We are halfway through September, and another unannounced delivery just showed up at the door. This box was surprisingly compact but incredibly dense, hinting at a hefty amount of possible ammunition inside. Cracking it open revealed a massive 4,000-count bottle of BBs and an updated classic from Crosman.
Gear Stock 4.5mm Copper-Coated Steel BBs
The sheer weight of this package came from a bulk 4,000-round bottle of Gear Stock 4.5mm steel BBs. These specific rounds feature a copper coating, which looks great but comes with a few historical caveats.
Copper vs. Zinc: In my experience, copper-coated BBs can tarnish over time. Unlike zinc, which stays relatively clean, older copper coatings can oxidize and leave a dark, powdery residue on your hands and inside your airgun's barrel.
Quality Check: If you burn through your ammo quickly, the tarnishing won't be an issue. We will have to see if modern manufacturing has improved the coating durability on this Gear Stock batch, but I typically lean toward zinc-coated BBs for long-term storage and cleaner shooting.
The Crosman 2240 XL .22 Caliber CO2 Pellet Pistol
The main event in this box is the Crosman 2240 XL. The 2240 platform has been a staple in the airgun community for decades, and the XL version finally addresses the most common pain points shooters had with the base model out of the box.
Core Specs: The 2240 XL is a CO2-powered, bolt-action, single-shot pistol chambered in .22 caliber. It weighs in at 1.8 pounds, features a rifled steel barrel, and utilizes a standard 12-gram CO2 cartridge.
The Metal Breech Upgrade: The standard 2240 and its multi-pump cousin, the 1322, utilize a plastic breech. Mounting an optic on those older models requires clamp-on barrel adapter rings, which can easily twist out of alignment. The 2240 XL ships with an upgraded all-metal breech featuring a milled 11mm dovetail rail, allowing for a rock-solid red dot or scope mount straight from the factory.
Threaded Muzzle: The front of the barrel has a threaded muzzle cap. You can unscrew the tip to attach 1/2" UNF aftermarket compensators or moderators, adding another layer of customization.
Buy the Crosman 22040 XL .22 Caliber CO2 Pellet Pistol in Canada
Customization and Practical Application
Because the 2240 XL features a dovetail rail instead of iron sights, it is built specifically for optics. This plays perfectly into the massive aftermarket support for Crosman’s 22xx and 13xx platforms.
I own a heavily modified "backpacker" setup on one of my personal Crosman .22s, featuring a skeletonized rear shoulder stock and a magnified scope. At sub-500 FPS, a .22 caliber pellet is highly effective for close-range pest control. When dealing with nuisance animals like crows attacking songbirds, an ultra-high-velocity pellet will often pass straight through the target, wasting its kinetic energy. A heavier .22 pellet moving at moderate speeds dumps its full energy upon impact, providing a much more immediate and humane dispatch.
The full tabletop and field test shooting videos for the Crosman 2240 XL are coming up next. Make sure you are subscribed on Rumble, Vimeo, X, Threads, or TikTok to catch the full performance breakdown when it goes live.