As some of you may be aware, I recently developed a major jones for a PCP repeater. After much wheeling and dealing, I finally got, not another Air Arms like I was thinking of, but maybe something better, a like new FX Cyclone in .177. I'm not going to go into a lot of detail about looks and features, I think Gene did an excellent job of covering all that when he reviewed this same gun almost 2 years ago. If you're interested (and you should be), look up his review in the Reviews By Author section. This is going to be mainly first impressions, as I've only had time for one shooting session with it so far.
As I only had one decent scope on hand when the FX arrived, my 44 Mag got pulled off my S400 and installed on the Cyclone temporarily. Via some more wheeling and dealing, I now have a Bushnell Legend 5-15x40 on it, but no chance to shoot it with that scope yet. I'll review the scope after I've had a chance to shoot it some, but my first impression is, it's definitely a keeper. Price is tough to argue with, too.
Didn't take long at all to get zeroed in at 30 yards, and then I settled down to get used to it. It's a VERY light rifle, under 6 lbs. naked, and still not topping 7 with fairly large glass installed. Balance is very good, and it shoulders quite nicely. It's a striking rifle, very nice bluing on the shroud and air tank, and a glossy black enamel on the receiver. The stock is a black synthetic of some kind, softer than the Gamo synthetics, with some soft, grippy panels on the forearm and pistol grip. The Biathlon cocking is pretty slick, and seems quicker and easier to operate than the bolt on my S400. Not sure I'd call it better at this point, but it's pretty nice. The trigger is adjustable for 1st stage length, 2nd stage engagement, and let off weight. It has a fully shrouded barrel and a removable air tank with a quick fill probe port. The safety is manual, in the right place for a right handed shooter, and can be set or unset at any time. Vince, you'd love it :-)! I guess my wife summed it up pretty well when she saw it, "Gee, that's a pretty rifle" :-).
Okay, so you want to know how it shoots. About the same as my Air Arms S400E, which is to say, fabulously! In short order, I was dropping full mags into 1/4" or less at 30 yards, and missing paint balls only because of pellet induced flyers. This was at high power with CPH's, like my AA it seems to like the Heavies but not the Lights. Haven't had a chance to try lower power or other pellets, hopefully I'll get to that today, as well as some chrony strings. Although good, I wasn't liking the trigger as much as I do my AA, but I made an interesting discovery last night, and it's one that will hopefully be a lesson learned, finally. I assumed I just needed to tweak the trigger a bit, so after installing the new scope last night, I went about a trigger adjustment. I have to agree with Dan here, FX needs to rethink this. I didn't need to remove the stock, but I did have to pull the trigger guard. At which point, I discovered the whole trigger assembly was loose! One screw locks it down, like everything else on this rifle when I got it, it was loose. Tightened that screw, adjusted the 1st stage a bit, and now I think I have something comparable to the AA. Will find out for sure today. The shrouded barrel is very effective, I think it's a little quieter than my AA. Not sure that's a fair comparison, I think the AA packs a little more punch, but I'll need to set my chrony up to verify that.
Overall, my first impression of this rifle is very positive, which is what I'd expect for a rifle that retails for $1300! I think it will make an excellent hunter and general field gun. That said, at the moment, I just plain like my Air Arms a little better. Might just be the difference between a wood and a synthetic stock, but for some reason, the AA feels more "warm and fuzzy" than the FX :-). That impression may change once I've had a chance to shoot it some more. And if it doesn't, I suspect I'll have no trouble trading it off on a 410.
One final note and I'll close this for now. I've heard lots of talk about FX vs. AA when it comes to build quality and valve efficiency, with FX usually coming out on top. At the moment, I don't think I agree. These are both fantastic rifles, and a hell of a lot better than anything I ever thought I'd be able to afford when I discovered this crazy little world of ours just 2 years ago. Don't know about the valving yet, but at the moment, I'd rate them dead even, with the acknowledgment that there's a LITTLE bit of apples and oranges here. And finally, here's a naked pic from the previous owner, will post better later.
Dave