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.
We carry a lot of the G&G line and perhaps have as much in stock as you would find at the G& G booth ;) I did see a few items we do not have in stock so I will have to see what I can do about that. Some products that I hope to see added to our Canada Replica Airguns Store would for sure be the M1 Grand and our Canadian Military Colt C7A1/2.
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.
Another quick revisit of the KWC/Cybergun M92 Beretta - Taurus full metal, full blowback, CO2 4.5mm Steel BB pistol series. They come in several flavors but are all made by KWC and in many cases redistributed licensed by Cybergun. This Field Test Shooting Video Review focuses on the Cybergun Swiss Arms P92 version.
Now that I have a more standardized Field Test Shooting format, I though I would revisit this series of KWC/Cybergun Beretta - Taurus Replica BB Pistols and do a follow up Field Test to get some more camera angles and hopefully a nice tight target grouping using my standard semi rested position from 20 feet away.
I also incorporate some high speed video near the end of this Field Test Shooting video Review to go along with the Chronograph and target portion of the Filed Test Shooting review.
The KWC - Cybergun Full Blowback All metal serious of Replica CO2 BB Pistols has been hugely popular over here at Replica Airguns and for good reason, they are very realistic in looks and operation, are priced very respectably and replicate several of the more popular semi auto pistols.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the King Arms Thompson Machine Guns is fairly short and light as it is essentially just an on-off switch for the internal electronic components. You can shoot this gun very quickly in semi auto mode, and of course even quicker when full auto is selected. As with all AEG systems their is a slight delay between when you pull the trigger and the shot is taken as the internal spring needs to compress first before releasing.
Accuracy: In many cases Airsoft guns can be just as accurate as 4.5mm BB guns, well at least at fairly close ranges, I was able to get most of my .25 gram BB 10 round target test shots within 1 inch from 30 feet away using a semi-rested position. There where a couple BB's that lengthened the group out to about 2 inches but still a very good result when you consider these are plastic BB's being used. In Terms of FPS, I did stick with the slightly heavier 2.5 gram Airsoft BB's and still got a decent 360 average 5 shot Chronograph test result making this AEG Airsoft rifle perfect for just about any Airsoft game type.
Build Quality: The King Arms 23 Karat Gold and Chrome Platted AEG Thompson Machine Guns are very well made using Aluminum Zinc Alloy bodies and real Wood Stocks, the fit and finish is very good and pretty much everything on these rifles are either metal or wood. You will have to polish these guns with a cloth from time to time since the mirror finish shows every smudge and finger print.
Realism: I'm not sure how many real 23 Karat Gold and Chrome Platted Thompson Machine Guns there are out there but there has to be at least a few ;) But going on how these guns look and feel, they are solid and very realistic. Some people have mentioned that the bolt should be on the top for some versions of the Thompson's but there are some Thompson's with the bolt on the side so I suppose we will let that one slide. The Wood stocks are a real plus adding to the overall weight and authenticity. Most parts works as they would on the real steel Thompson M1A1 Military or M1928 Chicago (Gold or Chrome) AEG Airsoft Machine Guns.
Nice high capacity metal magazines, can be mixed and matched.
Adjustable rear sight for windage with two sight positions (Notch & Peep).
Semi and full auto selectable with really nice rate of fire.
FPS is bang on for indoor or outdoor Airsoft games.
Fully Thompson licensed.
Comes with Certificate of Authenticity.
Cons:
Does not come with a battery or charger.
Prone to finger prints and smudges.
Need to use a screw driver to get at the battery.
Comments:
I am a big fan of the King Arms Thompson line, even the all black version with the plastic stocks looks and functions great. Internally the lower cost black version is the same and having previously shot my black Thompson, I knew these blinged out 23 Karat Gold and Chrome Platted versions where also going to perform as good as they looked! I'm not so sure about buying a Gold or Chrome Thompson for everyday use, since they will get knocked around and scratched up but if you are looking for the best of the best with real wood stocks and all metal parts then make sure to consider one of the Thompson
My Vimeo Video Review for the King Arms Thompson Gold & Silver AEG Airsoft Machine Guns:
We just received an order of KWC products so if you've been waiting for some out of stock items then go take a look! By the way, the KWC Beretta / Taurus full metal blowback BB and Airsoft versions now come semi and full auto enabled!
I am jumping the gun so to speak with this field test review and showing you my field test video review for the King Arms Thompson Gold M1A1 Military AEG Airsoft Machine Gun before I've even done the table top review... Guess I just wanted to shoot this one :)
I decided to perform my field test shooting review using just the Thompson M1A1 version since the 1928 style has the same internal mechanics, there really was no point in testing them both. Other than a few cosmetic changes like a stick magazine versus the drum magazine and the forward stock pistol grip on the 1928 version, these guns are pretty much the same. I also opted for the most flashy 23 karat Gold version, well... because "Gold is Best!"
So let's get to the results! As with most of the guns I field test, I shot 5 rounds through my chronograph, this time I decided to use .25 gram Airsoft BB's for both my chronograph and target portions of this shooting review since fishing the ammo out of the stick mag was a bit of a pain ;) I was able to get a respectable 360 fps average 5 shot Chrono test which makes this AEG Airsoft rifle bang on for just about any Airsoft battle situation. I would expect to get right around 380-400 fps if I was using the lighter .20 gram BB's.
Once I stepped back to the 30 foot semi rested target position, I shot 10 rounds first in semi auto which got me a pretty nice tight 1 inch group (if you throw out the couple of fliers). In Full Auto the shot placement also stayed nice and tight spreading out to about 2 inches or so. This Classic Thompson AEG Airsoft Machine Gun definitely hits what every you are shooting at and has a nice rate of fire that's not too wasteful of BB's but still offers plenty of cover when required.
At the end of this field test shooting review for the King Arms Thompson Gold M1A1 Military AEG Airsoft Machine Gun, I shoot some water filled cans while capturing the experience in slow motion using my new iPhone 5's 720p 120 frames per second 4 times slow-motion feature.
We have some new arrivals in our Canada Replica Airguns Store that some of you who like the more flashy guns may appreciate! What makes a classic Thompson machine gun even better? First of all make sure it's got an all metal body, then add real wood furnishings and of course cover it in 23 karat gold platting or if you prefer a slightly toned down version, then go with the Chrome plating.
Thompson M1928 Chicago Grand Special - Gold/Chrome
Thompson M1A1 Military Grand Special - Gold/Chrome
6mm Plastic Airsoft BB's
420 round stick or drum magazines
AEG 8.4v (Large Type)
6.6 pounds (3000 grams)
400+ fps
Aluminum Zinc Alloy body
Real Wood
Gold version is 23K Gold Plated
Checkout my update video for the Thompson Special Gold & Chrome AEG Airsoft Rifle:
We have added some items to the Canada and US Replica Airguns Stores, most are completely new items and one is a Canada only item we added to the US 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.
Action: Semi auto, double action only with blowback.
Ammunition Type: 6mm plastic Airsoft BB's.
Ammunition Capacity: 15 round stick magazine.
FPS: 380.
Trigger Pull: The Double Action Only trigger pull on the Umarex Walther P99 CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol is long but not overly heavy for a double action trigger, it does have a break point mid way where it locks partway back, I presume this is the point in which a BB is loaded from the magazine into the barrel? The rest of the pull is still medium but much shorter with a distinct release point.
Accuracy: I did do a quick preliminary test before I made this table top review to get an idea of where this gun performs in terms of FPS and accuracy, I shot 5 rounds through my Chronograph on a fresh CO2 and got an average of 333FPS which was a bit lower than the claimed 380 but it was not the hottest of days. I also stepped back 20 feet and from a semi rested position I was able to get 9 shots within 2 inches of each other which was not bad for a DAO gun that I have never shot before. I did shoot a bit down and to the left with the set sights.
Build Quality: The Umarex Walther P99 is well built for its rather low price tag, it may not have all the bells and whistles but it does get the job done with good fit and finish and materials used. You will find a plastic/polymer frame but there is a lot of metal where it would normally be found on the real steel version like in the slide, magazine, trigger, slide catch, magazine release, inner barrel and many other internal parts. No real complaints here!
Realism: The Umarex Walther P99 CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol is pretty close in looks to a real steel Walther P99 with the exception of a missing decocker, but I'm pretty sure this is the same with the real steel DAO version? There is also the funny looking safety on the right side of the frame found on many Umarex airguns. I have to mention the red tip but again this can be removed and even when removed the barrel it is still recessed which adds to the realism. The Blowback action, Walther licensing and nice heavy weight all add up to make this Airsoft pistol look and feel the part.
Metal slide and internal parts gives it decent weight.
Rail for accessories.
Well hidden CO2 screw.
Walther licensing.
Recessed inner barrel.
White dot sights, easy to use.
Right amount of power for indoor CQB style airsoft games.
Cons:
Comes with a red tip even in Canada.
Double action only, so trigger is a bit heavier.
Kind of funny safety, not like the real gun.
Blowback was a bit sluggish.
Comments:
Overall the Umarex Walther P99 CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol is a very good buy, it's a decent replica of the real steel Walther P99 with blowback operation, lots of metal parts, good fit and finish, decent performance and full Walther licensing and trademarks. All at a very affordable price tag. It may lack some of the extras you will find on more expensive and more functional Airsoft pistols but the simplicity of the Umarex Walther P99 CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol means it will most likely be a bit more reliable with less to go wrong down the road. If you have been looking for a nice Walther styled replica in an Airsoft version this may be just be the ticket!
My Vimeo Video Review for the Umarex Walther P99 CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol:
I will be doing proper Table Top and Field Test Videos for each of these Airsoft guns as soon as I can get to them all, starting with the Umarex Gas Blowback H&K MP7 A1 Airsoft PDW so stay posted for these upcoming video reviews...
After many many requests to show how the Umarex Walther PPK CO2 Tab Modification is done I have relented to public demand. I don't actually cut my tab in this PPK CO2 Tab Modification Video but I do go step-by-step in detail and compare my modified Umarex PPK to my unmodified Umarex PPK. It is really very basic on how this is done and only a hack say and perhaps a file are all that is required to make the modifications to the PPK CO2 tab in order to make it flush with the bottom of the handle area.
Your best bet is to simply watch my YouTube Video located below and follow the steps there but here it is in text form:
Place an empty (already pierced) CO2 into your Umarex Walther PPK and tighten the unmodified CO2 tab until fully tightened, just like you would tighten a fresh CO2.
Take note at how many threads are exposed between the bottom of the handle and the top of the plastic CO2 tab, there should be about 2-4 threads exposed.
Unscrew the CO2 tab all the way, place the PPK BB Pistol so it is secure (in a vice of some sort) and use a hacksaw or dremel to shorten the CO2 screw just above the plastic tab at the thread location you previously noted. Be conservative as you can always cut or file the screw a bit shorter if your first cut was not short enough.
Now use the same hacksaw or dremel to cut a notch in the exposed cut area of the CO2 screw so that you can use a slot screwdriver to tighten the CO2 screw.
That's it - Enjoy your modified Umarex Walther PPK CO2 BB Pistol!
Watch my Vimeo Video of the Umarex Walther PPK CO2 Tab Modification Tutorial:
This is not meant to be a full review of either the BB or Airsoft version of the Cybergun - KWC CO2 Blowback Mini UZI's but I do talk about specifications, show you around both guns, and put them both through a full Field Test so I guess in a way, perhaps it can be considered to be a full review ;)
I will list the specifications here for you but I am not going to get into details like Trigger Pull, Build Quality, Accuracy and Realism. You can check out my other video reviews for more information on the Mini UZI:
As I said you can check out all my other videos for info on these very accurate Mini UZI Replicas, I mainly want to go over some of the main differences and similarities for both the BB and Airsoft versions.
In terms of build quality they are made almost exactly the same and weigh in at a hefty near 5 pounds, the only differences are the inner barrel and magazines to accommodate the different sized ammo. The BB version has a 25 round single stack magazine that does not have a follower to stop the bolt from continuing to operate even after the magazine is empty. While the 6mm Airsoft version has a double stack magazine that holds 38 rounds and does have a follower to stop the bolt which can save you some unintentional wasted CO2.
The Airsoft Mini UZI version is distributed by KWC while the 4.5mm BB version is distributed by Cybergun, you will find the UZI and IWI licensing on the Cybergun 4.5mm BB version but not on the KWC 6mm Airsoft version.
Out of the box the KWC Airsoft Mini UZI is ready to go in both semi auto and full auto while the 4.5mm steel BB version will only shoot in semi auto mode, it can however be easily modded to shoot in full auto.
Both guns come in cardboard boxes with manuals, some BB's and an Allen key to tighten the CO2. The KWC Airsoft Mini UZI also comes with a handy speed loader.
There is a slight fps velocity difference between the two with the KWC Airsoft 6mm plastic rounds traveling at around 400 fps (with .20 gram BB's) and the 4.5mm Steel BB's traveling at right around 350 fps. In the field test portion I test both guns out on some water filled cans to see how each ammo type performs in terms of penetration.
Your best bet is to watch both my Table Top and Field Test Comparison Video Reviews and see for yourself how they compare!
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Cybergun Sig Sauer P226 Airsoft Replica is good in both single and double action. Once the slide is pulled back and released the first round is chambered and the hammer will remain back placing the P226 in single action mode, the pull is light and the take-up is fairly short, most of your shots will be in single action mode unless you use the de-cocker to lower the hammer for a subsequent double action next shot, double action shots are still pretty light but much longer in order to cock the hammer.
Accuracy: Shooting the Cybergun Sig P226 from 20 feet out in semi rested position I was able to get very good results. I placed 10 rounds in about 1.5 inches with the shot placement being a bit low possibly due to my barrel mod, adjusting the hop-up may bring the aim point back up to where it should be. The Sig Sauer P226 Airsoft Replica shot right around the 316 fps range while conducting my 5 shot average chrony testing which was lower than advertised but I was using much heavier .20 gram BB's. You can expect to get a full magazine worth of shots out of each gas fill-up but I did notice that as the magazine got colder it did tend to become much less efficient and also seemed to vent a lot of vapor.
Build Quality: The build quality is generally good and I was surprised at the finish on this model as the paint is not showing any wear marks so far, the fit is good with minimal slide and barrel wobble and everything is working very well with no problems so far with a fair amount of shots through it, guess you could say I like shooting this gun :) Most of the gun is metal with only the grips and a couple internal parts being plastic.
Realism: The Cybergun Sig Sauer P226 6mm Airsoft pistol is a replica of the real steel Sig Sauer P226 right down to the licensing and it really is a great looking and functioning Airsoft Replica. You can field strip this gun exactly like a real Sig and all the mechanical parts work just the same including a working de-cocker and adjustable front sight.
Seemed to shoot a bit low for me, could adjust with hop-up a bit?
Only one magazine per Gas fill.
Comments:
I am a big Sig Sauer fan so it would take a lot for me to not give this gun a good review, with that said it performed pretty well, sure it was not the most powerful but I was using gas over CO2 so I was not expecting too much, it also shot a bit low for me but again that may have been because of the barrel mod so who really knows for sure at this point ;) And yes it came with that unsightly orange tip that I took short work of removing. At teh end of the day I still love it and it performed well without letting me down, just like a would expect from a real Sig Sauer!
My Vimeo Table Top Review of the Cybergun Sig Sauer P226 GBB Blowback Airsoft Pistol:
I usually do my Table Top Video Review first but this time around I did my Field Test Video Review first since I was all setup checking out a couple other guns at the time. When I do my detailed Table Top Video Review for the Cybgergun Sig Suer P226, I'll post the link here so stay tuned. If you have not already checked out my Barrel Mod Video for this same gun then check that video out where I remover the extended orange portion of the metal barrel and make the barrel flush with the end of the slide which is how the real steel version was originally made.
Getting back to the Cybergun Sig Sauer P226 GBB blowback Airsoft Pistol field test, as per usual I test this Airsoft semi auto gas blowback pistol on the Chronograph to see what kind of real world velocity I get and since I had some Green Gas on hand, I used it for this part of the review and got an average of 315 fps with a six shot string.
I also stepped back 20 feet and shot 10 times at my stationary target using a semi rested position (sand bag up front and kneeling in the back). Even though the Sig Sauer P226 shot a bit low I did get about a 1.25 inch group with the exception of one flyer that hooked down just a bit making the 10 shot group a bit wider at just under 2 inches. The low shot placement may have been caused by my barrel mod but since I did not do a before and after test, I can not say for sure?
Make sure to watch my YouTube Video of this Field Test as it also includes some nice slow-motion of the slide blowback at both 400 and 1200 frames per second.
Watch my full Video Field Test Shooting Vimeo Video below:
I have not done my official Table Top and Shooting Reviews for the Gas Blowback Airsoft Cybergun Sig Sauer P226 but I really wanted to cut off the ugly orange painted barrel tip, it was kind of driving me crazy! keep in mind here in Canada we are not required to have orange tips on our Airsoft guns, most of the all metal or all black Airsoft guns imported these days fall into the "airgun uncontrolled firearms" category. If you live in the US or other parts of the world you could be breaking the law if you do this mod so be warned...
Your best best is to simply watch my Vimeo Video as I show you exactly how I removed the orange painted portion of the metal barrel using a hack saw, file, vice and some sand paper. All in all it was not too difficult and only took about 15 minutes to complete...
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
In this part of the review I test the HK G36 KV AEG Rifle using my Chronograph to see what the 5 shot feet per second average is using fully charged batteries. I got pretty much right bang on to the factory claimed 450 fps using .20 gram 6mm plastic Airsoft BB's and consistency was within a few fps for each shot.
I also take the Umarex HK G36 KV AEG Blowback (EBB) Airsoft Rifle back 30 feet and shoot it at a target using a semi rested position (sand bag up front, standing in the back) and shoot in both semi auto and full auto, there really was no real difference in accuracy using both selections, I think the built in magnified scope helped out here to get a very tight 1.5 inch group shooting in semi and full auto.
So far out of all my AEG rifles I would have to say the Umarex HK G36 KV (EBB) performed the best getting very consistent and high fps and tight groupings in both semi and full auto even using light weight .20 gram BB's.
Watch my Field Test Shooting Vimeo Video Review for the Umarex HK G36 KV AEG Blowback Airsoft Rifle:
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Umarex HK G36 KVis fairly short and light as it is essentially just an electrical on off switch for the internal electronic components. You can shoot the G36 very quickly in semi auto mode, and in full auto it cycles very quickly giving a high rate of fire.
Accuracy: In my brief pre-testing without any sighting in, the Umarex Heckler & Koch G36 KV shot just a bit off center to the right from a 30 foot semi rested position and produced a nice 2 inch grouping. In full auto the grouping opened up a bit but still punched a nice 1.5 inch hole in the target with most of the BB hitting there.
Build Quality: The Umarex HK G36 KV is very well made, yes it has lots of polymer but so does the real version and the plastic seems very durable, the fit and finish looked great and there is a lot of metal in and around the G36 where it would be on the real steel gun and where it is really required to be. Like the trigger, top rail, pins, selector switch, barrel, gearbox and gears.
Realism: Similar to my WE G39C reviewed earlier, I bet if you had a real Heckler & Koch G36 sitting beside the Umarex HK G36 KV, you would be hard pressed to tell them apart? The Umarex is also fully HK licensed and trademark throughout even including the 5.56mm NATO markings.
Excellent attention to detail with lots of working parts.
All metal internals and metal external mechanical parts.
Semi auto & full auto selectable.
Full HK licensing and markings.
Accurate 2 inch 10 shot group from 30 feet out.
Nice high 450+ FPS.
Full ambidextrous, even the charging handle can be switched side to side.
High capacity magazine (400 rounds)
Built in 3x optical sight with ability to add a Red Dot for close quarter shooting.
4 position adjustable folding stock.
Easy access to hop up system.
Cons:
Does not come with a battery or charger.
Came with the orange tip, you may want to replace it or paint it black?
May be too powerful for close quarter skirmishes without some detuning.
Comments:
This is my first Umarex Airsoft rifle product review and I have to say it really seems good so far, I have not had a lot of hands on time shooting the Umarex HK G36 KV but right out of the box I was getting very good results, nice high 450+ fps and good groupings even out at further range. The fit and finish are all very good and the realism is as good, if not better than other Airsoft AEG I have reviewed. I like the built in 3x Optical Scope and the addition of an upper rail to accommodate a Red Dot, this gives you the ability to acquire quick close up shot placements using a Red Dot while also being able to focus in on further out targets using the magnified optical scope. I look forward to my official Field Test shooting review.
