This year at SHOT Show 2018 I had the please to interview Bob from ASG yet again, Bob always has a ton of info to share about ASG new products so make sure to watch this video as it has a lot of info!
To summarize what Bob shared, ASG has their line of CZ P-09 and SP-01 Shadow Steel BB and Airsoft Full Blowback pistols with full size drop out metal magazines. And you'll be happy to know the Canadian CZ P-09 Airsoft version not only will have a threaded barrel but it will come with both a black and red barrel tip cover.
Another new air pistol from ASG is the Dan Wesson licensed none blowback pellet firing 1911, similar to what Crosman is offering that utilizes a full size drop out metal magazine combined with a two sided 6 shot rotary magazine that flips 180 degrees for a total of 12 shots per .177 caliber pellet load. the ASG Dan Wesson Pellet shooting 1911 has a nice heavy weight to it's metal slide and frame design.
Lastly Bob shared with us a new ASG ICS Hera Arms CQR Airsoft Rifle, this ASG Airsoft Rifle is still in the design and production state but look forward to it later on this year!
This year at SHOT Show 2018 I had the please of again interviewing Dani Navickas from Sig Sauer. Dani Showed me several new pistols and a new break barrel rifle Sig Sauer is offering this year. The Sig ASP20 Break Barrel rifle will come in both .177 and .22 caliber pellet shooting versions. The ASP20 has a lighter than most cocking effort of only 33 pounds using their proprietary GlideLite system, along with an adjustable ASP MatchLite trigger.
Another Target pellet airgun from Sig Sauer this year is the .177 caliber pellet shooting Super Target, styled after the Sig Sauer P210 firearm. The Sig Super Target is a single pump pneumatic single shot pistol designed for 10 meeter shooting with adjustable sights and a crips short light trigger.
Sig like several other companies has rebranded their own version of the KWC 1911 CO2 Blowback BB pistols. The Sig Sauer licensed BB 1911 is based on Sigs We the People line to celebrate the American people and their Constitution.
Another new Blowback Pellet firing Sig Sauer Air Pistol was also introduced at SHOT Show, the Sig Sauer X-Five. The X-Five uses their 20 round belt fed magazine and also has Sig's Cam Lever CO2 loading mechanism. You will also find a rear adjustable sight on the Sig Sauer X-Five Pellet Pistol.
Last but not least and perhaps one of the most interesting new products coming out later this year from Sig Sauer is the P320MHS APS which is another new rotary magazine Blowback Pellet Pistol. What's a bit different with the new Sig P320MHS is that it has a full size drop out magazine that holds the CO2 and belt fed pellet magazine. The P320MHS can also be fully field striped, has an open ejection port and is styled after Sig's real Steal M17 firearm.
I wanted to start my SHOT Show 2018 Interviews with Crosman because in my books they had one of the most exciting new products this year at SHOT Show, the Crosman Remington DPMS SBR which is a duel 12 gram CO2 powered 4.5mm steel BB firing AR styled semi and full auto Machine gun.
What I like about the Crosman Remington DPMS SBR is that it works a lot like an Airsoft Gas Blowback rifle with an internal bolt and buffer tube spring, working charging handle and dust cover, it even has a bolt release button. The Crosman Remington DPMS SBR can even be taken apart similarly to a real AR rifle.
The next new interesting product from Crosman, and as I found out the design is not entirely exclusive to Crosman, was the CO2 Non-Blowback Pellet firing 1911. The Crosman Pellet 1911 has an interesting magazine design, it looks like a traditional full size drop out magazine, which as you would expect holds the CO2 but rather than an inline BB magazine the new Crosman Pellet firing 1911 has two built in 6 shot rotary magazines that can be flipped so you essentially end up with a 12 shot magazine.
You will have to drop the full size magazine after the first 6 shots to flip the rotary magazines. The Crosman Pellet 1911 does not have blowback action but the double action only trigger is smooth and not too heavy. The slide is metal with a metal magazine and a polymer frame. The Crosman Pellet shooting 1911 comes in silver and black.
The next new product from Crosman was the Mako. The Crosman Mako is a Beretta styled CO2 Blowback BB pistol. The Crosman Mako features Blowback action, fiber optic sights, tactical grips, a double action trigger and a stick magazine that holds the 4.5mm steel BB's.
Thanks to Phillip Guadalupe from Crosman for allowing me the Interview!
So it begins, I have been to this years SHOT Show in Las Vegas and checked out the new products from Umarex, Crosman, Sig Sauer and ASG. I have taken video and Interviewed the main Airgun companies. Now it's time to report back to everyone what I saw and learned. To start with here is a Teaser Video with some scenes from Vegas, inside SHOT Show and of course some of the highlight products from each airgun company.
I don't get many Gas Blowback Airsoft Rifles to review all that often so when I get my hands on them I sure have a great time testing them out and feeling the blowback action tapping me in the shoulder as I shoot in semi or full auto modes. Sure Gas Blowback Airsoft Guns don't perform like their AEG counterparts, especially when you're shooting in full auto. You can expect way less rounds in each magazine and even with less rounds the last 5 or 10 shots when shooting rapid fire are going to be compromised but I really don't care because a well made Gas Blowback Airsoft rifle like the KJWorks M4 CQB Carbine GBB is just so much more fun to shoot than an AEG and way more realistic.
So let's get on with my test results for the KJWorks M4 CQB Carbine GBB Airsoft Rifle... The fps consistency was really decent, super consistent when I spaced out my 5 test shots they averaged 377 fps, not really having any low or high fps shots out of the bunch. I did have a full gassed up mag and was using .20 gram plastic 6mm Airsoft BB's for this part of the field test.
Again shooting in semi auto mode, I placed 10 rounds into my paper target setup downrange 30 feet and as per usual I was using a rested shooting setup sitting on a stool and resting the KJWorks M4 CQB Carbine GBB Airsoft Rifle on a sandbag up front. 9 out of the 10 rounds all grouped in about a 3/4 inch group with only 1 round coming outside a bit stretching the 10 shot grouping out to about 1.5 inches. Still really great for a Gas Blowback or any Airsoft rifle for that matter!
Next I shot the rest of the mag in full auto burst mode which was about 20 rounds left in the KJWorks M4 CQB Carbine GBB Airsoft Rifle at this point. As expected the KJWorks M4 CQB Carbine GBB Airsoft Rifle cooled down pretty quick and the last 5 rounds did fire just fine but there was a noticeable drop in power making the rounds shoot low on the target. Keep in mind I was shooting in a not too warm environment, about 15 degrees which is not bad but also not that warm.
I would have liked to have seen the KJWorks M4 CQB Carbine GBB Airsoft Rifle perform as consistently in full auto mode as it did in semi auto but that would have been asking a bit too much from a Gas Blowback Airsoft rifle. The KJWorks M4 CQB Carbine GBB Airsoft Rifle is a really well put together Airsoft Rifle that didn't let me down in the end.
Getting back to the Umarex IWI Tavor 21 Elite AEG Airsoft Rifle, how did it perform? I placed 5 rounds through my Chrony Chronograph using .20 gram plastic Airsoft BB's and it shot a pretty quick 425 fps! Not sure if I would want to use the Umarex IWI Tavor 21 Elite AEG Airsoft Rifle in any close quarters games with that velocity but it would perform well on a field and even get a round out to a nice distance.
Next I tested out the accuracy of the Umarex IWI Tavor 21 Elite AEG Airsoft Rifle as best I could in my kind of "cramped for rifles" indoor Sea Can Airguns Range. I place my paper target 30 feet down range and put 10 rounds in semi auto into the target shooting from a rested seated position with a sandbag up front for stability. The Umarex IWI Tavor 21 Elite AEG Airsoft Rifle shot a nice tight 1.5 inch grouping just a tad low and to the left but pretty close to the bulls-eye for being straight out of the box with no adjustments on my part.
In full auto mode the Umarex IWI Tavor 21 Elite AEG Airsoft Rifle performedas expected emptying the magazine making a clean 3 inch hole in my paper target with only a few of the 6mm Airsoft BB's venturing outside of it.
All in all the Umarex IWI Tavor 21 Elite AEG Airsoft Rifle is a nice performer with a good solid build quality and modern Bull-pup design. I really liked the pop-up sights and the fact that can use any standard AEG AR/M4 High capacity magazine with it.
In this yet another AEG Airsoft Field Test Shooting Video Review I mainly focus on the Cybergun Famas AEG Bullpup Airsoft Rifle and put it through my typical velocity and accuracy tests I conduct in the Replica Airguns Indoor Sea Can Shooting Range. I also show some other similar Bullpup styled AEG Airsoft Rifles in comparison that I plan on also reviewing very soon, the IWI Tavor 21 Elite Force and two AEG Bullpups from ASG, the Steyr Aug A2 and Steyr Aug A3 Proline Series..
So how did the Cybergun Famas AEG Bullpup Airsoft Rifle perform? I placed 5 rounds through my Chrony Chronograph using .20 gram plastic Airsoft BB's and I got right around a 360 fps average which is should be just about right for most indoor or outdoor shooting environments. Velocity consistency was also good.
Moving on to the accuracy portion of my indoor sea can field test, I place my paper target 30 feet down range and put 10 rounds into the target shooting from a rested seated position with a sandbag up front for stability. The Cybergun Famas AEG Bullpup Airsoft Rifle shot a nice 1.5 to 2 inch grouping just a little high but well centered. The front and back sigh are both adjustable making windage and elevation corrections very easy to do. You could also play around with the hop-up to adjust elevation at various ranges.
In full auto mode the Cybergun Famas AEG Bullpup Airsoft Rifle performed really well, I pretty much empty the magazine and the grouping only spread out to about 3 inches making a clean 3 inch hole in my paper target. There is something very gratifying about unloading an entree magazine in full auto and checking out the damage it caused :)
All in all the Cybergun Famas AEG Bullpup Airsoft Rifle is a great performer at a pretty low price tag of around $200 Canadian at the time of this review. If you want a slightly higher quality version than also checkout the Cybergun Famas F1 EVO Version which is only about $90 more and but offers better build material and and internals improvements.
In this Field Test Shooting Video Review I mainly focus on the ASG CAA M4 Sportline AEG Airsoft Rifle and put it through my typical velocity and accuracy tests I conduct in the Replica Airguns Sea Can Shooting Range. I do compare the ASG CAA M4 Proline AEG Airsoft Rifle to the ASG CAA M4 Sportline version since they look virtually identical but do have some notable differences, like the build materials and much lower cost for the ASG CAA M4 Sportline AEG Airsoft Rifle. That said both ASG CAA M4 AEG Airsoft Rifles did perform very similarly other than a bit of a velocity bump with the ASG CAA M4 Proline model over the Sportline I test in this video.
So how did the ASG CAA M4 Sportline AEG Airsoft Rifle perform? I placed 5 rounds through my Chrony Chronograph using .20 gram plastic Airsoft BB's and I got a 335 average fps which is a bit lower than the ASG CAA M4 Proline AEG Airsoft Rifle but still great for a variety of Airsoft shooting situations. I did notice that the FPS seemed to be creeping up slowly as I tested it, maybe some break in was taking place?
Moving on to the accuracy portion of my indoor field test, I place my paper target 30 feet down range and put 10 rounds into the target shooting from a rested seated position with a sandbag up front. The ASG CAA M4 Sportline AEG Airsoft Rifle shot a nice 1.5 to 2 inch grouping a little to the right of the bulls-eye and slightly low, which I can easily correct using the adjustable sights and hop-up adjustments. I like to conduct my field tests with all the guns right out of the box and with no adjustments prior to my testing since that's the way you're going to get them and you may have to also make some small correction to the sights and or hop-up adjustments.
In full auto mode the ASG CAA M4 Sportline AEG Airsoft Rifle didn't miss a beat. I emptied what was left of the mag (About 130 rounds or so) in no time with a few quick bursts making a nice mess of the paper target which is the result I'm looking for in full auto mode :)
In this Field Test Shooting Video Review I mainly focus on the ASG CAA M4 Proline AEG Airsoft Rifle and put it through my typical velocity and accuracy tests I conduct in the Replica Airguns Sea Can Shooting Range. I do compare the ASG CAA M4 Proline AEG Airsoft Rifle to the ASG CAA M4 Sportline version since they look virtually identical but do have some notable differences, like the build materials and perhaps a few internal upgrades found in the Proline version. That said both ASG CAA M4 AEG Airsoft Rifles did perform rather similarly other than a bit of a velocity bump with the ASG CAA M4 Proline model.
So how did the ASG CAA M4 Proline AEG Airsoft Rifle perform? I placed 5 rounds through my Chrony Chronograph using .20 gram plastic Airsoft BB's and I got a very respectable 392 average fps with most of the five shots actually getting 392 fps so very consistent velocity for sure.
Moving on to the accuracy portion of my indoor field test, I place my paper target 30 feet down range and put 10 rounds into the target shooting from a rested seated position with a sandbag up front. The ASG CAA M4 Proline AEG Airsoft Rifle shot a tight 1.5 inch grouping just to the right of the bullseye which I can easily correct using the adjustable sights. I like to conduct my field tests with all the guns right out of the box and with no adjustments prior to my testing since that's the way you're going to get them and you may have to also make some small correction to the sights and or hop-up adjustments.
In full auto mode the ASG CAA M4 Proline AEG Airsoft Rifle didn't miss a beat. I emptied what was left of the mag (About 200 rounds or so) in no time at all and made a nice mess of the paper target which is what I am usually going for :)
All in all the ASG CAA M4 Proline AEG Airsoft Rifle is a very high quality Airsoft gun but does come at a premium pricetag. If you're budget is a bit lower than checkout my upcoming Field Test Shooting Video of the more economical ASG CAA M4 Sportily AEG Airsoft Rifle which will be out this week.
This was the first time shooting a blank gun in the new Sea Can and I can tell you it was pretty loud inside but of course I was wearing ear protection! In this Blank Gun Shooting video I test out the ARAL Model 1453 and 622K 9mm PAK Blank Guns and put 3 rounds through each of them.
Not everything went as planned. First off my high speed slow motion camera decided to not work :( and secondly I had some technical issues with both guns, well sort of...
Since the manual for the ARAL Model 1453 does not cover what I believed to be a safety on the back of the slide, I had no idea and was surprised to find out that rather than a safety, this selector switch is actually a semi and full auto selector which is kind cool but not so much when you're not expecting your blank gun to be shooting in semi auto :) Keep in mind this semi-full auto switch is only on the all black ARAL Model 1453 and not the two tone version.
Moving on to the ARAL Model 622K 9mm PAK Blank, I have a feeling that perhaps a different brand of ammo may have worked better in it. The 9mm PAK Blanks I used worked OK but I did get a failure to eject and the last round seemed to also not eject properly probably because there was no bullet in the mag too help direct it out of the breach area.
Type: Airsoft AR, M4, M16 Styled Rifle. Manufacturer:G&G. Model:ARP-556 and ARP-9. Materials: Metal and plastic/polymer construction. Weight: (ARP-9 4.4 pounds) (ARP-556 5.3 pounds). Barrel: 6 inches, metal non-rifled. Propulsion: AEG non-blowback. Action: Semi & full auto SAO. Ammunition Type: 6mm plastic Airsoft BB's. Ammunition Capacity: (ARP-9 300) (ARP-556 450). FPS: 400+.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the G&G ARP rifles is an electric mechanical trigger that simulates a single action only trigger. There is essentially a light spring internally which supplies the trigger pressure. Pressure is even and smooth.
Build Quality: As with all of the G&G product line the G&G ARP-556 and ARP-9 AEG Airsoft CQB Rifles are really well made. Fit and finish is flawless and I had no issues shooting these guns at all. Every engagement of the trigger resulted in an Airsoft BB downrange and in full auto mode BB's where literally streaming from the barrel :) You will find a little more metal specifically in the receiver for the G&G ARP-556 over the G&G ARP-9 AEG Airsoft CQB Rifle which does make the ARP-556 a little bit heavier but not by much.
Realism: Both the G&G ARP-556 and ARP-9 AEG Airsoft CQB Rifles are super realistic, they are based on the AR, M4, M16 Rifle design but are scaled down for tactical close quarters use with their compact barrels and adjustable stocks. Most parts work as you would find on a real steel M4 like the charging handle, dust cover, simulated forward assist and of course the magazine releases. There is however no blowback operation but I can attest that if you have an 11.2 volt battery and are shooting in full auto you will feel this gun a rock'n.
2 lower and higher priced models with similar looks and performance to choose from.
Super compact CQB rifles.
Fully adjustable pop-up iron sights front and back.
Crown flash hider acts as a sound amplifier if you’re into that sort of thing?
Great internals, Internally upgraded with an ETU and MOSFET system.
Skeltonized PDW stock perfect for close quarters combat.
Nice 400 feet per second velocity, good for close and even further out ranges.
Very accurate, one of the best Airsoft rifles tested to date.
ARP-526 has an ambidextrous selector / safety switch.
ARP-556 has full metal receiver.
ARP-9 is a bit lighter and less tiring to carry, great if you plan to add on a bunch of accessories.
Cons:
No blowback operation.
ARP-9 has a plastic receiver.
You need some pretty compact batteries to fit into the short bumper tube.
Comments:
I am going to go on the record and say that the G&G ARP-556 and ARP-9 AEG Airsoft CQB Rifles would be my go to Airsoft battle rifle of choice. They have enough power for out door shooting and not too much for indoor shooting. Their compact and lightweight design will make them super easy to carry around all day and quick to place on any target in a hurry. Accuracy is not a concern since these AEG Airsoft Rifles can cut a bullseye out of a paper target no problem. Price for what you get, quality, looks. performance are all top notch with either choice of G&G ARP-556 or ARP-9 AEG Airsoft CQB Rifle you decide to go with.
My Vimeo Video Review for the G&G ARP-556 and ARP-9 AEG Airsoft CQB Rifles:
It's been a rather long time since I made an Airsoft Rifle Field Shooting Test video. I like to shoot a bit further out than 30 feet when using a rifle. Unfortunately the weather outside is getting really cold where I live so my testing will have to all be done inside the Replica Airguns Sea Can Airgun Range which only allows for about 30 feet worth of distance to my paper target. I figure if I can get a tight group at 30 feet than it shouldn't spread out too much at longer ranges!
Since the G&G ARP-9 and G&G ARP-556 have identical internals and similar barrel lengths I figured I only really needed to test one of them out so I picked the G&G ARP-556 AEG Airsoft CQB and put 5 shots through my Chrony Chronograph to get my Field Test Started. The G&G ARP-556 AEG Airsoft CQB shot a nice consistent 400 fps which is as high as I would want to go for indoor CQB type shooting. The BB's sure did get to my paper target quickly!
I followed my velocity testing with an accuracy test at 30 feet back using a rested shooting position, sand bag up front and sitting in the back. I first placed 10 rounds on my paper target in semi-auto and hit the 1.5 inch bullseye with every shot! I think this may have been a first for me using an Airsoft rifle? Of course I had to switch the G&G ARP-556 AEG Airsoft CQB over to full auto and see how she would perform. Since I was using an 11.2 volt bolt battery the rate of fire was crazy fast but even so in full-auto the bulk of the shots still hit the center bullseye cutting out a 2 inch hole in my paper target. The G&G ARP-556 AEG Airsoft CQB is a beast that I would not want to be on the receiving end of!
I'm pretty sure I found my go to AEG M4 styled CQB rifle, I'm not sure how you could beat the results I got shooting the G&G ARP-556 AEG Airsoft CQB. And if you're looking for a slightly lighter and less expensive version with the same performance then take a look at the G&G ARP-9 AEG Airsoft CQB.
I just received some really nice G& G Airsoft guns to share with everyone, I have two CQB Styled AEG rifles and a fantastic Gas Blowback Beretta Mod. 92FS.
The AEG CQB AR or M4 styled rifles are similar in a lot of ways and are super compact and really well built. The G&G ARP-9 has a polymer receiver and hand guard while the G&G ARP-556 has a full metal receiver and hand guard. Both have good weight to them. You will also find Skeletonized PDW stocks and large crown flash hiders on both models along with M-LOK hand guards. Inside you will find upgraded ETU and MOSFET electronics.
Obvious difference are the 9mm style magazine found on the G&G ARP-9 versus the M4 styled high capacity magazine on the G&G ARP-556. You also get an ambidextrous safety sector switch on the G&G ARP-556.
Next I show off the G&G GPM92 Beretta Mod. 92FS Gas Blowback Airsoft Pistol. It comes in a high quality hard plastic case with a well made speed loader. If you place the magazine in the gun you will have room for two magazine in the hard shell case. The G&G GPM92 hold 27 roads in it's double stack magazine that has some interesting new features that help it perform much beet in cold environments and really boost green gas usage. G& G calls them the Whirl Cylinder Valve system and Micro gas filter. Both help eliminate free up in the gun when shooting fast.
The G&G GPM92 Beretta Mod. 92FS is really well made and shoot in double and single action and the safety even works as a decocker. For those looking to add a mock suppressor you will happy to know the G&G GPM92 has a threaded barrel tip.
In this Classic Legends Airguns comparison video I look at a number of different Classic or Legendary BB Airguns and compare them to each other to determine which one I personally feel is the best . My final choices are of course based on my own personal opinion and in this video I end up picking two as they where kind of each in their own class.
In this comparison video I look at a variety of different Beretta 92/Taurus PT92 Airguns and compare them to each other to determine which one I feel is the best Beretta/Taurus Airgun. Keep in mind what's best in for me may not be best for you.
Type: Break barrel pellet rifle. Manufacturer: Umarex USA. Model:Ruger Explorer. Materials: Metal and polymer parts. Weight: 4.45 pounds (2.5 kg). Barrel: 12 inches, metal rifled. Propulsion: Spring piston. Action: Single shot. Ammunition Type: .177 caliber pellets. Ammunition Capacity: 1. FPS: 495.
Trigger Pull: I found the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle to have a fairly light trigger, there is some initial take up with a smooth almost undetectable break or release point, I found that as I shot the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle the trigger seemed to be breaking in a bit which made it a bit hard to figure exactly when the trigger was going to release but I feel over time and once the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle is broken in the trigger will become more predictable.
Accuracy: Since I have already made a shooting or field test video for the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle, I can comment on its performance n this review! With 6 grain lead pellets (on the lighter side), I was able to get a 5 shot Chronograph average velocity of 485 fps. Using heavier 7-8 grain pellets the velocity slowed down a bit to around 400 fps. In terms of accuracy the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle performed well getting about a 1 inch 10 shot grouping on my paper target setup 30 feet down range. I know the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle can do better than this once the trigger settles down a bit since some shots went off unexpectedly.
Build Quality: The Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle is not an expensive air rifle and is more or less an entry level spring piston pellet shooter. That said it is built fairly well with a metal receiver, barrel and trigger setup. The modern looking stock is polymer and the steel barrel is coated in a synthetic soft plastic to help with long term durability. The real fiber optic sight is plastic so you will have to be careful with it as it does protrude a bit from the air rifle.
Realism: Since the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle is not a replica realism is not really a factor here but it does look like a gun so treat it as if it was a real gun since most people will not know the difference. Always transport and store any airgun safely and discreetly.
Pros:
Really great looking air rifle with a modern look to it.
Finish is very durable with its polymer stock and plastic/rubber coated barrel.
Fully adjustable fiber optic sights are easy to sight in and use.
Receiver is notched for ring mounts so you can add an optical sight or red dot to it.
Trigger is fairly light, just need some break in time with it.
Cocking effort is fairly easy at 16.5 pounds.
Great size gun for all ages.
Power and accuracy were good for an entry level air rifle.
Cons:
I did find the trigger break/release point to be a bit unpredictable but I feel this is a break-in issue and will become more consistent over time.
You have to remember to push that safety in with ever shot.
Comments: The Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle is marketed as a Youth air rifle but in reality it would be great fun for all ages. I am a fairly large person at 6 feet tall and I had no problem dealing with the slightly shorter configuration. The trigger guard is nice and open and allows for large fingers which is not always the case with airguns designed for smaller individuals. The overall quality you get with the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle for the lower entry level price tag is very good and in terms of performance I feel you for sure get your monies worth with the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle.
I don't do a lot of Springer (Spring Piston) Air Rifle shooting tests or even reviews for that matter. Mainly for a couple of reasons: Number 1, my content is mostly focused around Replica style Airguns and Number 2, it's kind of hard to test out the longer range airguns in my 30 foot airgun range. That said I felt the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle would be a really great airgun to review since it is both affordable and even though it is targeted for the youth market, it really does make a great shooter for all ages.
I have not done a Table Top Review for the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle but plan to shortly so stay posted for more detailed info on the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle down the road in that review.
So how'd we do during my Field Test Shooting Video for the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle? Not bad I would say! Using about 6 grain rather light weight .177 caliber lead pellets I was able to get really close to the 500 fps claimed fps mark coming in just under at a 5 shot testing average of 485 fps. I did put a couple heavier grain pellets through my Chrony Chronograph and got closer to the 400 fps mark, still not bad for this lighter sprung spring piston air rifle.
In terms of accuracy, shooting at my paper target setup 30 feet down range in my Sea Can Airgun Range, I shot about a 1 inch 10 shot grouping. I was finding the trigger break-in to be a bit unpredictable during this testing which led to some premature shots going off so I do feel once the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle is broken in and me getting use to the trigger break, I should be able to improve on this result.
Overall the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle is a really nice entry level airgun perfect for all ages and not just the youth market. It looks really cool, is easy to cock and has a very resilient finish. Oh ya it shoots pretty good to!
I was a bit surprised by the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol, it actually shot a lot better than I was expecting it to perform. I did have to aim rather low since the Umarex DX-17 BB Pistol likes to shoot on the high side but if you are shooting at closer in ranges then you won't have to adjust your aim point so high.
Getting into my performance testing for the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol, I placed 5 shots through my Chrony Chronograph and averaged 210 fps which again was very close to the Umarex claimed 200 fps, even a little bit higher! he DX-17 is a single shot repeater but because of the BB reservoir you can quickly reload follow up shots by simply point the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol a little upward while pulling the slide back and pushing it forward to active the spring piston and load a BB at the same time.
As I mentioned the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol shot on the high side, at 30 feet it's a good 8-9 inches high but I have a feeling that this is about as high as the BB's will rise since they are not going that fast and gravity will start bringing them back down. At about 10-15 feet out from a target the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol seemed to shoot about 3-4 inches high so not nearly as bad and this can be adjusted pretty easy by simply aiming a bit under the target you are shooting at. In terms of a 10 shot grouping theUmarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol got about a 4 inch grouping which I have to say kind of surprised me as I was expecting a much larger spread.
So for about $20 you kind of get what you pay for but I really think with the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol you perhaps get a little more! It has a really good trigger, seemed to be built pretty tuff, shot exactly right on the claimed fps mark and was even able to keep a reasonable grouping. And to keep costs down even more you never need to buy CO2 so that's another bonus.
I was originally planning on working out some of the magazine feeding issues with the Umarex Legends MP 40 Blowback CO2 BB Machine Gun as other reviewers had mentioned that the steel 4.5mm BB's can jam up a bit in the magazine. The only thing I did with my Umarex Legends MP 40 Blowback CO2 BB Machine Gun was to add a little bit of dry Jig-A-Loo lubricant to the magazine feeding track and make sure all my BB's where properly double stacked.. Other than that my Umarex Legends MP 40 Blowback CO2 BB Machine Gun is stock with no magazine spring mods.
I did find that my RWS Zinc coated Steel 4.5mm BB's had a tendency to bind a little in the top part of the magazine where the BB's go from a double stack to a single stack configuration. Now my RWS 4.5mm BB's are a bit older and I have found that older Zinc and Copper coated steel BB's will corrode a little which could cause some friction problems.
So for my Shooting Field Test I selected some brand new Umarex Zinc Coated Steel BB's and they did seem to work a little better for me as I did not get any magazine feeding issues during my testing of the Umarex Legends MP 40 Blowback CO2 BB Machine Gun. I did notice that when I did a magazine dump that the bolt cycle started to shorten up due to some cool down effect causing the bolt to lock, a quick 5 second break and she was good to go again to finish off the mag.
In terms of feet per second velocity Umarex claims around 450 fps for the Umarex Legends MP 40 Blowback CO2 BB Machine Gun, this may be possible with brand new CO2 on a warm day but I got closer to a 400 fps 5 shot average under normal testing conditions, this is perfectly fine for a blowback BB airgun.
When I performed the accuracy test from my standard 30 foot out position on paper targets I got a very tight 1 inch group shooting in semi auto. just a light bit high and to the left but very close to the center bullseye. When I opened up and went full auto the group did largen a little since the Umarex Legends MP 40 Blowback CO2 BB Machine Gun does rock a little back and forth with it's internal bolt blowback operation but the remaining 40 rounds did stay within the most part within a 2-3 inch grouping.
The Umarex Legends MP 40 Blowback CO2 BB Machine Gun is a really sweet air riffle with a legendary look, blowback operation, semi and full auto capability, decent fps, great accuracy and at the end of the day is simply a ton of fun to shoot!
Trigger Pull: The single action only trigger pull on the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol is actually pretty good. It's fairly short with only a little bit of very light take up and then an easy release that has no added friction. So you will have to get use to when and where the release happens but it is a really decent trigger for such an inexpensive airgun.
Accuracy: I have only shot the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol a few times to get use to the mechanical operation of using this spring powered pistol since there is a very specific order in which you need to cock and load the Umarex DX-17 for proper operation. I did find the DX-17 shot a bit high for me at 30 feet out so I had to adjust my aim point about 5-6 inches lower to hit targets at this range. For further out shooting you many not need to do so since the fps is fairly low and I would expect the BB to drop pretty quickly. In terms of power being that the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol is only rated at 200fps, well it seems sufficient enough for plinking away at targets and should have no problem getting through a pop can.
Build Quality: I was expecting this $20 low cost BB airgun to be fairly low quality in general but when I took it out of the plastic clamshell packaging I was pleasantly surprised by the overall quality and how the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol felt in my hand. It has a good weight to it and the fit and finish are really good. Mechanical parts tolerances feel snug and the plastic used feels of good quality.
Realism: The Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol as far as I know is not a replica of any specific real steel gun in production but it does kind of remind me of a Browning Hi-power at least the back half and the way the frame angles up a bit in front of the trigger. Other than that it looks the part of a real gun. The DX-17 has what looks like real working parts on it with the slide catch, magazine release and magazine but plat all moulded into the airgun. Available at the:Replica Airguns Store
Pros:
At $21 Canadian its great value for a target plinker.
It actually looks and feels pretty good in person, better than I expected build quality and weight to it.
No CO2 required so very cheap to shoot.
Single action trigger is actually really decent, better than most airguns.
Accessory rail for adding a red dot or perhaps a tactical light.
15 round reservoir makes followup shots quicker and no fumbling around loading BB’s in-between shots.
Lower fps means if you do do something stupid you are less likely to have to make a trip to the doctor
Cons:
Pretty low fps so don’t expect any long range shooting or great penetration.
Sights are not adjustable and it seems to shoot kind of high.
Why not rifle the barrel and make pellets an option?
Comments:
I rarely review these super low cost airguns especially spring powered ones with low fps, it almost seems like why would you want any of that? But you know the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol is actually a great little airgun and you really can't beat the price tag. You are also going to save a bunch of money not having to buy CO2 and once you load 15 rounds into the BB reservoir you can empty the DX-17 fairly quickly. Sure the power seems a bit low but it gets the job done and like I said if there was an accident, you are less likely to break that window or require medical attention. I think this would be a great add on to an existing order you might be making with us, that way you wouldn't have to pay for shipping for this one item and you get a fun little plinker for only $20 more.
My Vimeo Videos for the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol:
