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Type: Nerf Gun.
Manufacturer: Nerf Hasbro
Model: Rival Zeus MXV-1200.
Materials: Mostly plastic build.
Weight: About 3 pounds with batteries installed.
Ages: 14+ (My son is 10 and he is more than OK with this gun!)
Propulsion: Electric flywheel 6x C batteries.
Action: Semi auto.
Ammunition Type: Nerf High-impact round balls.
Ammunition Capacity: 12 round tube magazine.
Max FPS: 100.

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Trigger Pull: The trigger on the Nerf Rival Zeus MXV-1200 is a little long and requires a firm trigger finger but it is not overly heavy. When you press the trigger it allows a Nerf High-impact round ball to advance into the motorized spinning flywheel area where the ball is accelerated and shot out of the inline barrel .

Accuracy: Keep in mind the Nerf Rival Zeus MXV-1200 is designed as a fun in home battle gun so long range accuracy is not really that important. At up to 30 feet or so you shoudl have no problem hitting a person sized target. The Nerf High-impact round balls do come out the the barrel with a fair amount of spin so some random hooking can happen, usually the spin is more of a backspin that helps keep the ammo targeting in a more linear trajectory.

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Build Quality: The Nerf Rival Zeus MXV-1200 like most Nerf guns is built to take a fair bit of a beating since the target audience has mainly been kids and we know they are rarely careful with anything ;) The Nerf Rival Zeus MXV-1200 is mainly plastic but as I mentioned it is high quality and so far has held up well to usage. Fit is good with all interchangeable parts working well and the finish has stayed pretty much pristine!

Realism: Nerf guns are not made to be too realistic since they are meant to be toys and not look too closely like a real gun, hence the brightly colored plastic and more futuristic design. I do like the addition of Picatinny styled rails in several locations where one can add accessories like magazine clips, red dots or even a tactical light or laser sight.

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Pros:

• Not as extreme as a Paintball gun but a little more intense than a standard Nerf gun.

• Good build quality overall.

• Easy to quickly swap out a fresh 12 rode tube magazine.

• Flip up sights

• Picatinny raise for adding accessories.

• Decent power and accuracy for a Nerf style gun.

• Semit auto action for fast follow up shots.

Cons:

• Will use up batteries pretty quickly.

• Flywheel will slow down when shooting close together semi auto shots.

• Loading magazines does take some getting use to.

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Comments:
The Nerf Rival Zeus MXV-1200 is a great option for pretty much anyone looking for a fun battle gun you can use indoors in your home with no worries about breaking windows or messing up your house. not to mention leaving west all over your body! The Nerf Rival Zeus MXV-1200 is going to be a bit more extreme than a standard Nerf gun for sure but way more toned down compares to a paintball gun or even an airsoft gun so if you want some good old rainy day indoor fun then checkout the Nerf Rival line of Nerf guns.

My Vimeo Table Top Full  Review for the Nerf Rival Zeus MXV-1200:

Power:
Generally speaking a longer barrel is going to allow for more power. If you compare most CO2 pellet pistols to CO2 Pellet Rifles, you will find that the CO2 Pellet Pistol will generally shoot about 300-400 fps using a standard lead Pellet. On the other hand many CO2 Pellet Rifles can get up to as high as 600 fps which is much better speed for humanly shooting some smaller pests.

If you are talking about Springer or Variable Pump Air Pistols versus their Air Rifle counterparts, again the Air rifles will generally shoot with much more power. I have seen some none CO2 Air Pistols shoot up into the 500-600 fps range but again compered to none CO2 Air Rifles, they can even double these numbers.

Some of you may ask about Steel BB Pistols and Rifles. I personally would never really sue this type of ammunition for pest control simply because most BB Rifles have much less raw power than Pellet Rifles and steel BB’s will not be as accurate at any type of longer distance.

Stability:
When holding any rifle from the shoulder, you have three point of contact with your body spread out in a much longer distance than a two handed pistol grip. Holding steady even without a rested position is much easier using a rifle. Even when using a rested position, the rifle will more stable.

Accuracy:
A big factor in accuracy is stability but there are also other factors to consider. Barrel length its self does not make the gun more accurate, you only need a few inches of barrel length to get constant accurate results from a gun. What makes longer barreled guns more accurate is the distance between the rear and front sight. The closer the sights are together, the more margin for error there is, the longer you spread out the sights from each other, the more accurate the sighting system becomes.

Overall More Humain:
When you consider Air Rifles tend to have higher power, better accuracy and overall more consistency than shorter barreled Air Pistols. The logical choice for humanly shooting a Pest is to use the Air Rifle. The last thing you want to do is make any animal suffer, even if it has been causing a lot of havoc around your home or farm or place of business.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What is the Mantis MantisX Firearms Training System?

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

What’s in the box?

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

• You get the charging cable.

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

• You get the instructions. 

How does the Mantis MantisX Training System Work?

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

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

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

What Exactly does the Mantis MantisX Training System Do?

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

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

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

Who is the Mantis MantisX Training System Made For?

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

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

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

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

Use Coupon Code "ReplicaAirguns" to get free shipping!

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 am 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 and or buying for myself.

In this second Mike's Personal Guns For Sale video I am offering three rifles, two of which will require a Canada PAL Firearms License since one is a 22LR rimfire rifle and the other is a high powered .22 caliber break barrel pellet rifle. The last item up for bid is an AK-47 styled .68 caliber paintball rifle.

Make sure to watch my above YouTube video to see these three rifles I am selling and instructions on how you can take part in the sale and purchase of them. By the way I am only selling to Canadian residents since shipping cross borders is a little sketchy.

Here is a list of the these three rifles I am selling from my personal gun collection:

ISSC MK22 22LR (FN SCAR) Rifle - $625 PAL Required

Benjamin Sheridan Super Streak .22 Caliber Break Barrel Rifle $250 PAL Required

Tacamo T68 AK-47 .68 Cal. Paintball Rifle $275

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.

With the popularity of the KWC - Cybergun 1911 Blowback CO2 Pistols and how super realistic they are in so many ways, it is no surprise that people often ask me if they can replace the original grips with grips made for a real 1911.

The short answer is yes you can! You will have to be prepared to remove just a little bit of material from the backside of both grips near the bottom of the handle where there is an area that has been flared out to accommodate the CO2. Not really a big deal, you can use a Dremel for the quick and easy approach or even some sand paper if you don't mind taking a little more time.

In this Vimeo Video I demonstrate using grips that fit a real 1911 and show you just exactly where you will need modify them to fit on the KWC and Cybergun CO2 Blowback 1911 pistol series.

Buy the KWC Blowback CO2 1911 BB Pistol in Canada

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I thought I would post this video of my recent Victoria Cup Men's Physique Fitness Contest for my Airgun fans that are also interested in what I am doing over on my fitness related YouTube Channel and Website GetFitOver40.com.

Don't worry - More Airgun videos coming next week when I get back from my trip.

What is a Blank Gun?

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.

Type: BB air pistol.

Manufacturer:Baikal.

Model: MP-654K.

Materials: Weapons grade steel slide, frame and most parts.

Weight: 1.7 pounds.

Barrel: 3.8 inches, metal-rifled.

Propulsion: CO2 x 1.

Action: Semi auto, double and single action.

Ammunition Type: Steel/Lead BB's 4.5mm.

Ammunition Capacity: 13 rounds.

FPS: 380.

Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the 2013 Blued Baikal Makarov MP-654K CO2 BB Pistol is good in single action mode (When cocked), when shooting in double action mode it is a bit heavy but it seems like over time the gun is working its self in a bit as the metal is hard and as with many Russian made guns, they need some break in period. The trigger springs are heavy so don't expect light trigger pulls.

Accuracy: The accuracy and true feet per second performance will be tested when I do my future Field Test Shooting review.

Build Quality: Excellent, the Baikal Makarov MP-654K CO2 BB Pistol is made side by side using the same machine sand same materials as the original Makarov PM (9x18) firearm that it is Replica of. There simply is not another airgun made to this quality level or that is as accurate a replica of it's real steel version.

Realism: You simply can not get any closer to how close this gun resembles the original Makarov PM (9x18). You can even field strip this gun exactly like the original. The only acceptation is when it come time to fire the BB gun version, The Baikal MP-654K is not designed to have blowback operation which is understandable as it would be impossible to fabricate this gun so close to the original and still give it blowback operation.

Pros:

• All Steel construction

• Made side by side in the factory to the real steel version with same build quality and on same machines.

• The closest BB gun to a real gun you can get in terms replicating the parts and being made out of the same materials as the real version.

• Can filed strip like the real version.

• New 2013 version has recessed barrel.

• New 2013 version has the flush CO2 screw.

• New 2013 version is the PM style with narrower handle and PM grips.

• Can field strip like the real version.

• Shoots in single and double action.

• Safety works as a de-cocker.

• Made in Russia!

Cons:

• Expensive compared to other airguns.

• No blowback operation.

• Only a 13 round magazine.

• Gun requires some breaking time.

Comments:

The new 2013 Blued Baikal MP-654K PM Styled BB Air pistol is one of those must have airguns if you are a collector, sure the price is a lot more than most airgun replicas out there but the 2013 Blued Baikal MP-654K is built like no other airgun. Rather than creating a replica gun around existing airgun parts, Baikal takes a different approach and reworks a real Makarov backwards so it is made to shoot steel BB's using CO2 rather than 9mm rounds. You could say it is a real Makarov but chambered to shoot steel BB's and use CO2. These guns are rarely available in Canada since they often get stuck in customs because they are so realistic. I was actually very surprised when we located a secure that had some that they where willing to give up!

My Vimeo Video Review for the 2013 Blued Baikal Makarov MP-654K CO2 BB Pistol:

Buy the 2013 Blued Baikal Makarov MP-654K In Canada

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.

This Article and Video expresses my views and opinions on this matter and should not be taken as legal advice.

Main points covered:

• Uncontrolled Firearms do not require a Firearms License within Canada to own and operate.

• What is an Uncontrolled Airgun and Airsoft Gun?

• What is an Uncontrolled Blank Gun / Starter Pistols?

• What about Fully Automatic Airguns and Airsoft Guns?

• What about Replica Guns?

NOTE: Controlled Firearms require a POL (Possession Only License) , PAL (Possession Acquisition License) or R-PAL (Restricted Possession Acquisition License) within Canada to own and operate. 

MEMORANDUM D19-13-2

Firearm – a barreled weapon from which any shot, bullet, or other projectile can be discharged and that is capable of causing serious bodily injury or death to a person, and includes any frame or receiver of such a barreled weapon and anything that can be adapted for use as a firearm.

“Uncontrolled”firearms are those devices that, although falling within the definition of a firearm in the Criminal Code, are exempt from specific legal requirements of the Firearms Act and its regulations, as well as from other legislative provisions. “Uncontrolled” firearms should not be subdivided into any of the non-restricted, restricted, or prohibited classes. The following types of firearms are deemed “uncontrolled”:

Flare, blank, rivet and industrial guns: Any device that is designed exclusively for signaling, for notifying of distress, or for firing blank cartridges or for firing stud cartridges, explosive-driven rivets or other industrial projectiles, provided that the importer intends to use it only for the purpose for which it is designed.

NOTE: (Toy guns and starter pistols do not generally qualify as firearms. However, some toy or model guns and starter pistols may be designed with very realistic mechanisms or appearances (e.g., color, size, scale, translucency) and resembling a real make and model of a firearm. In such cases, they may be considered replica firearms even if they are made of plastic, die cast zinc, or other material.)

Low muzzle velocity/energy guns: Any barreled weapon that is not designed or adapted to discharge projectiles at a muzzle velocity exceeding 152.4 meters per second (500 feet per second) and at a muzzle energy exceeding 5.7 Joules, or to discharge projectiles that are designed or adapted to attain a velocity exceeding 152.4 meters per second (500 feet per second) and an energy exceeding 5.7 Joules. Both thresholds of 152.4 mps and 5.7 Joules must be exceeded for the firearm to be considered “controlled”. This requirement exempts firearms that fire below the threshold velocity with a standard projectile, but exceed the threshold velocity when fired with a high-velocity projectile. 

Airsoft guns and certain types of paintball guns or markers may qualify as a replica firearm, if the muzzle velocity of the projectile does not cause serious bodily harm and their external features are clearly designed to resemble a specific and readily identifiable make and model of a firearm. To be considered a firearm, within the meaning of the Criminal Code, an airsoft gun must have a muzzle velocity in excess of 111.6 meters per second (366 feet per second).

NOTE: This memorandum used to state when using a .20 gram BB but does not specify this BB weight anymore?

NOTE: The term air gun is a colloquial term referring to BB or pellet guns. Such guns operate either as spring- powered, gas-powered, or electrically powered. If the muzzle velocity of the air gun is less than 152.4 mps (500 fps)/5.7 joules but still able to cause serious bodily injury to a person, it may be considered an “uncontrolled” firearm. Airsoft guns and certain types of paintball guns may qualify as a replica firearm (see paragraph 49 of this memorandum).

Replica firearms:

“Replica firearm” is defined as any device that is designed or intended to exactly resemble, or to resemble with near precision, a firearm, and that itself is not a firearm, but does not include any such device that is designed or intended to exactly resemble, or to resemble with near precision, an antique firearm.

For a device to be a replica firearm it must meet all three requirements:

• (a) it cannot be a firearm, meaning it does not discharge a projectile with sufficient energy to cause serious bodily injury or death to a person. If the device is a firearm, then it cannot be a replica firearm (and vice versa);

• (b) it must resemble exactly, or with near precision, a real existing firearm of an identifiable make and model. With respect to visual examination, note that the maximum observing distance is one at which the equivalent make and model of the firearm can be identified. This distance will vary from one firearm make to the next. For example: A Luger pistol has a very distinctive silhouette as compared to other makes and is therefore more readily identified from further away. The examination of the object is something more than casual, but less than detailed. The device does not need to be so close that markings are identifiable; and

• (c) it cannot be designed or intended to exactly resemble, or to resemble with near precision, an antique firearm. 

RCMP Website "Air Guns"

1. Air guns that are "Controlled" Firearms for purposes of both the Firearms Act and the Criminal Code

These are air guns with both a high muzzle velocity (greater than 152.4 meters or 500 feet per second) and a high muzzle energy (greater than 5.7 joules or 4.2 foot-pounds). The "muzzle velocity" is the speed of a projectile at the instant it leaves the muzzle of a gun, normally expressed in meters per second or feet per second. The "muzzle energy" is the energy of a projectile at the instant it leaves the muzzle of a gun, expressed in joules or foot-pounds. Air guns need to meet both standards to be classified as "Controlled" firearms for purposes of the Firearms Act.

These high-powered air guns are subject to the same license and registration requirements as a conventional "Controlled" firearm. Owners and users are also required to store, transport, display and handle them safely in accordance with the regulations supporting the Firearms Act.

Usually, the manufacturer's specifications are used to determine what muzzle velocity and muzzle energy an air gun was designed to have. This information may be available in the user's manual or on the manufacturer's website. If the information is not available, individuals can call the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Canadian Firearms Program (CFP) at 1-800-731-4000 and ask to speak to a firearm technician to find out if the air gun is considered to be a firearm for purposes of the Firearms Act.

High-powered air rifles are generally classified as non-restricted firearms. However, the classification depends on the exact design of the air gun. Air rifles manufactured to resemble an assault rifle could be non-restricted, restricted or prohibited depending on the exact model imitated. High-powered air rifles would also be prohibited firearms if fully automatic or if they have a sawed-off barrel. They could also be restricted firearms if they have a folding stock that reduces the overall length to less than 660mm. 

Additional thought on this subject: Even though Uncontrolled Firearms are not governed by the same laws that apply to Controlled Firearms within the Firearms act and do not need to be handled or stored similar in the same way you are required to handle, transport and store a Controlled Firearm, we need to treat our Uncontrolled Airguns, Airsoft Guns and Blank guns with care and go over and above what is expected when had handle, transport and store them.

Is an Airgun Good for Self Defense? Another one of those questions I get asked fairly often that's a bit hard to answer in a few sentences... Not all of us have easy access to a 9mm pistol or even a rifle but many of us can get our hands on an airgun fairly easily and they look real enough, I guess that is one thing they have going for them.

But what if the mere sight of what looks like a gun does not scare an intruder off? If you where hoping that would be enough, you may just be out of luck and what if you just brought an Airgun to a "real" gun fight? You are going to be drastically "outgunned" pun intended and here's why. A 4.5mm Steel BB weighs about 5.1 grains and generally you are looking at about 2-3 foot pounds of energy from a CO2 BB gun. Even a .177 caliber lead pellet is only marginally heavier at around 7-8 grains and if you're really lucky you might just get 4 foot pounds of energy out of a CO2 pellet pistol.

So let's take a look at a fairly conservative "real pistol" rounds, the 9mm. The 9mm rounds come in different bullet weighs but you can get a 120 grain 9mm in a plus p ammo with as much as 400 foot pounds of energy and even with that much raw power, many people claim that a 9mm round does not always have enough stopping power to put down a person even when shot multiple times center mass. It just depends what vital organs or arteries you hit that determines if he gets lucky or you get lucky.

Your 5.1 grain 4.5mm Steel BB is not going to do anything if it hits any type of clothing and even if you find some flesh it's just going to piss off the intruder.

My suggestion is to consider a bat or a golf club or a really big knife or just about anything other than an airgun because if the sight of the airgun replica does not scare an intrude away then you are really buggered.

Keep in mind that you need to abide by any laws regarding the use of self defense in your areas. Even just physical force could be considered a crime and at the end of the day you are ultimately accountable for your actions.

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

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

OPTICS

4 ELEMENT GLASS LENS

Largan Glass Camera Lens

FOCUS

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

FIELD OF VIEW

75 Degrees

IMAGE SENSOR

8MP Sony CMOS

RAM

2GB SDRAM

VIDEO

RESOLUTION

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

VIDEO FORMAT

Mp4 H.264

EXPOSURE

Auto | Bright | Dim

VIDEO OPTIONAL SETTING

Black & White | Face Tracking | Time/Date Stamp

AUDIO FORMAT

AAC MONO

44.1 kHz

PHOTO

IMAGE SIZE OPTIONS

8MP | 5MP | 3MP

BURST OPTIONS

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

TIME LAPSE OPTION

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

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

FOCUS

Auto | Macro

EXPOSURE

Auto | Bright | Dim

ISO

Auto | 200 | 800 | 1600

PHOTO OPTIONAL SETTING

Black & White | Face Tracking | Time/Date Stamp

STORAGE

INTERNAL MEMORY

8GB

INTERFACE

USB CABLE

USB 2.0 Cable for Charging and Data Transfer

POWER

RECHARGEABLE

Rechargeable 3.7VLi-Polymer/440mAh

DC POWER

USB power via Micro USB, 5V DC 500mA

OPERATING SYSTEM

SYSTEM

Mac | PC | Android

PRE SET MODES

Active | Action Sport | Power Save

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

CERTIFICATION

FCC | FDA | CE

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

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.

Buy the ROHM RG-88 9mm P.A.K. Blank Pistol in the Canada Store

Buy the ROHM RG-88 9mm P.A.K. Blank Pistol in the US 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 :)

If you have not already watched my Table Top Review for the Pedersoli Derringer Guardian #11 4.5mm .177 Pellet Pistol, make sure to do so to find out a bit more info on it since I don't go over too much in this Field Test Shooting Review.

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!