One question I get asked often is "Which are my favorite airguns?" or "What are my top 5 gun choices?" I have done my best to avoid answering this question because it's a very hard question to answer and to be truthful on any given day I may come up with a different selection of guns as there are just so many great airguns out there!
So today I took a bunch out and shuffled through them all to see if I could come up with five of my top picks, well at least for today that is, and I'm pretty happy with my selection (Umarex Desert Eagle - ASG CZ 75 P-07 Duty - Baikal MP-654K Makarov - Cybergun Tanfoglio Witness 1911 - ASG Dan Wesson 6 Inch Sliver). I know for a fact they are some excellent choices and if you happen to own or plan on buying one then I'm sure you will agree wiht me.
So checkout this Vimeo Video Review where I go through them and explain what I like about each gun, and why they made my Top 5 Airgun Pick.
Type: BB air pistol. Manufacturer:UmarexUSA. Model:Smith & Wesson M&P R8. Buy in CAN - Buy in US Materials: Plastic (polymer) and some metal construction. Weight: 1.37 pounds. Barrel: 5.1 (6.5) inches, metal smooth bore. Propulsion: 12 gram CO2 x 1. Action: Repeater, single and double action. Ammunition Type: 4.5mm steel BB's. Ammunition Capacity: 8 shot rotary magazine. FPS: 420. Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Umarex Smith & Wesson M&P R8 is not too bad but has a stickiness to it right at the beginning as the cylinder rotates and pushes the metal spring "feed ramp"in and out. Shooting this revolver pre-cocked in single action mode is a bit smoother but also has some resistance right at the beginning. Overall I would say it has a medium pull to it. UPDATE: When actually shooting this gun, the trigger felt very respectable and I was able to get excellent accuracy result shooting in both single and double action.
Accuracy: Very good! I got 6 out of 8 shots inside my 1.5 inch bullseye and only two shots went outside a bit. these results where done shooting from 20 feet out in a semi-rested position. I also shot freehand in double action shooting quickly and also got a fairly well placed grouping. When it came to FPS performance the Umarex S&W M&P R8 was a bit disappointing (336 fps average 8 shots) but on the plus side it got well over 150 shots per CO2 and was extremely quite to shoot.
Build Quality: This is an almost all external polymer air pistol with some metal components on the inside like the inner barrel, hammer and some other internal framing components. The fit and finish is very good on the S&W M&P R8 and the plastic seems rigid and does not have much flex to it. Overall the R8 has decent weight but I felt another half pound would have helped this gun out.
Realism: The Umarex S&W M&P R8 is a licensed replica of the actual Smith & Wesson M&P R8 revolver. It is a very close looking copy in almost every way. There is a lot of attention to detail that helps make this gun very believable like the Smith and Wesson markings throughout the airgun and full size swing out cylinder! Provided by:ReplicaAirguns.com
Pros:
I don't know the shooting side of things just yet but here's what I can tell you so far.
Should have decent FPS and good CO2 usage.
Inexpensive but decent build quality.
I like that the cylinder is full size and looks real.
Adjustable rear sight.
Well hidden CO2 tab.
Full S&W licensing, very good replica.
Single and double action trigger.
Magazine is removable for easy loading and you can get extras.
Easy to add accessories to it and make it customized to your liking.
Cons:
The plastic exterior may put off some customers looking for a more metal gun.
Lighter weight makes it feel a bit cheap.
Trigger action is a bit sticky at the beginning.
I would have liked to see this one in a pellet shooter.
Comments: The Umarex Smith & Wesson M&P R8 BB CO2 Revolver based on my first impressions in this table top review portion is a rather nice low cost CO2 revolver. Other than it's low cost, it has a lot going for it like the extensive Smith & Wesson trademarks and the full size swing out 8 round cylinder, just like its hard hitting 357 big brother. The S&W M&P R8 also has an adjustable rear sight and full single and double action trigger for fast paced shooting or slowed down precision. I also really like the well hidden CO2 tab and larger diameter barrel opening that add to the realism of this Air pistol. Yes it shoots BB's only, and yes it is mostly plastic but I think once you start shooting this gun you will quickly forget these two minor shortcomings and remember how little all this enjoyment cost you!
My YouTube Table Top Review for the Smith & Wesson M&P R8 BB CO2 Revolver:
UPDATE: The 4 inch Black and 6 inch Silver Dan Wesson Revolvers are now back in Stock!
First, the bad news... We are sold out in our Canada Store of some of our most popular Airguns; this includes most of the ASG Dan Wesson revolvers along with the STI Duty One, and the very popular Cybergun Witness 1911.
Now for the good news! You can pre-order these while we get some more back in stock and save $20 while also reserving yours ahead of the non-pre-orders.
We are looking at about a 2-3 week wait while we get more in and as soon as they are back in stock we are putting the price back up so if one of these has been on your wish-list then make sure to grab one on sale now!
Finally got my hands on a Umarex Smith & Wesson M&P R8 Revolver to review for you. I have been waiting for what seems like forever and although it is a bit on the light side it looks durable enough. I will hopefully be staring my review process at the tail end of this week.
There is a lot of use of plastic in the S&W M&P R8 but I can say it does make for a good all weather robust kind of shooter. It does feel good and solid in the hand and I like the fact that the swing out cylinder is all one piece with no tell tail sign of a pellet or BB magazine like some of the other revolvers on the market. I'm not sure if it's going to stack up to the Dan Wesson line but then again it is only a fraction of the cost of a Dan Wesson revolver.
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 ;)
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!
Here it is by popular demend, a video of all my Air and Blank Guns, many of which where added in 2011. Thank you to everyone for your suport, without you all, this would not have been posible!
Here is a list of all my Air and Blank Guns so far...
Pistols BB:
Umarex PPK/S Nickel platted 4.5mm Blowback CO2 BB Pistol (Full Auto Mod).
Umarex PPK/S 4.5mm Blowback CO2 BB Pistol.
Umarex CP99 Compact 4.5mm Blowback CO2 BB Pistol.
Umarex CP99 Compact Recon 4.5mm Blowback CO2 BB Pistol.
Umarex H.P.P 4.5mm Blowback CO2 BB Pistol.
Umarex SA177 4.5mm Blowback CO2 BB Pistol.
Umarex Steel Storm 4.5mm Blowback CO2 BB Machine Pistol.
Umarex Makarov 4.5mm CO2 BB Pistol.
Umarex H&K USP 4.5mm CO2 BB Pistol.
Umarex Colt Defender CO2 4.5mm BB Pistol.
Umarex Colt Special Combat CO2 4.5mm BB Pistol.
Umarex Smith & Wesson M&P 4.5mm CO2 BB Pistol.
Umarex Beretta Elite II 4.5mm CO2 BB Pistol.
Baikal IZH MP-654K (Makarov) 4.5mm CO2 BB Pistol (Nickel).
Cybergun P226 X-Five 4.5mm Blowback CO2 BB Pistol.
Trigger Pull: The ASG Dan Wesson Revolvers have very predictable triggers with the single action having a lighter pull as you would expect. Double action mode is very usable without a lot of extra pressure required. Shooting this gun in single action is a lot of fun, kind of like the old west days!
Accuracy: I shot the pair of Dan Wesson Revolvers at a target from 20 feet out in a free standing position, and they performed well getting close to 2 inch groupings pretty well centered on target. The sights are adjustable for elevation and windage so if you find yours shoots off just a bit, you can easily adjust them. My Chrony testing with a six shot averaged result where 327 fps for the 2.5 inch and 345 fps for the 4 inch Dan Wesson's.
Build Quality: These fine revolvers are well built, just like their Dan Wesson 6 inch Silver & 8 inch Black counterparts. The fit and finish looks very nice on both of them and they performed very well without any problems loading or shooting them.
Realism: The ASG Dan Wesson BB revolvers are as close as you can get to a real six shooter, ASG didn't leave any detail out and thought of a few I may have never even dreamt up! Loading and ejecting actual brass shells into the cylinder makes you feel like this gun is much more then an unassuming airgun! One of my favorite airgun revolvers for sure!
Only shoots BB's, would have been cool to shoot pellets too.
2.5 inch version does not have the recessed barrel.
Comments:
I'm not really a revolver person, but the Dan Wesson's really look good and are very fun to shoot making these guns a really nice change from the usual semi auto pistols I usually like to purchase and shoot! And with 4 barrel length and various designs to choose from, it shouldn't be too hard to find one that you like. Heck I like them all!
My Vimeo Video Review for these amazingly real Revolvers:
I am happy to announce that the Dan Wesson 2.5 Inch Sliver and Dan Wesson 4 Inch Black are now in Stock and shipping so all the pre-orders will be going out ASAP. If you didn't pick one up yet then grab one today!
We are looking at the arrival of two new barrel lengths for the very popular ASG Dan Wesson 4.5mm BB Revolvers. The two new barrel lengths are the 2.5 inch Silver version and the 4 inch Black version.
Based on the requests I have been getting for more shorter barreled revolvers and the popularity of the 6 inch and 8 inch Dan Wesson's we have already been selling, I know these are going to sell well. And as per usual, I will pick some up for my personal collection and do a full review to share with everyone.
I am hesitant to offer a "Pre-sale" on these two new ASG revolvers with the current Customs delays going on but our last ASG shipment made it through pretty quickly. The expected availability for the ASG Dan Wesson 2.5 and 4 inch Revolvers is at the end of November!
This is a "Pre-sale" item Save $20 (we expect to arrive near the end of November - please make sure to read over our Terms & Conditions concerning "Pre-sale" orders)
The Umarex S&W M&P R8 Air Pistol is a CO2 powered 4.5mm BB Revolver. You can also add a tactical flashlight or laser to the integrated accessory rail . The Smith & Wesson M&P R8 has a manual safety and black synthetic grips, as well as fixed front and a windage adjustable rear sights. This BB replica revolver is not only great for plinking, but also makes a good target shooter.
As promised, I went out and picked up some Reball (reusable) paintballs to try in my Tacamo T68 AK47 styled paintball rifle. I wanted to see what kind of damage they could inflict on various targets. The purpose of the Reball is mainly for practice or training use with paintball guns, they are also used in some indoor paintball facilities. Reballs have the advantage of not only being reusable but also not making a lot of mess.
Another benefit is that Reballs do not break apart and so they will deliver more energy on target which may be useful in a self defense situation with a high fps Paintball gun. Now I am not recommending these guns in any ways to be used for self defense or non-lethal use but other people have suggested it to me, and I wanted to see what these little rubber balls could do to different targets.
Keep in mind I was not looking for penetration as that is not the purpose of a "traumatic round", such as a rubber bullet. Rubber bullets are not supposed to penetrate but rather stun a person.
I found the Rubber Reball Paintballs to be about the same weight as standard paintballs and so they shoot about the same fps which in my gun was about 350 fps.
In conclusion, I would not want to be shot with a Reball out of a high fps paintball gun, as for stopping an intruder, maybe? You most certainly would be able to pick them out of a police lineup because they would be riddled with red welts :)
I get a fair bit of interest and questions from people in the TV, Movie, Stage, Internet and Photo business looking for guns they can use in their productions, so I thought I would put together an informative video to show them some options available to them at least here in Canada.
The problem is a lot of times a "Gun Handler" is required, as in many cases real firearms are used and very strict guidelines need to be in place for obvious safety reasons. This is most likely the best option in the case of a Matrix styled movie and an extensive amount of guns are required in the production. What if you only need a few guns and you want to keep your budget and complications to a minimum? Well there are other options and that's where I come in.
Watch this short Promotional Video for more information if you are looking for a simplified and easy solution for your realistic gun use in Movie, Stage, Internet and Photo productions.
Ammunition Capacity: Dependent on hopper system used.
FPS: 350
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Tacamo T68 AK-47 is what you would expect from a blowback operated single action gun, easy and light with just a bit of creep to it. The action of the bolt gives the gun a nice little snap to it and with the extra CO2 needed to push out the large .68 caliber paintball markers you also get a little bit of recoil adding to the shooting enjoyment.
Accuracy: I'm not going to spend a lot of time talking about accuracy with the Tacamo T68 Paintball gun as I don't really have any other references to base it on but I can say I was pretty impressed with how well it stayed on target considering most paintball ammo is not really uniform in shape which effects accuracy a lot. I was also expecting lower FPS performance closer to the 250-300 FPS range but I got nice consistent 350 FPS shots with the Tacamo T68 AK47.
Build Quality: Very nice, the Tacamo T68 AK-47 is made of mostly metal and wood with many actual parts from a real AK 47 including the wood handle and stock, rear sight, safety, magazine and authentic strap. The Tacamo Paintball rifle has some weight to it also making the AK 47 replica feel solid and durable.
Realism: Again the Tacamo AK 47 replica is made of lots of real AK47 parts making this gun very realistic, you can't really get around the telltale Paintball marker top loading tube and CO2 hookups but other then that the Tacamo AK47 really looks like a an actual AK47, so if you want to play the bad guy you can definitely pull it off with this replica paintball rifle.
Magazine can be used for storage of tools or extra paintballs
Adjustable sights
3 models to choose from with different styled stocks.
Comes with genuine strap.
Fun to play the bad guy with this villainous rifle.
Cons:
Semi auto only, no full auto - would have been nice!
May be a bit large and heavy compared to other more compact Paintball guns.
A few paintballs broke in my barrel when shooting, FPS pressure may have been set too high?
Comments:
I really like my Tacamo T68 AK47 Paintball rifle, again I have virtually no experience with Paintball guns so my reasons for liking it are mostly based on the all metal and wood build and real AK 47 look of the Tacamo T68 AK47. That said I thought it performed pretty good overall getting decent accuracy and shooting well into the 300+ FPS. I may pull this one out once in a while even to shot some various targets just because it does have a more realistic recoil feel when shooting then my smaller caliber pellet and BB airguns.
Here is another great Replica Airguns Limited Time Sale for you! If you want a really really small blank gun that will fit just about anywhere, take a look at the EKOL Arda 8mm blank shooting mini revolver. It has a very unique design, kind of a mix between a Derringer and a Revolver.
You just have to have the classic AK47 and this one even has the wood foreword stock. I will be reviewing the Under Folding Stock version of this very realistic looking AK47 Paintable Assault rifle.
The Tacamo T68 AK47 Series of Paintball guns are based on the most widely used assault rifle in the world - the AK-47! Tacamo has taken the AK47's classic lines and melded them with the powerhouse T68 internals to create this powerful marker for scenario paintball and military training. The Tacamo marker is designed as the "opposing force” weapon to enhance military combat training, or for when you just want to play a bad guy for the weekend.
The Tacamo T68 Series Paintball Guns are manufactured at a registered weapons factory in the PRC using actual production parts from AK47's where possible!
This Paintball gun is made but Tacamo but does not carry the Tacamo Brand.
.68 caliber Paintballs
Adjustable 200-400 FPS
AK Magazine
Authentic Metallic Sights
Realistic Size, Weight
14 inch barrel
Semi auto
Hopper fed
Reliable T68 Internal with All-Mechanical Performance—no batteries!
I'm trying something new here by adding a few Paintball guns to the store and I do plan on reviewing one of the Tacamo Paintball guns, this will be a new experience for me for sure!
The Tacamo AK RPK Special Products Division-RPK is a real show stopper. The stock and fore-grip are real laminated wood, it comes with a real AK bi-pod, real AK rear sights, and a specially bored 20 inch barrel. The Tacamo AK RPK Special Products Division-RPK also comes with a 75 round drum magazine for that added realistic look.
This Paintball gun is made but Tacamo but does not carry the Tacamo Brand.
.68 caliber Paintballs
Adjustable 200-400 FPS
Semi auto
Hopper fed
Realistic Size, Weight
Reliable T68 Internal with All-Mechanical Performance—no batteries!
I found some more photos of the Umarex S&W M&P R8 CO2 BB Revolver although they look just a bit too good so I am thinking they are computer generated. At least it gives us more of an idea on what it looks like!
The Umarex Smith & Wesson M&P R8 is coming to North America, I know that for sure! From what I can tell by looking at the photos and the weight of the gun, it looks like it's got a lot of plastic components? it does have pretty good fps but states double action and not single action? Guess we'll have to see when it gets here?
Specifications:
Uses 12 gram CO2
4.5mm steel BB's
427 fps
Double action
8 rounds
1.1 Pounds
Mostly Plastic?
Picatinny Rail under barrel
Click on the pictures below to open them in a larger window.
I don't have too much in the way of specification for the Umarex S&W 327 TRR8 but I can say it pretty much looks like an ASG Dan Wesson that has been re-skinned! Something I found a bit funny with this gun si that it is supposed to be a TRR8 replica, and the real S&W 327 TRR8 is an 8 shooter and the Umarex copy is a 6 shooter! Maybe they though nobody would notice?
Specifications based on Photos and similar Dan Wesson:
Uses 12 gram CO2
4.5mm steel BB's
400-450 fps
Single & double action
6 rounds
2.25 - 2.5 Pounds
All metal
Picatinny Rail top and bottom
Red Dot Scope accessory
Fore grip accessory
Click on the pictures below to open them in a larger window.
