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…
To start things off with my Field Test Shooting Video of the Umarex Marlin Lever Action Spring BB Rifle, I shoot 5 rounds through my Chronograph to see what the real world velocity is in fps. Umarex claims around 300 fps. I was able to average right around 274 fps so not far off of the claim. My lowest performing shot was 270 fps with the fastest shot hitting 278 fps, so all very close in velocity which is typical of a spring piston Airgun, this will help with consistent accuracy especially in terms of elevation.
When it comes to the accuracy, the Umarex Marlin Lever Action Spring BB Rifle did as well or perhaps even better than my other testing using previous Red Ryder type Air Rifles. If I through out one flyer I got, my 10 shot grouping was able to get around a 2 inch grouping that was overall well centered on the target, maybe juts a hair to the right. Even with the flyer the grouping spread out to a 3 inch grouping. I am pretty sure I could do better as this was the first time shooting this rifle. Keep in mind as I have to work the lever action for each shot that requires me to hold the rifle straight up and down in order for proper BB loading, this means I need to fully reset my hands on the sand bag and re-aim for each shot which will effect accuracy consistency a bit. Still a good result.
All in all I do really like the Umarex Marlin Lever Action Spring BB Rifle, mainly as it has a longer shoulder pull more suitable for adults. I feel adults get left out a bit in terms of target marketing with the standard Red Ryder which is a very compact BB Rifle with a short shoulder pull more suited for kids and youth shooters. This makes the Umarex Marlin Lever Action Spring BB Rifle more comfortable to shoot as an adult but will still work for youth and kids as is is not too large in size or heavy or even very hard to work the lever action. Now the whole family can really take part in the fun experience of shooting a Red Ryder type BB Rifle!
Type: Lever Action Rifle Manufacturer: Distributed by Umarex. Model:Marlin Cowboy Lever Action BB Rifle. Materials: Metal and plastic. Weight: 2.59 pounds (1.2kg). Total Length: 36.69 inches (93.2cm). Barrel: 16 inches (40.6cm) metal rifled. Propulsion: Spring. Action: Lever. Ammunition Type: 4.5mm steel BB’s. Ammunition Capacity: 650 in hopper. FPS: Claimed 300.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on Umarex Marlin Cowboy Lever Action BB Rifle is just about right for a rifle like this at 5 pounds with a medium to short pull length. I would say it is perfect for just about all shooter including novice shooters as it is not overly light, so as not to go off by accident and not too heavy so as to affect your accuracy. The Umarex Marlin Cowboy Lever Action BB Rifle trigger is considered a single action only trigger as it is only active after each cycle of the lever action which also is required to chamber a BB round.
Accuracy: My dedicated field test shooting video will be coming up over the next couple of weeks. So for now I have no idea what to expect in terms of velocity and accuracy from the Umarex Marlin Cowboy Lever Action BB Rifle, other than the claimed 300 fps which is what you can expect from the similar Red Ryder BB Rifle. Accuracy in general for a BB Rifle like this can be hit or miss. From past shooting experiences testing out the Red Ryder and first version of the Crosman Marlin Cowboy BB Rifle, they both shot decent from about 30 feet away, but I would have to say the Red Ryder did perform more consistently getting a tighter grouping than the Crosman Marlin Cowboy. Hopefully this Umarex newer version performs up to par.
Build Quality: The Umarex Marlin Cowboy Lever Action BB Rifle has overall good build quality with a metal barrel, receiver, rear sight and lever. The stock is plastic along with the front sight and the trigger but it does look and feel well made with all the mechanical parts feeling solid and tight. It does feel much heavier in the hand than the claimed 2.59 pounds. I would have preferred a metal trigger, not sure why Umarex went with a plastic trigger?
Realism: The Umarex Marlin Cowboy Lever Action BB Rifle is essentially styled after the Old West Lever Action Cowboy Rifle, and it has everything one would expect other than loading shells which is available in other CO2 poweredLever Action Air Rifles if you don’t mind paying a premium for one of them. The lever does not work the cycling of the bolt but rather it pre-cooks the internal spring that provides the air pressure and power. The lever does load a single 4.5mm Steel BB with each crank of the action. I do like that the Umarex Marlin Cowboy Lever Action BB Rifle has a full shoulder pull stock more suitable for larger shooters which does all add to the realism rather than having a super short rear stock.
Pros:
Easy to pump.
Fit and finish looks good for an inexpensive Airguns, seems very well made.
In terms of realism it does look like a classic old west lever action rifle for the most part.
Holds 650 BB’s in the hopper for quicker follow up shooting and virtually unlimited ammo.
Official Marlin licensing and branding via Umarex.
Rear peep sight is metal and is also adjustable for elevation.
Trigger pull is pretty decent, not too light but is medium-short and about 5 pounds.
Metal lever feels a lot better than as plastic one and will be more durable.
Shoulder pull length is much longer than a standard kids type Red Ryder BB Rifle.
Plastic stock has nice texturing that helps with grip and looks.
Cons:
No sight adjustments for windage.
Overall Power is lower than other CO2 BB and Pellet Rifles but still is adequate for it’s intended purpose.
Would have liked a metal front sight and trigger.
Comments:
The Umarex Marlin Cowboy Lever Action BB Rifle in my opinion is really built for adult shooters that want to join in on the fun with perhaps their kids or other youth shooters shooting something like a Red Ryder. The longer shoulder pull feels a lot more natural for larger shooters and I do feel like the Umarex Marlin Cowboy Lever Action BB Rifle just feels a bit more like a full size Lever Action Rifle. Performance wise, I dolt think we are going to see anything much different than what we are already getting from a standard Red Ryder or first generation Marlin Cowboy BB Rifle. That’s really OK since this type of rifle is made for good old fun, blasting pop cans and plastic army men with a friend. And with some time shooting one you can get pretty accurate with one of these BB rifles too.
In this performance Field Test Shooting Video for the John Wayne Marshal CO2 BB Revolver, I test out what the fps velocity is using a fresh standard 12 gram CO2 cartridge and shooting 4.5mm Steel BB’s through my Chronograph. I then setup a paper target 30 feet down range and shoot 10 rounds into it using the Single Action Only Trigger to see how tight of a grouping I can get out of the box. If you have not already watched my Table Top Video Review for the John Wayne Marshal CO2 BB Revolver, then make sure to do so for details and specifications along with some nice close up video.
First up for my velocity fps test of the John Wayne Marshal CO2 BB Revolver, I shot 5 rounds through my Chronograph. The slowest fps was 354 and the fastest shot hit an fps of 368, this result averaged 358 fps which was a somewhat under the claimed “up to” 420 fps from AirVenturi, still an OK velocity for shooting pop cans and the likes up to 30-40 feet away. The temperature in the Sea Can was about 20 degrees Celsius which is around 68 degrees Fahrenheit, so a good temperature to get middle of the road performance from a CO2 Airgun like the John Wayne Marshal CO2 BB Revolver. In warmer temperatures you can expect higher velocities…
I then placed my paper target on my pellet trap 30 feet downrange and using my standard semi rested shooting position (hands rested on a sandbag up front and sitting on a stool in the back), I proceeded to shoot 10 rounds into the target with the John Wayne Marshal CO2 BB Revolver and I was able to get about a 4 inch grouping well centered up and down but pushed to the left about 3 inches. I am not sure why this shot grouping spread out so much for me as my Crosman Forty Filed Test Review gave me a much better grouping and these guns are literally the same gun with different branding being the only real differences. Maybe I was just off on this day? Hey it happens sometimes!
The John Wayne Marshal CO2 BB Revolver is a lower cost mostly plastic Single Action Army Revolver with a fair amount of plastic in the build, but it does feel fairly well built and fairly solid other than being a bit lighter weight. It should produce close to 400 fps velocities in warmer conditions which is more than enough for plinking and pop can shooting which is really what it is built for. I do have to mention that this John Wayne Marshal CO2 BB Revolver for whatever reason is double the price of the Crosman Fortify CO2 BB Revolver I reviewed earlier, so if you don’t care about the John Wayne Licensing, than maybe consider the Crosman version for a lower priced option.
Type: BB Pistol. Manufacturer: Distributed by AirVenturi. Model: John Wayne Marshal. Materials: Mostly plastic, some internal metal parts. Weight: 1 pound (455 grams). Total Length: 10.5 inches (26.6cm). Barrel: 5.55 inches 14cm) metal non-rifled. Propulsion: CO2. Action: Revolver SAO. Ammunition Type: 4.5mm Steel BB’s. Ammunition Capacity: 18 round internal magazine. FPS: Claimed 420.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the John Wayne Marshal CO2 BB Revolver is a single action only trigger, so you will have to cock the hammer back with each shot which does take away most of the trigger pull length and weight, making the Marshal trigger short and light and easy to shoot. Ideal for slowed down accurate shot placement, but less effective as an action shooter unless you have a very quick thumb!
Accuracy: I have not tested out the John Wayne Marshal CO2 BB Revolver but it should perform exactly like the Crosman Fortify revolver as they are literally the exact same gun with the exception of the branding and licensing. In my Field Test Shooting Review for the Crosman Fortify CO2 BB Revolver it did shoot a little bit lower than the claimed 420 fps and shot around a 2 inch 10 shot grouping at a target setup 30 feet away. You can watch that video here but I will be making a dedicated Field Test Shooting Video for the John Wayne Marshal CO2 BB Revolver shortly…
Build Quality: When it comes to the build for the John Wayne Marshal CO2 BB Revolver, there is not a lot to get overly excited about. It is basically a mostly all plastic gun with some metal parts internally like the barrel, trigger, hammer and CO2 area. The John Wayne Marshal has that lower cost Airgun, two halves, screwed together build which generally looks better on the side without the screws showing. As it is mostly plastic it is on the light side at around just over a pound. Overall there are not a lot of moving parts so it should be reliable enough just for that reason alone. All the mechanical components do what they need to do and feel solid enough.
Realism: The John Wayne Marshal CO2 BB Revolver at a glance looks a lot like a Colt Single Action Army Revolver, it has the same shape and size but the weight is much less at about half. The lack of actual bullet holes in the cylinder looking from the front of the revolver does take away from its realism. I guess I am really used to the new generation revolvers with working cylinders and real loadable and removable shells, but these guns are more expensive and hold less ammo as they are genuine to the 6 shooter capacity.
Pros:
A decent looking replica of a Colt Single Action Army revolver.
Single action only trigger is short and light and well suited to careful shot placement shooting.
420 claimed fps is about perfect for plinking at ranges up 30-40 feet.
18 round magazine has a nice high capacity and easy to load when empty
Safety is well thought out and built into an already existing part of the gun rather than simply adding a switch afterwards.
I like the look with the all back frame and bone white grips.
CO2 Allen key is built into grip so you always have it on hand and will not lose it.
John Wayne licensed for those old west John Wayne fans.
Cons:
Mostly plastic builds makes it a bit light in the hand.
No fake shell holes in the front of the cylinder, could have added this for a more genuine look.
Twice the price of the Crosman Fortify which is basically the same Airgun.
Comments: The John Wayne Marshal CO2 BB Revolver is for sure an option if you are looking for an old west single action cowboy BB shooter and specifically if you are a John Wayne fan. If you don't care about the John Wayne licensing and want to save about half of the price then my recommendation is to go for the Crosman Fortify as it is the same exact CO2 BB Revolver at the end of the day minus the john Wayne licensing on it. You also have the option of buying one of the many Shell Loading Single Action Army Revolvers available but they are a bit more money and will shoot a little slower with less ammo capacity but the trade of is a lot more realism.
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…
I have reviewed many of the Shell Loading Revolvers in the past and I always enjoy shooting them anytime one shows up on my desk for review. So here I go again but this time with a product from Crosman but with the Remington License on it. As always, I test out the power using my Chronograph by shooting several rounds through it and averaging them out. I also setup a paper target 30 feet down range and generally put an entire cylinder or mag into it or 10 rounds depending on the capacity of the magazine or cylinder. In this Field test Shooting Video I did all of that but times two as the Crosman Remington 1875 CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver shoots both 4.5mm Steel BB’s and .177 Caliber lead pellets. If you are more interested in details and specifications along with more close up video of this item then watch my Crosman Remington 1875 CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver Table Top Review.
Starting with the velocity, or power for the Crosman Remington 1875 CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver, I measured using my Chronograph using a brand new 12 gram CO2 and I shot three rounds of BB’s and four rounds of pellets and averaged them out. Here are my BB Chronograph results in FPS: 423, 407, 398 (409 average). Here are my pellet Chronograph results in FPS: 300, 274, 270, 271 (279 average). I was using standard lead pellets which should be right around 7 grain while my 4.5mm Steel BB’s were around 5 grain. Temperature was average room temperature I would say.
For my Accuracy test I shot a full 6 round magazine of each ammo type or at least I tried to, but for some reason I was missing a round in my pellet test so I only shot five rounds for that one. For BB’s all shots were fairly well centered on the target but they did spread out to about 2.5 inches. Pellets dropped a bit perhaps as they were moving a lot slower? My pellet result was about the same at around 2.5 inches of spread between all 5 shots. The spread with the pellets was wider compared to the spread of the BB’s which was more vertical.
I have gotten more accurate results with other shell loading revolvers build in a similar fashion as the Crosman Remington 1875 CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver so I was expecting a little bit better results, but it could have been me that was the problem on this day? Still a close to two inch shot group at 30 feet away will generally nock pop cams over or other similar sized targets and this CO2 Revolver is really only meant for plinking fun and not so much match grade shooting. The Crosman Remington 1875 CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver is a real looker at the end of the day and if your want a single action only classic Western Revolver than look no further.
In this performance Field Test Shooting Video of the Barra Cowboy Series 1858 CO2 BB Revolver, I find out what the velocity in fps is using a brand new standard 12 gram CO2 cartridge shooting 4.5mm Steel BB’s through my Chronograph in the Replica Airguns Sea Can Indoor Shooting Range. I then setup a fresh paper target 30 feet down range and shoot 10 rounds into it shooting in Single Action to see how tight of a grouping I can get out of the box. If you have not already watched my Table Top Video Review for the Barra Cowboy Series 1858 CO2 BB Revolver then make sure to check that one out for details and specifications along with some more close up video.
First up for my velocity or fps test of the Barra Cowboy Series 1858 CO2 BB Revolver, I shot 6 4.5mm Steel BB’s through my Chronograph. The slowest velocity was 327 fps and the fastest shot hit an fps of 351, this result averaged 345 fps which was a bit under the claimed “up to” 400 fps from Barra, still a usable velocity for shooting pop cans and the likes at 30-40 feet down range. The temperature in the Sea Can was I would say around 20 degrees Celsius which is 68-69 degrees Fahrenheit, so a decent temperature to get middle of the road performance from a CO2 Airgun like the Barra Cowboy Series 1858 CO2 BB Revolver. In warmer temperature you can expect closer to the claimed 400 fps.
I then placed my fresh paper target on the pellet trap 30 feet downrange and using my standard semi rested shooting position (hands rested on a sandbag up front and sitting on a stool in the back), I shot 10 rounds into the target and was able to get a respective 2.5 inch shot grouping shooting in Single Action of course. I did notice the Barra Cowboy Series 1858 CO2 BB Revolver liked to shoot a bit high, almost 4-5 inches higher than I was aiming but it did center left to right fairly well.
The Barra Cowboy Series 1858 CO2 BB Revolver is a lower cost and almost all plastic Single Action Revolver with only a few internal meat parts in the build, that said it does feel well built and fairly solid in the hand. It may produce that claimed 400 fps velocity by Barra in warmer conditions which is more than enough for plinking and pop can shooting which is really what the Barra Cowboy Series 1858 CO2 BB Revolver is designed to do. I found it to be accurate enough for it’s intended purpose but it did push a little high on the target out of the box, at least my demo unit would require me to aim a little under my intended target by about 4-5 inches at 30 feet away for near bullseye shots as there is no way to adjust the sights manually. The Barra Cowboy Series 1858 CO2 BB Revolver will provide lots of shots per CO2 and has a much higher capacity magazine holding 18 rounds as compared to other shell loading revolvers that only hold 6 rounds. If you’re OK with a bit less realism, then the Barra Cowboy Series 1858 CO2 BB Revolver may even outperform the more expensive and more realistic Single Action Army Revolvers on the market at a less expensive price point.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Barra Cowboy Series 1858 CO2 BB Revolver is a single action only trigger, so you will need to cock the hammer back before each shot which does take away almost all of the trigger pull length and weight, making it short and light and easy to shoot. Perfect for slowed down accurate shot placement, but less effective as an action shooter.
Accuracy: I have not tested out the Barra Cowboy Series 1858 CO2 BB Revolver but it is a lot like the Crosman Fortify SA CO2 BB Revolver so I am thinking it will perform at lot like that CO2 BB Revolver, if you want to get an idea on how the Barra 1858 might perform, you can watch my Crosman Fortify Filed Test Shooting Video to get a heads up before I make my official Filed Test Shooting Video for the Barra Cowboy Series 1858 CO2 BB Revolver.
Build Quality: When it comes to the build for the Barra Cowboy Series 1858 CO2 BB Revolver, there is not a lot to really get super excited about. It is basically a mostly all plastic gun with some metal parts internally like the barrel, trigger, hammer and CO2 area. The Barra 1858 has that lower cost Airgun, two halves, screwed together build which generally looks better on the side without the screws showing. As it is mostly plastic it is very light in the hand at only just about a pound or so. Overall there are not a lot of moving parts so it should be reliable enough just because there is not much to break or go wrong. All the mechanical components do what they need to do and feel solid enough.
Realism: The Barra Cowboy Series 1858 CO2 BB Revolver at a glance looks a lot like a Remington 1858 Single Action Revolver, it has the same shape and size but the weight is way less being mostly plastic. The lack of actual bullet holes in the cylinder looking at it from the front of the revolver also takes away from the realism. I guess I am really used to the new generation revolvers with working cylinders and real loadable shells but these guns are more expensive and hold less ammo as they are genuine to the 6 shooter capacity. The barrel is however recessed which is nice.
Pros:
Inexpensive revolver as compared to other shell loading styled revolvers out there.
A decent looking replica of a Remington 1858 Revolver.
Single action only trigger is short and light and well suited to careful shot placement shooting.
400 claimed fps is about perfect for plinking at ranges up 30-40 feet.
18 round magazine has a nice high capacity and easy to load when empty.
Should get lots of shots per CO2 as there will be very little CO2 leakage with a non shell loading design.
Safety is well well hidden just in front of the trigger so easy to get to.
Has a recessed barrel for added realism.
CO2 Allen key is built into grip so always have it on hand and will not lose it.
White markings as an warnings are not super obvious, could be a little lighter.
Comes with two starter CO2’s and some 4.5mm Steel BB’s.
Cons:
Almost all plastic builds makes it a bit light in the hand.
No fake shell holes in the front of the cylinder, could have added this for a more genuine look.
Sights are non adjustable but fairly normal for an inexpensive plinker.
Comments: The Barra Cowboy Series 1858 CO2 BB Revolver is a completely new concept in design over what we have become use to in todays Single Action Legend Revolvers with their shell loading design, the Crosman Fortify as I have mentioned is the only other new classic cowboy Revolver on the market like it so perhaps there will be more in the future. My shooting experience with the Crosman Fortify CO2 BB Revolver was about what I expected, it shot pretty close to the claimed fps and got around a 2 inch 10 round grouping shooting at a paper target 30 feet down range. So we will see if the Barra Cowboy Series 1858 CO2 BB Revolver performs about the same which was respectable. For a low cost BB Revolver you kind of get what you pay for here, which is not a bad deal at the end of the day considering the lower cost to get you up and shooting.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Crosman Remington 1875 CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver is very good. it its single action only as is expected from a revolver of this era. There is almost zero take up and creep and the weight is light but not super light so as to not accidentally release the trigger before you intend to. I would not want to change this trigger at all.
Accuracy: I have not made my Field Test Shooting Video yet for the Crosman Remington 1875 CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver but will be making it shortly. Until then I can only go on past experiences with similar shell loading single action only revolvers like the Single Action Army Revolvers form Umarex and they generally perform well in both steel BB and pellet versions. Generally they do not have rifled barrels but that does not seem to affect the pellets all that much at least at the ranges I am shooting at which will be around 30 feet away. Stay posted for my upcoming Field Test Shooting Video for this Revolver.
Build Quality: Build quality for the Crosman Remington 1875 CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver is excellent. It is hard to find any plastic on this product as it seems to be entirely made out of metal other than the grips. it weighs in at 2.3 pounds so it feel very solid in the hadn't and the nickel chrome finish looks really good with the bone colored grips. Just expect to do a lot of wiping down if you do not like finger prints on your guns. All the mechanical parts feel tight and work well.
Realism: The new generation shell loading revolvers all look and festoon super realistic with their removable shells and very realistic working parts. It actually feels like you are working with the real deal as you need to load up shells manually and insert them in the gun one by one just like a 6 shooter back in the day. One little detail mistake all of these shell loading six shooters seem to make, is that the shells are most closely similar in size to a .357 or .38 caliber where as real steel versions would be chambered more in a .44 or .45 caliber shell so the shells are not true to scale but this is a very minor point.
Pros:
Almost all metal build with a solid 2.3 pound weight.
A decent looking replica of a Remington 1875 Revolver.
Single action only trigger is short and light and well suited to careful shot placement shooting.
450 claimed fps is about perfect for plinking at ranges up 30-40 feet.
Have the choice of shooting either 4.5mm Steel BB’s or .177 caliber pellets.
Comes with 6 shells for 4.5mm BB’s and 6 shells for .177 caliber pellets.
Safety is well well hidden just in front of the trigger so easy to get to.
Has a recessed barrel for added realism.
CO2 Allen key is built into grip so always have it on hadn’t and will not lose it.
Chrome finishes with bone style grips looks really good.
White markings don’t stand out too much on the chrome finish.
Cons:
Not a big fan of the clamshell packaging as I feel it cheapens the product and initial unboxing joy.
Barrel is not rifled for the pellets.
Sight are non adjustable but fairly normal for an inexpensive plinker.
Comments: The Crosman Remington 1875 CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver is a well rounded shell loading revolver and for me checks a lot of the boxes and would be a good choice if you are looking for a single action only revolver of this era. It gives you the option of shooting either 4.5mm Steel BB’s or .177 caliber Pellets and you even get 12 shells (6 of each). The nickel finish with the bone grips looks really good and I like the slightly longer barrel which does help add to the beefy 2.3 pound feel in the hand of this CO2 Revolver. I wish it came in nicer looking packaging but this won’t matter once you take it out and start shooting.
Another Unboxing Update Video taking a look at two Rifles and two Revolvers. A shell loading CO2 dual ammo 1875 single action Remington branded Revolver from Crosman, an 1858 single action CO2 BB Revolver from Barra, another Barra product kind of like a Red Ryder BB Riffle but in dual ammo version with a much different loading system called the Barra 1866, and lastly a Cybergun CO2 Airsoft MP40 with a very different magazine setup than I have seen before.
In this Filed Test Shooting Video recorded in the Replica Airguns Indoor Sea Can Shooting Range, I test out the Crosman SNR357 CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver to find out what the real world velocity is in fps shooting both 4.5mm steel BB’s and .177 caliber lead Pellets. I also shoot a full cylinder or 6 rounds of each ammo type into a paper target setup 30 feet down range again using both BB’s and Pellets to see which ammo type may be more accurate out of the Crosman SNR357 CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver? If you are more interested in details and specifications along with some closer up video of the Crosman SNR357 Revolver then make sure to watch my Table Top Video for it.
Let’s get right to the velocity test of the Crosman SNR357 CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver. Crosman claims up to 400 fps but I am not sure if this is for BB’s or Pellets or maybe even light weight alloy Pellets. In any case I used standard 4.5mm 5.1 grain steel BB’s and around 7 grain lead Pellets for this test. Shooting 3 rounds of 4.5mm steel BB’s through my Chronograph I averaged 332 fps with the three shots recording 327, 344, 325 fps. Switching to lead Pellets I averaged 263 fps with the three recorded shots of 263, 276, 251. The 4.5mm steel BB’s as you can see shot faster than the lead Pellets but this was most likely due to the heavier 7 gram weight of the lead pellets.
Typically Pellets are going to be more accurate than BB’s but in the case of the Crosman SNR357 CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver I actually found the BB’s to be a bit more accurate for me? Again starting with 4.5mm steel BB’s I loaded up 6 sheets with steel 4.5mm BB’s and using single action I shot the entire cylinder into a fresh paper target setup 30 feet away. I did use my standard shooting stance of sitting in the back on a stool and placing my hands on a sand bag up front for some stability. I did notice the Crosman SNR357 CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver liked to shoot a slight bit high and to the left with BB’s but I did get really close to a 1 inch grouping with just one shot coming outside that tighter group. Switching to .177 caliber Pellets shot placement did come down bit an where more centered but the grouping got a bit larger to closer to around 3.5 inches, son in the case of the Crosman SNR357 CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver BB’s did perform better in both velocity and accuracy.
The Crosman SNR357 CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver design has been around for a while basically starting out as the Dan Wesson version back in the day. Crosman has now incorporated the same Revolver into their lineup but with their own branding on it. This basic design has worked well and proven to be reliable and is still current with todays more modern Shell Loading Revolvers. It’s also nice that you have the option of shooting both 4.5mm Steel BB’s and .177 Caliber Pellets as the Crosman SNR357 CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver does come with a set of each shells for a total of 12 shells.
I’m pretty sure I have never made an Interview for Barra before in any of my past SHOT Show Videos, so I was really happy when I visited their booth and discovered a bunch of really great new products to talk about with GEO. Like many other Airgun companies, Barra does incorporate rebranded products from other manufacturer popular Airguns, but they also have some unique products I have never seen before. They are either working really closely with dedicated manufacturing companies or making these items in house. Either way it’s great to see new and interesting products.
Some of the products Geo went over with me in this SHOT Show 2024 Barra Interview where: The Barra CO2 1866 Lever Action Rifle, some Rifled Pellet Barrel Kits for the Schofield Revolver and 1866 Rifle, the 1858 CO2 BB Revolver, the 357 Shell Loading CO2 Revolver, the 400 AEG Airsoft Rifle and two new nameless Airguns they are still working on and perfecting, a full Blowback Competition Style BB/Airsoft Pistol and a compact AEG Airsoft Rifle.
It was great talking with the team over at the Barra Booth and I look forward to testing out their new items as they become available.
Kicking off my SHOT Show 2024 Interviews, I present my Umarex Interview with Mark Davis, you may remember Mark from past Umarex SHOT Show Interviews? This is a fairly long interview as Mark had a lot of product to show me including…
The new Marlin Lever Action BB Rifle, the Walther PDP CO2 BB Pistol, the BBX11 1911 Blowback CO2 BB Pistol, the MarkPoint Break Barrel .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol, the Trinity Hi-Cap 2011 Blowback Airsoft Pistol, the Gambler High Stakes Single Action Army CO2 Airsoft Revolver, the Glock 380 GBB Airsoft Pistol, the CQC Elite Force AEG Airsoft Rifle with i-Trace, and the Beretta PMX GBB Airsoft Rifle.
Yep, that’s a lot of products to go over in one Interview, and Mark did a great job! I am really looking forward to getting my hands on these new products from Umarex to review for everyone!
Type: BB PistolPellet Pistol. Manufacturer: Distributed by Crosman. Model: SNR357. Materials: Mostly metal, some plastic parts. Weight: 1.92 pound (871 grams). Total Length: 8.13 inches (20.65cm). Barrel: 3 inches (7.6cm) metal non-rifled. Propulsion: CO2. Action: Revolver single and double action. AmmunitionType: 4.5mm BB’s / .177 cal. pellets. AmmunitionCapacity: 6 round cylinder. FPS: Claimed 400.
Trigger Pull: The Crosman SNR357 CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver has both a single and double action trigger, meaning you can pre-cock the hammer and shoot in single action which has a light short trigger pull. Or you can simply shoot in double action by pulling the trigger when the hammer is down and the trigger will cock the hammer and also release it to fire the Revolver. In double action the trigger is noticeably longer and heavier than in single action as your trigger finger now has to do all the work for the action. Having both single and double action is nice as you can shoot in action rapid fire using the double action or slow down and shoot with more accuracy in single action.
Accuracy: I have not tested out this exact Crosman SNR357 CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver but I have reviewed several similar products from Dan Wesson which essentially are the exact same mechanical gun manufactured by Wingun for both ASG and Crosman. I will be making a new Field Test Video for the Crosman SNR357 in a week or two but you can take a look at my recent Field Test Video for the Dan Wesson 2.5 inch Gold version which is mechanically the same gun as the Crosman SNR357 CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver.
Build Quality: When it comes to the build of the Crosman SNR357 CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver, it is alsmot all metal other than mainly the grips and the CO2 tab as far as I can tell. It weighs in at nearly 2 pounds even for a more compact revolver so it feels very hefty in the hand. In similar Dan Wesson models there has been some concerns with the hammer feeling a bit sloppy but this has never caused any concern in terms of functionality. I also am not a fan of the way the grips slide back for access to the CO2 as they can come off and misalign when trying to put them back in place. Other than that this pistol is a solid well made revolver.
Realism: The Crosman SNR357 CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver is styled after a 357 type snub nosed revolver and looks for the most part true to scale and form. As this product design was one of the first shell loading revolvers back in the day, manufacturers had to use parts that where already available as in the CO2 valves which where at the time a bit longer than they can make now. Because of this, the area between the cylinder and the back the revolver is a bit long to accommodate the longer valves made at that time. This does distorts the gun a little bit but to be honest most people will not notice.
Pros:
Design has been around for a while now and so it is well tested.
A decent looking replica of a 357 type revolver.
Single and double action trigger allows for both action and more laid back and precise shooting ability.
400 claimed fps is more than adequate for plinking and action shooting.
Always fun loading up the 6 removable shells and placing them in the cylinder.
Fully adjustable sights for dead center shooting.
CO2 is fully well hidden inside the grips.
Can choose between shooting pellets or BB’s.
Cons:
Barrel is not recessed.
Area between cylinder and hammer is a bit long as it has to accommodate the CO2 valve.
Grip removal can be a bit finicky.
Comments: The Crosman SNR357 CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver is far from a new styled gun on the market, it’s been around for about a decade originally introduced main stream by ASG as their Dan Wesson 357. Being an older styled airgun means any issues it may have had are now for sure worked out so you know you are getting a solid and reliable Air Pistol here. If you are looking for an updated 357 then take a look at the Dan Wesson 715 series as some of the issues I have mentioned with the SNR357 are worked out on the newer style 357 Revolvers.
Type: BB Pistol. Manufacturer: Distributed by Crosman. Model: Fortify. Materials: Mostly plastic, some internal metal parts. Weight:1 pound (455 grams). Total Length: 10.5 inches (26.6cm). Barrel: 5.55 inches 14cm) metal non-rifled. Propulsion: CO2. Action: Revolver SAO. Ammunition Type: 4.5mm Steel BB’s. Ammunition Capacity: 18 round internal magazine. FPS: Claimed 420.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Crosman Fortify Single Action Army CO2 BB Revolver is a single action only trigger, so you will have to cock the hammer back before each shot which does take away most of the trigger pull length and weight, making it short and light and easy to shoot. Perfect for slowed down accurate shot placement, but less effective as an action shooter.
Accuracy: I have not tested out the Crosman Fortify Single Action Army CO2 BB Revolver any capacity, nor do I have any experience with it as the design is new from Crosman and I have not seen it before with any other Airgun on the market. So for now all we can go on is what Crosman claims, which is around 420fps and when it comes to accuracy your guess will be as good as mine so keep checking back for my upcoming Field Test Shooting Video for the Crosman Fortify Single Action Army CO2 BB Revolver were I will test the velocity and accuracy out in the Replica Airguns Indoor Sea Can Shooting Range.
Build Quality: When it comes to the build for the Crosman Fortify Single Action Army CO2 BB Revolver, there is not a lot to write home about. It is basically a mostly plastic gun with some metal parts internally like the barrel, trigger, hammer and CO2 area. The Crosman Fortify has that lower cost Airgun, two halves, screwed together build which generally looks better on the side without the screws showing. As it is mostly plastic it is very light in the hand at around a pound or so. Overal there are not a lot of moving parts so it should be reliable enough just because of this. All the mechanical components do what they need to do and feel solid enough.
Realism: The Crosman Fortify Single Action Army CO2 BB Revolver at a glance looks a lot like a Colt Single Action Army Revolver, it has the same shape and size but the weight is very slight. The lack of actual bullet holes in the cylinder looking from the front of the revolver also takes away from the realism. I guess I am really used to the new generation revolvers with working cylinders and real loadable shells but these guns are more expensive and hold less ammo as they are genuine to the 6 shooter capacity.
Pros:
Inexpensive revolver as compared to other shell loading styled revolvers out there.
A decent looking replica of a Colt Single Action Army revolver.
Single action only trigger is short and light and well suited to careful shot placement shooting.
420 claimed fps is about perfect for plinking at ranges up 30-40 feet.
18 round magazine has a nice high capacity and easy to load when empty
Safety is well thought out and built into an already existing part of the gun rather than simply adding a switch afterwards.
I like the look with the all back frame and bone white grips.
CO2 Allen key is built into grip so always have it on hadn’t and will not lose it.
Cons:
Mostly plastic builds makes it a bit light in the hand.
No fake shell holes in the front of the cylinder, could have added this for a more genuine look.
Safety is rather on the the firm side.
Comments: The Crosman Fortify Single Action Army CO2 BB Revolver is a completely new concept in design over what we have become use to in todays Single Action Army Revolvers. I want to hold my opinion on it till I actually shoot it as that could make or break this one for me. Maybe if it is a really fun shooter then I can excuse some of the shortcomings it has as a Replica Revolver but I guess we will see in a little bit when I get to my Field Test Shooting Review for it. For under $100 it may be worth it to some to try out especially if you don't already own a Single Action Army Revolver in your Airgun collection.
Starting the year off with a Preview Unboxing Update Video of three CO2 Air Pistols. One from Gamo is a NBB CO2 Dual Ammo (Pellet/BB) Semi Auto style pistol called the Gamo P-27. The other two are for Crosman and are both Revolvers but from very different aras. The First Revolver I look at is the Crosman SNR357 which is essentially an early revision rebranded Dan Wesson in a 2.5 inch barrel. You can use either .177 caliber pellets or 4.5mm BB’s with it loading them into the 6 shells that come with it. A new comer I have never seen is the Crosman Fortify styled after the classic Single Action Army Colt 45 old West Revolver. Unlike many of today shell loading CO2 Revolvers, the Crosman Fortify has an internal tube fed magazine with a spring follower that holds 18 4.5mm Steel BB’s.
Watch my Preview Unboxing Update Video where I take a quick look and go over some basic specifications along with my initial thoughts…
I have already reviewed several Crosman 357 Pellet/BB Revolvers in the past like the Crosman Vigilante which also has the ability to shoot both .177 caliber pellets and 4.5mm Steel BB’s, (Really they all are with the right magazine). With the Vigilante my pellet chronograph tests got similar results but with Steel BB’s the Crosman Vigilante did a lot better than my Crosman Triple Threat CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver using a similar 6 inch barrel. As expected both the Crosman Vigilante and the Crosman Triple Threat did about the same in terms of accuracy getting better results with pellets over Steel BB’s.
Starting with the velocity portion of my Indoor Field Test Shooting video, I placed a brand new 12 gram CO2 into the Crosman Triple Threat CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver and tested out some 7 grain .177 caliber Lead Pellets. I averaged 382 fps in what I would consider normal indoor temperature ranges so you can expect a bit higher velocities in warmer conditions. Moving on to 4.5mm 5.1 grain Steel BB’s, I averaged quite a bit lower velocity at 288 fps. I was surprise since it was almost 100 fps lower than the heavier 7 grain lead pellets. The logical reason for this is that lead Pellets fit the barrel much more snug, stoping any CO2 from getting around them which helps increase the velocity over 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 the accuracy porting of the the Indoor Field Test I shot 10 rounds for my pellet magazine first and then 6 rounds for the BB magazine, simply because this is how many rounds each magazine holds… Makes sense right? Even with the pellet magazine holding 10 rounds over the BB magazine’s 6 rounds, the Pellet magazine was still able to get a much tighter grouping at around 1 inch over the BB target which was closer to 3 inches. BB’s seemed to really like to hook a bit with the Crosman Triple Threat CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver, so I would for sure go with pellets if accuracy is importatn to you. Both pellets and BB’s shot a little bit high and to the left from the bulls-eye but that can easily be adjusted with the fully adjustable rear sight.
The Crosman Triple Threat performed rather as expected and was not a big surprise other than the BB’s really having a much lower velocity this time around. It is clear to me that I would not waste my time shooting Steel BB’s unless this is all I had on hand as they where not only much slower but also a lot less accurate. Over time the steel BB’s could damage the rifled steel barrel effecting future pellet accuracy. The Crosman Triple Threat CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver offers a lot of options with ammo choice and barrel choice that alter it’s looks and even performance to some degree but if you want a Crosman 357 type CO2 Revolver than it for sure gives you the most flexibility.
