The Classics: Gamo Whisper Fusion Mach 1 Air Rifle

It may not feel right to call an air rifle that’s been on the market less than a decade a classic…

But when it comes to classics, age is not the only factor. A “classic” is any product that was the first and set the standard for what others in its class should be. That’s what the Gamo Whisper Fusion Mach 1 is: An airgun that revolutionized the industry and set the groundwork for the rest of the Gamo Fusion series air rifles to follow.

What It Is

The Gamo Fusion Mach 1 is a single-shot, break-action pellet rifle. When this air rifle was first released, it was the fastest and most powerful air rifle under $300; in the .177-cal. version it has a listed velocity over 1,420 feet per second (fps) with lighter weight alloy pellets. Here’s the thing: the speed of sound at sea level is 1,100 fps. Velocity is cool, but what good is an air rifle if it’s just as loud as an actual .22? Gamo installed a freakin’ suppressor…excuse me, an integrated sound moderating device, to make it one of the fastest and one of the quietest air rifles on the market.

Why It’s Cool

Instead of a traditional spring that you have to compress then release to create the air pressure to launch the pellet, Gamo uses an inert gas piston pneumatic cylinder. Instead of a big ol’ vibrating main spring that can cause you to lose accuracy, a large 33mm cylinder delivers a smooth, almost instant, release of power, to get the pellet on its way before you even realize it.

What about the trigger? Customers expect great triggers on real centerfire rifles, but may not worry overmuch about one on an airgun. This airgun, however, is suitable for hunting small game and competing, so it needs a good trigger. Gamo created the Custom Action Trigger (CAT), which is adjustable for both first and second stages. Of course my custom-tuned $3K precision centerfire rifle has a better trigger. But for under $300 air rifle, this is a darn nice trigger. I would even go so far as to say the trigger pull can be adjusted quite nicely.

Ready Out of the Box

The Gamo Fusion Mach 1 comes as a package with optic installed. This is important because not all scopes are made the same. The recoil impulse from powerful air rifles acts differently than actual guns, and many traditional optics can’t handle the force. You need to use a quality air rifle scope that can handle the stress. Gamo does the work for you and includes a satisfactory 3×9 scope. Remember this is not a sniper rifle or a gun that you are taking with you to storm the sands of Iwo Jima. This is an air rifle, and Gamo provides a nice scope that will allow you to accurately shoot.

SHHHH

Everything’s better with a suppressor! This air gun comes with one, but your choice of pellet weight will dictate how load the air rifle’s report is. Please note everything—no matter the speed—is hearing-safe to the shooter’s ears. Notice I said shooter’s ears, as the pellet leaves the end of the suppressor, full velocity pellets will break the sound barrier and you will hear a loud snap that continues to travel down range. It’s quieter than a real gun because you don’t have any of the gun powder explosion to deal with.

That said, with the .22-cal. version, the weights of most of the pellets on the market mean you will have velocities under the speed of sound. With the .177-cal. version of the rifle, over half the pellet weights can break the sound barrier. So this is something to consider if the whole reason you are buying an air rifle is to shoot quietly. Choose your ammo accordingly.

Quality

Gamo believes in its Fusion series of air rifles enough that it puts an industry-leading 5-year warrant on them. I would say I know about a dozen people including teens that own these rifles and I have not heard of one being sent back.

We talked earlier about the inert gas piston pneumatic cylinder. To fully charge the rifle requires around 30-33 pounds of pressure to compress the air cylinder. Smaller children may have difficulty with this, but teens should be able to handle it.

Quality-wise, it is hard to overstate the smoothness of the pump. At first I was worried that the cylinder would give out, but after five years and more pellets down range than my simple mind can count, everything feels and hits exactly the same.

At almost 7 pounds fully loaded, the air rifle has the heft of a real rifle like a 10/22. Even though the air rifle is clad in polymer, it has a solid feel to it. Since even the barrel is clad in polymer you really don’t have to worry about rust, which is a great bonus in my book.

Cons

It seems like air rifles are way more sensitive to ammo selection than a real rifle. The consistency of the cheapest pellets is kind of a crapshoot. I have had “dollar pellets” from the same batch that will easily fall into the chamber to ones that I have to force in. Now this is not so much a con on the rifle, but using cheap ammo will have you shooting all over the place. I recommend spending a couple extra bucks for the better pellets.

In fact, my best advice is to buy a couple different weights and types of pellets from quality manufacturers. Don’t necessarily sight the rifle in just yet; instead, find out what pellet shoots best in your rifle. Once you find the most accurate weight stick with it and sight your rifle in with this. Jumping weights will change your impacts, so find what works and stick with it. Most of the bad reviews of this rifle not being accurate comes from using random pellet weights and dirt cheap ammo. If the goal is to use this as the capable air rifle it is, treat it as a tool not as a toy.

What I Love

There are now several generations of the Gamo Fusion rifles that include things like 10 round capacities, but when you get down to the nitty gritty, those guns still use the same power plants and velocities as the original Gamo Fusion Mach 1. Since it’s been out a few years now, you can find these on Amazon brand new with free shipping for 215.98!

The power that this air rifle puts out easily allows it to fill many roles. If you are looking for pest control without the worry of overpenetration, this air rifle can do it. Need a rifle for small game like birds or rabbit, this rifle can do that. Are you a prepper who wants an alternative to traditional firearms? Air rifles are legal practically everywhere, and you do not need to go through an FFL. Yes 200 dollars is real money. I have my $30.00 Red Ryder pump action carbine for fun, but for anything that’s serious I always grab my Gamo Fusion Mach 1.

—James the “XDMAN” Nicholas Mr. Unpewfessional Himself!