Category Archives: replica airgun

replica airgun category

ASG CZ 75 Shadow 2 airsoft pistol: Part 2

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

CZ75 Shadow 2
ASG’s CZ 75 Shadow 2 airsoft pistol.

Part 1

This report covers:

  • The history of airsoft
  • BB gun wars
  • Airsoft shooters
  • How accurate is airsoft?
  • This pistol
  • 0.25 gram “BBs”
  • Biodegradeable
  • Remove the magazine floorplate
  • Fill
  • Load BBs
  • Velocity
  • Trigger pull
  • Slide blows back
  • Accuracy
  • Summary

Get ready for an odd report! Today we look at the velocity of the ASG CZ 75 Shadow 2 airsoft pistol. As I told you in Part 1, this is not your run-of-the-mill airsoft pistol. It retails for $180 and is considered a serious competition airsoft gun — just as the thousand-plus dollar firearm (suggested retail of $1,349.00 for the USPSA Production Division) equivalent is considered ready-to-go right out of the box. Of course no champion will ever leave a gun alone — be it firearm or airsoft, so look for another $500 to $1,000 worth of modifications and accessories to be to be bought/made for/ to the airsoft gun — so long as they remain within the rules. read more

Smith & Wesson 78G and 79G target pistols: Part 1

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

S&W 78G
My S&W 78G pistol.

A history of airguns

This report covers:

  • History
  • Physical description
  • CO2
  • Fit
  • Loading
  • Adjustable power
  • My observation

Before I get into today’s report I have a surprise for you. I had a conversation with Val Gamerman on Friday about the TR-5 and together we discovered something neither of us had ever thought of. You’ll read about it tomorrow.

History

The .22 caliber 78G and .177 caliber 79G single-shot target pistols were made (actually, produced) by Smith & Wesson from 1971 through 1980. They were first made in their Tampa, Florida, plant. In 1973, they moved the airgun division up to Springfield, Mass. In 1978, they moved airguns back to Florida. From this point forward, I’ll speak specifically about the .22 caliber 78G, unless I indicate otherwise, though much of what goes for one gun holds for the other pistol, as well. read more

Pioneer model BB76 BB gun: Part 2

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Pioneer BB gun
Pioneer BB76 BB gun.

Part 1

A history of airguns

This report covers:

  • More about the gun
  • Feeding
  • Velocity
  • Hornady Black Diamond
  • Dust Devils
  • Air Venturi H&N Smart Shot
  • More ammo
  • Marksman Premium Grade steel BBs
  • Cocking effort
  • Anti-beartrap
  • Summary

Well, well. I finally found something to write about that a lot of you didn’t know about. You guys are getting so savvy that it’s harder and harder to do. I actually did write about this BB gun back in 2005 when the blog got started, but that was a one-time report and this will be a full test. So, it’s the same gun but different stuff being reported, and a whole lot more this time.

More about the gun

I said I’d have more to say about the gun as we went, so here are a couple new things. The first is that the rear sight is adjustable — sort of. It slides up and down on an inclined ramp, and, because the notch is only fastened by a single screw, you can also swing it to the right and left — a little. read more

Pioneer model BB76 BB gun: Part 1

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Pioneer BB gun
Pioneer BB76 BB gun.

A history of airguns

This report covers:

  • 1976
  • Getting ready to shoot
  • This is a big gun!
  • The firearm
  • And the key!
  • Look for them new in the box
  • Broken
  • Summary

I’ve got a strange one for you today. It’s a copy of a copy! This must be one of the strangest lookalike airguns ever made. And it copies a firearm that is itself just mimicking an era, without copying anything in particular.

1976

The American Bicentennial in 1976 was a gala year-long celebration. Grand parties were held and everyone was euphoric that the nation held together for 200 years. There were no end of special bicentennial commemorative items available. Even the airgun community had one — today’s topic gun, the Pioneer model BB76 BB gun. It is a 50-shot repeating spring-piston BB gun that cocks via a concealed underlever. It looks like a percussion rifle from a century earlier, and I think it was supposed to resemble a flintlock rifle of one additional century earlier. I guess most people don’t know the difference between a flintlock musket and a percussion rifle. read more

Webley Mark VI service revolver with battlefield finish: Part 4

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Webley Mark VI
Webley Mark VI service revolver with battlefield finish. This one is rifled and shoots pellets.

This report covers:

  • The test
  • JSB Exact RS
  • Adjusted sight picture
  • Why not fix the front sight?
  • Sig Match Ballistic Alloy
  • Air Arms Falcons
  • H&N Finale Match High Speed pellets
  • RWS Hobbys
  • Next — more sight corrections
  • Summary

Today I test the accuracy of the Webley Mark VI with battlefield finish. I decided to test it with all 5 pellets that were used in the velocity test.

The test

I shot from 10 meters, using a sandbag rest for the butt of the revolver. I held the gun with two hands for a steady hold. I shot 6 pellets at each target and I will describe what happened as we go. Let’s get started.

JSB Exact RS

The first pellet I tested was the JSB Exact RS. The first three shots landed low, with one below the target paper. The group had to come up somehow. read more

2019 SHOT Show: Part 3

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2

This report covers:

  • Air Venturi TR5
  • Webley Nemesis pistol
  • Ataman BP17 PCP bullpup
  • Badabang!
  • Velocity Outdoors (Crosman and Benjamin)
  • Crosman Triple Threat
  • Ravin crossbows
  • Umarex
  • Ruger 10/22
  • Summary

We are still at the Air Venturi booth as we open today’s report, having just looked at the M1 Carbine. Let’s see what else they are showing.

Air Venturi TR5

The Air Venturi TR5 target rifle was shown and announced at the 2018 SHOT Show, but never made it to the dealer’s shelves last year. I was told we could expect it early in 2019. I think that means by April-May. That’s my fudge on their March stocking date.

The rifle will come in both the original black as well as a new bright green color that resembles the stock on the Umarex Embark more than a little! I asked if they were going to be targeting the SAR program and was told, “We’ll see.” read more

2019 SHOT Show: Part 2

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1

This report covers:

  • Clarification
  • Hatsan Vectis
  • Nova Star
  • Hatsan Speedfire
  • Air Venturi M1 Carbine
  • The stock
  • The rear sight
  • Summary

Clarification

This report is about the first day the SHOT Show 2019 was open. I must begin with a clarification. The Sig MPX PCP I reported yesterday has a name I never mentioned. It’s called a Virtus. I visited the Sig booth this morning because my pictures of the guns taken at the range weren’t that good, and that’s when I learned the name. So, It’s a Virtus that we are waiting for.

Virtus
The new Sig PCP is called the Virtus.

Hatsan Vectis

I started the day at the Hatsan booth, where Hatsan’s Cecil Bays showed me the new Vectis lever action PCP repeater. It’s available in .177. 22 and .25 with magazine capacities of 14, 12, and 10 shots, respectively. The lever both cocks the rifle and advances and feeds the next pellet. It runs on 200 bar air pressure (2900 psi — hurrah!) and gets 29 foot-pounds, 38 foot-pounds and 40 foot-pounds, respectively. read more