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There a re a few Red Ryder type BB Rifles out there now, of course the original Red Ryder that dates back several decades. Since then Crosman came out with their version of the Marlin Cowboy BB Rifle, then there was an Air Venturi John Wayne licensed version of the Red Ryder. Recently Barra came out with their slightly different take on the Red Ryder with the Barra 1866 dual Ammo Air Rifle, which though it looks a lot like the Red Ryder, it is not spring operated but rather pump operated and can shoot both Steel BB’s and Pellets. That brings us to the most recent version of Red Ryder type BB Rifles, Umarex Marlin Lever Action Spring BB Rifle which is the focus of this Field Test Shooting Video Review. You can watch my Table Top Video Review for details and specifications along with more close up video of it here.

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.

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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!

• Buy the Umarex Marlin Lever Action Spring BB Rifle in Canada

• Buy the Umarex Marlin Lever Action Spring BB Rifle in the US

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

• Buy the Umarex Marlin Lever Action Spring BB Rifle in Canada

• Buy the Umarex Marlin Lever Action Spring BB Rifle in the US

This was a really fun Unboxing Video for me as I received something I feel a lot of Canadians might be really interested in protecting yourself in Canada is not a right especially if you use lethal force. So having a less lethal option is a really good idea.

Let’s get into what I found in this most recent Mystery Box in order of appearance…

The first item I unboxed was the KWC SP2022 CO2 NBB 4.5mm Steel BB Pistol. A pretty basic 4.5mm CO2 BB Pistol mostly made out of plastic but with a full size 21 round drop out metal magazine that does help a lot to add some much needed weight to this Airgun. It uses standard 12 gram CO2 with a claimed velocity of 450 fps.

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Probably the most exciting item I pulled out of this months Mystery Box was the Gen2 Umarex P2P HDP 50 Rubber Ball purpose built Less-lethal solution for personal and family protection. Most of the similar Rubber ball Less-lethal Airguns I have tested generally do not pack enough punch to really be much of a deterrent in my opinion but the Gen2 Umarex P2P HDP 50 has a claimed 495 fps and when I tested it out after making this video it defiantly has some power. I would not want to be at the receiving end of this product especially in close proximity. The Gen2 Umarex P2P HDP 50 uses a traditional 12 gram CO2 and holds 6 rounds of rubber ball or powder ball, it does come with 10 of each to get you started.

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Next I took a look at three KJWORKS Airsoft Pistols all of which came with CO2 Magazines, extension barrels and thread on tips. The KJWORKS KP-19, the KJWORKS M9A1 TBC, and the KJWORKS KP-13 TBC. As expected with KJWORKS Airsoft Guns, they looked really good and will be a joy to review and test out.

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Last out of the Mystery Box was a new product from Umarex, a full sized Marlin Cowboy Lever Action BB Rifle in the style of the classic Red Ryder BB Gun but as mentioned in a larger size more suitable for an adult. Hey why do the kids get to have all the fun? The Umarex Marlin BB Rifle holds 650 rounds in its BB hopper and has a claimed fps pf 300. It also has an adjustable for elevation peep sight in the back with a metal lever and a Classic Faux Wood Finish.

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Another revisit for an inexpensive and fun BB shooter, the Crosman Marlin Cowboy BB Rifle! I have done some previous video reviews and comparisons for the Crosman Marlin Cowboy BB Rifle so make sure to check them out. I also recently did an update Field Test Shooting Video for the Daisy Red Ryder BB gun which is a very comparable airgun to the Crosman Marlin Cowboy BB Rifle.

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Here is a quick overview of the Crosman Marlin Cowboy BB Rifle, it's designed for younger smaller shooter with it's short stock but it's still fun of all ages! You can store 700 4.5mm Steel BB's in its internal magazine and Crosman claims a max velocity of 350 fps. Like the Daisy Red Ryder the power source is a spring piston that is activated by the lever action.

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Now let's talk about how the Crosman Marlin Cowboy BB Rifle performed in my Sea Can Field Test Shooting test...  Crosman claims a max fps of 350, my Chronograph results came in at a 5 shot average of 316 fps which is not bad compared to the Daisy Red Ryder that also has a claimed fps of 350 but only shot around 240 fps.

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So the Crosman Marlin Cowboy BB Rifle is the clear winner in terms of velocity over the Daisy Red Ryder but what about accuracy? That's a different story, the Crosman did not perform all that great for me shooting at a paper target 30 feet away using a rested shooting position. I shot 10 rounds at my paper target and got about a 5-6 inch grouping, there was an underlying smaller tight group that was closer to about 3 inches but a god 3-4 of the BB's came out of it spreading out the group significantly.  Compare that to the Daisy Red Ryder with a nice tight 2 inch group.

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So what do you want? Power or accuracy? I figure since the Crosman Marlin Cowboy BB Rifle is really targeted of the younger more entry level shooter that it should have good accuracy so they know when they are doing it right and less concerned on if the gun is performing as it should. Sure power is fun and smashing your targets does give a certain satisfaction but you have to hit the target first :)

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Both the Crosman Marlin Cowboy BB Rifle and Daisy Red Ryder BB Gun are fun airguns for sure, I guess it just comes down to which one you want to buy...

OK to start things off, this is a review of the Daisy Red Ryder Lever action BB Rifle but the Vimeo Video also compares the Red Ryder to the very similar Crosman Marlin Cowboy Lever Action BB Riffle, If you have not checked my Marlin Cowboy review out, you can see it here.

So for the most part I am going to focus on the Red Ryder in this text version but I will refer to the Marlin Cowboy when comparing the two BB air rifles.

Type: BB spring air rifle.

Manufacturer: Daisy.

Model:Red Ryder.

Materials: Mostly metal and wood.

Weight: 2.2 pounds.

Barrel: Smooth bore.

Propulsion: Spring.

Action: Lever action.

Ammunition Type: Steel BBs 4.5mm.

Ammunition Capacity: 650 rounds.

FPS: Up-to 350.

Trigger Pull: The trigger pull is pretty good, not super light but predictable. (the trigger area is much larger then the Crosman Marlin Cowboy which may be more suitable for adults with thick fingers)

Accuracy: When I originally tested my Marline Cowboy I thought it performed well but the Daisy Red Ryder definitely has the advantage in the accuracy department, at least in my testing. I got about a 1.5 inch 8 shot group from a free standing position 20 feet away from the target.

Build Quality: This is a pretty much all metal and wood gun with a build quality almost exactly like the Crosman Marlin Cowboy. Daisy has even made some improvements like upgrading the lever to metal from plastic, most likely to compete with Crosman on this feature. The only plastic I found was the trigger, safety and front sight assembly.

Realism: Even though this BB gun is styled after the classic lever action Cowboy Rifle, it's not a close replica to any that I know of. You have to keep in mind the purpose of this gun - meant primarily for younger first time shooters. There are some nice touches like the leather tassels and the Red Ryder name burned into the stock .

Purchased From: Walmart.

Pros:

• Inexpensive introduction to the sport of Airgun shooting.

• Made out of Mostly Metal and Wood - Now including the Lever.

• Large capacity internal barrel magazine (650 rounds).

• Adjustable rear sight for height.

• Decent 300+ fps velocity.

• Excellent accuracy and consistency.

• The original maker of this style of BB rifle - great track record!

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Cons:

• Plastic trigger, safety and front sight assembly.

• Some people may find the non removable metal loop for the leather tassel a bit intrusive.

Comments:

I think this is a wonderful little BB rifle and even though it's intended for the young entry level shooter it can make a great back yard plinker that anyone can join in and enjoy - adults included! I plan to be shooting either the Red Ryder or my Marline Cowboy side by side with my little guy when he is old enough to shoot one of these fine lever action BB rifles. When it comes to picking between the Daisy Red Ryder or the Crosman Marlin Cowboy Lever Action BB Rifles it comes down to a few points: Both have almost the exact same build quality so it may come down to which look you like best? The Daisy was more accurate while the Crosman had a bit more power. The Red Ryder had the lighter but longer lever action pull while the Marlin Cowboy had a heavier shorter lever pull.

If you can't decide just buy them both because they are dirt cheap to buy and tons of fun to shoot, so when your friends come over you can always pass them one so they won't feel left out!

My Vimeo Video Comparison Review for these Lever Action BB Rifles:

Buy Air Rifles in Canada   -   Buy Marlin Cowboy in the US

Buy Red Ryder in Canada   -   Buy Red Ryder in the US

Related Posts:

• MARLIN COWBOY LEVER ACTION BB GUN

• CROSMAN MARLIN COWBOY LEVER ACTION BB RIFLE REVIEW

I don't know if a lot of people out there are going to be interested in the feet per second performance of what some might call a kids BB gun, but I know I was. And since I already had my Chrony chronograph setup I thought it would be just as easy to put my Crosman Marlin Cowboy Lever Action BB shooter through the paces.

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The Cowboy has a claimed feet per second rating of  "up to" 350 fps so I wasn't expecting too much. Right off the bat it hit around 300 fps and kept climbing till it hit just under 320 feet per second. I even went back later after shooting it for a bit and hit got to the mid 320's! I think it just needed a bit of breaking in to hit it's full potential.

Anyway, The Crosman Marline Cowboy Lever action rifle is a really fun BB gun to shoot and my son is going to love it when he gets it for his birthday one of these years, when he's ready...

Watch my Vimeo video of the Crosman Marlin Cowboy full Chronograph test:

Buy Air Rifles in Canada   -   Buy Marlin Cowboy in the US

Buy Air Rifles in Canada   -   Buy Red Ryder in the US

Related Posts:

• MARLIN COWBOY LEVER ACTION BB GUN

• MARLIN COWBOY LEVER ACTION BB RIFLE CHRONOGRAPH TEST

Type: BB spring air rifle.

Manufacturer: Crosman.

Model:Marlin Cowboy.

Materials: Mostly metal and wood.

Weight: 2.75 pounds.

Barrel: Smooth bore.

Propulsion: Spring.

Action: Lever action.

Ammunition Type: Steel BBs 4.5mm.

Ammunition Capacity: 700 rounds.

FPS: Up-to 350.

Trigger Pull: The trigger pull is pretty good, not super light but predictable.

Accuracy: About as good as you can expect from a kids sub $50 BB gun with a non-rifled barrel, it was actually better than I thought it would be. I did experience some flyer BB's, which may have been due to the gun not being broken in yet.

Build Quality: When you pay under $50 for a BB gun you don't expect the build quality to be over the top but this little BB rifle is actually pretty nice! It's almost entirely made out of metal and wood, even the lever is made out of metal unlike its competition the Daisy Red Ryder BB Gun. The only plastic I found was the trigger, safety and front sight assembly.

Realism: Even though this BB gun is styled after the Original 1984 Marlin Cowboy, it's not a close replica. You have to keep in mind the purpose of this gun - meant primarily for young first time shooters. For its intent and purpose it does look really nice and if I was a youngster receiving this gun on a birthday or as a Christmas present, I probably wouldn't get much sleep thinking about shooting this gun.

Purchased From: Wholesale Sports Outdoor Outfitters.

Pros:

• Inexpensive introduction to the sport of Airgun shooting.

• Made out of Mostly Metal and Wood - Including the Lever.

• Large capacity internal barrel magazine (700 rounds).

• Adjustable rear sight.

• Decent 350 fps velocity.

• 20 pound lever action pull adding a level of safety to the over enthusiastic young shooter.

Cons:

• Plastic trigger, safety and front sight assembly.

• Very small trigger hole - if you are an adult shooter and have thick fingers (Didn't bother me)!.

Comments:

I think this is a wonderful little BB rifle and even though it's intended for the young entry level shooter it can make a great back yard plinker that anyone can join in and enjoy - adults included! The gold standard is the Daisy Red Ryder type BB, the Crosman Marlin Cowboy BB rifle is a nice addition to this market and is definitely a contender to think about.

Buy Air Rifles in Canada 

Buy Air Rifles in the US

Buy Red Ryder in Canada 

Buy Red Ryder in the US

Related Posts:

• CROSMAN MARLIN COWBOY LEVER ACTION BB RIFLE REVIEW
• MARLIN COWBOY LEVER ACTION BB RIFLE CHRONOGRAPH TEST

I wasn't planning on buying a BB Air Gun today but I walked into my local Wholesale Sports Outdoor Outfitters and was expecting to see absolutely no airguns and/or airgun supplies but to my amazement they had an entire plethora of air powered weaponry on display. They went from literally nothing to a very decent assortment in about a week. Kudos to them!

So back to the Marlin Cowboy Lever Action BB Gun... I have been reading up on this nice little entry level BB rifle a bit recently as it only became available from Crosman in September of this year, so when I saw it there in the showcase for a measly $43.99 Canadian, I was a bit surprised. It has always been in my plan to pick up a Red Ryder type BB rifle for my son and I was in no hurry because he is only 3 1/2 years old but hey, why not pick one up now and when he's old enough I'll pass it on to him!

So why did I go for the Crosman over the Daisy? There's not a huge difference but I liked the look of the Crosman Marlin Cowboy over the Dasiy Red Ryder and also the fact that the Marlin Cowboy has more metal specifically the Lever is made out of metal where as the Red Ryder has a plastic lever.

The Crosman Marlin Cowboy is a replica or should I say styled after the Marlin Model 1984 Cowboy, as far as being an accurate replica... that's not really the purpose of this little BB gun. It's intended as an introduction to the world of shooting for kids and so it's pretty durable, cheap and far from over powered. The Marlin Cowboy is spring powered via the 20 pound pull lever action (May need an adult to do this adding another level of safety) and has an fps of up to 350. It holds up to 700 4.5mm steel BB's within the internal gravity fed barrel magazine and also has an adjustable rear sight. The barrel is not rifled as is with most BB guns.

I gave it a quick trial test, firing off about 50 BB's, some at miscellaneous cans and plastic items, and then 15 rounds at a target to get an idea of the accuracy. Even with its minimal fps, the Marlin Cowboy sends cans and small items flying with a nice cracking sound. I was fairly impressed with the grouping I got (about 2 inches from about 15 feet out), but I did get a few rouge BB's that for some reason liked to veer high and to the left. This is probably due to the gun not being broken-in yet and having metal and oil bits clinging on to some of the BB's. Also the gravity fed BB's require a bit of trial and error figuring out the best way to hold and cock the gun to ensure the least amount of misfires.

 

Overall the Crosman Marlin Cowboy Lever Action BB Rifle was very fun to shoot and the small interruptions when engaging the lever action made it that much more enjoyable!

Buy Air Rifles in Canada   -   Buy Marlin Cowboy in the US

Buy Air Rifles in Canada   -   Buy Red Ryder in the US