Although the Saxby-Palmer Ensign is a technically a multi-pump pneumatic rifle, it is definitely not typical of the breed. The pump has been removed from the gun and made into a separate device: it bolts onto a table top. The pump is used to charge up large centerfire cartridges for the rifle. Each cartridge is pumped with enough air for one shot, and then fitted with a pellet in the nose. The cartridges can then be carried, loaded, and fired much like normal centerfire cartridges for firearms.

This unique system allows several real advantages over more traditional airguns. By removing the power supply from the rifle, its size and weight are drastically reduced: in this case only 6.5 lbs weight and 40" long. This is great for hunting, when the rifle must be carried over hill and dale. Furthermore, the large and robust tabletop pump is more efficient than the small pumps built into traditional multi-pump rifles. This gives the Ensign truly startling performance, hurling .22 caliber pellets over 800 fps at full power.

So what's the catch? For one thing, all your cartridges must be prepared before you need them. If you are only carrying ten cartridges, you only have ten shots. Furthermore, pumping up all those cartridges is a time consuming and labor intensive job, especially when trying for full power (six pumps each). These problems make the Ensign abjectly unsuited for many uses, such as plinking, where scores or even hundreds of pellets may be fired in short order. On the other hand, cartridge logistics are not much of a problem for hunting. In a typical hunting scenario, few shots are fired, but the performance of each shot is critical.

There is a good analogy to hand loading cartridges for firearms. Reloaders often experiment with combinations of powder charges and bullets to develop the perfect load for their particular use. Similar experiments are possible with the Ensign, using different air charges and pellets until you find the best combination. Like conventional reloading, the Saxby-Palmer system requires patience and care for best results.

Though imported for a while by Marksman, the British-made Ensign has not been available for a few years. These guns were available for a while from closeout distributors at bargain-basement prices, but even those leftover guns have now dried up. To make matters worse, some of the last guns shipped to the USA were thrown together without much regard for completeness. Missing or mismatched parts were all too common.

My Ensign was one of those unfortunate closeout guns. Some screws and small parts were missing, the bore was slightly rusty, and the pump adaptor did not match the air cartridges the gun came with. After several weeks of harassing the distributor I bought it from and shopping around elsewhere, I finally got the parts and supplies I needed to use the rifle and hopefully keep it running a while.

The Ensign will take two kinds of cartridges: the plastic Mark I cartridge, and the metal Mark II. Each has advantages and disadvantages. I found the Mark I cartridges must be attached to the pump with some care or they will pop loose under pressure, damaging the threads. The metal cartridges have no such problem. The plastic cartridges are lighter to carry and eject more smartly from the gun. The bright orange plastic is also easier to see and pick up in the field. Unfortunately, the plastic cartridges sometimes break, and there is no way to access the valves to repair them. By contrast, the Mark II metal cartridges can be opened up and repaired easily. All considered, the Mark II cartridges are better, but are more expensive.

Maintaining these cartridges can be rather involved. When a Mark I cartridge leaks, or just stops working, the only recourse is to break open the plastic hull, repair the valve, and replace the hull with the Mark II metal type. Mark II hulls were sold for this very purpose. Extra valve lifters were also sold: little brass bits that tend to wear out. They fit both Mark I and Mark II cartridges. Also available were valve repair kits with extra seals, extra O-rings for the pump nozzle, and a special lubricating oil.

This all may sound like a lot of trouble. In fact, it is. The Ensign is the most labor-intensive airgun I have used. It must perform very well to make all this rigamarole worthwhile. In fact, it does. I was worried about accuracy after swabbing rusty-looking stuff from the bore, but it proved astonishingly accurate with Benjamin HC pellets (not usually noted for their precision). This is the only .22 caliber gun I have seen with 12-groove rifling, so maybe that had something to do with it. The firing behavior is also outstanding: a nice trigger pull and no recoil. The trigger is adjustable, but I saw no point in messing with it.

At three pumps the Ensign produces quite respectable power. At six pumps it is easily the most powerful airgun in my small collection. Playing around with it, I shot a soda can filled with water. The impact split the can wide open from top to bottom. That was not exactly a scientific test, but it was an impressive one. Firing pellets into ballistic putty, I found they penetrated deeply and some flattened on impact. The lightweight Beeman Silver Bear and the much heavier Benjamin HC both expanded dramatically.

I could have had a problem fitting the Ensign with a good sight for hunting. The open sights it came with were clearly inadequate. The large ejection port and strangely configured scope grooves didn't offer much leeway for a scope to fit the gun comfortably. Taking a chance, I ordered a new Beeman SS-1 scope, sight unseen.

The SS-1 is a compact, lightweight, rubber armored, 2.5x16mm scope. It is so short that I could mount it entirely to the rear of the ejection port, and with perfect eye relief. The size, weight, and configuration of this scope are such a perfect match for the Ensign that it is hard to believe they were not specifically designed for each other. The optical quality of the SS-1 is high. A Beeman universal muzzle brake replaced the old front sight.

Thus equipped, I charged up 25 cartridges (my entire supply) one evening. The next morning I took off to test this rig where it mattered: in the field. I was not disappointed in the slightest. The Ensign's trajectory was so flat, at normal airgun ranges I was able simply to ignore the pellet drop. More importantly, the effect on game was everything I had hoped for: it was a death ray. The gun's light weight and smooth, recoilless firing behavior were icing on the cake. The limit of 25 cartridges did not prove a hindrance. When I was ready to return home I had some cartridges left over, so I plinked a few cow patties. They virtually exploded.

Little did I know these happy times would be short-lived. To make pumping up all those cartridges easier, I had liberally sprayed the pump with WD-40. WD-40 contains some volatile compounds, and shortly gummed up the pump. Soon it quit working completely. Since winter was coming on anyhow, I stuck the gun back in my closet and mostly forgot it for a while.

As spring arrived, I tried it again. The pump worked, but erratically, and it quit again after a couple of days. Now truly frustrated, I took a wrench to it and tore it down to component parts. I found the pump has two O-ring seals. The piston seal was the culprit, appearing stretched, mangled, and generally chewed up. I couldn't tell if this problem was a result of the WD-40 treatment or simple binding against the air intake hole. Either way, it had to be replaced.

Checking around the local hardware stores, I couldn't find any O-rings that perfectly matched the original, but found some close enough to work. I carefully cleaned all the gunk out of the pump, oiled it with Crosman "pellgunoil," reassembled it, and oiled the handle joints with motor oil. Now the pump works reliably and more smoothly than ever.

Although Brocock is now handling Saxby-Palmer type revolvers, they seem to have abandoned rifle production. As a commercial enterprise, the Ensign is slowly fading into airgun history. As I write this, Firearms & Supplies is sold out of Saxby-Palmer rifles, but still has a limited supply of air cartridges, pumps, and spare parts. Spot-On Air Arms has a more secure, but more expensive, source of supplies direct from Brocock.

Would I recommend the Ensign rifle? I would, but only for hunting (or similar activities), and only for someone who knows what he's getting into. It is perfect for shooters who enjoy tinkering with their guns. The Ensign demands much from its owner, but delivers much in return.