Author Archives: Dennis Adler

Umarex Glock G17 Blowback Action Model

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Umarex Glock G17 Blowback Action Model

A first look at the long awaited CO2 pistol Part 3 Part 2 Part 1

By Dennis Adler

Compared to the vast majority of contemporary handgun manufacturers, Glock is a young company with a mere 36 year history compared to others that have been around for centuries. As a CO2 pistol it is also the newest brand compared to established names like Sig Sauer, Heckler & Koch, Colt, Beretta and Smith & Wesson. Interestingly, Glock’s influence on older armsmakers like Sig, Walther, H&K, and S&W (among others), has led to a new era of striker-fired, polymer-framed pistols following the Glock design method.

I write Airgun Experience for you, the reader, but to be honest, I choose the test guns for myself. I have very specific interests in firearms with a tendency to favor old designs with history (in case you hadn’t noticed). For Glock, history only began in 1982, yet in that comparatively short 36 year span the Austrian armsmaker has accomplished nearly as much manufacturing handguns as companies established more than 150 years ago. Glock has challenged the Colt’s Patent Firearms Mfg. Co., Smith & Wesson, Sig Sauer (originally established in Switzerland in 1860 as Sig Arms AG), FN (Fabrique Nationale) established in Liege, Belgium, in the late 19th century, as well as time-honored armsmakers like Heckler & Koch, Walther, Browning, and Beretta, the world’s oldest firearms manufacturer. Glock has not only held its own but achieved global success in the military, law enforcement, private sector and civilian markets, displacing many of the aforementioned as a primary sidearm. read more

Umarex Glock G17 Blowback Action Model

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Umarex Glock G17 Blowback Action Model

A first look at the long awaited CO2 pistol Part 2 Part 1

By Dennis Adler

Making it realistic means making it the right size in every detail and the new Umarex Glock G17 is dimensionally exact to the centerfire Third Model (top) and it fits into all Glock holsters as cleanly as the 9x19mm pistols.

I have said this before but it is worth repeating, a good air pistol doesn’t have to be a training gun but a CO2 training gun has to be a good air pistol. The Umarex Glock G17 qualifies as both. One of the most important features a training gun must have is correct dimensions so that it can interchange with holsters, magazine pouches, and primary accessories used with its centerfire counterpart. Even if you are not looking for a training gun, have no intention of ever owning a centerfire G17, it should at least fit in a G17 holster. When the Umarex Glock G19 came out earlier this year it failed that requirement by being a fraction oversized through the triggerguard which prevented it from fitting into or locking in any G19 level 1 or higher injection molded holsters. It fit tightly into an ASG Strike Systems injection molded Level 1 tactical holster made for a basic size gun, and it fit into almost every leather holster I tried. Leather gives, injection molded holsters don’t. read more

Umarex Glock G17 Blowback Action Model

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Umarex Glock G17 Blowback Action Model

A first look at the long awaited CO2 pistol Part 1

By Dennis Adler

The new Umarex Glock G17, which will soon be available from Pyramyd Air, is almost everything one could ask for in a blowback action CO2 model designed to be both a sport shooting and training pistol. Matching the Third Model Glock 17 inch for inch, the CO2 model has all the correct Glock factory markings and a slide that locks back on an empty magazine. Also note the accurate shape of the barrel with the slide locked open.

The Glock 17 was intended to be the most advanced military handgun design of the 20th century but I think Gaston Glock’s intent in designing the G17 was not solely to win the Austrian Military trials in 1982 (becoming the country’s standard issue military handgun the following year) but for the Austrian-made semiautomatic pistol to eventually replace every military handgun in the world. Over the past 36 years Glock has almost achieved that goal, intended or not. Glock models are carried by U.S. military units, foreign military and government agencies, U.S. state and local police, international law enforcement, and by civilians in greater numbers than almost any other handgun currently in production. read more

Umarex Ruger Superhawk Part 3

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Umarex Ruger Superhawk Part 3 Part 2 Part 1

The sum of its parts…

By Dennis Adler

There are two good reasons to use Bianchi Speed Strips with the Ruger Superhawk and pellet-loading cartridges. One, the speed loaders are hard to align with the cylinder since they are generic designs and hit the side of the grips on the Superhawk making it harder to load and drop the rounds into the cylinder. And two, the pellet shells won’t fit the BB cartridge speed loaders. You can get Bianchi Speed Strips at most gun shops and on line. The ASG pellet cartridges fit the .38 Special/.357 Magnum Speed Strips.

What do I mean by “The sum of its parts” when describing the Umarex Ruger Superhawk? As I have pointed out, the Ruger uses the same frame and internal parts as the Umarex S&W-licensed 327 TRR8. This platform was also used for the original ASG Dan Wesson models (obviously not accurate in styling), but not for the newer Dan Wesson Model 715 pistols introduced in 2016 and 2017. These latest models are almost 100 percent matches for the original centerfire Model 715 Dan Wesson revolvers, as well as the current DW models sold through CZ USA (which owns the Dan Wesson brand and licensed the design to ASG). The S&W 327 TRR8, early Dan Wessons and new Ruger Superhawk are all shared platforms. read more

Umarex Ruger Superhawk Part 2

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Umarex Ruger Superhawk Part 2 Part 1

The sum of its parts…

By Dennis Adler

The Umarex Ruger Superhawk looks better with the top accessory rail removed. While the lines of the bull barrel are accentuated the top of the frame looks cleaner and better contoured. Top rails work for a lot of guns, including the Umarex S&W 327 TRR8, but unless you plan on adding optics to the Superhawk, the rail is more of a distraction than an asset.

If the 2.5 inch ASG Dan Wesson Model 715 is the most authentic CO2 revolver made today then the Umarex Ruger Redhawk-based Superhawk is the antithesis, but don’t let that discourage you from considering this latest Ruger branded wheelgun. Despite having very little to stake a claim on Ruger Redhawk or Super Redhawk styling, it comes up strong in its more S&W-like characteristics and Model 327 TRR8 handling. And none of that is bad.

Removing the accessory rail is simple and only requires a good quality gunsmith’s screwdriver like the Grace USA model pictured, and the small hex-head tool that comes with the Superhawk. Step 1 is to remove the elevation screw, step 2 remove the pin holding the front of the sight tang and 3, be careful not to let the coiled spring under the rear sight fly out. After removing the rear sight, loosen the two set screws holding the rail in place (you can also do this first and let it slip forward) and then slide it off the frame. This is a completely different approach to mounting optics than Ruger took with the Super Hawk, which came with its own set of dedicated scope rings, but the removable rail works well for the CO2 pistol.

First let’s clean up the gun a little to put its best face forward. The question has already been asked whether the top rail can be removed and the answer is yes. It is a multi-step process but easy to do if you have a good screwdriver and are careful not to drop or worse loose some very small parts. To derail the Ruger you begin by removing the rear elevation screw. This allows the rear sight to rise up above the frame. It is pinned at the front (see arrow in the photo) and the Ruger comes with a small hex-head tool that also fits the opening of the pin. Push the tool into the pin hole and using a light mallet (or just use the handle of your screwdriver) lightly tap the tool until the pin starts to come out the other side of the frame. Remove the pin and the rear sight will lift off. Now comes the “watch for small parts” part. As you remove the rear sight there is a small coiled spring in a recess under the rear sight tang and it will either drop out or fly out as you remove the entire rear sight. This has to go back in exactly the same way when you reattach the rear sight. read more

Umarex Ruger Superhawk Part 1

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Umarex Ruger Superhawk Part 1

The sum of its parts…

By Dennis Adler

There are a lot of aspects to the Umarex Ruger Superhawk that echo Redhawk styling cues, including the general shape of the triggerguard and bull barrel, but there is the egregious use of S&W-style recoil shield contours and cylinder latch designs that conflict with the overall appearance of the gun as a Ruger. The CO2 model comes with six BB loading cartridges and a speed loader. As for the finish on the air pistol, that’s another interesting feature. The Super Redhawk was offered in Target Gray when chambered in .454 and .480 calibers (until 2009), though not in .44 Magnum. Target Gray was a proprietary Ruger finish that has been somewhat duplicated here for the CO2 Umarex Ruger Superhawk model.

This is a tale that begins in the mid 1970s when Bill Ruger, Sr., one of America’s preeminent firearms designers began development of a large frame, double action .44 Magnum revolver, the Ruger Redhawk, introduced in May of 1979. The improved Super Redhawk model was added in 1986, and both were to become two of the most famous double action handgun designs of the late 20th century.

The Redhawk looked different than most large frame double action revolvers back in 1980 and the new .44 Magnum incorporated a number of Bill Ruger-engineered improvements in its design and manufacturing, including a new type of ejector rod that allowed for a heavier frame to surround it (according to Sturm, Ruger designers Harry Sefried and Roy Melcher who worked side-by-side with Ruger, Sr., the frame’s strength was effectively doubled compared to S&W and Colt designs); the cylinder latch was a new system that positively locked the cylinder in place when the gun was fired. The ejector rod was equally innovative not latching to a lug under the barrel like an S&W, something that Ruger considered a somewhat fragile point of conventional double action revolvers. In addition, Ruger worked out a leverage in which the cylinder crane was locked at the front and the rear. Designer Harry Sefried noted that, “This gave us an extremely good way to maintain alignment between the cylinder and the barrel, for strength and accuracy. And again it was a stronger system than their (S&W’s) little tab going into the ejector way out on the end of the ejector rod. Ours was a lot more rugged than it needed to be, and would last about indefinitely.” read more

Sig Sauer’s new M17 Part 6

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Sig Sauer’s new M17 Part 6 Part 5 Part 4 Part 3 Part 2 Part 1

Training Day

By Dennis Adler

The Sig Sauer P320 M17 was taken to task in a training simulation and delivered on center mass accuracy from multiple shooting positions. The rifled steel barrel and pistol operation make the M17 suitable for training out to actual combat distances of 15 yards (45 feet), which is generally pushing the limits for a blowback action CO2 powered pellet pistol.

This is what the P320 M17 ASP is built to do, allow real world training with a pellet-firing blowback action CO2 pistol at actual close quarter combat distances. I shot this entire final test at a minimum of 45 feet from the Law Enforcement Targets cardboard B-27 silhouette. This target provides a center mass area of 6×9 inches containing the 9, 10 and X rings. Any hits inside that area and the 8 ring score 5 points.

The M17 ASP has an internal barrel length of 4.68 inches and a sight radius of 6.6 inches. Shooting tests were shot from various positions such as dropping to one knee (shown), lying down and shooting up at the target, from a kneeling position at right and left angles to the target, and moving from left to right firing in short bursts.

Shooting exercises

I ran several training exercises including drawing and firing (from a UTG tactical vest holster); shooting short bursts from a kneeling position at right and left angles to the target (noted as RA and LA on the target); I practiced reloads, dropping and rolling over onto one side to fire from a ground level position (noted as prone on the target), moving across the target’s path and rapid firing (indicated by either RF or M on the target). All shots were fired using a two handed hold. I expended two CO2 cartridges and the overall test consisted of 80 rounds of H&N Sport Match Green alloy pellets and two B-27 targets. The ambient temperature for the field test was 49 degrees with no wind. read more