Crosman Challenger CH2009 review and analysis

[CYS97]

Hi everyone,

I recently made a review video about the Crosman Challenger CH2009. Hopefully this video is helpful if you are in the market for one of these rifles.


Link:http://youtu.be/UfwCvIzA1lk

[qcmetman]

Wonderful job on the review! The video is in depth and very informative. I just might be in the market for one of these Crosman Challenger CH2009 now.

[CYS97]

Thank you very much!

[Ltdave]

commenting so i can find it later

[45ACP223]

Nice review! It was great that you pointed out both the good points and the short comings of the rifle. It looks like you have fixed the minor issues with it. This is a good entry level rifle for 3 position or 10 meter competition. We have several folks at our club using them with good success.

[Krenovian]

Very well done and balanced review. Thanks!

[pcw]

I have a CH2009 I use for biathlon training. I'm not under any restrictions as far as sporter class, so I have modified mine quite a bit. I added putty to the grip to bring my hand closer to the trigger and to mimic my biathlon rifle. I made a new cheek piece, replaced the butt with a butt plate clamp and carrier from Anschutz and a home made plate/hook combination. I added a palm shelf similar to my biathlon rifle. I have also added all sorts of weight to the rifle. The rifle clearly shoots better than I do and I have found it quite reliable and have yet to have any trouble with it. Andre on this site helped me adjust the hammer spring so I get more than 100 shots per fill. I am interested if anyone has any advice as to reducing the trigger weight. I have also thought about reshaping or filling on the trigger shoe itself to provide a more positive touch. I would like to hear more about the CH2009.

[GaryN]

Thanks for the review.

Aloha, from an expat.
Kaimuki High Shool

[VaidhyGopalan]

One quick question:

I am getting the CH2009 for my training and I will be taking it to India. I am pretty sure there are no gun smiths nearby. I will be buying an extra O-ring kit (just in case). How difficult will it be to replace the O-ring, if it breaks? Should I get it replaced at purchase as a safety measure?

[Andre]

I have a CH2009 I use for biathlon training. I'm not under any restrictions as far as sporter class, so I have modified mine quite a bit. I added putty to the grip to bring my hand closer to the trigger and to mimic my biathlon rifle. I made a new cheek piece, replaced the butt with a butt plate clamp and carrier from Anschutz and a home made plate/hook combination. I added a palm shelf similar to my biathlon rifle. I have also added all sorts of weight to the rifle. The rifle clearly shoots better than I do and I have found it quite reliable and have yet to have any trouble with it. Andre on this site helped me adjust the hammer spring so I get more than 100 shots per fill. I am interested if anyone has any advice as to reducing the trigger weight. I have also thought about reshaping or filling on the trigger shoe itself to provide a more positive touch. I would like to hear more about the CH2009.

Hi there, and glad to hear you got your Challenger tuned in.

Inside the trigger group and behind three or four hex head screws is a spring called the "lawyer spring". Removing it will allow you to really lighten the trigger.

In this picture, (found on the net, so I can't take credit) shows the torsion spring being held by a pair of pliers. This is the spring to be removed, not the coil spring.

Some people add a small spacer to take over the gap left by the thickness of the spring. While you're in there you can stone all the sear and trigger contact points. You don't have to remove much and don't try and re-shape any angles. Just polish, a few strokes on a fine oil stone should do it. Look how the trigger operates first, so you know what parts of the sear and trigger touch, and keep those edges sharp for a crisp pull. You can lightly stone the tops of the adjustment screws that touch the linkage, and where those screws ride on the linkage. You may need to re-adjust the trigger group slightly after stoning.

[CYS97]

One quick question:

I am getting the CH2009 for my training and I will be taking it to India. I am pretty sure there are no gun smiths nearby. I will be buying an extra O-ring kit (just in case). How difficult will it be to replace the O-ring, if it breaks? Should I get it replaced at purchase as a safety measure?

The O-rings are fairly simple to replace, I suggest studying the exploded diagrams provided by crosman prior to dissassembly. The o-rings that are most likely to fail are the ones located on the pressure gauge assemble/regulator and inside the T-handle. The corners of the challengers metal components are very sharp so I suggest using a lubricant such as dry moly or dielectric grease during installation. The easiest way to prevent the o-rings from giving out on you is to keep them well lubericated and to avoide disturbing the placement of the pressure gauge (overfilling, moving the gauge, overtightening). I suggest using the o-ring kits from archerairguns, I also suggest purchasing an extra pressure gauge if you will have a difficult time purchasing items from the U.S. while in another country.

[pcw]

Hey Andre,

I must be confused (as I usually am). I opened up the trigger and spruced things up. I removed the torsion spring and it may have lightened the trigger but mostly it caused the link to flop around and there was no resistance in the first stage. So then I removed the safety lever and spring, and put the torsion spring back in. This lightened the trigger considerably, to the point that I put the trigger weight spring back in and dialed up to put some weight back. Thanks for your help.