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PCP - HPA - C02 Gate => PCP DarkSiders Forum => : August 09, 2007, 11:27:32 PM

: owners: Bam 50/51 advice
: August 09, 2007, 11:27:32 PM


Hi Guys,



Bam 50/51 have hit our shores now, and are marketed under the Stoeger brand name. Really cheap at $480 NZ dollars. By comparison a CFX retails here at $499 NZ.



For a first PCP is this a suitable purchase. Use intended: spend a year to get skill levels up for competition.



Are they able to be down powered at all? Can they be easily altered to shoot 12 ft/lbs?



General quality issues such as the leaking seals and finish: have they been sorted out yet? or are there still new ones coming out with these issues/



At the price I consider you can't go wrong, but how much heartache is going to be encountered along the way to an acceptable performing rifle?





cheers



GS

: Re: owners: Bam 50/51 advice
: Gene_SC August 10, 2007, 01:01:05 AM
Hi Adam

DanoTX has one and I think he can give you the answers you want. He was playing around with different mods I think befor he got his TalonSS. I do hear the 50/51's are plenty powerful for the price. Hope it works out for you.

Where you at Dano..:)

Gene
: RE: owners: Bam 50/51 advice
: August 10, 2007, 10:42:00 AM


Thanks Gene,



 I am in the thinking about it stage, haven't bought one......the price is a persuading factor, I just nedthe nudge to tip me over the edge into the "dark side".........ARGHHHHHHHHH........



 Any advice from owners who know what going on with this model appreciated.





GS

: RE: owners: Bam 50/51 advice
: dw33 August 10, 2007, 02:10:32 PM
I think Dano had some problems with the BAM, but he can explain better than I.  I also thought about this air rifle, but decided to spend some more money and get something good right away.  What is the exchange rate between the U.S. and there?  I wonder if I could get rich buying air rifles here and selling them there......lol, just a thought.
: Re: owners: Bam 50/51 advice
: DanoInTx August 10, 2007, 04:16:29 PM
Do yourself a favor and pour salt in your eyes instead of buying a B50/51.  Mine was nothing but headaches from day one.  There are some guys making them into real shooters, but by the time you fix all of the leaks, get it tuned, replace the lousy stock barrel you may as well buy a real PCP.  The one I have still leaks and I feel I am a pretty handy guy.  The trigger is adjustable, but very sloppy unless you put some time into it, and once the trigger is adjusted "ok" the safety no longer works, the fill nipples come from the factory with leaks, the valve in mine broke in half....the gun comes with enough seals to reseal the gun at least once completely...this is a pretty good indication that the gun will leak out of the box.  The stock is designed around a guy that stands 8 feet tall and has hands like Paul Bunyan...except for the trigger, it's got so much hook to it you need fingers like a child to fit.  If I had to do it all over again and I had already bought my B50 I would have just shot myself with it for being stupid enough to waste my $300 on it.  Save your money, shove a couple more $$$ into the piggy bank and buy a real air rifle and not a cheap knockoff.  Too bad you don't live closer I'd just send you mine:)
: Re: owners: Bam 50/51 advice
: PeakChick August 10, 2007, 04:21:35 PM
ROFLMAO!  Obviously, Dano is very fond of his B50.
: Re: owners: Bam 50/51 advice
: DanoInTx August 10, 2007, 04:27:05 PM
PeakChick - 8/10/2007  11:21 PM

ROFLMAO!  Obviously, Dano is very fond of his B50.


Yes, it is my favorite Chinese gun, but only because it's my ONLY Chinese gun.  I would be looking at a good $200 to get a new barrel and a good pro tune...add that to the $300 price tag and you have a $500 gun that is no better of a shooter than say an AA S200, and much uglier and uncomfortable with absolutely no real resale value.  Everytime I see that thing leaning against the wall next to my Talon and my BSA Superstar I worry that the other two will catch something incurable from it.
: RE: owners: Bam 50/51 advice
: August 10, 2007, 04:37:48 PM


LMAO.......Thanks Dano.......



I had it in mind to ask about the problems you detailed, I had heard about them before and wanted to know if there was every chance of making a similar mistake. Although Stoeger have put their name to them here in NZ, I am not sure they have sorted the issues yet.



As of last night the NZ dollar was at about 72.8 cents US.



Thanks, I asked this question last night, but since then things have changed. I am coming into enough money in a few months to buy anything I want now.



You might yet get a request to go buy something for me and post it to NZ...lol.



cheers all



GS

: Re: owners: Bam 50/51 advice
: Gene_SC August 10, 2007, 04:39:56 PM
There ya go folks. Dano has released his views and opinions of the Bam 50/51... For sure Dano is very mechanically inclined and would have redesigned it if he could have but it seems to be a hopeless case of a real bad knock off wanna be..:)

Gene
: Re: owners: Bam 50/51 advice
: Gene_SC August 10, 2007, 04:46:37 PM


That's funny Dano. Sittin here laughin and I am getting a side ache.. I would not put your two other air rifles near that Bam.. I hear they have those lil bitty wood worms that spread like wild fire. So keep your other wood away from the Bam. You may want to have an exterminator company drill holes in the stock and spray for those lil bitty Chinese worms..:)



Gene

: Re: owners: Bam 50/51 advice
: DanoInTx August 10, 2007, 05:05:19 PM
I could have made it work, and it actually DOES work now sortof.  It's just the money and effort involved isn't worth it imho, not when you consider how many much better rifles there are out there for the same price after the tuneup.  This isn't a $150 b26 pretending to be an R9, it's a $300 gun that isn't very shootable without some fairly serious work.  Live and learn:)
: Quit sugar coating it Dano
: kirby999 August 10, 2007, 10:36:10 PM
Tell him how you really feel. Hehehe. kirby
: RE: owners: Bam 50/51 advice
: August 10, 2007, 11:14:05 PM


Dano, its pretty obvious you and the BAM 50 have some "history", and issues of your own....lol.



Thanks for the honest opinion. But next time don't hold back ok?



Its no good sugar coating the facts for my benefit......he he he



Thanks guys



GS

: Re: owners: Bam 50/51 advice
: PeakChick August 11, 2007, 01:07:39 AM
Yep Dano, I wholeheartedly agree with you. The Chinese are capabale of getting it fairly right, if they want to. My B26 is worth every penny of the $139.00 I paid for it. I still received mine with a free spinning, prestripped out left stock screw. I had to drill out the lugs and tap them to 6mm and install better hardware.

If they are going to pretend to compete with the higher quality Euro rifles why is it so hard for them understand the concept of craftsmanship and QC? If the B50/B51 was able to be brought up to snuff for another hour of tinkering and maybe another $50.00 then it might be a good vaule. Better yet, for $300.00 one would expect it to be correct out of the box. that's not an insignificant amount of money.
: I hope I didn't make anyone think I don't like my B50.....
: DanoInTx August 11, 2007, 09:40:39 AM
....just kidding:)

I don't!

: RE: owners: Bam 50/51 advice
: jon August 11, 2007, 01:05:09 PM
I have 2 bams, I like them but they are in need of some TLC.  A fully sorted one is as accurate as any sporting PCP out there.  A re-barrel is a must.

An Un-sorted one is probably as good as a QB accuracy wise, with more power and shots.
: have 2? Want a 3rd?
: DanoInTx August 11, 2007, 07:17:30 PM
Mine needs a new home and I could use some more useful airgun junk:)
: RE: have 2? Want a 3rd?
: jon August 12, 2007, 08:01:41 AM
Well,

If you want to give it away I'd be glad to have it, LOL.

I have not had near the trouble you have had,  There is a fellow out there that can really work majic on these guns, Let me know if you want to send it to him, I can give you the email address.

I own better guns, but I do still like the bams.

By the way I saw the grips you did for David on his talon in person, very nice work I was really impressed.  I got rid of my talon had I known some one could make them so much more shooter friendly I would have kept it.

Back to the Bams.....after saying I like them I would not recommend them to a first time PCP shooter, you must have intimate knowledge of the inner workings of these guns to maintain and fix them when needed, The only work I didnt to mine was the re-barrel.

Air Arms is the only way to go IMO, I absolutely love them. Any PCP can have trouble out of the box, I've seen it for myself
: Re: owners: Bam 50/51 advice
: DanoInTx August 12, 2007, 12:44:23 PM
Thanks for the kudos on the Talon set I made for David.  I really enjoy making stuff like that and felt that the Talon in stock form was such a miserable piece of ergonomics it would be a challenge.  What alot of people don't notice about that gun is how tall it is.  With scope mounts high enough to see through, the gun will only fit in a double gun case by itself.  This height in addition to the bottle being a very high comb make the ergonomics of that gun compared to anything else go completely out the window.  I kept all of that in mind when I made that set and I feel it worked out real well.

The Bam.  I know there are better ones and there are worse ones, mine would have been the latter.  I have mine to where it holds air and shoots, but is not very accurate.  I wouldn't even say mine is as accurate as a QB78, maybe a QB78 with a bent barrel:)
: Re: owners: Bam 50/51 advice
: jon August 12, 2007, 02:30:28 PM
I have one coming back to me soon that has been re-barrelled and shrouded, the power will only be 20fpe but it is going to be used as a HFT rifle.

Dont be afraid to tear into that Bam alot of problems can  be fixed very easily, they are very consistent in the 20FPE range.

Have you ever thought about throwing together a stock for the bam?  After seeing your grips you have the talent for it.
: RE: owners: Bam 50/51 advice
: August 13, 2007, 09:35:54 PM


Thanks for the replies, and I would also say send it to me, but having done more research into the model now, I have decided to go completely the other end of the market.



A few weeks to wait, then picking up a Steyr LG110. Its time to get serious.



Might pick up another pcp along the way, just for fun but not quite yet.



Howz that for a first PCP?.......lol



regards



GS

: RE: owners: Bam 50/51 advice
: kirby999 August 13, 2007, 11:45:32 PM
Congratulations !!! That's one heck of a starter.  Right to the  top. Let us know about it  and WE WANT PICTURES  .  Even  if I can't own one I love looking at them.  kirby
: RE: owners: Bam 50/51 advice
: August 14, 2007, 08:11:37 PM


Placing order as I type this. They are about 3 weeks away on a boat.



Hmmm everything else has an 8 month waiting list, so its a no brainer.



cheers



GS