Guest Post by Connor Anderson,
I received the Crosman R1 Fallen Patriots BB rifle, the newest addition to their line up, as a gift for my graduation. The Fallen Patriots rifle is based off of the original Crosman R1 BB rifle with a sleek makeover and sporting the Fallen Patriots logo. A portion of the proceeds that Crosman makes off of the R1 Fallen Patriots rifle are being donated to the Children of Fallen Patriots foundation, which works to help children of fallen soldiers pay for college and secondary schooling.
The Fallen Patriots model comes with six thousand copper coated BB’s, a great start for use in target practice. The rifle was available for pre-order up until July 23, 2021, and is now available for open order through Crosman. Selling for $199.99 on the Crosman site and scoring you 6,000 copper coated BB’s for free makes this a great deal for anyone who is looking to get into the BB world and do a little good while they’re at it.
The Crosman R1 uses two 12-gram CO2 cartridges to fire 4.5mm BB’s at an impressive 1,400 rounds per minute. The rifle arrives pre-assembled and ready to be used. Not based on any particular AR style rifle, the R1 has a unique feel and surprising realism to it. Featuring a box magazine and a 6 position stock, the rifle can fit many enthusiasts of any size.
The R1 rifle does not come with CO2 cartridges, a trip to any local hobby store should fix that. It does come with basic plastic iron sites or a red dot sight (model dependent option). The R1 Fallen Patriots model I received has the plastic iron sites, which I am looking to replace down the line. They are rudimentary. Using black plastic and no coloring or markings on the sites at all proves difficult in trying to accurately line up your shots. I plan on replacing these sites with a simple red dot site to make it easier to aim and focus on my shots. Out of the box the included sights work though.
The rifle features a select fire switch for either semi or full auto. With reliable accuracy in semi and in full auto, this (CO2) rifle provides a pleasant experience. Shooting a straight line at about 30 yards, I was more than capable of hitting my target reliably.
The R1 shoots at an astounding 430 feet per second with two full CO2 canisters. However, as with any CO2 powered BB rifle, that speed and reliability diminishes as the CO2 empties. Two CO2 cartridges last you a reasonable amount of time on both semi and full auto fire. Using semi-automatic fire, I find myself using about 7-8 magazines full of BB’s or about 200 rounds, and about 5 magazines or 125 rounds before needing to replace the canisters in full auto.
Arriving with one 25 round magazine, you may find yourself stopping to refill on BB’s quite often with the convenient speed loader provided. Although only plastic, and with a tendency to jam, the loader tends to be more efficient than attempting to load the BB’s by hand. The magazine has a removable cover with a spot for the required two 12-gram CO2 cartridges. The cartridges are punctured and held in place by two large bolts that are turned via an allen wrench that is provided. The wrench sits loosely in a designated spot inside the magazine’s CO2 compartment for easy retention and convenience.
I found that when puncturing the canisters with the allen wrench you need to be careful in making sure the wrench is firm in the bolt and that you have a tight grip as you need to turn the key rather quickly or the canister will simply drain into the air, wasting it completely. I’ve seen other rifles use a secured fin on the bolt in place of the allen wrench; I feel the fin allows for one less tool to worry yourself about and a more reliable grip on the bolt than what is provided by the wrench.
All together, the Crosman R1 Fallen Patriots BB rifle has been proving itself as a reliable rifle. I hope to start taking it out for much more target practice soon to see how it does in the field and plan on providing an update as soon as I do.
Having a blast so far!
