Browning Leverage

1
I wanted something I could use in the back yard and garden to thin the herd of rodents that gang up on my tomatoes every year. The county has passed a law against shooting here, but they'll let you shoot air guns. (I moved here 13 years ago, when you could maybe count 10 houses from my "yard" on the whole side of the mesa--- now there are several hundred. So, now they frown on me using my .22LR Norinco bolt action or my S&W 422 to pop rabbits, chipmunks, ground squirrels, field rats, etc., and there just don't seem to be enough coyotes to dent the population.)

I have several air guns that were already capable of doing the job--- a Crossman 1377 that's accurate as a lazer if you give it 9-10 pumps, a Brazilian Winchester/Daisy in .177 that has pretty good punch, and a couple of Chinese B3s (1 in .177 & 1 in .22) that I've "tuned" pretty well. But I wanted something with a little more punch, so I did some looking and ended up with a Browning Leverage in .22. It cost just under $200, and seems to be a major upgrade from the B3. It's an underlever, so it's really a version of Xisico XS46u, which you can get for around $100--- except the only way to get a .22 appears to be to get the Browning. They must be building to Browning specs, too, because it's the best built airgun I've ever seen. Wood stock is good, and fit and finish are excellent!

I have a 30 yard target out back for air guns with a piece of osb coated house siding for a backstop, with an old wok behind that just in case. My .22 B3 bounces pellets back from that board. (It's the tough-assed 5/8" siding that you have to hold a nail in pliers or something and smack the hell out of it with a hammer just to start the nail.) I'm going to have to get another piece of board soon! Not only is the new gun accurate, but I can hear the wok ring every time! The wok looks like somebody worked it over with a miniature ball peen hammer. It's punching holes every time! Ol' Brer Rabbit better watch his ass...

http://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Browning_ ... Rifle/2456
Jim

"What the Thinker thinks, the Prover proves." Robert Anton Wilson
"There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a moonless night, and the anger of a gentle man." Patrick Rothfuss

Re: Browning Leverage

3
Nice rifle. I haven't see that model before.

I had no idea there was another tuner here. I have a nicely tuned and somewhat Bubbad B3 and a butter smooth (now) Compasseco Tech-Force 89.
'Sorry stupid people but there are some definite disadvantages to being stupid."

-John Cleese

Re: Browning Leverage

4
The break down air rifles pretty much are all the same. There is a plant in china that produces the air chamber and the barrel. The company that makes the air rifle provides the furniture and sights. When you buy an air rifle make sure you use your credit card to purchase it. I bought a benjamin air rifle that I drooled over for months. Every time I shot it I had to fix something. I took it apart and put locktite on all the bolts and screws. At that point I could keep everything tight but the barrel. I took it back to walmart and got a refund in less than 30 days.

When you build another backstop get some flashing or light sheet metal. Glue it with contact glue so the metal stays tight to the board. The backstop will last longer. Most new pellet guns are around 1000 fps. Unless you build a backstop out of 3/8 plate the pellets will eventually eat up the backstop. I bought a backstop with kevlar hanging inside it. It lasted about 2000 rounds before the kevlar wore out. Then the pellets making direct contact with the metal backstop broke the welds that held the box together.

Re: Browning Leverage

5
I'll look into a better backstop. Actually, I just saw a thread on one of the airgun forums where they used a square plastic cat litter bucket stuffed with old magazines. That's easy enough for me to try while I'm getting the stuff together for something more permanent.

I just started tuning my air rifles this past winter, when I realized I could use my bar clamp (Like for gluing up cabinet fronts.) as a spring compressor. The cheap Chinese guns really work well after some tweaking! My .177 B3 is nearly 30 years old. It was really cruddy inside. After a good cleaning, and some buffing, sanding and filing, and putting some washers in for spring seats, it's like a different gun! It shoots NICE! The .22 B3 was improved by the same treatment, but not as much as that .177. I even did what I could for my Westlake S2 pistol--- not much power to be had there, but now it's really a pleasant plinker. Air gund are a lot of fun, and really cheap to shoot!
Jim

"What the Thinker thinks, the Prover proves." Robert Anton Wilson
"There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a moonless night, and the anger of a gentle man." Patrick Rothfuss

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