I've had the opportunity to review and shoot my Dan Wesson 4.5mm Steel BB Version so I kind of knew what to expect with the Airsoft version, much of the same but with perhaps a little bit less accurate further out shooting since the plastic BB's will tend to drift a bit more.
I already did my pretest for the ASG Dan Wesson 6 Inch Silver CO2 Airsoft Revolver while making my Table Top Review and shot right around the 400 fps mark, but it was a colder day then, I also shot my ASG Dan Wesson Airsoft Revolver from a closer up 20 feet for the pretest and got a nice tight 1.5 inch shot group.
On the actual Field Test Shooting day it was much warmer (tank top weather ;) and so as would be expected, this time my ASG Dan Wesson 6 Inch Silver CO2 Airsoft Revolver shot a bit faster at closer to a 420 fps average with 6 shots put through it. There is even room for some more fps still as it was only about 22 degrees Celsius or about 72 Fahrenheit on the test day.
Accuracy from 30 feet out was not as tight as my pretest 20 foot testing and I would imagine this will spread out even more the further back we go with the Airsoft ASG Dan Wesson, as is the case with Airsoft BB's. Airsoft BB's are just not as accurate as steel BB's especially when shooting at longer ranges. I would expect this Airsoft Dan Wesson version should still be very effective on a "man sized target" up to about 60 feet or so. Keep in mind there is no hop-up in this revolver so teh Airsoft BB's will drop much more than a gun that has hop-up.
Like the 4.5mm BB shooting version you can expect a good 100 or more shots from this Airsoft BB Shooting Dan Wesson CO2 Revolver. Having tradition revolver single and double action makes for both precise and action styled shooting. All in all a really nice Airsoft pistol from ASG.
Watch my Field Test Shooting Video for the ASG Dan Wesson 6 Inch Silver CO2 Airsoft Revolver:
I have a couple of guns I wanted to share with you all and no we do not sell them at this point in time and I can not say if we will or not down the road.
There is just no way we can carry every brand of gun and every gun from every brand, that said I still sometimes have my eye on a gun and will pick it up even if I have to pay full retail juts so I can add it to my collection and also do a review for all of you.
Photo of WE G18C Removed by Request from Glock "Renzulli Law Firm"
Today I showcase two Gas Blowback Airsoft guns from WE. I have been wanting to get an AK variant of some sort since there was a big whole in my collection after the RCMP came into my house and took my scary AK BB gun away. And if for some reason you feel this "again" legally imported through the CBSA non convertible airgun is in some way a concern, please feel free to come on over and have a good look, no SWAT team necessary this time. I am just around the corner from the police station and I make a good cup of coffee!
Getting back to this update, the other WE Airsoft gun is the WE G18C which like the WE AK74UN, also has semi and full auto select-ability. Both guns have excellent blowback kick with the AK74UN having a full travel blot which kicks like a mule and has a slower full auto cycle rate much like a real AK47.
Both guns have metal parts where you would find them on the real steel versions while the AK even goes so far to have actual stamped steel all over just like you would find on an AK.
Photo of WE G18C Removed by Request from Glock "Renzulli Law Firm"
I will be doing full reviews for both these WE GBB Airsoft guns so stay posted for those video reviews, in the meantime you can watch my Update Video showcasing both these WE Airsoft guns.
Trigger Pull: The ASG Dan Wesson Airsoft Revolver has a predictable trigger with the single action being a bit lighter and more consistent, not just in feel but also in fps. Double action shooting is very usable without a lot of extra pressure required and makes for fun consecutive shooting albeit you will run our of ammo pretty quick compared to many high capacity semi auto styled airguns.
Accuracy: I shot the Dan Wesson Airsoft Revolver at a target from 20 feet away in a semi rested position, and it performed excellent, getting a 1.5 inch 6 shot grouping dead center in the bullseye! The sights are fully adjustable for elevation and windage so getting these guns centered on the bullseye if you where out a bit would be very easy. My Chrony testing for the Dan Wesson Airsoft Revolver with a six shots averaged result was 399 fps.
Build Quality: This detailed revolver is extremely well built! All the Dan Wesson Revolvers are almost all metal with just a few components made out of plastic, like the handle and CO2 screw tab. The handle feels like a cross between plastic and rubber but is basically plastic with a coated paint on it that can wear off with long term use so try and go easy on the grips. The finish on the six inch silver Dan Wesson is amazing and looks just like polished stainless steel. Very nice indeed!
Realism: The ASG Dan Wesson BB revolvers are as close as you can get to a real six shooter, ASG didn't leave out any details and has really brought us an extremely believable CO2 revolver that mimics the real steel in almost every way! Loading and ejecting actual brass shells into the cylinder makes you feel like this gun is much more then an unassuming airgun!
It's a revolver with actual brass shells giving you the feeling of a real 6 shooter!
Almost all metal design.
lots of detail in this gun, very well made, fit and finish is excellent.
Good power and good accuracy.
Fully adjustable sights.
Can mount a scope of some sort on it with the rail attached.
Right amount of power, even for some indoor CQB style airsoft games
Cons:
Plastic CO2 screw tab (but is well hidden and protected).
Grips can wear a bit with extended use.
Red tip on the US version :(
Comments:
I wasn't really a revolver person until I got my Dan Wesson's! They are really fun to shoot and yes you only get to fire off 6 shots at a time but the reloading is kind of fun and adds to the realism of shooting a revolver styled gun. The other benefit to taking breaks every 6 shots to reload is the time it allows your CO2 and gun to warm up which increases the overall FPS and shots per CO2. I am not sure if a large six shot revolver is the way to go when in a high intensity Airsoft game but I can tell you when you're on the other end of the barrel of one of these you are probably not thinking how many shots does he have left :)
My Vimeo Video Table Top Review for this amazingly real Airsoft Revolver:
The rainy weather let up today so I grabbed up my Umarex - KWA MP7 Blowback Airsoft PDW and put it through its paces today. I was a bit surprised that my groupings from 30 feet away shooting from a semi-rested position where a bit spread out, mostly top to bottom. Perhaps the hop up was effecting the MP7? The good news is that shooting in full auto did not seem to make things any worse :) I was using .25 gram BB's for the accuracy test.
As for the Chronograph portion of this field test shooting review, the Umarex - KWA MP7 Blowback Airsoft Machine Pistol shot a bit higher than claimed at just over 400 fps using .20 gram BB's with Propane Gas. I had no problems shooting a full magazine of 40 rounds with a full gas fill up and the cycle rate stayed nice and high with very little cool down effect.
I really enjoyed shooting the Umarex - KWA MP7 Blowback Airsoft PDW, it has a nice sound with just the right amount of blowback to give it a good feel without throwing off the sights, the trigger was very light and responsive and I ended up preferring to use the pop up sights over the pistol sights as I was shooting mostly with the stock and fore grip open. Those Cans never had a chance!
All in all the Umarex - KWA MP7 Blowback Airsoft PDW is one of the coolest compact and ultra modern Airsoft guns I have had the pleasure to review and test out.
Watch my Field Test Shooting Vimeo Video for the Umarex - KWA MP7 Blowback Airsoft PDW:
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Umarex - KWA H&K MP7 A1 is single action only as the charging handle has to be pulled back to open and release the bolt for the first shot fired. There is a trigger safety that must be engaged to fire, but it is not noticeable when shooting this Airsoft PDW. There is a short take-up and then a nice light release and short reset.
Accuracy: I was able to get decent accuracy in both semi auto and full auto burst with my H&K MP7 due to the mild to medium blowback. I would say I shot somewhere in the 2-3 spread with my 10 shot grouping from 20 feet out. When I do my full Field Test Shooting Review I will take it back a bit further and shoot form 30 feet out. I did get a bit higher then claimed fps right up into the 400 fps range when testing the Umarex - KWA H&K MP7 A1 on my Chronograph.
Build Quality: The Umarex - KWA H&K MP7 A1 Airsoft PDW is built extremely well, using near exact components that you would find on the real HK MP7, yes it has a plastic or polymer shell but that is what you would find on the 4.6mm x 30 real steel version. The Umarex MP7 Airsoft PDW does use lots of metal where it needs to be like in the internal housing, pins, bolt, barrel, rails and even the magazine. The fit and finish is bang on, this gun is as solid as they come!
Realism: I have to say the Umarex - KWA H&K MP7 A1 is pretty much a bang on copy of the real steel H&K MP7. The only telltale sign is the Umarex branding and warning label on the right side receiver, even the 6mm caliber markings are near impossible to make out on the underside right beside the serial number plate. Of course the red flash hider is a big "red flag" that takes away form the realism but for us here in Canada, a bit of red paint is all that is needed to fix that problem. just be aware that the flash hider is really glued on tight so plan that project accordingly!
Excellent attention to detail with lots of working parts.
Full H&K licensing and markings.
Good overall 400 fps power for a short barreled gas blowback gun.
Very nice trigger with working trigger safety.
Lots of metal parts where they need to be and would be on the real K&H MP7 PDW.
Semi auto & full auto selectable.
High capacity GBB magazine (40 rounds)
Sights are fully adjustable and offer two positions.
Built in for-grip and rear slide-out stock
Easy access to hop up system.
Cons:
Came with the orange tip, you may want to paint it. (hard to get off as it is glued on!)
May be too powerful for CQB skirmishes without some detuning.
Comments:
I really like the Umarex - KWA H&K MP7 A1 Airsoft PDW, it's my kind of Airsoft gun! I love the modern look, I love the features and the price is also really good for what you are getting here, a GBB gun that is super versatile and can be used in close our out at range. The build quality is what impressed me the most, this Airsoft gun is super solid, that combined with the attention to every detail would fool just about anyone that it's not the real deal until a very close inspection is done:) The Umarex - KWA H&K MP7 A1 reminds me of the other ASG MP9 KWA built PDW I reviewed earlier, they are like two peas in a pod but both with their own unique personalities.
I will be doing proper Table Top and Field Test Videos for each of these Airsoft guns as soon as I can get to them all, starting with the Umarex Gas Blowback H&K MP7 A1 Airsoft PDW so stay posted for these upcoming video reviews...
We have been taking preorders on many of our ASG Airguns and Airsoft guns for our Canada Replica Airguns Store, we where expecting them to be back in stock right around the end of the month. The good news is we got them a bit early so we are now filling back orders and most of our ASG inventory is now showing as in stock and ready to ship!
So if you've been waiting for an ASG gun, make sure to grab yours now before we run out again...
This is not meant to be a full review of either the BB or Airsoft version of the Cybergun - KWC CO2 Blowback Mini UZI's but I do talk about specifications, show you around both guns, and put them both through a full Field Test so I guess in a way, perhaps it can be considered to be a full review ;)
I will list the specifications here for you but I am not going to get into details like Trigger Pull, Build Quality, Accuracy and Realism. You can check out my other video reviews for more information on the Mini UZI:
As I said you can check out all my other videos for info on these very accurate Mini UZI Replicas, I mainly want to go over some of the main differences and similarities for both the BB and Airsoft versions.
In terms of build quality they are made almost exactly the same and weigh in at a hefty near 5 pounds, the only differences are the inner barrel and magazines to accommodate the different sized ammo. The BB version has a 25 round single stack magazine that does not have a follower to stop the bolt from continuing to operate even after the magazine is empty. While the 6mm Airsoft version has a double stack magazine that holds 38 rounds and does have a follower to stop the bolt which can save you some unintentional wasted CO2.
The Airsoft Mini UZI version is distributed by KWC while the 4.5mm BB version is distributed by Cybergun, you will find the UZI and IWI licensing on the Cybergun 4.5mm BB version but not on the KWC 6mm Airsoft version.
Out of the box the KWC Airsoft Mini UZI is ready to go in both semi auto and full auto while the 4.5mm steel BB version will only shoot in semi auto mode, it can however be easily modded to shoot in full auto.
Both guns come in cardboard boxes with manuals, some BB's and an Allen key to tighten the CO2. The KWC Airsoft Mini UZI also comes with a handy speed loader.
There is a slight fps velocity difference between the two with the KWC Airsoft 6mm plastic rounds traveling at around 400 fps (with .20 gram BB's) and the 4.5mm Steel BB's traveling at right around 350 fps. In the field test portion I test both guns out on some water filled cans to see how each ammo type performs in terms of penetration.
Your best bet is to watch both my Table Top and Field Test Comparison Video Reviews and see for yourself how they compare!
One question that comes up often is the danger attached to blank gun use and the most common question I get is about the danger of shooting a blank gun at a person. Blank guns have many uses, one of which is to be used as a prop in a movie or reenactment. In this situation one may want to point and shoot a blank gun at a person to make teh scene more believable it. If the person is far enough away there is usually no cause for concern but with that said I would personally point the gun just off to one side in the event that something might come loose within the gun barrel or perhaps a fragment of something where to be fired and cause an injury to the person the gun is directed towards. With creative camera angles you shouldn't need to actually point a blank gun directly at anyone.
People also assume that because a blank gun does not actually fire a bullet that it is relatively harmless. This is not true at all, in the larger caliber blanks there is about the same amount of energy to what your would find in a real bullet, this is so the blank gun will sound about as loud as a real bullet being fired. The difference with how the energy is released in a blank round versus a real bullet is that the bullet caries most of the energy with it and when the bullet hits its intended target, the bulk of the energy is transferred to that target.
The energy from a blank round dissipates almost immediately after it leaves the gun barrel but the energy right at the barrel tip is very similar to that of a real bullet, especially if it has nowhere to go but directly into an object. So yes a blank gun round can be lethal at very close ranges and unfortunately several people have paid with their lives finding this out for themselves.
With this newfound information about blank gun danger, some people might say... get rid of these dangers to society! Before we head in that direction think about how many other non vital things we have in our lives that I would have to say have claimed way more lives than blank guns could even come close to: Off-road pleasure vehicles, Skydiving, Skying, Pools, Real Guns to name a few! Blank guns also serve very useful purposes like being used to signal a warning or distress, send out flares, ward off wild animals, train people on how to use a real gun, and of course dog training. I am sure the good outweighs the bad here.
That's enough politics for now, juts watch the video and see for yourself why you should not point a blank gun at anyone, especially if the person is very close in proximity to you!
For the most part, this video is to test out some cameras and using them all together in a multi-camera scenario. I wanted to see how many camera angles I could shoot at one time and see how they would all work together when editing the video.
Cameras used:
My new Pivothead Recon Camera Glasses.
Sony HDR-AS15 Action Cam.
Drift HD170 Point of View Camera.
Nikon 1 with 10mm fixed lens.
Casio TRYX.
*All cameras where shooting in 1080p for this video.
I hope to use camera setups like this in the future, maybe not all at once but at least a couple at a time to give you some viewing options.
I picked out my WE SCAR GBB Airsoft Rifle for this test as it had a lot of mounting points and the Gas Blow Back makes for some great video action. Unfortunately My WE SCAR was not working at 100% but I still think I was able to pull off this test video either way.
Watch my Multi-Camera-Angle Test Video shooting the WE SCAR GBB AIrsoft Rifle:
We just added some Baikal producst to the Canada Replica Airguns Store, we even have the already full auto modded Baikal Drozd Blackbird ready to shoot 1200 rounds per minut.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the RG-88 and RG-59 in single action is very light with the RG-59 having virtually no take up at all while the RG-88 has some take up but then a noticeable and predictable release point. Both guns have medium to heavy yet smooth double action triggers.
Accuracy: NA.
Build Quality: The overall build quality for the ROHM RG-88 and RG-59 blank guns is excellent, being German made they are built to last and the fit and finish is very good. There are steel parts where they need to be like in the barrel, pins, screws and reenforcing parts, the rest of the gun is generally made out of a zinc metal with only the grips being plastic.
Realism: The ROHM RG-88 and ROHM RG-59 are not exact replicas of any given guns in production as this would make importing them into Canada even more difficult, but they do share similarities with some real guns in production. The RG-88 semi auto looks to be based around a Walther PPK design while the RG-59 has that Smith & Wesson Snub Nosed Revolver look to it. As for looking like and working like real guns, they do this very well, with the exception of the dangerous bullet coming out of the barrel!
German made quality, materials fit and finish is all excellent.
Almost all metal with some reenforced steel parts.
Nice light single action triggers on both guns with double action ability wehn needed.
Both are front firing with semi plugged barrels.
Come with flare adaptors and cleaning rods.
Seem to be some of the only blank guns we can get here in Canada right now.
Cons:
Not actual exact replicas of any specific guns in production.
The RG-59 only works with the .380 crimped, 9mm P.A.K. balnks are a bit too long.
Expensive due to them being harder to get and in high demand in Canada.
Comments:
As with pretty much all blank guns, they are mostly for show so it all comes down to how do they look and do they go bang when they are supposed to! In both cases they get top marks. Both the RG-88 semi auto and RG-59 revolver feel solid and the mechanical parts are tight and smooth giving a confident feeling when holding them. I like the larger caliber blanks over the .22 crimped blanks as they have a bigger bang but they will set you back in the cost department a bit more as the price for 9mm P.A.K. and .380 blanks will be a lot more than .22 crimped so keep this in mind when choosing a blank gun. If you're looking for a well made and dependable blank pistol then you really can not go wrong with any of the ROHM blank guns we sell in the Canada Replica Airguns Store.
My Vimeo Full Video Review for the ROHM RG-88 and RG59 Blank Pistols:
I am happy to report back to you on all the new cool stuff I got to see at this years 2013 SHOT Show in Las Vegas. Make sure to also watch my Vimeo video at the bottom of this post for some first person styled play by play of my experience at the Vegas SHOT Show 2013. (like you're there with me ;)
First up I want to cover a new gun from ASG, I have been wanting to get my hands on the 4.5mm Bersa BP9CC and I finally got to, not only did I get my hands on it but ASG was kind enough to supply me with one to take home for review. You can get the Bersa BP9CC in both Blowback and non-blowback versions and also in either BB or Airsoft. I opted for the 4.5mm BB Blowback version. I will be reviewing this BB gun very soon!
ASG also had a very cool prototype of an Airsoft CZ Scorpion EVO 3A1 hopefully coming out soon.
While roaming around SHOT Show 2013, I came across an interesting booth from FlashFog Security. I often get people asking me about using an airgun as a home defense weapon and I strongly advise against this. If the intruder is not scared off by the gun there is little an airgun can do to actually stop them. The FlashFog system works by rapidly filling a room with dense fog combined with a strobe light effect which blinds and disorients intruders completely. There is little an intruder can do other then try and get the heck out of there!
UPDATE: FlashFog just added a new section to their website specifically for School Security to help keep our schools safer from potential safety threats! So check it out: School Security Smoke Screen
I was a bit surprised by Gamo this year, they tend to stay away from actual Replica's and generally make BB/Pellet guns that look like popular guns but not any gun in particular. Gamo has a new BB/Pellet MP9 based machine pistol that uses a similar mechanism to their P-25 and PT-85 so it can shoot both 4.5mm BB's and .177 caliber Pellets using a double ended 16 shot rotary magazine. It also has an internal blowback system so it should have some recoil feel to it! I am pretty sure it is semi auto only but still a nice addition to their lineup!
Gamo also brought out a new 4.5mm BB Blowback pistol called the C-15 which has a metal slide and plastic frame, it kind of reminds me of the Umarex HPP in how it looks and feels.
Umarex had several new products that I am sure everyone is going to like! One that I think will do really well is the Steel Force, the Steel Force is designed around the 4.5mm BB shooting Steel Storm platform so it has a 6 round burst blowback operation and holds the 2x12 gram CO2 in the magazine while the BB's go in a 300 round hopper that feeds into a 30 round spring fed internal magazine. Like the Steel Storm it will shoot around 430 fps. The Steel Force has the advantage of being styled after the AR platform so it has a collapsible stock which will make shooting very easy.
Another often asked for airgun replica is the historic German Luger. This year Umarex stepped up to the plate and introduced the Umarex P.08 4.5mm BB pistol. Sorry, no blowback or even a working slide on this one but it is all metal and has a very good weight and feel to it.
If you're a fan of the entry level Umarex XBG then you may be interested in the new Umarex T.D.P. 45 which is very similar to the XBG in looks and features but with a slightly different look to it.
If you've ever wanted to turn your pistol into more of a PDW styled gun, you may be able to depending on which Umarex gun you have? Umarex added a very cool accessory called the T.A.C Converter that converts your Umarex HK USP (BB-Airsoft), SW MP40 (BB), XBG (BB), CZ Enforcer (Airsoft) and Walther P99 DOA (Airsoft) into more of a tactical (PDW) or Personal Defense Weapon complete with for-grip, adjustable rear sight, lots of rail options and a foldable stock.
I am assuming the Crosman M4-177 Pellet/BB Rifle has been doing well for Crosman as they have expanded with some more similar assault styled air rifles. The Crosman MSR77NP pretty much looks like a classic M16 but is in fact a Nitro Piston break barrel pellet rifle able to shoot .177 caliber pellets at 1200 fps (I hope there is a 499 fps Canada version planned too?).
A new takeoff of the M4-177 is the MK-177 which also shoots .177 caliber pellets and 4.5mm BB's using a multi-Pump System but it uses an upgraded more efficient pump system that squeaks out more fps with less pumps. The Crosman MK-177 is designed after the FN SCAR and is available in an adjustable iron sight version or a Red Dot equipped kit version.
One thing you can never get enough of in my opinion is another 1911 pistol! Crosman is introducing their GI Model 1911BB Blowback 4.5mm CO2 pistol, the one they had on hand was more of a prototype so the slide was not operational but it will feature an all metal design, blowback operation, 450 fps and a 20 round drop out magazine. I am sorry to say but it looks like the Crosman C51 has been dropped from Crosman's lineup but if you want a similar styled gun you can checkout the KWC SW40F which is a very close airsoft version.
We recently started carrying G&G Armament Airsoft guns, you can checkout my review of the Xtreme 45. I did stop by their booth and they had some new products on display, the M1 Grand (all wood stock) Airsoft had it's magwell all wrapped up as G&G had a propriety magazine system they did not want their competition to see. G&G also had some very interesting targets that light up, when shot they would react by individually turning off so you could see if you hit it or not.
There was a rather large crowd at the KWA booth but it was a shared booth so it's hard to say what everyone was looking at, the KWA area was pretty full, I did talk to the KWA rep and asked him point blank if KWC and KWA where the same or sister companies and the answer was not at all. There are often a lot of guns that look like they could be from the same company, I guess there is a lot of copying going on ;) One gun from KWA I would love to get my hands on is the Kriss SMG!
Now keep in mind many of these guns I have highlighted today are not available yet and a lot of them should be coming out in the spring time frame so please try to refrain from repeatedly asking when I will review them and have them in the store, it takes time and as much as we all want them now, they get here when they get here!
Watch my Vimeo video of the Replica Aiguns at SHOT Show Vegas 2013
In our quest to bring you even more of the good stuff we are constantly adding to our Replica Airguns Store, we have recently added to our US Replica Airguns Store some more Blank Guns, Blank Gun Ammo and Blank Gun Magazines. We also added a new item, "Stock Badges".
In this part of the review I test the HK G36 KV AEG Rifle using my Chronograph to see what the 5 shot feet per second average is using fully charged batteries. I got pretty much right bang on to the factory claimed 450 fps using .20 gram 6mm plastic Airsoft BB's and consistency was within a few fps for each shot.
I also take the Umarex HK G36 KV AEG Blowback (EBB) Airsoft Rifle back 30 feet and shoot it at a target using a semi rested position (sand bag up front, standing in the back) and shoot in both semi auto and full auto, there really was no real difference in accuracy using both selections, I think the built in magnified scope helped out here to get a very tight 1.5 inch group shooting in semi and full auto.
So far out of all my AEG rifles I would have to say the Umarex HK G36 KV (EBB) performed the best getting very consistent and high fps and tight groupings in both semi and full auto even using light weight .20 gram BB's.
Watch my Field Test Shooting Vimeo Video Review for the Umarex HK G36 KV AEG Blowback Airsoft Rifle:
In this part of the review I test the Smith & Wesson 357 CO2 Pellet Revolver using my Chronograph to see what the 5 shot feet per second average is using a brand new CO2. I got pretty close to the factory (even a bit over) claimed 425 fps using RWS 7 grain lead pellets on this rather cold day so you can expect better fps on a nice warm summer day.
I also take the Smith & Wesson 357 686 CO2 Pellet Revolver back 30 feet and shoot it at a target using a semi rested position (sand bag up front, standing in the back) and again although I did not get teh same half inch grouping I got in my preliminary testing, I did manage to get a nice tight grouping , keep in mind the Umarex Smith & Wesson 357 is an action shooter but is capable of target pistol like accuracy.
All in all the Umarex Smith & Wesson 357 686 CO2 Pellet Revolver performed very well. That said I was able to get tighter groups and higher fps so expect this Umarex high grade CO2 pistol to perform very well for you.
Watch my Field Test Shooting Vimeo Video Review for the Umarex Smith & Wesson 357 686:
It would not be the end of another year without another Airgun, Airsoft Gun and Blank Gun Collection video for you. This year I'm not showing all my guns, I started to take them out and quickly realized there where just way too many and this years video would have been several hours long and would have taken most of the week for me to shoot and edit...
So this year I have hand picked some of my top favorites and most notable replica Airgun, Airsoft Gun and Blank Guns. They may not all be the best made or hardest shooters or even all that accurate but each one has some significants to me.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Umarex Smith & Wesson 357 686 Revolver is very light and smooth in both single and double action. Single action is much shorter and a bit lighter with just a very short take up to it. In double action it does get a hair heavier and much longer as is expected but still very usable and easy to shoot quickly and with accuracy.
Accuracy: I found the Umarex S&W 686 pellet revolver to have some of the best accuracy I have tested out of a pistol, getting about a half inch grouping from 30 feet out in a semi rested position (sand bag up front, standing in the back). I also put 5 rounds through my Chrony Chronograph and the Umarex 357 686 averaged right around 450 fps using RWS 7 grain lead pellets which is even better than the claimed 425 fps from Umarex.
Build Quality:The Umarex Smith & Wesson 357 686 CO2 Pellet Revolver is almost entirely metal with the acceptation of the rubber grips and front removable sight, it has a very substantial overall weight and feel to it coming in at just under three pounds. Keep in mind this is one of the higher end German made Umarex guns and you can tell in the workmanship and fit and finish. All the mechanical parts work flawlessly and have very tight tolerances, the finish is also superb. Yes the price is up there but this is a an airgun you will most likely be passing down to future generations one day as a collectors item, and I would imagine also in working condition.
Realism:The Umarex S&W 686 is a replica of the real stell Smith & Wesson 357 Magnum and overall looks pretty similar in shape and style. It would have been nice to have seen a full swing our cylinder but this would have meant a more complicated design with potentially less performance? In a perfect world, loadable shell casings like the Dan Wesson would have been very cool but keep in mind this is an airgun that really performs in terms of power and accuracy. Mine was the silver version, I would have liked to have seen a color matched magazine but since it is metal it could be color matched after the fact. The Smith & Wesson licensing and markings along with the heavy weight, hidden CO2 Tab and recessed barrel help to give the Umarex S&W 686 a very believable look and feel.
Pretty much all metal, has a nice solid feel and good weight.
Higher than claimed fps (right around 450 fps)
Amazing accuracy, one of my best pistols tested to date.
Very high quality German made workmanship.
Very comfortable rubber grips.
Fully adjustable rear sight (windage and elevation).
Well hidden CO2 tab.
Full S&W licensing, good overall replica.
Single and double action with a nice trigger in both SA and DA.
Magazines are removable for easy loading and have a high 10 shot load capacity.
Cons:
A bit on the expensive side of things.
Rotary magazine is not color matched on the Silver version.
On the low side of shots per CO2 (About 60-70).
No rail mount for a accessories of any type.
Comments:
The Umarex Smith & Wesson 686 CO2 Pellet Revolver is not for everyone and I say that because the $250 plus price point is going to be just too much for many buyers. If you can find a way to get past the price then you will have a very high quality German made air gun on your hands, not only are the Smith & Wesson 568/686 CO2 Pellet revolvers very well made but they also perform as good if not better in terms of accuracy and velocity then even some dedicated target air pistols I have tested. Looks will not let you down either and I would not be surprised that this gun if well taken care of can be passed down to future generations as a working collectors item. If you are looking for a high quality, excellent performing replica pellet revolver then make sure to consider the Umarex Smith & Wesson 586 and 686 line of CO2 replica pellet revolvers.