Crosman 2300S aka Crosman 2300 Silhouette

CAUTION: Airguns are Not Toys and must be handled with Extreme Caution and Safety at All Times. Handle any Airgun as if it were loaded. Always keep it pointed down range or away from any people. Read all directions and cautions before handling. Adult Supervision is strongly advised. Make sure your back stop is adequate to stop any stray rounds or flyers. Never shoot at a hard surface as your bb or pellet may  ricochet and strike someone or something unintentionally.

Above: A few years ago I received this Crosman 2300S as a gift. My vision is not very good these days, in fact it is pretty bad. Iron sights are useless to me now. So I removed the sights and sold them. Then I started to customize the 2300 Silhouette. My plan was to play up the metallic finishes. When I got to this point (above) I looked at the pistol and said to myself "that is really fargin ugly". So I decided to put it away for a while. I figured eventually something would inspire me.

Then one day I saw these grips on ebay. My first impression was that they were a little "over the top". But I started to visualize the 2300S with a whole different look. Instead of adding more metallic finishes, like I did with the power adjuster and the muzzle brake. I would minimize the metallic finishes. I wanted to go black and blue with a lesser amount of metallic finishes showing. So I removed the muzzle brake and the power adjuster and started  over again. First I ordered the grips.

Above: While waiting for the grips (which were being made in the UK)  I installed a stock Crosman power adjuster. Not a big metallic monstrosity, but a small, dark and functional piece. It doesn't stick out, it just "blends in" and does it's job. At this point the grips were almost  finished. Latter I would find out they were made in a place called "Brick Kiln". Being of English descent and a retired Journeyman Mason, I took these things as good omens. The company that made these grips is Hirdhawks Design. Mr Hird kept me posted as to how the grips were progressing. Having never ordered anything from the UK before (except for a flash suppressor that didn't make through customs) I was just a little worried. So the updates were appreciated. I have a link to Hirdhawks Design in the right column under  "Some of my Favorites". Oh yeah. I almost forgot to mention Hirdhawks Design has a Facebook page as well.

Above: I remembered seeing this Muzzle Brake on ebay. Just the right size. And the satin black finish contrasting the aluminum accents on the vents and crown face made this muzzle brake perfect for this pistol.  The muzzle brake comes from Alchemy Air Werks. (alchemywerks.com) I have a link to they're online store  on the "Some of my Favorites" list as well.  Now I need to apologize. There was nothing wrong with the first aluminum muzzle brake or the aluminum power adjuster for that matter. They just weren't right for this particular pistol. Both are high quality components. And both were snapped up quickly when I listed them on ebay. 

Above: One of the choices for grip screws was stainless steel. I thought "perfect this is coming together even better than I imagined". And that never happens! See how the grain shows through the black and blue finish, I think these grips look amazing. They are wider than the standard Crosman grips. I really like that because I have large palms. I am sure Mr Hird will work with you (as he did with me) to make sure you are totally satisfied with your new grips.

Above: I could not find this TRUGLO  4 X 32 mm scope in my very poorly kept records. I am  99% sure it came from Optics Planet. Along with the high profile rings. These rings have 6 machine screws each. I highly recommend purchasing good quality rings. An especially good choice for a pumper or a break barrel with  a spring action. Many a ground squirrel owes his life to poorly mounted optics :)

Above: This is the Crosman 2300 Silhouette finished. Not just another pretty face. This pistol with the Lothar Walther match grade rifled barrel is deadly accurate.

Above: With the extra long bolt handle there is now fumbling around when it is time to reload. As I mentioned before, this is a really sweet pistol right out of the box.

The trigger has two adjustments. It comes with the trigger sear spring adjuster which allows you to adjust trigger pull from 1 to 4 pounds. The 2300 Silhouette also comes with a over travel adjustment screw. This allows you to shorten the trigger pull after the firing point. It really gives the trigger a short and precise pull . Something this shooter has come to appreciate.

And once again the power adjuster comes standard on the 2300S . It really has Four functions (in my opinion). One it allows you to dial down the power when target shooting or plinking to get the most from your 12 gr powerlet (Co2 cartridge) Two, you can dial up the power for shooting small rodents and such. And three combined with a chrony it allows you to tune your pistol so you can get the max fps using the least amount of Co2. Four You can adjust your power to suit whatever pellet you are using. I am assuming here that different pellets perform differently at different speeds.

A nice view of the other side. Look at the length of that steel breech. Now that's a solid anchor point for a pistol barrel. And topped with a machined dovetail for mounting the optics of your choice. And I should mention, If you prefer iron sights. The standard rear sight is a Williams micro adjust tournament grade sight. Matched with a threaded post sight up front. Not too shabby!

This shot shows the exposed machined aluminum on the face of this awesome vented muzzle brake. Alchemy Air Werks. They really knocked it out of the park with this muzzle brake!

I couldn't be happier with the look, feel and performance of the pistol. Thanks to Crosman for making it. Thanks Alchemy Air Werks makers of really special custom parts and mods. Thanks to Hirdhawks Design. It was your grips that inspired me to finally finish this pistol. And thanks to Mr Hird for keeping me up to date on the progress of the grips. And thanks to Optics Planet for offering quality products at very reasonable prices. That pretty much covers the evolution of my Crosman 2300S.

For the last few years, whenever the Ground squirrel or Chipmunk population gets out of hand... the Hawks shows up and thin out the herd. Better the hawks eating them than me shooting them. (I guess😒)
Until next time. Have Fun! but Shoot Safe, I'm outta here, Hugh