I caught up with Mark at the Umarex booth to check out a stack of new releases for 2026, ranging from backyard BB “fun guns,” to a major upgrade for the Thompson, plus a dual-fuel hunting/pest-control PCP concept and some serious less-lethal / training options.
Storm Line BB Rifle (dual CO2, full auto): A traditional, “tamer-looking” BB rifle that’s anything but tame.
Capacity: 400-round main reservoir + 25-round ready magazine
Action: Full auto
Vibe: Affordable, high-volume backyard fun, while keeping the styling less “tactical,” which could help for markets like Canada.
Ridge Tech Lever Action (CO2): Lever actions are hot, and this one leans modern while staying simple and budget-friendly.
Feed system: 8-round magazine + 120-round reservoir built into the mag
Use case: Tin-can plinking and family backyard sessions, “CO2 Red Ryder for adults” energy.
Thompson M1A1 Drum Magazine Upgrade: The #1 request finally landed: a drum mag for the Thompson.
Capacity: 400 BBs
How it runs: Wind as needed to keep feeding similar to Airsoft High cap magazines
Best part: The drum magazine is planned to be sold separately and should work with the older stick-mag Thompson versions too, so existing owners can upgrade without buying the whole gun again.
Outpost (25 cal) “Dual Fuel” PCP Concept: One of the most interesting items in the booth, a platform aimed at practical use over pure plinking.
Power source: Runs on a nitrogen cartridge or as a traditional PCP-style setup out of the box
Caliber: .25 only
Design notes: Side lever, folding stock for compact carry, onboard spare-mag storage (prototype shown)
Positioning: Built for small game / pest work and “preparedness” minded buyers
Canada angle: CO2 use (if supported) could drop velocity, but in this form it sounded like it may currently be on the “too fast for Canada” side, so detuned / CO2-focused variants were discussed as a possibility.
S68 (68 cal, CO2, ~16J): Compact launcher format with real punch for its size.
We made it to the Barra Booth here at SHOT Show 2026 and once again I caught up with Jacob to check out what’s new for 2026, lots of “modern western” energy this year, plus some serious PCP development and even a very functional slingshot.
New “cowboy” premium single-action revolver (PCP cartridge-powered): Unlike most revolvers in this category that run on CO2, this one uses refillable air cartridges (small pressure chambers) filled to ~2000 PSI. You load a pellet into the nose cone, charge multiple cartridges at once using a charging manifold (up to six at a time), then drop the loaded cartridges into the cylinder just like shells.
Caliber shown: .22
Hand pump fill estimate: roughly ~10 pumps (quick top-offs), with a tip to pump → degas → pump againfor more consistent cartridge pressure.
Frame/version: brass frame first, with other versions planned.
Positioning: premium / highest-quality cowboy-style item in their lineup; made in Italy.
Early price talk: roughly $400–$500 range (with cartridges), but still TBD.
1866 CO2 Lever Action – Tactical version (launching this year): Built off their popular CO2-powered 1866 lever action (two CO2 cartridges in the buttstock, shells load into the gun, lever cycles and ejects).
Updates: black stock, M-LOK fore-end, larger Picatinny section, and paracord wrap on the lever for comfort.
Calibers: .22 is the focus (with .177 also planned/available).
New slingshot (with internal grip magazine): A compact, foldable slingshot that stores ammo in the grip and feeds by gravity—engineered so it releases one steel shot at a time.
Uses flat bands (easy to swap/upgrade for strength/velocity).
Sighting: built-in sight plus fiber optic references for left/right-handed use and different ranges.
Replica-style break barrels (AK + M16 formats): Two new break-barrel rifles styled after an AK and an M16 with non-functional replica controls, but standard break-barrel operation.
Sights/optics: adjustable iron sights plus Picatinny rail for optics.
Calibers mentioned/planned: .177 / .22 / .25.
New PCP platform: “300Z” (pre-production prototype in hand): A more serious, modern tactical PCP design with:
Rotary magazine (prototype shown in .30 cal, 8 rounds)
Power testing target: up to ~80 ft-lb in .30 cal
Notes: barrel shroud look—not a suppressor; Canada discussion included licensing/detune possibilities.
Updated PCP: “270Z” (built off the 250Z, redesigned internals): A redesigned system meant to feel more like a traditional bolt action, with increased plenum volume (machined from a solid block of aluminum) targeting ~20% more power than the 250Z.
Features: adjustable cheek rest, M-LOK fore-end
Timing: Q2 target for the 270Z; Q3 target for the 300Z.
Jacob also emphasized an ongoing push toward higher workmanship, better materials, and improved performance, and it shows, especially in the new premium western revolver and the next-gen PCP lineup.
I spoke with Jacob from Barra and he went over a lot of new products adn updated products Barra is introducing this year. We discussed some new PCP Air Rifles with Canada import options, Jacob went over some new updates to their 1866 Muti-pump BB and Pellet Lever Action Rifle, and he went over Barra’s Gen 2 400e AEG BB rifle which include a higher capacity magazine, an increased velocity and unproved internal tolerances for smoother BB flow. Lastly Barra is introducing high grade 4.5mm BB’s that a re procession ground to be more uniform for improved accuracy and better BB feeding. Great for full auto guns.
I’m back from SHOT Show 2025 Las Vegas and finished transferring and uploading all the video from all the cameras we shot it all on. We had a great time, we met a lot of great folks at the booths and it’s now time to put it all together and make some videos for everyone so I can share the experience!
I always like to put out a “Teaser Video” with some quick clips of the entire experience including some of the travels, a bit of the resort we stayed at, shots of Vegas and of course lots of the SHOT Show 2025 experience along with the booths we visited. Enjoy this quick preview and stay posted for my upcoming Interview Videos shortly…
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…
Here is video four in my series of Full Auto Fun videos I make each summer where I pick a few Full Auto Airguns and record some fun outside shooting with them. In this years Full Auto Fun Video series I do a bit of a walk around on my property and shoot a bunch of water filled pop cans. Maybe this doesn’t sound super exciting but I do use some really creative camera angles to capture it all which makes it lot more interesting to watch for sure!
In this fourth Full Auto Fun video, I retest the Barra 400e 4.5mm BB AEG Full Auto BB Rifle in full auto this time, and try a bit of a different camera angle approach with my HoverAir Drone Camera switching it to follow mode as it doesn’t stop recording so easily in this mode. And as expected, it worked a lot better for me with this setup and continued recording the entire video. I also recoded using my Meta Glasses to get the first person view and like the other videos I placed my Insta360 X4 camera on the barrel again to get some cool up front gun angle shots. I think this setup works well and will probably use it for future Full Auto Fun Videos where I am running around the yard shooting stuff. Maybe there will be a couple more bonus guns in this years Full Auto Fun Series? No promises!
Here is video three in my series of Full Auto Fun videos I make each summer where I pick a few Full Auto Airguns and record some fun outside shooting with them. In this years Full Auto Fun Video series I do a bit of a walk around on my property and shoot a bunch of water filled pop cans. Maybe this doesn’t sound super exciting but I do use some really creative camera angles to capture it all which makes it lot more interesting to watch for sure!
In this third Full Auto Fun video I test out the Crosman A4-P AR Pistol and like my other videos it was not “picture perfect” or should I say “Video Perfect”… My cameras actually cooperated pretty good this time around, but one of my magazines had an issue (May have been me), so I had to switch over to my trusty KWA 1911 CO2 Blowback BB pistol to finish the job, good ting I had it on me, got to expect the unexpected!
Here is video two in my series of Full Auto Fun videos I make each summer where I pick a few Full Auto Airguns and record some fun outside shooting with them. In this years Full Auto Fun Video series I do a bit of a walk around on my property and shoot a bunch of water filled pop cans. Maybe this doesn’t sound super exciting but I do use some really creative camera angles to capture it all which makes it lot more interesting to watch for sure!
In this second Full Auto Fun video I test out the classic KWA Mini UZI Blowback CO2 4.5mm BB Machine Gun, at least with this video I did actually shoot in full auto but the video did not go without a few hiccups as my HoverAir Drone decided I was stopping for too long to take my shots and turned itself off a couple of times. And my Meta Glasses decided to get chunky on me and lower their frame rate down to a rather hard to watch frame per second. I did eventually make it though this video but it cold have gone better. No I am not redoing this one as it was shot in Full Auto this time which is what I promised. I can not promise all my tech gear will cooperate exactly s expected but I was able to get some decent footage overall if you can ignore the choppy video for the Meta Glasses for part of the video.
I try to make at least one series of Full Auto Fun video each summer where I pick a few Full Auto Airguns and record some fun outside shooting with them. In this years Full Auto Fun Video series I do a bit of a walk around on my property and shoot a bunch of water filled pop cans. Maybe this doesn’t sound super exciting but I do use some really creative camera angles to capture it all which makes it lot more interesting to watch for sure!
In this first Full Auto Fun video I start with the Barra 400e 4.5mm BB AEG Full Auto BB Rifle, but in the all the camera and audio setup confusion, I forgot to put it in Full Auto (getting old), so this is really not a Full Auto Fun Video, it was still fun and I hope you enjoy it anyway. The other videos in this Full Auto Fun Series are for sure in Full Auto and I will be taking out the Barra 400e and give it another go in Full Auto this time so stay posted for the true Full Auto Fun Video for the Barra 400e shortly!
Many Canadians ask about options for what they perhaps could use for home defense since we are not allowed to really use any kind of a weapon to defend ourselves. A product classified as “Less Lethal” may be of interest to people living in Canada. I interviewed Byrna, just such a company that offers alternatives to standard “Lethal Interventions” for self protection and Josh from Byrna was kind enough to go over their pistol and rifle offerings specifically built to shoot paintball type ammunition for the purpose of stopping bad guys.
I am hoping this is a product we will be able to add to our online Replica Airgun Stores, as they do tick the boxes for import into Canada such as shooting well under 500 fps, yet having the ability to cause serious injury so as to allow them to be considered a non regulated firearm.
Airguns are generally cheaper to buy and for sure cheaper to shoot. Airguns can cost as little as $50-100 to buy while real guns in similar models will cost many time more. Cost of ammo is so much less expensive than Real Gun ammo by a mile!
Difficulty to Obtain:
Airguns in most countries do not require any licensing or registration. Generally there are more available options in Airgun choices than Real Gun choices as restrictions often prohibit many Real Guns to be obtained.
Places to Shoot:
Unless you live in a super remote locations and your laws allow you to shoot Real Guns in those locations, then in most cases you can shoot an Airgun almost anywhere within reason. You can even shoot certain Airgun models in your basement. Airsoft is a great option for indoor shooting as the plastic ammo does not carry very much energy so with minimal effort you can make a backstop that will trap the ammo very well.
Trigger Time:
Because ammo is much less expensive and places you can shoot are easier to find, you can get a lot more Trigger Time under your belt which will also improve your shotgun with Real Guns and after all it’s just fun to shoot guns even if they are Airguns.
Safety:
I am not talking about safety in terms of protection. I am talking about safety as in if you do something stupid and your Gun goes off accidentally. If you accidentally fire your Airgun indoors, the bullet will not travel through floors or walls and potentially harm or kill someone on the other side. If you do manage to shoot yourself with an Airgun, the consequence are much less severe than shooting yourself with a Real Gun. That said, always treat an Airgun as if it was a Real Loaded Gun, as server injury and even death can occur even with an Airgun.
Ware Games and Training Situations:
There is no way you can use a standard Real Gun to shoot at people, unless extensively altered with special parts that make the Real Gun unusable to shoot live ammo. With Airguns you have the choice of using an Airsoft or Paintball gun that are both designed specifically for this purpose.
Pest Control:
If you have the need for pest control in an urban area where you do not want a stray bullet to travel too far or penetrate buildings if a shot where to go awry, then an Airgun designed for accuracy and power may be perfect for the job. Accuracy with target and hunting Airguns is on par if not better than many Real Guns and are have powerful enough to kill a pest humanely without having too much power for the job and having to worry as much about your background.
Prop Guns:
As mentioned already, Airguns can look a lot like Real Guns, so they are perfect to be used as a stand-in or Prop Gun when you need to simulate the look and function of a Real Gun. Again they are easier and cheaper to obtain and if something does go wrong, the consequences are much less severe.
Social Stigma:
Unfortunately Real Guns and perhaps any gun these days are looked upon with a social stigma as being the cause of the Crime rather than a tool used in a Crime. And so people blame Guns for these crimes rather than the people committing these crimes. If a person is motivated enough to do something bad, they are going to do it either way and will use whatever means is available to them to commit these Crimes. Including other means like: Knives, Blunt Objects, Poisons, Vehicles, Explosives… Sad but true! Airguns are not used in homicides or mass shootings as they are completely underpowered for a crime like this. They can however be used in crimes as a show of threat, as they do look a lot like real guns, generally people that use Airguns for real crimes, if challenged will give up immediately as they are completely outgunned. Don’t bring an Airgun to a Real Gun fight, you have better chance with a knife!
In this Field Test Shooting Video I test out the BARRA 400e Full Auto AEG 4.5mm BB Rifle to test out the velocity along with the accuracy and also get an idea on what the rate of fire is in Full Auto mode as on the box it claims 550 rounds per minute using what I would assume is a 7.4 volt battery. I wanted to test the BARRA 400e using an 11.1 volt battery but mine died on me. I will more than likely make a short video where I test out the 11.1 volt battery to see how this effects the rate of fire. If you want more information on specifications and details for the BARRA 400e then check my Table Table Video for it here.
Starting with testing out the Velocity for the BARRA 400e Full Auto AEG 4.5mm BB Rifle I shoot 6 rounds through my Chronograph to average out the fps and I was able to average 385 fps which is fairly close to the claimed 410 fps. Temperature does not effect an AEG as no CO2 is being used. Battery voltage also does not effect velocity as long as there is enough voltage to make the AEG motor pull the spring all the way back. Only trigger delay and rounds per minute are effected by battery voltage.
Moving on to my accuracy findings, I loaded up a full 50 round magazine and first unloaded 10 rounds fairly quickly into my paper target setup 30 feet down range shooting from a seated shooting position with the BARRA 400e resting on a sand bag up front. I was impressed to get close to a 1 inch 10 round grouping that placed just a little to the left and down from the bullseye right out of the box. I could easily center the sights as they are fully adjustable. I then switched the BARRA 400e Full Auto AEG 4.5mm BB Rifle to full auto and shot the remaining 40 or so rounds into the same paper target and even though the grouping opened up a little bit, it was not by much so accuracy in semi and full auto is very good with the BARRA 400e.
I have to say the rate of fire on the BARRA 400e Full Auto AEG 4.5mm BB Rifle using a 7.4 volt battery is rather slow even compared to other Airsoft AEG Full Auto Airguns but I still yet have to test it out using a brand new 11.1 volt Lithium battery so I do expect the rate of fire to improve a noticeable amount. Stay posted for that update video. Even with the slower rate of fire from the BARRA 400e this gun is awesome, it is really accurate and the velocity stays super consistent since CO2 cool down is not a factor. The mostly all metal construction and overall quality is very good and the fact that this is really the first commercial AEG 4.5mm Steel BB Rifle makes that alone a great reason to pick one up.
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.
I have another Full Auto Fun Video this one focusing on 4.5mm Steel BB Versus 6mm Plastic and which one is better in terms of accuracy and shredding power. I perform this super scientific test by shooting obviously in full auto two comparable Steel BB and Plastic Airsoft Rifles at a paper target setup 20 feet away with a magazine as a backer so I can see what the accuracy is like and how much of the paper magazine gets shredded by each ammo being tested.
I have split this video into three separate videos, in video one I compare two similar AR styled rifles, a CO2 powered Blowback 4.5mm BB Rifle to a Gas Blowback 6mm Airsoft Rifle. In video two I compare two AK type Blowback Rifles to each otters, again a CO2 4.5mm Steel BB along with a Gas 6mm Airsoft.
And lastly in Video three I compare my top picks for each category which include a non-Blowback CO2 4.5mm BB Machine gun to an AEG 6mm Airsoft Rifle.
I have another Full Auto Fun Video this one focusing on 4.5mm Steel BB Versus 6mm Plastic and which one is better in terms of accuracy and shredding power. I perform this super scientific test by shooting obviously in full auto two comparable Steel BB and Plastic Airsoft Rifles at a paper target setup 20 feet away with a magazine as a backer so I can see what the accuracy is like and how much of the paper magazine gets shredded by each ammo being tested.
I have split this video into three separate videos, in video one I compare two similar AR styled rifles, a CO2 powered Blowback 4.5mm BB Rifle to a Gas Blowback 6mm Airsoft Rifle. In video two I compare two AK type Blowback Rifles to each otters, again a CO2 4.5mm Steel BB along with a Gas 6mm Airsoft.
And lastly in Video three I compare my top picks for each category which include a non-Blowback CO2 4.5mm BB Machine gun to an AEG 6mm Airsoft Rifle.
I have another Full Auto Fun Video this one focusing on 4.5mm Steel BB Versus 6mm Plastic and which one is better in terms of accuracy and shredding power. I perform this super scientific test by shooting obviously in full auto two comparable Steel BB and Plastic Airsoft Rifles at a paper target setup 20 feet away with a magazine as a backer so I can see what the accuracy is like and how much of the paper magazine gets shredded by each ammo being tested.
I have split this video into three separate videos, in video one I compare two similar AR styled rifles, a CO2 powered Blowback 4.5mm BB Rifle to a Gas Blowback 6mm Airsoft Rifle. In video two I compare two AK type Blowback Rifles to each otters, again a CO2 4.5mm Steel BB along with a Gas 6mm Airsoft.
And lastly in Video three I compare my top picks for each category which include a non-Blowback CO2 4.5mm BB Machine gun to an AEG 6mm Airsoft Rifle.
This is Video 2 of the Full Auto Fun 2022 video series where I shoot my Crosman AK1 Duel CO2 Full Auto BB Machine Gun at some water filled cans and a paper gel target just for some good old fun times! In Video 1 which is already posted, I tested out the Crosman A4-P Duel CO2 Full Auto BB Gun. And in Video 3 which I have not posted yet I will be shooting the Air Ordnance SMG .22 which is a PCP powered Full Auto .22 Caliber Pellet Machine Gun to finish this 2022 Full Auto Fun Series off.
In this years 2022 Full Auto Fun Video series I take three Full auto Airguns outside in the yard and have some fun with them shooting at water filled cans and a gel target. I picked two Full Auto CO2 4.5mm Steel BB Guns from Crosman, the A4-P AR-15 Pistol and the AK1 Rifle which is a modernized AK 47. The Crosman A4-P representing my most compact entry with the Crosman AK1 representing my mid size entry even though it is fairly large. I end this series with the Air Ordnance SMG .22 which is a PCP powered Full Auto .22 Caliber Pellet Machine Gun and yes this represents my large or at least most powerful choice for this years 2022 Full Auto Fun Video.
In this video, (Video 1 of the series) I have some Full Auto Fun with the Crosman A4-P, watch and enjoy along with me as I place 100 rounds down range ripping up some water filled cans and putting holes in my gel target.
In this Preview Unboxing Video I take a look at three rifles, two are Airsoft Rifles and one is an Archery Rifle. Then First Airsoft Rifle form Tokyo Marui i s full Gas Blowback all metal build AR 15 of the highest quality and realism while the second Airsoft Rifle from Sig Sauer is an AEG but again a high quality product for sure. Lastly I take a look at Umarex’s lates Airsaber which now sports dual Arrow configuration for quick follow up shots. I do plan to make future more intensive table top and shooting videos for some if not all of thees Rifles but this video will at least wet your appetite a bit.
