I've got myself an SMK SYNSG .22 (Chinese re-make of a certain german sporter) it cost me £90 brand new, which in the grand scheme of things seemed too good.
I bought it at the British shooting show last weekend, amongst all the offerings there the rifle just somehow stood out above the other budget rifles there. I have been after a rat rifle, the sort of rifle that can just be picked up and good to go, for the past few months so when i handled this rifle it just felt right, the synthetic stock being the clincher for me.
The offerings I could of had were either hatsans or "webley" ags value max and on closer examination I preferred the cheaper SMK. (I have to say that i was equally impressed with the value max camo synth stock. There was also a new version of the value max which was dressed in a very smart black synth stock, the salesman at euroguns told me that should be out for release in 3 weeks, priced at £129 so maybe one to watch in the budget stakes.)
On returning home I fired around 100 ftt .22 through it at close range 15 yards with open sights against lager cans, first impressions were very good.
It was very easy to cock, the cycle , being quiet with a very positive click on completion of the stroke.
Thumbing in a pellet is instinctive and pain free due to the rounded edges and rubber breech seal. The rifle on the upstroke is smooth and the breech closes with a positive snap.
Thumbing off the auto safety left the rifle live, so with boy like enthusiasm I took up pressure on the trigger (this part was not so nice), well to say that the trigger is a let down would be fair. It is far to heavy and it felt as if I was waiting for the rifle to go off rather than being in control.
However, after about 50 pellets in, my mind was changed as I got used to it. It is a heavy trigger and not the best unit but it works and through use becomes second nature. (I must mention that the only other rifle I've been using the past month is a daystate x2 and the last springer I shot was at Castleton Club with Gareth in attendance, but that was a tuned SMK XS20 and a standard version)
The firing cycle is pretty harsh to begin with, once again I think that PCP's may have tainted my view a bit, and after 50 pellets again I was well into it, enjoying the recoil and learning how to shoot again.
I was very surprised at just how accurate it is, I was hitting the cans every time at short range, and when I fitted a Luger 3-9x40 scope I pushed the range out to 25 yards and zeroed in. Groups were typically 1" clovers with 1-2 flyers I'm putting down to me shooting a springer again.
Certainly more than capable of despatching rats with clinical lethality at 10-20 yards.
Overall I could not be happier, the rifle is cheap as chips and as with most cheap things overlooked by the wider shooting community. If you're after something to knock about with or to hammer the local rat population then have a look.
I'm just very surprised at the cost of the rifle and what it offers overall, for the money it cannot be faulted.
I bought it at the British shooting show last weekend, amongst all the offerings there the rifle just somehow stood out above the other budget rifles there. I have been after a rat rifle, the sort of rifle that can just be picked up and good to go, for the past few months so when i handled this rifle it just felt right, the synthetic stock being the clincher for me.
The offerings I could of had were either hatsans or "webley" ags value max and on closer examination I preferred the cheaper SMK. (I have to say that i was equally impressed with the value max camo synth stock. There was also a new version of the value max which was dressed in a very smart black synth stock, the salesman at euroguns told me that should be out for release in 3 weeks, priced at £129 so maybe one to watch in the budget stakes.)
On returning home I fired around 100 ftt .22 through it at close range 15 yards with open sights against lager cans, first impressions were very good.
It was very easy to cock, the cycle , being quiet with a very positive click on completion of the stroke.
Thumbing in a pellet is instinctive and pain free due to the rounded edges and rubber breech seal. The rifle on the upstroke is smooth and the breech closes with a positive snap.
Thumbing off the auto safety left the rifle live, so with boy like enthusiasm I took up pressure on the trigger (this part was not so nice), well to say that the trigger is a let down would be fair. It is far to heavy and it felt as if I was waiting for the rifle to go off rather than being in control.
However, after about 50 pellets in, my mind was changed as I got used to it. It is a heavy trigger and not the best unit but it works and through use becomes second nature. (I must mention that the only other rifle I've been using the past month is a daystate x2 and the last springer I shot was at Castleton Club with Gareth in attendance, but that was a tuned SMK XS20 and a standard version)
The firing cycle is pretty harsh to begin with, once again I think that PCP's may have tainted my view a bit, and after 50 pellets again I was well into it, enjoying the recoil and learning how to shoot again.
I was very surprised at just how accurate it is, I was hitting the cans every time at short range, and when I fitted a Luger 3-9x40 scope I pushed the range out to 25 yards and zeroed in. Groups were typically 1" clovers with 1-2 flyers I'm putting down to me shooting a springer again.
Certainly more than capable of despatching rats with clinical lethality at 10-20 yards.
Overall I could not be happier, the rifle is cheap as chips and as with most cheap things overlooked by the wider shooting community. If you're after something to knock about with or to hammer the local rat population then have a look.
I'm just very surprised at the cost of the rifle and what it offers overall, for the money it cannot be faulted.