Beeman RS1 Dual-Caliber Air Rifle Review

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Beeman RS1 – Click to enlarge

Ever brought your .177 with you and wished you had your .22? The Beeman RS1 is a dual-caliber air rifle that gives you the best of both worlds. With one simple twist of a bolt, you can switch between a .177 and a .22 barrel. This spring-piston break-barrel rifle isn’t without its flaws, but I was pretty impressed when doing my review.

Lightweight and Solid Build

The RS1’s build is pretty solid. I chose the hardwood stock, but a synthetic stock is available too if that’s what you prefer. The rifle has some weight to it (6.9lbs), but I wouldn’t say it’s on the heavy side. Compared to some other rifles I’ve tested, this one is actually lightweight.

While this has nothing to do with the gun’s build, I did want to mention that it comes with a case that holds both barrels, the stock and scope neatly in place. It’s a convenient little extra, and it helps keep the gun in good shape.

Powerful but Accuracy Isn’t Perfect

There are some people who say the RS1 has terrible accuracy. And these claims come from the dual-caliber functionality of this rifle. On the bottom of the barrel is an Allen bolt. Now, this bolt is what lets you change barrels. Some people have had issues with the bolt coming loose while shooting and causing shots to go all over the place. I never experienced this personally. In fact, I had pretty tight groupings when I shot the RS1 – even at 50 yards.

In the power department, I was expecting this rifle to be “okay,” but it exceeded my expectations. Beeman says you’ll get 1000 fps in .177 and 830 fps in .22, and I’d say that’s about right. With the .177, you’ll shoot fast; with the .22, you’ll shoot hard. And that can really come in handy depending on whether you’re just plinking for fun or hunting small game. Not having to carry around two guns is a definite plus in my book.

The RS1 does come with a 4×32 scope. Like most other bundled scopes, it’s not the best you can buy, but it’s still surprisingly accurate. I had to re-zero it every hundred shots or so. And if you plan on changing barrels, you’ll need to sight in again. You won’t find a Weaver or Picatinny with this rifle either. The RS1 uses a good old-fashioned scope mount.

Easy to Change Calibers

The RS1 is a break-barrel rifle, so it’s easy to load and easy to shoot. Changing barrels is pretty simple and straightforward too. As I mentioned, you just have to remove a simple Allen bolt to change out the barrel. Just make sure that you tighten it well to prevent it from coming loose when you shoot.

The cocking effort is 31 lbs, which means this is probably not a rifle a kid or young teenager could shoot with ease. But honestly this is not a rifle designed for kids. You can certainly use it for plinking and just for fun, but it’s powerful enough for small game hunting.

Pros

The first and most obvious “pro” is that this rifle lets you switch between .177 and .22 caliber barrels. This means that you can adapt to whatever kind of shooting you’re doing without having to switch guns. The less gear I have to carry, the better.

The RS1 is powerful and accurate (providing you’ve tightened that Allen bolt under the barrel). For pest control and small game hunting, this rifle excels. Of course, you can use it for plinking and shooting cans too.

Cons

The scope could be better. It’s decent for most purposes, but if you’re serious about scopes, you may want to replace the bundled one.

The Bottom Line

The Beeman RS1’s dual caliber functionality lets you adapt to different shooting situations with a simple change of a barrel. For the same price as a single caliber rifle, you’re (essentially) getting two rifles. You really can’t go wrong with the RS1.

Related posts:

5 Reasons Why I Prefer a .22 Caliber Over .177 Caliber