Type: AEG Airsoft Rifles Manufacturer:Specna Arms. Model:Edge SA-X01 Materials: Mostly metal/aluminum. Weight: 5.52 pounds ( 2.50 kg). Total Length: 23.5-27 inches (597-686mm). Barrel: 10.63 inch (270) inner 6.03mm tight bore barrel non rifled. Propulsion: AEG. Action: Single action semi & full auto. Ammunition Type: .6mm plastic Airsoft BB’s. Ammunition Capacity: High cap 380 round magazines. FPS: 380 fps with installed spring, included M90 spring will be lower fps.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Specna Arms Edge SA-X01 AEG Airsoft Rifle is fairly shot and light, it is basically a simple off off switch as it is not mechanical but rather electric. For this reason there is no real creep or feel of a release. When you get to a point in the trigger you close a circuit that activates the electors motor cycling the spring.
Accuracy: At this time I have not made my Field Test Shooting Video or even shot the Specna Arms Edge SA-X01 AEG Airsoft Rifle, I am planning to make a video for this rifle next week if all goes well. I have reviewed other Specna Ames Core products in the past and made Field test Videos for them so perhaps check one of those videos out in the time being for a bit of a heads up of what you can expect from the Specna Arms Core SA-J73 AEG Airsoft Rifle.
Build Quality: Specna Arms Airsoft Rifles are made of good quality no matter if you go with the Core or Edge versions. You will still get a quality product with quality materials and metal parts where you need them. The Edge Series offers upgrades like more metal parts, improved gearboxes and electronics along with additional accessories but you pay a bit rmeo for the added quality and add ons.
Realism: The Specna Arms Edge SA-X01 AEG Airsoft Rifle is based on the AR15 or M16 platform of course in a very modern compact PDW styled. It looks and feels the part for sure with lots of working parts including the safety, selector switch, charging handle, dust cover, adjustable rear stock, pop-up front and rear sights as you would expect. Most of the hardware should be interchangeable with a real steel AR if you want to personalize the look of your Specna Arms Rifle.
Pros:
Very high quality product with quality components throughout (Already listed in Specifications).
4 positions rear stock.
ESA™ quick spring change system makes spring changes quick and easy.
Comes with two springs for potential indoor and outdoor usage.
Almost all metal build.
Removable fully adjustable pop-up sights.
No orange tips on our Canada Store versions.
Lots of rial mounting options using M-LOK System..
Comes with a fore grip and deans connector and two magazines.
Easy access to motor for any possible trouble shooting you any need to do.
I love the compact size. perfect for close closer quarters situations.
Cons:
Much higher cost than Core Series.
Magazine capacity is low but comes with two magazine.
You will need a very specific compact battery setup for this Specna Arms model.
Comments:
I for sure like the look of the Specna Arms Edge SA-X01 AEG Airsoft Rifle, but more than that you get a really great Compact PDW Airsoft Rifle at a reasonable price with a ton of quality components and a mostly all metal build. Specna Arms even includes an additional magazine in the box. You could go with one of their Core series of Airsoft Rifles in a similar PDW and save a bit of money but if you can afford the upgrade then I would go for this version as you will not need to upgrade it in the future and that alone will save you some money over time. I would suggest adding a couple Lipo batters and a good charger to your shopping cart and maybe even an couple more magazines.
My Vimeo Table Top Review for the Specna Arms Edge SA-X01 AEG Airsoft Rifle:
Type: AEG Airsoft Rifles Manufacturer:Specna Arms. Model:Core SA-J73 Materials: Fiberglass reenforced plastic and metal/aluminum. Weight: 5.7 pounds (2.59 kg). Total Length: 23.4 - 32.6 inches (594 - 828mm). Barrel: 15.7 inch (399mm) inner 6.03mm tight bore barrel non-rifled. Propulsion: AEG. Action: Single action semi & full auto. Ammunition Type: .6mm plastic Airsoft BB’s. Ammunition Capacity: High cap 430 round magazine. FPS: 370-380 fps with installed spring, included M90 spring will be lower fps.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Specna Arms Core SA-J73 AEG Airsoft Rifle is similar to a light single action trigger as essentially the trigger is non-mechanical, but rather it is more like an electrical on off switch. There is a little bit of take up with virtually no extra friction to let you know when the release is, with a bit of use you will figure out exactly when the trigger will release the action.
Accuracy: At this time I have not made my Field Test Shooting Video or even shot the Specna Arms Core SA-J73 AEG Airsoft Rifle, I am planning to make this video for next week if all goes well. I have reviewed other Specna Ames Core products in the past and made Field test Videos for them so perhaps check one of those videos out in the time being for a bit of a heads up of what you can expect from the Specna Arms Core SA-J73 AEG Airsoft Rifle.
Build Quality: One thing I can say, is no matter if you get the Core or Edge version of the Specna Arms AEG Air Rifles, you are getting extremely good value for your money, and neither one is going to have any low quality parts in it. Even the lower cost Core Series will have fiber glass reenforced plastic and metal parts along with a metal gearbox and virtually almost the same build as the more premium and higher priced Edge Series. You will get upgrades in the Edge Series like an aluminum receiver and buffer tube, a GATE X-ASR Mosfet, upgraded Gearboes, and an additional magazine.
Realism: The Specna Arms Core SA-J73 AEG Airsoft Rifle is based on the AK platform with a bit of a more modern look to it which includes a synthetic folding stock, a sight mounting system and a more modern magazine design. The Specna Arms Core SA-J73 AEG has lots of metal parts in it and has a good overall weight and feel to it which make is not too heavy or too light in my opinion. Our Canada version even come with a black flash hider rather than orange one which helps with realism.
Pros:
Very affordable price ($200 at time of video), yet very high quality product for what you pay.
Quality components throughout both the Core and Edge series.
Precision barrel internal 6.03mm diameter.
ESA™ quick spring change system makes spring changes quick and easy.
Comes with two springs for potential indoor and outdoor usage.
Plastic parts are fiberglass reenforced making them very durable.
Rear sight is adjustable on the fly for elevation.
No orange tips on our Canada Store versions.
Side mounting option for an optical or red dot sight system.
Metal V3 Gearboxes with metal gears and mostly all metal parts inside.
Decent amount of space for a battery.
Weight is about perfect, may actually too heavy with metal receiver?
Cons:
Plastic receiver.
Need to remove dust cover and use a screwdriver to adjust the hop-up.
No battery or charger included.
Comments:
The Specna Arms Core SA-J73 AEG Airsoft Rifle for right around $200 is not what I would expect for such a lower priced more entry level Airsoft Rifle. The build quality and components in this Airsoft Rifle are not budget by any means and when you hold it, it feels like a very high quality product. Sure you don’t get a battery or charger with it which you often find bundled with lower cost Airsoft Rifles, but generally these batteries and chargers are extremely entry level and will require upgrading almost immediately. So do yourself a favor and invest in a good battery setup if you do not already have one. If you’re in the market for an AK based AEG Airsoft Rifle and have a limited budget but still want a decent product, then I would recommend the Specna Arms Core SA-J73 AEG Airsoft Rifle for sure.
My Vimeo Table Top Review for the Specna Arms Core SA-C07-PDW AEG Airsoft Rifle:
Another box showed up at my door and this time I had no idea what was inside it, I asked the boys in the warehouse to surprise me and send some new product as I was low on review items, and in a couple of days later this tall somewhat large box showed up. In this Replica Airguns June Mystery Box Unboxing Video I open the box and take a look at what’s inside. I recommend you just watch the video and enjoy the suspense with me, but if you want to cheat and find out now, then look below at quick breakdown of each item…
What you can expect from this Field test Shooting Video for the Barra 1866 Junior Dual Ammo Pump Cowboy Rifle are two things for sure. I test out the velocity with both 4.5mm Steel BB’s and .177 caliber lead pellets, I also chuck both of these rounds downrange to see if one may be more accurate than the other and how close I can get a 5 shot grouping for each ammunition type. If you are looking for details and specifications and perhaps some more close up video of the Barra 1866 Junior Dual Ammo Pump Cowboy Rifle then you may want to watch my Table Top Video for it here.
If you have watched any of my hundreds of Field Test Videos, then you already know I start off shooting 5 or so rounds through my Chronograph to see what the average velocity is going to be. In this Field Test I shoot 3 rounds of each ammo type, 3 BB’s and 3 pellets since it is a pump Airgun and they tend to be more consistent than a CO2 Airgun. Barra claims around 350 fps, I am not sure if this is for BB’s or Pellets or both? As it turns out (spoiler alert), both ammo types performed about the same in both the velocity and accuracy portion of my testing. For BB’s, my chronograph testing got 303, 316 and 316 for an average of 312 fps. For pellets my chronograph results were 309, 309, 314 for an average of 311, so only 1 fps off between the two. Keep in mind the BB’s weigh around 5.1 grain while the pellets I was using were around 7 grain, so the pellets will be carrying more energy downrange and hit a bit harder. By the way they are also harder to load so I would suggest just shooting the steel BB’s in this one since you can keep the fun times flowing better...
Next up for my accuracy test of the Barra 1866 Junior Dual Ammo Pump Cowboy Rifle, I again shot both ammo types, but 5 rounds of each and just like the velocity test they matched each other almost exactly. Both the steel BB’s and lead pellets I was using shot really well centered left to right, maybe just a hair to the left and both shot just about an inch or so high on the bullseye I was aiming at 30 feet away. The 5 BB’s grouped nicely for me at about an inch while the pellets did get a slightly tighter 3/4 inch grouping for me in this test. I was using a semi rested shooting position sitting on a stool in the back with the rifle rested on a sand bag up front.
The Barra 1866 Junior Dual Ammo Pump Cowboy Rifle really surprised me in how it performed, It’s not going to be the most powerful BB/pellet cowboy rifle out there but compared to a Red Ryder it does have a bit more punch and in terms of accuracy I found it shot better for me than at least I can do with a Red Ryder type BB rifle. You also have the option of shooting BB’s or Pellets but I would recommend shooting BB’s since you have that 50 round hopper and the BB’s auto load when you pull the bolt back which is much easier than loading pellets with a pair of tweezers which is what I needed to do to get them in with my sausage fingers. One more thing to mention is I do not recommend pumping this air rifle more than 1 time, not only does the manual say not to, but there is little benefit in pumping it more times with only the risk to damaging the airgun. I pumped it 4 times and only got about 20 fps more out of it so just don’t do it. If you want a Cowboy style Air Rifle with a little more realism than say a Red Ryder but that shoots about the same then checkout the Barra 1866 Junior Dual Ammo Pump Cowboy Rifle.
Type: Lever/Pump Dual Ammo Rifle Manufacturer: Distributed by Barra. Model:Junior Dual Ammo Pump Cowboy Rifle. Materials: Mostly plastic, some metal. Weight: 4.1 pounds (1859 grams). Total Length: 36 inches (91.44mm). Barrel: 18 inches (45.7cm) metal rifled. Propulsion: Pump Compressed Air. Action: Lever/Pump Ammunition Type: .4.5mm steel BB’s & .177 Caliber Pellets. Ammunition Capacity: 50 BB’s in hopper, single shot Pellets. FPS: Claimed 350-400.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on Barra 1866 Junior Dual Ammo Pump Cowboy Rifle is respectable at about 5 pounds with a medium to short pull length. I would say it is perfect for novice shooters as it is not overly light so as not to go off easily by accident and not too heavy for youth shooters with less finger strength than adults. When you pull the bolt back to reload the ammo, the internal cocking mechanism is activated allowing for single action type shooting. You do need to activate the bolt with each shot.
Accuracy: My dedicated field test shooting video is planned for this week, so for now I have no idea what to expect in terms of velocity and accuracy from the Barra 1866 Junior Dual Ammo Pump Cowboy Rifle, other than it is claimed to shoot around 350 fps when using pellets. It does have an 18 inch rifles barrel which should contribute to helping a lot with accuracy, so I do have high expectations especially since it has a pretty good trigger and when looking down the sights they allow for a nice tight fix on the target. The rear stock is short but not so short that it feels cramped for an adult shooter which should also help when I perform my accuracy test.
Build Quality: The Barra 1866 Junior Dual Ammo Pump Cowboy Rifle is nothing special when it comes to materials being used in it. It is for the most plastic with the exception of the inner and outer barrel along with the rear sight and I would imagine some other internal parts. It does feel not so bad as it is a bit over 4 pounds and is smaller in nature so it feels solid enough in the hand. I wish the Pump/Lever was metal as it would of felt a bit more solid and would have added a bit more additional weight to the Barra 1866 Junior Dual Ammo Pump Cowboy Rifle. Fit and finish is good and overall the gun looks and feels good.
Realism: The Barra 1866 Junior Dual Ammo Pump Cowboy Rifle is essentially styled after the Old West Lever Action Cowboy Rifle, and it has everything we would expect other than loading shells which is available in other Lever Action Air Rifles if you don’t mind paying a premium for one. The lever is actually not a lever but more of a pump so the action and look of the lever is not exactly as you would expect from a true lever action rifle, but when it is locked in place it does look the part. The gold receiver and rifle band looks sharp and I feel matches up with the dark imitation wood stock nicely. One point to make is that the hammer is not the hammer but actually the safety and the bolt not only opens the breach area but also acts as the cocking mechanism for the internal hammer.
Pros:
Super easy to pump.
Fit and finish looks decent for a mostly plastic airgun.
In terms of realism it does look like a more compact lever action rifle for the most part
Can shoot either BB’s or Pellets.
Holds 50 BB’s in the hoper for quicker follow up shooting.
Metal octagon outer barrel adds addition weight to a mostly plastic gun.
Rear sight is metal and is also adjustable for elevation.
Trigger pull is pretty decent, not too light but is short and about 5 pounds.
Recessed barrel for added realism.
Made for kids but the shoulder pull length and sight placement works for adults too.
The gold receiver looks good and gives it a unique look.
Cons:
Mostly plastic build.
Manual says only one pump but I wonder why this is the case or perhaps just to deregulate it?
Pellets are hard to load especially if you have larger hands and fingers.
Comments:
The Barra 1866 Junior Dual Ammo Pump Cowboy Rifle is a competitor for products like the Red Ryder but it has a bit more realism in terms of looking more like a replica of a real steel Lever Action Cowboy Rifle. It also allows for shooting pellets and has an actual rifled barrel so hopefully this helps with accuracy. You can still kind of shoot it Lever Action Style when shooting BB’s but there is the addition of charging the bolt with each shot over and above working the Lever / Pump, so it will take a bit more time to get those follow up shots as compared to a Red Ryder BB Rifle. One other point to make is that the lever is actually not a lever but more of a pump since this is not spring powered but instead has an air reservoir which on this version only allows for one pump, but on the non-junior version you can pump it up to 10 times and get a claimed 800 fps out of it (US Version). I am going to try pumpkin the Barra 1866 Junior Dual Ammo Pump Cowboy Rifle up to three times to see if there is any difference in power but this could void your warranty if you damage the air reservoir by over pressuring it. So be good and only pump yours once as instructed in the manual.
Another Unboxing Update Video taking a look at two Rifles and two Revolvers. A shell loading CO2 dual ammo 1875 single action Remington branded Revolver from Crosman, an 1858 single action CO2 BB Revolver from Barra, another Barra product kind of like a Red Ryder BB Riffle but in dual ammo version with a much different loading system called the Barra 1866, and lastly a Cybergun CO2 Airsoft MP40 with a very different magazine setup than I have seen before.
My First Field Test Shooting Video since I got back from SHOT Show and it was nice to get some trigger time in with a crisp blowback CO2 BB Pistol! In this performance test of the Barra 009 Full Auto Blowback CO2 BB Pistol I find out what the velocity is using a brand new standard 12 gram CO2 shooting 4.5mm Steel BB’s through my Chronograph. I then setup a fresh paper target 30 feet down range and shoot 10 rounds into it in semi auto to see how tight of a grouping I can get. Since the Barra 009 Full Auto Blowback CO2 BB Pistol can also shoot in full auto I of course give the full auto selector a twist and see if I can get any rounds on the paper shooting a full mag dump. If you have not already watched my Table Top Video Review for the Barra 009 Full Auto Blowback CO2 BB Pistol then make sure to do so for details and specifications.
First up for my velocity test of the Barra 009 Full Auto Blowback CO2 BB Pistol, I shot 6 rounds through my Chronograph but only took the first 5 as they were the highest in fps. The slowest fps was 309 with the fastest shot hitting 325 fps, this averaged 317 fps which is about what I expected from a Full Blowback CO2 BB pistol from KWC. Temperature was about 20 degrees Celsius which is around 68 degrees Fahrenheit by the way so good to get middle of the road performance here.
I then placed my paper target up 30 feet downrange and using a semi rested shooting position (hands rested on a sandbag up front and sitting on a stool in the back), I shot 10 rounds into the target and was abel to get around a 2 inch shot grouping in semi auto. I did end up having to shoot rather high on the target to get near the bullseye so out of the box I would say the Barra 009 Full Auto Blowback CO2 BB Pistol shoots at least 6-8 inches low at 30 feet out. It did however shoot on the mark from side to side. Next I reloaded the magazine with 18 rounds and selected full auto. All I can tell you is the Barra 009 Full Auto Blowback CO2 BB Pistol has a crazy fast rate of fire and the gun was for the most part not very controllable as it was rocking back and forth a ton. I did get a few rounds on the target but do not suggest shooting in full auto unless your target is literally right in front of you as you probably will not hit it.
The Barra 009 Full Auto Blowback CO2 BB Pistol was about what I expected from a KWC Full Blowback CO2 BB Pistol and that’s a good thing. You can expect hard blowback action, a nice single action trigger. Decent accuracy in semi auto mode and enough velocity to put holes in cans 30-40 feet away. It did shoot rather low on the target then I would like to see, so you will have to aim at the top of your target to hit the bottom at least at 30 feet away. If you like a Semi Auto Full Blowback BB Pistol that has the option of shooting in full auto and looks a bit like a Glock, then the Barra 009 Full Auto Blowback CO2 BB Pistol may be a good option for you!
Many Canadians ask about options for what they perhaps could use for home defense since we are not allowed to really use any kind of a weapon to defend ourselves. A product classified as “Less Lethal” may be of interest to people living in Canada. I interviewed Byrna, just such a company that offers alternatives to standard “Lethal Interventions” for self protection and Josh from Byrna was kind enough to go over their pistol and rifle offerings specifically built to shoot paintball type ammunition for the purpose of stopping bad guys.
I am hoping this is a product we will be able to add to our online Replica Airgun Stores, as they do tick the boxes for import into Canada such as shooting well under 500 fps, yet having the ability to cause serious injury so as to allow them to be considered a non regulated firearm.
I don’t believe I have ever interviewed EKOL at SHOT Show in the past. I have dropped by their booth and taken a look at their product line and chatted but this year EKOL had some new and interesting products that I feel fit in nicely with Replica Airguns products and Replica Airgun enthusiasts.
In this EKOL SHOT Show 2024 Interview Omer from EKOL goes over three Airguns that are new for this year. The EKOL ES P92 which is a CO2 BB Blowback Beretta 92 Replica but rather than rebrand a KWC made version, EKOL makes their own in their own factory and it is very unique compared to other CO2 BB Blowback Beretta 92’s on the market.
Another product form EKOL based on the ES P92 Pistol is the EKOL ES P95B which I would call an SMG or submachine gun with a folding stock, but it only shoots in semi auto and is based off of EKOL’s ES 92 mechanically.
Lastly, Omer showed me one of their Replica Pellet Rifles, the EKOL AK which is a break barrel AK Replica Spring Piston Pellet Rifle that really looks a lot like an AK 47. EKOL also makes a very believable AR/M16 Break Barrel Pellet Rifle as well!
We have not carried much if any of the EKOL product line over the last few years so hopefully we can get some of these into our Online Replica Airguns Stores as they should even be legal for import into Canada.
This year at the KWA Booth I had the pleasure of running into John, and we went over a bunch of new items KWA had on display. John was even rocking a similar pair of Ray Ban Meta AI Glasses which made us look a little bit like twins…
In this KWA SHOT Show Interview John higgled the following products from KWA: The KWA ATP-Z and ATP-CT Optics Ready GBB AIrsoft Pistols which are convertible to SMG versions, along with a new prototype TAC-9 GBB Airsoft Rifle.
KWA AIrsoft products have always been one of favoriteAirsoft guns for their quality, looks and performance. They tend to offer a lot of Gas Blowback options which I really appreciate as a Replica AIrgun Collector.
It’s alwasy nice to have a chat with Bob at ASG, I have been interviewing him for years now and really missed not being at SHOT Show the last three years. As always, Bob really knows the ASG product line inside and out and took us through some of the new products and changes to the ASG lineup in 2024.
Some of the products include: The ASG CZ P-10 C CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol, the Steyr L9-A2 CO2/Gas Blowback Airsoft Pistol, the USW Gas Blowback Airsoft Pistol, the new Hybrid Airsoft line including the CO2 Blowback H-22 and the AEG H-15, the ICS Ape SE AEG Airsoft Rifle, and lastly the ICS Carnotaurus, Legacy, ACME High-Capa Pistol Series.
I am looking forward to get my hands-on many of these new ASG products and making reviews for everyone to checkout in the near future…
I’m pretty sure I have never made an Interview for Barra before in any of my past SHOT Show Videos, so I was really happy when I visited their booth and discovered a bunch of really great new products to talk about with GEO. Like many other Airgun companies, Barra does incorporate rebranded products from other manufacturer popular Airguns, but they also have some unique products I have never seen before. They are either working really closely with dedicated manufacturing companies or making these items in house. Either way it’s great to see new and interesting products.
Some of the products Geo went over with me in this SHOT Show 2024 Barra Interview where: The Barra CO2 1866 Lever Action Rifle, some Rifled Pellet Barrel Kits for the Schofield Revolver and 1866 Rifle, the 1858 CO2 BB Revolver, the 357 Shell Loading CO2 Revolver, the 400 AEG Airsoft Rifle and two new nameless Airguns they are still working on and perfecting, a full Blowback Competition Style BB/Airsoft Pistol and a compact AEG Airsoft Rifle.
It was great talking with the team over at the Barra Booth and I look forward to testing out their new items as they become available.
Kicking off my SHOT Show 2024 Interviews, I present my Umarex Interview with Mark Davis, you may remember Mark from past Umarex SHOT Show Interviews? This is a fairly long interview as Mark had a lot of product to show me including…
The new Marlin Lever Action BB Rifle, the Walther PDP CO2 BB Pistol, the BBX11 1911 Blowback CO2 BB Pistol, the MarkPoint Break Barrel .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol, the Trinity Hi-Cap 2011 Blowback Airsoft Pistol, the Gambler High Stakes Single Action Army CO2 Airsoft Revolver, the Glock 380 GBB Airsoft Pistol, the CQC Elite Force AEG Airsoft Rifle with i-Trace, and the Beretta PMX GBB Airsoft Rifle.
Yep, that’s a lot of products to go over in one Interview, and Mark did a great job! I am really looking forward to getting my hands on these new products from Umarex to review for everyone!
Type: Blowback CO2 BB Pistol. Manufacturer: Distributed by Barra. Model: Barra 009. Materials: Metal & Polymer. Weight: 1.7 pounds (771 grams). Total Length: 7.75 inches (197mm) Barrel: 4 inches (102nn) metal non-rifled. Propulsion: CO2 x 1. Action: Semi & full auto blowback, single action only trigger. AmmunitionType: 4.5mm steel BB's. AmmunitionCapacity: 18 round drop out full size metal magazine. FPS: Claimed 325.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Barra 009 Full Auto Blowback CO2 BB Pistol is single action only so you will need to rack the slide first to not only chamber a 4.5mm Steel BB in the breach area, but to also cock the internal striker system. There is a working trigger safety along with a main safety under the barrel where the serial number is normally located. You can slide this back and forth to activity the safety. The Barra 009 has a nice short and light trigger as you would expect similar to a real steel Glock pistol.
Accuracy: At this point I have not shot the Barra 009 Full Auto Blowback CO2 BB Pistol so I can only quote what Barra is saying in terms of FP2 which is 325. That sounds about right based on other BB Pistols from KWC with full blowback action since much of the CO2 gas is used to work the action of the slide. This not only reduces how many shots you can expect to get out of a single 12 gram CO2 cartridge but a reduction in power over non-blowback or even partial blowback CO2 Airguns. I will be making a full Field Test Shooting Video for this BB Pistol but for now you can check out my Field Test Review for the KWC K17 since it is the same base Air Pistol with a few cosmetic changes.
Build Quality: The Barra 009 Full Auto Blowback CO2 BB Pistol looks to be well made overall with metal and plastic parts where you would find them on a real steel modern Pistol. Fit and finish is typical of a KWC made Airgun and the slide wiggle is next to zero. The slide spring is very heavy and the sound of the slide when racked and released does not have that cheap metallic sound some blowback Airguns have. I am expecting some pretty decent blowback action recoil from the Barra 009 Full Auto Blowback CO2 BB Pistol when I do my Field Test Shooting Review!
Realism: The Barra 009 Full Auto Blowback CO2 BB Pistol looks similar to a Glock but with many cosmetic changes that do differentiate it a fair amount, as in the trigger guard, the grips, the thumb guard shape and the finishing on the slide. Mostly everything operates function similar to what you would expect for a Glock styled pistol including the slide catch release, trigger safety, magazine release and even the take down switches for quick field stripping and access to the adjustable hop-up, yes it is adjustable.
Pros:
Feels very solid in the hand and well made. (Assuming it is a KWC made gun)
Shoots in both semi and Full Auto.
Has full heavy blowback operations similar to an Airsoft Pistol.
Full metal full size drop out magazine that holds the steel BB’s and CO2.
Dual safeties, under the barrel and on the trigger.
White dot sights front and back.
Fully Field Strippable.
Recessed barrel for added realism.
Metal slide with polymer frame similar to a real steal modern firearm.
Picatinny rail for adding on accessories.
If you like that look of a Glock you will probably like the look of the Barra 009.
325 fps is decent for a full blowback BB gun.
Cons:
Full Blowback operation will limit velocity and shots per CO2.
Sights are not adjustable.
Barrel opening maybe a bit under sized?
Comments:
If you want a true Glock Replica Airgun your best bet is going to be one from Umarex as they hold the Glock license and offer several options in Steel BB, Pellet, Airsoft and even Paintball. They do not offer a full auto version as far as I know so if you do want a semi and full auto Glock styled BB Pistol then the Barra 009 Full Auto Blowback CO2 BB Pistol may be one of your only options and to be honest, Umarex is sourcing many of their Glock Airguns from KWC, so you will not be compromising with quality or reliability as the build will be about the same.
This was a really fun Field Test Shooting Video review. I don’t believe I have ever tested out a version of the P90 before and generally I don’t get a lot of Bullpups on my table so this was a bit of a treat shooting the Cybergun FN Herstal P90 NBB AEG Airsoft Rifle! If you have not already watched my Table Top Review for the Cybergun FN Herstal P9, then makes sure to do so for more details, specifications and close up video.
Starting with my Velocity FPS test, I placed several rounds through my Chronograph and once they evened out a bit, I averaged out my last 5 shots and was able to get a 427 fps velocity using .20 gram plastic Airsoft BB’s. Which is really close to the 436 fps claimed velocity made by Cybergun. I did notice that when I had a fully loaded magazine that I did get some occasional lower velocity shots perhaps because of too high of spring tension the magazine and this causing some loading issues? So do not load the magazine too much and cause the spring tension to overload it.
Moving on to my Accuracy test, I placed a fresh paper target 30 feet down range and first shot 10 rounds in semi auto followed by the rest of the magazine, so I would say around 45 shots in full auto. I was able to get around a 1.5 inch grouping shooting 10 rounds and that opened up just a bit when I unloaded the rest of the magazine in full auto tonight around a 2 inch grouping. Shot placement is kind of irrelevant as theCybergun FN Herstal P90 NBB AEG Airsoft Rifle does not come with any sighting system so you will need to add your own Red Dot or picatinny compatible sight to it and of course adjust it to your preferred shot placement.
I typically prefer compact AR type CQB Airsoft rifles for their small and light size and perhaps just a little because of the way they look. That said I really like the look of the Cybergun FN Herstal P90 NBB AEG Airsoft Rifle, and it checks all the boxes as a CQB AEG Airsoft choice. The Cybergun FN Herstal P90 not only looked the part but performed really good and I would say could be used not only for CQB but for just about any Airsoft battle situation, as it had a nice high fps and was able to place rounds accurately down rage in both semi and full auto. With the Cybergun FN Herstal P90 NBB AEG Airsoft Rifle you get a really great performer, looker and the price is right considering it comes with almost everything you need in the box, including the battery and charger. Just keep in mind you will have to add your own sighting system, but that’s not a deal breaker since most people often change their sights anyway.
Type: AEG Airsoft Rifle. Manufacturer: Distributed by Cybergun. Model: FN Herstal P90. Materials: Mostly plastic, some internal metal parts. Weight: 4.9 pounds (2330 grams). TotalLength: 20 inches (508mm). Barrel: 10.25 inches (360mm) metal non-rifled. Propulsion: AEG. Action: Semi & full auto NBB SAO. AmmunitionType: 6mm plastic Airsoft BB’s. AmmunitionCapacity: 68 round magazine. FPS: Claimed 436 (.20 gram BB’s)
Trigger Pull: The Cybergun FN Herstal P90 NBB AEG Airsoft Rifle is an AEG which uses a battery to power a motor that pulls a spring back for each repetition of each shot which means the trigger is essentially an electric on off switch. This makes the trigger function very much like a single action trigger. Generally single action triggers are fairly short and light in feel and the Cybergun FN Herstal P90 NBB AEG Airsoft Rifle is no exception. There is about a quarter inch or so pull and then the on switch is triggered.
Accuracy: I have not shoot the Cybergun FN Herstal P90 NBB AEG Airsoft Rifle just yet or performed my standard Field Test Shooting Video, so I can not comment at this time on the actual performance other than what is claimed in terms of fps (436fps). This is a fairly new styled Airsoft Rifle to me so I can’t even offer any real historical information from shooting similar type AEG Airsoft rifles. So we are all gong to just have to wait and see on this one to understand just what the real world velocity and accuracy will be.
Build Quality: TheCybergun FN Herstal P90 NBB AEG Airsoft Rifle is on the outside almost all plastic but for a compact CQB styled rifle it does weigh a fair amount at almost 5 pounds so it does feel really solid in the hand. I imagine there must be a fair amount of internal metal mechanic parts going on in order to boost up the overall weight. I did notice that the area where the picatinny rails are located is all metal, so the entire area where the rear portion of the magazine sits in. What I consider to be the stock portion is all plastic which is not surprising.
Realism: The Cybergun FN Herstal P90 NBB AEG Airsoft Rifle is a licensed replica of a real steel FH Herstal P90 Rifle and has all the official FN branding on it via Cybergun licensing. It really does look accruate in almost dry way including the semi transparent magazine that shows what looks to be very real 5.7x28mm ammunition. The only real tell tale part would be the orange flash hiden which you can swap out for a more realistic all back version if you choose to.
Pros:
Has good overall weight considering mostly plastic external build.
Easy to get to and use hopup, just need your hands.
Ambidextrous trigger super easy to adjust right at your finder tips.
Comes with Battery and Charger.
Comes with a speed loader and cleaning jam rod.
Sling mount in the back.
Front top PicatinnyRail for red dot, scope.
Side Picatinny rails for a laser or tac light setup
Easy to get to battery compartment.
Fully licensed trademarks via Cybergun.
Very compact design , great for CQB battle situations.
Fairly high claimed fps! We will see?
Reasonable price in the Replica Airguns Canada and US Store.
Cons:
Mostly all plastic exterior.
Come with an orange tip.
Does not come with any type of sighting system.
Comments:
The Cybergun FN Herstal P90 NBB AEG Airsoft Rifle is a real unique looking rifle with its super compact CQB design. I am not sure everyone will like this style of AEG Airsoft Rifle but it is refreshing to see something other than another AR. I like that you get almost everything you need to get shooting with the FN Herstal P90 but keep in mind you will need your own sighting system and I recommend you put something like a compact red dot on it to go along with the compact build. I would also switch out the flash hider for something better looking and at some point upgrade the battery setup for an 11.1 volt lithium. All that said for under $300 Canadian and a bit over $160 US, it is good value but I will leave my final thoughts until after I make my Field Test Shooting Video most likely next week.
On with the show… First I shot five rounds through my Chronograph using a brand new CO2 in what I would consider to be room temperaterer (20C or 70F). Sig Sauer claims their MCX Rattler shoots around 325 fps and in my testing I got a five shot average of 318 with my slowest shot hitting 298 and my fastest shot hitting 346. So I would say Sig is right on the mark here.
I then setup a fresh pepper target 30 feet away and loaded up a full magazine (30 rounds) for my accuracy test where I first shot in 10 rounds in semi auto and then the remaining 20 rounds in three round burst. I would say I was able to get around a 2 inch grouping in semi auto but I did have to shoot aiming on the bottom of the rings and I was using the flattened sights rather than the pop up sights as you have two options with the Sig Sauer MCX Rattler CO2 BB Rifle. Once I switched the selector to three round burst, my grouping really did not change all that much, maybe 3 inches at most and that was with 20 rounds.
The Sig Sauer MCX Rattler CO2 BB Rifle is a lot of fun, it is by far not the most powerful blowback full auto-ish Blowback BB Rifle out there but it performs decent and looks really good. The internal blowback action does give you a slight tapping feel and it does allow for a true single action trigger. If you want a rather compact Blowback BB Rifle with Sig licensing and branding along with Sig quality then take a look at the Sig Sauer MCX Rattler CO2 BB Rifle. Did I mention it was really affordable too?
Type: BB Rifle. Manufacturer: Sig Sauer ASP Model: Sig Sauer MCX Rattler Materials: Metal and Nylon Fiber build. Weight: 4.6 Pounds (2.1 kg). Barrel: 7 inch (17.8 cm) steel non-rifled. Propulsion: Single 12 gram CO2. Action: Semi auto and 3 round burst with internal blowback (single action only trigger). AmmunitionType: 4.5mm Steel BB’s. AmmunitionCapacity: 30 rounds spring fed. Velocity: Claimed of 325 fps.
TriggerPull: The trigger pull on the Sig Sauer MCX Rattler CO2 BB Rifle is a single action only trigger that requires initial activation of the charging handle, after the first shot the internal blowback action will do this automatically for each followup shot. The single action only trigger is fairly short with a light pull and predictable release, great for action shooting. You also have the option of shooting in true semi auto (one trigger pull and one shot) or selecting 3 round burst mode which allows for one pull of the trigger with 3 rounds in full auto.
Accuracy: I really don’t have much feedback to give here as I have only shot a single magazine so far with the Sig Sauer MCX Rattler CO2 BB Rifle in a very uncontrolled format as I was not so much testing it out but rather just having some initial fun to see what it was all about. I will of course be following up this Table Top Review with a Field Test Review shortly to find out what the actual velocity is and see how accurate it is in both semi auto and 3 round burst mode.
BuildQuality: The build quality for the Sig Sauer MCX Rattler CO2 BB Rifle is really good considering it is mostly all plastic on the outside. It does feel solid and well built when holding it in the hand. From what I can tell the metal parts would include the barrel, the charging handle, the main controls and also much of the internal components inside both the rifle and the magazine. I would have liked to have seen a metal flash hider and perhaps the pop-up Iron sights could have also been metal.
Realism: The Sig Sauer MCX Rattler CO2 BB Rifle is a 1 to 1 scale very realistic Replica of the real steel Sig Sauer Rattler normally chambered in 5.56 NATO. It would have been nice if the dust cover opened up when charging the Airgun for realism but most of the other controls work as expected, like the charging handle, selector switch, magazine release and I am not sure but maybe even the bolt release, I will know more when I make my Field Test Shooting video for the Sig Sauer MCX Rattler.
Pros:
Perfect size and weight for a fun BB semi / full auto shooter.
Fully adjustable pop up sights that are usable in both the down and up position,
Lots of accessory mounting options with the picatinny top rail and MLOCK in the sides and bottom.
Folding rear stock allows for a compact size and much easier transportation.
Ambidextrous selector switch.
Can shoot in both semi and 3 round burst modes.
Very solid AR15 type magazine that holds the 30 4.5mm steel BB’s and the single 12 gram CO2.
Reasonably priced at around $250 at the time of this video.
Sig Sauer licensing.
Cons:
Only uses a single CO2, two would have been better in a fast action shooter like this to maintain fps.
325 fps seems a bit low.
Lots of plastic but build quality does feel good.
Comments:
The Sig Sig Sauer MCX Rattler CO2 BB Rifle reminds me a lot of the Umarex Steel Storm and Steel Force which are both Compact AR type Semi and Burt mode 4.5mm CO2 Blowback Airguns. Where the Sig Sauer MCX Rattler CO2 BB Rifle shines, is in the quality and realism as compared the Umarex counterparts. I do like that both the Umarex Steel Storm and Steel Force use dual 12 gram CO2 cartridges which I feel allows them to have more consistent velocity and performance as compared to the single CO2 in the Sig Sauer MCX Rattler CO2 BB Rifle. My First impressions without really testing the Sig Sauer MCX Rattler are all pretty positive but it will really come down to how well it performs and so I will put my recommendations on hold until I actually test it out!
My Table Top Review of the Sig Sauer MCX Rattler CO2 BB Rifle:
I love making these Mystery Box Unboxing Videos as many of the items inside are actually real mysteries to me, some I may have an idea of but even these items are new to me so it’s fun to open them up and check them all out. In this October 2023 Mystery Box Video I checkout 9 items ranging from AEG Airsoft Rifles to Airsoft , BB and Pellet Pistols. There is even a new Steel BB product from Sig Sauer that is a compact rifle with a 3 round burst option when shooting.
30 feet is not really a long enough distance to test out a Spring Piston Break Barrel Air Rifle but it’s been pretty rainy outside as the weather here in British Columbia has progresses into full on rainy fall weather. So we will have to make do with the 30 foot limitation I have here in the Replica Airguns Sea Can Indoor Shooting Range. At least it is warm and the lighting is perfect :) In this Filed Test Shooting Video for the Beeman Black Panther Dual Caliber Break Barrel Pellet Rifle I test out the velocity in fps along with the accuracy at 30 feet away. For both of these tests I use 15.43 grain .22 caliber Gamo lead pellets. If you are more invested in details and specifications along with some closer up video then watch my Table Top Video for the Beeman Black Panther.
Beeman claims just under 500 fps for the Beeman Black Panther Dual Caliber Break Barrel Pellet Rifle but it is unclear if this is with .177 caliber or .22 caliber pellets and what kind of pellet are being used? Light weigth Alloy or standard Lead pellets. I decided to go with the .22 caliber barrel for all my testing but may try out the .177 caliber barrel in a future update Field Test Video. I placed 5 shots through my Chronograph using the 15.43 grain .22 caliber lead pellets and was able to get an average velocity of 422 fps. The slowest shot was 418 fps with the fastest shot hitting a max of 429 fps so all fairly close together. In terms of energy output, a pellet that weighs 15.43 grain travelling at 422 fps has a foot pound energy of 6.1.
I am not the best shot when it comes to sprig Piston Air Rifles, but I did my best here. I shot a total of 8 shots on the paper target and the main group was about 1 inch in diameter, this consisted of 6 pellets in that main group with 2 pellets that came out one shot a bit high and one shot a bit to the right. I was using the built in post and notch fiber optic sights rather than installing the 4x32 scope. After all the target was only 30 feet away. I am pretty sure one could easily get a .5 inch grouping at this range with perhaps a 1 inch grouping at distances closer to the 50-60 foot mark, which should make this a decent pest control option when using the .22 caliber ammo as I feel it would get the job done with a bit more authority.
The Beeman Black Panther Dual Caliber Break Barrel Pellet Rifle comes with two barres offering the ability to shoot using .177 caliber pellets or .22 caliber pellets with a quick barrel change. .177 caliber pellets could be used for smaller pest control but I would mainly use the .177 barrel for basic target practice as .177 caliber pellets are definitely cheaper than .22 caliber pellets. When you do require that slight additional stopping power, then go with the .22 caliber barrel for sure!
