This is the first Shang-Hai (Industry brand) gun I've bought in quite a while, after (somewhat) learning my lesson with a QS35, a QB25, S2's, B2's, and a B1. And actually another gun I sorta bought (because I sent it back) - the Beeman SS1000 1050H which, as I suspected, was also made by Shang-Hai.
Still, I'd heard rumors over the past couple of years that Industry was trying to clean up its act... and while the TF25 WAS a dissappointment in many respects, it obviously had some potential. At roughly the same time I noticed both the AR1000 on Shang-Hai's website and a non-descript "1000fps" gun listed on Dauven's for about $82. I checked with the seller, and he confirmed that yes, this was the AR1000. So I decide to give it a shot.
To begin with, while the gun balances well it is certainly on the heavy side at between 7.5 and 8 lbs. The wood is OK for an $82 rifle, stained a dark brown with a hint of maroon. This is apparently a good color for covering flaws... mine has a knot smack dab in the middle of the shoulder piece that would hardly be visible if it wasn't for the shallow bump it caused! It doesn't look as good as the wood on a Legacy, 440, B20, B19, or Quest - but it is a nicer finish than the last 220 I'd seen!
Beyond that, the metalwork is pretty much in line with what you'd expect from a brand named "Industry". The metal parts are not finely finished by any stretch (although the barrel isn't as rough as the sandpaper-like Legacy 1000), and some parts almost give the impression that they were chiselled out of a solid block of steel. There doesn't seem to be a lot of hand finishing after the parts leave the milling machines.
But if there are any metalwork deficiencies, they certainly don't seem to apply to dimensions or clearances. The breach lockup is nice and positive, no hint of a weak latch that will let the barrel move while shooting. When closed the barrel does aim a little high compared to the receiver, but it is barely perceptible - and only when you look for it.
Despite the strong latch, breaking the gun open is by no means difficult. There's no stickiness or catching... as you apply pressure to open the breach it doesn't seem to move at all until you're pulling hard enough; at that point it just pops open very smoothly and without a fuss. The rest of the cocking stroke is a bit stout... definitely requiring more muscle than a Quest, Gamo, or B20. And it does require a little extra "oomph" right at the end. But it's not as bad as a Powerline... the cocking action has a longer travel than the Daisy rifle, that's the tradeoff for a lighter pull. And it's worth it.
The sights are not fiber-optic, but they are metal front and rear. The rear sight I especially like - it's tight (no freeplay to speak of), it's solid, and the adjustment knobs are a little hard to use: the elevation wheel is enclosed by the sight with only the edges peeking out either side, and the windage adjustment requires a screwdriver. Which is just fine, because there's very little chance of them getting bumped out of adjustment during normal handling - which has happened to me with other rifles. The detents are also solid and smooth. Overall it seems superior to just about any other sight that I've seen on any other rifle in its price range - and relatively speaking the plastic junk found on the Legacy and Quest are laughable.
Actually firing the gun brings a number of pleasant surprises... beginning with the trigger. The automatic safety is inside the trigger guard, it is very easy to pop it off. I dislike automatic safeties in general, but I don't mind this one at all. The trigger is a genuine 2-stage (not a pseudo two-stage like the Gamo) - and if you bail out during the first stage pull the mechanism actually resets itself properly... it doesn't stay "half fired". The second stage does take a bit of a pull... but not nearly as much as either the Legacy 1000 or the Powerline. The effort is more in line with a Gamo, but the actuall feel is superior. The second stage breaks very cleanly for a cheap rifle... no mushiness to speak of. Overall a very decent trigger for a sub-$100 rifle, bested (in my experience) only by a properly adjusted B20. And I haven't done ANY adjustments to this trigger yet, and it feels like it's getting even better as it breaks in.
The second treat is the firing cycle. Factory dieselling and smoke? Nope. Twang? No thank you! This thing puts Gamo to shame in this last regard. It doesn't have the solid thunk of a well-lubed rifle fitted with custom delrin guides, but nobody can call it buzzy by any stretch. It does kick a bit, but it's not nearly as harsh as the Powerline.
The third treat is when you take a peak at the chrony. CPL's at 1000fps? Repeatedley. The one thing that Shang-Hai never did was exagerate velocity claims on the factory website. This rifle is indeed listed at 1000fps... so I expected 1000fps. And that's what I got - and not with Beeman Lasers, either.
That's about it for first impressions right now. I can't really speak to accuracy, since it seems to be scattering even at 10 yards - but it also seems to be improving noticeably within the space of a few dozen shots. I'll have to really break it in before passing judgment on the gun in that regard.
At this point, this rifle seems to be a very decent piece for $82. I have been told (and I believe it's true) that this is the better grade SS1000 that Beeman sells for about twice as much. And it is almost certainly the same gun as the "Tech Force Contender 89" - which, granted, comes with an upgraded stock - and a pricetag of $190.
The only questions that remain are these: Will it hold up, or will the powerplant deteriorate and lose some of that wonderful power? Can we get parts for it? And will it prove to be accurate?
It would be a darned shame to see a negative outcome to any of these questions... the gun really has a lot going for it. It's not smooth and slick like a Gamo - but frankly, the better trigger and smoother firing makes up for a lot there. And it's far more civilised than the Powerline - which, up to now, easily had the best power for the money.
Oh, and one more thing. It's available in .22 - which is getting rarer and rarer these days...