Every persons
definition of a collectable air
weapon may differ and many will
probably disagree with my assessment
of such weapons. The first
impression of appearance is all
important
in combination with the
replication accuracy in relation to
the design of the original firearm.
Of course, I
would like an air weapon to offer excellent handling and firing .177 or .22
pellets with 398 feet per second (FPS) or more velocity through a rifled
barrel, but very often, one cannot have all of these wishes in an
collectable air weapon - we have to make allowances. Many firearm
replicas fire steel ball bearings which invariably are not as accurate
as .177 pellets and tend to ricochet on impact but surprisingly these BB weapons offer incredible
replication of the real firearm.
However, you can purchase
alternatives to steel, such as dust devils, lead, and copper coated lead BBs,
which are less prone to ricocheting. The dust devils live up to their
name and completely disintegrate to dust on impact BUT may not be
suitable for some BB guns. Andy explains in this video -
Semi-automatic pistols with
realistic blow back slides are too
many to mention but only a few could
be considered as collectable. Many of the collectable replicas come in
steel BB variants. A pistol with a
blowback slide is cocked by pulling back
the slide along
the top of the gun to load the first
round. When you pull the trigger, the
firing makes the blow back slide
recoil backwards and the hammer is
cocked for the next trigger pull.
To finish the experience, you want a magazine that loads like the
original firearm. So, snap in the magazine,
pull the top slide back to load, flick up the safety to red for fire and
pull the trigger, pull the trigger and so on until the magazine is
empty; fantastic realistic blowback recoil, the gun is great fun. To decock, just flick the safety on and the hammer clicks back without
firing the weapon.
To ultimate blowback pistol is one that allows
you to field strip the gun by removing the top slide and the slide locks
back when the last round is fired. The
Glock 17 Gen 4 is a beautiful
firearm and the following video overviews the real weapon -
You
cannot have it all in a replica, but the one air pistol that offers as near 100%
replica realism as possible is a BB version and not a .177
pellet. The
Umarex Glock 17 Gen 4 has it all, realistic blowback with
last shot slide lock back, field strippable and a great magazine that
looks and feels like the real thing - how cool is that?
There is probably no better replica than the Umarex Glock GEN4 and I am seriously tempted to purchase one - just because of
the way it performs like the real firearm.
As always, there are
downsides and poor accuracy on the target is one of them. The main Glock weakness is the lack of firepower which
propels 5.37grm steel BBs at around 320 FPS BUT by purchasing a couple
of spare
magazines the Glock delivers an enormous fun factor. You rapid fire the 19
rounds with blowback slide re-cocking recoil, eject the spent magazine (CO2 capsule
still reusable when reloaded with BBs) and pop in
another. No need to worry about loss of power as the new magazine also
has a new CO2 capsule alongside the BBs section. The magazine is about
as authentic as you can get and is made of metal. The Glock GEN4 is
likely to eat CO2 capsules and probably you will have to be nearer a
tin can to hit it, but the fun factor makes up for the extra
costs - be sure to wear proper safety glasses when you are firing steel BBs.
The
German Mauser C96 is an exceptional semi-auto and full auto machine
pistol. The following video is a great overview of the real firearm -
A neat CO2 air replica is the KWC C96 M712 Pistol with full blowback but due to UK law, it can only be purchased in the UK as a semi-automatic variant. It fires 19 steel BBs at 400 FPS and the BBs are stored in the magazine along with a CO2 capsule. It makes for a nice addition to a historic gun collection without having to apply for a Part 1 Firearms Certificate.
Everyone has heard of James Bond so a
Walther PPK/S is a very
collectable firearm and the following video overviews the real weapon -
A CO2 Air Powered BB Umarex Walther PPK/S Pistol (3rd Generation) is a realistic replica of the PPK/S with blowback and last shot fired slide lock back. It is field strippable if you punch out the pin at the above/front of the trigger guard but of course by doing so you will invalidate any warranty. The CO2 cartridge is now screwed into the 3rd generation of the PPK/S by an Allen key which is now a fixed/hinged internal part of the removable grip. In the older variants of the PPK/S it was first a horrible wing key sticking permanently out of the bottom of the butt and later in the 2nd generation a separate wing key that you could lose. This video shows the separate key variant of the 2nd generation PPK/S -
One collectable World War II pistol has to be the
German
P08 Luger. Made by Mauser, this video overviews the real weapon -
It features in most of the war movies and there is a great CO2 Air BB replica version available that matches the looks and the actions of the original. The KWC Luger P08 has the full blowback action, last shot fired slide lock back and is field strippable. The only downside that I can see is that horrible white writing on both sides, especially the 'Made in Taiwan' lettering which I guess could be blackened to remove the eye from it.
One firearm which is replicated in many forms is the
Colt M1911 pistol which is still in
production today, and below is a video of the real weapon -
One of the finest replicas is the CO2 Air BB
Springfield Mil-Spec 1911 Pistol
with its black finish and brown faux wood grips. It is manufactured by
KWC to the specifications of Springfield Arms. It has full blowback,
last shot fired slide lock back and completely field strippable - just
like the real firearm. I am not a fan of white writing on the gun but it
is not a deal breaker.
Another M1911 replica which is well worth considering is the CO2 Air BB
Swiss Arms 1911 Pistol which is also
manufactured by KWC and operates the same
as the Springfield Arms variant.
Swiss Arms also supply stainless variants of their 1911 which all have
brown faux wooden grips - see video below.
The
Beretta 92 is a beautiful gun and Hickok45 overviews the real
firearm in this video -
Swiss Arms badge a very nice replica, the CO2 air powered BB
Swiss Arms KWC Beretta
M92 in black which features slide blowback, last shot fired and is field
strippable. There is also a beautiful
Silver Swiss Arms Beretta 92 with
brown faux wooden grips available. Both the
Beretta 92 variants are manufactured by KWC with full blowback, last
shot fired slide lock back and are fully field strippable. Check out
this great review on a black
Swiss Arms Beretta 92 Pistol. -
I have always been a Beretta fan and the
Beretta M9A3 is one sweet gun.
Hickok45 does a great overview of the real weapon -
The Umarex Beretta M9A3 BB CO2 air pistol makes for a very nice replica of the real firearm. It has full blowback with last shot fired slide lock back and is field strippable.
The Umarex Beretta M9A3 FM (FULL METAL) BB CO2 air pistol makes for a very nice replica of the real firearm. It has full blowback with last shot fired slide lock back and is field strippable.
Beretta manufactures a great pistol, the Beretta M84FS - below in a video which outlines the real firearm -
A Beretta CO2 air BB pistol which is well worth considering for its replication
accuracy of the M84FS is the
Umarex Beretta M84FS with its realistic blowback and last shot
slide back lock. Although not shown in the video the gun is field strippable by
pressing the pin on the left side (above and forward of the trigger) and
locking it using the switch (above the trigger) on the right side - you
can then remove the slide.
If you want to
keep your CO2 air pistol in pristine showroom
condition, do not use a holster
because as sure as night follows
day, the gun coating will wear off.
Best keep the gun in a sturdy case
with foam inlays for the gun and any
accessories.
There are literally dozens of air rifles to choose from and they come in
many shapes and sizes. The following video is an overview of the real
M1
Carbine -
If you are seeking a very close
replication of a Part 1 Firearm rifle, perhaps even one which dates back
to the 1900s, then invariable to achieve the same look and action, the
air rifle will be one like the
Springfield Armoury M1 Carbine a CO2
rifle which fires 4.5mm steel BBs at 425 FPS and offers reasonable accuracy.
However, the real fun comes from the look and the handling of the gun. I
sourced an
International Military Antiques WWII M1 Carbine
Web Sling & Oiler
in America but as yet, I have not found a UK supplier. If anyone has
fired a rifle with its sling swung around the arm to steady the gun,
they will know that it adds very much to the realism. The M1 comes in
two variants, one with a realistic stock made of plastic but looks like
wood and for an extra £100, you can order a proper
wooden stock version. Of course for
true realism you require a
spare magazine as swopping out
magazines is half the fun.
I
must admit that after watching Andy's review of the M1, I was smitten
and it is definitely a rifle worth considering.
Check out this written review from
Hard Air Magazine which comes
across as very positive for the Springfield M1 Carbine with only a couple of wrinkles which in my
opinion are not deal breakers.
Another M1 is the Thomson variant, the
Thomson M1A1 Sub Machine Gun which
was used extensively in World War II, and
here is a video of the real firearm in action -
Umarex have produced a CO2 Air BB replica of this gun in two variants.
One offers full auto for the American market and here in the UK there is
the
Umarex Legends M1A1 Semi-Auto Gun
which fires a single shot on each press of the trigger but it fires as
fast as you can pull the trigger. It holds two CO2 capsules in its
magazine along with 30 BB rounds. The cocking is the same as the real
firearm and there is realistic recoil between each round being fired. It
fires the BBs at around 425 FPS and is fairly accurate even with a
smooth bore barrel.
The two videos below feature the Umarex 'full auto' American version
BUT the Umarex M1A1 Semi-Automatic for the UK market is identical except for the full
auto function. Andy, in the third video below, covers the UK version of
the Umarex M1A1 -
This video of the Umarex M1A1 includes the mechanics of loading the gun
as well as a speed test of the shots (FPS) as well as single and
full auto firing. Again it is an American video so please remember the
UK version of this gun does not fire full auto -
Andy covers the UK version of the Umarex M1A1 replica -
The
M4 Carbine is an exceptional gun and in this video, you can see the
real firearm in action -
Crosman have produced as near as a 'like for like' CO2 powered version
of the M4 that fires BBs. In the UK and as per the law the
Crosman DPMS SBR M4 Carbine is
supplied in semi-automatic only. The gun uses 2 x CO2 capsules stored in
the magazine and fires 25 steel BBs at 430 FPS. A spare magazine is a
must for swopping out and each magazine can fire up to 200 rounds from
the 2 x CO2 capsules.
Check out the following videos -
This video of the Crosman M4 includes the
loading of the BBs in the magazine, near the end at 3:10 -
The German army in World War II made good use of the MP40 Automatic Submachine Pistol and Hickok45 reviews the real weapon -
A very nice replica which can also be purchased in battlefield worn condition
is the
Umarex MP40 German Legacy
(semi-automatic for the UK) machine pistol. It uses two CO2 cartridges in the
magazine which also holds 50 rounds of 4.5mm steel BBs. It has authentic
blowback with a folding stock but it is not field strippable. The
Umarex MP40 machine pistol is a terrific replica and if you want the gun
in pristine factory finish, Umarex provides that variant as well -
The following video is an overview of the real
Lee Enfield bolt action
rifle -
When it comes to an exceptional replica, it has to be the
Lee Enfield SMLE Air Rifle. It is a
carbon copy of the original Lee Enfield bolt action 303 calibre rifle
that was used during the 1st World War but the replica fires BBs and is
CO2 gas powered. It has a wooden stock and steel mechanics. You can
purchase
spare magazines and each one holds
its own CO2 capsule and 15 BBs. Another cracking accessory is a
sling which clips to the swivels
which are standard fittings on the gun. If you want realism, purchase
the optional sling and fire the gun with the sling wrapped around your
left arm (right hand trigger shooters) to hold the gun stock still.
Check out this video and the Lee Enfield section begins at 3:09 -
This video covers the history of the real Russian Gletcher Mosin Nagant carbine variants, including the M44 with the bayonet and which is well discussed at 16:10secs -
If you fancy a replica of the Russian M44, then there is the Gletcher Mosin Nagant M1944 Carbine which is powered by a CO2 capsule and fires 16 BBs at 430 FPS from a slick magazine. It has a plastic stock that closely resembles wood and has all steel mechanics including a beautiful bolt action loading mechanism and a wicked retractable steel bayonet that is dangerous in the extreme. It includes a reproduction strap to add that final touch of realism.
The iconic gun is the
AK47 Assault Rifle which is well
known and well used by terrorists and security forces alike. Here are a
couple of videos relating to the real weapon -
There is a air weapon replica, the Cybergun AK47 which is CO2 gas powered and comes with a real wooden stock, all metal mechanics with a plastic covered magazine holding a steel frame inside that contains the CO2 cartridge and 18 steel BBs. It fires at 380 FPS, is accurate but the downside: there is no recoil blowback or strip down. Andy reviews it in the following video -
If I take a step back to the 1800s then the gun of choice has to be the
1873 Winchester Rifle. The following videos provide a nice overview of
the real firearm -
For those who are seeking a replica that matches the real gun then
Umarex have produced a CO2 air version, the
Umarex Winchester Rifle. There are
two types but my favourite is the 2020 variant that shoots steel BBs and
also .177 pellets.
It boasts shell loading from the side port, just
like the real firearm and ejection of the spent cartridge from the top
port when cocking the under lever.
I will let Andy cover the two variants of the Umarex Winchester in the
following video -
Warning:
Be sure to wear proper safety glasses when you are firing steel BBs as
they are prone to ricocheting.
Air powered replicas of guns from the 1800s are proving very popular,
especially in the UK where owning the real weapon is virtually
impossible. If ever there was a gun which merited an air powered replica
it is the
Springfield 1873 'Trapdoor' Rifle.
It was a gun that was designed to accept a hinged breech loaded
single cartridge. One lives in hope that Umarex or KWC might manufacture
a .177 pellet version based on a rear pellet/cartridge shell design
similar to the Umarex CO2 air powered Colt 'Peacemaker'. I reckon a
realistic replica with a wooden butt and mechanics matching the original
firearm would prove a very popular seller, especially if the FPS and
accuracy were high. Hickok45 provides a great review of the real weapon
-