One question I get asked often is "Which are my favorite airguns?" or "What are my top 5 gun choices?" I have done my best to avoid answering this question because it's a very hard question to answer and to be truthful on any given day I may come up with a different selection of guns as there are just so many great airguns out there!
So today I took a bunch out and shuffled through them all to see if I could come up with five of my top picks, well at least for today that is, and I'm pretty happy with my selection (Umarex Desert Eagle - ASG CZ 75 P-07 Duty - Baikal MP-654K Makarov - Cybergun Tanfoglio Witness 1911 - ASG Dan Wesson 6 Inch Sliver). I know for a fact they are some excellent choices and if you happen to own or plan on buying one then I'm sure you will agree wiht me.
So checkout this Vimeo Video Review where I go through them and explain what I like about each gun, and why they made my Top 5 Airgun Pick.
I have been asked so many times to make a "How To Video" on cleaning Airguns and Blank Guns so I thought I better make the video so people stop asking me to make one :) and if they do ask, which I am sure they still will, then I will be able to direct them to this awesome video tutorial...
So basically in this video I clean an Airgun that can be field stripped and I also clean an Airgun that can not easily be field stripped. I then clean a blank gun even thought the process is very much the same.
I also talk a bit about cleaners and general air gun maintenance but for the most part I just show you how to clean the guns so watch the video!
Type: BB air pistol. Manufacturer:UmarexUSA. Model:Smith & Wesson M&P R8. Buy in CAN - Buy in US Materials: Plastic (polymer) and some metal construction. Weight: 1.37 pounds. Barrel: 5.1 (6.5) inches, metal smooth bore. Propulsion: 12 gram CO2 x 1. Action: Repeater, single and double action. Ammunition Type: 4.5mm steel BB's. Ammunition Capacity: 8 shot rotary magazine. FPS: 420. Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Umarex Smith & Wesson M&P R8 is not too bad but has a stickiness to it right at the beginning as the cylinder rotates and pushes the metal spring "feed ramp"in and out. Shooting this revolver pre-cocked in single action mode is a bit smoother but also has some resistance right at the beginning. Overall I would say it has a medium pull to it. UPDATE: When actually shooting this gun, the trigger felt very respectable and I was able to get excellent accuracy result shooting in both single and double action.
Accuracy: Very good! I got 6 out of 8 shots inside my 1.5 inch bullseye and only two shots went outside a bit. these results where done shooting from 20 feet out in a semi-rested position. I also shot freehand in double action shooting quickly and also got a fairly well placed grouping. When it came to FPS performance the Umarex S&W M&P R8 was a bit disappointing (336 fps average 8 shots) but on the plus side it got well over 150 shots per CO2 and was extremely quite to shoot.
Build Quality: This is an almost all external polymer air pistol with some metal components on the inside like the inner barrel, hammer and some other internal framing components. The fit and finish is very good on the S&W M&P R8 and the plastic seems rigid and does not have much flex to it. Overall the R8 has decent weight but I felt another half pound would have helped this gun out.
Realism: The Umarex S&W M&P R8 is a licensed replica of the actual Smith & Wesson M&P R8 revolver. It is a very close looking copy in almost every way. There is a lot of attention to detail that helps make this gun very believable like the Smith and Wesson markings throughout the airgun and full size swing out cylinder! Provided by:ReplicaAirguns.com
Pros:
I don't know the shooting side of things just yet but here's what I can tell you so far.
Should have decent FPS and good CO2 usage.
Inexpensive but decent build quality.
I like that the cylinder is full size and looks real.
Adjustable rear sight.
Well hidden CO2 tab.
Full S&W licensing, very good replica.
Single and double action trigger.
Magazine is removable for easy loading and you can get extras.
Easy to add accessories to it and make it customized to your liking.
Cons:
The plastic exterior may put off some customers looking for a more metal gun.
Lighter weight makes it feel a bit cheap.
Trigger action is a bit sticky at the beginning.
I would have liked to see this one in a pellet shooter.
Comments: The Umarex Smith & Wesson M&P R8 BB CO2 Revolver based on my first impressions in this table top review portion is a rather nice low cost CO2 revolver. Other than it's low cost, it has a lot going for it like the extensive Smith & Wesson trademarks and the full size swing out 8 round cylinder, just like its hard hitting 357 big brother. The S&W M&P R8 also has an adjustable rear sight and full single and double action trigger for fast paced shooting or slowed down precision. I also really like the well hidden CO2 tab and larger diameter barrel opening that add to the realism of this Air pistol. Yes it shoots BB's only, and yes it is mostly plastic but I think once you start shooting this gun you will quickly forget these two minor shortcomings and remember how little all this enjoyment cost you!
My YouTube Table Top Review for the Smith & Wesson M&P R8 BB CO2 Revolver:
UPDATE: The 4 inch Black and 6 inch Silver Dan Wesson Revolvers are now back in Stock!
First, the bad news... We are sold out in our Canada Store of some of our most popular Airguns; this includes most of the ASG Dan Wesson revolvers along with the STI Duty One, and the very popular Cybergun Witness 1911.
Now for the good news! You can pre-order these while we get some more back in stock and save $20 while also reserving yours ahead of the non-pre-orders.
We are looking at about a 2-3 week wait while we get more in and as soon as they are back in stock we are putting the price back up so if one of these has been on your wish-list then make sure to grab one on sale now!
Finally got my hands on a Umarex Smith & Wesson M&P R8 Revolver to review for you. I have been waiting for what seems like forever and although it is a bit on the light side it looks durable enough. I will hopefully be staring my review process at the tail end of this week.
There is a lot of use of plastic in the S&W M&P R8 but I can say it does make for a good all weather robust kind of shooter. It does feel good and solid in the hand and I like the fact that the swing out cylinder is all one piece with no tell tail sign of a pellet or BB magazine like some of the other revolvers on the market. I'm not sure if it's going to stack up to the Dan Wesson line but then again it is only a fraction of the cost of a Dan Wesson revolver.
I wanted to get this video out to you a bit sooner but I have been really sick the past three days and so I have not had a lot of time to put this YouTube Video together. It's a pretty simple compilation of some photos and videos I took during my time walking around the 2012 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, not all of it is to do with airguns but most of it is. I even took a few touristy shots since it wasn't all work ;)
OK, so I took a day off to appease the wife and did some "shopping" but then today it was back to business and I made the wife come along for the ride, she was a good sport about it so it all worked out!
I went back to Umarex and Crosman, just to verify a few things, first of all, the Umarex P38 is in fact a blowback pistol and it has a nice 400 claimed fps. I am looking forward to testing this one!.
I also went back to Crosman to checkout the C51 and the C*TT to see if the C51 Glock-ish looking replica had a polymer frame which it does and also to see if the C*TT is blowback which it is not :( But it is mostly metal and has a working slide so there is hope for the C*TT.
I dropped by the ASG booth but there was nothing really new there. I already have pretty much all their 4.5mm BB guns but they do have a nice selection of Airsoft guns, and speaking of Airsoft guns I am spending a significant amount of my time these days looking into the Airsoft market and what I can bring into Canada for sale. I have been talking with several suppliers and we should have some nice offering for us Canadians shortly so stay posted on this one...
Lastly, I have a few 22LR guns coming my way that I will be reviewing. yes I know they are not airguns but whenever I review a 22LR gun, I get a lot of questions and if you are like me, and you have your PAL, the 22LR guns make a nice addition to your low cost guns that you can buy and shoot for a fraction of the cost of the larger caliber guns out there.
Today I stopped by Chiappa and checked them out. I have a 1911 Tactical 22LR on the way that I will be reviewing and I may get some more 22LR from Chiappa down the road if the 1911 reviews well. By the way I also have a 22lR M22 ISSC "Glock" styled pistol also on it's way for review!
Well that's it from the Vegas SHOT SHow 2012 for now, see you on the flip-side!
Here it is by popular demend, a video of all my Air and Blank Guns, many of which where added in 2011. Thank you to everyone for your suport, without you all, this would not have been posible!
Here is a list of all my Air and Blank Guns so far...
Pistols BB:
Umarex PPK/S Nickel platted 4.5mm Blowback CO2 BB Pistol (Full Auto Mod).
Umarex PPK/S 4.5mm Blowback CO2 BB Pistol.
Umarex CP99 Compact 4.5mm Blowback CO2 BB Pistol.
Umarex CP99 Compact Recon 4.5mm Blowback CO2 BB Pistol.
Umarex H.P.P 4.5mm Blowback CO2 BB Pistol.
Umarex SA177 4.5mm Blowback CO2 BB Pistol.
Umarex Steel Storm 4.5mm Blowback CO2 BB Machine Pistol.
Umarex Makarov 4.5mm CO2 BB Pistol.
Umarex H&K USP 4.5mm CO2 BB Pistol.
Umarex Colt Defender CO2 4.5mm BB Pistol.
Umarex Colt Special Combat CO2 4.5mm BB Pistol.
Umarex Smith & Wesson M&P 4.5mm CO2 BB Pistol.
Umarex Beretta Elite II 4.5mm CO2 BB Pistol.
Baikal IZH MP-654K (Makarov) 4.5mm CO2 BB Pistol (Nickel).
Cybergun P226 X-Five 4.5mm Blowback CO2 BB Pistol.
Trigger Pull: The ASG Dan Wesson Revolvers have very predictable triggers with the single action having a lighter pull as you would expect. Double action mode is very usable without a lot of extra pressure required. Shooting this gun in single action is a lot of fun, kind of like the old west days!
Accuracy: I shot the pair of Dan Wesson Revolvers at a target from 20 feet out in a free standing position, and they performed well getting close to 2 inch groupings pretty well centered on target. The sights are adjustable for elevation and windage so if you find yours shoots off just a bit, you can easily adjust them. My Chrony testing with a six shot averaged result where 327 fps for the 2.5 inch and 345 fps for the 4 inch Dan Wesson's.
Build Quality: These fine revolvers are well built, just like their Dan Wesson 6 inch Silver & 8 inch Black counterparts. The fit and finish looks very nice on both of them and they performed very well without any problems loading or shooting them.
Realism: The ASG Dan Wesson BB revolvers are as close as you can get to a real six shooter, ASG didn't leave any detail out and thought of a few I may have never even dreamt up! Loading and ejecting actual brass shells into the cylinder makes you feel like this gun is much more then an unassuming airgun! One of my favorite airgun revolvers for sure!
Only shoots BB's, would have been cool to shoot pellets too.
2.5 inch version does not have the recessed barrel.
Comments:
I'm not really a revolver person, but the Dan Wesson's really look good and are very fun to shoot making these guns a really nice change from the usual semi auto pistols I usually like to purchase and shoot! And with 4 barrel length and various designs to choose from, it shouldn't be too hard to find one that you like. Heck I like them all!
My Vimeo Video Review for these amazingly real Revolvers:
I am happy to announce that the Dan Wesson 2.5 Inch Sliver and Dan Wesson 4 Inch Black are now in Stock and shipping so all the pre-orders will be going out ASAP. If you didn't pick one up yet then grab one today!
We are looking at the arrival of two new barrel lengths for the very popular ASG Dan Wesson 4.5mm BB Revolvers. The two new barrel lengths are the 2.5 inch Silver version and the 4 inch Black version.
Based on the requests I have been getting for more shorter barreled revolvers and the popularity of the 6 inch and 8 inch Dan Wesson's we have already been selling, I know these are going to sell well. And as per usual, I will pick some up for my personal collection and do a full review to share with everyone.
I am hesitant to offer a "Pre-sale" on these two new ASG revolvers with the current Customs delays going on but our last ASG shipment made it through pretty quickly. The expected availability for the ASG Dan Wesson 2.5 and 4 inch Revolvers is at the end of November!
This is a "Pre-sale" item Save $20 (we expect to arrive near the end of November - please make sure to read over our Terms & Conditions concerning "Pre-sale" orders)
The Umarex S&W M&P R8 Air Pistol is a CO2 powered 4.5mm BB Revolver. You can also add a tactical flashlight or laser to the integrated accessory rail . The Smith & Wesson M&P R8 has a manual safety and black synthetic grips, as well as fixed front and a windage adjustable rear sights. This BB replica revolver is not only great for plinking, but also makes a good target shooter.
I have to start off by please asking everyone to take a deep breath and try and relax just a bit... I have been afraid to look at my email because so many of you are asking about when the Retay Blank guns are coming and if I was you I would probably be emailing me too!
This is what's happening. Remember the BB AK 47 incident, I know I'm trying to forget about it but it is now effecting how Air and Bank Guns are being handled in customs. The CBSA has been taking a fair bit of the heat with the whole "how did these so called (convertible) AK-47 BB guns get into Canada in the first place". And it looks like importers are now getting punished for the CBSA mistake by the CBSA holding onto flagged imported items for extended periods of time. Don't be fooled, this has turned into a money making opportunity for the CBSA as they have a $1000 per day warehouse storage fee on items being held for import. No this is not a typo, that's $30,000 per month so if you thought your 10x10 storage unit was costing you a boat load then think again!
Thank God I am not an importer or I would be shutting down and perhaps thinking about getting a government job as government employees don't seem to be accountable to anyone and now make even more money by doing even less to help legit Canadian business owners - sorry if I seem a bit miffed, but I was arrested a few weeks ago and hand cuffed in front of my family and then released without any charges or apologies, yet the police still held on to all my business related items for over a week that I need to run my business. And now the CBSA is making it very difficult to import legal products that are the foundation of my business.
And don't think this won't effect you! Because of these extraordinarily high CBSA storage fees, my importer/s will be forced to raise the cost of the items I purchase from them and in turn I will be forced into raising the price I sell these inflated items to my customers. And it has already started... I just raised the price of the Retay Blank Guns so for those of you that already "pre-ordered" you are now getting an even better deal. This of course is offset by the delay and I apologies for this but it is beyond my control.
I hope this all blows over but who knows for sure? My advice is to buy now while prices are still low and most items are still in stock;)
If you already bought a "Pre-sale" Retay blank gun then congrats on saving even more money. If you don't want to take advantage of the savings and would perhaps prefer changing your order to a differnt item, then please contact me with your order number and the item/s you would like to change your order to and I will apply a full credit towards the new item/s.
It seems like we just had a Replica Airguns Giveaway Contest... Oh - that's right we did! So why on earth is there another giveaway contest so soon? What can I say - I'm just that kind of guy and why not get into the Halloween mood by making it a costume based contest this time.
And in keeping with the theme around here, the costumes must be weapons based so basically any costume that is accompanied by a weapon of some sort is what you will need to take part in this contest. And you will have to make a short video of you in your costume and send me a video response to this Halloween Costume Contest Giveaway YouTube Video.
Here are some ideas: Police, SWAT, Military, Navy Seal, Rebel Force, Ninja, Viking... Even Cave Men had spears...
You get the idea!
The winner (Ultimately picked by me) will receive a Retay Baron HK 9mm P.A.K. Blank pistol styled after the Sig Sauer P228.
And here are the official rules...
You need to make a video and send me a video response of you in your "Weapons Related Costume": Can be Military, Police, Rebel Force, Special Ops, Ninja, Viking, Caveman with a Spear… as long as you are in character and have a weapon of some sort!
You need to be Subscribed to my YouTube Channel.
You need to Favorite this video.
You must be an adult or have your parent/s or guardians permission to accept the prize.
Contest ends at midnight on November 15th and the winner will be announced shortly there after.
Anyone located outside of North America will be compensated to their PayPal account the approximate value of the giveaway prize.
May the best Cop, Soldier, Rebel, Ninja, Mercenary, Viking, Cave "Person" win!
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the CS9 is fairly light with a shorter pull. There is no double action on the Retay CS9 but it does have an exposed hammer making it easy to pull back and fire if you have a round already in the chamber but your gun is de-cocked.
Accuracy: N/A.
Build Quality: The build quality is similar to that of my EKOL blank guns which is what you would expect since they are both Turkish made guns. The Retay CS9 is well built and uses good quality materials with pretty decent fit and finish, this gun is mostly metal and has good heft for its small size weighing in at 2 pounds. My review unit is the Gloss black version but keep in mind we will be selling the CS9 in Matte Black and Satin only. The Retay CS9 performed very well for me and had no problems with chambering, firing and ejecting rounds when I tested it, just like the other Retay blank guns I tested before it
Realism: The Retay CS9, Smith & Wesson CS9 copy is a pretty good Smith & Wesson CS9 replica with the exception of the de-cocker and a few other minor differences. The basic gun shape and main features are similar to that of a Smith & Wesson CS9.
Barrel back pressure screw needs to be removed in order to use flare adaptor.
Could have been just a bit closer to the real CS9.
No Manual or cleaning rod included.
Comments:
I wasn't sure about the Retay CS9 at first and kind of preferred my Retay Baron HK and Eagle over the CS9 at first but this smaller Retay has really grown on me. It's almost the perfect size yet it retains a very compact frame while still having a mid sized guns weight and magazine capacity. And as mentioned, it kind of fills the void that the Zoraki 914 left behind when it was reclassified as a prohibited firearm in Canada. I will most likely be picking myself up a Satin version of this one to go with my black Retay CS9, hey you can't lose at this very good price.
My Vimeo Video Review of the Retay Baron HK Sig Sauer P228 copy) Blank Gun:
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Retay Baron HK is about light to medium with a fairly short pull. The actual real steel Sig Sauer P228 would have both single and double action but many semi auto guns shoot in single or double action only.
Accuracy: N/A.
Build Quality: The build quality is similar to that of my EKOL blank guns which makes sense since they are both Turkish made guns. The Retay Baron HK is well built and uses good quality materials with pretty decent fit and finish, this gun is almost all metal and has good heft to it weighing in at 2.3 pounds. The matte black finish on this gun is pretty close to what you would find on a blued gun but with less shine to it, keep in mind we will be selling the Baron HK's in Matte Black and Satin. The Retay Baron HK performed very well for me and had no problems with loading, firing and ejecting rounds when I tested it.
Realism: The Retay Baron HK Sig Sauer P228 copy is a really good Sig Sauer P228 replica. The grips could even almost be swapped with a real Sig Sauer P228 grip if the screw holes where just a bit closer to the center of the hand grip. The basic gun shape and main features are almost dead on to the real Sig Sauer P228 including the de-cocker, slide catch and take down leaver. Internally the gun does differ as the Baron HK has a single action only trigger and a fixed barrel.
Barrel back pressure screw needs to be removed in order to use flare adaptor.
Grips are a bit shiny and the texture takes some getting used to.
No Manual or cleaning rod included.
Comments:
This gun for me was another must have blank shooter as I already own a real steal 9mm version of this gun (My Norinco NP-34), I just really like the look of Sig Sauer semi auto pistols! I will be getting another Retay Barron HK but this time in the satin finish. Because I have the real gun version, I was able to see how really close this gun is to an actual Sig in looks weight and handling. As a training gun, this is ideal as there is much less risk when using blank guns for practicing things like holster draws or even basic gun control drills.
My Vimeo Video Review of the Retay Baron HK Sig Sauer P228 copy) Blank Gun:
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Retay is about medium pull, it is a bit heavier in double action mode as would be expected and I found that the release is fairly near the very end of the pull. I'm pretty sure the real Desert Eagle only has single action operation but being able to shoot in both actions is kind of nice.
Accuracy: N/A.
Build Quality: The build quality is similar to that of my EKOL blank guns which makes sense since they are both Turkish made guns. The Retay Eagle is well built and uses good quality materials, this gun is almost all metal and has good heft to it weighing in at 3.1 pounds. The finish quality is typical of other Turkish guns - good but not perfect. The satin finish on this gun has a raw metal look but with a slight gold tint and a semi polished look, keep in mind we will be selling it in Matte Black, non-shiny Chrome and Nickel. The Retay Eagle performed very well for me and had no problems with loading, firing and ejecting rounds when I tested it.
Realism: The Retay Eagle Desert Eagle copy is a pretty decent Desert Eagle replica with a few small exceptions. Overall I would say it is slightly smaller than a real Desert Eagle and has a bit smaller handle which may be good for people with smaller hands and it also has 2 screws near the front of the slide on each side that would not be there on a real Desert Eagle.
Slightly smaller in size then a real Desert Eagle?
The screws on the slide are a bit out of place and would look better color matched.
Barrel back pressure screw needs to be removed to use flare adaptor
No Manual or cleaning rod included.
Comments:
This gun was a must have blank gun for me, owning a real Desert Eagle is pretty much out of the question because they are not cheap to buy and operate. For a very small fraction of the price of a real Desert Eagle I get to own the next best thing and as a matter of fact, I may just buy one in each color since the price is very affordable! As with many of the blank guns, the Retay Eagle would make an excellent prop gun for TV or Movie scenes. And you can always impress you friends by pulling out the Retay Eagle and proclaiming "That's not a gun - This is a gun!"
My Vimeo Video Review of the Retay Eagle (Desert Eagle copy) Blank Gun:
I will be doing full reviews of these three Retay guns; the CS9 (Smith & Wesson CS9 Copy), Baron HK (Sig Sauer P228 Copy), and the Eagle (Desert Eagle Copy). For know I wanted to at least give you a quick preview video of them. My full review videos will focus on each Retay blank gun individually and go into detail with shooting tests and Fields Strips when possible.
My basic first impressions of this new blank gun offering from Retay is that they are a welcome addition to our current blank gun offerings here in Canada and what I like most is that all three guns are very different in look and design then the EKOL guns we have had for some time now. As far as quality goes, I would say they are on par with the EKOL guns and being that they are made in Turkey this shouldn't be too unexpected.
Keep checking back as I will be reviewing all three Retay 9mm P.A.K. blank guns over the next little while.
Last but not least and certainly not the smallest! I just added the Retay Desert to the Replica Airguns Store. And I am sure most of you can figure out what this 9mm P.A.K. blank shooter is a replica of... the infamous Desert Eagle! I wanted to make this one just a bit more special by also offering it in a shiny Nickel finish. It also comes in Matte Black and Chrome but keep in mind that Turkish Chrome is not a shiny Chrome, it's more like a soft metal look.The Retay Desert is being pre-sold at a special pre-sale savings of $44 off on this one, shipping right around October 20th.
The Retay Eagle is a very nice copy of the IMI Desert Eagle full size semi auto pistol. It is a mostly all metal 9mm P.A.K. blank shooter that is front firing and comes in a hard shell case with a flare adaptor. This blanks shooter can be shot in both single and double action and is a real handful!
Another Retay blank gun added to the Replica Airguns Store is one of my favorites, the Retay Baron HK which is a very accurate copy of the Sig Sauer P228, I know because I own one! This model comes in Matte Black and Satin and is also available at a $24 discount right now as a pre-order item with stock being available right around October 20th.
The Retay Baron HK is a nice copy of the Sig Sauer P228 mid sized semi auto pistol. It is a mostly all metal 9mm P.A.K. blank shooter that is front firing and comes in a hard shell case with a flare adaptor. Additionally it utilizes a de-cocker and fires in single action only.
