you need to cock the bow in order for the trigger to be engaged. The trigger mechanism basically just pushes the bow string up and over the lip of the rail releasing the bow, so there is a bit of friction and I would guess it is about 8-10 pounds maybe a bit less. There is no actual safety on the Steambow AR-6 Stinger II Tactical so you will have to practice appropriate finger control so as to not accidentally fire a bolt unintentionally.
Accuracy: I have not recorded my Field Test Shooting Video for the Steambow AR-6 Stinger II Tactical and so I am not sure what to expect. I have shot a similar bow, the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow so it should perform a lot like that one but without the auto loading bolt system. If you want, you can check that Field Test Shooting Video out here, I expect the Steambow AR-6 Stinger II Tactical to have perhaps slightly less power over the Bear X Desire XL as it is rated to have a 55 pound draw as compared to the 60 pounds of the Bear X Desire XL. In terms of accuracy I do not expect anything similar to a pellet or even BB rifles or pistol but I hope to get somewhere near a 6-8 inch grouping with the 6 bolts loaded in the internal magazine.
Build Quality: The Steambow AR-6 Stinger II Tactical is overall well made but does consist of a lot of plastic or polymer, that said it feels sturdy enough when holding it in the hand. The bow itself is fiberglass and the only real metal I can confirm is the cocking rail, mostly everything else other than the nuts, bolts, safety are some sort of plastic. Fit and finish is good. I am hoping the auto bolt loading system will perform well and be consistent but we will find out when I make my Field Test Shooting Video for it soon.
Realism: The Steambow AR-6 Stinger II Tactical is not a Replica pistol or rifle, it is a target bow that one could perhaps use of small game if you become proficient with shooting it. I do think this is a crossover product in terms of interest with people that are also interested in Airguns or target shooting. The other benefit is that it has a lot more power than a non regulated Airgun as the it uses nice heavy 142 grain bolts traveling at near 200 fps which gives an energy rating of around 12 foot pounds, the speed may be less than an Airgun but the energy is a lot higher. If raw power is what you are interested in, then this is your best option for something still compact and quiet if you do not have a firearms license or want to avoid that hassle and the legalities around regulated firearms.
Pros:
Light weight and compact.
More power than an airgun yet still quiet to shoot so can use discreetly just about anywhere with a good back stop setup.
Auto loading system for quick follow up shots.
Easy to draw the bow using the stock for leverage.
Top and bottom Picatinny rail mounting options for sights and accessories.
Fiber optic mid sight setup.
Ambidextrous bolt safety easy to engage and disengage.
6 bolts included to fully load the internal magazines.
180 fps (10ft/lbs).
Comes with standard fore grip.
5 portion AR compatible adjustable rear but stock.
Cons:
Fairly expensive.
Sights are not adjustable, mid sight is not as easy to sight in.
Will need a good backstop or will lose lots of bolts.
Takes a little bit of time to set it up but not too hard, just follow the steps in the manual.
Comments:
The Steambow AR-6 Stinger II Tactical is an interesting product, the autoloading system with built in 6 round magazines turns this from a simple target bow into a bit of an action shooter once you get the reloading down. As a potential pest control solution it for sure has the power as long as you can harness it by practicing to the point where you can get those 142 grain bolts on target and make a humane shot at the ranges you plan on using it for. Having quick follow up shots I feel is necessary just in case the first shot does not quite get the job done. If you don’t need external 10 round magazines or the upgraded accessories found on the Steambow M10 Tactical and want something a little more affordable than check the AR-6 Stinger out as it is very versatile as a compact Recurve Crossbow.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Steambow M10 Tactical Recurve Crossbow is a single action only trigger as you need to cock the bow in order for the trigger to be engaged. The trigger mechanism basically just pushes the bow string up and over the lip of the rail releasing the bow, so there is a bit of friction and I would guess it is about 8-10 pounds maybe a bit less. There is a metal bolt style safety just above where the trigger releases that is ambidextrous, push it forward for safe and back for fire.
Accuracy: I have not recorded my Field Test Shooting Video for the Steambow M10 Tactical Recurve Crossbow and so I am not sure what to expect so far. I have shot a similar bow, the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow so it should perform a lot like that one but without the auto loading bolt system. If you want, you can check that Field Test Shooting Video out, I expect the Steambow M10 Tactical Recurve Crossbow to have a bit more power over the Bear X Desire XL as it is rated to have a 75 pound draw as compared to the 60 pounds of the Bear X Desire XL. In terms of accuracy I do not expect anything similar to a pellet or even BB rifles or pistol but I hope to get somewhere near a 6-8 inch grouping with the 10 bolts.
Build Quality: The Steambow M10 Tactical Recurve Crossbow is well made but does consist of mostly plastic or polymer, that said it feels sturdy enough when holding it and is one of the heavier compact recurve Crossbow systems at 4 pounds. The bow itself is fiberglass and the only real metal I can confirm is the cocking rail, mostly everything else other than the nuts, bolts, safety and sling ring are some sort of plastic. Fit and finish is good. I am hoping the auto bolt loading system will perform well and be consistent but we will find out when I make my Field Test Shooting Video for it
Realism: The Steambow M10 Tactical Recurve Crossbow is not a Replica pistol or rifle, it is a target bow that one could perhaps use of small game if you become proficient with it. I do think there is a crossover product in terms of interest with people that are also interested in Airguns. The other benefit is that it has a lot more power than a non regulated Airgun as the it uses nice heavy 142 grain bolts traveling at near 200 fps which gives an energy rating of around 12 foot pounds. If raw power is what you are interested in, then this is your best option for something still compact and quiet if you do not have a firearms license or want to avoid that hassle and the legalities around it.
Pros:
Light weight and compact.
More power than an airgun yet still quiet to shoot so can use discreetly just about anywhere with a good back stop setup.
Auto loading system for quick follow up shots.
Easy to draw the bow using the stock for leverage.
Comes with bow pre-strung and ready to mount.
Lots of Picatinny rail mounting options for sights and accessories.
Fiber optic front sight with two rear sight options (grove and peep).
Ambidextrous bolt safety easy to engage and disengage.
20 bolts included to fully load both 10 round magazines.
190-200 fps (11-12ft/lbs).
Comes with upgraded fore grip.
6 portion AR compatible adjustable rear but stock with cheek adjustment.
Cons:
Fairly expensive.
Sights are not adjustable.
Will need a good backstop or will lose lots of bolts.
Takes a little bit of time to set it up but not too hard, just follow the steps in the manual.
Comments:
The Steambow M10 Tactical Recurve Crossbow is an interesting product, the autoloading system with 10 round magazines turns this from a simple target bow into a bit of an action shooter once you get the reloading down. As a potential pest control solution it for sure has the power as long as you can harness it by practicing to the point where you can get those 142 grain bolts on target and make a humane shot. Having quick follow up shots is necessary just in case the first shot does not quite get the job done. The upgraded add on accessories you get with the Steambow M10 Tactical Recurve Crossbow really give it a quilty feel and it is nice you not only have a fully adjustable AR compactly rear stock with a cheek rest but you have the option of a peep or grove rear sight to line up the fiber optic front sight. The price is on the high side but if you want the most ultimate Compact Recurve Crossbow auto loading system with maximum ammo then this is for sure the product for you.
I did my unboxing vide for both the Steambow AR-6 Stinger II Tactical and M10 Tactical already which is generally a preview of the products I am unboxing but with these types of compact crossbows, they generally need a bit of setup before they are complete and ready to view and use.
For that reason I wanted to make a quick combined Preview Video for Steambow AR-6 Stinger II Tactical and M10 Tactical Crossbows so you can see what they look like all put together, and what the main differences are between the two of them. This way you can figure out which one might be the best choice if you are in the market for a product like this.
Let’s go over the main specifications and differences to determine what you get with each one:
Distributed by: Steambow GmbH Austria.
Materials: Mostly plastic with some metal parts.
Weight: M10 4 pounds / AR-6 2.6 pounds.
Lengt: M10 24.2 inches / AR-6 22 inches.
Width: M10 17.5 inches / 17.5 inches.
Magazine Capacity: M10 10 bolts per external magazine / AR-6 6 bolts per internal magazine.
Another Mystery Box to share with everyone but this time I peaked a bit so it’s not as much of a mystery for me, but it will be for you. I was glad I peaked as the items inside where not the usual assortment and it was good I was able to get a bit of pre-intel on them before I jumped into this unboxing, as there was a lot to discover about each of the three items in the Mystery Box. I hope they appeal to some of you, I think they are very interesting and after checking them out, some of you may decide to add one or two of them to your collection.
The first two items I looked at are from an Austrian based company called Steambow. They are both compact crossbows that offer a unique reloading system with built in Magazines that hold either 6 or 10 rounds depending on the version you buy. The Steambow AR-6 Stinger II Tactical is the less expensive yet still “kind of expensive” version with a built in 6 round magazine While the AR Series Steambow M10 Tactical has an upper that accepts 10 round magazines you can preload. The Steambow AR-6 Stinger II Tactical comes with a 55 pound pre-strung bow that produces around 10 foot pounds of energy, while the Steambow M10 Tactical come with a 75 pound pre-strung bow which should produce close to 12 or more foot pounds of energy. Both incorporate fiber optic slights, lots of rail mounting options, AR style rear stocks which shoulder mount easy and quick cocking to make the most of the automatic bolt loading systems.
Another Archery based item also in this months Mystery Box was the Umarex AirJavelin FishR PCP based arrow launcher designed for anglers. It is intended to work with a fishing real of your choice and comes with a single retrievable barbed arrow, so a lot like bow fishing but with a PCP propulsion system. The Umarex AirJavelin FishR has a built in 4500 psi tank that is regulated to 800 psi and the arrow is a whopping 1250 grain to cut through the water with ease. The entire system is salt water resistant so you can use it in both fresh and salt water conditions. There are both picatinny and M-LOK mounting options for sights and accessories.
Stay posted for my Table Top and Field Testing Video Reviews coming shortly…
In this Field Test Shooting Video Review of the KWC SP2022 NBB CO2 BB Pistol I set out the Velocity in FPS using a Chronograph along with the accuracy shooting 10 rounds at a paper target setup 30 feet away. Umarex claims just under 400 fps so the goal will be to see how close we can get to that power rating. I have already made a Table Top Review Video for the KWC SP2022 NBB CO2 BB Pistol where I go into details about specification and also show more close up video of this NBB CO2 BB Pistol. Make sure to watch that video if that is the information you are looking for as this video only goes into performance characteristics.
For my Velocity Test of the KWC SP2022 NBB CO2 BB Pistol, I shot 5 rounds through my Chronograph using a brand new CO2 in a typical room temperature environment, not too cold or too warm. I was able to get an average velocity of 355 fps with my slowest recored shot hitting 344 fps and my fastest recored shot hitting 362 fps. I did notice that the fps seemed to increase a bit with each shot which is not typical of CO2 Airguns. This may mean the CO2 was not fully pierced but I did crank it down pretty tight. Perhaps there is more potential power out of this CO2 pistol by using a slightly different brand CO2 than I was using, as sometimes a CO2 can just not fight properly, so by switching CO2 brands with a slightly different nozzle shape, you can get a better fit?
Moving on to my accuracy test, I setup a brand new paper target 30 feet away form my shooting position which uses a sand bag up front to rest the gun on and me sitting on a stool in the back to help stabilize each shot. There is also some human factor when performing accuracy shooting totes with any gun but I do my best to get the most out of each Airgun. The KWC SP2022 NBB CO2 BB Pistol shot very well centered on the target left to right and just a bit on the high side but not by much. The 10 shot grouping did spread out a bit to around 4 inches or so but it was an even spread. I would have liked to have seen just bit tighter grouping, even a 3 inch grouping means you are going to hit a pop can at 30 feet pretty consistently.
All in all the KWC SP2022 NBB CO2 BB Pistol is a fun plinker with enough power and accuracy at the end of the day to enjoy blasting targets in your back yard effectively. The double action trigger is pretty good, like most double action trigger it is a little longer but it is smooth and the trigger weigth is light to medium with a predictive breaking point at the end. I am a Sig Sauer fan so I do like the look and feel of this pistol an even though it is mostly plastic, the all metal magazine adds enough weight to make it feel more substantial in your hand than what you would expect form a mostly plastic Airgun. if you want a fun inexpensive plinker that is going to be efficient on CO2 and cost very little to shoot then the KWC SP2022 NBB CO2 BB Pistol would be a good choice.
To start things off with my Field Test Shooting Video of the Umarex Marlin Lever Action Spring BB Rifle, I shoot 5 rounds through my Chronograph to see what the real world velocity is in fps. Umarex claims around 300 fps. I was able to average right around 274 fps so not far off of the claim. My lowest performing shot was 270 fps with the fastest shot hitting 278 fps, so all very close in velocity which is typical of a spring piston Airgun, this will help with consistent accuracy especially in terms of elevation.
When it comes to the accuracy, the Umarex Marlin Lever Action Spring BB Rifle did as well or perhaps even better than my other testing using previous Red Ryder type Air Rifles. If I through out one flyer I got, my 10 shot grouping was able to get around a 2 inch grouping that was overall well centered on the target, maybe juts a hair to the right. Even with the flyer the grouping spread out to a 3 inch grouping. I am pretty sure I could do better as this was the first time shooting this rifle. Keep in mind as I have to work the lever action for each shot that requires me to hold the rifle straight up and down in order for proper BB loading, this means I need to fully reset my hands on the sand bag and re-aim for each shot which will effect accuracy consistency a bit. Still a good result.
All in all I do really like the Umarex Marlin Lever Action Spring BB Rifle, mainly as it has a longer shoulder pull more suitable for adults. I feel adults get left out a bit in terms of target marketing with the standard Red Ryder which is a very compact BB Rifle with a short shoulder pull more suited for kids and youth shooters. This makes the Umarex Marlin Lever Action Spring BB Rifle more comfortable to shoot as an adult but will still work for youth and kids as is is not too large in size or heavy or even very hard to work the lever action. Now the whole family can really take part in the fun experience of shooting a Red Ryder type BB Rifle!
Type: NBB CO2 BB Pistol. Manufacturer: Distributed by KWC. Model: SP2022. Materials: Plastic & metal. Weight: 1.67 pounds (760 grams). Total Length: 7.48 inches (190mm) Barrel: 4 inches (102mm) metal non-rifled. Propulsion: CO2 x 1. Action: Semi auto NBB, double action only trigger. AmmunitionType: 4.5mm steel BB's. AmmunitionCapacity: 21 Round full size metal magazine. FPS: Claimed 395.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the KWC SP2022 NBB CO2 BB Pistol is the same as pretty much all of the DOA trigger low cost BB Pistols, where the trigger has to do most of the work rather than the blowback operation. Much of which is pulling back the fairly strong internal hammer spring. That said the Double Action Only trigger pull is lighter than most DOA triggers with an medium or average length of trigger pull. I would say the trigger is suitable as an action shooter for quick repetitive shots.
Accuracy: At this point I have reviewed a similar older version of this KWC SP2022 NBB CO2 BB Pistol. I did make a Field test video where I Tested it out along with 2 other pistols so I will add link to that video here but I do plan on making a dedicated Field Test Video for this newer version of the KWC SP2022 NBB CO2 BB Pistol down the road a bit. For now all I can tell you is it shot around 350 fps with about a 3 inch grouping shooting 10 rounds at a paper target setup 30 feet away. We will see how I do in test number two!
Build Quality: The KWC SP2022 NBB CO2 BB Pistol is mostly all metal with the exception of the full size all metal magazine, internal barrel, trigger and some other internal metal parts. The slide and frame are however plastic so when you take the all metal magazine out of the gun it does feel rather light weight and cheap, when you pop the magazine back in, it all of a sudden feels so much heftier in the hand with a decent overall weight of a bit over a pound and a half. I like that the KWC SP2022 NBB CO2 BB Pistol is not made like a lot of other low cost BB Pistols where they simply mould two halves of the gun and slap them together with screws on one side. The KWC SP2022 NBB CO2 BB Pistol is built more like a traditional pistol with a separate frame and slide along with the magazine. The slide does not function in any way however.
Realism: The KWC SP2022 NBB CO2 BB Pistol as it is made more like a real gun in terms of separate parts, does look more realistic as there are no telltale screws on one side. It also has a recessed barrel and the full size drop out metal magazine helps out with realism. You also have a working safety and magazine release but the hammer is just there for show, as it doesn’t even function when you pull the trigger back. You can only work the hammer with your thumb, and even then it does not function for any actual use shooting the pistol. Even though it is mostly plastic, the 1.67 pound weight does give the impression of more metal than is actually in the Airgun.
Pros:
Decent weight to it considering it is mostly plastic, full all metal magazine helps a lot.
Very Accurate Sig Sauer SP2022 replica without licensing.
Recessed barrel for added realism.
Full size all metal magazine.
Front sight does have a white dot for easier sight viewing.
Nice medium/light and fairly quick double action trigger
Picatinny rail for accessories.
Fairly affordable.
Simple design means it will be reliable.
Cons:
Almost all plastic.
No blowback - slide does not move either
Hammer does not move at all when shooting.
Non adjustable rear sight.
Comments:
I for the most part prefer blowback Airguns as I like the single action triggers you get with them, and that little bit of recoil that make shooting them that much more fun. The KWC SP2022 NBB CO2 BB Pistol is a good option if you not as interested in blowback action or perhaps want something a little bit less expensive with a bit higher velocity and more shots per CO2. You also tend to get more reliability with a non blowback Airgun as there are a lot less working parts to fail on you. I am not worried about the plastic as it is well made but a metal slide would be nice and there are version of these KWC 2022 pistols that do have metal slides, but they tend to come and go and are not always available. The only difference between the two would be the additional weight and better balance of the metal slide. the KWC SP2022 NBB CO2 BB Pistol is a nice looking Airgun and should perform well in my upcoming Field Test Shooting Video.
