Many Canadians ask about options for what they perhaps could use for home defense since we are not allowed to really use any kind of a weapon to defend ourselves. A product classified as “Less Lethal” may be of interest to people living in Canada. I interviewed Byrna, just such a company that offers alternatives to standard “Lethal Interventions” for self protection and Josh from Byrna was kind enough to go over their pistol and rifle offerings specifically built to shoot paintball type ammunition for the purpose of stopping bad guys.
I am hoping this is a product we will be able to add to our online Replica Airgun Stores, as they do tick the boxes for import into Canada such as shooting well under 500 fps, yet having the ability to cause serious injury so as to allow them to be considered a non regulated firearm.
This year at the KWA Booth I had the pleasure of running into John, and we went over a bunch of new items KWA had on display. John was even rocking a similar pair of Ray Ban Meta AI Glasses which made us look a little bit like twins…
In this KWA SHOT Show Interview John higgled the following products from KWA: The KWA ATP-Z and ATP-CT Optics Ready GBB AIrsoft Pistols which are convertible to SMG versions, along with a new prototype TAC-9 GBB Airsoft Rifle.
KWA AIrsoft products have always been one of favoriteAirsoft guns for their quality, looks and performance. They tend to offer a lot of Gas Blowback options which I really appreciate as a Replica AIrgun Collector.
It’s alwasy nice to have a chat with Bob at ASG, I have been interviewing him for years now and really missed not being at SHOT Show the last three years. As always, Bob really knows the ASG product line inside and out and took us through some of the new products and changes to the ASG lineup in 2024.
Some of the products include: The ASG CZ P-10 C CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol, the Steyr L9-A2 CO2/Gas Blowback Airsoft Pistol, the USW Gas Blowback Airsoft Pistol, the new Hybrid Airsoft line including the CO2 Blowback H-22 and the AEG H-15, the ICS Ape SE AEG Airsoft Rifle, and lastly the ICS Carnotaurus, Legacy, ACME High-Capa Pistol Series.
I am looking forward to get my hands-on many of these new ASG products and making reviews for everyone to checkout in the near future…
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!
I’m back from SHOT Show 2024 and I always like to start off my series of SHOT Show Interview videos with a Teaser Video that not only shows off a few new guns but also gives everyone a vibe of what it feels like to visit Las Vegas and SHOT Show. I can only show you so much because as you know what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas…
I did get the chance to interview several Airgun Companies that I will be putting together Interview Videos for, including Umarex, ASG, KWA, Barra, EKOL and Byrna. Unfortunately Sig Sauer is no longer attending SHOT Show and Crosman had significantly reduced the focus of their booth and really did not have much in the way of Replica Airguns to show.
As Christmas and New year approach, I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. According to my religious beliefs I concelebrate Christmas and I do so unapologetically. I know we live in a multicultural world with a variety of religions and beliefs. If you do not celebrate Christmas as many of us do here in Canada, then I wish you a wonderful holiday season nonetheless.
I look forward to 2024 and hope the new year brings prosperity to those deserving of it. May the righteous prevail over the unrighteous and good over evil.
For those following me over on Replica Airguns, I will be going to SHOT Show this year after a three year hiatus. I am really looking forward to seeing all the venders and new products they are showcasing at SHOT Show 2024.
For my GetFitOver40 audience I am taking things day by day and as I feel better and better I hope to be able to do more and more and perhaps maybe even do a show this year, but more on my own terms and my own timeline
In this Indoor Field Test Shooting Video I test out the Umarex T4E TR68 .68 Caliber Paintball Revolver to see what the real world velocity is and what kind accuracy I can get shooting at a paper target 30 feet away. For this Video Review I use a brand new CO2 along with .68 caliber Rubber Balls. I have already made a Table Top Video for the Umarex T4E TR68 so check that out if you’re interested in specifications and details along with more closeup video of this Paintball Revolver. And for fun I also made an interesting outside shooting video using actual Paintballs that highlights this Revolver along with the Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol.
So let’s get straight to the shooting results! For my Chronograph test, being indoors the temperature was about room temperature, maybe a bit lower at around 19-20 Degrees Celsius or 66-68 Degrees Fahrenheit. Temperature can affect velocity as CO2 performs better in warmer conditions. My fastest Chronograph result was 205 fps while my slowest shot hitting 190 fps resulting in a average of 198 fps . Keep in mind the .68 caliber Rubber Balls have a lot more weight to them than the smaller .50 or .43 Caliber Balls used in other Umarex T4E Paintball Airguns.
Next I performed the accuracy portion which for me is the fun part, I often shoot 10 rounds in to my paper targets setup 30 feet down range, since the Umarex T4E TR68 .68 Caliber Paintball Revolver magazines only holds 5 rounds, I did have to make a quick magazine change half way through my Accuracy Test. I was also using a semi-rested shooting position with my hands resting on a sandbag up front and sitting on a stool in the back. There was also one other disruption in my shooting worth mentioning as I had to go up and put the paper target back on as it was dislodged by the energy of these larger Rubber Balls. That all said, I was able to get about a 5 inch grouping from my 10 rounds which is pretty good for a Paintball Airgun. I am confident you will be able to get all your shots on a body sized target at 30 feet out with a little bit of practice. Most of the shots were pretty well centered, perhaps just a little bit under the bullseye.
Even though the Umarex T4E TR68 .68 Caliber Paintball Revolver is a lot larger than the somewhat similar Umarex T4E TR50 .50 Caliber Paintball Revolver, I prefer it as I found it to shoot a bit more reliably and with good accuracy. It is maybe a bit large for some people as compared to the TR50 but I feel the extra size is worth it for the increased energy at point of impact and again the superior accuracy and reliability.
Summer will be over before we know it, so why not get out and shoot some Paintball Pistols on a bunch of random targets in the yard before fall kicks in! I rarely get to use actual Paintballs in my Paintball Guns as I mainly test indoors and so I pretty much have to use Rubber Balls or have to deal with a bunch of clean up afterwards.
So today I grabbed my two newest Umarex T4E Paintball Pistols, the Umarex T4E TR68 and Umarex T4E HK VP9. I of course I loaded them up with their appropriate ammo .68 and .43 caliber Paintballs, and headed outside.
Figuring out how to make the video interesting and get lots of different camera angles can be fun, so I decided to grab my Hover Camera X1 which I think from now on is going to be my new “Camera Man” when I need a camera recoding me as I move around. I also placed my Insta 360 One R and my iVUE Vista Camera glasses in the mix. All being audio recorded with my Comica Vimo C Wireless Lapel Mic so you can actually hear everything clearly.
Seems like a lot of production using all of these recording devices and then having to line up, cut and mix everything together in post. Well you guys are worth it and I’m a bit of a tech junky so it was all kind of fun for me too.
Type: Paintball Gun. Manufacturer:Umarex - T4E. Model:T4E TR68 Materials: Metal & Polymer. Weight: 773 grams (1.7 pounds). Barrel: 6.5 inches (165mm) ,Smooth bore. Total Length: 13 inches (331mm). Power Source: 1x12 gram CO2. Action: Revolver - Double action only trigger. Ammo Type: .68 Caliber Paintball or Rubber Ball. Ammo Capacity: 5 Rounds x 3 magazines. FPS: 230-300.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on Umarex T4E TR68 .68 Caliber Paintball Revolver is double action only but not very long with a much smoother feel than the TR50, so maybe Umarex did some improving here. without any ammo in it the T4E TR68 trigger feels responsive for a double action trigger. We will have to see when I do my Field Test Shooting Video how it performs and if fully loaded up and primed, if it feels the same?
Accuracy: So far I have not had the opportunity to test the Umarex T4E TR68 .68 Caliber Paintball Revolver out, the only other similar product that may compare would be the Umarex T4E TR50 but I have a feeling both these guns will perform rather different since the ammo is a lot larger on the TR68. Also with the way the different triggers feel, I expect this to help with performance on the Umarex T4E TR68.
Build Quality: The build quality of the Umarex T4E TR68 .68 Caliber Paintball Revolver is good overall. It is a mostly plastic build with some metal parts where they need to be internally. It is essentially two plastic halves held together by small screws with few actual mechanical working external parts. You have the trigger with its working trigger safety, the removable magazine and magazine release and of course the quick puncture CO2 screw knob. The hammer is internal. The Umarex T4E TR68 .68 Caliber Paintball Revolver is not very heavy but it does feel really solid in the hand because of its very large size.
Realism: The Umarex T4E TR68 .68 Caliber Paintball Revolver is not really a replica per say of any real steel gun that I know of. It does share a lot of similarities with the Crosman Vigilante which is a CO2 BB/Pellet Revolver with its main design going back several decades. The Umarex T4E TR68 .68 Caliber Paintball Revolver looks similar to what a modern looking large caliber revolver such as a 357 or 44 magnum looks like. It is not going to fool anyone up close that you actually have a real steel revolver but then again I don’t think if you are shooting it at anyone they are going to want to get all that close to you :)
Pros:
Hoping to get a bit more raw energy out of the T4E TR.68 than the TR50 as it uses larger heavier ammo. (TR50 averaged 328 using rubber balls for reference).
Lots of mounting options for accessories like a tac light, laser or other sighting option with it’s upper and lower picatinny rail setup.
Quick CO2 pierce system so you can leave a CO2 in it ready to go any time with no worries about CO2 leaking out while in storage.
Working Trigger Safety.
White dot sights super easy to see on targets of varying colors and shades.
DOA Trigger feels pretty decent, not too long or heavy.
Comes with 3 total magazines you can preload ready for use.
Super non-complicated design. Once loaded with CO2 and Paintballs or Rubber Balls, all you need to do is hit the CO2 knob and then pull the trigger.
Build quality feels good, the gun is fairly beefy but not overly heavy.
Grip is normal size even thought the gun itself is fairly large.
Cons:
Mostly all plastic build.
Sights are not adjustable so hopefully it is well centered out of the box.
Do not expect a lot of shots per CO2. Will find out when I do my Field Test Shooting Review.
Comments:
The Umarex T4E TR68 .68 Caliber Paintball Revolver is an interesting Paintball gun, overseas versions are marketed as the HDR86 which stands for “Home Defense Revolver”, while the North American or Canada version is marketed as the TR68 for “Training Revolver”. This is mainly because in Europe most countries are not allowed to own real handguns but can own “Self Defense handguns”. In the US real handguns are very easy to obtain and can be used for self defense. Just across the border here in Canada we can not really purposely have on hand anything that we plan to use as a weapon for self defense so the Umarex T4E TR68 .68 Caliber Paintball Revolver, like the TR50 is marketed as a Training Revolver. What’s the difference? Not much, our North American 230+ fps version is a lot like the lower powered German versions in terms of power but you can also get more powerful versions in the UK. All that said, the Umarex T4E TR68 .68 Caliber Paintball Revolver at least here in Canada is made and marketed as a Training Paintball gun maybe not all that suitable on the field? What you decide to do with it is up to you.
In this Replica Airguns Unboxing Video I take a look at 6 Airguns consisting of 2 Paintball Pistols, 3 Airsoft Rifles and one Pellet Rifle. This is not a full review in any way but is rather a preview of what i will be doing full Reviews for over the next several weeks.
When it comes to video and audio components that I use for making my videos, I am always looking for something that can improve the creativity or quality of my videos and audio in the videos so I keep an eye out for any new tech that I think is ingesting.
I tried using a drone in the past but found them too time consuming to setup and the drone noise always got into the sound of the video which can be a problem when you need live audio.
And then along comes the Hover Camera X1, it’s not really what you would expect exactly from a drone or camera. As a drone you would expect a remote along with GPS and the ability to go super high and far away and fly really fast. Well the Hover Camera X1 doesn’t do any of that.
As a camera you would expect something you can put on a tripod or at the end of a selfie stick and that is for the most part a more static object. Again the Hover Camera X1 is not really any of this.
What the Hover Camera X1 is is a new type of tech that allows you to have many of the benefits of what a camera man can do along with some of the cool tracking shots that a drone can do. And all in a device that fits easily in your pocket and weighs less than a smartphone.
In this Video I go into what the Hover Camera X1 can and can not do and where it really excels as compared to what a typical camera and typical drone is capable of. Yes there are some similarities but there are for sure something newish a conventional camera or drone can match.
Watch my video review with my take on the Hover Camera X1 with samples videos showing off the capabilities this very versatile video and photo tool can perform.
I am personally very interested in what the origins of a company are, at least companies that I am interested in. Where did the idea for the company come from,? How did the company first start up? What steps did they take to get to where they are now? Where there any road black along the way?
I don’t believe I have every talked about how Replica Airguns came to be in any of my videos, where and when it all started, so why not talk about it now…
And I don’t have any Airguns to review at the moment so I need to make a video of some sort…
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: Paintball Shotgun. Manufacturer:Umarex - T4E. Model:Umarex T4E HDB. Materials: Metal & Polymer. Weight: 5.52 pounds (2.5 kg). Barrel: 18.5 inches (470.5mm) Metal smooth bore. Power Source: 1x12 gram CO2. Action: Semi Auto DOA with Internal Magazine. Ammo Type: .68 Caliber Paintball or Rubber Ball. Ammo Capacity: 16 Rounds. FPS: 220 claimed
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on Umarex T4E HDB .68 Caliber Paintball Shotgun is basically a Double Action Only Trigger as there is no blowback or way in which to preload a hammer or striker system. So basically your finger does all the work so the trigger pull is I would say about medium length and about medium pull. It does works just fine for fairly rapid follow up shooting. Each pull of the trigger also extends a rear breach-like tube that seals off the CO2 from the internal magazine or there would be a lot of CO2 leakage.
Accuracy: Normally I do not get the chance to perform the Field Test before making my Table Tope Video Review but with the Umarex T4E HDB .68 Caliber Paintball Shotgun, I did it the other way around so I do have performance metrics I can share with you, at least summarized. I suggest watching my Full Field Test Shooting Video Review for the Umarex T4E HDB .68 Caliber Paintball Shotgun for a the full breakdown. In summary, the Umarex T4E HDB .68 Caliber Paintball Shotgun shot a bit low on the target but had a decent grouping of I would say around 4-6 inches which is really good for a Paintball Gun. In terms of power my Chronograph results shooting 5 rounds produced an average of 176fps but the temperature was not super warm so in warmer conditions you can expect this to go up a bit, I would say 200fps is realistic.
Build Quality: The build quality of the Umarex T4E HDB .68 Caliber Paintball Shotgun is really good for the lower price of this unit compared to other higher priced T4E products, you will get a pretty much all plastic outer shell. That said there is still a fair amount of metal in this PaintBall Shotgun including the barrel, internal magazine, sights, trigger, sling mounts and some internal parts. All in all the Umarex T4E HDB .68 Caliber Paintball Shotgun has a good weight and feel to it with nice fit and finish.
Realism: The Umarex T4E HDB .68 Caliber Paintball Shotgun as far as I know is not an exact replica of any specific Shotgun but it does look like what you would expect to see from a Pistol Grip Tactical Styled Shotgun. In terms of mechanical working parts everything does what it supposed to do and works as expected.
Accuracy was really good, probably my tightest grouping so far to date with a Paintball Gun shooting at 30 feet away.
Lots of mounting option for accessories like a tac light, laser or other sighting option with it’s top and side picatinny rail and M-LOK setup.
Quick CO2 pierce system so you can leave a CO2 in it ready to go any time with no worries about CO2 leaking out over time.
Simple to use Cross Bolt Safety.
Nice high capacity super easy to load 16 round magazine.
Ambidextrous sling mountain points.
Low cost for what you get compared to other Umarex/T4E products.
Build quality feels pretty good considering it is a much lower cost than other T4E rifles/shotguns.
Looks very intimidating.
Cons:
Mostly plastic external build.
Sights are not adjustable.
Will not get lots of shots per single CO2.
No rear stock so will not be as accurate using a non rested shooting posting.
Comments:
The Umarex T4E HDB .68 Caliber Paintball Shotgun is a well built and decent performing Paintball Shotgun and for the price you do get a lot of gun for your money. In some ways it even outperforms the HDX in my books including lower price, ease to load, quicker follow shots being semi auto, more compact size and even accuracy was better with the Umarex T4E HDB .68 Caliber Paintball Shotgun. So if you’re on a budget, don’t feel like you are compromising at all here, you are getting a really good Paintball Shotgun solution!
In this Field Test Shooting Video I test out the Umarex T4E HDB .68 Caliber Paintball Shotgun to see what the actual fps is and what kind of accuracy we can get out of these .68 Caliber Rubber balls at 30 feet down range. I have not done a Table Top Video just yet for the Umarex T4E HDB .68 Caliber Paintball Shotgun so stay posted for that upcoming video so stay posted for that, in the meantime you can watch my Preview Videos where I do show it up and close and go over some main specifications.
Starting with the velocity portion of this video I used .68 caliber rubber balls which are not super heavy and not made out of a very hard rubber as you can squish them with your fingers fairly easily. I put 5 rounds through my chronograph after loading a pair of 12 gram CO2 cartriges into the CO2 chamber. My results averaged 176fps which may seem slower than expected but they did hit my target pretty hard pulling the paper in with them. Each round was fairly consistent ranging from 167 to 182 fps trailing off a bit after each shot which is expected.
Moving on to the accuracy portion for the Umarex T4E HDB .68 Caliber Paintball Shotgun, I proceeded to shoot around 10 rounds into my fresh paper target setup 30 feet down range. My target is basically an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper and my goal was ot get all my shots onto the paper which I easily managed. I was impressed with the grouping from the Umarex T4E HDB .68 Caliber Paintball Shotgun as it performed better than most Paintball guns using rubber balls. The shot placement was a bit lower than I was aiming but all the rounds where within I would say 4-5 inches of each other with no real outliers in the grouping.
All in all the Umarex T4E HDB .68 Caliber Paintball Shotgun performed better than I was expecting, I bit more fps would be nice but the rubber balls do hit the paper with a fair amount of energy, I would for sure not want to get hit by one at close range with light clothing on. The accuracy again was really good for a a paintball rifle and this being one of the lower cost Umarex T4E rifle/shotgun based products it performed as good if not better than much higher priced versions. If you’re looking for a fun Paintball Rifle that won’t break the bank and has a good feature set then pick one up for us!
