Crosman Shockwave Air Rifle: A Complete Review

Are you looking for an air gun that’s easy to operate yet delivers superb performance? Here is one outstanding air gun from Crosman. It is unique from other Crosman air gun models due to its innovative operation. The Shockwave Nitro Piston Powered Break Barrel Air Rifle offers Nitro piston technology and hence boasts reduced recoil and shoots quietly.

 It is a powerful air rifle ideal for shooting small game animals such as squirrels, rabbits, gophers, and mice. I like it because its creative engineering makes it perfect for hunting in all weather conditions. This review provides more information on this gun, and you’ll realize that it is available in two caliber options.

Features of the Shockwave NP Powered Break Barrel Air Rifle

Two Caliber Options

The Crosman Shockwave NP air gun gives you the privilege to choose the ideal caliber for your shooting needs; it is available in .22 and .177 caliber options. Both options deliver stunning performance, and can fire lead pellets at incredible velocities. 

With lead pellets, the velocity of the two calibers varies slightly. The .177 caliber fires lead pellets at staggering 1000 fps while the .22 caliber fires the same at 800 fps but with somewhat higher effective energy considering the weight of the pellet.

Nitro Piston Gas-Piston Powerplant

This feature is among the aspects that set this rifle apart from others. It is an innovative technology whereby cocking the gun will move a piston gadget to the rear. But, in this case, it doesn’t compress a spring but rather nitrogen gas in a specially designed cylinder. When you fire this rifle, the compressed gas will push a piston forward which further compresses air behind the projectile.

 This feature is an outstanding aspect which gives this air gun unrivaled performance. You can call this compressed gas system ‘gas-ram’; it is responsible for the low noise, low recoil and allows you to leave the rifle cocked for a prolonged period. 

I also like it due to the reduced vibrations and how it impacts on high accuracy. Therefore, the Nitro gas piston makes this rifle ideal for beginners, women and anyone with limited experience.

Ergonomic Barrel Design

This rifle features a unique barrel design which allows secure handling and improved accuracy. It is a break barrel design which is also shrouded for better performance. The QuietFire shrouded barrel ensures this rifle shoots pellets without producing high noise.

 Unlike other break-action guns, the Shockwave NP rifle uses nitrogen gas and an advanced Nitro Piston which reduces the undesirable characteristics. It possesses reduced recoil and noise as opposed to other spring based break barrel guns. As a result, this gun is light, less noisy and fires comfortably.

Silencing Barrel Device (SBD)

This feature is entirely new on the Crosman air rifles. Unlike other gun silencers which are a bit cumbersome, the SBD is an upgraded version which doesn’t affect the gun’s operation in any way. This device boasts best in class noise reduction efficiency. It entails containment of the expansion of gases which aid in reducing noise. This is a vital feature when training or while shooting squirrels in your backyard. 

The system allows for more dissipation of energy as it will enable the gases to expand inside the shrouded barrel and baffle. Notably, the SBD mechanism makes this rifle three times quieter than the ordinary standard spring-piston break-action air guns.

Rifled Steel Barrel

Apart from having a break barrel design, this air rifle features rifled barrel. It is forged from steel and hence can tolerate high temperatures and never lose shape. The rifling results in some helical grooves machined into the internal surface of the barrel. This feature gives this air gun more power as it allows exertion of more torque which consequently spins the pellet. 

Also, rifling enables the projectile to have a stable movement. This spinning will also improve the range and accuracy of the projectile. But, the rifling in this airguns barrel is unique as it features precise twists. This design enhances the velocity as well as the landing of shots on your intended targets.

Why You Will Enjoy Using this Air Rifle

Comfort

6 Pounds Weight- Without the Scope and Mount

An ideal hunting gun shouldn’t be too heavy to carry around. I can undoubtedly declare the Shockwave NP air gun as one of the lightest rifles on the market. 

Weighing only 6 pounds without a scope on it, it is an ideal hunting gun for many. If you add a scope and its mount system, this gun will weigh 1.5 pounds more. Hence, women and youth can handle this gun without any struggle as they go hunting small game animals.

Reduced Recoil

The light design of this gun makes it easy to handle, but amazingly, it boasts reduced recoil. The Nitro Piston gas-piston Powerplant offers a powerful firing mechanism without any notable recoil. The synthetic stock between the typically hard butt-stock features a rubber padding which further eliminates felt recoil. 

Hence, this gun is perfect for youths and beginners who might be afraid of straining their shoulders due to recoil force.  This, in turn, boosts the gun’s performance by allowing you to shoot more accurately and precisely. The padded butt also will enable you to try various shooting positions depending on the environment and nature of shooting.

Single-Shot Air Gun

This air gun boasts single-shot firing. It is easy to use and possesses excellent accuracy for both short and long ranges. You’ve to load a pellet each time you want to fire. Luckily, it’s easy to load the pellets, and the process is no rocket science for a beginner. Also, it is a versatile single action air gun and can fire different types of pellets as long as it agrees with the gauge. 

As a single action gun, it is pretty easy to clean and maintain. With proper care, this air gun can serve you for years. Moreover, there are no springs to weaken or magazine to jam. Also, there are no bolts that can short-stroke hence it is a very safe air gun.

Durable Construction and Great Appearance

Ambidextrous All-Weather Synthetic Black Stock

 This feature is one of the aspects that make this air gun genuinely amazing. This Ambidextrous stock is ideal for both right-handed and left-handed individuals. The stock is forged from premium synthetic material. It features a textured grip so that you can hold your gun more stably and make accurate shots. 

Also, the material is waterproof to ensure no weather condition curtails your shooting experience. It’s also durable and strong to ensure it survives the harshness of the shooting environment. This stock boasts a contoured and ergonomic shape that allows comfortable handling. It isn’t too long and therefore, individuals with short arms can operate the air gun without any stress.

Two-Stage Adjustable Trigger

The trigger mechanism determines how smoothly you fire the shots. The Crosman Shockwave NP is one type of air gun that is easy to fire thanks to the dual-stage adjustable trigger. This feature boasts a clean break and crisp release functionality. 

Unlike other dual triggers in other gun models, this one doesn’t require extra pull allowance to facilitate firing. I like this gun’s trigger mechanism as it is ideal for long-range shooting without the light trigger liability like in the case of single-stage triggers. Well, this feature makes this rifle versatile as you can use it for competition shooting, hunting, plinking among other areas. This trigger design could also be a great choice for tactical use if this gun had more significant knockdown energy.

Compatibility with other Accessories

Fully Adjustable Fiber Optic Rear Sight and Fixed Fiber Optic Front Sight

It’s quite hard for anyone to shoot accurately if the gun doesn’t have sighting devices. For you to ensure your target is in line with your bore, sighting devices are must-have accessories. Well, this Crosman Shockwave NP air gun has both front and rear fiber optic sights. The front one is fixed but nicely positioned to work correctly. The rear sight is also fiber optic and hence provides enhanced sighting of the target in low light. 

Unlike the front sight, the rear sight is adjustable, thereby allowing you to choose the correct aiming point. It allows elevation and windage adjustment so that you can land your shots precisely where you want. Thus, you can find the most suitable position to ensure an excellent target acquisition. This air gun is a single shot, and hence you need to utilize every single shot you make. The sights will allow you to make every pellet count.

11mm Dovetail Optics Rail

Equipped with an 11mm dovetail, installation of your preferred telescopic sights is easy. It’s easy to install the sights and optics on this dovetail and also allows you to adjust their positions. This feature makes this air gun easy to use, versatile and maneuverable. 

Thus, you can have several sights and scopes to use on different shooting scenarios. Besides, the dovetail mount system works well for this rifle because it’s a low-recoiling air gun. It allows a stable mounting of scopes and sights to ensure no damage regardless of intense shooting.

Unmounted Center point Optics 4x32mm Scope

Once you install the included 4x32mm scope, you’ll be able to view your targets more clearly. The included dovetail rail allows you to position the scopes correctly to suit your eye needs. It’s pretty easy to change the scope’s position with just some simple wrench. The included scope is of premium quality and doesn’t offer parallax error. 

Moreover, the dovetail is compatible with a wide array of scopes. Thus, you can choose your favorite scope and enjoy a more enhanced target magnification. See the best rifle scopes to match your gun. The included scopes are elegant as it features a black finish that rhymes with the color of the gun.

Most Popular Air Gun Accessories for Your Crosman Shockwave

Here is a table of accessories to pair with your air rifle.

The Good

• Lightweight and comfortable handling
• Simple break barrel design and easy cocking effort
• Ambidextrous stock and grip
• Reliable low-recoiling features
• Easy and reliable sighting
• Exceptionally budget-friendly rifle

The Not so Good

• Feels too light if you’re used to conventional airguns
• Tedious reloading but the crisp dual-stage trigger does the compensation
• Tricky to clean and maintain especially for beginners

 Conclusion

Getting the best air gun for plinking, small game hunting and sport shooting has never been a breeze. But when you finally grab your Crosman Shockwave NP QuietFire, you are good to go. 

It is one of the recent innovations by Crosman and sets a class of its own due to the unique Nitro piston Power Plant. It is exceptionally robust, and fires lead pellets at exceptional velocity. As you now know, it also fires the pellets silently, making it ideal for backyard shooting. Amazingly, it is available at a price that won’t rip you off.