Aquila Increasing .22 Production by 30% per Year (.22 drought relief?)

gunwatch.blogspot.com ^ | 1/23/2016 | Dean Weingarten

[rktman]

I talked to Rodney S. Taylor, Chief Engineer, at the Shot Show in Las Vegas. He said that the .22 ammunition is the Company's mainstay, by far the majority of the ammunition that they produce. Much of the Ammunition goes to the Central and South America markets. Aquila made the decision to significantly increase production a couple of years ago. Their machinery is state of the art, an almost completely automated, top of the line, process. Last year, in 2015, they increased their production by close to 30%, producing somewhat less than a billion rounds of ammunition. I recall a figure being mentioned of about $2 million dollars being invested in .22 rimfire production last year.

[taxcontrol]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrmBAXVjp1s

Wrong caliber but the sentiment is there.

[mad_as_he$$]

Kalifornia used to have a bounty on mt. lions. As I recall it $50. It was outlawed in the early 60’s

[rktman]

But man is it expensive. I’ve had to cut way back on shootin’ my Llama .38 super. Older model but it’s fun to shoot.

[FunkyZero]

Ive got a Gamo Whisper Fusion Pro in l77. I got a respectable mount and decent scope for it, lapped it and mounted correctly. It's pretty accurate out to about 40 yards with RWS Superdome pellets. Any other pellet and things go south pretty dramatically.

That being said, it's not even close to the abilities of CB caps or .22 shorts. I have limitations living in the burbs... I'm not even supposed to be shooting an air rifle. Even though CB caps or .22 short are quieter than the air rifle, it's just too dangerous to be shooting them where I live. After learning the limitations, I can still snuff squirrels with one shot a good 90% of the time with the pellet gun (if I can get inside the 40 yard mark without spooking them). That doesn't stop me from wishing every day I could get out the 513T with cb caps and smoke the little rodents with ease.

[Lazamataz]

It’s more of a novelty/belly gun. NAA Arms are notoriously well-crafted, but you just cannot squeeze a lot of accuracy out of a 1 1/4” barrel no matter how well it’s made. Outside of 3-5 yards — at least with me as the shooter — forget it.

But being as it is so small I can take it anywhere and forget I have it. In an active-shooter situation, if I feigned death and idjit stepped over me (or near me) I’d have a nice little surprise for him.

[jstaff]

I have a pellet gun that puts out at 1200 fps. At 50-75 yards it will take out a big, fat, garden destroying groundhogs and her offspring. And no one ever calls the cops.

[mad_as_he$$]

A guy that works for me has one on a chain around his neck. Better than a key and the noise will stop most guys!

[DesertRhino]

I agree with you. Aguila must have made some huge QC improvements. I also wasn’t the biggest fan in the past, but now if it’s an option, I’ll choose it sometimes. Aguila is my favorite 38 super load, with the best velocity and tightest groups. I think our domestic makers are being overly cautious over someone accidently stuffing it into an old standard 38 auto.

And ive had fine success with their 22. One warning, they make a huge array of loads and some are oddballs. So look at the box and be sure of what you are buying. You don’t want to get home and have primer powered powderless 20 gr bird loads. Or you might wind up with a 60 grain subsonic that looks like an enormous 22 bullet on a 22 short case. Their exotics are great fun and have a niche use, but if you want standard 22, be sure to look at the box so you don’t have 2 bricks of silent 20 grain rounds you can shoot in the house.
Women and girlfriends and other critters get very snarky and judgmental about such goings on,,,

[DesertRhino]

Old Llamas are cool. You are clearly a cultured and well bred man.

[rktman]

Shhhhh. Don’t tell mrs. rktman. LOL!

[FunkyZero]

Man, you guys are ps@#$in me off.

hehe... It's been a dream of mine since I was about 10 to get a National Match in .38 super. It's my own personal holy grail. My uncle Bill had one when I was a kid and I can remember shooting it and thinking that it was the finest pistol I ever laid hands on. I will have one some day... I just don't know how I'll sneak it into the house without getting caught buying "anymore guns". The CEO here announced a moratorium on gun purchases via executive order a couple years ago... and I'm scared to break it.

[Georgia Girl 2]

Yes ours is scoped,lasered and has the flashlight mounted. We get about the same distance. Good accuracy inside 50 yds. Its a real squirrel getter and quiet as we live in a SD of large lots. But its no Ruger 10/22. I’ll tell you though in a grid down situation it would be a great quiet hunter.

[Organic Panic]

The last box in my neck of the woods I saw was a box of 50 for $11. I havent seen any bricks anywhere for years.

[DesertRhino]

I agree with you about the air rifle. In TEWOTKI collapse, it would be a nice way to take rabbit, squirrel, quail and dove. (I’d love to tell you I can wingshoot flying birds with a pellet gun, but I meant ground and wire skillet shot of course)

Best of all, 50 round tin for around 8 bucks.

My airgun dilemma is 177 vs 22 air rifle. For target, and also for the abovementioned game in proper ranges. I cant decide.

[DesertRhino]

“In an active-shooter situation, if I feigned death and idjit stepped over me (or near me) I’d have a nice little surprise for him.”

That’s so creepy that it’s actually a little admirable.

[mad_as_he$$]

“And ive had fine success with their 22. One warning, they make a huge array of loads and some are oddballs”

Floor sweepings?

[DesertRhino]

“The CEO here announced a moratorium on gun purchases via executive order a couple years ago... and I’m scared to break it. “

Classic. And yes, I used to think the main danger in teaching them to shoot was that they might shoot me, but now I see the main danger is that their ability to identify newly acquired firearms gets very good. Its uncanny, they have sense like a dog in some areas.

[Hiddigeigei]

I was wondering about the native accuracy of an air rifle.
I don't know about 100 yards, but the Feinwerkbau air rifles (type used in the Olympic) can put .177 pellets through the same hole at 17 yards.

[Hot Tabasco]

I was wondering about the native accuracy of an air rifle.

I have one of these. It's a .22 cal Beeman Kodiak in a standard break barrel. I've taken rabbits at 50 yards with a head shot and it really packs a punch. In my opinion it's one of the best break barrels ever made but I don't think they're made any more.

As a side note, theres some PCPs out there that are just down right scary accurate. The best air rifles in the world are European made and anything out of China doesn't even come close to the Europeans....

Check out this website for some really cool air rifles.......

Airguns of Arizona

Beeman Kodiak

[DesertRhino]

Hmmmm,, one wonders.