I have already reviewed several Crosman 357 Pellet/BB Revolvers in the past like the Crosman Vigilante which also has the ability to shoot both .177 caliber pellets and 4.5mm Steel BB’s, (Really they all are with the right magazine). With the Vigilante my pellet chronograph tests got similar results but with Steel BB’s the Crosman Vigilante did a lot better than my Crosman Triple Threat CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver using a similar 6 inch barrel. As expected both the Crosman Vigilante and the Crosman Triple Threat did about the same in terms of accuracy getting better results with pellets over Steel BB’s.
Starting with the velocity portion of my Indoor Field Test Shooting video, I placed a brand new 12 gram CO2 into the Crosman Triple Threat CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver and tested out some 7 grain .177 caliber Lead Pellets. I averaged 382 fps in what I would consider normal indoor temperature ranges so you can expect a bit higher velocities in warmer conditions. Moving on to 4.5mm 5.1 grain Steel BB’s, I averaged quite a bit lower velocity at 288 fps. I was surprise since it was almost 100 fps lower than the heavier 7 grain lead pellets. The logical reason for this is that lead Pellets fit the barrel much more snug, stoping any CO2 from getting around them which helps increase the velocity over Steel BB’s which are a hard metal and need to be slightly smaller in diameter and therefore do let some CO2 get by reducing the pressure behind them.
For the accuracy porting of the the Indoor Field Test I shot 10 rounds for my pellet magazine first and then 6 rounds for the BB magazine, simply because this is how many rounds each magazine holds… Makes sense right? Even with the pellet magazine holding 10 rounds over the BB magazine’s 6 rounds, the Pellet magazine was still able to get a much tighter grouping at around 1 inch over the BB target which was closer to 3 inches. BB’s seemed to really like to hook a bit with the Crosman Triple Threat CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver, so I would for sure go with pellets if accuracy is importatn to you. Both pellets and BB’s shot a little bit high and to the left from the bulls-eye but that can easily be adjusted with the fully adjustable rear sight.
The Crosman Triple Threat performed rather as expected and was not a big surprise other than the BB’s really having a much lower velocity this time around. It is clear to me that I would not waste my time shooting Steel BB’s unless this is all I had on hand as they where not only much slower but also a lot less accurate. Over time the steel BB’s could damage the rifled steel barrel effecting future pellet accuracy. The Crosman Triple Threat CO2 Dual Ammo Revolver offers a lot of options with ammo choice and barrel choice that alter it’s looks and even performance to some degree but if you want a Crosman 357 type CO2 Revolver than it for sure gives you the most flexibility.
I have made a fair amount of video reviews for the Dan Wesson Line of AIrguns that encompass Table Top and Field Test Reviews on several versions of the Dan Wesson line: BB, Pellet, Airsoft, in a variety of barrel and color choices. It has been a while, so why not make another Review Video to revisit the Dan Wesson Line and so this time here we have the Steel BB version in a 2.5 inch barrel length. As always I will test they CO2 Revolver to find out what the velocity is and how accurate it is shooting at a paper target. Also make sure to watch my Table Top Video for specifications, details and closeup video.
Here we go with the Velocity test! I placed a brand new CO2 in the ASG Dan Wesson 2.5 inch Gold CO2 BB Revolver and shot a cylinder full of 4.5mm steel BB’s that weigh 5.1 grain through my Chronograph. The temperature was average so about room temperature. Only the last 4 of my shots registered on my Chronograph as it was acting up a bit on me at first two shots but I did manage to average 332 fps with the last four. The first two shots would have been a little bit faster had they registered on my chronograph so this may have brought up the average a bit to say around 334…
I then placed a fresh paper target 30 feet down range and proceeded to unload a full 6 round cylinder into it, I was shooting in single action with the hammer cocked back between shots. I was also using a semi rested shooting position with my hands resting on a sand bag up front and seated in the back for stability. Generally speaking even with Steel BB’s I can get close to a 1-2 inch grouping with hess Dan Wessons but this time my 6 shot grouping only produced a 3 inch group? It was probably me as there is always some human error involved and each test can result in different results so keep that in mind. The grouping was well centered out of the box but the ASG Dan Wesson 2.5 inch Gold CO2 BB Revolver does have fully adjustable sights in case yours is a bit off.
It never get’s old loading up the shells with ammo and placing them in the cylinder followed by either quick action shooting or more relaxed and accurate single action shooting, then repeating again and again… The original Dan Wesson line of revelers has been around for a long time now and if I am not mistaken was the first Airgun revolver to use reloadable shells. We now have more refined 715 version of the Dan Wesson which does have some improvement but the original versions still hold strong and are very capable and fun shell loading revolvers that come it a bit lower price tag then the newer 715 versions so no matter which version you get you will have lot of fun shooting and reloading these enjoyable Airguns!
In this Field Test Shooting Video I test out Crosman’s latest version to the 357 line of CO2 Revolvers and perform both my Velocity and Accuracy test using both .177 caliber Lead Pellets and 4.5mm Steel BB’s to see which ammo has better velocity/power and is most accurate. Also make sure to watch my Table Tope Video Review where I go ver specifications and features and show the Crosman Vigilante CO2 Pellet and BB Revolver up nice and close.
Starting with the velocity portion of my Indoor Field Test Shooting video I placed a brand new 12 gram CO2 into the Crosman Vigilante CO2 Pellet and BB Revolver and tested out some 7 grain .177 caliber Lead Pellets. I was able to average 389 fps in what I would consider normal indoor temperature ranges so you can expect a bit higher velocities in outdoor weather conditions. Moving on the 4.5mm 5.1 grain Steel BB’s, I averaged a bit lower at 360 fps which may seem confusing since the Steel BB’s are lighter than the Lead Pellets? The Lead Pellets fit the barrel much more snug stoping any CO2 from getting around them which helps increase the fps over the Steel BB’s which are a hard metal and need to be slightly smaller in diameter and therefore do let some CO2 get by reducing the pressure behind them.
For my accuracy porting of the the Indoor Field Test I was going to place 6 shots from each magazine into my paper target setup 30 feet down range but ended up using all 10 rounds for the pellet magazine, perhaps because I was just having too much fun :) Since the BB magazine only holds 6 rounds my shot grouping for BB’s only included 6 shots so keep that in mind for the final results. All said and done the Lead Pellets outperformed the Steel BB’s once again getting about a 1.5 inch grouping over the 2.5 inch grouping for the Steel BB’s. And I know the Crosman Vigilante CO2 Pellet and BB Revolver is more than capable of getting a .5 to 1 inch grouping from previous Field Tests I have made using similar 357 type Crosman Revolvers.
The Crosman Vigilante CO2 Pellet and BB Revolver is just one of those must have old school classic Air Pistols I think everyone should own at least some sort of version of. I do like the look of the Vigilante barrel with it’s more modern and aggressive design and functional top and bottom rails for adding on accessories. The ability to choose what ammo type you want to shoot is also a plus and the price point is bang on for a nice CO2 Air powered Revolver.
Perhaps you might call this a followup video since I already made a full Field Test Shooting Video of the all black version of this pistol and you may wonder if the color of a gun could in some way effect how it performs? Well I don’t think color would really matter but it has been over 6 years since I did my original Field Test Shooting video fo the Umarex Colt Python 357 Magnum Chrome CO2 BB Revolver and so perhaps some things have changed, maybe my shooting is better or worse? At any rate let’s find out.
Starting off with my Chronograph test I was able to get an average 6 shot velocity of 348 fps which is about 40 fps less than my testing 6 years ago of 390 fps, perhaps the temperatures where a bit different? Perhaps the valve setups of the guns was not the same? By the way the temperature was 23 degrees Celsius in the indoor Airgun Sea Can Shooting Range and I was using a brand new 12 gram CO2 along with 5.1 grain zinc coated steel BB’s.
Moving on to the accuracy test, surely I would get a similar 1 inch 6 shot grouping from the Umarex Colt Python 357 Magnum Chrome CO2 BB Revolver, after all it’s been 6 years and I must be a much more advanced shooter… Well there again the Chrome Umarex Colt Python 357 Magnum CO2 BB Revolver did not perform as well as the black one from my 2014 Field Test? Again maybe the steel BB’s I was using where not of the same quality? Maybe I simply had one too many espresso shots? As the video shows this time around I was only able to get about a 2 inch 6 shot grouping from the Umarex Colt Python 357 Magnum Chrome CO2 BB Revolver. Still not bad but I was hoping for better result or at least the same as before.
I could do this test again and get completely different results using perhaps another brand of CO2 on a warmer day with higher quality Steel BB’s and just maybe with me on my game a little bit better? At the end of the day 350 fps is perfectly fine for putting holes in pop cans and a 2 inch group at 30 feet will get you on most targets every time so I’m not going to sweat it too much. If you are looking for a shell loading CO2 BB Revolver the Umarex Colt Python 357 Magnum Chrome CO2 BB Revolver is for sure one of my top picks.
This is my Official Field Test Shooting Review video for the Gletcher CLT B25 CO2 BB Shell Loading Revolver. This pistol is actually made by KWC and is the same base gun that Umarex uses in their Licensed Colt Python 357 6 inch barrel version.
In this Shooting video I performance various Field Tests on the Gletcher CLT B25 using my Chronograph to get a true live performance reading of the velocity in fps. I also shoot 6 rounds at a paper target positioned 30 feet from my semi-rested position (Sand bag up front and standing in the back).
Velocity wise, the Gletcher CLT B25 CO2 BB Revolver shot a little low while using standard 5.1 grain zinc coated steel BB's coming in with a 5 shot average of 280 fps. the claimed the fps from Gletcher is 100 m/s which works out to 328 fps so there is room for some improvement, perhaps on a warmer day I may see these numbers?
I then moved back to my 30 feet shooting position to test out the accuracy using paper target, the Gletcher CLT B25 CO2 BB Shell Loading Revolver produced n OK 6 shot grouping that was just over 2 inches in diameter. Not supper but also not too bad considering the short barrel and how tight the front and back sights are together. I'm pretty sure I can do a bit better as one of the shots did pull a bit out form the rest making the grouping larger than it could have been.
Overall, the Gletcher CLT B25 CO2 BB Revolver shot pretty has a nice feel to it when shooting, the trigger/hammer setup is nice in both single and double action, the grips and balance feels good and overall this is a very fun shell loading BB revolver to shoot.
Materials: Mostly metal with some plastic construction.
Weight: 2.75 pounds (1218 grams).
Barrel: 5.5 inches, non-rifled.
Propulsion: 12 gram CO2.
Action: Revolver, single & double actions.
Ammunition Type: 4.5mm steel BB's.
Ammunition Capacity: 6 rounds.
FPS: 400fps.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Colt Python 357 CO2 BB Revolver is good in both single and double action, even better than the Dan Wesson and S&W 327 TRR8 shell loading revolvers, most likely because the spring tension that pushes the inner barrel to make contact with the cylinder is noticeably lighter on the Umarex Colt Python 357. Even the hammer is smoother and has less wiggle, just a better trigger and hammer mechanism overall.
Accuracy: The results I got shooting my 6 round group from a 30 foot out semi rested position where good overall. Vertically there was about a 2 inch spread while horizontally there was about a 1 inch spread. I did find the plastic tips on the brass shells seemed to be a bit tight at first and this is when I did most of my Chronograph and target shooting. I believe the tightness effected the consistency of the FPS which also effected the accuracy especially up and down. I did get one shot out of the Umarex Colt Python 357 well over the claimed 400 fps but again the fps was rather erratic most likely because of the snug BB fit due to shell break-in.
Build Quality: The Umarex Colt Python 357 being mostly metal, you would expect it to have a decent build quality and I am happy to say it does, perhaps again even better than the Dan Wesson and S&W 327 TRR8 shell loading revolvers, even the weight of the Colt Python came in close to a half of a pound more! The only real plastic I could find was in the grips and the shell tips. Fit and finish was also good with no noticeable paint wear or sloppy workmanship.
Realism: The Colt Python 357 CO2 BB Revolver overall is a close copy of the real steel Colt Python 357. I did notice the rear portion of the receiver (between the rear cylinder and hammer) to be a bit longer perhaps to accommodate the CO2 valve length, but other than that this pistol is super close to the original revolver it is based and licensed on. Agin being all metal gives this CO2 BB revolver very realistic weight and feel and the loadable brass shells make using this gun almost exactly like using a real shell loading revolver but for much less cost per shot and of course a lot less recoil on the hands.
It's a revolver with actual shells! Give you the feeling of loading and shooting a real revolver.
Mostly all metal design.
lots of detail, well made, fit and finish is very good.
Good overall weight, heaviest out of all the shell loaders.
Good overall power, accuracy and shots per CO2.
Fully adjustable sights for windage and elevation.
Well hidden CO2 Screw.
Recessed barrel.
Nice easy Trigger pull in both single and double action.
Cons:
Grips are a bit rough.
All black sights not great on dark backgrounds.
FPS seemed to fluctuate a bit
Comments:
The ASG Dan Wesson shell loading revolvers reintroduced me to the joy of loading and shooting a revolver which up until that point was not that realistic of an experience when using a BB or Pellet revolver. The Umarex Colt Python 357 has taken it up a notch by adding just a bit more overall weight, a smother trigger and hammer mechanism and styling this revolver on the Classic Colt Python platform. And all of this for even less than the cost of the original Dan Wesson shell loading series CO2 BB revolvers. If you're a revolver fan, make sure to grab one of these and if you're not a revolver fan, this pistol may just change your mind :)
My Vimeo Table Top Review for the Umarex Colt Python 357 CO2 BB Revolver:
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Crosman 357 is decent in both single and double action. Single action is much shorter and lighter but not overly light with just a very short break to it. In double action it does get heavier and much longer as is expected. People with small hands may have to adjust their grip so they will have enough extension for the entire trigger pull, this is partially because of the larger grips that sit far back on the revolver frame.
Accuracy: I found the Crosman 357 pellet revolver to have excellent accuracy, getting about a 1 inch grouping from 30 feet out in a semi rested position (sand bag up front, standing in the back). I also put 6 rounds through my Chrony Chronograph and the Crosman 357 averaged 402 fps using RWS 6.9 grain lead pellets.
Build Quality:The Crosman 357 CO2 Pellet Revolver uses a combination of metal and plastic and has a good overall weight and feel to it. There could be more metal (like in the outer barrel) but Crosman used metal parts where they really needed to be like in the main frame, trigger, hammer, CO2 area and inner barrel. This air pistol has been around for a long time and so you can count on all the bugs being worked out. You will not find a great amount of detail in the Crosman 357 and some of the joints seem a bit unrefined but overall it is a nice looking airgun and feels well made.
Realism: The Crosman 357 is a replica of the Colt Python 357 Magnum and overall looks similar in shape. I would have liked to have seen a full swing our cylinder but this would have meant a complete redesign and the Crosman 357 main design goes back to the early 80's. Yes there are some newer revolver styled airguns like the Dan Wesson that have full swing out cylinders (BB only) but I still would have liked to have seen this, maybe on a future updated revision?
Inexpensive Pellet revolver, not really any other pellet revolvers out there to compare to.
Good usage of metal parts. (Metal trigger, hammer, frame, barrel, CO2 tab screw).
Single and double action trigger.
Excellent accuracy and good power with a reasonable amount of shots per CO2.
Can mount optics on the dove tail railed barrel.
High capacity 10 round removable magazine.
Fully adjustable rear sight.
Cons:
Outer barrel is plastic.
Grips and trigger pull length may be a bit long for smaller handed people when shooting in double action.
Some of the finish detail could be better (seems).
A slight recess on the inner barrel would have added to the realism.
Comments:
Reviewing this fun Crosman Pellet revolver was a bit of a walk in the past for me. back when I was in my early teens I had one and it went with me on just about all of my back woods adventures. I'd have to say I learned how to shoot with this pistol and it felt right at home back in my hands after all these years... Back in the day I didn't do any scientific testing with my Crosman revolver but I can tell you it shot hard and true then, just like it does now! I'm not sure why I held out so long getting another one, the price is right and if you are looking for a nice multi-shot pellet pistol with excellent accuracy and good power for well under $100, the Crosman 357 might just be for you.
