cslinger
Member
I recently made an order for another HW30, specifically the Urban Pro model but what I thought was an in stock item was not and since we were going on like two months, like most only children, I got impatient and threw a tantrum. Ok, no tantrum but I did cancel my order. I did so because during that time I was able to squirrel away a few more bucks for something I had been wanting to try for quite some time, the Air Arms TX200 Apologies for triggering the squirrel population for using the world squirrel in an air rifle review. 
I have owned an Air Arms Pro Sport for quite a few years and its an exquisite rifle. The stock, the bluing, the mechanics, the shape, the performance etc. It is probably my nicest rifle all around including my powder burners. This experience, as well as the overwhelming positive thoughts surrounding the TX200 I have wanted to give one a try so........Fool+Money(Stupid)=(airgun+fool)-money.
Now before I start I want to answer one question. Do you need $800 worth of over glorified bb gun to have fun in your back yard or even get a damn good air rifle. ABSOLUTELY NOT! Heck you might be touched in the head if you want one. Airguns are a passion and hobby of their own with me and I appreciate certain intangibles and intrinsic value as much as I do raw performance....and I am probably touched in the head, but I digress. Think of it as, do you need an ED Brown 1911 to have a decent firearm to defend yourself with? HELL NO! They are kinetic works of art as are most of my air guns.
On to the the TX200. A few nights back I made it rain at Pyramyd Air like Pac Man Jones in a strip club and ordered a walnut stocked, .177, TX200, 3-12 scope, mount, some pellets (I never buy a toy without batteries) and was shocked to find it had all shipped a day later and arrived a scant couple days after. Here she is all put together.
So on to quantifying my experience. As always these are simply MY opinions and MY experience with this gun as compared to the others I have experience with . I am not some subject matter expert or guru on anything. I know a tiny bit about a great many things. No more, no less. All scores are a 1-5 scale.
VALUE-2
Any Air Arms rifle is an expensive affair, even when comparing against rivals such as the HW97. That said you do get an exquisite spring rifle. The only reason I am ranking its value so low is that for a purely utilitarian spring rifle, it is expensive even among its peers. What you do get is a level of fine detail, fit and finish and art, if you will, that stands above the pack.
FIT/FINISH/APPEARANCE - 5+
Air Arms makes some gorgeous guns. They are machined beautifully, they function beautifully, there is nary an indication that there is a spring inside this thing. The bluing on this rifle, as well as my Pro Sport is breathtaking. Think old school Colt polished blue. The stocks are beautiful and as a kinetic piece of art they knock it out of the park.
If I had any complaints about this TX200 its that the stock is not quite as nice as my Pro Sport but, frankly I kind of won the stock lottery on that one. Pro Sport on the right, TX200 left.
TRIGGER - 5
I may have lost the stock lottery but I won the trigger lottery on this particular gun. I have always said I felt my Pro Sport trigger was probably the equal of the Rekord trigger on the Weihrauchs and that is high praise. The trigger on this TX200 out of the box is noticeably better than both. A light smooth take up, albeit a little long and an unbelievably crisp, glass rod breaking light break. It's so good I am having a hard time getting used to it.
ACCURACY - 4
I am not really doing justice to the rifle as it has the limiting factors of myself the shooter and the fact that it doesn't even have tin through it as far as break in goes. That said if its shooting straight out of the box within the first 30 or 40 pellets is any indication it should prove to be a fantastic shooter. I am going to give it a 4 as I still feel that the HW97 is easier to shoot tighter groups then the Air Arms rifles, at least in my hands. (Both the Pro Sport and the TX200) that said the TX has very few rounds down the pipe so that might change.
The very first group shot after sight in. Crosman Premiers.
2nd group shot with Air Arms Diabolo's
A few more groups....
This final "group" is shot off hand. I RARELY shoot offhand as I both suck and my left arm/shoulder is shot / weak so shooting a 10lb springer off the shoulder isn't easy for me. That said at around 19 yards it was fairly easy for me to keep inside this shoot and see. Some shots printing high because the CPHPs are printing high and one shot to the left that I absolutely threw. At any rate don't take this as indicative of the rifles capabilities so much as its ability to help me shoot better off hand then I might typically do.
ERGONOMICS - 3
This is a field target gun. It is heavy and the stock is clearly designed around static type positions. The safety is a left to right affair at the end of the compression tube and I don't generally like those, even if I am completely used to them. The pistol grip is very nice, the engraving on the stock is both pretty and functional. The cocking arm is easy to unlatch but having to manually release the anti bear trap is an extra step, its not as intrusive as it might seem but it is another step. Benched this thing is a dream. Off hand its a heavy beast.
RECOIL/SHOT CYCLE -5
For a spring gun it shoots like a gas ram or even a PCP to an extent. There is of course a fair bit of recoil as you are still slamming a piston home but there is NO spring noise/feel, little if any vibration and the shot cycle is quick and crisp. As spring guns go its AMAZING.
POWER -4
It may not be a magnum springer but it is still capable of throwing .177 pills (depending on weight/ brand etc.) at around 900 fps and that is stout for a spring gun. Plenty of power to pest should you so desire.
RANDOM OBSERVATION
-I had read that the tiny little bumper between the cocking arm would come off. Everybody says it will come off within a few shots. Everybody is right. That sucker was gone before I had her sighted in. Its not a necessary part in any way the same function can be achieved with an o-ring around the end of the cocking arm which is probably how it should have been done to begin with.
-Cocking effort is fairly easy . Much less then the Pro Sport but maybe a hair more than a comparable Weihrauch HW97.
-The report is louder than I expected. It is often touted as a quiet gun but she does have some bark, now keep in mind I am still likely burning off some excess lube and dieseling a bit and it is a fairly powerful gun at a claimed 900ish FPS in .177
-The dovetails seem to be a weeee bit shallow on both my Pro Sport and this TX200. Doesn't seem to cause a problem but worth noting.
PARTING THOUGHTS
If you are looking for a backyard plinker to get you through the currently unpleasantness this isn't it. Its big, its powerful, its heavy, its expensive. If, however, you have a passion for guns of all types and appreciate kinetic artwork and want something that really is special and in many ways hearken's back to a type of hand made firearms made with pride and attention to detail that will be passed down for generations this just might be the ticket. It's not a tool, its industrial art that happens to be able to perform a task very well.
Also......you may need to be a little touched in the head.
As always,
Take care and Shoot Safe,
Chris
I have owned an Air Arms Pro Sport for quite a few years and its an exquisite rifle. The stock, the bluing, the mechanics, the shape, the performance etc. It is probably my nicest rifle all around including my powder burners. This experience, as well as the overwhelming positive thoughts surrounding the TX200 I have wanted to give one a try so........Fool+Money(Stupid)=(airgun+fool)-money.
Now before I start I want to answer one question. Do you need $800 worth of over glorified bb gun to have fun in your back yard or even get a damn good air rifle. ABSOLUTELY NOT! Heck you might be touched in the head if you want one. Airguns are a passion and hobby of their own with me and I appreciate certain intangibles and intrinsic value as much as I do raw performance....and I am probably touched in the head, but I digress. Think of it as, do you need an ED Brown 1911 to have a decent firearm to defend yourself with? HELL NO! They are kinetic works of art as are most of my air guns.
On to the the TX200. A few nights back I made it rain at Pyramyd Air like Pac Man Jones in a strip club and ordered a walnut stocked, .177, TX200, 3-12 scope, mount, some pellets (I never buy a toy without batteries
) and was shocked to find it had all shipped a day later and arrived a scant couple days after. Here she is all put together.
So on to quantifying my experience. As always these are simply MY opinions and MY experience with this gun as compared to the others I have experience with . I am not some subject matter expert or guru on anything. I know a tiny bit about a great many things. No more, no less. All scores are a 1-5 scale.
VALUE-2
Any Air Arms rifle is an expensive affair, even when comparing against rivals such as the HW97. That said you do get an exquisite spring rifle. The only reason I am ranking its value so low is that for a purely utilitarian spring rifle, it is expensive even among its peers. What you do get is a level of fine detail, fit and finish and art, if you will, that stands above the pack.
FIT/FINISH/APPEARANCE - 5+
Air Arms makes some gorgeous guns. They are machined beautifully, they function beautifully, there is nary an indication that there is a spring inside this thing. The bluing on this rifle, as well as my Pro Sport is breathtaking. Think old school Colt polished blue. The stocks are beautiful and as a kinetic piece of art they knock it out of the park.
If I had any complaints about this TX200 its that the stock is not quite as nice as my Pro Sport but, frankly I kind of won the stock lottery on that one. Pro Sport on the right, TX200 left.
TRIGGER - 5
I may have lost the stock lottery but I won the trigger lottery on this particular gun. I have always said I felt my Pro Sport trigger was probably the equal of the Rekord trigger on the Weihrauchs and that is high praise. The trigger on this TX200 out of the box is noticeably better than both. A light smooth take up, albeit a little long and an unbelievably crisp, glass rod breaking light break. It's so good I am having a hard time getting used to it.
ACCURACY - 4
I am not really doing justice to the rifle as it has the limiting factors of myself the shooter and the fact that it doesn't even have tin through it as far as break in goes. That said if its shooting straight out of the box within the first 30 or 40 pellets is any indication it should prove to be a fantastic shooter. I am going to give it a 4 as I still feel that the HW97 is easier to shoot tighter groups then the Air Arms rifles, at least in my hands. (Both the Pro Sport and the TX200) that said the TX has very few rounds down the pipe so that might change.
The very first group shot after sight in. Crosman Premiers.
2nd group shot with Air Arms Diabolo's
A few more groups....
This final "group" is shot off hand. I RARELY shoot offhand as I both suck and my left arm/shoulder is shot / weak so shooting a 10lb springer off the shoulder isn't easy for me. That said at around 19 yards it was fairly easy for me to keep inside this shoot and see. Some shots printing high because the CPHPs are printing high and one shot to the left that I absolutely threw. At any rate don't take this as indicative of the rifles capabilities so much as its ability to help me shoot better off hand then I might typically do.
ERGONOMICS - 3
This is a field target gun. It is heavy and the stock is clearly designed around static type positions. The safety is a left to right affair at the end of the compression tube and I don't generally like those, even if I am completely used to them. The pistol grip is very nice, the engraving on the stock is both pretty and functional. The cocking arm is easy to unlatch but having to manually release the anti bear trap is an extra step, its not as intrusive as it might seem but it is another step. Benched this thing is a dream. Off hand its a heavy beast.
RECOIL/SHOT CYCLE -5
For a spring gun it shoots like a gas ram or even a PCP to an extent. There is of course a fair bit of recoil as you are still slamming a piston home but there is NO spring noise/feel, little if any vibration and the shot cycle is quick and crisp. As spring guns go its AMAZING.
POWER -4
It may not be a magnum springer but it is still capable of throwing .177 pills (depending on weight/ brand etc.) at around 900 fps and that is stout for a spring gun. Plenty of power to pest should you so desire.
RANDOM OBSERVATION
-I had read that the tiny little bumper between the cocking arm would come off. Everybody says it will come off within a few shots. Everybody is right. That sucker was gone before I had her sighted in. Its not a necessary part in any way the same function can be achieved with an o-ring around the end of the cocking arm which is probably how it should have been done to begin with.
-Cocking effort is fairly easy . Much less then the Pro Sport but maybe a hair more than a comparable Weihrauch HW97.
-The report is louder than I expected. It is often touted as a quiet gun but she does have some bark, now keep in mind I am still likely burning off some excess lube and dieseling a bit and it is a fairly powerful gun at a claimed 900ish FPS in .177
-The dovetails seem to be a weeee bit shallow on both my Pro Sport and this TX200. Doesn't seem to cause a problem but worth noting.
PARTING THOUGHTS
If you are looking for a backyard plinker to get you through the currently unpleasantness this isn't it. Its big, its powerful, its heavy, its expensive. If, however, you have a passion for guns of all types and appreciate kinetic artwork and want something that really is special and in many ways hearken's back to a type of hand made firearms made with pride and attention to detail that will be passed down for generations this just might be the ticket. It's not a tool, its industrial art that happens to be able to perform a task very well.
Also......you may need to be a little touched in the head.
As always,
Take care and Shoot Safe,
Chris
