If you have been watching my Video Reviews you may have picked up on the fact that I am a bit of a 1911 fan! Perhaps it goes back to my Magnum PI day, I am sure I have watched every episode a bunch of times as a kid and growing up, Tom Selleck’s side arm of choice was the classic Colt 1911 A1 and I guess it brushed off on me. I just like the look and feel of the classic 1911!
There have been a number of BB firing Airguns that have come out over the years so I thought I would go over a few of my favorite versions and talk a little bit about their history and cover a few different version most actually made by KWC based off of their original full blowback CO2 1911.
Here are links to my YouTube Video Reviews for the CO2 BB Airguns I show and discuss in this video:
Type: BB air pistol. Manufacturer: Air Venturi - KWC. Model: Springfield Armory 1911 Mil-Spec. Materials: Pretty much all metal build. Weight: 2 pounds (907 Grams). Barrel: 4.38 inchesBrass, non-rifled. Propulsion: CO2 x1. Action: Semi auto blowback, single action only. Ammunition Type: 4.5mm Steel BB's. Ammunition Capacity: 18 rounds. FPS: 320.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Air Venturi Springfield Armory 1911 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol is like all the other KWC made CO2 full blowback 1911's, it's exactly what you would expect from a real steel 1911 single action only pistol which helps to make this replica 1911 a great trainer or show piece. So in other words the trigger pull is super short, super light with very little take-up and a nice crisp break.
Accuracy: I have not shot this "exact version" of the KWC Air Venturi 1911 but it will undoubtedly perform very much like all the other incarnations. I can expect decent under 2 inch groupings from 30 feet out and will get a little over 300 fps on a full CO2 cartridges as long as it’s decently warm out. Depending on how fast I shoot off my magazines, I should expect to get around 3 good mags and if I slow things down a bit I should get a forth magazine so anywhere from 50-70 good or so shots per CO2 out of the Air Venturi Springfield Armory 1911 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol. I may or may not make a Field Test Shooting Video for the Air Venturi Springfield Armory 1911 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol…
Build Quality: Very good, with almost all metal construction, good weight and craftsmanship, the KWC 1911 line of pistols have proven themselves over time, that said they will not last forever since these are not expensive guns made out of high quality metals. You will find most of these KWC pistols in general have a rather thin coating for a finish and so they tend to wear a bit on the high spots but over time this has been improving with KWC made Airguns.
Realism: This is as close as you can come to the look, weight, feel, and action of the real 1911 in virtually almost every way including the ability to field strip this pistol exactly the same! All the mechanical parts work just like they do on a real steel 1911 including the grip safety. On top of all of this Air Venturi has licensed the Air Venturi Springfield Armory 1911 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol with very realistic Springfield branding thought the Airgun.
All metal construction - Good weight and solid feeling gun.
Heavy blowback action with that 1911 sluggish feel.
Very Accurate 1911 A1 styled replica in pretty much every way.
True 1911 Single action trigger, excellent pull, very smooth and light.
Working backstop safety
3 dot white sights help with target acquisition on darker backgrounds.
Could mix and match other KWC 1911 parts.
Springfield Armory licensed by Air Venturi.
Good accuracy, not too bad amount of shots for this style of gun about 3 good magazines.
Cons:
Non adjustable sights.
Sacrifice fps and shots per CO2 because of the heavy blowback action but worth it.
Not Available at time of video.
Comments:
I really never get tired of making reviews for the KWC 1911 line of CO2 Blowback Airguns, sure they are all made from the same base KWC 1911 Aigun but each one has its own unique look and customization to it. I really like the Faux plastic wood grips with the deep Springfield Armory licensing on this version. And the matt black slide and frame with the chrome barrel and silver barrel bushing really look sharp on this 1911 BB Gun. Even though the Air Venturi Springfield Armory 1911 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol is basically a standard 1911 A1, the added touch of the White Dot sights will for sure help when shooting this Blowback BB Gun at what ever target you point it at.
My Videos for the Air Venturi Springfield Armory 1911 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol:
Lots of CO2 BB Rifles getting reviewed these days and that’s kind of awesome, I remember a few years back and we barely had any realistic Replica BB rifles available to us. Now we have an ever increasing list of choices from Historical to Modern.
Todays Field Test Shooting Video focusses on the Air Venturi Springfield Armory M1 Carbine CO2 BB Rifle, I have not done my Table Top Video yet for it but I did make a preview video where I show it around a bit and talk about some basic specs. In short the Air Venturi Springfield Armory M1 Carbine CO2 BB Rifle is a CO2 powered semi auto 4.5mm Steel BB firing replica of the Springfield Armory M1 Carbine. It holds the CO2 and 15 rounds of Steel BB’s in its full size drop out metal magazine. Available with a plastic or upgraded wood stock.
For the Field Test Shooting part of this review I tested out the power and accuracy of the Air Venturi Springfield Armory M1 Carbine CO2 BB Rifle by first shooting 5 rounds through my Chronograph to establish the Feet Per Second velocity. I then placed a fresh paper target 30 feet downrange, while using a rested and seated shooting position I fired off 10 rounds into the target to see how tight of a group I can get with the Air Venturi Springfield Armory M1 Carbine CO2 BB Rifle. I used a brand new CO2 along with 5.1 grain 4.5mm Zinc coated Steel BB’s. The temperature was a conservative 22 degrees Celsius or 71 degrees Fahrenheit.
During my Chronograph velocity test I was a bit surprised to only obtain an average of 335 fps from the Air Venturi Springfield Armory M1 Carbine CO2 BB Rifle. Air Venturi claims closer to 425 so I am not sure why it was nearly 100 fps lower than claimed but perhaps the CO2 did not pierce as well as it could have, that said 335 fps does get the job done when shooting targets 20-30 feet away.
In terms of accuracy I was very pleased with the Air Venturi Springfield Armory M1 Carbine CO2 BB Rifle, it kind of made up for the slower than expected feet per second by getting a sub 1 inch 10 round group and I am not a big fan of peep sights so I was really not expecting these results. Right out of the box the Air Venturi Springfield Armory M1 Carbine CO2 BB Rifle shot pretty close to the bullseye, just s slight bit to the left and about 1-2 inches high. The rear sight is adjustable for elevation so that can be taken care of pretty easy.
In this Field Test Shooting Review Video I test out both the 3.8 Compact and 4.5 Full Size Air Venturi Springfield Armory XDM Blowback CO2 BB Pistols to see how they perform in both velocity and accuracy. I thought it would be interesting to see how the shorter and longer barreled versions compare side by side and if we sill see a difference in power and down range accuracy…
As always I use a brand new 12 gram CO2 along with 5.1 gran zinc coated steel BB’s for my testing and on this day the temperature in the Sea Can Indoor Airgun range was around 24 degrees Celsius or 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Watch my Video for all the main differences but in short here they are for those reading this post:
Steel BB version uses CO2 while the Airsoft version uses Green Gas or Propane.
There is no orange tip on the Steel BB version while Airsoft versions come with orange tips installed.
Steel BB versions have 20 round full length magazines for both the 3.8 and 4.5 inch versions, while the Airsoft 3.8 compact comes with the shorter 14 round magazine and the Airsoft 4.5 comes with a longer 25 round magazine.
FPS for the Steel BB versions are 270fps for the 3.8 and 325fps for the 4.5, comparably the Airsoft 3.8 is claimed to have 280fps with the 4.5 version a bit higher at 330fps. (Keep in mind that steel BB’s weigh more at around .33 grams compared to the .20 gram plastic Airsoft BB’s used for testing).
I did notice that on the sliver slide version, my earlier Airsoft 4.5 had more of a parkerized metallic finish while my same Steel BB version I received at a later time had more of brushed stainless look to it. Air Venturi has since informed me that all silver slide version will now have the brushed stainless finish.
It felt like Christmas the other day when a bunch of Springfield Armory new products showed up at my door! So first off thanks to Air Venturi for sending me these new products for review. I already got my hands on the Springfield Armory XDM 3.8 and 4.5 GBB Airsoft version but have been wanting to also review the CO2 Blowback Steel BB versions.
In this video I show all these new Springfield Armory CO2 Blowback BB guns quickly but will of course be making dedicated Table Top and Fired Test Shooting Video for them upcoming.
Type: Gas Blowback Airsoft Pistol. Manufacturer: Air Venturi Model: Springfield Armory XDM 3.8 & 4.5 Inch Materials: Metal slide & Mag with Polymer frame. Weight: 1.75 & 1.9 pounds (794 & 861 grams). Length: 7.25 & 8.25 inches total length Barrel: 3.8 & 4.5 inch Metal non-rifled smooth bore. Propulsion: Green gas or propane. Action: Blowback, single action only. Ammunition Type: 6mm plastic Airsoft BB's. Ammunition Capacity: 14 & 25 rounds. FPS: 280-330 fps.
Trigger Pull: The single action only trigger pull on the Air Venturi Springfield Armory XDM GBB Airsoft Pistol is pretty much what you would expect on a striker fired SAO pistol. There is very little take up with a light release which should make for great action shooting and help with accuracy when slowing things down a bit.
Accuracy: This time I actually have done my Field Test Shooting video for the Air Venturi Springfield Armory XDM GBB Airsoft Pistol and it did pretty good, getting a 2 inch 10 round grouping from 30 feet away shooting just a bit low on the target, nothing a bit of hop-up adjustment shouldn’t be able to account for. The claimed fps is 330 for the 4.5 inch version and I was able to average right around 300.
Build Quality: At SHOT Show this year I commented on the Air Venturi Springfield Armory XDM Pistols and how great they looked and felt. Nothing really different now that I have them in my hands for review. I did notice that my AIrsoft version with the Silver Slide had a kind of metallic parkerized finish while my BB Silver Slide version has a more stainless steel look. I prefer the Stainless Steel look a lot more and feel it makes the Air Venturi Springfield Armory XDM Pistols look higher quality. Hopefully Air Venturi sticks with the Stainless Steel finish? Build quality and finish are good thought the gun.
Realism: The Air Venturi Springfield Armory XDM GBB Airsoft Pistol is really one of the best 1 to 1 copies I have seen out there. It looks pretty much identical including all the licensing and markings in all the right places. It also is full blowback with a full size drop out metal magazine and all the mechanical working parts work the same as the real steel version including the trigger safety, grip safety, slide catch release, take down leaver and magazine release. Field striping is done just like the 9mm big brother allowing for easy hop-up adjustments.
Lots of metal parts where the real steel version would also have them.
Fully Field Strippable.
Adjustable Hop-up.
Easy to use sights, fiber optic up front and white dot on the back.
Springfield Armory fully Licensed.
Working serial number, trigger and backstop safeties.
Comes with different sized back straps for small to large hands.
Rail for adding accessories.
Warning instructions are nice and discreet!
Your choice of compact or full size versions also in all black or silver slide.
Performed well in my Field Test Shooting Review getting a 2 inch 10 shot grouping and close to the claimed fps.
Cons:
Comes with the orange tip we all love but should be pretty easy to remove.
Sights are non-adjustable. Can use Hop-up to bring shots up or down.
Silver Slide Airsoft version finish is not my favorite.
Comments:
Like I said at SHOT Show this year I was super impressed with the entire Springfield Armory lineup and now that I have them in my hands I am still just as impressed with the Air Venturi Springfield Armory XDM GBB Airsoft Pistols. You are getting pretty much what everyone looks for in a Replica Airgun: 1 to 1 size and similar weight, full blowback action, full size drop out metal magazine, fully licensed, adjustable hop-up, filed strippable and similar build materials you would find as compared to the real steel 9mm version. I also like that you have a ton of choice offered by Air Venturi: Airsoft or BB, 3.8 inch compact or 4.5 inch full size, silver or black slide and even short lower capacity or longer high capacity magazines for the 3.8 inch version.
My Table Top Review of the Air Venturi Springfield Armory XDM GBB Airsoft Pistol
Using .20 gram BB’s I loaded up the Air Venturi Springfield Armory XDM GBB Airsoft Pistol with propane gas and placed several rounds through my Chronograph to see what the feet per second average would be. The last 5 shots I took where actual the fastest averaging 290 fps, a little bit slower than I was expecting but just about right for close quarters Airsoft games.
I then switched over to .32 gram Airsoft BB’s since they tend to be a bit more accurate out at longer ranges. Using a fresh paper target and shooting from a rested and seated position 30 feet away, I took 10 shots with the Air Venturi Springfield Armory XDM GBB Airsoft Pistol. The result was a 10 round grouping of about 2 inches with one straggler just outside the main group. The Air Venturi Springfield Armory XDM GBB Airsoft Pistol did shoot a little bit low at 30 feet but I am sure the hop-up can be adjusted for this. It was well centered left to right which is a good thing since the sights are non-adjustable.
I really like the Air Venturi Springfield Armory XDM GBB Airsoft Pistol, it looks and feels very solid with a nice balance in the hand. The Single Action Only Trigger is short and light making follow up shots quick and responsive. The blowback action is crisp with good simulated recoil. I look forward to trying out the Steel BB version of the Air Venturi Springfield Armory XDM GBB Pistol as soon as I get my hands on one which should be pretty soon. Take your pick, Airsoft or Steel BB, either is a great choice!
Again I have some new products to show everyone. Some we got a bit of a preview of when I was at SHOT Show 2019 earlier this year but now I have them in my hands to show off and of course will be doing full Table Top and Filed Test for anything new as soon as I can get to them.
Starting with Sig Sauer, they sent me their brand new Sig Sauer P365 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol. This was probably one of my favorite new Air Pistols at SHOT Show simply because it is so small and somehow Sig was able to find a way to put a full size drop out metal magazine that holds both the CO2 and BB’s in it. This is one I am really looking forward to testing out in the Indoor Sea Can Airgun Shooting Range.
Another fantastic product is Crosman’s DPMS Full Auto CO2 BB Rifle which was pretty much perfect the first time around. Well at SHOT Show this year Crosman updated it a bit mainly with some cosmetic changes and now is offering the Crosman MPW, a slightly shorter version of the DPMS and now with an AR Compatible Stock for customizing your Crosman’s MPW Full Auto CO2 BB Rifle.
So maybe not as exciting… I also take a look at a NBB CO2 BB Makarov from KWC that is pretty basic but is much less expensive and will offer higher FPS and more shots per CO2 being that it is Non-blowback Airgun. It will be interesting to see how it compares performance wise to the KWC Full Blowback CO2 BB version.
Last but also super cool and I know it’s not really as Airgun related but still something I think everyone will be interested in is the Pocket Shot Pro Arrow Pouch with D-Loop. I reviewed the Pocket Shot “Slingshot” a while back, this new product allows you to use standard Arrows with their new Arrow Pouch getting around 40 pounds of pull and it comes with a trigger release. By the way the Pocket Shot Pro Arrow system is legals to hunt deer with in most US States, I’m not sure about Canada but perhaps here too?
Air Venturi announced their new Springfield Armory lien of BB and Airsoft guns at SHOT Show 2019 and of course I stopped by to talk with Scott and see what these new products where all about!
First off we have the Springfield Armory M1 Carbine Rifle. You will be able to get it in either 4.5mm Steel BB or 6mm Airsoft versions. Both will have full drop out metal magazines that hold the 12 gram CO2 and either 15 BB or Airsoft rounds. You can expect around 40-60 shots per CO2 since the Springfield Armory M1 Carbine is a full blowback Airgun. The standard version will come with a synthetic wood stock that is very believable but for around $100 more you will have the option of a real wood stock which does add a bit to more weight to the rifle.
Continuing on with some more Springfield Armory Airguns. Air Venturi will be distributing the XDM pistol in a compact and full size configuration, again both 4.5mm Steel BB and Airsoft versions. There will be a solid black version and a two tone silver slide version so lots of options to pick from. The 4.5mm Steel BB version will use a 12 gram CO2 while the Airsoft version will allow for Green Gas or CO2 mags.
I wanted to mention one more product Scott showed me that is still in production, a reactive target system called the Bata-Bang that connects to your phone via Bluetooth allowing you to time your shooting and play shooting games with it and others even online. Hopefully we see this product soon from Air Venturi!
