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I cannot remember exactly why I wanted that, I think I may have been under the impression that a gas ram may last a little longer than a springer.
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If you can increase your budget a little, you could get into an RWS 34.
It can come with an upgraded trigger and iron sights, and be very good in .22 on small critters.
OP specified a gas piston. The RWS 34 has a metal spring.
ETA: Looks like the OP bought a Hatsen. I'm curious to hear his reasoning why he wanted a gas ram. I'm not questioning his preference. I just would like to hear the reasoning.
I cannot remember exactly why I wanted that, I think I may have been under the impression that a gas ram may last a little longer than a springer.
Unlike a metal spring, a gas ram will never fatigue or take a set. It either works or it doesn't. And it should work for a very long time . . . until it leaks. If it leaks, it's done. A metal spring will gradually get weaker over time. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Spring guns that have been shot a lot tend to be smooth shooters, albeit a bit less powerful than when they left the factory. Also, you can't leave a spring gun cocked for long periods without damaging the gun. That's not true of a gas ram.
I don't have any personal experience with gas rams beyond one Crosman Nitro I had briefly, just long enough to try it. My sense is that the gas rams probably vibrate less than a metal spring but they have a pretty pronounced jolt when they fire. They seem harder to cock, too.
Metal springs have been around a long, long time and will continue to dominate that style of power plant for the foreseeable future but gas rams are clearly becoming more popular and common. I suspect a big reason for that involves manufacturing efficiency. I don't know it for a fact, but I imagine it requires less skilled labor and time to drop a gas ram cartridge into a gun than fit a metal spring and guide -- though, honestly, it doesn't seem like manufacturers do much fitting these days.
All that said, I've heard good things about the Hatsens.