Greetings from across the pond! this is without a doubt the best rifle review I've ever seen. This puts all American reviews to shame. I'm now a subscriber. Thank you.
Divers tanks, Compressors & Pumps - who needs them!! OK The noise from the springer will spook some quarry between shots but the air supply is FREE!! I Like FREE!!.
Tremendous stuff ... Great reviewing , needs too be longer ... MUCH longer ... Difficult few weeks ahead , so this stuff is really appreciated , specially as there's absolutely **** all on telly .... Loving it Dan ...
Great video Dan I will be buying a new smk rifle and after this review it we'll be the xs20 supergrade a great rifle at a very good price ,smk rifles are getting better all the time and by example the trigger, thanks for the great review Dan.
Hi Stephen. Thanks for the kind comment mate. The XS20 is possibly my new favourite budget springer alongside the XS19 and the Sabre. I really wish someone would invent "feel-o-vision" so you can actually feel just how nice that trigger really is. Although let's be fair if that really was a thing I doubt people would be using it for airgun reviews haha. Thanks Stephen and let me know what you think of it if you pick one up!
You reviewed it👍🏻 good review, it is a great rifle. As you know I have the mark 1 it’s 14 years old now and still shoots well especially with sniper magnums pellets.
Hi Steve! Yeah I know mate... I felt sick to my stomach when you showed it to me as it reminded me of how much of an idiot I was when I sold mine. Of course if you ever feel like selling yours Steve I'll give you a tenner for it and a tin of Spitfires. ;)
Nice one Dan , I was going to say how about a shoot out between this & the HW99 but I've been beaten to it , there is not that much difference in price as there is when you compare it to the HW80 so that would even the odds a bit , and I do like a level playing field when were comparing eggs , as You say it looks like a bargain . How about You do (Time , weather , commitments etc. permitting) a shoot out between all the sub £200 springer's You have available , I wouldn't mind if it was 2 hours long ! . Keep up the sterling efforts , already looking forward to the next show . Thanks Dan & to who ever writes the comments and anyone else involved with this channel . Hope every one stays well and safe shooting to You all if Your still able .
Cracking review Dan, like always. Can I just add that it would be nice to see the breech and barrel lockup mechanism on video. I tend to prefer XS19 style lockup and not so much the Diana/Cometa ball bearing type, and it would be nice to know what rifle has what on the videos. Cheers.
I like a plain stock. It's a blank canvas for you to personalise. I stipple them myself (I use a soldering iron whilst the Danish oil is still wet and it works brilliantly making the wood much darker in contrast to the rest of the stock) and put the fingers grooves in along with a thumb groove. Stained a little darker and finished with Danish oil they look absolutely stunning. I also put an adjustable butt pad on but the OEM butt pad is perfectly functional.
Hi BD, top review again mate. If you are after feed back on the length of the videos, then for me it's go long. Thanks again and looking forward to the next one. Stay safe.
Many many thanks for your time and effort doing this review. Enjoyed it immensely!. Smk do make a thumbhole. Version it's the 208th supergrade. Might have to pay you a visit after this nightmare virus thing is over as I am in Essex lol!. Keep safe mate and keep going with the reviews. I am sure you will reap the rewards in happier times Dan.
Hi Steven, You're most welcome mate. We've got to do something during this lockdown period and I thought reviews might be handy for people interested in our sport but maybe can't get out. The 208's are rifles that I really want to review (especially the TH model you've mentioned) as they're silky smooth to shoot. You'd be more than welcome to pop down mate and have a play with a few rifles. If the weather stays nice we'll set the range up. Thanks Steve and look after yourself!
Hi Casper. I'm glad you enjoyed it mate, hopefully due to the virus we should have another one up very soon as well. I'm thinking about doing a video on hold sensitivity and seeing how different rifles are effected with different holds. Thanks Casper and the same to you mate look after yourself.
Hi Ben! Much appreciated mate. I tell you what, as you're one of our cousins (practically immediate family really) I'll swap an XS20 and the finest tin of Milbro Selects we have for one of your pistols. I think that's fair. ;) Thanks Ben!
SMK came on in leaps and bounds after the Swiss Arms merger. A few of their guns were already pretty good quality for the money such as the XS19 and the XS36 but a lot of guns got a boost with the Supergrade range. Same guns but better finished with more attention to detail. Their previous guns were OK in the main but many of us treated them as project guns in The UK Chinese Airgun Forum. We developed our own mods, refined tuning techniques etc and bought seals in bulk and repackaged them in small sets those along with replacement stainless hardware to replace the soft Chinesium rubbish for the benefit of members. In fact Welsh Willy (Will Gerkhe) was one of our early members before he eventually became a registered firearms dealer (he was a driving instructor back then). Some of the mods we came up with and even some accessory parts we designed are in production with bigger companies. That's a long story but if you get a good idea keep it to yourself until you arrange a production deal or patent it. I had two of my designs ripped off and there was nothing I could do about it. One of our members came up with the long 4x12g CO2 tube and that was 'robb'ed too. The CO2 guns and the improvements we made to them were taken into consideration and many found their way into the new guns. Absolutely no problem with that as that was what we were all about. It is gratifying to see manufacturers take note of customer suggestions. SMK have lost that cheap and cheerful reputation they had and are now known for good value and decent quality guns. So many serious competitive shooters started out with them and then went on to greater things and I was one of them and I am pleased to say I still have some of their guns in my collection alongside my Air Arms, BSA, Theoben, Webley and Gunpower rifles. My favourite gun is still my AR2079A .177 converted to regulated HPA and topped with a MTC Mamba. Smooth as silk and deadly accurate I only recently gave up competition with it. The gun never let me down once in 25 years, only probe seals due to inevitable wear have been replaced (quality O rings last for ever treated with silicone grease)...it was my body that gave up the ghost. Long may SMK continue.
This name seems familiar... Have I conned you recently? Haha thanks Baz! I was going to say that these videos might help to keep me sane during the lockdown but I was never sane to begin with!
Looks like a rifle that I'd like to have, as I'm a big fan of CO2 and springer rifles. Of course,..this one's does not seem to be available here in Canada,..worse luck! I'll keep watching your comprehensive reviews,..I like the content and find them most informative. Thanks Dan!
Hi Reg! Try taking a look for a BAM B20. It's pretty much the exact same rifle so fingers crossed you might get lucky. We need to start filming some Co2 rifles as we haven't done any yet and it's a shame as some of them are fantastic. Thanks for the comments mate and we plan on having many more to come.
Hi Dan, nice looking gun,shoots nice by the look of it, no stippling would that bother me, nope, got a HW77 with a HW97 blue laminate stock on,smooth as a baby’s bot, power wise 10.8 not bad, my tx200 is tuned at 10.56 very smooth, 10 shots 35 yds all under 5p, rested I’ll ad, this old fart can’t hold them still enough nowadays, very good review as always, I do like springers, this one looks very tempting .what to review,anything you can get your hands on, look forward to them, sod all on television but covid-19 on every channel.stay safe Dan.
Hi Lynden. The TV is driving me nuts mate, Corona, Corona, Corona. You're right about the lack of checkering but I do think the rifle would be that little bit more eye catching if it had some. Or some stippling just around the grip. About 10.5ft-lbs is exactly how I like my springers too. They're just that bit smoother to shoot and the drop difference between 11.5 and 10.5 is negligible. Thanks Lynden and we'll get back to filming ASAP.
Really like your reviews and the guns you choose to review. But I do have a question. Why didn’t you do the last chrony with the thunder pellets? I can see using the Crosman’s makes sense at first. But once you have a pellet that does well accuracy wise. Why not do the chrony with those pellets? That would be the ones that you would be using in the field. Keep up the good work. Your review was greatly appreciated in these quarantine times. Thanks.
Hey mate! That was something that crossed my mind but we used the Crosman's in the end as it was the pellets we originally chrono'd the rifle with before we did the accuracy testing. If we then tested with a different pellet we wouldn't get to see a true reading as to how the rifle has improved over use. Thanks mate!
Hi Aaron, yes you will hopefully mate as long as I've got one, we're currently filming our Rotex review at the moment but it's so damn gusty! Cheers mate and I hope you and the family are doing well in the lockdown.
Hi David! Our suppliers for the 99s are on lockdown at the moment unfortunately but you have my word that it will be done in the near future fingers crossed. Thanks for the suggestions!
great review matey i have the older SMK20 with Hawke 6-24x50 scope/silenced too and i cannot fault it and gotta say its one i will keep AND add to my collection :D
Great review as always. I see you still get error readings on your chronograph. Since I modified my hoods on mine, I have shoot to date close to 800 shots through the Caldwell Precision Ballistic Chronograph without a single error reading. The batteries are lasting quite a while for the LEDs that are inserted into the center of each hood. Heath Halfhill channel on RUclips shows how I did it and it is super easy, fun and very affordable. There is a light kit that Caldwell makes but it requires AC power to operate which for me takes away mobility and costs $50 usd. My fix is around $10 usd. LEDs and battery boxes with on/off switches built in I bought from eBay. Clear White LEDs 50 pack and 2 battery boxes, drill bit same diameter as the head of LEDs, flux core solder for electronics, 4-1’ pieces of solid copper wire 18-20 AWG stripped of their insulation, soldering gun 10-20 watt, hot melt glue gun, 4 batteries AA or AAA, and wide clear Gorilla Tape or another brand that clear and durable. It was really fun to do and works flawlessly so far. Cloudy, under a roof, shade tree, gloomy day, or a sunny day makes no difference, no more error readings. I wish everything I tinker with worked out this good. Take care, stay safe, and stay well. Thanks again.
There definitely on it with there guns ,there pretty much more expensive guns made cheaper ,they do all a expensive gun would but just dont have the quality, they do everything you would want with an airrifle. 👍👌
Best pellet for that gun is RWS Superdomes. The trigger is a copy of the TX 200 with one adjusting screw in the blade instead of two. When tuned by an expert, the XS20 is superb
Hi Dan, long or short vids? I like the long detailed reviews but i'll go with the majority. Still like to see what you make of the CP2, mine is with my RFD, he's fettling the PP800 power plant into the CP2 with the rifle barrel and sorting out a a CO2 carbine with the short barrel and 2nd stock.
Hey Mr Fish! That's a seriously interesting sounding project you've got on the go there mate let me know how you get on with that. We do plan on getting the CP2 reviewed however all of our suppliers are closed at the moment unfortunately. As soon as we're back in force I'll see if I can get something done. Thanks for the feedback regarding the video length as well mate. Most people seemed to love the longer reviews but I want to tailor it so it hopefully suits everyone if I can. Thanks mate!
was tempted by one of these years back but went for the XS19 as had heard the 20 was down on power ,which is borne out in your test,also doesn't seem as accurate as the 19 or consistent it would seem
Hi there Dan love your reviews, would love your opinion, what’s the better gun, XS20 or the XS38, or what’s the best SMK springer in your opinion, I’m looking to buy an SMK springer to add to my collection, many thanks
Hi Vertex! That's a difficult one mate as there's quite a few of them that I'm a big fan of. The stars of the show are the XS19, XS20, XS38 and the 208 series. When it comes to best it all depends on what you plan on doing with them. Out of the box the XS20 and the 208's are the easiest to get along with, they both have nice triggers and the 208 is exceptionally smooth to shoot straight out of the box. The strengths of the XS38 and the XS19 is their weight. The XS19 is a light rifle and with some minor fettling to the trigger can make a fantastically accurate little hunting gun, if you want to see what they can do with an upgraded trigger take a look at our hold sensitivity video. The XS38 is a heavier beast with a semi basic trigger, the weight makes it a bit more of a brute to handle if you plan on taking it hunting but for bench rested target shooting it's as solid as a rock. You also get that rather lovely German barrel which is pellet on pellet accurate. For bench rested shooting I'd choose the XS38 or the XS20. For a lighter hunter I'd choose the XS19 with a trigger tune or one of the 208's as they're only a tad heavier than the XS19. But if you want the Jack of all trades but master of none I'd go for one of the 208's. They aren't quite as heavy as the XS20 or XS38 but they still have a much better trigger than the XS19. Thanks mate and sorry for the huge reply.
Big Dan's Airguns thanks for the fantastic answer dan, I’m leaning towards the xs20, or xs38 as I mostly do target shooting rested/unrested depending on how I feel, I’ve watched your reviews and it seemed the xs20 has the better 2 stage trigger but the xs38 has the Better German barrel (Walther) I believe you said, are they the same price do you know? Which would you have if you could only have one or the other, many thanks
@@abstract6758 Aahh you've got me by the goolies now. XS20 or XS38... If I'm shooting rested and I was willing to polish the trigger sears I'd probably choose the XS38. But.. If you're not going to be interested in tweaking the trigger I'd choose the XS20, it's still incredibly accurate but has the nicer trigger out of the box. An XS38 tweaked might pip it for accuracy though. That's a hard one there Vertex don't ever do that to me again haha.
Big Dan's Airguns haha sorry about that, thanks for your great reply’s and time dan, sounds like there’s almost nothing in it, think I’m going to go for the XS20, wouldn’t know were to start with polishing the trigger sears on the XS38, and the better trigger might just give the XS20 the edge by a hair lol, it will also be a nice change to shoot a break barrel springer as I don’t own one at the moment, all my current springers are all under-levers HW97K, TX200 etc.... Many thanks again dan
Hi Dan,I've always wondered what this rifle was like and it looks to be a good accurate gun nice groups bye the way glancing at the comments i agree with the guy that suggested the hw99s as a rifle most would choose over the xs 20 and I would love to see you review it to see how it fares atb Dave
Hi Dave, the XS20 is a lovely rifle and you're right we really do need to review a 99s. It may take a while though as our suppliers are now shut down and we're limited to the rifles we can currently get a hold of. When we're back online I'll give one a look.
Hi Jon! We're doing alright cheers mate just currently keeping myself to myself with the virus that's going around. Stay safe mate and if that rifle starts coughing or sneezing then send it back to me, I'll even pay for the courier.. You can't be too careful these days Jon!
i bought a s/hand one of these about 9yrs ago , did a full tune , button piston , HW trigger blade [ brought foward in the cage ] and every thing ells . it cocked and shot real well RECOMMENDED i moved it out of my colection and sold it to a ex squdie and once used to it he could do 20 pence group`s at 50yrd . i dont think SMK sell / make the XS20 any more ???????!!!!!!!!!!! one good cheap rifle
Hi Gibbo! The XS20 is a fantastic gun, I had both the newer rifle as you can see on the video here and the older rifle with the er... "inspired" trigger shall we say. The older .22 XS20 as one of the smoothest springers I'd ever shot.
Hi Erwin, I might not be able to get my mitts on the Hammerli but it seems to be the exact same rifle as the SMK XS36 albeit in a similar stock, when our suppliers reopen I'll see if I can get a hold of one. Thanks for the suggestion Erwin.
Its a nice gun, £190 from my local. But the problem is that for an extra £30 i can buy a new HW99s. The Rekord trigger alone is worth the difference, so unless it's a second hand bargain, i wouldn't buy the XS20
Hi Robert! I'll do what I can mate. The XS20's are lovely and shoot superbly, it'll be interesting to see if the Mk 1's actually appreciate regarding value with time as they'll be a bit of a rarity in the future. Thanks mate and stay safe.
@@bigdansairguns83 they are going up in price i had one tuned and it was amazing i could hi bottle tops at 50yards it really was a good one . I sold it to a scout leader and he still has it to this day it was the delux model and it had one of the best stocks i have ever seen on an smk. I wish i would of kept it it was superb.
Hi Nigel. We're based in Essex not too far from Chelmsford. If you want to give us a visit get in touch with us on our "contact us" section of our website here: www.bigdansairguns.co.uk/contact.php Thanks Nigel!
Hi Martin! The XS20 is a cracking rifle mate and I'm confident it'll perform at much further ranges than that. The most impressive thing for me was the overall build and the quality of the trigger. It's possibly the best budget rifle trigger I've ever felt.
After the lockdown , Dan send me a message if you get an xs38 in will pay over the phone and you can post to my gun shop , if you could , cheers Shane , uk 🇬🇧, good review by the way , I went down the break barrel gas ram route webley dmr,, so now need a half decent underlever
Hi Shane, no problems mate I'll let you know as soon as we have some in. I think you'll be surprised as to what the XS38 can do. Cheers Shane and all the best.
Hey mate! Take a look for a BAM B20. It's pretty much an identical rifle to this one. If you need any more help let me know and I'll see what I can do!
Crosman phantom and alot of similar priced Gamo rifles use this exact same action and two staged trigger which is an awesome Chinese copy of the German rekord trigger
I was tempted by one of these prior to lock down. But i think its about time people took a long hard look at themselves and stop buying Chinese product because of cheap prices. Its going to take a long time to forgive china for what they have done. The western economy has been decimated and may well take a decade to recover. I like many others will be boycotting china from this point onward. I will be buying British first and foremost and if I cant buy UK manufactured product , then I will look at western Europe or America. I'm finished with buying cheap crap from china at the expense of rebuilding the western economy
@@williamtodd-dunning7278 It does become a little more difficult and you will start paying more for purchased products but it will be worth it in the longer term. I have been buying as much British food and drink as I can for some time now and I know many others do the same. Fortunately at the moment it's not illegal to be selective where you purchase food and other products
Greetings from across the pond! this is without a doubt the best rifle review I've ever seen. This puts all American reviews to shame. I'm now a subscriber. Thank you.
Divers tanks, Compressors & Pumps - who needs them!! OK The noise from the springer will spook some quarry between shots but the air supply is FREE!!
I Like FREE!!.
Tremendous stuff ... Great reviewing , needs too be longer ... MUCH longer ... Difficult few weeks ahead , so this stuff is really appreciated , specially as there's absolutely **** all on telly .... Loving it Dan ...
@michael wayne
Every channel ... Lol
Same I wish I was back in my country and not stuck in shitty 🇮🇪 fuck all to do here lol
That looked like a LOVELY trigger for a budget rifle!
Great video Dan I will be buying a new smk rifle and after this review it we'll be the xs20 supergrade a great rifle at a very good price ,smk rifles are getting better all the time and by example the trigger, thanks for the great review Dan.
Hi Stephen.
Thanks for the kind comment mate. The XS20 is possibly my new favourite budget springer alongside the XS19 and the Sabre.
I really wish someone would invent "feel-o-vision" so you can actually feel just how nice that trigger really is. Although let's be fair if that really was a thing I doubt people would be using it for airgun reviews haha.
Thanks Stephen and let me know what you think of it if you pick one up!
@@bigdansairguns83 Fnrr Fnrr snigners like a 14 year old , "Feel O Vision" Nowt like British humor to help keep the spirits up !
You reviewed it👍🏻 good review, it is a great rifle. As you know I have the mark 1 it’s 14 years old now and still shoots well especially with sniper magnums pellets.
Hi Steve!
Yeah I know mate... I felt sick to my stomach when you showed it to me as it reminded me of how much of an idiot I was when I sold mine.
Of course if you ever feel like selling yours Steve I'll give you a tenner for it and a tin of Spitfires. ;)
Dan, could you do some reviews of scopes during the shutdown!
No.
Just kidding Bob I'll see what I can do!
Thanks mate.
Nice one Dan , I was going to say how about a shoot out between this & the HW99 but I've been beaten to it , there is not that much difference in price as there is when you compare it to the HW80 so that would even the odds a bit , and I do like a level playing field when were comparing eggs , as You say it looks like a bargain . How about You do (Time , weather , commitments etc. permitting) a shoot out between all the sub £200 springer's You have available , I wouldn't mind if it was 2 hours long ! . Keep up the sterling efforts , already looking forward to the next show . Thanks Dan & to who ever writes the comments and anyone else involved with this channel . Hope every one stays well and safe shooting to You all if Your still able .
Cracking review Dan, like always. Can I just add that it would be nice to see the breech and barrel lockup mechanism on video. I tend to prefer XS19 style lockup and not so much the Diana/Cometa ball bearing type, and it would be nice to know what rifle has what on the videos. Cheers.
Thanks Ron!
I'll see what I can do.
I like a plain stock. It's a blank canvas for you to personalise. I stipple them myself (I use a soldering iron whilst the Danish oil is still wet and it works brilliantly making the wood much darker in contrast to the rest of the stock) and put the fingers grooves in along with a thumb groove. Stained a little darker and finished with Danish oil they look absolutely stunning. I also put an adjustable butt pad on but the OEM butt pad is perfectly functional.
Hi BD, top review again mate. If you are after feed back on the length of the videos, then for me it's go long. Thanks again and looking forward to the next one. Stay safe.
Many many thanks for your time and effort doing this review. Enjoyed it immensely!. Smk do make a thumbhole. Version it's the 208th supergrade. Might have to pay you a visit after this nightmare virus thing is over as I am in Essex lol!. Keep safe mate and keep going with the reviews. I am sure you will reap the rewards in happier times Dan.
Hi Steven,
You're most welcome mate. We've got to do something during this lockdown period and I thought reviews might be handy for people interested in our sport but maybe can't get out.
The 208's are rifles that I really want to review (especially the TH model you've mentioned) as they're silky smooth to shoot.
You'd be more than welcome to pop down mate and have a play with a few rifles. If the weather stays nice we'll set the range up.
Thanks Steve and look after yourself!
Cracking video San, top notch review, great watch mate, thanks, and be safe , Cheers
Hi Casper.
I'm glad you enjoyed it mate, hopefully due to the virus we should have another one up very soon as well. I'm thinking about doing a video on hold sensitivity and seeing how different rifles are effected with different holds.
Thanks Casper and the same to you mate look after yourself.
@@bigdansairguns83 yea that woul be great Dan, please do it mate, Thanks Cheers
excellent review from across the pond
Hi Ben!
Much appreciated mate. I tell you what, as you're one of our cousins (practically immediate family really) I'll swap an XS20 and the finest tin of Milbro Selects we have for one of your pistols.
I think that's fair. ;)
Thanks Ben!
SMK came on in leaps and bounds after the Swiss Arms merger. A few of their guns were already pretty good quality for the money such as the XS19 and the XS36 but a lot of guns got a boost with the Supergrade range. Same guns but better finished with more attention to detail. Their previous guns were OK in the main but many of us treated them as project guns in The UK Chinese Airgun Forum. We developed our own mods, refined tuning techniques etc and bought seals in bulk and repackaged them in small sets those along with replacement stainless hardware to replace the soft Chinesium rubbish for the benefit of members. In fact Welsh Willy (Will Gerkhe) was one of our early members before he eventually became a registered firearms dealer (he was a driving instructor back then). Some of the mods we came up with and even some accessory parts we designed are in production with bigger companies. That's a long story but if you get a good idea keep it to yourself until you arrange a production deal or patent it. I had two of my designs ripped off and there was nothing I could do about it. One of our members came up with the long 4x12g CO2 tube and that was 'robb'ed too. The CO2 guns and the improvements we made to them were taken into consideration and many found their way into the new guns. Absolutely no problem with that as that was what we were all about. It is gratifying to see manufacturers take note of customer suggestions. SMK have lost that cheap and cheerful reputation they had and are now known for good value and decent quality guns. So many serious competitive shooters started out with them and then went on to greater things and I was one of them and I am pleased to say I still have some of their guns in my collection alongside my Air Arms, BSA, Theoben, Webley and Gunpower rifles. My favourite gun is still my AR2079A .177 converted to regulated HPA and topped with a MTC Mamba. Smooth as silk and deadly accurate I only recently gave up competition with it. The gun never let me down once in 25 years, only probe seals due to inevitable wear have been replaced (quality O rings last for ever treated with silicone grease)...it was my body that gave up the ghost. Long may SMK continue.
Nice one Dan great review, keep them coming!. Thanks for sharing Mate..
This name seems familiar... Have I conned you recently?
Haha thanks Baz! I was going to say that these videos might help to keep me sane during the lockdown but I was never sane to begin with!
Looks like a rifle that I'd like to have, as I'm a big fan of CO2 and springer rifles. Of course,..this one's does not seem to be available here in Canada,..worse luck!
I'll keep watching your comprehensive reviews,..I like the content and find them most informative.
Thanks Dan!
Hi Reg!
Try taking a look for a BAM B20. It's pretty much the exact same rifle so fingers crossed you might get lucky.
We need to start filming some Co2 rifles as we haven't done any yet and it's a shame as some of them are fantastic.
Thanks for the comments mate and we plan on having many more to come.
@@bigdansairguns83 Thanks, I;ll start searching now soon for the BAM rifles.
Thanks dan.Realy apreciated mate :)
I'm glad you enjoyed it mate. Let's see what else we can do during the lockdown period.
Hi Dan, nice looking gun,shoots nice by the look of it, no stippling would that bother me, nope, got a HW77 with a HW97 blue laminate stock on,smooth as a baby’s bot, power wise 10.8 not bad, my tx200 is tuned at 10.56 very smooth, 10 shots 35 yds all under 5p, rested I’ll ad, this old fart can’t hold them still enough nowadays, very good review as always, I do like springers, this one looks very tempting .what to review,anything you can get your hands on, look forward to them, sod all on television but covid-19 on every channel.stay safe Dan.
Hi Lynden.
The TV is driving me nuts mate, Corona, Corona, Corona.
You're right about the lack of checkering but I do think the rifle would be that little bit more eye catching if it had some. Or some stippling just around the grip.
About 10.5ft-lbs is exactly how I like my springers too. They're just that bit smoother to shoot and the drop difference between 11.5 and 10.5 is negligible.
Thanks Lynden and we'll get back to filming ASAP.
This old fart can't either - & the glasses don't help!!
Really like your reviews and the guns you choose to review. But I do have a question. Why didn’t you do the last chrony with the thunder pellets? I can see using the Crosman’s makes sense at first. But once you have a pellet that does well accuracy wise. Why not do the chrony with those pellets? That would be the ones that you would be using in the field. Keep up the good work. Your review was greatly appreciated in these quarantine times. Thanks.
Hey mate!
That was something that crossed my mind but we used the Crosman's in the end as it was the pellets we originally chrono'd the rifle with before we did the accuracy testing. If we then tested with a different pellet we wouldn't get to see a true reading as to how the rifle has improved over use.
Thanks mate!
Awsome review mate. Are we going to see the 208. Thank you and keep safe.
Hi Aaron,
yes you will hopefully mate as long as I've got one, we're currently filming our Rotex review at the moment but it's so damn gusty!
Cheers mate and I hope you and the family are doing well in the lockdown.
Excellent as usual, 99s please, regards, David.
Hi David!
Our suppliers for the 99s are on lockdown at the moment unfortunately but you have my word that it will be done in the near future fingers crossed.
Thanks for the suggestions!
Have one of these tuned converted to 177, WW trigger and kit, refinished stock, well worth the money. Still like my xs19 though😁
great review matey i have the older SMK20 with Hawke 6-24x50 scope/silenced too and i cannot fault it and gotta say its one i will keep AND add to my collection :D
Great review as always. I see you still get error readings on your chronograph. Since I modified my hoods on mine, I have shoot to date close to 800 shots through the Caldwell Precision Ballistic Chronograph without a single error reading. The batteries are lasting quite a while for the LEDs that are inserted into the center of each hood. Heath Halfhill channel on RUclips shows how I did it and it is super easy, fun and very affordable. There is a light kit that Caldwell makes but it requires AC power to operate which for me takes away mobility and costs $50 usd. My fix is around $10 usd. LEDs and battery boxes with on/off switches built in I bought from eBay. Clear White LEDs 50 pack and 2 battery boxes, drill bit same diameter as the head of LEDs, flux core solder for electronics, 4-1’ pieces of solid copper wire 18-20 AWG stripped of their insulation, soldering gun 10-20 watt, hot melt glue gun, 4 batteries AA or AAA, and wide clear Gorilla Tape or another brand that clear and durable. It was really fun to do and works flawlessly so far. Cloudy, under a roof, shade tree, gloomy day, or a sunny day makes no difference, no more error readings. I wish everything I tinker with worked out this good. Take care, stay safe, and stay well. Thanks again.
Dan that is some darn good shooting free hand! Your not just a pretty face!!!
Great review as always,talk about a hw80 clone with the stock. 👍
Hey mate.
Thanks for the comment mate, it is very.... "European" I'll say. ;)
Hi Dan, would it be an idea to review the BAM / SMK XS 41 underlever rifle ? I saw some very promising observations about that gun....
There definitely on it with there guns ,there pretty much more expensive guns made cheaper ,they do all a expensive gun would but just dont have the quality, they do everything you would want with an airrifle. 👍👌
Best pellet for that gun is RWS Superdomes. The trigger is a copy of the TX 200 with one adjusting screw in the blade instead of two. When tuned by an expert, the XS20 is superb
Hi Dan, long or short vids? I like the long detailed reviews but i'll go with the majority. Still like to see what you make of the CP2, mine is with my RFD, he's fettling the PP800 power plant into the CP2 with the rifle barrel and sorting out a a CO2 carbine with the short barrel and 2nd stock.
Hey Mr Fish!
That's a seriously interesting sounding project you've got on the go there mate let me know how you get on with that.
We do plan on getting the CP2 reviewed however all of our suppliers are closed at the moment unfortunately. As soon as we're back in force I'll see if I can get something done.
Thanks for the feedback regarding the video length as well mate. Most people seemed to love the longer reviews but I want to tailor it so it hopefully suits everyone if I can.
Thanks mate!
@@bigdansairguns83 Thanks bro, i'll let you know how it goes, I meant to ask if you've tried the Mk2 FX Chrony? It's so good I binned my Caldwell.
Hello Dan cracking review , must say smart looking old skool gun , looks like it can bat & bowl . Cheers
was tempted by one of these years back but went for the XS19 as had heard the 20 was down on power ,which is borne out in your test,also doesn't seem as accurate as the 19 or consistent it would seem
You're very good at this, subscribed. I wish I lived nearby, I'd buy one off you.
Hi there Dan love your reviews, would love your opinion, what’s the better gun, XS20 or the XS38, or what’s the best SMK springer in your opinion, I’m looking to buy an SMK springer to add to my collection, many thanks
Hi Vertex!
That's a difficult one mate as there's quite a few of them that I'm a big fan of.
The stars of the show are the XS19, XS20, XS38 and the 208 series.
When it comes to best it all depends on what you plan on doing with them. Out of the box the XS20 and the 208's are the easiest to get along with, they both have nice triggers and the 208 is exceptionally smooth to shoot straight out of the box.
The strengths of the XS38 and the XS19 is their weight. The XS19 is a light rifle and with some minor fettling to the trigger can make a fantastically accurate little hunting gun, if you want to see what they can do with an upgraded trigger take a look at our hold sensitivity video.
The XS38 is a heavier beast with a semi basic trigger, the weight makes it a bit more of a brute to handle if you plan on taking it hunting but for bench rested target shooting it's as solid as a rock. You also get that rather lovely German barrel which is pellet on pellet accurate.
For bench rested shooting I'd choose the XS38 or the XS20. For a lighter hunter I'd choose the XS19 with a trigger tune or one of the 208's as they're only a tad heavier than the XS19.
But if you want the Jack of all trades but master of none I'd go for one of the 208's. They aren't quite as heavy as the XS20 or XS38 but they still have a much better trigger than the XS19.
Thanks mate and sorry for the huge reply.
Big Dan's Airguns thanks for the fantastic answer dan, I’m leaning towards the xs20, or xs38 as I mostly do target shooting rested/unrested depending on how I feel, I’ve watched your reviews and it seemed the xs20 has the better 2 stage trigger but the xs38 has the Better German barrel (Walther) I believe you said, are they the same price do you know? Which would you have if you could only have one or the other, many thanks
@@abstract6758
Aahh you've got me by the goolies now.
XS20 or XS38...
If I'm shooting rested and I was willing to polish the trigger sears I'd probably choose the XS38.
But.. If you're not going to be interested in tweaking the trigger I'd choose the XS20, it's still incredibly accurate but has the nicer trigger out of the box. An XS38 tweaked might pip it for accuracy though.
That's a hard one there Vertex don't ever do that to me again haha.
Big Dan's Airguns haha sorry about that, thanks for your great reply’s and time dan, sounds like there’s almost nothing in it, think I’m going to go for the XS20, wouldn’t know were to start with polishing the trigger sears on the XS38, and the better trigger might just give the XS20 the edge by a hair lol, it will also be a nice change to shoot a break barrel springer as I don’t own one at the moment, all my current springers are all under-levers HW97K, TX200 etc....
Many thanks again dan
Hi Dan,I've always wondered what this rifle was like and it looks to be a good accurate gun nice groups bye the way glancing at the comments i agree with the guy that suggested the hw99s as a rifle most would choose over the xs 20 and I would love to see you review it to see how it fares atb Dave
Hi Dave,
the XS20 is a lovely rifle and you're right we really do need to review a 99s. It may take a while though as our suppliers are now shut down and we're limited to the rifles we can currently get a hold of.
When we're back online I'll give one a look.
My syng is very quick on the lock time, she slams that piston forward with some juicy recoil, a silencer keeps the neighbours happy
Nice one dan ,😁👍
Thanks Phillip!
Nothing like being called a fairy in one of your own videos hahaha.
You’ve earned a subscriber 👋🏽 now I need advice as to which air gun to buy
Hi Beka!
Thanks for the sub mate it means a lot. Well let me know your thoughts and I'll see if I can give you a hand.
Cheers bud.
Great review , not a bad looking gun either .
Is the barrel threaded? Is the barrel weight actually a proper threaded screwed on item or is it just held on with a grub screw or something?.
Hi 99 ron!
It's held in with a grub screw off memory matey.
Hello pal, hope you’re well, sorry not been in touch, turbulent times, keep up the great work 👍👍
Hi Jon!
We're doing alright cheers mate just currently keeping myself to myself with the virus that's going around.
Stay safe mate and if that rifle starts coughing or sneezing then send it back to me, I'll even pay for the courier..
You can't be too careful these days Jon!
Big Dan's Airguns Ha ha, to quote Charlton Heston, you’ll have to prize it from my cold dead hands.
Take care pal
i bought a s/hand one of these about 9yrs ago , did a full tune , button piston , HW trigger blade [ brought foward in the cage ] and every thing ells . it cocked and shot real well RECOMMENDED i moved it out of my colection and sold it to a ex squdie and once used to it he could do 20 pence group`s at 50yrd . i dont think SMK sell / make the XS20 any more ???????!!!!!!!!!!! one good cheap rifle
i think they dont make them any more. baught the b19, tuned it with a 9x5x3 ball bearing and two steel washers, its great now.
Hi Gibbo!
The XS20 is a fantastic gun, I had both the newer rifle as you can see on the video here and the older rifle with the er... "inspired" trigger shall we say. The older .22 XS20 as one of the smoothest springers I'd ever shot.
Nice review trigger surprise me
Can you do a review of the hammerli hunter force 900 combo ?
Hi Erwin,
I might not be able to get my mitts on the Hammerli but it seems to be the exact same rifle as the SMK XS36 albeit in a similar stock, when our suppliers reopen I'll see if I can get a hold of one.
Thanks for the suggestion Erwin.
Its a nice gun, £190 from my local. But the problem is that for an extra £30 i can buy a new HW99s. The Rekord trigger alone is worth the difference, so unless it's a second hand bargain, i wouldn't buy the XS20
Keep um coming Dan more than ever now with this virus keeping us locked up. Have 3 of the mk1 version of this not a bad rifle.
Hi Robert!
I'll do what I can mate. The XS20's are lovely and shoot superbly, it'll be interesting to see if the Mk 1's actually appreciate regarding value with time as they'll be a bit of a rarity in the future.
Thanks mate and stay safe.
@@bigdansairguns83 they are going up in price i had one tuned and it was amazing i could hi bottle tops at 50yards it really was a good one . I sold it to a scout leader and he still has it to this day it was the delux model and it had one of the best stocks i have ever seen on an smk. I wish i would of kept it it was superb.
Dan we're is your shop
Hi Nigel.
We're based in Essex not too far from Chelmsford. If you want to give us a visit get in touch with us on our "contact us" section of our website here: www.bigdansairguns.co.uk/contact.php
Thanks Nigel!
To be fair, there are a lot of back garden/small pest shooters out there (of which I am one) & a 5p group at 25 yards - Whats not to like!!
Hi Martin!
The XS20 is a cracking rifle mate and I'm confident it'll perform at much further ranges than that.
The most impressive thing for me was the overall build and the quality of the trigger. It's possibly the best budget rifle trigger I've ever felt.
How va bout a review on the brocok bantam, or an old one the air arms s410 ?? thanks
Hi Casper!
I'll see what I can do mate.
All the best.
@@bigdansairguns83 Ok Dan Thanks mate, Cheers
After the lockdown , Dan send me a message if you get an xs38 in will pay over the phone and you can post to my gun shop , if you could , cheers Shane , uk 🇬🇧, good review by the way , I went down the break barrel gas ram route webley dmr,, so now need a half decent underlever
Hi Shane,
no problems mate I'll let you know as soon as we have some in. I think you'll be surprised as to what the XS38 can do.
Cheers Shane and all the best.
Big Dan's Airguns thanks Buddy
What make of scope is that fitted?... Any good?
Would this be Suitable for Rat shooting?
Any idea if they sell this in the US?
Hey mate!
Take a look for a BAM B20. It's pretty much an identical rifle to this one.
If you need any more help let me know and I'll see what I can do!
Crosman phantom and alot of similar priced Gamo rifles use this exact same action and two staged trigger which is an awesome Chinese copy of the German rekord trigger
♥Big Dan's Airguns
Thanks mate!
I'll put it that way
It looks for all sence and purpose just like a weihrac hw80 .
Wiehrauch do the same. No big problem
Looks like a copy of the HW80
It definitely shares lines with some German rifles......
I was tempted by one of these prior to lock down. But i think its about time people took a long hard look at themselves and stop buying Chinese product because of cheap prices. Its going to take a long time to forgive china for what they have done. The western economy has been decimated and may well take a decade to recover. I like many others will be boycotting china from this point onward. I will be buying British first and foremost and if I cant buy UK manufactured product , then I will look at western Europe or America. I'm finished with buying cheap crap from china at the expense of rebuilding the western economy
@@williamtodd-dunning7278 It does become a little more difficult and you will start paying more for purchased products but it will be worth it in the longer term. I have been buying as much British food and drink as I can for some time now and I know many others do the same. Fortunately at the moment it's not illegal to be selective where you purchase food and other products
If the world had piles, Beijing is where they'd be.
Buy a real hw80 secondhand for the same money. More accurate, chequered, match grade trigger, made in Germany.
shooting artillery hold, checqering on the sides is useless.
Hi Todd.
You're right but you're missing one very important factor, I am a tart.
As a tart, I do quite like a bit of checkering or stippling.