Entries in 4.5mm / .177 cal,How To

Umarex SA177 vs HPP Head to Head Shootout

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Some "not so new" CO2 Blowback 4.5mm Steel BB Pistols from Umarex, but still popular Replica BB guns that have received a lot of attention and to be honest have to date not had a real "proper" Field Test. So why not put the Umarex SA177 and Umarex HPP side by side for yet another installment of Head to Head Shootouts!

Right off the bat I have to say that one of these very fine Blowback Air Pistols has been retired by Umarex. Word on the street is that some suits from a company that sell real steel semi auto pistols that kind of share a similarity to the Umarex SA177 may have applied some pressure to Umarex and somehow the mold got broken and guess what... No more Umarex SA177's :(

On a positive note, you can still get the Umarex HPP which in my opinion was always a better shooter with a much heavier and snappier blowback along with a very smooth trigger. And yes we have it the HPP for sale in our Canada and US Replica Airguns Stores.

Getting back to this Field Test Head to Head Shootout for the Umarex SA177 and HPP CO2 Blowback 4.5mm Steel BB Pistols. I tested them both out on the Chronograph shooting 5 rounds in each gun using a brand new 12 gram CO2 in combination with 5.1 grain Umarex Zinc Coated Steel BB's. The SA177 average a bit higher at 395 fps while the HPP came in just a hair lower at a respectable 372 fps average.

In terms of accuracy from 30 feet out using a semi rested position (sand bag in the front, standing in the back), Both guns wanted to shoot just a bit to the left and they both had a definite internal tighter group that was about 1.5 inches with some strays that came outside opening the groups up to around 3 inches or so. Both BB Air Pistols worked flawlessly with no problems, again the Umarex HPP for me was more enjoyable to shoot with it's heavy blowback and lighter trigger over the SA177. You can also expect to get around 100 or even more shots out of a single CO2 cartridge.

Make sure to checkout my initial Table Top comparison video for these two Umarex Blowback BB Pistols, it goes back a few years for sure :)

Categories: 4.5mm / .177 cal, BB, Blowback, CO2, Comparison, Field Test, Pistol, Review, Semi Auto, YouTube Video Tags: H.P.P., SA177, Umarex

ASG STI Duty One vs CZ 75 P-07 vs Bersa BP9cc Head to Head Shootout

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I was waiting for a magazine for my ASG STI Duty One 1911 to show up so I could finally do this "Head to Head" Field Test Shooting Review Video for the ASG STI Duty One versus the ASG CZ 75 P-07 Duty versus the ASG Bersa BP9cc. All of which are Blowback CO2 4.5mm Steel BB pistols.

This Shooting Field Test went fairly well and all guns performed as expected, I did have one slide lock back on a loaded magazine with my ASG STI Duty One 1911 and one failure to lock back on the last shot with my ASG Bersa BP9cc, but it did eventually lock back.

During the Chronograph 5 shot per pistol test I got fairly similar fps from all three guns with the STI Duty One getting the highest of 372 average fps, the Bersa BP9cc getting runner up with 353 average fps and the CZ 75 P-07 Duty trailing the field just a bit with a 346 average fps.

During the target portion of this Field Test Shooting Review from 30 feet back in a semi rested position, again the pistols shot fairly similarly with all of them getting pretty close to 2-3 inch groupings. I did have a double shot right after my slide lock back on the STI Duty One as I pressed the trigger twice, once when the slide was locked back and again when I released it, this chambered two BB's into the barrel making the gun shoot a bit low for that double shot. With that negative one against the STI Duty One 1911, I did however find it the most pleasing to shoot! It had the best blowback action and the smoothest trigger, plus I just like holding and sighting in 1911's :)

The CZ 75 P-07 had the next hardest blowback with the Bersa BP9cc coming in second in the trigger department. All of these CO2 blowback BB pistols should get somewhere around 100+ shots pre CO2 if you take your time a bit between reloading magazines.

Categories: 4.5mm / .177 cal, BB, Blowback, CO2, Comparison, Field Test, Pistol, Review, Semi Auto, YouTube Video Tags: ASG, Bersa, CZ 75 P-07 Duty, STI Duty One 1911

Umarex Makarov Ultra CO2 Blowback 4.5mm BB Pistol Field Test Review

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My last CO2 Blowback 4.5mm Steel BB Pistol Field Test Review from my latest acquisitions of New Umarex Air pistols. For many people that already liked the Umarex Makarov CO2 BB pistol, the Umarex Legends Makarov blowback version may just have everything you where looking for that was missing from version One? Well let's see... It has blowback - check! It has a working slide catch/release - check! It has a full size dropout metal magazine - check! And it's still all metal, field strip-able and has single a single action trigger!

Sounds pretty good so far... So how does the Umarex Makarov Ultra CO2 Blowback 4.5mm Steel BB Pistol shoot? Well like the other new Umarex CO2 Blowback BB pistols I just tested, the Beretta 84 FS and the Mauser C96, I was not disappointed.

As per usual, I tested the Umarex Makarov Ultra out shooting 5 rounds through my Chronograph with a new CO2 to find out the real world fps performance. Umarex claims 350 fps and I got pretty close to this at an average of 333 fps and I would have to say the temperature was no more than 10-15 Degrees Celsius (50-60 Fahrenheit) so there is definite room for improvement on a warmer day.

Next I stepped back 30 feet and shot 10 rounds at my paper target using a semi rested position (Standing in the back, rested on a sand bag in the front). After review of the video I noticed that the first shot was a double shot and both of these rounds hit a bit to the right compared to the remaining single shots, so my grouping ended up being more of a 2 inch group rather than a 1.5 inch group when discarding the double shot from this test.

I have to say I really like shooting the Umarex Legends Series Makarov Ultra, it has really solid blowback, a pretty decent single action trigger even if it is a bit long travel. I also found the accuracy to be very respectable from 30 feet out and the fps even though it could be a bit higher is more than enough for plinking purposes. And all of this from a really eye catching all metal licensed Makarov replica. Another nice Legends Series CO2 BB pistol from Umarex.

Categories: 4.5mm / .177 cal, BB, Blowback, CO2, Field Test, Pistol, Review, Semi Auto, YouTube Video Tags: Makarov, Makarov Ultra, Umarex

Umarex C96 Mauser CO2 Blowback 4.5mm BB Pistol Field Test Review

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Today I bring to you my shooting field test for my second new Umarex Blowback 4.5mm CO2 BB Pistol and this one is part of the Legends Series, it's called the "Pistol C96" and is a variant of the Mauser C96, all though more so like the M1932 or M712 Schnellfeuer. The Umarex version is not licensed but none the less is a very good replica with lots of working parts including the blowback metal bolt, metal hammer, metal safety and adjustable metal rear sight. The single action only trigger is also metal along with the internal barrel and full size drop out metal magazine giving this otherwise all external plastic gun good overall weight of around 2 pounds.

Getting to the performance aspect of the Umarex C96 Mauser CO2 Blowback 4.5mm BB Pistol, I can say it is even more fun to shoot than admire it's beauty! I first put 5 rounds through my Chronograph hoping to get somewhere near the 380 fps claimed rating and actually exceeded it with an average of 390 fps even on this slightly cool day.

Lately I have been stepping back to my 30 foot mark even for pistol field tests and so I tested the Legends Mauser C96 with 10 rounds at 30 feet out using a semi rested position and got a very respectable 1.25 inch shot group. I did have to adjust the rear sight up a few notches to get it a centered on the target but it is very easy to do on the fly with this Replica Blowback BB pistol.

I am very impressed with the single action only trigger on the Umarex C96, it is nice and short and not too heavy with a predictable release, combine that with a very snappy fast blowback and you have yourself a very quick shooter on your hands! You can expect to get somewhere around 100 shots per CO2 and this gun is very backyard friendly as it is one of the quieter CO2 BB guns I have tested.

Yes there is a a lot of plastic on the outside but everything else is awesome about this pistol so don't let a few molecules turn you off of this little treasure...

Categories: 4.5mm / .177 cal, BB, Blowback, CO2, Field Test, Pistol, Review, Semi Auto, YouTube Video Tags: Mauser C96, Umarex

Umarex Beretta Mod. 84 FS CO2 Blowback 4.5mm BB Pistol Field Test Review

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Finally, a field test video for you and I thought I would start off with the new Umarex Beretta Mod. 84 FS CO2 Blowback 4.5mm BB Pistol. This replica BB pistol is fully licensed and is a very decent operational replica to boot. It has a full size drop out metal magazine with blowback operation, a working slide catch/release and safety along with the ability to be easily field striped. Did I mention it's pretty much an all metal gun?

So this video is mainly about the performance and overall I was very happy with how the compact Umarex Beretta Mod. 84 FS shot for me. Even on this somewhat cool day, my average fps came in just a smidgen higher than the claimed 360 fps from Umarex. I was a bit surprised at the slightly heavy single action trigger but it didn't seem to effect the accuracy at all as I got about a 1.5 inch 10 shot group from 30 feet away using a semi rested position. You can even coax out around 100 shots per CO2 if you space your shooting out a bit and let the CO2 warm up between magazines.

All in all, if you like the Beretta 92 FS styled pistols but perhaps want a more compact version with good overall fps and accuracy along with licensing and quality build. Then for sure pick your self up an Umarex Beretta Mod. 84 FS CO2 Blowback 4.5mm BB Pistol.

Categories: 4.5mm / .177 cal, BB, Blowback, CO2, Field Test, Pistol, Review, Semi Auto, YouTube Video Tags: Beretta, Beretta Model 84FS, Umarex

New Umarex CO2 Blowback 4.5mm BB Pistols - Beretta Mod. 84 FS - Makarov Ultra - C96 Mauser

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I finally got some brand new Umarex pistols to share with you in this Vimeo video, all three of these CO2 4.5mm Steel BB pistols have blowback and use full size drop out magazines. They also all share single action only operation.

The Umarex Makarov Ultra (Legends Series) is an all metal pistol with very heavy blowback and a long but fairly smooth and medium pull single action trigger. Everything works just like the real steel version including the slide catch/release and safety. It is also fully field strip-able.

The Beretta 84 FS (Cheetah) also has a decent blowback feel but the trigger was a bit heavier on this model, perhaps the trigger will break in a bit over time? Still a really great full metal and fully licensed CO2 Blowback BB shooter with awesome weight to it. The Beretta 84 FS is fully field strip-able and has a working slide catch/release and safety.

Lastly I show you the Umarex Mauser C96 Boomhandle (Legends Series), although much of the external materials are plastic, there is lots of metal throughout like the barrel, bolt, rear sight, hammer, safety, trigger and most of the drop out magazine, giving this pistol a good overall weight to it. The blowback is super fast and crisp with a nice short and light single action trigger making rapid fire very quick.

Umarex Makarov Ultra CO2 Blowback 4.5mm BB Pistol 

  • Full metal

  • Blowback operation

  • 4.5mm Steel BB

  • 12 Gram CO2

  • Single action only trigger

  • Fixed sights

  • 3.5 inch smooth bore barrel

  • 1.4 pounds

  • 16-17 round magazine

  • 350 fps

Umarex Beretta Mod. 84 FS CO2 Blowback 4.5mm BB Pistol

  • Full metal

  • Blowback operation

  • 4.5mm Steel BB

  • 12 Gram CO2

  • Single action only trigger

  • Fixed sights

  • 3.6 inch smooth bore barrel

  • 1.5 pounds

  • 16-17 round magazine

  • 360 fps

Umarex C96 Mauser CO2 Blowback 4.5mm BB Pistol

  • Metal & plastic

  • Blowback operation

  • 4.5mm Steel BB

  • 12 Gram CO2

  • Single action only trigger

  • Adjustable rear sight

  • 5.5 inch smooth bore barrel

  • 1.8 pounds

  • 19 round magazine

  • 380 fps

Categories: 4.5mm / .177 cal, BB, Blowback, CO2, Comparison, Review, Semi Auto, YouTube Video Tags: Beretta Model 84FS, Makarov Ultra, Mauser C96, Umarex

CO2 Versus Spring Versus Pump Airgun Comparison

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In this Comparison Video I go through the benefits and shortcomings of CO2, Spring Piston and Pump Airguns. I focus mainly on Airguns but there is a bit of a crossover with Airsoft guns.

All three systems (CO2, Spring, Pump) create pressure that forces the ammunition with a high force out of the barrel. Similar to how gun powder is the source of energy for a bullet.

Here are some basic statements that best describe CO2, Spring Piston and Pump Airguns.

CO2 Airguns:

  • CO2 Airguns use the expansion of CO2 gas to create the pressure required for the ammo.

  • CO2 Airguns generally store enough CO2 for multiple shots per cartridge.

  • CO2 Airguns have a limit as to how much power they can produce since CO2 has a set vapor pressure of 850 psi, or about 56 bar at room temperature which is around 25 C or 77 F. CO2 Gas also requires a warm environment to expand so warmer temperature and longer barrels help with power.

  • Some CO2 guns can also use pressurized air tanks in place of CO2.

Spring Piston Airguns:

  • Spring Airguns use the release of a pre-cocked spring and plunger system to compress air to power the ammo.

  • Spring Piston Airguns require the cocking of the spring between each shot so they are single shot only.

  • Spring Airguns are limited to how much effort is humanly possible to cock the spring into position. If you make the spring to strong then not everyone will be able to use the Airgun effectively. Too week of a spring and the Airgun will lack power.

  • Spring Piston Airguns are known for having a fair amount of recoil and vibration when the spring moves both forward and backwards quickly inside the Airgun.

  • Spring Airguns can use either a mechanical spring or a gas spring.

Pump Airguns:

  • Pump Airguns (either Single or Multi-Pump) store air pressure in a chamber that when released, powers the ammo.

  • Most Pump Airguns require at least 1 or more pumps, often up to 10 pumps for each shot and you generally only get one shot per set of pumps. Not to be confused with PCP Airguns (Pre Charged Pneumatic) which have large pressure tanks that are recharged with a high volume of pressurized air that is capable of shooting multiple shots per charge.

  • Pump Airguns are also somewhat limited to how much effort is humanly possible since the higher the chamber pressure, the harder it will be to pump the Airgun. 

Misc Airguns:

  • Generally speaking both Spring and Multi-Pump Airguns have more potential power than a CO2 guns since CO2 has a set peek pressure limit.

  • Pump and CO2 Airguns are know to have very little recoil since the pressure is stored in a chamber and then released by a valve. No slapping back and forth of a large internal spring.

Pros:

CO2 Airguns:

  • CO2 Airguns allow for multiple shots per CO2 cartridge for more realistic action shooting.

  • CO2 Airguns do not require any human effort to charge the gun other than loading the CO2 and Ammo into the Airgun.

  • CO2 Airguns allow for true semi auto shooting ability. 

Spring Piston Airguns:

  • Spring Airguns have the potential for high velocity since the larger and stiffer the spring, the greater the output force.

  • Spring Airguns do not require anything other than your ammunition, typically either a Pellet or BB.

  • Spring Airguns are mechanically very simple which makes them very reliable and less expensive to produce than other types of Airguns. 

Pump Airguns:

  • Pump Airguns have the potential for high velocity since more pumps equals greater output force, only limited by the users strength and the pressure rating of the Airgun.

  • Pump Airguns do not require anything other than your ammunition, typically either a Pellet or BB.

  • Pump Airguns have next to no recoil which makes them very easy to shoot and highly accurate.

Cons:

CO2 Airguns:

  • CO2 Airguns require the purchase and use of CO2 or they simple do not work.

  • CO2 Airguns are very susceptible to temperature changes, especially cold temperature since CO2 needs a warm environment in order to expand. Cool down effect also plays a role in power output.

  • CO2 Airguns have a maximum set amount of power output.

Spring Piston Airguns:

  • Spring Airguns require the pre-cocking of the spring for each shot.

  • Spring Airguns can take some getting used to since the spring recoil/vibration requires a very lose grip (Military Grip) to shoot accurately with them.

  • Spring Airguns should not be stored pre-cocked since this can damage the spring, less so with gas spring versions. 

Pump Airguns:

  • Pump Airguns require pre-pumping to pressurize the air chamber for each shot.

  • Pump Airguns, especially Multi-Pump Airguns take the most amount of human effort for each shot.

  • Pump Airguns need to stored with at least one pump in them or the seals can get damaged over time.

Categories: .22 cal, 4.5mm / .177 cal, BB, Break Barrel, CO2, Comparison, Multi-pump, PCP, Pellet, Pistol, Repeater, Revolver, Rifle, Semi Auto, Spring Piston Tags:

Blowback Versus Non-Blowback Airgun Comparison

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In this Comparison video I go through the benefits and shortcomings of both Blowback and Non-Blowback Airguns. I focus mainly on Airguns but there is a definite crossover with Airsoft guns.

Here are some basic statements that best describe both Blowback and Non-Blowback Airguns.

Blowback Airguns:

  • Blowback Airguns usually have a movable slide that moves back and forth with each shot.

  • Sometimes the blowback operation is internal (Internal bolt) so there may not be an external moveable slide.

  • Some CO2 is used to move the slide rearwards in a Blowback Airgun.

  • The Blowback motion of the slide with some blowback airguns can also cock the hammer or internal striker allowing for true single action trigger pull. But not always!

  • Some Blowback airguns have the potential for full auto capabilities since they can have a true semi auto action.

  • There is some noticeable recoil from the Blowback action simulating the recoil of a real gun.

Non-Blowback Airguns:

  • Non-Blowback Airguns can have fixed or movable slides but they will not cycle back and forth with each shot.

  • Non-Blowback Airguns tend to have less working parts since no Blowback valves are required or even a moveable slide.

  • There are some Blowback and Non-Blowback Airguns that field strip similarly to their real steel counterparts but this is most commonly found in Blowback Airguns.

  • Non-Blowback Airguns require the shooter to cock the hammer for single action shooting or use a double action trigger pull for semi auto like performance.

Pros:

Blowback Airguns:

  • Blowback Action causes a noticeable recoil which makes the airgun feel more realistic.

  • Blowback Airguns in some cases have true semi auto action with true single action triggers which mimic the authenticity of the real steel versions of the guns they replicate much better making them better training tools.

  • Having some recoil makes blowback Airguns potentially better training tools.

  • Blowback Airguns look really cool when shooting them  and are great action prop guns.

Non-Blowback Airguns:

  • Non-Blowback Airguns tend to have less working parts so less to go wrong and more reliability.

  • Non-Blowback Airguns can be more accurate since the recoil from the blowback is not a factor.

  • Non-Blowback Airguns have more potential power and more shots per CO2 since no CO2 is robbed for the blowback operation.

Cons:

Blowback Airguns:

  • Blowback operation can rob some of the power and will also rob how many shots you get from the Airgun.

  • Blowback Airguns are effected even more by cold weather and the cool down effect.

  • The recoil from Blowback Airguns can effect accuracy for some shooters.

Non-Blowback Airguns:

  • Non-Blowback airguns are generally double action when shooting semi auto and so the trigger pull will be longer and heavier.

  • Non-Blowback Airguns do not replicate the recoil action of a real gun.

  • Non-Blowback Airguns do not look as cool to shoot and are not as good of an action prop gun.

Categories: .22 cal, 4.5mm / .177 cal, 6mm, Airsoft, BB, Blowback, CO2, Comparison, GBB, Pellet, Pistol, Revolver, Semi Auto, YouTube Video Tags:

Is an Airgun Good for Self Defense?

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Is an Airgun Good for Self Defense? Another one of those questions I get asked fairly often that's a bit hard to answer in a few sentences... Not all of us have easy access to a 9mm pistol or even a rifle but many of us can get our hands on an airgun fairly easily and they look real enough, I guess that is one thing they have going for them.

But what if the mere sight of what looks like a gun does not scare an intruder off? If you where hoping that would be enough, you may just be out of luck and what if you just brought an Airgun to a "real" gun fight? You are going to be drastically "outgunned" pun intended and here's why. A 4.5mm Steel BB weighs about 5.1 grains and generally you are looking at about 2-3 foot pounds of energy from a CO2 BB gun. Even a .177 caliber lead pellet is only marginally heavier at around 7-8 grains and if you're really lucky you might just get 4 foot pounds of energy out of a CO2 pellet pistol.

So let's take a look at a fairly conservative "real pistol" rounds, the 9mm. The 9mm rounds come in different bullet weighs but you can get a 120 grain 9mm in a plus p ammo with as much as 400 foot pounds of energy and even with that much raw power, many people claim that a 9mm round does not always have enough stopping power to put down a person even when shot multiple times center mass. It just depends what vital organs or arteries you hit that determines if he gets lucky or you get lucky.

Your 5.1 grain 4.5mm Steel BB is not going to do anything if it hits any type of clothing and even if you find some flesh it's just going to piss off the intruder.

My suggestion is to consider a bat or a golf club or a really big knife or just about anything other than an airgun because if the sight of the airgun replica does not scare an intrude away then you are really buggered.

Keep in mind that you need to abide by any laws regarding the use of self defense in your areas. Even just physical force could be considered a crime and at the end of the day you are ultimately accountable for your actions.

Categories: .22 cal, 4.5mm / .177 cal, 6mm, Airsoft, BB, Blowback, CO2, Gun Law, Pellet, Pistol, Real Gun, Revolver, Semi Auto, YouTube Video Tags:

Which Airgun is the Best?

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I finally answer the question... Which Airgun is the Best? There has to be a best airgun out there right? So let's cut to the chase and stop waisting everyones time and money buying the third Best Airgun or even the second best Airgun! Why would you even want anything other than the very best Airgun available to mankind!

I really hope you weren't one of the gullible ones that actually bought something other than the Best Airgun, well I guess you're going to have to watch my YouTube video to find out which Airgun is the Best Airgun of all time...

Categories: .22 cal, 4.5mm / .177 cal, BB, Blowback, CO2, Comparison, Multi-pump, Pellet, Pistol, Review, Revolver, Semi Auto, Spring Piston, YouTube Video Tags:

How to Load Your Air Pistol

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In many of my reviews I show the loading process of each gun but sometimes I either skim over this part or assume most people already know how to load an Air Pistol and skip it entirely. Well as it turns out not everybody does know how to load up an Airgun or they are unclear on certain areas, like do you actually need the CO2 and how long can you leave CO2 in an airgun?

So I made a video specifically to cover how to load CO2, BB's and/or Pellets into your Air Pistol.

Now even though this video is targeted at 4.5mm Steel BB and Lead Pellet Pistols, there is a crossover with 6mm Airsoft Pistols so this video may also help an Airsoft shooter.

Our Family Bearded Dragon (Dijon) was looking rather sad and lonely today so I figured he could hang out while I made the video, he really doesn't do much of anything most of the time so why not give him a special appearance in one of the Replica Airguns Videos ;)

Categories: 4.5mm / .177 cal, BB, Blowback, CO2, How To, Pellet, Pistol, Semi Auto, YouTube Video Tags:

Will this Ammunition Work in my Gun - Can I Convert a Blank Gun to a Real Gun?

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Two questions that come up over and over again and to be honest I just hate answering, mainly because both of these questions to me are kind of common sense questions. I feel if someone where to stop and actually think about teh question, the answers would become obvious.

That said, common sense has to be learned somewhere and not all of us are exposed to the same life experiences so here goes...

The two questions are:

  • Will this Ammunition Work in my Gun?

  • Can I Convert a Blank Gun to a Real Gun?

The answer for both of these question is actually the same! Use the ammo made for your gun and do not try to use anything other than the ammo that was made for your gun. Do not try to modify your gun to shoot anything other than the ammo that was made for it, if you do, you may be breaking the law and could land yourself in jail. If you can follow these rules then your ammo and gun will work as intended :)

So that's pretty much it in a nutshell, watch my YouTube video below as I show you examples of ammo types with visuals on exactly why you need to use the ammo made for your gun. I also talk about the dangers of attempting to modify a blank gun to shoot some sort of real bullet and why it is a very bad idea in so many ways to try and convert a blank gun into a real gun.

rohm RG-88.jpg
Categories: Gun Law, Gun Safety, How To, Real Gun, YouTube Video Tags:

How to Align Your Gun Sights on Target

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This video should go "Hand in Hand" (pun intended) with my Best Two Handed Pistol Grip Tutorial Video that I did last year back in August. After that video I had several people ask me to talk about how to aim a gun. I guess if you have been shooting guns for a while you kind of take it all for granted but after teaching my kids the proper way to aim a gun at a target, this info is not naturally born into us ;)

This video demonstrate how and where to place your open gun sights on a target and also how you can compensate for a gun that may not be perfectly sighted in.

Categories: How To, YouTube Video Tags:

Testing Out LED Lighting with my F1 Chrony Chronograph - Take 2

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This is take 2 of my Modification to my F1 Chrony Chronograph. The purpose of this modification is to improve the low light FPS readings. In my first attempt I used LED Puck Lights but they where the kind that used flat panel LED's and they only had 4 panels per LED Puck which made each LED panel kind of bright. I did get OK with my first mod using LED Puck Lights but not as good as I would like to see.

So here we are with take 2 of F1 Chrony Chronograph LED Puck Light modification and this time around I am using standard bulb styled LED lights and to improve my chances of this working I went with and LED Puck that contained 24 LED bulb lights per puck, this way each light on it's own is a bit dimmer which I feel will give a more diffused lighting effect and hopeful consistent fps readings.

By the way I got these LED Puck Lights at my local dollar store for $2.50 each so not a very expensive modification, especially if they work.

Well... Watch the video and see how they perform...

Categories: How To, YouTube Video Tags:

Testing Out LED Lighting with my F1 Chrony Chronograph

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This video was made to show you the results I got by mounting LED puck lights to the top of my F1 Chrony Chronograph defuser panel in order to improve the low light Feet Per Second readings when using 4.5mm Steel BB's.

I have been struggling with my F1 Chrony Chronograph during the fall and winter months as tit becomes overcast and dark where I live. There have been days where I have gone out to shoot my field test shooting video and not been able to get any Chronograph fps results which is very frustrating because much time and effort goes into the planning setup of each video.

I was given advice from several of my viewers to mount an LED puck style light on the back side of my Chronograph defuser panel and that this helps the Chronograph to read much better in low light situations.

I bought a multipack of the LED puck lights from my local Costco but they did not work as well as I expected them to as they had a panel style of LED rather than the bulb shaped LED which I think may diffuse the light a bit more. My next experiments will be done using LED Puck lights but with the bulb styled LED.

You can watch my video to see how my first attempt using an LED Puck light with my F1 Chrony Chronograph worked out.

Categories: How To, YouTube Video Tags:

Tanfoglio Gold Custom vs Sig Sauer X-Five Sight Rail Head to Head Shootout

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Moving on to the head to head comparison of the Tanfoglio Gold Custom versus the Sig Sauer X-Five Sight Rail (Open version). Again like my previous video of the KWC Model M1911 Tac A1 versus the Cybergun-KWC GSG 92-M92, these two Air Pistols feature full size drop out metal magazines that hold the CO2 and 4.5mm steel BB's, along with full blowback with working slide catches, safeties and magazine releases. Both are field Strippable and both have the addition of sight rails with red dot sights for quick target acquisition.

I did not find either sight rail pistol to be all that much more accurate than similar open sight pistols like the KWC Model M1911 Tac A1 and Cybergun-KWC GSG 92-M92, but I did find that target acquisition was much quicker and even when I accidentally double tapped the trigger, the second round was right on target.

In this field test comparison I shoot both guns through my Chronograph to see what kind of feet per second performance each one shoots, I also take them back 30 feet and shoot 10 rounds on a paper target using a semi rested position for true accuracy results.

Watch my Field Test Head to Head Shootout for the Tanfoglio Gold Custom versus the Sig Sauer X-Five Sight Rail:

KWC Model 75 TAC Blowback BB Pistol.jpg
 
Sig Sauer 4.5Mm X-Five.jpg
Categories: 4.5mm / .177 cal, Accessory, BB, Blowback, CO2, Comparison, Field Test, Pistol, Review, Semi Auto, YouTube Video Tags: Cybergun, KWC, Sig Sauer X-Five P226, Tanfoglio Gold Custom

KWC Model M1911 Tac A1 vs Cybergun-KWC GSG 92-M92 Head to Head Shootout

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Here is the third video in a series of Head to Head Air Pistol Shootouts. In this video place the KWC Model M1911 Tac A1 head to head versus the Cybergun-KWC GSG 92-M92.

Both CO2 4.5mm Replica Air Pistols feature full size drop out metal magazines that hold the CO2 and 4.5mm steel BB's. These super realistic BB guns also have full blowback with working slide catches, safeties and magazine releases and they can both be field stripped juts like the real steel versions.

In this field test comparison I shoot both guns through my Chronograph to see what kind of feet per second performance each one shoots, I also take them back 30 feet and shoot 10 rounds on a paper target using a semi rested position for true accuracy results.

Watch my Field Test Head to Head Shootout for the KWC Model M1911 Tac A1 vs Cybergun-KWC GSG 92-M92:

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Categories: 4.5mm / .177 cal, Blowback, CO2, Comparison, Field Test, Pistol, Review, Semi Auto, YouTube Video Tags: Beretta M 92 FS, Cybergun, GSG 92, KWC, M1911 A1 Tac

SHOT Show Vegas 2014 Miscellaneous

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I stopped by the ICS Booth, we don't sell too much of their products but have carried a few items from time to time. ICS caries some nice quality Airsoft guns including the M1 Grand with real wood stock, and some AK & AR variants.

One of our suppliers had the new FN Herstal Five-seveN Blowback Airsoft pistol, I believe made by Marushin. Like the real FN Herstal Five-seveN, the pistol is pretty much all polymer including the slide and frame. This pistol also uses CO2 in the full size drop out magazine which should make it fairly powerful.

Looks like there is another Dan Wesson contender available now in the form of a Swiss Arms S&W 357 Magnum 4 inch and 6 inch barreled version, they look really nice and like the Dan Wesson have the realistic reusable brass shells that hold the 4.5mm Steel BB's.

Ever considered owning a  mobile Gunsmith vehicle, look no further, I came across this pimped out Firearms Van complete with machine guns mounted in the front :) Inside was a complete firearms workshop.

Last but not least, we had some fun while in Vegas. I go down for the SHOT Show for business but I also bring my wife and we make time for some non business related activities. I generally stay at the WorldMark resort each time and this year the weather was pretty nice so we where able to get some sun by the pool a couple of days and I even got a tan line! Of course the food and entertainment is always awesome in Vegas.

Categories: 4.5mm / .177 cal, 6mm, AEG, Airgun News, Airsoft, Airsoft News, BB, Blowback, CO2, Full Auto, GBB, Pellet, Pistol, Rifle, Semi Auto Tags: 357, FN Herstal Five-seveN, ICS, Marushin, SHOT Show, Swiss Arms

SHOT Show Vegas 2014 Crosman Booth

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This year the Crosman booth was a bit of a let down in terms of "Replica guns" There really wasn't anything new to speak of? I didn't hang around too long to check on the non-replica guns, perhaps they have been focussing on that area of their market for this year?

One 4.5mm CO2 Blowback BB Pistol they featured as a prototype version last years was on display this year as the final product, the Crosman GI Model 1911BB. And again I was not overly impressed. The Crosman GI Model 1911BB looks for the most part like a 1911 except for the funky trigger which is supposes to look like a 1911 single action trigger. In reality it is a rather heavy double action trigger not at all true to a 1911. I was also puzzled by how recessed the barrel was, sure it's nice to have a slightly recessed barrel to make the pistol more believable but the GI Model 1911BB inner barrel is recessed at least an inch or more robbing this pistol of potential fps.

Guess I'm going to have to try one out at some point to see if it shoots better than I am giving it credit for.

One product from Crosman that is kind of a crossover between a replica and a PCP rifle is the Crosman MAR177 PCP AR Conversion Kit. It is designed to replace the top receiver for a standard AR allowing AR owners to shoot .177 caliber pellets using a standard Pre Charged Pneumatic system with their AR platforms. Of course you need an AR lower to use the Crosman MAR177 PCP AR Conversion Kit.

Categories: 4.5mm / .177 cal, Airgun News, BB, CO2, PCP, Pellet, Pistol, Rifle, Semi Auto Tags: Crosman, GI Model 1911BB, MAR177 PCP Conversion Kit, Model 1911, SHOT Show