you need to 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 the bow, so there is a bit of friction and I would guess it is about 8-10 pounds maybe a bit less. There is no actual safety on the Steambow AR-6 Stinger II Tactical so you will have to practice appropriate finger control so as to not accidentally fire a bolt unintentionally.
Accuracy: I have not recorded my Field Test Shooting Video for the Steambow AR-6 Stinger II Tactical and so I am not sure what to expect. I have shot a similar bow, the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow so it should perform a lot like that one but without the auto loading bolt system. If you want, you can check that Field Test Shooting Video out here, I expect the Steambow AR-6 Stinger II Tactical to have perhaps slightly less power over the Bear X Desire XL as it is rated to have a 55 pound draw as compared to the 60 pounds of the Bear X Desire XL. In terms of accuracy I do not expect anything similar to a pellet or even BB rifles or pistol but I hope to get somewhere near a 6-8 inch grouping with the 6 bolts loaded in the internal magazine.
Build Quality: The Steambow AR-6 Stinger II Tactical is overall well made but does consist of a lot of plastic or polymer, that said it feels sturdy enough when holding it in the hand. The bow itself is fiberglass and the only real metal I can confirm is the cocking rail, mostly everything else other than the nuts, bolts, safety are some sort of plastic. Fit and finish is good. I am hoping the auto bolt loading system will perform well and be consistent but we will find out when I make my Field Test Shooting Video for it soon.
Realism: The Steambow AR-6 Stinger II Tactical is not a Replica pistol or rifle, it is a target bow that one could perhaps use of small game if you become proficient with shooting it. I do think this is a crossover product in terms of interest with people that are also interested in Airguns or target shooting. The other benefit is that it has a lot more power than a non regulated Airgun as the it uses nice heavy 142 grain bolts traveling at near 200 fps which gives an energy rating of around 12 foot pounds, the speed may be less than an Airgun but the energy is a lot higher. If raw power is what you are interested in, then this is your best option for something still compact and quiet if you do not have a firearms license or want to avoid that hassle and the legalities around regulated firearms.
Pros:
Light weight and compact.
More power than an airgun yet still quiet to shoot so can use discreetly just about anywhere with a good back stop setup.
Auto loading system for quick follow up shots.
Easy to draw the bow using the stock for leverage.
Top and bottom Picatinny rail mounting options for sights and accessories.
Fiber optic mid sight setup.
Ambidextrous bolt safety easy to engage and disengage.
6 bolts included to fully load the internal magazines.
180 fps (10ft/lbs).
Comes with standard fore grip.
5 portion AR compatible adjustable rear but stock.
Cons:
Fairly expensive.
Sights are not adjustable, mid sight is not as easy to sight in.
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.
Comments:
The Steambow AR-6 Stinger II Tactical is an interesting product, the autoloading system with built in 6 round magazines turns this from a simple target bow into a bit of an action shooter once you get the reloading down. As a potential pest control solution it for sure has the power as long as you can harness it by practicing to the point where you can get those 142 grain bolts on target and make a humane shot at the ranges you plan on using it for. Having quick follow up shots I feel is necessary just in case the first shot does not quite get the job done. If you don’t need external 10 round magazines or the upgraded accessories found on the Steambow M10 Tactical and want something a little more affordable than check the AR-6 Stinger out as it is very versatile as a compact Recurve Crossbow.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Steambow M10 Tactical Recurve Crossbow is a single action only trigger as you need to 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 the bow, so there is a bit of friction and I would guess it is about 8-10 pounds maybe a bit less. There is a metal bolt style safety just above where the trigger releases that is ambidextrous, push it forward for safe and back for fire.
Accuracy: I have not recorded my Field Test Shooting Video for the Steambow M10 Tactical Recurve Crossbow and so I am not sure what to expect so far. I have shot a similar bow, the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow so it should perform a lot like that one but without the auto loading bolt system. If you want, you can check that Field Test Shooting Video out, I expect the Steambow M10 Tactical Recurve Crossbow to have a bit more power over the Bear X Desire XL as it is rated to have a 75 pound draw as compared to the 60 pounds of the Bear X Desire XL. In terms of accuracy I do not expect anything similar to a pellet or even BB rifles or pistol but I hope to get somewhere near a 6-8 inch grouping with the 10 bolts.
Build Quality: The Steambow M10 Tactical Recurve Crossbow is well made but does consist of mostly plastic or polymer, that said it feels sturdy enough when holding it and is one of the heavier compact recurve Crossbow systems at 4 pounds. The bow itself is fiberglass and the only real metal I can confirm is the cocking rail, mostly everything else other than the nuts, bolts, safety and sling ring are some sort of plastic. Fit and finish is good. I am hoping the auto bolt loading system will perform well and be consistent but we will find out when I make my Field Test Shooting Video for it
Realism: The Steambow M10 Tactical Recurve Crossbow is not a Replica pistol or rifle, it is a target bow that one could perhaps use of small game if you become proficient with it. I do think there is a crossover product in terms of interest 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 it uses nice heavy 142 grain bolts traveling at near 200 fps which gives an energy rating of around 12 foot pounds. If raw power is what you are interested in, then this is your best option for something still compact and quiet if you do not have a firearms license or want to avoid that hassle and the legalities around it.
Pros:
Light weight and compact.
More power than an airgun yet still quiet to shoot so can use discreetly just about anywhere with a good back stop setup.
Auto loading system for quick follow up shots.
Easy to draw the bow using the stock for leverage.
Comes with bow pre-strung and ready to mount.
Lots of Picatinny rail mounting options for sights and accessories.
Fiber optic front sight with two rear sight options (grove and peep).
Ambidextrous bolt safety easy to engage and disengage.
20 bolts included to fully load both 10 round magazines.
190-200 fps (11-12ft/lbs).
Comes with upgraded fore grip.
6 portion AR compatible adjustable rear but stock with cheek adjustment.
Cons:
Fairly expensive.
Sights are not adjustable.
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.
Comments:
The Steambow M10 Tactical Recurve Crossbow is an interesting product, the autoloading system with 10 round magazines turns this from a simple target bow into a bit of an action shooter once you get the reloading down. As a potential pest control solution it for sure has the power as long as you can harness it by practicing to the point where you can get those 142 grain bolts on target and make a humane shot. Having quick follow up shots is necessary just in case the first shot does not quite get the job done. The upgraded add on accessories you get with the Steambow M10 Tactical Recurve Crossbow really give it a quilty feel and it is nice you not only have a fully adjustable AR compactly rear stock with a cheek rest but you have the option of a peep or grove rear sight to line up the fiber optic front sight. The price is on the high side but if you want the most ultimate Compact Recurve Crossbow auto loading system with maximum ammo then this is for sure the product for you.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Stay posted for my Table Top and Field Testing Video Reviews coming shortly…
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..
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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…
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.
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.
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!
Build Quality: TheASG 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.
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.
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.
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 :)
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.
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.
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.
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…
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
In this Vimeo Replica Airguns Update Video I take a look at three CO2 Airguns, one is a 4.5mm Steel BB revolver distributed by Barra and two are CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistols distributed by Umarex. All of these CO2 Airguns I have previously reviewed in slightly different versions either barrel length and finish or Steel BB as compared to 6mm Airsoft So checkout why other reviews on similar version Airguns.
The Barra Barra Schofield CO2 BB Revolver is a replica of the Schofield No. 3 single action revolver and utilizes 6 reloadable shells for a very realistic shooting experience. It is very solid in construction bing made mostly out of metal and weighs in at around 2.4 pounds. This version shots 4.5 mm Steel BBs at a velocity of up to 400 fps. It comes in a variety of barrel lengths and finishes so amen sure to have a look in our Online Replica Airguns Store for what we have available…
Next up from Umarex is the fully licensed Beretta Pietro Mod. 92 A1 CO2 Blowback Semi and Full Auto Airsoft Pistol, this product is distributed by Umarex but is made by KWC. Another solid metal pistol with a hefty 2.4 pound weigth that holds 21 rounds in its full size drop out metal magazine and offers both semi and full auto shooting at the flick of a switch!
Again from Umarex I showcase the Elite Force 1911 Tac CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol and like the Beretta Pietro it too is made in the KWC factory for Umarex. The 1911 Tac as the name suggest is a tactical version of the standard Colt 1911 but with some upgrades like a skeletonized hammer and trigger along with an ambidextrous safety, white dot sights front and back and a picatinny rail on the frame for add ons. You can expect velocity to be somewhere in the 400 fps range and the full size drop out metal magazine holds 15 Airsoft BB’s.
In this video I test out the Umarex S&W M&P 9 M2.0 Blowback CO2 BB Pistol to see what we can expect in terms of accuracy and velocity. I first shoot several rounds through my Chronograph to get an average fps fooled by an accuracy test where I shoot 10 rounds at a paper target setup 30 feet down range to see how tight of a grouping I can get and if the Airgun out of the box shoots relatively on target.
Starting with my Velocity Test I shot about 9 rounds through my Chronograph to get a 6 shot average using a brand new CO2. The first three shots seemed to be a bit low as the Umarex S&W M&P 9 M2.0 Blowback CO2 BB Pistol is brand new and this was probably the CO2 valve settling in a bit. After the first three shots all the rest of the shots where in the 350-360 fps ranges with an average of 359 fps, fairly close to the Umarex 375 claimed fps on the packaging.
Next I setup a brand new paper target 30 feet down range and placed 10 rounds carefully on it from a seated and rested shooting position. I was able to get close to a two inch grouping that was a bit to the left of the bullseye but well centered vertically. The sights are not adjustable so at least with this gun I would need to aim juts a little bit to the right to nail targets consistently.
Overall I am impressed with the Umarex S&W M&P 9 M2.0 Blowback CO2 BB Pistol, the fps was right in the ballpark giving better performance than most full blowback BB guns which will ams translate to more shots per CO2. The accuracy was also on point, it just would be nice if some of these lower coat airguns had adjustable sights to get them dead canter. I did find the trigger to be better than expected, it is a bit long as the first part of the trigger is used to shutle a BB into the breach for the magazine but usually this porting of the trigger pull can have a bit of friction to it, not the case with the Umarex S&W M&P 9 M2.0 Blowback CO2 BB Pistol as it felt really smooth. The actual trigger release does require a bit more force but once y9u figure it out the guns world well and would make for good action shooting.
UPDATE: All Umarex Glock 17 Gen 4 and Glock 19 Gen 3 GBB Airsoft Pistols now ship with the Shorter Barrels!!
Type: Blowback GBB Airsoft Pistols. Manufacturer: Distributed by Umarex. Model:Glock 17 Gen 4 & Glock 19 Gen 3. Materials: Metal & Polymer. Weight: 1.66 Pounds (642 grams) / 1.64 Pounds (634 grams). Barrel: Smooth bore 10.8 inch barrels. Propulsion: Green Gas or Propane. Action: Semi auto blowback, single action only trigger. Ammunition Type: 6mm plastic Airsoft BB's. Ammunition Capacity: 22 / 19 round drop out full size metal magazines. FPS: Claimed 410 with .20 gram Airsoft BB’s.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Umarex Glock 17 Gen 4 and Glock 19 Gen 3 GBB Airsoft Pistols is fairly short with only a little bit of take up, the release is light and crips. The blowback action resets the internal Hammer / Striker with each shot for that true single action trigger and it’s also nice that the trigger does have a working trigger safety like the real steel versions.
Accuracy: At this point I have not shot either of the long barrel Umarex Glock 17 Gen 4 and Glock 19 Gen 3 GBB Airsoft Pistols so I can only quote what Umarex is saying in terms of FPS which is around 410 using Green Gas or Propane. These longer barreled versions should shoot fairly hot compared to the much shorter barreled versions and since i do have a short barrel Glock 17 Gen 4 I may also compare it at the same time to see what the actual barrel length does in terms of fps velocity. Of course my Field test Shooting video will also focus on accuracy add see what can be accomplished shooting a 10 shot grouping at 30 feet down range.
Build Quality: TheUmarex Glock 17 Gen 4 and Glock 19 Gen 3 GBB Airsoft Pistols seems well made overall. It does seem a little bit underweight but still feels solid enough in the hand, Glocks are not known for being all that hefty. The Slide is metal but has a bit of an unusual finish that makes it look a lot like the plastic frame rather than a more shiny metal look. All the parts seem to fit nicely, maybe even a bit snug at first as I noticed the side had a bit of friction to it but seems to be working in nicely now.
Realism: The Umarex Glock 17 Gen 4 and Glock 19 Gen 3 GBB Airsoft Pistols look the part of these Glocks all day long. Other then the slightly lighter weight it would be hard to tell off hand until you remove the magazine and take a closer look. All the parts work as you would expect them to, similar to the real steel version and you can even fully field strip the them which makes getting to and adjusting the hop-up easy enough to do. Available From: The Replica Airguns Store.
Pros:
Decent weight and feel to them, build quality seems good.
Really nice looking replicas of the original Glock 17 Gen 4 / Glock 19 Gen 3.
Fully Glock licensed via Umarex.
Easy to see white dot sights front and back with rear sight adjustable for windage.
Recessed barrel for added realism when cut down.
Accessory rail for adding a laser or tactical light.
Full size drop out metal magazines that holds the Green Gas and 6mm Airsoft BB’s.
Warning instruction are nice and discreet under trigger guard.
Nice light SAO trigger as the blowback action pre-cocks the internal hammer/striker.
Working trigger safeties.
No red tips and more realistic outer barrel size.
Cons:
Only comes with the longer barrel so you need to either cut it down or replace it with a shorter barrel.
No way to put a mock suppressor on it to keep extended barrel.
Comments:
Getting the Umarex BB versions of the Glock 17 and Glock 19 has for sure been a bit easier since fps velocity is not a factor. So it’s great that we at least have a way to import these two Umarex Glock GBB Airsoft Pistols into Canada! Yes some home modifications may be required to cut down the inner barrel as the long extended barrels are certainly not practical for every day shooting. That said with the extended long barrels I did get out and shoot a few rounds through them and the added barrel length really does allow for a much faster velocity Airsoft BB making these Umarex GBB Airsoft Glocks more like snipper pistols :)
UPDATE: All Umarex Glock 17 Gen 4 and Glock 19 Gen 3 GBB Airsoft Pistols now ship with the Shorter Barrels!!
In this YouTube Update Preview Video I go over a couple new Umarex Glock Licensed GBB Airsoft Pistols that I feel require a bit of explaining. Essentially we already stock these same Umarex Glock Blowback Airsoft Pistols, but in the CO2 magazine versions. The Umarex Glock 17 Gen4 and Umarex Glock 19 Gen3 I highlight in this video come with Green Gas Magazines and both have extended inner barrels to allow for Canada import to increase the velocity to our over 360 fps using a .20 gram Airsoft BB.
Usually Green Gas Airsoft Pistols with extended inner barrels will have the ability to unscrew the extension and will even come with a shorter replaceable barrel but in this case all you get is the longer one piece inner barrel. My suggestion is to either cut down the long inner barrel to fit within the out barrel or purchase a short inner barrel when they are available.
At the moment we do not have either one of these Airsoft Pistols listed in our Replica Airguns Stores but they should pop up shortly!
In this Preview Update Video three newer products, two Umarex Airsoft CO2 Blowback Pistols and one CO2 Blowback BB Pistol from Crosman. This is far from a full review which I will remaking for all of these Airguns in the near future. I simply go over some of the main specifications and show you quickly around each Airgun.
If you have been watching my Video Reviews you may have picked up on the fact that I am a bit of a 1911 fan! Perhaps it goes back to my Magnum PI day, I am sure I have watched every episode a bunch of times as a kid and growing up, Tom Selleck’s side arm of choice was the classic Colt 1911 A1 and I guess it brushed off on me. I just like the look and feel of the classic 1911!
There have been a number of BB firing Airguns that have come out over the years so I thought I would go over a few of my favorite versions and talk a little bit about their history and cover a few different version most actually made by KWC based off of their original full blowback CO2 1911.
Here are links to my YouTube Video Reviews for the CO2 BB Airguns I show and discuss in this video:
Type: Blowback BB Pistol Manufacturer: Crosman Model:Night Stalker Materials: Metal and Plastic. Weight: 1.6 pounds (726 grams). Barrel: 4.75 inches rifled. Length: 7 inches. Propulsion: CO2 x 1 Action: Blowback , single action only trigger. Ammunition Type: 4.5mm Steel BB's. Ammunition Capacity: 20 Rounds. FPS: 420.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Crosman Night Stalker CO2 Blowback BB Pistol with Laser is single action only and therefor is fairly light in general. It does have a longer take-up then most single action only triggers but has a predictable and crisp release to it. You will need to rack the slide for the first shot in order to pre-cock the hammer but then the blowback action takes over this process for you.
Accuracy: I actually have performed my Field Test Shooting Video for the Crosman Night Stalker CO2 Blowback BB Pistol with Laser and in terms of power I did manage to get really close to the claimed 420 fps with my results being 405 in medium warm temperatures. Accuracy was not as goods as I was hoping for with a 10 shot grouping of around 3 inches. It would have been nice to get closer to a 2 inch grouping. The laser will need to be adjusted out of the box to line up the aim point with the shot placement.
Build Quality: The build quality for the Crosman Night Stalker CO2 Blowback BB Pistol with Laser is good overall, the Airgun feels really solid in the hand and even though it is not super heavy it is also not a large Airguns so it feels solid enough being mostly made out of metal. You will find it has a metal slide, frame, trigger, hammer and also the stick magazine giving the Crosman Night Stalker CO2 Blowback BB Pistol with Laser a nice balance to it. Fit and finish is also good with only a little bit of slide wiggle.
Realism: The Crosman Night Stalker CO2 Blowback BB Pistol with Laser is not an exact replace of any real steel gun in production that I know of but it does kind of look like a larger Walther PPK that is a bit more squared off and modernized. I would say closer in size to a Makarov which also has some PPK looking traits to it. The blowback operation does also help in terms of realism but it is very snappy and quick, almost too fast for the eye to see.
Pros:
Pretty much all metal gun feels good in the hand.
Snappy blowback operation.
Decent single action trigger (has a bit of take-up but fairly light release).
Comes with integrated laser which is easy to sight in using the supplied Allen key.
Stick mag is all metal with good weight to it.
Laser does not impede the rail so you can still add on accessories..
White dot sight on the back sight.
Cons:
Sights are not adjustable but laser is.
Blowback feel is very slight.
CO2 tab is slightly exposed.
Stick mag rather than full size magazine.
Comments: I do really like the look and feel of the Crosman Night Stalker CO2 Blowback BB Pistol with Laser, it has a nice size and weight to it and balances nicely in the hand. The integrated laser keeps this airguns streamline and even allows for the addition of a tac light or other rail accessory to be added. Blowbacks action is slight but does allow for single action only trigger which makes it lighter than a double action trigger and more responsive for action shooting. The Velocity is up and into the 400 fps range which is good for a blowback CO2 BB Pistol, I would just like to see the accuracy tighten up a little bit but perhaps my test results could be improved with more trigger time using the Crosman Night Stalker CO2 Blowback BB Pistol.
At SHOT Show 2019 Crosman rolled out their new CO2 Blowback BB Pistol called the Night Stalker. Not be confused with their CO2 Rotary Magazine Pellet Rifle also named the “NightStalker” which was discontinued a while back. Today I actually got my hands on one of Crosman’s pistol version Night Stalkers and so I took out through its paces in the Sea Can Replica Airguns Shooting Range to see how well it performs…
Starting with the velocity, Crosman claims 420 fps which perhaps seems a bit high for a blowback CO2 Pistol but my test results yielded very close to that claim with a five shot storing averaging 405 fps in medium warm testing conditions so in a bit hotter environments 420 fps is for sure possible at least on a brand new fresh CO2. The blowback action is incredible fast and snappy, you almost can’t even see it happening but you can feel it for sure. I was even getting some blasts of CO2 coming back at me so the Crosman Night Stalker CO2 Blowback BB Pistol seems to be dumping a fair amount of CO2 with each shot.
For the accuracy portion of my test I of course wanted to use the built in guide rod based laser, out of the box the laser was point rather low and to the right at least when I lined tings up with the iron sights. A quick Allen key adjustment and I was able to line up the laser exactly with where the Crosman Night Stalker CO2 Blowback BB Pistols iron sights where pointing. Unfortunately the Crosman Night Stalker CO2 Blowback BB Pistol shoots rather low so in hind sight I would want the laser to actually be pouting under the iron sight point in order to bring up the Steel BB’s about 56 inches or so to line up with the bullseye. Not a problem as a quick Allen Key adjustment and I can point the red dot anywhere I want it to go. I was able to get about a 3 inch 10 shot grouping that spread out more left to right rather than up and down.
The Crosman Night Stalker CO2 Blowback BB Pistol is a really nice looking Airgun, kind of like a bully Walther PPK, I like the built in guide rod laser that still allows for the use of the Picatinny rail for adding in a tac light. With a little bit of laser adjustment and practice I am sure the Crosman Night Stalker CO2 Blowback BB Pistol would, be more than accurate enough for back yard planning at 20-40 feet away.
In this Field Test Shooting Video I test out Crosman’s latest version to the 357 line of CO2 Revolvers and perform both my Velocity and Accuracy test using both .177 caliber Lead Pellets and 4.5mm Steel BB’s to see which ammo has better velocity/power and is most accurate. Also make sure to watch my Table Tope Video Review where I go ver specifications and features and show the Crosman Vigilante CO2 Pellet and BB Revolver up nice and close.
Starting with the velocity portion of my Indoor Field Test Shooting video I placed a brand new 12 gram CO2 into the Crosman Vigilante CO2 Pellet and BB Revolver and tested out some 7 grain .177 caliber Lead Pellets. I was able to average 389 fps in what I would consider normal indoor temperature ranges so you can expect a bit higher velocities in outdoor weather conditions. Moving on the 4.5mm 5.1 grain Steel BB’s, I averaged a bit lower at 360 fps which may seem confusing since the Steel BB’s are lighter than the Lead Pellets? The Lead Pellets fit the barrel much more snug stoping any CO2 from getting around them which helps increase the fps over the Steel BB’s which are a hard metal and need to be slightly smaller in diameter and therefore do let some CO2 get by reducing the pressure behind them.
For my accuracy porting of the the Indoor Field Test I was going to place 6 shots from each magazine into my paper target setup 30 feet down range but ended up using all 10 rounds for the pellet magazine, perhaps because I was just having too much fun :) Since the BB magazine only holds 6 rounds my shot grouping for BB’s only included 6 shots so keep that in mind for the final results. All said and done the Lead Pellets outperformed the Steel BB’s once again getting about a 1.5 inch grouping over the 2.5 inch grouping for the Steel BB’s. And I know the Crosman Vigilante CO2 Pellet and BB Revolver is more than capable of getting a .5 to 1 inch grouping from previous Field Tests I have made using similar 357 type Crosman Revolvers.
The Crosman Vigilante CO2 Pellet and BB Revolver is just one of those must have old school classic Air Pistols I think everyone should own at least some sort of version of. I do like the look of the Vigilante barrel with it’s more modern and aggressive design and functional top and bottom rails for adding on accessories. The ability to choose what ammo type you want to shoot is also a plus and the price point is bang on for a nice CO2 Air powered Revolver.
