Some more new guns I will be checking out, well one is just a different finish of the Umarex Colt SAA Revolver but for sure worth taking a look at in this Preview Video.
All the guns in the Vimeo Preview Video and CO2 4.5mm BB Pistols, three are styled after revolvers and one is based on a semi auto modern pistol.
Starting with the revolvers I show off the absolutely gorgeous blued finish on the Umarex Colt Single Action Army BB Revolver and it all I can say is it really needs to be seen in person to fully appreciate how great it looks. I was not expecting the blued version to look nicer than the Nickel version but in my opinion it is my favorite of the two. And that's not to say the Nickel version is not a great looking pistol in it's own right.
I've been waiting a while to see firsthand the Webley & Scott MK6 CO2 BB Revolver and it finally came this week. Another really well built and designed classic Revolver to add to the list of shell loading CO2 BB Revolvers. I was really impressed with the trigger and hammer action, both single and double action feel super smooth and the position of the hammer makes for really easy draw for single action shooting. The 2.4 pound all metal weight give the Webley & Scott MKVI great balance and realism, while the top-break design makes for super easy loading.
Not to be mistaken with the Full Metal Shell Loading Umarex Colt Python 357, I take a look at the more affordable Umarex Polymer Colt Python 357 that fits the bill nicely when looking for a BB Revolver with a nice hammer and trigger, fully adjustable sights, and higher than average capacity magazines than your standard revolver.
Last but not least I look at another fairly affordable CO2 BB Pistol, the Umarex HK45. It's a pretty basic CO2 BB pistol but looks really good and has decent weight with its metal slide. The HK45 features white dot sights, a Picatinny rail, an all metal drop out stick magazine and full Heckler and Koch licensing.
Way back in the beginning of 2011 I posted some video reviews on a Chinese made AK-47 CO2 BB gun I owned and also at the time sold in the Replica Airguns Store. Unfortunately I had to pull these videos off of YouTube and the Replica Airguns Website because there was a police investigation related to these CO2 BB rifles.
I decided to repost these videos now that some time has gone by and the sting from this experience has lessoned for me a bit.
For those of you that want to know a bit more background on the reason why I removed the videos you can read on... Without going into a huge amount of detail, the police thought that for some reason these CO2 BB guns where being illegally imported into Canada and could be somehow converted into real working AK-47's. The police even believed that people like myself who owned and sold them had some sort of underground conversion operation going on? All of this make believe nonsense sent the RCMP down a path that led to over a dozen Airgun resellers like myself getting a visit from their local SWAT detachment, getting arrested, and spending some time at police HQ trying to figure out what in the world we where being arrested for? This all took place in October of 2011.
To give you an idea of the extent of the raid, there where at least 40-50 police officers at my house, police cars lined up down the street, SWAT members clearing rooms, a team of police going through all my personal belongings gathering guns, computers, network gear, cameras, drives and other evidence. I can not even imagine how much this would have cost Canadian tax payers just at my house alone never mind the other dozen or so simultaneous raids going on?
What makes all of this so silly is that the CO2 BB AK-47's in question where legally imported into Canada with the CBSA's seal of approval and to top it off the company that imported them was the same company that also sold the police their real firearms. You would think the police would have done a little bit of research checking into the background of where these AK-47 CO2 BB Rifles came from instead of jumping headlong into a very costly sting operation that did not even include a visit to the warehouse that imported them into Canada legally in the first place.
Even though I was arrested I was never charged with anything since the police quickly realized the error in their assumption. But still the police confiscated all my guns, my firearms license, my computers, my network gear, my hard drives, cameras and memory cards and kept all of it for a over a month. Perhaps next time they could of just asked a few resellers where they got their guns from rather than causing a huge disruption in peoples lives and business.
The icing on the cake is that these scary CO2 BB AK-47's could not be converted to fire live ammo but even still the RCMP declared them "prohibited" and went about tracking down as many buyers and owners as they could and confiscating their BB guns without any sort of compensation to the owners who bought them legally. No accountability was ever put on the CBSA who allowed them to be imported in the first place and no compensation has ever been paid out to the law abiding Canadians who spent their hard earned money on these BB guns (about $300-$400 each).
Anyways, I tell this story not to get people riled up and mad at the RCMP and/or CBSA, most of these folks are very good people with good intentions. After all, everyone makes mistakes from time to time. My problem is that my kids watched me get arrested and hand cuffed, yet I had done nothing wrong. At no point in time did the police give me any kind of apology or send some one over to talk to my kids and let them know that their Daddy was not a bad person and that it was all just a big misunderstanding? I hope that whoever masterminded this so called sting operation got some sort of reprimand since it would of cost Canadian tax payers a boat load of money just to get a bunch of BB guns off the streets!
In this Field Test Shooting video I test out the performance of the Gletcher Grach NBB using my Chronograph to get a real world Feet Per Second rating, I also take aim 30 feet back and shoot 10 rounds at a paper target using a semi-rested position (Sand bag up front and standing in the back).
In terms of velocity the Gletcher Grach NBB CO2 BB Pistol performed a little lower fps then I expected shooting just under 350 fps. It was about 15 degrees celsius on this day but I also kept the pistol indoors where it was nice and warm right up till shooting time. I used a brand new CO2 and my ammo of choice was RWS 5.1 grain zinc coated BB's.
Stepping back 30 feet and shooting at a paper target, the Gletcher Grach NBB CO2 BB Pistol produced a very tight 10 shot 1 inch grouping, not many BB's pistols have been able to get in that 1 inch grouping at least for me! The Gletcher Grach did shoot a little to the left and a bit low but not far off the bullseye. The sights are not adjustable so you will have to slightly adjust your aim point if you find yourself not exactly dead center.
I found the Gletcher Grach NBB to be extremely quite so if you are looking for a discrete backyard shooter then the Grach would be a good choice. I also found the trigger to be very good in both single and double action but when the BB mag is loaded to the max, the trigger first stage will be very heavy since the follower spring is holding the BB's in place and creating friction while a BB is loaded into the chamber. To fix this problems simple don;t load as many BB's in the magazine.
In this Field Test Shooting video I test out the performance of the ASG CZ 75 CO2 Blowback 4.5mm BB Pistol using my Chronograph to get a real world Feet Per Second rating, I also position myself 30 feet back and shoot 10 rounds at a paper target using a semi-rested shooting position (Sand bag up front and standing in the back).
In terms of velocity the ASG CZ 75 BB Pistol shoot fairly conservative at just under 300fps. The noise this CO2 Licensed Replica Pistol makes is fairly quiet making it a good choice for the backyard if you have neighbors to consider. I also found the blowback to be mild since the amount of CO2 being released with each shot seems to be minimal.
Stepping back 30 feet and shooting at my paper target, the ASG CZ 75 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol produced a decent 2-2.5 inch 10 shot grouping that was just a little to the left and a hair low. The trigger is super light and the release is crisp, I actually had to get a bit used to how light the trigger was as I was shooting a bit early and before I was ready since only a slight bit of pressure is required.
I would like to see just a bit higher fps from the ASG CZ 75 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol, that would also give it a little bit more blowback kick but even the 300-ish fps out of the box, the ASG CZ 75 is a really nice pistol to shoot with it's super responsive trigger!
In this Field Test Shooting video I test out the performance of the Gletcher SS 2202 Metal Slide using my Chronograph to get a real world Feet Per Second rating, I also step back 30 feet and shoot 10 rounds at a paper target using a semi rested position (Sand bag up front and standing in the back).
In terms of velocity the Gletcher SS 2202 Metal Slide CO2 BB Pistol performed very close to the KWC SP 2022 review I did earlier shooting as high as 468 fps. I did have some chronograph miss-readings that made the average come down a bit but I would say a flawless string of readings would have been around 450+ fps.
Stepping back 30 feet and shooting at my paper target, the Gletcher SS 2202 CO2 BB Pistol produced a respectable 4 inch grouping that was just a little to the left but not by too much. I really like the trigger on the Gletcher SS 2202 CO2 BB Pistol, for a double action only pistol it is very smooth, light and not overly long! The release is very predictable and there is zero stickiness in the first stage.
The fairly high fps for a shorter barrel pistol is most likely due to a more than average amount of CO2 released per shot but even so you can expect close to 100 shots per CO2. If you plan on using the Gletcher SS 2202 in your back yard, keep in mind that it is louder than most CO2 BB pistols, it really gives a nice loud crack with each shot.
All in all a real decent performance out of the Gletcher SS 2202 Metal Slide CO2 BB Pistol, if you are a Sig Sauer fan like I am then this Sig Pro replica is a no brainer to have in your collection!
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Gletcher Metal Slide SS 2202 is double action only but is very smooth and fairly light, it does allow for some pretty quick shooting even though it is double action only. When you pull the trigger the internal barrel moves back into the magazine while the internal hammer moves rearward and then releases forwards striking the CO2 valve releasing CO2. It is a very simple yet effective design.
Accuracy: I have not done any preliminary shooting with the Gletcher SS 2202 Sig Pro Replica so other than how the trigger feels I can not comment too much on the performance. If I where to base my result on the performance of the Cybergun Sig Sauer SP 2022 I tested previously, then I can expect very high fps and good overall accuracy, we will have to wait and see...
Build Quality:Build quality was very good, I was extremely pleased with the fit and finish of my Gletcher SS 2202 BB Pistol! The metal slide and polymer frame along with the all metal full size drop out magazine gave this BB air pistol a really nice balance and weight to it. I would expect it to feel in weight and balance very similar to the real steel version since they are both constructed similarly.
Realism: The Gletcher SS 2202 Air Pistol is very close to the look, weight, and feel of the real Sig Sauer SP2022 Sig Pro! For a lower cost airgun, I was very impressed with all the details and closeness to the real steel Sig Pro. There is no actual Sig Sauer licensing on the Gletcher SS 2202 but other than that it is pretty much identical in appearance. It would have been nice to have a working slide and slide catch release but at least you have the ability to take the slide off for cleaning and oiling if required.
Pros:
Good weight and solid feeling gun.
Metal slide.
Full size all metal magazine.
Very Accurate Sig Sauer SP2022 replica without licensing.
May have good FPS! Fingers Crossed!
Fairly affordable.
Nice light and quick double action trigger.
Picatinny rail for accessories.
Cons:
No blowback - slide does not move either
Hammer does not move at all.
Non adjustable rear sight.
Comments:
I have always been a big Sig Sauer fan so I like the look and feel of the Gletcher SS 2202 Metal Slide CO2 BB Pistol. I would love it even more if it had a working slide with blowback action but then again the non-blowback version keeps things simple so should be super reliable and have good power. I am optimistic about the fps performance of this pistol since I got such good results when I tested my Cybergun distributed version a while back. Stay tuned for my Field Test Shooting Review for this pistol to find out how it does...
My Vimeo Table Top Video of the Gletcher SS 2202 Metal Slide CO2 BB Pistol:
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Gletcher Grach NBB is nice in both double and single action modes. Double action is fairly light as the hammer spring tension is moderate but there is a fair bit of trigger pull length, Racking the slide or pre-cocking the hammer will allow for single action shots which reduces the trigger pull but you still have the full range of trigger take-up before the hammer is released.
Accuracy: I have done no preliminary shooting with the Grach NBB BB pistol so other than how the trigger feels I can not comment too much on the performance. I would expect to get pretty close to the factory claimed fps based on my other testings with Gletcher products. With it's single action trigger and white dot sights I am hoping for a fairly tight grouping when I perform my accuracy test later on.
Build Quality: The Gletcher Grach NBB CO2 BB Pistol is well made, the black semi-gloss finish looks really nice and the fit is good, not much of slide wiggle to speak of and pretty much the entire pistol is metal including the frame, slide, trigger, slide catch-release, safety, hammer, magazine and inner and outer barrel. The only plastic parts would be the grips and some internal seals and o-rings.
Realism:The Gletcher Grach is a 1 to 1 replica of the Russian Yarygin (MP-443 Grach), all the mechanical parts function just like you would find on the real steel version. The only indicators that it is not a real Yarygin would be the smaller barrel opening since the 4.5mm BB barrel is not recessed at all. Even the weight is near identical to the original MP-443 Grach coming in only 10 grams heavier.
Pros:
Good weight and solid feeling gun, over 2 pounds
Pretty much an all metal pistol
Full size all metal magazine
Working slide that also locks back
Very Accurate Yarygin (MP-443 Grach) replica without licensing
Fairly affordable
Nice light and quick double action trigger, also shoots in single action.
Field Strippable.
Cons:
No blowback
Barrel is not recessed.
Non adjustable rear sight.
Comments:
Without shooting this gun so far all I can comment on is how nice it looks and feels, the Gletcher Grach NBB really is a well made and detailed CO2 air pistol mirroring the original real steel Yarygin (MP-443 Grach) almost exactly. Pretty much everything is metal on this pistol helping it come in only 10 grams off again of the original. I like the single and double action trigger / hammer and the working slide and slide catch release that locks back when the BB magazine is empty. I am really looking forward to giving this gun it's field test shooting review!
My Vimeo Table Top Video of the Gletcher Grach NBB CO2 BB Pistol:
As with my standard Field Test Shooting Reviews, I shoot 5 rounds through my Chronograph to get a real world Velocity reading in feet per second. I also shoot 10 rounds into a paper target using a semi-rested position from 30 feet away. Since I had two versions of the EKOL ES 66, the long and short barreled versions I decided I would test pistols both on the Chrony and just the long barrel version for the accuracy testing.
So how did the EKOL ES 66 and ES 66C CO2 BB Pistols both do? In terms of fps, they both got into the 400+ range with the shorter barreled ES 66C version averaging 402 fps from 5 shots and the the longer barreled ES 66 getting a 444 fps 5 shot average. I was expecting the longer barrel ES 66 to outperform the shorter barrel ES 66 so this was no surprise. The temperature was not all that warm on this day but I did keep both guns fairly warm inside right up till I went outside and shot them. On a warmer day I would expect even better results.
Now for the accuracy results and don't hold your breath on this one... I have to say that the EKOL ES 66 was one of the worst BB guns I have shot to date in terms of accuracy at 30 feet. I could actually see the BB's curving after about 20 feet out, almost like they had some random spin on them? Perhaps the rifled barrel was catching a bit of grip on the smooth steel BB's and making them spin? Because this was so random it was hard to predict where the BB's where going. I also found that the EKOL ES 66 was sighted in way to high so at 30 feet I needed to aim very close to the bottom of the target and even still, about half of the BB's went well over and did not find the paper target. Perhaps actual lead BB's may be better in this pistol?
One thought I had was to somehow smooth out the rifling on the barrel as perhaps it needs to be worked in before more consistent shots can be obtained?
It was really too bad that I did not get the accuracy results I was looking for with the EKOL ES 66 Series of CO2 BB Pistols, I really like the overall quality and design of these Turkish made CO2 BB Pistols. Again perhaps some barrel work could improve the accuracy and make this a more well rounded BB gun.
This is the Field Test Shooting Review for the Gletcher P08 Luger CO2 Blowback BB Pistol, to view my Table Top Review with features and specifications click on this link.
During this Field Test Shooting Video Review of the Gletcher P08 Luger CO2 Blowback BB Pistol, I test the actual real world velocity using my Chronograph and then conduct an accuracy test using paper targets from a controlled shooting position.
I shot 5 rounds through my Chrony Chronograph and got an average of 374 fps which was pretty decent for a blowback CO2 BB pistol on a not so warm early spring day (Around 10 degrees Celsius) I could see this Gletcher P08 BB Pistol getting around 400 fps on a warm summer day. I should be able to get around 80-100 shots from a single CO2 cartridge.
Next I performed my accuracy test from 30 feet back in a semi rested position, I was able to get a 1-5 to 2 inch grouping with 10 shots. The Gletcher P08 Luger CO2 Blowback BB Pistol does have a single action trigger which makes the release smooth and light but there is a bit of a sticky rough early trigger stage where a BB is loaded. When shooting fast this will not be as noticeable but when slowing down your shooting for accuracy it is noticeable for sure. I didn't seem to effect my accuracy all that much which was nice and I was able to get a pretty well centered grouping (just a tad to the left) with the none adjustable sights.
This Field test of the Gletcher P08 Luger BB Pistol goes to show that a blowback CO2 BB pistol can have both good feet per second performance and accuracy.
During this Field Test Shooting Video Review of the Baikal Makarov MP-654K, I take a look at the actual real world velocity using my Chronograph along with some accuracy testing using paper targets with a controlled shooting position.
I shot 5 rounds through my Chrony Cronography and got an average fps of 306 which was not super high but just fine for plinking. I would expect to get well over 100 shots with my Baikal MP-654K Makarov since the CO2 being released with each shot is fairly conservative. The temperature on this day was under 10 degrees Celsius.
Moving on with my accuracy results from 30 feet back in a semi rested position, I was able to get a 5.5 inch goruping with 10 shots. The Baikal Makarov CO2 BB Pistol does have a rifled barrel which may work better when using lead BB's but you would have to be careful not to load too many at a time since the magazine follower spring is rather heavy and could deform the softer lead BB's making them jam in the gun. Hard Steel BB's do not deform or jam in the gun but are not optimal for rifled barrels since they do not grip the rifling very well and can give sporadic results. My grouping was also centered a bit to the right but not by too much.
The 2013 Baikal Makarov MP-654K CO2 BB Pistol may not be the best performer I have tested in terms of velocity and accuracy but it is for sure one of the best built and most realistic BB pistols I have reviewed.
During this Field Test Shooting Video Review I take a look at the actual real world velocity of the Gletcher TT Tokarev Replica using my Chronograph along with some accuracy testing using paper targets with a controlled shooting position.
My Chronograph test did not go as smoothly as I would have liked but I did get enough shots to get a realistic 5 shot average 342 fps for this Gletcher TT Tokarev BB Pistol. My 5th shot was a bit lower than the first 4 since I had already shot off about 15 shots and because of the cool temperate outside the gun had cooled down a bit. On a warmer day I would expect to get close to 400 fps out of the Gletcher TT Tokarev CO2 Blowback BB Pistol.
Again this Field Test was plagued with difficulties, I actual performed my accuracy test twice for the cameras because during my first go at it, one of the cameras ran out of battery! Hey, it happens! Perhaps I felt a little rushed on my second target shooting test, since I didn't get as tight of a group as I did on the first test. The Gletcher TT is however capable of getting around a 1.5 inch grouping from 30 feet away and the TT shot very well centered for me which is good news since the sights are none adjustable.
I like the snappy blowback action, the Gletcher TT Tokarev Replica is not an overly large pistol and for such an old school design it really feels good in the hand while shooting. I also like the traditional post and notch sights. The Gletcher TT Tokarev CO2 Blowback BB Pistol is a single action only gun but I did find that the release of the trigger was a bit heavy which will take some getting used to.
Overall, the Gletcher TT Tokarev is a really nice Blowback CO2 BB Pistol and if you are into the classic BB Replica guns then it is a must have for sure.
This video focuses only on the shooting performance of the Gletcher APS. I test the (FPS) Feet Per Second performance first using my Chronograph to see what the actual real world velocity is and then I take my Gletcher APS Blowback BB pistol out to the 30 foot range and shoot 10 rounds on a paper target from a semi rested position.
So how did the Gletcher APS Stechkin CO2 Blowback BB Pistol do? Pretty decent overall. Gletcher claims around a 400 fps max velocity and got an average 5 shot reading of 394 fps on what I would consider to be a rather cool day (under 10 degree Celsius). I was of course using a brand new CO2 to get optimal results.
When I tested the accuracy for the Gletcher APS Stechkin from my standard semi rested 30 foot position, I got failry typical results for a BB pistol at right around a 2 inch grouping, more than adequate enough for shooting small to medium sized targets around the yard.
The Gletcher APS Stechkin CO2 Blowback BB Pistol is bigger than I thought it would be, you can see this in my Table Top Review where I show it side by side to my 2013 Baikal Makarov BB Pistol. The Gletcher APS weighs in at over 2 pounds and has larger than average grips so small handed shooters may not be comfortable shooting the Gletcher APS. I found the blowback action to have a nice firm snap too it and the trigger pull was long but had a good feel and nice and easy to predict release point.
Overall I found the Gletcher APS Stechkin CO2 Blowback BB Pistol to be a really fun gun to shoot, it felt good in the hand with nice blowback operation, fairly high fps for a blowback gun and decent accuracy.
The best way to describe a Blank Gun is to imagine it as a real gun in just about every way except one… There are no dangerous bullets flying out the front of it. That’s right, a Blank Gun just like a real gun uses a brass or metal shells, loaded with a primer and gun powder, but for what ever reason reason, some rocket scientists forgot to put a bullet at the end of the Blank shell.
Why Would You Want a Blank Gun?
Isn’t the entire purpose of a gun to shoot something? So why on earth would you buy a gun that doesn't shoot anything at all, what purpose would it serve? Even Nerf guns, water guns, potato guns all shoot something…
One way to look at a Blank Gun is to imagine it as a cap gun, but for grown ups. Similar to how kids like to shoot their cap guns because they go bang and sparks and smoke fly out of them, Blank Guns do the same thing but on a much grander scale and in most cases they look and sound a lot more like a real gun than a cap gun does.
So Blank Guns don’t actually do the main function of a real gun (that is to shoot a bullet), but they do look and sound the part of a gun. So how could this be of practical use to anyone?
Signalling Devices:
First off, have you ever heard of a Starter Pistol or a Flare Gun? Blank Guns have been historically used to signal the start of races. Many Blank Guns also have the ability to shoot flares by adding a flare adaptor to them so a person can shoot a flare into the air to signal distress if they are lost or hurt.
Gun Handling and Training:
Since many Blank Guns look, operate and feel almost exactly like real guns, Blank Guns are a great place to start out when training a person on proper gun handling and operation. If they make a mistake while using a Blank Gun, the consequences are far less severe than with a real gun. There is also much less kick from a Blank Gun so shooting a Blank Gun is less scary or intimidating for new shooters.
Dog Training:
Dogs used for police, military and hunting are required to stay calm around loud noises like gun shots, trained dogs also need to get used to the presence of guns and even how to attack the gun hand of a person who could be a potential threat. Again using Blank Guns in this training situation is a much better option than using a real gun for obvious reasons.
Movies, Video TV and Stage:
Introducing live ammunition on a movie set would be ridiculous, there is absolutely no need to shoot a bullet in this type of situation. Blank Guns make perfect stage props since they again look the part and sound the part without the dangerous bullets flying all over the place…
Collectors:
Many collectors want to own guns but for reasons like gun restrictions in their area, they may not be able to own a real gun or certain types of real guns. Blank Guns can offer a person with heavy gun restrictions in their area the ability to own similar Blank Gun versions. Perhaps they can own real guns but just simply don’t want to go through the licensing and registration hassle of owning a real gun. Blank Guns can generally be purchased for far less money than a real gun which is appealing to collectors who in many cases may not even shoot them.
Celebration:
In places like Turkey, people celebrate holidays and events by shooting Blank Guns into the air, at one time they actually shoot real guns, but people where getting injured or even killed by the falling bullets. Because of this, Blank Gun production became an industry in places like Turkey as Blank Gun manufacturers like EKOL, Retay and Zoraki (also know as ATAK Arms) are Turkish companies.
So now you know some of the reasons why a person would want to own a Blank Gun. I have Blank Guns and I also own real guns too. One reason is because there are many Blank Guns I own that I can not own in their real steel versions because of Canadian gun restrictions so obtaining a similar version in a Blank Gun allows me to own these models.
If a Blank Gun is not for you, then by all means get a real gun, but please understand that there is a place for Blank Guns, and in those environments, a Blank Gun is actually a better choice than a real gun.
First off let’s get one thing straight! What I’m looking for in a BB gun is more than likely going to be way different than what someone else is looking for in what they think is the “Best BB Gun” available.
Many people will determine the Best BB Gun as the BB gun that has the highest price tag, usually you get better quality the higher the price goes up but not always, there are times when perhaps you are paying for a name brand or cosmetic add ons that don’t always make the gun better or the best.
On the other hand, some people will determine the best BB gun as the one that is the least cost since they may not have a lot of money to spend, and an expensive BB gun is a BB gun that that person would not be able to afford or even own, far from an ideal or the Best BB Gun for them.
Many people only look at the specifications to determine if that particular BB gun is the outright best BB Gun. One specification that people seem to fixate on is how powerful is the BB gun in question? If it has the highest FPS then surely it must be the best BB Gun! That Pop can never saw it coming! What about cost of operation, so things like reliability and how many shots per CO2 you can get out of a BB gun. All important features to consider when picking out the Best BB Gun!
Style is another important part of what makes a BB Gun the Best option for you, are you wanting a classic BB Pistol? Perhaps a Modern BB Gun, Maybe even a BB gun that you can not get in your area because of gun laws? Style is a very individual preference and what looks good to me may look terrible to someone else.
One aspect that is very important to me, is realism, does the BB Gun operate the same and does it have similar metal and plastic parts as the real steel version? Does the BB gun I am considering have blowback operation and a true single or double action trigger like it’s big brother? What about a full size drop out magazine and the ability to field strip the BB Gun?
Some people want their BB gun for simple backyard good old fun shooting and so as long as it shoots pretty straight and works as it’s supposed to, then that is all they care about. Many real steel shooters want a BB Gun to operate exactly like their real steel version, so they can practice with it to get in more trigger time when going to a gun range is not an option.
Of course there are aspects like Reliability, Performance, Fit and Finish, Licensing and Build Quality that all determine what makes the Best BB Gun and again it really depends which of these qualities are most important to you that will determine which BB Gun is the best BB Gun.
So how do you determine which is the Best BB Gun? Make a list of what you are looking for in a BB Gun. Attributes like Cost, Performance, Build Quality, Style, Realism, Availability…
Once you have narrowed down your Best BB Gun list, get as much information on each BB Gun you are considering, to narrow the list down even more. There are tons of Youtube videos you can watch for your Best BB Gun final short list to help you determine your ultimate choice.
So please don’t ask me what the Best BB Gun is? I can not even tell you which one I like the best since my wish list changes from day to day…
First off we are not talking about 6mm Plastic Airsoft Guns but rather 4.5mm Steel BB versus .177 caliber Pellet.
Same but Different:
Generally speaking a BB CO2 Pistol and a Pellet CO2 Pistol are very similar, they just shoot a bit different types of ammo, that will determine a couple mechanical differences in both guns. You may come across a CO2 Pistol that can shoot both Pellets and BB's but these are not as common.
Magazine Types:
The fist main difference is usually the magazine design, since lead pellets don’t stack on top of each other very well compared to steel BB’s, action CO2 BB and Pellet pistols will have a very different types of magazine designs. Pellet CO2 Pistols will generally use a rotary type magazine while BB Pistols will use a stick or stacked ammo magazine. In terms of realism, a stick or stacked magazine is better suited than a rotary magazine. Some Action Pellet Pistols will have what looks like a stick magazine, but the stick will actually have two rotary magazine on either side. You will often find higher capacity magazines in BB CO2 Pistols since Rotary magazines usually only offer around 8 rounds (16 on a double sided stick style).
Another downside to a rotary magazine is knowing when you are out of ammo, a rotary magazine does not allow for this, it will just keep turning around and around no matter if there is ammo in it or not, so you need to listen to the the sound of the CO2 gun to determine when a rotary type magazine is empty. BB Action shooters do not have this problem since in most cases the magazine BB spring follower acts exactly the same as real steel gun follower locking back the slide on the last shot, stopping any follow up shots from happening.
Ammo Size:
Steel BB’s traditionally only come in 4.5mm which is the same as .177 caliber. Lead pellets can come in a myriad of sizes, the most comma being .177, .20 and .22 caliber but they can go as large as 50 caliber for PCP air rifles used to hunt even large game.
Barrel Rifling:
Another common difference between BB and Pellet CO2 Pistols is the rifling inside the barrels. Lead pellets need to spin in order for them to shoot straight. Steel BB’s on the other hand fly pretty true thought the air weather they spin or not. Rifling is most often not used in steel BB pistols because the hardened steel can damage the rifling and since there is little to no benefit in adding rifling to a BB guns barrel in terms of accuracy, then why even have it. Pellet pistols with their softer lead ammunition need to have the rifling in order to create the spin that keeps the pellet true and straight while in flight.
Accuracy:
Even though many BB CO2 Pistols can shoot accurately at close to medium ranges, they are not as accurate as a Pellet CO2 Pistol, especially as the distance become greater to your target. Not only does the spinning of the pellet help accuracy, but also the added mass of the lead pellet keeps them from being as effected by cross winds and airborne debris.
Hunting and/or Pest Control:
In most cases I do not recommend using a pistol for pest control because, plain and simple they are harder to shoot accurately. This is because there is no stock on a pistol to help steady the gun, and the front and rear sight are much closer together on a pistol than compared to rifle sights which means there is more margin for error when signing in a target. Pistols are generally lower powered than rifles which also plays a roll when considering a pistol for pest control since it may not have enough power to get the job done humanly. That said, there are pellet pistols deigned with power in mind, usually these are spring piston, or pressurized air powered air guns which can have a lot more power than a standard CO2 BB or Pellet Pistol.
Pistols versus Rifles:
This is not the forum for a full pistol versus rifle comparison. I can tell you that you will find a lot more pellet rifles than your will find BB rifles, they both exist but for the most part rifles are geared more towards target shooting and hunting. Most of the BB rifles available would be styled after replicas so the focus is not necessarily on power and or accuracy in these models.
Abundance:
In terms of Replica Action Shooters, BB Pistols outweigh the Pellet pistols by a land-slide. BB’s just work better in action pistols because the round hard steel ammo operates much easier and more reliably than the softer lead pellets, at least for action shooters. And the point of Replica Action Shooters is not so much power and accuracy but more so towards rapid fire good old back yard fun shooting.
Which is Best?
Well… Neither one is best, it just depends what you are looking for.
Do you want accuracy at longer ranges - if so maybe get a Pellet CO2 Pistol.
Do you want more realism in terms of magazine loading and your slide locking back on the last shot - then you may be in the market for a BB CO2 Pistol.
Do you want more power down range - heavy pellets are going to hit harder and truer than lighter Steel BB’s.
Do you want trouble free shooting - hard steel BB’s rarely miss-feed or misfire compared to softer Lead Pellets especially in action shooters.
The best is what’s best for you and not always what's best for me…
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull with both the EKOL ES 66 CO2 BB Pistols is fairly heavy in double action mode as the hammer spring is fairly firm. In single action mode the trigger pull lightened up a lot and allows for more precise shooting when required. The double action pull is fairly long and the release point is fairly far back.
Accuracy: I have not shot either of these EKOL ES 66 styled airguns but I have conducted a similar test using a similar EKOL BB Pistol, the EKOL ES 55 which is basically the same base gun with a different slide. I would expect all of the EKOL airguns to shoot about the same. Based on my past experience the ES 66 C and ES 66 should shoot right around 420 fps or more and get 1-2 inch groupings from 30 feet out. We will find out for sure when I conduct my official Field Test Shooting Review for them.
Build Quality: The EKOL ES 55 comes from a company that primarily makes blank pistols. EKOL makes this gun directly from a similar model (The EKOL Sava) that shoots blanks so in many ways the ES 55 and ES 66 are designed more like a real gun than an airgun. The EKOL ES 66 Series is all metal with rubber grips and feels fantastic in the hand. There are really no plastic parts to speak of and I could not find any quality concerns on these airguns at all! The Chrome finish is something you don't often see in airguns but does look nice, just watch out for those finger prints ;)
Realism: The EKOL ES 66 CO2 BB Pistol is not an exact replica but does look a lot like a browning Hi-Power other than some small cosmetic differences. The basic size and shape is very close. With the shorter EKOL 66 C, this similarity is harder to see.
All metal construction - very heavy and solid feeling gun.
Expect to have decent accuracy and good power.
Safety is actually a de-cocker but a nice touch.
Nice full size drop out Magazine that holds the CO2 and 4.5mm Steel BB’s.
Double and single action trigger / hammer.
One of the few BB pistols with a rifled barrel.
Nice wrap around ergonomic grips.
Very unique airgun, not a lot of them around.
Cons:
Some parts don't function - slide release - slide when CO2 is in the gun.
No cutout ejection port.
Sights are none adjustable.
Double action is a bit heavy and trigger take-up is long.
Comments:
EKOL makes several blank guns and I have reviewed many of them back when we used to be able to import more varieties of blank guns here in Canada. What makes the EKOL airgun version kind of different than most airguns out there, is that it is made very similarly to the way EKOL makes their blank guns. Many parts are interchanged so in some ways the airgun is a lot like the blank gun version which one could say is a lot like how a real gun is made. What I am getting at here is that the EKOL ES 66 and ES 55 look and feel more like real guns than an airgun. Make sure to pick one of these EKOL airguns up before we run out, our supply for them is limited and when they are gone we may not be able to get any more?
My EKOL ES 66 CO2 BB Pistol Table Top Vimeo Video Review:
