Many Canadians ask about options for what they perhaps could use for home defense since we are not allowed to really use any kind of a weapon to defend ourselves. A product classified as “Less Lethal” may be of interest to people living in Canada. I interviewed Byrna, just such a company that offers alternatives to standard “Lethal Interventions” for self protection and Josh from Byrna was kind enough to go over their pistol and rifle offerings specifically built to shoot paintball type ammunition for the purpose of stopping bad guys.
I am hoping this is a product we will be able to add to our online Replica Airgun Stores, as they do tick the boxes for import into Canada such as shooting well under 500 fps, yet having the ability to cause serious injury so as to allow them to be considered a non regulated firearm.
This year at the KWA Booth I had the pleasure of running into John, and we went over a bunch of new items KWA had on display. John was even rocking a similar pair of Ray Ban Meta AI Glasses which made us look a little bit like twins…
In this KWA SHOT Show Interview John higgled the following products from KWA: The KWA ATP-Z and ATP-CT Optics Ready GBB AIrsoft Pistols which are convertible to SMG versions, along with a new prototype TAC-9 GBB Airsoft Rifle.
KWA AIrsoft products have always been one of favoriteAirsoft guns for their quality, looks and performance. They tend to offer a lot of Gas Blowback options which I really appreciate as a Replica AIrgun Collector.
It’s alwasy nice to have a chat with Bob at ASG, I have been interviewing him for years now and really missed not being at SHOT Show the last three years. As always, Bob really knows the ASG product line inside and out and took us through some of the new products and changes to the ASG lineup in 2024.
Some of the products include: The ASG CZ P-10 C CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol, the Steyr L9-A2 CO2/Gas Blowback Airsoft Pistol, the USW Gas Blowback Airsoft Pistol, the new Hybrid Airsoft line including the CO2 Blowback H-22 and the AEG H-15, the ICS Ape SE AEG Airsoft Rifle, and lastly the ICS Carnotaurus, Legacy, ACME High-Capa Pistol Series.
I am looking forward to get my hands-on many of these new ASG products and making reviews for everyone to checkout in the near future…
I’m pretty sure I have never made an Interview for Barra before in any of my past SHOT Show Videos, so I was really happy when I visited their booth and discovered a bunch of really great new products to talk about with GEO. Like many other Airgun companies, Barra does incorporate rebranded products from other manufacturer popular Airguns, but they also have some unique products I have never seen before. They are either working really closely with dedicated manufacturing companies or making these items in house. Either way it’s great to see new and interesting products.
Some of the products Geo went over with me in this SHOT Show 2024 Barra Interview where: The Barra CO2 1866 Lever Action Rifle, some Rifled Pellet Barrel Kits for the Schofield Revolver and 1866 Rifle, the 1858 CO2 BB Revolver, the 357 Shell Loading CO2 Revolver, the 400 AEG Airsoft Rifle and two new nameless Airguns they are still working on and perfecting, a full Blowback Competition Style BB/Airsoft Pistol and a compact AEG Airsoft Rifle.
It was great talking with the team over at the Barra Booth and I look forward to testing out their new items as they become available.
Kicking off my SHOT Show 2024 Interviews, I present my Umarex Interview with Mark Davis, you may remember Mark from past Umarex SHOT Show Interviews? This is a fairly long interview as Mark had a lot of product to show me including…
The new Marlin Lever Action BB Rifle, the Walther PDP CO2 BB Pistol, the BBX11 1911 Blowback CO2 BB Pistol, the MarkPoint Break Barrel .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol, the Trinity Hi-Cap 2011 Blowback Airsoft Pistol, the Gambler High Stakes Single Action Army CO2 Airsoft Revolver, the Glock 380 GBB Airsoft Pistol, the CQC Elite Force AEG Airsoft Rifle with i-Trace, and the Beretta PMX GBB Airsoft Rifle.
Yep, that’s a lot of products to go over in one Interview, and Mark did a great job! I am really looking forward to getting my hands on these new products from Umarex to review for everyone!
I’m back from SHOT Show 2024 and I always like to start off my series of SHOT Show Interview videos with a Teaser Video that not only shows off a few new guns but also gives everyone a vibe of what it feels like to visit Las Vegas and SHOT Show. I can only show you so much because as you know what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas…
I did get the chance to interview several Airgun Companies that I will be putting together Interview Videos for, including Umarex, ASG, KWA, Barra, EKOL and Byrna. Unfortunately Sig Sauer is no longer attending SHOT Show and Crosman had significantly reduced the focus of their booth and really did not have much in the way of Replica Airguns to show.
This was a really fun Field Test Shooting Video review. I don’t believe I have ever tested out a version of the P90 before and generally I don’t get a lot of Bullpups on my table so this was a bit of a treat shooting the Cybergun FN Herstal P90 NBB AEG Airsoft Rifle! If you have not already watched my Table Top Review for the Cybergun FN Herstal P9, then makes sure to do so for more details, specifications and close up video.
Starting with my Velocity FPS test, I placed several rounds through my Chronograph and once they evened out a bit, I averaged out my last 5 shots and was able to get a 427 fps velocity using .20 gram plastic Airsoft BB’s. Which is really close to the 436 fps claimed velocity made by Cybergun. I did notice that when I had a fully loaded magazine that I did get some occasional lower velocity shots perhaps because of too high of spring tension the magazine and this causing some loading issues? So do not load the magazine too much and cause the spring tension to overload it.
Moving on to my Accuracy test, I placed a fresh paper target 30 feet down range and first shot 10 rounds in semi auto followed by the rest of the magazine, so I would say around 45 shots in full auto. I was able to get around a 1.5 inch grouping shooting 10 rounds and that opened up just a bit when I unloaded the rest of the magazine in full auto tonight around a 2 inch grouping. Shot placement is kind of irrelevant as theCybergun FN Herstal P90 NBB AEG Airsoft Rifle does not come with any sighting system so you will need to add your own Red Dot or picatinny compatible sight to it and of course adjust it to your preferred shot placement.
I typically prefer compact AR type CQB Airsoft rifles for their small and light size and perhaps just a little because of the way they look. That said I really like the look of the Cybergun FN Herstal P90 NBB AEG Airsoft Rifle, and it checks all the boxes as a CQB AEG Airsoft choice. The Cybergun FN Herstal P90 not only looked the part but performed really good and I would say could be used not only for CQB but for just about any Airsoft battle situation, as it had a nice high fps and was able to place rounds accurately down rage in both semi and full auto. With the Cybergun FN Herstal P90 NBB AEG Airsoft Rifle you get a really great performer, looker and the price is right considering it comes with almost everything you need in the box, including the battery and charger. Just keep in mind you will have to add your own sighting system, but that’s not a deal breaker since most people often change their sights anyway.
Type: AEG Airsoft Rifle. Manufacturer: Distributed by Cybergun. Model: FN Herstal P90. Materials: Mostly plastic, some internal metal parts. Weight: 4.9 pounds (2330 grams). TotalLength: 20 inches (508mm). Barrel: 10.25 inches (360mm) metal non-rifled. Propulsion: AEG. Action: Semi & full auto NBB SAO. AmmunitionType: 6mm plastic Airsoft BB’s. AmmunitionCapacity: 68 round magazine. FPS: Claimed 436 (.20 gram BB’s)
Trigger Pull: The Cybergun FN Herstal P90 NBB AEG Airsoft Rifle is an AEG which uses a battery to power a motor that pulls a spring back for each repetition of each shot which means the trigger is essentially an electric on off switch. This makes the trigger function very much like a single action trigger. Generally single action triggers are fairly short and light in feel and the Cybergun FN Herstal P90 NBB AEG Airsoft Rifle is no exception. There is about a quarter inch or so pull and then the on switch is triggered.
Accuracy: I have not shoot the Cybergun FN Herstal P90 NBB AEG Airsoft Rifle just yet or performed my standard Field Test Shooting Video, so I can not comment at this time on the actual performance other than what is claimed in terms of fps (436fps). This is a fairly new styled Airsoft Rifle to me so I can’t even offer any real historical information from shooting similar type AEG Airsoft rifles. So we are all gong to just have to wait and see on this one to understand just what the real world velocity and accuracy will be.
Build Quality: TheCybergun FN Herstal P90 NBB AEG Airsoft Rifle is on the outside almost all plastic but for a compact CQB styled rifle it does weigh a fair amount at almost 5 pounds so it does feel really solid in the hand. I imagine there must be a fair amount of internal metal mechanic parts going on in order to boost up the overall weight. I did notice that the area where the picatinny rails are located is all metal, so the entire area where the rear portion of the magazine sits in. What I consider to be the stock portion is all plastic which is not surprising.
Realism: The Cybergun FN Herstal P90 NBB AEG Airsoft Rifle is a licensed replica of a real steel FH Herstal P90 Rifle and has all the official FN branding on it via Cybergun licensing. It really does look accruate in almost dry way including the semi transparent magazine that shows what looks to be very real 5.7x28mm ammunition. The only real tell tale part would be the orange flash hiden which you can swap out for a more realistic all back version if you choose to.
Pros:
Has good overall weight considering mostly plastic external build.
Easy to get to and use hopup, just need your hands.
Ambidextrous trigger super easy to adjust right at your finder tips.
Comes with Battery and Charger.
Comes with a speed loader and cleaning jam rod.
Sling mount in the back.
Front top PicatinnyRail for red dot, scope.
Side Picatinny rails for a laser or tac light setup
Easy to get to battery compartment.
Fully licensed trademarks via Cybergun.
Very compact design , great for CQB battle situations.
Fairly high claimed fps! We will see?
Reasonable price in the Replica Airguns Canada and US Store.
Cons:
Mostly all plastic exterior.
Come with an orange tip.
Does not come with any type of sighting system.
Comments:
The Cybergun FN Herstal P90 NBB AEG Airsoft Rifle is a real unique looking rifle with its super compact CQB design. I am not sure everyone will like this style of AEG Airsoft Rifle but it is refreshing to see something other than another AR. I like that you get almost everything you need to get shooting with the FN Herstal P90 but keep in mind you will need your own sighting system and I recommend you put something like a compact red dot on it to go along with the compact build. I would also switch out the flash hider for something better looking and at some point upgrade the battery setup for an 11.1 volt lithium. All that said for under $300 Canadian and a bit over $160 US, it is good value but I will leave my final thoughts until after I make my Field Test Shooting Video most likely next week.
I love making these Mystery Box Unboxing Videos as many of the items inside are actually real mysteries to me, some I may have an idea of but even these items are new to me so it’s fun to open them up and check them all out. In this October 2023 Mystery Box Video I checkout 9 items ranging from AEG Airsoft Rifles to Airsoft , BB and Pellet Pistols. There is even a new Steel BB product from Sig Sauer that is a compact rifle with a 3 round burst option when shooting.
In this Field Test Shooting Review Video I test out the Bear River Black Ops SR4 CQ AEG Airsoft Rifle (which I would consider to be a midrange AEG Airsoft Rifle) to see how it performs in the Replica Airguns Sea Can Indoor Shooting Range. As always this test is to see what the real world velocity is using .20 gram Airsoft BB’s and I also shoot 10 rounds in semi auto and then essentially a mag dump in full auto to see what kind of accuracy I can get from 30 feet away shooting in both shooting modes. If you want more info on details and specifications along with some closer up video of the Bear River Black Ops SR4 CQ AEG Airsoft Rifle then watch my Table Top Video Review here.
Starting with the velocity or fps portion of my review, my 5 shot average produced 320 fps that was very consistent shot to shot. My lowest velocity was 319 while my highest velocity was 322 so not a big spread at all. This may seem a bit low but keep in mind it is a CQ (Close Quarters) Compact AEG Rifle purpose built for that situation, It is not really made for outdoor shooting where longer range shooting may be required.
For my Accuracy test, I placed a paper target 30 feet down range and actually ended up having to make this portion of my Test Video twice as two of my cameras did not cooperate with me and I do like to get multiple camera angels to make the videos a bit more interesting. For my second test I was able to get around a 1 inch group shooting 10 shots in semi auto. I did find the Bear River Black Ops SR4 CQ AEG Airsoft Rifle shot rather high so I had to place my aim point at the bottom of the rings on the papper target. This resulted in mid point shots but it did shoot a bit to the right. I would invest in either a red dot or perhaps some more adjustable iron sights for this Airsfot Rifle. As always I was shooting using a semi rested position sitting on a stool in the back rested on a sand bag up front. When I switched the sector to smile mode (Full Auto) I essentially did a mag dump of my remaining 50-60 rounds resulting in the grouping opening up to around 3 inches but this is expected with all those rounds being added to the grouping. Recoil was not really a factor as AEG Rifles don’t really move around all that much.
Overal the Bear River Black Ops SR4 CQ AEG Airsoft Rifle performed well for me in this Field Test Review. the FPS may seem a bit low but at close range it is more than enough and you don’t have to worry about hurting anyone so you can keep your mind on the game at hand. Accuracy was also in line with a mid range AEG Airsoft Rifle, perhaps even a bit better than most. The Bear River Black Ops SR4 CQ AEG Airsoft Rifle does come with a basic battery and charger but along with a better sighting system I would also invest in upgraded batters and charger to really complete this purchase. With the quad rail setup you can really make this AR Airsoft AEG your own in terms of customization, all that can be added at any time.
Type: Airsoft Rifle. Manufacturer: Bear River. Model: Black Ops SR4 CQ Materials: Mostly Metal. Weight: 6.2 pounds (2.8 kilograms). Length: 24-27.5 inches (610-699mm) BarrelLength: 7.8 inches (198mm) inner 6.06mm non-rifled. Propulsion: AEG. Action: Semi & Full Auto SAO. AmmunitionType: 6mm Airsoft BB's. AmmunitionCapacity: Mid Cap 300 rounds. FPS: 370 using .20 gram Airsoft BB’s.
TriggerPull: The trigger pull on the Bear River Black Ops SR4 CQ AEG Airsoft Rifle like pretty much every other AEG Airsoft Rifle I have reviewed is a SAO with a light and short trigger, typical of most AEG Airsoft guns having basically a trigger that is an electrical on/off switch. The trigger pressure I would say is about medium for this type of trigger and about a 1/4 inch in length. It has a curved metal trigger and works as expected.
Accuracy: I have not Field Test Reviewed the Bear River Black Ops SR4 CQ AEG Airsoft Rifle so far but I can only hope it performs as well as the Bear River Black Ops SR4 CQ AEG Airsoft Rifle I reviewed already as it really surprised me for such a low cost entry level AEG Airsoft Rifle. Bear River claims around a 370fps using .20 gram Airsoft BB’s but they do recommend using .25 gram or heavier Plastic BB’s. We will find out when I do my actual Field Test Shooting Video for it. Similar with accuracy, we will have to wait till my shooting video to know how the Bear River Black Ops SR4 CQ AEG Airsoft Rifle performs on a paper target in the Replica Airguns Indoor Sea Can Shooting range.
Build Quality: Build quality for the Bear River Black Ops SR4 CQ AEG Airsoft Rifle is exceptional with nearly the entire Airsoft Rifle made out of some sort of metal including the receiver, hadn't guard, buffer tube, barrel, sights, trigger, charging handle, sights and all of the controls. Internally you will find a full metal Gen. 3 gearbox from SRC with with 8 mm metal bearing bushings, metal spring guide, upgraded metal piston head, cylinder, and cylinder head, and pre-shimmed all steel gears. The Hop-up is also metal and Bear River has installed a high torque long axle motor from SRC along with a metal hop-up.
Realism: The Bear River Black Ops SR4 CQ AEG Airsoft Rifle like so many other AEG AR type Airsoft Rifles is super realistic, with the Black Ops SR4 CQ it takes it to the next level with so much equality and metal everywhere. Because of this it is fairly heavy for such a compact AR Rilfe coming in at over 6 pounds which does make it feel super solid to hold.
Pros:
Super compact CQ style AR.
Comes with charger and 9.6 volt Ni-MH battery to get you started.
Lots of mounting points for accessories.
Iron sights have 4 aperture option peep sight options.
6 position rear stock for different shoulder pull lengths.
Adjustable metal hop-up under dust cover.
Semi and full auto selectable.
Almost all metal build with good weight and feel to it.
Black Ops branding looks good.
Great looking Compact AR Replica.
Cons:
No dedicated bolt release.
Will want to upgrade battery soon to get the most out of it.
Sights are non adjustable.
Comments:
The Bear River Black Ops SR4 CQ AEG Airsoft Rifle for the price is a real deal as far as I am concerned selling currently for just over $400 in the Canada Replica Airguns Store, and $299 in the US Store. Keep in mind that also includes the 9.6 volt battery and charger to get you started, (I would recommend an 11.1 volt LIPO battery for higher RPM and a more responsive trigger). I really like more compact Rifles as I just like the look and they are easier to maneuver on the field or indoors with less bulk to get in the way. For the price you get a lot with the Bear River Black Ops SR4 CQ AEG Airsoft Rifle so if you are on a bit of a budget but still want all the bells and whistles then go for it!
Type: Airsoft Rifle. Manufacturer: Specna Arms. Model: RRA SA-CO2 Materials: Metal and Plastic. Weight: 4.96 pounds (2.25 kilograms). Length: 27.5-31 inches (699-787mm) BarrelLength: 10.63 inches (270mm) inner 6.03mm tight bore non-rifled. Propulsion: AEG. Action: Semi & Full Auto SAO. AmmunitionType: 6mm Airsoft BB's. AmmunitionCapacity: Mid Cap 450 rounds. FPS: 410 using .20 gram Airsoft BB’s.
TriggerPull: Like almost every other AEG Airsoft Rifle I’ve reviewed in the past, the trigger pull on the Specna Arms RRA SA-CO2 AEG Airsoft Rifle is a SAO with a light and short trigger feel. Most AEG Airsoft Rifles basically have a trigger that is an electrical on/off switch. The trigger pressure is not super light but for sure not heavy and the pull length is about a half centimeter long (quarter inch or so) and when you get to the end it basically actives the electric motor which compresses the spring allowing for semi or full auto shooting depending on what you have selected. Keep in mind higher voltage batteries will wind faster and make the hesitation shorter from the time you pull the trigger till the spring releases and shoots a BB.
Accuracy: In most cases I make my Table Top Review Video for each gun I review first, so I will not be able to share my experience of how this Specna Arms RRA SA-CO2 AEG Airsoft Rifle performs as that experience has not happened yet. I am planning to make my Field Test Shooting Video in a couple of weeks so stay posted for that video. You can watch a similar Specna Arms Core AEG Airsoft rifle video I have made previously showcasing a Core versus Edge series. The Specna Arms RRA SA-CO2 AEG Airsoft Rifle should performs about the same as a similar Core AEG Airsoft Rifle from Specna Arms.
Build Quality: Generally speaking from my past hands on with Sepcna Arms products both in Core and Edge version, they have been good in terms of quality and build. The Core versions will be a step down from the Edge version but they have still proven to perform well and hav a good overall build with decent internals no matter which version you decide to go with. I will say I did experience a problem with my Specna Arms RRA SA-CO2 AEG Airsoft Rifle when I pulled the charging handle back I had a fairly major malfunction with it. I am fairly sure the spring got jammed and now the charging handle will not spring back into forward resting position. This should not affect my Field Test Shooting Video as the only real purpose of this type of charging system is to open the dust cover and allow access to the hop-up system. I can still do this but need to pull back the hop door manually. Getting back to build quality, you get a plastic reacievr, buffer tube, carry handle, fore grip, magazine, rear stock and pistol grip. Metal can be found in most of the controls, the barrel and of course the trigger.
Realism: Other than the Specna Arms RRA SA-CO2 AEG Airsoft Rifle having a fair amount of plastic components it is a very realistic copy of a similar styled AR type Rifle. It will be a bit lighter but feels decent to hold and you can add a bit of mass by swapping out the carry hand and fore grip with metal versions.
Pros:
More classic AR15 look to it if you prefer that.
Quality components throughout even in the lower priced Core series.
ESA™ quick spring change system makes spring changes quick and easy.
Comes with two springs for potential indoor and outdoor usage.
Plastic parts are fiberglass reenforced making them very durable.
Fully adjustable peep sight with two aperture positions.
No orange tips on our Canada Store versions.
6 position rear stock for varies shoulder pull lengths.
Metal V2 Gearboxes with metal gears and mostly all metal parts inside.
Easy access to motor for any possible trouble shooting you any need to do.
Cons:
Plastic receiver.
Charging handle had a major malfunction in my demo unit.
You will need a more compact and specific battery size/type with this style of AR AEG.
Comments:
It is unfortunate that my review version of the Specna Arms RRA SA-CO2 AEG Airsoft Rifle was defective, this can happen to any product ever high end Airguns. It does not happen very often thankfully and this would be the first time it has happened to me with a Specna Arms Product so don’t be too hard on them. Fortunately I should still be able to make my Field test Shooting Video and get that info out to everyone. As it stands I think the Specna Arms RRA SA-CO2 AEG Airsoft Rifle is well priced and good value (in 100% working condition of course). Personally I would look more at the Edge series as the quality is a for sure a big step up but not everyone has a big budget so get what works best for your needs and budget.
In this Indoor Field Test Shooting Video I test out the Umarex T4E TR68 .68 Caliber Paintball Revolver to see what the real world velocity is and what kind accuracy I can get shooting at a paper target 30 feet away. For this Video Review I use a brand new CO2 along with .68 caliber Rubber Balls. I have already made a Table Top Video for the Umarex T4E TR68 so check that out if you’re interested in specifications and details along with more closeup video of this Paintball Revolver. And for fun I also made an interesting outside shooting video using actual Paintballs that highlights this Revolver along with the Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol.
So let’s get straight to the shooting results! For my Chronograph test, being indoors the temperature was about room temperature, maybe a bit lower at around 19-20 Degrees Celsius or 66-68 Degrees Fahrenheit. Temperature can affect velocity as CO2 performs better in warmer conditions. My fastest Chronograph result was 205 fps while my slowest shot hitting 190 fps resulting in a average of 198 fps . Keep in mind the .68 caliber Rubber Balls have a lot more weight to them than the smaller .50 or .43 Caliber Balls used in other Umarex T4E Paintball Airguns.
Next I performed the accuracy portion which for me is the fun part, I often shoot 10 rounds in to my paper targets setup 30 feet down range, since the Umarex T4E TR68 .68 Caliber Paintball Revolver magazines only holds 5 rounds, I did have to make a quick magazine change half way through my Accuracy Test. I was also using a semi-rested shooting position with my hands resting on a sandbag up front and sitting on a stool in the back. There was also one other disruption in my shooting worth mentioning as I had to go up and put the paper target back on as it was dislodged by the energy of these larger Rubber Balls. That all said, I was able to get about a 5 inch grouping from my 10 rounds which is pretty good for a Paintball Airgun. I am confident you will be able to get all your shots on a body sized target at 30 feet out with a little bit of practice. Most of the shots were pretty well centered, perhaps just a little bit under the bullseye.
Even though the Umarex T4E TR68 .68 Caliber Paintball Revolver is a lot larger than the somewhat similar Umarex T4E TR50 .50 Caliber Paintball Revolver, I prefer it as I found it to shoot a bit more reliably and with good accuracy. It is maybe a bit large for some people as compared to the TR50 but I feel the extra size is worth it for the increased energy at point of impact and again the superior accuracy and reliability.
In this Field Test Indoor Shooting Video I take the Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol through its paces to see what the actual velocity is and what kind accuracy I can get shooting at a paper target 30 feet away. For this Video Review I use a brand new CO2 along with .43 caliber rubber balls. I have already made a Table Top Video for the Umarex T4E HK VP9 so check that out if you’re interested in specifications and details along with more closeup video of this Paintball Pistol. And for fun I also made an interesting outside shooting video using actual Paintballs that highlights the Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol.
So let’s get right to the results! For my Chronograph test, being indoors the temperature was about room temperature, maybe a bit lower at around 19-20 Degrees Celsius or 66-68 Degrees Fahrenheit. This can affect velocity as CO2 performs bettering in warmer conditions. My fastest Chronograph result was 283 fps while my slowest result was 268 fps averaging 277 fps so not bad as I was expecting just under 300 fps based on past experiences using similar Umarex T4E Blowback CO2 Paintball Pistols.
Next up in the Field Test was the accuracy portion, I often shoot 10 rounds in to my paper targets setup 30 feet down range, but since the Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol magazine only holds 8 rounds I went with 8 rounds this time. I was also using a semi-rested shooting position with my hands resting on a sandbag up front and sitting on a stool in the back. I did get one Paintball that was a bit low but the other 7 all fell into a rather nice 4 inch grouping fairly well centered on the target just a bit to the right. 3 Paintballs even hit the bullseye which is pretty good for a Blowback Paintball Pistol in my books.
All in all the Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol performed a lot like the other Umarex T4E CO2 Blowback .43 Caliber Paintball Pistols in their lineup, maybe perhaps this time around for me at least with a little bit more accuracy than past Field Tests. I had no problems with the Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol shooting in my outside fun video and in this Indoor Field Test Video, the Umarex T4E HK VP9 has a decent DOA trigger that is fairly responsive and the blowback action has more recoil and snap than I was expecting. I would put the Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol right in line with the other Umarex T4E CO2 Blowback .43 Caliber Paintball Pistols for sure, maybe even just a bit better in terms of my results on this day.
Summer will be over before we know it, so why not get out and shoot some Paintball Pistols on a bunch of random targets in the yard before fall kicks in! I rarely get to use actual Paintballs in my Paintball Guns as I mainly test indoors and so I pretty much have to use Rubber Balls or have to deal with a bunch of clean up afterwards.
So today I grabbed my two newest Umarex T4E Paintball Pistols, the Umarex T4E TR68 and Umarex T4E HK VP9. I of course I loaded them up with their appropriate ammo .68 and .43 caliber Paintballs, and headed outside.
Figuring out how to make the video interesting and get lots of different camera angles can be fun, so I decided to grab my Hover Camera X1 which I think from now on is going to be my new “Camera Man” when I need a camera recoding me as I move around. I also placed my Insta 360 One R and my iVUE Vista Camera glasses in the mix. All being audio recorded with my Comica Vimo C Wireless Lapel Mic so you can actually hear everything clearly.
Seems like a lot of production using all of these recording devices and then having to line up, cut and mix everything together in post. Well you guys are worth it and I’m a bit of a tech junky so it was all kind of fun for me too.
Type: Paintball Gun. Manufacturer:Umarex - T4E. Model:T4E HK VP9 Materials: Metal & Polymer. Weight: 790 grams (1.7 pounds). Barrel: Smooth bore. Power Source: 1x12 gram CO2. Action: DAO Semi-Automatic with blowback action. Ammo Type: .43 Caliber Paintball / Rubber Ball / Pepper Ball. Ammo Capacity: 8 Rounds. FPS: 300.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol feels a lot like a double action trigger mainly because when you pull the trigger, the inner barrel travels backwards into the magazine placing a paintball round in the barrel which seals the barrel with the magazine so less CO2 is wasted. This does make the trigger a little bit longer and heavier than a single action trigger because of the added friction. The internal hammer/striker is engaged from the blowback action which does help lesson the overall triggers pull weight.
Accuracy: So far I have not had the opportunity to test the Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol, so stay posted for my upcoming Field Test Shooting Video where I will see what kind of velocity and accuracy we can expect from the Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol. For now you can watch my Field Test Shooting Video for the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol as it is very similar in design and should for the most part perform in a similar manner.
Build Quality: The build quality of the Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is good overal, you will find metal parts are where you would expect them to be, in the slide, slide catch, barrel, magazine and most internal parts giving the Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol a decent overall weight of almost 2 pounds with the magazine in which makes the Paintball version feel comparable to a real steel HK VP9 (710 grams - 25 ounces). The T4E HK VP9 does have a polymer frame but again this is normal with todays modern guns and helps keep the weight down. Fit and finish is also very good!
Realism: The Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is a fully licensed replica of the real steel HK VP9 via its Umarex Licensing. The Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is made specifically as a training tool for owners of similar real steel HK Handguns so for that reason it is made to replicate its powder burning counterpart very closely. You will find that the slide cycle distance is a bit shorter than it would be meaning that when the side catch is engaged the slide does not go as far back in the 9mm version. Field stripping the Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol will requires some tools and pin removal.
Pros:
Accurate weight and solid feeling gun.
Full Metal slide that locks back on the last shot.
All metal heavy full size drop out magazine adds some additional weight to the gun.
Good for real steel H&K VP9 owners looking for a similar training weapon.
Everything works pretty much like the real gun so again great as a training tool.
Easy to see white dot sights front and back.
Working trigger safety
Fit and finish is very good.
Magazine spring release pops the magazine out just enough to grab it but not drop it on the floor.
.43 caliber barrel opening, adds to realism.
Warning instructions are a lot more discrete under the trigger guard and not super white in color.
Comes with additional grip parts to customize to various hand sizes.
Cons:
Magazine only holds 8 rounds, so you are going to need extra magazines for sure.
Blowback action is not full blowback, more like a typical half blowback BB gun.
Sights are non adjustable.
Comments:
The Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is mechanically very close to the Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol and the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol in how it functions as a Paintball Pistol so I expect all of them to shoot very similarly and that’s not a bad thing since previous versions I have tested so far have performed rather well for me in the Replica Airguns Sea Can Indoor Shooting Range. If you are an HK fan then the Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is about as close as you are going to get in a Replica Paintball Pistol. Owning the paintball version will allow for a lot more opportunities to get some trigger time in and hone your shooting skill with a very similar gun to the one you my own, and at a fraction off the cot to 9mm ammo.
Type: Paintball Gun. Manufacturer:Umarex - T4E. Model:T4E TR68 Materials: Metal & Polymer. Weight: 773 grams (1.7 pounds). Barrel: 6.5 inches (165mm) ,Smooth bore. Total Length: 13 inches (331mm). Power Source: 1x12 gram CO2. Action: Revolver - Double action only trigger. Ammo Type: .68 Caliber Paintball or Rubber Ball. Ammo Capacity: 5 Rounds x 3 magazines. FPS: 230-300.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on Umarex T4E TR68 .68 Caliber Paintball Revolver is double action only but not very long with a much smoother feel than the TR50, so maybe Umarex did some improving here. without any ammo in it the T4E TR68 trigger feels responsive for a double action trigger. We will have to see when I do my Field Test Shooting Video how it performs and if fully loaded up and primed, if it feels the same?
Accuracy: So far I have not had the opportunity to test the Umarex T4E TR68 .68 Caliber Paintball Revolver out, the only other similar product that may compare would be the Umarex T4E TR50 but I have a feeling both these guns will perform rather different since the ammo is a lot larger on the TR68. Also with the way the different triggers feel, I expect this to help with performance on the Umarex T4E TR68.
Build Quality: The build quality of the Umarex T4E TR68 .68 Caliber Paintball Revolver is good overall. It is a mostly plastic build with some metal parts where they need to be internally. It is essentially two plastic halves held together by small screws with few actual mechanical working external parts. You have the trigger with its working trigger safety, the removable magazine and magazine release and of course the quick puncture CO2 screw knob. The hammer is internal. The Umarex T4E TR68 .68 Caliber Paintball Revolver is not very heavy but it does feel really solid in the hand because of its very large size.
Realism: The Umarex T4E TR68 .68 Caliber Paintball Revolver is not really a replica per say of any real steel gun that I know of. It does share a lot of similarities with the Crosman Vigilante which is a CO2 BB/Pellet Revolver with its main design going back several decades. The Umarex T4E TR68 .68 Caliber Paintball Revolver looks similar to what a modern looking large caliber revolver such as a 357 or 44 magnum looks like. It is not going to fool anyone up close that you actually have a real steel revolver but then again I don’t think if you are shooting it at anyone they are going to want to get all that close to you :)
Pros:
Hoping to get a bit more raw energy out of the T4E TR.68 than the TR50 as it uses larger heavier ammo. (TR50 averaged 328 using rubber balls for reference).
Lots of mounting options for accessories like a tac light, laser or other sighting option with it’s upper and lower picatinny rail setup.
Quick CO2 pierce system so you can leave a CO2 in it ready to go any time with no worries about CO2 leaking out while in storage.
Working Trigger Safety.
White dot sights super easy to see on targets of varying colors and shades.
DOA Trigger feels pretty decent, not too long or heavy.
Comes with 3 total magazines you can preload ready for use.
Super non-complicated design. Once loaded with CO2 and Paintballs or Rubber Balls, all you need to do is hit the CO2 knob and then pull the trigger.
Build quality feels good, the gun is fairly beefy but not overly heavy.
Grip is normal size even thought the gun itself is fairly large.
Cons:
Mostly all plastic build.
Sights are not adjustable so hopefully it is well centered out of the box.
Do not expect a lot of shots per CO2. Will find out when I do my Field Test Shooting Review.
Comments:
The Umarex T4E TR68 .68 Caliber Paintball Revolver is an interesting Paintball gun, overseas versions are marketed as the HDR86 which stands for “Home Defense Revolver”, while the North American or Canada version is marketed as the TR68 for “Training Revolver”. This is mainly because in Europe most countries are not allowed to own real handguns but can own “Self Defense handguns”. In the US real handguns are very easy to obtain and can be used for self defense. Just across the border here in Canada we can not really purposely have on hand anything that we plan to use as a weapon for self defense so the Umarex T4E TR68 .68 Caliber Paintball Revolver, like the TR50 is marketed as a Training Revolver. What’s the difference? Not much, our North American 230+ fps version is a lot like the lower powered German versions in terms of power but you can also get more powerful versions in the UK. All that said, the Umarex T4E TR68 .68 Caliber Paintball Revolver at least here in Canada is made and marketed as a Training Paintball gun maybe not all that suitable on the field? What you decide to do with it is up to you.
In this Replica Airguns Unboxing Video I take a look at 6 Airguns consisting of 2 Paintball Pistols, 3 Airsoft Rifles and one Pellet Rifle. This is not a full review in any way but is rather a preview of what i will be doing full Reviews for over the next several weeks.
This is not exclusive to Airguns since trends of Airguns are highly influenced by what type of Real Steel Pistols are popular to people. This is often based on what people see portrayed in movies and TV Series, and also promoted online. There is for sure an overlap in what is popular and it is hard to say what is influencing what? Is it the popularity of Pistols out in the real world that influences what we see being used in the movies and on TV? Or is it what we see in Movies and TV that influences our choices of pistols out in the real world? Perhaps it is a combination of both?
My list is based on my own personal experience and does not represent the entirety of types of Pistol designs available.
Last week I individually tested out the Barra Black Ops M4 Viper MK5 and the Krytac LVOA-C AEG Airsoft Rifles here in the Replica Airguns Indoor Sea Can Shooting Range to see how well they would perform. I was very surprised at how closely they performed considering the Barra Black Ops is around a quarter of the cost of the Krytac LVOA-C.
My testing in the Indoor Sea Can is a bit limited in terms of range as I can only set a target to about 30 feet away given the limitations of my 40 foot Sea Cam. I really wanted to take both of these AEG Airsfot Rifles and test them out at much longer ranges to see if the much lower cost Barra Black Ops M4 Viper MK5 could compete with the Krytac LVOA-C Airsoft Rifle at 50 feet and 100 feet respectively. So that’s exactly what I did! I did use a bit heavier Airsoft BB’s (.28 gram) for the longer range outdoors and much windier shooting conditions but I do have to say it was a bit windy on my testing day which I am sure played a roll.
I did place a few pre-test shots downrange at my 100 foot target to get an idea of where I needed to place my aim point and this did help me a bit to get in the ball park but by no way was a bang on in terms of sighting in. Because of this I did have to make some on-the-fly adjustments as I tested but was able to get rounds on paper at 100 feet even with the wind gusts.
In this second video I test out the more expensive of the two AEG Airsoft Rifles, the Krytac LVOA-C AEG Airsoft Rifle to see how it compared to my previous Barra Black Ops M4 Viper MK5 test. I was a bit surprised at the results expecting the Krytac LVOA-C Airsoft Rifle to be the clearly superior option. As it turns out there was actually very little difference at least in term of accuracy out of the box. That said the Krytac LVOA-C had a much more responsive trigger with virtually no delay between pulling the trigger and actual BB’s being fired. This also makes full auto shooting a completely different experience as the Krytac LVOA-C rounds per minute is out of this world!
