Umarex air pistol
Umarex air pistols are air gun replicas of handguns manufactured by Umarex Sportwaffen of Germany under license from the manufacturers of the original firearms.
They are imported into the United States by Umarex USA, Inc..
Design
Umarex air pistols are firearm replicas that are operated by disposable carbon dioxide (CO2) cylinders. They fire .177 caliber airgun pellets or steel BBs. Depending on the model, these air pistols use removable 8-round or 10-round rotary magazines or drop-out magazines that eject from the bottom of the grip. Velocity ranges from 295 - 500 ft/s (150 m/s) depending on model and ammo type. They are generally accurate to 25 yards (23 m) and can be dangerous to 300 yards (270 m).
Umarex produces .177 caliber CO2 operated versions of Beretta, Walther, Colt, Magnum Research and Smith & Wesson pistols. They are made to almost the same specifications as the firearm in looks and weight. Some of them function the same in that their slides cycle or recoil.
One of the downsides to any CO2 operated pistol is that when the carbon dioxide cylinder gets cold due to pressure loss as a result of rapid fire, the pistols velocity will drop.
Use
These pistols are used for training and informal target practice (plinking) where it would be unsuitable to train with a center fire pistol. They are economical to shoot compared to a firearm. They have also become collectors items and show pieces.
Umarex air pistols are replicas of real firearms and are not toys. They are intended to be used under the supervision of an experienced adult shooter and all airguns must be treated with the same respect given a firearm with regard to safety.
Operation
All the pellet pistols, with the exception of the Desert Eagle, use standard revolver operation. The pistol can either be fired double action, or the hammer can be cocked after each shot for single action. The Desert Eagle cocks its hammer and rotates the magazine automatically after each shot, although the first shot can be either single or double action, as above.
Models
Pellet Pistols
- Walther CP88, CP99
- Beretta (Beretta 92), Px4 Storm
- Colt (M1911)
- Smith & Wesson (586 (features 10-shot magazine)
- Magnum Research, Inc (Desert Eagle (Blowback 8 shot)
BB Pistols
- Walther CP99 Compact, PPK/S
- Magnum Research, Inc Baby (Mini) Desert Eagle
- Beretta Elite II, Px4 Storm
- Smith & Wesson M&P (Military and Police)