Author Topic: Lawdog - Tech Force 99M 22cal (Read 1769 times)

Haywire Haywood · « **on:** April 22, 2005, 03:14:52 AM »

I've been reading your recommendations for the Tech Force guns for economical pest riddance and am looking at the 99M. I'll be dispatching the Sparrows and Starlings that are invading my Martin gourds, distance will be 30-40 yds.

My question is, I saw you post that Compasseco was the only one with the spring upgrade, but I am seeing other places claiming the same upgrade, and with better prices.

You think these are the same? http://www.airgundepot.com/tech-force-chinese-pellet-guns.html

Ian

Lawdog · « **Reply #1 on:** April 22, 2005, 01:49:14 PM »

Quote from: Haywire Haywood

I've been reading your recommendations for the Tech Force guns for economical pest riddance and am looking at the 99M. I'll be dispatching the Sparrows and Starlings that are invading my Martin gourds, distance will be 30-40 yds.

My question is, I saw you post that Compasseco was the only one with the spring upgrade, but I am seeing other places claiming the same upgrade, and with better prices.

You think these are the same? http://www.airgundepot.com/tech-force-chinese-pellet-guns.html

Ian

Ian,

ONLY Compasseco, Inc. can offer the Jim MacCari spring upgrade. Jim MacCari DOES NOT/WILL NOT make springs for any Chinese made air rifle. He is under exclusive contract to Compasseco. Inc. to manufacture springs for them to their specifications. I have talked to Jim a number of times over the phone and via e-mail. Jim MacCari is one of the premiere spring makers in America. I dont know what spring upgrades the other sites are offering but they are not Jim MacCari springs. Lawdog

Haywire Haywood · « **Reply #2 on:** April 22, 2005, 01:55:45 PM »

Not doubting you, but if that is the case, then hang him a line and tell him that the folks at the link above are hijacking his name.

Quote: "Spring piston power plant with a piston spring by Jim MacCari, considered the best spring maker in the U.S."

thanks again,
Ian

Lawdog · « **Reply #3 on:** April 22, 2005, 02:44:44 PM »

AirGun Depot is purchasing those rifles from Compasseco, Inc. AirGun Depot is just a re-seller. Compasseco, Inc. will not honor any warrantee and AirGun Depots support is the pits. And dont try to get Jim MacCari to work on the spring system either. There is a trade off trying to save a few dollars. AirGun Depot isnt near the company that Compasseco, Inc. is. Lawdog

Haywire Haywood · « **Reply #4 on:** April 22, 2005, 03:21:37 PM »

ok, that explains it... I was wondering if it was the same company operating 2 different web sites... I've seen that one before too.

what pellets give you the best accuracy in your 22 cal 99M?

Ian

Lawdog · « **Reply #5 on:** April 23, 2005, 09:32:49 AM »

Ian,

I use two different pellets no matter what air rifle I'm using. The most accurate under 20-25 yards is the Beeman H&N Match wadcutter pellets. These I also use for most all bird hunting. They just seem to kill birds better without them flying off. For small game I use nothing but Beeman Crow Magnum pellets. I like the shock value and damage they impart. But the pellet I get the best accuracy over 25 yards is from Crosman Premiers. While they are accurate I dont like the way they perform on small game. But Crosman Premieres are what I would choose for Air Rifle Silhouette shooting. Your deepest penetrating pellet, believe it or not, is going to be a round ball with pointed pellets second and domed third. But penetration is nothing if it just pokes a hole in one side and out the other without doing some damage other than the hole. Every rifle is going to be different with what pellet it shoots accurately so my advice is get a sampler pack available from Straight Shooters or other places and save some money trying different types of pellets. Lawdog

meyer44 · « **Reply #6 on:** April 24, 2005, 02:49:00 PM »

I understand that airgundepot.com may be a third-party company not as reliable as compasseco but what about amazon?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0006605SK/sr=1-4/qid=1114382508/ref=sr_1_4/002-5848012-0916024?_encoding=UTF8&n=3375301&s=sporting-goods&v=glance

P.S. I was wondering if the scope option from Tech Force is any good. If it's not than do you have any suggestions for a nice scope under $100?

doc_kreipke · « **Reply #7 on:** April 25, 2005, 02:40:36 AM »

Meyer,

Some time ago, I had a low muzzle energy (< 700 fps) Tech Force rifle with a Tech Force 4 X 32. The scope fell apart, not from springer trauma, but just because it was so poorly made. I'd say that if you're going to buy one of the decent quality TF rifles, get it scopeless and buy another make scope.

Any of the widely available BSA dedicated air rifle scopes ought to fit your bill. If you can swing the extra $$$, put it in a set of good mounts like BKL or Beeman.

I have a BSA 3-12 X 50 in a Beeman adjustable 1 piece on an old style Winchester 1000X and get quite satisfactory 10-20 yd varmint control results.

meyer44 · « **Reply #8 on:** April 25, 2005, 10:29:41 AM »

ok thanks doc. I'll just get a scopeless one and try to use the sights (yes I have heard that they are crap) until I can get a good scope. Still on the topic of the TF 99m This review gave me a few chills.. A defect that would never happen from a rifle bought from compasseco right?

http://www.reviewcentre.com/review137760.html

victorcharlie · « **Reply #9 on:** April 25, 2005, 10:57:52 AM »

I've been looking at a Techforce 99 for awhile now..........for some reason, I've been holding off........Lawdog......have you seen any of the above mentioned problems?

jh45gun · « **Reply #10 on:** April 25, 2005, 11:09:36 AM »

Who knows? Sounds like he got a bad one but then who is to say he did not do that just to mess with folks?? I take a lot of these types of reviews with a grain of salt. I would believe a forum member like Lawdog over a review from some other site. The odd thing is though this guy said about the same thing for a gun that Lawdog reccomends that Lawdog said about my 20 dollar B3-2 so who knows?

Some folks at the chinese air gun forums like all of these models of chinese air guns and tune them up so who knows? I figure my Cheap B3-2 is no Diana but it seems to shoot accurately and lots of tune tips are out there for these guns. Jim

victorcharlie · « **Reply #11 on:** April 25, 2005, 12:44:57 PM »

Yep.......I agree.........that's why I suspect Lawdog didn't respond.......Sorry for the question, didn't mean to doubt the lawdog!!!!!!

meyer44 · « **Reply #12 on:** April 25, 2005, 12:47:55 PM »

ok thanks everyone. Well I'm a noob at airguns especially springers. I guess I will just buy one from compasseco and hope for the best. I am trying to find information on how to use a spring gun safely. Is the best way to prevent the loss of digits to simply pull the lever just enough to load the pellet and then fully cocking it? Correct me if I'm wrong I have never used a spring rifle before. Also I was wondering if this would be a suitable scope for a TF 99?

http://www.bsaoptics.com/productdetail.asp?ID=522&Prod_Code=S4X32WR

jh45gun · « **Reply #13 on:** April 25, 2005, 01:19:17 PM »

Was at the industry (Chinese( website and for the underlevers they show holding the lever with one hand and putting a pellet in with the other this is what I have been doing not sure how to do it with the side levers. I guess to be safe is to hold back the lever on any one that you have so you know it will not get you if the safety fails. Thise site will help you if you have a chinese gun

http://www.network54.com/Forum/113813

Lawdog · « **Reply #14 on:** April 25, 2005, 01:40:00 PM »

Quote from: victorcharlie

I've been looking at a Techforce 99 for awhile now..........for some reason, I've been holding off........Lawdog......have you seen any of the above mentioned problems?

The date of the post at Review Center was Oct. 18, 2004 which means the rifle was most likely made in 2003 at the earliest. Tech Force didn't start putting the "Beartrap" safety(keeps the lever from closing on you fingers) on their rifles until around March 2004. As for loosing fingers on underlever, side lever or even barrel cockers that has happened many, many times and on rifles that cost upwards of $1,000.00 and more. Even today many of the springer rifles(even those made in Europe) do not have safeties that stop the action from closing accidentally, so caution MUST be taken. Second if the two reviewers that gave the Tech Force 99M bad reviews(the rest all said it met or surpassed their expectations) had "lemons" why didn't they return them? That is what warrantees are for. Makes one wonder just how much credence to give their reviews.

meyer44,

Quote

Is the best way to prevent the loss of digits to simply pull the lever just enough to load the pellet and then fully cocking it? Correct me if I'm wrong I have never used a spring rifle before. Also I was wondering if this would be a suitable scope for a TF 99?

First yes it would be best if one could do that but on side/underlever rifles the loading port wont open far enough to load the pellet into the chamber until the lever is almost cocked. What I do is cock the rifle then hold the lever in my left hand while inserting the pellet into the chamber. Second, although there has been a couple of reports where a Beartrap type safety has failed, generally they have a great safety track record. The BSA scope you asked about wouldnt hold up under the double recoil of a springer rifle. Not air rifle approved. Buy one and take your chances. Go to http://www.bsaoptics.com/productlist.asp?ID=11&Cat_Name=airrifle22.jpg&Cat_Code=AR&Cat_Type=RFAM and pick out any of the ones with an "AR" in front of the model number(like AR4X32). I have the BSA AR312X44 on my own TF 99M. Also a number of my friends have them on their magnum powered springer rifles. Oh, the reason I didnt answer sooner is I wasnt on-line. Lawdog

jh45gun · « **Reply #15 on:** April 25, 2005, 03:39:51 PM »

Lawdog that is how I am loading this 20 dollar special I have. Jim

mjfa · « **Reply #16 on:** April 26, 2005, 03:39:43 AM »

Nice $100+ airgun rated scope installed with excellent $30+ BKL mounts on a cheapo chinese airgun. It seems rather out of proportion and do not make any sense to me. No pun intended here, it is just my opinion.

jh45gun · « **Reply #17 on:** April 26, 2005, 05:52:41 AM »

Not really some of these chinese air guns are vastly underated and shoot well and are fairly powerful. They are also inexpensive and make a good project on learning how to tune up a springer on a inexpensive gun for the first time. Jim

Lawdog · « **Reply #18 on:** April 26, 2005, 07:15:11 AM »

Quote from: mjfa

Nice $100+ airgun rated scope installed with excellent $30+ BKL mounts on a cheapo chinese airgun. It seems rather out of proportion and do not make any sense to me. No pun intended here, it is just my opinion.

Seeing that an air rifle approved scope/mounts costs that much just what would you suggest a person do that wants to mount a scope on their air rifle? If the scope/mounts arent air rifle approved then the odds are that the scope wont last causing you to purchase another scope. A springer rifle reacts the same no matter whether its made in Europe, the United States or China. Lawdog

mjfa · « **Reply #19 on:** April 26, 2005, 08:00:27 AM »

I heartedly agree with Jim that the chinese airguns make up for a perfect project gun and with Lawdog (from whose knowledge I learn and respect) that if one is going to put on a scope on a springer it must be an airgun approved. But the way I see it is that if I going to put my hard earned money in an airgun I'd like quality and longevity out of the investment. So what I would suggest is to invest in something like an HW95/R9, BSA Super Sport or Diana 34, shoot it with factory open sights while saving some cash and later on rediscover it with an appropriate scope and mounts, just my opinion.

victorcharlie · « **Reply #20 on:** May 09, 2005, 09:42:18 AM »

Just ordered the TechForce 99M from Compasseco.........Should be here sometime between Wed. and Friday.......ordered the .177 as it seems to me that .22 pellets arn't as easy to find..........is the trigger adjustable?

Lawdog · « **Reply #21 on:** May 10, 2005, 12:42:37 PM »

Quote from: victorcharlie

Just ordered the TechForce 99M from Compasseco.........Should be here sometime between Wed. and Friday.......ordered the .177 as it seems to me that .22 pellets arn't as easy to find..........is the trigger adjustable?

The trigger is single-stage type and is non-adjustable. It may be a bit heavy at first but give it a tin or two of pellets to get broke in before trying to make any refinements to the trigger. My own 99M has an after market adjustable trigger that I had done by Charlies Springer Works. Let me know how your 99M works for you? Lawdog

victorcharlie · « **Reply #22 on:** May 12, 2005, 04:40:12 AM »

The Techforce 99 came today about noon........I've put about 100 pellets through it so far..........The rifle came double boxed and wrapped in bubble wrap.....no damage in shipment ........

I didn't clean the barrel, but wiped it down with a rag and started shooting......just to get a few rounds down the barrel.....the sights were off......way to low........made a few adjustments but the pellets were everywhere..........the front sight is a slip in target style post and is adjustable.....it was loose causing the problem, but I got a couple of dozen pellets downrange before figuring it out..........the trigger is a little stiff.....maybe 6 pounds......with noticeable creep.......

I bought 4 different brands of pellets and have shot groups at a paper target at 40 yards..........I decided to shoot 20 round groups as I wanted to get the "big picture". The targets are 1 inch grids with a 2 inch by 2 inch orange square in the middle.........

20 rounds with the beeman pellets.....3 inch spread with most in the 2 inch range......

20 rounds with the gamo pellets.......every where.....no good group......the gun flat doesn't want to shoot these pellets.......

20 rounds with the crossman copperheads........same as the beemans....but about 3 inches higher........

Haven't shot the daisy pellets yet......getting a little warm this afternoon here in the promised land.........I'll get out late this evening and give those a try........more later.....VC