I also visited my friends at the ASG booth but for some reason I did not get a photo of their booth? I do have some video walk through stuff I will show you in my YouTube Video coverage of this years Vegas SHOT Show. Most importantly I have lots of gun photos so let's take a look at them...
One of my favorite ASG pistols is the Bersa BP9CC, I have already reviewed it and I just really like how this gun looks and holds, ASG took it one step further this year by adding a two-tone silver version and I have to say it looks awesome in person, my photos do not do it justice at all :(
A new handgun to the ASG blowback pistol series is the CZ P-09 Duty Pellet pistol. Basically it shares similar mechanics to the Umarex PX4 and Gamo PT-85 using the double sided rotary pellet magazine with 8 shots located on each end of the stick magazine. The ASG CZ P-09 Duty features a metal slide, working hammer and safety.
Another pellets pistol that should be very familiar to most of you is the new .177 caliber pellet shooting Dan Wesson in 6 inch silver and 8 inch black versions. ASG added a rifled barrel and redesigned solid brass shells that hold pellets instead of 4.5mm Steel BB's. Expect to take a little bit longer to reload the pellets as unscrewing the tip of each shell is required to place a .177 caliber pellet in each bullet tip.
Of course ASG has tons of licensed pistols to choose from, many on both 4.5mm Steel BB and 6mm Plastic Airsoft!
One new rifle that stood out to me was the ASG CZ Scorpion EVO 3 A1 AEG Airsoft Rifle, the Scorpion features an intelligent AEG system that detects when there may be a potential feeding problem and also when the magazine is out of ammo.
Umarex had a lot of new products this year so I thought I would start off showing you some of them. I will be following this post up with a full 2014 Vegas SHOT Show video once I finish posting some of my photos and comments on the show events.
Here is a photo of the main Umarex Booth.
I have always liked the 4.5mm BB version of the Umarex Makarov, Umarex now has the Makarov Ultra version that features blowback, a working slide catch and full size drop out magazine, looking forward to testing this one out!
Another kind of new addition to the 4.5mm Steel BB lineup is the Umarex Beretta Model 84FS. It has been available overseas but is now coming to North America. The Umarex Beretta Model 84FS also features blowback and a full size drop out magazine.
I'm not sure if we needed another rebranded version of the KWC 1911 Blowback BB pistol, but we got one anyways! Umarex now has their own version of what looks to similar to the KWC Tac A1 but with Colt licensing.
Umarex also made up a very limited edition and very weathered looking blowback BB shooting 1911 based on the KWC design called the Colt 1911 WWII Commemorative. I am not sure how many where made but I know there are not a lot of them... Hope I can get my hands on one...
Umarex came out with Smith & Wesson 327 TRR8 last year and this year they have added a similar styled 4.5mm Steel BB shooting revolver with removable shells but in a licensed Colt Python 357 version.
Last but not least and going back many years, Umarex is bringing out another Legends Series 4.5mm BB pistol. The German Mauser C96, I'm not 100% sure if it's blowback or not but it does seem to have a working action, the main pistol is made out of Polymer but it does have a full size drop out magazine and seems to have good weight overall. Most of the parts work like the original Mauser C96 including the adjustable rear sight and safeties.
So it's 2014 but I still needed to make my 2013 Airgun, Airsoft Gun and Blank Gun Collection Favorites for 2013. It's become a tradition I guess you could say. No I do not show all the guns in my collection but I do cover most of my favorites and also some new guns I picked up in 2013.
Here's a peek but make sure to watch the YouTube video bellow where I go over all my top picks for 2013. You can also buy many of the guns I show in this YouTube video over in our Canada and US Replica Airguns Store!
I wanted to cover some basic Airgun, Airsoft Gun, Blank Gun and Paintball Gun information on what do they all shoot, what makes them shoot and some other miscellaneous info thrown in along the way...
Your should also watch the video attached at the bottom of this post as it goes into a fair amount of detail.
Let's begin with the types of ammo used:
Airgun Ammo
Airgun ammo for the most part is broken down into BBs and Pellets, the most standard size BB and Pellet is the 4.5mm or .177 caliber Steel BB and Lead Pellet. You can also get Pellets in other calibers and even other materials other than lead such as steel or aluminum, some can have plastic skirting around a metal interior.
Pellets also come in a variety of caliber's like .177, .20. 22. 25 and even larger but then I would start considering them to be bullets as they will take on the shape of a bullet when they get into the larger sizes.
Airgun Ammo is not be fired at people, it is primarily used for target and hunting small game.
Airguns can use Spring Pistons, CO2, Compressed Air and Multi-pump propulsion systems.
Airsoft Gun Ammo
Airsoft Guns for the most part shoot round 6mm (.22 caliber) plastic BBs which come in a variety of weights ranging from .12 grams up to .48 grams. There are larger Airsoft BBs such as 8mm and even larger.
There are biodegradable and even tracer florescent Airsoft BBs available.
Airsoft Ammo is traditionally used for Airsoft battles and can be fired at people using protective gear. Airsoft Ammo can also be used for target shooting.
Airsoft Guns can use Spring Pistons, Spring Piston - AEG (Electric Motor) CO2, Gas (Green, Red, Propane) and Compressed Air propulsion systems.
Paintball Gun Ammo
Paintball Guns or "Markers" have been historically used for the sport of Paintball but their whereabouts came from the need of ranchers and forestry workers to mark trees. Hence the name "Marker"
Paintball ammo comes in a variety of sizes ranging with the most common being .43 and .68 caliber. They are generally made from a gelatin outer coating containing primarily polyethylene glycol, other non-toxic and water-soluble substances, and dye, they are usually biodegradable.
Paintball Guns can also shoot a variety of Paintball Ammo that can be made out of Rubber, Plastic, Glass and they can also contain Powders and even Pepper for use in non lethal defense.
Paintball Guns can generally use either CO2 or Compressed Air as their propellant.
Blank Gun Ammo
Blank Guns are just like Real Guns but without the dangerous bullet at the end of the brass shell. Other than that they work exactly the same as a Real Gun!
Blank Guns are used when a bullet is not required or even wanted. For instance... Gun safety, gun training, training animals to be around guns and/or loud noises, Props for Movies - Stage - Film - TV, Collectors that do not want the red tape associated with owning a Real Gun or when owning a Real Gun is prohibited.
Blank Guns can shoot a variety of sized ammo, most common are .22 caliber crimped, .380 crimped, 8mm P.A.K. and 9mm P.A.K.
Blank Guns use gun powder as their means of operation.
Here are the most common forms of propulsion used in the guns we discussed earlier:
CO2
CO2 is the most common propellant in Airguns (BB and Pellet), it is also used in Airsoft Guns and Paintball Guns.
CO2 is a compressed gas which expands when released, it requires a warm environment to fully expand and tends to cool it's surroundings quickly when shot fast or in full automatic which can slow the velocity of the projectile and even freeze up the gun being used.
The most common reusable CO2 cartridges are 12 and 88 gram but you can get larger CO2 tanks in a variety of sizes that can be refilled with CO2.
Gas
Gas is used primarily in Airsoft Guns, I have not personally seen an Airgun that is made to use Gas other than CO2.
Gas is similar to CO2 in that it is a compressed gas that expands when releases, it also cools down the gun it is being used in and requires a warm environment.
Gas comes in a variety of names, Green Gas, Red Gas and Propane Gas. Green Gas contains Propane as it's base but has additives in it like silicone for lubrication .
Red Gas is know to be a bit more powerful than Green Gas as it has Chlorodifluoromethane or HCFC-22, R22 or Freon 22 used in refrigeration which turns to a liquid under a slightly higher pressure giving you slightly higher fps.
Many people use propane gas with an adapter that allows the mixture of silicone as propane is cheaper to buy.
Compressed Air (HPA)
Compressed Air (HPA - High Pressure Air) is most commonly used in Airguns and Paintball Guns but some people use it for their Gas based Airsoft guns.
The compressed air comes from high PSI tanks that can be purchased in a variety of sizes and contains compressed air at pressures up to 5000psi.
These tanks are reusable and usually need to be refilled at a paintball or scuba shop, some people buy their own compressors or large scuba tanks for refilling purposes.
Some Compressed Air (HPA) guns have their own built in tanks that can be filled with a compressor or even a manual pump.
Compressed air does not cool down the gun it is being used in and is a great option for high output or fully automatic guns.
Multi-Pump Pneumatic
Multi-Pump Pneumatic systems are most commonly used in Pellet and/or BB guns.
Multi-Pump Pneumatic guns use the same principle as HPA - High Pressure Air guns in that they require pressurized air as the propellant. The main difference with Multi-Pump Pneumatic guns, is that you do all the work by pumping the gun between shots. Generally speaking you pump the gun 3-10 times, take a shot and repeat this process.
Multi-Pump Pneumatic guns are not effected by air temperature and are great for target and small pest control.
Spring Piston
Spring pistons are generally found in Pellet Rifles and Pistols but some Airsoft Guns also use a Spring Piston System and generally speaking Spring Piston Guns are single shot only or in other words, the Spring needs to be drawn back before each shot. Spring Piston Guns can have magazines that allow for quicker repeat shots.
Spring Piston Guns come in many cocking configurations, Brake Barrel and Side lever to name a couple.
The Spring can be a Mechanical Spring or a Gas Spring.
Spring Piston Guns are not effected by temperature and are often used for small game hunting and target shooting.
Automatic Electric Guns (AEG)
Automatic Electric Guns are generally found in Airsoft Rifles but there are some Airsoft Pistols (AEP) that use this same system.
Automatic Electric Guns use a similar system to a Spring Piston gun but have an electric motor that does all the work of drawing back the spring. You can even have fully automatic AEG guns.
The power for the electric motor comes from removable batteries, so it is a combination a battery supplying the motor with the power to draw back the spring that creates a pillow of air that shoots the BB.
AEG Airsoft Guns are great for situations when you require high capacity magazines with full auto capability.
Gun Powder
Gun powder is used in Blank Guns, in the same manor that it is used in a Real Gun, the charge from the Gun Powder supplies the force required to operate the blowback in most semi auto Blank Pistols, it also creates the sound of a live round along with the muzzle flash which makes Blank Guns great for training and as Props for Movies and Film.
Because the kinetic energy from a blank gun is the same as a real gun, blank guns can be very dangerous when used in close proximity to an object, see my "Are Blank Guns Dangerous Video"!
Some other Gun Relevant Terminology:
Blowback
Blowback operation is when some of the force of the propellant is used to move the slide backwards, which in most cases cocks the hammer for single action and can also pickup and chamber a round into the barrel.
The slide spring supplies the energy for the return to the forward position of the slide.
Blowback Guns do rob some power from the bullet force and in the case of CO2 or Gas Guns the also reduce the amount of shots per CO2 or Gas fill.
Revolver, Semi Automatic
Revolver: Revolvers feed ammunition via the rotation of a cartridge-filled cylinder, in which each cartridge is contained in its own ignition chamber, and is sequentially brought into alignment with the weapon's barrel by a mechanism linked to the weapon's trigger (double-action) or its hammer (single-action)
Semi Automatic: semi-automatic pistols use the energy of one shot to reload the chamber for the next. Typically recoil energy from a fired round is mechanically harnessed. After a round is fired, the pistol will cycle, ejecting the spent casing and chambering a new round from the magazine, allowing another shot to take place immediately.
Single Shot, Repeater, Semi Automatic & Fully Automatic
Single Shot: A Single Shot Gun needs to be reloaded each time it is shot.
Repeater: Repeating action Guns are single barreled guns containing multiple rounds of ammunition. These rounds are loaded from a magazine by means of a manual or automatic mechanism, and the action that reloads the rifle also typically re-cocks the firing action. The term repeating rifle is most often applied to weapons in which the next cartridge is loaded by a manual action, as opposed to semi-automatic rifles, in which the force of one shot is used to load the next.
Semi Automatic: A semi-automatic, or self-loading, firearm is a weapon that performs all steps necessary to prepare the weapon to fire again after firing.
Fully Automatic: A Gun that uses either its recoil or a portion of the gas propelling the projectile to remove the spent cartridge (in the case of a gun-shell), fire again repeatedly, as long as the trigger is held down or until the magazine is exhausted. Automatic Guns are distinguished from semi-automatic Guns in their ability to fire more than one shot in succession once the trigger is pulled.
Single-Action (SA): trigger performs the single action of releasing the hammer or striker to discharge the firearm each time the trigger is pulled.
Double-Action (DA): The trigger both cocks and releases the hammer or striker
SA-DA: A SA/DA firearm combines the features of both mechanisms. You can pull the trigger in Double Action when the hammer is down which cocks and releases the trigger or you can cock the hammer with your thumb and then release the trigger using Single Action to fire the weapon.
Lever Action, Pump Action, Bolt Action
Lever Action: In a classic lever-action firearm, rounds are individually loaded into a tubular magazine parallel to and below the barrel. A short bolt is held in place with an over center toggle action. Once closed, the over center action prevents opening solely by the force on the bolt when the weapon is fired. This toggle action is operated by a hand grip that forms part of the trigger guard. When operated, a spring in the tubular magazine pushes a fresh round into position. Returning the operating lever to the home position chambers the round and closes the breach.
Pump Action: With a pump-action firearm, the action is operated by a movable fore-end that goes backwards and forwards to eject, extract, and chamber a round of ammunition. Pump-actions are usually associated with shotguns.
Bolt Action: The bolt opens and closes the breech end of the barrel and contains the firing pin. The bolt is held in place with a lever that fits into a notch. Moving this lever out of the notch will release the restraint on the bolt, allowing it to be drawn back. An extractor removes the spent cartridge, which is then ejected through the lever slot. A spring at the bottom of the magazine pushes up the reserve rounds, positioning the topmost between the bolt and the chamber at the base of the barrel. Pushing the bolt lever forward chambers this round and pushing the lever into the notch locks the bolt and enables the trigger mechanism.
Magazine vs Clip
Magazine: A magazine is an ammunition storage and feeding device within or attached to a repeating firearm. Magazines can be removable (detachable) or integral to the firearm. The magazine functions by moving the cartridges stored in the magazine into a position where they may be loaded into the chamber by the action of the firearm. The detachable magazine is often referred to as a clip, although this is technically inaccurate.
Clip: A clip is a device that is used to store multiple rounds of ammunition together as a unit, ready for insertion into the magazine or cylinder of a firearm. This speeds up the process of loading and reloading the firearm as several rounds can be loaded at once, rather than one round being loaded at a time. The term "clip" is also frequently used to refer to a detachable magazine, though such usage is incorrect.
I am happy to report back to you on all the new cool stuff I got to see at this years 2013 SHOT Show in Las Vegas. Make sure to also watch my Vimeo video at the bottom of this post for some first person styled play by play of my experience at the Vegas SHOT Show 2013. (like you're there with me ;)
First up I want to cover a new gun from ASG, I have been wanting to get my hands on the 4.5mm Bersa BP9CC and I finally got to, not only did I get my hands on it but ASG was kind enough to supply me with one to take home for review. You can get the Bersa BP9CC in both Blowback and non-blowback versions and also in either BB or Airsoft. I opted for the 4.5mm BB Blowback version. I will be reviewing this BB gun very soon!
ASG also had a very cool prototype of an Airsoft CZ Scorpion EVO 3A1 hopefully coming out soon.
While roaming around SHOT Show 2013, I came across an interesting booth from FlashFog Security. I often get people asking me about using an airgun as a home defense weapon and I strongly advise against this. If the intruder is not scared off by the gun there is little an airgun can do to actually stop them. The FlashFog system works by rapidly filling a room with dense fog combined with a strobe light effect which blinds and disorients intruders completely. There is little an intruder can do other then try and get the heck out of there!
UPDATE: FlashFog just added a new section to their website specifically for School Security to help keep our schools safer from potential safety threats! So check it out: School Security Smoke Screen
I was a bit surprised by Gamo this year, they tend to stay away from actual Replica's and generally make BB/Pellet guns that look like popular guns but not any gun in particular. Gamo has a new BB/Pellet MP9 based machine pistol that uses a similar mechanism to their P-25 and PT-85 so it can shoot both 4.5mm BB's and .177 caliber Pellets using a double ended 16 shot rotary magazine. It also has an internal blowback system so it should have some recoil feel to it! I am pretty sure it is semi auto only but still a nice addition to their lineup!
Gamo also brought out a new 4.5mm BB Blowback pistol called the C-15 which has a metal slide and plastic frame, it kind of reminds me of the Umarex HPP in how it looks and feels.
Umarex had several new products that I am sure everyone is going to like! One that I think will do really well is the Steel Force, the Steel Force is designed around the 4.5mm BB shooting Steel Storm platform so it has a 6 round burst blowback operation and holds the 2x12 gram CO2 in the magazine while the BB's go in a 300 round hopper that feeds into a 30 round spring fed internal magazine. Like the Steel Storm it will shoot around 430 fps. The Steel Force has the advantage of being styled after the AR platform so it has a collapsible stock which will make shooting very easy.
Another often asked for airgun replica is the historic German Luger. This year Umarex stepped up to the plate and introduced the Umarex P.08 4.5mm BB pistol. Sorry, no blowback or even a working slide on this one but it is all metal and has a very good weight and feel to it.
If you're a fan of the entry level Umarex XBG then you may be interested in the new Umarex T.D.P. 45 which is very similar to the XBG in looks and features but with a slightly different look to it.
If you've ever wanted to turn your pistol into more of a PDW styled gun, you may be able to depending on which Umarex gun you have? Umarex added a very cool accessory called the T.A.C Converter that converts your Umarex HK USP (BB-Airsoft), SW MP40 (BB), XBG (BB), CZ Enforcer (Airsoft) and Walther P99 DOA (Airsoft) into more of a tactical (PDW) or Personal Defense Weapon complete with for-grip, adjustable rear sight, lots of rail options and a foldable stock.
I am assuming the Crosman M4-177 Pellet/BB Rifle has been doing well for Crosman as they have expanded with some more similar assault styled air rifles. The Crosman MSR77NP pretty much looks like a classic M16 but is in fact a Nitro Piston break barrel pellet rifle able to shoot .177 caliber pellets at 1200 fps (I hope there is a 499 fps Canada version planned too?).
A new takeoff of the M4-177 is the MK-177 which also shoots .177 caliber pellets and 4.5mm BB's using a multi-Pump System but it uses an upgraded more efficient pump system that squeaks out more fps with less pumps. The Crosman MK-177 is designed after the FN SCAR and is available in an adjustable iron sight version or a Red Dot equipped kit version.
One thing you can never get enough of in my opinion is another 1911 pistol! Crosman is introducing their GI Model 1911BB Blowback 4.5mm CO2 pistol, the one they had on hand was more of a prototype so the slide was not operational but it will feature an all metal design, blowback operation, 450 fps and a 20 round drop out magazine. I am sorry to say but it looks like the Crosman C51 has been dropped from Crosman's lineup but if you want a similar styled gun you can checkout the KWC SW40F which is a very close airsoft version.
We recently started carrying G&G Armament Airsoft guns, you can checkout my review of the Xtreme 45. I did stop by their booth and they had some new products on display, the M1 Grand (all wood stock) Airsoft had it's magwell all wrapped up as G&G had a propriety magazine system they did not want their competition to see. G&G also had some very interesting targets that light up, when shot they would react by individually turning off so you could see if you hit it or not.
There was a rather large crowd at the KWA booth but it was a shared booth so it's hard to say what everyone was looking at, the KWA area was pretty full, I did talk to the KWA rep and asked him point blank if KWC and KWA where the same or sister companies and the answer was not at all. There are often a lot of guns that look like they could be from the same company, I guess there is a lot of copying going on ;) One gun from KWA I would love to get my hands on is the Kriss SMG!
Now keep in mind many of these guns I have highlighted today are not available yet and a lot of them should be coming out in the spring time frame so please try to refrain from repeatedly asking when I will review them and have them in the store, it takes time and as much as we all want them now, they get here when they get here!
Watch my Vimeo video of the Replica Aiguns at SHOT Show Vegas 2013
Action: Semi auto, single & double action with blowback.
Ammunition Type: .43 caliber paintball or rubber bullet.
Ammunition Capacity: 9 round magazine.
FPS: 250-300fps.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Real Action Paintball RAP4 X50 is rather nice in single action, being a true blowback gun, the cycling of the slide not only chambers a round but also pre-cocks the hammer allowing for a very smooth and light single action trigger pull. There is also a working de-cocker that allows you to release the internal hammer. Double action is noticeably heavier but would only really be used on the first shot if you had already used the de-cocker.
Accuracy: After my previous review of the RAM X50 I was expecting this gun to perform pretty much the same. I did find it to be a bit more accurate within the 20-25 foot range using the rubber balls but when I got out into the field and switched over to the Paintballs I found that they where really hooking and darting all over the place? Mind you, this gun was right out of the box and not broken in yet. I also got a bit lower fps (right around 250) out of the RAP4 RAM Walther P99 compared to my RAM X50 but again my review unit had not been adjusted in any way and I imagine I could turn it up a bit to get more fps out of it if I wante to. The plus side is I was able to get an astounding 8 magazines worth of shots out of one CO2.
Build Quality: The RAP4 RAM Walther P99 styled Paintball Pistol is built very well, it does have a polymer frame but the gun overall has lots of metal parts and a very good overall 2 pounds weight to it dry. The blowback action is very snappy and all the mechanics and fit and finish all look and function very nicely. The slide spring is nice and firm giving this paintball gun a snappy recoil and the feel closer to a real gun than that of an airgun.
Realism: The RAP4 RAM Walther P99 was primarily made to simulate real word shooting environments for Police and Military users and even includes Walther branding and licensing, it is a very believable looking and functioning copy of the real steel semi auto pistol it replicates. Other than the exception of the CO2 Cylinder hanging a bit far out of the bottom of the handle. The RAM P99 would be hard to tell from the actual Walther P99, especially when looking down the large .43 caliber barrel. The Blowback action and firm recoil help pull off the believability when shooting this ralistic Paintball Pistol.
Very Accurate Walther P99 replica including licensing and trademarks.
Everything works pretty much like the real gun so a great training tool.
Good accuracy up close and lots of shots per CO2 for such a large round.
Nice light single action trigger and working de-cocker.
Fairly affordable.
Cons:
CO2 cylinder sticks out from the handle and looks a bit odd.
Paintball accuracy out at range was unpredictable.
Does not field Strip conventionally.
Comments:
This was my second time testing a RAP4 RAM product and again I took the chance to use it as it was intended to be used - in the field going through simulated tactical situations. My targets where barrels this time but they could have been other people with similar paintball guns shooting back at me which would have put even more pressure on me and forced me to really see where my mistakes are being made. That's the whole point of this type of training airgun, make it as real as it can be without your actual life being in danger so that when you are in danger you will not have to think about what you are doing but simply react based on your previous training. I think anyone who is a gun owner wanting to improve their reactive shooting skills should invest in one of these Paintball guns. One day you may thank yourself but let's hope it does not come to that!
Right off the bat I have to say I had a great time making this Field Test Video Review of the RAP4 RAM X50 (Sig P226) .43 Caliber Blowback Paintball Pistol. I did something I don't generally do, I went back into my forest area of the property and setup some human sized targets (5 gallon buckets) and did some tactical real world shooting simulation, it was a lot of fun and the RAP4 RAM X50 Paintball Pistol worked perfectly for this as I could very easily see exactly where I was shooting and also did not have to worry too much about rebounding ammo.
This video only covers the shooting performance of the RAP4 RAM X50, so checkout my Table Top Review for things like the Specifications and Features.
In this video I start out by doing a Chronograph Test and shoot not only Paintball rounds but also some Rubber bullet and got very good average FPS results using both ammo types (288 fps using .43 caliber Rubber Balls and 279 fps using .42 caliber Paintballs).
I also tested the accuracy out from 20 feet away in a semi rested position and got about an 8 inch group with a full 9 round magazine, which on a human sized target would do the trick for sure. Keep in mind this is not a target pistol! My Tactical Field or should I say "Forest test", showed that this paintball pistol performs very well when used in a simulated shooting scenario.
I can really see a use for a gun like this, mainly for training oneself on how to acquire targets quickly and how to improve your tactical shooting skills.
Action: Semi auto, single & double action with blowback.
Ammunition Type: .43 caliber paintball or rubber bullet.
Ammunition Capacity: 9 round magazine.
FPS: 250-300fps.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Real Action Paintball RAP4 X50 is rather nice, being a true blowback action gun, the cycling of the slide not only chambers a round but also pre-cocks the hammer allowing for a very smooth and light trigger pull in single action mode. There is also a de-cocker that allows you to release the hammer without activating the firing pin and placing the hammer in a half cock position rested about 2mm off the firing pin.
Accuracy: I did not expect amazing result with The RAM X50 Paintball Pistol in my preliminary testing as it does use rather light weight and fairly small caliber Paintballs that will be susceptible to wind gusts and the seems on them will make them a bit more turbulent than a standard Pellet, BB or Airsoft round. Even so I was able to hit pretty much any moderate sized target I shot at and I would assume in a battle situation I could place most shots on a human sized target fairly well as along as I was not too panic stricken ;)
Build Quality: The RAP4 RAM X50 Sig Sauer P226 styled Pistol is built very well, it does have a polymer frame but the gun overall has lots of metal parts and a very good overall 2.2 pounds weight to it dry. The blowback action is very snappy and all the mechanics and fit and finish all look and function very nicely. The only function that was not working on my "used" gun was the slide catching on the last round. I have not looked into it too much to see what may be the problem but I can see some wear on the catch area of the slide that may be causing it. I have no idea how the previous owners may have cared for this Paintball gun but overall it is in good condition.
Realism:The RAP4 RAM X50 was primarily made to simulate real word shooting environments for Police and Military users and even though it is not branded and licensed as such, it is a bang on copy of a Sig Sauer P226 Semi Auto Pistol. Other than the exception of the CO2 Cylinder hanging a bit far out of the bottom of the handle, The RAM X50 would be hard to tell from the Real Steel Sig Sauer P226, especially when looking down the large .43 caliber barrel. The Blowback action and firm recoil help pull off the believability when shooting this Paintball Pistol.
Everything works pretty much like the real gun so a great training tool.
Fairly affordable in the US adn Canada.
Seemed to have Decent accuracy, decent amount of shots, about 3-4 good magazines
Nice light single action trigger.
Cons:
CO2 cylinder sticks out from the handle and looks a bit odd.
My slide does not lock back after the last shot, may be a potential wear problem?
Does not field Strip conventionally.
Comments:
I have had my eye on this paintball pistol for some time now, the first time I saw it, it was behind the counter in a Paintball store and generally in Canada they sell in retail shops for about $450+ so I have kind of been holding off to see if it woudl come my way a bit more affordably. The time came when I was able to leverage another sought after item I had and I was able to add this gun to my collection. I found that it shoots much like many of my other blowback airguns but perhaps with a bit more force than most. Shooting at targets 20-40 feet away was easy and the Paintball's had no problems breaking on contact with most medium to hard objects. I normally would not have a need for Paintball pistol but heck, why not if it looks this good and next time I go out to a paintball battle, I will have a surprise waiting for when I run out of rifle ammo or need to work in some close combat situations...
Some more updates for you, I received some more NcSTAR Accessories for my Canada Replica Airguns Store, some Red Dots, Scopes, Lasers, Tactical Lights, Rails, Bipods and some Vests, Slings and Holsters. I will be updating the Canada Store shortly with these very well priced items shortly so check back soon!
I also have a couple more blank guns that I will be conducting a Silent Auction on shortly: An EKOL Lady in Satin and an EKOL Special 99 in "White", which is more like a soft textured Nickel.
Lastly I also just picked up my first paintball pistol a RAM X50 and it is one I have been after for a while since I am a big Sig fan. It' basically an unlicensed Sig Sauer 226 that uses CO2 and chambers .43 caliber paintball and/or rubber balls. It is blowback and has a drop out 9 round metal magazine.
The classic Webley Tempest is now available in the Replica Airguns Canada Store and let's set the record straight right from the start. This is a the latest made in Turkey version and it really smokes! From most peoples reviews the fit and finish are comparable to previous versions and we will just have to take their word for it as I have never had a Webley Tempest to compare one to? I can tell you the new Turkish made Webley Tempest is very well made air pistol and when it comes to power this gun take it right to the edge in terms of what is legal as an unregulated airgun in Canada.
I tested both the .177 caliber and .22 caliber Webley Tempests and they both shot very hard, keep in mind, with added velocity there is also added cocking effort and the .22 caliber definitely uses a stronger spring as it also has more energy behind the fast moving .22 caliber pellets. The .22 is not for everyone because it take a lot for work to cock this bad boy!
These are the results I got shooting the Webley Tempests using my Chronograph:
.177 Caliber
6.9 grain pellets used
499 fps
3.8 foot pounds
5.2 Joules
.22 Caliber
11.9 grain pellets used
400 fps
4.2 foot pounds
5.7 Joules
Here is some more info on the new Turkish Webley Tempest:
This is the latest and most powerful (made in Turkey) version of the original barrel over cylinder design that made Webley pistols world famous. Positively locked barrel using the famous Webley revolver type stirrup.
The Webley Tempest is a spring-operated, single shot; break barrel air pistol fitted with a precision-rifled barrel primarily suited to waisted lead pellets. The gun is available in either .177 or .22 caliber. The gun incorporates many additional design features, which include: adjustable trigger, manual safety catch (i.e. selective use), adjustable rear sight with vertical and horizontal adjustment. Handle is designed to fit the hand, with a thumb rest and checkered grips.
I wanted to get this video out to you a bit sooner but I have been really sick the past three days and so I have not had a lot of time to put this YouTube Video together. It's a pretty simple compilation of some photos and videos I took during my time walking around the 2012 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, not all of it is to do with airguns but most of it is. I even took a few touristy shots since it wasn't all work ;)
I thought you may all be interested in knowing that the Crosman M4-177 Pneumatic Air Rifle is coming to Canada. I was looking through the 2012 Crosman product guide that I picked up when I visited Crosman at the SHOT Show, and I noticed they have a Canadian product code!
I have had a lot of people asking if this one would be fore sale in Canada and it looks like it is coming, the question now is when...
Here is the Official Press Release of the Crosman C-TT:
C-TT PRESS RELEASE - CROSMAN ANNOUNCES NEW RUSSIAN-STYLE CO2 BB PISTOL
ROCHESTER, New York (January 17, 2012) – Crosman Corporation, long known for innovation and quality in products for the shooting sports, has introduced the new Crosman C-TT. The CO2 powered .177 caliber, semi-automatic BB repeater air pistol is styled after a World War II era Russian service handgun.
Appealing to fans of WWII memorabilia, “the C-TT is an authentic looking plinking pistol that offers hours of fun action shooting,” says Crosman Product Manager Flemming Molin. “Adding to the realism of the new, vintage-style C-TT pistol is its generous weight and the all-metal body. It gives this pistol its genuine feel,” he said. “The 18-round mag drops at the push of a button for quick reloading, getting you back to shooting sooner,” said Molin.
“Imagine the thrill of shooting as fast as you can pull the trigger with this new Soviet-style sidearm. What better way to enjoy target shooting than with a pistol that looks like it’s from your favorite WWII game?” Molin asked. “Put together some targets and challenge your buddies to a friendly competition,” he suggests.
The new CO2 pistol is a semi-automatic repeater powered by a Powerlet® 12 gram CO2 cartridge. It features a comfortable polymer grip, alloy body and is equipped with a front blade and rear notch sight. The C-TT holds up to 18, 4.5mm BBs and is as sturdy as the World War II Red Army service pistol it resembles,” Molin commented.
The C-TT has an MSRP of $99.99 and is available at retail.
OK, so I took a day off to appease the wife and did some "shopping" but then today it was back to business and I made the wife come along for the ride, she was a good sport about it so it all worked out!
I went back to Umarex and Crosman, just to verify a few things, first of all, the Umarex P38 is in fact a blowback pistol and it has a nice 400 claimed fps. I am looking forward to testing this one!.
I also went back to Crosman to checkout the C51 and the C*TT to see if the C51 Glock-ish looking replica had a polymer frame which it does and also to see if the C*TT is blowback which it is not :( But it is mostly metal and has a working slide so there is hope for the C*TT.
I dropped by the ASG booth but there was nothing really new there. I already have pretty much all their 4.5mm BB guns but they do have a nice selection of Airsoft guns, and speaking of Airsoft guns I am spending a significant amount of my time these days looking into the Airsoft market and what I can bring into Canada for sale. I have been talking with several suppliers and we should have some nice offering for us Canadians shortly so stay posted on this one...
Lastly, I have a few 22LR guns coming my way that I will be reviewing. yes I know they are not airguns but whenever I review a 22LR gun, I get a lot of questions and if you are like me, and you have your PAL, the 22LR guns make a nice addition to your low cost guns that you can buy and shoot for a fraction of the cost of the larger caliber guns out there.
Today I stopped by Chiappa and checked them out. I have a 1911 Tactical 22LR on the way that I will be reviewing and I may get some more 22LR from Chiappa down the road if the 1911 reviews well. By the way I also have a 22lR M22 ISSC "Glock" styled pistol also on it's way for review!
Well that's it from the Vegas SHOT SHow 2012 for now, see you on the flip-side!
I thought the Crosman C51 was dead, it was expected to be released back in the summer of 2011 but it got delayed and then word came out that it was dropped! But then to my surprise I saw it on display at this years SHOT Show and after a few questions it looks like it is back on the table as a new product for 2012.
This is great news because I have to say this is a very well made pistol all around very realistic. It has excellent weight to it, especially in the slide and it has a floating barrel with full blowback action and a single action trigger. You will also be happy to hear it has a full drop out metal magazine and seems to be designed like many of the 6mm Airsoft blowback airguns.
I am really looking forward to getting my hands on this air pistol!
One new item from Umarex that at first I thought was pretty much exactly like the Crosman C41 but after closer inspection it is very different and has some features that I believe will make it the better of the two.
For one the Umarex P38 has a slide catch and release, the Crosman C41 has a moving slide but no slide catch to speak of. The Umarex P38 also has the actual Walther P38 licensing which is a nice touch and it has an actual working hammer. I am not 100% sure if it is blowback or not but I plan on going back and asking a few more questions about the Umarex Walther P38 as it looks to be a nice addition to the Umarex Replica Air Pistol line up.
The SHOT Show is out of this world! You really need a week to check it all out or perhaps a clone of yourself... I barely touched the surface today. I did make sure I had a chance to checkout both Umarex and Crosman, I also made it to some other booths, but I will touch on them later in another post. There is enough information I can share with you from Crosman and Umarex to keep you drooling for now.
In short, here is what is new...
Crosman is bringing back the C51 Glock inspired Blowback BB pistol that we all thought was dead and I have to say it looks really really nice - more to come on this one. Crosman also has the new C*TT BB pistol that looks to be a blowback pistol replica of the Russian Tokarev. I also saw a very nice looking two tone version of the M4-177 and there may just be a Canadian detuned under 500 fps version on the way? Crosman is also introducing a really well made Nitro Piston air pistol called the Benjamin Trail NP that looks to be a very well made break barrel spring piston air pistol that shoots in the 500 fps neighbourhood.
Umarex also had some new items, one of which at first glance looks a lot like the Crosman C41 P38 replica but I have to say it has more going for it with a locking slide, licensed trade marks, true single action and overall just a more realistic version of the real P38. Umarex is also bringing the Smith & Wesson 327 TRR8 BB Revolver to North America, which is very similar to the Dan Wesson line but with extra rails on the top and bottom of the barrel. Umarex is also adding a couple Browning based air guns, one is a low fps Browning Buck Mark copy which is a break barrel .177 caliber pellet shooter targeted for the beginner target shooter and also a Browning High Power replica. One last BB pistol many people have been asking for is the Beretta 90 Two BB pistol and it looks like it has landed in North America finally!
Make sure to check back for some more photos and more info on all these guns...
The bad news is - I'm going to be a bit out of touch with my email as I will be away from this Sunday till Friday in Las Vegas Nevada at the 2012 SHOT Show and not only will I be supper busy checking out all the cool stuff at the show, but I will most likely have limited internet access.
The good mews is - I will be doing my best to post as many photos, videos and info about the Airgun related booths and events going on at the 2012 SHOT Show, so make sure to checkout the Replica Airguns website next week, I hope to be able to share with you anything new and cool from the 2112 SHOT Show!
