09-Sep-2026
Ask a room of British PCP shooters which FX to buy, and you will start an argument that outlasts the tea. FX Airguns has spent the last decade producing rifles that are endlessly adjustable, genuinely accurate and, for better or worse, impossible to leave alone once you own one. Three models dominate the conversation in the UK: the Impact, the Crown and the newer DRS.
They are not simply good, better and best. They are three different answers to the question of what a modern PCP should be, and the right one for you depends far more on how you actually shoot than on which sits highest in the catalogue.
The short answer
If you want the most adjustable air rifle FX makes, and you enjoy tinkering, the Impact is the one. If you want that same accuracy in a conventional, sporting-rifle shape that handles like a classic hunting gun, the Crown is the one. If you want an FX at a friendlier price in a compact bullpup that is largely ready to shoot out of the box, the DRS is the one.
Everything below is the detail behind that.
FX Impact: the platform, not just a rifle
The Impact is the rifle that made FX a household name among UK airgunners. It is a bullpup with an unmistakable modular chassis, and its defining characteristic is adjustability: the shooter can change calibre, barrel length, regulated pressure, and power without a trip to a gunsmith. Successive generations, the M3 and M4 are the ones you will see most often on the used market, have refined the regulator, the valve and the ergonomics rather than reinventing the concept.
That flexibility is the appeal and the catch. If you enjoy chronograph sessions, pellet and slug testing and dialling a rifle in to a specific job, the Impact rewards you like nothing else. If you want to buy a rifle, zero it and shoot it, the Impact offers a great deal of capability you may never use. It is also the heaviest and bulkiest of the three, though the bullpup layout keeps the overall length manageable in a hide or high seat.
The Impact holds its value strongly, which is why “FX Impact second hand price” is one of the most-searched airgun phrases in the UK. Used examples are plentiful but rarely cheap, and many will have been modified by their previous owner, worth establishing before you commit.
Browse current listings on the FX brand page, and read our FX Impact overview for more on the platform itself.
FX Crown: the sporter for people who dislike bullpups
The Crown takes much of the Impact’s internal thinking, the regulated action, the smooth-twist barrel philosophy, the externally adjustable power, and wraps it in a conventional sporting stock. For a great many British shooters, that is exactly the point.
A traditional layout suits the way most of us shoot in this country: off sticks in a wood, from a seat over decoys, or prone at a target. The Crown mounts naturally, the balance sits between the hands rather than at the shoulder, and it feels familiar to anyone who has come from a spring rifle or a rimfire. It is also less visually conspicuous, which some shooters care about a great deal when crossing a farmyard.
Adjustability is still there, but it is dialled back relative to the Impact. Most owners set the rifle up once and leave it, which is arguably how it should be. The Crown is often the recommendation for someone who wants FX accuracy without the project.
See what is currently available on the FX Crown listings page.
FX DRS: the value entry point
The DRS is the newest of the three and the one changing the most minds. It is a compact bullpup built to a keener price, and the design brief is clear: give shooters the FX shooting experience with fewer things to fiddle with and a lower ticket. The DRS Classic variant, with a more traditional stock treatment, has proved popular with buyers who want the price but not the bullpup silhouette.
In practice, the DRS suits the shooter who has decided PCP is the way forward, wants something that will hold its own at reasonable range, and would rather spend the difference on a decent scope, a moderator and a supply of good pellets. It is a genuinely sensible first serious PCP.
Search interest in the DRS has climbed sharply this year, and listings move quickly. Check the FX DRS page for current availability, and our FX DRS review for a closer look.
What about the King, Maverick, Dreamline and Wildcat?
FX’s range is broad, and the three above are not the only sensible choices.
The Maverick sits close to the Impact in concept with a slightly simpler specification, and often represents good value used.
The King is a conventional sporter with a strong following among hunters; see our FX King guide.
The Dreamline is the modular sporter family, configurable into several different rifles from a common core.
The Wildcat is the compact bullpup that preceded much of the current range and remains a capable hunting rifle; our FX Wildcat review covers it.
Our FX Airguns range guide sets the whole line-up out in one place if you want the wider view.
Buying used: what to check
FX rifles are well built, but they are also the most modified airguns in Britain. When looking at a second-hand example:
Ask what has been changed. Barrel liners, regulators, valves, hammer springs and stocks are all commonly swapped. Original is not always better, but you should know what you are buying.
Ask when the rifle was last serviced and whether it has held pressure reliably.
Ask about the barrel and the pellet or slug it has been shooting. FX barrels tend to have preferences, and a rifle set up for heavy slugs may not shoot your favourite pellet.
Check that the moderator, magazines and any filling adaptors are included. Replacing them individually adds up.
Confirm the calibre. Plenty of Impacts have been swapped between .177, .22 and .25 during their lives.
If you are new to PCPs generally, our complete air rifle buyer’s guide and the piece on slugs versus pellets are useful background before you spend.
Which one suits which shooter?
The tinkerer and the long-range target shooter. The Impact, without much argument. Nothing else in the range gives you as many levers to pull, and if extended-range slug work interests you it is the natural starting point.
The hunter who wants a rifle, not a project. The Crown. Conventional handling, set it and forget it, and it points naturally when a rabbit appears at forty yards and you have half a second to make a decision.
The shooter moving up from springers, or watching the budget. The DRS. It gets you into the FX ecosystem without the outlay, and it is a rifle you can grow into rather than out of.
The value hunter. Look at the used Maverick and Dreamline listings alongside the three above; depreciation has already done its work, and the shooting is not far behind.
Frequently asked questions
Is the FX Impact worth the extra over the Crown? Only if you will use the adjustability. Both are capable of excellent accuracy. If you cannot see yourself changing barrels or regularly adjusting power, the money is better spent elsewhere, on optics, for instance.
What should I pay for a second-hand FX Impact? Prices vary widely with generation, calibre, condition and how much has been added or changed. Rather than working from a single figure, compare several current listings side by side and factor in what is included. Browse the FX listings to see what the market is actually asking today.
Is the DRS accurate enough for hunting? Yes, comfortably, within sensible airgun ranges and with a scope and pellet the rifle likes. Accuracy limits in the field are far more often the shooter, the wind and the pellet choice than the rifle.
Do I need a licence for an FX air rifle in the UK? Standard air rifles held within the legal power limit do not require a firearm certificate in England and Wales, but the rules around power, age and where you may shoot are specific and worth understanding properly. Our UK air rifle laws and licensing guide explains the framework, and anything above the limit is treated as a Section 1 firearm.
Ready to look at rifles rather than words?
All three will out-shoot most of us. Choose the one whose shape and philosophy fits how you shoot, then spend the rest on glass and pellets.
Browse current FX air rifles for sale on Rightgun.uk, new and used, listed by dealers and private sellers across the UK, or start wider with the full air guns section if you are still weighing up brands.
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