View fullsize

Type: Paintball Rifle.
Manufacturer: Umarex - T4E.
Model: H&K 416.
Materials: Metal & Polymer.
Weight: 3016 grams (6.65 pounds).
Barrel: Metal smooth bore.
Power Source: 1x12 gram CO2.
Action: Semi-Automatic with internal working bolt blowback action.
Ammo Type: .43 Caliber Paintball or Rubber Ball.
Ammo Capacity: 14 Rounds.
FPS: 330-460?

Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on Umarex T4E T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle is pretty typical of what you would find on an AR styled rifle. Since the internal bolt cycles with each shot, the trigger is engaged and the Paintball rifle is ready for the next shot with a very light and short single action trigger pull.

View fullsize

Accuracy: So far I have not had the opportunity to test the Umarex T4E T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle other than placing a few rounds down range into my ammo trap to see how it shot and felt. Without actually shooting rounds through the Chronograph I don’t really know what the fps velocity is going to be but I can say it felt like it was shooting perhaps even over 400 fps? Out of the box the Umarex T4E T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle was shooting rather low but you can adjust the rear sight for windage and elevation.

Build Quality: The build quality of the Umarex T4E T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle is very good since this Paintball gun is made for military and law enforcement training use. You’re going to find high quality metal and polymer where you would normally find them on the real steel version. The bolt carrier is expected to last at least 3000 shots but you do get an extra one included with it.

View fullsize

Realism: The fully licensed Umarex T4E T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle is about as realistic as you are going to get in a Paintball Rifle. It’s basically made very similar to a GBB Airsoft Rifle of the same type with a working bolt and pretty much all working parts on it. You can even break the Umarex T4E T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle down into the lower and upper receiver halves. The bolt blowback action is not super strong but this may be a good thing since CO2 usage will be more efficient allowing for higher fps and more shots per CO2.

Purchase it from the Canada Replica Airguns Store or the US Replica Airguns Store

View fullsize

View fullsize

Pros:

• Seem to have decent fps, will see when I do my Field Test?

• Full Size drop out magazine that holds 14 .43 caliber Paintballs and the CO2.

• Removable 4 position adjustable stock.

• Removable and adjustable iron sights.

• Lots of rials for adding accessories.

• Fully licensed H&K 4116 replica via Umarex.

• Blowback does give a bit of recoil feedback and allow for a true single action trigger.

• Very high quality metaled polymer build.

• Used as a training weapon for military and law enforcement.

• Comes with extra bolt carrier.

Cons:

• Very expensive, well over $1000!!

• Comes with blue hardware but can be swapped out (Pistol grip, But stock, Magazine).

• Bolt carrier may wear out at around 3000 rounds.

View fullsize

Comments:

If’ you’re looking for the ultimate in Paintball Rifle realism the Umarex T4E T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle is going to meet that requirement for sure. It will come at a pretty decent cost but you are going to have a very unique Airgun that not many people will own. And as they say you do get what you pay for which is realism, quality and reliability. I look forward to testing out the Umarex T4E T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle on the Chronograph using some rubber ball ammo, I may even take it outside for some paintball ammo shooting, we will have to see…

Buy in the Canada Replica Airguns Store or the US Replica Airguns Store

View fullsize

A while back I made a Vimeo Video named” Is an Airgun Good for Self Defense?” It’s been pretty popular on YouTube getting over 2 million video views and I get a lot fo feedback from my viewers with varying opinions on this issue. I like constrictive feedback and enjoy hearing what my YouTube viewers have to say as long as everyone is being civil about it and not just trying to start an argument.

View fullsize

In my first video on this subject I pretty much go on the record saying I don’t think Airguns are a good choice for self defense and there are for sure way better alternatives but many of you disagreed with me and so I decided to make this update or revisit video and go over some of the top pushback comments I get and see if they have some merit to them.

Here are the top 4 pushback comments I get the most often:

• When the bad guy sees the airgun they are going to run away thinking it’s a real gun.

• Just shoot the bad guy in the eyes / face.

• Use an HPA large caliber rifle.

• Use a full auto high capacity Airgun.

Watch my “Is an Airgun Good for Self Defense Revisit” Vimeo video to see how I address these pushback comments.

View fullsize

Some more stuff came in and I just had to show it off before moving on with the reviews. I know you're going to like it so here we go again...

View fullsize

First off the super anticipate Umarex Glock 19 CO2 BB Pistol has arrived and is now available in our Canada and US online Replica Airgun Stores so get yours while we still have them, if we still have them? No this version is not a blowback or even working slide version and yes it has the dreaded stick mag! That all said the Umarex Glock 19 CO2 BB Pistol feels really solid and well made and heck it's the first licensed Airgun Glock ever so it's a good start. Umarex has said that more elaborate blowback versions will be coming out down the road. There are full blowback Airsoft version licensed by Umarex but the FPS is too slow right now for us to import them into Canada, hopefully there is a fix for this at some point...

I have been waiting at least three months now for my AW Custom AG-HX2003 Double Stack Tactical 1911 Full Blowback CO2 BB Pistol to show up. Canada Customs got their hands on it and felt it needed to be processed for three months before delivering it to me. at least I did end up getting it without a fight!

View fullsize

AW Custom is primarily an Airsoft gun manufacturer but is moving into the 4.5mm Steel BB market and has a few 4.5mm Steel BB offerings which have interchangeable parts with their Airsoft guns if you need them. I will making a Table Top and Field Test Sooting Video for the AW Custom AG-HX2003 Double Stack Tactical 1911 Full Blowback CO2 BB Pistol, my list is getting pretty huge now but I am excited I have all these new products to review for everyone!

View fullsize

Last on my Update list is a rather pricey one but not something I have ever revised on this channel, It's the Umarex T4E HK416 .43 caliber Paintball M4/AR Rifle made specifically for m military and police training. This gun is super realistic with similar working parts to its real steel counterpart. Check the Umarex T4E HK416 .43 caliber Paintball M4/AR Rifle in our Canada and US Online Stores.

View fullsize

It was fun to shoot the Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol for a change but really it was a lot like shooting one of my BB and Airsoft pistols, except in this case I was shooting .43 caliber rubber balls. I decided to not use paintballs inside my nice new Sea Can Indoor Airguns Shooting Range to keep things clean :)

View fullsize

First, I put three rounds through my Chrony Chronograph to see what the real world FPS would be, keep in mind I was using rubber balls rather than paintballs and the rubber balls are a little bit heavier than paintballs so this could bring the FPS down a bit compared to the lighter paintballs. Using a brand new CO2, the Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol average 316 FPS which was high than the claimed 290 FPS!

View fullsize

Moving on to my accuracy testing, as per usual I positioned myself 30 feet back from my paper target and using a seated and rested shooting position I shot a full magazine (8 rounds) of rubber balls on target with the Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol. I was not expecting anything close to what I would get with a BB or Airsoft pistol since Paintball guns are not known for super tight groups. I did manage to shoot around a 6 inch group with most of the shots staying within around 3 inches. This is about what I was expecting as paintball guns are not meant for "target practicing", generally you are going to be shooting human sized objects and hoping to get some well placed center mass shots. 3-6 inch accuracy at 30 feet will get the job done for sure. I did find the trigger using rubber balls did have a bit more friction while the inner barrel seated itself into the magazine. When shooting quickly it is much less noticeable.

View fullsize

I know some of you are going to ask about using the Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol with rubber balls for non-lethal self defense and the reality is it will not stop a person who is persistent on hurting you. There is simply not enough stoping power here. Will it "sting like a bitch" if you get shot up close with one of these Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol? For sure but a well timed punch has more chance of dropping someone than a .43 caliber rubber ball moving at around 300 FPS. You may scare someone off simply by brandishing it but you take the chance of the person calling your bluff. Perhaps 8 rubber balls to the face will change their mind but that's a chance you have to figure out if you want to take or not.

View fullsize

As a paintball pistol, the Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is about the best I have seen in terms of replica paintball guns. It is as good as they come for realism, even better than many BB and Airsoft guns and in terms of performance it did not let me down either.

Buy in the Canada Replica Airguns Store or the US Replica Airguns Store

View fullsize

Type: Paintball Gun.
Manufacturer: Umarex - T4E.
Model: Walther PPQ M2.
Materials: Metal & Polymer.
Weight: 848 grams (1.87 pounds).
Barrel: Smooth bore.
Power Source: 1x12 gram CO2.
Action: Semi-Automatic with blowback action.
Ammo Type: .43 Caliber Paintball or Rubber Ball.
Ammo Capacity: 9 Rounds.
FPS: 290.

View fullsize

Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol feels a lot like a double action trigger, internally it may be striker fired so expect a bit of a longer trigger pull with a fairly long reset and a medium strength trigger weight. There is also a working trigger safety which works well.

View fullsize

Accuracy: So far I have not had the opportunity to test the Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol out so stay posted for a future Field Test Shooting video where I will see what kind of fps and accuracy we can expect form the Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol. So far all I have to go on is what I have seen in some other video reviews I have watched, for the most part the Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol performed well.

View fullsize

Build Quality: The build quality of the Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is really very good, metal parts are where you would expect them, the slide, slide catch, barrel, magazine and most internal parts giving the Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol a nice near 2 pounds (1.87 pounds) of weight with the magazine in which makes the Paintball version a little heavier than the real still version (1.53 pounds) but once the real steal version is loaded with a full mag this may even out a bit. The Walther PPQ M2 does have a polymer frame but again this is normal with todays modern guns and helps keep the weigth down. Fit and finish is also excellent.

View fullsize

Realism: The Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is a near perfect replica of the real steel Walther PPQ M2, form the fully licensed markings to the large .43 caliber diameter barrel. If you placed the Paintball version side by side with the real steel version I doubt you could tell them apart? You will find that the slide cycle distance is a bit shorter than it shoudl be meaning that when the side catch is engaged the slide does not go as far back as it should. Filed stopping the Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol may requires some tools.

Purchase it from: The Canada Replica Airguns Store or the US Replica Airguns Store

View fullsize

Pros:

• Really great weight and solid feeling gun.

• Full Metal slide that locks back on the last shot.

• All metal heavy full size drop out magazine adds some additional weigth to the gun.

• Very Accurate Walther PPQ replica, almost indistinguishable from the real still version.

• Everything works pretty much like the real gun so a great training tool.

• Adjustable yellow dot sights.

• Working trigger safety.

• Fit and finish is excellent.

• Magazine spring release really shoots the magazine out.

• Love the .43 caliber barrel opening, adds to realism.

View fullsize

Cons:

• Trigger pull seems a bit long as it shoots like a double action trigger, may be striker fired internally?

• Magazine only holds 9 rounds, so you are going to need extras.

• Blowback action is not full blowback, more like a typical BB airgun.

View fullsize

Comments:

I'm really glad to see another Replica Paintball Pistol available in Canada, especially such a well made and realistic version. The Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol looks to be perhaps the best to date .43 caliber Paintball gun on the market and may even prove to be an option for non-lethal personal defense when using rubber balls with it. Not that I would trust my life with it but it sure looks the part and I am sure most people would not want to be on the receiving end of 9 rounds coming at you. As a training tool and Paintball gun the Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol offers superb realism for this purpose. I am looking forward to testing mine out shortly :)

Buy in the Canada Replica Airguns Store or the US Replica Airguns Store

This is not to say that a “Real Gun” is not as good as an Airgun or better in other ways, in this video I’m just pointing out how an Airgun in some cases can actually be better suited than a Real Gun.

Availability: What I mean by this, is that in many countries Real Guns can be very hard to acquire and often require safety course and applications before one can purchase a Real Gun. I have no problem with this but it is a reality that must be considered. Having an Airgun versus not having a gun at all makes it a better option for people that live in countries that have strict gun laws. Here in Canada we are allowed Real Guns, even pistols but we do have restriction on our pistols and so I can only get certain guns in an Airgun version. As a collector this is better than not having the gun at all.

Price to Buy: Generally speaking you can pickup an enter level Airgun for much less money than a real gun.

Cost to Shoot: Real gun ammo prices have been steadily increasing to the point that a day out shooting can cost several hundred dollars just on the ammunition alone.

Comparison of Price:

• 50 rounds of 9mm ammo will cost around $18.00

• 6000 rounds of 4.5mm Steel BB will cost about $18.00

• CO2 is a bit less than $1 per 12 gram Cylinder which can yield up to 100 shots each.

• To shoot 100 rounds of 9mm will cost close to $40 versus 100 shots of 4.5mm steel BB at around $1.

• For this reason alone an Airgun can make a lot of sense even for Real Gun owners looking to get more cost effective practice time.

Access to Shooting Locations: Depending on where you live you will have to consider your local laws and where you are allowed to shoot both types of guns but typically you can shoot an Airgun safely just about anywhere as long as you implement some backstop safety precautions. Here in Canada we can only shoot a pistol at designated gun ranges, where as Airguns have a lot more allowances to shot them as long as you are not braking any city bylaws.

Training Guns: Even if you plan to eventually step up to a Real Gun at some point, an airgun is a great option to first learn proper gun handling skills since if you where to make a mistake, the consequences are much less severe. Airguns are also a lot less intimidating than a real gun since they are much quieter and have less recoil, you don’t even need to wear ear protection with most Airguns which means an instructor can communicate to his pupil on the range a lot easier.

Prop Guns: Since Replica Airguns look so much like real guns these day, they can often be used as a safer substitute for use in Movie, TV or other Photo and Video productions. Using a Real Gun on set generally requires a certified “Gun Wrangler” be on hand as Real Guns must be transported, stored and handled using very strict regulations. Airguns generally do not need to follow the same rigid regulations that Real Guns are bound to.

Tactical Training with Live Targets: Obviously shooting a real gun at a live target would not fair well for anyone involved, so that is completely out of the question. Airsoft Airguns are however perfect for Tactical Training and other weapons based simulations. All that is required for safety when using Airsoft guns is the use of eye protection and generally some heavy clothing.

I am sure there are some more areas in which Airguns may have the advantage over a Real Gun but these are the main ones that I could think of.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Way back in the beginning of 2011 I posted some video reviews on a Chinese made AK-47 CO2 BB gun I owned and also at the time sold in the Replica Airguns Store. Unfortunately I had to pull these videos off of YouTube and the Replica Airguns Website because there was a police investigation related to these CO2 BB rifles.

I decided to repost these videos now that some time has gone by and the sting from this experience has lessoned for me a bit.

For those of you that want to know a bit more background on the reason why I removed the videos you can read on... Without going into a huge amount of detail, the police thought that for some reason these CO2 BB guns where being illegally imported into Canada and could be somehow converted into real working AK-47's. The police even believed that people like myself who owned and sold them had some sort of underground conversion operation going on? All of this make believe nonsense sent the RCMP down a path that led to over a dozen Airgun resellers like myself getting a visit from their local SWAT detachment, getting arrested, and spending some time at police HQ trying to figure out what in the world we where being arrested for? This all took place in October of 2011.

To give you an idea of the extent of the raid, there where at least 40-50 police officers at my house, police cars lined up down the street, SWAT members clearing rooms, a team of police going through all my personal belongings gathering guns, computers, network gear, cameras, drives and other evidence. I can not even imagine how much this would have cost Canadian tax payers just at my house alone never mind the other dozen or so simultaneous raids going on?

What makes all of this so silly is that the CO2 BB AK-47's in question where legally imported into Canada with the CBSA's seal of approval and to top it off the company that imported them was the same company that also sold the police their real firearms. You would think the police would have done a little bit of research checking into the background of where these AK-47 CO2 BB Rifles came from instead of jumping headlong into a very costly sting operation that did not even include a visit to the warehouse that imported them into Canada legally in the first place.

Even though I was arrested I was never charged with anything since the police quickly realized the error in their assumption. But still the police confiscated all my guns, my firearms license, my computers, my network gear, my hard drives, cameras and memory cards and kept all of it for a over a month. Perhaps next time they could of just asked a few resellers where they got their guns from rather than causing a huge disruption in peoples lives and business. 

The icing on the cake is that these scary CO2 BB AK-47's could not be converted to fire live ammo but even still the RCMP declared them "prohibited" and went about tracking down as many buyers and owners as they could and confiscating their BB guns without any sort of compensation to the owners who bought them legally. No accountability was ever put on the CBSA who allowed them to be imported in the first place and no compensation has ever been paid out to the law abiding Canadians who spent their hard earned money on these BB guns (about $300-$400 each).

Anyways, I tell this story not to get people riled up and mad at the RCMP and/or CBSA, most of these folks are very good people with good intentions. After all, everyone makes mistakes from time to time. My problem is that my kids watched me get arrested and hand cuffed, yet I had done nothing wrong. At no point in time did the police give me any kind of apology or send some one over to talk to my kids and let them know that their Daddy was not a bad person and that it was all just a big misunderstanding? I hope that whoever masterminded this so called sting operation got some sort of reprimand since it would of cost Canadian tax payers a boat load of money just to get a bunch of BB guns off the streets!

What is a Blank Gun?

The best way to describe a Blank Gun is to imagine it as a real gun in just about every way except one… There are no dangerous bullets flying out the front of it. That’s right, a Blank Gun just like a real gun uses a brass or metal shells, loaded with a primer and gun powder, but for what ever reason reason, some rocket scientists forgot to put a bullet at the end of the Blank shell. 

Why Would You Want a Blank Gun?

Isn’t the entire purpose of a gun to shoot something? So why on earth would you buy a gun that doesn't  shoot anything at all, what purpose would it serve? Even Nerf guns, water guns, potato guns all shoot something…

One way to look at a Blank Gun is to imagine it as a cap gun, but for grown ups. Similar to how kids like to shoot their cap guns because they go bang and sparks and smoke fly out of them, Blank Guns do the same thing but on a much grander scale and in most cases they look and sound a lot more like a real gun than a cap gun does.

So Blank Guns don’t actually do the main function of a real gun (that is to shoot a bullet), but they do look and sound the part of a gun. So how could this be of practical use to anyone?

Signalling Devices:

First off, have you ever heard of a Starter Pistol or a Flare Gun? Blank Guns have been historically used to signal the start of races. Many Blank Guns also have the ability to shoot flares by adding a flare adaptor to them so a person can shoot a flare into the air to signal distress if they are lost or hurt.

Gun Handling and Training:

Since many Blank Guns look, operate and feel almost exactly like real guns, Blank Guns are a great place to start out when training a person on proper gun handling and operation. If they make a mistake while using a Blank Gun, the consequences are far less severe than with a real gun. There is also much less kick from a Blank Gun so shooting a Blank Gun is less scary or intimidating for new shooters.

Dog Training:

Dogs used for police, military and hunting are required to stay calm around loud noises like gun shots, trained dogs also need to get used to the presence of guns and even how to attack the gun hand of a person who could be a potential threat. Again using Blank Guns in this training situation is a much better option than using a real gun for obvious reasons.

Movies, Video TV and Stage:

Introducing live ammunition on a movie set would be ridiculous, there is absolutely no need to shoot a bullet in this type of situation. Blank Guns make perfect stage props since they again look the part and sound the part without the dangerous bullets flying all over the place…

Collectors:

Many collectors want to own guns but for reasons like gun restrictions in their area, they may not be able to own a real gun or certain types of real guns. Blank Guns can offer a person with heavy gun restrictions in their area the ability to own similar Blank Gun versions. Perhaps they can own real guns but just simply don’t want to go through the licensing and registration hassle of owning a real gun. Blank Guns can generally be purchased for far less money than a real gun which is appealing to collectors who in many cases may not even shoot them.

Celebration:

In places like Turkey, people celebrate holidays and events by shooting Blank Guns into the air, at one time they actually shoot real guns, but people where getting injured or even killed by the falling bullets. Because of this, Blank Gun production became an industry in places like Turkey as Blank Gun manufacturers like EKOL, Retay and Zoraki (also know as ATAK Arms) are Turkish companies.

So now you know some of the reasons why a person would want to own a Blank Gun. I have Blank Guns and I also own real guns too. One reason is because there are many Blank Guns I own that I can not own in their real steel versions because of Canadian gun restrictions so obtaining a similar version in a Blank Gun allows me to own these models.

If a Blank Gun is not for you, then by all means get a real gun, but please understand that there is a place for Blank Guns, and in those environments, a Blank Gun is actually a better choice than a real gun.

Here is a Press Release taken from the NFA website, I have also made a YouTube Video going over all of this in my own words and what it really means for us law abiding airgun owners in Canada so make sure to watch my video below for further explanation...

"On Wednesday, November 5, the Supreme Court of Canada issued its ruling R. v. Dunn, finding that most air guns are considered “firearms” for all purposes in the Criminal Code except for licensing and registration.

The Court affirmed the previous decision of the Ontario Court of Appeal, which itself had overruled a decade of its own jurisprudence in finding that air guns are “firearms”. Prior to this case, the courts had held that air guns are not treated as “firearms” unless they are used for some offensive or unlawful purpose.

This decision applies to all air guns that are capable of causing serious bodily injury or death. Most courts have found that any air gun with a velocity of more than 214 feet-per-second meets this threshold. The vast majority of air guns sold across the country are capable of such a velocity.

This decision will have numerous significant impacts on those who buy and use air guns lawfully in Canada.

First of all, the Criminal Code provisions regarding careless storage, use and transportation of firearms now apply to air guns. Therefore, it is an offence to store or transport an air gun in a “careless” manner. However, because the ordinary firearms Storage Regulations do not apply to air guns, air gun owners are left with absolutely no guidance as to what precisely constitutes careless storage of an air gun.

It will be left up to police, prosecutors and courts to determine what charges will be laid, which will be prosecuted and ultimately who will be found guilty of this nebulous and ambiguous offence.

Moreover, as air gun owners do not require a license or a firearms safety course to possess these items, law-abiding Canadians will not be put on notice of the new legal requirements for air gun use, storage, transportation, etc.

Secondly, the offence of “carrying a concealed weapon” now applies to air guns, regardless of whether or not the air gun owner acts in an otherwise lawful manner. Placing an air gun in a backpack, a pocket or other concealed place will now be a criminal offence.

As the Supreme Court has ruled on this issue, the only route forward is through legislative amendment. Canada’s National Firearms Association has been extremely active on this front and will continue to pressure the government and provide all assistance in order to see that this decision be responded to by Parliament."

Canada’s National Firearms Association is this country’s largest and most effective advocacy organization representing the interests of firearms owners and users.

My big concern with this new Supreme Court of Canada ruling is that it really only effects law abiding Canadians. The criminals are not going to be worrying about how they store, transport and handle an airgun and since this new "airgun rule" does not change how an airgun can be purchased, or the fact that a criminal can still be charged with a gun crime while using an airgun in a crime, nothing has really changed by this new law from a criminals perspective.

Even more disturbing is the fact that the vast majority of airgun owners are now criminals since most will not be storing their airguns in the same way a firearm needs to be stored. Most Airgun owners do not have a PAL Firearms license, so they will have no idea of this new airgun ruling or even be educated on firearms handling and regulations, making most airgun owners criminals because for the most part, they will be storing, transporting and handling airguns in an unlawful manner now according to this new airgun ruling.

Links:

• RCMP on Airguns
• Safe Storage and Handling of Firearms
• NFA Press Release

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

Main points covered:

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

• What is an Uncontrolled Airgun and Airsoft Gun?

• What is an Uncontrolled Blank Gun / Starter Pistols?

• What about Fully Automatic Airguns and Airsoft Guns?

• What about Replica Guns?

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

MEMORANDUM D19-13-2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Replica firearms:

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

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

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

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

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

RCMP Website "Air Guns"

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

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

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

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

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

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

This YouTube video was made to touch upon the tragic shooting and death of a young man at the Beavercreek Walmart in the US. The tragedy was the result of poor judgment and misunderstanding of the situation that started with John Crawford (22) deciding to walk around a Walmart store with a very realistic looking replica Air Rifle. Subsequently in the midst of all the excitement as customers ran out of the store, Angela Williams (37) had a medical emergency that also cost her her life. 

Below is an outline of YouTube video that follows:

John Crawford 22 Years old was shot  by police in a Beavercreek Walmart while holding a Crosman MK-177 Pellet BB gun.

Another death as a result: Angela Williams, 37, was with her 9-year-old daughter and suffered a medical emergency and died as a result as people attempted to flee the store amongst the panic.

John Crawford is Survived by: LeeCee Johnson, 22 Mother of Crawford's children (Believe he had 2 children)

NOTES: 

• Walmart US keeps these guns on shelf in the box generally, but not locked up or behind glass.
• In Canada Most places keep even Airguns behind locked glass. 

The weapon (Crosman MK-177), which can shoot both pellets and BBs, had been removed from its original packaging, was this done by John Crawford or was it already unpackaged when he picked it up?

Ronald Ritchie made the original 911 call, I listened to two of the police 911 phone call recording and he seemed to be talking level headed and not making it out to be anything more than what he saw which was a black man walking around a Walmart with what looked like a real rifle. John Crawford was holding the rifle while he had his phone between his shoulder and ear, John was fiddling with the rifle and looked to be trying to load it. Ronald Ritchie said John was periodically pointing it at people (which may or may not have been intentional).

LeeCee Johnson, 22, who identified herself as the mother of Crawford’s children, said she was talking to Crawford on her cell phone at the time of the shooting:

“We was just talking. He (John) said he was at the video games playing videos and he went over there by the toy section where the toy guns were. And the next thing I know, he said ‘It’s not real,’ and the police start shooting and they said ‘Get on the ground,’ but he was already on the ground because they had shot him,” she said. She added she “could hear him just crying and screaming” and said officers “shot him down like he was not even human.”

First and Foremost, this event is very tragic and my condolences go out to the families and friends of John Crawford and Angela Williams.

Questions we need to ask ourselves:

• Why was John Crawford walking around the Walmart with what looked like an "assault rifle" in a very public location?
• With all the public shootings these days, why would you walk around a public Walmart with what looks like a very real and threatening rifle, similar to the kinds used in these types of shootings in the past?
• Why did the police seem so quick to shoot John down? Where they a bit eager or hyped up? It would be very interesting to see the surveillance video for this tragedy?
• Why are very realistic Airguns on open display and so easy to attain? Keep in mind even a regular break barrel Airgun looks like a real rifle to most people.

What is so damaging about all this:

• This will add "ammunition so to speak" for bureaucrats and authorities to question if Airguns should look realistic, or if they now need to have bright colored markings all over them so people will assume they are not reel? Or perhaps outlaw them completely or make them very hard to attain for the average person.
• Now the general public will have yet another reason to have a negative view on Airguns. I fear that putting more restrictions on airguns is just a stepping stone to more restrictions on real guns and more restrictions on our rights overall.

What ever happened to common sense? It has become uncommon these days…

 Based on how easy it is for a person to get their hands on very realistic looking Airguns in most US based retail stores, I am surprised this tragedy has not happened already, or more often.

Would you walk around your neighborhood with what looks like an Assault rifle? So why walk around a Walmart with one?

Unfortunately we can not protect everyone from themselves, the more failsafes we put in place, the less reasonability people have for themselves and the more responsibility it seems is placed on businesses, government, organizations, parks and events…

We even need warning labels on our coffee telling us it's hot, or to not put poison in our mouths, there are railing and barriers around any bit of water or slight ledge.

Society is programing people to think less fore themselves and trust that everything is going to be OK.

Well it's not true, there is still something called survival of the fittest no matter how many safety nest are in place.

We need to spend more time teaching our kids how to act and behave and how to think for themselves and not be so dependent on everyone else to protect them from themselves. Don't  leave it up to the TV, movies, video games or even their just as oblivious friends. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Two questions that come up over and over again and to be honest I just hate answering, mainly because both of these questions to me are kind of common sense questions. I feel if someone where to stop and actually think about teh question, the answers would become obvious.

That said, common sense has to be learned somewhere and not all of us are exposed to the same life experiences so here goes...

The two questions are:

• Will this Ammunition Work in my Gun?

• Can I Convert a Blank Gun to a Real Gun?

The answer for both of these question is actually the same! Use the ammo made for your gun and do not try to use anything other than the ammo that was made for your gun. Do not try to modify your gun to shoot anything other than the ammo that was made for it, if you do, you may be breaking the law and could land yourself in jail. If you can follow these rules then your ammo and gun will work as intended :)

So that's pretty much it in a nutshell, watch my YouTube video below as I show you examples of ammo types with visuals on exactly why you need to use the ammo made for your gun. I also talk about the dangers of attempting to modify a blank gun to shoot some sort of real bullet and why it is a very bad idea in so many ways to try and convert a blank gun into a real gun.

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

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

So it's 2014 but I still needed to make my 2013 Airgun, Airsoft Gun and Blank Gun Collection Favorites for 2013. It's become a tradition I guess you could say. No I do not show all the guns in my collection but I do cover most of my favorites and also some new guns I picked up in 2013.

Here's a peek but make sure to watch the YouTube video bellow where I go over all my top picks for 2013. You can also buy many of the guns I show in this YouTube video over in our Canada and US Replica Airguns Store!

2013 BB Pistols

2013 Pellet Pistols

2013 Airsoft Pistols

2013 Blank Pistols

2013 Rifles

I wanted to cover some basic Airgun, Airsoft Gun, Blank Gun and Paintball Gun information on what do they all shoot, what makes them shoot and some other miscellaneous info thrown in along the way...

Your should also watch the video attached at the bottom of this post as it goes into a fair amount of detail.

Let's begin with the types of ammo used:

Airgun Ammo

• Airgun ammo for the most part is broken down into BBs and Pellets, the most standard size BB and Pellet is the 4.5mm or .177 caliber Steel BB and Lead Pellet. You can also get Pellets in other calibers and even other materials other than lead such as steel or aluminum, some can have plastic skirting around a metal interior.

• Pellets also come in a variety of caliber's like .177, .20. 22. 25 and even larger but then I would start considering them to be bullets as they will take on the shape of a bullet when they get into the larger sizes.

• Airgun Ammo is not be fired at people, it is primarily used for target and hunting small game.

• Airguns can use Spring Pistons, CO2, Compressed Air and Multi-pump propulsion systems.

Airsoft Gun Ammo

• Airsoft Guns for the most part shoot round 6mm (.22 caliber) plastic BBs which come in a variety of weights ranging from .12 grams up to .48 grams. There are larger Airsoft BBs such as 8mm and even larger.

• There are biodegradable and even tracer florescent Airsoft BBs available.

• Airsoft Ammo is traditionally used for Airsoft battles and can be fired at people using protective gear. Airsoft Ammo can also be used for target shooting.

• Airsoft Guns can use Spring Pistons, Spring Piston - AEG (Electric Motor) CO2, Gas (Green, Red, Propane) and Compressed Air propulsion systems.

Paintball Gun Ammo

• Paintball Guns or "Markers" have been historically used for the sport of Paintball but their whereabouts came from the need of ranchers and forestry workers to mark trees. Hence the name "Marker"

• Paintball ammo comes in a variety of sizes ranging with the most common being .43 and .68 caliber. They are generally made from a gelatin outer coating containing primarily polyethylene glycol, other non-toxic and water-soluble substances, and dye, they are usually biodegradable.

• Paintball Guns can also shoot a variety of Paintball Ammo that can be made out of Rubber, Plastic, Glass and they can also contain Powders and even Pepper for use in non lethal defense.

• Paintball Guns can generally use either CO2 or Compressed Air as their propellant.

Blank Gun Ammo

• Blank Guns are just like Real Guns but without the dangerous bullet at the end of the brass shell. Other than that they work exactly the same as a Real Gun!

• Blank Guns are used when a bullet is not required or even wanted. For instance... Gun safety, gun training, training animals to be around guns and/or loud noises, Props for Movies - Stage -  Film - TV, Collectors that do not want the red tape associated with owning a Real Gun or when owning a Real Gun is prohibited.

• Blank Guns can shoot a variety of sized ammo, most common are .22 caliber crimped, .380 crimped, 8mm P.A.K. and 9mm P.A.K.

• Blank Guns use gun powder as their means of operation.

Here are the most common forms of propulsion used in the guns we discussed earlier:

CO2

• CO2 is the most common propellant in Airguns (BB and Pellet), it is also used in Airsoft Guns and Paintball Guns.

• CO2 is a compressed gas which expands when released, it requires a warm environment to fully expand and tends to cool it's surroundings quickly when shot fast or in full automatic which can slow the velocity of the projectile and even freeze up the gun being used.

• The most common reusable CO2 cartridges are 12 and 88 gram but you can get larger CO2 tanks in a variety of sizes that can be refilled with CO2.

Gas

• Gas is used primarily in Airsoft Guns, I have not personally seen an Airgun that is made to use Gas other than CO2.

• Gas is similar to CO2 in that it is a compressed gas that expands when releases, it also cools down the gun it is being used in and requires a warm environment.

• Gas comes in a variety of names, Green Gas, Red Gas and Propane Gas. Green Gas contains Propane as it's base but has additives in it like silicone for lubrication .

• Red Gas is know to be a bit more powerful than Green Gas as it has Chlorodifluoromethane or HCFC-22, R22 or Freon 22 used in refrigeration which turns to a liquid under a slightly higher pressure giving you slightly higher fps.

• Many people use propane gas with an adapter that allows the mixture of silicone as propane is cheaper to buy.

Compressed Air (HPA)

• Compressed Air (HPA - High Pressure Air) is most commonly used in Airguns and Paintball Guns but some people use it for their Gas based Airsoft guns.

• The compressed air comes from high PSI tanks that can be purchased in a variety of sizes and contains compressed air at pressures up to 5000psi.

• These tanks are reusable and usually need to be refilled at a paintball or scuba shop, some people buy their own compressors or large scuba tanks for refilling purposes.

• Some Compressed Air (HPA) guns have their own built in tanks that can be filled with a compressor or even a manual pump.

• Compressed air does not cool down the gun it is being used in and is a great option for high output or fully automatic guns.

Multi-Pump Pneumatic

• Multi-Pump Pneumatic systems are most commonly used in Pellet and/or BB guns.

• Multi-Pump Pneumatic guns use the same principle as HPA - High Pressure Air guns in that they require pressurized air as the propellant. The main difference with Multi-Pump Pneumatic guns, is that you do all the work by pumping the gun between shots. Generally speaking you pump the gun 3-10 times, take a shot and repeat this process.

• Multi-Pump Pneumatic guns are not effected by air temperature and are great for target and small pest control.

Spring Piston

• Spring pistons are generally found in Pellet Rifles and Pistols but some Airsoft Guns also use a Spring Piston System and generally speaking Spring Piston Guns are single shot only or in other words, the Spring needs to be drawn back before each shot. Spring Piston Guns can have magazines that allow for quicker repeat shots.

• Spring Piston Guns come in many cocking configurations, Brake Barrel and Side lever to name a couple.

• The Spring can be a Mechanical Spring or a Gas Spring.

• Spring Piston Guns are not effected by temperature and are often used for small game hunting and target shooting.

Automatic Electric Guns (AEG)

• Automatic Electric Guns  are generally found in Airsoft Rifles but there are some Airsoft Pistols (AEP) that use this same system.

• Automatic Electric Guns use a similar system to a Spring Piston gun but have an electric motor that does all the work of drawing back the spring. You can even have fully automatic AEG guns.

• The power for the electric motor comes from removable batteries, so it is a combination a battery supplying the motor with the power to draw back the spring that creates a pillow of air that shoots the BB.

• AEG Airsoft Guns are great for situations when you require high capacity magazines with full auto capability. 

Gun Powder

• Gun powder is used in Blank Guns, in the same manor that it is used in a Real Gun, the charge from the Gun Powder supplies the force required to operate the blowback in most semi auto Blank Pistols, it also creates the sound of a live round along with the muzzle flash which makes Blank Guns great for training and as Props for Movies and Film.

• Because the kinetic energy from a blank gun is the same as a real gun, blank guns can be very dangerous when used in close proximity to an object, see my "Are Blank Guns Dangerous Video"!

Some other Gun Relevant Terminology:

Blowback

• Blowback operation is when some of the force of the propellant is used to move the slide backwards, which in most cases cocks the hammer for single action and can also pickup and chamber a round into the barrel.

• The slide spring supplies the energy for the return to the forward position of the slide.

• Blowback Guns do rob some power from the bullet force and in the case of CO2 or Gas Guns the also reduce the amount of shots per CO2 or Gas fill.

Revolver, Semi Automatic

• Revolver: Revolvers feed ammunition via the rotation of a cartridge-filled cylinder, in which each cartridge is contained in its own ignition chamber, and is sequentially brought into alignment with the weapon's barrel by a mechanism linked to the weapon's trigger (double-action) or its hammer (single-action)

• Semi Automatic:  semi-automatic pistols use the energy of one shot to reload the chamber for the next. Typically recoil energy from a fired round is mechanically harnessed. After a round is fired, the pistol will cycle, ejecting the spent casing and chambering a new round from the magazine, allowing another shot to take place immediately.

Single Shot, Repeater, Semi Automatic & Fully Automatic

• Single Shot: A Single Shot Gun needs to be reloaded each time it is shot.

• Repeater: Repeating action Guns are single barreled guns containing multiple rounds of ammunition. These rounds are loaded from a magazine by means of a manual or automatic mechanism, and the action that reloads the rifle also typically re-cocks the firing action. The term repeating rifle is most often applied to weapons in which the next cartridge is loaded by a manual action, as opposed to semi-automatic rifles, in which the force of one shot is used to load the next.

• Semi Automatic: A semi-automatic, or self-loading, firearm is a weapon that performs all steps necessary to prepare the weapon to fire again after firing.

• Fully Automatic: A Gun that uses either its recoil or a portion of the gas propelling the projectile to remove the spent cartridge (in the case of a gun-shell), fire again repeatedly, as long as the trigger is held down or until the magazine is exhausted. Automatic Guns are distinguished from semi-automatic Guns in their ability to fire more than one shot in succession once the trigger is pulled.

Single, Double Action, SA/DA

• Check out my post explaining Single and Double action!

• Single-Action (SA): trigger performs the single action of releasing the hammer or striker to discharge the firearm each time the trigger is pulled.

• Double-Action (DA): The trigger both cocks and releases the hammer or striker

• SA-DA:  A SA/DA firearm combines the features of both mechanisms. You can pull the trigger in Double Action when the hammer is down which cocks and releases the trigger or you can cock the hammer with your thumb and then release the trigger using Single Action to fire the weapon. 

Lever Action, Pump Action, Bolt Action

• Lever Action: In a classic lever-action firearm, rounds are individually loaded into a tubular magazine parallel to and below the barrel. A short bolt is held in place with an over center toggle action. Once closed, the over center action prevents opening solely by the force on the bolt when the weapon is fired. This toggle action is operated by a hand grip that forms part of the trigger guard. When operated, a spring in the tubular magazine pushes a fresh round into position. Returning the operating lever to the home position chambers the round and closes the breach.

• Pump Action: With a pump-action firearm, the action is operated by a movable fore-end that goes backwards and forwards to eject, extract, and chamber a round of ammunition. Pump-actions are usually associated with shotguns.

• Bolt Action: The bolt opens and closes the breech end of the barrel and contains the firing pin. The bolt is held in place with a lever that fits into a notch. Moving this lever out of the notch will release the restraint on the bolt, allowing it to be drawn back. An extractor removes the spent cartridge, which is then ejected through the lever slot. A spring at the bottom of the magazine pushes up the reserve rounds, positioning the topmost between the bolt and the chamber at the base of the barrel. Pushing the bolt lever forward chambers this round and pushing the lever into the notch locks the bolt and enables the trigger mechanism.

Magazine vs Clip

• Magazine: A magazine is an ammunition storage and feeding device within or attached to a repeating firearm. Magazines can be removable (detachable) or integral to the firearm. The magazine functions by moving the cartridges stored in the magazine into a position where they may be loaded into the chamber by the action of the firearm. The detachable magazine is often referred to as a clip, although this is technically inaccurate.

• Clip: A clip is a device that is used to store multiple rounds of ammunition together as a unit, ready for insertion into the magazine or cylinder of a firearm. This speeds up the process of loading and reloading the firearm as several rounds can be loaded at once, rather than one round being loaded at a time. The term "clip" is also frequently used to refer to a detachable magazine, though such usage is incorrect.

Type: Paintball Pistol.

Manufacturer:RAP4.

Model:RAP4 RAM P99

Materials: Metal & Polymer.

Weight: 2 pounds.

Barrel: 4 inches, metal non-rifled.

Propulsion: 12 gram CO2.

Action: Semi auto, single & double action with blowback.

Ammunition Type: .43 caliber paintball or rubber bullet.

Ammunition Capacity: 9 round magazine.

FPS: 250-300fps.

Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Real Action Paintball RAP4 X50 is rather nice in single action, being a true blowback gun, the cycling of the slide not only chambers a round but also pre-cocks the hammer allowing for a very smooth and light single action trigger pull. There is also a working de-cocker that allows you to release the internal hammer. Double action is noticeably heavier but would only really be used on the first shot if you had already used the de-cocker.

Accuracy: After my previous review of the RAM X50 I was expecting this gun to perform pretty much the same. I did find it to be a bit more accurate within the 20-25 foot range using the rubber balls but when I got out into the field and switched over to the Paintballs I found that they where really hooking and darting all over the place? Mind you, this gun was right out of the box and not broken in yet. I also got a bit lower fps (right around 250) out of the RAP4 RAM Walther P99 compared to my RAM X50 but again my review unit had not been adjusted in any way and I imagine I could turn it up a bit to get more fps out of it if I wante to. The plus side is I was able to get an astounding 8 magazines worth of shots out of one CO2.

Build Quality: The RAP4 RAM Walther P99 styled Paintball Pistol is built very well, it does have a polymer frame but the gun overall has lots of metal parts and a very good overall 2 pounds weight to it dry. The blowback action is very snappy and all the mechanics and fit and finish all look and function very nicely. The slide spring is nice and firm giving this paintball gun a snappy recoil and the feel closer to a real gun than that of an airgun.

Realism: The RAP4 RAM Walther P99 was primarily made to simulate real word shooting environments for Police and Military users and even includes Walther branding and licensing, it is a very believable looking and functioning copy of the real steel semi auto pistol it replicates. Other than the exception of the CO2 Cylinder hanging a bit far out of the bottom of the handle. The RAM P99 would be hard to tell from the actual Walther P99, especially when looking down the large .43 caliber barrel. The Blowback action and firm recoil help pull off the believability when shooting this ralistic Paintball Pistol.

Purchase it from:The Replica Airguns Store

Pros:

• Good weight and solid feeling gun.

• Full metal slide with nice heavy blowback recoil.

• All metal heavy 9 round magazines.

• Very Accurate Walther P99 replica including licensing and trademarks.

• Everything works pretty much like the real gun so a great training tool.

• Good accuracy up close and lots of shots per CO2 for such a large round.

• Nice light single action trigger and working de-cocker.

• Fairly affordable.

Cons:

• CO2 cylinder sticks out from the handle and looks a bit odd.

• Paintball accuracy out at range was unpredictable.

• Does not field Strip conventionally.

Comments:

This was my second time testing a RAP4 RAM product and again I took the chance to use it as it was intended to be used - in the field going through simulated tactical situations. My targets where barrels this time but they could have been other people with similar paintball guns shooting back at me which would have put even more pressure on me and forced me to really see where my mistakes are being made. That's the whole point of this type of training airgun, make it as real as it can be without your actual life being in danger so that when you are in danger you will not have to think about what you are doing but simply react based on your previous training. I think anyone who is a gun owner wanting to improve their reactive shooting skills should invest in one of these Paintball guns. One day you may thank yourself but let's hope it does not come to that!

Buy Umarex Pistols in Canada

Buy Umarex Pistols in the US

You may remember my review of the RAP4 RAM X50 (Sig Sauer P226) Blowback Paintball gun? Anyways I have added three models to to the Canada Replica Airguns store. These are really great guns and can be used as training aids because of their excellent realism and of course in paintball wars.

RAP4 RAM X50 Paintball Pistol (Sig Sauer P226)

RAP4 RAM P99 Paintball Pistol (Walther P99)

RAP4 RAM Desert Eagle Paintball Pistol

Right off the bat I have to say I had a great time making this Field Test Video Review of the RAP4 RAM X50 (Sig P226) .43 Caliber Blowback Paintball Pistol. I did something I don't generally do, I went back into my forest area of the property and setup some human sized targets (5 gallon buckets) and did some tactical real world shooting simulation, it was a lot of fun and the RAP4 RAM X50 Paintball Pistol worked perfectly for this as I could very easily see exactly where I was shooting and also did not have to worry too much about rebounding ammo.

This video only covers the shooting performance of the RAP4 RAM X50, so checkout my Table Top Review for things like the Specifications and Features.

In this video I start out by doing a Chronograph Test and shoot not only Paintball rounds but also some Rubber bullet and got very good average FPS results using both ammo types (288 fps using .43 caliber Rubber Balls and 279 fps using .42 caliber Paintballs).

I also tested the accuracy out from 20 feet away in a semi rested position and got about an 8 inch group with a full 9 round magazine, which on a human sized target would do the trick for sure. Keep in mind this is not a target pistol! My Tactical Field or should I say "Forest test", showed that this paintball pistol performs very well when used in a simulated shooting scenario.

I can really see a use for a gun like this, mainly for training oneself on how to acquire targets quickly and how to improve your tactical shooting skills.

Buy RAP4 Paintball Guns in Canada   -   Buy RAP4 Paintball Guns in the US