The Gamo Swarm Magnum Pro is a break-barrel air rifle that loads from a 10-shot magazine whenever it is cocked. This significantly speeds the pellet loading process. The Swarm has a two-stage adjustable trigger, comes with a surprisingly good 3-9x40mm scope, features a suppressor integrated into the barrel, and includes a well-designed glass-filled-nylon (GFN) stock.
Designed for small-game hunting, pest control, and target shooting, the rifle is reasonably accurate, reliable, easy to use and economical to operate.
The rifle cost $300.90 at the time of this writing at gamousa.com. It is made in Barcelona, Spain.
Background
Airguns are not classified as firearms under federal law. As a result, they can be shipped straight to the home in most jurisdictions. And, thankfully, their suppressors are not restricted under the National Firearms Act (NFA).
Airgun pellets are relatively inexpensive. Those pellets also don’t take up much room and have a good shelf life.
Airguns generally have a shorter range than most rifles, and transfer less energy to the objects that their projectiles strike. This helps to reduce the risk and severity of collateral damage or injury in congested areas.
I wanted a tool for pest control that was a little less powerful than my Ruger 10/22. My Remington Vantage pellet gun, is not quite as accurate as I could wish. I was looking for something that could hit a small rodent a higher percentage of the time than the Vantage.
The Gamo Swarm Magnum Pro Gen3i looked like a good candidate to replace the Vantage. I asked Gamo if they could provide me with a sample for testing and evaluation. They were kind enough to agree. Before long, a box arrived on my front porch.
First Impressions
The shipping box came via FedEx from Daisy Outdoor Products, 1700 North 2nd Street, Rogers, AR 72756. The 51 x 7.25 x 3 inch package box within the shipping box contained the air rifle in a plastic bag, a scope in a box with mounting instructions, a warranty brochure, and the manual.
The air rifle is a fairly substantial piece of hardware, weighing in at 7.5 pounds and measuring 49.75 inches in length. The GFN stock is sturdy and well-designed with an ergonomic grip and a high comb on the butt-stock to provide a good cheek weld for the scope.
I added some Gamo Swarm 10X pellets to my shopping list, and opened the manual.
Reading the Manual
The English portion of the manual is 25 pages long. There are also sections in Spanish and French. There were a number of interesting tidbits in the manual:
The maximum range of the rifle is listed as 500 yards.
The trigger is adjustable. If it is set to less than three pounds, there is some danger that the air rifle may discharge unintentionally if dropped.
The basic rules of firearms safety are listed appropriately near the beginning of the manual.
The manual warns the user to wear hearing protection when discharging the rifle. I was a little surprised about this, since the barrel has an integrated suppressor. This proved to be sound advice [pun intended] during my testing.
It is important not to cock the air rifle more than once without firing it. Doing so may introduce additional pellets into the barrel.
The scope is made in China. Parallax is at 25 yards.
It is important to never put oil inside the barrel or breech of the air rifle. It should be cleaned with a brush, patches, and solvent only.
Mounting the Scope
The scope box contained instructions, the scope packed in foam sheeting around a plastic bag, lens covers, a Torx wrench for installation, and a lens cleaning cloth.
The instructions consisted of a front cover, two pages in English, two pages in French, two pages in Spanish, two pages in German, two pages in Portuguese, and a back cover with information in Spanish about the mil-dot reticule.
Rings were pre-installed on the scope, eliminating the need to level the scope after installation. A stud on the bottom of the rings fit into a hole on the optics rail of the airgun and provided the appropriate eye relief. The comb of the buttstock was at the appropriate height to provide a good cheek weld.
The ends of the lens cover are clear, allowing the scope to be used without removing the cover if so desired. The clear plastic ends of the lens cover are not as clear as the lenses on the scope, so they produce some slight distortion if not removed.
The scope was remarkably good for an optic packaged with an air rifle at this price point. Not all that many years ago, a scope of this quality would have sold for more than the cost of this entire package.
At the Range
It was a damp and overcast day in mid-autumn. The temperature was 45 degrees Fahrenheit. A slight breeze rustled through the tree tops.
I set up a target stand in front of the backstop on the improvised range behind the pole barn. I set up a table 25 yards away with a rifle rest on the table.
I loaded ten Gamo Swarm 10X Hollow Point pellets into the magazine and seated it on top of the barrel. I then cocked the rifle.
The view through the scope was surprisingly clear for a budget optic. I put in ear plugs and fired at the center target on the target stand. It was a good thing that I was using the earplugs. At 1,300 feet per second, the pellets created a significant snap as they broke the sound barrier while leaving the barrel. I wondered how much sound the rifle would have produced without the integral suppressor in the barrel.
Recoil was also more significant than I expected. This air rifle kicked harder than a typical rifle chambered in .22LR or even perhaps a .223 Remington. It wasn’t a mule, but it was definitely noticeable.
The first shot struck 5.5 inches above and 4.25 inches to the right of the point of aim.
Over the course of the next four shots, I gradually adjusted the scope until the rifle was zeroed. I then fired three shots which produced an approximately one-inch group. After firing several more similar three-shot groups, I moved back to 50 yards from the target stand.
I fired a series of five groups of three shots each from 50 yards. These groups ranged in size from 1.47 to 2.28 inches, with an average of 2.08 inches and a median of 2.22 inches. This is significantly more accurate than my Remington Vantage pellet gun. In addition, the .22 caliber pellets of the Gamo Swarm pack significantly more punch than the .177 caliber pellets of the Vantage. The Swarm should be a much more effective tool for pest control than the Vantage.
Cleaning
At the kitchen table back inside our home, I removed the mounting rods from the 10X system on top of the breech end of the barrel. This was necessary to give me access to the barrel when the breech is open.
I ran a solvent patch through the barrel. I was shocked by how dirty the patch came out. Without powder residue, I was expecting the bore to be significantly cleaner than it was. The dirt was likely a result of residue from the manufacturing process.
After I had run five solvent patches through the bore, I switched to a brass bore brush. I then began to use a second series of solvent patches.
I lost the fifth patch of the second series in the baffles of the suppressor. I managed to snag it with the bore brush. Patch seven of the second series was clean, so I followed it with a couple of dry patches to remove any solvent residue. I did not follow this with a Breakfree CLP patch as would be my usual custom when cleaning a gun. This was becuase the manual emphasizes in bold type that oil should never be placed in the barrel or breech lest irreparable damage or serious injury occur.
I closed the barrel and reassembled the 10X system. I then applied a light film of CLP to the external metal parts.
Conclusions
The Gamo Swarm Magnum Pro Gen3i in .22 caliber air rifle was a joy to shoot. It is reasonably accurate, easy to use, rugged, has a great scope, and has a stock that provides an excellent cheek weld. The 10X system significantly simplifies the loading process.
I am glad to now have this tool in my gun safe. Any pests around our property should be afraid. Very afraid.
Air rifles have come a long way since the Crossman 760 of my youth. I am impressed by what the 10X system adds to a break-barrel air rifle like the Gamo Swarm. I also hope to explore what Pre-Charged Pneumatic (PCP) technology can bring to the world of air rifles.
Disclaimer
Gamo provided me with a sample of their Swarm Magnum Pro Gen3i for testing and evaluation. I tried not to allow their kindness to interfere with my objectivity in this review, and I believe that I have succeeded. I did not receive any other financial or other inducement to mention any vendor, product, or service in this article.