Monday, November 5, 2012

Guns - The Good, the Accurate And the Elegant

Two CO2 Revolvers from Umarex that Do Their S&W Namesakes Justice

By James E. House

A lot of products are ordinary. They perform as planned and are reliable, but they do not warrant a description that incorporates superlatives.

Occasionally, however, a product comes along that truly represents the epitome of the species. When it comes to revolvers that launch pellets by CO2 power, that distinction belongs to the guns that carry the name Smith & Wesson. Let’s take a look.

SHOW US WHAT YOU’RE MADE OF

Produced in Germany by Umarex, these revolvers replicate the dimensions and weight of the L-frame S&W 586 and 686 models.

The .177-caliber versions of the S&W revolvers are unquestionably elegant. Moreover, they function exactly like the firearms they mimic, except for using a CO2 cylinder that is held inside the grip. To hold pellets, they utilize a swing-out cylinder that is unlatched by a lever on the left-hand side of the frame. Because pellets are quite short, there is no need for a cylinder that measures about 1½ inches in length. Rather, the “active” part of the cylinder that holds 10 pellets is only 0.370 inch thick. The stationary rear section is part of the frame.

The cylinder is not attached to the spindle on which it rotates, so cylinders can be interchanged. This allows a cylinder that is loaded with pellets to be installed quickly. Unlike some CO2 pistols with short cylinders that will accommodate only flat, pointed pellets, the S&W cylinders are sufficiently thick so that pellets of virtually any type can be used.

An elegant CO2 handgun should have sights to match, and this is certainly the case with the S&W models. The front sight is a square-topped post on a ramp. The rear sight has a crisp, square notch that mates correctly with the front sight to provide a good sight picture. The rear sight is fully adjustable in the traditional way: it features a screw to adjust windage and another to adjust elevation. However, removing the rear sight allows a scope rail to be attached by means of two screws, should you choose to mount a scope.

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