Adventures in Philippine Airgunning

The CB in Action

2008-01-27T21:51:00.001-08:00

We attended LAGSA's first Airgun MS and Bench Rest competition for the year in Laguna last Sunday and had a blast. Thanks to all the organizers for a great event and I hope there are many more to come.

The CB flanked by two Caiman Mk1's

I don't want to seem like I'm making excuses but I feel the need to give a bit of background on how we approach these events. At first, we (Noli and I) didn't really take them that seriously. Until yesterday's event, I saw them as a way to socialize, maybe market a bit, and support the local industry. I was never one to actively pursue a title, since I feel that the trophies should go to those who take the sport seriously and work towards a win diligently, which we don't. Noli feels the same way, having the same hunting background that I do. We hunt. That's our passion and it is apparent in the utilitarian way we design our guns. So with this match which I wasn't really aware of till last week, we did the usual: Figure out what we had in the shop that we could use (believe it or not, I don't have my own gun. Go figure.), in this case, whatever was completed and on the shelf, sight it in the day before the event, then go and have fun on the day of. A newly assembled CB, CB-A, and a couple of old Caiman Mk1's that we experiment on got tagged.

The matches consisted of the full range of silhouette courses (Rifle, open sight; Rifle, scoped; pistol categories; classed from B, A, AA, and AAA), and a new BR competition that was being debuted by this group as the potential standard for all the BR matches. They used the BR-50 target (50 shots, 100 pts per clean bull, with 50 pt deductions as you tag an outer circle., for a total of 5000 pts) but placed it at 25 yards. I still remember my comment when we approached the field, confidently telling Noli and everyone within embarassing earshot that 25 yards was too damn close. Heh. Shame on me.

We tackled the BR first. We realized that we should have brought at least one .177 caliber that would have been an advantage when shooting paper, but since we didn't have any, I chose to go with a Caiman BT that had a .22 cal walther barrel on it. It was doing 850fps on JSB's, and the walther barrel was giving me one hole groups all morning long. Noli went with a 10 inch brass barreled (don't ask me why), Bigboy tanked monster that he had set up as a "rat gun", so configured because we had been invited to go on an "urban rat hunt" by one of our customers. Not the best choices for BR, but what the hey. What seemed like an easy sweep for us became a mind-boggling, humbling, and self-doubt inducing shoot. Now, when we test guns at the shop, we normally shoot a pellet hole, then shoot at that hole to make groups. Shooting at the same 3/4 inch white circle 50 times near put me in a daze. It totally threw off my aim-small-shoot-small style because the white circle didn't give me a small black reference point I was used to aiming at (like a pellet hole). Since it was one shot per target, I couldn't make myself one either. To be honest, 25 yards has not challenged me so badly since I got my first BB gun. My point of aim wavered all over the white expanse and each shot that I threw off made me doubt myself and the gun even more. I think, in retrospect, that THIS is the challenge in BR. Being able to control yourself, adapt to the situation, and master the other forces that ARE in your control. The wind was being very kind, not to mention that the lanes where we were shooting seemed to have been built with airgunners in mind, having embankments on either side and giving us really great almost windless shooting conditions. Noli at this time was undergoing his own trials, his carbon fiber moderator's end cap having chosen this time to fail and attempt to fly into low earth orbit. He replaced it with a spare moderator (or one from another gun, I forget), but when he started shooting plate sized groups, he opted go without. So, here I was having doubts about how well I was shooting, and Noli was just sighting in the gun on the target sighters after time was called and the match officially started. Hehe, love that pressure. So, given 30 mins to complete the 50 shots, my over-confident self thought I was going to beat the clock by hours. As it turns out, between my bouts of self (and gun) doubt, and Noli's blasting away with a LOUD non-moderated burp gun, I finished with just 30 seconds to spare. Pat on the back for not pissing in my pants.

I did a bit better in the silhouette match. I'm not much of a freehand shooter, preferring to do most of my shooting off a rest. Even in hunting, I will try to find a proper rest, otherwise I might even let the quarry go. I chose to shoot a newly assembled CB with a .22 cal brass barrel because I wanted to put the new model through its paces. The only change we made to the gun was a concession to my left-handedness, so a sporter ambi stock was cobbled together to fit on it the day before. I felt a bit under prepared and undergunned, as most shooters there had gobs of practice and use guns that have been specially constructed for MS, with custom stocks, Walther or HW barrels, and other cool widgets. The MS match consisted of 2 relays of 40 shots, for a total of 80 shots. Once again, the venue proved itself a godsend to airgunners as I could feel a stiff breeze behind me, but the lanes themselves were almost still. I knew that I was getting about 35-40 shots per fill on the CB's regular reservoir. Right before the first relay, I stole over to the sight in area and tried my shots at the chicken, boar, turkey, and ram ranges, (belatedly) figuring out my holdovers and holdunders. Surprisingly, there was very little compensation needed at all 4 ranges, I was pretty surprised but I think I was a bit too hasty in my calculations. I took on the first match without refilling till the last set and did ok. On the 2nd relay, I didn't realized till too late on the 2nd set I was assigned that I was critically low on air, esp. to reach out to a 45 yard ram. I blew 4 shots before I figured out my pellets were impacting almost 2 mildots low. It was then that I also figured out that instead of filling to 3200psi, I was only doing 3000psi: our carbon fiber bottles were getting a lot of use from friends who were also filling from our bottle and was down to 3000psi. So I figure I lost a few high power shots there.

The whole crew: Competitors and organizers.

In any case, it seems I did good enough to garner a 1st in my division, Class A. I think our benchrest scores came in 4th and 5th, I tied 4th with several shooters at 3675 pts, while Noli tied 5th with one other at 3650 pts. Mr. Bonie Borces, an excellent shot, came away the clear winner at 4400 pts, followed by JBC's Mang Jun and Joseph Lacanlale in 2nd and 3rd. It was humbling to say the least, but we came out of it realizing a few things, and with somewhat of a plan on how to build dedicated BR and silhouette rigs.

In retrospect, I think we should start taking these competitions more seriously. It is a sign of respect to the fine people who toil selflessly to give us a well organized shoot and to the other competitors who take the sport seriously...and expect serious competition. The level of talent there was incredible, and deserved to be taken seriously. Yes, we do joke among ourselves about how we show up totally unprepared, under-practiced, and with whatever airguns we could pick off our shelves. But in the end, the scores don't reflect any of that, and the cold hard numbers tell only one story: Who won, and who lost. Also, I guess it would be much sweeter knowing we worked hard for something and deserved the win.

Class A scores

I'm also glad I was able to get the CB out in formal competition, and even getting it its first win. While it is meant to be our entry-level model, I had no doubts it would stand up to the rigors of MS competition, and it did, with flying colors. Not bad for a bone stock rifle. =)

The CB's First Win!

The CB-A

2008-01-08T15:16:00.000-08:00

The CB-A is built on the CB platform with the following differences; a round T6 Aluminum receiver for lighter weight, an adjustable hammer spring for tuning, and it will come standard with the Medium reservoir.

With attached moderator (included):

Three piece design is double bolted for safety and rigidity, but comes apart easily for easy take down, servicing, and tuning. This is a very stable platform that has been in use on the Tornado. The move back to the 3pc design was due to customer feedback and our own experience on its ease of use and reliability.

Easy hammer spring adjustment for fine tuning.

Specifications

The CB-A is Filarms’ mid-grade PCP air rifle, value price for the avid sportsman and entry level competition shooter. It is topped with a lightweight T6 aluminum receiver and comes standard with the sleek, Medium reservoir (40.64mm/1.6in) that Filarms introduced first to Filipino airgunners. Like the CB, it has 2 power settings via two cocking modes; low power and hi power. Available in .22 and .177 caliber.

Features:

Hammer-type, dual Cock (2 power settings)
Round T6 aluminum receiver, grooved for scope mounting
Adjustable Trigger
Externally adjustable hammer spring (power/tuning)
19in steel sleeved, brass barrel (.22/.177)
Moderator/Supressor included
Medium (40.64mm/1.6in) T6 aluminum reservoir, detachable
Est. 60-80 shots in .22 cal at hi power / 80-100+ shots at lo power
Adaptable to C02 using optional C02 adaptor.

Price:

P16,500.00

Related Accessories:

PCP Hand Pump
P10,500.00

C02 Adaptor
P500.00

Projected release: Late January 2008

The CB

2008-01-07T07:45:00.000-08:00

UPDATE:

The CB takes its first win at the LAGSA MS/BR match last Jan. 27, 2008.

Here is a sneak peak at our newest offering, the CB.

With the moderator attached:

With a scope mounted:

Dual Cock Modes in Low and High Power

Specifications

The CB is Filarms’ entry level PCP air rifle, priced for the new PCP user and general sportsmen. It has 2 power settings via two cocking modes, low power and hi power. Available in .22 and .177 caliber.

Features:

Hammer-type, dual Cock (2 power settings)
Blued Steel Receiver, grooved for scope mounting
Adjustable Trigger
19in steel sleeved brass barrel (.22/.177)
Moderator/Supressor included
Standard (32mm) T6 aluminum reservoir, detachable
Est. 35-40 shots in .22 cal at hi power / 55-60+ shots at lo power
Adaptable to C02 using optional C02 adaptor.
Weight: 5.75lbs
Click HERE for stock styles

Price:

P13,500.00 /w brass barrel

Related Accessories:

PCP Hand Pump
P10,500.00

C02 Adaptor
P500.00

New Year, New Policies, New Products

2008-01-07T02:24:00.000-08:00

A Message to all our friends, customers and supporters, past and present:

We hope that this New Year finds you all in good health and shooting form.

As some of you may have noticed, we have been through some trials in the past year. In our efforts to win over the market and over enthusiasm about our product that has performed beyond our expectations, we had over extended ourselves and expanded too fast, too soon. This has resulted in unacceptable delays and some quality control issues that should never have occurred.

In light of what has transpired, we as a company decided to pull back and examine our most basic beliefs. One thing we know for sure is that we did not set out to sell as many airguns as possible.

We believe in a product that speaks for itself in terms of performance, reliability, and most of all: quality.

We also believe that we have to earn our customer’s faith by providing excellent customer service.

Where we have fallen short of these beliefs, we pledge to rectify; systematically and completely.

We have made the appropriate revisions to our business plan and model, and you will all soon see the accompanying changes brought on by that.

This brings us to our first announcement this year:

We are now phasing out the Caiman in all its variations. It will be succeeded by the Caiman Mk2 as well as 2 new models that will soon be introduced in this blog. The main reason for this is we simply cannot afford to keep building the Caiman and stay in business. It is a platform we believe in and have put our faith in, but we have realized that it is plain and simply too expensive and time consuming to build. Over the past few months, we have been developing the Mk2 using everything we have gleaned from the Caiman platform, taking out what we felt was unnecessary and incorporating details we felt the Caiman should have had. The Mk2 will henceforth be our flagship model. It will come standard with what used to be optional on the Caiman. The details and performance of the Mk2 will be released in this blog in the coming days. To all Caiman owners, please be assured that we will continue to support and service them, we just won't be making any more.

The other two models being released are the CB and the CB-A. These new models are hammer-type airguns priced and designed to meet the needs of a wide range of airgunners, from the beginner to the avid sportsman. The first to be introduced in the blog will be the entry-level CB, a hammer-type with some exciting features and a great price. It is very exciting for us as it is priced to be within reach of the average airgunner, while still delivering the performance we’ve all come to expect of Filarms’ airguns.

On that note, we will now be limiting all custom work to post-purchase orders. This means that ALL our products will be sold standard. Custom orders will be given a separate timeline and will have to be ordered after the purchase and delivery of each airgun. This is being done to give our facility the chance to concentrate on making each airgun perfectly and on time, without the additional delays caused by having to modify it while in the production line. As much as we would like to provide each customer with an airgun that is exactly to their specs, we believe that delivering a quality product comes first and foremost. All the options that Filarms airguns were known for and first introduced to the local market will still be available, it is just their installation and/or assembly that will be a separate transaction with its own timeline.

We will soon start to deliver our products to dealers throughout the Metro Manila area. Please keep checking this site as we will be announcing where you can find them in a sporting goods retailer near you.

Please note also, we’ve unfortunately lost the filarms.com domain to a squatter. You can reach us temporarily at filarmsairguns@yahoo.com or filarms@gmail.com or at the shop tel number.

We’d like to thank you for your continued support and extend our sincerest apologies to those affected by the delays and other issues we faced. Our commitment to Integrity, Performance, and Quality is one we intend to live by, as well as a phrase borrowed from Tim McMurray of Mac-1 Airguns,

“Under Promise, Over Deliver”

The Medium Reservoir

2008-01-05T16:21:00.000-08:00

The Medium reservoir is 1.60in or 40.64mm in diameter. It was unofficially and un-inspiredly christened The Medium because at the time we were testing it, its outside dimensions fell almost exactly between our regular reservoir at 1.26in/32mm and the Bigboy reservoir that was 1.9in/48.25mm. The name stuck and the rest is history. We've noticed other makers call their similarly sized reservoirs Medium as well. At least it wasn't the first time we started a trend by accident.

Here are a couple of examples:

This is the Caiman in Light Hunter config, with a Medium reservoir and carbon fiber silencer.

This is one of the first shrouded Caiman Carbines that used the Medium reservoir.

Standard Stocks

2008-01-04T23:24:00.000-08:00

All Filarms airguns come standard in 4 stock styles.

The Sporter is a light weight ambidextrous stock:

The Silhouette is a heavier, full bodied stock that has a left or right hand bias.

The Thumbhole is a semi ambidextrous stock with a thumbhole and double cheekpiece.

The CB Skeletonized stock comes standard on the CB series.

Caiman B-Type

2007-08-16T17:55:00.001-07:00

We were toying with the idea of a bottle-type Caiman, and this is what we came up with:

Our new toy's got a 15-inch .22 cal brass barrel and is currently spitting out JSB's at 860fps for roughly 65-70 shots. I'd consider it a carbine, 37 inches OAL with moderator on, and 30 inches off. That's just a 3-9x40 Leapers scope on top, so you can judge the relative size of it.

It's got a pretty unique gauge position:

A simple tilt up will give you a look at the reading. There's a foster quick fill on the other side:

We found it was much easier to recharge while holding the rifle firmly about the middle, instead of fumbling with something at the muzzle end of the reservoir.

Accuracy?

We've only tested it at our 20 yard range so far as we haven't had time to hit the 50 yard one (which is quite a ways away from the shop), but I'm pretty satisfied that it meets our standards. Those are .22 cal pellet-sized targets...

And it comes complete with video. You may note I'm fumbling the 2nd shot because I noticed I stuck a JSB pellet in with a bent skirt (that's the nice thing about the Caiman's direct loading function), so I was trying to pry it out. I was aware the camera was running so I gave up on it, hehe.

You may also note the new thumbhole stock style, with a big indent for those who prefer a thumbs up position, and easier access to the hammer. Nice thing about it is, lefties like me can still shoot it comfortably.

I sure wish we had more time to get into this, but we're too busy at the shop right now. I do think it's got future potential. I like it, too bad Noli called dibs on it first.

Code name: Caiman B-Type, because I'm imaginative like that.

Gunshow season again!

2007-07-10T21:30:00.000-07:00

Friends please visit us at the Defense and Sporting Arms Show.

Information is available here,

July 12 (Thursday) - 16 (Monday), 2007
Megatrade Hall 2, SM Megamall
Mandaluyong, Philippines

EVENT FACT SHEET
Host & Organizers : Association of Firearms and Ammunition Dealers of the Philippines, Inc. (AFAD,Inc.)

Event Dates : July 12 (Thursday) - 16 (Monday), 2007

Venue : Megatrade Halls 1 & 2, 5th Level, SM Megamall, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City, M.M., Philippines

Exhibit Hours : 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM

SHOW DATES start from Thursday (July 12)
and ends on a Monday (July 16).

Figures and Grain....

2007-05-01T18:30:00.000-07:00

For those wondering how the Caiman might look like dressed in walnut, look no further:

That's the client's own walnut blank, he was very lucky to get the nice figuring on the forend.

The Export Saga Pt 2

2007-05-01T17:39:00.000-07:00

Continuing on from Pt 1, we then witness the shop run out of space. Partially assembled and completed airguns were everywhere, some overflowing onto the visitors benches in the office. These are the export orders post-tuning and right before boxing.

Pt 3 will cover my own experiences after receiving this shipment...stay tuned.

Breakin' Fifty....

2007-04-30T18:20:00.000-07:00

I'd like to draw your attention to Noli's latest project gun. Seems after our blood pressure raising export order run, he needed to do something to relax.

This Caiman started out with a standard tank and a 17 inch shrouded barrel. It now sports an extended Mid tank and reworked internals that help propel 21 grain .22 caliber Kodiak pellets at 1,050 ft/sec, giving it more than 50 Ft-Lbs. The 600cc, 3,000psi reservoir supplies enough air for 40 balanced shots. The new 24 inch HW barrel is still wrapped in a T3 aluminum shroud, and the black/pepper laminate stock was redone to take the medium tank. I believe the proud owner will be using it to compete in the local airgun benchrest competitions that are growing in popularity lately.

Here it is compared to a standard length shrouded Tornado.

A closer look at the butt plate...

The Mid tank it uses is 40.5mm in diameter, which puts it squarely between the standard (32mm) and the Bigboy (48.25mm). This new size reservoir looks promising as it offers a compromise between the size of the standard tank and the capacity of the Bigboy.

The local benchresters better watch out, this monster is the one to beat =)

The Export Saga Pt 1

2007-04-30T08:37:00.000-07:00

Since Noli has finally gotten his buggy digital camera working (kinda), I can now partially relate the loooooong journey we've had in making our first export order a reality. I didn't want to start this essay without pictures, so I waited and hoped that somehow we'd be able to provide them. As our modern technology has provided instant gratification with digital pictures, it has also made sure we suffer the extremes of sorrow by making sure they can be gone in an instant via a hardware failure. So friends, the word for the DECADE is...BACKUP!

All great journeys start with the first step, so they say. Ours was much more complicated. As with most handmade components go, please excuse the mess, hehe.

First, the individual internal parts were turned and assembled.

Note our advanced tracking method: masking tape. =)

These are the one piece T6 aluminum receiver assemblies of the Caiman.

Reservoirs:

Barrels:

And, finally the single greatest feat accomplished by ONE fellow:

That's right, one guy made all that. I'm making sure he gets a big bonus.

So as you all can see, it wasn't easy. Some might be surprised at the seemingly rudimentary ways our rifles are created, but don't let that fool you. Most parts are CNC machined, with great care and precision given to their tolerances. Each airgun is then hand assembled and tuned to spec.

More pictures and the finished products on Pt 2. Stay tuned.

Deluxe Stock

2007-02-28T00:09:00.000-08:00

Quick update:

Here is the prototype deluxe stock on a Caiman with a CF shroud.

We're considering offering a deluxe stock as an upgrade option. Here's a prototype we're playing around with, thanks to Keith W who consulted with the design.

Targets and Tocino...

2007-02-27T23:04:00.000-08:00

Ok the title of this post is an inside joke...but here's a Caiman rifle with our new batch of stocks in silhouette style. New owner is Mr. Hizon who test fired a few groups for us at 37 meters.

6 shots at 37 meters.

Skeletons In Our Closet

2007-01-18T09:58:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of Bigboy tanked Caimans that were made to order with "military" style folding stocks. Please don't let the flowers on the furniture distract you from their cool, rugged para-military looks, hehe.

These are special order only, check this post to see our standard folding-stock models with the full wood butt stocks.

Some encouraging news for Filipino Airgunners

2007-01-15T11:01:00.000-08:00

I was initially worried that airguns will be included in the recent Comelec imposed gun ban, filed under RESOLUTION No. 7764-A. Now, thanks to the keen eyes of our good friend Gerald, it seems that we may have a reprieve.

In the following link, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. makes it abundantly clear that our "pellet guns" are exempt from the gun ban, so I'm hoping that our safe and legal silhouette competition activities can continue on.

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/26795/Comelec-helpless-vs-pellet-guns

The whole article is quoted below (highlight mine):

Comelec helpless vs pellet guns
01/14/2007 10:14 AM

Pellet guns are not covered by the firearms ban during the election period, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. admitted Sunday.

Abalos made the admission on the first day of the election gun ban, even as he reminded owners of “real" guns not to bring their weapons outside their homes.

“Pellet guns ’di kasama ’yan. Pero sa shooting competition, [’yung] totoong baril talagang ban ’yan (Pellet guns are not included in the ban, but those in shooting competitions are included because they are real guns)," he said in an interview on DZXL radio.

Abalos warned gun owners against violating the ban, saying they face imprisonment of up to six years and perpetual disqualification from voting or seeking election.

He said those who feel they are threatened and want to be exempted from the ban should apply for proper exemption.

“Pag nahuli ang penalty one year to six years. Perpetually ’di kayo mag-okupa ng public office at bumoto (Offenders face up to six years’ imprisonment and will be permanently disqualified from seeking public office and voting)," he said.

Meanwhile, Abalos said he expects the Comelec to come out with a list of the voters and precincts added for this May’s elections.

The list will take into account the “new" voters who registered between September and December 31 last year.

“Next month or March lalabas ito pagkakataon (By February or March the list will come out)," he said. - GMANews.TV

Update...

2006-11-30T17:41:00.000-08:00

Just directing your attention to the updated Double Vision post below, I added a few more pics.

November Gunshow Update and Pics

2006-11-28T11:42:00.000-08:00

The 2nd 2006 Defense and Sporting Arms Show was held last week from thursday till monday. We almost weren't able to attend because of some snafus, but Fields & Forests were gracious enough to help us display our wares, we owe them a lot.

As much as I wished I could be there to help out, I was not able to make it and Noli had the whole show to himself. Not something to look forward to since the last show there were three of us and we all lost our voices, but I'll leave the show details for him to tell. What I do have are the pics that he sent me. This show marks the debut of the shrouded versions of our rifles, as well as the new design of the folding stock Caiman.

Check out the slideshow below or click here to see the rest of the pics...

Our line up

A close up of the new folding stock design

The crowds were there again

The Fields & Forests team

Double Vision

2006-11-21T20:40:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the proud parents of our two latest shrouded Caimans. One sports a T3 aluminum shroud that will be offered as our standard shroud in the future. The other one has the optional carbon fiber shroud, very nice eye candy!

More pictures to come later...UPDATED!

Thanks to proud new owners Robert and Tim, here are a few more pics. Notice also that one has the ambidextrous thumbhole stock.

Philippine Airgun Classifieds ...

2006-11-18T09:49:00.000-08:00

Just to help out the local community, for those who have airguns or airgun related accessories for sale, please feel free to make use of the Philippine Airgun Classifieds (Kaliwaan Korner) to buy and/or sell your items, just follow the basic rules posted on top. Link here and on the left column. You may want to bookmark it. We will also be posting items from the Filarms shop there from time to time so you may want to check it constantly.

CHECK OUT THE PHILIPPINE AIRGUN CLASSIFIEDS

Philippine based clients only....

2006-10-26T20:16:00.000-07:00

The fiberglass wrapped 4500 psi max fill tanks are now available, recently hyrdo'd and all ready to go. They fill to 4500 psi and weigh about 15 lbs. Limited supply so don't wait. Please contact Noli for pricing and ETA. He will also have the fill adaptors that fit on them.

We are constantly trying to supply the filipino PCP users with the cheapest possible way to enjoy their hobbies, first the Leapers scopes and now this, SCBA tanks that will cost just a little more than a pump and are a very easy and economical way to refill your rifles, but will not give you a hernia everytime you try and fill your gun. =)

Come and get 'em, we are now taking deposits.

Racing Silencers are now available...

2006-10-26T20:10:00.000-07:00

Hehe..just kidding about the racing part, but seeing as how Carbon Fiber is used for race cars, it just seemed appropriate.

It does look kinda fast tho eh? Hehe. Final versions will have anodized tips.

What's up Shorty?

2006-10-26T19:55:00.000-07:00

When a short carbine just isn't short enough ... you end up with an Ultra-Carbine, or Maxi-Carbine, or a Mini-Carbine ... you get the picture.

So this Tornado Ultra-Carbine has a 12 inch barrel and is upgradeable to multishot. That's a cut down Leapers Bipod it's sitting on.

33 inch over all length, from the buttplate to the tip of the silencer ...

But is it accurate?

The middle target has about 10 shots through it at 18 yards. It likes JSB .22's, running at 740fps for 30 shots.

Zing!

Jetlag and Silhouettes

2006-10-18T00:51:00.000-07:00

So I hopped on a 17hr plane ride to Manila to help Noli take care of the shop and our export orders. Rough, but I had to do it. He mentioned in passing that I will be just on time to make the trip to the 1st Calaca Batangas Metallic Silhouette Mayor's Cup. What I wasn't expecting was it was the day right after I arrived in Manila hehe.

Turns out, the MS competitions around here are really fun and exciting events. There was a big turn out by some of the best shooters in the country. It was nice to see families show up to support their own. There was even a whole family of shooters too! It was also exciting seeing the different rifles brought by the competitors, there were side lever co2 rifles, custom compressed airguns and air pistols, the works! I had with me a .20 cal Caiman in a sporter stock that was assembled the day before hehe. To digress, when I was telling my dad about this event afterwards, he reminded me about the movie, The Ghost and the Darkness, where the protagonist took an untried rifle to hunt a lion, which eventually misfired, almost causing him to be a lion's lunch. That was just my dad's nice way of calling me "stupid" for competing with a brand new rifle with a brand new barrel. Hehe. I told him I just had a lot of faith in our guns...but yea, note to self, PRACTICE.

The shoot went off well, according to Mayor Nas Ona, they had a preliminary round for beginners the day before, and they had 60 shooters turn up with their foot pump pcps hehe. It's a great way to get people into the sport. The next day it was our turn as about 40 - 45 shooters showed up to compete. We sorta ran out of daylight near the end, as the re-fires piled up, but all in all, it was a great experience. Especially when you have to pass by picturesque Tagaytay on the way home and eat that special bulalo ... yum!

On to the pics:

Noli and Calaca Mayor Nas Ona

I had to squeeze in there hehe...

One of our clients, Rowell, with his Tornado dressed in royal jacaranda laminate...

Randelli with his Caiman in black/pepper laminate, in a new gloss finish, verry nice!

Rico Laurel and his custom sporter stocked Caiman, one of the lightest rifles we have. Note the cool pellet holder/dispenser.

That's me gettin' ready to shoot. In my hands is a walther .20 cal barreled Caiman flinging 14 grain Crosman Premiers at 970 - 980 fps. Its trajectory was almost laser straight, dead on from the chicken all the way to the boar, and a pellet's width hold over on the ram's back. Scope is an Elite 4200 6-24 with target dots.

Our "automatic" sillywet resetters ... they automatically reset the sillywets when Mr. R.O. Kit Ello tells them to go.

Maaaaaaster Kit Ello and his weapon of choice...

Our official Re-Fire King, Wilson Katanus, who is going to go on to win 4 trophies before the day is done. He's using our totally beat up Tornado prototype.

The Bigboy Caiman Carbine that Noli was using ... also newly assembled hehe. We should call ourselves Team No Practice.

The firing line, note the active wind flags...

Some shots on the practice range. That's a Caiman rifle with a Bigboy tank in the foreground, and a Tornado in Royal Jacaranda Laminate in the back.

A nice side lever c02 rifle ...

A handsome stock, called "Kamagong", or ebony wood...

Some of the nice hardware present ...

A Filarms Trio on the firing line...

Mayor Nas Ona giving out the trophies. He graciously purchased a Caiman to be raffled off at the end of the event.

The lucky winner of the Caiman...

Wilson and some of his trophies...hehe.

Kudos goes to Richard Fernandez and crew, Sir Kit Ello and most especially Mayor Nas Ona for hosting this event, it was a blast and I can't wait for the next one.

A quick vid of a cute little shot string...

2006-10-17T00:11:00.000-07:00

Wanted to show a 10 shot excerpt of our testing of the Big Boy Caiman...

Shooting 18 grain Hystan Heavies in .22 cal.

Some pics to get caught up....

2006-10-16T22:40:00.000-07:00

I've had several rounds of pics that Noli had sent me and not had time to upload, so I'll be posting a lot of pics just to catch up on things before I move on to my 2nd runner-up win at my first ever major sillywet event in the Philippines. Did I mention I got 2nd runner up? Heheh....

First up is the new Big Boy Caiman Carbine ... shorter barrel and shorter tank, but still a helluva shooter that gets a huge amount of consistent shots.

Note the nice stippling ...

Next are pics from the Pampanga Shoot where the Bigboy Tornado in multishot configuration made its first appearance. Also in attendance were a couple of other Tornados and the prototype Tornado pistol. This was also where Filarms competed in their first Benchrest Competition. Congratulations to our HW barrel promotion winner, the first shooters to use a Filarms rifle to garner wins in a major MS event.

A Bigboy Caiman

The prototype Tornado pistol

A multishot Tornado with a bigboy tank.

Then we have pics from the Armscor Invitational that I posted about earlier

A trio of Caimans: A Bigboy rifle, the Bigboy Carbine, and the regular tank with a custom stock.

Why a shroud?

2006-10-10T08:48:00.000-07:00

Some of you might ask, why a shroud? Well, installing a shroud accomplishes different purposes for different users. There are those who would prefer not to have a detachable silencer that they'd have to attach everytime they want to shoot. The shroud is a PERMANENT attachment that does the same job, without the potential legal and technical hassles that having a detachable silencer may present. Besides, they do look really really cool! :-)

Our choice of shroud material is 1in dia carbon fiber tube. It is extremely light (that 20 inch length is only 2 ounces), rigid, and very strong. As a follow up to our shroud experimentation, here's our progress on the shroud project.

The cf shroud was tipped with aluminum and has basically the same internals as our Thrust Vector Silencers. Testing on the DB meter showed similar sound characteristics too.

Shown here it is mounted on a Tornado frame and temporarily attached to a standard stock.

Here it is in final configuration on a Multishot Tornado with a laminate stock.

Note the extra length reservoir. =)

Air Rifle Origami Pt 2

2006-09-01T16:34:00.000-07:00

I have been wonderin' how this project was coming along. It's been a particularly busy week for me, I haven't been checkin my spam infested inbox, then Noli surprises me with this:

This configuration will only be available on the Caiman for now. The stock swings open from the folded position and is locked into place by the thumb screw on top of the swing. It is also adjustable for LOP by a set screw. It was designed it so that it can be fired even with the stock in the folded position. Preeetty cool.

If the Caiman Had Wings

2006-09-01T16:11:00.001-07:00

A part 2 to our on-going shroud project, first the carbon fiber, now this T3 aluminum tube to try out as shroud material. Note what it says on the pipe, AVIATUBE, I guess that's aircraft materials. Here's what they say about it:

2024 is a high-strength alloy most often used in aerospace applications. It has a yield strength that is roughly 10 percent higher and an ultimate strength of roughly 50 percent higher than 6061.

50% stronger, coooool. :-)

The Autumn Airgun Festival, 2006

2006-08-24T12:15:00.000-07:00

Please try and make this upcoming event, I will try my best to go this year.

When? October 21, 2006 (attendees are welcome to arrive Friday afternoon and camp or stay in their motorhomes) RAIN or SHINE!

Where? Boyd Farm, (see map and directions below) (no entry fee)

Cost? Absolutely FREE! The organizers are happy to support this national event for the pleasure of all airgunners!

Who? All airgunners of all ages are invited. (Under 18 must be accompanied by a responsible adult). No firearms, only airguns.

Why? Because we think it is appropriate to continue to provide the venue for the promotion of airgunning with this FREE event.

What? There will be FT practice, a formal FT match, plinking, silhouette shooting, long range (140 yards) and Big Bore (maybe up to 300 yard) shooting. There will be free soft drinks, cookies, chips, dips, moon pies, etc. all day long. Did I mention that it's all FREE?

Click here for more information:

The Autumn Airgun Festival, 2006

LAGSA's 3rd UIT, Medium bull and Metallic Silhoutte Pistol

2006-08-24T07:38:00.000-07:00

LAGSA will have its 3rd UIT, Medium bull and Metallic Silhoutte Pistol.
this will be at Hunters Rendezvouz at Canlalay, Biñan on Sept 3, 2006.

events are:

UIT rifle mens division - open category - 3 medals
UIT rifle ladies division - open category - 3 medals
Medium Bull mens division - sporter event/iron sights - open category - 3 medals
Medium Bull ladies division - sporter event/iron sights - open category - 3 medals
Metallic Silhoutte - pistol event - 5 medals

Lets blow this sport up people!

Air Rifle Origami

2006-08-24T07:24:00.000-07:00

We are close to perfecting the long awaited folding stock, although we are still trying to make it work with the Tornado. So for now, only the Caiman will be available in this configuration.

To make it really compact, the rear stock folds flush against the side of the forearm. It will also have two set screws accessible from the bottom that will let you adjust it for LOP. The folding mechanism is massive to give it rigidity. I am really looking forward to what promises to be a fun little quick take-down carbine.

Stay tuned ....

1st ARMSCOR METALLIC SILHOUETTE NATIONAL OPEN

2006-08-15T09:56:00.000-07:00

In our support for all organized shooting sports in the Philippines, I'm extending an invitation for EVERYBODY to come out and watch or join the 1st ARMSCOR METALLIC SILHOUETTE NATIONAL OPEN. It will be held at the Armscor Shooting Ranges, Armscor Avenue, Brgy. Fortune, Parang, Marikina City, on September 16 & 17, 2006 (Saturday & Sunday)

They will have the following events:

Air Rifle (Any Sight & Open Sight)
Air Pistol (Any Sight & Open Sight)
Small bore Rifle (Any Sight)
Big Bore Pistol (Open Sight)

You may download the invitation here (right click and "save target as" or just click to view)

1st A.M.N.S.O.

I am inviting our local hunters to try and join this even because the disciplines are similar. I think it is the best way to test your skills under pressure and what you learn from this can help you become a better shot and a better hunter. Most of all, you will all have fun there, the friendly rivalry and camaraderie can't be beat!

I'd like to remind everyone that we have a promotion for the 1st ever to win a major national or invitational MS or FT match using one of our rifles. We will be giving away the following items for 1st to 5th place.

1ST PLACE WINNER – H.W. (GERMANY) BARREL 24” LONG BY 16MM O.D., CHOKED in .177 OR 22 (depends on stock on hand)

2ND PLACE WINNER - LEAPERS VARIABLE SCOPE 3 X 9 X 32 MILDOT, WITH A.O. SCOPE COVER INCLUDED

3RD PLACE WINNER – 2PCS ALLUMINUM TANK (32MM X 14.5”) ANODIZED BLACK, U.S. MADE T6 TUBE AND T6 CAP.

4TH OR 5TH PLACE WINNERS – PCP RIFLE 5000 PSI GAUGE (SIZE 1” X ½”), TO BE INSTALL IN THEIR RESPECTIVE UNITS

You may download the complete rules here:

Filarms Promo

Good shooting to everybody. =)

25 cal Bigboy Caiman

2006-08-09T14:33:00.000-07:00

We have been experimenting on a .25 caliber Big Boy Caiman with a 20
inch HW barrel for the export market. Noli just reported what he's getting so far:

Pellets: Beeman FTS (19.5g approx)

1st Shot: 904.9fps

20th Shot: 908.8fps

30th Shot: 908.22fps

40th Shot: 900.1fps

50th Shot: 896.0fps

60th Shot: 909.1fps

70th Shot: 890.0fps

Shot to shot dev: 4 - 6 fps

Starting fill: 3,100 psi
End Fill: 2,000 psi

Now, to also make a related theory, we expect the new 19 grain .22 cal Hystans to perform similarly, but with more shots of course because of the added pressure created by the smaller volume of the .22 cal barrel.

Updated, pics up.

The 24 Hour Chrono Station ...

2006-08-07T22:33:00.000-07:00

According to Noli, since most guests and customers operate on the infamous Filipino Time, he's had to make our chrono station operable even in the dark of night. I guess even the aswangs can use the chrony now, possibly to measure tongue flitting velocity. =)

Water, Soda, and Beer are at the back cooler, the cashier doesn't have more than 1000 pesos in change.

Farewell My Pretty =(

2006-08-07T16:32:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to show the Caiman with the black pepper laminate stock one last time before its new owner adds it to his growing collection of Filarms airguns. I had originally brought that laminate blank from Boyds to install on my own special Caiman, but alas, it now goes to a good home...I hold no grudges though. I know it will be treated as well as I would have had it remained mine. *sniff*

Funny thing is, I had ordered the Royal Jacaranda color, but they shipped this one to me by mistake. After it took shape, it just grew on me until I knew that parting would be such sweet sorrow.

Doin The Math....(Big Boy performance numbers)

2006-08-07T12:18:00.000-07:00

I hate numbers, but Harry Fuller from OZ was kind enough to do give us the Big Boy Caiman's performance numbers in his post at the Yellow Forum:

According to the data:
220 shots between 923 and 944 fps .. say Mean MV 933.5 fps.
3100 to 1700 psi air usage; say 213.8 to 117.2 approx bar.
96.6 bar pressure drop.
11.6 grain pellet for 22.45 fpe.
Tank capacity 430 cc.

22.45 fpe x 220 shots = 4939 total fpe.
96.6 bar drop x 430 cc = 41538 bar-cc / 4939 = 8.4 bar-cc/ fpe.

AND only 21 fps Extreme Spread for 220 shots at 22.45 fpe with a .177 cal ............

I wonder how good the figures would have been if Noli had only shot say 100 shots and then stopped?....... Wonderful stuff happening just north of Australia. I am old enough to remember when Philippine soldiers were training just 12 miles across the mountains from where this little boy was just getting his first shooting lessons from his dad with a Daisy. I remember those soldiers foot slogging across the rain forest clad mountains and past our house, with not 50 yards and a creek separating us, as they made their way south on some exercise. Those were dark days in our lands.

Good on'ya Chris and Noli...... I am saving my pennies ..... Kind regards, Harry.

You want shot count? I give you shot count! Testing the Big Boy Caiman.

2006-08-01T04:30:00.000-07:00

It is one of the few times I'm glad I have jetlag, I was chatting with Noli till 4am because they happened to be testing out the .177 barreled Big Boy Caiman.

They were using our locally made 11.6 grain heavy pellets at a fill of 3100 psi.

First 10 shots blew by at 930 fps. This goes on a roll till the 180th shot with a shot to shot dev of 2-3 fps, and ends up at 935 fps.

Noli gets back to me on chat excitedly telling me he'll try for 200 hehe. 200th shot was breached. 944 fps. We're still only looking at an extreme spread of <20 src="http://www.filarms.com/pics/blog/bigboytest2.jpg">

So I urged him to see where the curve will start to head down, going down to 922 fps at shot no. 220 with 1700 psi remaining.

On that note, he said when they were still pumping it up, they tried a few shots at 1200 psi and it was giving 890 fps. Hehe. Before some minor spring tuning it was spitting lead out at over 1000 fps.

Sorry if we're getting a bit excited, this might be common performance stats (I think) for the huge korean guns and some others but we have to admit, these numbers are a first for any of us in the Philippines. Nobody has ever accomplished this and I'm quite proud of the team right now. At 7.3 lbs WITH SCOPE, I think this bad boy is going to be my carry gun in the field now. =)

And a good morning to everyone...

Mr. Noli and the Multishot....

2006-07-19T22:24:00.000-07:00

Seeing as this lil sweetheart of a gun is just about sold, we took the opportunity to run a few pellets through it to make sure it is shooting well. Here's a quick vid...

That's 11 shots people (Noli didn't load it completely hehe), and it cycled nice and smooth. Absolutely fantastic.

Post Gun Show Review and Pictures

2006-07-19T20:01:00.000-07:00

Well people, it has been a couple of days since the end of the The 2006 Defense and Sporting Arms Show at Megamall. We've had a little time to breath and assess our situation as it stands now. I am happy to report that we all believe that our participation in this show has been an over whelming success. I have many many people to thank and express my gratitude to, and if I don't happen to mention any of you by name, blame it on the over exerted braincells and not the lack of deep and heartfelt gratitude for your help and contribution to our cause. I feel it is only right to devote at least a paragraph to those who have been a source of significant support.

First and foremost, my congratulations for a job well done to my two partners, Joel and Noli, without whom Filarms would still be a pipe dream. And then of course our non-official contributors and the people who make up our core group of steadfast friends; Vic, Rico, Gerald, Vinchy, Clive, Randell, and others I might have missed. You guys are the best, and rest assured Filarms' doors will always always be open to you all. To the inspirations; My father who made sure I pushed on when I thought things had fallen apart, and to our sources of technical advice Tim McMurray, Larry Durham, and Ed Omictin. Rest assured, the knowledge gained will always be used in the pursuit of good, honest, and creative airgunmaking, following the examples you have paved the way with. To all the rest unmentioned, you know who you are, thank you from the valves of our airguns =)

So on to the show, and all I can say is...WHEW! Suffice to say, I believe this gun show has far, far faaaar, exceeded our expectations of how well our products were going to be received. I was praying and hoping to somehow maybe impress enough people to just make a few sales and get our name out there as a manufacturer of fine precision airguns, but whoa! We were mobbed and swamped from the beginning of the show to the end. I guess it shows that Filipino airgunners are hungry for something different, for something that breaks the mold. We seem to have provided that, and it showed! If I say anymore I will already sound like I am bragging hehe. I hope that we did our part in educating people about the benefits of PCP (compressed air) and the subsequent cost (and trouble) savings over co2 and even .22 rimfire. Many people also approached us thinking the guns were imported, or were something other than airguns. The creative display thought up by Noli helped. We had one of our Tornado carbines outfitted like a sniper rifle, complete with a Leapers Tri-Rail, laser sight, and flashlight. This drew atttention even from some of the soldiers who roamed the show. Another big seller was the black pepper laminate stock that we had on display fitted on the Caiman. We ended up with 3 orders for it and actually had one guy counting his pesos trying to pay for it right then and there.

Some of our visitors were obviously fans of our competition. While we welcomed an open discourse on the benefits of their rifles and ours, a rude approach usually got cut short by Joel or Noli. We had better things to do than argue with people who are convinced that their 10 shot, 900fps PCP's are the best in the Philippines. We hope to one day show that a properly tuned ACCURATE rifle that shoots a flat curve over its effective shot count is a much much better proposition in the field than a hot shooting gun that requires compensation after a few shots. We were also finally able to illustrate the difference between an ILL-FITTING gun that you have to force yourself (like in contort your body into forms it was never meant to take) to shoot versus a rifle that is made to fit your body in comfort, which in turn makes your shooting much much more comfortable and enhances your accuracy because of better hold and balance.

This was also our chance to unveil our Multishot Tornado and our newly designed folding stock Caiman. I'll post a video of the multi shot after this. The folding stock Caiman is a joy to shoulder, it is adjustable for length of pull and makes using a scope a lot easier with its full sized cheek piece.

In short, it was a very successful show, Our guns drew a LOT of attention, including dealers who would like to carry our rifles in their stores, and my supply of Leapers scopes were completely sold out. All I can say is... wow.

On to the pics!

Yeap, it was pretty hectic from day 1.

This guy just keeps on showing up, I don't know what he wanted hehe. Here's a short video of him getting sold on the big boy Caiman.

Looking pretty exhausted after a long day...

The crowds just won't stop...

Who said that guns are toys for the big boys? I think joel is appreciating something other than that laser site tho.

A happy customer =)

Our line up ...

From top:
The Caiman dressed up in a in black/pepper laminate stock
The Multishot Tornado
our Caiman in sillhouette stock and Leapers Mini Sidewheel scope
the Caiman in the new Big Boy configuration
the newly release folding stock Caiman
finally Noli's mini rifle project for youths and H.O.S.S.'s (Hunters Of Smaller Stature) ;-)

Here are closer looks at our line-up.

We also had an important visitor to our booth, Mr. Bolo Tuason, head honcho of Armscor:

Here is Joel explaining to Mr. Tuason the benefits of PCP's and why we are the first in the Philippines to come up with a PCP repeater.

Mr. Tuason saving everything for posterity. =)

That's all folks!

First Day Madness...

2006-07-13T08:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I have to say, I'm pretty happy about our first day. I mean, for a thursday opening, we literally got swamped. I thought there wouldn't be a lot of people there on a weekday, but boy was I wrong. We were talking and demo'ing from the second we got there to the very last minute we left. We had a great turn out and visitors from the Yahoo Group and other friends. We had a suprise guest too, hehe, he picked up a couple of our guns. I gotta try and get some rest as it's another early day tomorrow but here are some pics to share.

Crowd started forming as soon as we got our guns up...

A shot of our gun rack ... notice the big boy tank mounted on the Caiman

Here's our suprise guest, he seemed pretty excited about his new rifles. Notice the Multishot Tornado he's holding. =) That was OUR suprise for you gunshow attendees and no shows.

Well, there's 4 more days of this....hope to see you all there.

The 2006 Defense and Sporting Arms Show

2006-07-12T02:37:00.000-07:00

Well guys, it's tomorrow and and don't think I will be able to sleep tonight. Our attendance of this show has been of paramount importance to us and is the culmination of half a year's fight to prove ourselves not only to the Philippine airgun community but also to the rest of the world. It has been a couple of years of hard work and belt tightening, but tomorrow will be the true test of how our products will be accepted by the local market. I have the utmost faith in the Tornado and the Caiman, and I can honestly say that I've yet to see ANYTHING out now that can compare to them in terms of performance, safety, and quality. I believe they can sell themselves.

So, once again, I'd like to invite everybody to come and visit us at the The 2006 Defense and Sporting Arms Show, come and see the Caiman and the Tornado for yourselves, check out the latest line of airgun scopes by Leapers, the precision HW airgun barrels, and the rest of the shooting and hunting accessories that we will have on display. All these products have been given a lot of thought and research, and we carry them because of their uniqueness, usefulness to airgunners, and most of all their affordability, because we all like a quality product at a good price.

We hope to see you all there.

Big Boy Update

2006-07-12T02:34:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update, I want to show how the stock for the Big Boy Tank is coming along. We initially thought we had to do something something about the girth of the tank in relation to the stock, but it looks like it will drop in quite nicely with a little creative inletting by Cho the stock magician.

The Pressure is ON (The Saga of the Big Boy Tank)

2006-07-10T02:29:00.000-07:00

Well we finally finished assembling our large U.S. T6 Aluminum tank, presently nicknamed "Big Boy".

It is a monster 430cc tank that dwarfs our standard steel and aluminum tank, giving roughly twice the volume, but with the same weight as our standard sized steel tank. Meaning? Well you hunters out there can now hit the field knowing you have 100 - 150 good shots in your tank, all without having more weight to carry. You can leave your pumps at camp.

The true test of this tank is its durability and safety. We couldn't wait to hook it up to our in-house hydrotester to see what it is made of. The standard test is 1.5x of normal operating pressure, so with our projected 2800 - 3,000 psi max rec fill pressure, our target pressure on the hydro was around 4,500 psi. After a couple of false starts caused by forgotten O-rings, we finally got the big boy hooked up to the hydro and started pumping. We were suprised to exceed 4,500 psi quite quickly, and we stopped for expansion check at 6,000 psi. Our big boy was holding strong.

We waited several hours to see if it held pressure without any dimensional changes, then to check for O-ring failure we went on to 7,000 psi.

It is still holding strong. I guess we can consider our testing a success. The first philippine made big tank pcp is ready for market.

(many thanks to Tim M for his advice on the end plugs and for everything else, we wouldn't have this without him

my PITA just redeemed itself....

2006-07-09T18:44:00.000-07:00

A few days before my trip to the Philippines to visit the shop, I decided almost last minute to try and transport a laminate gunstock blank to see if we could do something special with it. Turns out the thing was a monster, and I had to switch bags to find one that will accomodate such a long piece of wood. I was loathe to cut it up as I didn't have the exact dimensions for our standard stock so I was forced to carry it with me as is. Well after a couple of failed attempts my buddy Wayne finally was able to stuff it into my luggage and off I went to the airport to get hassled by TSA. Little did I know it wasn't going to fit in my brother's FX35 either, so we had to remove it from my luggage on the drive to the airport and put it back on. Oh joy.

Anyway, to make a a long story short it finally got here but had to wait in line behind other jobs, increasing my excitement and anxiety. Our magician/stock maker Cho finally got around to working on it the other day and I am pleased to say that it is turning out quite nicely. All the hassles of bringing it was forgotten and I'm just excited to see this thing take shape. I'm a bit sad that I opted to have it tailored for RH (and I'm a lefty) just to make it easier to sell, but it seems I will have no problems with it as people have actually started bidding on the damn thing here hehe. I guess laminate stocks are pretty rare in these parts. =)

Getting inletted

Cho doing his magic

On a somewhat related side note, my partner Noli's experimental youth stock is just about done...

For a little nostalgia....

2006-07-09T10:24:00.000-07:00

Here's a lil piece of air powered nostalgia. It's a locally made air shotgun that my partner Joel brought to the shop. It is pretty fascinating, Joel tells me many a wild duck and snipe has fallen to this baby, usually within 25-30 yards. I didn't have a ruler on me but the barrel is roughly 30 inches, and it is a co2 powered bolt action that has a cupped bolt face, possibly to hold the shot? The reservoir looks to be an inch in diameter, and extends more than half the length of the brass barrel.
It supposedly can shoot 1/2 inch bearings at around 500-600 fps. I've personally never weighed a steel ball bearing but that sounds like some serious fpe coming out of a c02!

Its slim lines may be deceiving, but the barrel is huge!

Here it is along with one of our prototypes to illustrate the size (the proto is 40 inches long with the silencer)

The bolt

Business end, at first I thought that brass thing at the end of the barrel was a choke, but Joel assures me it serves no purpose hehe.

The bolt

It's quite a piece and I'm sure it can tell quite a tale. Joel used to regale me about his past hunting exploits using this exact same gun, and I know it has been through a lot and seen many many birds go down before its barrage of birdshot. I just wish I was there to see it in action. Who knows? I might be able to persuade Joel to bring it along for old times sake. =)

Philippine Airgunnin'

2006-07-08T17:33:00.000-07:00

This is the official blog of Filarms Manufacturing Inc. We produce two of the most advanced air rifles in the Philippines, the Tornado and the Caiman. I will be posting our latest updates and company progress, as well as our hunting trips and such. Please stay tuned. =)