Snowpeak AP1000 B Mercury 5.5 mm Air Rifle

Snowpeak AP1000 B Mercury 5.5mm Air Rifle

The Chinese company Snowpeak Airguns (SPA) is a true leader in the field of low-budget PCP airguns, and the Mercury AP1000 B model only confirms this—it stands out for its excellent craftsmanship, high modularity, and, given the features it offers, an unbeatable purchase price.

The Mercury AP1000B in 5.5 mm (.22) caliber is equipped with a 500 mm rifled barrel designed for shooting lead pellets. With JSB Exact Jumbo Heavy 1.175 g pellets, it achieves a muzzle velocity of 285 m/s, which corresponds to an energy of approximately 47.7 J —enough for accurate shooting even at longer ranges. The entire barrel is encased in a stylish shroud with a carbon-fiber-look finish, giving the air rifle a much more premium appearance. The muzzle is fitted with a sound suppressor; once removed, it reveals a 1/2UNF thread for mounting a different suppressor if desired.

The airgun is powered by air from a 350 cc aluminum cartridge with an operating pressure of 250 bar. A significant advantage over the competition is the integrated pressure regulator, which ensures consistent muzzle velocity both with a full cartridge and just above the regulator’s limit—this guarantees stable and accurate shooting. A simple pressure gauge located at the end of the cartridge indicates the remaining pressure; this is also where the QuickFill filling port is located, featuring a connector for a quick-connect coupling.

WARNING! The pressure regulator for this caliber is factory-set to 150 bar. Shooting below this pressure level may damage the regulator and subsequently cause the gun to leak. Therefore, we recommend always refilling the cartridge once it reaches 150 bar.

Reloading is handled by the popular biathlon-style side-loading lever, which operates smoothly and features a grip large enough even for larger hands. For shooting, you can use either a pre-loaded 10-round magazine (2 included in the package) or the supplied single-shot adapter.

The trigger mechanism allows you to adjust the trigger pull, the trigger travel, and the overall height and angle of the trigger. An AR-15-style manual safety is located on the left side above the trigger.

A major highlight of this model is the folding stock, which you first install on the rear Picatinny rail after unpacking the air rifle. This gives you a full-fledged long air rifle measuring 1060 mm in length, which can be shortened to 905 mm by folding the stock; when folded, the stock is held in place by a magnet. The cheek rest is rigid, and the buttplate is surprisingly made of rubber instead of plastic.

A sufficiently long metal Picatinny rail is provided for mounting a rifle scope, and on the sides you’ll find two additional plastic Picatinny rails for mounting a laser, flashlight, or other accessories. The rubberized AR-15-style grip can be replaced with another, and the handguard is equipped with either M-LOK slots (on the version with a standard cartridge) or a bottom Picatinny rail (on the version with an air cylinder).

Although this is a low-cost air rifle, it is very well made. The main body of the rifle, the top rail, and the trigger guard are all machined from a single piece of aluminum; nothing wobbles, and everything holds together firmly. The plastic parts, made of high-quality polymer, feel sturdy and durable and do not negatively affect the air rifle’s overall function.

We recommend purchasing the appropriate accessories for shooting and maintaining the rifle, which you can find below.

Package Contents:

• Snowpeak Mercury Air Rifle
• Folding stock
• Silencer (already attached to the air rifle)
• 1/2UNF Thread Cover
• 2x Magazines
• 1x Single-shot adapter
• Filling pin
• Allen wrench set
• Set of replacement gaskets
• Pressure Gauge Removal Tool