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Performer in the
RAW
Top-spec, match-grade air rifles
are an enticing prospect to Mark
Camoccio – so he gets first dibs
on the latest PCP innovation from
US-based Rapid Air Weapons…
I
n my professional capacity, I get to sample air-powered rifle
technology from all over the world serving all ends of the market.
That includes some of the most cutting edge kit available, like the
TM1000 from US brand Rapid Air Weapons (RAW), which I recently
took stock of. I’ve been eagerly anticipating this rifle for some time –
there’s even a waiting list for reviewers!
These guns are hand-built over in the States by RAW, then shipped
across the Pond to their main UK distributor, Michael Tawn Airgun
Supplies in Cambridgeshire. There are various specifications of TM1000
available, but the thrust of the project is to deliver a top-end accuracy
machine, aimed at the fastidious target-oriented shooter. Whether
Field Target or benchrest, Rapid Air Weapons have it covered with an
uncompromising approach to engineering and design – a design that
is also now extended to field shooters with the HM1000 Hunter model
with a 360cc buddy bottle and sporter-like stock.
For a relatively new release, this gun has certainly hit the ground
running. Victories in Hunter Field Target – much to the chagrin of
purists – have proved this model’s worth, while I personally know of
several shooters putting in a good showing with their TM1000s in the
hotbed arena of benchrest. So accolades are stacking up.
When first handling this truly impressive air rifle, the stripped-bare,
ruthlessly focused design really stands out. Its gloriously chunky breech
block arrangement had me practically salivating. Loading the TM1000
is done via direct feed into the very lip of the rifling – which is the
best way to load an airgun, as it allows the shooter to feel for an
overly loose or tight pellet. Just occasionally, this can be the difference
between hitting and missing a vital target, and it’s a feature that all
aspirant airgun engineers should incorporate.
Air Arms’s now sadly discontinued EV2, undoubtedly one of the
most successful Field Target guns on the circuit, had direct feed loading
– though admittedly with an annoyingly chamfered breech and seal
that the pellet had to pass through.
RAW has copied and enhanced the breech area largely from the
EV2, with a similar, and equally exquisite sidelever sitting to the right
of the breech. The over-centre engineering keeps tension on the lever,
until the bare minimum of effort pulls it back to withdraw the loading
probe and cock the hammer. Perfect weighting and a meticulous
design makes the whole process immensely satisfying, but that’s only
part of the story.
Shooters who opt for this grade of rifle will normally appreciate a
top-class trigger, and that’s exactly what RAW has provided. Despite its
curved, sporting look, my test rifle’s trigger was a full-blown, genuine
two-stage match unit. Its ‘trip’ has a snap-glass mechanism, giving
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The TM1000 has sidelever cocking
and a direct-feed breech
AIRGUN SHOOTER
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TEST: RAW TM1000
With its wellprofiled laminate
stock and chunky
breech block,
the TM1000 is an
enticing prospect
total crispness and a superbly sensitive, 28g release weight. The boys
at RAW are clearly speaking my language!
While I’m a huge fan of beautifully grained walnut stocks, the fantastic
quality of the laminate supplied fitted to the test model was such that
I would readily take the plunge. The main consideration here though is
weight, and there’s no doubting the exceptional density of the bonded
laminate adds serious ‘grammage’ to the equation; this is a hefty
rifle indeed.
Raising this rifle to the shoulder, your trigger hand can either adopt a
thumb-up hold, using the generously and supremely comfortable thumbshelf, or a thumb-through hold, grabbing the thumbhole itself. There’s
plenty of stippling around the grip area, which also sports a palm swell
and an integral shelf at the base.
Butt hooks are all the rage with target grade hardware these days, and
the one supplied here is yet another exercise in fine engineering. That
said, they’re just not for me – though I’m possibly in a minority here. The
The two-stage match trigger is
nicely curved with a crisp let-off
TM1000’s forend is perhaps not deep enough for everyone, but still offers
plenty of hold points, and it has an accessory rail underneath. My usual FT
stances posed no discomfort, although those FT shooters who like to rest
the gun on their knee may struggle with the lack of forend depth. If you’re
in need of a ‘hamster’ fitment, however, RAW manufacture a fantastic
piece of kit as an option, with lots of adjustment.
Downrange, a check over the chronoscope revealed that the power level
was actually set a little on the low side, and my test results showed the
test gun was producing a shade under 11ft/lb with the ubiquitous JSB
pellet – Air Arms Diabolo Field in this case. Of course, this can be set a
little higher at the point of collection, but I lost no sleep over those figures
for my purposes.
The shot count of the TM is impressive, too. You can expect around
120 from its regulated action courtesy of 200BAR – the recommended
fill pressure. For the record, these figures were comfortably exceeded in
my test and the shot-to-shot velocity variation was what I’d expect of a
A butt hook rounds off the
top-quality laminate stock
AIRGUN SHOOTER
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TEST: RAW TM1000
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
MODEL: TM1000 FT
MANUFACTURER: Rapid Air Weapons
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
TYPE: Single-shot outdoor silhouette rifle. (BR and
sporting versions also available)
CALIBRE: .177 (tested), .20, .22 and .25
COCKING: Sidelever
POWER SOURCE: External air supply (bottle or pump)
FILL PRESSURE: 200BAR
SHOTS PER CHARGE: Approx. 120 shots at 12ft/lb
(manufacturer’s claim)
WEIGHT: 4.5kg (unscoped)
OVERALL LENGTH: 1,003mm
BARREL LENGTH: 483mm
STOCK: Laminate thumbhole
TRIGGER: Match grade two-stage unit down to 28g (2oz)
ENERGY: 10.8ft/lb (tested with AADF); high-power
models available
SRP: £1,544
CONTACT: Michael Tawn Airgun Supplies
01945 420770 ● www.tawnadoairguns.com
The TM1000’s spec list and engineering makes it
highly appealing to competition shooters
regulated match rifle with pellets plucked straight from the tin – minimal,
and in single figures.
There’s the usual on-board air gauge at the left side of the breech –
nothing fabulous, it must be said – to keep you up to speed with what
pressure is in the rifle’s cylinder. Speaking of which, while the barrel shroud
of my rifle was silver anodised, the air cylinder appeared have a light grey
powder coating. Charging is via a snap-fit system, located under the screwoff dust cover at the front end.
My initial zeroing and group-checking was conducted over 35 yards,
and here I achieved regular, tight 6mm clusters. Moving back to 45 yards
enlarged the pattern only slightly, while the all-important, benchmark 50yard test produced sub-12mm groups. All textbook stuff.
As for negatives, I found that the ported muzzle in the shroud produced
what I can only describe as a slightly obtrusive, less than subtle report –
to the point where, if I was to opt for one of these models, I would have
to include the carbon-fibre shroud in the listed specification. Thankfully,
options abound with the TM1000, and if those superb laminate stocks just
aren’t your cup of tea, then a traditional walnut handle – which is cheaper
and lighter – is also available.
An adjustable rubber butt pad can be fitted in place of the fullyadjustable butt hook, too, so all tastes are clearly catered for. RAW
also produce a dedicated benchrest model, complete with squared off
woodwork, in-keeping with the requirements of this increasingly popular,
ever-demanding discipline, and for more information on this variant,
An on-board pressure gauge sits to
the left of the breech
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have a browse of the company’s website at
www.rapidairweapons.com.
So was the TM1000 worth the wait? Well,
the answer has to be a resounding yes! To
be honest, I would have bought the test gun
for myself were it not for that butt hook.
I’m a stickler for concave soft rubber in the
shoulder, and that’s the bottom line. These
rifles come with the butt section crafted to
fit the butt hook, so it would be impractical
to make the switch on this test rifle.
But I’m still tempted to put in an order
A dust cover
to my own spec because, action-wise, you
shields the snap-fit
just can’t fault those super-tight groupings,
charging system
recorded at the outer-most distances to
be found in outdoor competitions. My only
reservation is that rather irritating muzzle report,
so I’d avoid the ported shroud, however slick it may look.
In short, the TM1000 represents a serious choice in top quality hardware,
with a mouthwatering spec list and level of engineering. In a results-driven
market – at least where top-end rifles are concerned – the TM1000 has
already proven itself in top national competitions. And with several highprofile victories already to its name so soon after its release, I’d say that’s all
the endorsement this PCP needs. ●
Accuracy at
long-range
competition
distances is
superb
AIRGUN SHOOTER
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