Trigger Pull: The trigger on the SM Mod 110 8mm Blank Pistol is single action only so you will need to rack the slide to not only chamber a round but also cock the internal hammer / striker, follow up shots will case the slide to cycle on it own allowing for single action shooting. The trigger is rather nice with just a slight bit of take-up followed by a light release.
Accuracy: NA.
Build Quality: The SM Mod 110 8mm Blank Pistol was made in West Germany sometime back in the Mid 70's so this pistol is 30-40 years old and still looks great. Mine does have some slight pitting on the right side I am assuming from sitting in the box up against the manual which more than likely may have an acidic property to it. Even so this pitting is minor and the gun is in good condition overall. Like most blank pistols much of the gun is made out of pot metal (a zinc alloy) but it does have hardened steel parts where they need to be (Barrel, ejector, hammer, pins, screws and magazine).
Realism: The SM Mod 110 8mm Blank Pistol is not a true replica as far as I can tell is not an actual replica of any real steel semi-auto pistol in production but it does look a bit like the American Derringer LM5. In terms of looking like a gun it looks like what you would expect a small caliber sub compact pistol should look like and all operation is exactly like a semi auto pistol with the exception that the SM Mod 110 only shoots blanks since the barrel is obstructed with a metal rod.
I really like unique blank guns since they are so hard to locate here in Canada. When I saw this sitting on the table at my local gun show I kind of wondered if someone had accidentally left out a prohibited firearm but once I inspected it I quickly realized it was a blank shooter and decided right there and then I had to have it. I did pay close to $200 for it but to me it is worth it simply because this little blank shooter is a rare find and it was also in really good condition and even came with the original 8mm self defence pepper blanks. The SM Mod 110 8mm Blank Pistol is for sure a blank shooter I will be holding onto for some time...
My Vimeo Table Top Review for the SM Mod 110 8mm Blank Pistol:
This Vimeo Video Preview covers three really nice CO2 Pistols recently added to our Replica Airguns Canada Store. One is a pellet pistol from Gletcher called the Gletcher NGT R which is for the most part the same as the standard 4.5mm Steel shooting NGT but the R model is made to shoot .177 caliber pellets so it also has a rifled barrel. I am expecting pretty decent accuracy with this pistol!
Last but perhaps the best or at least most anticipated gun I am showing off today is the Umarex S&W M&P40 Full Blowback CO2 BB Pistol. This is a really nice acurate replica of the real steal S&W M&P40 with full licensing and pretty much every part operational like it would be on the .40 caliber version.
Here are some basic Specifications for all of these fine Co2 Airguns...
Type: Pellet Rifle. Manufacturer: Sig Sauer ASP Model: Sig Sauer MPX ASP Materials: Metal and Nylon Fiber build. Weight: 7 Pounds (3300 Grams). Barrel: 8 inch steelrifled. Propulsion: 88 or 90 Gram CO2. Action: Semi Auto,double action only. Ammunition Type: .177 caliber pellets. Ammunition Capacity: 30 rounds belt fed. FPS: Up to 600 fps (When shot by a Unicorn)
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Sig Sauer MPX ASP .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle is actually pretty decent when you consider the first part of the trigger pull is used to advance the belt fed 30 round magazine. One would think that there would be a lot of added friction from the belt but this does not seem to be the case. There is some internal blowback action going on but it is only used to cock the internal hammer/striker which does lesson the overall amount of trigger pull required. The trigger pull is shorter than expected with all that is going on and it's not overly heavy so quick and predictable action shooting is very possible with the Sig Sauer MPX ASP .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle.
Accuracy: So far I have not done my official Field Test Shooting Video for the MPX ASP .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle but I did have the chance to get out and shoot some rounds down range at my Sig provided Quad Shooting Gallery that I had setup about 35-40 feet away. Even though I did not have my red dot all perfectly sighted in I was still able to hit the smallish metal targets fairly well using the Sig Sauer MPX ASP. In terms of velocity you can expect from the Sig Sauer MPX ASP .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle, 600 fps is a bit optimistic. Sig did send me a real world fps performance spread sheet they had conducted using both 5.25 grain alloy pellets and 8.18 grain lead pellets shooting 8 rounds and averaging out the fps. The 5.25 grain pellets averaged in at just over 500 fps while the heavier 8.18 grain pellets came in with an average of just under 450 fps. Pretty much what I would expect from a shorter barreled CO2 rifle.
Build Quality: The build quality for Sig Sauer MPX ASP .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle is excellent, you can tell Sig Sauer had a lot of hands on in the design and production of this Pellet Shooting Air Rifle! The materials used and fit and finish are top notch and the mechanical function again is really good, I am kind of amazed at how well their belt fed rotary magazine design works in terms of feeding and operation. So far I have not experienced any pellet feeding problems at all using both lead and alloy flathead pellets.
Realism: The Sig Sauer MPX ASP .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle is for the most part designed to be used as a side by side optional training aid for the real steel Sig Sauer MPX Rifle. Sig wanted the pellet version to look and feel as close as posable and Sig has done a good job with this. Other than the lessor recoil and noise factor, the Sig Sauer MPX ASP .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle works and shoots much the same as a real steel Sig Sauer MPX Rifle.
Pros:
Has to be the best semi auto pellet rifle replica I have seen and shot to date.
Near perfect replica of the real steel Sig Sauer MPX including licensing and trademarks.
Awesome build quality, lots of metal parts and the nylon parts are true to form and very solid.
Rifle has been tested to shoot over 15,000 rounds reliably.
30 round full size belt fed magazine has super high capacity and works flawlessly.
Decent fps performance, about what I would expect from a multi-shot CO2pellet shooter and totally usable.
Trigger feels really good, not too long or to heavy and very consistent feel on every shot.
Fully adjustable pop up front and rear sights.
Lots of rails for your pick of sight options and other add on accessories.
Very accurate with it’s 8 inch rifled barrel.
Cons:
Rear stock is none adjustable so the gun may feel kind of cramped for larger shooters.
Internal blowback action does not advance the belt fed magazine but does cock the internal hammer.
FPS claim of 600 fps seems a bit optimistic compared to real world testing.
Comments:
I have been waiting to get my hands on the Sig Sauer MPX ASP .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle for some time now and the wait has been worth it for sure. There are really no other guns out there right now other than perhaps the Umarex CX4 Storm that compare to the Sig Sauer MPX ASP .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle and even so I feel the Sig Sauer MPX is by far the better of the two CO2 Air Rifles. OK so the MPX does not really come close to hitting 600 fps but did you really believe that in the first place? Still consistent 450 fps from a decent grain lead pellet is about what you would expect from a short barreled CO2 rifle. If you do want more fps then look at the MCX with over double the barrel length of the MPX, this will easily get you an additional 100+fps for those of you who thrive on velocity performance. I am fine with 450-500 fps since this is all that is needed to accuracy shoot and nock over most targets at a variety of ranges.
My Vimeo Table Top Review of the Sig Sauer MPX ASP .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle:
I was excited when I first heard that Sig Sauer was coming out with their own line of pellet shooting airguns and that was about 2 years ago! So it's been a long time coming for me to finally get my hands on one of Sigs own in-house Airguns. Sig Sauer was kind enough to send me three of their ASP (Advanced Sport Pellet) airguns, one of which arrived last week, the Sig Sauer MPX ASP .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle. I will also be receiving Sigs P250 and P226 CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistols for review when they are sent to me hopefully soon.
I will be performing my standard Table Top and Field Test Shooting videos for all of the Sig Sauer Airguns being sent to me but wanted to get out this preview video for the Sig Sauer MPX ASP .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle to give you a little info on it right away and also let you know what's coming up in terms of Sig Sauer product reviews.
In this preview video I do a little bit of fun backyard shooting simply because I could not resist having a go with this awesome air rifle any longer and needed to shoot it. I was not disappointed! Every pellet I placed in the 30 round belt fed magazine fired flawlessly from the Sig Sauer MPX ASP .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle. I used both Sigs high velocity 5.25 grain alloy pellets and some flathead 7 grain RWS lead pellets and all my ammo shot well in the Sig Sauer MPX ASP .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle. I have not done a Chronograph test so far for the Sig MPX but can say the pellets where getting to my Sig Sauer Quad Shooting Gallery Target in no time and I had placed a good 35-40 feet away. Once I figured out my sights I was able to continently hit what looked like pretty small targets from where I was standing, this was no surprise since the Sig Sauer MPX ASP .177 Caliber Pellet Riflehas an 8 inch rifled barrel.
Sig has done some real world pellet fps testing on their own using both light weight 5.25 grain pellets and heavier 8.18 grain pellets and the numbers for an 8 shot average came in at around 505 fps using 5.25 grain pellets and around 450 fps using 8.18 grain pellets. That's plenty enough power to rip into your targets setup even further down range.
My Sig Sauer MPX ASP .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle is the open sight only version but you can get one already paired with Sigs Red Dot system or add your own sighting system, since there are plenty of rails to add just about any kind of accessory to the Sig Sauer MPX ASP .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle.
Check back shortly for my office Table Top and Field Test Shooting videos for the Sig Sauer MPX ASP .177 Caliber Pellet Rifle. And when I do finally get the Sis Sauer p250 adn P226 ASP Air Pistols I will have review videos out for them too.
This Field Test Shooting Video Review focuses on the performance results of the Umarex Colt Single Action Army CO2 Pellet Revolver. I put it through its paces to see what kind of feet per second performance it can achieve using .7 grain RWS lead pellets. I also perform my standard 6 shot Revolver accuracy test from a 30 foot back semi rested shooting position to see how this classic cowboy 6 shooter groups on a paper target.
In my first portion of the fps velocity test, I used my somewhat temperamental Chronograph shooting several RWS 7 grain lead pellets using a brand new CO2. I really did not have much luck with my Chronograph today, it did not seem to like the lead pellets I was using? I went through 12 shots and only got 3 decent readings which where rather spread apart. 318, 484 and 333 fps for an average of 378 fps. I can say that when shooting the Umarex Colt Single Action Army CO2 Pellet Revolver the pellets do seem to get to the target pretty quickly and my gut estimate is that they are moving somewhere in the high 300 to low 400 fps range.
Next on my Field Test Shooting list was the accuracy portion of this review where I did not have to worry about my tech gear working properly! I performed my standard 30 foot back paper target shooting test using a semi-rested position, standing in the back with a sandbag up front to rest my hands on for stability. This position is nice and steady but not perfect so there is always some human factor to consider and I know at least one of the 6 shots went a bit high on the account of me pulling that one shot just a little bit. Removing that one shot I kind of blew, I was able to get a very tight .75 inch grouping with the Umarex Colt Single Action Army CO2 Pellet Revolver. And looking back at the video my hold was a little on the jittery side, perhaps one too many espresso this morning...
I am a huge fan of these Umarex distributed Colt Single Action Army CO2 Pellet Revolvers, they now come in 4.5mm Steel BB, .177 caliber lead pellet and even Airsoft versions so you can take your pick depending on your intended use. If you want the best accuracy then definitely go for the pellet shooting version with its rifled barrel as you should be able to hit a quarter at 30 feet with it all day long.
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.
Yes, I have more of my personal guns for sale, now we are getting into the pistols! I am showcasing here on the Replica Airguns website and over on the Replica Airguns YouTube channel a series of videos I am making for the purpose of selling some guns out of my personal collection. I simply have to make room for the new guns I will be testing and reviewing for everyone, my collection has gotten a little bit out of hand and needs to be thinned down a bit :)
In this 5th Mike's Personal Guns For Sale video, I am offering some of my pellet pistols in a variety of models ranging from some classic Crosman SAA .22 caliber revolvers to more modern CO2 blowback pistols like the Umarex Beretta PX4 Storm
Make sure to watch my above YouTube video to see these Pellet Pistols 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 Pellet Pistols I am selling from my personal gun collection:
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:
I will be showcasing here on the Replica Airguns website and over on the Replica Airguns YouTube channel a series of videos I will be making for the purpose of selling some guns out of my personal collection. I simply have no more room for the new guns and in some cases I either have duplicate guns or very similar versions so there is no need to have both. Some guns I am less attached to and as I already stated I need to make room for some of the new stuff I will be reviewing.
To start this series off my first video is to highlight the blank guns I am selling, there are only 4 of them, all of which are really hard to get here in Canada so I am not going to let them go cheap. By the way I am only selling to Canadian residents since shipping cross borders is a little sketchy.
Make sure to watch my above YouTube video to see the blank guns I am selling and instructions on how you can take part in the sale and purchase of them.
Here is a list of the blank guns I am selling from my personal gun collection:
Ammunition Type: 4.5mm steel BB's. or .177 cal. pellets.
Ammunition Capacity: 6 rounds.
FPS: (BB 410) (Pellet 380).
Trigger Pull: Trigger pull on the John Wayne Duke Colt SAA BB and Pellet Revolver is the best I have ever come across in an airgun. Being that these Single Action Army Revolvers are single action only, most of the work is done while you pre-cock the hammer. The trigger pull is under 2 pounds and has virtually no take up with a crisp release. I love the ratcheting sound as you pull back the hammer just like using a real SAA Revolver!
Accuracy: I have not yet tested these John Wayne Duke Colt SAA BB and Pellet Revolvers so far but expect the BB version to perform for the most part just like the Umarex only versions I tested previously. Here are my notes from my previous testing:
"I tested both 4.5mm steel BB's and 4.7mm Lead ball BB's in the Umarex Colt Single Action Army Shell Loading BB Revolver. With the Steel 4.5mm BB's I shot just under a 2 inch 6 shot grouping when shooting from a 30 foot distance using a semi rested position (Sand bag up front, standing in the back). The shots where pretty well center hitting the paper target just a little bit high, they did seem to stray a little more left and right rather then up and down. When I switch ammo to the 4.7mm Lead BB's I got a similar 2 inch grouping but they hit the target a bit lower and tended to shoot tighter from side to side with more variation up and down, perhaps because the lead BB's did not seem to shoot at a vary consistent velocity. My Chronograph testing for the Steel BB's was right around 400 fps while the Lead BB's being heavier shot a bit slower at just under 300 fps."
Build Quality: The John Wayne Duke Colt SAA BB and Pellet Revolvers have a mostly all metal construction other than the plastic grips and any seals. The fit and finish is excellent with a great overall weight in the hand. Whether you get the Nickel or Weathered version. The mechanical action of the hammer and trigger feels just like it would on a real single action army revolver.
Realism: In terms of replicating a real steel Colt Single Action Army Revolver, these guns are absolutely amazing replicas. It's really hard to tell the airgun version from the real steel version, except for the smaller in diameter shells and the discreet safety switch located under the frame. Even the barrel is nicely recessed and has some fake rifling twists in it to give the appearance of a large caliber round. The CO2 is well hidden with the Allen key built into the handle so no ugly CO2 screw tab hanging down.
Still the best airgun reproduction of the Single Action Army Revolver, a very accurate replica of the real steel old west version.
Recessed barrel has the look of a large caliber bullet.
Great weight and feel in the hand.
Shell loading design that loads from the back so no need to remove shells if you wish not to.
Hammer and trigger action is about perfect, no take-up, very crisp and super light (under 2 pounds).
Finish on both the Nickel and Blued is very nice.
Colt and John Wayne Duke licensing.
Very well concealed CO2 with built in Allen key.
Discreet safety location.
If you prefer pellets over steel BB, now you have the option.
Cons:
Still has the warming instruction on the right side of the barrel but not super obvious especially on the Nickel version.
Real version would shoot 45 caliber, dummy shells are actual closer to 357 so a bit smallish.
Wood grips to me look a little fake up close but the John Wayne emblem kind of makes up for it.
Comments:
Shell loading BB and Pellet revolvers have been out for a while now and have changed the way many of us feel about airgun revolvers. Airgun revolvers used to be kind of overlooked because they where not the most exciting replica airguns out there but now we have not only the new Dan Wesson 715 shell loading revolvers but also these Colt Single Action Revolvers with Colt and John Wayne Duke licensing on them available in both BB and pellet shooting versions! There is something special about these old cowboy day classic revolver that makes them so elegant and just a real work of art you can not only own and look at but also take out and shoot whenever the spirit moves you to do so!
My Vimeo Table Top Review for the John Wayne Duke Colt SAA BB and Pellet Revolver:
In this 2016 SHOT Show Interview I talk with Bob Li from Action Sport Games. Bob shows me some of the new products this year from ASG. Some of ASG's newer pistols are the Dan Wesson 715, the CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow, the CZ P-09. New to the rifle line is the CZ Bren 80, also a couple of sniper rifles, the M40A5 and M40A3. ASG is also coming out with a an Inferno HPA version of their CZ Scorpion EVO 3A1.
The ASG Dan Wesson 715 has ot me my favorite product from ASG, you need to hold it in your hand to really understand how solid this pistol really is at close to 3 pounds. Everything about it is an improvement over previous Dan Wesson models including the trigger and hammer action, crane setup and the more actuate frame length with the new more compact internal CO2 valve. The ASG Dan Wesson 715 will be shipping in 4.5mm Steel BB, 6mm Plastic Airsoft and .177 caliber pellet versions.
ASG's two new Full blowback CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow, the CZ P-09 pistols should be coming out shortly, both will be available in 4.5mm Steel BB and 6mm Plastic Airsoft. Both pistols feature a metal slide and frame with full size drop out metal magazines and will have CO2 and Green Gas magazine configurations. The CZ P-09 will have a threaded barrel and barrel protector.
In this 2016 SHOT Show Interview I talk with Nichol Goines from Umarex USA. Nichol and I discuss some new and somewhat revised products from Umarex like the Full Blowback Smith & Wesson M&P40, the soon to finally be released Beretta Model 92 A1, a new Pellet version of last years Colt Single Action Army Revolver and a reappearance and revision of the Walther PPK CO2 Blowback BB pistol.
Last year Umarex introduced their Colt Single Action Army CO2 BB Revolvers and I would say last year they where on of my highlight airguns for the show. They have been selling like gang-busters! One question people have been asking is if there will be a pellet shooting version? Well now there is and like the Steel BB version the pellets load from the back of the shell making it super easy to reload the removable brass shells. The new Pellet SAA Revolver also has a rifled barrel to help with accuracy.
M&
I would have to say this years gun highlight well at least from Umarex is their new Smith & Wesson M&P40 full blowback CO2 BB Pistol. It is a perfect copy of the real steal version complete with a full size drop out magazine and full Beretta licensing. I really hope this one ships soon and does not get delayed like the Beretta Model 92 A1 introduced last year and still yet to be shipped :(
Speaking of the Beretta Model 92 A1 CO2 Blowback BB pistol. It is finally getting released this February and like the S&W M&P40, is a virtual identical replica of the original Beretta Mod. 92 A1 complete with full blowback, a full size drop out magazine and of course all the trades and licensing in all the right locations.
Last and not least but still worth noting is the CO2 Blowback BB shooting Walther PPK. It kind of dropped out of productions which is a real shame since it was the replica BB pistol that got all of this started for me several years back and to this day is still a lot of fun ot shoot! Even James Bond went back to the PPK for the latest 007 movie! Well it's back and this time Umarex got rid of the ugly CO2 tab and replaced it with a discreet Allen key screw. Saves us all from doing the CO2 screw mod :)
In this 2016 SHOT Show Interview I talk with Dani Navickas from the Airgun division of Sig Sauer. Dani and I discuss Sig's new line of CO2 Blowback Pellet rifles and pistols. Dani talks about some of the behind the scenes information that went into the development and manufacturing of Sig's new line of CO2 Airguns.
Sig CO2 P226 and P250 Air Pistols along with their Sig MPX and MCX Air Rifles have been developed in house by Sig.Sig has been working very closely with a Japanese manufacturer to make sure that every stage of development is to Sig's high standards. The new Sig CO2 Blowback rifles and pistols are made to match the real steal version in almost every way including dimension, weight, functionality, materials used and even trigger pull.
Sig's new Sig MPX and Sig MCX Pellet Rifles have a brand new patented belt fed 30 round pellet magazine that is indexed via the internal blowback action of these rifles smoothing out the trigger action. The Sig P226 and Sig P250 pistols use a double ended 16 round pellet magazine similar to what you would find on Umarex's PX4 Strom blowback pellet pistol.
Look for Sig's new line of CO2 Blowback Pellet Airguns coming out shortly.
This is my SHOT Show 2016 Teaser Video! You will get to see some new gun highlights from companies like Umarex, ASG, Crosman, Sig Sauer, KWA and ISC. I will be following up this video with some interview videos very soon so do make sure to check back for those uploads. All I can say about the show is it’s huge! So much to see, so much walking and too much to take in…
ASG:
As always, ASG had some new products this year. The all new Dan Wesson 715 357 Magnum shell loading Revolver! This gun feels absolutely amazing in the hand and will be available in Steel BB, Airsfot and even Pellet shooting versions. Also new are the CZ P-09 and CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow Full Blowback BB and Airsoft Pistols.
Crosman:
Big at Crosman this year was their PCP Airbow, Crosman put a lot of focus on this product and even had a lot of crossbows on display to go with their new PCP Airbow. Crosman also introduced their low cost entry level Benjamin Maximus PCP rifle in .177 and .22 calibers offerings. Not really much in the way of replica pistols from Crosman this year, but then again last year was kind of the same?
Sig Sauer:
I finally made it to the Sig Sauer Booth this year to checkout their new CO2 Pellet gun line. All new Sig Airguns are made true to size and weight with similar trigger actions as their real steel versions. The Sig MPX is their more compact (shorter barreled) pellet shooting CO2 rifle with internal blowback and belt fed 30 round magazine. The Sig MCX is the longer barreled rifle version but built much the same as the MPX. Sig also introduced two new pellet shooting CO2 Blowback Pistols, the P226 and the P250. Both use similar double ended rotary magazines as the Umarex PX4.
Umarex:
Umarex always seems to have some new exciting Airguns products to offer at SHOT Show. The PPK is back with a few updates including no more ugly CO2 tab sticking out of the bottom! And yes the Beretta Model 92A1 will finally be shipping soon, I believe in February! My favorite product this year from Umarex would have to be the Full Blowback, Full size drop out magazine S&W M&P 40 CO2 BB Pistol. Umarex released yet another 1911 on the market, this version does come with a stick mag and sports pretty high fps and more shots per CO2 then the KWC based 1911’s. The super popular Colt SAA Revolver is now available in a pellet shooting version with a rifled barrel :) Umarex had on display another low cost revolver, the ultra futuristic looking Brodax CO2 BB Revolver.
KWA:
KWA always has really nice high quality products to showoff at there booth each year, we may even start carrying some of KWA's products this year, fingers crossed on that one… New to the KWA line are some AEG rifles with simulated blowback action, I really liked the Blowback AEG AK they had on display. KWA also released a new Airsoft shell loading revolvers that had some of the nicest looking brass and aluminum shells. On display under a glass cover was a very solid Gas Blowback Thompson Machine-gun with real wood stock, it was absolutely gorgeous!
ISC:
ISC known for their top quality AEG internals, had their full line of high quality Airsoft rifles on display. And new this year to ICS was their first ever Airsoft pistol, the blowback BLE Alpha. The BLE should be out mid year and looked and felt really nice. The trigger on it was super short and light.
I have some really awesome Interview videos I’m working on, I will be uploading them shortly so stay tuned for those…
When I say Airguns, I am referring to pretty much all BB, Airsoft, Pellet, Paintball and even Blank guns for most of the topics listed here.
Do’s:
Treat your Airgun just like you would a real gun. If something goes wrong, perhaps the outcome will not be as severe but do you really want to take a trip down to your local emergency ward to get a BB or Pellet removed?
Always assume your airgun is loaded, for some reason it always seems those empty guns are the ones that do the most damage.
Be discrete, If it looks like a gun other people will think it is a gun so don’t flash your airguns around in public. Keep it in a case when transporting and shoot it in an area that will not alarm other people.
Always wear eye protection when shooting your Airgun. Do you really want to shoot your eye out? No Joke!
Be aware of your surroundings like windows, hard objects that could make your ammo bounce back at you. Make sure you are shooting your Airgun in a safe direction at all times, know your target and beyond.
Use Airguns to teach others and learn how to safely and effectively shoot a gun. Airguns can be less intimidating then a real gun (Not so loud and very little recoil) and make for great start out and transitions guns.
Use Airguns to get more inexpensive trigger time and become a more experienced shooter. Airguns cosy only pennies per round to shoot and can be shot in way more areas than a real gun can, practice makes perfect so get shooting!
Use Airguns in areas where real guns may not be allowed or safe to use. Again, Airguns can be shot in all kinds of places, in your back yard or even in a properly setup indoor home range.
Use Airguns with adequate power for safe and humane pest control where real guns may be prohibited.Airguns are quiet and less likely for the bullet to travel long ranges which makes them ideal for close range pest control in areas where real guns are too loud and to powerful.
Don’ts:
Do not assume because it is an airgun it is not dangerous or simply a toy. Many Deaths have been caused by Airguns along with a lot of pain and suffering so treat your Airgun with respect. It is not a toy or you would find them in the toy department at your local store along with yo-yos and stuffed animals.
Do not point or shoot at people unless of course you are using an Airsoft gun in an Airsoft field or facility. Yes Airsoft guns are meant to shoot at each other (with appropriate attire like eye protection and full body clothing), but steel BB and Pellet can cause serious injury especially at close range and on direct skin contact.
Do not leave your Airgun loaded, you never know who is going to come across it and accidentally discharge it. Remember, a loaded gun is a dangerous gun in the wrong hands. You may know better than to assume the gun is undulated but children and even adults without any gun training will most definitely handle the airgun without consideration of the danger it poses.
Do not use an Airgun for self protection. See my related video. Simply put, Airguns are not practical for self defense because they rarely have enough Stopping Power. The ones that do have enough power need to be pre-charged and in most cases are only single shot meaning if you miss or don’t get the job done no the first shot then you are done.
Do not use an underpowered Airgun for pest control. See related video. Using a low powered BB pistol for pest control is cruel, you will only injure the animal making it suffer unnecessarily. Use a high powered pellet rifle to get the job done.
Do not take your gun apart, in most cases this will void the warranty and the reality is that airguns rarely need to be cleaned since no dirty gun powder is used. lead pellet rifles may require occasional barrel cleaning to keep the rifled barrel free of debris.
Do not over oil your Airgun, a little goes a long way and too much oil will just attracted dirt, use the right airgun oil and just enough to keep part functioning smoothly.
Do not over pump an Airgun. Over pumping an Airgun can cause damage to valves and seals and in a worse case situation a rupture the air pressure reservoir or even cause the airgun to explode!
I'm getting close to uploading 600 videos now over on the Replica Airguns Vimeo channel, so there are bound to be a lot of similar questions and popular discussions. In this Replica Airguns Vimeo Video I address what I feel are my Top 10 Most Common Airgun Questions and Discussions.
Whether you like it or not, most of us have come across an Airgun with an ugly orange tip on it at some point. In most cases you will find the intrusive orange or red tips on Airsoft guns that shoot plastic BB's, in some cases you will even find them on Airguns that shoot either lead pellets and/or steel BB's.
It really comes down to where you live as to what your local gun laws have determined is required for your area. You may even live in a region where Airguns and Airsoft guns are not allowed at all! So for you a red or orange tip on the front would be welcome if it would allow you to own an Airgun or Airsoft gun. What about the entire gun being painted a bright color, well that is the case for some folks so again having a red or orange tips may not be as bad as it originally seemed...
In Canada where I live, we used to only be allowed Airsoft guns that had clear sections as our replica gun laws are very strict and all black Airsoft guns would have fallen iinto the "replica" category if they did not have large clear plastic see-through sections on them. This clear section law was revised somewhat over the last several years to allow for all black Airsoft guns here in Canada. It was determined that many Airsoft guns with higher fps limits could cause a serious injury to a human, making them less of a toy in the eyes of the law and more of a weapon. Because of this, Airsoft guns that are capable of shooting a .20 gram plastic BB at a velocity of 360 fps or "higher" are now considered to be similar in the eyes of the law to a regular steel BB or lead pellet shooting Airgun. In Canada, Pellet and Steel BB guns are actually considered firearms of a sort so this allows the higher fps Airsoft guns to be all black since it can not be a replica of a firearm if it is in fact considered to be a firearm by law.
The long and short of all of this is that here in Canada we do not require our Airsoft guns to have orange or red tips since they are considered more or less to be just like any other Airgun and our Airguns do not have red or orange tips either.
Getting back to the title of this article "No Orange Tip On Your Airsoft Gun! Are You Insane?" I often get folks from the US giving me heck for removing the orange tips from my Airsoft guns or asking me why my Airsoft guns don't have them in the first place. These people even state that I could get in a lot of trouble for this! Perhaps they think I live in the US or that US laws govern Canada as well? I am not sure but I can say for the record that I am not breaking any laws at least here in Canada where I live.
I know in the US that wholesalers and retailers by law have to sell Airsoft guns with the affixed orange tips on them, once the end user receives that gun and depending on which state they live in, it may or may not be legal to remove the orange tip. Again, you will need to look into your local state laws as they are different from state to state in the US.
This Video Review focuses on the shooting aspects of the Baikal MP-53M. I test it out to see what kind of velocity it can achieve and I also perform an accuracy test to see how straight and true it shoots.
My first test, the velocity test I performed using my Chronograph shooting 5 7 grain RWS lead pellets. the fps ranged from 303 to 341 fps with an average 5 shot reading of 319 feet per second. Keep in mind the Baikal MP-53M is strictly a target shooter and is not meant for pest control so these readings are perfectly adequate for this this pistols purposes. The lower velocity also makes for a nice easy cocking effort.
Moving on to the accuracy portion of this field test shooting review, I performed my usual 30 foot paper target test using a semi rested stance standing in the back with a sandbag up front to rest my hands on. This position is fairly stable but not perfect so there is always so human factor to consider and with a springer which I am not super proficient at so there where a couple of shot that I pulled. For the most part the majority of my shots with stayed within about a 1 inch grouping but I know with practice the Baikal MP-53M would shoot under a half inch for sure.
A couple of side notes about the Baikal MP-53M Break Barrel .177 Pellet Air Pistol... It has a super nice trigger which is very light and crisp which will aid in accuracy for sure. I did find that the rear sight moved around a little bit, it seemed to rise a bit and I had to press down on it just a little to keep my shots consistent. The spring is not terribly strong so recoil is minimal for a springer and it is very easy to cock.
I don't often review target and or hunting rifles since for the most part Replica Airguns is all about well... replica airguns :) I have reviewed some of my own personal spring piston and pump rifles since I have them and there is a cross over in folks that like both the replica airguns and airguns meant for target and or hunting purposes.
We do have a small selection of spring piston rifles in our Replica Airguns Canada store suitable for target and small game so I thought I would point some of them out in this preview video.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Baikal MP-53M Break Barrel .177 Pellet Air Pistol is a nice light 2 pounds and the release stage is also crisp, the trigger is not adjustable but it is really nice the way it is with virtually no take-up and a crisp release.
Accuracy: At this point I have only plinked around a bit with the Baikal MP-53M Break Barrel .177 Pellet Air Pistol, I have not really tested it out on a paper target or put any rounds through the Chronograph. It does however seem to have pretty decent power for a low effort springer and I was able to place most shots on my targets down range. Stay posted for my full Field Test Shooting Video where I will put the Baikal MP-53M Break Barrel .177 Pellet Air Pistol through its paces.
Build Quality: The Baikal MP-53M Break Barrel .177 Pellet Air Pistol is made in typical Russian fashion, it may not be super pretty or have the best finishing out there but all the parts are built to last, even the plastic parts are made using weapons grade materials and the 8.5 inch rifled barrel is hammer-forged.
Realism: The Baikal MP-53M Break Barrel .177 Pellet Air Pistol is not a replica gun, it is purely made to be a single shot target pistol for plinking purposes. I would not even recommend the Baikal MP-53M for pest control as it is under powered for that purpose. This pistol is simply for placing lead pellets into targets down range. Nothing more.
Anti-beartrap spring piston mechanism. (No pinched fingers)
Baikal quality hammer-forged rifled barrel.
Fully adjustable sights.
Inexpensive to shoot, all you need is a tin of pellets.
Russian made durability.
Ambidextrous pistol grip.
Easy to cock (only 13 pound cocking effort).
Really light and crisp 2 pound trigger pull.
Cons:
Not supper powerful so not good for pest control.
Trigger is non-adjustable but feels really good anyway.
No easy way to mount a scope or red dot without modifications.
Comments:
The Baikal MP-53M Break Barrel .177 Pellet Air Pistol is a great choice if you're looking for a simple but really well built air springer for target shooting. There are cheaper springers like the Umarex Browning Buckmark and of course there are more expensive springers like the Webley Tempest but if your looking for a reasonably priced, high quality and good overall performing Break Barrel .177 Pellet Air Pistol than the Baikal MP-53M should fit the bill with its hammer-forged rifled barrel, anti-beartrap mechanism, ambidextrous grip and fully adjustable rear sight.
Watch my Vimeo Video Review for this Russian made Spring Piston Air Pistol:
