BIG THE BIG TEST THE TEST ON TEST this month: Webley VMX D Ram A Large D Ram The editor reviews a gas-ram version of the popular Webley VMX I t’s an interesting fact that despite the incredible technological advancements made by pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) rifles in the last few decades, the humble break-barrel airgun still outsells them many times over. There are many reasons for this, including the fact that they’re easy to manufacture, which makes them cheap to buy. They’re also pretty simple to work on, meaning that anybody with a bit of mechanical ability can service and repair them. They’re also tough and can take the rough handling and muck that are often a part of the life of a hunting gun. In many respects they’ve not really changed all that much over the years. Yes, they’ve become more refined, but internally the basic piston sliding down a bore, compressing the air which then propels the pellet principle is much the same. The usual power source is a large coiled steel spring, which is compressed as the rifle is cocked and released as the trigger is pulled. These are cheap and mostly reliable, but some years ago a group of English engineers questioned if they could be bettered. They came up with a gas-ram that in principle is the same as the leg of the front suspension on a motor bike. Instead of a steel spring they used an air spring. SPECS Manufacturer: Webley Importer: Highland Outdoors Web :highlandoutdoors.co.uk Tel: 0845 099 0252 Model: VMX D Ram Length: 43” (109cm) Weight: 6.4 lbs (2.9kg) Stock: Ambidextrous polymer Colours: Black Calibres: .177, .20 Webley, .22 springs weaken over time, whereas the gas-ram wouldn’t. It could be left cocked while out hunting without weakening. This meant that you wouldn’t need to cock the gun near your quarry which might well be spooked as you did. The gas-ram would also be lighter than a spring and light parts move faster than heavy ones, so logically they  Cost: £149.99 Pressure Vessel The ram contained pressurised air which would be compressed further on the cocking stroke and then release the stored energy as you pulled the trigger. They saw a host of benefits. Firstly, steel www.airgunshooting.co.uk AIR GUNNER 21 THE BIG TEST felt that the ram would give a quicker lock time than a spring. Lock time is a firearms term, whereas we should be using action time for airguns. This is the time between the trigger breaking and the pellet leaving the barrel. All other things being equal, faster is better, because you’ll have wandered off aim less if the pellet leaves quickly. Of course, having designed and perfected the idea they quite rightly patented it and the other gun makers of the world looked on jealously. That patent ran out recently and lots of manufacturers have quickly released their own versions of this innovative idea and Webley has joined the party too. Their rifle is called the D Ram and is based on the VMX model. The conversion from spring to ram is quite simple, because the ram has the same dimensions as the conventional spring and piston. From the outside you can’t see the difference except for the subtle ‘D Ram’ logo on the chamber. Another perceived benefit that a ram has over a spring is that they can be smoother to cock. There should be none of the graunchy springagainst-steel noise, because the contact between metal parts is removed because the synthetic seals are the contact points. There’s also no spring ‘twang’ as the rifle fires, which should help reduce noise. While it’s true that spring noise is eliminated, I can’t say that I’ve ever noticed an overall decrease in noise, but it is a fact that vibration must be reduced, which should help accuracy. Cocking Force The D Ram’s cocking force felt much like any spring gun in its class but was much smoother. The firing cycle is noticeably snappy and has an unusual ringing tone after the shot has gone. As the trigger breaks, there’s a definite snap as the shot goes which feels crisp and quite powerful. Triggers in this class are set to be safe in the hands of inexperienced shooters, “One of the less well-known things about a gas-ram rifle is that there’s no need to have them tuned” 22 AIR GUNNER www.airgunshooting.co.uk Bottom left: Although the open sights are fully adjustable, Matt preferred to maximise accuracy by using the Nikko Mountmaster scope Bottom right: The Tru-glo fibre-optic sights mean you can shoot the D-Ram straight from the box so tend to be a little heavy and long and the D Ram was set this way as well. This makes good sense, because safety is the most important part of shooting. Over the chronograph the .22 Vermin Pell was giving 11.4 ft.lbs. which was spot-on for my needs, as we’ll see later. One of the less well-known things about a gas-ram rifle is that there’s no need to have them tuned. Pretty much all springers benefit from skilled tuning where the gunsmith strips the rifle, and then carefully lubricates and refits the components. This maximises the performance, but because the workings of the gas ram are sealed, no tuning is possible, or for that matter needed. Keeping up with fashion the VMX wears an ambidextrous polymer stock which in my eyes is a good thing. Polymer isn’t at all affected by rain, mud or blood and won’t lose its finish because moisture has seeped into the grain. They’re also strong and can’t crack along the grain as wood does sometimes. Okay, they’re not everybody’s cup of tea, but expect to see more of them; they’re the future. Modern synthetic materials are worlds away from what people disparagingly call ‘cheap plastic’ and you find them used on top-end deer stalking rifles and shotguns designed to be used in the very worst conditions. THE BIG TEST along the scope rails and for this reason Webley fitted a steel stop to the rail, but they also drilled the top of the action to accept a stud as fitted to the base of the Mountmaster rings. Either will work and I suffered no creep during the test. With the evenings drawing in, I asked Pete to leave the kitchen and dining room lights on which would spread light all across the garden and decking. Food scraps were easy to see, so I went 15 yards down the garden and tucked myself in behind a tree. Next I fired a test shot or two so that I could be confident that my zero was spot on for the distance. Ratty Tale In last month’s mag I was after some rats that were getting fat on my friend’s chicken feed. Another pal called me after reading the article and complained that I’d forgotten he’d called first about the rats that were living under his decking. Many people have found to their dismay that decking offers the perfect home for rodents and none more so than the hated rat. When people find out that they’ve built a warm dry home for the rats right next to their kitchen, it can make them pretty squeamish. So the very next day I went around to Pete’s house so see the damage. Sure enough there were slick rat runs along the side of the deck leading to the front doors: oh, I mean rat holes, underneath. I asked him to bait the area with any food scraps they had for the next few nights and then went back with the D Ram and a tin of Vermin Pells in hand. I’d fitted it with a Mountmaster 3-9 x 50 scope which has a mil-dot reticle. I hoped that this would give a nice bright image allowing me to target the rats as they scurried about. The scope comes with mounts already fitted and the rear one has a recoil arrestor pin fitted which I used to ensure that the scope didn’t creep. All spring or gas-ram guns have an unusual recoil pattern that causes the scope to slide backward Danger Averted Bottom left: In poor light conditions the fibre-optic sights come into their own Bottom right: The arrestor block is essential on a gas-ram because the sharp recoil can cause the scope to creep. However, we used the arrestor stud because it gave Matt the correct eye relief However, I was worried that a pellet might hit a stone in the ground and ricochet towards the house, so I moved to another tree that made the angle safer. Any pellet ricocheting this way would strike the side of Pete’s brick built garage and do no harm. I’d brought along some of my magic rat bait which is liquidised cat food (stinky) with added mackerel skins (even stinkier!) and put a few drops of it in place where I had the best view. Liquid bait like this is the best, because the rats have to stay still to drink it rather than picking up lumps of food and running off. I need all the time I can get to shoot precisely, so this system works for me. Just as the chilly night air was making me think of going home, a whiskery nose twitched its way out from beneath the deck. “Steady,” I told myself, “let it come out to the bait.” As the seconds passed, it walked slowly forward, sniffing the air for danger. I settled the reticle on its head and the D Ram was bloodied. The heavy .22 wadcutter dropped it with a neat brain shot and its gnawing and chewing days were over. Rather than collect it and cause disturbance, I cocked and reloaded the Webley and then stayed still. Some 20 minutes later another rat came out of the same hole and the event was repeated. It always amazes me how a rat will walk past a freshly dead pack mate and appear not to care. The night brought three more to account and I was a happy boy. Sure, I didn’t get them all but I had made a big dent in their population. This for me is what the Webley D Ram is for. It’s a tough rifle with enough power to dispatch vermin at close range and is a ready hunter straight from the box. If you want something a little different from your friends the D Ram might be just what you’re looking for. n “The firing cycle is noticeably snappy and has an unusual ringing tone” www.airgunshooting.co.uk AIR GUNNER 23