Dev:
On re-reading my post I feel quite silly at having wasted so much airtime on two screws and a pin.
As Mack The Knife said, none of these are show stoppers.
The barrel, power plant, trigger and stock are all good. I have it on hearsay that the quirks I mentioned have been fixed by drilling the screw threads a couple of turns deeper and by using a thinner pin.
As far as the dovetails go, we have three possible solutions:
1) Pratik Mahale has successfully scoped his Pegasus with Araldite and a single piece mount. I didn't do this because most of my plinking is with open sights and I didn't want to fix a scope on permanently.
2) Mulki has suggested using a dovetail to Weaver rail. A good idea that would allow the rail to be permanently fixed with Araldite and allow the scope to come off easily using quick-detach Weaver rings.
This would also make up for the lack of a scope stop hole.
He's found one on ebay for about $ 10. I'm seriously plotting to inflict this order on the next unsuspecting friend/relative going abroad
3) Fabricating a 11 mm dovetail groove to 11 mm rail adapter. I don't have CNC machining skills but I have friends who do. My plan is to hound them so relentlessly that they make me a prototype
So, unless mounting a scope is an imperative, you can safely pick one up now. I'm really happy I did.
Also, a couple of posts in the last few days, about prompt service (and even a replacement under warranty) from Precihole, have really raised my confidence in recommending the Pegasus.
Mercury:
I've often fantasized about walking into the offices one of Bangalore's corporate Body Shoppers and announcing that "I'd like a new body please". Glad you understand
My lack of practice and being out of shape is now documented for all to see. It's going to take
me at least 500 shots to break in - and the caffeine and nicotine has to cease
The shot cycle continues to be smooth and predictable. The only hiccup was that I kept forgetting that the automatic safety was on, That took about 30 shots to get used to. I can intuit that many of the trigger problems people are reporting may, in some cases, be caused by pulling hard on the trigger with the safety engaged - just an idle speculation.
I totally agree. The difference in POI between the round heads and flat heads is pretty stark. We've all long known, in theory, that flat heads are better at 10 meters and that round heads do better at longer ranges; but to see the difference in trajectories on paper is quite stunning. Pratik Mahale says that the trajectories flatten out even more with JSBs and Mastershot flat heads. So, that's my next project.
Airgun novice:
Thanks for the tip. Shall use your fuming witches brew on my rail, when I get it
Ashok