Two questions that come up over and over again and to be honest I just hate answering, mainly because both of these questions to me are kind of common sense questions. I feel if someone where to stop and actually think about teh question, the answers would become obvious.
That said, common sense has to be learned somewhere and not all of us are exposed to the same life experiences so here goes...
The two questions are:
Will this Ammunition Work in my Gun?
Can I Convert a Blank Gun to a Real Gun?
The answer for both of these question is actually the same! Use the ammo made for your gun and do not try to use anything other than the ammo that was made for your gun. Do not try to modify your gun to shoot anything other than the ammo that was made for it, if you do, you may be breaking the law and could land yourself in jail. If you can follow these rules then your ammo and gun will work as intended :)
So that's pretty much it in a nutshell, watch my YouTube video below as I show you examples of ammo types with visuals on exactly why you need to use the ammo made for your gun. I also talk about the dangers of attempting to modify a blank gun to shoot some sort of real bullet and why it is a very bad idea in so many ways to try and convert a blank gun into a real gun.
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!
As promised I did a redo of my Original Chronograph Test for my Pedersoli Derringer Guardian #11 4.5mm .177 Pellet Pistol. The first time around I just could not get my Chronograph to read in the poor lighting I had going on that day. I spent a fair bit of time doing some testing with my Chronograph since it is that time of year when the lighting is poor and determined that I need to use the white defusing panels as it seems that my roofline and the low light are playing havoc with the Chronograph readings.
Once I sorted this all out my Chronograph worked perfectly and I was able to get some readings for you with my Pedersoli Derringer Guardian #11 4.5mm .177 Pellet Pistol. As I assumed I did not get much over 350 fps. I also got a lot of variation in the fps, most likely due to the fact that I had to roll down the pellets a bit on the backside in order to feed them in the barrel from front to back, some pellets where tight and some where a bit looser, the looser ones seemed to shoot a bit faster as less of the pressure may have escaped out the back where the primer was situated.
It's a bird, it's a plan, no wait... It's a pellet gun, no it's a cap gun, or is it a blank gun or maybe it's a real gun? Well it shoots lead bullets out of the barrel using gun powder so who really know's what we should call it? At least here in Canada you don't need a license to buy or own the Pedersoli Derringer Guardian #11 4.5mm .177 Pellet Pistol so that's a good thing :)
So on with the Field Test Shooting Review results... Right off the top, I have no Chronograph test result, try as I did I could not get my Chronograph to read the pellet speed in the rather low light situation I had today, even with a bunch of added extra lights :( I would say off hand that it was shooting somewhere in the 350-450 fps range and when I do get a brighter day I will pop outside and shoot a couple rounds off and post the updated info here for you all, so check back in a bit if this interests you.
What I can tell you for sure is how this gun shot in terms of accuracy. I was expecting to spray pellets all over the target because there is no back sight on the Pedersoli Derringer Guardian #11 4.5mm .177 Pellet Pistol, there is just a post sight up front. I was not even sure if I was going to get all the pellets on the paper. I even setup my target at the 20 foot mark just to be safe and as per usual I was using a semi-rested position by placing a sand bag to rest my hands on and then sitting on my knees in the back, pretty stable all around.
I started off the target test by aiming dead center but quickly found that I was shooting about 6 inches high, so my next 5 shots I aimed 6 inches below the bullseye and low and behold 4 out of 5 of the shots landed within 1.5 inches of each other. So I guess having a rear sight is over rated! If you can figure this gun out, the rifled barrel will direct each pellet straight and true so I think it really comes down to knowing how to line up the front sight with an imaginary rear sight and don't try to shoot really small targets far away. Once you get used to where to point the Pedersoli Derringer Guardian #11 4.5mm .177 Pellet Pistol, you should easily be able to hit a pop can out to 20-30 feet with no problems.
Of course you have to reload this pistol before each shot which consists of cocking the hammer, placing a pellet in the front of the barrel and pushing it to the back with the loading ram rod and then positioning a #11 percussion cap on the primer nipple. Not a rapid fire gun at all but you do appreciate each shot considering the work involved. I also found pre-rolling the back side off my pellets helped to reduce the rear diameter so that the pellets loaded into the barrel much easier. You may have to blow out some residue between each shot which is not something I would recommend with most guns but it's very clear that this pistol is safe since in order to see the barrel obstruction there would be no percussion cap loaded onto the gun.
The Pedersoli Derringer Guardian #11 4.5mm .177 Pellet Pistol is a very unique pellet pistol and actually kind of fun to shoot since it involves a bit of work for each shot and of course some hands on time to figure out exactly how and where to point it to get accurate target results.
Make sure to watch my second Chronograph Test where I was able to get some readings for you!
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Pedersoli Derringer Guardian #11 is pretty light and short since it is a true single action only pistol, the majority of the pull comes from the pre-cocking of the hammer, there is next to no take-up or creep and I would say around a 2-3 pound trigger pull.
Accuracy: This part of the review is yet to be determined, I don't expect anything special here since there is no rear sight, I am guessing I will need to practice a bit with the Pedersoli Derringer Guardian to figure out how to sight it in using the rear chamber area as a sight bridge. Once I can figure it out I should get decent shot placement since the barrel is rifled. At this point I have no real idea what kind of fps to expect since I have not been able to acquire any #11 percussion caps, but I am guessing it will be just under 500 fps to stay Canada legal as an unregulated or uncontolled firearm. UPDATED FIELD TEST SHOOTING RESULTS HERE.
Build Quality: The build quality in the Pedersoli Derringer Guardian #11 is what you would expect from a true firearm, all the metal parts are actual steel, not zinc like you would find in most airguns. The only exception is the grips which are plastic. The fit and finish is very nice with gun bluing on the steel parts and very good quality control and fit throughout. The only improvement would have been actual wooden grips since the rest of the gun is so well made and finished.
Realism: The Pedersoli Derringer Guardian #11 is a Parlor Pistol designed for "indoor" shooting. (These guns were first developed in 1845 when French inventor, Louis Nicolas Flobert, modified a percussion cap to hold a small lead bullet) So in other words it is a real gun, not so much a replica. The #11 Pedersoli Derringer Guardian version is designed to shoot within our Canada Uncontrolled Firearms limitations so this pellet pistol can be sold within Canada to an adult without the requirement of a PAL Firearms license.
Low cost to shoot using standard .177 lead pellets and #11 percussion caps.
Legal in Canada without a PAL Firearms License.
Smallest pellet pistol I know of!
Cons:
No rear sight, will take some practice to get used to.
Plastic grips.
#11 percussion caps are a bit hard to find in stock at times.
Comments:
When I came across the Pedersoli Derringer Guardian #11 I just had to have one! Heck, it's a pellet gun, and It's kind of a blank gun or cap gun all in one, it's also one of the smallest pellet guns I have ever seen. Like most of the other pellet pistols I own, it does not require a PAL or Firearms license here in Canada and can be shot in a lot more places than a "real gun" or Controlled Firearm can because of the low energy levels it produces and of course lower volume of sound it emits. I suppose it could even be shot indoors if you had the right setup in your house or garage. Definitely one of my most unique pellet pistols I own.
My Vimeo Video Review for the Pedersoli Derringer Guardian #11 .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol:
In this informative video I go over the very basics of gun "handling" safety. I don't talk about gun storage or even shooting of the gun, I strictly go over the main aspects of handling a gun in a safe manor.
These are the four main points I demonstrate in this video:
Fingers off the trigger till you are ready to shoot.
Keep the gun unloaded till you are ready to shoot it.
Assume your gun is loaded at ALL times.
Always point your gun in a safe direction.
Hopefully this video will prevent some unfortunate accidents, even airgun related accidents can cause serious injuries which in most cases can be prevented with the correct gun handling information.
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-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.
I wanted to show off a few new items that I will be reviewing, one being the Crosman MK-177 Pellet and BB pneumatic multi-pump air rifle that was very graciously provided to me by Crosman for review. And the other item is something kind of new in terms of the type of gun, since it is not really gun but rather a bow, or crossbow to be exact. We hope to be adding to our Replica Airguns Store a couple variations of the Avalanche Trailblazer 150lb Crossbows in wood stock and polymer stock versions.
Here are a couple key points about each item being looked at in this update video and then I will leave you with some detailed photos to drool over and of course my YouTube Update Video to watch...
Crosman MK-177 multi-pump bolt action .177 caliber BB/pellet air rifle:
Shoots both .177 caliber pellets and 4.5mm Steel BB's
Maximum 800 FPS (US Version being reviewed here)
5 shot pellet magazine and 300+ BB reservoir
Multi-pump single shot bolt action
3-10 pumps per shot
16.75 inch rifled barrel
3.5 pounds
Mostly plastic with some internal metal parts
Avalanche Trailblazer 150lb Crossbow with Wood Stock:
One question that comes up often is the danger attached to blank gun use and the most common question I get is about the danger of shooting a blank gun at a person. Blank guns have many uses, one of which is to be used as a prop in a movie or reenactment. In this situation one may want to point and shoot a blank gun at a person to make teh scene more believable it. If the person is far enough away there is usually no cause for concern but with that said I would personally point the gun just off to one side in the event that something might come loose within the gun barrel or perhaps a fragment of something where to be fired and cause an injury to the person the gun is directed towards. With creative camera angles you shouldn't need to actually point a blank gun directly at anyone.
People also assume that because a blank gun does not actually fire a bullet that it is relatively harmless. This is not true at all, in the larger caliber blanks there is about the same amount of energy to what your would find in a real bullet, this is so the blank gun will sound about as loud as a real bullet being fired. The difference with how the energy is released in a blank round versus a real bullet is that the bullet caries most of the energy with it and when the bullet hits its intended target, the bulk of the energy is transferred to that target.
The energy from a blank round dissipates almost immediately after it leaves the gun barrel but the energy right at the barrel tip is very similar to that of a real bullet, especially if it has nowhere to go but directly into an object. So yes a blank gun round can be lethal at very close ranges and unfortunately several people have paid with their lives finding this out for themselves.
With this newfound information about blank gun danger, some people might say... get rid of these dangers to society! Before we head in that direction think about how many other non vital things we have in our lives that I would have to say have claimed way more lives than blank guns could even come close to: Off-road pleasure vehicles, Skydiving, Skying, Pools, Real Guns to name a few! Blank guns also serve very useful purposes like being used to signal a warning or distress, send out flares, ward off wild animals, train people on how to use a real gun, and of course dog training. I am sure the good outweighs the bad here.
That's enough politics for now, juts watch the video and see for yourself why you should not point a blank gun at anyone, especially if the person is very close in proximity to you!
I don't often get to shoot my airguns out at the 100 foot mark but I purchased my Sheridan Silver Streak .20 Caliber Multi Pump Pellet Rifle mainly to shoot up to and even past this fairly distant range as the Silver Streak is my new vermin gun for pests around the farm. I get a lot of Crows that to be honest are just feathered bullies that pick on all the other friendly birds on the farm, they have also been known to get into my garbage and even attack the Eagles and Hawks in the area. Flying Rats I like to call them.
In this Field test Shooting video I test out my brand new Sheridan Silver Streak on the Chronograph to see just how powerful it really is not just at the maximum 8 pumps but also at 3 and 5 pumps. I was actually very surprised at the very decent power I got from only 3 pumps (460 fps), you could easily take out a small rat with the 14.3 grain .20 caliber lead pellets I was using for my Chrony test. At 5 pumps I gained close to another 100 fps and at 8 pumps I maxed out at just a hair under 640 fps respectively. With the 14.3 grain pellets I was using this worked out to right around 13 foot pounds of energy. (My Sheridan was purchased using a PAL)
I also shot my Sheridan Silver Streak .20 Caliber Pellet Rifle at a target setup 100 feet or just over 30 yards away and was able to get what I felt was a nice 1.5 inch 5 shot grouping. 4 of the 5 pellets where all within 1 inch of each other with my first shot being a bit lower and to the right of the rest spreading the group out to about 1.5 inches. Keep in mind I was also a bit winded from all the pumping and I could feel and see my heartbeat in my 9 power Bushnell scope making my crosshairs bob back and forth ever so slightly.
I have not shot my Sheridan Silver Streak all that much and plan to hone my skills further so when the time comes I will be ready for them pesky crows.
Stay tuned for my future Table Top review of my Sheridan Silver Streak, for now you can checkout my Preview video that has some preliminary info.
ALL GUNS ARE NOW SOLD - THANKS FOR THE AWESOME RESPONSE!
This is a first for me but I guess you could say I have to make room for some more guns ;) I have some duplicate guns and a couple I juts don't have a need for anymore so instead of having them sit around collecting dust, I thought I would offer them up for sale and get them in the hands of someone who can really appreciate and get some use out of them...
Here is a list of the items up for sale:
Baikal IZH-61 .177 Caliber Spring Piston Pellet Rifle: $115
Baikal MP-655K Pellet/BB CO2 Pistol (missing pellet magazine): $125
Umarex CP99 Compact CO2 BB Blowback Pistol: $50
Swiss Arms Sig Sauer GSR 1911 CO2 BB Pistol: $30
ASG CZ 75 P-07 DUTY Dual Tone CO2 BB Blowback Pistol: $125
Umarex Beretta M92FS .177 Caliber CO2 Pellet Pistol - Nickel with Wood Grips: $200
(2x) AK47 BB Gun Magazines: $50 Each
Crosman 2240 .22 Caliber CO2 Pellet Pistol (14 inch barrel, RJMachine Breach/Brass Bolt, Wood Grip, NcSTAR 6x32 Scope): $225
Shipping/Handling is $15 Canadian and $25 to the US and you must be 18 or over to buy. You will need to email me at mike@replicaairguns.com to let me know what gun/guns you want to buy - first come first serve, I will send a PayPal request to the person with the first offer to buy and give them 24 hours to pay or I move on to the next buyer.
You can watch my YouTube Video to get a good look at each pre-owned item up for sale:
I am happy to report back to you on all the new cool stuff I got to see at this years 2013 SHOT Show in Las Vegas. Make sure to also watch my Vimeo video at the bottom of this post for some first person styled play by play of my experience at the Vegas SHOT Show 2013. (like you're there with me ;)
First up I want to cover a new gun from ASG, I have been wanting to get my hands on the 4.5mm Bersa BP9CC and I finally got to, not only did I get my hands on it but ASG was kind enough to supply me with one to take home for review. You can get the Bersa BP9CC in both Blowback and non-blowback versions and also in either BB or Airsoft. I opted for the 4.5mm BB Blowback version. I will be reviewing this BB gun very soon!
ASG also had a very cool prototype of an Airsoft CZ Scorpion EVO 3A1 hopefully coming out soon.
While roaming around SHOT Show 2013, I came across an interesting booth from FlashFog Security. I often get people asking me about using an airgun as a home defense weapon and I strongly advise against this. If the intruder is not scared off by the gun there is little an airgun can do to actually stop them. The FlashFog system works by rapidly filling a room with dense fog combined with a strobe light effect which blinds and disorients intruders completely. There is little an intruder can do other then try and get the heck out of there!
UPDATE: FlashFog just added a new section to their website specifically for School Security to help keep our schools safer from potential safety threats! So check it out: School Security Smoke Screen
I was a bit surprised by Gamo this year, they tend to stay away from actual Replica's and generally make BB/Pellet guns that look like popular guns but not any gun in particular. Gamo has a new BB/Pellet MP9 based machine pistol that uses a similar mechanism to their P-25 and PT-85 so it can shoot both 4.5mm BB's and .177 caliber Pellets using a double ended 16 shot rotary magazine. It also has an internal blowback system so it should have some recoil feel to it! I am pretty sure it is semi auto only but still a nice addition to their lineup!
Gamo also brought out a new 4.5mm BB Blowback pistol called the C-15 which has a metal slide and plastic frame, it kind of reminds me of the Umarex HPP in how it looks and feels.
Umarex had several new products that I am sure everyone is going to like! One that I think will do really well is the Steel Force, the Steel Force is designed around the 4.5mm BB shooting Steel Storm platform so it has a 6 round burst blowback operation and holds the 2x12 gram CO2 in the magazine while the BB's go in a 300 round hopper that feeds into a 30 round spring fed internal magazine. Like the Steel Storm it will shoot around 430 fps. The Steel Force has the advantage of being styled after the AR platform so it has a collapsible stock which will make shooting very easy.
Another often asked for airgun replica is the historic German Luger. This year Umarex stepped up to the plate and introduced the Umarex P.08 4.5mm BB pistol. Sorry, no blowback or even a working slide on this one but it is all metal and has a very good weight and feel to it.
If you're a fan of the entry level Umarex XBG then you may be interested in the new Umarex T.D.P. 45 which is very similar to the XBG in looks and features but with a slightly different look to it.
If you've ever wanted to turn your pistol into more of a PDW styled gun, you may be able to depending on which Umarex gun you have? Umarex added a very cool accessory called the T.A.C Converter that converts your Umarex HK USP (BB-Airsoft), SW MP40 (BB), XBG (BB), CZ Enforcer (Airsoft) and Walther P99 DOA (Airsoft) into more of a tactical (PDW) or Personal Defense Weapon complete with for-grip, adjustable rear sight, lots of rail options and a foldable stock.
I am assuming the Crosman M4-177 Pellet/BB Rifle has been doing well for Crosman as they have expanded with some more similar assault styled air rifles. The Crosman MSR77NP pretty much looks like a classic M16 but is in fact a Nitro Piston break barrel pellet rifle able to shoot .177 caliber pellets at 1200 fps (I hope there is a 499 fps Canada version planned too?).
A new takeoff of the M4-177 is the MK-177 which also shoots .177 caliber pellets and 4.5mm BB's using a multi-Pump System but it uses an upgraded more efficient pump system that squeaks out more fps with less pumps. The Crosman MK-177 is designed after the FN SCAR and is available in an adjustable iron sight version or a Red Dot equipped kit version.
One thing you can never get enough of in my opinion is another 1911 pistol! Crosman is introducing their GI Model 1911BB Blowback 4.5mm CO2 pistol, the one they had on hand was more of a prototype so the slide was not operational but it will feature an all metal design, blowback operation, 450 fps and a 20 round drop out magazine. I am sorry to say but it looks like the Crosman C51 has been dropped from Crosman's lineup but if you want a similar styled gun you can checkout the KWC SW40F which is a very close airsoft version.
We recently started carrying G&G Armament Airsoft guns, you can checkout my review of the Xtreme 45. I did stop by their booth and they had some new products on display, the M1 Grand (all wood stock) Airsoft had it's magwell all wrapped up as G&G had a propriety magazine system they did not want their competition to see. G&G also had some very interesting targets that light up, when shot they would react by individually turning off so you could see if you hit it or not.
There was a rather large crowd at the KWA booth but it was a shared booth so it's hard to say what everyone was looking at, the KWA area was pretty full, I did talk to the KWA rep and asked him point blank if KWC and KWA where the same or sister companies and the answer was not at all. There are often a lot of guns that look like they could be from the same company, I guess there is a lot of copying going on ;) One gun from KWA I would love to get my hands on is the Kriss SMG!
Now keep in mind many of these guns I have highlighted today are not available yet and a lot of them should be coming out in the spring time frame so please try to refrain from repeatedly asking when I will review them and have them in the store, it takes time and as much as we all want them now, they get here when they get here!
Watch my Vimeo video of the Replica Aiguns at SHOT Show Vegas 2013
It would not be the end of another year without another Airgun, Airsoft Gun and Blank Gun Collection video for you. This year I'm not showing all my guns, I started to take them out and quickly realized there where just way too many and this years video would have been several hours long and would have taken most of the week for me to shoot and edit...
So this year I have hand picked some of my top favorites and most notable replica Airgun, Airsoft Gun and Blank Guns. They may not all be the best made or hardest shooters or even all that accurate but each one has some significants to me.
I already posted that I recently hit 10,000,00 YouTube video Views but I have been hinting about there being another Giveaway/Contest. After much thought I wanted to have a way that more than just one person could benefit from this. So I decided to list a bunch of my Canada Store products on sale. (Sorry US customers but I have a lot more restrictions in the US when it comes to what I can do with my pricing).
These Canadian sales will be in effect from now until October 10th and to make things even better, one lucky shopper during this time will get their entire order for free (This includes US Customers too).
So make sure to get in on the savings and the chance to get your order free!
In this "Update Video" I also show off some new previously owned guns added to my collection, an Airsoft ASG shell ejecting CZ 75, a no-name KSC Airsoft shooter and a Gamo Combat .177 caliber pellet revolver. And if you're into spring piston break barrel pistols, make sure to watch for my customized Exisco XSP180 .177 caliber Verminator!
Ten Million Video Views Giveaway Plus CZ 75 - Glock Airsoft - Gamo Combat Pellet Revolver
Here is a sample of some of the items on sale right now...
Materials: Mostly metal with minimal plastic parts.
Weight: 2.1 pounds.
Barrel: 6.9 inches, metal rifled.
Propulsion: Spring-piston-operated.
Action: Single shot.
Ammunition Type: .177 & .22 caliber pellets.
Ammunition Capacity: 1 pellet.
FPS: 400-499.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Webley Tempest is very good, being that it is single action, there is next to no take-up and the pull itself is very light, yet not so light that you would accidentally shoot the gun. This helps a lot with accuracy. And to top it off, you can even adjust the trigger pull weight to your liking from 3-5 pounds!
Accuracy: Being that the Webley Tempest is a spring piston design, there is a noticeable amount of felt recoil when the spring snaps backwards, and I say backwards because it compress towards the front of the gun. With many spring piston rifles the spring snaps forwards almost giving a reverse recoil effect. The Webley Tempest recoil hits you in a familiar direction which made the airgun feel a bit more natural and I believe helped me to get a nice 1.5 inch 5 shot grouping from 30 feet out in a semi rested position. I also got a 400 fps average rating form my .22 caliber 11.9 grain RWS pellets which took me right up to the Canadian limit of 5.7 Joules to stay just within the limits of the uncontrolled firearm status for an airgun. FEW!
Build Quality: Build quality is very good, most of the gun is all metal with a few plastic parts, basically the nose cap and hand grips, everything else is metal on the Tempest. The Webley Tempest has a nice compact size for a spring piston design and has a nice weight to it making it feel very solid but not overly heavy. I do have to say the cocking effort is very heavy and you will have to try a few different techniques until you find a way that works for you.
Realism: This is not a replica airgun so to speak of but the basic pistol grips and trigger are designed to replicate a revolver more than anything. The Tempest is very unique and its basic design roots go back to the 1920's.
Fully adjustable rear sight for windage and elevation.
Small and compact yet very effective power.
Trigger pull adjustable from 3-5 pounds.
Cons:
If you're left handed the grips will not be as comfortable for you.
Sight adjustment will take some time to get right.
Spring recoil takes some getting used to so practice - practice - practice.
Cocking effort especially on the .22 caliber model is very heavy.
Comments:
Some people may qualify the fact that this "new version" is now made in Turkey but with that said I have been selling the Turkish made Webley Alecto for some time now and it has been one of my most trouble free airguns in the web-store. The Tempest looks to me to be just as well made and a nice perk with the Turkish made Tempest is its jump in velocity with the .22 actually hitting 400 fps and the .177 getting right around 500 fps, not bad at all for a fairly short barreled pistol. I also really like the small size this airgun has, it's no larger or heavier than say a Beretta 92 yet somehow it has to cram all the mechanics for the spring piston design into it and still get good performance. The only real reason I would not recommend this gun to some people is if you are of slight build or perhaps have some hand or wrist problems because it does take some effort to cock this gun, if this is a factor for you, you may want to go with the .177 caliber version as it does have a lighter cocking effort.
The Browning Buck Mark URX has a single stroke super easy cocking mechanism with break barrel action. This pistol shoots 320 FPS and has an automatic safety. The ergonomic ambidextrous grip help the user to feel comfortable while shooting this lightweight pistol. If you own the 22LR version this is a for sure purcahse as it is a dead ringer and will make a great off range practice gun.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Umarex Browning Buck Mark URX is not too bad but I feel it is a bit heavier than the claimed 5.75 pounds. In comparison to my real steel 22LR Buck Mark, the trigger is much heavier but then again my 22LR trigger is what I would consider to be near perfection. I was able to work with the trigger as is but found I was expecting the trigger to release earlier then it actually did and I needed to apply just a bit more force than I would have liked to. Even so, with a bit of practice I was able to nail my shots.
Accuracy: Wow is all I can say, you will need to work withe the Umarex Browning Buck Mark URX a bit to get used to where the trigger breaks but once you dial it in this airgun is a tac driver. I decided to go with a non-magnified NcSTAR Ultra Compact 1x25 Red/Green Dot Sight and found it worked well with this Buck Mark pellet shooter. From 30 feet out I was able to land 4 shots pretty much right on top of each other and ended up with an under 1 inch 5 shot group, and keep in mind that I was only using a standing but rested stance (non braced).
Build Quality: Considering the very low price tag for this pellet shooting Buck Mark Replica, I was not expecting it to be as well constructed as it was, there is a decent amount of metal in teh URX giving it a nice 1.5 pound heftiness to it and the rubberized grips make this air pistol feel much more expensive than it is. My only concern is the hinge area in the break barrel portion of the gun, once cocked there seems to be some play that could effect accuracy down the road when wear appears. But once locked back into the closed position the play is all but eliminated.
Realism: The Umarex Browning Buck Mark URX is a licensed replica of the actual Browning Buck Mark 22LR semi auto pistol. Umarex did a great job making this break barrel pistol look very close in most ways to the actual Browning Buck Mark URX with the exception of the lever required to cock the spring that is located just under the back of the barrel. The barrel itself is also a tad bit long but I am sure this helps when cocking to get a bit more leverage. When you consider this is a single shot break barrel pellet shooting version, it looks pretty authentic and most importantly it feels very similar to the real 22LR version which makes it a great off range alternative for 22LR Buck Mark owners.
I've had a lot of requests to review the Umarex Smith & Wesson 327 TRR8 and the Umarex Beretta 90two BB CO2 Pistols, perhaps not as many requests for the Umarex Browning Buck Mark URX but the URX has been one I have wanted to get my hands on as I am an owner of a 22LR Browning Buck Mark pistol.
Umarex came through and sent all three of these pistols to me this week for review so now we all get to benefit, I get three new guns added to my collection and my viewers get some new Umarex Product Reviews from me!
I will of course be doing full review of all three Umarex pistols, in this videos I just quickly show you around them all.
In short, The Umarex Smith & Wesson 327 TRR8 is very similar to my Dan Wesson Revolvers in most every way but with the Smith & Wesson branding and licensing and a slightly different barrel design. The Umarex Beretta 90two is what I would consider an upgraded Beretta Elite II complete with a working metal slide, full size drop out magazine that holds both the CO2 and 4.5mm BB's and a single and double action trigger.
The Umarex Browning Buck Mark URX is the sleeper of them all in my opinion, even though it is a single shot .177 pellet pistol with fps on the lower side, it is really a joy to shoot with its supper easy to cock break barrel and well balanced grip. Right out of the box I was getting excellent shot placement with it!
Make sure to watch this short Preview video and stay posted for the full review to come out shortly:
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the ASG AW .308 Sniper Rifle is very nice, there is very little play, once the trigger safety is flush the release is almost instant and the pull is very light but not so light that you would accidentally shoot it.
Accuracy: Being an Airsoft Rifle and a Sniper rifle in one made me wonder if you could actually get a tight grouping at longer distances? I'm sure hitting a human target at 60 feet shouldn't be too hard but what about a pop can consistently? With a bit of fine tuning I was able to get a 2 inch grouping at 60 feet out using a rested position. And with the Hop-up dialed in, my aim point was the same at 30 feet as it was at 60 feet as a result of the backspin keeping the trajectory even all the way out.
Build Quality:The ASG AW .308 is not over the top price wise so I was not expecting it to be built like a Sherman tank. It is however solid enough but also light enough to use in the field without having to lug around too much extra weight. Most of the parts that you want to be metal are metal including the barrel, bolt & receiver, trigger, magazine, strap rings and rial system. The stock is of course plastic with some added rubber and seems to be hollow in parts which I am assuming is what keeps this rifle on the lean side.
Realism: Without actually having handled a real AW .308 Accuracy International England Sniper Rifle, it's hard to say how spot on it is but it does look very similar to the photos I found online with the exception of the magazine being further forward on the stock. It is a nice touch that the actual Accuracy International England licensing is also on the ASG AW .308.
Extremely fun to shoot (Even though it's not a semi or full auto gun).
No CO2 or batteries required, ready when you are.
Excellent accuracy at most ranges.
Very nice trigger.
Good power.
Good use of metal parts.
Will not break the bank.
Cons:
Does not come with a sighting system so you need to buy something to shoot it.
Light Airsoft BB's will not give you good results, use high end heavy Airsoft BB's for best results.
Stock looks adjustable but is not, was not a problem, everything felt good!
Some things are not explained in the manual?
Comments:
I thoroughly enjoyed reviewing this Airsoft rifle, you would think that a full auto gun would be so much more fun to shoot and don't get me wrong they are fun to shoot, but there is something to be said about setting up a target well down range, getting into position to take the shot and slowly squeezing off one well placed round! And of course hitting the target. I really like the fact that all you need is a bunch of Airsoft BB's and you're ready to go, no CO2, no dead batteries to deal with. Every time a do another Airsoft review I am impressed with how well these guns shoot and how accurate they are! The ASG AW .308 took this to an even higher level and also showed me that an Airsoft BB can pack some real punch to it. All in all it was a good day and I have a feeling when I get the urge to fire off some well placed rounds just for fun, this rifle is going to get picked more often than not.
I just received some of my ASG Airsoft guns in my BC location and wanted to make an update video for you so you can see them up close and perhaps see how they stack up against their Airgun counterparts. Keep in mind many of my ASG guns are only available in the Canada Replica Airguns Store, we do have some ASG Airsoft guns for my US based customers but this time here in Canada I have more to offer my Canadian folks!
I am also super impressed with the high quality of the LMT Defender M4 Carbines, they are a serious bit of gear and have some very good heft to them, even more so than my full metal King Arms M4A1 I already sell and have done a full review of, not to take anything away from the Kings Arms product as it is very good at its price point.
I also received my first sniper rifle and have played around with it a bit to see what it is capable of. I added a bipod to the front and a 3x9 power scope as the ASG AW .308 comes pretty bare bones but ready for all you can throw at it. I can say it likes heavier Airsoft BB's, as the .20 gram ones I started with seemed to fly off in all directions due to the high velocity, even stepping up to a .25 gram BB tightened my group up significantly at 30 feet. I have heard this rifle really prefers heavy Airsoft BB's so I plan do do my review based on that information.
Enjoy my Vimeo Video Update focusing on the new ASG Airsoft lineup.
