Mulliga's Holiday Gift Guide, Part 3: Gamo Whisper Fusion Mach 1 air rifle

The Hanukkah and Christmas seasons are upon us, so I thought it'd be fun to feature some great gift ideas for the geek, gamer, or gun guru in your life. 

One way to skip the potential hassles of gifting a firearm is to give an airgun - they're cheaper, can be shot in more places, and generally aren't banned (yet). However, most serious shooters will want something a bit more accurate and powerful than a Daisy Red Ryder. If you're looking for such an air rifle, may I suggest the Gamo Whisper Fusion Mach 1?

I got the Mach 1 to ward off the iguana infestation plaguing South Florida and Mom's vegetable garden. You see, iguanas are resistant to common BBs, but not to a real-deal air rifle shooting a .22 caliber slug at nearly 1,000 fps. One shot to the head is a quick and humane method of dispatching this invasive species and, truth be told, stationary iguanas are easy targets:

The Mach 1 is perfect for the task, even given the monster lizards that formerly lounged around our backyard. It's pretty quiet (the slamming of the porch screen door makes a louder noise) and its break-barrel design means you don't need to mess with a separate pump or tanks; just break open the barrel, drop in a pellet, close, and fire. It does take a decent amount of strength to crack the action open (Mom can just barely manage it), but it's a small price to pay for a peaceful garden.