Providing more fun than adults should be able to have in their backyard, Crosman’s R1 Full Auto BB gun also offers real practical training opportunities
by Paul G Markel
There are a lot of reasons to enjoy “A Christmas Story” movie — Flick’s tongue on the pole, the “pink nightmare” bunny suit, drinking gallons of Ovaltine to get your secret decoder pin, the “soft glow of electric sex” in the window (a Major Award); however, the quest for and culmination of Ralphie receiving the “200-shot range model air rifle” — the “Holy Grail of Christmas Gifts” — the Red Ryder, resonated with me and many others. A blued steel beauty, a lever-action BB gun with either a genuine or faux wood stock, was the ultimate gift for young boys when I was coming of age.
I’ve told the story in print many times. It was my maternal grandfather who first placed a lever-action Daisy BB gun in my hands and showed me how to properly use it. No, it was not a Red Ryder model, but I cherished it just the same. I could not begin to calculate the number of hours spent afield, walking around the countryside with that BB gun in my hands, seeking targets of opportunity. That was true freedom. No adults hanging over my shoulder; just me, my Daisy, green fields, and blue skies…oh, and a cardboard tube of copper-plated BBs in my back pocket. That’s all I needed to be happy. No screens, no internet.
If I were to hop in a time machine and hand a twelve-year-old me the subject of this review, that young man would run out of BBs and CO2 powerlet cartridges in a matter of an hour or so, but you’d have to remove the grin from his face with a belt-sander.
In the early 1980s, there were black and white ads for “full-auto BB guns” in the backs of gun magazines. These odd-looking devices used automotive freon as propellant. Nonetheless, such BB submachine guns were well out of my reach.
Crosman R1 Full-Auto BB Gun
For those who missed the news, in April of 2024, Daisy Manufacturing Company purchased Crosman Corporation, putting America’s two most popular airgun manufacturers under one corporate umbrella. During the last couple of years, Crosman has released numerous products, including the one featured here. For all of you who grew up with a blued steel, lever-action BB gun, and even those who did not, Crosman has an adult airgun that the kid in you wishes they had.
Crosman Airguns has recently introduced their Full Auto R1 select-fire .177 caliber BB rifle. Yes, the gun looks just like an AR-style SBR with all the accessory rails you could ask for. These guns are MSRP well under $200.
I could use my own flowery language, but here is the approved description:
Fueled by two 12-gram CO2 cartridges and a 25-round drop-out magazine… The rifle features a genuine feel, familiar controls, and an intense 1400 round per minute rate of fire, and rated up to 430 fps. Even better, the rifle is fully customizable with a 6-position adjustable stock, AR-compatible buttstock/pistol grip, and a Picatinny rail that provides endless accessory mounting opportunities.
All the controls mimic the AR-15 style: charging handle, selector lever, magazine release button, and bolt catch. The forward assist is cosmetic as it is not needed. There is even a birdcage-type flash suppressor on the muzzle.
The R1 does not feel like a toy. It weighs 5.93 pounds with the magazine inserted. With the retractable stock closed, the overall length is 26.25 inches; with it open all the way, it is 29.5 inches long. The barrel is right at 10.5 inches. No longer a “blued steel beauty,” the R1 is an “all black beauty.”
The accessory rails are true M1913 Picatinny, so you can mount AR doodads onto the forend. Also, the buffer tube is true MILSPEC. I put a Stag Arms stock on it to test, so you can add your favorite M4-style retractable stock if you like.
Despite the instruction manual being printed in 4-point font, I was able to figure out how to make the Crosman R1 rifle work. The secret sauce is the dual-cartridge CO2 set up. This design allows for plenty of gas power, launching copper-plated steel BBs well over 400 feet per second. Yes, this is an adult airgun. Failure to respect it could get someone hurt. Also, I know you are grown-ups but watch your background — ricochets are real.
The basic R1 setup comes with the gun, the magazine (which is the powerhouse), and a specially designed BB “speedloader.” Though odd looking, the speed loader actually works very well. You can top off the 25-round mag capacity in a few seconds.
You can run the R1 semi-auto or full auto. I found that I got good “gas mileage.” Today, I ran six mags full of BBs on a single charge without noticeably losing velocity.
I should mention that the CO2 cartridges are secured in place/snugged with a special Allen wrench that is included and stows inside the secret compartment in the magazine.
Practical Exercises
As I normally have an EOTech EXPS3 on my fighting rifle, I mounted that same optic on the Crosman R1 for familiarity and to get some additional repetitions using that reticle for aiming. After all, it could only help, not hurt, my practice sessions.
It will not shock experienced readers to discover that I set up a practice range in the side yard complete with target stands and cardboard silhouettes. Naturally, the best way to work on skill maintenance is to go to a dedicated live-fire range, set up appropriate targets, and engage them; however, for many suburbanites, particularly those whose only option is an indoor range, such range work is not allowed. Setting up a backyard range just might be doable.
No, you’re not going to work on recoil management and follow-up shots with the R1, but you can work on other fundamentals, such as addressing targets from muzzle down and muzzle up, facing drills, movement in all directions, and even cover drills.
The Fun Stuff
Most of you reading this have already formulated a fruit-and-vegetable massacre scheme in your minds. Shooting cardboard silhouettes is nice, but we all want to shoot something reactive. I’ve heard tell of over-sized zucchini and watermelons being taken apart with the R1.
For my part, I went to the grocery store and purchased the cheapest, store-brand soda in 2-liter bottles for reactive targets. As I pen this article, Labor Day Weekend is fast approaching, and the kids and grandkids are coming to visit. Grandpa is going to have to stock up on cheap soda targets for the weekend.
Parting Thoughts
Before writing this review, I used the R1 for both serious practice and for the aforementioned 2-Liter Massacre. I checked online and everywhere I found them for sale, the R1 was priced well below $200. Crosman offers extra magazines on their site as well as a super-capacity magazine that holds 300 rounds in a reservoir and has an “integrated speedloader.”
Those must be selling like hotcakes because they were listed as “out of stock” when I looked.
Bottom line — the Crosman R1 proved to be a high-quality item which is intelligently designed. You can shoot it semi-auto, which I’m sure many of you will initially do to try it out; however, the full-auto mode is where it’s at. Discipline your trigger finger and learn to fire controlled bursts. If you’re planning to purchase the R1, do yourself a favor and buy the big box of CO2 powerlet cartridges and the 2500-count bottle of BBs.
