I have two new products from Sig Sauer Airgun devision to share with everyone here on the channel. They are both really different but I really like them both. Before I get into it I want to thank Sig Sauer for sending me both of these Airguns.
First up is the Sig Sauer MCX Virtus .22 Caliber PCP Air Rifle I showed y at SHOT Show this year. Well now it’s shipping and I have one :) At this time the only version of the Sig Sauer MCX Virtus .22 Caliber PCP Air Rifle is the 700 fps 12 not popguns version. This version is legal in Canada but you will need an unrestricted Firearms License since it falls under the definition of a non-centered fired long gun in the Canadian Firearms Act. Perhaps Sig Sauer will come out with a detuned version under 500 fps?
The Sig Sauer MCX Virtus .22 Caliber PCP Air Rifle uses a 13CI-3000PSI tank situated at the rear of the gun as part of the butt stock. You will need some sort of a pump or scuba pressurization system to refill the PCP tank which will get you up to 150 to 200 shots per fill up. The belt fed magazine holds 30 rounds which you can fire as fast as you can pull the semi auto trigger. By the way the trigger pull indexes the belt magazine while the PCP air pressure works the bolt allowing for a fairly smooth trigger pull. You will need to charge the Sig Sauer MCX Virtus .22 Caliber PCP Air Rifle before you start shooting.
The Sig Sauer MCX Virtus .22 Caliber PCP Air Rifle weighs in at 7.5 pounds, has a 17.5 inch barrel and a total length of 37.5 inches.
In this SHOT Show Las Vegas 2020 Interview Video Scott takes us through a range of new products from Air Venturi.
Scott and I talk about the Air Venturi TR5 and how it came about to fill the hole the Baikal MP-61 left behind. We also talk a look at some new Air Rifles, a pumper called the Butterfly with a super cool linkage based system that makes pumping a lot easier. A PCP side lever cocking Air Rifle that I’m not even sure has a name yet but will be available in .177 .22 and .25 caliber pellet for around $299 US.
The only Air Venturi replica we looked at is a new Springfield Armory under lever Spring Piston Air rifle modeled after the M1A. Last up Scott went showed us how the Bada Bang targeting system is shaping up and looks to be almost ready for production.
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!
This year Sig Sauer was showcasing their Airsoft Pistols with a new line called the Proforce series geared towards high end training. Sig has also included new Reflex Red Dot Sights that can be ordered already on the gun or as an add on accessory. The Proforce Pistol line includes both the M17 and M18 series Sig Sauer pistols.
Last year at SHOT Show 2019 Sig had introduced their Virtus .22 Caliber PCP Semi Auto Rifle but it was not ready at that time. Well now the Sig Sauer Virtus is ready to ship and yours truly will be getting one of these bad boys for review! Since the .22 caliber PCP Sig Sauer Virtus shoots around 700 fps with a 12 foot pound energy level you will need a PAL firearms license if you live in Canada but the Sig Sauer Virtus is a considered a “long gun” so no registration will be required in Canada.
Watch my Sig Sauer SHOT Show 2020 Las Vegas Interview for more info and cool stuff presented by Stephanie from Sig Sauer.
Here we go again, another round of SHOT Show videos brought to you direct from Replica Airguns!
As always I like to start off with a Teaser Video with a few quick clips of some of the new products I had the opportunity to take a look at at this years SHOT Show 2020 Las Vegas.
I will be rolling out Interview Videos as quickly as I can edit them and put them together for the following Airgun Related companies:
Sig Sauer
Umarex
Crosman - Velocity Outdoors
ASG
Air Venturi
Chiappa
So sit back and enjoy this years Replica Airguns SHOT Show 2020 Las Vegas Teaser Video!
We had a lot of great new Airguns that I reviewed this year at Replica Airguns. Some of them really stood out to me and so I made a video showing my Favorite Replica Airgun Picks of 2019. Of course there where many other Airguns that could has just as easily made this video but I had to draw the line somewhere and pick the ones that in my opinion where the best of 2019. Make sure to watch my Vimeo video where I go into some more details on why I liked each Airgun.
Below is a list of the top Replica Airgun Picks of 2019:
It’s always fun shooting a Paintball Gun like the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol for a change but in this case it’s not all that different then shooting one of my BB or Airsoft pistols, with the acceptation of the .43 caliber rubber balls. I went with rubber balls rather than Paintballs inside my Sea Can Indoor Airguns Shooting Range to keep things clean. Actual Paintballs may have performed a little different than the rubber balls but this gives us a good idea on what the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is capable of
First, I put five rounds through my Chrony Chronograph to see what the real world FPS would be, keep in mind I was using rubber balls rather than paintballs and the rubber balls are a little bit heavier than paintballs so this could bring the FPS down a bit compared to the slightly lighter paintballs. Using a brand new CO2, the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol average 315 FPS which was higher than the claimed 290 FPS! Temperature inside my Sea Can Airgun Shooting Range was around 24 degrees Celsius or 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Moving on to my accuracy testing, as per usual I positioned myself 30 feet back from my fresh paper target and using a seated and rested shooting position I shot a full magazine (8 rounds) of rubber balls on target with the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol. I was not expecting as tight groups as I would get using a BB or Airsoft pistol since Paintball guns are not known for super tight groups. I did manage to shoot around a 6 inch group with most of the shots staying within around 3 inches all pretty well centered. This is about what I was expecting as paintball guns are not meant for "target practicing", generally you are going to be shooting human sized objects and hoping to get some well placed center mass shots. 3-6 inch accuracy at 30 feet will get the job done for sure. I did find the trigger using rubber balls did have a bit more friction while the inner barrel seated itself into the magazine. When shooting quickly with the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol it is much less noticeable and overal the trigger is not bad.
I know some of you are going to ask about using the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol with rubber balls for non-lethal self defense and the reality is it will not stop a person who is determined on hurting you. There is simply not enough stoping power here. Will it a lot if you get shot up close with one of these Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistols especially directly on the skin ? For sure but a well timed punch has more chance of dropping someone than a .43 caliber rubber ball moving at around 300 FPS. You may scare someone off simply by brandishing it but you take the chance of the person calling your bluff. Perhaps 8 rubber balls to the face will change their mind but that's a chance you have to figure out if you want to take or not.
Type: Paintball Gun. Manufacturer:Umarex - T4E. Model:S&W M&P9 M2.0 Materials: Metal & Polymer. Weight: 763 grams (1.7 pounds). Barrel: Smooth bore. Power Source: 1x12 gram CO2. Action: Semi-Automatic with blowback action. Ammo Type: .43 Caliber Paintball or Rubber Ball. Ammo Capacity: 8 Rounds. FPS: 290.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol feels a lot like a double action trigger mainly because when you pull the trigger the inner barrel travels backwards into the magazine which seals off the barrel form the magazine so less CO2 is wasted going it not the magazine and also placing a paintball round in the barrel. This does make the trigger a little bit longer and heavier than a single action trigger. I believe the internal hammer/striker is engaged from the blowback action.
Build Quality: The build quality of the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is really very good, metal parts are where you would expect them, the slide, slide catch, barrel, magazine and most internal parts giving the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol a nice near 2 pounds (1.7 pounds) of weight with the magazine in which makes the Paintball version a little heavier than the real steal version (1.54 pounds) but once the real steal version is loaded with a full mag this may even out a bit. The Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol does have a polymer frame but again this is normal with todays modern guns and helps keep the weight down. Fit and finish is also very good!
Realism: The Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is a near perfect replica of the real steel S&W M&P9 M2.0 Pistol, from the fully licensed markings to the large .43 caliber diameter barrel. If you placed the Paintball version side by side with the real steel version I doubt you could tell them apart unless you start inspecting it really close up and working the action. You will find that the slide cycle distance is a bit shorter than it would be meaning that when the side catch is engaged the slide does not go as far back as it the real 9mm S&W M&P9 M2.0. Field stripping the Umarex T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol will requires some tools and pin removal.
The Umarex T4E HDS Double Barrel .68 caliber CO2 Paintball Shotgun is a two shot short barrelled that could come in handy for CQB engagements but it looks to be designed also as a none lethal home defence weapon since you can load a CO2 without piercing it but when in a bind you simply hit the CO2 screw and it pierces the CO2 activating the gun for instant use. I will have to test this one out to see if it really has enough power to stop an intrude, after all you only get two shots so they better count!
I don’t often make many Paintball Review Gun Videos let alone Shooting Videos so this one is a bit different than the norm. Lucky for me I have some .43 caliber Rubber Paintballs that I can use in my Indoor Sea Can Shooting Range so as not to make a mess of things. As per usual I like to use a brand new 12 Gram CO2 Cartridge for my testing and for your reference the temperature was right around room temperature or 21 degree Celsius, 69 degrees Fahrenheit.
First up I generally perform my Chronograph test to see what the real world velocity or fps is for the Umarex T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle. I shot a short string of rubber rounds through my Chronograph and was able to get a 280 fps average with the Umarex T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle. This is plenty enough power for the intended target down range to feel the paintball effect without causing too much trauma.
With the remaining 10 rounds in my Umarex T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle magazine, I then setup a brand new paper target 30 feet down range and using a rested and seated shooting position and carefully unloaded the Umarex T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle into the target. I was a bit surprised to see the rounds spread out a fair amount perhaps as much as 10-12 inches but at least half where in the target rings.
I would not recommend the Umarex T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle as a long range paintball marker but it would be perfect for close quarters ultra realistic simulations. I would like to give actual .43 caliber paintballs a try outside to see if accuracy would be better, maybe the rubber balls grip the barrel a bit too much causing some random and unexpected spinning to occur? Either way the Umarex T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle is a really unique and fun Paintball Gun to shoot, maybe not for everyone but if you want the most realistic Paintball Marker then it would be a great option.
Type: Paintball Rifle. Manufacturer:Umarex - T4E. Model:H&K 416. Materials: Metal & Polymer. Weight: 3016 grams (6.65 pounds). Barrel: Metal smooth bore. Power Source: 1x12 gram CO2. Action: Semi-Automatic with internal working bolt blowback action. Ammo Type: .43 Caliber Paintball or Rubber Ball. Ammo Capacity: 14 Rounds. FPS: 330-460?
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on Umarex T4E T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle is pretty typical of what you would find on an AR styled rifle. Since the internal bolt cycles with each shot, the trigger is engaged and the Paintball rifle is ready for the next shot with a very light and short single action trigger pull.
Accuracy: So far I have not had the opportunity to test the Umarex T4E T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle other than placing a few rounds down range into my ammo trap to see how it shot and felt. Without actually shooting rounds through the Chronograph I don’t really know what the fps velocity is going to be but I can say it felt like it was shooting perhaps even over 400 fps? Out of the box the Umarex T4E T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle was shooting rather low but you can adjust the rear sight for windage and elevation.
Build Quality: The build quality of the Umarex T4E T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle is very good since this Paintball gun is made for military and law enforcement training use. You’re going to find high quality metal and polymer where you would normally find them on the real steel version. The bolt carrier is expected to last at least 3000 shots but you do get an extra one included with it.
Realism: The fully licensed Umarex T4E T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle is about as realistic as you are going to get in a Paintball Rifle. It’s basically made very similar to a GBB Airsoft Rifle of the same type with a working bolt and pretty much all working parts on it. You can even break the Umarex T4E T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle down into the lower and upper receiver halves. The bolt blowback action is not super strong but this may be a good thing since CO2 usage will be more efficient allowing for higher fps and more shots per CO2.
Seem to have decent fps, will see when I do my Field Test?
Full Size drop out magazine that holds 14 .43 caliber Paintballs and the CO2.
Removable 4 position adjustable stock.
Removable and adjustable iron sights.
Lots of rials for adding accessories.
Fully licensed H&K 4116 replica via Umarex.
Blowback does give a bit of recoil feedback and allow for a true single action trigger.
Very high quality metaled polymer build.
Used as a training weapon for military and law enforcement.
Comes with extra bolt carrier.
Cons:
Very expensive, well over $1000!!
Comes with blue hardware but can be swapped out (Pistol grip, But stock, Magazine).
Bolt carrier may wear out at around 3000 rounds.
Comments:
If’ you’re looking for the ultimate in Paintball Rifle realism the Umarex T4E T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle is going to meet that requirement for sure. It will come at a pretty decent cost but you are going to have a very unique Airgun that not many people will own. And as they say you do get what you pay for which is realism, quality and reliability. I look forward to testing out the Umarex T4E T4E HK 416 Training Marker CO2 Paintball Rifle on the Chronograph using some rubber ball ammo, I may even take it outside for some paintball ammo shooting, we will have to see…
Here we go, the first SHOT Show Interview for 2019 and why not kick things off with Sig Sauer. After all Sig Sauer has been super dedicated to bringing new Airgun designs to the airgun community year after year and this year at SHOT Show was no exception!
My favorite item from Sig Sauer this year at SHOT Show was the Sig Sauer P365 ASP, as the name suggests it is based on their 9mm firing real steel Sig Sauer P365 and somehow similar to how they fit 10 rounds of 9mm ammo into such a compact magazine and gun, the BB version also manages to jam a 12 gram CO2 cartridge into a very tiny drop out metal magazine! Really looking forward to getting my hands on this one!
Sig Sauer launched several Airsoft guns, an AEG Airsoft Rifle called the MCX Virtus and two GBB Airsoft Pistols, the M17 and P226. All of them fully licensed and also should be Canada import ready.
Last up but something that we have all been waiting for in an ASP Pellet firing rifle, the Virtus 22 Caliber PCP Rifle. Well the name says it all. It’s basically an MCX Pellet Rifle but now in 22 caliber and with a PCP tank built into the rear stock. In Canada you will need a PAL to buy one but import into Canada should not be a problem for license holders since the 22 Virtus PCP will quality as a long gun.
I’m back from SHOT Show Las Vegas 2019 and as always I had an awesome time. I love January since I get to go to SHOT Show each year. What an awesome job!
This year was another great show with lots of new products from the Airgun companies. I managed to get seven interviews in this year so I have my work cut out for me editing and uploading all of these informative YouTube Videos.
For now here is a SHOT Show Las Vegas 2019 Teaser Video along with some photos…
Some more stuff came in and I just had to show it off before moving on with the reviews. I know you're going to like it so here we go again...
First off the super anticipate Umarex Glock 19 CO2 BB Pistol has arrived and is now available in our Canada and US online Replica Airgun Stores so get yours while we still have them, if we still have them? No this version is not a blowback or even working slide version and yes it has the dreaded stick mag! That all said the Umarex Glock 19 CO2 BB Pistol feels really solid and well made and heck it's the first licensed Airgun Glock ever so it's a good start. Umarex has said that more elaborate blowback versions will be coming out down the road. There are full blowback Airsoft version licensed by Umarex but the FPS is too slow right now for us to import them into Canada, hopefully there is a fix for this at some point...
I have been waiting at least three months now for my AW Custom AG-HX2003 Double Stack Tactical 1911 Full Blowback CO2 BB Pistol to show up. Canada Customs got their hands on it and felt it needed to be processed for three months before delivering it to me. at least I did end up getting it without a fight!
It was fun to shoot the Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol for a change but really it was a lot like shooting one of my BB and Airsoft pistols, except in this case I was shooting .43 caliber rubber balls. I decided to not use paintballs inside my nice new Sea Can Indoor Airguns Shooting Range to keep things clean :)
First, I put three rounds through my Chrony Chronograph to see what the real world FPS would be, keep in mind I was using rubber balls rather than paintballs and the rubber balls are a little bit heavier than paintballs so this could bring the FPS down a bit compared to the lighter paintballs. Using a brand new CO2, the Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol average 316 FPS which was high than the claimed 290 FPS!
Moving on to my accuracy testing, as per usual I positioned myself 30 feet back from my paper target and using a seated and rested shooting position I shot a full magazine (8 rounds) of rubber balls on target with the Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol. I was not expecting anything close to what I would get with a BB or Airsoft pistol since Paintball guns are not known for super tight groups. I did manage to shoot around a 6 inch group with most of the shots staying within around 3 inches. This is about what I was expecting as paintball guns are not meant for "target practicing", generally you are going to be shooting human sized objects and hoping to get some well placed center mass shots. 3-6 inch accuracy at 30 feet will get the job done for sure. I did find the trigger using rubber balls did have a bit more friction while the inner barrel seated itself into the magazine. When shooting quickly it is much less noticeable.
I know some of you are going to ask about using the Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol with rubber balls for non-lethal self defense and the reality is it will not stop a person who is persistent on hurting you. There is simply not enough stoping power here. Will it "sting like a bitch" if you get shot up close with one of these Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol? For sure but a well timed punch has more chance of dropping someone than a .43 caliber rubber ball moving at around 300 FPS. You may scare someone off simply by brandishing it but you take the chance of the person calling your bluff. Perhaps 8 rubber balls to the face will change their mind but that's a chance you have to figure out if you want to take or not.
As a paintball pistol, the Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is about the best I have seen in terms of replica paintball guns. It is as good as they come for realism, even better than many BB and Airsoft guns and in terms of performance it did not let me down either.
Type: Paintball Gun. Manufacturer:Umarex - T4E. Model:Walther PPQ M2. Materials: Metal & Polymer. Weight: 848 grams (1.87 pounds). Barrel: Smooth bore. Power Source: 1x12 gram CO2. Action: Semi-Automatic with blowback action. Ammo Type: .43 Caliber Paintball or Rubber Ball. Ammo Capacity: 9 Rounds. FPS: 290.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol feels a lot like a double action trigger, internally it may be striker fired so expect a bit of a longer trigger pull with a fairly long reset and a medium strength trigger weight. There is also a working trigger safety which works well.
Build Quality: The build quality of the Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is really very good, metal parts are where you would expect them, the slide, slide catch, barrel, magazine and most internal parts giving the Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol a nice near 2 pounds (1.87 pounds) of weight with the magazine in which makes the Paintball version a little heavier than the real still version (1.53 pounds) but once the real steal version is loaded with a full mag this may even out a bit. The Walther PPQ M2 does have a polymer frame but again this is normal with todays modern guns and helps keep the weigth down. Fit and finish is also excellent.
Realism: The Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol is a near perfect replica of the real steel Walther PPQ M2, form the fully licensed markings to the large .43 caliber diameter barrel. If you placed the Paintball version side by side with the real steel version I doubt you could tell them apart? You will find that the slide cycle distance is a bit shorter than it shoudl be meaning that when the side catch is engaged the slide does not go as far back as it should. Filed stopping the Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol may requires some tools.
Full Metal slide that locks back on the last shot.
All metal heavy full size drop out magazine adds some additional weigth to the gun.
Very Accurate Walther PPQ replica, almost indistinguishable from the real still version.
Everything works pretty much like the real gun so a great training tool.
Adjustable yellow dot sights.
Working trigger safety.
Fit and finish is excellent.
Magazine spring release really shoots the magazine out.
Love the .43 caliber barrel opening, adds to realism.
Cons:
Trigger pull seems a bit long as it shoots like a double action trigger, may be striker fired internally?
Magazine only holds 9 rounds, so you are going to need extras.
Blowback action is not full blowback, more like a typical BB airgun.
Comments:
I'm really glad to see another Replica Paintball Pistol available in Canada, especially such a well made and realistic version. The Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol looks to be perhaps the best to date .43 caliber Paintball gun on the market and may even prove to be an option for non-lethal personal defense when using rubber balls with it. Not that I would trust my life with it but it sure looks the part and I am sure most people would not want to be on the receiving end of 9 rounds coming at you. As a training tool and Paintball gun the Umarex Walther PPQ M2 .43 Cal. Paintball Pistol offers superb realism for this purpose. I am looking forward to testing mine out shortly :)
Power Sources Covered in this review: CO2 - Spring Piston - Variable Pump -HPA (High Pressure Air)
Pro’s:
CO2 Airguns allow for fast repeat shooting, great for action shooters, generally CO2 Airguns will supply a medium power range. No need to pump or cock your CO2 powered weapon in-between shots and a CO2 power source can allow for a very realistic action of the gun you are shooting.
Spring Piston Airguns are best suited of single shot situations, they can provide low to high power output depending on the spring used. Spring Piston Airguns are very low cost to operate since you only need to buy the Pellets or BB’s. Spring Piston Airguns are not greatly effected by outside temperatures.
Variable Pump Airguns allow you to decide how much power your gun will have and can offer very high power output depending on the Airgun. Variable Pump Airguns are very low cost to operate since you only need to buy the Pellets or BB’s. Variable Pump Airguns are not greatly effected by outside temperatures. Variable Pump Airguns generally have very low recoil and vibration.
HPA (High Pressure Air) Airguns generally do not require pumping or cocking in-between shots and some even come in semi automatic or bolt action. HPA Airguns can have very high power output and even be used on larger game using large caliber ammunition. HPA Air Rifles have lower recoil and low vibration. HPA Airguns can be charged ahead off time so they are ready for use when you need them.
Con’s:
CO2 Airguns require the additional cost to buy the CO2 as they do not function without it. CO2 Airguns have a limited power output and lose power as you shoot and use up the CO2. CO2 Airguns are effected by hot and cold temperatures and will have less power in colder temperatures and may not even work in super cold environments.
Spring Piston Airguns require cocking before each shot. Spring Piston Airguns can have a lot of recoil and vibration, so much so that special optics must be considered when buying an optical sight. The action of the spring recoil can effect accuracy, especially if you are not use to the vibration and recoil or have spent some time practicing using a Spring Piston Airgun.
Variable Pump Airguns will require multiple pumps to achieved maximum power output which can take some time in-between shots. So you are going to have to work for each shot.
HPA (High Pressure Air) Airguns require the use of a manual pump to fill their built in air tank to maximum pressure and it does take a lot of time to manual fill an HPA tank. Alternatively you can have the air tank filled at a shop or buy a pressurization system similar to a scuba tank out paintball setup, the cost of this setup can be very high but will save you the castle of manually pumping air in to your HPA Airgun. HPA Airguns are generally a little more bulky then other Airgun systems since they have to accommodate fairly large air pressure tanks.
Power: Generally speaking a longer barrel is going to allow for more power. If you compare most CO2 pellet pistols to CO2 Pellet Rifles, you will find that the CO2 Pellet Pistol will generally shoot about 300-400 fps using a standard lead Pellet. On the other hand many CO2 Pellet Rifles can get up to as high as 600 fps which is much better speed for humanly shooting some smaller pests.
If you are talking about Springer or Variable Pump Air Pistols versus their Air Rifle counterparts, again the Air rifles will generally shoot with much more power. I have seen some none CO2 Air Pistols shoot up into the 500-600 fps range but again compered to none CO2 Air Rifles, they can even double these numbers.
Some of you may ask about Steel BB Pistols and Rifles. I personally would never really sue this type of ammunition for pest control simply because most BB Rifles have much less raw power than Pellet Rifles and steel BB’s will not be as accurate at any type of longer distance.
Stability: When holding any rifle from the shoulder, you have three point of contact with your body spread out in a much longer distance than a two handed pistol grip. Holding steady even without a rested position is much easier using a rifle. Even when using a rested position, the rifle will more stable.
Accuracy: A big factor in accuracy is stability but there are also other factors to consider. Barrel length its self does not make the gun more accurate, you only need a few inches of barrel length to get constant accurate results from a gun. What makes longer barreled guns more accurate is the distance between the rear and front sight. The closer the sights are together, the more margin for error there is, the longer you spread out the sights from each other, the more accurate the sighting system becomes.
Overall More Humain: When you consider Air Rifles tend to have higher power, better accuracy and overall more consistency than shorter barreled Air Pistols. The logical choice for humanly shooting a Pest is to use the Air Rifle. The last thing you want to do is make any animal suffer, even if it has been causing a lot of havoc around your home or farm or place of business.
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.
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…
