHOT COUNTER in the magazine!
They are listening to you.
shootski
BB
It looks to me like the o-ring goes in the barrel where the bolt probe goes into the barrel when the pellet gets loaded. That oring gets wore out from the pellet getting pushed past. And eventually it blows out. That oring will start affecting accuracy.
So I believe they also knew to include that oring with the gun. I have other pcp gun’s come with different o-rings also.
BB,
somewhat ironically, the Icon doesn’t have an icon on the overview page 🙂
Stephan
Stephan,
I don’t understand what you are saying.
BB
Stephan,
Okay, that “icon” is the featured image. I did set it up yesterday but WordPress forgot it. I have fixed it.
BB
Yes, I meant the “preview picture”. The pun just seemed too good to pass up 🙂
BB-
Looks like an impressive value.
Errata- section ‘More’, second sentence, ‘I even called to ask asked……’
Perhaps, better- ‘I even called (and) asked…..’
Paco,
Fixed. Thanks,
BB
Well, what TCFKAC has done is what they typically do. They repackaged the Beeman Chief 2 and call it their own. The packaging is kind of expensive also.
Are they going to turn Ed Schultz loose and let him do his thing? There has not been much in the way of creativity coming out of Velocity Outdoors. No risk, just a return on their investment. Some will point to the SAM, but TCFKAC was probably working on it for some time before VO came along.
Just so you know, there are two Crosman air rifles in residence at RRHFWA. One is a 101. The quality of this pumper is incredible. It may not be as powerful as the Dragonfly, but who cares. Will that Dragonfly still be going seventy plus years from now?
My other one is a Maximus, which is almost impossible to get your hands on anymore. Though it has a plastic stock, I am quite surprised by the quality.
“Will that Dragonfly still be going seventy plus years from now?”
RidgeRunner,
You stuck a chord with me there, man; TDHFWA has made a slot for the Dragonfly Mark2, but my 1322 pistol and 1322 carbine get shot a LOT, and they have me hankering for a Crosman MSP rifle…either a new 362 or an old 101.
And thanks to you for starting TDHFWA. 🙂
Good shooting to you,
dave
Dave,
I have a few “modern” airguns hanging around here. It’s OK. Now you need to decide if you mind tinkering around with an air rifle or not. With a 101 you are likely going to have to reseal it. Baker Airguns puts together a kit just for them. Now, finding one at a reasonable price, that just may be a little more difficult. They are very well made though and would have to be in real bad shape to not be able to restore it to working condition.
I would wait on a 362 until you get your hands on the Dragonfly. You will likely prefer it. Now, there are gee gobs of things you can do with the 362. The very first thing you should do with the 362 is put a metal breech on it. I just put one on my 2240. Oh yeah.
Now as for the Dragonfly, it should be a good one to play with, most especially since you can get some real power out of it. I still have not figured out what the magazine is for though. 😉
Oh, by the way, the 101 has a single stage trigger that holds a striker. It does not get harder to pull with more pumps either.
B.B.
Maybe for your 2022 Christmas list you could state which PP PCP is King of the Hill or mound anyway.
They all run together in my mind…
-Y
Yogi,
They run together in my mind, too. 🙂
BB
The PCP market is really over crowded now. I’m not complaining though. They are cheaper than springers now too looks like. I wonder how well will the expensive players hold up. It would be a pity to see the likes of FX, Air Arms and Daystate fold up!
Ton,
Either they innovate or they fade away when their markets are taken away from them.
Siraniko
Ton,
Stay at AirForce. They are quite well made, and the company should hang around for quite a few years, at least as long as John McCaslin does.