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FT Blog: Captain Hook

FT Blog: Captain Hook

I suspect that almost from the minute airguns became mainstream, someone started altering and tinkering with them in some way, usually in a small shed at the bottom of their garden! Now of course, most of us know a ‘club gunsmith’, the chap you should not give your gun to! But in recent times, a number of very good small ‘cottage industries’ have sprung up from these sheds, and they are now supplying different after-market parts for the shooter’s needs. One such area of the FT gun that has benefited recently is at the back end, the ‘butt hook.’

I remember buying my first all singing all dancing FT gun in 1990, the Air Arms NJR 100. This thumb hole, adjustable stocked rifle came with a curved rubber butt pad that could be moved up and down and with a bit of trickery, angled! The height of 1990 flexibility is now seemingly a million miles away from some of today’s hooks. Today’s out of the Box FT guns usually come with a pretty basic but adjustable butt hook. The Air Arms FTP for example, has a simple paddle top and a small hook at the bottom. So it is usually not long before the owner is looking for an upgrade. What that is, depends on the budget and taste.

Technological advances

3D printing is revolutionising many aspects of our lives, and FT is included in many ways. Brian Samson produced the first of his 3D-printed plastic hooks a couple of years ago. At about £150 new it took F.T. by storm and can be seen on some of the top F.T. shooter’s guns, as well as the chap just starting and wanting a cheaper upgrade. I have used one myself several times on different guns at club level, but I’ve found the compound too flexible for my liking. Indeed, it’s not uncommon to hear it called the ‘Bendy Brian!’ However, you cannot deny in most cases it’s a good initial upgrade!

Andras Fekete-Moro has got into the after-market 3D accessory business in some varied and unique ways, none more so than his Follow Wing Butt Hook. At first glance you might think the Follow Wing has been made by JCB! It’s an odd principle when trying it, as it sits on top of your shoulder and resembles the mechanical arm of a JCB! In truth, it is not threatening the dominance of the more traditional hook and paddle design, but hats off for innovation.

Then there’s his latest butt-hook, the ‘Scorpion’, and this is innovative for sure. It’s a more traditional looking system that can be built in a modular fashion to each shooter’s wants. Having had one on test for a couple of weeks, I can confidently say it’s nice and rigid, despite being 3D printed plastic, and it really is a good alternative to the traditional metal designs. It is adjustable, and can be made to mould into a variety of positions. Prices and options vary in many different ways, so check out the website for a full run down on options. https://www.maestro-design.co.uk/

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Variety is the…

People have been adding home-made bits of bars to the rubber ‘pads’ to make a butt hook for many years, and from there, things have developed. There are quite a few options when it comes to a metal butt hook, with several manufacturers having different options. Anschutz have had different models out for quite a few years; ranging from a simple pad and hook design, to the slightly more adjustable ‘4765’, which retails new for about £250. Not cheap, but bear in mind that these change hands for about £150 second hand. For a long time, and despite the £400+ price tag for a 5 link version, the top of the range metal butt Hook was the ‘System Gemini Activ’. I used one of these for 8 years until 2016. The Gemini is very good, but it can be very hard to set up, as its adjustability seems endless!

 

New kid

In 2016, another small producer appeared in the guise of P.J. Engineering. Another cottage industry, though this one is out of a large double garage sized workshop, that no car has ever entered. I have known owner and designer Peter for several years, and it really should have been no surprise that he took to production, as his butt hook is very well thought out and constructed; made for FT by an FT shooter. I had a prototype on test and after just one week refused to give it back. The adjustability is for me, much better than anything else I have used or tried, and thus it is now my hook of choice. At £250 for the 5 link version it really is relatively good value for money.

So that’s a brief outline of what can be a crucial piece of the FT shooter’s kit; especially on the discipline shots. Having said that, I did once shoot half of the Welsh Masters course with no butt hook at all, missing only 5 out of 40 targets, 3 of them standers- still tying for 1st place! I had actually lent my hook out for the second half of the shoot! There’s a moral in there somewhere.

Next month, we will deal with setting up the hook, something that could take most of your lifetime!

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  • FT Blog: Captain Hook - image {image:count}

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  • FT Blog: Captain Hook - image {image:count}

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