Edgun Matador – Where to buy and how much?

Jag, the agents were pretty cool. I told them that it would be fascinating to have a few beers with them and have then tell me some of their storys.

My moderator had to go to Virginia, to be tested. That is why it took a month.

The agents kept telling me that it was not in their best interest to put me in jail. They said that they would have to spend too much time and money on me, time that they could be spending on meth labs and criminals with “full auto AK 47s.”

One of the first things they told me was “we checked your record and, you don’t have one!”

Whew!

Hello Jag, Welcome to the loony bin!

Hoot, I can no longer shoot pigeons downtown? Is it OK to still shoot crows? 😆

Jag, I have had first hand experience with the BATF. I cut and pasted this from a PM that I sent to another forum member. Here is my sad but true story!

“A guy at work turned me in, to the company, for making firearm silencers at work. I was making plastic cup baffels for an Edgun shroud, using my own materials, and on my own time. I had permission, from my supervisors, to use the lathe on my own time.

I got got called into the HR department. Company and union officals were there. They wanted to know if I was making firearm silencers at work. I explaned what I was making and had a sample of the cup baffel in my pocket. I told them that it was for an air rifle and that it was not illeagal to make and use.

They told me that I was OK and not in any trouble. The company has now come out with a policy that won’t allow us to use the equiptment because of lialability reasons.

That was about 2 weeks ago. Yesterday the BATF comes knocking on my door. They said that they got a report that I was making firearm silencers. I invite them in (like I had a choice!) and show them what I was making. I told them that I didn’t own a firearm and that I was making baffels for my airgun. The Edgun happened to be sitting on my coffee table.

I took the add on shroud off of the Edgun and one of the agents looked at it and said that it did not look like like a firearm silencer to him. It is a 6″ long 1” OD tube that has 12mm male threads on the end that screws into the Edgun end cap.

He told me that I was OK and was not going to be fined or charged with anything. He asked if I would let him take the shroud in for testing. I told him yes (again, like I had a choice!). He gave me a reciept for the shroud. Both guys were very nice. One of the agents asked, “If the guy knew that you were baking baffels for airguns, why did he turn you into the company and us?” I told him, “because he is a fucking asshole!” Both agents just laughed and one of them said that it “sounds like you need to catch him somewhere and kick his ass!”

He told me that the lab would put it on a Ruger .22 cal pistol and see if it reduced the report. If it did, he would let me know and I could not make any more. If it did reduce the report, it would be destroyed. If it didn’t, it would be returned to me and then I could make as many as I wanted. Of course, it is going to reduce the sound.

I told him that it was not going to fit on any firearm without being modified or using an adapter. I told him that modifying it or making an adaptor to use it on a firearm would be the illeagal act. I told him that if it would not directly fit on a firearm, it could not be a silencer. He told me that I was wrong, if it could be made to fit and reduced the report, it was then a firearm silencer.

I told him that I could take my lawn mower muffler, make an adaptor, put it on a firearm, and it would reduce the report but, it wasn’t a silencer. He had no comment.

I told him that the reason I was making these was I had ordered the add on shroud when I ordered my Edgun and that the shroud has been on backorder for months. I told him that I thought that since it was OK to buy the gun with the add on shroud, I would be OK making a copy to use. He told me that If it reduced the report, I was not OK and that I would also have to turn in the Edgun shroud, when it came in.

I also showed them my home made Condor shroud. They were not interested in it. They also were not interested in the stock Edgun moderator.

My add on moderator was sent in for testing. About a month later, the agent calls me up and said, “You have a firearm silencer, my friend.” He then told me that he was “very surprised” that it reduced the report 1 decibel. He came by, with a form stating that I was turning over my silencer to the BATF and that they were going to destroy it.

I was told to not make any more. I also gave him all of the other baffles that I had. I hade made a few different designs and had about 40 baffles all together. I told him that I didn’t want anything to do with them! He laughed and said “I don’t blame you!”

That happened between Dec. 09 and Jan 2010. ”

While I was waiting for word from the BATF, I called Crossman and asked if they had an OK from the BATF to sell shrouded air rifles. I got to talk to one of the higher ups in the legal department. She told me that Crossman/Benjamin had not contacted the BATF because, as far as they were concerned, the BATF has no jusisdiction over air rifles.

I live in Illinois and IL. considers .20 cal. and larger air rifles to be firearms. They also consider anything that reduces the report of a firearm to be a silencer. Silencers are illeagl in Il.

I talked to a Seargent Major with the Illinois State Police and asked him if I was breaking the law by owning a moderated .22 cal. air rifle. He told me that, if the moderator came with the gun, I was OK. I was told that I needed a Firearms Owner Identification Card to legally own a .22 cal. air rifle! 😯

I agree with all of the others. If you get in trouble for something else, they find a moderator on your air rifle and they decide to “throw the book at you”, you could get charged with having an unlicensed silencer.

I am not worried about my moderators.

The bottom line is this:

1) The BATF knows all about silencers and air guns.

2) The statute, as currently written, gives them almost universal power to
determine whether they will pursue and prosecute someone they feel they have good reason, as regards silencers.

3) The statute was recently found in federal court to lack specific wording to include air gun silencers, and the individual prosecuted was released.

4) The statute has not been changed. Because, as written, they have tremendous freedom of interpretation to determine who and why they wish to prosecute an individual.

5) If Benjamin, Inc. was concerned about this, which would involve their entire upper management in engaging in felonous activities, they wouldn’t be selling the quietest mass produced air gun in the world.

6) Don’t give the BATF reason to cause you problems. Right now, its live and let live. Be a reasonable citizen. Don’t shoot pigeons downtown. Don’t irritate people who don’t like you or your air rifle, and give them reason to call the police. Keep your hobby in areas safe to shot.

7) People who don’t cause problems, who don’t draw unnecessary attention to themselves and their hobbies, generally don’t get in trouble.

8) Use common sense. The BATF can’t arrest everyone, nor do they want to. There’s enough criminals out there with firearms causing problems without them needing to go witch-hunting for ordinary hobbiests. Note the cases tried generally involved people operating on the fringes of the law. Silencer manufacture is merely one way to deal with a criminal if you lack sufficient evidence to prosecute/arrest for other crimes. Like Al Capone and tax evasion. Law enforcement needs tools to deal with crafty criminals, and a loosely worded statute gives them flexibility to pick and choose how and when they should take action.

9) We have law enforcement officers on this forum who own shrouded air rifles.

10) Mr. Beeman had good reason to state his position as he did. At that time he wasn’t involved in the selling of shrouded PCP air rifles. Today, the owners of Beeman Corp do sell the fully shrouded Beeman/HW100, so times have changed since his remark.

10) This isn’t legal advice, it’s just what I picked up being around the hobby and investigating the situation on silencers myself. I own one and intend to use it with care and discretion. Just use common sense.

Hoot 😯

This is my first post and I’ve been perusing for a while now. With that, I must say that I am thoroughly enjoying this forum. Especially because of the quality of the insight from those who know so much more than myself and because of the entertainment of those who have a really great sense of humor such as Hoot. It’s what brings us together here and provides a quasi “safe harbor” from the every day world “bullshit.”
I am also extremely pleased to see that we’re all back to the sharing of quality information and that all politics have been set aside.
My first post I ask an ignorant question that only a new person could possibly ask.
I’m really loving the prospect of purchasing an edgun. The huge question (at least for me) is… Since the shroud is detachable? Should I be concerned (down the road) with the the feds possibly making a case that I could use it on a firearm (just once) to lower it a db. Yeah… I know it’s BS if you ask me but a worthwhile question at any rate.
Also, something that could negate this question is that since the air gun is “legally” being imported into the country, it has obviously jumped through this legal hurdle already.
Can someone who knows much more than me provide some concrete facts or info that would end my ignorance or speculation?

Well said Mr. Hoot. :thumb:

Thanks Ted,

I’m not sure which one I want yet, I just know that You guys and your EDGUN’S Seem to be spreading some type of virus and I seem to be slowly coming down with it!!!

THis PCP rifle stuff is bad for my marriage, wallet, and my sanity.

❗ 😈

Now back on topic>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

How much are they now? From what I see the biggest factor is the shipping is this true?

I’m hearing a broken record that continues to play the same song.

DrSmartAss, with all due respect, you are a man easily upset, and are too quick to vent your anger. No one in here personally did any of the things you mentioned that happened to Romania. We were not involved. No one likes history. All our countries (politicians) have done stupid things at the hands of ignorant and uncaring advisors. We all have reason to be angry at the world, especially when we personally spent time, shed blood, and lost good friends following the orders we were given by those in authority over us.

Politics is the curse of the common man.

It isn’t the way we discuss things in here. We all put up with problems from politicians, wives, children, traffic cops, neighbors, and pidors in our lives, and we certainly have no room, or patience, for these problems in here.

Here there is sanity, peace, fun with friends, bad jokes, and lots of good gifted people from all over the world sharing ideas. If there is to be a New World Order, our leaders would be well advised to look in here. We self govern ourselves, and our members, pretty well. In here, we see individuals with something to share, not dogma, government policies, world history, nations, nor political hatreds.

Now, let’s get back to PCP airguns and drop this nonsense.

Hoot 😯

PS: In 67 years I have found three things almost impossible to find: good women, easy wealth, and political leaders who are not corrupted with greed, power, and their personal welfare. The only thing that keeps me going is the fact that I have always managed to find a good dog to keep me company.