We took a look at the affordable Armskon TXG01 – as an alternative to spring-powered Air Rifles, gas rams have a lot to offer. We took a closer look at the affordable Armskon TXG01.
For years, many decades, in fact, you could have any air rifle you like, as long as it came with a spring inside.
Then a couple of enterprising chaps, inspired by the suspension forks on a motorbike apparently, came up with an alternative and the gas ram rifle was born. Their company – Theoben – quickly made a name for itself for producing some of the finest rifles ever made. In fact, many of them are still highly regarded and avidly collected today.
The company in its original form has been and gone, but its innovation carries on today. Unlike a spring air rifle which, as the name suggests, compresses a spring when cocked to provide power, gas rams use a sealed chamber filled with air. Cocking the barrel compresses the air which, when the trigger is pulled, expands again to drive a piston forward and force the pellet down the barrel.
Enthusiasts argue as to which is best – ‘rammer’ or ‘springer’ – as much as they do about the merits of different calibres. It doesn’t really matter though because there good and bad rifles in each category. One of the newest gas rams on the market is a range being marketed by Just Air Guns and comprises four models in a range of synthetic stocks.
To find out which camp they fall into, we took a closer look at the entry-level Armskon TXG01, which retails for just £139.99.
STOCKING UP
Most of us get all teary-eyed and weak at the knees at the sight of a nice walnut stock. The only drawback is that it takes but a moment of inattention and an inconveniently placed fence post or gate to ruin your day.
Entry level rifles tend to be bought by those trying the sport for the first time, so it makes sense for them to be able to withstand a little clumsy treatment, especially as many newbies are youngsters.
The black synthetic ambidextrous handle on the TXG01 is as tough as old boots and will take all but the very roughest of treatment in its stride. But more than that, it’s also well-thought out and highly practical, providing a comfortable hold and good alignment once in the shoulder.
It’s pretty light too, meaning the rifle tips the scales at a little over 2.5kgs without a scope. And at 109cm, it’s also compact. Moulded from plastic, and let’s face it, that’s what we mean by ‘synthetic’, there is only the slightest notion of flex at the very tip of the forend, and when subjected to the ‘shake test’, the TXG01 is commendably silent.
Plastic, sorry, synthetic it may be, but the stock is stylishly shaped and finished to a very high standard with no moulding burrs or rough edges. The butt features an integrated and perforated shoulder pad which is squishy enough to absorb what little recoil there is.
To accommodate both left and right-handed shooters, there is a cheek swell on both side and the comb not only provides good eye alignment down the rifle but is also embellished with a series of cut out slots.
A large cut out provides some more aesthetic appeal and gives access to the highly contoured pistol grip that has patches of stippling on either side and is thin enough to enable young shooters to grip the TXG01 properly.
The forend is nice and slim – again something that will benefit youngsters. It tapers towards the breech end and has more panels of stippling indented into the stock.
New on the market, the Armskon TXG01 gas ram is the kind of starter air rifle you’ll keep wanting to shoot, even if you upgrade to more expensive gear in the future. See the full range of Armskon Air Rifles here at Just Air Guns UK.
TAKING AIM
Triggers are usually the weak point on affordable rifles, and indeed on many rifles that cost a lot more. However, the two-stage unit on the TXG01 is excellent and would grace many more sophisticated air rifles.
There is no obvious means of making any adjustment – at least from the exterior. It may well be possible to tweak the sears from the inside, but my suggestion would be to leave things well alone unless you are sure of your ability.
In any case, I found the trigger on the review rifle to be perfectly set up. The first stage is neither too long or short and travels very smoothly to a clearly defined stop. The second stage is a little longer, but just as smooth, and the let off is predictable and crisp.
Cocking the TXG01 takes a fair bit of effort – something you could say about many gas rams as resistance from the gas increases as it is compressed. In fact, younger shooters may need a hand in that department, which initially at least, is perhaps not a bad thing. The process also automatically sets a safety catch.
With a pellet inserted into the breech, the barrel locks up securely with no play in the breech that I could detect.
Pushing the safety catch in makes the rifle live and you can re-engage it to make the rifle safe again. If, for any reason, you decide to push the safety catch in and pull the trigger whilst the barrel is still broken, an anti-bear trap mechanism will help avoid any accidents. The downside is that once cocked, you cannot de-cock the TXG01 and will need to fire the pellet safely into the ground to make it truly safe once again.
WHERE IT REALLY COUNTS
As with any new rifle, the first job is always to clean the barrel to get rid of any grease or oil used to keep rust at bay during storage. A couple of pull throughs later and I was set to give the TXG01 a run out on the range.
The plastic cocking aid-cum-silencer incorporates a green fibre foresight. A rear open sight is also provided and attaches to the dovetail firmly with a couple of screws and nuts. It too has a couple of green fibres to frame the aiming notch as well as adjustments for elevation and windage. For the range test though, I fitted a telescopic sight, appreciating the fact that the moulded stock incorporates a section that will prevent scope creep.
The first task was to run the TXG01 through the chronograph. Just Airguns claims the rifle is full powered which, in the UK means it should register a little under 12 ft/lbs. You’d be surprised, or perhaps not, how many rifles come in nowhere near their stated level of output. Fortunately though, the TXG01 showed a healthy return a little shy of 11 ft/lbs with 8.4 grain .177 pellets. And consistency was impressive too with a variance of 16 feet per second (FPS) over 10 shots.
Even more important than a respectable power output is accuracy. Having placed a target at 25 metres, I ran a series of pellets through the .177 test rifle including QYS FT Domed (8.48gn), Air Arms Diabolo Field (8.4gn), JSB Exact Diabolo (8.44gn) and H&N Baracuda FT (9.57gn).
The QYS and H&N pellets had a slight edge, returning 10-shot groups of approximately 38mm centre to centre, but the others weren’t far behind. As with any rifle, let alone one straight out of the box, I have no doubt the performance would improve both with familiarity and the benefit of running in.
SUMMARY
Buying a decent budget rifle is probably more difficult than splashing out on a top-money PCP. There’s certainly more choice and, more significantly, there’s plenty of tat out there to muddy the waters.
Of course, expectations need also to be set accordingly, and for £139.99 it would be unrealistic to expect any rifle to print one-hole groups at anything other than short range. Instead, for that kind of money, you’re more likely to want to robust rifle that will keep going for years, will withstand harsh treatment and yet will perform at a level that is both good fun and rewarding.
The Armskon TXG01 ticks all those boxes, and several more for good measure. If you’re looking for an ideal starter rifle you could do a lot worse. In fact, it’s the kind of rifle you’ll find hard to ignore if you move on to more expensive hardware in the future.
ARMSKON TXG01 AT A GLANCE
Price:                                      £139.99
Weight:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Approx. 2.5 kgs unscoped
Length:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1,090mm
Barrel length:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 433mm including cocking aid
Calibres:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â .177 and .22
Test rifle power:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 10.97 ft/lbs
10-shot FPS variation:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 16 FPS
Safety:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Automatic, resettable
Trigger:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Two-stage
PHOTOS
Recoil is negligible, but a perforated rubber shoulder pad helps absorb what there is.
A series of slots on the cheekpiece has no practical use but adds some aesthetic appeal.
The TXG01’s highly contoured pistol grip is comfortable and slim enough to suit younger shooters.
The two-stage trigger would grace many more expensive rifles.
The TXG01’s safety catch engages automatically each time the rifle is cocked and is resettable.
A rear open sight is provided and attaches to the dovetail rail if you’d rather not use a scope.
The durable synthetic stock is light and elegant with panels of moulded stippling on the forend to improve grip.
The plastic cocking aid doesn’t do much for sound suppression but looks good and incorporates the foresight.
The open foresight has a green fibre optic to help you aim.
The moulded stock includes a section that will help prevent issues with scope creep.
ABOUT JUST AIR GUNS
We were the first to offer home delivery of Airguns in the UK, and today we have the largest number of our own drivers and vans on the road delivering to your door seven days a week. Simply place items into the cart to see the actual delivery price you will pay to have the latest Air Guns delivered to you. If you have any questions about our airguns delivery service, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us via this website or call us on 0330 999 5224.
Shop Address: Just Air Guns, Trimex House, Pier Road, Feltham, TW14 0TW
Website: www.justairguns.co.uk
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0330 999 5224
Blog Author: Richard Sanders