This is both a revisit and a comparison Field Test Shooting Video all wrapped up into one so hold onto your socks! Make sure to watch my Table Top Revisit for the Umarex Walther PPK/S CO2 Blowback BB Pistol where I go over the importance of this gun and how it started things off not only for Umarex but also Replica Airguns!
As always with my Indoor Filed Test Shooting Videos I test out the velocity of each Airgun along with the accuracy but in this case I want to see how a nearly 20 year old Blowback BB Pistol stacks up agains a much more modern similar BB Pistol. The closest CO2 Powered Blowback BB Pistol to the Umarex Walther PPK/S CO2 Blowback BB Pistol as far as I could tell was the KWC Makarov Full Blowback BB Pistol since both are about the same size, share a similar look and design, have similar velocities and should perform relatively the same.
I’m not going to give it all alway in this written version of my Umarex Walther PPK/S CO2 Blowback BB Pistol Field Test Revisit, so you will ahed to watch my YouTube Video to find out. I will say both guns performed well and for the first ever working slide with simulated blowback action BB pistol ever made, I would say it holds its own against todays more modern airgun designs.
Way back in 2006 I made a video called the World Smallest Full Auto BB Pistol and uploaded it to YouTube then I kind of forgot about it fro a while… A few months later I went back and checked on it and had received around 100,000 video views and I lost my mind for a bit. It made me wonder perhaps if people wanted to see more Airgun Videos so I started making the occasional Airguns Video when I bought a new Airgun and uploaded them to YouTube. They kept getting decent views and people seemed to want to watch them so I decided maybe starting an Airgun Blog that I could link my YouTube Videos to would be something people would be interested in?
Well that was how the Replica Airguns YouTube Channel and Website all began and since then things have really grown with over 300 thousand Subscribers, 138 million Video Views and over a thousand Video made to date.
I figures it was time to take a look back at the Airgun that started things all off and see if it still stands up to the newer Airguns on the market. That Airgun is the Umarex Walther PPK/S CO2 Blowback BB Pistol which by the way was Umarex’s first ever BB Pistol and was also the first BB pistol to have a working blowback slide. I tried to find out exactly when the Umarex Walther PPK/S CO2 Blowback BB Pistol went into production but could not find this exact info but I’m guessing it is around 20 years old by now.
As far as I know there are no new Walther PPK or PPK/S Steel BB pistols on the market, perhaps some in 6mm Airsoft versions so the closest 4.5mm BB Airgun I could compare it to was the Makarov line of Airguns, Umarex and KWC have made versions of the Makarov including the original Umarex non blowback all metal Makarov, the Umarex Legends Blowback Makarov Ultra and the KWC Full Blowback Makarov PM. Of course there is the Baikal Makarov but that is a gun that is hard to compare to other Airguns so I left that one out of the picture.
In this video I compare the Umarex Walther PPK/S CO2 Blowback BB Pistol to the newer Makarov BB Pistols to see if it holds up at least in terms of appearance and features and to be honest other than the plastic stick magazine it really does hold up considering its age and how much time Airgun Manufacturers have had to make improvements over the years.
Make sure to watch this video to see how the Umarex Walther PPK/S CO2 Blowback BB Pistol compares to todays modern Airguns and stay posted for my shooting comparison where I test out the much older Umarex Walther PPK/S CO2 Blowback BB Pistol to the much newer KWC Makarov PM in the Replica Airguns Indoor Shooting Range.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the KWC Makarov PM CO2 NBB BB Pistol is pretty decent for a double action only trigger, certainly light enough for some fairly fast action shooting without tiring your trigger finger too much. It would have been nice to have been able to cock the hammer for some slower and more precise single action shots.
Accuracy: So far I have not had the chance to test out the shooting performances for the KWC Makarov PM CO2 NBB BB Pistol, but I am expecting it to get sub 2 inch 10 shot groupings from 30 feet out and hopefully the KWC Makarov PM CO2 NBB BB Pistol will chronograph in close to the 400 claimed fps. Watch for my Field Test Shooting Video down the road.
Build Quality: The KWC Makarov PM CO2 NBB BB Pistol is a pretty basic CO2 BB Airgun, basically two metal halves of the frame screwed together and not a lot of working parts. It’s almost all metal except for the grips and hammer and has a good weight and solid feel to it so I expect it to hold up well over time. The fit and finishes seem just fine but it does have some noticeable seems going all around the Airgun where the two halves join together.
Realism: The KWC Makarov PM CO2 NBB BB Pistol at first looks like a real steel Makarov, it’s about the right size and weight, has a recessed barrel and no CO2 tab on the bottom so overall a good looking replica. It’s when you look a little bit closer look that you can really tell, from the lack of an open ejection port to the small screws on the right hand side of the KWC Makarov PM CO2 NBB BB Pistol. When you start to play around with it you will notice the hammer is plastic and only for show and of course not being a blowback gun the slide and slide catch release do not function at all.
Pros:
Full metal frame.
All metal full size drop out magazine that holds the BB’s and CO2.
Working safety, and magazine release.
Because it’s NBB it will get higher fps and more shots per CO2.
No ugly CO2 tab on the magazine.
Seems to have a decent double action only trigger.
Very affordable at around $70 Canadian.
Less moving parts means less to go wrong for longer reliability.
Cons:
No blowback operation so no single action trigger or simulated recoil.
Ejection port is not cut out and hammer is only for show.
Has those ugly screws on one side of the frame.
Comments:
Most of you probably already know I am a bit of a Blowback operation Airgun snob so when I review Non Blowback Airguns I am generally not as excited. What can I say, I just like the simulated recoil Blowback offers and the fact that Blowback Airguns will generally allow for a much lighter and shorter single action trigger. The plus side to a Non Blowback Airgun is going to be four main points: Usually a lower price tag, faster fps, more shots per CO2 and better longevity of the gun since there are a lot less moving parts to wear or break. It really come down to what you prefer, but the good news is you can have your choice of a Non Blowback Makarov like the KWC Makarov PM CO2 NBB BB Pistol or you can go with the blowback KWC Makarov PM CO2 Blowback BB Pistol. Or better yet, why not both!
My Video Review for the KWC Makarov PM CO2 NBB BB Pistol:
In this Classic Legends Airguns comparison video I look at a number of different Classic or Legendary BB Airguns and compare them to each other to determine which one I personally feel is the best . My final choices are of course based on my own personal opinion and in this video I end up picking two as they where kind of each in their own class.
In this Makarov comparison video I look at a variety of different versions of Makarov BB Airguns and compare them to each other to determine which one I feel is the best in their class. My final choice is of course based on my own personal opinion and even then I found it hard to pick a clear winner.
This Vimeo Video Preview covers three really nice CO2 Pistols recently added to our Replica Airguns Canada Store. One is a pellet pistol from Gletcher called the Gletcher NGT R which is for the most part the same as the standard 4.5mm Steel shooting NGT but the R model is made to shoot .177 caliber pellets so it also has a rifled barrel. I am expecting pretty decent accuracy with this pistol!
Last but perhaps the best or at least most anticipated gun I am showing off today is the Umarex S&W M&P40 Full Blowback CO2 BB Pistol. This is a really nice acurate replica of the real steal S&W M&P40 with full licensing and pretty much every part operational like it would be on the .40 caliber version.
Here are some basic Specifications for all of these fine Co2 Airguns...
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the KWC Makarov PM CO2 Blowback BB Pistol is really nice. It is single action only since it is a blowback pistol that requires racking the slide to chamber the first round. The take-up of the trigger is slight with a crisp light release, the trigger is definitely not going to get in the way of the accuracy of this pistol.
Accuracy: The accuracy and true feet per second performance will be tested when I do my future Field Test Shooting Review shortly (weather permitting).
Build Quality: Excellent, the KWC Makarov PM CO2 Blowback BB Pistol seems to be really well built like the other full blowback KWC BB and Airsoft pistols I have reviewed and shot in the past. The fit and finish is very good but I expect the electromagnetic black coating to wear off in the high spots fairly quickly but this does give the slight worn in real gun look. In terms of quality it looks like KWC may have even gone to extra effort to beef up some of the areas perhaps prone to breakage like the trigger guard since this pistol is made out of Zink based metals rather than hardened steel like you would find in the real firearm.
Realism: I have to say the KWC Makarov PM CO2 Blowback BB Pistol is a really nice replica overall, perhaps one of the best considering it has full cycle blowback with an all metal full sized drop out magazine. Sure the Baikal MP-654K takes the cake in terms of realism since it is practically a real Makarov rechambered to shoot Steel BB's but the MP-654K lacks blowback operation and the ability to fire quickly using a single action trigger. A couple of drawbacks with the KWC Makarov PM CO2 Blowback BB Pistol that are different from the real steel Makarov PM are the thicker trigger guard and butt plate.
Pros:
Has full cycle blowback operation.
Nice heavy blowback spring makes slide nice and snappy, should have good blowback operation.
All metal build.
All metal full size drop out magazine that holds the BB’s and CO2.
Fully field strip-able.
All part function like a real Makarov.
Open ejection port and reassessed barrel.
No ugly CO2 tab.
Seems to have a really nice single action only trigger.
Internal fixed hop-up for improved accuracy and sustained trajectory.
Cons:
Lower fps because of short barrel and presumable heavy blowback operation.
Magazine base sticks forward a bit more and is thicker than a real steel Makarov.
Trigger guard looks to be thicker than a real steel Makarov.
Comments:
The Makarov is one of my favorite pistols, it's a true classic! So the fact that there is yet another Makarov Air pistol on the market is fine with me. And perhaps the KWC Makarov PM CO2 Blowback BB Pistol might just be the best all around Airgun Makarov hitting all the hot spots us Replica Airgun enthusiasts love... Like full blowback operation, a nice light single action trigger, a full size metal magazine that holds the ammo and the CO2 and of course an all metal build with all those working bits and pieces like you would find on the real steel Makarov PM. But you will have to decide for yourself...
My Vimeo Video Review for the KWC Makarov PM CO2 Blowback BB Pistol:
