S&W M&P R8 (.357 magnum)
 

The M&P R8 uses a removable plastic clip to hold eight BBs. The owner's manual shows BBs being loaded from the back of the clip (the side that faces the back of the gun when the clip is installed). I found that accuracy improved a little if BBs were loaded from the front. However, all tests results reported here were collected with BBs loaded as shown in the manual. The chambers in the clip have elastomeric rings around each opening, which help to seal the chambers against gas loss when the gun is fired. The chambers in the cylinder are lined with steel sleeves that, to some extent, serve as extensions of the barrel (Umarex's claim that the barrel length on this gun is 5.1" can only be attained if the steel sleeves in the cylinder are considered part of the barrel). Another interesting gas saving feature in this gun's design is the use of a spring loaded barrel that contains a tapered end that fits snugly into each chamber of the cylinder. As the cylinder rotates, the barrel moves forward until the tapered end (this would be called the forcing cone on a firearm) snaps into the next chamber. This design not only conserves gas, but it also assists in locking the cylinder in place for each shot. The result is the R8 gets more than 80 good shots from a CO2 cylinder, which is very good for a revolver. However, since the barrel is able to move, gas pressure could force the barrel to move forward during firing resulting in a decrease in accuracy.

The test targets shown below indicate that the R8 is capable of good accuracy, but it will throw a wild shot or two out of every five or six shots. I suspect that the spring-loaded barrel may be partly to blame for these fliers. CO2 cylinders are loaded in the grip of the gun by pressing a button on the bottom of the grip causing the backstrap to flip open. The backstrap completely covers the piercing screw when it is closed giving the gun a clean and realistic appearance. The S&W M&P R8 is the first replica revolver to hit the market in over 10 years that is not descended from an airsoft design. While not as impressive as its Umarex stablemates (the S&W 586 and 686), it is less than one-third the price. With its low price, many new design features, and generally good performance, the S&W M&P R8 from Umarex is very easy to recommend.

Pyramyd Air Report on S&W M&P R8 (Part 1)
Pyramyd Air Report on S&W M&P R8 (Part 2)
Pyramyd Air Report on S&W M&P R8 (Part 3)

Performance: Measurements were made on 10/13/2011 at a temperature of 72 ºF and 5000' elevation. A ten shot string was fired single-action from a bench rest at 15' using RWS Match BBs (5.4 gr). The highest velocity measured was 436 fps, the lowest was 368 fps (average of the 10-shot string was 404 fps, s = 22). The average velocity was a little under the advertised value of 410 fps. The R8 shoots about 15 fps faster when fired DA vs. SA. The variation in m.v. was fairly large at 22 fps. Click the thumbnail below to see a larger image. Click here for a description of the measurement methods.

Four different brands of BBs were tested with the M&P R8 revolver. The targets below show the results for firing five-shot groups in SA mode from 15' using a bench and open sights with Crosman Copperhead BBs (1.46"), Daisy Avanti BBs (0.82"), Daisy Precision Max BBs (1.02"), and RWS Match Grade BBs (0.76"). RWS Match BBs produced the best results. All measurements are center-to-center.

The cylinder release button also serves as the safety. When pushed forward, the lever releases the cylinder and when pushed backward the lever engages the safety mechanism. When the safety is engaged, neither the trigger nor the hammer can be pulled. The holes along the top of the barrel are for attaching accessories. They are threaded to receive a rail on the firearm, but they are only cosmetic on the airgun.

Interestingly, accuracy seemed to improve a little if BBs were loaded from the opposite side of the clip (this is contrary to the manufacturer's instructions and the instructions listed above).