Is an Airgun Good for Self Defense? Another one of those questions I get asked fairly often that's a bit hard to answer in a few sentences... Not all of us have easy access to a 9mm pistol or even a rifle but many of us can get our hands on an airgun fairly easily and they look real enough, I guess that is one thing they have going for them.

But what if the mere sight of what looks like a gun does not scare an intruder off? If you where hoping that would be enough, you may just be out of luck and what if you just brought an Airgun to a "real" gun fight? You are going to be drastically "outgunned" pun intended and here's why. A 4.5mm Steel BB weighs about 5.1 grains and generally you are looking at about 2-3 foot pounds of energy from a CO2 BB gun. Even a .177 caliber lead pellet is only marginally heavier at around 7-8 grains and if you're really lucky you might just get 4 foot pounds of energy out of a CO2 pellet pistol.

So let's take a look at a fairly conservative "real pistol" rounds, the 9mm. The 9mm rounds come in different bullet weighs but you can get a 120 grain 9mm in a plus p ammo with as much as 400 foot pounds of energy and even with that much raw power, many people claim that a 9mm round does not always have enough stopping power to put down a person even when shot multiple times center mass. It just depends what vital organs or arteries you hit that determines if he gets lucky or you get lucky.

Your 5.1 grain 4.5mm Steel BB is not going to do anything if it hits any type of clothing and even if you find some flesh it's just going to piss off the intruder.

My suggestion is to consider a bat or a golf club or a really big knife or just about anything other than an airgun because if the sight of the airgun replica does not scare an intrude away then you are really buggered.

Keep in mind that you need to abide by any laws regarding the use of self defense in your areas. Even just physical force could be considered a crime and at the end of the day you are ultimately accountable for your actions.

I finally answer the question... Which Airgun is the Best? There has to be a best airgun out there right? So let's cut to the chase and stop waisting everyones time and money buying the third Best Airgun or even the second best Airgun! Why would you even want anything other than the very best Airgun available to mankind!

I really hope you weren't one of the gullible ones that actually bought something other than the Best Airgun, well I guess you're going to have to watch my YouTube video to find out which Airgun is the Best Airgun of all time...

In many of my reviews I show the loading process of each gun but sometimes I either skim over this part or assume most people already know how to load an Air Pistol and skip it entirely. Well as it turns out not everybody does know how to load up an Airgun or they are unclear on certain areas, like do you actually need the CO2 and how long can you leave CO2 in an airgun?

So I made a video specifically to cover how to load CO2, BB's and/or Pellets into your Air Pistol.

Now even though this video is targeted at 4.5mm Steel BB and Lead Pellet Pistols, there is a crossover with 6mm Airsoft Pistols so this video may also help an Airsoft shooter.

Our Family Bearded Dragon (Dijon) was looking rather sad and lonely today so I figured he could hang out while I made the video, he really doesn't do much of anything most of the time so why not give him a special appearance in one of the Replica Airguns Videos ;)

Two questions that come up over and over again and to be honest I just hate answering, mainly because both of these questions to me are kind of common sense questions. I feel if someone where to stop and actually think about teh question, the answers would become obvious.

That said, common sense has to be learned somewhere and not all of us are exposed to the same life experiences so here goes...

The two questions are:

• Will this Ammunition Work in my Gun?

• Can I Convert a Blank Gun to a Real Gun?

The answer for both of these question is actually the same! Use the ammo made for your gun and do not try to use anything other than the ammo that was made for your gun. Do not try to modify your gun to shoot anything other than the ammo that was made for it, if you do, you may be breaking the law and could land yourself in jail. If you can follow these rules then your ammo and gun will work as intended :)

So that's pretty much it in a nutshell, watch my YouTube video below as I show you examples of ammo types with visuals on exactly why you need to use the ammo made for your gun. I also talk about the dangers of attempting to modify a blank gun to shoot some sort of real bullet and why it is a very bad idea in so many ways to try and convert a blank gun into a real gun.

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

Buy the ROHM RG-88 9mm P.A.K. Blank Pistol in the US Store

Moving on to the head to head comparison of the Tanfoglio Gold Custom versus the Sig Sauer X-Five Sight Rail (Open version). Again like my previous video of the KWC Model M1911 Tac A1 versus the Cybergun-KWC GSG 92-M92, these two Air Pistols feature full size drop out metal magazines that hold the CO2 and 4.5mm steel BB's, along with full blowback with working slide catches, safeties and magazine releases. Both are field Strippable and both have the addition of sight rails with red dot sights for quick target acquisition.

I did not find either sight rail pistol to be all that much more accurate than similar open sight pistols like the KWC Model M1911 Tac A1 and Cybergun-KWC GSG 92-M92, but I did find that target acquisition was much quicker and even when I accidentally double tapped the trigger, the second round was right on target.

In this field test comparison I shoot both guns through my Chronograph to see what kind of feet per second performance each one shoots, I also take them back 30 feet and shoot 10 rounds on a paper target using a semi rested position for true accuracy results.

Watch my Field Test Head to Head Shootout for the Tanfoglio Gold Custom versus the Sig Sauer X-Five Sight Rail:

Buy BB Pistols in Canada 
Buy BB Pistols in the US

Buy KWC Sig P226 X-Five in Canada
Buy KWC Sig P226 X-Five in the US

Here is the third video in a series of Head to Head Air Pistol Shootouts. In this video place the KWC Model M1911 Tac A1 head to head versus the Cybergun-KWC GSG 92-M92.

Both CO2 4.5mm Replica Air Pistols feature full size drop out metal magazines that hold the CO2 and 4.5mm steel BB's. These super realistic BB guns also have full blowback with working slide catches, safeties and magazine releases and they can both be field stripped juts like the real steel versions.

In this field test comparison I shoot both guns through my Chronograph to see what kind of feet per second performance each one shoots, I also take them back 30 feet and shoot 10 rounds on a paper target using a semi rested position for true accuracy results.

Watch my Field Test Head to Head Shootout for the KWC Model M1911 Tac A1 vs Cybergun-KWC GSG 92-M92:

Buy the Swiss Arms P92 in Canada

Buy the Swiss Arms P92 in the US

Buy the KWC Model M1911 A1 Tac Blowback 4.5mm BB Pistol in Canada

Buy the KWC Model M1911 A1 Tac Blowback 4.5mm BB Pistol in the US

I stopped by the ICS Booth, we don't sell too much of their products but have carried a few items from time to time. ICS caries some nice quality Airsoft guns including the M1 Grand with real wood stock, and some AK & AR variants.

One of our suppliers had the new FN Herstal Five-seveN Blowback Airsoft pistol, I believe made by Marushin. Like the real FN Herstal Five-seveN, the pistol is pretty much all polymer including the slide and frame. This pistol also uses CO2 in the full size drop out magazine which should make it fairly powerful.

Looks like there is another Dan Wesson contender available now in the form of a Swiss Arms S&W 357 Magnum 4 inch and 6 inch barreled version, they look really nice and like the Dan Wesson have the realistic reusable brass shells that hold the 4.5mm Steel BB's.

Ever considered owning a  mobile Gunsmith vehicle, look no further, I came across this pimped out Firearms Van complete with machine guns mounted in the front :) Inside was a complete firearms workshop.

Last but not least, we had some fun while in Vegas. I go down for the SHOT Show for business but I also bring my wife and we make time for some non business related activities. I generally stay at the WorldMark resort each time and this year the weather was pretty nice so we where able to get some sun by the pool a couple of days and I even got a tan line! Of course the food and entertainment is always awesome in Vegas.

We carry a lot of the G&G line and perhaps have as much in stock as you would find at the G& G booth ;) I did see a few items we do not have in stock so I will have to see what I can do about that. Some products that I hope to see added to our Canada Replica Airguns Store would for sure be the M1 Grand and our Canadian Military Colt C7A1/2.

One company I took notice of was Inokatsu, they make super high quality Airsoft guns. I was drawn to their Sig Sauer P229 and 1911 pistols that by the way are made out of real steel and as close to the real version as possible without it being a real gun. The Inokatsu pistols I looked at are not cheap and will set you back over a grand but are as close as you can get to a real sidearm as possible in an Airsoft version. They feel amazing to shoot with heavy blowback and that sound real steel makes when the slide snaps back.

Let me know if you're like me and would be willing to part with a substantial amount of money for one of these treasures? 

Gamo did not have much in terms of new Replica guns this year either? Again, Gamo does seem to focus more on their hunting and target air rifles which for me is not my focus. Pretty much the same Replica guns as last year...

This year the Crosman booth was a bit of a let down in terms of "Replica guns" There really wasn't anything new to speak of? I didn't hang around too long to check on the non-replica guns, perhaps they have been focussing on that area of their market for this year?

One 4.5mm CO2 Blowback BB Pistol they featured as a prototype version last years was on display this year as the final product, the Crosman GI Model 1911BB. And again I was not overly impressed. The Crosman GI Model 1911BB looks for the most part like a 1911 except for the funky trigger which is supposes to look like a 1911 single action trigger. In reality it is a rather heavy double action trigger not at all true to a 1911. I was also puzzled by how recessed the barrel was, sure it's nice to have a slightly recessed barrel to make the pistol more believable but the GI Model 1911BB inner barrel is recessed at least an inch or more robbing this pistol of potential fps.

Guess I'm going to have to try one out at some point to see if it shoots better than I am giving it credit for.

One product from Crosman that is kind of a crossover between a replica and a PCP rifle is the Crosman MAR177 PCP AR Conversion Kit. It is designed to replace the top receiver for a standard AR allowing AR owners to shoot .177 caliber pellets using a standard Pre Charged Pneumatic system with their AR platforms. Of course you need an AR lower to use the Crosman MAR177 PCP AR Conversion Kit.

I also visited my friends at the ASG booth but for some reason I did not get a photo  of their booth? I do have some video walk through stuff I will show you in my YouTube Video coverage of this years Vegas SHOT Show. Most importantly I have lots of gun photos so let's take a look at them...

One of my favorite ASG pistols is the Bersa BP9CC, I have already reviewed it and I just really like how this gun looks and holds, ASG took it one step further this year by adding a two-tone silver version and I have to say it looks awesome in person, my photos do not do it justice at all :(

A new handgun to the ASG blowback pistol series is the CZ P-09 Duty Pellet pistol. Basically it shares similar mechanics to the Umarex PX4 and Gamo PT-85 using the double sided rotary pellet magazine with 8 shots located on each end of the stick magazine. The ASG CZ P-09 Duty features a metal slide, working hammer and safety.

Another pellets pistol that should be very familiar to most of you is the new .177 caliber pellet shooting Dan Wesson in 6 inch silver and 8 inch black versions. ASG added a rifled barrel and redesigned solid brass shells that hold pellets instead of 4.5mm Steel BB's. Expect to take a little bit longer to reload the pellets as unscrewing the tip of each shell is required to place a .177 caliber pellet in each bullet tip.

Of course ASG has tons of licensed pistols to choose from, many on both 4.5mm Steel BB and 6mm Plastic Airsoft!

One new rifle that stood out to me was the ASG CZ Scorpion EVO 3 A1 AEG Airsoft Rifle, the Scorpion features an intelligent AEG system that detects when there may be a potential feeding problem and also when the magazine is out of ammo.

Umarex had a lot of new products this year so I thought I would start off showing you some of them. I will be following this post up with a full 2014 Vegas SHOT Show video once I finish posting some of my photos and comments on the show events.

Here is a photo of the main Umarex Booth.

I have always liked the 4.5mm BB version of the Umarex Makarov, Umarex now has the Makarov Ultra version that features blowback, a working slide catch and full size drop out magazine, looking forward to testing this one out!

Another kind of new addition to the 4.5mm Steel BB lineup is the Umarex Beretta Model 84FS. It has been available overseas but is now coming to North America. The Umarex Beretta Model 84FS also features blowback and a full size drop out magazine.

I'm not sure if we needed another rebranded version of the KWC 1911 Blowback BB pistol, but we got one anyways! Umarex now has their own version of what looks to similar to the KWC Tac A1 but with Colt licensing. 

Umarex also made up a very limited edition and very weathered looking blowback BB shooting 1911 based on the KWC design called the Colt 1911 WWII Commemorative. I am not sure how many where made but I know there are not a lot of them... Hope I can get my hands on one...

Umarex came out with Smith & Wesson 327 TRR8 last year and this year they have added a similar styled 4.5mm Steel BB shooting revolver with removable shells but in a licensed Colt Python 357 version.

Last but not least and going back many years, Umarex is bringing out another Legends Series 4.5mm BB pistol. The German Mauser C96, I'm not 100% sure if it's blowback or not but it does seem to have a working action, the main pistol is made out of Polymer but it does have a full size drop out magazine and seems to have good weight overall. Most of the parts work like the original Mauser C96 including the adjustable rear sight and safeties.

Installment number 2 of my Head-to-Head Airgun comparisons. In this video I compare the replica Umarex Beretta PX4 Storm CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistol versus the Gamo PT-85 CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistol. Both are very similar mechanically and use very similar rotary magazines combined with single action hammers and very heavy blowback.

Make sure to checkout my other posts for my Umarex Beretta PX4 Storm and also the  Gamo PT-85.

Watch the video below to see the Beretta PX4 Storm CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistol go head to head against the Gamo PT-85 CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistol in both a test of the feet per second performance and accuracy shooting at 30 feet using a semi rested position.

Buy this gun in Canada 

Buy this gun in the US

This post is really all about watching the YouTube video and seeing how these two similar CO2 4.5mm Steel BB revolvers compare to each other. I was working with a new Chronograph since again it was really dark outside and my old Chronograph does not like darkness. I did get some usable Chrony results with the new one but I did have to work for it ;)

Make sure to checkout my other posts for my Dan Wesson revolvers and also the Umarex S&W 327 TRR8.

Watch the video below to see the Dan Wesson 8 inch 4.5mm Steel BB Revolver go head to head against the Umarex S&W 327 TRR8 in both a test of the feet per second performance and accuracy shooting at 30 feet using a semi rested position.

Buy S&W 327 TRR8 in Canada   -   Buy S&W 327 TRR8 in the US

Buy ASG Dan Wesson Revolvers in Canada  -  Buy ASG BB Pistols in the US

I get many question over on my Vimeo Channel, lots of times people asking me which gun is better and in most cases it really comes down to personal preference. But in some situations the comparisons are really close and to be honest it's even hard for me to decide which gun I think is better.

I get asked which one has higher fps, or is more accurate, or has harder blowback recoil... the list goes on. Without actually taking both gun outside and doing a head to head test using the same exact situations, I really can not honestly tell you! So that's exactly what I am going to do. Take some of the most commonly asked about gun comparisons and have a showdown.

Over the next while I will be making a total of five separate videos where I compare the following CO2 BB pistols head to head:

• The Tanfoglio Gold Custom versus the Sig Sauer P226 X-Five Sight Rail Version

• The KWC Model M1911 Tac A1 versus the Cybergun/KWC GSG 92/M92

• The ASG Dan Wesson 8 inch Revolver versus the Umarex Smith & Wesson 327 TRR8

• The ASG CZ 75 P-07 Duty versus the ASG Bersa BP9CC versus the ASG STI Duty One 1911

• The Gamo PT-85 versus the Umarex Beretta PX4 Storm

Make sure to come back and check out these upcoming head to head field test shooting videos!

So it's 2014 but I still needed to make my 2013 Airgun, Airsoft Gun and Blank Gun Collection Favorites for 2013. It's become a tradition I guess you could say. No I do not show all the guns in my collection but I do cover most of my favorites and also some new guns I picked up in 2013.

Here's a peek but make sure to watch the YouTube video bellow where I go over all my top picks for 2013. You can also buy many of the guns I show in this YouTube video over in our Canada and US Replica Airguns Store!

2013 BB Pistols

2013 Pellet Pistols

2013 Airsoft Pistols

2013 Blank Pistols

2013 Rifles

After posting my Table Top Review for the Gamo MP9 Blowback CO2 Pellet and BB Tactical Airgun, It seemed like most people where pretty interested with it and where looking forward to my Field Test Shooting Review. So I wanted to get this one out before the Holidays! Thought I would wear my Santa hat for this one :)

I did manage to get my Chronograph problem figured out so for this test I got reads on all 8 shots which was awesome! So how did my Gamo MP9 Blowback CO2 Pellet and BB Tactical Pistol perform? Pretty nicely overall, since it has 8 shots at each end of teh 16 shot rotary magazine I decided to base my testing on 8 shot groups. The first 8 shots where aimed through my Chronograph resulting in an average 415 fps using 7 grain RWS lead pellets. Not bad considering how cold it was and the fact that I was not using the super light weight PBA® Platinum Pellets. I would expect even lead pellets to hit 450 fps on a warm day.

The next 8 rounds where designated for the paper target which was setup 30 feet from my semi rested position (rested on sand bag and standing in the back). All 8 rounds shot within 1.5 inches and I am pretty sure I could do this all day long with this pellet shooter. I then emptied the other half o my magazine on my swinging steel targets and it appears I hit them most of the time looking back on my video.

The blowback is minimal with this CO2 blowback pistol, I don't think the internal blowback mechanism caries that much weight to it but you do feel some blowback when the CO2 is new and full. Gamo claims the trigger to be around 9.5 pounds worth of pull but to me it feel much lighter, combine that with the pull length being fairly short and you can shoot 8 rounds off at a time in a hurry with this Gamo MP9 Blowback CO2 Pellet and BB Tactical Airgun.

If I could have my way I would have liked to have seen a working ejection port like the Umarex MP5K PDW and perhaps a bit more blowback feel but other than that the Gamo MP9 Blowback CO2 Pellet and BB Tactical Pistol is a great replica CO2 Blowback pellets gun for the money.

Buy Air Pistols in the Canada Store  -  Buy Gamo MP9 in the US Store

As promised I did a redo of my Original Chronograph Test for my Pedersoli Derringer Guardian #11 4.5mm .177 Pellet Pistol. The first time around I just could not get my Chronograph to read in the poor lighting I had going on that day. I spent a fair bit of time doing some testing with my Chronograph since it is that time of year when the lighting is poor and determined that I need to use the white defusing panels as it seems that my roofline and the low light are playing havoc with the Chronograph readings.

Once I sorted this all out my Chronograph worked perfectly and I was able to get some readings for you with my Pedersoli Derringer Guardian #11 4.5mm .177 Pellet Pistol. As I assumed I did not get much over 350 fps. I also got a lot of variation in the fps, most likely due to the fact that I had to roll down the pellets a bit on the backside in order to feed them in the barrel from front to back, some pellets where tight and some where a bit looser, the looser ones seemed to shoot a bit faster as less of the pressure may have escaped out the back where the primer was situated.

Type: Blowback pellet air pistol.

Manufacturer:GamoUSA.

Model: MP9 Blowback pistol.

Materials: Polymer & metal construction.

Weight: 3 pounds.

Barrel: 6.5 inches, rifled.

Propulsion: 12 gram CO2 x 1.

Action: Semi auto, single and double action.

Ammunition Type: .177 caliber lead pellets.

Ammunition Capacity: 16 shot drop out double sided magazine.

FPS: 450 (with Gamo's PBA® Platinum Pellets.)

Trigger Pull: The trigger pull for the Gamo MP9 Blowback CO2 Pellet and BB Tactical Airgun is stated to be a single and double action trigger which is kind of true and false at the same time. Yes you can pull the charging handle back which does pull the internal hammer back for a single action hammer release but you can not shoot this pistol in double action only unless the charging hammer has been pulled back technically making the Gamo MP9 a single action only pistol? On the other hand, even with the hammer back, the trigger has to rotate the pellet magazine with each shot making it a double action only trigger? So what is it really, kind of both and kind of neither? Well who really cares about all that... In the end the trigger even though stated to be around 9.5 pounds of pull feels much lighter than that 9.5 pounds and has a pretty short action so shooting this gun rapid-fire is pretty easy and not too tiring on the finger. Another bonus is that the trigger safety also works, it's not just for show!

Accuracy: I will be following this table top review with a full field test shooting review shortly but I did have the chance to take my Gamo MP9 Blowback CO2 Pellet and BB Tactical Airgun out for a test drive so I would be able to give you some of my initial shooting feedback. I started off with a full CO2 using RWS 7 grain flathead lead pellets and placed a full 8 shots through my Chronograph, the first 4 shot a bit over 400 fps with the fastest shot being right around 430 fps, the last 4 shot a bit under 400 fps with the slowest shot hitting around 370 fps. Since it is December the weather outside was a bit frosty ;) so I would expect to get most shots in or above 400 fps in warmer weather. Moving on to some target results, my main goal was to sight my red dot in so I shot 4 shot grouping till I got my NcSTAR red dot centered and each 4 shot group seemed to produce consistent 1 inch groups for me from 30 feet away using a semi rested position. Not bad at all. Stay posted for my official Field Test Shooting video!

Build Quality: TheGamo PM9 Pellet/BB Pistol seems to be made fairly well, fit and finish is very good, the overall weight is good and like the real B&T MP9 has both a metal and polymer construction. The obvious metal parts are the trigger, rear stock swivel, CO2 magazine, internal barrel and I am sure lots of other internal parts. This Gamo pellet shooter is made for Gamo in Japan and is licensed by ASG.

Realism: The Gamo MP9 Blowback CO2 Pellet and BB Tactical Airgun looks pretty much exactly like a real B&T MP9, the size is right and the weight is close. All the parts are where they should be but not all of them work as many are moulded into the plastic shell. The working parts are the charging handle, fold out stock, standard safety, trigger safety and adjustment for the rear sight. There are magazine releases for both the pellet magazine and CO2 magazine but they are not in the traditional locations. It would have been nice if the ejection port cycled when being fired but it is also moulded into the polymer shell.

Reviewed by:Replica Airguns

Pros:

• Very well made and has good weight and feel to it.

• Blowback action gives a bit of recoil feel.

• Rear sight is adjustable for windage, can also easily add a red dot.

• Pre-test shooting results seems to be positive.

• CO2 and magazine are both well covered to complete the realism of this replica.

• Decent looking replica, fully Licensed B&T MP9.

• Trigger feels pretty decent even though it is claimed to be 9.5 pounds of pull.

• Lots of rail accessory mounting locations.

• Working charging handle.

• Fold out stock.

Cons:

• Fold out stock is a bit flexible, would have been better in more solid plastic or even metal.

• Pellet magazine release is a bit awkward.

• No slide catch release or any way to know you are out of pellets other than counting or listening to the sound change.

• Looks to have pretty low shots per CO2 like the other Gamo blowback pellet shooters.

Comments:

Overall, I really like the Gamo MP9 Blowback CO2 Pellet and BB Tactical Airgun, unlike the PT-85 and P-25, the Gamo MP9 is an actual replica and a fully licensed one. Not only that, the Gamo MP9 pellet pistol is a very good replica in terms of looks and function. I was able to get decent power and very good accuracy when I performed my pre-test. It's really great to see Gamo come out with a pellet gun replica this time around and what better gun to base it on other than the B&T MP9!

My Vimeo Table Top & Shooting Review for the Gamo MP9 Blowback CO2 Pellet & BB Tactical Airgun:

Buy Air Pistols in the Canada Store

Buy Air Pistols in the US Store