Indians For Guns

Folks,

I went over to the IHP National factory today to help a friend select and buy a IHP 35. Now the norm there is that one gets to choose the rifle one wants from the day's lot while or after it has been test fired and the sights zeroed in their indoor range.

There were 2 IHP PCP rifles being tested. Another person whom I presumed was a customer was trying his hand at the PCP. After I had selected the National 35, and the billing was being done by my friend I asked the worker if I could try my hand at the PCP.

Well..........he rustled up a new target card and set it. And I set my sights on the target.

Now I had never shot from a PCP air rifle before, let alone a match grade one. It took me a few seconds to realise the difference in the trigger design. This caused me to fumble with the trigger but surprising the rifle held its balance. The trigger being crisp, most unlike their pneumatic rifle, the rifle fired just when I wanted it to. And bang on..........I got a bulls eye. Check the photograph to see it.

However, the guy whom I presumed to be a customer took the rifle from me and tried two successive shots. Both landed about 2 o'clock. One had to see the guys face to believe it!

Forgive me for the quality of the photos. They were taken in a hurry.

Thanks for the photos.....I wonder why they are shipping it with an open sight and a peep sight. Any feedback on the peep sight from your end ??

Its a real pity that IHP is not doing enough to ramp up production capacity of this great rifle....

Talking of how easy it is to shoot PCPs......I tried my hand at one for the first time and hit the bulls eye of a 10mtr air pistol target at 35mtrs...It was too easy which is what put me off.....

M.

Congrats Katana. Good one.

FF,

IHP has it's own quirks! Difficult to pin point something with them. In fact, over the years when ever i have visited their factory I have noticed a change in the quality of the National range of air rifles. Sometimes its really solid, otherwise it's 'takladi' in local lingo. Currently they seem to have a problem with their stocks. Someone obviously passed on a terrible lot of wood to them. They have stacks of actions lying around but no wood to make stock!

As concerns this particular PCP model, the biggest factor working against it is it's price. It's 28k for a stock version and goes up to 35k with all the bells and whistles. Now at that price, one can get a decent imported weapon that can be directly imported by the shooter. Moreover, the design too has a few let downs, like the manometer. It's on the filling tube not on the rifle. How would one know the optimum pressure while it is in use?

You are quite right about the feel of airgunning. I have always been a rifle man (rim fire and center fires) and have relied on springers all my life. They have their own charm. One thing is sure..........I would never trust a PCP out in the field.