This is not to say that a “Real Gun” is not as good as an Airgun or better in other ways, in this video I’m just pointing out how an Airgun in some cases can actually be better suited than a Real Gun.
Availability: What I mean by this, is that in many countries Real Guns can be very hard to acquire and often require safety course and applications before one can purchase a Real Gun. I have no problem with this but it is a reality that must be considered. Having an Airgun versus not having a gun at all makes it a better option for people that live in countries that have strict gun laws. Here in Canada we are allowed Real Guns, even pistols but we do have restriction on our pistols and so I can only get certain guns in an Airgun version. As a collector this is better than not having the gun at all.
Price to Buy: Generally speaking you can pickup an enter level Airgun for much less money than a real gun.
Cost to Shoot: Real gun ammo prices have been steadily increasing to the point that a day out shooting can cost several hundred dollars just on the ammunition alone.
Comparison of Price:
50 rounds of 9mm ammo will cost around $18.00
6000 rounds of 4.5mm Steel BB will cost about $18.00
CO2 is a bit less than $1 per 12 gram Cylinder which can yield up to 100 shots each.
To shoot 100 rounds of 9mm will cost close to $40 versus 100 shots of 4.5mm steel BB at around $1.
For this reason alone an Airgun can make a lot of sense even for Real Gun owners looking to get more cost effective practice time.
Access to Shooting Locations: Depending on where you live you will have to consider your local laws and where you are allowed to shoot both types of guns but typically you can shoot an Airgun safely just about anywhere as long as you implement some backstop safety precautions. Here in Canada we can only shoot a pistol at designated gun ranges, where as Airguns have a lot more allowances to shot them as long as you are not braking any city bylaws.
Training Guns: Even if you plan to eventually step up to a Real Gun at some point, an airgun is a great option to first learn proper gun handling skills since if you where to make a mistake, the consequences are much less severe. Airguns are also a lot less intimidating than a real gun since they are much quieter and have less recoil, you don’t even need to wear ear protection with most Airguns which means an instructor can communicate to his pupil on the range a lot easier.
Prop Guns: Since Replica Airguns look so much like real guns these day, they can often be used as a safer substitute for use in Movie, TV or other Photo and Video productions. Using a Real Gun on set generally requires a certified “Gun Wrangler” be on hand as Real Guns must be transported, stored and handled using very strict regulations. Airguns generally do not need to follow the same rigid regulations that Real Guns are bound to.
Tactical Training with Live Targets: Obviously shooting a real gun at a live target would not fair well for anyone involved, so that is completely out of the question. Airsoft Airguns are however perfect for Tactical Training and other weapons based simulations. All that is required for safety when using Airsoft guns is the use of eye protection and generally some heavy clothing.
I am sure there are some more areas in which Airguns may have the advantage over a Real Gun but these are the main ones that I could think of.
It has been a while since I picked out some of my favorite guns, after all my favorite gun picks change on a daily basis since there are so many awesome guns out there to pick from.
This Vimeo video is a little different since I pick out my favorites from a bunch of mostly replica gun categories including Steel BB, Pellet, Airsoft, Revolvers and Blank Pistols.
You may notice most of my picks happen to be blowback guns but to me airguns are all about being as realistic as possible and having blowback operation to me help to simulate the realism that much more. The exception in this video is in the pellet gun category since I decided on a pellet gun that was more about function and purpose over being any type of real replica.
Hopefully you take the time to watch my entire Vimeo video since I also bring out some close runner ups but here is a list of my top picks on this day, tomorrow it could be a completely different list of guns ;)
Trigger Pull: The trigger on the SM Mod 110 8mm Blank Pistol is single action only so you will need to rack the slide to not only chamber a round but also cock the internal hammer / striker, follow up shots will case the slide to cycle on it own allowing for single action shooting. The trigger is rather nice with just a slight bit of take-up followed by a light release.
Accuracy: NA.
Build Quality: The SM Mod 110 8mm Blank Pistol was made in West Germany sometime back in the Mid 70's so this pistol is 30-40 years old and still looks great. Mine does have some slight pitting on the right side I am assuming from sitting in the box up against the manual which more than likely may have an acidic property to it. Even so this pitting is minor and the gun is in good condition overall. Like most blank pistols much of the gun is made out of pot metal (a zinc alloy) but it does have hardened steel parts where they need to be (Barrel, ejector, hammer, pins, screws and magazine).
Realism: The SM Mod 110 8mm Blank Pistol is not a true replica as far as I can tell is not an actual replica of any real steel semi-auto pistol in production but it does look a bit like the American Derringer LM5. In terms of looking like a gun it looks like what you would expect a small caliber sub compact pistol should look like and all operation is exactly like a semi auto pistol with the exception that the SM Mod 110 only shoots blanks since the barrel is obstructed with a metal rod.
I really like unique blank guns since they are so hard to locate here in Canada. When I saw this sitting on the table at my local gun show I kind of wondered if someone had accidentally left out a prohibited firearm but once I inspected it I quickly realized it was a blank shooter and decided right there and then I had to have it. I did pay close to $200 for it but to me it is worth it simply because this little blank shooter is a rare find and it was also in really good condition and even came with the original 8mm self defence pepper blanks. The SM Mod 110 8mm Blank Pistol is for sure a blank shooter I will be holding onto for some time...
My Vimeo Table Top Review for the SM Mod 110 8mm Blank Pistol:
Propulsion: Green gas or 12 Gram CO2 dependant on magazine used.
Action: Blowback,Single action only.
Ammunition Type: 6mm plastic Airsoft BB's.
Ammunition Capacity: 29 rounds.
FPS: 410-440 fps
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the KJWork KC-02 Version 2 10/22 Gas Blowback Airsoft Carbine is pretty much exactly like a real Ruger 10/22, nice and short, not to light or heavy, crisp and single action only. If you already have a Ruger 10/22 and want to pickup this Airsoft version for some anytime shooting then you will not be disappointed in the trigger since it is already what you are used to.
Accuracy: I decided to setup my paper target a little further out than my standard 30 feet, so I took it back to around 50 feet and put around 24 shots into it in a fairly quick succession from a rested position. The KJWork KC-02 Version 2 10/22 Gas Blowback Airsoft Carbine grouped continently and well centred on target getting around a 3 inch grouping. This was using a red dot scope but with the out of the box hop-up setting in place. I was a little bit surprised by my fps results as my Chronograph recorded an impressive 445 average 5 shot fps using the lower powered green gas magazine. All shot where within only a few fps of each other too! I can only imagine how hard this gun would shoot using the alternative CO2 Magazine. Blowback action was just enough to give some feedback and of course allowed for the bolt to cycle giving the KJWork KC-02 Version 2 10/22 Gas Blowback Airsoft Carbine a true single action trigger pull.
Build Quality: The build quality for all KJWork KC-02 Version 2 10/22 Gas Blowback Airsoft Carbine is very good with a nice weight and feel to it, It really does feel like I am holding a real Ruger 10/22 and it is one of the most popular semi auto 22LR rifles out there for a reason. Mechanically this Ryger 10/22 copy works great, super consistent and very responsive. The fit and finish as with all KJWorks guns is top notch.
Realism: The KJWork KC-02 Version 2 10/22 Gas Blowback Airsoft Carbine is for all intents and purposes simple an Airsoft version of the Ruger 10/22 and even though I have no way to confirm this, I would imagine many 10/22 after market accessories may actually work with the KJWork 10/22 Gas Blowback Airsoft Carbine. Everything works just like it would on a real 10/22 without the loud noise and ejecting shells.
Built on the very popular 10/22 platform so lots of people are going to be very familiar with this rifle and may want an Airsoft version they can shoot just about any time they feel like it.
Good weight and feel to it.
Blowback semi auto action with true single action trigger.
Lots of rail access points for tons of add on accessories.
Pop-up fully adjustable sights stay out of the way but are ready to go when needed.
Easy to adjust Hop-up.
Available magazines in both CO2 and Green Gas.
Adjustable AR styled rear stock with AR pistol grips.
Sling mounts included.
Works with standard Airsoft screw on flash hider or suppressors.
Awesome FPS and consistency.
Very accurate even at 50 feet, around a 3 inch 25 shot grouping.
Cons:
No full auto mode.
Higher capacity mag would have been nice.
Would be nice to have a higher capacity magazine for it.
Comments:
I am really impressed with the KJWork KC-02 Version 2 10/22 Gas Blowback Airsoft Carbine! It feel and shoots a lot like the real steel version but with less noise and recoil. For back yard shooting fun and practice you can not find a cheaper gun out there to simulate shooting your real 10/22 and of course this rifle used on an Airsoft field would be a perfect fir for almost any shooting environment since it is light, compact, accurate and powerful. I think I found my newest favorite Blowback Airsoft Rifle :)
My Vimeo Table Top Review of the KJWork KC-02 Version 2 10/22 Gas Blowback Airsoft Carbine:
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.
I will be showcasing here on the Replica Airguns website and over on the Replica Airguns YouTube channel a series of videos I will be making for the purpose of selling some guns out of my personal collection. I simply have no more room for the new guns and in some cases I either have duplicate guns or very similar versions so there is no need to have both. Some guns I am less attached to and as I already stated I need to make room for some of the new stuff I will be reviewing.
To start this series off my first video is to highlight the blank guns I am selling, there are only 4 of them, all of which are really hard to get here in Canada so I am not going to let them go cheap. By the way I am only selling to Canadian residents since shipping cross borders is a little sketchy.
Make sure to watch my above YouTube video to see the blank guns I am selling and instructions on how you can take part in the sale and purchase of them.
Here is a list of the blank guns I am selling from my personal gun collection:
In this 2016 SHOT Show Interview I talk with Chip Hunnucutt from Crosman Corporation. Chip was eager to show off Crosman's new Airbow which is a essentially a hybrid PCP Air Rifles combined with a Crossbow. SO take away the bow and replace the power source with a 3000 PSI compressed air system that is capable of shooting standard archery arrows at 450 fps with 160 foot pounds of energy using 375 grain arrows.
The Crosman Airbow on a full 3000 PSI charge can deliver 8 consecutive shots @ the regulated 450 fps. The Airbow also weighs in at 7 pounds and being that it is a Bullpup design it is only 33.5 inches long so nice and compact for an arrow shooter.
Since the power is generated by the PCP compressed air system there is no heavy cocking rope so a simple lift of the ambidextrous cocking bolt is all that is needed to charge the Crosman Airbow. The Airbow also comes standard with a CenterPoint® 6x40 mm scope specially designed with the Airbow in mind.
Since the Crosman Airbow is technically an under 500 fps airgun, it should be considered an uncontrolled firearm here in Canada which means no PAL license will be required to buy and own the Crosman Airbow in Canada. In terms of using the Airbow for hunting as it is not a bow but rather an Airgun, that is yet to be determined here in Canada.
In this 2016 SHOT Show Interview I talk with Dani Navickas from the Airgun division of Sig Sauer. Dani and I discuss Sig's new line of CO2 Blowback Pellet rifles and pistols. Dani talks about some of the behind the scenes information that went into the development and manufacturing of Sig's new line of CO2 Airguns.
Sig CO2 P226 and P250 Air Pistols along with their Sig MPX and MCX Air Rifles have been developed in house by Sig.Sig has been working very closely with a Japanese manufacturer to make sure that every stage of development is to Sig's high standards. The new Sig CO2 Blowback rifles and pistols are made to match the real steal version in almost every way including dimension, weight, functionality, materials used and even trigger pull.
Sig's new Sig MPX and Sig MCX Pellet Rifles have a brand new patented belt fed 30 round pellet magazine that is indexed via the internal blowback action of these rifles smoothing out the trigger action. The Sig P226 and Sig P250 pistols use a double ended 16 round pellet magazine similar to what you would find on Umarex's PX4 Strom blowback pellet pistol.
Look for Sig's new line of CO2 Blowback Pellet Airguns coming out shortly.
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…
When I say Airguns, I am referring to pretty much all BB, Airsoft, Pellet, Paintball and even Blank guns for most of the topics listed here.
Do’s:
Treat your Airgun just like you would a real gun. If something goes wrong, perhaps the outcome will not be as severe but do you really want to take a trip down to your local emergency ward to get a BB or Pellet removed?
Always assume your airgun is loaded, for some reason it always seems those empty guns are the ones that do the most damage.
Be discrete, If it looks like a gun other people will think it is a gun so don’t flash your airguns around in public. Keep it in a case when transporting and shoot it in an area that will not alarm other people.
Always wear eye protection when shooting your Airgun. Do you really want to shoot your eye out? No Joke!
Be aware of your surroundings like windows, hard objects that could make your ammo bounce back at you. Make sure you are shooting your Airgun in a safe direction at all times, know your target and beyond.
Use Airguns to teach others and learn how to safely and effectively shoot a gun. Airguns can be less intimidating then a real gun (Not so loud and very little recoil) and make for great start out and transitions guns.
Use Airguns to get more inexpensive trigger time and become a more experienced shooter. Airguns cosy only pennies per round to shoot and can be shot in way more areas than a real gun can, practice makes perfect so get shooting!
Use Airguns in areas where real guns may not be allowed or safe to use. Again, Airguns can be shot in all kinds of places, in your back yard or even in a properly setup indoor home range.
Use Airguns with adequate power for safe and humane pest control where real guns may be prohibited.Airguns are quiet and less likely for the bullet to travel long ranges which makes them ideal for close range pest control in areas where real guns are too loud and to powerful.
Don’ts:
Do not assume because it is an airgun it is not dangerous or simply a toy. Many Deaths have been caused by Airguns along with a lot of pain and suffering so treat your Airgun with respect. It is not a toy or you would find them in the toy department at your local store along with yo-yos and stuffed animals.
Do not point or shoot at people unless of course you are using an Airsoft gun in an Airsoft field or facility. Yes Airsoft guns are meant to shoot at each other (with appropriate attire like eye protection and full body clothing), but steel BB and Pellet can cause serious injury especially at close range and on direct skin contact.
Do not leave your Airgun loaded, you never know who is going to come across it and accidentally discharge it. Remember, a loaded gun is a dangerous gun in the wrong hands. You may know better than to assume the gun is undulated but children and even adults without any gun training will most definitely handle the airgun without consideration of the danger it poses.
Do not use an Airgun for self protection. See my related video. Simply put, Airguns are not practical for self defense because they rarely have enough Stopping Power. The ones that do have enough power need to be pre-charged and in most cases are only single shot meaning if you miss or don’t get the job done no the first shot then you are done.
Do not use an underpowered Airgun for pest control. See related video. Using a low powered BB pistol for pest control is cruel, you will only injure the animal making it suffer unnecessarily. Use a high powered pellet rifle to get the job done.
Do not take your gun apart, in most cases this will void the warranty and the reality is that airguns rarely need to be cleaned since no dirty gun powder is used. lead pellet rifles may require occasional barrel cleaning to keep the rifled barrel free of debris.
Do not over oil your Airgun, a little goes a long way and too much oil will just attracted dirt, use the right airgun oil and just enough to keep part functioning smoothly.
Do not over pump an Airgun. Over pumping an Airgun can cause damage to valves and seals and in a worse case situation a rupture the air pressure reservoir or even cause the airgun to explode!
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.
Whether you like it or not, most of us have come across an Airgun with an ugly orange tip on it at some point. In most cases you will find the intrusive orange or red tips on Airsoft guns that shoot plastic BB's, in some cases you will even find them on Airguns that shoot either lead pellets and/or steel BB's.
It really comes down to where you live as to what your local gun laws have determined is required for your area. You may even live in a region where Airguns and Airsoft guns are not allowed at all! So for you a red or orange tip on the front would be welcome if it would allow you to own an Airgun or Airsoft gun. What about the entire gun being painted a bright color, well that is the case for some folks so again having a red or orange tips may not be as bad as it originally seemed...
In Canada where I live, we used to only be allowed Airsoft guns that had clear sections as our replica gun laws are very strict and all black Airsoft guns would have fallen iinto the "replica" category if they did not have large clear plastic see-through sections on them. This clear section law was revised somewhat over the last several years to allow for all black Airsoft guns here in Canada. It was determined that many Airsoft guns with higher fps limits could cause a serious injury to a human, making them less of a toy in the eyes of the law and more of a weapon. Because of this, Airsoft guns that are capable of shooting a .20 gram plastic BB at a velocity of 360 fps or "higher" are now considered to be similar in the eyes of the law to a regular steel BB or lead pellet shooting Airgun. In Canada, Pellet and Steel BB guns are actually considered firearms of a sort so this allows the higher fps Airsoft guns to be all black since it can not be a replica of a firearm if it is in fact considered to be a firearm by law.
The long and short of all of this is that here in Canada we do not require our Airsoft guns to have orange or red tips since they are considered more or less to be just like any other Airgun and our Airguns do not have red or orange tips either.
Getting back to the title of this article "No Orange Tip On Your Airsoft Gun! Are You Insane?" I often get folks from the US giving me heck for removing the orange tips from my Airsoft guns or asking me why my Airsoft guns don't have them in the first place. These people even state that I could get in a lot of trouble for this! Perhaps they think I live in the US or that US laws govern Canada as well? I am not sure but I can say for the record that I am not breaking any laws at least here in Canada where I live.
I know in the US that wholesalers and retailers by law have to sell Airsoft guns with the affixed orange tips on them, once the end user receives that gun and depending on which state they live in, it may or may not be legal to remove the orange tip. Again, you will need to look into your local state laws as they are different from state to state in the US.
I don't often review target and or hunting rifles since for the most part Replica Airguns is all about well... replica airguns :) I have reviewed some of my own personal spring piston and pump rifles since I have them and there is a cross over in folks that like both the replica airguns and airguns meant for target and or hunting purposes.
We do have a small selection of spring piston rifles in our Replica Airguns Canada store suitable for target and small game so I thought I would point some of them out in this preview video.
The best way to describe a Blank Gun is to imagine it as a real gun in just about every way except one… There are no dangerous bullets flying out the front of it. That’s right, a Blank Gun just like a real gun uses a brass or metal shells, loaded with a primer and gun powder, but for what ever reason reason, some rocket scientists forgot to put a bullet at the end of the Blank shell.
Why Would You Want a Blank Gun?
Isn’t the entire purpose of a gun to shoot something? So why on earth would you buy a gun that doesn't shoot anything at all, what purpose would it serve? Even Nerf guns, water guns, potato guns all shoot something…
One way to look at a Blank Gun is to imagine it as a cap gun, but for grown ups. Similar to how kids like to shoot their cap guns because they go bang and sparks and smoke fly out of them, Blank Guns do the same thing but on a much grander scale and in most cases they look and sound a lot more like a real gun than a cap gun does.
So Blank Guns don’t actually do the main function of a real gun (that is to shoot a bullet), but they do look and sound the part of a gun. So how could this be of practical use to anyone?
Signalling Devices:
First off, have you ever heard of a Starter Pistol or a Flare Gun? Blank Guns have been historically used to signal the start of races. Many Blank Guns also have the ability to shoot flares by adding a flare adaptor to them so a person can shoot a flare into the air to signal distress if they are lost or hurt.
Gun Handling and Training:
Since many Blank Guns look, operate and feel almost exactly like real guns, Blank Guns are a great place to start out when training a person on proper gun handling and operation. If they make a mistake while using a Blank Gun, the consequences are far less severe than with a real gun. There is also much less kick from a Blank Gun so shooting a Blank Gun is less scary or intimidating for new shooters.
Dog Training:
Dogs used for police, military and hunting are required to stay calm around loud noises like gun shots, trained dogs also need to get used to the presence of guns and even how to attack the gun hand of a person who could be a potential threat. Again using Blank Guns in this training situation is a much better option than using a real gun for obvious reasons.
Movies, Video TV and Stage:
Introducing live ammunition on a movie set would be ridiculous, there is absolutely no need to shoot a bullet in this type of situation. Blank Guns make perfect stage props since they again look the part and sound the part without the dangerous bullets flying all over the place…
Collectors:
Many collectors want to own guns but for reasons like gun restrictions in their area, they may not be able to own a real gun or certain types of real guns. Blank Guns can offer a person with heavy gun restrictions in their area the ability to own similar Blank Gun versions. Perhaps they can own real guns but just simply don’t want to go through the licensing and registration hassle of owning a real gun. Blank Guns can generally be purchased for far less money than a real gun which is appealing to collectors who in many cases may not even shoot them.
Celebration:
In places like Turkey, people celebrate holidays and events by shooting Blank Guns into the air, at one time they actually shoot real guns, but people where getting injured or even killed by the falling bullets. Because of this, Blank Gun production became an industry in places like Turkey as Blank Gun manufacturers like EKOL, Retay and Zoraki (also know as ATAK Arms) are Turkish companies.
So now you know some of the reasons why a person would want to own a Blank Gun. I have Blank Guns and I also own real guns too. One reason is because there are many Blank Guns I own that I can not own in their real steel versions because of Canadian gun restrictions so obtaining a similar version in a Blank Gun allows me to own these models.
If a Blank Gun is not for you, then by all means get a real gun, but please understand that there is a place for Blank Guns, and in those environments, a Blank Gun is actually a better choice than a real gun.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull for the Little Joe blank revolver is single action only, you must pre-cock the hammer first to rotate advance the cylinder and ready the hammer to fire. I very short medium weight trigger pull with virtually no take-up is required to fire this tiny revolver at that point.
Accuracy: NA.
Build Quality: Even though in general blank/signal guns do utilize scaled down metals like zinc alloy (not high pressure gun steel), the ROHM line of blank pistols are made very well and many of the internal mechanical parts, pins and screws are solid steel. The fit and finish is excellent and when I tested my none belt buckle Little Joe it shot flawlessly for me. Don't expect much recoil from the small acorn .22 rounds.
Realism: The ROHM Little Joe Belt Buckle 6mm Flobert Blank Gun is not a true replica of any real steel revolver in production but it does look a bit like the North America Arms NAA22s Mini-Revolver chambered in .22 short. North America Arms even has a belt buckle version of their own!
Hard to get the Belt Buckle version here in Canada.
Not sure about legalities actually wearing the belt buckle in Canada?
Comments:
I already thought the standard ROHM Little Joe Blank firing mini revolver was a really cool gun, to actually find one that fits into a belt buckle is even cooler! I wish we had these for sale in our Canada Replica Airguns Store but it's probably best we don't since I know some people will decide to wear theirs which is bad news since it's only a matter of time before a call is made and a lot of explaining is in order... The good news is we do sell the none belt buckle version of the Little Joe .22 Caliber (6mm Flobert) Mini Revolver in our Canada Replica Airgun Store along with many other ROHM German quality blank pistols so check them out for sure!
My Vimeo Table Top Review for the ROHM Little Joe Belt Buckle 6mm Flobert Blank Revolver:
More guns to show off! Good for you and me! In this update video I show you some very interesting guns indeed! As many of you are aware, the Baikal Makarov MP-654K CO2 4.5mm Steel BB pistol has been really hard to find new here in Canada, making the price of used ones escalate up into the $700+ price range for one in as new condition. Well for those looking to buy a Baikal Makarov MP-654K we have located some and have them for sale now in our Canada Replica Airguns store (Very limited supply). These are the 2013 PM new design models with the narrow grips and mags, they also have the recessed barrels and cut out extractor. We sell them in the blued version only.
Another CO2 BB pistol that has been out of stock for some time is the EKOL ES series. I reviewed the ES 55 CO2 BB Pistol a while back but until now have not been able to show off the ES 66 Series which is more browning high power looking in design. The good news is we have both the ES 55 and ES 66 CO2 4.5mm Steel BB Pistol in stock in our Canada Store. These guns are mostly metal with full size drop out metal magazines that hold the CO2 and BB's, they also shoot in both single and double action and have pretty decent power! We are now selling both the ES 55 and ES 66 series of guns in our Online Canada Store.
I've looked at several Gletcher Airguns over the last little while and finally got my hands on the Gletcher APS Blowback CO2 BB Pistol which is a replica of the Russian Stechkin Soviet Military sidearm introduced back in the 50's. It's kind of a bigger brother version of the Makarov, i was surprised at how large it actually was when i got my hands on it! The real steel version had the ability to shoot in both semi and full-auto but my Gletcher APS 4.5mm BB replica only shoots in semi auto. Again, checkout the full line of Gletcher Products in our Canada Replica Airguns Store.
It's that time once again for an end of the year Gun Collection video. And no I will not be showing off all of my guns, to show and explain them all (Approximately 200 or so?) would simply take a really long time to make and a really long time for you to watch ;)
It has been way too long since I got to go to the gun range and shoot my "big boy" guns! I say that sarcastically, sure my real steel guns are fun to shoot but it sure costs a lot of money and basically all we really do is shoot paper targets. Shooting at papper targets is fun for a while but I kind of enjoy shooting my airguns at pretty much any type of target I choose to shoot at. And of course any time I want to and for pennies per shot.
So getting back to Range Day shooting my real steel big boy guns ;) I went with a couple of buddies of mine and we shot a nice variety of guns. My Norinco NP-30 double stack 45 cal 1911, my Wyoming Arms Parker 10mm, a couple of my friends Glock 40 cals, my Norinco NP-34 P228 and Norinco Tokarev Type 54 9mm pistols, my Chiappa 1911-22 and ISSC M22 22LR pistols, a nice Sig Mosquito 22LR, my buddies S&W M&P 15-22 22LR rifle along with my ISSC MK22 SCAR 22LR rifle and my friends mighty custom Ruger Mini 14 in .223 caliber...
It was a cold day but a really fun day and it gave me a chance to really use my iPhone 6 plus camera for its slow-motion capabilities in a decent lighting situation.
Enjoy the footage of these "real guns" shooting in real time and slowed down.
I was hoping my Bruni Mod. 92 Top Venting 8mm PAK Blank Pistol would also perform just as well and as luck would have it, it did :) I did notice on the last round the shell kind of stayed in place and got re-chambered, not really sure what happened there but all 4 rounds fired which was my main goal and of course I caught it all in slow-motion HD!
I was really looking forward to not only shooting my recently acquired Front Firing ME 8 General 1911 8mm PAK Blank Pistol and making sure it worked as promised, but I also want to checkout the new 720p at 240 frames per second slow motion video feature on my new iPhone 6 plus!
Everything went pretty much as expected, all rounds chambered, fired and ejected without a hitch. No slide lock back on the last round but this blank gun is not designed to do that so I was not expecting this to happen :)