Over time there are gobs of premium features on items from cars to coffee makers to phones to refrigerators that have journeyed from luxury-big money status to standard equipment on the base model. Finding a car that doesn’t have power windows or an automatic transmission is kinda hard these days. When I was in college, the idea that people would carry a computer in their pocket that had more power than the one on my desktop was laughable. Now my phone is also my go-to stills camera, video camera, navigation device, music library, email host, connection to the internet, and it even makes phone calls when needed.
That said, the humble backyard plinking air rifle has not been immune to improvements with the passage of time. Earlier this year our Canex CO2 powered air rifle arrived on the market. While this is a very affordable air rifle, it has a lot going for it. First and foremost, this rifle is powered by 12g CO2. Not only does this make for a reliable power source for the rifle, 12g non-threaded CO2 cartridges can be found in many department stores, sporting goods stores, and online, should you choose to shop there. Since 2 cartridges are used, you do get a respectable shot count, 45 shots, out of those twin 12g cartridges.
The next biggest feature to trickle down to the Canex is multi-shot capability. The Canex uses a 10-shot rotary magazine and in fact comes with 3 total magazines. But wait, that’s not all! An aspect of the Canex magazine situation that cannot be glossed over is how easy it is to change. Simply push the magazine tab located on the stock forward and push the spent magazine out to the side. In similar fashion, slide in the next full magazine, pull the tabs back and your magazine swap is done.
With a 7 grain lead pellet, you can expect the velocity to come in around 700 FPS– more than enough for some light pesting around the house. Regardless, the Canex is a great solution for knocking around tin cans with the family and that is due to this very approachable interface. No high-stress cocking procedure, reliable CO2 power, easy to load and change-out magazines and, even though this rifle does use a double action trigger, the trigger pull is surprisingly smooth and light. Overall, the Canex offers a whole lot of bang for your buck!