Just ordered an Umarex Smith!

[Jim McArthur]

Hi Guys,
Article as promised.
Pellet penetration

A comment was passed on www.airgunbbs.com about the power or lack of it of Umarex pistols. I have the Smith & Wessson 686 (8” barrel) and I promised the poster that I would pot a few steel cans as a test.
Now it wont be much of a test without some form of comparison so I also used two types of pellet, lead and tin, to see if other comments I had heard about the tin stuff (They go straight enough but the bloody things don’t stop) were true.
The results? You judge.

First up was my Webley & Scott Hurricane .22. I put an inch of water in the cans to keep them still and fired several of each type of pellet at them from a measured 25 feet. I wanted to get some kind of effect like hitting a prey animal where the target is not held rigid and it can move simulating the action of hitting a prey target which will be knocked sideways by the strike.
Each time I got a clean hit on the sides of the can I flipped it over and put a sizeable dent in the side. This only proved that neither pellet would penetrate the can and gave me no effective comparison. So I turned the cans on their side and shot at the bottoms.
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...leyScott22.jpg
This is the most rigid part of the can and again the pellets failed to penetrate but the Dynamic Sn2 (on the left) left a better, more sharply defined dent than the Air Arms Field. Both dents are the same depth and this puzzled me until I realised that they SHOULD be the same depth since the same amount of energy. (3.2ft/lb) had been used to make them.

I should point out that I don’t have a chrono so I am using the quoted power output here and in all powers statements.

Next up was my Webley & Scott Nemesis .177 and since it has the same quoted power output this should be a good comparison. Things were very different. The first shot penetrated the side but left the tin upright with either the Accupel Domed or the Dynamic PPP1 and put sizeable dents in the other side.
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...Nemesis177.jpg http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...ngblowPPP1.jpg The big difference was that a glancing shot from the PPP1 (right hand picture) tore the side of the tin. The PPP1 also made a Cleaner hole with less denting round it. The Accupel is on the left and the Dynamic on the right in side and bottom pictures.
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...177canbase.jpg
Again less deformation around the Dynamic hole.

The next test was the Smith & Wesson. I have no idea what the power output is since the manufacturer only quotes a speed without the pellet weight being given so I can not work out the muzzle energy. This minor drawback did not stop the Smith & Wesson from joining the Nemesis in the can perforation stakes and the results with the holes and deformities around them were similar.
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...er/Guns/SW.jpg
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k.../SWcanbase.jpg
One startling result was the side shot on the right hand can. I tried to hit it with the double action of the Smith & Wesson and only clipped the top of it on the side facing me but the Dynamic deformed the edge of the can and then punched through the OTHER side. See Below.
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...SWRicochet.jpg

So what does it all mean?
Well the Smith & Wesson can hold its own with either of the other pistols and do better than the Hurricane .22 on hard targets. The larger calibre will be more effective on prey targets due to the larger pellet transferring more energy to the target and the Dynamic pellets really need to contact a bone to get them to transfer their energy even though they are hollow point.
So in conclusion
1) I would not use a pistol on live prey except vermin at close range or in an enclosed space but the .22 calibre lead pellet would be a better choice.
2) On something like a crow or wood pigeon which has stiff feathers the Dynamic pellet will be a good choice.
3) If I am ever attacked by steel cans I will use the Dynamic .177 pellets.
4) The Smith & Wesson favourably compares with most CO2 pistols for power and accuracy.
5) If I personally want to hit things with it I need to practice with the double action.

Sorry this was a bit long but it will become an article on the site and I’m too lazy to write it up twice
Regards
Jim

Great test, TB, thank you! And points 1, 4, and 5 are the most important ones for me.

Jim

[cinstone]

Have a search inthe review section for my S & W review. I did some tests on cans a while back & I think I posted up the results.

I have chrono'd mine & with Air Arms Fields, if I remember correctly, it was putting out about 2.75lb.ft.

My can shooting results were close to the ones above.

At about 7 yards they penetrated one side of the tin, if you weighted the tin down, but not the other.

Chris.

[Jim McArthur]

Managed to get out with it late this afternoon, after the rain broke. My impressions...

...It's very difficult to hold it steady with one hand, single action! Just the opposite problem of my Beeman, which wiggles because it's too light. The Smith is too heavy - for me - for one-hand shooting.

With a little practice, it shoots very well with two hands, single action.

But it's really a lot of fun - and surprisingly accurate - shooting it with two hands, double action! And that's what I'm going to use it for.

Jim

[Target Bunny]

Hi Jim
Watch Hanie Calder and learn.
Mind you I still haven't gone that far yet.
Jim

[derekm]

Jim, if you try shooting double action, but slowly, I think you'll find that once the cylinder has indexed, the trigger becomes very smooth and light. IMO it's better than on single action (and saves having to thumb the hammer!).

If you can trust yourself to carefully remove R/H the side plate to apply some moly grease onto the sliding surfaces, it will be even smoother, but take care to note the positions of all the innards! The linkage that indexes the cylinder is tricky to replace correctly, but it's not rocket science; just be careful and don't use force.

[Jim McArthur]

Thanks for the advice, mates.

Yes, I find double action with this pistol smoother than single, which latter I find very stiff. I also have the deuce of a time holding it with one hand. Two hands, double action works very well for me with this pistol, and that's how I'm going to shoot it.

Jim

[Target Bunny]

Hi Guys
Nothing against either but I do find that cocking the gun with my thumb is a reflex action when I've taken the shot and am about to re-sight.
I automatically cock my wrist back when I've taken a shot with a pistol since that points the gun in an allegedly safe (upwards) direction and if I do that with the Smith & Wesson it presents the hammer under my thumb.
Regards
Jim

[Snipe!]

These look very nice but there big. lol =]

[Jim McArthur]

And HEAVY! A whopping 44 ounces worth!

Jim

[m4rkie23]

Hey Guys,

Im looking at getting one of these asap. dont quite know where from yet, but after firing one yesterday it seems perfect for me.
Ive been doing alot of research on here and thanks everyone (whether you know if or not), your posts have come in handy!


-Mark

[Jim McArthur]

You won't regret it, mate, not one bit. You can't make a better choice!

Jim

[m4rkie23]

You won't regret it, mate, not one bit. You can't make a better choice!

Jim

Cheers Jim.

Its been a while since ive been on here, but ive had the gun now for a few months, and ive gotta be honest, its perfect!
Love everything about it and cant see myself buying anything else yet for a while, and for £130 new, what a bargain!!!!

[mxgb]

Hi Jim
I agree that the S&W 585-686 are FANTASTIC pistols, I bought Lynn a boxed 6" nickle version for Christmas, she really liked it and wanted both the 4 & 6" barrels to make up a complete set but the prices for the barrels is very high about £60 for the 4" and £70 for the 8" Any way out at a gunshop t(Terry Robb's) the other day and ended up buying a new boxed S&W nickle with all three barrels I must remember NOT to take Lynn airgun shopping in future as I had intended to buy an air cylinder and gauge set for my Daystate Oh well just have to wait for next payday I suppose
ATB Keith

[Jim McArthur]

Yeah mates, it's a great pistol! And speaking of wives and pistols: my wife Jan shot the Police Comp today using my Smith, and her score jumped CONSIDERABLY from December, when she used her cheapie Crosman.

Jim

[Napoleon IV]

As an alternative to cans try hanging up some plastic soft drinks bottles on string. The pellets penetrate the bottle on one side but not the other. The bottles swing when they are hit so you can measure your success. AND they don't make a clanging noise so you are less likely to upset the neighbours. As an added challenge fill the bottom of the bottle with sand. It then makes a pendulum so you have a moving target.