jimcam Posted November 14, 2010 Report Share Posted November 14, 2010 hi if you have a look on here http://ukchineseairgunforum.myfreeforum.org/ you will be able to find out more about the smk rifles, as well as being a cheap economy rifle, there is the potential to smooth it out by tuning it, these guys are very helpful and will help you out loads. hope this helps. I just echo the things said in this thread.among my collection I have an XS79 and that shoots as straight as a Die.And did'nt cost the earth.(Just a bit of elbow grease).Jim.(Night Owl). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pabs Posted November 15, 2010 Report Share Posted November 15, 2010 Not sure there is anything here about gun snobbery, cheap guns are cheap guns, if you want a cheap gun then fine, but I fail to see the point in buying a cheap gun and then spending a lot of time and effort and money making it do something a slightly more expensive gun already does, just an other angle! ATB! That about sums that one up perfectly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slingshot Posted November 15, 2010 Report Share Posted November 15, 2010 OK lets get a few facts on the table a new BSA springer is intact a Gamo (Spanish Gamo own BSA) a new Webley is a Hatsan made in Turkey an SMK is a chines made gun but we all new that right. now there is a lot of talk of SMK are **** and i have to agree they used to be but with new machining and quality control they are as good if not better than the new BSA and Webley badged imports, the difference is they cost about half the price and as with any gun in this bracket a bit of spit and polish and you have a really good gun.most people who have encountered a chines gun have come across an early B1/2 and done the old they are **** and so presume that all chines guns are the same and they are not,one of my most accurate guns is chines and it has accounted for more bunnies at 60+yds than i care to count all one shot clean kills at sub 12ftlb it has cost me in total with a nice scope bag bipod and paintball co2 tank £130 and about 10 hours polishing and fettling,but and its a big but i know my gun inside out it is easy to work on parts are chines cheep and it never has to go to an RFD (rip of merchant)for a service or repairs saving me more cash and time. So for those who are not in the know and are not gun snobs may i suggest you take a closer look at these great little guns and save yourselves a packet cheers Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtr36 Posted November 15, 2010 Report Share Posted November 15, 2010 i got a smk qb78 and it is bang on have done a bit of work on it ie wesh willy seal kit and polished up internals and its now kicking 11.4 and is very accurate may cheap but not all of us can afford £300 + guns as we have mortgages and kids lol if any1 got a posher gun they want to sell for same plrice as a smk i buy it and compare them and i also can be a snob lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teran Posted November 15, 2010 Report Share Posted November 15, 2010 Hi fellas, Im after some advice for my Father. He has a BSA he bought in 1970 and is looking to replace it. He uses it for pest control on his garden. Its 125m x 30 and has rats, pidgeons, rooks and jackdoors. He doesnt use it all the time so we have discounted Co2 guns. He is looking at an SMKxs38 it seems good value for money but were open to options? He seems to be set on this weapon and is interested in the silencer that is in the catalogue to go with the rifle. There seems to be some confusion on wether the silencer will fit this rifle? Anyway guys with a budget of £200ish with rifle an sights what do you reckon? Any advice /comments welcome, be gentle as Im new to all this. I recently bought 2 SMK rifles. I'd say that with a little work and I mean a little they have both been very good purchases. You do read alot of bad things on various forums about chinese guns, perhaps based on bad experiances in the past. From what I've read recently and from my own purchases, the quality of them is very good for the money. One of mine was a bit of a lemon out of the box but it is now my favorite gun, perhaps from putting it right and getting such excellant results for the outlay. If you live anywhere near Boston I think there's a B40 (tx200 copy) for sale with a scope for £125 at Derek Lee gunsmiths, great gun just read the reviews. As for advice on any SMK's check out UK Chinese Airgun Forums, very helpfull and I'm sure one of the xs38 owners could advise you on silencer options for that model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted November 15, 2010 Report Share Posted November 15, 2010 (edited) OK lets get a few facts on the table a new BSA springer is intact a Gamo (Spanish Gamo own BSA) a new Webley is a Hatsan made in Turkey an SMK is a chines made gun but we all new that right. now there is a lot of talk of SMK are **** and i have to agree they used to be but with new machining and quality control they are as good if not better than the new BSA and Webley badged imports, the difference is they cost about half the price and as with any gun in this bracket a bit of spit and polish and you have a really good gun.most people who have encountered a chines gun have come across an early B1/2 and done the old they are **** and so presume that all chines guns are the same and they are not,one of my most accurate guns is chines and it has accounted for more bunnies at 60+yds than i care to count all one shot clean kills at sub 12ftlb it has cost me in total with a nice scope bag bipod and paintball co2 tank £130 and about 10 hours polishing and fettling,but and its a big but i know my gun inside out it is easy to work on parts are chines cheep and it never has to go to an RFD (rip of merchant)for a service or repairs saving me more cash and time. So for those who are not in the know and are not gun snobs may i suggest you take a closer look at these great little guns and save yourselves a packet cheers Andy Help me out with the bit in bold above, without doubt the Webley and Scott shotguns are made in Turkey but are NOT Hatsan, what makes you think the Webley air rifles are Hatsan? I'm genuinly curious as to where you got this information. Cheers! Edited November 15, 2010 by Dekers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8shot Posted November 15, 2010 Report Share Posted November 15, 2010 i got a smk qb78 and it is bang on have done a bit of work on it ie wesh willy seal kit and polished up internals and its now kicking 11.4 and is very accurate may cheap but not all of us can afford £300 + guns as we have mortgages and kids lol if any1 got a posher gun they want to sell for same plrice as a smk i buy it and compare them and i also can be a snob lol you own a house i own a better gun whos the snob then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubble without a cause Posted November 16, 2010 Report Share Posted November 16, 2010 Gents, Its not snobbery for me, I would have loved to keep the Cheaper SMK as I don't have money to through away, but I really do not have the expertise that many of you seem to have when it comes to stripping a gun down to improve it. Otherwise I would do and would have saved myself £100 I therefore chose to buy something that I could shoot right away. And by the by, I never stated that the SMK's were inaccurate as the old one I had was very good at 25 yards. It just started to become very loose around the breach and very loud after being on the moors with me for a while and I got a bargin on the other rifle As with golf clubs, it isn't so much what they are like, it is how they are used that makes the difference. Good luck in chosing the right rifle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1652HCU Posted November 19, 2010 Report Share Posted November 19, 2010 Well I believe that the airgun/rifle is just a starting point. We all seem to mod our rifles to suit us. Who really cares whether the shooter is using an SMK, BSA or Walther, as long as her is enjoying the sport and gives me a go or several hundred with the Walther….. We tend to forget that SMK owner (like myself) do tend to buy other airguns at a later stage as our finances and abilites improve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfish Posted March 21, 2011 Report Share Posted March 21, 2011 well after my 1st smk rifle (db4 underlever)i bought another rifle gues what it was smk qb78d also have a b2 break barrel now for me it was a case of i wanted an airrifle and as cheep as poss just something to mess about with i paid £28 brand new took it home and shot the hell out of targets and cans(well we gotta start somewere) i then googled it to see what it really was and was surprised to find it was a chinese rifle(i have fired sa80 old enfield and lmg + more)and thought it wasnt bad really for the price.i then read more on a forum i was a member of(no more)abd thought id go co2 i chose the qb78d and never looked back.just a strip and polish new tp seals and that will up the power to what i want for about a tenner i have now stripped and cleaned lubed the db4 and can say it does make a difference money spent after buying zilch now i know people will spend big bucks and think its better than to buy cheep i aint knocking you but spaere a though at us who cannot afford to spend big these cheap chinese rifles are getting better all the time and cant see it ending soon and you never know you may even throw away the winerack for a smk lol andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris5780 Posted March 21, 2011 Report Share Posted March 21, 2011 Hi All, Have to agree with the Pro SMK posts. I have a BSA Ultra, Weirauch 35 and also a SMK TH78D it came out the box shooting perfectly straight, but a little under powered with a little TLC and a welsh willy seals kit it now shoots just under 12FT lb and is spot on, ok the ambient temp affects the CO2 power but as a general rule its fantastic. I am due to add a black Plasti Dip coat to it to make it Tactical and to protect the wood work and also a Deben bipod and it will be ready to go into the field. Moral of the story; Just because its cheap and cheerful does not mean it isn't effective. Kind Regards Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyshooter Posted March 22, 2011 Report Share Posted March 22, 2011 (edited) Hi All, Have to agree with the Pro SMK posts. I have a BSA Ultra, Weirauch 35 and also a SMK TH78D it came out the box shooting perfectly straight, but a little under powered with a little TLC and a welsh willy seals kit it now shoots just under 12FT lb and is spot on, ok the ambient temp affects the CO2 power but as a general rule its fantastic. I am due to add a black Plasti Dip coat to it to make it Tactical and to protect the wood work and also a Deben bipod and it will be ready to go into the field. Moral of the story; Just because its cheap and cheerful does not mean it isn't effective. Kind Regards I totally agree Chris with your post , i recently got a xs-19 .22 and welsh willy fettled it put in a different spring deburred it and fitted a better trigger ,it now shoots as well as my german springers . atb brian Chris Edited March 22, 2011 by happyshooter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ianhw77k Posted March 22, 2011 Report Share Posted March 22, 2011 Ignore the Chinese at your peril! I have tried a few SMK guns tuned by Venoman and found them so astoundingly good I have now ordered one from him. An XS20, fully tuned with HW trigger modification and a custom carbine, shrouded barrel. If I hadn't ordered the barrel it would have been a gun that shoots BETTER than a standard HW95 for a fraction of the price. As it stands it's more like the price of a very cheap second hand HW95, but I just had to treat myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoTshoT-16 Posted March 22, 2011 Report Share Posted March 22, 2011 id have to say buy second hand and get a hw57 , 77 or any other well known breands such as BSA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodentermite Posted March 28, 2011 Report Share Posted March 28, 2011 bsa meteore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodentermite Posted March 28, 2011 Report Share Posted March 28, 2011 are smk like the hatsan of air rifles? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobby Posted March 28, 2011 Report Share Posted March 28, 2011 after reading this discussion I think I'll go and get myself a SMK as a spare incase anyone joins me on a night out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKPoacher Posted March 28, 2011 Report Share Posted March 28, 2011 I've had XS78's, XS79's and still own a XS36. Quality control is variable, but a good one is well worth the money. My XS36 is equal to a Weihrauch at four times the price in every way except trigger pull. People who say different might not actually have owned one. To answer an earlier question, Webleys are now made in Turkey and have 'TR' stamped on the breech. Earlier Webleys such as the Longbow were made in Birmingham and are marked accordingly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigchap Posted March 28, 2011 Report Share Posted March 28, 2011 i have owned an smk xs78 which i tuned myself and fitted a bsa mercury barrel to it,i let the lad over the road have it and it's still going strong 4 years later. i also bought an smk xs36-1 about a month ago as i felt sorry for it,after a deburr,polish and lube i was genuinely surprised by how good it is.the trigger is pants but the accuracy is outstanding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian_in_the_midlands Posted March 29, 2011 Report Share Posted March 29, 2011 Convince him to push the boat out and buy the very best he can afford. It sounds like he holds onto his guns for a long time - so one day it will be yours . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*danny* Posted March 29, 2011 Report Share Posted March 29, 2011 i think a lot of chinese products have improved in quality over the past few years. there was a time when it was all cheaply produced tat, but of late they seem to be improving. i owned a really cheap chinese thing a while ago - a B3 i think not sure who made it - underlever rifle that had the tendancy to snap back whilst loading and on occasion was known to fire without warning, very dangerous it was. Ive just bought the stoeger x-20 wich is made in china, designed in italy? read a few horror stories on the internet but the pro's seemed to outweigh the bad so i decided to give it a go, the quality seems very good, certainly looks the part and is accurate and powerful enough for the job at hand. just because something has a higher price tag and a branded name doesnt make it neccasarily better. At the end of the day, it's what YOU find suitable that matters. what works for you. just cos Harry's got the latest weirach doesnt mean he can shoot better than James with the latest SMK. If you like the smk great, if you dont, dont buy one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1652HCU Posted March 30, 2011 Report Share Posted March 30, 2011 (edited) Ive just bought the stoeger x-20 wich is made in china, designed in italy? read a few horror stories on the internet but the pro's seemed to outweigh the bad so i decided to give it a go, the quality seems very good, certainly looks the part and is accurate and powerful enough for the job at hand. The Stoeger X20 is manufactured by BAM as the B19. SMK import it as the XS19. The safety is different and there is a choice of stocks from Stoeger. Crosman sell it as the Quest, Umarex sell it as the Perfecta. http://www.china-bam.com/beining/html/prs1/t171-267/c401.html Edited March 30, 2011 by 1652HCU Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*danny* Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 the rifle in the link looks nothing like the stoeger - i know you said the safety and stock are different, the stoeger has the safety catch at the back of the rifle out the way of the trigger. i found this on the net: (August 1, 2008) Stoeger Industries announces the introduction of an exciting new line of modern high-tech air rifles, the Stoeger X-Series. Developed by Italian engineers and designers, these high-power air rifles embody the fine styling of quality European sporting arms combined with rugged, ergonomic design and quality manufacture. Stoeger's high-velocity, single-shot air rifles are chambered for .177-caliber pellets and are powered by a fast and convenient break-action, spring-and-piston mechanism. Stoeger X-Series air rifles have two-stage triggers and shoot both alloy and hard-hitting lead pellets. Alloy pellets achieve a velocity of anywhere from 800 feet-per-second (fps) in the X5, to 1200 fps in the X10 and X20, and a blazing 1500 fps in the X50. The rifle is charged and ready to shoot with a single stroke of the muzzle-mounted ergonomic cocking handle. Stoeger air rifles feature an ambidextrous automatic safety, conveniently located at the rear of the receiver that eliminates the need to place your finger near the trigger to operate the safety. Stoeger X-Series rifles are fitted with red fiber-optic front sights and fully adjustable rear sights with green fiber-optic inserts for maximum visibility. Scope combo packages are available with factory-mounted 4x32mm scopes or 3-9x40mm Adjustable Parallax scopes. The new X-Series models offer a wide range of stocks and finishes, including quality hardwood in Monte Carlo-style or hunter-style and light-weight synthetic in matte black or Advantage Timber® HD camouflage. All models are fitted with non-slip rubber butt-pads and the X20 and X50 stocks feature checkered grips and fore-ends. "It's not every day that a major firearms manufacturer gets to introduce an exciting new line of products, and I know our customers will enjoy Stoeger's new X-Series air rifles," said Stephen McKelvain, Benelli USA's VP of Marketing & Communications. "They represent the high quality and value expected of the Benelli family of products." i dont know the deal with them, they say they are made in china on the rifle, designed in italy on the box. part of the benelli family and is stoeger not beretta? lol either way it is a great rifle it's shots are consistent and accurate. i havent used the sights to say but have a 3-9x40 scope and once zeroed in it can put out a nice grouping everytime. ive fired a few hundred shots with the x-20 and thus far ive had no problems at all with it. It works well for me and i dare say it will be a keeper. at some point i would like another weirach but funds say not yet, however i am perfectly happy with the stoeger. at such a cheap price they are very good value for money and i will even go as far as to say i think it performs just as well as some of the higher end rifles. it is quite heavy but not overly heavy IMO. I work nights at the moment and have noticed a lot of rats and earlier on a few magpies and woody's hanging around so am going to ask my boss for permission to shoot here. if it is granted i will let you know how it performs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*danny* Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 the rifle in the link looks nothing like the stoeger - i know you said the safety and stock are different, the stoeger has the safety catch at the back of the rifle out the way of the trigger. i found this on the net: (August 1, 2008) Stoeger Industries announces the introduction of an exciting new line of modern high-tech air rifles, the Stoeger X-Series. Developed by Italian engineers and designers, these high-power air rifles embody the fine styling of quality European sporting arms combined with rugged, ergonomic design and quality manufacture. Stoeger's high-velocity, single-shot air rifles are chambered for .177-caliber pellets and are powered by a fast and convenient break-action, spring-and-piston mechanism. Stoeger X-Series air rifles have two-stage triggers and shoot both alloy and hard-hitting lead pellets. Alloy pellets achieve a velocity of anywhere from 800 feet-per-second (fps) in the X5, to 1200 fps in the X10 and X20, and a blazing 1500 fps in the X50. The rifle is charged and ready to shoot with a single stroke of the muzzle-mounted ergonomic cocking handle. Stoeger air rifles feature an ambidextrous automatic safety, conveniently located at the rear of the receiver that eliminates the need to place your finger near the trigger to operate the safety. Stoeger X-Series rifles are fitted with red fiber-optic front sights and fully adjustable rear sights with green fiber-optic inserts for maximum visibility. Scope combo packages are available with factory-mounted 4x32mm scopes or 3-9x40mm Adjustable Parallax scopes. The new X-Series models offer a wide range of stocks and finishes, including quality hardwood in Monte Carlo-style or hunter-style and light-weight synthetic in matte black or Advantage Timber® HD camouflage. All models are fitted with non-slip rubber butt-pads and the X20 and X50 stocks feature checkered grips and fore-ends. "It's not every day that a major firearms manufacturer gets to introduce an exciting new line of products, and I know our customers will enjoy Stoeger's new X-Series air rifles," said Stephen McKelvain, Benelli USA's VP of Marketing & Communications. "They represent the high quality and value expected of the Benelli family of products." i dont know the deal with them, they say they are made in china on the rifle, designed in italy on the box. part of the benelli family and is stoeger not beretta? lol either way it is a great rifle it's shots are consistent and accurate. i havent used the sights to say but have a 3-9x40 scope and once zeroed in it can put out a nice grouping everytime. ive fired a few hundred shots with the x-20 and thus far ive had no problems at all with it. It works well for me and i dare say it will be a keeper. at some point i would like another weirach but funds say not yet, however i am perfectly happy with the stoeger. at such a cheap price they are very good value for money and i will even go as far as to say i think it performs just as well as some of the higher end rifles. it is quite heavy but not overly heavy IMO. I work nights at the moment and have noticed a lot of rats and earlier on a few magpies and woody's hanging around so am going to ask my boss for permission to shoot here. if it is granted i will let you know how it performs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1652HCU Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 (edited) the rifle in the link looks nothing like the stoeger - i know you said the safety and stock are different, the stoeger has the safety catch at the back of the rifle out the way of the trigger. i found this on the net: ..... i dont know the deal with them, they say they are made in china on the rifle, designed in italy on the box. part of the benelli family and is stoeger not beretta? lol either way it is a great rifle it's shots are consistent and accurate. i havent used the sights to say but have a 3-9x40 scope and once zeroed in it can put out a nice grouping everytime. ive fired a few hundred shots with the x-20 and thus far ive had no problems at all with it. It works well for me and i dare say it will be a keeper. at some point i would like another weirach but funds say not yet, however i am perfectly happy with the stoeger. at such a cheap price they are very good value for money and i will even go as far as to say i think it performs just as well as some of the higher end rifles. it is quite heavy but not overly heavy IMO. I work nights at the moment and have noticed a lot of rats and earlier on a few magpies and woody's hanging around so am going to ask my boss for permission to shoot here. if it is granted i will let you know how it performs. I'm not knocking the Stoeger or the BAM, I own 2 X SMK XS19 and they are excellent to shoot. The cosmetics are different, but the action is the same. Have a look at ArcherAirguns. The Stoeger Action: The XS19 action: Edited March 31, 2011 by 1652HCU Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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