Ed Is Listening

Hell ya, Daddy! It’s here! :8: All you “Edgunners” have been in my shoes…the packages arrive, the grin ensues and the fun begins. I’m compelled to give a brief update/report, for this awesome gun, as per my observations. There is a lot of dated and misleading info out there, which has raised a lot of questions/concerns. I will attempt to dispel these, for those unaware of Ed’s hard work and the latest design advances.

Received-Matador R3M .25 long, scope mounted, cleaned the “pipe” and 380 shots through the tube. Here’s a brief rundown and report of my definitive findings, so far:

1) The breech block is now marked appropriately as 6.35 mm/.25 cal. and with the new
generation aluminum design, it has a finish which is a consistent match to all external
components. (no apparent mismatch of finish, per earlier versions)
2) Concern for a “loose” or warping stock is unfounded…it’s anchored fore and aft, as
secure as any of my magnum powder burners.
3) Concern for friction, developed by actuating the magazine advance component, is non-
existent-the bolt guide pin is configured w/ a roller and is well lubed.
4) Trigger pull & creep as received…I wouldn’t change a thing. (well I lie…I know I
will dink with it and end up putting it back as it is now). Better than my Marauder,
which has extensive adjustment & modification, and as crisp as my varminting/bench
guns.
5) Bolt cycling is heavy, due to the geometry of components, but is smooth. (grinding, sticky,
rough…uuh, I don’t think so) There’s more resistance produced by pushing the pellet
into the breech, than pulling back the bolt. Upon inspection, I note the bolt guide
pin and hammer face contact area, are well polished and mildly chamfered to reduce
friction at this critical bearing point.
6) The forward pitch, incorporated into the scope rail, works perfectly for the Hawke
Sidewinder 6-24x…this feature bought an estm.120 clicks without any overrun of the
reticule or stress to internal components.
7) The ease, for hammer spring adjustment, has been provided for by a threaded, finger adj.
sleeve and associated lock ring. No need for allen wrenches and pliers, anymore.
(A light cinch w/ pliers of the lock ring is advised…it can back off when finger tight)
8) My concern for a bullpup configured rifle, shouldered by a lefty, are now somewhat
supported. The bolt itself is OK, but because of the projection of the magazine and
the short reach from the butt to cheek position, there is a conflict. In my case, this
can be remedied by addition of shims or adjustable butt plate, to increase reach.
9) Received gun w/ 120 bar setting on the regulator-achieving 70 shots w/ ES of 23 for
940 fps velocity…usage from 220 bar to 110 bar, with less than 1/4″ drop. Bench, 5
shot group average of .68″ @ 50 yds, during seasoning and break in. I believe this
will reduce to sub .5″ after tuning to a lower velocity and settling in.
10) I made note that the sweet spot, for accuracy, seems to be trending at around 910 fps
with a yield of .52″ average, 5 shot groups, currently. At this tuned velocity, I was able
to glean 75 shots per fill.
11) Maybe the best surprise of all is, the long wait for receipt, post payment, has
apparently been alleviated. Mine was in hand within 5 business days, with all
additional maintenance/repair parts and extras, such as 2nd probe, extra o rings
and valve stem, as requested.
12) I purchased a second probe for 2 reasons. First, to have a replacement when, not if,
I misplace the original. Second, to utilized as a dust plug for the fill port. I just put a
rubber cap on the threaded end and viola, dust cap, for just a bit over the price of the
after market fare, with the added benefit of a backup probe.
13) The scope rail magazine retainer seems to only accommodate (3) .25 mags, rather than the
intended (4). With the (2) include mags I can see, when in place, they offset one another
slightly, requiring a small portion of the space required for the 4th one. I will report when
I receive the backordered mags.
14) Oh ya, the report is on a par with the Marauder .25 for actual db. The Matador is sharper
and more mechanical but no louder, on a down range tangent @ similar velocities.

Hope this info sets the record straight. My goal is to give this current info in as comprehensive fashion as possible, based on fact and my own findings. I probably missed an item or
two, but this dwells on the higher profile queries. I’m sure this will also become dated as Ed continues to improve this fine product. Cheers, Steve :wave: