Crosman Benjamin Trail NP XL 1500 air rifle - good quality at a reasonable price

Benjamin Trail NP XL 1500 Air Rifle Review

The Chinese model works on the spring-piston principle - the most common technology for air rifles. Loading and cocking are carried out when the barrel is broken.

The Crosman rifle is quite large (length - 124.4 cm) and heavy (4.15 kg), so not every shooter will find it convenient to use it, especially right away, without getting used to it and training. In addition, due to the large length, reloading is also complicated: only users with long arms will be able to reach the barrel comfortably. The center of gravity is slightly shifted to the front (due to the massive muffler).

The muffler itself is made in an unusual way: it is not located at the end of the barrel (as in most rifles), but runs along its entire length, starting almost from the fore-end. Together with the Nitro Piston system (the mechanism uses a piston filled with nitrogen), it reduces the sound of a shot by about 60-70%.

The model’s accuracy is quite good: when shooting at a distance of 10 meters, the bullets fall in a circle with a radius of up to 1.5-2 centimeters, from 25 meters - up to 2.5 centimeters. At a distance of 40 meters, an experienced shooter's aimed rifle will hit with a deviation of up to 3 centimeters on average.

The model is quite powerful: from a 10-meter distance, a lead bullet (weighing approximately 0.5 g) will pierce right through a 22 mm thick pine board, a sheet of plasterboard (8 mm), or a steel sheet (1 mm). From 20 meters - it will break a beer bottle and pierce through a tin drink can (the edges of the hole will be torn).

Advantages and disadvantages

The positive qualities of Benjamin Trail NP XL 1500 include:

• presence of OP and belt included;
• presence of a muffler;
• the presence of a rubberized butt pad;
• double-sided cheekpiece (which allows both right-handed and left-handed people to use the weapon equally comfortably);
• thumb cutout in buttstock;
• “full” power of the rifle when sold (many models are supplied with decompression - they are specially weakened by the manufacturer, and to improve the performance you have to modify the weapon yourself);
• Weaver rail for mounting optics (“dovetail” is more limited in the choice of models and less reliable, especially on rifles of this power);
• cast cocking mechanism (in most models it is stamped, which negatively affects durability and reliability).

Disadvantages worth mentioning:

• relatively heavy weight (which makes it difficult to shoot handheld);
• center of gravity shifted forward;
• lack of a front sight and target designator (optics are good at medium and long distances, close - it is often more convenient to shoot without a sight);
• the charge breaks the barrel (over time, play in the axis appears, which impairs accuracy).

Photo of the Benjamin Trail NP XL 1500 rifle

Separately, it should be said about the material of the butt: wood, which looks high-quality and beautiful, is actually not very reliable. It is easy to leave a scratch, chip or dent on it - the wood is quite soft.

Purpose

The model is intended for sport shooting and for entertainment. However, the presence of a scope in the kit and the absence of a front sight and target designator make the Benjamin Trail NP XL 1500 more relevant at distances of 20 meters and further.

Due to the high power and the presence of a good scope in the kit, it can also be used for hunting birds and small animals (up to about 10-15 kilograms in weight). However, it should be remembered that the current legislation of the Russian Federation has a number of restrictions related to the use of pneumatics for hunting.

Specifications

The technical characteristics of the Benjamin Trail NP XL 1500 rifle are as follows:

The cost of the rifle is about 23-24 thousand rubles. The price of a new sight separately from the rifle is about 5,500 rubles.

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Technical indicators:

• magazine capacity – 10 rounds;
• type of cartridges - explosive bullets;
• cartridge calibration – 5.5 mm;
• primary bullet speed – 304 meters per 1 second;
• energy source – spring-piston system;
• rifle weight - 3.1 kg;
• weapon length (total) – 1.09 m;
• steel barrel;
• the butt is made of wood.

Device

Externally, the model looks attractive and somewhat unusual - this is facilitated by a thickened barrel (due to a silencer) and the absence of the usual front sight. The barrel is made of steel. At the rear end there is a Weaver bar.

On the right side of the receiver, under the strap, there is an inscription painted in silver paint - the name of the model. It is also applied to the lower part of the stock.

The stock is one-piece (the stock and fore-end are a single whole), made of beech. The handle is pistol-type, with a large slot for the thumb. It and the front of the fore-end have textured areas on both sides to make the grip more secure.

The buttstock has a rubberized butt pad that softens the recoil (which is very important for a rifle with such power - if you are not used to it or in thin clothing, it will be felt very strongly). A swivel is installed at the bottom of the butt, under the cheek; the second is located at the end of the stock. The cheekpiece is double-sided (allows both right-handers and left-handers to aim equally comfortably), without height adjustment.

The dovetail, familiar to many owners of pneumatics, has been replaced by a less common, but more reliable option - the Weaver rail, located at the very beginning of the barrel. This is relevant if you take into account the power of the rifle: the dovetail mount for the optics becomes loose over time even on less powerful models.

The sight itself is Center Point 3-9×40, middle class. The closed, sealed, waterproof housing is filled with nitrogen. Has 2 adjustment drums (right and top).

The trigger is two-stage, the second stage is hard and long. There is a manual safety in the trigger guard in front of the hook.

Video review of the Benjamin Trail NP XL 1500 air rifle:

Operating principle

The operating principle of spring-piston rifles is based on the creation of pressure by a piston. When the barrel is broken, the piston is retracted back along the cylinder, compressing the spring located there. At the same time, the chamber opens - where the bullet is installed.

When the trigger is pressed, the piston returns to its original position due to the action of a gas (in this case) spring. The air accumulated in the cylinder, under the influence of piston pressure, is released along the barrel along with the bullet.

The Benjamin Trail NP XL 1500 rifle uses lead bullets with a diameter of 4.5 mm as ammunition. They can be of different weights (from 0.3 to 0.6 g on average) and shapes.

Video of the Benjamin Trail NP rifle in action:

Which optics should you choose?

The question of choosing optics may not arise for owners of the Benjamin Trail NP XL 1500: the scope supplied with the rifle is quite good, and is an analogue of the more famous Leapers brand (UTG 3-9×40). You can also choose it as a replacement if the “native” one included in the kit breaks down.

As an option, you can install any other OP on the rifle that has a Weaver rail mount. Due to the lack of a front sight and an aiming bar, it is important to choose models with low magnification (from 1.25x).

For good image quality and for comfortable use in poor lighting conditions, you also need to pay attention to the lens diameter - it should be at least 32.

Specific models include:

• Leapers 1.25-4×24. The best option due to its low cost (about 3,000 rubles), low magnification and the ability to adjust it, but it does not have a very good aperture ratio.
• Leapers 1.5-6×44. An ideal option for any distance, but costs about 8,000 rubles.
• Leapers 3-9×32. About 3500 rubles.
• Leapers 3-9×50. About 6000 rubles.

Photo of the Benjamin Trail NP XL 1500 optical sight

Advantages and disadvantages

The weapon has some advantages and disadvantages that are worth considering when purchasing. The advantages of the rifle include the following:

1. The presence of a double-sided cheek, which makes it possible to use it equally by right-handers and left-handers.
2. Availability of Weaver rail for optics.
3. One of the main advantages of the rifle is its complete set, including an optical sight and a silencer.
4. The butt plate is lined with rubber and has a wide thumb slot for ease of shooting.
5. The weapon does not need modification, as it is equipped with everything necessary already upon sale.
6. The cocking mechanism features a cast mechanism, which ensures its long service life.

Some disadvantages of the Crosman Benjamin Trail NP XL rifle:

1. The weapon is quite heavy to lift, which can complicate the shooting process to some extent.
2. It is impossible to shoot at close range due to the lack of a front sight and target indicator.
3. The center of gravity is significantly shifted forward.
4. The weapon must be loaded by breaking the barrel, which can gradually deteriorate the accuracy of the shot due to the displacement of the axis play.

Possible tuning (upgrade)

The rifle does not need any significant improvement: the scope is included, as are swivels and a sling. The manufacturer also installs a gas spring - so that it does not have to be replaced with a more powerful one (whereas most models initially use a weakened spring).

The only option is to replace the piston (in which the manufacturer drills a hole for decompression) or seal it. This is done when disassembling the rifle. This can also remove excess factory lubricant, which is often used in too large quantities.

Disassembly and care

The rifle is very demanding on cleanliness and is vulnerable to moisture and dirt. After every 350-400 shots, it is necessary to carry out routine disassembly and lubrication of the weapon mechanisms.

The entire structure is secured with inch hex bolts, so disassembly requires hex keys, which are not included in the package.

To simplify the cleaning and lubrication process, it is necessary to remove the false barrel. To do this, you need to unscrew the front plug and remove the partition caps, and then remove the casing.

Each mount is equipped with a rubber seal, which due to its small size can easily get lost. Also, during the cleaning process, it is not recommended to use metal brushes, but rather use cotton swabs.

Depending on the gas being charged, the pressure must be adjusted. For carbon dioxide, 140 Atm is enough, and when pumping air, the pressure can be increased to 200 Atm.