Funny how these things go. I guess I can't seem to stop collecting things. I bought a Daisy Red Ryder BB gun a month ago. It was on sale, and I remember my time fondly playing with one back in my youth. I cannot seem to remember what happened to that old Red Ryder. Anyways, I bought a new one as sort of a nostalgia thing. I was a bit disappointed in that the lever is now made of freaking plastic. My old one was all metal. Well yesterday, a new sales flyer came out for TSC, and they have a pair of similar BB rifles on sale. Guess what I had to do? I now have 3 similar versions of a similar concept. All are lever actions. All are BB guns. All have similar specs. All are designed to give a young shooter a great time, or an old relic like me.
Meet the family:
from top to bottom...
- Daisy Red Ryder Carbine.
- Crosman Marlin Classic Carbine.
- Air Venturi John Wayne Lil Duke Carbine.
First up is the Daisy Red Ryder Carbine. As previously mentioned, I have a soft spot for this little plinker, it being the first rifle that introduced me to shooting. I can recall lazy summer days using one in my back yard. I can also recall missing the target and having the BBs bounce back at me after hitting the backstop. Yes, even got my first lesson in wearing eye protection. My old copy had a metal lever, and the newer one feels the same except that lever is now plastic. I feel like I am going to break it, but I am sure it is more robust than it feels. Still has that ring on the side of the receiver with a leather saddle thong. The Red Ryder will hold 650 BBs via a loading gate at the hot end of the barrel. Load it once and shoot all day. As for the BBs bouncing back at me...with a 350 fps velocity, those BBs tend to not stick into harder targets.
Second is the Crosman Marlin Classic. The biggest issue I have with this rifle, is the plastic stock and fore-grip. It makes the rifle feel cheap. Happily enough, the lever is all metal. Much like the Red Ryder, the velocity is 350 fps with a BB reservoir of 700 rds. The loading gate is located in the same location as the Red Ryder...making these two somewhat similar. The lever is not as comfortable as that of the Red Ryder. Moreover, the trigger guard is a bit small for my largish fingers. My digits fit, but not as well as the other two rifles in this mini comparison.
Third on the list is the Air Venturi John Wayne Lil Duke. This one is a bit different in some aspects to the other two. All feature lever actions, all feature a similar rear adjustable ramp style sight, all offer the same 350 fps velocity, and all feature the same style safety as well. The Lil Duke on the other hand, offers a different BB loading mechanism. Instead of simply flipping a hatch open, you rotate the end cap to unblock the loading port which is a slightly larger BB sized hole on the underside of the barrel. The capacity here is 550 BBs. What is nice with this style compared to the others, simply unscrew the end cap and you can remove all of the BBs easily. The other two riffles are a bit of a pain to do this. You need to open the hatch and shake, rattle and roll the rifle about to empty the ammo reservoir. Another plus to this rifle, it has a very nice steel lever and is super comfortable to use as it features John Wayne's signature large loop from his movies. The furniture is made of wood, which in my books, is another big plus. There is even a scope mount included in the package. The Lil Duke is a very nice BB rifle with a solid quality feel to it. Of the 3, this is my favorite model.
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