Entries in Crossbow,How To

ASG CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow Blowback CO2 BB Pistol Table Top Review

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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: The ASG 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 :)

Categories: 4.5mm / .177 cal, BB, Blowback, CO2, Crossbow, Pistol, Review, Semi Auto, Vimeo Video Tags: ASG, CZ 75, CZ SP-01 Shadow, CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow

Airgun Magazine Types Explained - BB - Pellet - Airsoft

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There are many types of magazines used in Airguns and some of this is dependent on the ammunition used.

For instance a stacked type of magazine often used for Steel BB and Airsoft can not be used for Pellets as pellets tend to deform when stacked in such a way since there is no metal casting protecting them from mashing into each other.

So what type of magazines do we generally see in Airguns? The most common Airgun magazines are as follows:

Simple Stick Magazine

  • Mostly used with Steel BB but also found in some Airsoft Airguns.

  • Some Pellet Airguns use a type of stick magazine with a rotary magazine on each end.

  • Used in non-blowback and blowback Airguns.

  • Can be made from plastic or steel or a combination of both materials.

Full Size Drop Out Magazine

  • Used with Steel BB and Airsoft guns.

  • Generally you will find these types magazines hold both the BB’s and CO2.

  • Used in non-blowback and blowback Airguns.

  • Commonly used with Airsoft Rifles in mid to high capacity.

  • Can be made from plastic or steel or a combination of both materials.

Rotary magazine

  • Used with Steel BB, Airsoft and Pellet Airguns.

  • Used in non-blowback and blowback Airguns.

  • Can be made from plastic or steel.

  • Can often use mixed ammo types as in both 4.5mm Steel BB and .177 caliber pellet.

Belt Fed Magazine

  • Like rotary magazine belt fed magazine can accommodate Steel BB, Pellet and Airsoft but are most often used with Pellet Airguns.

  • Usually found in a full size magazine that also holds the CO2.

  • Used in non-blowback and blowback Airguns.

  • Can be made from plastic or steel or a combination of both materials.

Internal Magazine

  • Used with Steel BB, Airsoft.

  • Can have a hopper built in hat feeds a spring fed magazine.

  • Usually found in lesser expensive Airguns but not a rule.

In this Video I go through each type of Airgun Magazine and talk about their differences and uses.

Categories: 4.5mm / .177 cal, .22 cal, 6mm, AEG, Airsoft, BB, Blowback, CO2, Comparison, Bulk Air, Gas, GBB, How To, Pellet, Pistol, Review, Revolver, Rifle, Vimeo Video Tags:

Bear X Desire XL Crossbow Field Test Review

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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.

Categories: Arrow, Crossbow, Field Test, Non Airguns, Review, Slingshot, Vimeo Video Tags: Bear X, Desire XL

Bear X Desire XL Crossbow Table Top Review

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Type: Compact Crossbow.
Manufacturer: Bear X.
Model: Desire XL.
Materials: Metal & plastic.
Weight: 2.3 pounds (1 kilograms).
Length: 20-22 inches.
Propulsion: Bow.
Action: Single action trigger.
Ammunition Type: Aluminum bolts (Comes with 3).
Ammunition Capacity: 1.
FPS: 175fps.
Draw: 60 pounds

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.

Categories: Arrow, Crossbow, Non Airguns, Review, Single Shot, Vimeo Video Tags: Bear X, Bear River, Desire XL

Umarex Ruger Mark IV - Action Army AAP-01 - Bear Desire XL - Crosman A4-P - Air Venturi Avenger Preview

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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.

Categories: .22 cal, 6mm, 4.5mm / .177 cal, Airsoft, Arrow, BB, Blowback, Break Barrel, CO2, Bulk Air, Crossbow, Full Auto, GBB, Gas, Non Airguns, PCP, Pellet, Pistol, Review, Rifle, Semi Auto, Slingshot, Spring Piston, Vimeo Video Tags: Umarex, Crosman, Air Venturi, Action Army, Bear River, M4-P, A4-P, Desire XL, APP-01, Ruger Mark IV, Avenger

Umarex SHOT Show 2020 Las Vegas Interview

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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!

Categories: 4.5mm / .177 cal, 6mm, Airgun News, Airsoft, Airsoft News, BB, Blowback, Bulk Air, CO2, Crossbow, Full Auto, GBB, Gas, PCP, Pellet, Pistol, Replica Airguns News, Rifle, Semi Auto, Single Shot, YouTube Video Tags: Umarex, SHOT Show 2020, SHOT Show

The Best Way to Hold Your Airgun

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I made a similar video about how to hold your airgun a while back but sometimes they get a bit buried in all the video I make. I feel it's really important how you grip your gun even if it's only an airgun with very little kick or recoil. Proper pistol grip is something you should use no matter what so that you can carry it forward to what ever gun you are shooting.

More kick or recoil means a firmer grip is required to hold the gun so when shooting a powder burner with lots of kick grip becomes even more important.

In this video I go over the proper two handed grip to use when holding a pistol, which hand to hold lose and which had to grip tight, how to overlap your fingers and thumbs.

Categories: Airsoft, BB, Break Barrel, CO2, Blowback, How To, Non Airguns, Paintball, Pellet, Pistol, Real Gun, YouTube Video Tags:

Why is My CO2 Airgun Not Working?

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One of the most common types of question I get on my Replica Airguns YouTube channel has to be something like… Why is my Airgun not working? Most of the time the amount of info about the problem is limited to something like… “It was working yesterday but now it’s not working anymore” or something like “when I pull the trigger nothing happens”. My personal favorite is… “I took my gun apart and now it doesn’t work!”

I just made a similar video for Blank Guns and as I said in that video, trying to trouble shoot a mechanical or technical problem over the internet is very difficult, this goes for cars, guns, computers or what have you…

In this Why is My CO2 Airgun Not Working video I will however cover some of the more common and obvious problems I have seen relating to why a CO2 Airgun may not be working properly. I really don’t get a lot of questions about Spring Piston or Pump Airguns so I will be focusing on CO2 Airguns in this video. There will be a lot of crossover with CO2 Airsoft guns so this video may be helpful for some of you Airsofters out there

First let’s get the super obvious stuff out of the way! 

  • Did you put a new CO2 cartridge in it and is it pierced all the way?

  • Did you load BB’s or Pellets into the Airguns magazine and is the magazine in the gun correctly?

  • Is the safety off?

  • If the gun is a blowback semi auto single action Airgun then did you pull the slide back prior to the first shot?

CO2 Related Problems:

Not all CO2 cartridges are created equal, they often have slightly different shaped nubs on them and some brands will work better than others in different Airguns. If the shape of the CO2 nub does not fit properly into the valve area then it may not pierce or it could pierce but then not allow you to tighten it all the way losing all the CO2 in the process. If the CO2 is coming form the airguns handle to CO2 Valve area then this is an indication that your problem is related to the area where the CO2 enters the airgun.

There is a seal where the CO2 cartridge buts up to the valve, this seal can be damaged or even deformed from usage or even leaving your CO2 in the gun for too long. The outside CO2 Valve seal can also take the shape of a specific CO2 nub so when you use a different brand CO2 the seal may not properly make concat with the new CO2 type you are using, again causing leaking or even the total loss of all your CO2. Watch my YouTube video on “How to Fix Leaking CO2 in an Airgun”.

CO2 Valve Related Problems:

Again, make sure that Outside CO2 Valve Seal is in good condition and any leaking is not being caused by this problem, if you have checked the Out Side Seal and everything is OK with it then perhaps there is a problem with the CO2 valve?

One indication that your CO2 Valve might be the culprit is the total loss of all your CO2 when you try to insert and tighten a new CO2 Cartridge. Usually all the CO2 will exit the barrel, not the handle or valve area. What may be happening is the valve is stuck open or the internal seal is broken or deformed. If this is the case you will have to remove the valve and have a look inside, this is a lot easier on CO2 airguns that have the CO2 valve in the magazine, if the CO2 valve is in the actual Airguns then a lot more disassembly may be required and I would recommend an Airgun technician take care of this for you.

If the gavel is in the magazine then you will have to unscrew it, you may require a special tool for this? Once the valve is out of the magazine  take a look inside and examine the internal seal, also look for any bits of metal shavings as they can disrupt the action of the valve causing leaking. Give the inside of the valve a good clean and then lubricate it with some silence spray. hopefully that fixes your problem!

BB’s getting Stuck in the Blowback Gas Tube:

I have actually made a dedicated video for this problem so I will put a link to it in the description of this video. The main reason people may have this problem is because we all like to rack that slide on our full blowback Airguns, but if you have a fully loaded magazine then each time you reach that slide without shooting the gun, you are inadvertently trying to load another BB into the breach area, the breach is only designed to hold one BB at a time so after a few racks of the slide the newly loaded have no place to go but into the Gas Tube where they can get stuck and cause having to the operation of your Full Blowback CO2 Airgun.

BB’s Rolling Out of the Barrel of Your CO2 Airgun:

This is not actually a fault of the gun but happens because of the way the gun is designed. This situation can happen with certain CO2 Airguns when the gun user pulls the trigger really slowly while the gun is point slightly in a downward position. What is actually happening is the first part of the trigger is made to draw a BB from the magazine into the breach of the gun. If the barrel of the gun does not have a rubber hop-up stopper in it then the BB is free to roll down the barrel and out of the gun. How do you fix this problem? Be more committed to your trigger pull and or shoot at a target that is not so low. Perhaps place your targets slightly higher than the gun so the barrel is not pointing down, especially if you like to take your time with the trigger :)

A Little Maintenance Can Go a Long Way!

Sometimes a good cleans is all you need to do to get things working as they should, again I have already made video Tutorial Showing “How to Clean Airguns and Blank Guns”.

What about stuff like My Airgun is jammed or my trigger is stuck or some random part fell out of my gun?

There is only so much I can cover in this video, most other problems are going to get a bit more complicated to fix and I suggest if your Airgun is not working and the suggestions I have made in this video do not solve your problem, then consider taking your gun into a gun tech.

Categories: 4.5mm / .177 cal, 6mm, Airsoft, BB, Blowback, CO2, GBB, How To, Pellet, Pistol, Review, Semi Auto, YouTube Video Tags:

Why is My Blank Gun Not Working?

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First off I want to say it’s hard to trouble shoot technical or mechanical problems over the internet regardless of if ithas to do with guns, cars, computers or pretty much anything where unless you are there in person it’s really hard to figure out the problem.

But I will attempt to address some of the more common issues why a blank gun may not be functioning properly.

Why is my Semi Auto Blank Gun Not Cycling or Ejecting Shells?

One very common reason a blank gun may not be cycling the shells properly is because the owner has removed the barrel restrictor plug. People usually do this to make the barrel opening look more realistic but the barrel restrictor is a necessary component to increase the back pressure allowing the slide to cycle fully to the rear position so it can eject and pickup a new shell.

The blanks you are using may not have enough gun powder in them. Some blank guns require banks with more gun powder than others, again this additional internal pressure forces the slide all the way back, if the blank does not have enough gun powder in it then only a partial slide motion happens and so the discharged shell may not eject properly, in this case the user would have to clear the blank gun manually so another shell can then be picked up and loaded into the breach.

If your blank guns is dirty or not lubricated then it may act sluggish again restricting the full movement of the slide which will effect correct operation. Make sure to thoroughly clean and lubricate your blank gun, that may be a quick fix for you!

You may have a faulty extractor? The extractor is like a hook that grabs the discharged shell while the slide is in the reward position pulling or extracting the shell out of the breach. If the extractor is worn or broken then the empty shell will not be ejected from the breach so when a new shell is picked up from the magazine it has nowhere to go and usually you will get a jam-up in the ejection port area.

One final situation that can cause your blank gun to not cycle properly is to strong of a slide spring, some blank guns out of the box just come with a really heavy slide spring, so much so that even blanks with lots of gunpowder in them are still not strong enough to make the slide operate full motion. Your only option here would be to replace the heavy slide spring with a lighter one.

Why Are My Blanks Not Firing?

This is a situation where you pull the trigger and nothing happens. Lets get the obvious causes right out of the way here… Did you put blanks in your gun and are they new blanks? Did you chamber the first round in your semi auto pistol?

So now that that’s out of the way let’s look at some other reasons why your blank gun may not be firing a blank. Perhaps the firing pin is broken? Most blank guns are not made out of carbon steel and even the firing pins can be lesser quality than what you would find in a real gun so blank guns are more prone to breaking than real guns. I have seen broken firing pins in blank guns first hand so make sure to check the firing pin and that it is fully operational.

Try changing up your blanks to another brand? Again blank gun ammunition is not made to the same higher standards that real firearm ammo is made and some primers may require a little more pressure than your gun is providing. Even with real guns an ammo change may help the gun operate better.

Why is the Trigger or Hammer Not Operating Properly?

I have come across blank guns where there are mechanical problems in the trigger and hammer areas, you may be able to address this yourself but I would recommend taking your blank gun to a gunsmith since you will have to take the gun pretty much full apart to fix a problem in the trigger and hammer areas.

Of course make sure your gun is clean and lubricated, this can help a lot with the mechanical areas of your blank gun.

One problem I saw with a few EKOL Special 99’s was specifically with the single action potion of the trigger, when I would pull the hammer back it would not lock back and the hammer would often slip and fire randomly, this is rather dangerous. When I took the gun apart I found that the table top or step that the trigger was supposed to catch on was worn down on the edge so it would simply slip off. I was able to fix this by filing a new edge on the step area. Again this can happen because blank guns are not made out of as high quality metal materials as real guns.

Why does the Flame Come out the Top of My Blank Gun and Not the Front?

If you find that the flame or discharge comes out of the top of your blank gun and not the barrel, this usually does not mean anything is wrong with your blank gun. All it means is you own a top venting blank gun and not a front firing blank gun. In some countries front firing blank guns are not allowed but front venting blank guns are. The same may also be reversed in some countries, for instance here in Canada we can only import front firing blank guns with flare adaptors since our blank guns are imported under the assumption that they are to be used as signaling or flare devices.

Can I Convert my Top Venting Blank Gun into a Front Venting Blank Gun?

I really don't recommend altering a blank gun in any way as it may be a violation of your local laws and it could cause the blank gun to malfunction in a very bad way causing serious injury or even death!

In theory I suppose it may be possible to convert your Top Venting Blank Gun into a Front Venting Blank Gun but again you would need to allow for just the right amount of back pressure so a wide open barrel would not work unless it was a revolver. You can not simply remove the red plug and bingo you have a front firing blank gun because in most cases the barrel will be completely plugged in the frontal region. Not only would you need to drill out the plugged portion of the barrel but you would also have to somehow fill in the top venting area and again makes sure to allow for just enough back pressure to cycle the slide back and forth.

Hopefully this has helped some of you with blank gun issues. If you’re looking for a blank gun make sure to come down to www.ReplicaAirguns.ca and www.ReplicaAirguns.us and have a look in our blank gun area of our online stores.

Categories: .22 cal, 380, 6mm, 8mm, 9mm, Blank Gun, How To, Pistol, Review, Revolver, Semi Auto, YouTube Video Tags:

Gletcher NGT NGT-R CO2 BB and Pellet Revolver Follow-up

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I already made several review videos for both Gletcher NGT (4.5mm Steel BB) and the Gletcher NGT R (.177 Cal Pellet) Revolvers, including table top and shooting videos. So make sure to check those videos out for more information on both versions of Gletcher NGT and NGT R Revolvers.

I did however miss some noteworthy details that I wanted to cover in this video. Firstly, the real steal Nagant M1895 Revolver this Gletcher NGT is styled after has a very unique gas-sealing system that the Airgun version does not replicate or really require but it is worth mentioning.

Here is some more info on how the original Nagant M1895 Revolver Gas Seal System works:

(From Wikipedia) The M1895 by contrast, has a mechanism which, as the hammer is cocked, first turns the cylinder and then moves it forward, closing the gap between the cylinder and the barrel. The cartridge, also unique, plays an important part in sealing the gun to the escape of propellant gases. The bullet is deeply seated, entirely within the cartridge case, and the case is slightly reduced in diameter at its mouth. The barrel features a short conical section at its rear; this accepts the mouth of the cartridge, completing the gas seal. By sealing the gap, the velocity of the bullet is increased by 15 to 45 m/s (50 to 150 ft/s.) This feature also eliminates the possibility of injury through the dangerous expansion of gases from the cylinder behind the barrel, which are easily capable of severing a finger if the user holds the gun incorrectly (with a finger positioned in front of the cylinder during fire) - a noted safety-issue in conventional revolvers.

Moving on to some of the features incorporated into the Gletcher NGT NGT-R CO2 BB and Pellet Revolver that I did not point in any of my previous videos. There is an extractor rod that can be used to extract a shell, this is not really necessary on the airgun version since the shells do not expand and tighten on the cylinder as they would n the real steal Nagant M1895 Revolver built is nice that we can replicate this feature with the Airgun version. You can also remove the cylinder completely from both the BB and Pellet shooting Gletcher NGT NGT-R CO2 Revolvers. The cylinder is actually very heavy and adds a lot of weight to this compact 7 shot Revolver.

It is always nice when an Airgun is built in such a way that it replicates the real steal version as closely as possible and the Gletcher NGT NGT-R CO2 BB and Pellet Revolvers do this nearly perfectly.

Categories: 4.5mm / .177 cal, BB, CO2, How To, Pellet, Pistol, Review, Revolver, YouTube Video Tags: Gletcher, NGT, NGT R

How to Get Rid of That Ugly White Writing on Your Airgun

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I get asked on a daily bases form many of my Vimeo Viewers about how and if there is a way to get rid of the White lettering on Airguns, Typically people are wanting to remove the intrusive Warning instructions from Airguns like the Cybergun Tanfoglio Witness 1911, the Cybergun/Swiss Arms GSG 92/P92 and many other CO2 Replica Airguns that have lettering or branding that you may want to get rid of.

In this Instructional Tutorial Video I show you how can at least tone down the white lettering and even completely remove it on some Airguns without damaging the Airguns finish underneath the white lettering. You will have to use some patience and perhaps repeat this method a few times but the end result is worth the effort.

The magical product I use to remove the white lettering on many popular Airguns is a product from Birchwood Casey called the Presto Gun Blue Pen. This product is actually designed to touch up real steel gun in areas where the blueing has worn off, lucky for us the Birchwood Casey Presto Gun Blue Pen also works well to remove the ugly white lettering from Airguns.

Categories: 4.5mm / .177 cal, 6mm, Airsoft, BB, Blowback, CO2, How To, Pellet, Pistol, Review, Revolver, Semi Auto, YouTube Video Tags: Cybergun, KWC, Umarex

Which Shells Work in Which Shell Loading Revolvers?

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I have often been asked which of the Shells for the Shell Loading Revolvers work in which Shell Loading Revolvers? After all many of them look a lot alike so can you mix and match Shells for the various types of Shell Loading Revolvers?

In this Vimeo Instructional Video I test out a bunch of Shells to see which ones actually will work or not work in several of the most popular Shell Loading Revolvers.

Some of the Shell Loading Revovers Tested in this Instructional Video are:

Categories: 4.5mm / .177 cal, 6mm, Airsoft, BB, CO2, Comparison, How To, Pellet, Pistol, Review, Revolver, YouTube Video Tags: 357, ASG, Colt Single Action Army, Dan Wesson, Dan Wesson 715, G731, Gletcher, KWC, NGT, NGT R, Umarex, Webley

SHOT Show 2016 - ASG Airbow Interview

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In this 2016 SHOT Show Interview I talk with Chip Hunnucutt from Crosman Corporation. Chip was eager to show off Crosman's new Airbow which is a essentially a hybrid PCP Air Rifles combined with a Crossbow. SO take away the bow and replace the power source with a 3000 PSI compressed air system that is capable of shooting standard archery arrows at 450 fps with 160 foot pounds of energy using 375 grain arrows.

The Crosman Airbow on a full 3000 PSI charge can deliver 8 consecutive shots @ the regulated 450 fps. The Airbow also weighs in at 7 pounds and being that it is a Bullpup design it is only 33.5 inches long so nice and compact for an arrow shooter.

Since the power is generated by the PCP compressed air system there is no heavy cocking rope so a simple lift of the ambidextrous cocking bolt is all that is needed to charge the Crosman Airbow. The Airbow also comes standard with a CenterPoint® 6x40 mm scope specially designed with the Airbow in mind.

Since the Crosman Airbow is technically an under 500 fps airgun, it should be considered an uncontrolled firearm here in Canada which means no PAL license will be required to buy and own the Crosman Airbow in Canada. In terms of using the Airbow for hunting as it is not a bow but rather an Airgun, that is yet to be determined here in Canada.

Categories: Airgun News, Airsoft News, Crossbow, Non Airguns, PCP, Replica Airguns News, Rifle, Scope, Single Shot, YouTube Video Tags: Airbow, Crosman, SHOT Show

SHOT Show 2016 Teaser Video

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This is my SHOT Show 2016 Teaser Video! You will get to see some new gun highlights from companies like Umarex, ASG, Crosman, Sig Sauer, KWA and ISC. I will be following up this video with some interview videos very soon so do make sure to check back for those uploads. All I can say about the show is it’s huge! So much to see, so much walking and too much to take in…

ASG:

As always, ASG had some new products this year. The all new Dan Wesson 715 357 Magnum shell loading Revolver! This gun feels absolutely amazing in the hand and will be available in Steel BB, Airsfot and even Pellet shooting versions. Also new are the CZ P-09 and CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow Full Blowback BB and Airsoft Pistols.

Crosman:

Big at Crosman this year was their PCP Airbow, Crosman put a lot of focus on this product and even had a lot of crossbows on display to go with their new PCP Airbow. Crosman also introduced their low cost entry level Benjamin Maximus PCP rifle in .177 and .22 calibers offerings. Not really much in the way of replica pistols from Crosman this year, but then again last year was kind of the same?

Sig Sauer:

I finally made it to the Sig Sauer Booth this year to checkout their new CO2 Pellet gun line. All new Sig Airguns are made true to size and weight with similar trigger actions as their real steel versions. The Sig MPX is their more compact (shorter barreled) pellet shooting CO2 rifle with internal blowback and belt fed 30 round magazine. The Sig MCX is the longer barreled rifle version but built much the same as the MPX. Sig also introduced two new pellet shooting CO2 Blowback Pistols, the P226 and the P250. Both use similar double ended rotary magazines as the Umarex PX4.

Umarex:

Umarex always seems to have some new exciting Airguns products to offer at SHOT Show. The PPK is back with a few updates including no more ugly CO2 tab sticking out of the bottom! And yes the Beretta Model 92A1 will finally be shipping soon, I believe in February! My favorite product this year from Umarex would have to be the Full Blowback, Full size drop out magazine S&W M&P 40 CO2 BB Pistol. Umarex released yet another 1911 on the market, this version does come with a stick mag and sports pretty high fps and more shots per CO2 then the KWC based 1911’s. The super popular Colt SAA Revolver is now available in a pellet shooting version with a rifled barrel :) Umarex had on display another low cost revolver, the ultra futuristic looking Brodax CO2 BB Revolver.

KWA:

KWA always has really nice high quality products to showoff at there booth each year, we may even start carrying some of KWA's products this year, fingers crossed on that one… New to the KWA line are some AEG rifles with simulated blowback action, I really liked the Blowback AEG AK they had on display. KWA also released a new Airsoft shell loading revolvers that had some of the nicest looking brass and aluminum shells. On display under a glass cover was a very solid Gas Blowback Thompson Machine-gun with real wood stock, it was absolutely gorgeous!

ISC:

ISC known for their top quality AEG internals, had their full line of high quality Airsoft rifles on display. And new this year to ICS was their first ever Airsoft pistol, the blowback BLE Alpha. The BLE should be out mid year and looked and felt really nice. The trigger on it was super short and light.

I have some really awesome Interview videos I’m working on, I will be uploading them shortly so stay tuned for those…

Categories: .22 cal, 4.5mm / .177 cal, 6mm, AEG, Accessory, Airgun News, Airsoft, Airsoft News, BB, Blowback, Break Barrel, Bulk Air, CO2, Crossbow, Full Auto, GBB, PCP, Pellet, Pistol, Replica Airguns News, Revolver, Rifle, Scope, Semi Auto, Single Shot, Spring Piston, YouTube Video Tags: ASG, Crosman, ISC, KWA, SHOT Show, Sig Sauer, Umarex

Can I put real 1911 Grips on my KWC-Cybergun 1911 BB-Airsoft Gun?

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With the popularity of the KWC - Cybergun 1911 Blowback CO2 Pistols and how super realistic they are in so many ways, it is no surprise that people often ask me if they can replace the original grips with grips made for a real 1911.

The short answer is yes you can! You will have to be prepared to remove just a little bit of material from the backside of both grips near the bottom of the handle where there is an area that has been flared out to accommodate the CO2. Not really a big deal, you can use a Dremel for the quick and easy approach or even some sand paper if you don't mind taking a little more time.

In this Vimeo Video I demonstrate using grips that fit a real 1911 and show you just exactly where you will need modify them to fit on the KWC and Cybergun CO2 Blowback 1911 pistol series.

Categories: 4.5mm / .177 cal, 6mm, Airsoft, BB, Blowback, CO2, Comparison, How To, Modification, Pistol, Real Gun, Semi Auto, YouTube Video Tags: Colt Government 1911, Cybergun, KWC, Model 1911, Tanfoglio Witness 1911

No Orange Tip On Your Airsoft Gun! Are You Insane?

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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.

Categories: 4.5mm / .177 cal, 6mm, Airsoft, BB, Blank Gun, Comparison, Gun Law, How To, Pellet, Pistol, Q&A Video, Revolver, Rifle, YouTube Video Tags:

Clay Pigeons as Reactive Targets for Airguns and Airsoft Guns

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If you have been watching my Full Auto Fun Videos, then you will have noticed that I have recently been using Clay Pigeons as my go-to targets. Generally Clay Pigeons are shot from launchers and used with shotguns since the flight of the Clay Pigeon simulates a bird in flight nicely.

So I thought, why not use them as reactive targets for my Airguns and Airsoft guns? It turns out they work pretty darn good, well at least with 4.5mm Steel BB pistols and I would imagine even better with pellet guns. What about Airsoft guns, will the Airsoft lighter weight plastic BB's have enough mass to get the job done?

You'll have to watch this video to find out the answer to that question when I unload a full magazine of .20 gram Airsoft BB's into some Clay Pigeons using my KWC .50 Desert Eagle...

 
Categories: Field Test, How To, Review, YouTube Video Tags: Desert Eagle, KWC

How to Fix Leaking CO2 in an Airgun?

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A very common occurrence with CO2 Airguns and Airsoft guns are leaky CO2 seals. Usually this occurs right where the CO2 cartridge connects to the main valve area. This can be either in the gun or in the magazine depending on the setup of the airgun.

There are many reasons why this can happen, but the most common reasons are a worn-out or dried up seals or even a seal that has been imprinted or misshapen from the constant pressure of the tip of the CO2 pressing against it.

When this happens you may encounter a leaking CO2, the severity of the leak can vary from mild slow leaks to leaks that can be so bad that the gun is unusable. Keep in mind there can be other problems not related to the CO2 seal such as in the valve area, the fix I show you in this YouTube video will not fix a leaking valve, you can try using something like Crosman Pellgun oil for a problem like that.

Watch my below Vimeo video where I show you how you can easily use some Plumbers Teflon Tape to improve the contact points between your CO2 and CO2 main seal and eliminate leaking CO2 in your Airgun.

Categories: CO2, How To, YouTube Video Tags:

How Long Can I Leave CO2 in My Airgun?

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A very common question I get asked is "How Long Can I Leave CO2 in My Airgun?" So what do I do when I get asked a question over and over again... Well I make a video and give you my answer to the question.

Some CO2 Related Questions I seem to get over and over again are:

  1. Can I leave an unused CO2 in my Airgun and for how long is it safe?

  2. Can I reuse a C2 once it is empty?

  3. Can I use my gun without CO2?

In this YouTube video I address questions 1 and 2, I kind of forgot about question number 3 since it is not as often but it does come up from time to time believe it or not and the answer to being able to use a CO2 airgunwith out CO2 is "NO", It's kind of like trying to drive a car without gas, or turn on a light without electricity or stay alive without food...

So anyways, watch my below Vimeo video for answers to questions one and two:

Categories: CO2, How To, YouTube Video Tags:

Airgun Usage for Hunting and Pest Control

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This may be a bit controversial for some people who don't like the thought of using an gun for hunting or extermination of unwanted pests. But weather or not it is accepted by all, it is a practice that many people still embrace including myself when done in a humane way.

Let's start off by addressing this topic by asking some questions and filling in some of the answers. Keep in mind I go into much more detail in my Vimeo video below.

What is the reason that you need to Shoot or Hunt an Animal?

Are you shooting an animal out of need or just for fun, sure there is a thrill in the sport of hunting but after taking down your prey, the animal should not be killed in vain as the meat should be eaten. There are also times when pesky critters get into your gardens, tree farms, feeding stations garbages and who knows what else? I personally think shooting an animal that has not done you any harm or that you don't plan on eating is not ethical. So question your motives wisely?

Can you use an Airgun for Hunting and or Pest Control?

The short answer is yes! As long as you choose the correct Airgun for the job, one that has enough power and accuracy to get the job done in a humane manner. Using an underpowered or inaccurate gun of any type for the chosen target will lead to the animal being wounded and possibly getting away to suffer unnecessarily.

What about Pistols versus Rifles?

Given the choice, a rifle will always be your best bet, rifles tend to be more accurate since they are more stable to hold and the fact that the sights are further apart which improves the guns accuracy. Most rifles also allow for enhanced sighting systems like red dots or magnified scopes for even further accuracy improvements. There are some pistols made specifically for hunting and target shooting that can be accurate but I would limit their use to shorter ranges.

What about Pellet guns versus BB guns?

BB guns in general are not meant for hunting or pest control, and in most cases they are underpowered and not as accurate as their pellet shooting counterparts, especially out at longer ranges where most pests keep their distances to. If you plan on doing some hunting and or pest control, please invest in an adequate pellet rifle to get the job done humanly.

What type of Ammo is best for Hunting and Pest Control?

There are lots of types of pellets available, pointed, rounded, flat, hollow-point and even pellets that have nylon tips. At the end of the day, use the pellet that is the most accurate in your Airgun because shot placement will win over pellet shape any day of the week. The reality is that as long as that pellet hits the target with adequate velocity, it doesn't matter what shape it is, it's more than likely going to pass right through the animal.

What is the lowest FPS that I can use?

I would rather ask the question, what is the highest fps I can get away with since more fps will give you more margin for error, since it will have a flatter trajectory and will do more damage even if your shot is off a bit. An experienced shooter could make a kill shot on a small pest even with a 400 fps airgun but the shot would have to be perfect and the range would have to be close. Of course when shooting larger game, you will need larger caliber pellets with higher velocities. Also when using a high velocity airgun you need to consider what is beyond your target, if you miss, where is that pellet or bullet going to end up? You need to make sure you do not injure anyone by mistake as pellets/bullets can travel a long distance.

How large of an Animal can an Airguns Kill?

This is really dependent on the Airgun being used, Airguns come in many different calibers, from .177 right up to .50 caliber, some PCP Airguns can even take down a deer! You need to do your research and make sure the Airgun you choose has both the power and accuracy you need for the intend prey.

Where can I use an Airgun for Hunting and or Pest Control?

This is a question you need to ask your local authorities as laws and hunting regulations are different just about everywhere. Even shooting pests on your property may require a permit so be careful to obey your local laws.

Categories: .20 cal, .22 cal, 4.5mm / .177 cal, BB, Break Barrel, Bulk Air, CO2, Comparison, Full Auto, How To, PCP, Pellet, Pistol, Rifle, Scope, Semi Auto, YouTube Video Tags: