Help with gun selection

[Piggin]

Good morning to all you great forum members. I have to start this post with an apology, as this might get wordy, instead of directly to the point. However, I think a little background might help.

So, travel back 40 years to a 15 year old me. All my friends purchased air rifles & I wanted one to. I ended up in a sports shop looking at a cheap gun that I purchased & enjoyed plinking with my mates and out in the local fields/woods 'hunting'. However, within a few weeks I realised I had made a mistake with the choice of gun & purchased a HW80 via mail order from the back of a magazine (different times then). Due to an 'incident' when we were all out. I was forced to sell the gun after a few months by my father. (Harsh but I understand now why & Dad made the right call).

So, flashback to last week & I find myself standing in a local gun shop asking questions of the young man standing behind the counter. I thought I was well informed having read lots on this forum and watching all of YouTube. I knew I wanted a PCP, non bolt, zero wood & a bullpup. From this, I had narrowed it down to either a Brocock ghost of FX impact MK4. Thankfully, the shop had both & the young man was happy to show them to me. Out comes the ghost & up to my shoulder it goes (thankfully I still remember which end you put to your shoulder). I had great hopes for this gun but it felt heavy and I just didn't like the grip. I the went for the impact in an impressive copper colour. Now this felt right, with a better feeling weight & a lovely handle/feel to the gun.

So I thought I now know what gun I want but I need to make sure I have all the information I need & ensure I don't make the same mistake I did 40 years ago and purchase the wrong gun first time around.

However, coming back to this forum I have been reading a lot & there's a strong following for the MK4 and the Ghost. There's a lot of people saying they love both but I see a lot of people also saying they have had horror stories with the MK4. Plus accuracy issues & wanting to fit new barrels.

So the question is, was I harsh to judge the Ghost as not being the one for me due to a handle that could be easily charged. Or have I now dismissed the MK4 due to some issues people are having that have been put right by FX when they brought out the MK4.


If there is any forum members who have owned both of these guns. Then I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

Once again, apologies for the length of this post & thanks in advance for any insight, hints & tips on this matter.


Decisions, decisions

 

[Buzzard]

Never had a Fx but have a Ghost which is a great fun but if I am honest I prefer the handling of my wolverine R.I would say before you commit try as many different ones you can.

 

[subzeer0]

ive had a ghost but now have the impact mk3 ... i found the ghost heavy and although shot very nice...i like the fx slightly more and have zero problems with it

ive no doubt this will change over time

 

[Piggin]

Never had a Fx but have a Ghost which is a great fun but if I am honest I prefer the handling of my wolverine R.I would say before you commit try as many different ones you can.

Thank you very much for your input.
I did look into the Daystate guns (alpha wolfe) but just thought my startup costs were spiralling out of control. That's how I found the Ghost

 

[Piggin]

ive had a ghost but now have the impact mk3 ... i found the ghost heavy and although shot very nice...i like the fx slightly more and have zero problems with it

ive no doubt this will change over time

Thank you for the input.

When you say 'change over time " do you mean you might fall out of love with the gun or it could become problematic with usage & develope problems

 

[Ed 86]

Hi mate, I have owned both.

The questions are really what type of shooting will you be doing and are you planning on having a tinker with the gun or just set it and forget it?

The reason I ask is if you are going to be shooting targets from a bench then the weight and handling of the gun isn’t going to matter AS much.

The Ghost is a pretty solid and reliable platform, once you have got a scope on it and found it’s favourite pellets you will be able to enjoy it and it’s laser like accuracy. I would also say the Ghost will more than likely be a bit more reliable than the M4.

The M4 is a lovely gun and agreeably nicer to handle but CAN be more tricky to get shooting accurate and consistently as there are a few more thinks to tinker with ie. The liner system, indexing, power settings etc. I could never get it shooting as accurate as my Ghost and that was even after fitting a carbon sleeve over the liner. They have a bad rep for leaking too which I never experienced due to not keeping it long enough.

That being said any pcp can leak at any time, it’s just the nature of something holding 200+ BAR of pressure and having a load of O rings holding that pressure.

I don’t think I will ever own another FX just down to the fact a solid metal barrel will always beat a thin liner system in my eyes. Which is a shame as I really like the look and feel of some FX models.

 

[Littlejon365]

Personal fit and being comfortable with the rifle are very important. The ghost may have a good rep but if it doesn’t fit you don’t get it IMO.

Theres been issues with every brand of rifle at some point so very hard to judge from just reading posts. I don’t have experience with the MK4 but had a MK3 that always performed.

Are there any other rifles that you considered?

Do you have a club near by that you could ask to pop along and speak with people there? I often let others have a go with mine at the range so don’t be afraid to ask if you do go along.

Good luck

 

[Piggin]

Hi mate, I have owned both.

The questions are really what type of shooting will you be doing and are you planning on having a tinker with the gun or just set it and forget it?

The reason I ask is if you are going to be shooting targets from a bench then the weight and handling of the gun isn’t going to matter AS much.

The Ghost is a pretty solid and reliable platform, once you have got a scope on it and found it’s favourite pellets you will be able to enjoy it and it’s laser like accuracy. I would also say the Ghost will more than likely be a bit more reliable than the M4.

The M4 is a lovely gun and agreeably nicer to handle but CAN be more tricky to get shooting accurate and consistently as there are a few more thinks to tinker with ie. The liner system, indexing, power settings etc. I could never get it shooting as accurate as my Ghost and that was even after fitting a carbon sleeve over the liner. They have a bad rep for leaking too which I never experienced due to not keeping it long enough.

That being said any pcp can leak at any time, it’s just the nature of something holding 200+ BAR of pressure and having a load of O rings holding that pressure.

I don’t think I will ever own another FX just down to the fact a solid metal barrel will always beat a thin liner system in my eyes. Which is a shame as a really like the look and feel of some FX models.

Thank you very much for your input. It's very much appreciated.

Regarding the points you made.

Unfortunately I am a tinker (comes with the job being a mechanical engineer). Plus I always like to think that things can be improved etc. so I can see me spending time & money looking for perfection in a gun that might just be down to me being a rubbish shot.

As for the type of shooting. I have a friend who has a farm with cattle, horse etc & a good rat population. So I can see me sitting in a field or on one of his river banks removing a few rats for him.

However, I would also like the opportunity to have a go at target shooting & might look into getting in touch with a few members on Facebook etc.

As for your further comments about the M4. All very good points well put & thought provoking. Thank you

 

[Ed 86]

Thank you very much for your input. It's very much appreciated.

Regarding the points you made.

Unfortunately I am a tinker (comes with the job being a mechanical engineer). Plus I always like to think that things can be improved etc. so I can see me spending time & money looking for perfection in a gun that might just be down to me being a rubbish shot.

As for the type of shooting. I have a friend who has a farm with cattle, horse etc & a good rat population. So I can see me sitting in a field or on one of his river banks removing a few rats for him.

However, I would also like the opportunity to have a go at target shooting & might look into getting in touch with a few members on Facebook etc.

As for your further comments about the M4. All very good points well put & thought provoking. Thank you

Sounds like the M4 might be a good choice for you then sir
Whatever you choose, good luck and most importantly enjoy yourself

 

[Piggin]

Personal fit and being comfortable with the rifle are very important. The ghost may have a good rep but if it doesn’t fit you don’t get it IMO.

Theres been issues with every brand of rifle at some point so very hard to judge from just reading posts. I don’t have experience with the MK4 but had a MK3 that always performed.

Are there any other rifles that you considered?

Do you have a club near by that you could ask to pop along and speak with people there? I often let others have a go with mine at the range so don’t be afraid to ask if you do go along.

Good luck

Thank you very much for your input.

The point about what guns I have tried is very good & I have to admit only these two. This is due to the fact that I didn't want to take up anymore of the sales persons time and/or come across as a time waster. However, I think I will have to get myself to a bigger store & see if I can have a look at a few different models before the final decision is made.

As for getting along to a gun club & asking a few questions. I didn't really think about this in all honesty as I haven't had much interaction with gun owners. However, you have all been really helpful and welcoming on this forum. So if this is what the gun community is like then sign me, up as I want in.

 

[Piggin]

Sounds like the M4 might be a good choice for you then sir
Whatever you choose, good luck and most importantly enjoy yourself

Thanks Ed. Will keep mulling this all over & hopefully make the right decision (knowing me I will end up getting something completely different & purchase a howitzer)

 

[Jay Butts]

Thank you very much for your input. It's very much appreciated.

Regarding the points you made.

Unfortunately I am a tinker (comes with the job being a mechanical engineer). Plus I always like to think that things can be improved etc. so I can see me spending time & money looking for perfection in a gun that might just be down to me being a rubbish shot.

As for the type of shooting. I have a friend who has a farm with cattle, horse etc & a good rat population. So I can see me sitting in a field or on one of his river banks removing a few rats for him.

However, I would also like the opportunity to have a go at target shooting & might look into getting in touch with a few members on Facebook etc.

As for your further comments about the M4. All very good points well put & thought provoking. Thank you

You’re going to get suggestions of other guns to look at as your shortlist of the two when spending that sort of money does give you many other options. There are fan bases for the BRK and the FX as they are both excellent guns. Yes, the mk 4 has had issues but many owners love them.

If you’re wanting pest control and a little target shooting, why don’t you take a look at the Daystate Black Wolf Carbon Grey C. Pretty much the same price as the FX and a great gun.

Bloke at my club bought one, took it out of the box, fitted and zeroed a scope on it and shot his first 250.

 

[Neil54]

You can change the grip on the ghost.
You need an AK grip. Search on the airsoft sites.
I am changing mine for a more vertical grip.

 

[zogg364]

The Ghost will pretty much work out of the box and is a very accurate and now proved reliable platform.. I personally don’t really like the looks (subjective) but they are undeniably a very good rifle

The Impact is better looking and lighter/better balanced but is far more likely to require tinkering to get it to shoot as well as the ghost (or indeed a 300 quid Gamo Phox)

I was talking to at the club on Monday who was very grumpy at my opinion on the FX as he thought I was being unfair and his shot like a dream admittedly

Mind you it had a new reg, various other tweaks and had been back to the importer three times, he eventually replaced the barrel with one from an AA HFT500 and it is indeed a tack driver..

I wouldn’t be massively concerned about leaks from any air rifle to be honest, just a simple o-ring in most cases, it’s build quality or should I say assembly quality and a design optimised for sub 12 (if that’s what your after) and a decent/professional and skilled importer that makes the difference

Worth looking to find an AGT to have a look at

Hope you enjoy what ever you buy

 

[Piggin]

You’re going to get suggestions of other guns to look at as your shortlist of the two when spending that sort of money does give you many other options. There are fan bases for the BRK and the FX as they are both excellent guns. Yes, the mk 4 has had issues but many owners love them.

If you’re wanting pest control and a little target shooting, why don’t you take a look at the Daystate Black Wolf Carbon Grey C. Pretty much the same price as the FX and a great gun.

Bloke at my club bought one, took it out of the box, fitted and zeroed a scope on it and shot his first 250.

Thanks very much for your input.

I have been looking at the fan threads on the forum and it's been a really interesting but very time consuming.

As for other guns, there are definitely lots to look at

 

[Aston_Shooter]

Any new gun can have issues, and you hear more about the odd bad one than you do about the thousands of good ones.

With that said, despite being an owner (past & present) of many FX guns, I am not a fan of the liner system and much prefer a solid barrel.

I have an Impact M3 which was always good, but not quite as good as I felt it should have been, so I had an HFT500 barrel machined to fit, and now it's an amazing gun, one of the best. Those changes cost me time and money that I will never get back. In the grand scheme of things it was worth it (to me), and I am VERY happy with the gun.

I like the Ghost platform, although I've never owned a Ghost, I have owned an Alpha Wolf, which was a great gun, and trouble free.

 

[Piggin]

You can change the grip on the ghost.
You need an AK grip. Search on the airsoft sites.
I am changing mine for a more vertical grip.

Thanks very much for the input.
I will definitely look into this

 

[Ed 86]

You’re going to get suggestions of other guns to look at as your shortlist of the two when spending that sort of money does give you many other options. There are fan bases for the BRK and the FX as they are both excellent guns. Yes, the mk 4 has had issues but many owners love them.

If you’re wanting pest control and a little target shooting, why don’t you take a look at the Daystate Black Wolf Carbon Grey C. Pretty much the same price as the FX and a great gun.

Bloke at my club bought one, took it out of the box, fitted and zeroed a scope on it and shot his first 250.

I can also agree first hand, my Blackwolf is fastly becoming the best rifle I’ve ever owned.

 

[Jay Butts]

I can also agree first hand, my Blackwolf is fastly becoming the best rifle I’ve ever owned.

Hey Ed, as a springer only shooter, I’m sorely tempted. I know a few experienced shooters that have recently bought Blackwolfs and are saying the same thing….. bloody brilliant guns.

 

[Piggin]

The Ghost will pretty much work out of the box and is a very accurate and now proved reliable platform.. I personally don’t really like the looks (subjective) but they are undeniably a very good rifle

The Impact is better looking and lighter/better balanced but is far more likely to require tinkering to get it to shoot as well as the ghost (or indeed a 300 quid Gamo Phox)

I was talking to at the club on Monday who was very grumpy at my opinion on the FX as he thought I was being unfair and his shot like a dream admittedly

Mind you it had a new reg, various other tweaks and had been back to the importer three times, he eventually replaced the barrel with one from an AA HFT500 and it is indeed a tack driver..

I wouldn’t be massively concerned about leaks from any air rifle to be honest, just a simple o-ring in most cases, it’s build quality or should I say assembly quality and a design optimised for sub 12 (if that’s what your after) and a decent/professional and skilled importer that makes the difference

Worth looking to find an AGT to have a look at

Hope you enjoy what ever you buy

Thanks very much for the input.

I agree with you about the looks of the riffles & that FX could well have a reliability issue when it comes to assembly of their guns. Unfortunately, I think this happening a lot these days as it's all about quantity and not quality. However, if you are paying almost £2k for a gun you would expect it to be put together properly

Will also have a look at the AGT's