Which is better, side cock or bottom cock.

[His lordship.]

Looking at getting a more powerful pellet rifle than my Benjamin 392, at least something that will cock with one stroke for longer distance shots and hitting power.  I used to have an RWS 52, side cock rifle in .22 pellet.  Thought it was underpowered and traded it as I had to be close to kill a crow with one hit outright.  Have since learned that it was powerful enough, crows are built like trucks and hard to kill, and that the pellet rifles have limits because airgun pellets will never match a 40 gr. .22 rimfire rifle in hitting power at distance.

Thinking of getting another one as it really was a good gun.  Noticed that RWS has a bottom pumper, 460 magnum, never had one.  One author I read said that there is barrel harmonic problems with bottom pumpers.  I remember my Russian Mosin Nagant Model 44s with the side bayonet causing barrel harmonic problems and accuracy issues, ok a .30 cal. battle rifle is not the same as a pellet rifle, or is it?

The break barrel pump springers are something that I want to avoid as I had 2 before and I don't think they are the same as a fixed barrel gun in accuracy.  All my airguns with fixed barrels were consistantly accurate, including the cheapies.

Does anyone have the side cock design and a bottom barrel pumper, and if so, which do they like better?

Thanks.

[simplicity]

My buddy and I just went through something very similar I ended up getting a RWS 48 in 22 cal and he got a RWS 460 in 177. After a bunch of tests and reveiew reading we found the 48/52 design to be rock solid the 460 on the other hand was not. We found the breech seal design and piston spring pressure hold pressure (the pressure holding the spring piston forward holding the breech seal to the barrel) was no where's near enough and the spring holdin it forward would wear out and had to be stretched to maintain enough pressure to be accurate. The seal design itself was basically flat and the material would wear out within as few as ten shots (getting melted from the air heating up from the shot going through it.) Long story short my buddy ended up trading in his 460 for a rws 52 in 22 and neither of us have looked back since. Here is a link to a forum talking about the breech seal of the 460 ( it has some pics so you can see what i ment by the melting)

 http://www.gatewaytoairguns.com/airguns/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=9617&mid=71408#M71408

[pneuby]

I've always preferred the simple break-barrel for safety reasons. It's just too damned easy to get injured with those other designs. On a break-open springer, you can always maintain leverage on that barrel while loading your pellet. On a couple designs, like the RWS I have for sale, you can break the breech and load the pellet without ever having to even cock it. It's designed with enough clearance, sort of the same as opening a break-open single-shot scattergun.

The cocking arm designs are a whole 'nother matter. 

[ClarkB]

I don't know that one is necessarily "better" than the other.  Personal preference and fit plays a bigger role in choosing one over the other.

Regarding the Diana 48/52/54 family compared to the 460 it should be noted that the 48/52/54 has been out for 20 some odd years while the 460 has been out 4(?).  The kinks have been worked out of the older design and it's proved quite reliable.  Hopefully any shortcomings in the 460 have been worked out with the latest run of models, Diana has changed a number of things for this year.

If'n you really wanted a proven underlever air gun, check out the HW 97K.  Pretty sweet gun, especially in .20.

Clark

[His lordship.]

I am glad I did not get the RWS 460, that seal thing is disturbing!   I ended up trading a Yugo SKS for a new RWS 52 in .22 plus some cash at a local gun shop.  I have had the RWS to the range and it shoots really well.  Will need to work on the break in period and find the pellet it likes best, the flat head and domed types that I have now shoot just fine.  I might get the model 54 down the road.

[simplicity]

LOL My buddy with the 460 just traded his for a 52 as well and is very happy with it. So now we have the same gun I have a 48 only difference is the stock.  We've found that the rws pellets all shoot to the same point of impact. The mitzclugen (spelling?) hands down shoot the best. plus all being the same weight and pretty much the same point of impact you can have fun with the different styles ie round nose, hollow point, feild tip (my fav.) and the mitz. Another good one is the JSB predator but have to sight in specifically for them. I've tryed Beeman silver stings, crow mags, and kodiaks the kodiak shot very well to but another you have to sight in for. the silver stings and the crowmags didn't shoot worth a damn in either rifle. Hope this helps yuh.

[gcrank1]

Ive had all three types, and still have two side cockers and two break barrel, but for all round user friendliness and an ability to use left or right handed, in a variety of positions, it is hard to beat the break barrel or underlever.
I wish my two side cockers were underlever, BTW. As I have developed tendonitis (air gun elbow?) in my right arm it is quite a problem, and would make using a high powered model impossible for me (mine are lower pressure target models). I tried a friends 48 and it was not for me.
My high power break barrel is a problem too, as it has little mechanical advantage to aid the leverage. At least I can swap arms for an even upper body work-out.