Type:Blowback BB Pistol. Manufacturer: Made and Distributed by ASG. Model:CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow. Materials: Mostly all Metal. Weight: 2.37 pounds (1076 grams). Barrel: 4.5 inches (114mm) metal non-rifled. Total Length: 8.26 inch (210mm). Propulsion: 1 x Co2. Action: Semi auto blowback, single & double action trigger. Ammunition Type: 4.5mm steel BB's. Ammunition Capacity: 17 round drop out full size metal magazine. FPS: Claimed 312.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the ASG CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow Blowback CO2 BB Pistol is both single and double action, by either pulling the slide or hammer back you engage the single action trigger which is nice and short and light with a medium take-up. You will need to pull the slide back to load a BB into the breach area for your first shot or you will simply be shooting CO2 on that first shot. If you drop the hammer down once a BB is in the breach, you can shoot in double action which is much heavier but it is fairly smooth without any noticeable sticking points.
Accuracy: I have not shot the ASG CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow Blowback CO2 BB Pistol or made my Field Test Shooting Video for it, that will happen next week. So for now I can not comment on the true velocity or accuracy of this product. It is very well made so I expect it to perform like most Full Blowback CO2 BB pistols which means it should shoot around a 1-2 inch 10 shot grouping at 30 feet away, and I expect it to achieve a velocity close to the manufacturers claimed fps, so around 300 fps or just above. We will find out for sure next week!
Build Quality: TheASG CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow Blowback CO2 BB Pistol is distributed by ASG but I am not 100% sure who makes it for them. I feel it could be either KJWorks or KWA. In either case both companies make very high quality Airguns and that is present with the ASG CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow Blowback CO2 BB Pistol. Fit and finish are excellent and the entire gun is virtually all metal. It weighs in at almost 2.5 ponds and has a very solid feel to it.
Realism: The ASG CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow Blowback CO2 BB Pistol is a 1 to 1 copy of the real steel CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow and side by side it would be very hard to tell them apart. It features full blowback operation and can by fully field stripped. All the mechanical parts work like the real steel version adding to the realism of shooting this CO2 Blowback BB Pistol. Again it is almost all metal which not only helps it look the part, but also feel the part. It is a very realistic replica and to make it even more believable, ASG has provide the CZ licensing to add all the correct markings to this product.
Pros:
Single and double action trigger with a nice light short single action trigger.
Fit and finish is excellent, very little slide wiggle, all metal build.
This pistol is pretty heavy at just under 2.5 pounds!
Extremely close replica of the real steel CZ SP-01 Shadow in both looks and function.
Well priced for a quality Airgun.
Fiber optic front sight helps with quick target acquisition.
I like the stainless barrel, it won’t be as prone to scratches and wear marks.
Deep recessed barrel for added realism.
Full size 17 round metal magazine holds the CO2 and BB’s and adds additional weight.
Rail for adding accessories like a laser or tac light.
Most mechanical parts work just like the steel version and can be easily field stripped to access the hop-up.
Heavy slide spring with fast blowback action, great for action shooting.
Licensing all over this gun, true to the real steel version.
Cons:
Rear sight is not adjustable.
FPS is perhaps a bit low at 312?
May be a bit heavy for some people.
Comments:
I am pretty sure that the ASG CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow Blowback CO2 BB Pistol started out life as a 6mm Airsoft Pistol, and then this version was simply converted over to shoot 4.5mm Steel BB’s by more than likely swapping out the barrel, perhaps changing the nozzle and modifying the magazine to allow for 4.5mm BB’s over the 6mm Airsoft BB’s. And that is OK with me as I really like how Full Blowback Airsoft Pistols recreate that realistic shooting experience. The downside to all of this is a bit of a perforce hit since Full Blowback Airsoft Pistols use up a lot of CO2 to create that full heavy blowback experience. You also lose some power along the way. I am fine with that but some people may not be. Overall I really like the ASG CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow Blowback CO2 BB Pistol. It is high quality and looks awesome. Now I just need to find out how it shoots :)
In this Field Test Indoor Shooting Video I take the Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol through its paces to see what the actual velocity is and what kind accuracy I can get shooting at a paper target 30 feet away. For this Video Review I use a brand new CO2 along with .43 caliber rubber balls. I have already made a Table Top Video for the Umarex T4E HK VP9 so check that out if you’re interested in specifications and details along with more closeup video of this Paintball Pistol. And for fun I also made an interesting outside shooting video using actual Paintballs that highlights the Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol.
So let’s get right to the results! For my Chronograph test, being indoors the temperature was about room temperature, maybe a bit lower at around 19-20 Degrees Celsius or 66-68 Degrees Fahrenheit. This can affect velocity as CO2 performs bettering in warmer conditions. My fastest Chronograph result was 283 fps while my slowest result was 268 fps averaging 277 fps so not bad as I was expecting just under 300 fps based on past experiences using similar Umarex T4E Blowback CO2 Paintball Pistols.
Next up in the Field Test was the accuracy portion, I often shoot 10 rounds in to my paper targets setup 30 feet down range, but since the Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol magazine only holds 8 rounds I went with 8 rounds this time. I was also using a semi-rested shooting position with my hands resting on a sandbag up front and sitting on a stool in the back. I did get one Paintball that was a bit low but the other 7 all fell into a rather nice 4 inch grouping fairly well centered on the target just a bit to the right. 3 Paintballs even hit the bullseye which is pretty good for a Blowback Paintball Pistol in my books.
All in all the Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol performed a lot like the other Umarex T4E CO2 Blowback .43 Caliber Paintball Pistols in their lineup, maybe perhaps this time around for me at least with a little bit more accuracy than past Field Tests. I had no problems with the Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol shooting in my outside fun video and in this Indoor Field Test Video, the Umarex T4E HK VP9 has a decent DOA trigger that is fairly responsive and the blowback action has more recoil and snap than I was expecting. I would put the Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol right in line with the other Umarex T4E CO2 Blowback .43 Caliber Paintball Pistols for sure, maybe even just a bit better in terms of my results on this day.
Summer will be over before we know it, so why not get out and shoot some Paintball Pistols on a bunch of random targets in the yard before fall kicks in! I rarely get to use actual Paintballs in my Paintball Guns as I mainly test indoors and so I pretty much have to use Rubber Balls or have to deal with a bunch of clean up afterwards.
So today I grabbed my two newest Umarex T4E Paintball Pistols, the Umarex T4E TR68 and Umarex T4E HK VP9. I of course I loaded them up with their appropriate ammo .68 and .43 caliber Paintballs, and headed outside.
Figuring out how to make the video interesting and get lots of different camera angles can be fun, so I decided to grab my Hover Camera X1 which I think from now on is going to be my new “Camera Man” when I need a camera recoding me as I move around. I also placed my Insta 360 One R and my iVUE Vista Camera glasses in the mix. All being audio recorded with my Comica Vimo C Wireless Lapel Mic so you can actually hear everything clearly.
Seems like a lot of production using all of these recording devices and then having to line up, cut and mix everything together in post. Well you guys are worth it and I’m a bit of a tech junky so it was all kind of fun for me too.
Type: Paintball Gun. Manufacturer:Umarex - T4E. Model:T4E HK VP9 Materials: Metal & Polymer. Weight: 790 grams (1.7 pounds). Barrel: Smooth bore. Power Source: 1x12 gram CO2. Action: DAO Semi-Automatic with blowback action. Ammo Type: .43 Caliber Paintball / Rubber Ball / Pepper Ball. Ammo Capacity: 8 Rounds. FPS: 300.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol feels a lot like a double action trigger mainly because when you pull the trigger, the inner barrel travels backwards into the magazine placing a paintball round in the barrel which seals the barrel with the magazine so less CO2 is wasted. This does make the trigger a little bit longer and heavier than a single action trigger because of the added friction. The internal hammer/striker is engaged from the blowback action which does help lesson the overall triggers pull weight.
Accuracy: So far I have not had the opportunity to test the Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol, so stay posted for my upcoming Field Test Shooting Video where I will see what kind of velocity and accuracy we can expect from the Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol. For now you can watch my Field Test Shooting Video for the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol as it is very similar in design and should for the most part perform in a similar manner.
Build Quality: The build quality of the Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is good overal, you will find metal parts are where you would expect them to be, in the slide, slide catch, barrel, magazine and most internal parts giving the Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol a decent overall weight of almost 2 pounds with the magazine in which makes the Paintball version feel comparable to a real steel HK VP9 (710 grams - 25 ounces). The T4E HK VP9 does have a polymer frame but again this is normal with todays modern guns and helps keep the weight down. Fit and finish is also very good!
Realism: The Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is a fully licensed replica of the real steel HK VP9 via its Umarex Licensing. The Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is made specifically as a training tool for owners of similar real steel HK Handguns so for that reason it is made to replicate its powder burning counterpart very closely. You will find that the slide cycle distance is a bit shorter than it would be meaning that when the side catch is engaged the slide does not go as far back in the 9mm version. Field stripping the Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol will requires some tools and pin removal.
Pros:
Accurate 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 weight to the gun.
Good for real steel H&K VP9 owners looking for a similar training weapon.
Everything works pretty much like the real gun so again great as a training tool.
Easy to see white dot sights front and back.
Working trigger safety
Fit and finish is very good.
Magazine spring release pops the magazine out just enough to grab it but not drop it on the floor.
.43 caliber barrel opening, adds to realism.
Warning instructions are a lot more discrete under the trigger guard and not super white in color.
Comes with additional grip parts to customize to various hand sizes.
Cons:
Magazine only holds 8 rounds, so you are going to need extra magazines for sure.
Blowback action is not full blowback, more like a typical half blowback BB gun.
Sights are non adjustable.
Comments:
The Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is mechanically very close to the Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol and the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol in how it functions as a Paintball Pistol so I expect all of them to shoot very similarly and that’s not a bad thing since previous versions I have tested so far have performed rather well for me in the Replica Airguns Sea Can Indoor Shooting Range. If you are an HK fan then the Umarex T4E HK VP9 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is about as close as you are going to get in a Replica Paintball Pistol. Owning the paintball version will allow for a lot more opportunities to get some trigger time in and hone your shooting skill with a very similar gun to the one you my own, and at a fraction off the cot to 9mm ammo.
In this Replica Airguns Unboxing Video I take a look at 6 Airguns consisting of 2 Paintball Pistols, 3 Airsoft Rifles and one Pellet Rifle. This is not a full review in any way but is rather a preview of what i will be doing full Reviews for over the next several weeks.
This is not exclusive to Airguns since trends of Airguns are highly influenced by what type of Real Steel Pistols are popular to people. This is often based on what people see portrayed in movies and TV Series, and also promoted online. There is for sure an overlap in what is popular and it is hard to say what is influencing what? Is it the popularity of Pistols out in the real world that influences what we see being used in the movies and on TV? Or is it what we see in Movies and TV that influences our choices of pistols out in the real world? Perhaps it is a combination of both?
My list is based on my own personal experience and does not represent the entirety of types of Pistol designs available.
Airguns are generally cheaper to buy and for sure cheaper to shoot. Airguns can cost as little as $50-100 to buy while real guns in similar models will cost many time more. Cost of ammo is so much less expensive than Real Gun ammo by a mile!
Difficulty to Obtain:
Airguns in most countries do not require any licensing or registration. Generally there are more available options in Airgun choices than Real Gun choices as restrictions often prohibit many Real Guns to be obtained.
Places to Shoot:
Unless you live in a super remote locations and your laws allow you to shoot Real Guns in those locations, then in most cases you can shoot an Airgun almost anywhere within reason. You can even shoot certain Airgun models in your basement. Airsoft is a great option for indoor shooting as the plastic ammo does not carry very much energy so with minimal effort you can make a backstop that will trap the ammo very well.
Trigger Time:
Because ammo is much less expensive and places you can shoot are easier to find, you can get a lot more Trigger Time under your belt which will also improve your shotgun with Real Guns and after all it’s just fun to shoot guns even if they are Airguns.
Safety:
I am not talking about safety in terms of protection. I am talking about safety as in if you do something stupid and your Gun goes off accidentally. If you accidentally fire your Airgun indoors, the bullet will not travel through floors or walls and potentially harm or kill someone on the other side. If you do manage to shoot yourself with an Airgun, the consequence are much less severe than shooting yourself with a Real Gun. That said, always treat an Airgun as if it was a Real Loaded Gun, as server injury and even death can occur even with an Airgun.
Ware Games and Training Situations:
There is no way you can use a standard Real Gun to shoot at people, unless extensively altered with special parts that make the Real Gun unusable to shoot live ammo. With Airguns you have the choice of using an Airsoft or Paintball gun that are both designed specifically for this purpose.
Pest Control:
If you have the need for pest control in an urban area where you do not want a stray bullet to travel too far or penetrate buildings if a shot where to go awry, then an Airgun designed for accuracy and power may be perfect for the job. Accuracy with target and hunting Airguns is on par if not better than many Real Guns and are have powerful enough to kill a pest humanely without having too much power for the job and having to worry as much about your background.
Prop Guns:
As mentioned already, Airguns can look a lot like Real Guns, so they are perfect to be used as a stand-in or Prop Gun when you need to simulate the look and function of a Real Gun. Again they are easier and cheaper to obtain and if something does go wrong, the consequences are much less severe.
Social Stigma:
Unfortunately Real Guns and perhaps any gun these days are looked upon with a social stigma as being the cause of the Crime rather than a tool used in a Crime. And so people blame Guns for these crimes rather than the people committing these crimes. If a person is motivated enough to do something bad, they are going to do it either way and will use whatever means is available to them to commit these Crimes. Including other means like: Knives, Blunt Objects, Poisons, Vehicles, Explosives… Sad but true! Airguns are not used in homicides or mass shootings as they are completely underpowered for a crime like this. They can however be used in crimes as a show of threat, as they do look a lot like real guns, generally people that use Airguns for real crimes, if challenged will give up immediately as they are completely outgunned. Don’t bring an Airgun to a Real Gun fight, you have better chance with a knife!
In this Comparison Video I show several models of Glock Replica Airguns distributed under the Umarex/Glock license. Umarex has brought to market several Glock Replica Airguns to date including BB, Pellet, Airsoft and even Paintball versions in a variety of models. I showcase only a few of these models in this video but it is a good selection to give most people an idea of what is available from our Replica Airguns website in terms of Glock Pistols.
In this Field Test Shooting Video I test out the Umarex T4E Glock 17 Gen5 CO2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol in the Indoor Replica Airguns Sea Can Shooting Range to find out what the real world velocity and accuracy is for it. I start off by putting 5 rounds through my Chronograph and average the fps, I then I setup a fresh paper target 30 feet down range and put (max amount in the magazine) 8 Paintball rounds into it to see how close of a grouping I can get. If you want more details and specifications on the Umarex T4E Glock 17 Gen5 CO2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol then checkout my Table Top Video for that information.
Starting with the Chronograph velocity test Umarex says you can expect around 350 - 400 fps which seems rather high to me based on my other Field Tests with similar .43 caliber Paintball Pistols. Perhaps this is using actual Paintballs whereas I was using rubber balls for my testing to reduce the mess in the Sea Can. I was able to average 300 fps using a brand new CO2 in what I would consider to be about a room temperature conditions which means in warmer situations I am sure we can get even higher than the 300 fps I hit on this day.
For the next portion of the Indoor Field Test I loaded 8 rounds into the Umarex T4E Glock 17 Gen5 CO2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol and carefully placed them into a paper target 30 feet down range. I was using my standard seated position in the back with my hands resting on a sand bag up front which I have found to be fairly stable but there will still be some human factor which can effect overall accuracy. My results where about what I was expecting with a Paintball Pistol shooting Rubber Balls, generally they will spread out a bit at 30 feet and in this Field Test my 8 shot group spread out to about 8 inches or so. They did seem to be well centered on the target as a group and if I was shooting at a human sized torso at that distance I would have hit it every time.
The Umarex T4E Glock 17 Gen5 CO2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is another nice addition to the Umarex / T4E lineup up .43 Caliber Replica Paintball Pistols and if you are a Glock owner and want a Paintball Pistol to train with, then the Umarex T4E Glock 17 Gen5 CO2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is about as good as you can get, the only other option would be to go with an Umarex Glock Airsoft or BB Pistol but at least we now have a bunch of options depending on your specific needs!
Type:Paintball Gun. Manufacturer:Umarex - T4E. Model:Glock 17 Gen5 Materials: Metal & Polymer. Weight: 726 grams (1.6 pounds). Barrel: Smooth bore. Power Source: 1x12 gram CO2. Action: Semi-Automatic with blowback action. Ammo Type: .43 Caliber Paintball or Rubber Ball. Ammo Capacity: 8 Rounds. FPS: 350-400.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on Umarex T4E Glock 17 Gen5 CO2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol feels a lot like a double action trigger mainly because when you pull the trigger the inner barrel travels backwards into the magazine placing a paintball round in the barrel which seals the barrel with the magazine so less CO2 is wasted. This does make the trigger a little bit longer and heavier than a single action trigger. The internal hammer/striker is engaged from the blowback action reducing the friction on the trigger. In terms of it being similar to a Glock trigger pull it will be a bit heavier and longer but not bad overall.
Accuracy: So far I have not had the opportunity to test the Umarex T4E Glock 17 Gen5 CO2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol out so stay posted for my future Field Test Shooting Video where I will see what kind of velocity and accuracy we can expect from it. For now you can watch my Field Test Shooting Video for the Umarex T4E Walther PPQ M2 .43 Caliber Paintball Pistol as it is very similar in design and should for the most part perform about the same.
Build Quality: The build quality of the Umarex T4E Glock 17 Gen5 CO2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is really very good, metal parts are where you would expect them, the slide, slide catch, barrel, magazine and most internal parts giving the Umarex T4E Glock 17 Gen5 CO2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol a solid 1.6 pound overall weight with the magazine in. The fit and finish is also very good with virtually no slide wiggle to be found.
Realism: The Umarex T4E Glock 17 Gen5 CO2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is a licensed Glock Replica via Umarex which owns the licensing so you will find Glock licensing and branding throughout this Paintball Pistol. Just looking at the Umarex T4E Glock 17 Gen5 CO2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol you would find it hard to tell the difference between it and the real steel Glock 17 Gen5 but there are some notable differences as in the length of the slide travel which is about half of what you would expect from a real Glock. This is to account for the obvious internal differences to allow for CO2 and paintballs to be used. Overall the Umarex T4E Glock 17 Gen5 CO2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol would make a great training pistol if you are a Glock owner and want to use the closest gun to it.
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 weight to the gun.
Good for Glock shooters looking for a training weapon.
Everything works pretty much like the real gun so again great as a training tool.
Easy to see white dot sights front and back.
Working trigger safety.
Fit and finish is excellent.
Magazine spring release really shoots the magazine out so be warned!
.43 caliber barrel opening, adds to realism.
Fully Glock licensed via Umarex.
Comes in a ice hard shell case.
Cons:
Trigger is a bit heavy, not as light as a real Glock, more of a double action trigger in function.
Magazine only holds 8 rounds, so you are going to need extra magazines for sure.
Blowback action is not full blowback, more like a typical half blowback BB gun.
Comments:
The Umarex T4E Glock 17 Gen5 CO2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is another great addition to the Replica Paintball Pistol options out there and if you are a Glock owner looking for a training gun you can use for some additional trigger time outside of a gun range or want to perform realistic training exercises with live players then the Umarex T4E Glock 17 Gen5 CO2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol will fill this need. I am looking forward to testing it out when I make My Field Test Shooting Video as Umarex claims it to have significantly higher fps (350-400) then some of the other replica T4E Paintball guns I have reviewed so far. I guess we will see soon!
In this Update Preview Unboxing Video I take a look at 4 newer products that just came across my table and are in our Replica Airguns Online Stores. One is a CO2 Blowback BB Pistol, one is a CO2 .43 Caliber Paintball Pistol and two are GBB Airsoft Pistols, so a rather nice selection for us to take a look at here! I will be following up this Update Preview Unboxing Video with proper Table Top and Field Test Shooting Video to find out all the details and how well they perform.
This was an unusual Field Test Review for me to do as I really don’t test out Bows or Crossbows all that much and I don’t have the best backstop setup for doing such reviews. So I spent some time making a backstop that was capable of stopping these just over 6 inch almost 10 gram or 150 grain bolts. It required some layers of foam and cardboard along with a blanket behind just in case, and even with this setup the bolts managed to lodge themselves right up to the Fletching (feather part of the arrow). Also make sure to watch my Table Top Video Review for the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow to see it up nice and close and get all the specifications and features.
I kind of wanted to change up this review just a bit and so I recorded my Chronograph Velocity at the same time as I did my Target or Accuracy Test to simplify things. I used 5 bolts in all and got what I felt was a good result using the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow.
In terns of velocity Bear X claims that the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow will shoot around 175 fps. I was able to get consistent 190+ fps readings using the 147 grain 6.5 inch aluminum bolts with my lowest fps being 192 and the highest being 194 so super consistent. This gave an overall Foot Pound energy of 12.4 foot pounds! This is enough for small pests for sure, it really comes down to accuracy at this point as you will want to get either a head or shoulder area shot for a humane kill.
I did do a pre test to make sure I was on target and duding this test I was able to get about a 5 inch 5 shot grouping. During my recored Accuracy Test this did open up a bit as one arrow went high and to the right so if I leave that arrow out of the test I did manage to get another 5 inch grouping with three of the arrows all within 1.5 inches of each otter. I figure with high quality arrows and some practice time using the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow, you should be able to use it for small pest control at least at closer in ranges.
All in all the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow surprised me with how powerful it really was and with the accuracy using standard default bolts. This is for sure not a toy and you would never want to accidentally shoot this at someone as it could cause a very serious injury or even death and I mean that since these arrow would for sure pierce several inches into the body. So if you’re looking for something with a bit more raw power than your standard non-regulated Airgun, then check out the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow over in both our Canada and US Online Replica Airguns Stores.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow is medium to heavy, it is a single action only trigger as you need ot cock the bow in order for the trigger to be engaged. The safety is also engaged when you cock the bow requiring you to take the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow off safe before shooting as an added layer of safety.
Accuracy: I have not made my Field Test Shooting Video for the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow and so I have not sea what to expect for it. I have watched a few videos of other people reviewing it and it looks to perform fairly well but until I get a few bolts in a target downrange I can not say for certain the accuracy of the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow. I will have to figure out some sort of a usable back stop in order to make this Field Test Shooting Video but have some ideas already on material to use as my back stop. FPS is claimed ot be around 175 and I will be doing my best to Chronograph the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow so we can confirm that rating for ourselves…
Build Quality: The Bear X Desire XL Crossbow is actually made pretty decently, yes it is mostly plastic and light weight but feels sturdy enough to hold, the only real metal I can confirm is the cocking rail, mostly everything else other than the nuts and bolts that hold it together are some sort of plastic, the bow itself may be a composite material but I am not sure what exactly it is?
Realism: The Bear X Desire XL Crossbow is not a Replica as is what I usually review here on the channel. But I think their is a crossover in terms of interest for a product like this with people that are also interested in airguns. I know I like the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow and can see a place for it in my collection even if it’s not a replica product.
Pros:
Fairly inexpensive.
Super light weight.
Can shoot in a variety of situations.
Easy to draw the bow.
Safety is automatically engaged.
Picatinny rail already has iron fully adjustable rear sight but can mount a red dot if you like.
Fiber optic front sight.
3 bolts included.
175 fps (not sure of the ft/lbs)?
Comes with fore grip.
3 portion adjustable rear but stock.
Cons:
Will need a good backstop or will lose or damage a lots of bolts.
Takes a little bit of time to set it up but not too hard if you follow the instructions.
Comments:
The Bear X Desire XL Crossbow is an interesting product that once purchased and if you manage to not lose the bolts will cost virtually nothing to shoot since you can reuse the bolts all day long given you shoot them on target and that target does not damage the bolts. It may not offer the rapid fire action shooting of a replica semi auto CO2 Pistol but still challenges the shooter in terms of getting the best possible accuracy out of it and at the end of the day trigger time is trigger time! If you are looking for something a bit different than your CO2 Air Gun then maybe the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow will fill that requirement.
In this Preview Unboxing Vimeo Video I take a look at five very different products! A Spring Piston .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol, an Airsoft GBB Pistol, a Compact Crossbow, a full auto CO2 Blowback BB Pistol and a PPC .22 Caliber Pellet Rifle.
First up is the Umarex Ruger Mark IV Spring Piston Pellet Pistol which is a single shot replica pellet pistol that shoots .177 caliber pellets at up to 320 fps using a spring piston break barrel system. The Umarex Ruger Mark IV Spring Piston Pellet Pistol is a target plinker with fully adjustable fiber optic sights and should be a lot of fun to shoot!
Next I take a look at a Gas Blowback Airsoft Pistol from Action Army that closely resembles the Ruger Mark IV pistol with perhaps a more compact look. The Action Army AAP-01 GBB Airsoft Pistol is full blowback a full size drop out magazine and fiber optic sights. It also come with a threaded barrel and barrel extension for adding a longer barrel and much suppressor.
Next on my list of new items is the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow which is a 2.2 pound compact bolt shooting crossbow that sports a rail system with included adjustable iron sights that also allow for a red dot if you want to really customize it. The Bear X Desire XL Crossbow has a 60 pound draw and shoots arrows/bolts at up to 175 fps.
Another AR BB Rifle/Pistol from Crosman is the Crosman A4-P Full Auto CO2 BB Pistol which is essentially a pistol version of the AR Platform. If you like the Crosman DPMS SBR, R1, PDW then you will probably also like the Crosman AP-4. Like the others it uses dual CO2’s and shoots 4.5mm Steel BB;s in semi or full auto at 1400 rounds per minute until the 25 round magazine is empty.
Last included in this preview video is the Air Venturi Avenger Regulated PCP Pellet Rifle. I’m a bit uncertain about this one as I am pretty sure it is the non detuned PAL version that requires a firearms license here in Canada as it shoots at full velocity (.22 caliber pellet at 950 fps). If that’s the case then it will not be available in our Canada Replica Airguns Store but may be available in the US Replica Airguns Store. If it is the detuned version or a detuned version becomes available in Canada then I imagine we will at some point have it in the Canada replica Airguns Store. That said the Air Venturi Avenger Regulated PCP Pellet Rifle uses compressed air and shoots either .177. .22 or .25 caliber pellets using a latch system and rotary magazine.
First, I put four 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 and smaller in diameter than paintballs so this could bring the FPS down a bit compared to the slightly lighter paintballs. Using a brand new CO2, the Umarex T4E TPM1 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol average 303 FPS which was higher than the claimed 290 FPS. Temperature inside my Indoor Sea Can Airgun Shooting Range was around 22 degrees Celsius or 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
Moving on to my accuracy testing as per my usual indoor field tests, I positioned myself 30 feet back from a fresh paper target and using a seated and rested shooting position I shot a full magazine (8 rounds) of rubber balls on target with the Umarex T4E TPM1 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol. As mentioned before I was expecting around a 6 inch grouping and got pretty close to it getting closer to an 8 inch 8 shot grouping. The rubber balls did center well on the target all placing uniformly arounds the bullseye. If I was aiming at a human sized torso, I would have hit it with every shot from 30 feet away so good enough for me.
As expected I was able to get very similar and decent results compared to the other Umarex .43 Caliber CO2 Blowback Paintball Pistols I have already reviewed. I did want to mention some of shooting qualities you will find with the Umarex T4E TPM1 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol. The trigger can feel a bit heavy especially using rubber balls as when you pull the trigger the inner barrel moves back and into the magazine going around the paintball and helping to seal off the CO2 from escaping. There is a bit of friction and I find the rubber paintballs seem to have more friction perhaps because the rubber grips more than the plastic surface on standard paintballs? This extra trigger friction or heaviness is really only noticeable when you are pulling the trigger slowly for accuracy testing but when shooting quickly as you would be more likely to do so in an actual training simulation, the trigger friction is all but forgotten about.
Type: Paintball Gun. Manufacturer:Umarex - T4E. Model:T4E TPM1 Materials: Metal & Polymer. Weight: 532 grams (1.2 pounds). Barrel: Smooth bore. Power Source: 1x12 gram CO2. Action: Semi-Automatic with blowback action. Ammo Type: .43 Caliber Paintball or Rubber Ball. Ammo Capacity: 8 Rounds. FPS: 290.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on Umarex T4E TPM1 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol feels a lot like a double action trigger mainly because when you pull the trigger the inner barrel travels backwards into the magazine placing a paintball round in the barrel which seals the barrel with the magazine so less CO2 is wasted. This does make the trigger a little bit longer and heavier than a single action trigger. I believe the internal hammer/striker is engaged from the blowback action.
Build Quality: The build quality of the Umarex T4E TPM1 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is really very good, metal parts are where you would expect them, the slide, slide catch, barrel, magazine and most internal parts giving the Umarex T4E TPM1 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol a decent overall weight with the magazine in which makes the Paintball version a little bit lighter than a real steel Glock 17 (624 grams - 22 ounces). The Umarex T4E TPM1 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol does have a polymer frame but again this is normal with todays modern guns and helps keep the weight down. Fit and finish is also very good!
Realism: The Umarex T4E TPM1 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is not an actual replica of the the Glock17 Pistol, it is Umarex’s version of the Glock, Umarex does now the Glock lisense but perhaps they where not able to find an actual Glock 17 Paintball gun they could bring to market. The T4E TPM1 is designed to hold and feel similar to a Glock and for most real steel Glock owners the Umarex T4E TPM1 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol would be close enough for training purposes. You will find that the slide cycle distance is a bit shorter than it would be meaning that when the side catch is engaged the slide does not go as far back as it the real 9mm Glock. Field stripping the Umarex T4E TPM1 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol will requires some tools and pin removal.
Full Metal slide that locks back on the last shot.
All metal heavy full size drop out magazine adds some additional weight to the gun.
Good for Glock shooters looking for a similar training weapon.
Everything works pretty much like the real gun so again great as a training tool.
Easy to see yellow dot sights front and back.
Working trigger safety.
Fit and finish is excellent.
Magazine spring release really shoots the magazine out.
43 caliber barrel opening, adds to realism.
Cons:
White warning lettering stands out a bit too m much on the slide.
Magazine only holds 8 rounds, so you are going to need extra magazines for sure.
Blowback action is not full blowback, more like a typical half blowback BB gun.
Comments:
TheUmarex T4E TPM1 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is mechanically very close to the Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol and the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol in how it functions as a Paintball Pistol so I expect all of them to shoot very similarly and that’s not a bad thing since previous versions I have tested so far have performed rather well for me in the Replica Airguns Sea Can Indoor Shooting Range. If you are a Glock fan than the Umarex T4E TPM1 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is about as close as you are going to get at least for now to a Glock Replica Paintball Pistol. As of right now being stuck at home, perhaps a Glock Paintball Trainer like the Umarex T4E TPM1 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol using .43 caliber rubber ammo may just allow you to get some indoor shooting practice to keep your shooting skills up.
This year at SHOT Show 2020 Mark from Umarex had a nice variety of new product to go over with us. Mark first went over the new CO2 Blowback Pellet firing Glock 17 which has a similar magazine and loading system as the Umarex SA10 Pellet Pistol.
We then took a look at another Glock replica, the Glock 18C Full Auto GBB Airsoft pistol with extended magazine, this one is sure to be a lot of fun with its selectable full auto feature and high capacity magazine. Perfect for hammering targets downrange or used as a very capable backup Airsoft pistol in the field.
Probably one of my favorites at the Umarex Booth this year was the Umarex Thompson M1A1 Legends Series CO2 Blowback Machine Gun. And yes it’s full auto capable along with blowback operation and a full size drop metal magazine that holds the CO2 and Steel BB’s. A nice addition to the Legends series of Pistols and Rifles.
Something really different this year for Umarex are the AirJavelin and AirSaber, two arrow firing rifles, the AirJavelin is CO2 powered and more tactical looking but still has more than enough power to shoot medium sized game, great for pest control while the bigger and (480 fps 178 foot pound) more powerful AirSaber is PCP powered and can be used for larger game like deer and wild bore. And it even looks like we will be selling these Arrow firing rifles in our Canada Replica Airguns Store with no PAL firearms license required!
We had a lot of great new Airguns that I reviewed this year at Replica Airguns. Some of them really stood out to me and so I made a video showing my Favorite Replica Airgun Picks of 2019. Of course there where many other Airguns that could has just as easily made this video but I had to draw the line somewhere and pick the ones that in my opinion where the best of 2019. Make sure to watch my Vimeo video where I go into some more details on why I liked each Airgun.
Below is a list of the top Replica Airgun Picks of 2019:
It’s always fun shooting a Paintball Gun like the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol for a change but in this case it’s not all that different then shooting one of my BB or Airsoft pistols, with the acceptation of the .43 caliber rubber balls. I went with rubber balls rather than Paintballs inside my Sea Can Indoor Airguns Shooting Range to keep things clean. Actual Paintballs may have performed a little different than the rubber balls but this gives us a good idea on what the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is capable of
First, I put five rounds through my Chrony Chronograph to see what the real world FPS would be, keep in mind I was using rubber balls rather than paintballs and the rubber balls are a little bit heavier than paintballs so this could bring the FPS down a bit compared to the slightly lighter paintballs. Using a brand new CO2, the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol average 315 FPS which was higher than the claimed 290 FPS! Temperature inside my Sea Can Airgun Shooting Range was around 24 degrees Celsius or 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Moving on to my accuracy testing, as per usual I positioned myself 30 feet back from my fresh paper target and using a seated and rested shooting position I shot a full magazine (8 rounds) of rubber balls on target with the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol. I was not expecting as tight groups as I would get using a BB or Airsoft pistol since Paintball guns are not known for super tight groups. I did manage to shoot around a 6 inch group with most of the shots staying within around 3 inches all pretty well centered. This is about what I was expecting as paintball guns are not meant for "target practicing", generally you are going to be shooting human sized objects and hoping to get some well placed center mass shots. 3-6 inch accuracy at 30 feet will get the job done for sure. I did find the trigger using rubber balls did have a bit more friction while the inner barrel seated itself into the magazine. When shooting quickly with the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol it is much less noticeable and overal the trigger is not bad.
I know some of you are going to ask about using the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol with rubber balls for non-lethal self defense and the reality is it will not stop a person who is determined on hurting you. There is simply not enough stoping power here. Will it a lot if you get shot up close with one of these Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistols especially directly on the skin ? For sure but a well timed punch has more chance of dropping someone than a .43 caliber rubber ball moving at around 300 FPS. You may scare someone off simply by brandishing it but you take the chance of the person calling your bluff. Perhaps 8 rubber balls to the face will change their mind but that's a chance you have to figure out if you want to take or not.
Type: Paintball Gun. Manufacturer:Umarex - T4E. Model:S&W M&P9 M2.0 Materials: Metal & Polymer. Weight: 763 grams (1.7 pounds). Barrel: Smooth bore. Power Source: 1x12 gram CO2. Action: Semi-Automatic with blowback action. Ammo Type: .43 Caliber Paintball or Rubber Ball. Ammo Capacity: 8 Rounds. FPS: 290.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol feels a lot like a double action trigger mainly because when you pull the trigger the inner barrel travels backwards into the magazine which seals off the barrel form the magazine so less CO2 is wasted going it not the magazine and also placing a paintball round in the barrel. This does make the trigger a little bit longer and heavier than a single action trigger. I believe the internal hammer/striker is engaged from the blowback action.
Build Quality: The build quality of the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is really very good, metal parts are where you would expect them, the slide, slide catch, barrel, magazine and most internal parts giving the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol a nice near 2 pounds (1.7 pounds) of weight with the magazine in which makes the Paintball version a little heavier than the real steal version (1.54 pounds) but once the real steal version is loaded with a full mag this may even out a bit. The Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol does have a polymer frame but again this is normal with todays modern guns and helps keep the weight down. Fit and finish is also very good!
Realism: The Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is a near perfect replica of the real steel S&W M&P9 M2.0 Pistol, from the fully licensed markings to the large .43 caliber diameter barrel. If you placed the Paintball version side by side with the real steel version I doubt you could tell them apart unless you start inspecting it really close up and working the action. You will find that the slide cycle distance is a bit shorter than it would be meaning that when the side catch is engaged the slide does not go as far back as it the real 9mm S&W M&P9 M2.0. Field stripping the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol will requires some tools and pin removal.
