I already did a Table Top Preview Video of the Mantis MantisX Firearms Training System so make sure to either watch my Vimeo video or read my Written Post to find out more detailed info about what the MantisX is and what and who can use it.

In short the MatisX is a Firearms Training System uses motion sensing technology to monitor how you hold your pistol before, during and after you shoot it, the Mantis MantisX Firearms Training System can determine areas that you may need to work on, like your Grip, Trigger Pull, Hesitation, Anticipation and many other common shooting mistakes.

In this Field Test Review for the Mantis MantisX Firearms Training System I setup my MantisX and take it through my first trial shots with it, you will see I am learning how to use it as I go but by the time I finished shooting the video I had a pretty good idea on how it all worked.

Two main areas the Mantis MantisX Firearms Training System directed me to correct where my pistol grip as I was potentially tightening up as I pulled the trigger and also my trigger pull was a bit uneaven, On my second round of shooting I made some corrections in this area and it did give me a much tighter shot grouping so the Mantis MantisX Firearms Training System at least for me did improve my shooting to some degree.

I plan to use the MantisX some mroe and find out other posible areas I can improve upon but overal I feel the Mantis MantisX Firearms Training System will help improve most people shooting skills or at least hlep them to figure out where they are going wrong.

**Make sure to use Coupon Code "ReplicaAirguns" to get free shipping! http://mantisx.com**

First off I want to thank Mantis for sending me this MantisX for review!

By the way, use Coupon Code "ReplicaAirguns" to get free shipping!

This time is not currently in the Replica Airguns Store for sale but it looked really cool so I could not pass up this opportunity to try it out and perhaps we even cary it down the road.

What is the Mantis MantisX Firearms Training System?

MantisX is a revolutionary patent-pending handgun attachment that helps firearms enthusiasts and professionals train more efficiently. While attached to a handgun, it analyzes every shot and generates actionable data you can use to improve your shooting mechanics.

What’s in the box?

• You get the Mantis MantisX Sensor that  works with most handguns with a rail system.

• You get the charging cable.

• You get a very high quality Pelican Water proof case to store your Mantis MantisX.

• You get the instructions. 

How does the Mantis MantisX Training System Work?

• First you Connect MantisX to any Picatinny-enabled handgun, just like you would any other firearm attachment.

• Then install the MantisX smartphone application, turn on MantisX, and pair the device with a phone via Bluetooth. Available for both Android and iOS.

• All that’s left is to collect the data and evaluate shooting performance, identify areas of improvement, and track progress over time.

What Exactly does the Mantis MantisX Training System Do?

Analyzation:MantisX detects each shot you make, analyzes the movement of the firearm during the trigger pull, and assigns a score to each shot that signifies deviation from the aiming position.

Coaching: Based on the movement patterns of the firearm, MantisX identifies areas of improvement and provides coaching that will improve your mechanics, your score, and your precision. 

Tracking: MantisX keeps track of all your shooting sessions and generates useful reports that will help you identify your shooting trends, gauge your progress, and set adequate improvement goals. 

Who is the Mantis MantisX Training System Made For?

Individuals: With MantisX, practice anytime and anywhere. Analyze each shot you make, keep tabs on your performance overtime, and hone your shooting mechanics by following our data-driven suggestions. Can be used with virtually any gun that has a rail system, even airguns like Airsoft and BB pistols

Instructors: As an instructor, manage your students more efficiently with MantisX, spending more time on actually coaching rather than watching people shoot. MantisX also provides hard data for students to see. 

Agencies: Agencies help their cadets and employees gain and maintain excellent marksmanship skills necessary for military and law enforcement service. MantisX also assists in training for qualification exams.

Next I am going to play around with the Mantis MantisX Training System and see who it works, I am not sure if I will have the chance to use it with my “real guns” but I kind of wanted to focus more on who it works with Airguns related products anyways.

Use Coupon Code "ReplicaAirguns" to get free shipping!

As most my Vimeo Subscribers and Viewers will already know, I have been struggling with my Chrony Shooting Chronograph for a while now. I know some of it is to do with the bad lighting under my deck but over time my Chrony F-1 Shooting Chronograph has become less and less reliable to the point now that I simply don't get any usable feedback from it. If I'm lucky on a good day I might get one FPS reading out of ten shots which is nothing I can use.

So recently I went out and purchased a new Chrony Shooting Chronograph, I actually upgraded a little bit and got the higher end Chrony Beta Shooting Chronograph version which has more options than my older F-1 Chrony like:

• Selector switch to change from FPS (feet per second) to MPS (meter per second).

• Delivers Measurements and Statistics such as - High, Low and Average Velocities, Extreme Spread and Standard Deviation.

• Retrieve individual Shot Velocities and Statistics.

• Has temporary working memory.

• Has 60 shot permanent memory (divided into 6 numbered strings of up to 10 shots each, with one set of Statistics for each string).

• Delete individual shots (with automatic adjustment of Statistics).

• Delete the content of a whole string or all data from memory.

• Can be switched off, taken home & switched on again for reviewing and information retrieval.

• Memory will stay even without battery.

• Moves instantly from string to string, interrupts shooting on any string without memory loss, returns to any string to continue where you left off.

• Change string size.

• Stereo Jack for optional Printer or Remote Control.

• Forget Button - To clear individual strings instantly.

• Upgrade to 1000 shot memory.

• Upgrade to Gamma or Gamma Master Chrony.

Probably a lot more features than I actually need or will even use but the price for the Chrony Beta Shooting Chronograph over the Chrony F-1 Shooting Chronograph I have been using was only about $30 more so I figured why not go for it.

In this review video I mainly show you around my new Chrony Beta Shooting Chronograph and don't really talk too much about features since it is all new to me and I have not played around with my new Beta Chrony much so far.

I do plan to do some Field Testing with my the Chrony Beta Shooting Chronograph and shoot some of the Airguns that I was not overly successful getting readings for like my new Sig Sauer Pellet Pistols and Sig Sauer MPX Rifle along with my ISSC M22 BB CO2 Pistol. So stay tuned for that upcoming Field Test video.

A little while back, a company by the name of Plan Beta reached out to me about their new Tacticam I.C.U 2.0 HD 720p Tactical Camera. I have been suing my Pivot Head Camera Glasses for a while not and they are really good quality but the idea of being able to use a discreat and compact gun mountable camera for my review videos seemed appealing to me. Having another camera angle while shooting field test videos never hurts after all!

The Tacticam I.C.U 2.0 HD 720p Tactical Camera looks for the most part like a picatinny mountable laser and but instead of housing a laser inside of it, it has a 720p camera internally. Because of this you could be playing an Airsoft game and nobody would even know you are recording anything.

Here are some of the basic features and specifications for the Plan Beta Tacticam I.C.U. 2.0 HD 720p Camcorder:

• Record 720p at 30 frames per second.

• Also takes 5 Mpixel still photos with Photo Burst mode.

• Has auto image rotation for top or bottom picatinny mounting.

• Has a built in power on, start and stop cable wiht switch for easy handle mounting.

• Uses red and green indicator LED's for camera status.

• Uses 8GB to 32GB Micro SD Cards.

• Lens cover comes off to allow for lens filters to be inserted.

There is a Plan Beta Tacticam I.C.U. 1.0 Camcorder which is not HD and to be honest the quality for the I.C.U. version 1 is very poor especially the frame rate. I did get a chance to test the Plan Beta Tacticam I.C.U. 1.0 Camcorder out also but I would not recommend it especially since the Plan Beta Tacticam I.C.U. 2.0 720p Camcorder is so much better and not a lot more expensive at the end of the day.

In terms of usability, the Plan Beta Tacticam I.C.U. 2.0 720p Camcorder does a pretty good job, you will get best results in decent lighting but this is true with most action cameras. The 720p 30/fps quality is obviously not as good as my high end 1080p 60/fps professional cameras but for the price, size and ability to be able to easily and discreetly mount a camera on any gun that has a Picatinny rail, why not.

For me I plan to use the Plan Beta Tacticam I.C.U. 2.0 720p Camcorder to add in another camera angle to my Field Test Shooting videos but I can really see how the Plan Beta Tacticam I.C.U. 2.0 720p Camcorder would allow for some super cool in game Airsoft video action.

Watch my Vimeo Review Video for the Plan Beta Tacticam I.C.U. 2.0 720p Camcorder:

Buy The plan beta Tactiam I.C.U 2.0 HD 720p in Our Store

I try and make it to my local gun show which is held in Chilliwack BC about this time each year. It is put on by the Historical Arms Collectors Society of BC and there are generally a lot of used long guns (rifles) some pistols, lots of accessories, knives, hunting gear, knick·knacks and even some antique items. I tend to be looking for airguns or blank guns that are rare or a good deal.

This year I came across a few items that caught my eye. The first item was a Daisy replica 4.5mm BB pistol, I am not a big fan of Daisy replica gun in general as they are usually a far cry from the originals but this Daisy Powerline Model 400 was actually a really good copy of a Desert Eagle in size and looks. Sure it had a lot of plastic in it but it was made in Japan and even being around 20 years olds was holding up really well. This Daisy Powerline 400 even had Blowback which back then was not all that common.

The Daisy Powerline 400 BB Desert Eagle has a 20 round removable magazine that fits along the top of the barrel and it has a claimed fps. It is almost all high grade plastic with the exception of the single action only trigger, safety, hammer, barrel and several internal parts.

The next interesting item I found was a little compact 8mm blank shooter originally made in West Germany. So this blank gun is close to 30 years old. The SM Model 110 8mm Blank Pistol kind of reminds me of my EKOL Tuna in terms of size and functionality since both have the same half slide and magazine release system.

The SM Mod 110 8mm Blank Pistol is front venting and pretty much all metal with reinforced steel areas, it has a 5 round single stack magazine and shoots in single action only.

My last purchase for this show was a new item, here in Canada we generally are not allowed much in the way of items specifically labeled for self defense. There are some work arounds for instance we can carry a knife as long as it is not concealed entirely and we only intend to use it as a tool. We can also carry pepper spray again only for use on animals. Generally speaking we have not been allowed stun guns or tasers here in Canada and even importing them can land you in a lot of trouble! Again it seems a work around has been made, as long as the Stun Gun or Taser is at least 480mm in length then it is not considered a concealable weapon and as long as you have it out on display and only intend to use it on animals that may be a threat to you then all is good :)

The Stun Gun I purchased is basically a baton with a flashlight on the front and a 1 million volt taser on the front of it. You have several options with this device if harm is eminent. You can try blinding the threat with the built in flashlight which is not all that powerful but good for finding your way in dark areas, you can give the attacker a whack with the baton baseball bat style and if none of that is working well let em have the 1 million volt sandwich! We should be getting some of these Stun Baton Flashlights in our Canada Replica Airguns Store at some point so stay posted for that item.

This is my SHOT Show 2016 Teaser Video! You will get to see some new gun highlights from companies like Umarex, ASG, Crosman, Sig Sauer, KWA and ISC. I will be following up this video with some interview videos very soon so do make sure to check back for those uploads. All I can say about the show is it’s huge! So much to see, so much walking and too much to take in…

ASG:

As always, ASG had some new products this year. The all new Dan Wesson 715 357 Magnum shell loading Revolver! This gun feels absolutely amazing in the hand and will be available in Steel BB, Airsfot and even Pellet shooting versions. Also new are the CZ P-09 and CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow Full Blowback BB and Airsoft Pistols.

Crosman:

Big at Crosman this year was their PCP Airbow, Crosman put a lot of focus on this product and even had a lot of crossbows on display to go with their new PCP Airbow. Crosman also introduced their low cost entry level Benjamin Maximus PCP rifle in .177 and .22 calibers offerings. Not really much in the way of replica pistols from Crosman this year, but then again last year was kind of the same?

Sig Sauer:

I finally made it to the Sig Sauer Booth this year to checkout their new CO2 Pellet gun line. All new Sig Airguns are made true to size and weight with similar trigger actions as their real steel versions. The Sig MPX is their more compact (shorter barreled) pellet shooting CO2 rifle with internal blowback and belt fed 30 round magazine. The Sig MCX is the longer barreled rifle version but built much the same as the MPX. Sig also introduced two new pellet shooting CO2 Blowback Pistols, the P226 and the P250. Both use similar double ended rotary magazines as the Umarex PX4.

Umarex:

Umarex always seems to have some new exciting Airguns products to offer at SHOT Show. The PPK is back with a few updates including no more ugly CO2 tab sticking out of the bottom! And yes the Beretta Model 92A1 will finally be shipping soon, I believe in February! My favorite product this year from Umarex would have to be the Full Blowback, Full size drop out magazine S&W M&P 40 CO2 BB Pistol. Umarex released yet another 1911 on the market, this version does come with a stick mag and sports pretty high fps and more shots per CO2 then the KWC based 1911’s. The super popular Colt SAA Revolver is now available in a pellet shooting version with a rifled barrel :) Umarex had on display another low cost revolver, the ultra futuristic looking Brodax CO2 BB Revolver.

KWA:

KWA always has really nice high quality products to showoff at there booth each year, we may even start carrying some of KWA's products this year, fingers crossed on that one… New to the KWA line are some AEG rifles with simulated blowback action, I really liked the Blowback AEG AK they had on display. KWA also released a new Airsoft shell loading revolvers that had some of the nicest looking brass and aluminum shells. On display under a glass cover was a very solid Gas Blowback Thompson Machine-gun with real wood stock, it was absolutely gorgeous!

ISC:

ISC known for their top quality AEG internals, had their full line of high quality Airsoft rifles on display. And new this year to ICS was their first ever Airsoft pistol, the blowback BLE Alpha. The BLE should be out mid year and looked and felt really nice. The trigger on it was super short and light.

I have some really awesome Interview videos I’m working on, I will be uploading them shortly so stay tuned for those…

I just got some really interesting new guns and shooting accessories I wanted to share with everyone in this Vimeo Video Preview!

First off, I have some metal targets designed for Airguns, you can shoot them with lead pellets and heavy gram Airsoft BB's but be sure not use standard 4.5mm steel BB's as they can ricochet and come back at you at high velocity. That is unless you are using the new Excite Low Ricochet Smart Shot BB's I also showcase in this video.

A couple other accessories I highlight are a Western Leather Gun Slinger Belt and Holster which pair up perfectly with the first BB gun I have to show you today. Most of you should be familiar with the Umarex Colt Single Action Army Revolvers I have made several reviews and videos for, they are super popular and for good reason. How about a John Wayne Duke Version available in Stainless and Antique versions? I thought you would like that!

Next up and probably the item I am most excited to introduce to everyone is the ISSC M22 4.5mm CO2 BB Pistol. I actually own the  first generation ISSC M22 in 22LR, the same gun this BB pistol is based on. It seems to have everything going for it and I was happy to discover after making this video that it does in fact have blowback operation even though this is not state on the box or in the manual? The ISSC M22 really is a beautiful pistol and I am totally looking forward to reviewing it. If you're a Glock fan this is about as close as we can legally get to owning a replica Glock BB pistol since Glock has OK'd production of the real steel ISSC MK22 in its new form.

I will be working with my suppliers to make these items available in our Replica Airguns Stores as soon as we can...

I'm getting close to uploading 600 videos now over on the Replica Airguns Vimeo channel, so there are bound to be a lot of similar questions and popular discussions. In this Replica Airguns Vimeo Video I address what I feel are my Top 10 Most Common Airgun Questions and Discussions.

1. Can I shoot my CO2 gun without CO2? (1:00)

2. Can I refill CO2 Cartridges? (2:08)

3. Will XYZ BB gun kill a bird, rat, rabbit, gopher…? (3:33)

4. Can I shoot Airsoft BB’s in my BB gun? (5:58)

5. Can I use my Airgun for self defense? (7:47)

6. Do Airguns & blank guns have recoil? (10:42)

7. Why play around with Airguns, just buy a real gun?(12:50)

8. Can I have a free gun? (17:15)

9. Which gun should I get? (19:10)

10. Mike, can you do a review of such and such a gun? (20:05)

We have some new cool accessories in our Canada Replica Airguns Store I wanted to share with everyone by making a Vimeo Video Review for these items.

If you watched my recent Halloween Costume Contest Giveaway Video for this year then you know I am going as Rambo an when dressing up as Rambo one need sot be wearing an Ammo Belt to pull of such a roll! The good news is we now have them in our Canada Replica Airguns Store, well at least for now and these are real decompressioned .223 bullets, so in other words the primmers have already been fired and they do not have any gun powder in them. They do look the part and come in a belt configuration containing 80 plus rounds.

I also show off some really high quality Cytac Polymer Holsters and Magazine Pouches along with a Cytac Drop Leg Platform that can be configured to add both the Cytac Holsters and the Mag Pouches to it.

Here are the following Cytac Products I showcase in this YouTube Video Review:

Cytac T92 Polymer Holster:

• Ergonomically curved hip panel is shaped for comfort.

• Silicone rubber padding secures holster in position.

• Textured locking mechanism secures trigger guard.

• Fully adjustable drawing angle.

• Right-handed draw.

• Construction: Polymer.

• Compatibility: Taurus, PT92, Beretta 92 Variants.

• Draw Side: Right.

• Package includes: Holster, hex key, changeable belt clip.

Cytac 1911 Polymer Holster:

• Ergonomically curved hip panel is shaped for comfort.

• Silicone rubber padding secures holster in position.

• Textured locking mechanism secures trigger guard.

• Fully adjustable drawing angle.

• Right-handed draw.

• Construction: Polymer.

• Compatibility: 1911 Variants.

• Draw Side: Right.

• Package includes: Holster, hex key, changeable belt clip.

Cytac T92 Polymer Magazine Pouch:

• Alternative of PT92, PT809, PT605 Beretta 92, 92fs.

• Make of durable,high-tech black polymer materials.

• Paddle design securely slides onto pants waist or belt.

• Comfortable Contoured Paddle part with soft silicon materials.

• Rotates 360 degrees for every application (small of back, cross draw).

• Retention with zero time to disengage magazine.

• The Pouch Easy to draw your magazine.

• The Mag Pouch Suitable for civilians,bodyguard,off duty policies & military personnel.

• Matchable tactical pistol holster and belt loop accessories are available.

Cytac 24/7 Polymer Magazine Pouch:

• Alternative of any Beretta Px4, H&K P30, H&K USP Compact (9/40), Ruger SR9, Steyr M Series, S&W Sigma, Taurus 24/7 Magazine.

• Make of durable,high-tech black polymer materials.

• Paddle design securely slides onto pants waist or belt.

• Comfortable Contoured Paddle part with soft silicon materials.

• Fully adjustable for cant by included Allen key.

• Rotates 360 degrees for every application (small of back, cross draw).

• Retention with zero time to disengage magazine.

• The Pouch Easy to draw your magazine.

• The Mag Pouch Suitable for civilians,bodyguard,off duty policies & military personnel.

• Matchable tactical pistol holster and belt loop accessories are available.

Cytac Polymer Drop Leg Platform:

• Cytac Drop leg platform offers versatility of a modular platforms.

• Compatible with our Cytac holsters and magazine pouches.

• High-tech, black polymer main attachment panel.

• Fully adjustable straps with side release buckles.

• Easily attach holsters, mag pouches and more.

Buy Cytac T92 Polymer Holster in Canada

Buy Cytac T92 Polymer Holster in the US

Buy Cytac 24/7 Polymer Magazine Pouch in Canada

Buy Cytac 24/7 Polymer Magazine Pouch in the US

Buy Cytac Polymer Drop Leg Platform in Canada

Buy Cytac Polymer Drop Leg Platform in the US

Buy Cytac 1911 Polymer Holster in Canada

Buy Cytac 1911 Polymer Holster in the US

Buy Cytac T92 Polymer Magazine Pouch in Canada

Buy Cytac T92 Polymer Magazine Pouch in the US

This video is to give you a heads up on a few guns I will be reviewing shortly. Most of them are different version of guns I have already reviewed except for the Baby Desert Eagle which so far has eluded me :)

ASG STI Duty One CO2 4.5mm Steel BB Pistol (Non Blow Back)

• 4.5mm Steel BB

• 12 gram CO2

• 20 Round Drop Out Metal Magazine

• 407 FPS

• 1.8 Pounds

Buy ASG STI Duty One in Canada

Buy ASG STI Duty One in the US

Umarex CP88 Competition CO2 .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol

• .177 Caliber Lead Pellets

• 12 gram CO2

• 8 Round Metal Magazine

• 407 FPS

• 2.56 Pounds

Buy Umarex CP88 Competition CO2 in Canada

Buy Umarex CP88 Competition CO2 in the US

Umarex Baby Desert Eagle CO2 4.5mm Steel BB Pistol

• 4.5mm Steel BB

• 12 gram CO2

• 15 Round Drop Internal Magazine

• 410 FPS

• .9 Pounds

Buy Umarex Baby Desert Eagle in Canada

Buy Umarex Baby Desert Eagle in the US
 

Umarex TAC XBG CO2 4.5mm Steel BB Pistol

• 4.5mm Steel BB

• 12 gram CO2

• 19 Round Drop Out Metal Magazine

• 410 FPS

• 1.85 Pounds

Buy Umarex Tactical Adjustable in the Canada

Buy Umarex Tactical Adjustable in the US

I get asked about what cameras I use fairly often so a while back I made a video showing some of the cameras I used at that time. Since that video was made I have been using a newer pair of "HD Camera Glasses" called Pivothead Recons' which I really like and are very good quality and are perfect for that first person video camera angle.

In this video review, I show you around my pair of Pivothead Recon 1080p HD Camera Glasses and include some footage taken with them. I talk a bit about the specifications but have included the below specs right off of Pivothead's website to make sure it all gets covered:

OPTICS

4 ELEMENT GLASS LENS

Largan Glass Camera Lens

FOCUS

Recon'sContinuosFocus | Auto Focus: 4”- | Fixed focus: 2.8’ – | Macro 4”- 28”

FIELD OF VIEW

75 Degrees

IMAGE SENSOR

8MP Sony CMOS

RAM

2GB SDRAM

VIDEO

RESOLUTION

1080p@30fps | 720p@60fps | 720p@30fps

VIDEO FORMAT

Mp4 H.264

EXPOSURE

Auto | Bright | Dim

VIDEO OPTIONAL SETTING

Black & White | Face Tracking | Time/Date Stamp

AUDIO FORMAT

AAC MONO

44.1 kHz

PHOTO

IMAGE SIZE OPTIONS

8MP | 5MP | 3MP

BURST OPTIONS

16 Shot Stills | 10 Shot Stills | 5 Shot Stills | 3 Shot Stills

TIME LAPSE OPTION

1 Shot/1s | 1 Shot/30s | 4 Shots/8s

4 Shots/30s | 10 Shots/30s | 5 Shots/60s

FOCUS

Auto | Macro

EXPOSURE

Auto | Bright | Dim

ISO

Auto | 200 | 800 | 1600

PHOTO OPTIONAL SETTING

Black & White | Face Tracking | Time/Date Stamp

STORAGE

INTERNAL MEMORY

8GB

INTERFACE

USB CABLE

USB 2.0 Cable for Charging and Data Transfer

POWER

RECHARGEABLE

Rechargeable 3.7VLi-Polymer/440mAh

DC POWER

USB power via Micro USB, 5V DC 500mA

OPERATING SYSTEM

SYSTEM

Mac | PC | Android

PRE SET MODES

Active | Action Sport | Power Save

Spectator | Hands On (Macro) | Social | Black & White

CERTIFICATION

FCC | FDA | CE

Make sure to watch my Vimeo Video Review of the Pivothead Recon HD Video Glasses:

Moving on to the head to head comparison of the Tanfoglio Gold Custom versus the Sig Sauer X-Five Sight Rail (Open version). Again like my previous video of the KWC Model M1911 Tac A1 versus the Cybergun-KWC GSG 92-M92, these two Air Pistols feature full size drop out metal magazines that hold the CO2 and 4.5mm steel BB's, along with full blowback with working slide catches, safeties and magazine releases. Both are field Strippable and both have the addition of sight rails with red dot sights for quick target acquisition.

I did not find either sight rail pistol to be all that much more accurate than similar open sight pistols like the KWC Model M1911 Tac A1 and Cybergun-KWC GSG 92-M92, but I did find that target acquisition was much quicker and even when I accidentally double tapped the trigger, the second round was right on target.

In this field test comparison I shoot both guns through my Chronograph to see what kind of feet per second performance each one shoots, I also take them back 30 feet and shoot 10 rounds on a paper target using a semi rested position for true accuracy results.

Watch my Field Test Head to Head Shootout for the Tanfoglio Gold Custom versus the Sig Sauer X-Five Sight Rail:

Buy BB Pistols in Canada 
Buy BB Pistols in the US

Buy KWC Sig P226 X-Five in Canada
Buy KWC Sig P226 X-Five in the US

So it's 2014 but I still needed to make my 2013 Airgun, Airsoft Gun and Blank Gun Collection Favorites for 2013. It's become a tradition I guess you could say. No I do not show all the guns in my collection but I do cover most of my favorites and also some new guns I picked up in 2013.

Here's a peek but make sure to watch the YouTube video bellow where I go over all my top picks for 2013. You can also buy many of the guns I show in this YouTube video over in our Canada and US Replica Airguns Store!

2013 BB Pistols

2013 Pellet Pistols

2013 Airsoft Pistols

2013 Blank Pistols

2013 Rifles

In this YouTube Overview video I show several NcSTAR Accessories, we carry a fair amount of NcSTAR products our Canada Replica Airguns Online Store and I thought it was time again to showcase some more NcSTAR items.

Here are the NcSTAR Accessories highlight in this YouTube video:

• Red & Green Laser
• Ultra Compact Green Laser
• Tactical Cantilever Red & Green Dot Sight
• Compact Tactical Green Dot Sight
• Tactical Red Dot Sight
• Folding Vertical Grip

Make sure to watch my YouTube Overview Video for these NcSTAR Products:

Buy NcSTAR Accessories in the Canada Replica Airguns Store

I thought I would try some Sport Smoke Tactical Airsoft - Paintball Smoke Grenades (TSG) and show you how they work out in an open area and also when in an enclosed area (indoors). These Tactical Smoke Grenades put out a lot of smoke but will require either a non windy day or an area where the smoke can accumulate to give you good coverage. Either way they do a greta job of causing a distraction that will allow you to get into a better position.

Here is some info on the Sport Tactical Smoke Grenades for Airsoft and Paintball:

The Sport Smoke Tactical Smoke Grenade (TSG) is designed to meet the extreme needs of today's paintball and Airsoft enthusiasts. These high quality smoke grenades are very affordable, producing a thick white plume of smoke to cover your movement and provide a major strategic advantage.

• Pull ring igniter.
• Thick white smoke.
• Good hang time.
• Easy to handle and carry.
• Biodegradable.
• Cool burning, Non-Pyrotechnic Smoke.
• Made in the USA.
• Smoke Output: 10,000 cubic feet
• Duration: 75 sec
• Dimensions: 2.75"×1.5"
• Weight (lb.): .2

Right now we sell these bad boys in our Canada Replica Airguns Store!
 

Buy the Tactical Smoke Grenade in the Canada Store

So what is the best way to describe the Umarex T.A.C. Converter? Well it converts several Umarex pistols into more of a PDW (Personal Defense Weapon). It's an accessory with a built in folding stock, included for-grip that also allows you to add other accessories to it converting your basic pistol into just about any configuration of tactical gun you can dream up! Add lasers, tac-lights, red dots, optical sights, flip up sights or what ever else you can think of...

The Umarex T.A.C. Converter works with the following Umarex pistols: The H&K USP, the S&W M&P40, the XBG, the CZ Enforcer, the Walther P99 DAO and the SA177. It currently does not work with any other pistols as you need to use the required adaptors that are specific to each gun. I suppose it is possible Umarex could make adaptors for other guns, only time will tell?

In my below Vimeo video, I show you the Umarex T.A.C. Converter with my Umarex SA177 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol installed, I also show you how to take out the pistol and then I walk you through the installation of my Walther P99 DOA CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol that is designed to fit into the T.A.C. Converter.

The Umarex T.A.C. Converter is a neat concept from Umarex that allows air-gunners to take an already existing umarex air pistol or one they plan to get and create something entirely different and new.

Buy Umarex TAC Converter in the Canada Store

Buy Umarex TAC Converter in the US Store

I have some more anticipated items from Umarex to show you all, and a special thanks to Bradley from Umarex for sending them my way to review.

If you like the Steel Storm then you should for sure like the Umarex Steel Force, both models share some basic mechanical attributes like semi auto and 6 round burst blowback operation, duel 12 gram CO2 cartridges, 300 round BB hoppers and 30 round spring fed magazines. The Steel Force however is more of a "replica" as it is modeled on the AR platform including an adjustable rear stock which will come in handy taming the high rate of fire 6 round burst mode.

Next up from Umarex is a classic replica of the Luger P08, it's always nice to see some older classics made into BB shooters, it may be the only way some of us will get to experience them and from what I can tell, the Umarex Legends P08 is near spot on! You won't find blowback or even a lot of actual moving parts other than the trigger, the safety and magazine release but this BB gun is all metal and well built, it has a nice weight to it with a firm double action trigger.

My last review item is not a gun but rather a gun accessory, the Umarex T.A.C. Converter which transforms several Umarex pistols into tactical PDW's. The actual models supported are the: HK USP, S&W MP40, X.B.G, CZ Enforcer, Walther P99 DOA and the now retired Umarex SA 177. With the T.A.C. Converter wrapped around your pistol of choice you are all setup with a folding stock and foregrip, not to mention anything else you may want to add onto the rails.

Keep posted for my full reviews of these items from Umarex.

Watch my Vimeo Update Video for these Umarex Products:

Buy the Umarex Steel Force in Canada  -  Buy Umarex Airguns in the US

I kind of "jumped the gun" a bit today (pun intended), I just felt like shooting one of my newer guns I had waiting for me to review. I actually shot and filmed this Cybergun Tanfoglio Gold Custom Blowback BB Pistol and my Cybergun Smith & Wesson M&P 9C GBB Airsoft Pistol both at the same time, what can I say, the weather was nice and I wanted to shoot something :)

As per usual I shot this blowback BB pistol through my Chronograph and actually got a much higher than the 300 claimed 5 shot average fps of 341. I kind of had a feeling right out of the box this gun had more in it! I also shot 10 rounds at the target from 20 feet out using a semi rested position (resting on a sand bag up front and kneeling in the back). Again the Cybergun Tanfoglio Gold Custom Blowback BB Pistol performed very well shooting a tight 1 inch grouping. When I free handed it and rattled off the remaining 7-8 rounds left in the magazine the grouping only widened to about 2 inches, this may be in part to the heavy weight and good balance and stability of the Cybergun Tanfoglio Gold Custom.

Since this 4.5mm Steel BB pistol does not come with any iron sights, you will need to purchase a red dot, I was fortunate enough to find a very nice silver matchup at my local surplus store that worked out well with this airgun. The magazine does claim to hold 18 rounds but 17 is a bit better fit, I was able to get off three magazine s before the CO2 fizzled out. One of the nicest traits this guns has to offer is the very smooth, short and light single action trigger which in part I am sure helped me get that 1 inch 10 round grouping. Another factor that may help the accuracy of the Tanfoglio Gold Custom is the fact that even though the blowback is decent, the 3 pounds of steel holding this airgun in place keep movement to a minimum.

All in all this is a really great IPSC styled BB shooter with a unique and ultra modern look, kind of like a CZ 75 on steroids you could say. It shot very nicely for me and even performed better than claimed and better than expected. Although I did have an idea this CO2 Blowback BB Pistol was going to impress! 

• Checkout my Preview video for the Cybergun Tanfoglio Gold Custom Blowback BB Pistol

Buy the Cybergun Tanfoglio Gold in Canada

Buy the Cybergun Tanfoglio Gold in the US

I wanted to cover some basic Airgun, Airsoft Gun, Blank Gun and Paintball Gun information on what do they all shoot, what makes them shoot and some other miscellaneous info thrown in along the way...

Your should also watch the video attached at the bottom of this post as it goes into a fair amount of detail.

Let's begin with the types of ammo used:

Airgun Ammo

• Airgun ammo for the most part is broken down into BBs and Pellets, the most standard size BB and Pellet is the 4.5mm or .177 caliber Steel BB and Lead Pellet. You can also get Pellets in other calibers and even other materials other than lead such as steel or aluminum, some can have plastic skirting around a metal interior.

• Pellets also come in a variety of caliber's like .177, .20. 22. 25 and even larger but then I would start considering them to be bullets as they will take on the shape of a bullet when they get into the larger sizes.

• Airgun Ammo is not be fired at people, it is primarily used for target and hunting small game.

• Airguns can use Spring Pistons, CO2, Compressed Air and Multi-pump propulsion systems.

Airsoft Gun Ammo

• Airsoft Guns for the most part shoot round 6mm (.22 caliber) plastic BBs which come in a variety of weights ranging from .12 grams up to .48 grams. There are larger Airsoft BBs such as 8mm and even larger.

• There are biodegradable and even tracer florescent Airsoft BBs available.

• Airsoft Ammo is traditionally used for Airsoft battles and can be fired at people using protective gear. Airsoft Ammo can also be used for target shooting.

• Airsoft Guns can use Spring Pistons, Spring Piston - AEG (Electric Motor) CO2, Gas (Green, Red, Propane) and Compressed Air propulsion systems.

Paintball Gun Ammo

• Paintball Guns or "Markers" have been historically used for the sport of Paintball but their whereabouts came from the need of ranchers and forestry workers to mark trees. Hence the name "Marker"

• Paintball ammo comes in a variety of sizes ranging with the most common being .43 and .68 caliber. They are generally made from a gelatin outer coating containing primarily polyethylene glycol, other non-toxic and water-soluble substances, and dye, they are usually biodegradable.

• Paintball Guns can also shoot a variety of Paintball Ammo that can be made out of Rubber, Plastic, Glass and they can also contain Powders and even Pepper for use in non lethal defense.

• Paintball Guns can generally use either CO2 or Compressed Air as their propellant.

Blank Gun Ammo

• Blank Guns are just like Real Guns but without the dangerous bullet at the end of the brass shell. Other than that they work exactly the same as a Real Gun!

• Blank Guns are used when a bullet is not required or even wanted. For instance... Gun safety, gun training, training animals to be around guns and/or loud noises, Props for Movies - Stage -  Film - TV, Collectors that do not want the red tape associated with owning a Real Gun or when owning a Real Gun is prohibited.

• Blank Guns can shoot a variety of sized ammo, most common are .22 caliber crimped, .380 crimped, 8mm P.A.K. and 9mm P.A.K.

• Blank Guns use gun powder as their means of operation.

Here are the most common forms of propulsion used in the guns we discussed earlier:

CO2

• CO2 is the most common propellant in Airguns (BB and Pellet), it is also used in Airsoft Guns and Paintball Guns.

• CO2 is a compressed gas which expands when released, it requires a warm environment to fully expand and tends to cool it's surroundings quickly when shot fast or in full automatic which can slow the velocity of the projectile and even freeze up the gun being used.

• The most common reusable CO2 cartridges are 12 and 88 gram but you can get larger CO2 tanks in a variety of sizes that can be refilled with CO2.

Gas

• Gas is used primarily in Airsoft Guns, I have not personally seen an Airgun that is made to use Gas other than CO2.

• Gas is similar to CO2 in that it is a compressed gas that expands when releases, it also cools down the gun it is being used in and requires a warm environment.

• Gas comes in a variety of names, Green Gas, Red Gas and Propane Gas. Green Gas contains Propane as it's base but has additives in it like silicone for lubrication .

• Red Gas is know to be a bit more powerful than Green Gas as it has Chlorodifluoromethane or HCFC-22, R22 or Freon 22 used in refrigeration which turns to a liquid under a slightly higher pressure giving you slightly higher fps.

• Many people use propane gas with an adapter that allows the mixture of silicone as propane is cheaper to buy.

Compressed Air (HPA)

• Compressed Air (HPA - High Pressure Air) is most commonly used in Airguns and Paintball Guns but some people use it for their Gas based Airsoft guns.

• The compressed air comes from high PSI tanks that can be purchased in a variety of sizes and contains compressed air at pressures up to 5000psi.

• These tanks are reusable and usually need to be refilled at a paintball or scuba shop, some people buy their own compressors or large scuba tanks for refilling purposes.

• Some Compressed Air (HPA) guns have their own built in tanks that can be filled with a compressor or even a manual pump.

• Compressed air does not cool down the gun it is being used in and is a great option for high output or fully automatic guns.

Multi-Pump Pneumatic

• Multi-Pump Pneumatic systems are most commonly used in Pellet and/or BB guns.

• Multi-Pump Pneumatic guns use the same principle as HPA - High Pressure Air guns in that they require pressurized air as the propellant. The main difference with Multi-Pump Pneumatic guns, is that you do all the work by pumping the gun between shots. Generally speaking you pump the gun 3-10 times, take a shot and repeat this process.

• Multi-Pump Pneumatic guns are not effected by air temperature and are great for target and small pest control.

Spring Piston

• Spring pistons are generally found in Pellet Rifles and Pistols but some Airsoft Guns also use a Spring Piston System and generally speaking Spring Piston Guns are single shot only or in other words, the Spring needs to be drawn back before each shot. Spring Piston Guns can have magazines that allow for quicker repeat shots.

• Spring Piston Guns come in many cocking configurations, Brake Barrel and Side lever to name a couple.

• The Spring can be a Mechanical Spring or a Gas Spring.

• Spring Piston Guns are not effected by temperature and are often used for small game hunting and target shooting.

Automatic Electric Guns (AEG)

• Automatic Electric Guns  are generally found in Airsoft Rifles but there are some Airsoft Pistols (AEP) that use this same system.

• Automatic Electric Guns use a similar system to a Spring Piston gun but have an electric motor that does all the work of drawing back the spring. You can even have fully automatic AEG guns.

• The power for the electric motor comes from removable batteries, so it is a combination a battery supplying the motor with the power to draw back the spring that creates a pillow of air that shoots the BB.

• AEG Airsoft Guns are great for situations when you require high capacity magazines with full auto capability. 

Gun Powder

• Gun powder is used in Blank Guns, in the same manor that it is used in a Real Gun, the charge from the Gun Powder supplies the force required to operate the blowback in most semi auto Blank Pistols, it also creates the sound of a live round along with the muzzle flash which makes Blank Guns great for training and as Props for Movies and Film.

• Because the kinetic energy from a blank gun is the same as a real gun, blank guns can be very dangerous when used in close proximity to an object, see my "Are Blank Guns Dangerous Video"!

Some other Gun Relevant Terminology:

Blowback

• Blowback operation is when some of the force of the propellant is used to move the slide backwards, which in most cases cocks the hammer for single action and can also pickup and chamber a round into the barrel.

• The slide spring supplies the energy for the return to the forward position of the slide.

• Blowback Guns do rob some power from the bullet force and in the case of CO2 or Gas Guns the also reduce the amount of shots per CO2 or Gas fill.

Revolver, Semi Automatic

• Revolver: Revolvers feed ammunition via the rotation of a cartridge-filled cylinder, in which each cartridge is contained in its own ignition chamber, and is sequentially brought into alignment with the weapon's barrel by a mechanism linked to the weapon's trigger (double-action) or its hammer (single-action)

• Semi Automatic:  semi-automatic pistols use the energy of one shot to reload the chamber for the next. Typically recoil energy from a fired round is mechanically harnessed. After a round is fired, the pistol will cycle, ejecting the spent casing and chambering a new round from the magazine, allowing another shot to take place immediately.

Single Shot, Repeater, Semi Automatic & Fully Automatic

• Single Shot: A Single Shot Gun needs to be reloaded each time it is shot.

• Repeater: Repeating action Guns are single barreled guns containing multiple rounds of ammunition. These rounds are loaded from a magazine by means of a manual or automatic mechanism, and the action that reloads the rifle also typically re-cocks the firing action. The term repeating rifle is most often applied to weapons in which the next cartridge is loaded by a manual action, as opposed to semi-automatic rifles, in which the force of one shot is used to load the next.

• Semi Automatic: A semi-automatic, or self-loading, firearm is a weapon that performs all steps necessary to prepare the weapon to fire again after firing.

• Fully Automatic: A Gun that uses either its recoil or a portion of the gas propelling the projectile to remove the spent cartridge (in the case of a gun-shell), fire again repeatedly, as long as the trigger is held down or until the magazine is exhausted. Automatic Guns are distinguished from semi-automatic Guns in their ability to fire more than one shot in succession once the trigger is pulled.

Single, Double Action, SA/DA

• Check out my post explaining Single and Double action!

• Single-Action (SA): trigger performs the single action of releasing the hammer or striker to discharge the firearm each time the trigger is pulled.

• Double-Action (DA): The trigger both cocks and releases the hammer or striker

• SA-DA:  A SA/DA firearm combines the features of both mechanisms. You can pull the trigger in Double Action when the hammer is down which cocks and releases the trigger or you can cock the hammer with your thumb and then release the trigger using Single Action to fire the weapon. 

Lever Action, Pump Action, Bolt Action

• Lever Action: In a classic lever-action firearm, rounds are individually loaded into a tubular magazine parallel to and below the barrel. A short bolt is held in place with an over center toggle action. Once closed, the over center action prevents opening solely by the force on the bolt when the weapon is fired. This toggle action is operated by a hand grip that forms part of the trigger guard. When operated, a spring in the tubular magazine pushes a fresh round into position. Returning the operating lever to the home position chambers the round and closes the breach.

• Pump Action: With a pump-action firearm, the action is operated by a movable fore-end that goes backwards and forwards to eject, extract, and chamber a round of ammunition. Pump-actions are usually associated with shotguns.

• Bolt Action: The bolt opens and closes the breech end of the barrel and contains the firing pin. The bolt is held in place with a lever that fits into a notch. Moving this lever out of the notch will release the restraint on the bolt, allowing it to be drawn back. An extractor removes the spent cartridge, which is then ejected through the lever slot. A spring at the bottom of the magazine pushes up the reserve rounds, positioning the topmost between the bolt and the chamber at the base of the barrel. Pushing the bolt lever forward chambers this round and pushing the lever into the notch locks the bolt and enables the trigger mechanism.

Magazine vs Clip

• Magazine: A magazine is an ammunition storage and feeding device within or attached to a repeating firearm. Magazines can be removable (detachable) or integral to the firearm. The magazine functions by moving the cartridges stored in the magazine into a position where they may be loaded into the chamber by the action of the firearm. The detachable magazine is often referred to as a clip, although this is technically inaccurate.

• Clip: A clip is a device that is used to store multiple rounds of ammunition together as a unit, ready for insertion into the magazine or cylinder of a firearm. This speeds up the process of loading and reloading the firearm as several rounds can be loaded at once, rather than one round being loaded at a time. The term "clip" is also frequently used to refer to a detachable magazine, though such usage is incorrect.

We just added a nice sellection of new NcSTAR accessories to the Canada Replica Airguns Store!

• NcSTAR AR Folding Vertical Grip
  
  
• NcSTAR AR15 Vertical Grip With Weaver Mount
  
  
• NcSTAR Bipod With Weaver Mount
  
  
• NcSTAR Compact Red Laser Black Sight With Weaver Mount
  
  
• NcSTAR Red Laser Black Sight With Weaver Mount
  
  
• NcSTAR Red And Green Laser With Weaver Base With Pressure Switch
  
  
• NcSTAR Tactical Red Laser Sight And 3 Watt 120 Lumens Led Flashlight
  
  
• NcSTAR Ultra Compact Green Pistol Laser With Quick Release Weaver Mount
  
  
• NcSTAR 30mm Double Rail Scope Adapter And Flashlight With Green Laser Set
  
  
• NcSTAR Tactical Red Laser Sight With Trigger Guard Mount
  
  
• NcSTAR Red And Green Dot Reflex Black Sight With Weaver Base
  
  
• NcSTAR 1x42 B-Style Red Dot Sight
  
  
• NcSTAR Compact Tactical Red Dot Black Reflex Sight
  
  
• NcSTAR Tactical Green Dot Black Sight With Automatic Brightness
  
  
• NcSTAR 1x40 Red Dot Sight With Built In Red Laser
  
  
• NcSTAR 1911 Pistol Accessory Rail Adapter
  
  
• NcSTAR Beretta 92 Pistol Accessory Rail Adapter
  
  
• NcSTAR AR15 Weaver 3/4 Inch Riser With Quick Release Weaver Mount
  
  
• NcSTAR 1 Inch Black Weaver Ring
  
  
• NcSTAR Tri-Rail Series 4x32 Compact P4 Sniper Rifle Scope
  
  
• NcSTAR Tri-Rail Series 4x32 Rangefinder Compact Rifle Scope
  
  
• NcSTAR SRT Series 4x32 Rubber Compact With Red Laser Blue Ill P4 Sniper Quick Release Green Lens
  
  
• NcSTAR Mark III Tactical Series Mil-Dot Rifle Scope
  
  
• NcSTAR Vism QR Vertical Grip/Built In Led Flashlight And Red Laser
  
  
• NcSTAR Vism CBT Series 3x42 Prismatic Mil Dot Rifle Scope With Integrated Red Laser
  
  
• NcSTAR Vism CBT Series 3x42 Prismatic Rifle Scope
  
  
• NcSTAR Micro Green Dot With Integrated Red Laser
  
  
• NcSTAR Vism Evolution Series 1.1-4x24 Full Size Rifle Scope
  
  
• NcSTAR Vism Evolution Series 1.1-4x24 Mil Dot Full Size Rifle Scope
  
  
• NcSTAR Vism Evolution Series 1.1-4x24 P4 Sniper Full Size Rifle Scope