The 2300T has landed. Initial Review enclosed.

[Smaug]

Brown Santa brought it yesterday.

Right out of the box, it was a bit disappointing. The bolt moved very stiffly, and it still doesn't want to go all the way down. I have a feeling if I were to take it apart (I don't really want to) I'll find a big glob of dried up oil preventing it from going all the way down.

The trigger was terribly creepy. As I squeeze through it, it would move a bit, but not fire, then move a bit more and not fire, etc.

I cleaned out the barrel with a bit of heavy duty weedeater line and a patch soaked in Goo Gone. Followed that up with a dry patch. Another Goo Gone patch came out almost clean. The dry one came out clean. That part was easier than I expected.

I dug up an powerlet, and put about a tiny bit of Pellgun Oil on the tip. Reading the CO2 loading instructions (this is only my 2nd CO2 gun, and my first Crosman) I was surprised to see that it takes two dry fires to puncture the powerlet's tip. The first dry fire doesn't seem to cost any CO2. The second one caused a slight pop; not full power. For the third one, I loaded a pellet and shot into the trap, and it seemed to be full power. (this is different from my only other CO2 gun, in which I have to manually puncture the CO2 with a lanyard screw.)


Next, I mounted up the BSA 2x20 scope ($50 from Pyramyd) put a powerlet in, and proceeded to rough zero. Took about 20 shots. With the scope mounted as shown, I got the full or nearly full picture in the scope, and it also countered the slight muzzle heaviness of the gun. The balance is perfect now, even if it is a little heavier. Kate says it doesn't weigh too much. (She always prefers a scope, as long as it doesn't add too much weight)

I shot a 5m benchrest target from the Target Shooting sub-forum offhand. Not too good, I actually got one outside of the 6 ring. (i.e. marksmanship was not quite good enough for the targets, hehehe)

I seemed to remember reading that the trigger was adjustable on this, and I hoped it wasn't just the overtravel screw in the bottom of the trigger guard, which I consider pretty useless. No, I still hadn't read the whole manual yet. I popped off the right side grip and cracked a big smile when I saw the brass thumb screw to adjust trigger weight.   I loosened that a couple turns, and the trigger was vastly improved with regards to creep. I backed it all the way out and it is a whole different gun. This is like a lawyer-defeating screw here, guys. There's still a bit of creep and it could be a tad lighter, so I may either scrunch the spring down a bit or cut it down a bit or something. But now, it is perfectly shootable with no mods. Not quite as good as my well-broken-in 1377 with the smashed-down spring, but not far off either.

I shot another of those deviously difficult 5m benchrest targets (offhand, 2-handed, standing) and did a lot better with the much-improved trigger.

I don't know for sure how many shots I fired in total; probably around 40. It doesn't seem to be losing power yet, but I guess power loss isn't far off.

Kate is really going to like this gun. *I* really like this gun. I have a 1701P on the way, but I'm sure this'll see some use when my back gets tired from pumping it, or my arm gets tired of pumping the 1377. After all CO2 is a regrettable cost, but really makes for more relaxed shooting. I've found the best price is through Amazon for the 25 ct. Daisy box of them. Crosman is a bit more greedy with the price. I don't think I'll pursue any bulk filling options, as the balance and convenience of this is so nice. I admit too, that I feel a little bit happy to support Daisy, an American company, by buying the odd pack of CO2. Kind of like rounding up to the NRA through Pyramyd or MidwayUSA.

By the end of all this, the bolt action has loosened up nicely, and it is going further down into its locking slot all the time. I put a bit of Pellgun Oil on the ring of the bolt probe. I also rubbed down the exterior with a bit of 3-in-1 oil to preserve it from rust and make it look sharp for the pix.

Here are my initial ratings:

Grips: 8/10 - They're a bit cheap, but they fit everyone reasonably well and they allow Crosman to spend money where it really counts, namely on the barrel and adjustable trigger.

Build Quality: 8/10 - They went a little overboard with the oil on the bolt. They could have finished the trigger just a little better so it didn't stack in stages. They could have done a better job cleaning up the thread locking compound on the allen screws. Still, considering the price of the gun, it is good, and there's nothing here that can't be fixed with 10 minutes worth of manual touch-up. I was glad I didn't have to order the steel breech separately. I don't mind the plastic/brass material of the 1377, but I do mind that a scope could not be properly mounted to it. (I don't consider their barrel clamping fixture to be "proper")

Barrel: 10/10 - Any misses are not the fault of the barrel.

Trigger: 8/10 - Out of the box, it is more like a 5/10, but since 8/10 is easily obtained by backing out a thumb screw, it's all good. It could be lighter and stack and creep a little less.

Sights: 8?/10 - I didn't try them, but they appear to be of better quality than the ones on the 1377, which could not be adjusted for enough elevation.

CO2 set-up: 9/10 - These fine threads were well-executed and were not prone to cross-threading with only a little care. The resulting balance is good, and the look is pretty elegant, compared to the pumping arm of the 1377 to which I'm accustomed.

Weight and Balance: 10/10 - Surprisingly good. I was expecting it to be more muzzle-heavy than it is, but the barrel is a small enough diameter that it doesn't add much weight out front. With a stop mounted a bit back, the balance is perfect.

Overall: 9/10 - There are some little details that Crosman could've executed better, but for the price, I have to give them very high marks. If they had fixed these flaws but had to raise the cost of the gun by $20, it would not be worth it.

I wish they made a 1377 spec'd to this level. (steel breech, adjustable trigger, and maybe a factory flat top piston and valve for higher power with the same pumping) Price it in this range, and market it properly, and it would be a runaway hit. Might even cause them to reconsider eliminating the 1322.

[Smaug]

BTW - These are iPhone pix, much reduced, and post processed with the Camera+ app. Phone cameras have come a LONG way in the last 5 years or so...

[1377x]

congrats! and nice shooting!
does the gripframe have a hole behind the trigger over-travel screw?

[Smaug]

congrats! and nice shooting!
does the gripframe have a hole behind the trigger over-travel screw?

No, but it has an angled hole and allen screw in the bottom of the trigger guard for this purpose.

[Dutch Caliber]

Barrel: 10/10 - Any misses are not the fault of the barrel.

How's the crowning?

[Crosshairs]

Nice review very detailed  That is a sweet shooting gun you have there. I must call your wife and tell to hide it from you  . If i remember correctly you bought it for her, im sure she is going to love it.If you want to smoothing that trigger up some more try to shim the trigger to stop the side to side wiggle that will take some of the creep out. Good luck with your new rig and shoot safe.
                                               Mike

[Smaug]

If you want to smoothing that trigger up some more try to shim the trigger to stop the side to side wiggle that will take some of the creep out. Good luck with your new rig and shoot safe.

Thanks for the tip Mike. I seem to remember reading about that before, folks using Teflon washers or something. Can you get these at a hardware store, or is this another airgun-specific component?

Yeah, I bought it "for my wife" because she loved shooting my Daisy 1200; the CO2 convenience. She has Rheumatoid Arthritis, and it is literally painful for her to cock a springer or pump a pumper. She gets swelling on her fingers when she pushes too hard on something.  So we were out shooting the 1200, but got hit in the leg with a ricochet. We were outside, and not shooting at anything hard, but she must have missed and hit the frame of the plastic target stand or something. We weren't wearing safety glasses either, so it was an eye-opener. Plus, it wasn't quite as accurate as a pellet pistol.

With the 2300T, none of these things are issues any more. Same power, better accuracy, same effort, and safer too. That's my story.

Another thing about her is that she's right-handed, but left eye dominant, so she has a hell of a time shooting a rifle. The shoulder stock for these is not too bad for her.

She's coming to the range with me Saturday though and she'll put it through its paces. I'll see if I can get some footage for you guys.

[Smaug]

How's the crowning?

I'll check when I get home. As I recall, the muzzle is recessed a bit inside the "muzzle brake"/front sight wrap-around. I assume it's OK though, or the accuracy would be bad, right?

[quickster47 †]

congrats! and nice shooting!
does the gripframe have a hole behind the trigger over-travel screw?

I think he might have thought your 2300T has the newer 1701P/Marauder pistol type frame which is a true two-stage trigger.

Carl

[Crosshairs]

I see ! You might want to grab a set of target grips it will even the weight of the gun in her hand it will help her hold the gun better/easier.
                                                 Mike

[Dutch Caliber]

I'll check when I get home. As I recall, the muzzle is recessed a bit inside the "muzzle brake"/front sight wrap-around. I assume it's OK though, or the accuracy would be bad, right?

Jup. You may have to remove to front sight in order to check the crowning. Or use a flash light
Crosman is not known for it's nice barrel crowning. A lot of owners recrown their barrel when customizing the gun.
The "bad" accuracy may not be noticed straight away but sometimes will show after prolonged use.

[Smaug]

The muzzle is recessed a bit inside the front sight thingy, but it has a perfect 45 degree bevel at the crown.

Trigger's better today, too, and so's the bolt action.

[1377x]

I think he might have thought your 2300T has the newer 1701P/Marauder pistol type frame which is a true two-stage trigger.

Carl

just the frame,not the internals
i was going to say if it had the hole in the bottom then all he would have to order was the 2-stage internals instead of the complete frame with internals

[arkmaker †]

Wait till you shoot the 1701P..........you'll never pick up the 2300 again 

It's that much better IMHO.

Both fun though and I do hear you about Co2 guns...My preference is Co2 all the way.

Rich

[Smaug]

Rich, do you know if the 1701P has a CO2 adapter kit, like the Marauder and Discovery do?

I'm going to look into CO2 for the Marauder, but probably only if it can work from powerlets. I'm not so sure about the bulk filling route...