Thursday, November 10, 2005
Copy Cats
I have been working on my HW97 triggers over the past couple weeks. I found a nice diagram of the trigger unit on-line a few weeks ago and after studying it for a few minutes, I decided that I needed to readjust my triggers a bit. Understanding how the Rekord trigger unit works helps to adjust it properly to eliminate any second stage creep and make the pull almost unnoticeable.
Last night I remembered that I had a copy of Tom Gaylord’s R1 book and I thought I remembered it having a picture of the Venom Mach 1 trigger unit in it. So I dug it out of the bookcase and looked for the picture. I remembered that it had more adjustments to it and that it was match quality. I found the picture and studied it for a while. Then it suddenly dawned on me that I had seen a picture of this trigger unit before. I went to my website and under the general information link I have an article by Cliff Smith on how to adjust the TX200 trigger. I pulled up the article and sure enough, there was a diagram of the TX200 trigger unit and it was almost and exact copy of the Mach1! The only real difference I could see is that the Mach1 had a blade position screw in the front part of the unit and an over-travel stop screw right next to the pull weight adjustment screw.
I guess I shouldn't be surprised, Air Arms has copied many things over the years from other companies, many time improving on them as they incorporate them into their products. Just look at the ProTarget & EV2 rifles, they are basic copies of the FWB600 series rifles with Air Arms engineering added for higher power. I suppose it is rather smart business strategy to use as much existing technology as is available rather than re-invent the wheel. Air Arms has been very successful with this strategy.
The TX200 is a great case in point, Air Arms started with the successful HW77 base design and added several improvements to make a very successful rifle. The trigger is one of the best parts of the rifle, in my opinion, and now I know why. They say the imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I guess Ivan Hancock and Venom Arms should be flattered!
Last night I remembered that I had a copy of Tom Gaylord’s R1 book and I thought I remembered it having a picture of the Venom Mach 1 trigger unit in it. So I dug it out of the bookcase and looked for the picture. I remembered that it had more adjustments to it and that it was match quality. I found the picture and studied it for a while. Then it suddenly dawned on me that I had seen a picture of this trigger unit before. I went to my website and under the general information link I have an article by Cliff Smith on how to adjust the TX200 trigger. I pulled up the article and sure enough, there was a diagram of the TX200 trigger unit and it was almost and exact copy of the Mach1! The only real difference I could see is that the Mach1 had a blade position screw in the front part of the unit and an over-travel stop screw right next to the pull weight adjustment screw.
I guess I shouldn't be surprised, Air Arms has copied many things over the years from other companies, many time improving on them as they incorporate them into their products. Just look at the ProTarget & EV2 rifles, they are basic copies of the FWB600 series rifles with Air Arms engineering added for higher power. I suppose it is rather smart business strategy to use as much existing technology as is available rather than re-invent the wheel. Air Arms has been very successful with this strategy.
The TX200 is a great case in point, Air Arms started with the successful HW77 base design and added several improvements to make a very successful rifle. The trigger is one of the best parts of the rifle, in my opinion, and now I know why. They say the imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I guess Ivan Hancock and Venom Arms should be flattered!
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Hi,
Copying is not through and through a bad practice. I mentioned this to an upcoming local air arms manufacturer who seems having a narrow definition of "copying" because I suggested to him what AirArms did. I have read somewhere that the Wright Brothers even inquired from others in Europe how some problems in flight were solved and they incorporate them into their designs. In other words, why reinvent the wheel?
May I mention another topic? I came across the info on BR50 shooting discipline. Lacking eloquence and without being brash, it seems to me to be not much a challenge at 25 yards and bench rested. We do do that as youngsters with less accurate airguns, our targets being soda bottles lying down with the open mouths. We shoot through this hole, more often than not at 25 yards. I am not bragging, just stating a local fact. Some kids in my generation even startle us airgunners by high scores with slingshots and selected pebbles, same targets! The mouth of a soda bottle is less than an inch. And the highest mag we had was 9x at the time...which is 30 years ago.
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Copying is not through and through a bad practice. I mentioned this to an upcoming local air arms manufacturer who seems having a narrow definition of "copying" because I suggested to him what AirArms did. I have read somewhere that the Wright Brothers even inquired from others in Europe how some problems in flight were solved and they incorporate them into their designs. In other words, why reinvent the wheel?
May I mention another topic? I came across the info on BR50 shooting discipline. Lacking eloquence and without being brash, it seems to me to be not much a challenge at 25 yards and bench rested. We do do that as youngsters with less accurate airguns, our targets being soda bottles lying down with the open mouths. We shoot through this hole, more often than not at 25 yards. I am not bragging, just stating a local fact. Some kids in my generation even startle us airgunners by high scores with slingshots and selected pebbles, same targets! The mouth of a soda bottle is less than an inch. And the highest mag we had was 9x at the time...which is 30 years ago.
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