Break-barrel repeater Gamo’s next-gen Swarm has been in the news ever since it was released in early 2019. The Gamo Swarm Fusion 10X Gen3i gas-piston air rifle shares the same cutting-edge features as its predecessor, making it an excellent choice for target practice, pest control, and hunting small game. Shooters are able to use low-profile scope mounts or open sights because of the break-barrel repeater’s rotational 10-round magazine being mounted on its side (sights not included).
By switching to a horizontal magazine position, Gamo was able to make a break-barrel design that allowed for rapid reloading but did away with the pronounced hump caused by the prior magazine design. When the breech is opened to load the next pellet, a series of springs and levers raise the magazine to a vertical position, where it remains until the next cycle.
With this innovative new reloading method and the Swarm’s long list of other capabilities, you have a perfect, inexpensive airgun that “shoots at velocities at the very top level of break barrel abilities,” as Gamo claims, reporting. 177-calibre muzzle velocities of up to 1300 FPS. The Gamo Swarm Fusion 10X Gen3 is a great gun for plinking in the backyard since its Whisper Fusion sound-dampening system keeps the gun’s report to a minimum.
Contents
Features
- An Inert Gas Technology (IGT) gas-piston power plant
- Punishment: Crack the barrel
- Lead pellets travel at 900 feet per second at a .22 calibre.
- About 30 ft-lb of force, pellet type dependent.
- Rotating magazine with ten rounds
- A manual lever is placed in front of the trigger.
- There are open sights made of fibre optics and a 3-9x40mm scope.
- Scope added weighs in at 8 pounds.
Gamo Swarm Fusion 10X Gen3i Air Rifle Details
Gas Piston
There are benefits to using a gas-piston system rather than a spring-piston system. One such benefit is reduced recoil, which is especially noticeable with magnum-powered firearms. After all, powerful springs are needed to generate high velocities. There’s a good jolt when you let those springs go. Therefore, learning to accurately fire a springer can be a bit of a challenge. (It also causes havoc for scopes that weren’t made to withstand the “double” recoil generated by spring piston engines.)
According to Gamo, a cocking stroke requires an impressively robust 42 pounds of force. Before I could cock the rifle, I had to brace the butt. My athletic but short-legged college-aged daughters couldn’t cock the gun. However, Gamo claims that the Swarm Fusion 10X GEN3i’s nitro piston system significantly dampens recoil compared to similarly potent spring-piston rifles.
Magazine
Because I’d been using break barrel air rifles for so long and liked their ease of use, I was hesitant to try out the 10-round magazine system. Is there really a need to add unnecessary complexity to something that has already proven effective? However, I was pleasantly surprised by the efficiency of the 10X GEN3i system, and I quickly came to value the convenience of being able to fire off 10 shots in a row without stopping to reload pellets.
It’s possible to load the magazine while it is in place, but it’s faster to snap it out for loading. The magazine carries — you guessed it — 10 pellets. A tiny rubber O-ring grabs pellets between the dome and skirt to keep them from dropping through when they are loaded. I discovered that shorter pellets needed a little kick to get the dome through the O-ring. The short pellets were inexpensive and lightweight pellets that didn’t group effectively so this was a non-issue for me once I ruled out those pellets.
The rifle comes with only one magazine therefore it would be advisable to buy in a second or third in case of loss or if there is an issue with the pellet-grabbing O-ring, which could be at risk for wear failure eventually. It’s feasible to manually load a single pellet if necessary.
Trigger
The Gamo Swarm Fusion 10X GEN3i incorporates a two-stage adjustable trigger. Small screws in the trigger assembly allow for altering the length of the first and second stages, but not the weight of the actual trigger breakpoint. There is a default setting of a 50% chance of success with the rifle. After trying a few different ones, I settled back on this one.
Accuracy
This rifle shoots best with heavier pellets, as evidenced by testing with a wide range of pellet weights. It makes sense, considering how effective this is, that this would be the case. Inert air rifle with a calibre of .22. I didn’t try alloy pellets, but a group of 25 yards with 13-grain pellets from a department store was no better than two inches. That could work for plinking, but it’s not good enough for real hunting.
The loss of precision in exchange for increased speed is unacceptable. The included 15.4-grain Gamo Red Fire pellets performed the best in accuracy testing. Pellets from H&N’s Baracuda Match line weighed in at 21.14 grains and performed nearly as well. The best advice is to settle on one pellet and use it consistently.
Group sizes of three-quarters to half an inch at 25 yards and one to one and a half inches at 50 yards were consistently achieved when shooting from a bench with a single rest for the forestock. Using my trusty Benjamin Marauder, I fired a shot. One day at the range, I was shooting a 25-calibre PCP alongside a Gamo, and while the M-rod was a little more accurate at 25 yards, both rifles shot into similar-sized groups at 50. To sum up, this Gamo air rifle may not be up to snuff in a target competition, but it’s more than adequate for hunting and field work.
Power
There is a .177 calibre and a .22 calibre version of the Gamo Swarm Fusion 10x GEN3i air rifle. The .22 pistols used for the test were reliable and accurate. Gamo claims that when firing light alloy pellets, the .177 calibre may achieve speeds of up to 1,300 feet per second from the muzzle. The .22, which Gamo claims can fire alloy pellets at 1,000 fps, regularly delivered speeds of 890 to 910 fps when fired with lead pellets in the 15-17 grain range, as measured by a chronograph. With a muzzle energy of around 30 foot-pounds, it’s more than adequate for controlling pests and hunting small game.
Stealth
The barrel of the test rifle we used had a polymer shroud. The latest iterations include barrels that are totally enclosed. The rifle isn’t particularly noisy, but it still might be too much for shooting in a tiny yard, especially if your neighbours are right there.
Appearance
The Gen3i version of the Gamo Swarm Fusion 10x retains the distinctive rifle profile of the original model. It’s the same length as an actual gun, giving off the same sense of dread. The stock was clearly designed for this gun. Its futuristic, sci-fi aesthetic makes it fun to grip and inspires shooting. The smooth plastics and polished metal are set off by the rough texture of the body.
The guns have fluted barrels that are capped by scary muzzle attachments that look like shortened suppressors, giving the guns extra punch. The groundbreaking airgun design is further enhanced with the addition of a 940 scope placed on a Recoil Reducing Rail system (RRR) in the “Picatinny style.”
Handling
Despite its massive size, the Gamo Swarm Fusion, 10x Gen3i, is surprisingly lightweight and easy to control. You can get a firm grip on your air rifle thanks to the thumbhole stock and pistol grip.
The handrest and pistol grip are both rubberized for extra security. The length of the draw on this rifle is not adjustable, but it will be fine for persons with long arms like me because the cheek rest is set at a good, comfortable height. The two-stage trigger and trigger guard can be uncomfortable if you use gloves, and that’s my only real complaint.
Gamo Swarm Fusion Gen 3i review by Off The Shelf Airguns
Gamo Swarm Fusion 10X Gen3i Technical Specs
| Manufacturer | Gamo |
| Caliber | .177, .22 |
| Max Velocity | 1300 fps (.177), 975 fps (.22) |
| Overall Length | 45.70 |
| Buttplate | Rubber |
| Weight | 5.78 |
| Fire Mode | Repeater |
| Scopeable | 11mm dovetail |
| Safety | Manual |
| Magazine Capacity | 10 |
| Loudness | 2-Low-Medium |
| Barrel Length | 20.50 |
| Cocking Effort | 32 lbs |
| Rear Sight | none |
| Front Sight | none |
| Powerplant | Gas-piston |
| Trigger | Two-stage adjustable |
| Action | Break barrel |
| Shrouded | Yes |
Pros
When it comes to pest management and air rifle hunting, the Game Swarm Fusion 10 GEN3i is unparalleled. The heavy cocking effort will likely dissuade most shooters from engaging in extended shooting sessions, although it could be entertaining for firing at silhouettes or another casual plinking.
Its light weight makes it easy to carry while on lengthy treks through the squirrel forests or while assisting the local farmer with his pigeon problem. You can carry it for hours with a sling (a barrel clasp is required for the front sling mount).
Cons
Airguns have a well-deserved reputation for being excellent entry points for novice and/or young shooters. However, the Gamo Swarm Fusion 10X GEN3i is not a weapon for novices. It is not excessively light, but it is designed for adult shooters. Some shooters won’t be interested because of how hard it is to cock.
Gamo Arrow VS Magnum Swarm 10X GEN3i – BATTLE OF THE .22 GAMO AIRGUN!
Conclusion
While some shooters enjoy the challenge of using high-end, precise firearms, the vast majority of airgun aficionados are only searching for a sturdy, effective firearm at an affordable price with which to take care of small game and pests. In this case, the Gamo Swarm Fusion 10X GEN3i air rifle is an excellent choice. It’s not flashy, but it gets the job done and doesn’t cost a fortune.