This is the disassembly of the Buzzbee Panther, or as it was later sold the Air Max 1. There are a few differences, mainly that the Air Max 1 is much less powerful as you'll see below.
The Buzzbee Panther as seen in green, and the Air Max 1 in grey. Note the different pump handles. The Panther's handle is cylindrical which would let it spin freely. This could cause a problem when pumping as the pump handle can hit the barrel section and not pull fully back. The Air Max one however used an "I beam" style handle which couldn't spin, thus not having the same problem.
Another difference is screw placement in the shell. There's no major reason to have done this, but some of the screw mounts were changed when the Air Max 1 was released.
All of the screws in the Panther are the same size, and there are 7 in the shell and 2 in the pump handle.
To remove the rear piece it is easiest to wedge a thin piece of metal (I used a screw driver) in the back where the small tab is located, it will then come off with some gentle wiggling.
To remove the air tank and pump you can either break off the orange barrel piece, or gently pry the halves of the shell apart while wiggling and pulling the pump out. At this point you can remove the trigger as well. As you can see in the picture below, I did not break the shell. Once removed, you should have the following;
Disassembling the Air Max one is exactly the same as the Panther, although there are less screws with only 5 in the shell. Below is what you will have once disassembled fully.
This is a comparison of the two air tanks and pumps. The top assembly is from the Air Max 1, and is considerably smaller in both sections. The air tank is not even half the size of the Panther, and the pump has a narrower diameter as well. The draw of both pumps is roughly the same.
If for some reason you have the choice between the two, always pick the Panther. However the Air Max 1 is not a terrible blaster in its own right. Compared to the Panther however, the Air Max 1 loses in every aspect.
Hi there!
ReplyDeleteI have been looking everywhere for a panther, and I can’t find them anywhere. I noticed that you seem to have a surplus of panthers, and I was wondering if you would be willing to sell one to me. I’m pretty desperate since panthers seem to be about as rare as diamonds online, and I can’t go thrifting for them because of COVID19. I would be willing to pay $50+ for one with a white plunger handle. Please let me know what you think! If you don’t want to sell any, I totally understand, I just wanted to check and see.
Thanks,
Jasper