[Jeff Higgins]

I'm already starting to form a few opinions on the side lever gun. First and foremost, while it certainly has the power, it's no hunting rifle in the sense of getting out and walking around with it. It is very heavy; next to my big black powder match rifles, it is the heaviest rifle in the house. I bet it goes in excess of ten pounds. That in itself wouldn't be so bad, but the side lever makes it ungainly as can be. There is just no comfortable way to get your hand around or under it to carry it. So, it's more of a "fixed position" rifle, like a varmint rifle used over a prairie dog town.

I do like the side lever for ease of cocking such a heavy spring. I put the butt in the front of my hip joint and pull down, offering far more leverage than I think I would ever get with a break barrel. I am right handed, so it's really convenient for me. Lefties would be fussing with it a bit more, changing hands to cock and shoot. The lever cannot be moved to the other side.

The other things that stand out are the accuracy and consistency regarding point of impact. Springers are notorious hold and rest sensitive, due to all of the "recoil" (caused by the moving spring and piston) happening before the pellet even starts to move. As a result, most string shots vertically, shooting higher from harder rests and lower from softer rests. Even how tightly it is gripped and pulled into the shoulder makes a difference. My Model 34 changes point of impact vertically over 2" at 30 yards from a benchrest to offhand.

The Model 48 does not seem to share this bad habit. Maybe it's the weight, maybe it's the fixed barrel - at any rate, it does not change point of impact with changing rests or holds. I like that a lot; it's one of the traits that endears the old pumpers to me - they don't "recoil", so they behave more like firearms, in that they are not very hold sensitive. It's nice to have found a springer with this same forgiving nature.

Speaking of the pumpers, the chronograph revealed some other interesting data the other day.
The Model 48 averages 840 fps with the 14.66 grain H&N Field Target Trophy for 22.97 foot pounds of energy, where the Steroid Benjamin 392 pumper averages 794 fps for about 20 foot pounds. The big springer handily beats the modified pumper. However, when shooting the 25.4 grain JSB pellet, the Model 48 only manages 580 fps (18.97 ft lbs) while the pumper gets it up to 650 fps (23.83 ft lbs). The springer clearly loses a bit of efficiency as pellet weight increases, where the pumper gains efficiency.

I have some 18 grain pellets on order; I am curious just where the "tip over" point is on the springer. Maybe the 14.66 grain pellet will prove to be its most efficient. Or, maybe even a lighter pellet, like 11 grains or so. I'm reluctant to drop pellet weight for velocity, though, since ballistic coefficient starts to really suffer and makes a big difference even at moderate airgun ranges. That, and as I stated above, too light can actually damage a powerful springer, which relies somewhat on the damping action inherent in a heavier pellet.

Anyway, fun stuff to play with. If only the rats knew just how much went into shooting their ugly little selves... maybe they'd be flattered...