Third time is a charm or so they say? Now that we are on the third version of the Umarex “Steel” series of BB CO2 Blowback Semi and 6 Round Burst Air Rifles what can we take away from this Field Test Shooting Video? Does the Umarex Steel Strike CO2 Blowback BB Rifle measure up to its predecessors? Without a full on spoiler alert I would have to say the Umarex Steel Strike CO2 Blowback BB Rifle did not let me down…
Starting off with the Chronograph Velocity portion of my Indoor Sea Can Airgun Shooting Test, things did not start off so good, first shot out of the Umarex Steel Strike CO2 Blowback BB Rifle was below 200 fps? I think this is because the duel CO2 system needs a least a couple of shots to get primed up because the Umarex Steel Strike CO2 Blowback BB Rifle only seemed to get better with each shot which is the opposite of what happens with most CO2 Airguns. After several shots the Umarex Steel Strike CO2 Blowback BB Rifle seemed to settle into a nice 390 fps range and the temperature was only 18 degree Celsius or 64 degrees Fahrenheit. In warmer conditions I would expect to get at least the 400 fps claimed by Umarex.
Moving onto the accuracy portion of the Field Test Shooting Review for the Umarex Steel Strike CO2 Blowback BB Rifle, I was very pleased with the results. Placing 10 semi auto shots 30 feet down range into my paper target using a rested seated position I was able to get just under a 1 inch grouping. And this was using the built-in flip up none adjustable peep sights which I do fins a little bit hard to use with my aging eyes… The Umarex Steel Strike CO2 Blowback BB Rifle even shot well centred just a little bit low and slightly to the left but very close to the bullseye. When I flipped the selector switch to 6 round burst things did spread out a bit but this was mainly because of the vibration that caused me to pull the gun to the right with each 6 round burst.
At the end of the day the Umarex Steel Strike CO2 Blowback BB Rifle is a really fun CO2 Blowback “full Auto” BB Rifle that has a crazy 6 round burst rate of fire and shoots pretty hard with good accuracy. You get all of this at a pretty affordable price. Are there other Full auto capable BB rifles that look a little bit better than the Steel Strike? I’m thinking about the Crosman DPMS SBR… Sure but in terms of performance the Umarex Steel Strike CO2 Blowback BB Rifle isn not lacking anything in this department. It may depend on your budget and if you’re simple just looking for a fun full auto CO2 BB rifle at the end of the day.
Type: BB Machine Gun/Rifle. Manufacturer: Umarex USA. Model: Steel Strike (AR Platform). Materials: Plastic shell with internal metal parts. Weight: 3.8 pounds (1720 grams). Barrel: 9 inch Metal non-rifled. Propulsion: CO2 x 2 (housed in b uffer tube) Action: Semi and 6 round burst blowback, single action only. Ammunition Type: 4.5mm BB's. Ammunition Capacity: 900/30 round drop out hopper/magazine. FPS: 400.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Umarex Steel Strike CO2 BB Rifle is single action only, so you will need to charge the rifle by pulling back the charging handle first, once this is done the trigger is reset and the gun is ready to shoot. The blowback operation charges the internal bolt automatically after each shot so keep this in mind as the gun is going to be live and ready to shoot until you either run out of ammo or CO2. Make sure to place it in safe mode when not in use especially when you have CO2 in the gun.
Accuracy: I have not shot the Umarex Steel Strike CO2 BB Rifle yet but will remaking a Field test Shoting video very soon for it. But for a reference I did shoot the Umarex Steel Froce which is a very similar product and this is how it performed for me:
Shooting the Umarex Steel Force at a target from 30 feet away in a semi rested position using both the semi auto and 6 round burst modes, the Steel Force performed very good getting around a 1.5 inch 10 shot grouping in semi auto and then spreading out a bit in 6 round burst mode which was to be expected, still a respectable grouping. Shots where well centered on the target but I did have the advantage of using a red dot scope, I found when using the none adjustable open sights that come with the Umarex Steel Force that I was shooting under the target at closer ranges. My Chrony testing did not go exactly as planned due to my temperamental Chronograph but I was able to get two shots to read and they average out at 466 fps, well over the 430 claimed fps.
Build Quality: The Umarex Steel Strike CO2 BB Rifle is mostly plastic on the outside with most of it's metal parts on the inside, pretty much everything you can see on the outside is going to be plastic except for maybe the magazine release and selector switch. The plastic seems durable enough but it has just a bit too much shine for me which I think makes it look less like metal and more like plastic. Everything seemed to function as expected but again I would have liked to have seen a bit more metal, not necessarily the outer shell, but I feel the flash hider, trigger, flip up sights and charging handle could have been made out of metal and would have given this Umarex Umarex Steel Strike CO2 BB Rifle a bit more weight and balance to it.
Realism: The Umarex Steel Strike CO2 BB Rifle is designed on the AR platform and for the most part is about the right size shape and look of an AR 15 / M16 type rifle. Even the selector switch, magazine release, rear adjustable stock and Charging handle function just like a real AR 15! Some parts are molded in just for looks like the bolt release, dust cover and forward assist but at least they look the part. The plastic for me was the real tell here as it kind of looks like plastic where as some plastic guns are really hard to tell they are not metal, but other than that this is a pretty decent replica of an AR Rifle.
Will get a decent amount of shots with its dual CO2 configuration.
Removable and 2 position adjustable stock.
Flip up sights with optical sight top rail option.
Lots of rials for adding on accessories.
Not a bad replica of an AR platform gun.
Full auto has a very high rate of fire.
Internal blowback does give a bit of recoil feedback feel.
CO2 in the buffer tube makes more sense?
Price point is good for a fun full auto BB rifle.
Cons:
Pop up sights are non adjustable.
Plastic finish could have been a bit higher grade, like what most Airsoft AR's use.
Just a bit more metal would have been nice and added to the overall weight a bit. (Switches, Sights, Charging handle.
No sling mounts.
Comments:
The Umarex Steel Strike CO2 BB Rifle looks to be an improvement over the Steel Storm and Steel Force, I like the new placement of the duel CO2 into the buffer tube and changing the location of the BB’s from the upper receiver and into the drop out magazine which is where we would normally expect them to be. We also get a magazine hopper capacity of up to 900 rounds with the new Umarex Steel Strike CO2 BB Rifle so no having to refile int for several CO2 swap-outs. I think the overall looks ahed improved and the tighter aperture of the pep sight shoudl make getting BB;s on target with more accuracy a bit easier. I look forward to seeing what kind of performance I get out of the Umarex Steel Strike CO2 BB Rifle when I test it out during my upcoming Field Test Shooting Video.
My Vimeo Table Top Videos for the Umarex Steel Striker BB Rifle:
This is going to be the only video this week. I’m turning 50 on Friday April 5th and had a goal that I wanted to complete before I reached 50. I wanted to get my 1993 Ducati 750 Super Sport all fixed up and ready to go, and it’s been a lot of work cleaning, fixing, painting… Perhaps it’s a bit of a mid life crisis sort of thing but at least it’s gotten my but in gear :) Stay tuned till the end of the video for some video of what the mighty Ducati looks like today if you’re into that sort of thing!
Getting back to the KWA Ronin TK.45 Tekken AEG 2.5 & AEG 3 Airsoft Rifles. You may remember my Shot Show Interview with Jonathan, well he went front to back and up and down the entire KWA product line ending with the KWA Ronin TK.45 Tekken AEG 2.5 & AEG 3 Airsoft Rifles and boy does he know his stuff, I will be adding the portion of Jonathan’s interview that deals with these rifles at the end of this video also.
Here is some info on the KWA Ronin TK.45 Tekken AEG 2.5 & AEG 3 Airsoft Rifles…
Starting with my Chronograph velocity testing for the Umarex Beretta APX CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol, I placed 5 .20 gram Airsoft rounds through my Chrony using a brand new CO2 and was able to average right around 298 fps. Pretty close to Umarex’s claim of 325. Keep in mind it was not super warm at right around 15 degrees Celsius or 60 degrees Fahrenheit. In a warmer environment I would expect to get right up to the 325 fps Umarex has stated on the box.
For the accuracy portion of my Field test for the Umarex Beretta APX CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol I setup a new paper target down range and placed 10 rounds into it from my seated and rested shooting position. The Umarex Beretta APX CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol shot very well centered getting most of the 10 rounds right in the bullseye! The rest came out a bit making the 10 shot group just under 3 inches in diameter. Not bad at all for a low cost budget Airsoft Pistol.
Overall the Umarex Beretta APX CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol is pretty decent for what you pay. It looks really good too. The trigger is a bit long but not too heavy for quick shooting. The slide spring is a bit weak which may be the reason the slide stayed back a couple of times for me? Other than that the Umarex Beretta APX CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol is good value in my books and even comes with two metal stick magazines for quick reloading while on the field!
This review was plagued with nothing but recording issues during the target accuracy portion of the review. I had to record it 6 separate times for reasons like: Two battery issues, one wrong setting in my camera, a memory card issue (wasn’t reading) and in one test I had a piece of cardboard covering a camera lens!!! Anyway I did get it done in the end but it was very frustrating!
So how did the KWC K17 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol perform for me during this Field Test Shooting Video? I would have to say a bit hot and cold. In terms of velocity, the KWC K17 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol was bang on averaging right around 325 fps which was right in line with KWC’s 328 fps claim. And the temperature was not super hot inside the Sea Can Indoor Airgun Shooting Range. About 15 degrees Celsius or around 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Moving on to the target portion of this Field Test Review I did manage to get a 4 inch 10 round grouping during my first test (which had recording issues) but for the shooting test that made it to this video my grouping spread out a fair amount closer to 6-8 inches. I did play around with the internal hop-up because the KWC K17 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol likes to shoot low and to the right, so I thought that if I adjusted the hop-up up, I would be able to get shots a little higher on target but this adjustment only seemed to make the gun shoot a little bit less accurately for me? As always I was shooting using me rested seated position from 30 feet down range.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Umarex Beretta APX CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol is a little different then that of the real steel APX. On the real steel APX there is actually a trigger safety and the actual gun uses a striker based system with a fairly short reset and take-up. On the Umarex Replica Airsoft version the trigger does not have a built in safety and the reset and take-up are much longer (full length). I have read that both the real steal and Airsoft versions of the APX both have about 6 pounds trigger pulls but I personally felt like the Airsoft version was heavier than that, perhaps because of the long pull. Overall the Umarex Beretta APX CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol trigger is acceptable but not my favorite.
Build Quality: Very good, the Umarex Beretta APX CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol feels heavier than 1.5 pounds in the hand, perhaps because it is a more compact gun. The metal slide, metal stick mag and internal metal parts all help to balance off the polymer frame nicely. Fit and finish is also good.
Realism: The Umarex Beretta APX CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol overall is a really close replica to the real steel APX other than the added safety and missing trigger safety. The added safety does not stand out too much and does serve a purpose while the missing trigger safety could of at least been there for show if not an actual working safety. Other than that the Umarex Beretta APX CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol is very close to the Beretta APX with its full licensing, open ejection port, recessed barrel working slide catch release and blowback operation. Available at the:Replica Airguns Store
Pros:
Good weight and feel to it, build quality seems good overall.
Really nice replica of the original Beretta APX in most ways.
Working slide catch and release. Will also lock back on last shot.
Fully Beretta licensed through umarex.
Easy to see white dot sights front and back.
Recessed barrel and open ejection port for added realism.
Accessory rail for adding a laser or tactical light.
Stick magazine but plate gives the elusion of a full size magazine.
Warning instruction are nice and discreet!
Comes with two magazines and an additional back strap grip in a different color.
Cons:
Trigger is a bit long and perhaps heavier than the real steel APX trigger. It also does not have the trigger safety.
Has a stick magazine rather than a full size magazine.
Comes with orange tip but can be removed with some work.
Comments:
I like that the Airsoft version of the Beretta APX now comes in a box and also includes not only an extra magazine but also an included grip back strap in an alternate color for those that want a bit of customization. The Umarex Beretta APX CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol feels good in the hand and even thought the trigger is a bit long you can still get off some pretty quick shots since the trigger pull is not too tough. The Umarex Beretta APX CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol makes a fairly economical option for your sidearm in Airsoft battles and if you want more than two magazines than additional magazines are not that expensive and will not weigh you down on the field.
My YouTube Videos for the Umarex Beretta APX CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol:
Type: Blowback BB Pistol. Manufacturer: Made and Distributed by KWC. Model:K17. Materials: Metal & Polymer. Weight: 1.68 pounds (760 grams). Barrel: 4.3 inches metal non-rifled. Propulsion: 1 x Co2. Action: Semi auto blowback, single action only trigger. Ammunition Type: 4.5mm steel BB's. Ammunition Capacity: 17 round drop out full size metal magazine. FPS: Claimed 329.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the KWC K17 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol is short with only a little bit of take up, the release is light and crips. The blowback action resets the internal Hammer / Striker with each shot for that true single action trigger and it’s also nice that the trigger does have a working trigger safety.
Accuracy: At this point I have not shot the KWC K17 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol so I can only quote what KWC is saying in terms of FPS which is around 330. For a full blowback action steel BB pistol like many other KWC Blowback Air Pistols this is about what you are going to expect. It may sound low but to be honest 300+ is fast enough at 30 feet to only notice a slight delay from the time you press the trigger till the steel BB hits the target and you can expect to put holes in pop cans all day long. In terms of accuracy I should be able to get at least a 2 inch 10 shot grouping from 30 feet down range if the KWC K17 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol is on point for me.
Build Quality: TheKWC K17 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol feels really good, I’m going to say it’s probably one of the nicest KWC CO2 blowback pistols I have had in my hands to date. The finish is really nice, the polymer frame is flawless and fit is really good with nice tight tolerances throughout.
Realism: The KWC K17 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol being a full blowback Airguns is supper realistic in terms of looking like and functioning like a real steel gun. All the parts function as you would expect them to including the ability to filed strip the KWC K17 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol which gives you easy access to the hop-up. In terms of the KWC K17 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol being a replica it does look similar to Glock with some differences like the trigger guard, slide cut-outs, extended beaver tail and straighter pistol grip. Available From: The Replica Airguns Store.
Pros:
Good weight with very solid feel to it.
Full blowback action will produce good recoil effect.
Full size drop out metal magazine.
Short and light single action only trigger.
No ugly markings or warnings.
Has some bling with the gold barrel and vented slide.
Field strips like the real steel version.
White dot sights front and back.
Adjustable hop-up to adjust for elevation as needed.
Working trigger safety along with serial number safety.
Cons:
Full blowback action will produce lower fps and use up more CO2.
Not sure I like the Gold barrel?:
Comments:
I really like the KWC K17 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol, it may even be one of my favorite CO2 Blowback BB Pistols from KWC to date. That will be somewhat determined by how it shoots of course. The only thing I’m not a huge fan on is the Gold barrel but that’s a personal preference thing. You amy really like the Gold Bling! I could easily polish the barrel to more of a stainless finish if I wanted to and maybe I will? All in all if you’re looking for that Modern Pistol design than the KWC K17 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol is going to fit the bill. And by the way if you’re more into Airsoft then you can get the Airsoft version of the KWC K17 CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol in our Canada Online Store!
Type: Blowback GBB Airsoft Pistol. Manufacturer: Distributed by Umarex. Model:Glock 17 Gen 4. Materials: Metal & Polymer. Weight: 1.45 pounds (658 grams). Barrel: 3.75 inches metal non-rifled. Propulsion: Green Gas or Propane. Action: Semi auto blowback, single action only trigger. Ammunition Type: 6mm plastic Airsoft BB's. Ammunition Capacity: 20 round drop out full size metal magazine. FPS: Claimed 300+.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Umarex Glock 17 4th Gen GBB Airsoft Pistol is fairly short with only a little bit of take up, the release is light and crips. The blowback action resets the internal Hammer / Striker with each shot for that true single action trigger and it’s also nice that the trigger does have a working trigger safety.
Accuracy: At this point I have not shot the Umarex Glock 17 4th Gen GBB Airsoft Pistol so I can only quote what Umarex is saying in terms of FP2 which is around 300 using Green Ga or Propane. This is fine for playing Airsoft games but for Canada import it can get a bit sticky. Luckily we where able to get a bunch into Canada so hopefully we can get some more in our Canada Replica Airguns Store in the future… US supply will be less of a problem.
Build Quality: TheUmarex Glock 17 4th Gen GBB Airsoft Pistol seems well made overall. It does seem a little bit underweight but still feels solid enough in the hand. The Slide is metal but has a bit of an unusual finish that makes it look a lot like the plastic frame rather than a more shiny metal look. All the parts seem to fit nicely, maybe even a bit snug at first as I noticed the side had a bit of friction to it but seems to be working in nicely now.
Realism: The Umarex Glock 17 4th Gen GBB Airsoft Pistol looks the part of a Glock 17 4th Generation all day long. Other then the slightly lighter weight it would be hard to tell off hand until you remove the magazine and take a closer look. All the parts work as you would expect them to, similar to the real steel version and you can even fully field strip the Umarex Glock 17 4th Gen GBB Airsoft Pistol which makes getting to and adjusting the hop-up easy enough to do. Available From: The Replica Airguns Store.
Pros:
Decent weight and feel to it, build quality seems good.
Really nice looking replica of the original Glock 17 Gen 4.
Fully Glock licensed.
Easy to see white dot sights front and back.
Recessed barrel for added realism.
Accessory rail for adding a laser or tactical light.
Full size drop out metal magazine that holds the CO2 and 20 6mm Airsoft BB’s.
Warning instruction are nice and discreet under trigger guard
Nice light SAO trigger as the blowback pre-cocks the internal hammer/strike.
Working trigger safety.
Cons:
May or may not come with an orange tip but can be fairly remissly removed.
Sight are non-adjustable which is common with low cost airguns like this one.
FPS is a bit low making Canada import difficult.
Comments:
Getting the Umarex BB versions of the Glock 17 and Glock 19 has for sure been a bit easier since fps velocity is not a factor. So it was great that we where able to import at least some of these Umarex Glock 17 4th Gen GBB Airsoft Pistols into Canada. I hope we will be able to continue supplying the Glock Airsoft versions in our Canada Replica Airguns Store but I can not promise anything… So if you see some in stock then grab one while you still can!
Type: Blowback CO2 BB Pistol. Manufacturer: Distributed by Umarex. Model:Glock 17 Gen 3. Materials: Metal & Polymer. Weight: 1.6 pounds (726 grams). Barrel: 4 inches metal non-rifled. Propulsion: CO2 x 1. Action: Semi auto blowback, double action only trigger. Ammunition Type: 4.5mm steel BB's. Ammunition Capacity: 18 round drop out full size metal magazine. FPS: Claimed 365.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Umarex Glock 17 Gen 3 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol is in a way a single action trigger since the blowback action pre-cocks the internal hammer allowing for a much lighter single action type trigger pull. I call it a a double action trigger mainly because there is an indexing of a BB from the magazine into the breach area every time you pull the trigger which means the take up is long and there is a little bit of friction from the mechanical mechanism that indexes a BB.
Accuracy: At this point I have not shot the Umarex Glock 17 Gen 3 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol so I can only quote what Umarex is saying in terms of FP2 which is 365. That's sounds reasonable based on other similar guns like this that have that parcial blowback action and BB indexing system to allow for a more sealed system. We will find out when I perform my Field Test Shooting video for the Umarex Glock 17 Gen 3 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol shortly.
Build Quality: TheUmarex Glock 17 Gen 3 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol seems well made overall, Fit and finish are nice and slide wiggle is minimal. There is a bit of a clanky sound when the slide cycles but since pretty much all of these types of airguns are made out of pot metal with a high con ten of zinc alloy this is kind of expected.
Realism: The Umarex Glock 17 Gen 3 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol absolutely looks the part of a Glock 17 3rd Generation, sitting on the table and even holding it in your hand you are going to think it's the real deal until of course you drop the magazine and see that it is a Co2 mag. Mostly everything operates like a real Glock 17 but the slide is not a full blowback meaning it only goes back about 3/4 as much as a real Glock 17 slide would. One other noticeable difference is the ability to quickly field strip the Umarex Glock 17 Gen 3 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol, you will need to remove a pin since the take down tabs are non functioning and moulded into the frame. Available From: The Replica Airguns Store.
Pros:
Great weight and feel to it, build quality seems good.
Really nice looking replica of the original Glock 17 Gen 3.
Fully Glock licensed.
Easy to see white dot sights front and back.
Recessed barrel for added realism.
Accessory rail for adding a laser or tactical light.
Full size drop out metal magazine that holds the CO2 and 18 4.5mm steel BB’s.
Safety built into the serial number plate area keeps it well hidden.
Warning instruction are nice and discreet under trigger guard
Not bad feeling double action only trigger as the blowback pre-cocks the internal hammer/strike.
365 fps is decent for a blowback BB gun.
Cons:
Does have blowback action but not full blowback.
Slide sound is a bit clanky.
Sight are non-adjustable which is common with low cost airguns like this one.
Would have liked to have seen more pristine packaging from Glock.
Comments:
Since there release of the Umarex Glock 17 Gen 3 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol we have all been waiting for a blowback version and now we have it in the Umarex Glock 17 Gen 3 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol! Defiantly another step in the right direction when it comes to a Licensed Glock. Am I looking forward to the Glock 17 Gen 4 Blowback BB Pistol, sure but if you’re a Glock fan why not have them all and this version will get you a bit higher fps and more shots per CO2 while still offering blowback action with a decent trigger!
In this Vimeo Preview Video I show off three new Glock and Glock-like Air Pistols. Two of them are from Umarex and are Glock Licensed, one being a GGB Airsoft Pistol and the other is a CO2 Blowback BB Pistol. I also show an unlicensed Glock-like CO2 Blowback BB Pistol from KWC that kind of looks like a glock but has several key differences that do make it deviate a fair amount from that of a true Glock pistol.
Starting with the KWC 17. At first glance you may think it looks a lot like a Glock but on closer inspection it has the following differences: Notched out trigger guard, extended thumb guard or beaver tail, straight pistol grip with no finger indents, cut out on slide, slide serration on front. The KWC 17 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol is a full blowback Airgun with a full size drop out metal magazine that holds the CO2 and 17 rods of 4.5mm steel BB’s. You can expect to get around 330 fps for it.
Another Blowback CO2 BB Glock is the Umarex Glock 17 Gen 3 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol which is fully Glock licensed and also features a full size drop out metal magazine that hold 18 4.5mm steel BB’s. The Glock 17 Gen 3 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol is a partial blowback Airgun so you can expect a little bit higher velocity of around 365 fps and additional shots per CO2.
Lastly I show you the Umarex Glock 17 Gen 4 GBB Airsoft Pistol, another fully Glock Licensed airgun with full blowback operation and a full size drop out metal magazine that holds 20 6mm plastic Airsfot BB’s and the either Green Gas or Propane Gas. Velocity will be around 300 fps on this one.
Pickup one of these Glock and Glock-like Airguns form either our Canada or US online Replica Airgun stores!
This year at SHOT Show Las Vegas 2019 Umarex introduced some new Glock's, a New Beretta and a new Pellet Rifle which unfortunately was not brought to my attention when I did my Interview so sorry now coverage of the Ruger 10/22 CO2 Pellet Rifle :(
Starting with two new CO2 Blowback 4.5mm BB Glocks, Umarex now has a Glock 17 Generation 3 partial blowback CO2 BB Glock with a full size drop out metal magazine. This setup will increase the fps a bit since it uses the more efficient partial blowback system. If you would rather have a full Blowback CO2 BB Glock then Umarex has it in a Glock 17 Generation 4 version that functions pretty much like a traditional Airsoft Blowback gun but instead this one uses 4.5mm steel BB’s.
In terms of Blowback Airsoft Glocks Umarex has a two Glock 17’s, yo can get them in generation 3 or 4 an both are full blowback with full size drop out metal magazines.
Umarex introduced a really nice M9A3 Beretta this year at SHOT Show 2019. The Umarex Beretta M9A3 comes in the FDE color scheme and has an extended threaded barrel that should be able to take a much suppressor. The Beretta M9A3 is full blowback with a full size dropout metal magazine and can be shot in semi or full auto.
Now for the Umarex Ruger 10/22 Pellet Rifle I completely missed at the Umarex booth… Well if you didin’t know there was a pellet version of this rifle you would be hard pressed to be abel to tell the difference between it and the real 22LR version! The Umarex Ruger 10/22 Pellet Rifle utilizes twin 12 gram CO2 cartridges to fire .177 caliber pellets. It has a 10 round drop out magazine with interchangeable rotary nmagzines that can be pre-loaded. And yes the Umarex Ruger 10/22 Pellet Rifle is a blowback Airgun!
My Field Test Shooting videos for blank guns are pretty basic! I can’t test for accuracy since there is no bullet hitting a target and similarly since there is no bullet I can not test the velocity or feet per second power. SO what is there really left to test?
I guess will the blank gun I am testing fire when I pull the trigger? That’s all there is to really test. You may ask why even make a Field Test Shooting Video for a blank gun if you can’t test accuracy and power. I’ll tell you why… Because it’s just fun and it looks good on camera :)
So watch my YouTube video of me popping of some .380 caliber blanks with my ROHM RG-89 .380 Caliber Blank Revolver inside the Sea Can Airgun Shooting Range.
Type: Blank Revolver. Manufacturer: ROHM (RÖHM). Model:RG-89 Materials: Mostly Metal. Weight: 1.45 pounds (658 grams). Barrel: Front firing designed for attaching a flare adaptor. Propulsion: Gun powder. Action: Single & double action. Ammunition Type: 9mm / .380 caliber crimped. Ammunition Capacity: 6 rounds. FPS: N/A.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the ROHM RG-89 .380 Caliber Blank Revolver in single action is fairly light weight with virtually no take up at all as you would expect from a revolver. The double action trigger pull is much heavier with a smooth release. Mechanically the trigger feels really solid.
Accuracy: NA.
Build Quality: The overall build quality for the ROHM RG-89 .380 Caliber Blank Revolver is excellent, being German made its built to last and the fit and finish is typical German quality. There are steel parts where they need to be like in the barrel, pins, screws and reenforcing parts, the rest of the gun is generally made out of a zinc alloy otherwise know as pot metal with only the moulded grips being made out of plastic.
Realism: The ROHM RG-89 .380 Caliber Blank Revolver is not an exact replica of any given gun in production as this would make importing it into Canada even more difficult, but it is styled after a Snub Nosed type Revolver. As for looking like and working like a real gun, the ROHM RG-89 .380 Caliber Blank Revolver looks and sounds as loud as a real gun, of course with the exception of the dangerous bullet coming out of the barrel!
All metal gun with reenforced steel in some areas.
Front firing gun.
Large caliber makes a bigger bang.
Higher 6 shot capacity over RG-59.
Chrome (Silver) finish is very nice.
Also like the moulded grips on the Chrome version.
Comes with Flare Adaptor & Cleaning Rods.
Comes in a nice foam lined plastic hard shell case.
Right now Rohm is the only blank gun brand we can get in Canada.
Cons:
Double Action trigger pull is a bit heavy.
Have to make sure you only shot them where you will not get in trouble. Very loud!
Expensive due to them being harder to get and in high demand in Canada.
Comments: I think the ROHM RG-89 .380 Caliber Blank Revolver especially in the Chrome (Nickel) version is one of the nicest looking ROHM Blank guns we stock. The additional size over say a ROHM RG-59 makes it feel a lot more beefy in the hand, you also get the extra 6th 9mm / .380 caliber blank with the larger cylinder of the ROHM RG-89 .380 Caliber Blank Revolver. Anther bonus with the Chrome or Nickel version is that you get moulded grips that again I feel looks and fells better in the hand. Along with the ROHM RG-88, the ROHM RG-89 .380 Caliber Blank Revolver is one of my Top ROHM Picks!
My Full Video Review for the ROHM RG-89 .380 Caliber Blank Revolver:
In this Field Test Shooting Video Review I test out the Pellet version of the Webley MKVI .455 CO2 Shell Loading Revolver to see how well it performs in the Indoor Airgun Shooting Range. I first put 5 shots through my Chronograph to see what the real world fps is and then I shoot a full cylinder of pellets at my paper target setup 30 feet down range so we can get an idea on how accurate the Webley MKVI .455 CO2 Shell Loading Pellet Revolver really is.
For my Chronograph velocity portion of this test I used a brand new CO2 with 8.18 grain Sig Sauer lead pellets, the indoor temperature was around 18 degrees Celsius or 64 degrees Fahrenheit. My Webley MKVI .455 CO2 Shell Loading Pellet Revolver was about to average 351 fps with fairly heavy lead pellets, not bad! IN warmer conditions or using lower weight higher velocity pellets I am sure the fps will get up and over 400 feet per second.
Next I reloaded the 6 round cylinder with the same 8.18 grain Sig Sauer lead pellets and placed them in on target 30 feet down range. I was shooting in Single Action for best accuracy and also using a rested seated shooting position with a sand bag up front to rest my hands on. I was very impressed with who well centered the Webley MKVI .455 CO2 Shell Loading Pellet Revolver shot, I even got 3 rounds right in the bullseye, 3 of the rounds go outside the bullseye just a bit to the right resulting in about a 2 inch 6 shot grouping. I am sure I could tighten this up with a bit more trigger time using the Webley MKVI .455 CO2 Shell Loading Pellet Revolver
If your looking for a more beefy shell loading revolver than for sure consider the Webley MKVI .455 CO2 Shell Loading Revolver line, both the BB and pellet versions perform well and the break barrel design makes them super easy to reload without even having to take the shells out if you choose not to. Accrued and power is up to par and the over quality is also very good.
What we also like to know about most of the airguns I get my hands on is how do they perform in the real world? Do they get close to the claimed fps? Will the shoot a nice tight grouping on target? How does the blowback operation and the trigger feel?
First I like to perform my Chronograph “Power” test where I shoot 5 pellets through my chronograph using a brand new CO2 of course. Since Sig Sauer sent me a tin of their Sig Sauer Match Pb Precision Wadcutter Lead Pellets, I figured I would use them with my Sig Sauer M17 ASP CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistol. These pellets are 8.18 grain so not the lower weight Alloy pellets most companies use to get their higher fps rating that you usually see on the box. In other words I was not expecting to get the claimed 430 fps since that would be using a much lighter Alloy pellets that would weigh at least 3 grain lighter than the pellets I was using during this FPS test. All of that to tell you I got an average of 280 fps using the 8.18 grain lead pellets. And if you where wondering the temperature in my Sea Can Indoor Airgun Range was about 17-18 degrees Celsius (about 62 degrees Fahrenheit).
Next I performed my accuracy test with the Sig Sauer M17 ASP CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistol, after all what good is power if you can’t hit the broad side of a barn? I setup my fresh paper target 30 feet down range and got into my usual shooting position which is me sitting on a stool in the back with my hands rested on a sand bag up front. This setup works pretty good for me helping to stabilize my hands as much as possible but there will be some human factor involved since well… I am only human! Out of the 10 rounds shot on target, 9 of them shot within about 1.75 inches of each other. The 10th outlier shot did make the group larger, more like 2.5 inches but again that could of been me and my old shaky hands?
My Sig Sauer M17 ASP CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistol did shoot fairly low hitting the outer bottom rings but it did shoot very well side to side. At 30 feet from your target you will have to aim a little bit over your desired aim point to shot bullseyes and unfortunately you can not adjust for this with the sights since they are non-adjustable.
The Sig Sauer M17 ASP CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistol is an awesome CO2 Blowback Pellet Action Replica Pistol and the best one yet from Sig Sauer. It has great blowback operation and feel, a very nice trigger, that 20 round high capacity belt magazine and it shoots good on top of all that. If you’re a Sig fan like me then you will have to get the Sig Sauer M17 ASP CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistol and add it to your collection for sure!
In this Evolution of the Sig Sauer ASP Pellet Pistols YouTube Video I show you Sig Sauer’s full lineup of ASP CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistols and talk about how Sig Sauer has consistently improved their ASP Airgun designs to make their ASP Pellet Pistol the new standard for other airgun companies to follow.
Sig Sauer introduced and started shipping their Sig Sauer APS P250 and P226 CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistols in 2015. Both of these Pellet firing Air Pistols used a similar styled double sided rotary magazine as the Umarex PX4 which is common in many blowback pellet Airguns today. The Sig Sauer ASP P226 did include a new lever styled CO2 piercing system that did not require manual tab based tightening of the CO2. Both the Sig Sauer APS P250 and P226 included full Sig Licensing and one to one scale accuracy in a very high quality build.
In 2017 Sig Sauer introduced the Sig Sauer ASP P320 which included their first Belt Fed Rotary Magazine similar to the Belt Fed Rotary Magazines in their ASP Rifle line. The Sig Sauer ASP P320 stick styled belt magazine held a whopping 30 rounds!
In the spring of 2018 Sig started shipping their Sig Sauer ASP X-Five which featured a Belt Fed Rotary Magazine along with Sig’s Lever CO2 Loading System. The Sig Sauer ASP X-Five is also one of the rare action shooting CO2 blowback Airguns with a fully adjustable rear sight.
In the Fall of 2018 Sig brought out their latest ASP CO2 Blowback Pellet Air Pistol, the Sig Sauer ASP M17. The Sig Sauer ASP M17 CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistol nailed everything us Airgun enthusiast are looking for in an Airgun which can be hard to achieve when pellets are involved! The Sig Sauer ASP M17 CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistol not only featured a Belt Fed Rotary Magazine and Lever Style CO2 System but put all of this into a full size drop out magazine. The Sig Sauer ASP M17 CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistol brought even more features we where looking for like a Cut Out Ejection Port, Recessed Barrel Opening and the ability to be Filed Striped for easy access to a removable barrel just incase a pellet managed to get jammed.
So as you can see Sig Sauer is pushing the boundaries of Airgun Designs and always trying to make even better and better products to bring to us each year. I look forward to seeing What Sig Sauer is going to show me this year at SHOT Show 2019!
Type: Air Pistol. Manufacturer: Sig Sauer ASP Model:Sig Sauer ASP M17. Materials: Metal and plastic build. Weight: 2.21 pounds (1002 Grams). Barrel: 4.6 inches - Rifled steel. Propulsion: 12 gram CO2. Action: Blowback double action only. Ammunition Type: .177 caliber pellets. Ammunition Capacity: 20 round belt fed magazine. Max FPS: 430.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Sig Sauer M17 ASP CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistol is actually very good considering the trigger not only cocks the hammer with each shot but it also has to index the 20 round belt fed magazine. All of this is done only using around 6 pounds of trigger pull. You will find the trigger pull to be a bit long because of this but overall it feels pretty good and will allow for fairly fast rapid fire action shooting.
Accuracy: So far I have not done my official Field Test Shooting Video for the Sig Sauer M17 ASP CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistol but plan on making it shortly. I did hover get a chance to load some CO2 and Sig Sauer Led Pellets into my Sig Sauer M17 ASP CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistol and so far fired two fully loaded magazines which is 40 rounds. So far so good, no misfires or jams and power can accuracy seemed nice and consistent. The blowback action is scrips and snappy!
Build Quality: As with all the Sig Sauer ASP Airguns, the qualify is very good. Sig does not actually make these guns but has full control over the design and manufacturing of them. The actual airguns are made in Japan for Sig Sauer but this OK since Sig is not really an Airgun manufacturer and so levying that part to a company that is is not a bad idea. The fit and finish on the Sig Sauer M17 ASP CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistol is top notch. There is lots of metal in the Sig Sauer M17 ASP CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistol similar to where you would find it in the real steel version.
Realism: The Sig Sauer M17 ASP CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistol is a very close replica of the real steel Sig Sauer M17. Even the slight difference in color between the slide and frame has been recreated on the Airgun version as compared to the real steel Military version. Sig has made this new ASP Airgun even more realistic by giving it an open ejection port, a recessed barrel, a full size drop out magazine that holds the CO2 and belt magazine, and Sig even made the M17 ASP field strippable!
Very good overall replica of the real steel Sig Sauer M17.
Designed by Sig and made in Japan, fully Sig Sauer licensed.
Has nice heavy blowback operation.
Has accurate weight to it at just over 2 pounds, will be similar to a loaded real steel M17.
White dot sights and accessory rail.
High capacity 20 round belt feed magazine that fits into the full size drop out magazine.
Easy loading CO2 with Sigs lever system, CO2 also combined with the full size drop out magazine.
Decent feel to the trigger not heavy or as sticky even though the trigger action rotates the 20 round belt fed magazine.
First Sig Sauer ASP pistol that is Field Strippable.
Open ejection port and reassessed barrel that help with believability.
Cons:
Slide does not lock back after last shot.
Sights are non adjustable.
Only magazine option is the longer high capacity magazine that does extend the pistol grip.
Comments: I really like what Sig Sauer is doing for airgun community. What I mean by this is that rather than simply slapping their License on an already existing airgun like many other companies tend to do, Sig instead has decided to create something new and fresh. Sig Sauer has in brought new advancements and deigns to their APS Airgun line that nobody els so far has been able to do and with each new ASP Airgun Sig Sauer has improved upon their designs always staving to be better than the previous version. That’s exactly what the Sig Sauer M17 ASP CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistol is to me, Sigs best ASP Air Pistol to date!
My Table Top Review of the Sig Sauer M17 ASP CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistol:
Here we go again with another Favorite Airgun Video of 2018, this time I show you my Air Rifle Favorites! There are usually a lot less Air Rifles that come out than Air Pistols but this year was’t too bad for new and interesting Ari Rifles. As per usually there where more 4.5mm Steel BB Rifles and I am sorry to say nothing really came out at least in the Replica Air Rifle department but of course there where 6mm Airsoft rifles too.
I do mainly focus on the 4.5mm BB rifles but throw in the group a very well made and ultra realistic Airsoft Rifle that was for sure in this years Top Five!
Next in this video I take a look at what I can say was my number one pick this year, the Crosman DPMS SBR Steel BB Rifle! When Crosman announced the Crosman DPMS SBR Steel BB Rifle at SHOT Show I was a bit surprised since Crosman is not known best for their Replica Airguns. Not only did Crosman decide to come out with an M4 Replica Air Rifle but they in fact made what I believe is the best one out there at least in 4.5mm Steel BB. It covers all the check boxes I am looking for. It’s very well made, shoots in semi and full auto with a working internal blowback bolt. All the mechanical parts work in the same way as a real M4 including being able to take apart the upper and lower receivers. I really hope Crosman took note of how popular this style of Airgun is and keeps making more product like the Crosman DPMS SBR Steel BB Rifle.
Another 4.5mm Steel BB M4 Replica that came out in 2018 is the Air Venturi HellBoy CO2 BB M4 Air Rifle. The HellBoy may not be as full featured as the Crosman DPMS SBR but it is worthy of this years Top Five. The Air Venturi HellBoy CO2 BB M4 Air Rifle is similar to how the Cybergun AK 47 BB rifles are built, using a magazine design that is basically the bulk of the working mechanism, it hold the CO2, CO2 Valve, BB’s, and even part of the trigger mechanism. The Air Venturi HellBoy CO2 BB M4 Air Rifle may not be as ultra realistic as the Crosman DPMS SBR but it’s an excellent full metal M4 Replica with decent shooting performance.
My only Airsoft contribution to this years list is the KWA LM4 RIS PTR Full Metal GBB Airsoft Rifle. I just love this Airsoft Rifle, It may not be the cheapest M4 GBB Airsoft Rifle out there but it sure is worth it. When you pick it up it just feels like quality and when you shoot it you know it’s quality, the shooting performance is awesome for a GBB Rifle. I barely noticed any cool down even when shooting off the entire magazine in full auto. If you want the most realistic M4 Air Rfile out there than the KWA LM4 RIS PTR Full Metal GBB Airsoft Rifle is going to be the one.
Last up to showcase in this years Favorite Air Rifles is the Umarex Legends MP40 CO2 BB Weathered Submachine Gun. I know the Umarex Legends MP40 CO2 BB Submachine Gun kinda came out last year but I did not get my hands on the Weathered version till only recently so I decided to put it in this years Top Five pick. The Umarex Legends MP40 CO2 BB Submachine Gun is another fine 4.5mm Steel BB Rifle in this case it’s more of a Submachine Gun. The Umarex Legends MP40 CO2 BB Submachine Gun also offers semi and full auto select fire and is a very close replace to the real steel MP40 in almost every way. The Weathered Finish and included Leather Sling really finish it off to make it super believable.
2018 was another great year for Airguns and so I wanted to take a look at some of my favorite Air Pistols from 2018. There where many to choose for and perhaps some of them could just as easily been in my top five list but at some point I have to narrow it down and make a video for you all.
Here they are in no particular order, you may notice that most of them are from Umarex, and no I am not trying to promote Umarex over the other Airgun companies. Umarex simply brought out a lot of new products this year! I will be making a similar Favorite Air Rifle Video for 2018 so we’ll see if some of the other companies get more of a highlight…
First up we have the Umarex HK USP CO2 Blowback BB Pistol which is another full blowback full size drop out metal magazine BB Pistol that is an outstanding replica of the real steel HK USP in not only looks but also in function.
Next is the Umarex Glock 19 CO2 BB Pistol. Now it may seem that the Umarex Glock 19 is a fairly basic BB pistol in that it does not have blowback operation and uses a standard stick magazine. Not always what we are looking for in a replica airgun. What the Umarex Glock 19 CO2 BB Pistol offers that no other airguns has been able to accomplish so far is to bring a Glock approved license to an Airgun. Yes there are other “Glock Replicas” out there but Glock did not approve or license them so these imposters are made without Glock’s golden seal of approval. Counterfeits if you may… This Umarex breakthrough with Glock will allow for many more new Glock licensed Airguns in the future so if you want a full blowback full size mag Glock Airgun then just wait a bit and you will have one.
A nice compact CO2 Blowback BB Pistol that came out this year is the Umarex Walther PPS M2 CO2 Blowback BB Pistol. It’s basically the new version to the Standard Walther PPS. I simply just like the look and size of this Air Pistol and appreciate the engineering that went into such a small compact airgun with limited space for airgun components like a 12 gram CO2 and the CO2 valve mechanism.
One last Umarex product in my top five lineup is the Umarex SA10 CO2 Blowback BB and Pellet Air Pistol. The Umarex SA10 is very different than most other Air Pistols out there. First off it’s a blowback Airguns that shoots both BB’s and Pellets which may not be totally unusual, but it has a very unique full size magazine that stores extra rotary magazines that you can preload for easy and quick reloading. The Umarex SA10 is an all metal Airgun with a heavy construction and during my Field Test Shooting Review it performed rather well especially in the accuracy department.
Last and would you believe not an Umarex product is the Sig Sauer X-Five ASP CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistol. The Sig X-Five Pellet Pistol like the Umarex SA10 is full metal, has blowback operation and shoots Pellets, but the Sig Sauer X-Five ASP has a 20 round belt fed magazine which is something that Sig Sauer has been utilizing in their Pellet Airguns. Sure there are some other companies that have attempted to make Airguns with belt fed magazine but usually these Airguns have very heavy triggers making them almost painful to shoot. I like the fact that Sig Sauer is breaking new ground and trying to bring unique concepts and ideas to the Airgun Market.
In this video I do get in nice and close with the camera so you can see how awesome the Weathered finish and Leather Sling look. Just keep in mind you will pay a bit more of a premium for the Umarex Legends MP 40 Weathered version.
