Years ago, we saw Crossman and Benjamin Marauder come along in the world of air guns.
Later, Crossman acquired Benjamin but the brand names remained intact, and day by day it got stronger.
As Crossman predicted back then, it did nothing but add brand value to Crossman.
When it comes to air guns, Benjamin Marauder has always been the undisputed star on the market.
Be it power or accuracy, the Benjamin Marauder is going to take your shooting experience to another level.
For every shooter who takes their shooting seriously, Benjamin Marauder is an asset, a name you can trust.
This silent PCP gun not only offers you the best performance but also goes easy on your pocket.
The first generation of Benjamin Marauder (a.k.a Benjamin Marauder Gen 1) comes with a wooden stock.
(For an in-depth review of Benjamin Marauder Gen 1 wood stock, see this post)
This second generation Benjamin marauder is a treat to shooters of all levels with a much lighter synthetic stock.
Here, we are going to review the Benjamin Marauder Synthetic Stock Gen 2, going into detail on all its features.
So you can make a wise choice while choosing the best PCP air gun for the money.
Benjamin Marauder Synthetic Stock – Guntype
This is a pre-charged pneumatic gun.
Like all PCP guns, it works on compressed air.
Don’t get overwhelmed with all the technical terms by the way, you can read more about PCP guns in this post .
In pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) guns, the driving power of the system is the pressure generated from compressed air,
Which is a result of mechanical work inside the system.
There is no chemical reaction taking place inside a PCP gun .
So let’s settle this here — It’s all AIR!
Now that you know what drives the gun let me explain how to clear the air.
In any PCP gun you will see a tank.
That air tank acts as a reservoir.
There are numerous valves alongside the reservoir that keep the air compressed giving rise to air pressure.
When you pull the trigger a small opening is created for the air to escape the reservoir.
The compressed air escapes the system, firing the projectile.
Now I think the picture is clear for everyone.
However, do not get confused with air pressure and performance of Benjamin marauder.
Crossman has made a very helpful and detailed manual for Marauder’s enthusiasts,
And it clearly states the highest pressure needed for your reservoir.
I advise you not to go above that because with extreme pressure, your air gun will jam.
It is always wise to follow the manual while using an air gun.
It will help you understand your weapon on a deeper level.
The tank in your marauder can be filled with a hand pump or air compressor.
While a hand pump is a cheaper option, it will tire you down to fill a 215cc air reservoir.
On the other hand, there are numerous air compressors available that will do your job efficiently and faster, leaving you to focus your energy on shooting.
I will discuss the compressor details in the accessories part.
Benjamin Marauder is a multi-shot rifle.
In PCP air guns, there is a piston that uses air to fire the pellets.
The motion caused by this piston works on the bolt and makes it fire,
And with the spring action in the play, it comes back to the previous position to repeat the same action for the next shot.
In any single-shot gun, you have to make that one shot count
Because otherwise, you have to go through the hassle of loading the gun
And before you know it, the moment is gone.
Let’s be honest, there are times when you are not in your best form or when the timing is just off.
In cases like this, you can always use another shot instantly.
Benjamin Marauder Synthetic Stock Gen 2 lets you fire up to 10 shots
And offers you auto-indexing, which keeps you accurate with successive shots.
Benjamin Marauder is always celebrated for one feature which took it to another level altogether — The silent action.
A Marauder is an extremely silent rifle which is why you seldom hear it.
The Gen 2 comes with a fully shrouded barrel which does its job of eliminating the noise perfectly,
Though with the higher caliber it could get comparatively louder.
(For more on things you should know about air rifle barrels before buying, see this post.)
So if you are doing pest control or some squirrel is messing with your garden, I suggest you take up a marauder
And deal with it silently without catching the attention of your neighbors.
(For more on the best air rifle for squirrels, see this post)
Another striking feature in a Marauder is the trigger.
I can vouch for this trigger is one of the safest available in the market.
This is a two-stage adjustable trigger that works for both accuracy and safety.
Benjamin Marauder brings you various caliber choices such as .177, .22, and .25.
All the features like speed, air pressure, accuracy, and energy change with caliber.
(For more on how to choose the right air gun caliber for your game, see this post.)
The choked barrel plays a great role in maintaining the accuracy, shaping the shot spread in the initial stages.
This is the basic anatomy of the Benjamin marauder synthetic stock gen 2 air rifle,
And this serves you better than any conventional spring-piston gun, which takes a lot of effort to reload frequently.
Now I will give you a better insight into some very important parts of the air gun so you will know if it’s the right investment for you.
Stock
As the name suggests, this Benjamin marauder gen 2 model comes with a synthetic stock.
It is lighter than the gen 1 wooden stock.
Though it lacks the authenticity of the wooden stock, it has several advantages over the first one.
The synthetic stock comes with a powder coating of black for better weather resistance.
The metal parts have bluing on them as to not get affected by rust.
Honestly, though, the synthetic stock does look less charming than the wooden one.
However, let us discuss the pros of having a synthetic stock.
Firstly, they are lighter.
You can carry it easily here and there.
Get a sling loop and a sling with it and you are all set.
The synthetic is an entire pound lighter in weight than the wood stock.
Secondly, you can use them in extreme weather conditions.
Wooden stocks are more easily affected by weather, and wood can be easily damaged in snow or rain,
Whereas this synthetic stock will serve you long term and has unquestionable durability.
Therefore, even if it lacks class, it is more practical to get a synthetic as a Marauder is not to be shown as a trophy but to improve your shooting experience.
(For more on the in-depth comparison between synthetic and wood stock, see this post.)
Another feature that the marauder offers is an ambidextrous stock.
This is a huge upgrade compared to other products available on the market.
You reverse the bolt according to your dominant hand and you are good to go.
The stock has padding too so you can have a comfortable experience and a comb that can be adjusted vertically.
Sight
Sight is one of the most important deciding factors in the shooting.
Your success depends on the right kind of scope and the perfect adjustment of it.
The proper alignment of the target, illumination, and surveying equipment with range can do wonders for your shooting.
In Benjamin marauder synthetic stock gen – 2, across the receiver top, there is an 11 mm dovetail rail.
It does not come with an open iron scope, which should be duly noted.
However, you get an open door to choose your favorite scope, which would also fit your purpose and pocket.
If you are getting a marauder which comes with a Lothar Walther barrel, then it will feature a Picatinny or Weaver rail.
You can always switch between rails and scope with a simple use of an adapter.
If it gets too confusing for you to get a perfect scope, you can always order a marauder premium package that will include all the necessary accessories.
This package offers the CenterPoint 4-16x40mm Rifle Scope.
Although you can go for Lothar Walther barrel with Picatinny or Weaver rail, I don’t think you would need one
As there is very little recoil to handle with the Benjamin Marauder.
Velocity, accuracy and power
An air gun is chosen for its power and accuracy, and velocity is another important point you simply cannot avoid while judging an air gun.
The Benjamin Marauder comes with huge possibilities if properly tunes.
I am strictly prohibiting anyone who has no profound knowledge of air guns to tamper with the tuning.
You only change things when you know what you are doing.
There is a huge potential with simple tuning in this air gun, and proper tuning of things like hammer spring tension, striker ravel, or valve output would open new doors for you.
However, note this carefully, you only change the tune with a proper chronograph, profound technical knowledge, and ample time in hand.
For the rest of us, who are just beginning, we are fine to go with the preset tune which is also wonderful and keeps your performance level constant.
With tuning, you can get variable muzzle velocity but one thing you must remember is that you have to monitor the air pressure throughout the process,
Or you will end up with faulty muzzle velocity or air pressure that hampers your performance.
Here I am sharing my test results of Benjamin marauder .22 calibers with different pellets
So you get a thorough idea of its power and velocity along with accuracy.
I used seven different pellets of varying weights and got a range of velocities of 1041.83 FPS to 843.85 FPS.
The power range was from 23.38 ft-lbs to 33.43 ft-lbs.
| Weight | Pellets | First shot muzzle velocity | Tenth shot muzzle velocity | Average muzzle velocity | Average muzzle energy | Accuracy |
| 9.70 grain | Gamo Raptor Platinum | 1057.94 FPS | 1030.82 FPS | 1041.83 FPS | 23.38 FT/LBS | GOOD |
| 10.03 grain | H&N field target trophy green | 1038.43 FPS | 1007.23 FPS | 1024.70 FPS | 25.00 FT/LBS | POOR (vertical stringing) |
| 11.90 grain | RWS hobby | 994.08 FPS | 963.31 FPS | 980.30 FPS | 25.40 FT/LBS | GOOD |
| 14.30 grain | Crossman premier HP | 950.15 FPS | 922.70 FPS | 935.83 FPS | 27.81 FT/LBS | GOOD |
| 14.35 grain | JSB Jumbo Exact | 953.59 FPS | 929.36 FPS | 941.61 FPS | 28.26 FT/LBS | BEST OF THE TESTED |
| 14.66 grain | H&N field target trophy | 954.80 FPS | 927.51 FPS | 941.99 FPS | 28.89 FT/LBS | GOOD |
| 21.14 grain | H&N barracuda match | 848.93 FPS | 836.84 FPS | 843.85 FPS | 33.43 FT/LBS | GOOD |
The accuracy of a Benjamin marauder is unbeatable in any given condition.
However, the range changes with a change in caliber.
The accuracy a Marauder offers is much higher than the price range in which it comes.
For the same or the nearest higher accuracy, the price just doubles or even triples.
For .25 you can go up to 50-100 yards, but while the caliber decreases you have to map your range with it too.
.22 is good to go up to 30 yards and small games like rabbits or squirrels are good to go.
.177 is suitable for paper shots.
(For more on the differences between .177 & .22 and which jobs they do best, see this post.)
.25 is so far the most suitable one for gaming and with proper tuning and informed settings, it could get you some coyotes or other big games.
Rick Eutsler from AirgunWeb took an in-depth look at the Benjamin Marauder Synthetic stock here:
Trigger
Can we just all take a second to grasp the fact that Benjamin marauder not only offers us a metal trigger, but they are also adjustable!?
Oh, don’t let me stop there — they also have two-stage adjustable triggers.
When we think about the positive let off or crisp functioning of any air gun the topic comes to an end at the trigger feature.
What kind of trigger your device has can make a huge difference in your shooting, and you will feel this once you get to the field and start the actual job.
A two-stage trigger offers you two basic facilities that any conventional trigger fails to deliver.
The first one is accuracy.
Two-stage triggers do wonders when it comes to accurate shots.
Their working principle is the key here.
There are two pulls required from your end.
If you do not make the target in the first pull then you can pause, make the adjustment and then go for the second pull.
BAM! That’s your target.
The minimal effort required for this inter-stage adjustment makes a huge difference in shooting experience and success.
The second advantage is safety.
When it comes to shooting, we have to be very careful all the time of accidental or undesired discharge.
A two-stage trigger lowers the possibility of such incidents because of its heavier pull weights.
It weighs around 3 lbs and unless you pull it with intention, there are very few chances of accidental fire.
The Benjamin Marauder also features a safety that is in direct contact with the trigger.
Moving on to trigger settings, you can change the pull weight or trigger blade position according to your needs.
The Crossman manual is very detailed and user-friendly with all the information one might need to make any change in any setting.
However, just like tuning, I would suggest you do it only with adequate knowledge.
A trigger is something you should not mess with in any firearm.
It could lead to several undesired incidents and the worst you can expect is an accident.
Do not go hard on your trigger.
Change one thing or two at a time, understand what you did, give your system time, and let it work on it,
And then you understand how it changes the output.
Throughout the process keep a sharp eye on safety. Care will always reward you
Cocking and loading
Cocking and loading is a simplified process in a marauder.
Like all other air guns or rifles, you start with pulling the bolt back, slide the magazines like a pro
And push it back to its initial position, and you are good to go.
Now while talking about magazines, I will mention some practical issues which may seem funny but in real life makes a lot of difference.
First, what you should know is the size of magazines and pellets that you will use in your marauder synthetic stock gen 2.
They are comparatively on the smaller side, and you may end up losing a lot if not careful throughout the process.
If you have bigger hands, it could add to your troubles.
However, this is nothing that could stop you from loading a marauder, just don’t end up wasting too many pellets.
They know circular magazines loading could be tricky, so they have an elevated aluminum breech to make it less messy.
The bolt is reversible, which could be a new feature to you and may take some time, but you will get used to it before long.
Loudness
This heading should be quiet because a marauder does not deal with loud business.
The barrel of Benjamin marauder synthetic stock gen 2 is fully choked, and this makes this gun awfully quiet.
In the updated version, they have used an in-built de-pinger which eliminates the sharp ping of a shot, and instead, you hear a dull thud.
The USP of a Marauder should be quietness and accuracy.
People claim to kill squirrels with it without scaring off anything else from the lawn.
Shooting Ability
At the beginning of the Benjamin marauder synthetic stock gen 2 reviews, I mentioned it is a 10-shots-gun with auto-indexing.
Anyone finding this alien? Fear not, they have single shot trays available too,
Though you will never need one once you start using the multi-shot feature and realize how great it actually is.
Another shooting feature present in the Marauder which steals the show is how it shows the number of remaining pellets in the magazine.
This not only helps you in planning your shots but also keeps you safe from double feeding and jamming.
Double feed control is often absent in air guns, and this particular feature comes in handy for avoiding jamming.
Double feeding jams the air gun, and clearing this stoppage is a different job altogether.
Therefore, it is better you keep a track of your shooting.
The above feature also helps to eliminate the accidental double discharge.
You can use the cheek weld for higher accuracy, and this is possible because of the adjustable stock comb height which I mentioned earlier.
This also helps in mounting scopes.
The ambidextrous stock helps both right and left-handed shooters and goes perfectly with a wide range of accessories available in the market.
Durability
Benjamin marauder is well known for its durability.
This is a gun that will cost you little to keep in good shape.
A marauder, with just a little care, will keep you busy in hunting for a really long time.
Benjamin marauder synthetic stock gen 2 rifle is not high maintenance and could go for ages because of its sturdy parts and high-quality building blocks.
Accessories
A Benjamin marauder is a pretty neat gun and does not demand a lot of side parts.
However, being a PCP gun, one thing that you cannot ignore is an air pump.
The air tank is its powerhouse and for compressed air pressure, you have filled the tank with air.
Now, there are two ways of filling the reservoir.
One with a hand pump, second with a compressor or scuba tank.
If you are not sure, I urge you to read this awesome guide on how to choose the right air source for your PCP air rifle.
The first one is more conventional though it could be very tiring.
The reservoir is 215cc, and the air ranges over around 2000-3000 psi. which is a modest amount in terms of air pressure.
It also depends on your physical ability.
You can always use a scuba tank or air compressor to do the job for you so you can save your energy for shooting.
Numerous air compressors are available on the market.
Some of the most popular air compressors are venturi compressor 4500 psi, Benjamin traveler 4500 psi compressor, air venture nomad portable air compressor, etc.
But you can also go for a Marauder value pack if you want something cheaper.
In the case of hand pumps, Air Venturi g6, g7 or Hill MK4 could be your options.
Another accessory which you will need is scope as it does not come with one.
Scopes are an important deciding factor, and you can use your preferred one that goes with the factory dovetail rail.
You can go with Hawke sports optics, UTG-3 9*32 1” Bugbuster scope, Winchester products, etc.
Maintenance
As I have already mentioned, the Benjamin marauder synthetic stock gen 2 is not a high-maintenance air gun.
It is very little you have to do to keep a marauder functioning.
After some hundreds of pellets, clean the magazines and cock so there is no lead build-up.
You can use any good air rifle lube, and it will be as good as new.
For other metallic parts, keep a microfiber handy and wipe the gun off occasionally for it to have a shiny and print-free look.
Pros and Cons
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Price
A marauder offers you the best price while giving the performance of an elite rifle.
When we talk about air rifles, we talk about a price range that starts from $100 to several thousand.
A Benjamin combines superiority with affordability.
I am not saying you can’t get a better air rifle, but I’ll bet you can’t get one in this price range.
Anything better with the same features will cost you at least twice if not thrice this price.
You can get a marauder for between $500-550 depending on your choice of barrel and stock.
Accessories like compressors or scopes will cost you another $200-250 but can go up if you can afford higher-quality materials.
Specifications
So far, I have discussed all the features of this marauder upgraded model in detail,
But in case you are in a hurry and have to take it all in one go then here are the specifications that you will get in this air gun.
- Benjamin marauder synthetic stock gen 2 air gun weighs around 7.3 lbs, which is almost 1lb less than the wood stock which is about 8.2lbs.
- It is about 42.8” long, which is not what is recorded in the manual.
- This is a PCP gun with a reservoir of 215 cc.
- It uses compressed air pressure, which is around 2000-3000 psi for the best performance.
- The velocities can vary depending on the air gun setting, which, in other words, mean this rifle offers you variable velocities.
- Benjamin marauder has an inbuilt pressure gauge to keep track of the pressure inside the air tank.
- There is a quick disconnect arrangement on the air tank so while filling the tank you can use one female quick disconnect and finish the job easily.
- Internal shroud mechanism makes it one of the quietest air guns available in the market.
- The choked barrel is all about accuracy.
- Aluminum breech is elevated so as to load circular magazines easily.
- This model of Benjamin offers 10 repetitive shots with an auto indexing feature.
- It comes with two-stage adjustable metal trigger for better safety and accuracy.
- The stock is ambidextrous and suitable for both left and right hand shooters.
- The bolt is reversible, which makes it open to all kinds of accessories available in the market and can be used by both left and right handed shooters easily.
- You get a magazine along with swivel sling stud with Benjamin marauder synthetic stock gen 2 air gun.
Customer review
Customers from all over the world love Benjamin marauder synthetic stock gen 2 air guns and there has been a little complaint against it.
The accuracy, durability, and versatility along with affordability have so far secured the greatest fan base among the shooters.
Conclusion
Overall, the Benjamin marauder synthetic stock gen 2 is one of a kind for all its great features, and it will be worth your money.
I hope you got a clear picture of Benjamin Marauder’s synthetic stock gen 2 and by now are prepared to invest in your ammunition wisely.
