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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Type: Nerf Type Gun. Manufacturer: Umarex Model:REKT OPFOUR. Materials: Mostly plastic build with some internal metal parts. Weight: 1 pound 8 oz (680 grams). Length: 30 inches (762mm). Propulsion: 12 gram CO2 x2. Action: Pump single action. Ammunition Type: Nerf type foam darts. Ammunition Capacity: 12 rounds. Max FPS: NA. Claimed 30% faster and 30% father than standard similar type Nerf spring pistols.
Trigger Pull: The trigger on the Umarex REKT OPFOUR CO2 Foam Dart Rifle is what you would expect form a single action only trigger. Very little take up with a crisp light release. When you pull the Free Grip back you are working the pump action which loads a dart into the breach and at the same time cocks the internal hammer/striker.
Accuracy: I haven’t performed my Field Test Shooting video for the Umarex REKT OPFOUR CO2 Foam Dart Rifle but I can say after play around with it I expect it to shoot a lot harder than 90 fps. When the dual CO2 system is fully charged I was getting some pretty ferociously fast shots form the Umarex REKT OPFOUR CO2 Foam Dart Rifle. I would say it was even able to shoot out into my yard at least 150+ feet. I was even a bit concerned shooting the Umarex REKT OPFOUR CO2 Foam Dart Rifle inside my house as it is possible to dent walls with the Nerf Darts. IN terms of accuracy it seems pretty good but I will know more once I have made my Field Test Shooting Video later this week.
Build Quality: The Umarex REKT OPFOUR CO2 Foam Dart Rifle is built pretty much exactly like other Umarex all plastic CO2 BB guns and that’s a good thing since they are pretty much bullet proof. I would even go on record to say the Umarex REKT OPFOUR CO2 Foam Dart Rifle is built better or should I say stronger than a Standard Nerf gun in terms of plastic thickness and even the fit and finish is very good.
Realism: One big advantage over most Nerf Guns is that the Umarex REKT OPFOUR CO2 Foam Dart Rifle looks a lot more like a real gun, it’s about the same size, has the same feel and looks a lot like a modern AR Rilfe other than the bright coloring going on. Ergonomically speaking the Umarex REKT OPFOUR CO2 Foam Dart Rifle would make a much better trainer than a Nerf gun since it is close to a one to one scale replica.
Pros:
No need to work a spring before each shot because of the CO2 power source.
More power and range than a traditional Nerf Gun.
More realistic looking than most Nerf Gun.
Like an Airsoft Gun but more usable indoors and less chance of injury.
Rear Peep sight is removable and can be swapped out.
Has a working selector switch safety.
Uses Standard Nerf Foam Darts.
Picatinny Rail top and sides for adding on accessories.
Dual CO2 system for extended shooting time before changing.
A great option for having some indoor fun!
Cons:
Will require CO2 x2.
May actually be a bit too powerful and can cause damage or injury if not careful?
More money than a traditional similar type Nerf rifles.
Comments: The Umarex REKT OPFOUR CO2 Foam Dart Rifle may be the ideal indoor fun Nerf styled rifle right now while we are all staying at home a lot more these days. Sure you could use a standard Nerf Gun but having a CO2 powered AR-15 looking Nerf gun is way cooler! I like that the Umarex REKT OPFOUR CO2 Foam Dart Rifle is more realistic looking then a traditional Nerf Gun, perhaps the perfect intermediary gun if you want something between a Nerf Gun and an Airsoft Gun? If you’re interested in a pistol version of the REKT line of Nerf Dart shooting guns then checkout the REKT OPSIX.
My Table Top Review for the REKT OPSIX CO2 Single Shot Foam Dart Launcher:
As always Crosman delivered again this year with some new Airgun products to show us. In this Velocity Outdoors SHOT Show 2020 Las Vegas Interview we take a look at three main standouts for me. The Crosman Full Auto R1 AR CO2 BB Rifle, the Crosman Full Auto P1 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol and something a lot different, the Havoc Prime Spring Powered Foam Dart Blaster.
The Crosman Full Auto R1 AR CO2 BB Rifle is a hybrid of the DPMS SBR and the PDW form past years with a focus on bringing the Crosman name to their own more true to form AR style rifle. You still get interchangeable but stocks and pistol grips if you want to swap them out for a different AR type. The Crosman Full Auto R1 AR CO2 BB Rifle has a longer accessory rail with a more traditional muzzle break. The R1 also comes standard with a red dot sight.
Velocity Outdoors also introduced the Crosman Full Auto P1 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol with select fire semi and full auto modes. The Crosman Full Auto P1 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol is essentially a KWC Taurus with the addition of a really nice laser sight.
One little treat that I think will be popular as a fun indroor shooter is the Havoc Prime Spring Powered Foam Dart Blaster. Unlike traditional Nerf guns the Havoc Prime Spring Powered Foam Dart Blaster actually shoots upwards to 130 feet per second and is super accurate with its rifled barrel. The ammo even looks like a 9mm round but not so deadly :) A Big thanks to Phillip from Velocity Outdoor for allowing us they interview him again this year!
Here we go again, another round of SHOT Show videos brought to you direct from Replica Airguns!
As always I like to start off with a Teaser Video with a few quick clips of some of the new products I had the opportunity to take a look at at this years SHOT Show 2020 Las Vegas.
I will be rolling out Interview Videos as quickly as I can edit them and put them together for the following Airgun Related companies:
Sig Sauer
Umarex
Crosman - Velocity Outdoors
ASG
Air Venturi
Chiappa
So sit back and enjoy this years Replica Airguns SHOT Show 2020 Las Vegas Teaser Video!
Type: Nerf Gun. Manufacturer: Nerf Hasbro Model:Rival Zeus MXV-1200. Materials: Mostly plastic build. Weight: About 3 pounds with batteries installed. Ages: 14+ (My son is 10 and he is more than OK with this gun!) Propulsion: Electric flywheel 6x C batteries. Action: Semi auto. Ammunition Type: Nerf High-impact round balls. Ammunition Capacity: 12 round tube magazine. Max FPS: 100.
Trigger Pull: The trigger on the Nerf Rival Zeus MXV-1200 is a little long and requires a firm trigger finger but it is not overly heavy. When you press the trigger it allows a Nerf High-impact round ball to advance into the motorized spinning flywheel area where the ball is accelerated and shot out of the inline barrel .
Accuracy: Keep in mind the Nerf Rival Zeus MXV-1200 is designed as a fun in home battle gun so long range accuracy is not really that important. At up to 30 feet or so you shoudl have no problem hitting a person sized target. The Nerf High-impact round balls do come out the the barrel with a fair amount of spin so some random hooking can happen, usually the spin is more of a backspin that helps keep the ammo targeting in a more linear trajectory.
Build Quality: The Nerf Rival Zeus MXV-1200 like most Nerf guns is built to take a fair bit of a beating since the target audience has mainly been kids and we know they are rarely careful with anything ;) The Nerf Rival Zeus MXV-1200 is mainly plastic but as I mentioned it is high quality and so far has held up well to usage. Fit is good with all interchangeable parts working well and the finish has stayed pretty much pristine!
Realism: Nerf guns are not made to be too realistic since they are meant to be toys and not look too closely like a real gun, hence the brightly colored plastic and more futuristic design. I do like the addition of Picatinny styled rails in several locations where one can add accessories like magazine clips, red dots or even a tactical light or laser sight.
Pros:
Not as extreme as a Paintball gun but a little more intense than a standard Nerf gun.
Good build quality overall.
Easy to quickly swap out a fresh 12 rode tube magazine.
Flip up sights
Picatinny raise for adding accessories.
Decent power and accuracy for a Nerf style gun.
Semit auto action for fast follow up shots.
Cons:
Will use up batteries pretty quickly.
Flywheel will slow down when shooting close together semi auto shots.
Loading magazines does take some getting use to.
Comments: The Nerf Rival Zeus MXV-1200 is a great option for pretty much anyone looking for a fun battle gun you can use indoors in your home with no worries about breaking windows or messing up your house. not to mention leaving west all over your body! The Nerf Rival Zeus MXV-1200 is going to be a bit more extreme than a standard Nerf gun for sure but way more toned down compares to a paintball gun or even an airsoft gun so if you want some good old rainy day indoor fun then checkout the Nerf Rival line of Nerf guns.
My Vimeo Table Top Full Review for the Nerf Rival Zeus MXV-1200:
It has been way too long since I got to go to the gun range and shoot my "big boy" guns! I say that sarcastically, sure my real steel guns are fun to shoot but it sure costs a lot of money and basically all we really do is shoot paper targets. Shooting at papper targets is fun for a while but I kind of enjoy shooting my airguns at pretty much any type of target I choose to shoot at. And of course any time I want to and for pennies per shot.
So getting back to Range Day shooting my real steel big boy guns ;) I went with a couple of buddies of mine and we shot a nice variety of guns. My Norinco NP-30 double stack 45 cal 1911, my Wyoming Arms Parker 10mm, a couple of my friends Glock 40 cals, my Norinco NP-34 P228 and Norinco Tokarev Type 54 9mm pistols, my Chiappa 1911-22 and ISSC M22 22LR pistols, a nice Sig Mosquito 22LR, my buddies S&W M&P 15-22 22LR rifle along with my ISSC MK22 SCAR 22LR rifle and my friends mighty custom Ruger Mini 14 in .223 caliber...
It was a cold day but a really fun day and it gave me a chance to really use my iPhone 6 plus camera for its slow-motion capabilities in a decent lighting situation.
Enjoy the footage of these "real guns" shooting in real time and slowed down.
I finally got out to shoot my Wyoming Arms Parker 10mm S.S. and it worked pretty well for me, the kick was hard but the design of this 10mm pistol helps reduce recoil so the recoil was not really all that much more than shooting a .45 or .40 caliber. If you have not watched my Wyoming Arms Parker 10mm S.S. Pistol Real Steel Overview then make sure to do so... I did have a few of my reload rounds that seemed to give me a bit of trouble but other than that the Wyoming Arms shot very well for me and was extremely accurate.
I also brought along my little ISSC M22 .22LR shooting Glock look-a-like to keep some of my shooting costs down since the 10mm are so expensive I needed to recoup some of my costs shooting the super affordable .22LR ammo. And yes I have a full Table Top Review for the ISSC M22 so check that one out if you're in the market for a fairly low cost .22LR that looks a lot like a Glock.
I had a great time and we got to shot some other guns while we where at the gun range; Walther P38 9mm, Glock 22 .40 Caliber, Sig Sauer Mosquito .22LR and the Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22 .22LR in all.
I do get requests from many of my viewers to do some real steel reviews and so far I have pretty much stuck with 22LR real steel reviews and my Tokarev real steel review. I recently purchased an interesting 10mm semi auto handgun used at a local used gun show and so I though I would share this rather interesting and no longer in production pistol with you. The handgun we are looking at today is the Wyoming Arms Parker 10mm S.S. At first place it looks a lot like a 1911 but it is different in several ways. the obvious traits are the safety on the slide and lack of a grip safety, it also has a very different looking handle and there are some internal differences also.
What drew me to the Wyoming Arms Parker 10mm S.S. was it's 1911 looks, the very nice stainless steel finish and the rather unusual 10mm ammo it was chambered to shoot. If your not familiar with the 10mm round it was developed by the FBI for sue by their field agents but was later determined to be a bit too much to handle for some of their smaller but later agents. The 10mm was then detuned and turned into the S&W 40 caliber which is essentially a shorter less powerful version of the 10mm.
Here are a bunch more photos that really show off the beauty of this pistol!
Definitely make sure to watch this video as I go through the gun and show you around, I also do a field strip and talk a bit more about the Miami Shootout that was the FBI's reason to look into the development of the 10mm Auto round.
