by Tom Gaylord, a.k.a. B.B. Pelletier
The Umarex MORPH 3X is many airguns in one!
I didn’t realize how many readers were watching the Umarex MORPH 3X pistol and rifle until I read some of the comments. Apparently, many of you must use smoothbore BB guns for various reasons, and a long-barreled gun is something you like. Since this one can change from a pistol to a long gun, it’s of particular interest.
As you will remember, the Morph not only has two barrel lengths — it also has two power levels. Each of those conditions had to be tested. I shot at 15 feet, which is one of two established distances for BB guns — the other being 5 meters or just over 16 feet.
The gun has fiberoptic sights, but they do not illuminate well in room lighting. In essence, they were a sharp set of post and notch open sights. That’s better for accuracy, because fiberoptics are less precise since they cover a lot of the target.
Pistol
The gun was loaded with 30 Umarex precision steel BBs and fired in its pistol form first. I started with low power and put 3 shots off the bull before I got the sight picture correct. I had to hold on the center of the bull with the Morph. Then, they went to the center of the bull but made a vertical dispersion. I believe the verticality is mostly my fault, as I’m not yet used to the double-action trigger-pull.
The first 3 shots went below the bull. After that, I found the sight picture and drilled it. Ten shots from 15 feet offhand on low power.
Next, I adjusted the pistol to high power and shot a second target. This time, the shots all went lower, as they often do when they go faster. They also went to the right for reasons I cannot explain. The group is even tighter, so I’m thinking this is where the pistol wants to shoot for me.
On high power, the pistol shot demonstrably tighter and also lower. This turned out to be the best group of the test.
Pistol with long barrel extension
Someone asked if the barrel extension could be added to the pistol without connecting the longer forearm, and it can. They then asked me to show a picture of what that looks like. Here it is.
Yes, the barrel extension, alone, will attach to the pistol.
Carbine
It was time to test the carbine. This is the forearm and barrel extension plus the detachable butt. I decided to test the gun this way and not just with the barrel extension by itself since the butt would give me greater stability. It also placed the rear sight too close to my eye for good aim, but I’ll address that at the end of the report.
On low power, the carbine shot slightly low and to the right of the aim point. I must report that shooting with the double-action trigger, while not as precise as shooting single-action, is not that difficult when the carbine butt is attached.
On low power, the carbine shot slightly low and to the right.
Then, I adjusted the gun to high power and shot another group.
On high power, the carbine gave good results. It also shot to the right and almost to the same place as on low power.
Observations
Several owners have said they like their Morphs because they’re accurate, and I think this test supports that. The gun seems to be equally accurate as just a pistol or with the barrel extension installed. But high power does seem to improve things in either mode. Four targets aren’t enough data to prove anything; but since these are 10-shot groups, they do give a pretty good indication of how the gun is shooting.
The sighting situation was a compromise, as I mentioned earlier, so I do plan on another test of the gun. That one will be with a red dot sight attached. Then, I think we’ll see everything this unique BB gun has to offer. So far, though, the Morph 3X is a winner in my book.
Looks like everyone got talked out over the weekend while I was at work. Almost 10am and no posts??
Not much interested in this particular airgun myself, although I’d take one if a really good deal appeared!
Our current, new/old administration has driven the prices of everything on GB and like sites to the ridiculous stage! (or maybe I just need to stretch my brain a little and readjust). That, along with printing money on demand and seems like the “wheelbarrows full of money” to buy a loaf of bread are just around the corner. Makes me a bit nervous….
/Dave
B.B.,
You’ve reviewed some fairly interesting BB guns. I like the look of almost all of them. But in truth, I’m not really comfortable with BB guns because of the ricochet factor, and because of the lack of accuracy (when compared with most pellet guns). I’d buy a lot of the pistols, especially the .45 caliber look-a-likes, if they were accurate pellet guns. The benefit of some BB guns seems to be their capacity to act like auto-loaders, and in some cases like real machine guns. But that isn’t enough for me.
Maybe a blog is in order regarding how to safely trap BB’s. Also, where does the name “BB” come from? Is BB an acronym for Ball Bearing?
Thanks,
Victor
BB size shot in lead is about .180 dia and never was much good for anything except in BB guns . Shot in # 2 size, which is the next smaller size , will always pattern better . I remember reading that when they developed a way to make ball bearings out of steel wire , kids who found them near the rail road tracks by those factories, found out that they would shoot in their BB guns. Daisy then started making them out of steel. They would also riccochet easily being made of steel compared to the old lead shot.
Robert,
Those kids you describe sound like me. I grew up living next to rail-road tracks which separated us from manufacturing plants that did in fact make things like ball bearings. In fact, I use to find large bomb components (no explosives) too. One large plant right next to us was used to make weapons during WW II, and even during the 70’s you could still find documents describing some of the weapons they made.
My brother had a BB rifle that he earned by selling greetings cards. That was a fun gun back when we were pre-teens. But, ricochets were an issue even then.
Victor
Victor,
I have shown the idea BB trap in every report before this one. The Winchester Target Cube is what you want. Traps them perfectly.
There use to be shotgun shot sizes B, BB and BBB. Shot size BB was selected for the early Markham guns and Daisy used them too. Later, Daisy reduced the size from .180 to .175 to save lead and make the BB go faster. Later still they discovered how to make them out of steel and they went even faster, so the gun springs could be reduced in size.
B.B.
B.B.,
Yeah, come to think about it, I have seen the cubes that you use. I always thought of those as being used for archery. So the B’s are used to indicate size, and have nothing to do with ball-bearings? You’ve probably already educated us about this, so I do appreciate you’re recapping these facts.
I saw how BB’s and made and polished while at the Daisy plant in Rogers Arkansas. There is still a lot of physical labor that goes into maintaining the large hemispheres used for polishing. Who makes BB’s, other than Crosman and Daisy?
Victor
RWS/Umarex sells some and I have Beeman branded BB’s but I think there pretty much the same thing as the Daisy ones just maybe sold under a different name? They’re packaged in the exact same bottle with the labels and color of the cap being the only difference I can see between the 2.
As for a back stop I use a large piece of foam that is indeed sold for archery, it was cheap and when I tested it only a high power .177 pellet went thru it. None of my 500fps max guns went thru it.
It was 30 something dollars, it measures 18X24X2. It comes with two spikes so you can put it up where you want I put and angle down to it so if I ever shoot one of the inbedded BB’s inside the foam it will ricochet towards the ground (hopefully). Being larger than the cubes you can put larger paper targets on it. I leave mine outside year round so I can shoot in my backyard whenever I have a minute to spare.
I keep the cube for shooting inside.
J-F
J-F,
Thanks! That larger size sounds like the way to go, if you want to shoot outside in your backyard. I don’t think I’d want to shoot a BB gun that fires at velocities over 500 fps anyways. Good idea!
Victor
Hard to beat Daisy for BB’s :)!
History of the BB:
/article/BB_History_February_2006/28
Edith
Edith,
Thanks! So BB’s no longer have the flat spot? I remember BB’s having a flat spot and assumed that this couldn’t be good for accuracy, as I’m sure is the case.
Victor
BBB is still made and is popular for goose hunting. I use “BBB” and “T” shot in my 10 ga for the same.
Mike
With the long barrel attached, this gun looks like what Jack Nicholson as the Joker in the Batman movie pulled out of his pants to shoot the bat plane. With the range and accuracy limitations of bbs, the long barrel is pure looks right?
Wulfraed, why did you buy a new rifle to shoot ammo for your HK 91? Couldn’t you just shoot the HK?
Last night I had a very instructive shooting session that illustrated that the harder you try, the worse you get.
Matt61
Matt61,
Trying harder usually means more stress and tension, which affects muscle performance. If you take a stop-watch and test how fast you can start and stop it, you’ll see that the harder you try, the slower you get at it. If you relax, your speed will increase.
The same goes for things like hitting a baseball. If you relax and allow yourself to focus, you’ll execute much better. I knew a guy who was the best hitting player in the team, while in the batting case. Hit couldn’t hit a live pitcher if his life depended on it. Not only will your bat meet the ball more consistently, but you’ll also hit the ball with more authority. It’s about technique. I also knew a pistol shooter who could routinely shoot at, or above, the world record level, except in an actual tournament. At the US Internationals, he would break out in sweat and get all stressed out. It was pretty sad to see him like that because we all knew what he could do.
This is why I suggest that you not shoot for “performance” (i.e., score, or groups) while practicing. Relax and only focus on the fundamentals and their verification. 10 or 20 shots done right are better than 100 shots where your mind is lost in the stress of desire, wish, or want.
Victor
Yes, slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
Mike
Remember — at the time I was in California with its “assault weapon registration”… Even with a copy of the registration I just didn’t want to take the HK-91 out in public where I might be hassled. Though it was much later that I found out that the current market value for the thing is 3-4X what I paid.
First I want to thank you for putting the barrel only pic in todays blog.
I was initialy interested in the Morph because I love those take down carbines/buntline pistols but it seems that the detuned Canadian version is stripped of it longer inner barrel… you can put the longer barrel on the pistol but it’s just a hollow tube, there’s no actual barrel in there in order to keep the velocity down! It sucks because it’s just a hair over the 4.2ft/lbs limit (it has to exceed BOTH the 500fps AND the 4.2 ft/lbs of energy to be considered a firearm). In the 3rd part of the report it clocked in at an average of 621fps for an average muzzle energy of 4.37 foot-pounds. So should I? I don’t know, I’m not so sure anymore.
J-F
Hi J-F. I was happy when I saw this gun advertised in a certain Canadian on line store. When I read how they left the actual barrel out to keep the velocity below 500fps, I was turned off. As for the 4.2 ft/lbs, my Weihrauch .22 cal. will be under 500 fps but get a lot more then the 4.37 ft/lbs that B.B. obtained. It’s just another example of the stupidity of our law makers. They had no idea of what they were doing and never considered consulting the airgun community for any actual information. I have written four e-mails and to my representative, but have not received a reply. I guess there is no defending stupidity.
Caio Titus
Same for me, I can’t help but think that a BB will bounce around inside that fake barrel.
The question that it raises (to further proof of the general stupidity of our our gun laws and law makers in general) is since it’s not a barrel anymore and the inside of it is somewhat hollow does it dampen the sound making it a silencer?
A .50 caliber airgun shooting a 300 grain handgun bullet at 495fps will produce a legal 163.26 foot-pounds of energy!
J-F
The .50 cal. looks good under those circumstances :)! That’s pricey for 10M practice, though.
Vince,
I sent another email with my address for shipping today. Thought I’d let you know here since hotmail and yahoo email don’t seem to play well together… Hope BB and Edith don’t mind…
/Dave
This Canadian law restricting projectile speed to 500fps surely is a real pain for J-F and his countrymen, but i did not know that ft/lb was restricted so low as well. When i first heard about this i thought as long as you kept below 500fps you could still fire a more powerful rifle with a heavier larger caliber pellet, but from what i understand that is not the case. I suppose I’ll have to google this to find out more.
A lot of people in the UK wish they didn’t have to be limited to 12 ft/lb, but for me I’m quite happy with this as it it makes hunting more skillfull, enjoyable, and a good challenge having to stalk your prey a little closer. My heart goes out to you on this one, i don’t know how well policed airgun use is in Canada and what the penalties are for being caught with an over the top rifle. Here you lose all your rifles and and are treated to a long holiday at her Majesties pleasure.
TTFN
fondest regards, wing commander Sir Nigel Tetlington-Smythe
For springers, I think 12ft/lbs. is almost ideal (nor too much of a limitation) and don’t go much above that myself, but I wouldn’t like the idea of being limited by law :)!
It’s not that bad as you have to be over BOTH limits to need a permit.
So a BB gun can shoot a 5.1 grain BB at up to 600fps, creating 4.08 ft/lbs of energy and is legal.
A pellet gun (like the AirForce Edge for example) shooting a H&N Finale Match Pistol .177 Cal, 7.56 Grains out at an average velocity of 605fps will make 6.15ft/lbs of energy will be considered a firearm, and will need a permit to buy, will need to be locked at all times and can’t be shot legally in your backyard, garage or basement.
BUT (and this is where it’s stupid) a big bore rifle or pistol that would shoot the heaviest of bullets at 499.99 fps no mather what kind of energy it puts out is totally legal. You could build yourself a canon if you wish as long as the projectile isn’t over 500fps you’re good to go!
I understand (kinda) considering a rifle like a big bore SamYang or the Rogue a firearm but all small bore (.25 and under) air rifles and pistol should be exempt from our firearm laws and ban detachable silencers if you want (even if it’s kinda dumb too) but shrouded barrels??? This is ridiculous.
We don’t have anything as powerful as the NRA here, we have a few organisations that kinda fight each other and shooters/owners instead of joining their forces together seem more interested in blaming each others. Some say no one needs a tactical semi-auto, others say we don’t need handguns others say we don’t need big bores etc… as if trying to pull the blanket all to themselves.
J-F
So a medieval mortar would be legal, but an artillery gun wouldn’t …
* mortar: high launch angle, not that fast; good for getting over intervening obstructions due to the arcing trajectory
* “gun”: low launch angle, fast projectile; sort of “line of sight” flat trajectory
* howitzer (for completeness): something in-between “gun” and mortar; fast enough to have some range, but arced trajectory to clear the village between you and the opposing forces.
BB,
I have an idea for a topic. Could you explain (preferably with illustrated examples) how to adjust lasers and dot sights to meet POI?
I have a difficult time adjusting both aiming systems. I understand they need to be set for a predetermined range (like 20ft. for pistols).
Les
Les,
Tell me about your difficulties in adjusting your lasers and dot sights to match poi to poa. Do you use a gun vise when adjusting?
kevin
ALL sighting systems and assists (lasers are “assists” to my mind; red-dots/scopes/iron sights are “sights”) have to be adjusted for a specific distance as one is trying to intersect a straight line (which if offset from the bore) with the trajectory of the projectile itself.
Adjustments are likely easiest with a rest that can lock the gun into place.
From the rest, shoot a group with the sighting system aimed at a known point (if this is a target gun with post/notch open sights, this probably means putting the bull on top of the front post; for front/rear aperture, center the bull in the front ring; for hunting guns post/notch will be trickier to hold as you likely want to sight on center of bull).
Now, with the gun “locked” on the same point of aim, adjust the sight so that the center of the actual group is where the sight is pointing..
Fire a verification group to see if the changes are complete.
Being able to “lock” the gun makes it easier than actually measuring the group position relative to the bull, and then computing the “clicks” (your sight does have clicks on the adjustments, doesn’t it) based on the distance. Scope with 1/8″ per click at 100 yards, used at 25 yards, means needing 4X the clicks (1″ at 100 is 1/4″ at 25).
Les,
Yes, I can do that.
B.B.
Hello,
My Morph seems to have 2 issues. Would like to know if anyone else has experienced this 1) The trigger pull is EXTREMELY hard…. like tire your finger out in 5 shots hard. I don’t notice a two stage trigger pull either. And… 2) The accuracy goes out the window when I attach the extended barrel. Like grouping of at least half a foot. It becomes impossible to sight in! I am going to buy a cleaning kit to see if I can scrub or clean the bore/barrel to see if that helps, but any ideas?
Thanks!
Wingcutter
Wingcutter,
The Morph has a double action trigger pull, which can only be single-st6age by definition. Don’t get double action, which means the trigger is also cocking a hammer, and two-stage, which is entirely different.
The Morph’s trigger is light for a double-action pull. It is several pounds lighter than my double-action-only Micro Desert Eagle .380 defense sidearm.
Yes, a double action pull will tire your trigger finger until you get used to it. That’s why target shooters all like single action triggers, where the gun is already cocked before they begin the trigger pull.
If the accuracy gets as bad as you describe, the BB is hitting something after it leaves the barrel. Look for a streak in the plastic inside the barrel extension.
B.B.