Umarex Walther CP88 6" Competition Nickel Review

[Boaz]

Umarex Walther CP88 Review

Introduction

The Umarex officially branded version of the Walther CP88 has been around for a little while now. It's available in four variants, giving the purchaser the option to choose between Black and Nickel and both 4" and 6" barrels. The version we have for review today is the 6" Nickel variant, also known as the 6" Competition. The CP88 is a .177 (4.5mm) pellet firing non blowback air pistol powered by the universally available 12g CO2 cartridges.


Packaging and Contnents

The CP88 comes in a rigid plastic carry case measuring 300mmx 190mm x 65mm externally. The box has two stickers on it identifying it as an official Umarex UK product, supplied by Armex of Birmingham, with the other displaying the Blue Walther Ribbon emblem.

The carry case is held closed by two tool-box style clips, one either side of the handle. There is though a small plastic loop which could be used for a padlock for that little bit extra security, however where this may deter prying underage fingers, it's doubtful it will resist a sustained attempt at entry.

The interior of the carry case is egg box foam lined with a set of assorted paperwork laid atop the gun itself.

The paperwork actually consists of a set of comprehensive instructions, a warrenty card and an orange "idiots guide" indicating how to remove and replace the grip and how to correctly orientate the magazine.

Also included are a pair of Umarex 8 shot rotary magazines and a set of small Allen keys.

With everything out of the way we get our first unobstructed view of the Walther CP88 Competition nestling in it soft enclosure, however, as the magazines and keys don't come in any additional packaging or plastic bags, you'll need to be careful to position them in the case a good distance from the gun itself so as to prevent scratches and damage occurring to the gun.

[Boaz]

CP88 Up close

The 6" version of the CP88 weighs in at 1150g and is 230mm long with the 4" version being a little lighter and shorter at 1040g and 180mm. Where these might not be quite up to the fully loaded weights of the genuine real Steel version of the gun it still has a feeling of weight and heft about it without it being too heavy for prolonged use. The majority of the gun, including the upper and lower receivers as well as the frame are made from metal and feel sturdy. There are of course a few plastic parts on the gun, and we will cover these in more detail as we move through the review.

We're going to start our review at the muzzle working our way rearwards then back up the other side of the pistol and back to the muzzle again. In fact, it's kind of apt to start here, because this is the only place where the 6" and 4" versions vary. As you can see there's a distinct line where the barrel and upper receiver have been extended. It's actuially possible to convert a 4" to a 6" yourself, or that matter vice versa, with Umarex supplying the conversion kits, with include a longer inner barrel and all other parts needed. The extension also leaves you in no doubt that this is the longer barrelled "Competition" version implying that it will give greater accuracy in a match setting.

Although looking slightly plastic, the trigger is infact metal as is the slide release. The trigger doesn't have the best feel in the world, with a very long first stage which appears to get slightly stiffer towards where the second stage is taken up. the second stage itself is very heavy indeed, with the break point occurring some 2-3mm into the second stage. In single action mode the first stage disappears entirely as you would expect, with the effect that it makes the trigger feel much crisper and cleaner.

The CP88 has a slide mounted ambidextrous safety which is easily operated by the thumb. Although quite stiff out of the box a bit of lube and some use got it working very smoothly indeed. There's also a very small thumb rest on this side which may be of help to some in establishing the correct grip.

The CP88 comes supplied with black plastic grips, although wooden ones are available as an aftermarket accessory they are not cheap or readily available, which is a shame as they greatly increase the aesthetic of the gun lending it just that little bit more class. It's also clear in this view that the main frame of the gun is formed from two bonded halves. At the bottom of the image we can also see the cartridge lock lever masquerading as the bottom of a magazine.

The hammer is formed from metal and has nice effective knurling laid into it to aid grip. The force required to pull it rearward is near identical to that of the original Walther. The rear sight of the CP88 is adjustable by means of a small grub screw on the side utilising the supplied tool. The sight is plain black and does not have any high visibility markings on it to aid acquisition

[Boaz]

The opposite side of the gun is near identical to that already looked at with a few exceptions. The Safety as already mentioned is ambidextrous so can be accessed from both sides, however the slide release is absent of the right hand side of the gun making it a little more awkward for left handers to access the magazine well. if you're left handed you'll also have to be careful to keep your thumbs clear of the trigger lever/magazine indexing lever above the trigger as this moves as the trigger is pulled.

Thankfully the amount of text on the CP88 is kept to a minimum, with what is present being subtle and presented in keeping with the quality of the gun. In the bottom left of this picture we can also see the small round button which is depressed to release the hand grip plate on the opposite side to allow access to the CO2 chamber.

Back up to the muzzle then and although the inner barrel is slightly recessed, there's no mistaking this for the larger calibre 9mm P88 on which the CP88 is modelled.

CO2 Chamber and pellet port

Pressing the button on the opposite side of the grip results in the left hand grip popping off easily. Doing so reveals the interior of the CO2 chamber. As with many CO2 pistols the cartridge is inserted after first opening the cartridge lock lever at the bottom of the grip. the small brass disk is then rotated allowing sufficient room for the C02 capsule to be inserted. The brass disk is then tightened back up against the base of the CO2 cartridge before the locking lever is firmly closed. It's usual to hear a small hiss of escaping C)2 at this point but this should last no more than a fraction of a second. The grip can then be replaced.

The picture below is taken looking up inside the CO2 chamber to where the CO2 seal lives. although robust these seals can be easily damaged by having cartridges left in for too long, causing a permanent indentation of the seal to occur. The effects of this over time can be lessened by the use of pullgun oil or similar, or by the use of CO2 cartridges that have an inbuilt lubricant.

The Grips themselves are made of quite thin rigid plastic and are finished matte black. Rigidity as well as a means of fixing in place is provided internally by a thin metal strip with clips on it. As can be seen in the picture below the one we have for review although brand new already has evidence of rust on it.

With the slide released we can also see inside the breach and magazine well. Here we're looking rearwards towards the opening of the transfer port where the CO2 from the capsule travels forward into the rear of the pellet skirt.

Looking forward we can also see the opening of the barrel and the top of the magazine indexing mechanism.

Conclusion

The Umarex Walther CP88 is a very realistic copy of the original P88 and could to some degree be said to have kicked off the replica air pistol market when they came off ticket some years ago. The CP88 is CO2 powered and is designed to fire pellets, with Umarex stating that best results are achieved with flat headed pellets as these do not protrude beyond the limits of the eight shot rotary magazine and so are less likely to cause jams or no rotation. Like many pellet firing pistols, the CP88 does not have a blowback mechanism with all of the energy from the 12g cartridge being used to propel the pellet, the result being that you can expect in excess of 80 shots before you notice any drop off. Drop off though, when it comes is very noticeable.

Whether you opt for the Black or Nickel, the 4" or the 6" we think you will notice the stand out build and finish quality. Sure, there are the odd bits of plastic here and there, but these are kept to a minimum, helping the CP88 6" Competition hold a decent heft at some 1150g. The 4" version of course is a little lighter but still feels realistically heavy if still a little shy of the real Steel weight.

In use the gun feels good in the hand with the grips being neither overly fat or deep, suiting both male and female shooters alike, with the ambidextrous safety meaning that both left and right hand shooters have easy access. It does though have a fairly loud report, so don't go thinking you can shoot this in the back garden without the neighbours noticing. Not so loud that it will annoy them excessively but they will know what you're up to.

The only real down side to the CP88 as far as we can see is the cost, with the 6" competition in nickel costing around the £240 mark it's not cheap but then we don't think you'll be disappointed. Quality as they say costs.

Thank you for taking the time to read the review. I'd be keen to hear your comments and thoughts

[tacfoley]

An excellent review, Sir. As you say, you gets what you pays for and quality will out.

I bought mine within a week of them coming 'off-ticket', initially as the standard nickel but with the a/m walnut [yes they really ARE walnut] grips, and then, from Michael Tawn, I bought the competition barrel/weights set-up and the Walther red dot sight. The sights have never been altered since the initial setting, and the battery lasts years. The pistol was, and still is, a cracker, and puts out an R10 Match peelt at just under 360fps - as you note, all the energy goes into propelling the pellet, not driving a slide.

Even after over seventeen years, mine still looks as though it came out of the box[es] yesterday.

100% recommended.

tac