I did my unboxing vide for both the Steambow AR-6 Stinger II Tactical and M10 Tactical already which is generally a preview of the products I am unboxing but with these types of compact crossbows, they generally need a bit of setup before they are complete and ready to view and use.

For that reason I wanted to make a quick combined Preview Video for Steambow AR-6 Stinger II Tactical and M10 Tactical Crossbows so you can see what they look like all put together, and what the main differences are between the two of them. This way you can figure out which one might be the best choice if you are in the market for a product like this.

Let’s go over the main specifications and differences to determine what you get with each one:

• Distributed by: Steambow GmbH Austria.

• Materials: Mostly plastic with some metal parts.

• Weight: M10 4 pounds / AR-6 2.6 pounds.

• Lengt: M10 24.2 inches / AR-6 22 inches.

• Width: M10 17.5 inches / 17.5 inches.

• Magazine Capacity: M10 10 bolts per external magazine / AR-6 6 bolts per internal magazine.

• Bow Tension: M10 75 pounds (12 foot pounds) / AR-6 55 pounds (10 foot pounds).

• Picatinny Rails: M10 top, sides, bottom / AR-6 top, bottom.

• Sights: M10 fiber optic front, peep or grove rear / AR-6 fiber optic mid.

• Rear stock: M10 AR type upgraded 6 position / AR-6 AR type 5 position.

• For-grip: M10 yes upgraded / AR-6 yes standard.

• Safety: M10 yes bolt / AR-6 no.

• Sling mount: M10 yes on receiver / AR-6 yes on stock.

• M10 extras: 20 bolts, 2 magazines, 2 rear sight options, pre-strung, more power.

• Price at time of this video: M10 $569 CAN / AR-6 $389 CAN.

Another Mystery Box to share with everyone but this time I peaked a bit so it’s not as much of a mystery for me, but it will be for you. I was glad I peaked as the items inside where not the usual assortment and it was good I was able to get a bit of pre-intel on them before I jumped into this unboxing, as there was a lot to discover about each of the three items in the Mystery Box. I hope they appeal to some of you, I think they are very interesting and after checking them out, some of you may decide to add one or two of them to your collection.

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The first two items I looked at are from an Austrian based company called Steambow. They are both compact crossbows that offer a unique reloading system with built in Magazines that hold either 6 or 10 rounds depending on the version you buy. The Steambow AR-6 Stinger II Tactical is the less expensive yet still “kind of expensive” version with a built in 6 round magazine While the AR Series Steambow M10 Tactical has an upper that accepts 10 round magazines you can preload. The Steambow AR-6 Stinger II Tactical comes with a 55 pound pre-strung bow that produces around 10 foot pounds of energy, while the Steambow M10 Tactical come with a 75 pound pre-strung bow which should produce close to 12 or more foot pounds of energy. Both incorporate fiber optic slights, lots of rail mounting options, AR style rear stocks which shoulder mount easy and quick cocking to make the most of the automatic bolt loading systems.

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Another Archery based item also in this months Mystery Box was the Umarex AirJavelin FishR PCP based arrow launcher designed for anglers. It is intended to work with a fishing real of your choice and comes with a single retrievable barbed arrow, so a lot like bow fishing but with a PCP propulsion system. The Umarex AirJavelin FishR has a built in 4500 psi tank that is regulated to 800 psi and the arrow is a whopping 1250 grain to cut through the water with ease. The entire system is salt water resistant so you can use it in both fresh and salt water conditions. There are both picatinny and M-LOK mounting options for sights and accessories.

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Stay posted for my Table Top and Field Testing Video Reviews coming shortly…

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I have only tested out another similar Crossbow setup one other time so this is not my normal Field Test Review. Like last time when I made my Bear X Desire XL Crossbow Field Test Video, in this Field Test Video I record my Chronograph velocity for the CenterPoint Hornet Recurve Compact Crossbow at the same time as I shoot at the target so I did not have to make two separate video segments and basically did it all in one go. I did have a bit of a brain fart and forgot I needed to setup two separate cameras, one on the Chronograph and one on the Target, as I generally only need one camera at a time for my usually two segment Field Test Videos. So getting to the point, I did not have dedicated camera on the target while shooting and in hind sight it would have been better to have the camera on the Target rather than the Chronograph as my camera glasses generally record the Chronograph readings for me too. I do walk up to the Target at the end of the video so we do get to see exactly where all the bolts landed, so I can show you the final result at the end of the day.

In terns of velocity, CenterPoint claims a velocity of 191 fps. I was able to get consistently just over 180 fps so pretty close. My Chrono readings using the included 147 grain 6.5 inch aluminum bolts ranged from 180 to 182 fps so very consistent. This gave an overall Foot Pound energy of 10.61 foot pounds so velocity and foot pound energy were just a little bit under the claimed rating! This is enough for small pests for sure, it really comes down to accuracy at this point as you will want to get either a head or shoulder area shot for a humane kill, and I am not sure if this bow is up of the job? You will have to see how accurate it will be for you and make that decision for yourself..

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In terms of accuracy I found the CenterPoint Hornet Recurve Compact Crossbow to be fairly accuracy on the windage side (left and right), basically with all the bolts only being about 2 inches apart side to side. Where it did not perform as well was in elevation with the bolts ranging about 8 inches top to bottom. I am not sure why this was the case as the velocity is very consistent and generally less consistent velocities account for elevation changes. All the bolts hit the target using the included red dot with no pre adjustments but it did shoot just a bit to the right and maybe overall a bit low. This can easily be corrected using the red dot windage and elevation adjustments.

Interestingly the CenterPoint Hornet Recurve Compact Crossbow has a higher claimed velocity over the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow I tested a while back, yet the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow actually shot a bit faster hitting 190+ fps, not a huge difference but an interesting observation. The CenterPoint Hornet Recurve Compact Crossbow does come with a red dot but both have Picatinny Rails so Red Dots will fit on both Crossbows no problem. I am going to address the elephant in the room, if you compare both of these Crossbows they are virtually the same with the exception of the branding and distribution of them. So I would say get either one, the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow is actually less money as it does not come with an included Red Dot but at least right now it is out of stock so your only option may the the CenterPoint Hornet Recurve Compact Crossbow, both are a lot of fun and pack a lot more punch than your standard non regulated Air Rifle.

• Buy the CenterPoint Hornet Recurve Compact Crossbow Kit in Canada

• Buy Compact Crossbows in the US

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Type: Compact Recurve Crossbow.
Manufacturer: CenterPoint.
Model: CenterPoint Hornet.
Materials: Fiberglass, metal & plastic.
Weight: 2.25 pounds (1 kilograms).
Length: 22-24 inches.
Propulsion: Recurve Bow.
Action: Single action trigger.
Ammunition Type: Aluminum bolts (Comes with 3x 146 grain).
Ammunition Capacity: 1.
FPS: 191fps.
Draw weight: 80 pounds.

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Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the CenterPoint Hornet Recurve Compact Crossbow is a single action only trigger as you need ot cock the bow in order for the trigger to be engaged. The trigger mechanism basically just pushes the bow string up and over the lip of the rail releasing it so there is a bit of friction and I would say it is about 10 pounds maybe a bit less. The safety is also engaged when you cock the bow requiring you to take the CenterPoint Hornet Recurve Compact Crossbow off safe before shooting as an added layer of safety.

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Accuracy: I have not made my Field Test Shooting Video for the CenterPoint Hornet Recurve Compact Crossbow and so I am not sure what to expect from it. I have shot a similar bow, the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow so it should perform similar to that one if you want to check that Field Test Shooting Video out, but I expect the CenterPoint Hornet Recurve Compact Crossbow to have a little bit more power as it has a rated fps and draw weight a little bit higher than the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow, we will see?

Build Quality: The CenterPoint Hornet Recurve Compact Crossbow is actually made pretty decently, yes it is mostly plastic and light weight but feels sturdy enough to hold, the bow itself is fiberglass and the only real metal I can confirm is the cocking rail, mostly everything else other than the nuts and bolts that hold it together are some sort of plastic, The only part that does not feel up to par with the quality is the included red dot, it is fairly entry level but I am sure it will get the job done, and if it stops getting the job done at some point you can upgrade it then, or simply use the included rear iron sight which is fully adjustable.

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Realism: The CenterPoint Hornet Recurve Compact Crossbow is not a Replica as is what I usually review here on the channel. But I think there is a crossover in terms of interest for a product like this with people that are also interested in Airguns. The other benefit is that it has a lot more power than a non regulated Airgun as the CenterPoint Hornet Recurve Compact Crossbow uses nice heavy 146 grain bolts traveling at almost 200 fps which gives an energy rating of around 12 foot pounds. So if raw power is what you are after, then this is your best option for something still compact if you do not have a firearms license.

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Pros:

• Fairly inexpensive.

• Super light weight and compact.

• More power than an Airgun yet still quiet to shoot so you can use discreetly just about anywhere with a good back stop setup.

• Easy to draw the bow using the stock for leverage.

• Safety is automatically engaged.

• Picatinny rail already has iron fully adjustable rear sight and comes with a very basic red dot sight to get you started.

• Fiber optic front sight.

• 3 bolts included.

• 191 fps (12ft/lbs).

• Comes with fore grip.

• 5 portion adjustable rear but stock.

Cons:

• Will need a good backstop or will lose lots of bolts.

• Takes a little bit of time to set it up but not too hard, just follow the steps in the manual.

• Careful not to wash you hadn't or thumb with the string (Ouchy).

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Comments:

The CenterPoint Hornet Recurve Compact Crossbow is a nice crossover product that appeals to Airgun enthusiasts as it does not require a firearms license and can be used in a lot more locations than a standard gun. It also has decent power as compared to a non regulated Airgun hitting 12 foot pounds which is at least 4x more than most non regulated Airguns can achieve. In terms of pest control, it does have the power required for small pests but accuracy is not going to be as good as an Airgun so hitting the rather small sweet spot on a small pest is not going to be easy and you want to be humane about it, so make sure if you do plan on using this for some sort of pest control, that you practice your accuracy and are confident in your shot placement. Personally I would just enjoy shooting it as a target bow that literally cost you nothing after purchase as long as you don’t lose the bolts.

• Buy the CenterPoint Hornet Recurve Compact Crossbow Kit in Canada

• Buy Compact Crossbows in the US

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…

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Centerpoint Hornet - Recurve Compact Crossbow

• Arrow Velocity: Up to 191 FPS

• Foot Pounds of Energy (FPE): 12 ft-lbs

• Limbs: 1 Piece Compression Fiberglass

• System: Recurve

• Draw Weight: 80 lbs

• Length: 22.05 in

• Product Weight: 2.32 lbs

• Stock Material: Composite

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John Wayne Marshal CO2 BB Revolver

• Type: BB Revolver

• Power Source: 12g CO2 x 1

• Action: Single-action

• Ammo Type: 4.5mm (.177) steel BBs

• Ammo Capacity: 18 rounds

• FPS: 330

• Safety: Manual

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Gamo GP-20 Combat CO2 BB Pistol

• Ammunition: .177 Bb's.

• Velocity: 400 Feet Per Second (Fps)

• Action: Single / Double

• Magazine: 20 Metal BB's Magazine.

• Powerplant: CO2 12gr.

• Barrel: Smooth Bore Barrel.

• Slide: Non-blowback.

• Sights: Fixed Sights With Fiber Optic Rear Sight.

• Weight: 0.97 Lbs.

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Specna Arms SA-X01 AEG Airsoft Rifle

• AEG Airsoft

• Overall length: 69 cm.

• Weight: 2505g.

• FPS: 380.

• Hop-up: Yes.

• Inner barrel length: 229 mm.

• Magazine capacity: 120 rds.

• Quick spring change system: Yes.

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Specna Arms SA-J73 AK AEG Airsoft Rifle

• Weight: 5.7 lbs

• Overall Length: Adjustable from 23.4" to 32.6"

• AEG Airsoft

• FPS: 380.

• Hop-up: Yes.

• Inner barrel length: 400 mm.

• Magazine capacity: 430 rds.

• FPS (Feet Per Second): 370-380 FPS

• Included Magazine Capacity: 500rd Hi-Cap Magazine

• Quick spring change system: Yes.

• Gearbox Version: V3 Gearbox

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Type: Blowback BB Pistol.
Manufacturer: Made and Distributed by ASG.
Model: CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow.
Materials: Mostly all Metal.
Weight: 2.37 pounds (1076 grams).
Barrel: 4.5 inches (114mm) metal non-rifled.
Total Length: 8.26 inch (210mm).
Propulsion: 1 x Co2.
Action: Semi auto blowback, single & double action trigger.
Ammunition Type: 4.5mm steel BB's.
Ammunition Capacity: 17 round drop out full size metal magazine.
FPS: Claimed 312.

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Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the ASG CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow Blowback CO2 BB Pistol is both single and double action, by either pulling the slide or hammer back you engage the single action trigger which is nice and short and light with a medium take-up. You will need to pull the slide back to load a BB into the breach area for your first shot or you will simply be shooting CO2 on that first shot. If you drop the hammer down once a BB is in the breach, you can shoot in double action which is much heavier but it is fairly smooth without any noticeable sticking points.

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Accuracy: I have not shot the ASG CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow Blowback CO2 BB Pistol or made my Field Test Shooting Video for it, that will happen next week. So for now I can not comment on the true velocity or accuracy of this product. It is very well made so I expect it to perform like most Full Blowback CO2 BB pistols which means it should shoot around a 1-2 inch 10 shot grouping at 30 feet away, and I expect it to achieve a velocity close to the manufacturers claimed fps, so around 300 fps or just above. We will find out for sure next week!

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Build Quality: The ASG CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow Blowback CO2 BB Pistol is distributed by ASG but I am not 100% sure who makes it for them. I feel it could be either KJWorks or KWA. In either case both companies make very high quality Airguns and that is present with the ASG CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow Blowback CO2 BB Pistol. Fit and finish are excellent and the entire gun is virtually all metal. It weighs in at almost 2.5 ponds and has a very solid feel to it.

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Realism: The ASG CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow Blowback CO2 BB Pistol is a 1 to 1 copy of the real steel CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow and side by side it would be very hard to tell them apart. It features full blowback operation and can by fully field stripped. All the mechanical parts work like the real steel version adding to the realism of shooting this CO2 Blowback BB Pistol. Again it is almost all metal which not only helps it look the part, but also feel the part. It is a very realistic replica and to make it even more believable, ASG has provide the CZ licensing to add all the correct markings to this product.

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Pros:

• Single and double action trigger with a nice light short single action trigger.

• Fit and finish is excellent, very little slide wiggle, all metal build.

• This pistol is pretty heavy at just under 2.5 pounds!

• Extremely close replica of the real steel CZ SP-01 Shadow in both looks and function.

• Well priced for a quality Airgun.

• Fiber optic front sight helps with quick target acquisition.

• I like the stainless barrel, it won’t be as prone to scratches and wear marks.

• Deep recessed barrel for added realism.

• Full size 17 round metal magazine holds the CO2 and BB’s and adds additional weight.

• Rail for adding accessories like a laser or tac light.

• Most mechanical parts work just like the steel version and can be easily field stripped to access the hop-up.

• Heavy slide spring with fast blowback action, great for action shooting.

• Licensing all over this gun, true to the real steel version.

Cons:

• Rear sight is not adjustable.

• FPS is perhaps a bit low at 312?

• May be a bit heavy for some people.

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Comments:

I am pretty sure that the ASG CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow Blowback CO2 BB Pistol started out life as a 6mm Airsoft Pistol, and then this version was simply converted over to shoot 4.5mm Steel BB’s by more than likely swapping out the barrel, perhaps changing the nozzle and modifying the magazine to allow for 4.5mm BB’s over the 6mm Airsoft BB’s. And that is OK with me as I really like how Full Blowback Airsoft Pistols recreate that realistic shooting experience. The downside to all of this is a bit of a perforce hit since Full Blowback Airsoft Pistols use up a lot of CO2 to create that full heavy blowback experience. You also lose some power along the way. I am fine with that but some people may not be. Overall I really like the ASG CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow Blowback CO2 BB Pistol. It is high quality and looks awesome. Now I just need to find out how it shoots :)

• Buy the ASG CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow Blowback CO2 BB Pistol in Canada

• Buy the ASG CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow Blowback CO2 BB Pistol in the US

This is not exclusive to Airguns since trends of Airguns are highly influenced by what type of Real Steel Pistols are popular to people. This is often based on what people see portrayed in movies and TV Series, and also promoted online. There is for sure an overlap in what is popular and it is hard to say what is influencing what? Is it the popularity of Pistols out in the real world that influences what we see being used in the movies and on TV? Or is it what we see in Movies and TV that influences our choices of pistols out in the real world? Perhaps it is a combination of both?

My list is based on my own personal experience and does not represent the entirety of types of Pistol designs available.

• Glock

• Sig Sauer

• 1911

• Beretta 92 / 84

• S&W M&P

• Makarov / Walther PPK

• 357 / 44 Magnum / Colt Single Action Army

• Desert Eagle

• UZI

Buy Airguns in Canada

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Cost:

Airguns are generally cheaper to buy and for sure cheaper to shoot. Airguns can cost as little as $50-100 to buy while real guns in similar models will cost many time more. Cost of ammo is so much less expensive than Real Gun ammo by a mile!

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Difficulty to Obtain:

Airguns in most countries do not require any licensing or registration. Generally there are more available options in Airgun choices than Real Gun choices as restrictions often prohibit many Real Guns to be obtained.

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Places to Shoot:

Unless you live in a super remote locations and your laws allow you to shoot Real Guns in those locations, then in most cases you can shoot an Airgun almost anywhere within reason. You can even shoot certain Airgun models in your basement. Airsoft is a great option for indoor shooting as the plastic ammo does not carry very much energy so with minimal effort you can make a backstop that will trap the ammo very well.

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Trigger Time:

Because ammo is much less expensive and places you can shoot are easier to find, you can get a lot more Trigger Time under your belt which will also improve your shotgun with Real Guns and after all it’s just fun to shoot guns even if they are Airguns.

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Safety:

I am not talking about safety in terms of protection. I am talking about safety as in if you do something stupid and your Gun goes off accidentally. If you accidentally fire your Airgun indoors, the bullet will not travel through floors or walls and potentially harm or kill someone on the other side. If you do manage to shoot yourself with an Airgun, the consequence are much less severe than shooting yourself with a Real Gun. That said, always treat an Airgun as if it was a Real Loaded Gun, as server injury and even death can occur even with an Airgun.

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Ware Games and Training Situations:

There is no way you can use a standard Real Gun to shoot at people, unless extensively altered with special parts that make the Real Gun unusable to shoot live ammo. With Airguns you have the choice of using an Airsoft or Paintball gun that are both designed specifically for this purpose.

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Pest Control:

If you have the need for pest control in an urban area where you do not want a stray bullet to travel too far or penetrate buildings if a shot where to go awry, then an Airgun designed for accuracy and power may be perfect for the job. Accuracy with target and hunting Airguns is on par if not better than many Real Guns and are have powerful enough to kill a pest humanely without having too much power for the job and having to worry as much about your background.

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Prop Guns:

As mentioned already, Airguns can look a lot like Real Guns, so they are perfect to be used as a stand-in or Prop Gun when you need to simulate the look and function of a Real Gun. Again they are easier and cheaper to obtain and if something does go wrong, the consequences are much less severe.

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Social Stigma:

Unfortunately Real Guns and perhaps any gun these days are looked upon with a social stigma as being the cause of the Crime rather than a tool used in a Crime. And so people blame Guns for these crimes rather than the people committing these crimes. If a person is motivated enough to do something bad, they are going to do it either way and will use whatever means is available to them to commit these Crimes. Including other means like: Knives, Blunt Objects, Poisons, Vehicles, Explosives… Sad but true! Airguns are not used in homicides or mass shootings as they are completely underpowered for a crime like this. They can however be used in crimes as a show of threat, as they do look a lot like real guns, generally people that use Airguns for real crimes, if challenged will give up immediately as they are completely outgunned. Don’t bring an Airgun to a Real Gun fight, you have better chance with a knife!

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This was an unusual Field Test Review for me to do as I really don’t test out Bows or Crossbows all that much and I don’t have the best backstop setup for doing such reviews. So I spent some time making a backstop that was capable of stopping these just over 6 inch almost 10 gram or 150 grain bolts. It required some layers of foam and cardboard along with a blanket behind just in case, and even with this setup the bolts managed to lodge themselves right up to the Fletching (feather part of the arrow). Also make sure to watch my Table Top Video Review for the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow to see it up nice and close and get all the specifications and features.

I kind of wanted to change up this review just a bit and so I recorded my Chronograph Velocity at the same time as I did my Target or Accuracy Test to simplify things. I used 5 bolts in all and got what I felt was a good result using the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow.

In terns of velocity Bear X claims that the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow will shoot around 175 fps. I was able to get consistent 190+ fps readings using the 147 grain 6.5 inch aluminum bolts with my lowest fps being 192 and the highest being 194 so super consistent. This gave an overall Foot Pound energy of 12.4 foot pounds! This is enough for small pests for sure, it really comes down to accuracy at this point as you will want to get either a head or shoulder area shot for a humane kill.

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I did do a pre test to make sure I was on target and duding this test I was able to get about a 5 inch 5 shot grouping. During my recored Accuracy Test this did open up a bit as one arrow went high and to the right so if I leave that arrow out of the test I did manage to get another 5 inch grouping with three of the arrows all within 1.5 inches of each otter. I figure with high quality arrows and some practice time using the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow, you should be able to use it for small pest control at least at closer in ranges.

All in all the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow surprised me with how powerful it really was and with the accuracy using standard default bolts. This is for sure not a toy and you would never want to accidentally shoot this at someone as it could cause a very serious injury or even death and I mean that since these arrow would for sure pierce several inches into the body. So if you’re looking for something with a bit more raw power than your standard non-regulated Airgun, then check out the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow over in both our Canada and US Online Replica Airguns Stores.

• Buy the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow in Canada

• Buy the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow in the US

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Type: Compact Crossbow.
Manufacturer: Bear X.
Model: Desire XL.
Materials: Metal & plastic.
Weight: 2.3 pounds (1 kilograms).
Length: 20-22 inches.
Propulsion: Bow.
Action: Single action trigger.
Ammunition Type: Aluminum bolts (Comes with 3).
Ammunition Capacity: 1.
FPS: 175fps.
Draw: 60 pounds

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Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow is medium to heavy, it is a single action only trigger as you need ot cock the bow in order for the trigger to be engaged. The safety is also engaged when you cock the bow requiring you to take the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow off safe before shooting as an added layer of safety.

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Accuracy: I have not made my Field Test Shooting Video for the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow and so I have not sea what to expect for it. I have watched a few videos of other people reviewing it and it looks to perform fairly well but until I get a few bolts in a target downrange I can not say for certain the accuracy of the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow. I will have to figure out some sort of a usable back stop in order to make this Field Test Shooting Video but have some ideas already on material to use as my back stop. FPS is claimed ot be around 175 and I will be doing my best to Chronograph the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow so we can confirm that rating for ourselves…

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Build Quality: The Bear X Desire XL Crossbow is actually made pretty decently, yes it is mostly plastic and light weight but feels sturdy enough to hold, the only real metal I can confirm is the cocking rail, mostly everything else other than the nuts and bolts that hold it together are some sort of plastic, the bow itself may be a composite material but I am not sure what exactly it is?

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Realism: The Bear X Desire XL Crossbow is not a Replica as is what I usually review here on the channel. But I think their is a crossover in terms of interest for a product like this with people that are also interested in airguns. I know I like the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow and can see a place for it in my collection even if it’s not a replica product.

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Pros:

• Fairly inexpensive.

• Super light weight.

• Can shoot in a variety of situations.

• Easy to draw the bow.

• Safety is automatically engaged.

• Picatinny rail already has iron fully adjustable rear sight but can mount a red dot if you like.

• Fiber optic front sight.

• 3 bolts included.

• 175 fps (not sure of the ft/lbs)?

• Comes with fore grip.

• 3 portion adjustable rear but stock.

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Cons:

• Will need a good backstop or will lose or damage a lots of bolts.

• Takes a little bit of time to set it up but not too hard if you follow the instructions.

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Comments:

The Bear X Desire XL Crossbow is an interesting product that once purchased and if you manage to not lose the bolts will cost virtually nothing to shoot since you can reuse the bolts all day long given you shoot them on target and that target does not damage the bolts. It may not offer the rapid fire action shooting of a replica semi auto CO2 Pistol but still challenges the shooter in terms of getting the best possible accuracy out of it and at the end of the day trigger time is trigger time! If you are looking for something a bit different than your CO2 Air Gun then maybe the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow will fill that requirement.

• Buy the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow in Canada

• Buy the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow in the US

In this Preview Unboxing Vimeo Video I take a look at five very different products! A Spring Piston .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol, an Airsoft GBB Pistol, a Compact Crossbow, a full auto CO2 Blowback BB Pistol and a PPC .22 Caliber Pellet Rifle.

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First up is the Umarex Ruger Mark IV Spring Piston Pellet Pistol which is a single shot replica pellet pistol that shoots .177 caliber pellets at up to 320 fps using a spring piston break barrel system. The Umarex Ruger Mark IV Spring Piston Pellet Pistol is a target plinker with fully adjustable fiber optic sights and should be a lot of fun to shoot!

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Next I take a look at a Gas Blowback Airsoft Pistol from Action Army that closely resembles the Ruger Mark IV pistol with perhaps a more compact look. The Action Army AAP-01 GBB Airsoft Pistol is full blowback a full size drop out magazine and fiber optic sights. It also come with a threaded barrel and barrel extension for adding a longer barrel and much suppressor.

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Next on my list of new items is the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow which is a 2.2 pound compact bolt shooting crossbow that sports a rail system with included adjustable iron sights that also allow for a red dot if you want to really customize it. The Bear X Desire XL Crossbow has a 60 pound draw and shoots arrows/bolts at up to 175 fps.

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Another AR BB Rifle/Pistol from Crosman is the Crosman A4-P Full Auto CO2 BB Pistol which is essentially a pistol version of the AR Platform. If you like the Crosman DPMS SBR, R1, PDW then you will probably also like the Crosman AP-4. Like the others it uses dual CO2’s and shoots 4.5mm Steel BB;s in semi or full auto at 1400 rounds per minute until the 25 round magazine is empty.

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Last included in this preview video is the Air Venturi Avenger Regulated PCP Pellet Rifle. I’m a bit uncertain about this one as I am pretty sure it is the non detuned PAL version that requires a firearms license here in Canada as it shoots at full velocity (.22 caliber pellet at 950 fps). If that’s the case then it will not be available in our Canada Replica Airguns Store but may be available in the US Replica Airguns Store. If it is the detuned version or a detuned version becomes available in Canada then I imagine we will at some point have it in the Canada replica Airguns Store. That said the Air Venturi Avenger Regulated PCP Pellet Rifle uses compressed air and shoots either .177. .22 or .25 caliber pellets using a latch system and rotary magazine.

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This year at SHOT Show 2020 Mark from Umarex had a nice variety of new product to go over with us. Mark first went over the new CO2 Blowback Pellet firing Glock 17 which has a similar magazine and loading system as the Umarex SA10 Pellet Pistol.

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We then took a look at another Glock replica, the Glock 18C Full Auto GBB Airsoft pistol with extended magazine, this one is sure to be a lot of fun with its selectable full auto feature and high capacity magazine. Perfect for hammering targets downrange or used as a very capable backup Airsoft pistol in the field.

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Probably one of my favorites at the Umarex Booth this year was the Umarex Thompson M1A1 Legends Series CO2 Blowback Machine Gun. And yes it’s full auto capable along with blowback operation and a full size drop metal magazine that holds the CO2 and Steel BB’s. A nice addition to the Legends series of Pistols and Rifles.

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Something really different this year for Umarex are the AirJavelin and AirSaber, two arrow firing rifles, the AirJavelin is CO2 powered and more tactical looking but still has more than enough power to shoot medium sized game, great for pest control while the bigger and (480 fps 178 foot pound) more powerful AirSaber is PCP powered and can be used for larger game like deer and wild bore. And it even looks like we will be selling these Arrow firing rifles in our Canada Replica Airguns Store with no PAL firearms license required!

We had a lot of great new Airguns that I reviewed this year at Replica Airguns. Some of them really stood out to me and so I made a video showing my Favorite Replica Airgun Picks of 2019. Of course there where many other Airguns that could has just as easily made this video but I had to draw the line somewhere and pick the ones that in my opinion where the best of 2019. Make sure to watch my Vimeo video where I go into some more details on why I liked each Airgun.

Below is a list of the top Replica Airgun Picks of 2019:

Pellet Rifles:

• Air Venturi TR5 .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle

BB Rifles:

• Crosman Bushmaster MPW CO2 Blowback BB Machine Gun

• Umarex Legends Cowboy Shell Ejecting CO2 BB Rifle

Airsoft Rifles:

• KWA Ronin TK.45 Tekken AEG 2.5 & 3 Airsoft Rifles

Pellet Pistols:

• Webley Nemesis Bolt Action CO2 Pellet Pistol

Airsoft Pistols:

• Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa 5.1 D.O.R GBB Airsoft Pistol

• Tokyo Marui FNX-45 Tactical GBB Airsoft Pistol

Paintball Guns:

• Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol

Blank Guns:

• ROHM RG-88 9mm PAK Blank Pistol in Polished Chrome

BB Pistols:

• Umarex Glock 17 4th Gen CO2 Blowback BB Pistol

• Air Venturi Springfield Armory 1911 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol

• Air Venturi Springfield Armory XDM Blowback CO2 BB Pistols

• Sig Sauer P365 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol

• KWC K17 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol

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It’s been a while since I had Blank Gun available for silent auction here in Canada and this one is an EKOL Firat Compact 9mm PAK Front Firing Blank Gun in great shape well kept and with only 20 rounds through it.

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It comes with a hard shell case, the flare adaptor, take down tool and manual. Pretty much everything it came with. The finish is closest to a stainless but I believe was called Chrome back in the day. I would call it a Satin nickel finish? Anyway watch the video and look at the photos to get a better idea of what I mean.

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The EKOL FIrat is a lot like the EKOL Jackal which also came in compact and Magnum version and resemble a Beretta 92. The EKOL Jackal however is semi auto and full auto capable while the EKOL Firat is semi auto only. This will save you a lot of money on blanks since blanks cost around $40 for a 50 pack.

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To take part in the silent auction for this EKOL Firat Compact 9mm PAK Front Firing Blank Gun you will need to email me and let me know what your top bid is for it. The person with the highest bid will become the new only once paid for.

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There are a couple things to keep in mind:

• Get your bids in by noon Monday December 23rd.

• Shipping will be added to the cost which is $29

• Payment must be made within 24 hours of notification via EMT (Email Money Transfer), details to follow.

• This can be a Christmas gift to yourself but it is not likely you will receive it by Christmas.

Best of luck to all participants!

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Here we have three very different products I Unbox and Preview for everyone. A Spring Piston multi-shot .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle, a single action BB/Pellet revolver that’s not a Colt! And a really nice looking Semi Auto Blank Pistol in a Chrome finish.

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Let’s start with the Air Venturi TR5 Spring Piston 5-shot .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle. I think this is a really well thought out Air Rifle. It’s “almost a Bullpup” in design but it does actually load in front of the trigger just a bit, that said most of the spring piston is behind the trigger setup making it really compact yet with a longer than normal barrel compared to regular Break Barrel Spring Piston Air Rifles. The Air Venturi TR5 Spring Piston 5-shot .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle also has a side lever cocking mechanism along with a 5 round auto indexing magazine which makes it much quicker to cock and reload for fast follow-up shots, again compared to a standard Break Barrel Air Rifle, not to mention no barrel droop! The Air Venturi TR5 Spring Piston 5-shot .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle has a claimed fps of up to 500 so we are getting the max amount of velocity possible for our Canadian laws without making it a regulated firearm and requiring a PAL license. And by the way the Air Venturi TR5 Spring Piston 5-shot .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle does come in both a Lime Green and all Black version just in case you are not a fan of the Lime Green finish I show in this video.

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Moving onto the Schofield No. 3 BB/Pellet 6 Shot Revolver Replica, if you like single action revolvers then take a look at the Schofield No. 3 BB/Pellet 6 Shot Revolver Replica. It’s a lot more bulky than a Colt Single Action Revolver and also has that top Break design that makes reloading quick and easy. The version we are selling inner Replica Airgun Online Store is the kit version that comes with 6 BB shells and 6 pellet shells so you can take your pick on ammo types. The barrel is not rifled so Steel BB’s will not hurt the Airgun and since pellets are skirted they do not need a rifled barrel to fly straight and true. You can expect around 445 fps for the Schofield No. 3 BB/Pellet 6 Shot Revolver Replica.

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Last up is one of my favorite Blank firing Semi Auto Pistols which I have already full reviews in the all Black version so checkout those Video Reviews for more info on the ROHM RG-88 line of Front Firing 9mm Blank Pistols. All I really wanted to show you guys with the ROHM RG-88 9mm PAK Blank Pistol in Polished Chrome is how awesome it looked with the Polished Chrome finish and that we do have more choices now than we use to have in terms of what finish you can get your ROHM RG-88 in. Personally I like the Polished Chrome finish the best but you can also get it in all Black and Matte Chrome, so you decide which one you like the best.

I have some harder to get here in Canada Blank Guns that I am selling from my personal collection by way off Silent Auction. These Blank Guns are more for the Canadian collector and perhaps not so much for the first time buyer. I would recommend for the first time Blank Gun buyer that you checkout our selection off brand new ROHM Blank Guns that we sell in our Canada Replica Airguns Store so check those ROHM Blank Guns out as they are excellent German made Blank Guns in a variety of styles.

Getting back to the Blank Guns in my personal collection. They are all previously owned, most only test fired once for review. Below is a listing of the Blank Guns I am offering in this Silent Auction with what I feel is there approximate value:

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• ARAL 622K Black 9mm PAK Front Firing New (Just fired once for review video): $299

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• EKOL Aras Compact 9mm PAK Gloss Black Front Firing (New Condition): Missing magazine, should be able to buy and import magazine into Canada pretty easy. Takes the same magazine as most of the EKOL Blank Guns (Jackal, Dicle, ASI, Firat) $299

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• Bruni Mod. 92 8mm PAK Black Top Venting in working condition: A bit weathered but still looks good and super solid gun. Comes in a real Beretta case. $299

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• EKOL Arda 8mm PAK Gloss Back (Just fired once for review video): $199

Here is how the silent action system works… First of all I will only be shipping these guns within Canada to a Canadian addresses and all funds are in Canadian Funds. You will need to email me and let me know which Blank Gun or Blank Guns you are interested in bidding on and let me know what your best price is. In approximately a weeks time when I feel enough offers have come in, I will then contact the winning bidder and give them 24 hours to pay up. If they do not pay me the amount they offered within the 24 hours I will then move on to the next highest bidder.

If you are bidding on more than one gun then I will take this into consideration since collecting money and shipping product to one buyer is easier than multiple buyers so this will help you with your offer.

I also will be charging $20 for shipping per gun, if you are buying multiple guns then I will discount the shipping a little bit so I will not charge you $20 per gun.

Email me here:

mike(at)replicaairguns(dot)com

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This was the first time shooting a blank gun in the new Sea Can and I can tell you it was pretty loud inside but of course I was wearing ear protection! In this Blank Gun Shooting video I test out the ARAL Model 1453 and 622K 9mm PAK Blank Guns and put 3 rounds through each of them.

Not everything went as planned. First off my high speed slow motion camera decided to not work :( and secondly I had some technical issues with both guns, well sort of...

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Since the manual for the ARAL Model 1453 does not cover what I believed to be a safety on the back of the slide, I had no idea and was surprised to find out that rather than a safety, this selector switch is actually a semi and full auto selector which is kind cool but not so much when you're not expecting your blank gun to be shooting in semi auto :) Keep in mind this semi-full auto switch is only on the all black ARAL Model 1453 and not the two tone version.

Moving on to the ARAL Model 622K 9mm PAK Blank, I have a feeling that perhaps a different brand of ammo may have worked better in it. The 9mm PAK Blanks I used worked OK but I did get a failure to eject and the last round seemed to also not eject properly probably because there was no bullet in the mag too help direct it out of the breach area.

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What do yo know, a new Blank Gun Review! It's been a while since I actually saw some new Blank Guns other than our ROHM selection that made it past our wonderful Canada Customs.

So how do the ARAL Model 1453 and ARAL 622K compare to our ROHM Blank Guns? Well to be honest they don't. Our ROHM Blank Guns are much better quality and made in Germany rather than Turkey.

But still it's nice to hold a new Blank Gun in my hands even if it's not the best quality. The two ARAL blank guns I take a look at in this Table Top Video Review are the ARAL Model 1453 and ARAL 622K 9mm PAK versions. Both are front venting and both have double stack 14 round magazines. They also have threaded inner barrels however no flare adaptor came with either on of them and I only got an included manual with the ARAL Model 1453.

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In terms of what exactly real steel guns do they look like or resemble? The ARAL Model 1453 is kind of like a big chunky and somewhat ugly looking Glock. I have nick named mine the RoboGlock :)

The ARAL 622K resembles a CZ 75 but it's a fair bit smaller in size and much shorter. The finish on my ARAL 622K is really bad, it looks like someone took a can of spray paint and painted it themselves. But still they are working blank guns, well let's hope so when I test them out in my upcoming Field Test Shooting video... Fingers crossed!

First off I want to say it’s hard to trouble shoot technical or mechanical problems over the internet regardless of if ithas to do with guns, cars, computers or pretty much anything where unless you are there in person it’s really hard to figure out the problem.

But I will attempt to address some of the more common issues why a blank gun may not be functioning properly.

Why is my Semi Auto Blank Gun Not Cycling or Ejecting Shells?

One very common reason a blank gun may not be cycling the shells properly is because the owner has removed the barrel restrictor plug. People usually do this to make the barrel opening look more realistic but the barrel restrictor is a necessary component to increase the back pressure allowing the slide to cycle fully to the rear position so it can eject and pickup a new shell.

The blanks you are using may not have enough gun powder in them. Some blank guns require banks with more gun powder than others, again this additional internal pressure forces the slide all the way back, if the blank does not have enough gun powder in it then only a partial slide motion happens and so the discharged shell may not eject properly, in this case the user would have to clear the blank gun manually so another shell can then be picked up and loaded into the breach.

If your blank guns is dirty or not lubricated then it may act sluggish again restricting the full movement of the slide which will effect correct operation. Make sure to thoroughly clean and lubricate your blank gun, that may be a quick fix for you!

You may have a faulty extractor? The extractor is like a hook that grabs the discharged shell while the slide is in the reward position pulling or extracting the shell out of the breach. If the extractor is worn or broken then the empty shell will not be ejected from the breach so when a new shell is picked up from the magazine it has nowhere to go and usually you will get a jam-up in the ejection port area.

One final situation that can cause your blank gun to not cycle properly is to strong of a slide spring, some blank guns out of the box just come with a really heavy slide spring, so much so that even blanks with lots of gunpowder in them are still not strong enough to make the slide operate full motion. Your only option here would be to replace the heavy slide spring with a lighter one.

Why Are My Blanks Not Firing?

This is a situation where you pull the trigger and nothing happens. Lets get the obvious causes right out of the way here… Did you put blanks in your gun and are they new blanks? Did you chamber the first round in your semi auto pistol?

So now that that’s out of the way let’s look at some other reasons why your blank gun may not be firing a blank. Perhaps the firing pin is broken? Most blank guns are not made out of carbon steel and even the firing pins can be lesser quality than what you would find in a real gun so blank guns are more prone to breaking than real guns. I have seen broken firing pins in blank guns first hand so make sure to check the firing pin and that it is fully operational.

Try changing up your blanks to another brand? Again blank gun ammunition is not made to the same higher standards that real firearm ammo is made and some primers may require a little more pressure than your gun is providing. Even with real guns an ammo change may help the gun operate better.

Why is the Trigger or Hammer Not Operating Properly?

I have come across blank guns where there are mechanical problems in the trigger and hammer areas, you may be able to address this yourself but I would recommend taking your blank gun to a gunsmith since you will have to take the gun pretty much full apart to fix a problem in the trigger and hammer areas.

Of course make sure your gun is clean and lubricated, this can help a lot with the mechanical areas of your blank gun.

One problem I saw with a few EKOL Special 99’s was specifically with the single action potion of the trigger, when I would pull the hammer back it would not lock back and the hammer would often slip and fire randomly, this is rather dangerous. When I took the gun apart I found that the table top or step that the trigger was supposed to catch on was worn down on the edge so it would simply slip off. I was able to fix this by filing a new edge on the step area. Again this can happen because blank guns are not made out of as high quality metal materials as real guns.

Why does the Flame Come out the Top of My Blank Gun and Not the Front?

If you find that the flame or discharge comes out of the top of your blank gun and not the barrel, this usually does not mean anything is wrong with your blank gun. All it means is you own a top venting blank gun and not a front firing blank gun. In some countries front firing blank guns are not allowed but front venting blank guns are. The same may also be reversed in some countries, for instance here in Canada we can only import front firing blank guns with flare adaptors since our blank guns are imported under the assumption that they are to be used as signaling or flare devices.

Can I Convert my Top Venting Blank Gun into a Front Venting Blank Gun?

I really don't recommend altering a blank gun in any way as it may be a violation of your local laws and it could cause the blank gun to malfunction in a very bad way causing serious injury or even death!

In theory I suppose it may be possible to convert your Top Venting Blank Gun into a Front Venting Blank Gun but again you would need to allow for just the right amount of back pressure so a wide open barrel would not work unless it was a revolver. You can not simply remove the red plug and bingo you have a front firing blank gun because in most cases the barrel will be completely plugged in the frontal region. Not only would you need to drill out the plugged portion of the barrel but you would also have to somehow fill in the top venting area and again makes sure to allow for just enough back pressure to cycle the slide back and forth.

Hopefully this has helped some of you with blank gun issues. If you’re looking for a blank gun make sure to come down to www.ReplicaAirguns.ca and www.ReplicaAirguns.us and have a look in our blank gun area of our online stores.

It has been a while since I picked out some of my favorite guns, after all my favorite gun picks change on a daily basis since there are so many awesome guns out there to pick from.

This Vimeo video is a little different since I pick out my favorites from a bunch of mostly replica gun categories including Steel BB, Pellet, Airsoft, Revolvers and Blank Pistols.

You may notice most of my picks happen to be blowback guns but to me airguns are all about being as realistic as possible and having blowback operation to me help to simulate the realism that much more. The exception in this video is in the pellet gun category since I decided on a pellet gun that was more about function and purpose over being any type of real replica.

Hopefully you take the time to watch my entire Vimeo video since I also bring out some close runner ups but here is a list of my top picks on this day, tomorrow it could be a completely different list of guns ;) 

• Steel BB - Umarex/KWC Smith & Wesson M&P 40 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol

• Pellet - Webley & Scott Tempest .22 Caliber Pellet (Spring Piston)

• Airsoft - KJWorks KP-11 1911 Hi-Capa 1911 CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol

• Blank - ROHM RG-88 9mm P.A.K. Blank Pistol

• Revolver - Dan Wesson 715 Revolver (BB, Airsoft, Pellet Versions)

Buy Umarex/KWC Smith & Wesson M&P 40 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol in Canada

BuyUmarex/KWC Smith & Wesson M&P 40 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol in the US

BuyWebley & Scott Tempest .22 Caliber Pellet (Spring Piston) in Canada

Buy KJWorks KP-11 1911 Hi-Capa 1911 CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol in Canada

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