beeman 1040 series review

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Average Ratings

Accuracy	8.8/10
Handling	9.3/10
Value for Money	9/10
Reviewer Rating	9.1/10
Overall Rating	9/10

93% Recommended26 out of 28 Reviews

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By guru1ofatl on 10th Mar 2008

guru1ofatl's Ratings

Accuracy	9/10
Handling	8/10
Value for money	10/10
Overall value	9/10
guru1ofatl's recommendation

Good Points

Attractive wood
Good finish on metal
Accurate
.177 and .22 caliber barrel
Fully adjustable trigger
Auto safety can be operated manually

Bad Points

Sights are flimsy
Breach seal is poor = low velocities
Tacky Beeman logo and plastic stock screw caps

General Comments

General Notes

I've been curious about this model since I saw it on the shelf of a local retailer. The model 1073 comes with both .177 and .22 caliber barrels and can be taken down for easy transport (33 inches when broken down). Price is in line with many of the budget Gamo based springers on the market.

Fit and finish

I was pleasantly surprised by the finish of both the stock and action on this gun. Although the stock won't compete with most high end airguns, it is attractive with a dark even color. The metal finish is good with little in the way of machining marks remaining. Bluing is nice and deep including the areas hidden by the stock. I could pass on the nickel plated trigger blade as well as the Beeman logo on the stock but otherwise I can find little to complain about when it comes to this guns appearance.

Internals

Those who take the time to tear in to this gun will find that is built unlike most guns you have probably dealt with. The trigger group supports the spring guide on this gun so disassembly can be interesting. Your average spring compressor will not work on this gun so use your head and be safe. Beyond this, the gun is a typical break barrel springer. Fit of the internals is surprisingly good with the only exception being the breach seal. The fit between the breach and transfer port could have been tighter so the breach seal is a weak area. The good news is that larger seals are readily available at most hardware stores and this proves to be a good fix.

Velocity and accuracy

Out of the box the gun was shooting .177 caliber Crosman Premiers at 450fps. I installed the extra breach seal provided by Beeman and the velocity increased to 750fps with the Crosman, 840fps with RWS Superdomes, and 610fps in .22 with Gamo Master Points. Still low but perhaps tolerable. This also shows that this gun likes a tight fitting pellet. With a little additional experimentation, I found a replacement breach seal that is thicker than what is provided by Beeman. This resulted in the following velocities...
Crosman Premier .177 = 893fps
RWS Superdome .177 = 940fps
RWS Superdome .22 = 724fps

Accuracy is superb with the gun printing regular single hole groups at 20 yards using a Tasco Golden Antler scope at 4x magnification. The only things to watch out for are the screw which secures the barrel being loose and the scope moving rearward due to the recoil. Snug the barrel screw down well during installation and use proper scope mounts and the accuracy will impress you.

The bottom line

I've put over 1,000 pellets through this gun now and although the spring is a bit louder than it once was (still quieter than many brands when new), this gun continues to deliver. The trigger is better than a Gamo ever hoped to be and the power and accuracy are perfect for hunting or target work. Remove the barrel and the gun is a breeze to transport even in the smallest of cars.
If you are in the market for an inexpensive springer, I would put this gun towards the top of the list. Just be prepared to replace that breach seal.

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