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.
I also visited my friends at the ASG booth but for some reason I did not get a photo of their booth? I do have some video walk through stuff I will show you in my YouTube Video coverage of this years Vegas SHOT Show. Most importantly I have lots of gun photos so let's take a look at them...
One of my favorite ASG pistols is the Bersa BP9CC, I have already reviewed it and I just really like how this gun looks and holds, ASG took it one step further this year by adding a two-tone silver version and I have to say it looks awesome in person, my photos do not do it justice at all :(
A new handgun to the ASG blowback pistol series is the CZ P-09 Duty Pellet pistol. Basically it shares similar mechanics to the Umarex PX4 and Gamo PT-85 using the double sided rotary pellet magazine with 8 shots located on each end of the stick magazine. The ASG CZ P-09 Duty features a metal slide, working hammer and safety.
Another pellets pistol that should be very familiar to most of you is the new .177 caliber pellet shooting Dan Wesson in 6 inch silver and 8 inch black versions. ASG added a rifled barrel and redesigned solid brass shells that hold pellets instead of 4.5mm Steel BB's. Expect to take a little bit longer to reload the pellets as unscrewing the tip of each shell is required to place a .177 caliber pellet in each bullet tip.
Of course ASG has tons of licensed pistols to choose from, many on both 4.5mm Steel BB and 6mm Plastic Airsoft!
One new rifle that stood out to me was the ASG CZ Scorpion EVO 3 A1 AEG Airsoft Rifle, the Scorpion features an intelligent AEG system that detects when there may be a potential feeding problem and also when the magazine is out of ammo.
Umarex had a lot of new products this year so I thought I would start off showing you some of them. I will be following this post up with a full 2014 Vegas SHOT Show video once I finish posting some of my photos and comments on the show events.
Here is a photo of the main Umarex Booth.
I have always liked the 4.5mm BB version of the Umarex Makarov, Umarex now has the Makarov Ultra version that features blowback, a working slide catch and full size drop out magazine, looking forward to testing this one out!
Another kind of new addition to the 4.5mm Steel BB lineup is the Umarex Beretta Model 84FS. It has been available overseas but is now coming to North America. The Umarex Beretta Model 84FS also features blowback and a full size drop out magazine.
I'm not sure if we needed another rebranded version of the KWC 1911 Blowback BB pistol, but we got one anyways! Umarex now has their own version of what looks to similar to the KWC Tac A1 but with Colt licensing.
Umarex also made up a very limited edition and very weathered looking blowback BB shooting 1911 based on the KWC design called the Colt 1911 WWII Commemorative. I am not sure how many where made but I know there are not a lot of them... Hope I can get my hands on one...
Umarex came out with Smith & Wesson 327 TRR8 last year and this year they have added a similar styled 4.5mm Steel BB shooting revolver with removable shells but in a licensed Colt Python 357 version.
Last but not least and going back many years, Umarex is bringing out another Legends Series 4.5mm BB pistol. The German Mauser C96, I'm not 100% sure if it's blowback or not but it does seem to have a working action, the main pistol is made out of Polymer but it does have a full size drop out magazine and seems to have good weight overall. Most of the parts work like the original Mauser C96 including the adjustable rear sight and safeties.
In this Field Test Shooting Reviews I test out the ASG Ruger MK 1 Gas Airsoft Pistol and put five rounds through my Chronograph to find out what the average fps is using .20 gram BB's and propane gas. ASG claims a pretty conservative 328 fps, I was expecting much higher and got much higher even on this rather mild fall BC day.
I shoot the ASG Ruger MK 1 Gas 6mm Airsoft Pistol from the 20 foot range since I hadn't done a pre-test of any sort. While shooting from a semi rested position at 20 feet back, I was able to get a 2.5 inch 10 shot group that kind of separated its self into two sub groups, one nicely centered right in the bulls eye and then another group of four that drifted a bit high and to the right a bit. The trigger pull on the ASG Ruger MK 1 Gas 6mm Airsoft Pistol is double action only and kind of on the long side but it is very smooth and has a nice satisfying metallic click to it, I found it pretty easy to shoot.
If you are a Ruger 22LR shooter than you may just want to get your hands on one of these and have the freedom of being able to shoot it just about anywhere!
My Vimeo Field Test Video Review for the ASG Ruger MK 1 Gas 6mm Airsoft Pistol:
Ammunition Capacity: 17 round full size drop out metal magazine.
FPS: 328+ (Have heard it is much more).
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the ASG MK 1 is double action only which will make it a bit on the heavy and longer side, it is smooth however and does have a nice satisfying click that sounds like a firing pin being dropped. The unfortunate part is that the real steel version is a single action only trigger and one that is super short and light so the contract between the Airsoft and 22LR version may make this gun not practical is an optional training tool.
Accuracy: This part of the review is yet to be determined as I have not done my Field Test or Shooting tests for this pistol (Click here for the Field Test Shooting Video). I will put a link in here when I have done my official Field Shooting Test. For now all I can go on is some feedback from others that have claimed very high fps and excellent accuracy, I am looking forward to finding out for myself!
Build Quality: ASG as usually only distributes quality guns, the fit and finish is very good and there is use of metal where it needs to be like with the internal mechanical parts, the trigger, the safety, the rear fully adjustable sight and the full size drop out metal magazine that holds the gas and the Airsoft BB's.
Realism: The ASG MK 1 is based on a combination of the Ruger MK I-III, it looks mostly like the Mark III since the arrel is fairly stout but it does not have the typical taper near the charging handle area. Still it resembles a Ruger 22LR pistol very much. There is no blowback or charging handle operation so that means that only a double action trigger is possible, this is a bit unfortunate sine the real Ruger Mark III has an absolutely smooth and light single action trigger.
If you own a real Ruger 22LR it will be nice to have for some backyard or basement shooting.
Fully adjustable rear sight.
Full size all metal drop out magazine.
Metal trigger, metal safety and metal rear sight.
Very satisfying trigger sound, sounds like a real firing pin :)
Have heard it is really powerful and accurate - Yet to be determined…
Cons:
Fair amount of plastic but has an OK weigh to it.
No blowback (Would have allowed for a true single action trigger)
Safely is kind of heavy to operate but may break in over time.
Comments:
I think it may come down to how this ASG Ruger MK 1 Airsoft Pistol performs before I can give it my total thumbs up, I really wish it had a single action trigger but for a double action trigger it feels pretty good and I love the sounds of the internal hammer dropping. The fully adjustable sights mean that if this gun performs well in terms of accuracy then being able to dial it in to the bulls-eye will make it that much more enjoyable to shoot. Overall I like this pistol, the ergonomics are exactly like the real Ruger Mark III and even though much of the external build is plastic, it still has a good weight to it due to the all metal magazine and other internal metal parts.
My Vimeo Table Top Video Review for this ASG MK 1 Airsoft Pistol:
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
The classic Webley Tempest is now available in the Replica Airguns Canada Store and let's set the record straight right from the start. This is a the latest made in Turkey version and it really smokes! From most peoples reviews the fit and finish are comparable to previous versions and we will just have to take their word for it as I have never had a Webley Tempest to compare one to? I can tell you the new Turkish made Webley Tempest is very well made air pistol and when it comes to power this gun take it right to the edge in terms of what is legal as an unregulated airgun in Canada.
I tested both the .177 caliber and .22 caliber Webley Tempests and they both shot very hard, keep in mind, with added velocity there is also added cocking effort and the .22 caliber definitely uses a stronger spring as it also has more energy behind the fast moving .22 caliber pellets. The .22 is not for everyone because it take a lot for work to cock this bad boy!
These are the results I got shooting the Webley Tempests using my Chronograph:
.177 Caliber
6.9 grain pellets used
499 fps
3.8 foot pounds
5.2 Joules
.22 Caliber
11.9 grain pellets used
400 fps
4.2 foot pounds
5.7 Joules
Here is some more info on the new Turkish Webley Tempest:
This is the latest and most powerful (made in Turkey) version of the original barrel over cylinder design that made Webley pistols world famous. Positively locked barrel using the famous Webley revolver type stirrup.
The Webley Tempest is a spring-operated, single shot; break barrel air pistol fitted with a precision-rifled barrel primarily suited to waisted lead pellets. The gun is available in either .177 or .22 caliber. The gun incorporates many additional design features, which include: adjustable trigger, manual safety catch (i.e. selective use), adjustable rear sight with vertical and horizontal adjustment. Handle is designed to fit the hand, with a thumb rest and checkered grips.
I wanted to get this video out to you a bit sooner but I have been really sick the past three days and so I have not had a lot of time to put this YouTube Video together. It's a pretty simple compilation of some photos and videos I took during my time walking around the 2012 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, not all of it is to do with airguns but most of it is. I even took a few touristy shots since it wasn't all work ;)
I thought you may all be interested in knowing that the Crosman M4-177 Pneumatic Air Rifle is coming to Canada. I was looking through the 2012 Crosman product guide that I picked up when I visited Crosman at the SHOT Show, and I noticed they have a Canadian product code!
I have had a lot of people asking if this one would be fore sale in Canada and it looks like it is coming, the question now is when...
Here is the Official Press Release of the Crosman C-TT:
C-TT PRESS RELEASE - CROSMAN ANNOUNCES NEW RUSSIAN-STYLE CO2 BB PISTOL
ROCHESTER, New York (January 17, 2012) – Crosman Corporation, long known for innovation and quality in products for the shooting sports, has introduced the new Crosman C-TT. The CO2 powered .177 caliber, semi-automatic BB repeater air pistol is styled after a World War II era Russian service handgun.
Appealing to fans of WWII memorabilia, “the C-TT is an authentic looking plinking pistol that offers hours of fun action shooting,” says Crosman Product Manager Flemming Molin. “Adding to the realism of the new, vintage-style C-TT pistol is its generous weight and the all-metal body. It gives this pistol its genuine feel,” he said. “The 18-round mag drops at the push of a button for quick reloading, getting you back to shooting sooner,” said Molin.
“Imagine the thrill of shooting as fast as you can pull the trigger with this new Soviet-style sidearm. What better way to enjoy target shooting than with a pistol that looks like it’s from your favorite WWII game?” Molin asked. “Put together some targets and challenge your buddies to a friendly competition,” he suggests.
The new CO2 pistol is a semi-automatic repeater powered by a Powerlet® 12 gram CO2 cartridge. It features a comfortable polymer grip, alloy body and is equipped with a front blade and rear notch sight. The C-TT holds up to 18, 4.5mm BBs and is as sturdy as the World War II Red Army service pistol it resembles,” Molin commented.
The C-TT has an MSRP of $99.99 and is available at retail.
OK, so I took a day off to appease the wife and did some "shopping" but then today it was back to business and I made the wife come along for the ride, she was a good sport about it so it all worked out!
I went back to Umarex and Crosman, just to verify a few things, first of all, the Umarex P38 is in fact a blowback pistol and it has a nice 400 claimed fps. I am looking forward to testing this one!.
I also went back to Crosman to checkout the C51 and the C*TT to see if the C51 Glock-ish looking replica had a polymer frame which it does and also to see if the C*TT is blowback which it is not :( But it is mostly metal and has a working slide so there is hope for the C*TT.
I dropped by the ASG booth but there was nothing really new there. I already have pretty much all their 4.5mm BB guns but they do have a nice selection of Airsoft guns, and speaking of Airsoft guns I am spending a significant amount of my time these days looking into the Airsoft market and what I can bring into Canada for sale. I have been talking with several suppliers and we should have some nice offering for us Canadians shortly so stay posted on this one...
Lastly, I have a few 22LR guns coming my way that I will be reviewing. yes I know they are not airguns but whenever I review a 22LR gun, I get a lot of questions and if you are like me, and you have your PAL, the 22LR guns make a nice addition to your low cost guns that you can buy and shoot for a fraction of the cost of the larger caliber guns out there.
Today I stopped by Chiappa and checked them out. I have a 1911 Tactical 22LR on the way that I will be reviewing and I may get some more 22LR from Chiappa down the road if the 1911 reviews well. By the way I also have a 22lR M22 ISSC "Glock" styled pistol also on it's way for review!
Well that's it from the Vegas SHOT SHow 2012 for now, see you on the flip-side!
I thought the Crosman C51 was dead, it was expected to be released back in the summer of 2011 but it got delayed and then word came out that it was dropped! But then to my surprise I saw it on display at this years SHOT Show and after a few questions it looks like it is back on the table as a new product for 2012.
This is great news because I have to say this is a very well made pistol all around very realistic. It has excellent weight to it, especially in the slide and it has a floating barrel with full blowback action and a single action trigger. You will also be happy to hear it has a full drop out metal magazine and seems to be designed like many of the 6mm Airsoft blowback airguns.
I am really looking forward to getting my hands on this air pistol!
One new item from Umarex that at first I thought was pretty much exactly like the Crosman C41 but after closer inspection it is very different and has some features that I believe will make it the better of the two.
For one the Umarex P38 has a slide catch and release, the Crosman C41 has a moving slide but no slide catch to speak of. The Umarex P38 also has the actual Walther P38 licensing which is a nice touch and it has an actual working hammer. I am not 100% sure if it is blowback or not but I plan on going back and asking a few more questions about the Umarex Walther P38 as it looks to be a nice addition to the Umarex Replica Air Pistol line up.
The SHOT Show is out of this world! You really need a week to check it all out or perhaps a clone of yourself... I barely touched the surface today. I did make sure I had a chance to checkout both Umarex and Crosman, I also made it to some other booths, but I will touch on them later in another post. There is enough information I can share with you from Crosman and Umarex to keep you drooling for now.
In short, here is what is new...
Crosman is bringing back the C51 Glock inspired Blowback BB pistol that we all thought was dead and I have to say it looks really really nice - more to come on this one. Crosman also has the new C*TT BB pistol that looks to be a blowback pistol replica of the Russian Tokarev. I also saw a very nice looking two tone version of the M4-177 and there may just be a Canadian detuned under 500 fps version on the way? Crosman is also introducing a really well made Nitro Piston air pistol called the Benjamin Trail NP that looks to be a very well made break barrel spring piston air pistol that shoots in the 500 fps neighbourhood.
Umarex also had some new items, one of which at first glance looks a lot like the Crosman C41 P38 replica but I have to say it has more going for it with a locking slide, licensed trade marks, true single action and overall just a more realistic version of the real P38. Umarex is also bringing the Smith & Wesson 327 TRR8 BB Revolver to North America, which is very similar to the Dan Wesson line but with extra rails on the top and bottom of the barrel. Umarex is also adding a couple Browning based air guns, one is a low fps Browning Buck Mark copy which is a break barrel .177 caliber pellet shooter targeted for the beginner target shooter and also a Browning High Power replica. One last BB pistol many people have been asking for is the Beretta 90 Two BB pistol and it looks like it has landed in North America finally!
Make sure to check back for some more photos and more info on all these guns...
The bad news is - I'm going to be a bit out of touch with my email as I will be away from this Sunday till Friday in Las Vegas Nevada at the 2012 SHOT Show and not only will I be supper busy checking out all the cool stuff at the show, but I will most likely have limited internet access.
The good mews is - I will be doing my best to post as many photos, videos and info about the Airgun related booths and events going on at the 2012 SHOT Show, so make sure to checkout the Replica Airguns website next week, I hope to be able to share with you anything new and cool from the 2112 SHOT Show!
Although it looks like a semi auto, under the hood is a multi-pump pneumatic system that requires pumping between shots, you can pump just a few times or several to get right up to 625 fps with 7.9 grain pellets so I am assuming this one is not coming to the Canadian market in it's current configuration. By the way you can also shoot BB's by loading up to 350 into the BB reservoir located on the side of the receiver, while an 18 round track feeds the BB's for shooting.
Some other interesting points to mention are the adjustable rear stock and windage adjustable, dual aperture (2-position), flip rear sight, and elevation adjustable front sight that can also be removed entirely for alternative sighting like a red dot or scope.
The Crosman M417 - M4 styled pellet and BB rifle uses a polymer stock, receiver and forearm and sports tactical rails for mounting accessories in several locations. MSRP is right around $119.
Here 's to hoping for a Canadianized version some time in the near future...
Not only do I have some more photos of the Umarex Walther PPQ CO2 Pellet and BB Pistol, but I have one coming direct form Umarex USA so I should have it by mid week and a YouTube video and photos by the end of the week for you...
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!
