My First SHOT Show 2017 Las Vegas Interview to kick things off! Dani Navickas from Sig Sauer ASP talks with me about three new CO2 blowback air pistols Sig Sauer ASP is introducing this year just in time for spring season.

The Sig Sauer ASP P320 will be replacing last years P250, don't worry the Sig Sauer ASP P226 is not going anywhere! The P320 is a CO2 Blowback Pellet pistol similar to the previous P250 but this new model has a 30 round belt fed magazine rather than a dual sided 16 round rotary magazine. I love that Sig Sauer ASP is coming out with new innovations like this for us Airgun enthusiasts! The Sig Sauer ASP P320 has a metal slide and polymer frame like it's big powder burning brother and throws pellets at around 430 fps average. Don't expect a ton of shots per CO2, you will be lucky to get two magazine out of a single 12 gram CO2 but I am sure the extra power is worth it.

Sig Sauer ASP also introduced this year two new full metal and full blowback CO2 BB firing 1911's that feature a working safety and grip safety along with a true single action trigger. You have your choice of the signatured Max Michel in two tone black and silver or the Spartan in a Gold Brown finish. Both of these guns are based on the same mechanical build but are cosmetically different. I can say they feel really good in the hand and are super solid. There is a bit of a trade off, you do get a bit higher fps (around 410 fps) than some other 1911's at out there but you will have to put up with a stick magazine.

Of course the Sig Sauer ASP MPX and MCX are still going strong alone with the Sig Sauer ASP P266. Make sure to watch my previous Review Video for the Sig Sauer APS MPX and Sig Sauer APS P226.

Enjoy some additional photos along with my Vimeo Sig Sauer SHOT Show 2017 Interview!

Last week I was in Las Vegas to attend this years 2017 SHOT Show. As always I look forward to this event since I not only get to look at all the new Airgun related products, but I also meet with the big Airgun companies and talk face to face with many of the good folks I have been emailing back and forth with.

This first video will hopefully get you excited to watch my upcoming Interview videos I will be making for companies like: Sig Sauer ASP, Umarex, ASG, Crosman and Gletcher. I also have some additional video of the KWA booth where they had a laser sighting system set up for people to test out their Airsoft guns on a simulated targeting system.

For now here are some photos and of course checkout my Preview Teaser Video of SHOT Show 2017 in Las Vegas.

First off I want to say it’s hard to trouble shoot technical or mechanical problems over the internet regardless of if ithas to do with guns, cars, computers or pretty much anything where unless you are there in person it’s really hard to figure out the problem.

But I will attempt to address some of the more common issues why a blank gun may not be functioning properly.

Why is my Semi Auto Blank Gun Not Cycling or Ejecting Shells?

One very common reason a blank gun may not be cycling the shells properly is because the owner has removed the barrel restrictor plug. People usually do this to make the barrel opening look more realistic but the barrel restrictor is a necessary component to increase the back pressure allowing the slide to cycle fully to the rear position so it can eject and pickup a new shell.

The blanks you are using may not have enough gun powder in them. Some blank guns require banks with more gun powder than others, again this additional internal pressure forces the slide all the way back, if the blank does not have enough gun powder in it then only a partial slide motion happens and so the discharged shell may not eject properly, in this case the user would have to clear the blank gun manually so another shell can then be picked up and loaded into the breach.

If your blank guns is dirty or not lubricated then it may act sluggish again restricting the full movement of the slide which will effect correct operation. Make sure to thoroughly clean and lubricate your blank gun, that may be a quick fix for you!

You may have a faulty extractor? The extractor is like a hook that grabs the discharged shell while the slide is in the reward position pulling or extracting the shell out of the breach. If the extractor is worn or broken then the empty shell will not be ejected from the breach so when a new shell is picked up from the magazine it has nowhere to go and usually you will get a jam-up in the ejection port area.

One final situation that can cause your blank gun to not cycle properly is to strong of a slide spring, some blank guns out of the box just come with a really heavy slide spring, so much so that even blanks with lots of gunpowder in them are still not strong enough to make the slide operate full motion. Your only option here would be to replace the heavy slide spring with a lighter one.

Why Are My Blanks Not Firing?

This is a situation where you pull the trigger and nothing happens. Lets get the obvious causes right out of the way here… Did you put blanks in your gun and are they new blanks? Did you chamber the first round in your semi auto pistol?

So now that that’s out of the way let’s look at some other reasons why your blank gun may not be firing a blank. Perhaps the firing pin is broken? Most blank guns are not made out of carbon steel and even the firing pins can be lesser quality than what you would find in a real gun so blank guns are more prone to breaking than real guns. I have seen broken firing pins in blank guns first hand so make sure to check the firing pin and that it is fully operational.

Try changing up your blanks to another brand? Again blank gun ammunition is not made to the same higher standards that real firearm ammo is made and some primers may require a little more pressure than your gun is providing. Even with real guns an ammo change may help the gun operate better.

Why is the Trigger or Hammer Not Operating Properly?

I have come across blank guns where there are mechanical problems in the trigger and hammer areas, you may be able to address this yourself but I would recommend taking your blank gun to a gunsmith since you will have to take the gun pretty much full apart to fix a problem in the trigger and hammer areas.

Of course make sure your gun is clean and lubricated, this can help a lot with the mechanical areas of your blank gun.

One problem I saw with a few EKOL Special 99’s was specifically with the single action potion of the trigger, when I would pull the hammer back it would not lock back and the hammer would often slip and fire randomly, this is rather dangerous. When I took the gun apart I found that the table top or step that the trigger was supposed to catch on was worn down on the edge so it would simply slip off. I was able to fix this by filing a new edge on the step area. Again this can happen because blank guns are not made out of as high quality metal materials as real guns.

Why does the Flame Come out the Top of My Blank Gun and Not the Front?

If you find that the flame or discharge comes out of the top of your blank gun and not the barrel, this usually does not mean anything is wrong with your blank gun. All it means is you own a top venting blank gun and not a front firing blank gun. In some countries front firing blank guns are not allowed but front venting blank guns are. The same may also be reversed in some countries, for instance here in Canada we can only import front firing blank guns with flare adaptors since our blank guns are imported under the assumption that they are to be used as signaling or flare devices.

Can I Convert my Top Venting Blank Gun into a Front Venting Blank Gun?

I really don't recommend altering a blank gun in any way as it may be a violation of your local laws and it could cause the blank gun to malfunction in a very bad way causing serious injury or even death!

In theory I suppose it may be possible to convert your Top Venting Blank Gun into a Front Venting Blank Gun but again you would need to allow for just the right amount of back pressure so a wide open barrel would not work unless it was a revolver. You can not simply remove the red plug and bingo you have a front firing blank gun because in most cases the barrel will be completely plugged in the frontal region. Not only would you need to drill out the plugged portion of the barrel but you would also have to somehow fill in the top venting area and again makes sure to allow for just enough back pressure to cycle the slide back and forth.

Hopefully this has helped some of you with blank gun issues. If you’re looking for a blank gun make sure to come down to www.ReplicaAirguns.ca and www.ReplicaAirguns.us and have a look in our blank gun area of our online stores.

This is not to say that a “Real Gun” is not as good as an Airgun or better in other ways, in this video I’m just pointing out how an Airgun in some cases can actually be better suited than a Real Gun.

Availability: What I mean by this, is that in many countries Real Guns can be very hard to acquire and often require safety course and applications before one can purchase a Real Gun. I have no problem with this but it is a reality that must be considered. Having an Airgun versus not having a gun at all makes it a better option for people that live in countries that have strict gun laws. Here in Canada we are allowed Real Guns, even pistols but we do have restriction on our pistols and so I can only get certain guns in an Airgun version. As a collector this is better than not having the gun at all.

Price to Buy: Generally speaking you can pickup an enter level Airgun for much less money than a real gun.

Cost to Shoot: Real gun ammo prices have been steadily increasing to the point that a day out shooting can cost several hundred dollars just on the ammunition alone.

Comparison of Price:

• 50 rounds of 9mm ammo will cost around $18.00

• 6000 rounds of 4.5mm Steel BB will cost about $18.00

• CO2 is a bit less than $1 per 12 gram Cylinder which can yield up to 100 shots each.

• To shoot 100 rounds of 9mm will cost close to $40 versus 100 shots of 4.5mm steel BB at around $1.

• For this reason alone an Airgun can make a lot of sense even for Real Gun owners looking to get more cost effective practice time.

Access to Shooting Locations: Depending on where you live you will have to consider your local laws and where you are allowed to shoot both types of guns but typically you can shoot an Airgun safely just about anywhere as long as you implement some backstop safety precautions. Here in Canada we can only shoot a pistol at designated gun ranges, where as Airguns have a lot more allowances to shot them as long as you are not braking any city bylaws.

Training Guns: Even if you plan to eventually step up to a Real Gun at some point, an airgun is a great option to first learn proper gun handling skills since if you where to make a mistake, the consequences are much less severe. Airguns are also a lot less intimidating than a real gun since they are much quieter and have less recoil, you don’t even need to wear ear protection with most Airguns which means an instructor can communicate to his pupil on the range a lot easier.

Prop Guns: Since Replica Airguns look so much like real guns these day, they can often be used as a safer substitute for use in Movie, TV or other Photo and Video productions. Using a Real Gun on set generally requires a certified “Gun Wrangler” be on hand as Real Guns must be transported, stored and handled using very strict regulations. Airguns generally do not need to follow the same rigid regulations that Real Guns are bound to.

Tactical Training with Live Targets: Obviously shooting a real gun at a live target would not fair well for anyone involved, so that is completely out of the question. Airsoft Airguns are however perfect for Tactical Training and other weapons based simulations. All that is required for safety when using Airsoft guns is the use of eye protection and generally some heavy clothing.

I am sure there are some more areas in which Airguns may have the advantage over a Real Gun but these are the main ones that I could think of.

It has been a while since I picked out some of my favorite guns, after all my favorite gun picks change on a daily basis since there are so many awesome guns out there to pick from.

This Vimeo video is a little different since I pick out my favorites from a bunch of mostly replica gun categories including Steel BB, Pellet, Airsoft, Revolvers and Blank Pistols.

You may notice most of my picks happen to be blowback guns but to me airguns are all about being as realistic as possible and having blowback operation to me help to simulate the realism that much more. The exception in this video is in the pellet gun category since I decided on a pellet gun that was more about function and purpose over being any type of real replica.

Hopefully you take the time to watch my entire Vimeo video since I also bring out some close runner ups but here is a list of my top picks on this day, tomorrow it could be a completely different list of guns ;) 

• Steel BB - Umarex/KWC Smith & Wesson M&P 40 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol

• Pellet - Webley & Scott Tempest .22 Caliber Pellet (Spring Piston)

• Airsoft - KJWorks KP-11 1911 Hi-Capa 1911 CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol

• Blank - ROHM RG-88 9mm P.A.K. Blank Pistol

• Revolver - Dan Wesson 715 Revolver (BB, Airsoft, Pellet Versions)

Buy Umarex/KWC Smith & Wesson M&P 40 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol in Canada

BuyUmarex/KWC Smith & Wesson M&P 40 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol in the US

BuyWebley & Scott Tempest .22 Caliber Pellet (Spring Piston) in Canada

Buy KJWorks KP-11 1911 Hi-Capa 1911 CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol in Canada

Buy ROHM RG-88 9mm P.A.K. Blank Pistol in Canada

Type: Blank front firing pistol.

Manufacturer: SM.

Model: Mod 110 8mm.

Materials: Mostly metal with plastic grips.

Weight: 11.75 Ounces (332 grams) Unloaded.

Barrel: Front firing.

Propulsion: Gun powder.

Action: Semi auto, single action only

Ammunition Type: 8mm P.A.K. blanks.

Ammunition Capacity: 5 rounds.

FPS: NA.

Trigger Pull: The trigger on the SM Mod 110 8mm Blank Pistol is single action only so you will need to rack the slide to not only chamber a round but also cock the internal hammer / striker, follow up shots will case the slide to cycle on it own allowing for single action shooting. The trigger is rather nice with just a slight bit of take-up followed by a light release.

Accuracy: NA.

Build Quality: The SM Mod 110 8mm Blank Pistol was made in West Germany sometime back in the Mid 70's so this pistol is 30-40 years old and still looks great. Mine does have some slight pitting on the right side I am assuming from sitting in the box up against the manual which more than likely may have an acidic property to it. Even so this pitting is minor and the gun is in good condition overall. Like most blank pistols much of the gun is made out of pot metal (a zinc alloy) but it does have hardened steel parts where they need to be (Barrel, ejector, hammer, pins, screws and magazine).

Realism: The SM Mod 110 8mm Blank Pistol is not a true replica as far as I can tell is not an actual replica of any real steel semi-auto pistol in production but it does look a bit like the American Derringer LM5. In terms of looking like a gun it looks like what you would expect a small caliber sub compact pistol should look like and all operation is exactly like a semi auto pistol with the exception that the SM Mod 110 only shoots blanks since the barrel is obstructed with a metal rod.

ROHM Guns Available in the: Canada Replica Airguns Store

Pros:

• German made with high quality materials.

• Very small and compact.

• Front firing.

• Nice light and short single action trigger. 

Cons:

• Hard to find one in North America.

• Only holds 5 rounds.

• Slide does not stay back when empty.

Comments:

I really like unique blank guns since they are so hard to locate here in Canada. When I saw this sitting on the table at my local gun show I kind of wondered if someone had accidentally left out a prohibited firearm but once I inspected it I quickly realized it was a blank shooter and decided right there and then I had to have it. I did pay close to $200 for it but to me it is worth it simply because this little blank shooter is a rare find and it was also in really good condition and even came with the original 8mm self defence pepper blanks. The SM Mod 110 8mm Blank Pistol is for sure a blank shooter I will be holding onto for some time...

My Vimeo Table Top Review for the SM Mod 110 8mm Blank Pistol:

Buy ROHM Blank Guns in Canada

I try and make it to my local gun show which is held in Chilliwack BC about this time each year. It is put on by the Historical Arms Collectors Society of BC and there are generally a lot of used long guns (rifles) some pistols, lots of accessories, knives, hunting gear, knick·knacks and even some antique items. I tend to be looking for airguns or blank guns that are rare or a good deal.

This year I came across a few items that caught my eye. The first item was a Daisy replica 4.5mm BB pistol, I am not a big fan of Daisy replica gun in general as they are usually a far cry from the originals but this Daisy Powerline Model 400 was actually a really good copy of a Desert Eagle in size and looks. Sure it had a lot of plastic in it but it was made in Japan and even being around 20 years olds was holding up really well. This Daisy Powerline 400 even had Blowback which back then was not all that common.

The Daisy Powerline 400 BB Desert Eagle has a 20 round removable magazine that fits along the top of the barrel and it has a claimed fps. It is almost all high grade plastic with the exception of the single action only trigger, safety, hammer, barrel and several internal parts.

The next interesting item I found was a little compact 8mm blank shooter originally made in West Germany. So this blank gun is close to 30 years old. The SM Model 110 8mm Blank Pistol kind of reminds me of my EKOL Tuna in terms of size and functionality since both have the same half slide and magazine release system.

The SM Mod 110 8mm Blank Pistol is front venting and pretty much all metal with reinforced steel areas, it has a 5 round single stack magazine and shoots in single action only.

My last purchase for this show was a new item, here in Canada we generally are not allowed much in the way of items specifically labeled for self defense. There are some work arounds for instance we can carry a knife as long as it is not concealed entirely and we only intend to use it as a tool. We can also carry pepper spray again only for use on animals. Generally speaking we have not been allowed stun guns or tasers here in Canada and even importing them can land you in a lot of trouble! Again it seems a work around has been made, as long as the Stun Gun or Taser is at least 480mm in length then it is not considered a concealable weapon and as long as you have it out on display and only intend to use it on animals that may be a threat to you then all is good :)

The Stun Gun I purchased is basically a baton with a flashlight on the front and a 1 million volt taser on the front of it. You have several options with this device if harm is eminent. You can try blinding the threat with the built in flashlight which is not all that powerful but good for finding your way in dark areas, you can give the attacker a whack with the baton baseball bat style and if none of that is working well let em have the 1 million volt sandwich! We should be getting some of these Stun Baton Flashlights in our Canada Replica Airguns Store at some point so stay posted for that item.

I will be showcasing here on the Replica Airguns website and over on the Replica Airguns YouTube channel a series of videos I will be making for the purpose of selling some guns out of my personal collection. I simply have no more room for the new guns and in some cases I either have duplicate guns or very similar versions so there is no need to have both. Some guns I am less attached to and as I already stated I need to make room for some of the new stuff I will be reviewing.

To start this series off my first video is to highlight the blank guns I am selling, there are only 4 of them, all of which are really hard to get here in Canada so I am not going to let them go cheap. By the way I am only selling to Canadian residents since shipping cross borders is a little sketchy.

Make sure to watch my above YouTube video to see the blank guns I am selling and instructions on how you can take part in the sale and purchase of them.

Here is a list of the blank guns I am selling from my personal gun collection:

EKOL ASI 9mm Full Auto Front Firing Blank Machine Pistol $725

EKOL Lady Chrome 9mm Front Firing Blank Pistol $400

EKOL Arda 8mm Blank Front Firing Compact Revolver $200

Bruni ME Ranger 1873 SAA .380 Blank Revolver $300

In this 2016 SHOT Show Interview I talk with Chip Hunnucutt from Crosman Corporation. Chip was eager to show off Crosman's new Airbow which is a essentially a hybrid PCP Air Rifles combined with a Crossbow. SO take away the bow and replace the power source with a 3000 PSI compressed air system that is capable of shooting standard archery arrows at 450 fps with 160 foot pounds of energy using 375 grain arrows.

The Crosman Airbow on a full 3000 PSI charge can deliver 8 consecutive shots @ the regulated 450 fps. The Airbow also weighs in at 7 pounds and being that it is a Bullpup design it is only 33.5 inches long so nice and compact for an arrow shooter.

Since the power is generated by the PCP compressed air system there is no heavy cocking rope so a simple lift of the ambidextrous cocking bolt is all that is needed to charge the Crosman Airbow. The Airbow also comes standard with a CenterPoint® 6x40 mm scope specially designed with the Airbow in mind.

Since the Crosman Airbow is technically an under 500 fps airgun, it should be considered an uncontrolled firearm here in Canada which means no PAL license will be required to buy and own the Crosman Airbow in Canada. In terms of using the Airbow for hunting as it is not a bow but rather an Airgun, that is yet to be determined here in Canada.

In this 2016 SHOT Show Interview I talk with Bob Li from Action Sport Games. Bob shows me some of the new products this year from ASG. Some of ASG's newer pistols are the Dan Wesson 715, the CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow, the CZ P-09. New to the rifle line is the CZ Bren 80, also a couple of sniper rifles, the M40A5 and M40A3. ASG is also coming out with a an Inferno HPA version of their CZ Scorpion EVO 3A1.

The ASG Dan Wesson 715 has ot me my favorite product from ASG, you need to hold it in your hand to really understand how solid this pistol really is at close to 3 pounds. Everything about it is an improvement over previous Dan Wesson models including the trigger and hammer action, crane setup and the more actuate frame length with the new more compact internal CO2 valve. The ASG Dan Wesson 715 will be shipping in 4.5mm Steel BB, 6mm Plastic Airsoft and .177 caliber pellet versions.

ASG's two new Full blowback CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow, the CZ P-09 pistols should be coming out shortly, both will be available in 4.5mm Steel BB and 6mm Plastic Airsoft. Both pistols feature a metal slide and frame with full size drop out metal magazines and will have CO2 and Green Gas magazine configurations. The CZ P-09 will have a threaded barrel and barrel protector.

In this 2016 SHOT Show Interview I talk with Dani Navickas from the Airgun division of Sig Sauer. Dani and I discuss Sig's new line of CO2 Blowback Pellet rifles and pistols. Dani talks about some of the behind the scenes information that went into the development and manufacturing of Sig's new line of CO2 Airguns.

Sig CO2 P226 and P250 Air Pistols along with their Sig MPX and MCX Air Rifles have been developed in house by Sig.Sig has been working very closely with a Japanese manufacturer to make sure that every stage of development is to Sig's high standards. The new Sig CO2 Blowback rifles and pistols are made to match the real steal version in almost every way including dimension, weight, functionality, materials used and even trigger pull.

Sig's new Sig MPX and Sig MCX Pellet Rifles have a brand new patented belt fed 30 round pellet magazine that is indexed via the internal blowback action of these rifles smoothing out the trigger action. The Sig P226 and Sig P250 pistols use a double ended 16 round pellet magazine similar to what you would find on Umarex's PX4 Strom blowback pellet pistol.

Look for Sig's new line of CO2 Blowback Pellet Airguns coming out shortly.

This is my SHOT Show 2016 Teaser Video! You will get to see some new gun highlights from companies like Umarex, ASG, Crosman, Sig Sauer, KWA and ISC. I will be following up this video with some interview videos very soon so do make sure to check back for those uploads. All I can say about the show is it’s huge! So much to see, so much walking and too much to take in…

ASG:

As always, ASG had some new products this year. The all new Dan Wesson 715 357 Magnum shell loading Revolver! This gun feels absolutely amazing in the hand and will be available in Steel BB, Airsfot and even Pellet shooting versions. Also new are the CZ P-09 and CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow Full Blowback BB and Airsoft Pistols.

Crosman:

Big at Crosman this year was their PCP Airbow, Crosman put a lot of focus on this product and even had a lot of crossbows on display to go with their new PCP Airbow. Crosman also introduced their low cost entry level Benjamin Maximus PCP rifle in .177 and .22 calibers offerings. Not really much in the way of replica pistols from Crosman this year, but then again last year was kind of the same?

Sig Sauer:

I finally made it to the Sig Sauer Booth this year to checkout their new CO2 Pellet gun line. All new Sig Airguns are made true to size and weight with similar trigger actions as their real steel versions. The Sig MPX is their more compact (shorter barreled) pellet shooting CO2 rifle with internal blowback and belt fed 30 round magazine. The Sig MCX is the longer barreled rifle version but built much the same as the MPX. Sig also introduced two new pellet shooting CO2 Blowback Pistols, the P226 and the P250. Both use similar double ended rotary magazines as the Umarex PX4.

Umarex:

Umarex always seems to have some new exciting Airguns products to offer at SHOT Show. The PPK is back with a few updates including no more ugly CO2 tab sticking out of the bottom! And yes the Beretta Model 92A1 will finally be shipping soon, I believe in February! My favorite product this year from Umarex would have to be the Full Blowback, Full size drop out magazine S&W M&P 40 CO2 BB Pistol. Umarex released yet another 1911 on the market, this version does come with a stick mag and sports pretty high fps and more shots per CO2 then the KWC based 1911’s. The super popular Colt SAA Revolver is now available in a pellet shooting version with a rifled barrel :) Umarex had on display another low cost revolver, the ultra futuristic looking Brodax CO2 BB Revolver.

KWA:

KWA always has really nice high quality products to showoff at there booth each year, we may even start carrying some of KWA's products this year, fingers crossed on that one… New to the KWA line are some AEG rifles with simulated blowback action, I really liked the Blowback AEG AK they had on display. KWA also released a new Airsoft shell loading revolvers that had some of the nicest looking brass and aluminum shells. On display under a glass cover was a very solid Gas Blowback Thompson Machine-gun with real wood stock, it was absolutely gorgeous!

ISC:

ISC known for their top quality AEG internals, had their full line of high quality Airsoft rifles on display. And new this year to ICS was their first ever Airsoft pistol, the blowback BLE Alpha. The BLE should be out mid year and looked and felt really nice. The trigger on it was super short and light.

I have some really awesome Interview videos I’m working on, I will be uploading them shortly so stay tuned for those…

When I say Airguns, I am referring to pretty much all BB, Airsoft, Pellet, Paintball and even Blank guns for most of the topics listed here.

Do’s:

1. Treat your Airgun just like you would a real gun. If something goes wrong, perhaps the outcome will not be as severe but do you really want to take a trip down to your local emergency ward to get a BB or Pellet removed?

2. Always assume your airgun is loaded, for some reason it always seems those empty guns are the ones that do the most damage.

3. Be discrete, If it looks like a gun other people will think it is a gun so don’t flash your airguns around in public. Keep it in a case when transporting and shoot it in an area that will not alarm other people.

4. Always wear eye protection when shooting your Airgun. Do you really want to shoot your eye out? No Joke!

5. Be aware of your surroundings like windows, hard objects that could make your ammo bounce back at you. Make sure you are shooting your Airgun in a safe direction at all times, know your target and beyond.

6. Use Airguns to teach others and learn how to safely and effectively shoot a gun. Airguns can be less intimidating then a real gun (Not so loud and very little recoil) and make for great start out and transitions guns.

7. Use Airguns to get more inexpensive trigger time and become a more experienced shooter. Airguns cosy only pennies per round to shoot and can be shot in way more areas than a real gun can, practice makes perfect so get shooting!

8. Use Airguns in areas where real guns may not be allowed or safe to use. Again, Airguns can be shot in all kinds of places, in your back yard or even in a properly setup indoor home range.

9. Use Airguns with adequate power for safe and humane pest control where real guns may be prohibited.Airguns are quiet and less likely for the bullet to travel long ranges which makes them ideal for close range pest control in areas where real guns are too loud and to powerful.

Don’ts:

1. Do not assume because it is an airgun it is not dangerous or simply a toy. Many Deaths have been caused by Airguns along with a lot of pain and suffering so treat your Airgun with respect. It is not a toy or you would find them in the toy department at your local store along with yo-yos and stuffed animals.

2. Do not point or shoot at people unless of course you are using an Airsoft gun in an Airsoft field or facility. Yes Airsoft guns are meant to shoot at each other (with appropriate attire like eye protection and full body clothing), but steel BB and Pellet can cause serious injury especially at close range and on direct skin contact.

3. Do not leave your Airgun loaded, you never know who is going to come across it and accidentally discharge it. Remember, a loaded gun is a dangerous gun in the wrong hands. You may know better than to assume the gun is undulated but children and even adults without any gun training will most definitely handle the airgun without consideration of the danger it poses.

4. Do not use an Airgun for self protection. See my related video. Simply put, Airguns are not practical for self defense because they rarely have enough Stopping Power. The ones that do have enough power need to be pre-charged and in most cases are only single shot meaning if you miss or don’t get the job done no the first shot then you are done.

5. Do not use an underpowered Airgun for pest control. See related video. Using a low powered BB pistol for pest control is cruel, you will only injure the animal making it suffer unnecessarily. Use a high powered pellet rifle to get the job done.

6. Do not take your gun apart, in most cases this will void the warranty and the reality is that airguns rarely need to be cleaned since no dirty gun powder is used. lead pellet rifles may require occasional barrel cleaning to keep the rifled barrel free of debris.

7. Do not over oil your Airgun, a little goes a long way and too much oil will just attracted dirt, use the right airgun oil and just enough to keep part functioning smoothly.

8. Do not over pump an Airgun. Over pumping an Airgun can cause damage to valves and seals and in a worse case situation a rupture the air pressure reservoir or even cause the airgun to explode!

I'm getting close to uploading 600 videos now over on the Replica Airguns Vimeo channel, so there are bound to be a lot of similar questions and popular discussions. In this Replica Airguns Vimeo Video I address what I feel are my Top 10 Most Common Airgun Questions and Discussions.

1. Can I shoot my CO2 gun without CO2? (1:00)

2. Can I refill CO2 Cartridges? (2:08)

3. Will XYZ BB gun kill a bird, rat, rabbit, gopher…? (3:33)

4. Can I shoot Airsoft BB’s in my BB gun? (5:58)

5. Can I use my Airgun for self defense? (7:47)

6. Do Airguns & blank guns have recoil? (10:42)

7. Why play around with Airguns, just buy a real gun?(12:50)

8. Can I have a free gun? (17:15)

9. Which gun should I get? (19:10)

10. Mike, can you do a review of such and such a gun? (20:05)

Whether you like it or not, most of us have come across an Airgun with an ugly orange tip on it at some point. In most cases you will find the intrusive orange or red tips on Airsoft guns that shoot plastic BB's, in some cases you will even find them on Airguns that shoot either lead pellets and/or steel BB's.

It really comes down to where you live as to what your local gun laws have determined is required for your area. You may even live in a region where Airguns and Airsoft guns are not allowed at all! So for you a red or orange tip on the front would be welcome if it would allow you to own an Airgun or Airsoft gun. What about the entire gun being painted a bright color, well that is the case for some folks so again having a red or orange tips may not be as bad as it originally seemed...

In Canada where I live, we used to only be allowed Airsoft guns that had clear sections as our replica gun laws are very strict and all black Airsoft guns would have fallen iinto the "replica" category if they did not have large clear plastic see-through sections on them. This clear section law was revised somewhat over the last several years to allow for all black Airsoft guns here in Canada. It was determined that many Airsoft guns with higher fps limits could cause a serious injury to a human, making them less of a toy in the eyes of the law and more of a weapon. Because of this, Airsoft guns that are capable of shooting a .20 gram plastic BB at a velocity of 360 fps or "higher" are now considered to be similar in the eyes of the law to a regular steel BB or lead pellet shooting Airgun. In Canada, Pellet and Steel BB guns are actually considered firearms of a sort so this allows the higher fps Airsoft guns to be all black since it can not be a replica of a firearm if it is in fact considered to be a firearm by law.

The long and short of all of this is that here in Canada we do not require our Airsoft guns to have orange or red tips since they are considered more or less to be just like any other Airgun and our Airguns do not have red or orange tips either.

Getting back to the title of this article "No Orange Tip On Your Airsoft Gun! Are You Insane?" I often get folks from the US giving me heck for removing the orange tips from my Airsoft guns or asking me why my Airsoft guns don't have them in the first place. These people even state that I could get in a lot of trouble for this! Perhaps they think I live in the US or that US laws govern Canada as well? I am not sure but I can say for the record that I am not breaking any laws at least here in Canada where I live.

I know in the US that wholesalers and retailers by law have to sell Airsoft guns with the affixed orange tips on them, once the end user receives that gun and depending on which state they live in, it may or may not be legal to remove the orange tip. Again, you will need to look into your local state laws as they are different from state to state in the US.

What is a Blank Gun?

The best way to describe a Blank Gun is to imagine it as a real gun in just about every way except one… There are no dangerous bullets flying out the front of it. That’s right, a Blank Gun just like a real gun uses a brass or metal shells, loaded with a primer and gun powder, but for what ever reason reason, some rocket scientists forgot to put a bullet at the end of the Blank shell. 

Why Would You Want a Blank Gun?

Isn’t the entire purpose of a gun to shoot something? So why on earth would you buy a gun that doesn't  shoot anything at all, what purpose would it serve? Even Nerf guns, water guns, potato guns all shoot something…

One way to look at a Blank Gun is to imagine it as a cap gun, but for grown ups. Similar to how kids like to shoot their cap guns because they go bang and sparks and smoke fly out of them, Blank Guns do the same thing but on a much grander scale and in most cases they look and sound a lot more like a real gun than a cap gun does.

So Blank Guns don’t actually do the main function of a real gun (that is to shoot a bullet), but they do look and sound the part of a gun. So how could this be of practical use to anyone?

Signalling Devices:

First off, have you ever heard of a Starter Pistol or a Flare Gun? Blank Guns have been historically used to signal the start of races. Many Blank Guns also have the ability to shoot flares by adding a flare adaptor to them so a person can shoot a flare into the air to signal distress if they are lost or hurt.

Gun Handling and Training:

Since many Blank Guns look, operate and feel almost exactly like real guns, Blank Guns are a great place to start out when training a person on proper gun handling and operation. If they make a mistake while using a Blank Gun, the consequences are far less severe than with a real gun. There is also much less kick from a Blank Gun so shooting a Blank Gun is less scary or intimidating for new shooters.

Dog Training:

Dogs used for police, military and hunting are required to stay calm around loud noises like gun shots, trained dogs also need to get used to the presence of guns and even how to attack the gun hand of a person who could be a potential threat. Again using Blank Guns in this training situation is a much better option than using a real gun for obvious reasons.

Movies, Video TV and Stage:

Introducing live ammunition on a movie set would be ridiculous, there is absolutely no need to shoot a bullet in this type of situation. Blank Guns make perfect stage props since they again look the part and sound the part without the dangerous bullets flying all over the place…

Collectors:

Many collectors want to own guns but for reasons like gun restrictions in their area, they may not be able to own a real gun or certain types of real guns. Blank Guns can offer a person with heavy gun restrictions in their area the ability to own similar Blank Gun versions. Perhaps they can own real guns but just simply don’t want to go through the licensing and registration hassle of owning a real gun. Blank Guns can generally be purchased for far less money than a real gun which is appealing to collectors who in many cases may not even shoot them.

Celebration:

In places like Turkey, people celebrate holidays and events by shooting Blank Guns into the air, at one time they actually shoot real guns, but people where getting injured or even killed by the falling bullets. Because of this, Blank Gun production became an industry in places like Turkey as Blank Gun manufacturers like EKOL, Retay and Zoraki (also know as ATAK Arms) are Turkish companies.

So now you know some of the reasons why a person would want to own a Blank Gun. I have Blank Guns and I also own real guns too. One reason is because there are many Blank Guns I own that I can not own in their real steel versions because of Canadian gun restrictions so obtaining a similar version in a Blank Gun allows me to own these models.

If a Blank Gun is not for you, then by all means get a real gun, but please understand that there is a place for Blank Guns, and in those environments, a Blank Gun is actually a better choice than a real gun.

Type: Blank revolver.

Manufacturer:RÖHM.

Model:Little Joe Belt Buckle.

Materials: Mostly metal with plastic grips.

Weight: .3 pounds (134 grams).

Barrel: Front firing.

Propulsion: Gun powder.

Action: Revolver, single action only

Ammunition Type: .22 caliber crimped blanks (6mm Flobert).

Ammunition Capacity: 5 rounds.

FPS: NA.

Trigger Pull: The trigger pull for the Little Joe blank revolver is single action only, you must pre-cock the hammer first to rotate advance the cylinder and ready the hammer to fire. I very short medium weight trigger pull with virtually no take-up is required to fire this tiny revolver at that point.

Accuracy: NA.

Build Quality: Even though in general blank/signal guns do utilize scaled down metals like zinc alloy (not high pressure gun steel), the ROHM line of blank pistols are made very well and many of the internal mechanical parts, pins and screws are solid steel. The fit and finish is excellent and when I tested my none belt buckle Little Joe it shot flawlessly for me. Don't expect much recoil from the small acorn .22 rounds.

Realism: The ROHM Little Joe Belt Buckle 6mm Flobert Blank Gun is not a true replica of any real steel revolver in production but it does look a bit like the North America Arms NAA22s Mini-Revolver chambered in .22 short. North America Arms even has a belt buckle version of their own!

ROHM Guns Available in the: Replica Airguns Store

Pros:

• It’s a blank gun that fits into a belt buckle!

• German made Quality.

• Like the satin or stainless finish.

• Pretty much all metal gun with some steel in a few areas.

• Front firing revolver that will fir a flare adaptor.

• Uses inexpensive 22 Acorn blanks (6mm Flobert)

• Kind of rare in Canada, cool if you own one :)

Cons:

• Hard to get the Belt Buckle version here in Canada.

• Not sure about legalities actually wearing the belt buckle in Canada?

Comments:

I already thought the standard ROHM Little Joe Blank firing mini revolver was a really cool gun, to actually find one that fits into a belt buckle is even cooler! I wish we had these for sale in our Canada Replica Airguns Store but it's probably best we don't since I know some people will decide to wear theirs which is bad news since it's only a matter of time before a call is made and a lot of explaining is in order... The good news is we do sell the none belt buckle version of the Little Joe .22 Caliber (6mm Flobert) Mini Revolver in our Canada Replica Airgun Store along with many other ROHM German quality blank pistols so check them out for sure!

My Vimeo Table Top Review for the ROHM Little Joe Belt Buckle 6mm Flobert Blank Revolver:

Buy ROHM Little Joe Belt Buckle in Canada

Buy ROHM Little Joe Belt Buckle in the US

More guns to show off! Good for you and me! In this update video I show you some very interesting guns indeed! As many of you are aware, the Baikal Makarov MP-654K CO2 4.5mm Steel BB pistol has been really hard to find new here in Canada, making the price of used ones escalate up into the $700+ price range for one in as new condition. Well for those looking to buy a Baikal Makarov MP-654K we have located some and have them for sale now in our Canada Replica Airguns store (Very limited supply). These are the 2013 PM new design models with the narrow grips and mags, they also have the recessed barrels and cut out extractor. We sell them in the blued version only.

Another CO2 BB pistol that has been out of stock for some time is the EKOL ES series. I reviewed the ES 55 CO2 BB Pistol a while back but until now have not been able to show off the ES 66 Series which is more browning high power looking in design. The good news is we have both the ES 55 and ES 66 CO2 4.5mm Steel BB Pistol in stock in our Canada Store. These guns are mostly metal with full size drop out metal magazines that hold the CO2 and BB's, they also shoot in both single and double action and have pretty decent power! We are now selling both the ES 55 and ES 66 series of guns in our Online Canada Store.

I've looked at several Gletcher Airguns over the last little while and finally got my hands on the Gletcher APS Blowback CO2 BB Pistol which is a replica of the Russian Stechkin Soviet Military sidearm introduced back in the 50's. It's kind of a bigger brother version of the Makarov, i was surprised at how large it actually was when i got my hands on it! The real steel version had the ability to shoot in both semi and full-auto but my Gletcher APS 4.5mm BB replica only shoots in semi auto. Again, checkout the full line of Gletcher Products in our Canada Replica Airguns Store.

Last but not least I have a neat little 22 crimped blank pistol to show everyone. What makes it unique is the fact that it fits inside a belt buckle! We do see the ROHM Little Joe 22 caliber crimped blank pistols in our online Canada Replica Airguns Store but not this belt buckle version, kind of a one off I got form my supplier, I will be keeping it ;)  Make sure to watch my ROHM Little Joe Video Review and see all the ROHM products available in our Online Store.

Buy Gletcher Steel BB Soviet in Canada

Buy Gletcher Steel BB Soviet in the US

Buy EKOL ES 66 CO2 BB Pistol in Canada

Buy Baikal Blued Makarov CO2 in Canada

Buy Rohm Little Joe Ultra in Canada

I again had the opportunity to attend this years SHOT Show in Las Vegas, it has pretty much become a tradition for me now. First of all it's a great excuse to go to Las Vegas! And then there is the SHOT Show with all the big Airgun companies to go and checkout their products and of course meet some of the folks that I have been emailing. It also give my wife and I nice break from the kids, Vegas is almost like a second home to us now we have been so many times, we have our favorite eating places, of course there is the Fat Tuesdays we make sure to stop in most days for our troff of slushy boozy drink. We generally hit a show of some sort and if you like shopping, there is plenty of that to do in Las Vegas.

OK, so back to the 2015 SHOT Show, I have to say every year is a lot like the years before, most of the booths are even in the same locations so it is making it easier for me to find them, SHOT Show is a big show with lots of area to covers! Generally most companies will have all there old guns on display along with a few new ones, for me I am there to see what's new and I am sure most of you are interested in the upcoming products as well.

I know many of my American viewers have been wanting a Single Action Army 45 Revolvers and I too have been asking for this classic Cowboy revolver, I have even mentioned this to the big companies the past several years. Well I guess they finally got the message! Umarex is releasing their Colt Single Action Army 45 in a few different configurations. Their run of 500 Limited edition US Marshal revolvers sold out within the first few hours but I got my name on one this time so look forward to that review when I get mine :) Don't worry if you don't manage to get your hands on one of the US Marshal Single Action Army's, there will be two other none limited edition versions, one in silver and one in blued, both with bone handles. Like the Dan Wesson and Colt 357 shell loading BB revolvers, the Colt Single Action Army pistols will be mostly metal and also have removable shells that you place the BB's into. You will have to load each shell one at a time into the Colts, just like the old cowboy versions. The 12 gram CO2 is located in the pistol grip as expected and all version shoot in single action only as the name indicates.

Another noteworthy Umarex new product is the Umarex Pietro Beretta 92 A1 which is a pretty much full metal licensed Beretta with full blowback and a full size drop out metal magazine that holds the BB's and CO2. Umarex also added the KWC Luger and Mauser to their line off classic Blowback BB pistols this year.

ASG had some interesting offerings, they showed me a new styled Dan Wesson that will be able to accept a sight rail, it will come in Steel 4.5mm BB, 6mm Airsoft and .177 caliber Pellet. The new style Dan Wesson will not include the sight rail but you will be able to purchase it separately.

While visiting ASG I played around with their new Airsoft CZ P-09 full blowback semi auto pistol, wow the slide felt good, I am pretty sure the ASG Airsoft CZ P-09 is going to be a lot of fun to shoot!

Crosman didn't have a lot in terms of Replica guns which is not all that unusual for them, I did get my hands on their new P15B Blowback BB Pistol, I am not sure if it is the final version or a prototype at this point? The Crosman P15B has blowback action but no slide catch or slide lock, it sports a drop out full metal stick styled magazine and kind of looks like a cross between a Sig Sauer and a Desert Eagle.

Gamo, again, not known for their huge selection of replica guns did have an interesting new revolver, the PR-776 which is based on the shell loading Win Gun Frame but instead of incorporating removable shells, you load .177 caliber pellets directly into the cylinder of the PR-776.

I got to take a close up look at the Gletcher .177 caliber brass shells for their 357 series CO2 revolvers and they are a lot different than the Dan Wesson version of pellet loading brass shells. Instead of screwing together they press together and have a rubber O-ring system to help them seal tightly.

Even though I don't sell many KWA branded pistols, I do occasionally bump into them when companies like Umarex or ASG use them in their licensed lines. I did like their Scorpion KZ61, hopefully I will get to try one out sooner than later...

Well that's about it for this years SHOT Show Las Vegas 2015, until I return again in 2016 :)

It's that time once again for an end of the year Gun Collection video. And no I will not be showing off all of my guns, to show and explain them all (Approximately 200 or so?) would simply take a really long time to make and a really long time for you to watch ;)

So like last years Gun Collection Video, I take a look at some of my favorite guns from 2014.

Here is a list of the guns featured in this Collection Video with links to their original reviews: 

• Umarex Makarov Ultra CO2 Blowback BB Pistol

• Umarex Beretta 84 FS CO2 Blowback BB Pistol

• KWC Mauser M1932 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol

• Umarex C96 Mauser CO2 Blowback BB Pistol

• ME8 General 8mm Blank Pistol

• Gletcher NGT CO2 BB Revolver

• Umarex Colt Commander 1011 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol

• Cybergun KWC Tanfoglio Gold Custom CO2 Blowback BB Pistol

• KWC P-08 Luger CO2 Blowback BB Pistol

• KWC 357 6 Inch Chrome CO2 BB Revolver

• Umarex Colt Python 357 CO2 BB Revoler

• Gletcher M1891 Sawn Off Mosin Nagant CO2 BB Rifle

• ASG CZ P-09 Duty CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistol

• Gamo MP9 CO2 Blowback Pellet Gun