What's not to love about the Umarex Legends MP 40 CO2 Blowback 4.5mm Steel BB Full Auto Machine Gun? It's pretty much all metal weighing in at close to 8 pounds, The Legends MP has a max fps of up to 465, shoots in both semi and full auto and has a high capacity all metal 52 round magazine that holds not only 1 CO2 but 2 CO2 for close to 200 rounds of semi auto shooting or about 140 shots in full auto. I really look forward to my Field Test Shooting Review of the Umarex Legends MP 40!
Not to be out shadowed or forgotten in the preview video, I also show off another 2017 SHOT Show CO2 Blowback Air Pistol, the Umarex Beretta APX! Right away the Umarex Beretta APX feels nice and solid in the hand weighing in at around 1.5 pounds with a heavy metal slide and really high quality plastic or polymer frame. You will find some nice details like a cut out ejection port and recessed barrel and of course full Beretta licensing from Umarex. The Umarex Beretta APX CO2 Blowback BB Pistol has a pretty decent claimed fps of close to 400 and a 20 round stick magazine that when inserted has that full size magazine look to it.
You'll also find other nice details like white dot sights front and back and a working slide catch release. My only gripe with the Beretta APX is the trigger, it does not ahed the trigger safety you would find on the real steel Beretta APX and the action is very long and perhaps a bit heavy. Other than that the Umarex Beretta APX looks to be a really nice replica airgun.
Type: Nerf Gun. Manufacturer: Nerf Hasbro Model:Rival Zeus MXV-1200. Materials: Mostly plastic build. Weight: About 3 pounds with batteries installed. Ages: 14+ (My son is 10 and he is more than OK with this gun!) Propulsion: Electric flywheel 6x C batteries. Action: Semi auto. Ammunition Type: Nerf High-impact round balls. Ammunition Capacity: 12 round tube magazine. Max FPS: 100.
Trigger Pull: The trigger on the Nerf Rival Zeus MXV-1200 is a little long and requires a firm trigger finger but it is not overly heavy. When you press the trigger it allows a Nerf High-impact round ball to advance into the motorized spinning flywheel area where the ball is accelerated and shot out of the inline barrel .
Accuracy: Keep in mind the Nerf Rival Zeus MXV-1200 is designed as a fun in home battle gun so long range accuracy is not really that important. At up to 30 feet or so you shoudl have no problem hitting a person sized target. The Nerf High-impact round balls do come out the the barrel with a fair amount of spin so some random hooking can happen, usually the spin is more of a backspin that helps keep the ammo targeting in a more linear trajectory.
Build Quality: The Nerf Rival Zeus MXV-1200 like most Nerf guns is built to take a fair bit of a beating since the target audience has mainly been kids and we know they are rarely careful with anything ;) The Nerf Rival Zeus MXV-1200 is mainly plastic but as I mentioned it is high quality and so far has held up well to usage. Fit is good with all interchangeable parts working well and the finish has stayed pretty much pristine!
Realism: Nerf guns are not made to be too realistic since they are meant to be toys and not look too closely like a real gun, hence the brightly colored plastic and more futuristic design. I do like the addition of Picatinny styled rails in several locations where one can add accessories like magazine clips, red dots or even a tactical light or laser sight.
Pros:
Not as extreme as a Paintball gun but a little more intense than a standard Nerf gun.
Good build quality overall.
Easy to quickly swap out a fresh 12 rode tube magazine.
Flip up sights
Picatinny raise for adding accessories.
Decent power and accuracy for a Nerf style gun.
Semit auto action for fast follow up shots.
Cons:
Will use up batteries pretty quickly.
Flywheel will slow down when shooting close together semi auto shots.
Loading magazines does take some getting use to.
Comments: The Nerf Rival Zeus MXV-1200 is a great option for pretty much anyone looking for a fun battle gun you can use indoors in your home with no worries about breaking windows or messing up your house. not to mention leaving west all over your body! The Nerf Rival Zeus MXV-1200 is going to be a bit more extreme than a standard Nerf gun for sure but way more toned down compares to a paintball gun or even an airsoft gun so if you want some good old rainy day indoor fun then checkout the Nerf Rival line of Nerf guns.
My Vimeo Table Top Full Review for the Nerf Rival Zeus MXV-1200:
I had a chance to take out my Swiss Arms SA 92 Stainless Version and Swiss Arms SA 1911 Tactical Rail System CO2 Blowback BB Pistols and see how they performed in the Sea Can Airgun Shooting range and they did pretty good, I have treated very similar KWC version of these guns in previous videos and for the most part the Swiss Arms Stainless Versions are just a little prettier cosmetically. I didn't test out the Swiss Arms SA 1911 Seventies Stainless Pistol since I expect it would have performed the same as the other 1911 in this Field Test Shooting Video.
So how did they do? First off I fired five rounds through my now almost perfectly working Chrony Chronograph and the SA 92 ended up shotgun a little faster with an average of right around 320 fps while the Swiss Arms SA 1911 Tactical shot an average of 302 fps. I was using brand new Sig Sauer CO2 and RWS Match Grade Precision Steel 4.5mm BB's for the entire review.
Moving on to the accuracy, I setup in my rested position which is about 30 feet back for the paper target. I was sitting and using a sand bag to rest the pistols on for stability. This gives me a very stable shooting position but there is still a little human factor involved since the guns are not locked in place. Both CO2 Blowback BB Pistols shot about a 2 inch 10 round grouping but the Swiss Arms SA 1911 had better shot placement pretty much hitting exactly where I aimed it, the Swiss Arms SA 92 Stainless on the other hand wanted to shot rather low, I had to place my aim at the top of the rings to get the SA 92 to hit near the bullseye. It did shoot really well left to right, unfortunately the Swiss Arms SA 92 Stainless does not seem to have a hop-up adjustment so you may have to adjust your aim point higher than normal with this one.
Both guns had great single action triggers with heavy blowback operation, I did find the Swiss Arms SA 1911 Stainless Tactical had a bit of a sticky slide when I first shot it but after a few shots it smoothed out. If you're looking for a KWA / Cybergun 1911 or Taurus PT 92 Blowback Airgun and want it ti have a little more curb appeal then make sure to checkout the Swiss Arms Stainless series of CO2 Blowback BB Pistols.
Another 4.5mm Steel BB Field Test Shooting Review from the new Sea Can Airgun Shipping Container Shooting Range. Yes it's a Crosman but it's really made by KWC and is based on the KWC Beretta / Taurus M92. Depending on which version you get, it came in either semi auto only or semi auto and full auto selectable. The Crosman version does shoot right out of the box in both semi and full auto which is nice.
On to my performance results with the Crosman PFAM98 Taurus PT-92 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol. My feet per second velocity results using a brand new CO2 in a 22-23 celcius environment where right up around 333 fps from a 5 shot string. This is about what we are use to from KWC full blowback CO2 BB Pistols.
Moving on to accuracy, I shot 10 rounds at my paper target which is setup about 30 feet away. I was also using a rested seated shooting position with my hands and gun resting on a sandbag upfront. I did have to reset this test as one of my cameras did not cooperate the first time around and this may have effected the accuracy juts a bit as velocity spread can make the BB's spread out a bit especially high and low on target. I did get a nice 5 shot group that was in a tight under one inch group but some of the other 4.5mm Steel BB's did shot higher and lower leaving the tighter grouping.
When I put the Crosman PFAM98 Taurus PT-92 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol in full auto mode and released the last 10 or so BB's they of course sprayed the target randomly. This was expected with the heavy blowback and fast shooting.
Another Airgun Shipping Container (Sea Can) Shooting video and for this indoor filed test I put the KWC - Cybergun M45A1 1911 CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol through its paces.
What I am super happy about is that my Chrony Chronograph seems to be working really well as I tested a pellet, steel BB and Airsoft pistol out today and every single round through my Chrony got a reading :)
Now back to the Field Test Shooting Review at hand... I started off by placing 5 shots through my Chrony Chronograph using a brand new CO2 with .20 gram Airsoft BB's and got a really consistent reading for all 5 shots with an average of 357. The lowest shot was 353 and the fastest shot was 364 so all shots where really close in velocity. The container temperature was a near perfect shooting temperature of 23 degrees Celsius which was ideal for optimal CO2 velocity testing.
During my accuracy portion of this Field Shooting Test. I used my new seated in the back and sand bag rested up front shooting position which is about 30 feet back from my paper target. I did notice during my Chrony testing that the Cybergun KWC Colt 1911 Rail Gun M45 A1 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol liked to shoot a bit high, perhaps the hop-up needs a bit of twerking? So for my accuracy testing I shot at the bottom ring of the target, this helped me get more shots on the paper for sure but the Airsoft BB's still moved around a bit vertically. I was able to get about a 4-5 inch 10 shot grouping which is totally acceptable for a close range Airsoft sidearm and in an Airsoft battle I would think even shooting at about 50 feet or so I could easily hit a persons mid section consistently.
The Cybergun KWC Colt 1911 Rail Gun M45 A1 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol has a ton of blowback kick to it and a super nice single action trigger like all the KWC 1911's The modern Tactical coloration and trimmings makes this pistol a great choice as a present day side arm. It's real looker for sure with performance to match!
For my first official Field Test Shooting Video I test out the Crosman American Classic P1322 22 Caliber Pellet Pistol! Perhaps I should start calling these videos Sea Can or Shipping Container Shooting videos? Anyway, like always I put some rounds through the Chronograph to see what kind of real world fps I get from the Crosman American Classic P1322 22 Caliber Pellet Pistol. You will all be happy to know the Chrony is working really well in its new home. I played around with it a bit and found that using the light kit I bought gets me very consistent fps readings :)
Since the Crosman American Classic P1322 22 Caliber Pellet Pistol is a multi-pump airgun there is no real need to shoot more than 3 or so shots, after all there is a fair amount of pumping involved. After three consistent test shots the variation was only about 2 fps apart coming in at an average of 491 fps using Crosman flathead pellets that I would say are around 12-13 grain in weight. Just for fun a did a half pump only cracking the Crosman American Classic P1322 22 Caliber Pellet Pistol 5 times to see what a half power shot would result in and it did scrub off about 200 fps, still good enough for target plinking.
Next up I performed my accuracy test shooting from close to 30 feet back on a paper target using a rested position, (sitting in the back with my hands resting on a sand bag). Still a bit of human factor involved but stable enough to get a good idea of the accuracy for the Crosman American Classic P1322 22 Caliber Pellet Pistol. I had a bit of a camera technical problem so I ended up performing this test twice, the first time I got about a 3/4 inch 5 shot group. The second time I rushed it a bit and ended up widening out the group a little.
Overall the Crosman American Classic P1322 22 Caliber Pellet Pistol is a really great target and even small pest close range pistol that you can pickup at a very affordable price. I really wish we carried a few of the Crosman airguns, at least ones like this, perhaps down the road...
Well the Shipping Container Office and Airgun Shooting Range is finally all ready to use and so for this first ever airguns shooting video in it, I simply wanted to try out a couple of airguns and see how this new setup worked. I also wanted to play around with some camera position setup to see how it all looked and if there will be any additional lighting or placement considerations.
I've already done Table Top Video Review for both the ASG CZ Scorpion VZ61 and the ASG B&T BT5 AEG 6mm Airsoft Guns so make sure to checkout both those videos.
What I hav not done so far is make a Filed Test Shooting video for either gun since this winter has been rather brutal here in BC Canada. Today I did manage to get outside and put some rounds through both the ASG CZ Scorpion VZ61 and the ASG B&T BT5 AEG 6mm Airsoft Guns so at least I can report back to everyone on how they performed for me. Sorry still no actual shooting video as my outside time was kind of limited due to it still being cold, we are even expecting some more snow tonight and over the next few days and it's March!
Getting back to my preliminary shooting testing, the ASG CZ Scorpion VZ61 only shot a slight bit higher then 250 but it was the more accurate of the two AEG Airsoft Guns getting close to a 1 inch 10 shot grouping using my standard 30 foot back semi rested shooting position. It did shoot a bit low but perhaps a hop-up adjustment should fix that problem.
Next up I tested out the ASG B&T BT5 MP5 PDW Replica and it did have a little more power hitting closer to 300 fps but it was not as accurate as the CZ shooting a bit high and to the left with most shots within about 1.5 inches, still pretty decent from 30 feet back.
Overall both AEG Airsoft Guns where fun to shoot and when I did let them lose to shoot in full auto mode they performed as expected laying down a stream of Airsoft BB's till the mags where empty :)
Materials: Steel, aluminum and plastic (polymer) construction.
Weight: 3.22 pounds (1460 grams).
Length: 15.7 inches (398mm).
Propulsion: AEG.
Action: Full auto only.
Ammunition Type: 6mm Airsoft BB's
Ammunition Capacity: 90 round magazines (Comes with 2).
FPS: 360+.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the RWA KG-9 AEG Airsoft Machine Pistol is what you would expect form an AEG pistol as it is basically an on/off switch. Since the RWA KG-9 AEG Airsoft Machine Pistol is full auto only it is not easy to shoot a single shot, it can be done with a very short trigger pull but even then you get the occasional multiple shot. The RWA KG-9 AEG Airsoft Machine Pistol like the real steel original version is full auto only and that's what makes it so fun!
Accuracy: I did get a chance to take the RWA KG-9 AEG Airsoft Machine Pistol outside and put some rounds through my Chronograph and down range at a paper target. I averaged just under 340 fps using .20 gram 6mm Airsoft BB's which is about perfect for this compact machine pistol. I also placed about 10 rounds down range 30 feet back using my standard semi rested shooting position while trying to shoot in semi auto and got a pretty decent 1.5 to 2 inch grouping that was a little high but well centered left to right. Elevation could be adjusted using the hop-up.
Build Quality: The RWA KG-9 AEG Airsoft Machine Pistol is really one of the best made Airsoft guns I have seen in a while, all the metal parst are going to be real steel or aluminum, not your standard zinc alloy found in most airguns these days. The full upper is stamped steel along with the 90 round magazines, the lower is plastic with a few aluminum parts here and there. The fit and finish is also excellent!
Realism: The RWA KG-9 AEG Airsoft Machine Pistol is a replica of the Swedish made Interdynamic KG9 Open Bolt SMP, not the ntratec Tec-9 which was the American version of the KG9. For the most part the RWA Airsoft version is exact with the exception of the barrel shroud being slightly longer to accommodate the 7.4v LiPo batteries.
Pros:
Lots of steel in this gun including full upper, barrel, pins and magazines.
Very high quality build with a solid weight and excellent fit and finish.
Fairly high rate full auto fire.
Comes with battery and two magazines.
Has almost perfect usable working rate of fire averaging around 340 fps with decent overall accuracy.
Working cocking handle.
Fully Licensed.
Cons:
No blowback but there is some recoil feel from the heavy spring action.
No semi auto mode, full auto only.
Sights are not adjustable, can only use hop-up to adjust elevation.
Limited on battery choices.
Comments:
The RWA KG-9 AEG Airsoft Machine Pistol is a really cool looking Airsoft gun, it is a bit larger than most hand guns but could still be used like one since it does not have a stock and can be used for similar shooting situations. The advantage is you have 90 rounds of full auto ammo at your disposal in a size format that is super compact and easy to manoeuvre. You also get some pretty decent power for longer range shooting and the accuracy out of the box at a variety of ranges is also really good. You could even use the RWA KG-9 AEG Airsoft Machine Pistol easily as a primary or even kick ass backup gun as it is super versatile.
Watch my Vimeo Table Top Review of the RWA KG-9 AEG Airsoft Machine Pistol:
This year at SHOT Show 2017 in Las Vegas, I found there wasn’t a lot of new Airgun products but as always there are some that stood out for me. If you want more info on each Airgun Company then make sure to watch my full interviews for this years SHOT Show 2017. So without prolonging this video any longer let’s get right into it…
Umarex Legends MP CO2 Full Auto German MP40 Replica Machine-gun:
What’s not to like about the Umarex Legends MP? It has lots of metal parts weighing in at 7.7 pounds, a 60 round steel BB magazine with a dual 12 gram CO2 system. You also get your choice of shooting either in semi auto or full auto at up to 400 fps. Personally the Umarex Legends MP was the most interesting Airgun at the show this year for me and I really think it is going to be a hit!
Umarex SA10 Blowback Pellet and BB CO2 Pistol:
Another interesting product from Umarex this year was the SA10, I am not really sure what it is exactly styled after, it’s more of a futuristic looking gun with slide venting and a thread barrel for adding a mock suppressor or compensator. What appealed to me most about the Umarex SA10 was the new magazine design that incorporates a full size drop out metal magazine with 4 rotary 8 round magazines that can be loaded with either pellets or BB’s. When you empty one 8 shot magazine you simply drop the entire mag out and swap your empty 8 shot rotary magazine for a full one. The SA10 has a nice weight of around 2 pounds and shoots up to 426 fps.
Sig Sauer ASP P320 CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistol:
Sig Sauer introduced their new Sig Sauer ASP P320 CO2 Pellet Pistol this year that will be replacing the P250. Like the P250 the Sig P320 has a metal slide and polymer frame but instead of a double sided 16 shot rotary magazine, the Sig ASP P320 has a newly designed and very unique 30 round belt fed magazine. That’s nearly double the capacity without having to flip the magazine around part way through shooting. It’s great to see innovations like this happening in the airgun market.
Crosman Remington 1875 Shell Loading CO2 Pellet and BB Revolver:
Crosman introduced their own Single Action Old West Revolver this year in the form of the Remington 1875. Like the super popular Umarex Single Action Army Revolvers, the Remington 1875 is also shell loading and uses 12 gram CO2. You have the option of shooting either Pellets or BB’s out of its smooth bore barrel. I expect the Crosman Remington 1875 Shell Loading Revolver to be another popular Old West Airgun Revolver.
Crosman PSM45 Single Shot Spring Powered BB Pistol:
The Crosman PSM45 at first glance may not seem that interesting, after all it’s all plastic on the outside and only shoots about 200 fps! On the plus side it kind of looks like a Glock and we all know how hard it is to find airguns these days that resemble a Glock. I also like the fact that there is no need for any CO2, and most springers out there look like springers while the Crosman PSM45 looks like a real semi auto pistol. The PSM45 even has pretty decent weight to it since there are lots of internal metal parts and a full size drop out metal magazine which was a real surprise in such an entry level low cost pistol. If you’re looking for a fun inexpensive replica plinker than the Crosman PSM45 should fit the bill. On a side not the PSM45 would also make a really great low cost prop since the slide does work and it has that full size drop out magazine!
ASG Dan Wesson 715 2.5 and 4 inch Shell Loading CO2 Revolvers:
The ASG Dan Wesson Revolver has always been a popular choice, and then the Dan Wesson 715 came out improving on the design by adding extra weight and smoothing out the mechanics. How do you top that? Well by giving us some more options like barrel lengths. You now have your choice of a 2.5, 4 or 6 inch barrel for the Dan Wesson 715 and of course you will be able to buy your 715 pick in 4.5mm Steel BB, 6mm Plastic Airsoft or .177 Caliber Pellet ammunition versions. My personal choice may be the 4 inch Dan Wesson 715 since it has the addition of an integrated accessory rail machined into the outer barrel for lasers or tach lights.
Gletcher M1944 Mosin Nogant CO2 BB Rifle:
The Gletcher M1944 Mosin Nogant CO2 BB Rifle is not a new replica gun this year but it has been a hard one to get your hands on. In fact up until SHOT Show 2017 I had never seen one in person and so the Gletcher M1944 is new to me. I was very impressed with the quality of the Gletcher M1944 Mosin Nogant, it has a lot of metal parts including the swing out bayonet and even the simulated wood stock looks like real wood. I even had to take a second look and ask before confirming that the stock is in fact plastic on the Gletcher M1944 Mosin Nogant. I am looking forward to reviewing this rifle in the future when I do finally get one!
Of course there where other interesting products at SHOT Show 2017 this year but those are the products that stood out the most for me. Again make sure to watch my full interview videos to find out more about all the new products at this years SHOT Show.
And finally my last Vimeo video from SHOT Show 2017 in Las Vegas! Sorry there is no Interview this time with KWA but I did talk a lot with the KWA folks over at SHOT Show this year and I even got to test out their Laser Targeting System designed to be used with several specifi KWA guns by laser-ammo.com.
Unfortunately we don't carry the KWA brand in the replica Airguns store, a few models sneak in when being distriubted by another company like ASG in the case of the ASG MP9. I would love to carry KWA Airsoft Products in the future since they really do make very high quality Airsoft guns.
KWA has a great selection of Airsoft pistols and rifles in both Gas Blowback and AEG formats. The quality reminds me of the KJWors Airsoft guns we sell in the Replica Airguns Canada Store, you can really feel the quality when you pick them up and hold them for yourself.
My last Interview for SHOT Show 2017 in Las Vegas, well at least till next year and I am already looking forward to going back and doing it all over again :) I met with Boris Shekhman from Gletcher and Boris showed me several of their Gletcher Airguns along with a new accessory introduced this year.
Probably the highlight at the Gletcher booth was the Gletcher M1944 Mosin Nagant CO2 4.5mm Steel BB Bolt Action full stock air rifle! I already reviewed the Gletcher M1891 short stock version but have been really looking forward to seeing the Gletcher M1944 Mosin Nagant in person. Interestingly, Boris was asked by the SHOT Show staff to remove the Gletcher M1944 Mosin Nagant from his display because the real metal swing out bayonet was a concern for them. Boris was kind enough to bring out the Gletcher M1944 for me to see and video for everyone. The full stock however is not real wood but you need to look super close to figure this out as the reproduction is incredible.
We took a look at another Gletcher Airgun I have reviewed in the past, the Gletcher NGT and Gletcher NGT R which are very acurate Steel BB and Pellet shooting reproductions of the Belgian Nagant Revolver. Both these BB and Pellet shooting NGT's are getting a slight make-over with the addition of a safety on them, the real steel versions do not have a safety but some dealers felt it was a concern so Gletcher moving forward will be including a safety on all new NGT's. So if you want a more original Gletcher NGT Nagant Revolver then hurry up and pickup the older non-safety versions while they are still available!
Last on the list of new products from Gletcher are some really great looking leather holsters that not only work for several Gletcher airgun products but can also be used for the same real steel versions. Some of the pistols these new leather holsters will accommodate are the Gletcher TT Tokarev, 1911, Grach, PM 1951 Makarov, and the Stechkin.
Next up from SHOT Show 2017 in Las vegas, I bring you my Umarex Interview with Bradley Burgin! Bradley showcases two new pistol from Umarex Airguns. First we take a look at the Umarex SA10 CO2 Blowback Pellet and BB Pistol. The Umarex SA10 has a unique full size drop our metal magazine that not only holds the CO2 but also houses 4 8 shot rotary magazines that can be pre loaded and then hot swapped as required. Each 8 shot rotary magazine can be loaded with either 4.5mm Steel BB's or .177 caliber pellets. The Umarex SA10 comes in at a hefty 2 pounds and can shoot up to 426 fps. The barrel is also threaded for attaching an optional mock silencer.
Next up Bradley showed me the ultra realistic and fully licensed Beretta APX which is a Blowback CO2 BB Pistol that like its real steel big brother has a locking metal slide and polymer frame. The Umarex Beretta APX has a 19 round stick magazine and shoots 4.5mm steel BB's at 400 fps.
Last but not least and perhaps the most exciting product from Umarex for me was the Umarex Legends MP. The Legends MP is a replica of the German MP40 submachine gun and even has semi and full auto selectability! The Umarex Legends MP is a mostly metal rifle and comes in at 7.7 pounds. The full size magazine holds two CO2 cartridges along with 60 4.5mm steel BB's for an almost endless supply of ammo :) The Umarex Legends MP like the real German MP40 has a metal folding stock and propels steel BB's at 400 fps.
This Vimeo Unboxing Preview Video focuses on two AR M4 styled AEG Airsoft Rifles. The G&G CM16 Rifles are all pretty much the same other than the barrel lengths and come in the following versions, the CM16 SRS, CM16 SRL and CM16 SRXL. I also showcase the Umarex HK M27 which is distributed by Umarex but made by VFC which is knwo for their high quality products. I will be following up this Preview Unboxing Video with individual more detailed Review videos for each AEG AR M4 rifle.
This Unboxing Preview Video focuses on three Bullpup designed AEG Airsoft Rifles. The two Steyr Aug Bullpups are distributed through ASG while the IWI Tavor 21 is distributed via Umarex. In this Unboxing Preveiw video I take each gun out of the box and go over some basic specification and show you around each AEG Bullpup Rifle a little bit. I will be following up this Preview Unboxing Video with individual more detailed Review videos for each AEG rifle.
Here are some of the basic Specifications for each AEG Airsoft Rifle.
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:
Power Sources Covered in this review: CO2 - Green Gas / Propane - Spring - AEG / AEP (Automatic Electric Gun - Airsoft Electric Pistol)
Pro’s:
CO2 Airsoft Guns allow for fast repeat shooting, great for action shooters, generally CO2 Airsoft Guns will have a little more power then Green Gas Airsoft Guns. There is no need to pump or cock your CO2 powered Airsoft gun in-between shots and a CO2 power source can allow for a very realistic action of the gun you are shooting.
Green Gas (Propane) Airsoft Guns operate much the same as CO2 Airsoft guns so they all make for great action shooters and the Green Gas powers the mechanical operation allowing for very realistic operation. Green Gas (Propane) Airsoft Guns can cost a little bit less to operate that a CO2 Airsoft Gun especially if you plan to use Propane as it can be cheaper to buy than the smaller 12 gram CO2 Cartridges.
Spring Airsoft Guns are generally fairly basic and low cost so they are the usually the most affordable Airsoft guns to buy. There is no need to buy CO2 or Green Gas or even a Battery and Charger Setup so the cost to shoot Spring Airsoft Guns is only going to be subject to the Airsoft BB’s you plan on buying.
AEG (Automatic Electric Guns) have the most consistent power as they use a spring internally that the electric motor draws back before each shot, the internal spring will essentially apply the same force to the Airsoft BB’s with each shot. AEG (Automatic Electric Guns) are a great option when you are wanting a Full Auto Airsoft gun since there is no cool down effect and as long as your batteries are charged and you have Airsoft BB’s in your magazine, the gun will simply keep shooting. AEG (Automatic Electric Guns) allow for the highest capacity magazines and often hold as many as 500 Airsoft BB’s in a single magazine. So if you’re looking for raw firepower an AEG or AEP Airsoft Gun is your best option. Once you have purchased your AEG (Automatic Electric Gun) and a battery and charger setup, they are fairly inexpensive to operate since no CO2 or Green Gas is required.
Con’s:
CO2 Airsoft Guns require the additional cost to buy the CO2 cartridges as they will not function without it. CO2 Airsoft Guns have a limited power output and lose power as you shoot and use up the CO2. CO2 Airsoft Guns are effected by hot and cold temperatures and will have less power in colder temperatures and may not even work in super cold environments. CO2 Airsoft Guns will have a more conservative ammunition capacity since too high of a capacity magazine would freeze up the magazine and even the gun.
Again since Green Gas (Propane) Airsoft Guns work much like CO2 Airsoft Guns, they are effected by cool down and lose power when shoot quickly or as the Green Gas or Propane runs low. Green Gas does not expand as much as CO2 so it will not be as powerful and even less effective in colder temperatures. Green Gas Airsoft Guns will have a more conservative ammunition capacity since too high of a capacity magazine would freeze up.
Spring Airsoft Guns are not the best action shooters since you need to manually operate the slide to pullback the spring prior to each shot, this does work well with Pump, Lever and Bolt Action Airsoft guns but is not the best option for pistols since most real steel pistols operate in semi auto mode.
If you plan to use your AEG (Automatic Electric Gun) in a battle then it will require a multi battery setup which does cost a bit more upfront. AEG (Automatic Electric Guns) are know to not operate as realistically as a CO2 or Green Gas Airsoft gun since CO2 and Green Gas Guns do allow for the same realistic mechanical operation which can give very believable blowback operation, this is hard to replica with an AEG Airsoft Gun.
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.
My 5 shot Chronograph test resulted in a much lower than expected average velocity of around 265 fps, the ASG CZ 75 P-07 Duty CO2 Airsoft Pistol did start off in the mid350 range but then suddenly drop into the mid 200 fps range and according to ASG's rating, we should of been getting closer to 400 fps so something may have been up with this gun? My 10 shot accuracy test from 30 feet out using a semi rested position came in at around 4 inches. I am happy to say that my shots did seem to get to the target a bit faster than I was expecting with such a low fps chronograph testing. In terms of shot placement the ASG CZ 75 P-07 Duty CO2 Airsoft Pistol shot a bit high and to the left so you may have to adjust your aim point since there is no hop-up or windage adjustments on this pistol.
I was expecting a lot more power from the ASG CZ 75 P-07 Duty CO2 Airsoft Pistol since the 4.5mm Steel BB version of this same gun even with blowback operation still got an average of closer to 350 fps? I do like the lighter single action trigger the blowback version offers but the double action trigger of the non-blowback version is pretty good, not too heavy and fairly smooth. You can also expect to get at least 100 shots or more from a single 12 gram CO2 which makes this an relatively inexpensive gun overall.
Watch my Vimeo Video Field Test for the ASG CZ 75 P-07 Duty CO2 Airsoft Pistol:
