Fast Mark Camoccio tests the SIG Sauer GSR CO2 pistol CO2

airguns | cybergun
Shooting the
Cybergun SIG
Sauer GSR
is above all
enjoyable
Fast fire fun!
Mark Camoccio tests the SIG Sauer GSR CO2 pistol
C
O2 is a whole
world of airguns
in itself, and to my
mind, the emphasis
here is on fun shooting. On
test here is Cybergun’s CO2
powered reproduction of the
SIG Sauer GSR pistol, and this
is a typical example of what is
available in the sub £80 bracket.
The GSR comes very well
presented, not to mention
protected, in a very neat boxed
set including the pistol, a small
box of BB’s, an allen key, and a
plastic speed loading tool. This
model fires 4.5mm steel BB’s
and features a semi-automatic
action. It utilizes standard 12g
CO2 capsules too, so the power
source is readily available.
Informal plinking sessions are
what this gun is all about, and
opening the neat packaging
revealed an attractive pistol,
that certainly looked the part.
Handle the GSR and the first
impressions are of a solid pistol.
Enough of the construction is
metal (magazine and main top
slide section) to give the GSR a
56
july
2013
|
GUN MART
satisfying weight in the hand,
and it certainly feels good on
aim. A tactical accessory rail
features as part of the main
body frame, and for those
who wish to play with all
manner of add-ons, such as
torches and lasers etc., this
could be a useful feature.
Sights are non-adjustable with
this model, although they are
clearly picked out, with white
dots on the notch and post,
affording a good sight picture.
Encapsulate
Before any action can take place,
a 12g CO2 capsule needs to be
loaded. This is actually concealed
inside the pistol’s magazine, and
to gain access, just press the
small button behind the trigger,
to release the mag. With the
magazine withdrawn, the allen
key supplied needs to be used
to gently release the tension. The
capsule can now be removed,
and replaced with a new one.
As always with CO2, handle the
spent capsules with care, as they
can become super cold as the
last of the contained liquid turns
to gas. With a new capsule in
position within the magazine, the
allen key is again used, to take
up the slack, and apply pressure,
gently piercing the seal on the
capsule in the process. Once you
hear the gas escape with a small
hiss, that should be enough, so
be careful not to over tighten.
Now we’re ready to fill the
magazine with BB’s. This is done
THE BREAKDOWN
This is a good looking
and solid feeling pistol
Note the button near
the thumb to release
the magazine
View hundreds more gun reviews online at www.gunmart.net
cybergun | airguns
The plastic speedloader
attachment helps the process
Note the accessory
rail along the
bottom edge
by sliding the speed-loading
tool into position over the mag,
which in turn, pushes back
the spring loaded clip. Keep a
firm grip of this assembly and
carefully pour BB’s into the
magazine’s opening at the top,
until the prescribed 21 have
been loaded. With the magazine
fully prepared, push it back
inside the pistol until it clicks, and
you’re ready to go. It’s here that
the fun begins, and our inner
‘Bodie and Doyle’ takes over.
Well older readers (much older
readers) will know what I mean!
BAXS?
The GSR is specified as featuring
BAXS, which stands for Ballistic
Accuracy Extreme System. For
those unfamiliar with the world
of BB guns, this is apparently
Cybergun’s version of the Hopup system. Standard Hop-up
involves the BB passing through
a tube which features a dimple
at the top. The dimple imparts
backspin to the BB, allowing it to
travel further, but the downside
is that this can often be at a
slight angle; sending the BB off
to the left or right. The BAXS
system features an additional
point of contact to the BB, with
effectively two dimples, one at
10 o’clock and one at 2 o’clock,
within the firing mechanism,
which apparently leads to greater
accuracy.
Performance
My initial testing was to be over
10yds. The GSR only shoots
on double action, whereby the
pulling of the trigger has to bring
the hammer all the way back
before the mechanism fires,
which does mean that trigger
pressures are rather heavy. Semi
auto operation however, means
that the fire rate is just as fast as
you can pull the trigger, which is
great fun for sure. If you require
a safety catch, then that takes
the form of the thumb bar, just
Well marked sights make
aiming easy
The fixed fore-sight is also
picked out in white
View hundreds more gun reviews online at www.gunmart.net
below and right of the hammer.
A red dot shows when the pistol
is live and ready to go.
So just what can you expect
from this model in terms of
accuracy? Well over 10yds and
shooting from a rested position,
I managed five shot groups just
shy of an inch, which I reckon
is quite reasonable for this type
of gun. Over 15yds, the best
achieved was 1.5inches, so
fair results considering we are
talking the far less efficient steel
BB here. Point of impact was
rather high with shots landing
around four inches high at
10yds, but of course allowances
can be made at certain ranges.
One point to note here, is that
I would always recommend
the wearing of safety glasses
when shooting steel or ‘copper
coated’ BB’s as they do have a
greater propensity for ricochets
than conventional lead pellets.
I tended to overlook this at
times through the testing, but
it should be second nature.
On test and for the record,
the GSR managed around 150
shots per capsule, which gives a
good guide as to what to expect.
Considerations
Factor in the additional running
costs of the CO2 capsules
themselves, and CO2 shooting
in general is obviously more
expensive than shooting standard
airguns. The major attraction
for many though, has to be the
fast-fire semi automatic feature,
and if that does it for you, then
the SIG Sauer GSR is a solid little
contender. It’s neat, compact,
well presented and unashamedly
FUN! GM
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Model
Cybergun SIG Sauer GSR
Type:
Co2 Semi-auto repeater
Power Source:
12g Co2 cartridge
Calibre:
.177
Magazine Capacity: 21 BB’s
Ammo:
Steel BB`s only
Shot Count:
On test over 150 shots
per 12g capsule of gas
Sights:
Fixed
Weight:
2.4lbs
Overall Length:
7.3inches
Barrel Length:
3.5inches
Velocity:
390fps approx
Trigger:
Double action only
RRP:
£79.95 approx inc BB’s and speedloader
Co2 12g cartridge 90p each approx
Contact:
Sportsmarketing
tel. 01206 795333 www.sportsmk.co.uk
GUN MART
| july
2013
57