It’s always fun shooting a Paintball Gun like the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol for a change but in this case it’s not all that different then shooting one of my BB or Airsoft pistols, with the acceptation of the .43 caliber rubber balls. I went with rubber balls rather than Paintballs inside my Sea Can Indoor Airguns Shooting Range to keep things clean. Actual Paintballs may have performed a little different than the rubber balls but this gives us a good idea on what the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is capable of
First, I put five rounds through my Chrony Chronograph to see what the real world FPS would be, keep in mind I was using rubber balls rather than paintballs and the rubber balls are a little bit heavier than paintballs so this could bring the FPS down a bit compared to the slightly lighter paintballs. Using a brand new CO2, the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol average 315 FPS which was higher than the claimed 290 FPS! Temperature inside my Sea Can Airgun Shooting Range was around 24 degrees Celsius or 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Moving on to my accuracy testing, as per usual I positioned myself 30 feet back from my fresh paper target and using a seated and rested shooting position I shot a full magazine (8 rounds) of rubber balls on target with the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol. I was not expecting as tight groups as I would get using a BB or Airsoft pistol since Paintball guns are not known for super tight groups. I did manage to shoot around a 6 inch group with most of the shots staying within around 3 inches all pretty well centered. This is about what I was expecting as paintball guns are not meant for "target practicing", generally you are going to be shooting human sized objects and hoping to get some well placed center mass shots. 3-6 inch accuracy at 30 feet will get the job done for sure. I did find the trigger using rubber balls did have a bit more friction while the inner barrel seated itself into the magazine. When shooting quickly with the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol it is much less noticeable and overal the trigger is not bad.
I know some of you are going to ask about using the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol with rubber balls for non-lethal self defense and the reality is it will not stop a person who is determined on hurting you. There is simply not enough stoping power here. Will it a lot if you get shot up close with one of these Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistols especially directly on the skin ? For sure but a well timed punch has more chance of dropping someone than a .43 caliber rubber ball moving at around 300 FPS. You may scare someone off simply by brandishing it but you take the chance of the person calling your bluff. Perhaps 8 rubber balls to the face will change their mind but that's a chance you have to figure out if you want to take or not.
Type: Paintball Gun. Manufacturer:Umarex - T4E. Model:S&W M&P9 M2.0 Materials: Metal & Polymer. Weight: 763 grams (1.7 pounds). Barrel: Smooth bore. Power Source: 1x12 gram CO2. Action: Semi-Automatic with blowback action. Ammo Type: .43 Caliber Paintball or Rubber Ball. Ammo Capacity: 8 Rounds. FPS: 290.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol feels a lot like a double action trigger mainly because when you pull the trigger the inner barrel travels backwards into the magazine which seals off the barrel form the magazine so less CO2 is wasted going it not the magazine and also placing a paintball round in the barrel. This does make the trigger a little bit longer and heavier than a single action trigger. I believe the internal hammer/striker is engaged from the blowback action.
Build Quality: The build quality of the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is really very good, metal parts are where you would expect them, the slide, slide catch, barrel, magazine and most internal parts giving the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol a nice near 2 pounds (1.7 pounds) of weight with the magazine in which makes the Paintball version a little heavier than the real steal version (1.54 pounds) but once the real steal version is loaded with a full mag this may even out a bit. The Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol does have a polymer frame but again this is normal with todays modern guns and helps keep the weight down. Fit and finish is also very good!
Realism: The Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is a near perfect replica of the real steel S&W M&P9 M2.0 Pistol, from the fully licensed markings to the large .43 caliber diameter barrel. If you placed the Paintball version side by side with the real steel version I doubt you could tell them apart unless you start inspecting it really close up and working the action. You will find that the slide cycle distance is a bit shorter than it would be meaning that when the side catch is engaged the slide does not go as far back as it the real 9mm S&W M&P9 M2.0. Field stripping the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol will requires some tools and pin removal.
I don’t do a lot of paintball gun reviews, they just don’t come across my table all that often so it’s a lot fo fun when I do get the chance to shoot some beefier caliber ammunition in the Replica Airguns Sea Can Indoor Airgun Shooting Range. Of course I use rubber ball ammo rather than standard paintball rounds in order to keep the mess to a minimum.
I have not done my Table Top YouTube Video Review yet for the Umarex T4E HDS Double Barrel CO2 Paintball Shotgun but you can checkout a Preview Video for now. In Summary the Umarex T4E HDS Double Barrel CO2 Paintball Shotgun is a pretty much exactly what the name says. It’s basically a sawn off pistol grip styled double barrel shotgun that uses CO2 and shoots .68 caliber paintballs. You have a selector for shooting either out of the left or right barrel or if you want to can even both at the same time but this really slows down the fps so I would not advise it with the 200 fps version that I was testing with.
Now on to the actual testing of the Umarex T4E HDS Double Barrel CO2 Paintball Shotgun! As alway I like to find out how close to the factory claimed fps I will get. Umarex claims around 200 fps for this version which is around 7.5 Joules of energy, apparently there is a 16 Joules version that shoots closer to 300 fps but we do not carry it at least right now. I put a couple fo rounds through my Umarex T4E HDS Double Barrel CO2 Paintball Shotgun using rubber ball paintballs which will be a little bit heavier than a standard paintballs and my first shot yielded 180 fps, my second shot was slightly higher at 184 fps so pretty close to the claimed 200 fps and that was in not the warmest of environments since the temperature in the Replica Airguns Sea Can Indoor Airgun Shooting Range was only 16 Degrees Celsius (60 Degrees Fahrenheit).
Next up it was time to see how the Umarex T4E HDS Double Barrel CO2 Paintball Shotgun performed shooting at a target setup 30 feet away. Since there are no actual sights on the Umarex T4E HDS Double Barrel CO2 Paintball Shotgun I had to kind eyeball it and as I shot it more and more I was able to get my shots closer to the center of the target. The Umarex T4E HDS Double Barrel CO2 Paintball Shotgun is not a tac driver but at 30 feet out you should be able to hit an 8-10 inch target pretty consistently. I don’t recommend using the double shot option since the same amount of CO2 is applied to both rounds that would normally be applied to one round decreasing the fps by about half making the paintball rounds shoot a lot slower and not really being that effective. This may be an option with the higher 300 fps version of the Umarex T4E HDS Double Barrel CO2 Paintball Shotgun.
So all in all I had a lot of fun shooting the Umarex T4E HDS Double Barrel CO2 Paintball Shotgun, it’s kind of like a big boy Nerf Gun that you can take onto the paintball field if you wanted to. For home defense I think it is a bit underpowered but there may be a little bit of shock factor that could slow someone down or deter them enough to either give you time get away or take shelter somewhere safe. Maybe using the pepper rounds would work OK in this situation? Either way the Umarex T4E HDS Double Barrel CO2 Paintball Shotgun is a really cool and unique CO2 Airgun that is not overly expensive and a welcome addition to any Airgun enthusiasts collection.
The Umarex T4E HDS Double Barrel .68 caliber CO2 Paintball Shotgun is a two shot short barrelled that could come in handy for CQB engagements but it looks to be designed also as a none lethal home defence weapon since you can load a CO2 without piercing it but when in a bind you simply hit the CO2 screw and it pierces the CO2 activating the gun for instant use. I will have to test this one out to see if it really has enough power to stop an intrude, after all you only get two shots so they better count!
I don’t often make many Paintball Review Gun Videos let alone Shooting Videos so this one is a bit different than the norm. Lucky for me I have some .43 caliber Rubber Paintballs that I can use in my Indoor Sea Can Shooting Range so as not to make a mess of things. As per usual I like to use a brand new 12 Gram CO2 Cartridge for my testing and for your reference the temperature was right around room temperature or 21 degree Celsius, 69 degrees Fahrenheit.
First up I generally perform my Chronograph test to see what the real world velocity or fps is for the Umarex T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle. I shot a short string of rubber rounds through my Chronograph and was able to get a 280 fps average with the Umarex T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle. This is plenty enough power for the intended target down range to feel the paintball effect without causing too much trauma.
With the remaining 10 rounds in my Umarex T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle magazine, I then setup a brand new paper target 30 feet down range and using a rested and seated shooting position and carefully unloaded the Umarex T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle into the target. I was a bit surprised to see the rounds spread out a fair amount perhaps as much as 10-12 inches but at least half where in the target rings.
I would not recommend the Umarex T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle as a long range paintball marker but it would be perfect for close quarters ultra realistic simulations. I would like to give actual .43 caliber paintballs a try outside to see if accuracy would be better, maybe the rubber balls grip the barrel a bit too much causing some random and unexpected spinning to occur? Either way the Umarex T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle is a really unique and fun Paintball Gun to shoot, maybe not for everyone but if you want the most realistic Paintball Marker then it would be a great option.
Type: Paintball Rifle. Manufacturer:Umarex - T4E. Model:H&K 416. Materials: Metal & Polymer. Weight: 3016 grams (6.65 pounds). Barrel: Metal smooth bore. Power Source: 1x12 gram CO2. Action: Semi-Automatic with internal working bolt blowback action. Ammo Type: .43 Caliber Paintball or Rubber Ball. Ammo Capacity: 14 Rounds. FPS: 330-460?
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on Umarex T4E T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle is pretty typical of what you would find on an AR styled rifle. Since the internal bolt cycles with each shot, the trigger is engaged and the Paintball rifle is ready for the next shot with a very light and short single action trigger pull.
Accuracy: So far I have not had the opportunity to test the Umarex T4E T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle other than placing a few rounds down range into my ammo trap to see how it shot and felt. Without actually shooting rounds through the Chronograph I don’t really know what the fps velocity is going to be but I can say it felt like it was shooting perhaps even over 400 fps? Out of the box the Umarex T4E T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle was shooting rather low but you can adjust the rear sight for windage and elevation.
Build Quality: The build quality of the Umarex T4E T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle is very good since this Paintball gun is made for military and law enforcement training use. You’re going to find high quality metal and polymer where you would normally find them on the real steel version. The bolt carrier is expected to last at least 3000 shots but you do get an extra one included with it.
Realism: The fully licensed Umarex T4E T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle is about as realistic as you are going to get in a Paintball Rifle. It’s basically made very similar to a GBB Airsoft Rifle of the same type with a working bolt and pretty much all working parts on it. You can even break the Umarex T4E T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle down into the lower and upper receiver halves. The bolt blowback action is not super strong but this may be a good thing since CO2 usage will be more efficient allowing for higher fps and more shots per CO2.
Seem to have decent fps, will see when I do my Field Test?
Full Size drop out magazine that holds 14 .43 caliber Paintballs and the CO2.
Removable 4 position adjustable stock.
Removable and adjustable iron sights.
Lots of rials for adding accessories.
Fully licensed H&K 4116 replica via Umarex.
Blowback does give a bit of recoil feedback and allow for a true single action trigger.
Very high quality metaled polymer build.
Used as a training weapon for military and law enforcement.
Comes with extra bolt carrier.
Cons:
Very expensive, well over $1000!!
Comes with blue hardware but can be swapped out (Pistol grip, But stock, Magazine).
Bolt carrier may wear out at around 3000 rounds.
Comments:
If’ you’re looking for the ultimate in Paintball Rifle realism the Umarex T4E T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle is going to meet that requirement for sure. It will come at a pretty decent cost but you are going to have a very unique Airgun that not many people will own. And as they say you do get what you pay for which is realism, quality and reliability. I look forward to testing out the Umarex T4E T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle on the Chronograph using some rubber ball ammo, I may even take it outside for some paintball ammo shooting, we will have to see…
Some more stuff came in and I just had to show it off before moving on with the reviews. I know you're going to like it so here we go again...
First off the super anticipate Umarex Glock 19 CO2 BB Pistol has arrived and is now available in our Canada and US online Replica Airgun Stores so get yours while we still have them, if we still have them? No this version is not a blowback or even working slide version and yes it has the dreaded stick mag! That all said the Umarex Glock 19 CO2 BB Pistol feels really solid and well made and heck it's the first licensed Airgun Glock ever so it's a good start. Umarex has said that more elaborate blowback versions will be coming out down the road. There are full blowback Airsoft version licensed by Umarex but the FPS is too slow right now for us to import them into Canada, hopefully there is a fix for this at some point...
I have been waiting at least three months now for my AW Custom AG-HX2003 Double Stack Tactical 1911 Full Blowback CO2 BB Pistol to show up. Canada Customs got their hands on it and felt it needed to be processed for three months before delivering it to me. at least I did end up getting it without a fight!
I made a similar video about how to hold your airgun a while back but sometimes they get a bit buried in all the video I make. I feel it's really important how you grip your gun even if it's only an airgun with very little kick or recoil. Proper pistol grip is something you should use no matter what so that you can carry it forward to what ever gun you are shooting.
More kick or recoil means a firmer grip is required to hold the gun so when shooting a powder burner with lots of kick grip becomes even more important.
In this video I go over the proper two handed grip to use when holding a pistol, which hand to hold lose and which had to grip tight, how to overlap your fingers and thumbs.
This year at SHOT Show 2018 I had the please of again interviewing Dani Navickas from Sig Sauer. Dani Showed me several new pistols and a new break barrel rifle Sig Sauer is offering this year. The Sig ASP20 Break Barrel rifle will come in both .177 and .22 caliber pellet shooting versions. The ASP20 has a lighter than most cocking effort of only 33 pounds using their proprietary GlideLite system, along with an adjustable ASP MatchLite trigger.
Another Target pellet airgun from Sig Sauer this year is the .177 caliber pellet shooting Super Target, styled after the Sig Sauer P210 firearm. The Sig Super Target is a single pump pneumatic single shot pistol designed for 10 meeter shooting with adjustable sights and a crips short light trigger.
Sig like several other companies has rebranded their own version of the KWC 1911 CO2 Blowback BB pistols. The Sig Sauer licensed BB 1911 is based on Sigs We the People line to celebrate the American people and their Constitution.
Another new Blowback Pellet firing Sig Sauer Air Pistol was also introduced at SHOT Show, the Sig Sauer X-Five. The X-Five uses their 20 round belt fed magazine and also has Sig's Cam Lever CO2 loading mechanism. You will also find a rear adjustable sight on the Sig Sauer X-Five Pellet Pistol.
Last but not least and perhaps one of the most interesting new products coming out later this year from Sig Sauer is the P320MHS APS which is another new rotary magazine Blowback Pellet Pistol. What's a bit different with the new Sig P320MHS is that it has a full size drop out magazine that holds the CO2 and belt fed pellet magazine. The P320MHS can also be fully field striped, has an open ejection port and is styled after Sig's real Steal M17 firearm.
It was fun to shoot the Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol for a change but really it was a lot like shooting one of my BB and Airsoft pistols, except in this case I was shooting .43 caliber rubber balls. I decided to not use paintballs inside my nice new Sea Can Indoor Airguns Shooting Range to keep things clean :)
First, I put three rounds through my Chrony Chronograph to see what the real world FPS would be, keep in mind I was using rubber balls rather than paintballs and the rubber balls are a little bit heavier than paintballs so this could bring the FPS down a bit compared to the lighter paintballs. Using a brand new CO2, the Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol average 316 FPS which was high than the claimed 290 FPS!
Moving on to my accuracy testing, as per usual I positioned myself 30 feet back from my paper target and using a seated and rested shooting position I shot a full magazine (8 rounds) of rubber balls on target with the Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol. I was not expecting anything close to what I would get with a BB or Airsoft pistol since Paintball guns are not known for super tight groups. I did manage to shoot around a 6 inch group with most of the shots staying within around 3 inches. This is about what I was expecting as paintball guns are not meant for "target practicing", generally you are going to be shooting human sized objects and hoping to get some well placed center mass shots. 3-6 inch accuracy at 30 feet will get the job done for sure. I did find the trigger using rubber balls did have a bit more friction while the inner barrel seated itself into the magazine. When shooting quickly it is much less noticeable.
I know some of you are going to ask about using the Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol with rubber balls for non-lethal self defense and the reality is it will not stop a person who is persistent on hurting you. There is simply not enough stoping power here. Will it "sting like a bitch" if you get shot up close with one of these Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol? For sure but a well timed punch has more chance of dropping someone than a .43 caliber rubber ball moving at around 300 FPS. You may scare someone off simply by brandishing it but you take the chance of the person calling your bluff. Perhaps 8 rubber balls to the face will change their mind but that's a chance you have to figure out if you want to take or not.
As a paintball pistol, the Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is about the best I have seen in terms of replica paintball guns. It is as good as they come for realism, even better than many BB and Airsoft guns and in terms of performance it did not let me down either.
Type: Paintball Gun. Manufacturer:Umarex - T4E. Model:Walther PPQ M2. Materials: Metal & Polymer. Weight: 848 grams (1.87 pounds). Barrel: Smooth bore. Power Source: 1x12 gram CO2. Action: Semi-Automatic with blowback action. Ammo Type: .43 Caliber Paintball or Rubber Ball. Ammo Capacity: 9 Rounds. FPS: 290.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol feels a lot like a double action trigger, internally it may be striker fired so expect a bit of a longer trigger pull with a fairly long reset and a medium strength trigger weight. There is also a working trigger safety which works well.
Build Quality: The build quality of the Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is really very good, metal parts are where you would expect them, the slide, slide catch, barrel, magazine and most internal parts giving the Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol a nice near 2 pounds (1.87 pounds) of weight with the magazine in which makes the Paintball version a little heavier than the real still version (1.53 pounds) but once the real steal version is loaded with a full mag this may even out a bit. The Walther PPQ M2 does have a polymer frame but again this is normal with todays modern guns and helps keep the weigth down. Fit and finish is also excellent.
Realism: The Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is a near perfect replica of the real steel Walther PPQ M2, form the fully licensed markings to the large .43 caliber diameter barrel. If you placed the Paintball version side by side with the real steel version I doubt you could tell them apart? You will find that the slide cycle distance is a bit shorter than it shoudl be meaning that when the side catch is engaged the slide does not go as far back as it should. Filed stopping the Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol may requires some tools.
Full Metal slide that locks back on the last shot.
All metal heavy full size drop out magazine adds some additional weigth to the gun.
Very Accurate Walther PPQ replica, almost indistinguishable from the real still version.
Everything works pretty much like the real gun so a great training tool.
Adjustable yellow dot sights.
Working trigger safety.
Fit and finish is excellent.
Magazine spring release really shoots the magazine out.
Love the .43 caliber barrel opening, adds to realism.
Cons:
Trigger pull seems a bit long as it shoots like a double action trigger, may be striker fired internally?
Magazine only holds 9 rounds, so you are going to need extras.
Blowback action is not full blowback, more like a typical BB airgun.
Comments:
I'm really glad to see another Replica Paintball Pistol available in Canada, especially such a well made and realistic version. The Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol looks to be perhaps the best to date .43 caliber Paintball gun on the market and may even prove to be an option for non-lethal personal defense when using rubber balls with it. Not that I would trust my life with it but it sure looks the part and I am sure most people would not want to be on the receiving end of 9 rounds coming at you. As a training tool and Paintball gun the Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol offers superb realism for this purpose. I am looking forward to testing mine out shortly :)
Type: Break barrel pellet rifle. Manufacturer: Umarex USA. Model:Ruger Explorer. Materials: Metal and polymer parts. Weight: 4.45 pounds (2.5 kg). Barrel: 12 inches, metal rifled. Propulsion: Spring piston. Action: Single shot. Ammunition Type: .177 caliber pellets. Ammunition Capacity: 1. FPS: 495.
Trigger Pull: I found the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle to have a fairly light trigger, there is some initial take up with a smooth almost undetectable break or release point, I found that as I shot the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle the trigger seemed to be breaking in a bit which made it a bit hard to figure exactly when the trigger was going to release but I feel over time and once the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle is broken in the trigger will become more predictable.
Accuracy: Since I have already made a shooting or field test video for the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle, I can comment on its performance n this review! With 6 grain lead pellets (on the lighter side), I was able to get a 5 shot Chronograph average velocity of 485 fps. Using heavier 7-8 grain pellets the velocity slowed down a bit to around 400 fps. In terms of accuracy the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle performed well getting about a 1 inch 10 shot grouping on my paper target setup 30 feet down range. I know the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle can do better than this once the trigger settles down a bit since some shots went off unexpectedly.
Build Quality: The Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle is not an expensive air rifle and is more or less an entry level spring piston pellet shooter. That said it is built fairly well with a metal receiver, barrel and trigger setup. The modern looking stock is polymer and the steel barrel is coated in a synthetic soft plastic to help with long term durability. The real fiber optic sight is plastic so you will have to be careful with it as it does protrude a bit from the air rifle.
Realism: Since the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle is not a replica realism is not really a factor here but it does look like a gun so treat it as if it was a real gun since most people will not know the difference. Always transport and store any airgun safely and discreetly.
Pros:
Really great looking air rifle with a modern look to it.
Finish is very durable with its polymer stock and plastic/rubber coated barrel.
Fully adjustable fiber optic sights are easy to sight in and use.
Receiver is notched for ring mounts so you can add an optical sight or red dot to it.
Trigger is fairly light, just need some break in time with it.
Cocking effort is fairly easy at 16.5 pounds.
Great size gun for all ages.
Power and accuracy were good for an entry level air rifle.
Cons:
I did find the trigger break/release point to be a bit unpredictable but I feel this is a break-in issue and will become more consistent over time.
You have to remember to push that safety in with ever shot.
Comments: The Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle is marketed as a Youth air rifle but in reality it would be great fun for all ages. I am a fairly large person at 6 feet tall and I had no problem dealing with the slightly shorter configuration. The trigger guard is nice and open and allows for large fingers which is not always the case with airguns designed for smaller individuals. The overall quality you get with the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle for the lower entry level price tag is very good and in terms of performance I feel you for sure get your monies worth with the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle.
I don't do a lot of Springer (Spring Piston) Air Rifle shooting tests or even reviews for that matter. Mainly for a couple of reasons: Number 1, my content is mostly focused around Replica style Airguns and Number 2, it's kind of hard to test out the longer range airguns in my 30 foot airgun range. That said I felt the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle would be a really great airgun to review since it is both affordable and even though it is targeted for the youth market, it really does make a great shooter for all ages.
I have not done a Table Top Review for the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle but plan to shortly so stay posted for more detailed info on the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle down the road in that review.
So how'd we do during my Field Test Shooting Video for the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle? Not bad I would say! Using about 6 grain rather light weight .177 caliber lead pellets I was able to get really close to the 500 fps claimed fps mark coming in just under at a 5 shot testing average of 485 fps. I did put a couple heavier grain pellets through my Chrony Chronograph and got closer to the 400 fps mark, still not bad for this lighter sprung spring piston air rifle.
In terms of accuracy, shooting at my paper target setup 30 feet down range in my Sea Can Airgun Range, I shot about a 1 inch 10 shot grouping. I was finding the trigger break-in to be a bit unpredictable during this testing which led to some premature shots going off so I do feel once the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle is broken in and me getting use to the trigger break, I should be able to improve on this result.
Overall the Ruger Explorer Youth Break Barrel Pellet Rifle is a really nice entry level airgun perfect for all ages and not just the youth market. It looks really cool, is easy to cock and has a very resilient finish. Oh ya it shoots pretty good to!
I was a bit surprised by the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol, it actually shot a lot better than I was expecting it to perform. I did have to aim rather low since the Umarex DX-17 BB Pistol likes to shoot on the high side but if you are shooting at closer in ranges then you won't have to adjust your aim point so high.
Getting into my performance testing for the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol, I placed 5 shots through my Chrony Chronograph and averaged 210 fps which again was very close to the Umarex claimed 200 fps, even a little bit higher! he DX-17 is a single shot repeater but because of the BB reservoir you can quickly reload follow up shots by simply point the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol a little upward while pulling the slide back and pushing it forward to active the spring piston and load a BB at the same time.
As I mentioned the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol shot on the high side, at 30 feet it's a good 8-9 inches high but I have a feeling that this is about as high as the BB's will rise since they are not going that fast and gravity will start bringing them back down. At about 10-15 feet out from a target the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol seemed to shoot about 3-4 inches high so not nearly as bad and this can be adjusted pretty easy by simply aiming a bit under the target you are shooting at. In terms of a 10 shot grouping theUmarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol got about a 4 inch grouping which I have to say kind of surprised me as I was expecting a much larger spread.
So for about $20 you kind of get what you pay for but I really think with the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol you perhaps get a little more! It has a really good trigger, seemed to be built pretty tuff, shot exactly right on the claimed fps mark and was even able to keep a reasonable grouping. And to keep costs down even more you never need to buy CO2 so that's another bonus.
Trigger Pull: The single action only trigger pull on the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol is actually pretty good. It's fairly short with only a little bit of very light take up and then an easy release that has no added friction. So you will have to get use to when and where the release happens but it is a really decent trigger for such an inexpensive airgun.
Accuracy: I have only shot the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol a few times to get use to the mechanical operation of using this spring powered pistol since there is a very specific order in which you need to cock and load the Umarex DX-17 for proper operation. I did find the DX-17 shot a bit high for me at 30 feet out so I had to adjust my aim point about 5-6 inches lower to hit targets at this range. For further out shooting you many not need to do so since the fps is fairly low and I would expect the BB to drop pretty quickly. In terms of power being that the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol is only rated at 200fps, well it seems sufficient enough for plinking away at targets and should have no problem getting through a pop can.
Build Quality: I was expecting this $20 low cost BB airgun to be fairly low quality in general but when I took it out of the plastic clamshell packaging I was pleasantly surprised by the overall quality and how the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol felt in my hand. It has a good weight to it and the fit and finish are really good. Mechanical parts tolerances feel snug and the plastic used feels of good quality.
Realism: The Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol as far as I know is not a replica of any specific real steel gun in production but it does kind of remind me of a Browning Hi-power at least the back half and the way the frame angles up a bit in front of the trigger. Other than that it looks the part of a real gun. The DX-17 has what looks like real working parts on it with the slide catch, magazine release and magazine but plat all moulded into the airgun. Available at the:Replica Airguns Store
Pros:
At $21 Canadian its great value for a target plinker.
It actually looks and feels pretty good in person, better than I expected build quality and weight to it.
No CO2 required so very cheap to shoot.
Single action trigger is actually really decent, better than most airguns.
Accessory rail for adding a red dot or perhaps a tactical light.
15 round reservoir makes followup shots quicker and no fumbling around loading BB’s in-between shots.
Lower fps means if you do do something stupid you are less likely to have to make a trip to the doctor
Cons:
Pretty low fps so don’t expect any long range shooting or great penetration.
Sights are not adjustable and it seems to shoot kind of high.
Why not rifle the barrel and make pellets an option?
Comments:
I rarely review these super low cost airguns especially spring powered ones with low fps, it almost seems like why would you want any of that? But you know the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol is actually a great little airgun and you really can't beat the price tag. You are also going to save a bunch of money not having to buy CO2 and once you load 15 rounds into the BB reservoir you can empty the DX-17 fairly quickly. Sure the power seems a bit low but it gets the job done and like I said if there was an accident, you are less likely to break that window or require medical attention. I think this would be a great add on to an existing order you might be making with us, that way you wouldn't have to pay for shipping for this one item and you get a fun little plinker for only $20 more.
My Vimeo Videos for the Umarex DX-17 Spring Powered BB Pistol:
Power Sources Covered in this review: CO2 - Spring Piston - Variable Pump -HPA (High Pressure Air)
Pro’s:
CO2 Airguns allow for fast repeat shooting, great for action shooters, generally CO2 Airguns will supply a medium power range. No need to pump or cock your CO2 powered weapon in-between shots and a CO2 power source can allow for a very realistic action of the gun you are shooting.
Spring Piston Airguns are best suited of single shot situations, they can provide low to high power output depending on the spring used. Spring Piston Airguns are very low cost to operate since you only need to buy the Pellets or BB’s. Spring Piston Airguns are not greatly effected by outside temperatures.
Variable Pump Airguns allow you to decide how much power your gun will have and can offer very high power output depending on the Airgun. Variable Pump Airguns are very low cost to operate since you only need to buy the Pellets or BB’s. Variable Pump Airguns are not greatly effected by outside temperatures. Variable Pump Airguns generally have very low recoil and vibration.
HPA (High Pressure Air) Airguns generally do not require pumping or cocking in-between shots and some even come in semi automatic or bolt action. HPA Airguns can have very high power output and even be used on larger game using large caliber ammunition. HPA Air Rifles have lower recoil and low vibration. HPA Airguns can be charged ahead off time so they are ready for use when you need them.
Con’s:
CO2 Airguns require the additional cost to buy the CO2 as they do not function without it. CO2 Airguns have a limited power output and lose power as you shoot and use up the CO2. CO2 Airguns are effected by hot and cold temperatures and will have less power in colder temperatures and may not even work in super cold environments.
Spring Piston Airguns require cocking before each shot. Spring Piston Airguns can have a lot of recoil and vibration, so much so that special optics must be considered when buying an optical sight. The action of the spring recoil can effect accuracy, especially if you are not use to the vibration and recoil or have spent some time practicing using a Spring Piston Airgun.
Variable Pump Airguns will require multiple pumps to achieved maximum power output which can take some time in-between shots. So you are going to have to work for each shot.
HPA (High Pressure Air) Airguns require the use of a manual pump to fill their built in air tank to maximum pressure and it does take a lot of time to manual fill an HPA tank. Alternatively you can have the air tank filled at a shop or buy a pressurization system similar to a scuba tank out paintball setup, the cost of this setup can be very high but will save you the castle of manually pumping air in to your HPA Airgun. HPA Airguns are generally a little more bulky then other Airgun systems since they have to accommodate fairly large air pressure tanks.
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.
To make this as comparable a test as possible I used two KWC/Gletcher Makarov Full Blowback Pistols each with their own separate magazine, again one with a 12 gram CO2 and one using the ANT system.
HPA or High Presure Air is not effected by cold weather which makes this setup ideal for shooting in cold situations since fps is not effected at all. As CO2 requires heat to expand, the colder the outside temperature the less amount of expansion you get from the CO2 whihc results in less power, this is really noticeable on your follow-up magazines as the CO2, magazine and even the gun will have started to cool down from the CO2 exposure.
The ANT Advanced Novelty Tech FIRE CO2 HPA Conversion Kit even when using large 20 ounce CO2 tanks will help with the cool down effect since the large CO2 tanks will take much longer to cool down and even freeze up as compared to the smaller 12 gram CO2 which can get frosty even after the first magazine.
I did notice in this Field Test Shooting Review that the CO2 did pretty good as it was my first magazine and the temperature was not all that cold out. I can say the HPA System was shooting much harder, after making this video I popped off another couple magazine with each gun shooting out to at least 100 feet and the ANT FIRE HPA setup was really throwing the 4.5mm Steel BB's out there quickly. As expected the 12 gram CO2 mags really started to trail off especially on the third magazine of shots.
All in all, the ANT Advanced Novelty Tech FIRE CO2 HPA Conversion Kit will not only bring your cost per shot down significantly but it allows you to keep shooting with no down time waiting for your gun to warm back up and the ability to use HPA (High Pressure Air) means you will get even more fps performance out of your air guns but also much more consistent shot performance all day long!
Well ANT (Advanced Novelty Tech) made an update model that supports a bunch more guns, that's a good thing of course. This new model is called the "FIRE" and it supports the following guns. I did find however that ANT list that the Gletcher NGT and Webley Mark VI Revolvers where supported by the FIRE but my findings indicated the CO2 screw on both these guns had a smaller diameter so they where not compatible. Other than that small discrepancy most of the other guns on their list should work just fine.
What exactly is the ANT Advanced Novelty Tech FIRE CO2 HPA Conversion Kit?
The Advanced Novelty Tech FIRE CO2/HPA Conversion Kit is a remote line adapter for Airsoft, BB, and pellet guns. Compatible with over 60 guns, it is easy to install and converts a compatible gun for use with a Paintball remote line and CO2 or HPA tank. Eliminating the need for disposable CO2 cartridges, while still being interchangeable with disposable CO2 cartridges, it delivers a longer, more powerful, and more consistent shooting experience between refills.
So what is the ANT Advanced Novelty Tech FIRE CO2 HPA Conversion Kit going to do for you?
Eliminate the need for the more expensive disposable 12 gram CO2 cartridges.
Use interchangeably with disposable 12 gram CO2 cartridges.
Use in conjunction with a Paintball remote line with standard quick disconnect fittings and a CO2 or HPA tank. (recommended use up to 1000 psi)
Shoot thousands of rounds before needing to refill your CO2.
Fits compatible Airsoft, BB, and pellet gun CO2 pistols.
Easy drop-in installation.
Overall cost savings.
More consistent FPS especially when shooting fast or in full auto.
As most my Vimeo Subscribers and Viewers will already know, I have been struggling with my Chrony Shooting Chronograph for a while now. I know some of it is to do with the bad lighting under my deck but over time my Chrony F-1 Shooting Chronograph has become less and less reliable to the point now that I simply don't get any usable feedback from it. If I'm lucky on a good day I might get one FPS reading out of ten shots which is nothing I can use.
So recently I went out and purchased a new Chrony Shooting Chronograph, I actually upgraded a little bit and got the higher end Chrony Beta Shooting Chronograph version which has more options than my older F-1 Chrony like:
Selector switch to change from FPS (feet per second) to MPS (meter per second).
Delivers Measurements and Statistics such as - High, Low and Average Velocities, Extreme Spread and Standard Deviation.
Retrieve individual Shot Velocities and Statistics.
Has temporary working memory.
Has 60 shot permanent memory (divided into 6 numbered strings of up to 10 shots each, with one set of Statistics for each string).
Delete individual shots (with automatic adjustment of Statistics).
Delete the content of a whole string or all data from memory.
Can be switched off, taken home & switched on again for reviewing and information retrieval.
Memory will stay even without battery.
Moves instantly from string to string, interrupts shooting on any string without memory loss, returns to any string to continue where you left off.
Change string size.
Stereo Jack for optional Printer or Remote Control.
Forget Button - To clear individual strings instantly.
In this review video I mainly show you around my new Chrony Beta Shooting Chronograph and don't really talk too much about features since it is all new to me and I have not played around with my new Beta Chrony much so far.
