We test Dennis' impressive new .25-caliber modification for the Crosman 2240
It never fails - a new air pistol comes to market and within
a month people are clamoring for it in .25 caliber. I don't know
why this is, but it is. Well, Missouri-based airgunsmith Dennis
Quackenbush decided to get ahead of the power curve this time
by offering the Crosman 2240 CO2 pistol in .25 caliber.
And, what a pistol it is! Dennis has installed his own machined
steel breech, steel bolt and rifled steel barrel. This removes
many of the objections concerning plastic parts on the new gun.
Weight is 36 ounces and it feels very solid in the hand due to
Crosman's sculpted ambidextrous grips.
The 10-inch barrel is button-rifled by Dennis in his shop. He
has free-floated it above the CO2 powerlet tube, giving it a look
of delicacy; but in the hand, the gun is anything but delicate.
Very little barrel flex can be detected, even with a stout squeeze
of the hand. This no doubt helps the accuracy, which is considerable,
to say the least. More on that in a little bit.
The barrel is rifled with seven
lands in a right-hand twist of one turn in 18 inches. Dennis tried
several different twist rates while testing the gun with the Diana
Magnum .25-caliber pellet, which he wanted to shoot exclusively.
The Diana Magnum is a domed 20-grain pellet, which makes it on
the light side for a quarter-inch bore. It has always been one
of the two most accurate pellets in any .25-caliber airgun we've
tested. The Beeman Kodiak is the other. But Kodiaks weigh 31 grains
in .25 caliber, and thus must be driven almost twice as fast as
the Dianas to stabilize. They are fine for Theobens, Careers and
other magnum air rifles but far too heavy for most air pistols.
The Diana Magnum, on the other hand, is ideal. It provides both
punch and splendid accuracy.
When shooting, you encounter a phenomenon seldom seen in an air
pistol. The recoil is so pronounced that the barrel climbs before
the pellet leaves the muzzle. Coupled with the position of the
grip, which sits close to the center of gravity, this is enough
to cause the gun to throw its shots high at 10 meters. It's something
you have to take into account when shooting a .45 Colt with a
long barrel, but you seldom see it in an airgun.
Our test gun was shooting three inches high at 10 meters but exactly
on the centerline. Dennis has already addressed this issue in
the production guns by lowering the mounting base of the rear
sight.
Optical sights are also possible, and I would think they'd be
the sights of choice. The receiver is grooved to accept airgun
dovetail mounts both behind and in front of the loading port.
Since there's no harsh recoil, a scope stop is not needed.
I seldom approve of optics on handguns, but this pistol is the
exception. It has the power and accuracy to fully utilize optics,
plus the range can be extended if a telescope is used. My personal
choice would be one of the new inexpensive but high-quality dot
sights from Compasseco, or perhaps that new Crosman model.
The 2240 is already a popular pistol, so Quackenbush's modifications
have a good starting point. I got 30-35 good shots from a single
powerlet, which is great when you consider all the power this
gun generates. I tested it on a cold range, so it should do even
better where it's warm.
With the power and accuracy available, I started thinking what
a fine carbine this would make. When the Sharp US-L was pulled
off the market, many were denied its great handling and shooting
characteristics. But with this new pistol, Dennis has given airgunners
another chance to own a light, accurate, fast-handling gun
I would really like to see him bring it out in a 16-inch barreled
version with a walnut thumbhole stock. It would weigh around 3-1/2
lbs., like the Sharp, but would have a bit more horsepower at
the muzzle.
For the time being, you can pick up a detachable stock from any
Crosman dealer and turn this gun into a mini-carbine. Coupled
with a good red dot sight, the combination should be devastating!
Quackenbush-modified Crosman 2240 - .25 caliber
61°F - Muzzle at start screen - 10 shots - 10-second interval
between shots
Diana Magnum pellets, 20 grains
High - 456 f.p.s.
Low - 435 f.p.s.
Average - 441 f.p.s.
Extreme spread - 21 f.p.s.
Standard deviation - 6 f.p.s.
Muzzle energy - 8.64 ft.-lbs.
The pistol came with Crosman's
standard trigger, which Dennis invited me to clean and lubricate.
There isn't much to the job. Just loosen two grip frame screws
and separate the grip from the rest of the action. The sear is
in the grip and can be easily accessed this way. Unfortunately,
it is so simple that there is very little that can be done to
improve it. I measured the pull on our test pistol at 4 lbs.,
5 oz. It's a single-stage pull and very creepy. Moly didn't seem
to help much. The pull could have been lightened by cutting a
coil off the trigger return spring, but as this gun was on loan,
I didn't try it.
The trigger blade is quite thin, which makes the hard pull seem
even harder. In the frame just behind the triggerguard is a crossbolt
safety that works perfectly. If you do decide to look at the trigger's
innards, be very careful not to lose the tiny coil spring and
ball bearing detent that hold the safety. They are in a tiny hole
in the grip frame.
The single powerlet that drives this airgun is housed inside the
larger tube below the barrel. You drop the powerlet into the tube
neck-first and screw the cap tight. The powerlet seals on the
flat tip of the neck, and we never heard the smallest puff of
gas the whole time we had the gun. An advantage of this type of
arrangement is that you can unscrew the cap to dump the remaining
pressure at any time. The reservoir does not hold any pressure,
so the cap always turns freely.
Our feeling about this remarkable pistol is this: How does he
do it? Dennis is buying a new 2240 and converting it to what we
tested for the incredibly low price of just $125 with sights or
$115 without. He even makes his own barrels, which are first rate.
Most owners want a steel receiver to begin with-here you not only
get that, you get it in .25 caliber!
Our thanks to Dennis Quackenbush for the loan of this pistol to
test. He plans to make a run of 60 pistols of this configuration,
so you'd better get your name on one now. These inexpensive pistols
of his tend to sell out in a few months, at best. You can contact
him at 417-993-5262, Central.
Wrap-up
Quackenbush-modified Crosman 2240 pistol -.25
caliber
Pro - Well made, all modified parts are steel, very accurate,
quite powerful for an air pistol, receiver grooved for optical
sights.
Con - Crosman trigger is stiff.
Cost - $115 without sights, $125 with sights retail. This is for
the complete gun, as tested.
Availability - Order direct from Dennis Quackenbush at 417-993-5262,
Central. Guns are produced in a single lot and may not be available
for long after they go on sale.