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Does Anyone Else Shoot An Smk Xs20 - Need A Little Reassurance


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As mentioned in a previous post, a couple of weeks ago I decided to add a SMK XS20 to my small collection of air rifles. I openly admit that I may have been a bit of a snob in the past and only really looked at the more expensive rifles of the springer range, and thats the reason I've ended up with a pro sport and a hw97 ( and a couple of tx's along the way). When buying the XS20 I read lots of reviews most of them good, and I liked the idea that in some reviews they were described as a clone of the HW95. As the purpose of me buying this particular Smk was to be a little bit of a project, to be a usable hunting rifle, and if I could get it shooting as well as some of those higher end springers this gun would be a perfect candidate. And so I bought the XS20 and looked at some tuning kits and had the pleasure of speaking to Willy over at Woodfield GCP (fantastic guy he his) and felt pretty reassured that I had made the right choice. But this morning a neighbour threw me a curve ball a told me to speak to a guy who is a local gunsmith (this would make it easier for me rather than posting my rifle off, I thought). I popped to see him and got talking about it, he wasnt impressed at all by the XS20. In fact he said that they were awful guns and didn't want to take my money off me for tuning. Further to this, things like 'you can't polish a turd' were mentioned and told me tuning it would make no real difference. I told him about the reviews that I had read and that some had compared it with the HW95, which he disagreed with, he said thats like comparing a mk1 fiesta with a audi a8. He also said that SMK advertise a lot in the form of reviews, and thats how they get people. It was then mentioned I should take it back to where i got it and get them to exchange it for a Edgar Brothers Model 60. So I came away with a bit of a bad taste in my mouth about wether or not I made the right decision. I am in no way bad mouthing my local gun smith, I respect anyones knowledge that is greater than my own, and having none at all when it comes to the internals of an air rifle, thats not hard, he was actually a very nice guy.

 

Now the reason for my posting this is that he did mention there are a lot of 'arm chair snipers' out there. And I do agree that some people who have never owned a XS20 but will still say how bad they are coming from a cheap chinese air gun brand but I was actually pleasantly surprised when I got it. So I was wondering has anyone else tuned a XS20 and does anyone use theirs for hunting. Im really interested in hearing peoples 'real world' views.

 

Andy

 

ps

 

I am also aware now that the trigger unit in the recent models are not the Rekord clones i originally thought

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i cant comment on the xs20 but i have an smk b19 in 22 which is a cracking rifle for the money,i bought it to get back into shooting and money was tight. i used it for targets for a while to get used to it and to make sure my shooting was good enough,then i took it down the field and shot a few rabbits with it.i then had some cash available so bought myself an s400 so my 11 year old started useing the smk.he could hit extra strong mints at 25 yds with it(not every shot but he hit more than he missed) ive now bought him a bsa scorpion t10 so the smk is just sitting there but im not going to sell it. its just a really good back up rifle,and im going to use it to teach my boys to shoot with open sights.

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there's a whole forum for the chinese air riflles on the tinternet somewhere, if its reassurance your after i dare say you'll find it there.

i dont really think you can compare the HW to SMK though to be fair.

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I am impressed with the rifle. When it comes to wether or not it compares to the hw95 its hard, having paid a snip of the price for the gun itself. Im having it tuned by willy at woodfield and also having a new stock added too. Once everything is done it maybe good to find someone with a 95 and do some kind of comparison test.

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Ukchineseairgunforum, look on there! I have a welsh willy seal kit on my xs78 .177 and thats been tuned, really easy to tune the xs78, take it all apart and make shiny any moving parts using a dremmel, so i dont think that the xs20 should be much different! Try that forum and pm me i have welsh willys number!

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secretagentmole Ive spoken to willy at woodfield gcp and he's going to be dong some tuning on it for me. but he did say there wasn't much he could do with the trigger with it being a mk2 :( . Feel a little cheated that the shop I bought it from told me that it had a rekord trigger.

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I,ve got a few of the SMK rifles along with top brands - AA S200 ,BSA Ultra,S10 ,HW 97k,two HW 35,s HW80 but I love shooting them all got a SMK 78 bulk fill that I was shooting spinner targets on a range at 50mts and I,m no youngster - my eyes are nowhere near as good as my sons and he,s 31 this year ,so enjoy you will be real pleased with welsh Will,s work he,s very good indeed !

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secretagentmole Ive spoken to willy at woodfield gcp and he's going to be dong some tuning on it for me. but he did say there wasn't much he could do with the trigger with it being a mk2 :( . Feel a little cheated that the shop I bought it from told me that it had a rekord trigger.

I thought he made triggers for them, I apologize sir, not even Charlie Da Tuna makes one!

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Unfortunately I'm another who has not had an XS20...BUT;

 

I have heard very good things about them and thought there was at last one other member on here who reported excellent results.

 

I reviewed an SMK TH208 and got the usual 'Pooh Poo's'.

 

 

Then Mawders and I waltzed into Sandwell Field Sports to see none other than an SMK TH208 taking pride of place in prime position for sale on the counter. Mr Wall was praising them to high heaven and confirmed my belief it was a clone of a Diana (280, a rather unsubtle switch of numbers....) I must say I fought valiantly against the urge to say I told you so to my doubting thomas of a chum! (The fact that on the previous visit Tony had given Mawders the "can't polish a turd" spiel did have me wondering how much was Mr Wall's true opinion and how much was 'sales' patter). But regarding the 208 I can definitely say its a superb rifle.

 

I've also converted an XS79 to HPA making it a buddy bottle PCP, once stripped and re-sealed and re-lubed, a very fine gun indeed.

 

With the XS20, if they've cloned a 95, I can't really see how they could go too far wrong. Too shoddy and it would be 'unfit for purpose' and trading standards territory, and lets face it, I've seen brand new 95's that needed more finishing than an SMK! Others report the same with TX200's I'm ashamed to say.

 

A limited experience of SMK's I grant you, but a positive one nonetheless. Good luck!

Edited by milegajo
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thanks milegajo, seemed a fair opinion and the review of the th208 was good too. I did share in the theory that if it was a clone of the hw95 then it shouldn't go far wrong.

Edited by Andy83
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