It's been a great year for Replica Airguns and I wanted to share with everyone some of my favorites that I reviewed this year. In this Vimeo Video I show some of my top Replica Airgun picks for 2016 and talk a little bit about each one and what I like about it.
Here is a list of the Replica Airguns in this lineup:
This has got to be one of the most asked questions when people are trying to decide on which CO2 BB Pistol they want to buy. The reality is that most non blowback CO2 BB pistols will generally shoot just over 400 fps and most blowback BB pistols will shoot around 350 fps. Some may shoot a little faster and some may shoot a little slower.
My question is this… What difference will it make if you are shooting a BB at 350 fps versus say 450 fps? I honesty think that some people believe that if they purchase a CO2 BB pistol that shoots a whopping 499 fps, then they have acquired a deadly weapon with crazy stopping power.
The truth of the matter is that even a 500 fps BB gun is still not suitable for even small pest control or hunting, you would only be causing the animal to suffer if you shot it with such a lower powered airgun. So using an air pistol for any kind of personal protection on human sized targets is completely out off the question.
Let’s talk about what CO2 BB pistols are really used for. Shooting at pop cans, shooting paper targets, perhaps setting up some army men and picking them off one by one. stuff like that. So does it really matter if the BB is going 350 fps versus 450 fps? It’s still going to go clean though a pop can even filled with water, paper is no match for a BB traveling even under 300 fps, and Army men stand no chance when head shot by a steel BB the size of a canon ball to them.
When is power really going to be important in a CO2 BB Pistol? Perhaps if you plan to shoot out at longer ranges but in this case Steel BB’s are not really meant to shoot out at long ranges as most BB pistols do not have rifled barrels meant for long range accuracy. I have found Steel BB guns to be very accurate up to 30 feet or so, even grouping within in a half inch with some CO2 BB pistols, but further out than that and the BB’s start to wander.
Normally higher velocity is what you want when you plan on using your airgun for hunting or pest control but again a CO2 BB pistol simply is not the tool for this job.
One comment I hear a lot from people is that they would prefer more power over blowback action and that they feel that blowback action robs the gun of too much power. Yes blowback does sacrifice some power since it uses a little bit of the CO2 to operate the slide but the benefits of blowback in my opinion are worth the 50 or so fps loss in power. Blowback operation adds realism to the CO2 BB gun simulating recoil, allowing true single action trigger operation and many CO2 BB Pistols will even lock the slide back on the last shot so you know you are out of ammo and can practice your magazine drop and reloading.
One of the most common types of question I get on my Replica Airguns YouTube channel has to be something like… Why is my Airgun not working? Most of the time the amount of info about the problem is limited to something like… “It was working yesterday but now it’s not working anymore” or something like “when I pull the trigger nothing happens”. My personal favorite is… “I took my gun apart and now it doesn’t work!”
I just made a similar video for Blank Guns and as I said in that video, trying to trouble shoot a mechanical or technical problem over the internet is very difficult, this goes for cars, guns, computers or what have you…
In this Why is My CO2 Airgun Not Working video I will however cover some of the more common and obvious problems I have seen relating to why a CO2 Airgun may not be working properly. I really don’t get a lot of questions about Spring Piston or Pump Airguns so I will be focusing on CO2 Airguns in this video. There will be a lot of crossover with CO2 Airsoft guns so this video may be helpful for some of you Airsofters out there
First let’s get the super obvious stuff out of the way!
Did you put a new CO2 cartridge in it and is it pierced all the way?
Did you load BB’s or Pellets into the Airguns magazine and is the magazine in the gun correctly?
Is the safety off?
If the gun is a blowback semi auto single action Airgun then did you pull the slide back prior to the first shot?
CO2 Related Problems:
Not all CO2 cartridges are created equal, they often have slightly different shaped nubs on them and some brands will work better than others in different Airguns. If the shape of the CO2 nub does not fit properly into the valve area then it may not pierce or it could pierce but then not allow you to tighten it all the way losing all the CO2 in the process. If the CO2 is coming form the airguns handle to CO2 Valve area then this is an indication that your problem is related to the area where the CO2 enters the airgun.
There is a seal where the CO2 cartridge buts up to the valve, this seal can be damaged or even deformed from usage or even leaving your CO2 in the gun for too long. The outside CO2 Valve seal can also take the shape of a specific CO2 nub so when you use a different brand CO2 the seal may not properly make concat with the new CO2 type you are using, again causing leaking or even the total loss of all your CO2. Watch my YouTube video on “How to Fix Leaking CO2 in an Airgun”.
CO2 Valve Related Problems:
Again, make sure that Outside CO2 Valve Seal is in good condition and any leaking is not being caused by this problem, if you have checked the Out Side Seal and everything is OK with it then perhaps there is a problem with the CO2 valve?
One indication that your CO2 Valve might be the culprit is the total loss of all your CO2 when you try to insert and tighten a new CO2 Cartridge. Usually all the CO2 will exit the barrel, not the handle or valve area. What may be happening is the valve is stuck open or the internal seal is broken or deformed. If this is the case you will have to remove the valve and have a look inside, this is a lot easier on CO2 airguns that have the CO2 valve in the magazine, if the CO2 valve is in the actual Airguns then a lot more disassembly may be required and I would recommend an Airgun technician take care of this for you.
If the gavel is in the magazine then you will have to unscrew it, you may require a special tool for this? Once the valve is out of the magazine take a look inside and examine the internal seal, also look for any bits of metal shavings as they can disrupt the action of the valve causing leaking. Give the inside of the valve a good clean and then lubricate it with some silence spray. hopefully that fixes your problem!
BB’s getting Stuck in the Blowback Gas Tube:
I have actually made a dedicated video for this problem so I will put a link to it in the description of this video. The main reason people may have this problem is because we all like to rack that slide on our full blowback Airguns, but if you have a fully loaded magazine then each time you reach that slide without shooting the gun, you are inadvertently trying to load another BB into the breach area, the breach is only designed to hold one BB at a time so after a few racks of the slide the newly loaded have no place to go but into the Gas Tube where they can get stuck and cause having to the operation of your Full Blowback CO2 Airgun.
BB’s Rolling Out of the Barrel of Your CO2 Airgun:
This is not actually a fault of the gun but happens because of the way the gun is designed. This situation can happen with certain CO2 Airguns when the gun user pulls the trigger really slowly while the gun is point slightly in a downward position. What is actually happening is the first part of the trigger is made to draw a BB from the magazine into the breach of the gun. If the barrel of the gun does not have a rubber hop-up stopper in it then the BB is free to roll down the barrel and out of the gun. How do you fix this problem? Be more committed to your trigger pull and or shoot at a target that is not so low. Perhaps place your targets slightly higher than the gun so the barrel is not pointing down, especially if you like to take your time with the trigger :)
A Little Maintenance Can Go a Long Way!
Sometimes a good cleans is all you need to do to get things working as they should, again I have already made video Tutorial Showing “How to Clean Airguns and Blank Guns”.
What about stuff like My Airgun is jammed or my trigger is stuck or some random part fell out of my gun?
There is only so much I can cover in this video, most other problems are going to get a bit more complicated to fix and I suggest if your Airgun is not working and the suggestions I have made in this video do not solve your problem, then consider taking your gun into a gun tech.
Power Sources Covered in this review: CO2 - Spring Piston - Variable Pump -HPA (High Pressure Air)
Pro’s:
CO2 Airguns allow for fast repeat shooting, great for action shooters, generally CO2 Airguns will supply a medium power range. No need to pump or cock your CO2 powered weapon in-between shots and a CO2 power source can allow for a very realistic action of the gun you are shooting.
Spring Piston Airguns are best suited of single shot situations, they can provide low to high power output depending on the spring used. Spring Piston Airguns are very low cost to operate since you only need to buy the Pellets or BB’s. Spring Piston Airguns are not greatly effected by outside temperatures.
Variable Pump Airguns allow you to decide how much power your gun will have and can offer very high power output depending on the Airgun. Variable Pump Airguns are very low cost to operate since you only need to buy the Pellets or BB’s. Variable Pump Airguns are not greatly effected by outside temperatures. Variable Pump Airguns generally have very low recoil and vibration.
HPA (High Pressure Air) Airguns generally do not require pumping or cocking in-between shots and some even come in semi automatic or bolt action. HPA Airguns can have very high power output and even be used on larger game using large caliber ammunition. HPA Air Rifles have lower recoil and low vibration. HPA Airguns can be charged ahead off time so they are ready for use when you need them.
Con’s:
CO2 Airguns require the additional cost to buy the CO2 as they do not function without it. CO2 Airguns have a limited power output and lose power as you shoot and use up the CO2. CO2 Airguns are effected by hot and cold temperatures and will have less power in colder temperatures and may not even work in super cold environments.
Spring Piston Airguns require cocking before each shot. Spring Piston Airguns can have a lot of recoil and vibration, so much so that special optics must be considered when buying an optical sight. The action of the spring recoil can effect accuracy, especially if you are not use to the vibration and recoil or have spent some time practicing using a Spring Piston Airgun.
Variable Pump Airguns will require multiple pumps to achieved maximum power output which can take some time in-between shots. So you are going to have to work for each shot.
HPA (High Pressure Air) Airguns require the use of a manual pump to fill their built in air tank to maximum pressure and it does take a lot of time to manual fill an HPA tank. Alternatively you can have the air tank filled at a shop or buy a pressurization system similar to a scuba tank out paintball setup, the cost of this setup can be very high but will save you the castle of manually pumping air in to your HPA Airgun. HPA Airguns are generally a little more bulky then other Airgun systems since they have to accommodate fairly large air pressure tanks.
Power:
Generally speaking a longer barrel is going to allow for more power. If you compare most CO2 pellet pistols to CO2 Pellet Rifles, you will find that the CO2 Pellet Pistol will generally shoot about 300-400 fps using a standard lead Pellet. On the other hand many CO2 Pellet Rifles can get up to as high as 600 fps which is much better speed for humanly shooting some smaller pests.
If you are talking about Springer or Variable Pump Air Pistols versus their Air Rifle counterparts, again the Air rifles will generally shoot with much more power. I have seen some none CO2 Air Pistols shoot up into the 500-600 fps range but again compered to none CO2 Air Rifles, they can even double these numbers.
Some of you may ask about Steel BB Pistols and Rifles. I personally would never really sue this type of ammunition for pest control simply because most BB Rifles have much less raw power than Pellet Rifles and steel BB’s will not be as accurate at any type of longer distance.
Stability:
When holding any rifle from the shoulder, you have three point of contact with your body spread out in a much longer distance than a two handed pistol grip. Holding steady even without a rested position is much easier using a rifle. Even when using a rested position, the rifle will more stable.
Accuracy:
A big factor in accuracy is stability but there are also other factors to consider. Barrel length its self does not make the gun more accurate, you only need a few inches of barrel length to get constant accurate results from a gun. What makes longer barreled guns more accurate is the distance between the rear and front sight. The closer the sights are together, the more margin for error there is, the longer you spread out the sights from each other, the more accurate the sighting system becomes.
Overall More Humain:
When you consider Air Rifles tend to have higher power, better accuracy and overall more consistency than shorter barreled Air Pistols. The logical choice for humanly shooting a Pest is to use the Air Rifle. The last thing you want to do is make any animal suffer, even if it has been causing a lot of havoc around your home or farm or place of business.
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.
I already made several review videos for both Gletcher NGT (4.5mm Steel BB) and the Gletcher NGT R (.177 Cal Pellet) Revolvers, including table top and shooting videos. So make sure to check those videos out for more information on both versions of Gletcher NGT and NGT R Revolvers.
I did however miss some noteworthy details that I wanted to cover in this video. Firstly, the real steal Nagant M1895 Revolver this Gletcher NGT is styled after has a very unique gas-sealing system that the Airgun version does not replicate or really require but it is worth mentioning.
Here is some more info on how the original Nagant M1895 Revolver Gas Seal System works:
(From Wikipedia) The M1895 by contrast, has a mechanism which, as the hammer is cocked, first turns the cylinder and then moves it forward, closing the gap between the cylinder and the barrel. The cartridge, also unique, plays an important part in sealing the gun to the escape of propellant gases. The bullet is deeply seated, entirely within the cartridge case, and the case is slightly reduced in diameter at its mouth. The barrel features a short conical section at its rear; this accepts the mouth of the cartridge, completing the gas seal. By sealing the gap, the velocity of the bullet is increased by 15 to 45 m/s (50 to 150 ft/s.) This feature also eliminates the possibility of injury through the dangerous expansion of gases from the cylinder behind the barrel, which are easily capable of severing a finger if the user holds the gun incorrectly (with a finger positioned in front of the cylinder during fire) - a noted safety-issue in conventional revolvers.
Moving on to some of the features incorporated into the Gletcher NGT NGT-R CO2 BB and Pellet Revolver that I did not point in any of my previous videos. There is an extractor rod that can be used to extract a shell, this is not really necessary on the airgun version since the shells do not expand and tighten on the cylinder as they would n the real steal Nagant M1895 Revolver built is nice that we can replicate this feature with the Airgun version. You can also remove the cylinder completely from both the BB and Pellet shooting Gletcher NGT NGT-R CO2 Revolvers. The cylinder is actually very heavy and adds a lot of weight to this compact 7 shot Revolver.
It is always nice when an Airgun is built in such a way that it replicates the real steal version as closely as possible and the Gletcher NGT NGT-R CO2 BB and Pellet Revolvers do this nearly perfectly.
I get asked on a daily bases form many of my Vimeo Viewers about how and if there is a way to get rid of the White lettering on Airguns, Typically people are wanting to remove the intrusive Warning instructions from Airguns like the Cybergun Tanfoglio Witness 1911, the Cybergun/Swiss Arms GSG 92/P92 and many other CO2 Replica Airguns that have lettering or branding that you may want to get rid of.
In this Instructional Tutorial Video I show you how can at least tone down the white lettering and even completely remove it on some Airguns without damaging the Airguns finish underneath the white lettering. You will have to use some patience and perhaps repeat this method a few times but the end result is worth the effort.
The magical product I use to remove the white lettering on many popular Airguns is a product from Birchwood Casey called the Presto Gun Blue Pen. This product is actually designed to touch up real steel gun in areas where the blueing has worn off, lucky for us the Birchwood Casey Presto Gun Blue Pen also works well to remove the ugly white lettering from Airguns.
I have often been asked which of the Shells for the Shell Loading Revolvers work in which Shell Loading Revolvers? After all many of them look a lot alike so can you mix and match Shells for the various types of Shell Loading Revolvers?
In this Vimeo Instructional Video I test out a bunch of Shells to see which ones actually will work or not work in several of the most popular Shell Loading Revolvers.
Some of the Shell Loading Revovers Tested in this Instructional Video are:
Dan Wesson Classic Revolver (BB, Airsoft, Pellet)
Dan Wesson 715 Revolver (BB, Airsoft, Pellet)
Colt Single Action Army Peacemaker (BB, Airsoft, Pellet)
Gletcher NGT and NGT-R (BB and Pellet)
Webley Mark VI (BB)
KWC 357 / Umarex 357 (BB, Airsoft)
G&G G731 (Airsoft)
I reviewed the Original ANT (Advanced Novelty Tech) CO2 HPA Conversion Kit last year and did both a Table Top Review and Field Test Shooting Review, so make sure to check out my video reviews for the Original ANT Advanced Novelty Tech CO2 HPA Conversion Kit.
Well ANT (Advanced Novelty Tech) made an update model that supports a bunch more guns, that's a good thing of course. This new model is called the "FIRE" and it supports the following guns. I did find however that ANT list that the Gletcher NGT and Webley Mark VI Revolvers where supported by the FIRE but my findings indicated the CO2 screw on both these guns had a smaller diameter so they where not compatible. Other than that small discrepancy most of the other guns on their list should work just fine.
What exactly is the ANT Advanced Novelty Tech FIRE CO2 HPA Conversion Kit?
The Advanced Novelty Tech FIRE CO2/HPA Conversion Kit is a remote line adapter for Airsoft, BB, and pellet guns. Compatible with over 60 guns, it is easy to install and converts a compatible gun for use with a Paintball remote line and CO2 or HPA tank. Eliminating the need for disposable CO2 cartridges, while still being interchangeable with disposable CO2 cartridges, it delivers a longer, more powerful, and more consistent shooting experience between refills.
So what is the ANT Advanced Novelty Tech FIRE CO2 HPA Conversion Kit going to do for you?
Eliminate the need for the more expensive disposable 12 gram CO2 cartridges.
Use interchangeably with disposable 12 gram CO2 cartridges.
Use in conjunction with a Paintball remote line with standard quick disconnect fittings and a CO2 or HPA tank. (recommended use up to 1000 psi)
Shoot thousands of rounds before needing to refill your CO2.
Fits compatible Airsoft, BB, and pellet gun CO2 pistols.
Easy drop-in installation.
Overall cost savings.
More consistent FPS especially when shooting fast or in full auto.
Longer play time :)
I will be doing a Field Test Shooting Review for the ANT Advanced Novelty Tech FIRE CO2 HPA Conversion Kit but based on my experience with the Original ANT CO2 HPA Conversion Kit I expect it to work as advertised.
I have already made a Table Top Video Review for the Gletcher NGT Silver CO2 BB Revolver which for the most part is the same gun but in a 4.5mm Steel BB non rifled barrel version and as the title indicates with a different finish being the silver version. Other than finish and ammunition being used, both guns are virtually the same.
I always like getting outside and shooting the airguns I review even on these fall overcast days, at least the temperature was not too cold, right around 14 °C or 57.2 °F so decent for my testing purposes. The Gletcher NGT R like the BB shooting NGT is a fairly small air revolver and so pretty much anyone should be able to shoot this air revolver even if you have smaller hands, I did find that pre-cocking the hammer for single action shooting was a bit of a stretch when reaching over with the thumb, but you can just as easily shoot in double action, both trigger pulls are nice and light with the double action being a bit longer and heavier.
Loading the 7 round cylinder will take longer than your standard stick magazine BB pistol since you first need to pop some .177 caliber pellets into each shell, if you want to speed up the process you don't have to eject the shells to load them, you can simply index the cylinder and pop a pellet into each shell while still inside the cylinder.
In terms of fps performance, the Gletcher NGT R CO2 Pellet Revolver shot a little higher than expected getting a 4 shot average of 376 fps using 7 grain RWS Lead pellets, so around 50 fps higher than the claimed 328 fps on the box and even a bit higher than the steel BB version I tested earlier. This is really good considering the short barrel and fact that a revolver can leak a little CO2 between the cylinder and the barrel and even the cylinder and the CO2 valve.
I really felt comfortable using the rather old school fixed open post and notch sights, the grey/black finish on the Gletcher NGT R may be a bit hard to see on darker targets but shooting on my white target was no problem. My 7 shot grouping from 30 feet back using a semi rested shooting stance produced about a 1 inch grouping well centred vertically just a hair to the left so all in all the Gletcher NGT R CO2 Pellet Revolver has the power and accuracy I was hoping for even in such a small package.
I would definitely recommend the Gletcher NGT R CO2 Pellet Revolver, not only is it a real looker but it also has the performance to back it. even better than its 4.5mm Steel BB shooting brother.
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 ;)
Recently I picked up my new Chrony Beta Shooting Chronograph to replace my F-1 that has not been working so well for me in past videos... I wanted to get outside and give it a try shooting a few of the airguns that I was not able to test out properly. Now I know that under my patio deck, the lighting is not optimal even on sunny days and because of this I have never expected to get perfectly consistent fps recording but as many of you know, my old Chrony F-1 was pretty much not working at all near the end there.
I have ordered a light kit which will help out a lot especially when summer is over and the sky becomes more overcast. But for now I decided to test my Chrony Beta Chronograph under my deck roof as I have been testing all along and see if I can get better results with this newer Beta version.
So makes sure to watch my Vimeo video testing of my Chrony Beta Shooting Chronograph shooting a selection of airguns.
As most my Vimeo Subscribers and Viewers will already know, I have been struggling with my Chrony Shooting Chronograph for a while now. I know some of it is to do with the bad lighting under my deck but over time my Chrony F-1 Shooting Chronograph has become less and less reliable to the point now that I simply don't get any usable feedback from it. If I'm lucky on a good day I might get one FPS reading out of ten shots which is nothing I can use.
So recently I went out and purchased a new Chrony Shooting Chronograph, I actually upgraded a little bit and got the higher end Chrony Beta Shooting Chronograph version which has more options than my older F-1 Chrony like:
Selector switch to change from FPS (feet per second) to MPS (meter per second).
Delivers Measurements and Statistics such as - High, Low and Average Velocities, Extreme Spread and Standard Deviation.
Retrieve individual Shot Velocities and Statistics.
Has temporary working memory.
Has 60 shot permanent memory (divided into 6 numbered strings of up to 10 shots each, with one set of Statistics for each string).
Delete individual shots (with automatic adjustment of Statistics).
Delete the content of a whole string or all data from memory.
Can be switched off, taken home & switched on again for reviewing and information retrieval.
Memory will stay even without battery.
Moves instantly from string to string, interrupts shooting on any string without memory loss, returns to any string to continue where you left off.
Change string size.
Stereo Jack for optional Printer or Remote Control.
Forget Button - To clear individual strings instantly.
Upgrade to 1000 shot memory.
Upgrade to Gamma or Gamma Master Chrony.
Probably a lot more features than I actually need or will even use but the price for the Chrony Beta Shooting Chronograph over the Chrony F-1 Shooting Chronograph I have been using was only about $30 more so I figured why not go for it.
In this review video I mainly show you around my new Chrony Beta Shooting Chronograph and don't really talk too much about features since it is all new to me and I have not played around with my new Beta Chrony much so far.
I do plan to do some Field Testing with my the Chrony Beta Shooting Chronograph and shoot some of the Airguns that I was not overly successful getting readings for like my new Sig Sauer Pellet Pistols and Sig Sauer MPX Rifle along with my ISSC M22 BB CO2 Pistol. So stay tuned for that upcoming Field Test video.
Make sure to watch my Vimeo video for this Comparison Review as I go into a lot of detail about the similarities and difference with each of these CO2 Blowback Pellet Guns.
Here are some of the main Similarities when comparing the Sig Sauer P250 & P226 - Umarex PX4 Storm - Gamo P25 & MP9:
All of these CO2 blowback pellet guns are made for each company in Japan (I am assuming from the same factory?)
All of the listed Pellet Airguns shoot .177 caliber pellets (Can be Alloy or Lead)
They all have double sided rotary stick magazines that hold 8 rounds on each end for a total of 16 shots per magazine.
All of the Airguns use 12 gram CO2.
All compared pellet guns have Blowback operation.
All of these pellet pistols have single and double action triggers except for the Gamo MP9 which is single action only and needs to be charged on the first shot.
They all have rifled barrels.
Here is where we find some key differences between these CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistols:
The FPS Velocity for each Airgun:
Gamo P-25 - 450 BPA Platinums.
Gamo MP9 - 450 BPA Platinums.
Umarex PX4 Storm - 380.
Sig Sauer P250 - 400 with 5.25 grain.
Sig Sauer P226 - 400 with 5.25 grain.
The weight of Each Pellet Gun:
Gamo P-25 - 1.7 pounds.
Gamo MP9 - 3 pounds.
Umarex PX4 Storm - 1.6 pounds.
Sig Sauer P250 - 1.45 pounds.
Sig Sauer P226 - 2.35 pounds.
The Barrel Length for each Air Pistol:
Gamo P-25 - 4.5 inches.
Gamo MP9 - 6.5 inches.
Umarex PX4 Storm - 4.5 inches.
Sig Sauer P250 - 4.75 inches.
Sig Sauer P226 - 4.75 inches.
The Main Build Materials for each Pellet Pistol:
Gamo P-25 - Metal slide with plastic frame.
Gamo MP9 - Plastic outer shell with lots of internal metal parts.
Umarex PX4 Storm - Metal slide with plastic frame.
Sig Sauer P250 - Metal slide with plastic frame.
Sig Sauer P226 - Metal slide and frame.
Is the Ejection Port Cut Out?
Gamo P-25 - Yes.
Gamo MP9 - No.
Umarex PX4 Storm - Yes.
Sig Sauer P250 - No.
Sig Sauer P226 - No.
Is it a Replica of a Real Steel Gun?
Gamo P-25 - No.
Gamo MP9 - Yes.
Umarex PX4 Storm - Yes.
Sig Sauer P250 - Yes.
Sig Sauer P226 - Yes.
Type: Air Pistol.
Manufacturer: Sig Sauer ASP
Model: Sig Sauer ASP P250.
Materials: Metal and plastic build.
Weight: 1.45 pounds (658 Grams).
Barrel: 4.75 inches - Rifled steel.
Propulsion: 12 gram CO2.
Action: Blowback single and double action.
Ammunition Type: .177 caliber pellets.
Ammunition Capacity: 16 round double sided rotary stick magazine.
Max FPS: Claimed 500 but really more like 400.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Sig Sauer ASP P250 CO2 Blowback .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol is a lot better than I thought it was going to be. The blowback operation does place the hammer in the cocked position for single action type shooting but the the trigger is still required to index or advance the next pellet to line up with the barrel. Because of this, trigger pull is full length even in single action mode but you can barely feel any added friction from the indexing of the rotary magazine. All of this makes for a slightly longer trigger pull but one that is light weight with a fairly nice and easy release. For some reason the Sig Sauer P226 trigger does feel a little smoother with a slightly easier release.
Accuracy: I have not done my official Field Test Shooting Video with the Sig Sauer ASP P250 CO2 Blowback .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol and I am not sure when I am going to get the chance to do so since I am waiting on a replacement Chronograph for my velocity portion of my testing. That said I can say that Sig has already done some of the work for me and conducted their own "real world" velocity testing for their ASP line of CO2 Pellet Guns. Sig tested both a standard 8.18 grain lead pellet and a high velocity 5.25 grain alloy pellet shooting an 8 shot string with each to find out average fps performance for both pellet types. The 8.18 grain lead pellet average 353 fps while the 5.25 grain alloy pellet average 399 fps. In terms of accuracy, I was able to get just under a 2 inch 16 shot well centered grouping on two separate 30 foot back tests which is pretty decent. I did notice that when shooting a 16 shot string, the first and last shot velocity will vary a fair amount as the CO2 cools the gun and lowers the fps. I would recommend taking your time in-between reloads to let the Sig Sauer ASP P250 CO2 Blowback .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol warm back up.
Build Quality: The Sig Sauer ASP P250 CO2 Blowback .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol is a bit on the lighter side coming in around 1.5 pounds since it does incorporate both metal and plastic construction. You will find the Sig Sauer P250 has a metal slide and plastic frames similar to the real steel version. Weighing it at 1.45 pounds, the P250 is lighter then a standard Sig Sauer P250. Sig claims that their entire APS line of pellet guns is life tested for 15,000 shots so you know this gun is going to last and provide years of shooting fun. The fit and finish seem really good, so far no real paint or finish problems and all mechanically everything is operating as it should.
Realism: The Sig Sauer ASP P250 CO2 Blowback .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol is a very close replica of the real steel Sig Sauer P250. I really like the fact that the safety also works as a working decoker just as it would on the real Sig P250. Other similar working parts are the magazine release and the hammer that stays back for true single action shooting. The slide catch release and take down leaver are purely for show but they are not moulded in parts so they look good and realistic. One slight disappointment for me is when a gun does not have a cut out ejection port, that is the case with both the Sig Sauer ASP P226 and P250 but it does not take away from the shooting fun in any way.
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Pros:
Good overall replica of the real steel Sig Sauer P250.
Designed by Sig and made in Japan, fully Sig Sauer licensed.
Nice heavy blowback operation.
It might feel a bit light weight at first but out of the two Sig Sauer ASP pellet pistols this one seems to shoot a bit better.
Got respectable accuracy and seemed to shoot pretty hard.
Safety works as the de-cocker same as the real Sig Sauer P250.
White dot sights and accessory rail.
Great feel to the trigger not heavy or sticky in any way.
Cons:
Shots tended to slow down a bit near the end of a 16 shot strong as the gun cooled down.
Sight are non adjustable.
Ejection port is not cut out.
Comments:
What I really like about the Sig Sauer ASP P250 CO2 Blowback .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol is that like all the other APS Airgun from Sig, it is a product that Sig has decided to invest a lot of their time and effort to develop rather then simply grab an existing Airgun product from a manufacturer and slap their license on it. Sigs product ingenuity is what will help to improve the airgun industry overall. Getting back to the Sig Sauer ASP P250 CO2 Blowback .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol, it may feel a bit light weight at first but the heavy blowback will rock you unexpectedly! I found in terms of comparison to the Sig Sauer ASP P226, the P250 was more accurate and well centered on target for me as well. If you're a Sig Sauer P250 owner you are for sure going to want to pick yourself up one of these ASP CO2 Blowback Airgun versions so you can get some extra practice time in for pennies per shot and the ability to shoot in a lot more locations..
My Vimeo Table Top Review of the Sig Sauer ASP P250 CO2 Blowback .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol:
Type: Air Pistol.
Manufacturer: Sig Sauer ASP
Model: Sig Sauer ASP P226.
Materials: Mostly metal build.
Weight: 2.35 pounds (1066 Grams).
Barrel: 4.75 inches - Rifled steel.
Propulsion: 12 gram CO2.
Action: Blowback single and double action.
Ammunition Type: .177 caliber pellets.
Ammunition Capacity: 16 round double sided rotary stick magazine.
Max FPS: Claimed 510 but really more like 400.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Sig Sauer ASP P226 CO2 Blowback .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol is a lot better than I thought it was going to be. The blowback operation does place the hammer in the cocked position for single action type shooting but the the trigger is still required to index or advance the next pellet to line up with the barrel. Because of this, trigger pull is full length even in single action mode but you can barely feel any added friction from the indexing of the rotary magazine. All of this makes for a slightly longer trigger pull but one that is light weight with a fairly nice and easy release.
Accuracy: I have not done my official Field Test Shooting Video with the Sig Sauer ASP P226 CO2 Blowback .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol and I am not sure when I am going to get the chance to do so since I am waiting on a replacement Chronograph for my velocity portion of my testing. That said I can say that Sig has already done some of the work for me and conducted their own "real world" velocity testing for their ASP line of CO2 Pellet Guns. Sig tested both a standard 8.18 grain lead pellet and a high velocity 5.25 grain alloy pellet shooting an 8 shot string with each to find out average fps performance for both pellet types. The 8.18 grain lead pellet average 359 fps while the 5.25 grain alloy pellet average 403 fps. In terms of accuracy, I was able to get about a 2 inch 16 shot grouping on two separate 30 foot back tests which is pretty decent. I did notice that when shooting a 16 shot string, the first and last shot velocity will vary a fair amount as the CO2 cools the gun and lowers the fps. I would recommend taking your time in-between reloads to let the Sig Sauer ASP P226 CO2 Blowback .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol warm back up.
Build Quality: The Sig Sauer ASP P226 CO2 Blowback .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol is a very solid feeling pistol with its all metal construction. Weighing it at 2.35 pounds, it is actually a tad bit heavier then the real steel version but not by much. Sig claims that their entire APS line of pellet guns is life tested for 15,000 shots so you know this gun is going to last and provide years of shooting fun. The fit and finish seem really good, so far no real paint or finish problems and all mechanically everything is operating as it should.
Realism: The Sig Sauer ASP P226 CO2 Blowback .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol is a very close replica of the real steel Sig Sauer P226, I would say it most closely takes after the MK-25 Threaded Barrel version. I really like the fact that the safety also works as a working decoker just as it would on the real P226. Other similar working parts are the magazine release and the hammer that stays back for true single action shooting. The slide catch release and take down leaver are purely for show but they are not moulded in parts so they look the part. One slight disappointment for me is when a gun does not have a cut out ejection port, that is the case with both the Sig Sauer ASP P226 and P250 but it does not take away from the shooting fun in any way.
Buy Sig Airguns in the: Replica Airguns Store
Pros:
Good overall replica of the real steel Sig Sauer P250.
Really solid feeling gun, has awesome weight to it with it’s all mental construction, pretty close in weight the real steel version.
Designed by Sig and made in Japan, fully Sig Sauer licensed.
Nice heavy blowback operation.
Got respectable accuracy and seemed to shoot pretty hard.
Safety works as the de-cocker same as the real Sig Sauer P226.
White dot sights and accessory rail.
Super easy CO2 loading system, no having to tighten a CO2 tab.
Great feel to the trigger not heavy or sticky in any way.
Cons:
Shots tended to slow down a bit near the end of a 16 shot strong as the gun cooled down.
Sight are non adjustable.
Ejection port is not cut out.
Comments:
What I really like about the Sig Sauer ASP P226 CO2 Blowback .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol is that like all the other APS airguns from Sig, it is a product that Sig has decided to invest a lot of their time and effort to develop rather then simply grab an existing arigun product from a manufacturer and slap their license on it. Sigs product ingenuity is what will help to improve the airgun industry overall. Getting back to the Sig Sauer ASP P226 CO2 Blowback .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol, it's a really solid CO2 Pellet pistol that is a lot of fun to shoot and for Sig Sauer P226 owners, the pellet shooting airgun version offers a super economical and safe way to get some practice in using a product that looks, feels and shoots similarly to their real steel counterpart.
My Vimeo Table Top Review of the Sig Sauer ASP P226 CO2 Blowback .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol:
I have been waiting a long time (since SHOT Show two years ago) to finally get my hands on the Sig Sauer ASP CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistols and they finally arrived at my US Post Office Box. A big thanks to Sig for sending them to me! So today I made the dreaded trip across the boarder to pick them up and then deal with the Border Custom Agents which much of the time have no idea what they are doing when it comes to Airgun Importation laws. It's not like it's their job or anything??? Today was no exception and I spent several hours waiting as my Customs Agent disappeared behind closed doors to do his research on Airgun Importation. That's another story completely that at this time I don't want to get into, perhaps I will make a video about this another time? The good news is I prevailed and was able to bring both of my new Sig Sauer Air Pistols home with me.
This video is a bit like an unboxing and preview video combined, I don't go into a lot of detail or talk specifications much but I do show you around both the Sig Sauer ASP P226 and Sig Sauer ASP P250 nice and close and in detail. I will be making a future Table Top and Shooting Video for these fine Sig Air Pistols which are both CO2 operated, have blowback operation, shoot in both single and double action, shoot lead or alloy pellets using a 16 round double sided rotary stick styled magazine, shoot around 400 fps and feature Sig Sauer licensing all around.
I have already made a couple of videos for the Sig Sauer MPX ASP .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle, my official Table Top Review and a Preview Video where I shoot some rounds at a Sig Sauer Quad Shooting Gallery.
In this Review Video I focus on the shooting performance of the Sig Sauer MPX ASP .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle to find out what kind of FPS we can get out of it and exactly how accurate the MPX is from 30 feet back using a fairly stable semi rested shooting position. I'll tell you right away my Chrony Chronograph has officially called it quits and I will be looking at replacing it for future Field Test Shooting videos. Lucky for us Sig sent me their real world inhouse testing using both 5.25 grain high velocity pellets and standard 8.18 grain lead pellets.
Here are the average results Sig achieved from each pellet type shooting an 8 shot string.
5.25 Grain Alloy High Velocity Pellets:
FPS - 506
Energy in Foot pounds - 2.98
Energy in Joules - .1257
Temperature at time of testing - 71 Degrees Fahrenheit
8.18 Grain Standard Lead Lead Pellets:
FPS - 447
Energy in Foot pounds - 3.63
Energy in Joules - .153
Temperature at time of testing - 71.5 Degrees Fahrenheit
In terms of accuracy, this rifle is made to shoot at much further out ranges than 30 feet but I was still able to get on what kind of a grouping is possible with the Sig Sauer MPX ASP .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle. I first shot 10 rounds at my paper target and then had a quick look. I was able to get a nice 1 inch grouping which I am sure I could improve upon with some more shooting time with the rifle. I was also not using a magnified scope, just a standard red dot. I then shot the remaining 20 rounds to finish off the 30 round belt fed magazine and for the most part the majority of the pellets all fell within the first 10 shot grouping and I did rip these shots off pretty quickly, about as fast as I could pull the trigger that is.
All in all the Sig Sauer MPX ASP .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle is a good performer, I am very happy with FPS form an 8 grain pellet consistently hitting 450 FPS, that's plenty fast enough to shoot all kinds of targets even out at further ranges. Accuracy was also consistent even under rushed shooting so I can imagine the Sig Sauer MPX ASP .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle would make a great trainer for tactical shooting situations. I thing Sig has a real winner here, great looks, excellent quality and good performance all at a reasonable cost. I just hope we get them here in Canada soon...
I wanted to make a quick update video to let everyone know what I will be up to over the next few weeks since it will effect my video production just a little bit, that said I will do my best to keep the videos coming...
If you remember last year around August, I entered a Fitness contest where I competed in Men's Physique. Well I did fairly well and placed 1st in two divisions, Masters and Open. What this means is I am now qualified to compete in my local Provincial Finals this year which is coming up in less than two weeks. The event is called the Vancouver Pro Am and it will be held in Vancouver BC Canada.
To get to the point, my contest prep especially the last couple of week is fairly taxing on me physically and mentally, it also takes up some of my time. So my videos may not be as regular and they may not be as put together since my mind is not working 100% right now due to the lack of food and carbs I am not eating ;) Anyway I will do my best! You can follow my Fitness journey over at www.GetFitOver40.com.
I also talk about two new Sig products I will be picking up next week to review, the Sig Sauer P250 and Sig Sauer P226 CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistols. I hope to at least have a preview video for you later on next week.
Lastly I am working on a couple of Field Test Shooting videos that I have needed to pump out, one is for the ISSC M22 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol and the other is for the Sig Sauer MPX .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle.
Stay posted for all of these upcoming videos...
