by B.B. Pelletier
The RWS C225 is the second action pistol Umarex made. It’s no longer available.
This report is for a reader who specifically wanted to know about the C225. Although under the skin it’s identical to all the other Umarex CO2 pistols, the C225 did have the distinction of being the first Umarex gun to be cancelled. Let’s see if we can figure out why.
Second pistol Umarex made
The Walther CP88 was the first pistol Umarex made. It came out in the latter half of 1996 and was received with great fanfare. The realism of the new gas pistol got airgunners excited and anxious to see what would come next. One year later, in September 1997, the RWS C225 hit the streets. However, in sharp contrast to the CP88’s instant fame, the reception for the C225 was less than thrilling. I believe that was for a couple of reasons.
What chilled the C225?
First, the C225 is finished matte black. The CP88 was this gorgeous dark shiny black pistol, but the C225 was a dull gun that hid the realistic castings. The form of the SIG 225 this air pistol copied is also nondescript. Rather than the sexy curves of the P88 firearm that eventually proved too expensive for Walther to manufacture, the 225 is a cookie-cutter pistol that looks like a thousand other handguns few people can identify. It’s a sort of modern action pistol chic, which makes it as unexciting as a Glock.
The second reason for the poor reception is the one that I believe really doomed it. RWS was made the exclusive distributor, to the extent that their name went on the gun. Unlike Colt and Smith & Wesson, which actually produce the firearms that Umarex copies, RWS doesn’t make the 225. I’m sure it must have seemed like a good business decision when the deal was struck; in truth, RWS was searching for its own identity in the airgun world at the same time, and I think this fine little pistol got lost in the shuffle. Sales lagged behind all the other pistols that joined it within a few years. In the end, it was difficult to justify a model that wasn’t selling.
The gun
The C225 is really a rather nice air pistol. Like all Umarex pistols, it’s really a .177 caliber 8-shot revolver disguised as a semiautomatic pistol. The slide separates in the middle, and the 8-shot pellet magazine is loaded into the gun. It fires both single- and double-action without a lot of velocity variation between the two.
Performance
There isn’t a nickel’s worth of difference among the Umarex pistols that have barrels of the same length. The C225 shown here has a 4″ tube, so the maximum velocity with 6.9-grain RWS Hobby pellets (in 1997 that’s what they weighed) was about 370 f.p.s. Heavier H&N Match pellets slowed down to an average of 352 f.p.s. You’ll get about 50-60 good shots from a CO2 cartridge, though the velocity will vary by 90 f.p.s. If you want a tighter spread, you’ll have to stop shooting at 40 shots, but this kind of pistol doesn’t warrant that degree of fanaticism. This is an action pistol that’s designed to shoot many reactive targets, one after another.
With a Tasco Pro Point red dot sight, the C225 delivered acceptable accuracy for can-busting and fast action shooting.
Accuracy
B-Square made a mount for a red dot sight that fit into the rear sight dovetail. It worked well because the design of the pistol allows reloading with the sight mounted. At 10 meters, the C225 groups five shots in 1-1/8″ when you rest the gun and really try. That’s on par with all the Umarex pistols.
If you want a C225, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find. Even after they were cancelled, the interest has not picked up and a used gun in the box should be available for around $100. Find them on the airgun classified sites.
Thanks for the review. Much appreciated. I noticed they also had a model called the “reck Police” that looked exactly the same. What was the difference between them besides the lettering
I’ve heard the Marksman seals leak? The majority of reviews said this. Is it really that bad
-hb
I always enjoy the history lessons. Thanks.
BB Sorry for going off subject, but thought l would pass along my silent pellet trap details. A full roll of the heavier type chicken wire, almost silent and nothing seems to get thru. Outdoor only, due to lead mess it makes.
Marksman seals,
Not that I know of.
B.B.
Chicken wire,
Interesting! Probably not for Manhatten, though.
B.B.
Reck Police,
It it a blue gun? If so, it’s a .43 caliber ball shooter that costs about $200.
B.B.
Don’t forget, it was also available in a pretty well done nickel finish, and also in an enlongated “target” version.
Thanks for the above review, as well as many others I’ve enjoyed.
Thanks for the review and info. i found this article while researching the model I have a first U.S. production run model, and I have enjoyed it a lot. I probably put about 500 rounds through it in the first few months I had it, but since getting married and moving, it had been salted away only to re-emerge for photos of trigger discipline practice. It is a great piece, and will probably see more use in the not-so-distant future, as I now work about 1/4 mile away from an indoor range, and I have 1-hour lunch breaks! Woot!
I moved into a home purchased from a previous owner in July of ’05 and recently was doing some cleaning out of some old cabinets in the garage when I came across a RWS modle C225 Air Pistol. I am totally unfamiliar with them myself but knew I had found something at least fairly valuable and perhaps a nice little air gun to plink with. I was very happy to find your site and the blog so I could get some more information on it. I’m still reviewing your site and links but I’m having trouble finding manuals and accessories for it here in Alaska where I live. If anyone has some advice for a good source of these type items online (in otherwords a reputable dealer) I’d appreciate an e-mail to squeakywarrior@yahoo.com for advice/info on where I might get more information about it.
Thanks again
B. Brown
Anchorage, Alaska
B. Brown,
Contact Umarex USA (they made this pistol) and ask them for a manual.
Also, put a drop of Crosman Pellguinoil on the tip of each new powerlet when you pierce it. Don’t use any other kind of oil.
B.B.
i have to disagree wilth this review as i have owned a silver C225 since 2001 and i must have fired off i good 10,000 or more rounds of rifle superpoints and i have never had a problem, this pistol is a sexy, full metal weapon and i recommend one to anybody.
I am in a similar situation to B. Brown, I found this pistol at my grandmother's estate, where I'm now living.
I really enjoy plinking away with this pistol.
Unfortunately I lost the rear sight, but I was never that happy with the stock sights, but I can't seem to find anything after-market which will fit. I think that I will put some nail polish on the front sight. Between good sights and the right ammo, I'm confident this little plinker will keep me happy all summer.
Any insight would be great.
Thanks,
AdB3
AdB3 ,
And my advice is the same. Contact UmarexUSA for the sight.
http://www.umarexusa.com
Ask to speak to Glenn Siter.
B.B.
How about the CP88 aftermarket sight kit? (Pyramyd AIR > Accessories > Open/target sights > Sets > Walther Adj…)
I would imagine Umarex wouldn't change that 'negitive dove tail', the other one for the Beretta (which I can zoom in on) also looks promising / the same. I don't think the front sight will fit though… Maybe I'm better off trying to find one of those B-Square mounts, and an old paintball red dot sight. But I think I'd rather have Iron Sights.
I am assuming will the 8 shot pellet mags for the CP88 work in the C225.
Also what makes the Pellgunoil so special?
Pellgunoil is special because it will maintain the seals inside your wonderful plinker so that it will still work when you pass it down to your grandchildren. Other oils may attack, rather than preserve these seals, which can become brittle over time. Pellgunoil has also been known to bring broken airguns back from the dead.
Ask your sight questions on the current blog where you will have the largest audience of readers.
/blog//
It doesn't matter what the actual topic of the day is, so ask away. There are fewer people who read the 4 year old articles on a daily basis, so you won't get many answers here.
AdB3,
The 8-shot mags fit all the pistols. Only the S&W is different.
B.B.
I have two C225 pistols and one day I picked up the wrong pistol to go shooting; This caused me to lose my rear sight, because the sight was not tighten down like my more frequent shooter.
I opted to purchase a B-Square mount to attach my Tasco Pro-Point sight, like the picture that have here.
Thank You for this article, it was very helpful.
I recently started a air gun category on my Handgun Forum and I will include your link on my blog.
Thanks Again; Your friend, DoubleAction.
I just picked up my Nickle Plated RWS C225 today and i must say it is an impressive sight. After finding out that the production run was cancelled i became curious as to where mine fell in that run. I noticed the serial number on it and searched the web with no luck. I would love to trace its history and im hoping you might be able to point me in the right direction.
Cheers!