Gen 1, Gen 2, and Gen 3. When you see Gen 2 or 3 tacked onto the end of an airgun’s name, what does that usually mean? A few examples are the Tanfoglio Gold Gen 2, the Gamo Swarm Maxxim Gen 2, and the Barra 400 Gen 2 BB Gun. When you see Gen 2 tacked on the end of the name, it generally means they made some improvements on an original model.
The problem is some may see them as improvements, while others may prefer them to leave well enough alone and continue to offer the original model. Much of the time, once a gen 2 is produced, the original one fades and becomes difficult or impossible to find.
Gamo Single Shot to Gen3i
Gamo has produced airguns that began as single-shot break barrels and evolved into what are now gen 2 and gen 3i multi-shot break barrels. Gen 2 offers fast follow-up shots with a ten shot magazine. Then the Gamo Swarm Bone Collector Gen 3i offers the same multi-shot action, but you will no longer be able to double feed the breech.
A double feed is two pellets entering into the breech and being projected at the same time, if or when the trigger is pulled. If something happens where there is space between your shots, you may forget you already cocked it and cock it again.
The Gen 3i prevents the pellet from advancing. That is an extremely nice feature because if you have two pellets flying through the barrel at the same time, neither of them will be even close to accurate.
Similar to Creating a Recipe
Creating a product like an airgun, or anything really for that matter, is similar to preparing a meal. You start out with a few ingredients and put them together to create what is hopefully a great recipe. Once you’ve eaten it or shared it with others, there may be three responses. Some may say, “Don’t ever do that again!” That’s another story.
Gen 1 – “Don’t change a thing! It’s perfect the way it is!” With this response you never see a Gen 2, because why would you? Gen 2 – “It needs a little more salt, pepper and maybe some bacon!”
Gen 3 – “Yep the salt, pepper, and bacon made it better but, it would be so much better with beef instead of chicken.”
Room or Improvement !
Like most things, there is generally room for improvement! Generally manufacturers want to offer the best and improve if they can. One of the key contributors is consumer feedback; people have multiple types of practical uses for products, and sometimes the only way to know what is better is to test it and find out.
To circle back around to the point of creating any products is similar to preparing a meal; airguns are not the only products tacking gen 2 and 3 to their names. Ammunition companies are doing the same thing. One example is the Patriot Javelin Slugs Gen 2 Hollow Points. They must have needed a little more salt.
What about optics, no way there are gen 2 optics! Tell that to the Athlon Talos BTR Gen 2 APLR2 IR 4-14×44 or the Vortex Razor HD Gen III 6-36×56. Evidently the manufacturer saw it necessary to improve the original recipe, and they did. Who knows, it may have been prompted completely by consumer feedback! Keep it rolling in!
