Well Up to the Mark!

Tim Finely discovers a break - barrel pistol for the next generation.

Normally, we airgun fans only get Co2-powered guns that look like real pistols, and there is a plethora of them from WWI Lugers to state-of-the-art modern SIGs, but here we have a spring powered, break-barrel, single-shot pistol based very closely on a Browning Buck Mark .22 rim fire firearm. I am perfectly placed to review this because I owned and competed with a real Buck Mark LBP for years, winning many medals at the hallowed Bisley shooting ground, as well as Derby RPC and Mattersey. True, it had a stupidly long 300mm barrel and a coat-hanger, stainless steel rod stuck out of the back due to our draconian gun laws, but it was a great pistol. I have also shot the proper sized Buck Mark pistols in the USA, and boy, they were loads of fun.

Umarex’s mechanical version of the Buck Mark does look and feel like the real thing. It has the same long Picatinny sight rail, flowing lines and deeply curved trigger blade and the detail of the mouldings means that the cut-out under the sight rail for ejected cartridges is there, as is the slide release button on the left-hand side, although this is a non-moving faux button. There is even a magazine release button on the left-hand side - non-working, of course.

The rubber grips are ambidextrous with three finger grooves, and it even has the deer’s head Browning logo on the base of the grip on both sides. It is a very comfortable grip, and the lightness and balance of the pistol also helps, of course.

SURPRISE