cuts_like_drugs Posted July 21, 2008 Report Share Posted July 21, 2008 Hi all, there is a shop in town with a second hand Crosman Ratcatcher. I am interested in purchasing it as a first gun having been plinking with an awful SMK laserhawk for a few weeks. Should I look out for anything in particular when buying a second hand rifle? Should I try and buy one new or are these weapons still reliable down the line? Any tips or things to look out for would be very useful as I am new to shooting. Thanks for your time, Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laf Posted July 22, 2008 Report Share Posted July 22, 2008 My advice would be stay away from the rat catcher there like a toy gun what price r u willing to pay and check the for sale thread on this site Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightyrover Posted July 22, 2008 Report Share Posted July 22, 2008 why not save up and buy a hw77 or 80 second hand or any good springer dont waste your money if you are expecting a leap forward from your smk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snipper Posted July 22, 2008 Report Share Posted July 22, 2008 good little ratting gun the catcher .... desent silencer fitted and a bit of tweaking to get the power up and there fine .... and hell of alot quieter than a springer , ok its not as nice as my tuned hw77k or a few others i have but worth a go :unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MM Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 get something along the lines of the rabbitstopper if you are looking for C02. iver got the Benjiman sheridan, and that works a treat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airssassin Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 They are a light and cheap rifle but don't forget to factor in the price of all that Co2! Co2 also loses power in the cold weather. Despite this Americans seem to love the Crossmans. You should see what power they can get from the 2240 ! To get one to a decent standard, you will need a trigger job, a new bolt, a decent scope (requiring a crafty adapter) etc etc. Is it worth it? In the long run it would be cheaper and better to buy a BSA lightening XL or similar. It will be more powerful (without the need to tweak), reliable and also far more accurate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevematthews79 Posted July 26, 2008 Report Share Posted July 26, 2008 buying second hand you can get a lot more gun for your money. A lot of older guns that were silly money in there day can be had for a very reasonable price and often have seen very little use. There is also very little in accuracy difference between a high quality, well maintained 10-15 year old rifle and a new one for the same money IMHO. I am having as much success with my 1983 Theoben Sirocco Deluxe gas ram as my friend using a similar priced PCP now I have got my technique sussed, and my theoben feels so much more comfortable in the shoulder and satisfying to shoot. The walnut woodwork also puts my friends PCP to shame. Keep an eye out in the classifieds, or ask around at your local gun club. you never know what someone may have in the back of their gun cabinet that they are no longer using and from a gun club is more likely to have been well maintained with. Avoid anything that has had a T R Robb kit fitted. Chances are the seals will be damaged and the work has been carried out by an amateur, not to mention any other problems you get with "fiddling". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeihrauchPower Posted July 26, 2008 Report Share Posted July 26, 2008 good little ratting gun the catcher .... desent silencer fitted and a bit of tweaking to get the power up and there fine .... and hell of alot quieter than a springer , ok its not as nice as my tuned hw77k or a few others i have but worth a go "ok its not as nice as my tuned hw77k " are they even comparable. lol Save your money and buy a good secondhand springer. You can get a good set up rifle, scope and mounts for £180-200. I'm sure some on here have had some results with the ratcatcher but they are essentially a toy plinker (and I don't care what mods you can do as they still can't compete on accuracy). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snipper Posted July 26, 2008 Report Share Posted July 26, 2008 certainly not "toy plinkers" :blink: 30 shots at 10ftlb pellet on pellet at 30yrds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeihrauchPower Posted July 26, 2008 Report Share Posted July 26, 2008 certainly not "toy plinkers" :blink: 30 shots at 10ftlb pellet on pellet at 30yrds Well snipper I've never shot one so i can't comment and I don't deny they may be capable of that. They just seem a bit of a rip off when it comes to CO2 compared to spring. Do you use a shoulder stock type add on? Call me a traditionalist but i like a nice piece of wood under my arm pit, personal preference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snipper Posted July 26, 2008 Report Share Posted July 26, 2008 the ratcatcher is the stocked version http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb100/s...uk/Cimg1597.jpg im not saying there as good as a springer but they have their uses i love my hw77k but its noisey if your after a few rats ect pic here somewhere http://s209.photobucket.com/albums/bb100/snipperuk/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeihrauchPower Posted July 26, 2008 Report Share Posted July 26, 2008 Still, recommend a springer as a first rifle. snipper maybe it's time for a Venom tune, you know you want to. :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snipper Posted July 26, 2008 Report Share Posted July 26, 2008 dont need a venom tune .... do it myself .... the hw fires so sweet you can balance a pellet on the scope turret cap and it doesnt move when fired Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeihrauchPower Posted July 26, 2008 Report Share Posted July 26, 2008 dont need a venom tune .... do it myself .... the hw fires so sweet you can balance a pellet on the scope turret cap and it doesnt move when fired And still it's noisy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deejay Posted July 26, 2008 Report Share Posted July 26, 2008 cant comment on the rat catcher but forthe hw77,boy what a fine gun they are had mine venom tuned about 15 years back and shot like a dream and only now thinking about getting the v-mach kit off steve.but not to sure if it would make much difference as it is spot on still and damn well hard hitting,also with the wieght it helps to steady you,well worth getting second hand one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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