Umarex Legends PM KGB BB pistol - test & review

Dave Barham tests the Umarex Legends PM KGB BB pistol, complete with mock silencer! Find out what the verdict was on this super-cool air-pistol here!

Based loosely on the infamous Walther PPK pistol this Russian equivalent is a 17-shot, CO2 BB repeater. I didn’t quite know what to expect when I opened the box and saw the fake silencer, but after a little bit of head scratching I finally pieced it all together.

MAGAZINE MAYHEM

You release this pistol’s mag’ by pushing the little lever on the heel of the grip forwards, which allows the mag’ to drop out. It’s a weighty mag’, manufactured from metal, which is a nice touch – I was fully expecting a cheap and nasty plastic one, but then again this is Umarex, so quality is always assured.

It’s a ‘pull down and lock’ type of affair, with the small button at the top of the spring being pulled all the way down to the base of the mag’ and then pushed to the right to lock it in place so you can load your BBs. I really like these kind of mag’s, they make loading so much easier. To insert your 17 steel BBs, you simply push each one into the top of the mag’ and they drop down to the top of the locked spring. Once full, simply push the lock button back to the left and the mag’ is ready to go.

One word of advice here, though, don’t do what I did and hold the mag’ up in front of you to inspect your excellent loading skills, turning it around in admiration – the BB exit port where the BBs load into the breech is situated at the rear of the mag’ at the bottom, and it’s a free-flow hole for drop-feed loading, which means all the BBs can just fall out. Start again, Dave!

CO2 LOADING

With the mag’ loaded for the second time, I was now ready to load the CO2 cylinder, the standard 12g type. There’s a chunky hex key included in the box, and loading couldn’t be easier. Simply slide the entire pistol grip plate backwards to expose the cylinder port, drop your CO2 in and then tighten from the base with the hex key to pierce and secure it. Once in place, just slide the grip plate forwards until it clicks back into place.

SILENCE IS GOLDEN

It was now time to add the fake silencer. This stumped me for a couple of seconds, because unlike nearly every single other silencer in the world, in order to screw this one on you have to turn it away from you (clockwise) rather than anticlockwise. I reckon whoever designed it must have been left-handed!

This ‘silencer’ is moulded from plastic, but it doesn’t feel cheap or detract from the pistol’s appearance in any way. Although it’s a ‘fake’ silencer, it does alter the sound output somewhat, yet surprisingly doesn’t have any noticeable effect on accuracy. Not that this is a target pistol, it’s a simple plinker, but still, it works a treat.

SOLID CONSTRUCTION

Although the PM KGB is a relatively cheap little pistol, it’s manufactured from quality components, with quite a lot of metal innards beneath the high-impact plastic outer shell. The trigger is solid, one-stage, and requires a good couple of pounds to pull with about 15mm of travel until the release. You can rattle off 17 shots in no time at all, smiling as you do so. I managed to get through four-and-a-half magazines before I noticed any drop in power, so I’m guessing you get around 60 useable shots per 12g CO2 cylinder.

VERDICT

If you’re after a well-priced BB plinker, or you fancy yourself as a Bond villain, then look no further, the Umarex Legends PM KGB is a quality pistol at a very affordable price.

Tech Specs - Umarex Legends PM KGB BB pistol

Model: PM KGB

Distributor: John Rothery Wholesale

Calibre: 4.5mm BB

Mag Capacity: 17-shot

Velocity: 300+fps

Trigger: Single-action

Overall Length: 295mm

Barrel length: 105mm

Sights: open, fixed

Safety: Manual

Weight: 550g

Power: CO2

Blowback: No

Shots Per Capsule: Around 60

Price: £54.95