Crosman Summit

Spring-powered airguns still account for a significant slice of airgun sales, and I believe the classic break-barrel still tops the listings. My first gun was a break-barrel model, and I’ve never quite lost my affection for the concept. It’s all about ease of use at the end of the day, and there’s something about just settling on the range with a tin of pellets, and being able to completely relax and simply enjoy the shooting. No bottles, no pumps, just the time-honoured system of getting a pellet into an airgun. Slow and deliberate, or quick and instinctive? You decide. Just yank down the barrel, push home a pellet, and slap the breech closed.

Package deal
On test here is one of the more recent models from Crosman, the massive American manufacturer that now operates under the umbrella group, Velocity Outdoors. Crosman is known for their range of budget models, and the Crosman Summit on show here is a good example of what they are all about. Sold as a package deal, this attractive sporter comes complete with a kit scope—an unbranded 3-9x40 AO model—and a one-piece mount, all-in currently for £185.
There’s also a barrel fitting/cocking aid, a two-stage adjustable trigger, an in-guard manual safety catch, and dovetail rails.

Sitting pretty
Straight out of the box, first impressions are good, and while the ambidextrous stock is undoubtedly fairly basic in the scheme of things, the hardwood utilised, with its subtle matte lacquered finish, really sets this rifle off. Plenty of grain pattern and figuring are on show, and with a few features incorporated into the configuration, the overall profile of the Summit is easy on the eye for sure. The rounded fore-end tip looks stylish and comfortable, and the panels of laser-cut chequering on both the fore-end and pistol grip are further added details, designed to appeal. OK, the chequering is rather shallow, but it can only help where handling is concerned, and it certainly enhances the visuals. As for the rubber butt pad, as with so many springers these days, this is constructed from some of the hardest rubber compounds known to man. Doesn’t that defeat the object?
Anyhow, switching focus to the action, barrel, breech block, and cylinder, these are all treated to chemical bluing, which is carried out to a respectable standard. Synthetic components are kept to a minimum too, with just the cylinder end block, trigger guard, and the barrel fitting up front ticking that particular box. Indeed, there’s a precision feel to this model that well and truly belies its price tag.
You’ll notice that I used the term ‘barrel fitting’, and this is because the attachment up front is made of lightweight synthetic material, so it can’t be called a muzzle weight. Likewise, the rifled barrel actually runs inside to within 1/4” of the tip, so it isn’t a silencer either. Come to think of it, maybe we should settle for ‘cocking aid’.

Three cheers!
OK, remember this model comes with a 3-9x40 scope, so it’s time to get that set up. I would always favour a one-piece mount for a springer, and that’s what we get supplied here. It features an arrestor stud at the back, so I had to first remove the scope from the mount and wind this in with the Allen key, as it sat a bit proud when first offered up. Positioning the mount so the arrestor stud locates into the hole on the receiver is easy enough, and with all four bolts gently tightened in the usual alternate manner, I soon had the scope locked in position. As with any scope, the first task was to adjust the rear dioptre to get the reticle and subject clear and crisp. The parallax can be corrected for a particular distance using the front-mounted adjustable objective (AO) collar, and this shows a minimum distance of 5 yards followed by 10, 15, 20, 30, 50, 75, 100, and infinity.
I was testing at 30 yards, so set the parallax to that. I have to say, three cheers are in order for this scope being way better than several kit scopes I’ve encountered recently. The clarity was impressive from the off, although while zeroing, I did experience a slight delay in adjustments coming in. However, it settled down, and all was fine. It’s a great starter specification too, allowing novices to get going straight out of the box, which is always handy.

Range notes
So, how did the Summit perform? Well, firstly, the breech was a little sticky on test, needing a good jolt to open it up, but the cocking stroke was pretty easy and comfortable, given the synthetic cocking aid up front. Just nudge a pellet home in the breech (it’s quite tight, so some ammo will prove unsuitable), snap the breech closed, and you’re ready.
I love the rounded fore-end tip, and it feels spot-on in the aim. The use of an articulated cocking linkage means a smaller cut-out is necessary underneath the fore-end, and this contributes to the solid feel overall. An inherent flaw of this type of springer is its cheekpiece, which is often ideal for open sights but too low when used with a scope. However, I have to say that the cheek here, whilst it could be slightly higher, did its job, with gentle contact with the face throughout.
Unsurprisingly, the Summit does recoil, but my test model was quite subdued, with more of a bounce on firing than anything harsh. The trigger is fairly basic, but the usual approach of squeezing through the initial creep is definitely the way to go. At this point, a quick comment on the manual safety catch. You can, by definition, ignore it, but when applied, the in-guard tab is a bit too close to the trigger blade itself. But hey, I would just ignore it!
As for performance, ten-shot strings with a total spread of around 12fps, admittedly using quality pellets, and groups of 5/8” at 30 yards, left me mightily impressed. This is a rifle that not only offers sleek looks and comfort in the aim but also delivers half-decent performance where it matters.

Conclusion
If the test gun is anything to go by, this model is one of the best buys in the current Crosman springer line-up, and with the scope and mounts all in for the money, the Summit has to be on any shortlist for a budget sporter/starter pack.