Here we go again with another Favorite Airgun Video of 2018, this time I show you my Air Rifle Favorites! There are usually a lot less Air Rifles that come out than Air Pistols but this year was’t too bad for new and interesting Ari Rifles. As per usually there where more 4.5mm Steel BB Rifles and I am sorry to say nothing really came out at least in the Replica Air Rifle department but of course there where 6mm Airsoft rifles too.
I do mainly focus on the 4.5mm BB rifles but throw in the group a very well made and ultra realistic Airsoft Rifle that was for sure in this years Top Five!
Next in this video I take a look at what I can say was my number one pick this year, the Crosman DPMS SBR Steel BB Rifle! When Crosman announced the Crosman DPMS SBR Steel BB Rifle at SHOT Show I was a bit surprised since Crosman is not known best for their Replica Airguns. Not only did Crosman decide to come out with an M4 Replica Air Rifle but they in fact made what I believe is the best one out there at least in 4.5mm Steel BB. It covers all the check boxes I am looking for. It’s very well made, shoots in semi and full auto with a working internal blowback bolt. All the mechanical parts work in the same way as a real M4 including being able to take apart the upper and lower receivers. I really hope Crosman took note of how popular this style of Airgun is and keeps making more product like the Crosman DPMS SBR Steel BB Rifle.
Another 4.5mm Steel BB M4 Replica that came out in 2018 is the Air Venturi HellBoy CO2 BB M4 Air Rifle. The HellBoy may not be as full featured as the Crosman DPMS SBR but it is worthy of this years Top Five. The Air Venturi HellBoy CO2 BB M4 Air Rifle is similar to how the Cybergun AK 47 BB rifles are built, using a magazine design that is basically the bulk of the working mechanism, it hold the CO2, CO2 Valve, BB’s, and even part of the trigger mechanism. The Air Venturi HellBoy CO2 BB M4 Air Rifle may not be as ultra realistic as the Crosman DPMS SBR but it’s an excellent full metal M4 Replica with decent shooting performance.
My only Airsoft contribution to this years list is the KWA LM4 RIS PTR Full Metal GBB Airsoft Rifle. I just love this Airsoft Rifle, It may not be the cheapest M4 GBB Airsoft Rifle out there but it sure is worth it. When you pick it up it just feels like quality and when you shoot it you know it’s quality, the shooting performance is awesome for a GBB Rifle. I barely noticed any cool down even when shooting off the entire magazine in full auto. If you want the most realistic M4 Air Rfile out there than the KWA LM4 RIS PTR Full Metal GBB Airsoft Rifle is going to be the one.
Last up to showcase in this years Favorite Air Rifles is the Umarex Legends MP40 CO2 BB Weathered Submachine Gun. I know the Umarex Legends MP40 CO2 BB Submachine Gun kinda came out last year but I did not get my hands on the Weathered version till only recently so I decided to put it in this years Top Five pick. The Umarex Legends MP40 CO2 BB Submachine Gun is another fine 4.5mm Steel BB Rifle in this case it’s more of a Submachine Gun. The Umarex Legends MP40 CO2 BB Submachine Gun also offers semi and full auto select fire and is a very close replace to the real steel MP40 in almost every way. The Weathered Finish and included Leather Sling really finish it off to make it super believable.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Gletcher M1944 Mosin Nagant is single action only, the bolt cycle does most of the work setting up the loading of a BB into the chamber and pre-cocking the bolt spring. The take up is minimal and the release is about medium to light weight. The bolt snaps forward firmly and with a nice clanking sound, you can even feel the weight of it as it moves forward.
Accuracy: I have not shot the Gletcher M1944 Mosin Nagant CO2 BB Rifle yet but have had the opportunity to shoot the M1891 Sawn Off version. I had mixed result with the Gletcher M1891 BB Rifle since you can not shoulder the gun making it a bit unsteady while it waves around out in front of you as you aim it. When shooting it rested I was able to get much better results shooting a fairly tight 1.5 inch 10 shot grouping in my Sea Can Airgun Range. By the way my velocity testing on the Gletcher M1891 BB Rifle resulted in an average of 430 fps.
Build Quality: The Gletcher M1944 Mosin Nagant CO2 BB Rifle is really well made, you can tell by it's robust weight and how solid the action feels when you draw the bolt back and release it the first time. Everything that would be metal on the real Mosin Nagant is metal on the Gletcher M1944 including the full size dropout magazine that holds both the BB's and CO2. Yes the stock is imitation wood but it looks very close to real wood and will fool most people until very close inspection. The overall finish on the Gletcher M1944 Mosin Nagant CO2 BB Rifle looks great.
Realism: I've never actually put my hands on a real steel Mosin Nagant Rifle but from the photos I viewed online, the Gletcher M1944 Mosin Nagant CO2 BB Rifle really accurate in terms of being a BB replica. Of course the magazine has been adapted to fit CO2 and BB's but once placed in the gun it is nearly impossible to tell it from a real Mosin Nagant. The weight of this rifle (8.2 pounds) gives it the feeling of genuineness. I have read online that a real Mosin Nagant stock can be adapted to fit the Gletcher M1944 so that would indicate that it is fairly true in size and construction to a real Mosin Nagant Rifle.
Pros:
Very Unique BB gun.
A piece of history you can shoot in your back yard.
Mostly all metal gun.
Nice heavy 8.2 pound weight to it.
Adjustable rear sight, at least for elevation.
Nice single action trigger.
Bolt action feels great and has a firm release.
Full size drop out metal magazine that holds both the BB's and the CO2.
More fps than claimed and decent accuracy, I expect to get lots of shots out of a single CO2 because of the magazine design.
Imitation wood is very believable.
Comes with sling.
Breaks down similarly to the real steel version, so maybe able to upgrade parts like the stock with a little bit of work.
Cons:
Stock is plastic but looks good considering.
No real way to adjust windage and the rear sight does wiggle a bit from side to side which could throw off the aim.
Bayonet may scratch the stock a bit?
Price point may make it out of range for some buyers?
Comments:
The Gletcher M1944 Mosin Nagant CO2 BB Rifle is a great option for anyone looking for a historic bolt action Rifle but in a BB version. It for sure looks and acts the part but in a much quieter and backyard friendly version. Sure yo can get the Gletcher M1891 Sawn Off version ofr about half price but to really get the full Mosin Nagant experience you are going to want to have the larger full size Gletcher M1944 Mosin Nagant CO2 BB Rifle, no two ways around it. Being abel to shoulder the gun makes it way more natural and easier to shoot.
My Vimeo Table Top Video of the Gletcher M1944 CO2 Replica BB Rifle:
