Umarex Komplete air rifle.
This report covers:
- Memorial Day
- Thrifty-ness
- Example
- 88-gram cartridges
- NitroAir
- Is it worth it?
- The rifle
- CO2 operation?
- Stuff it comes with
- Summary
Memorial Day
Today is Memorial Day in the US. It’s the day we remember those who have fallen in our wars. I have friends whose names are on the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC and I try to remember them all the time but today is especially poignant.
Sometimes BB Pelletier misses the boat when it comes to airguns. Today’s subject, the Umarex Komplete air rifle, is one such example. When this came out I thought it would die quickly. I’ll tell you why I now don’t think it will and then I’ll describe the rifle.
Thrifty-ness
Airgunners are thrifty shooters to say the least. Firearm shooters think paying over 23 cents per round for 5.56mm ammunition and 9 cents per round for .22 long rifle ammo is where it starts to hurt but airgunners start balking when the cost rises over one cent per pellet. And that’s too bad because there are great pellets that cost 8 cents each. And we’re not even considering big bore bullets that are often labeled as pellets.
But air is free—right? Yes, air is free. You may have to pay for an air compressor or a hand pump and a tank to store the air in, but air is essentially free.
However, carbon dioxide costs money. It’s true we exhale the gas with every breath but no one has found a way to capitalize on that yet. We have to pay for CO2 to be put into containers that our airguns will accept. Until recently these have mostly been 12-gram cartridges that give a certain number of shots. So add their cost to that of the pellet.
Example
Let’s take the Glock 19 BB pistol I just tested and calculate the cost per shot. We’ll figure 80 shots per cartridge and I’ll shoot a Daisy BB. On the date this report published, the Daisy BB cost 0.003 cents per round and the cheapest 12-gram CO2 cartridges sold by Pyramyd AIR are the Barra brand that cost one dollar per cartridge. That’s 1.00 divided by 80 for a cost of 0.0125 cents per shot. Using CO2 takes your 0.003 cents per shot and increases it to 0.0155 cents per shot—an increase of over five times per shot! No wonder reader Yogi likes springers!
88-gram cartridges
Several years ago the airgun community was introduced to the larger 88-gram CO2 cartridge. Obviously it gives many more shots, but just as obviously it costs a lot more. Here on the Pyramyd AIR site the cheapest large cartridges are Air Venturi. They hold 90 grams and cost $10.00 if you buy them in a package of 2.
I am an airgunner and when these big cartridges hit the market I pulled my turtle head inside my shell for some time. But I have to test them for you so I did. Actually the Benjamin Discovery came about as the result of my testing a Benjamin AS 392C with one of these. I won’t calculate the cost per shot for the big CO2 cartridge in a review of the Komplete but I will say that it’s probably pretty close to as high if not higher than using a 12-gram cartridge.
NitroAir
Now we come to the NitroAir cartridge. Two sell for $23 and you get 90 shots from the pair of them. So shooting a .22-caliber JSB Hades pellet at 0.052 cents per round and add the nitro cost of 25.56 cents per shot ($23 divided by 90 shots) you are paying 30.8 cents per shot with the Komplete. That’s the best case.
Is it worth it?
Should you consider paying more to shoot an air rifle than to shoot an AR-15? Should you consider paying more than three times as much as shooting a .22 long rifle? It depends.
The Komplete gives you the power of a precharged pneumatic (PCP) for a fraction of the cost. There are PCP rifles that sell for the same price as the Komplete. Some even cost less but they don’t have all the features of the Komplete. Right now none of them run on nitrogen.
And we all know that the price of shooting PCPs doesn’t stop at the airgun. The air compressor, or hand pump needed to fill them isn’t free and the carbon fiber tank needed to hold the air certainly isn’t, either.
With the Komplete you don’t have to buy any of that stuff. The Komplete comes to you in a package that is everything you need but pellets, or as a German might say— it’s Komplete.
The rifle
The Komplete is a sidelever repeater that uses nitrogen cartridges to generate its power. It comes in .177 and .22 and I’m testing the .22. Umarex calls it a precharged pneumatic (PCP) and I’m okay with that for a reason I will explain later.
The rifle is nearly all plastic outside—receiver, stock, silencer. Only the outside of the barrel shroud is metal. And yes, the barrel is both shrouded and silenced.
The Komplete is regulated. From the Insyder video I watched, I see that the reg doesn’t keep its shots that close together in velocity, but it does okay and it also increases the number of good shots per NitroAir cartridge. There is no reg gauge, nor is the reg adjustable but you don’t need either thing.
The NitroAir cartridge just screws into place—piercing in the same way as a CO2 cartridge. The forearm slides forward off the stock much like on the Gauntlet and the cartridge just screws into place.
CO2 operation?
The answer is yes, the Complete will accept a 88-gram or larger CO2 cartridge. I will test it that way for you as well. And CO2 gas has far less pressure than nitrogen in these cartridges, so there’s no danger from pressure. The regulator won’t work at the lower pressure but CO2 is a self-regulating gas.
What about refillable high-pressure air cylinders? I am shocked that Umarex has not already launched a removable rechargeable air cylinder for this rifle. I’m also surprised that the aftermarket hasn’t done more to provide one either, but here is a comment I found on Airgun Nation:
“So I bought my own [Komplete] for a knock around camping gun that I didn’t have to worry too much about and could carry an extra nitro bottle with no need for a ton of extra things needed. No tank, compressor, or handpump. Works great for that. I ended up liking it far more than just a camping gun. Since I was shooting it more and being so light my kids could use it easily I decided it needed a refillable tube. Last summer I converted it to PCP via an adapter and airtube from the Avenge-X. Shared that with AV/PA. I know it was slated for production and should be available soon through PA/AGD. Thought I’d share it here. I think the production run will be fully finished in black. Makes a great inexpensive regulated gun that you can actually do a lot with. The tube conversion last I heard should be in pretty soon. I’d keep an eye on the PA/AGD website if you already have one or if the idea of buying nitro cylinders is why you didn’t already. They should be very affordable.”
This is so doable that I’m surprised Umarex didn’t offer it. The NitroAir cartridges are pressurized to 3600 psi, so no problem with high-pressure air and the regulator is inside the rifle—not the cartridge so the air tube accessory can be simple with just a pressure gauge.
This one accessory is the key that turns the Komplete into a perfect entry point to the world of PCPs. Now you can shoot premium pellets for a few cents a shot and forget about those expensive nitrogen cylinders. Keep one handy in case your compressor breaks, but that’s about it!
If the airgunner lives in a country that doesn’t allow the use of firearms but does allow airguns of the Komplete’s power (25-30 foot-pounds for the .22 model I’m testing), the rifle is also something to consider. It might be the best solution that doesn’t run afoul of the law.
Stuff it comes with
The Komplete comes with one NitroAir cartridge, a 4X32 scope with rings and two magazines. In .177 caliber the mags hold 12 pellets, in .22 they hold 10. Does a single-shot adaptor exist? Not yet, but knowing the 3D print community, I’m sure it will soon.
There is just a bit more of the description to reveal and I’lll stick that in with the velocity test next time.
Summary
The Umarex Komplete is a great entryway to the world of PCPs. I’m surprised Umarex didn’t offer a high-pressure air tank accessory but it looks like Pyramyd AIR will take care of it.
Tom,
Looks like somebody challenged the engineering department to make a PCP out as much plastic as they could safely get away with. With minimal metal parts for the critical areas this is not expected to be a family heirloom but more like a knockabout gun in the same vein as the Nylon 66. I wonder how it will hold up over time though?
Siraniko
“Looks like somebody challenged the engineering department to make a PCP out as much plastic as they could safely get away with.”
Siraniko,
I concur with you on that; and just as the Nylon 66 proved to be in incredibly durable little beast (a friend had one he kept behind the seat of his pickup truck…without a case); as beat up as it got to be, it NEVER jammed! It was an awesome knockabout gun; I hope this turns out to be the same; as an engineer, I admire it for the piece of engineering that it represents…I’ll admire it a lot more if it demonstrates some good accuracy. 😉
Blessings to you,
dave
Dave,
A buddy of mine had one also. It was really a nicely made little .22LR. We hunted bushy-tailed tree rats with it all the time.
I have two of the Rem. 66 .22’s. They are my favorite semi-auto .22 Rifle!
Mike
B.B.,
Today i join you in remembering the names on the wall, the names on the stones, and the ones that will be for now in the deeps of the seven seas until they are returned to join us on Judgement Day.
shootski
“…until they are returned to join us on Judgement Day.”
Amen!
Well said.
Amen!
Memorial Day,
I watched YouTube videos today to remember, “The Sound of Silence Military Tribute”, “Situation Critical USS Forrestal” Vietnam and for my dad, “USS Yorktown: What life was like onboard an aircraft carrier during WWII”.
He did not die but received a head injury when the barrel of his Anti-Aircraft Gun exploded. I would not be here if he did. My Shipmate Tony did not die on the Forrestal, but 134 sailors did. He just lived with PTSD the rest of his life.
I lucked out and was never assigned combat duty for 8 years of the Vietnam war.
I was a bit disappointed with the large CO2 bottles. I did not shoot enough to empty it, and I could not leave it in the rifle for long. I got a QD refill adapter but the LOP became a problem. Actually, it was an air bottle with the adapter to replace it.
I have to agree that the addition of a high pressure air cylinder accessory would make this a very versatile rifle. Especially for people who already have equipment to refill the high pressure air. Looking forward to your impressions of this one.
Today is a day to honor those who gave their ultimate sacrifice. I always will remember on this day our visit to Pearl Harbor and the Arizona memorial there. Personally, I also like to remember and honor all the first responders who have put themselves in harm’s way daily and made the ultimate sacrifice. We have a lot to be thankful for and owe them all so much.
Elmer Fudd,
Enjoy the view again.
shootski
Very cool! Thanks Shootski!
The conversion of the Komplete sounds interesting. If not for the 3622 and hopefully the upcoming 3677, I would be even more interested in this thing.
The main problem I have is I had once owned a Maximus. It now resides in Fawlty Manuel’s collection. Thanks to Roamin’ Greco, I have recently discovered a Discovery that is available with a walnut stock.
I personally like “low” air pressures for my airguns, even though I do own a large compressor AND a large carbon fiber bottle. I would like to see them bring back air rifles and air pistols that only used 1000 PSI fills. Why not? That is around the pressure that sproingers operate at. CO2 airguns operate just fine at around that.
The main reason most modern airguns operate at such high pressures is to give us airgunners so many shots. Of course, a regulator has to be added to most of them to bring the high pressures down to something that is usable. OK, if you are sitting at a bench or strolling around an FT range, I get it. But if you are hunting, how many shots do you think you are going to take?
BB.
I can see where a refillable cylinder would sway some of those that already had the means to fill them. Frugality is a good thing.
Not that it makes a huge difference, but your cost per 12 gram CO2 can be lower. The Barra 5 pack at $5.00 shows first if you list the items on the “CO2” page from lowest first. But on the other end are several quantities of 500. AV has theirs on sale for $250, and with current.12% code it’s $220. That’s 44 cents each, and free shipping to boot. I weighed a box of 10, multiplied by 50 and got just over 47 pounds. Add in the packaging and the UPS driver won’t be happy.
Roger,
I agree that would be cheaper. I purposely did not go the bulk cartridge route because in my experience most airgunners won’t do it.
BB
Yes, you are correct, but that was aimed at the super frugal (err…cheap) among us. I also figured that at an average 50-80 shots per cylinder would be 2500 to 4000 shots. And then there is the problem of storage space, and the Pelgun oil — how many drops are in a tube anyway?
Depends on the size of a drop…. ;o)
Roamin Greco,
“Depends on the size of a drop…. ;o)”
TOTALLY! Speaking of size those who would refill the 88 gram disposable cylinders should realize that the filling and emptying cycles will Work Harden the cylinder that effects the Hoop Stress limits that can be withstood; the end result being a failure of the cylinder.
The engineering did not likely take into consideration the safety of refills so the refilling user is responsible for determining the limits.
One possible way to monitor the cylinders condition is to carefully note the circumference and length of the cylinder when empty and when those dimensions grow it indicates the Elastic Limit of the metal has been reached by either the number of cycles or the overpressurization of the cylinder.
The above is in no way an engineering opinion for SAFE OPERATION and only provided as an overview of your responsibilities when dealing with what most consider extremely high pressure containment.
Be careful out there!
shootski
If the “standard” volume of a drop is 0.05 mL, then a .25 fluid ounce tube of pellgun oil contains 142.065 drops.
I once saw an auction on gunbroker for pellgun oil for $0.30 per tube. I bought like 30 tubes. So I have about 4,200 drops.
I think you’re set for awhile. At even as low as 50 shots per cartridge, that’s 210,000 shots.
I bought a case of 500 CO² carts on sale from PA with free shipping. Start looking around the holidays. FYI, Wally World has 40 packs for just over $20…just sayin’.
Memorial Day, my Dad was a WW II Vet. It’s a great day to take the M-1 Garand to the range!
Mike
“Using CO2 takes your 0.003 cents per shot and increases it to 0.0155 cents per shot—an increase of over five times per shot! No wonder reader Yogi likes springers!”
Now there’s an idea: a breakbarrel springer that shoots BBs. The ultimate low-cost airgun. We could call it the “Yogi.”
Did not expect a report today, Tom – good points about the potential of the Komplete.
A good way to honor and remember those who gave all for God and country is through prayer. That’s just FM’s opinion. There are many other ways to do that.
Here is a suggested prayer for our deceased veterans found in Aleteia.org
“O God,
by whose mercy the faithful departed find rest,
look kindly on your departed veterans who gave their
lives in the service of their country.
Grant that through the passion, death, and resurrection of your Son
they may share in the joy of your heavenly kingdom
and rejoice in you with your saints forever.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.“
Amen!
Siraniko
And amen!
BB
Amen
Numbers 6:24-26
King James Version
24 The Lord bless them, and keep them:
25 The Lord make his face shine upon them, and be gracious unto them:
26 The Lord lift up his countenance upon them, and give them peace forever.
(With substitution of them for the thee normally used in the translation of the verse.)
Praise the Lord God Almighty.
shootski