.: Updated – October 2024
So a first for me – reviewing an airsoft gun that, I hope you are sitting comfortably, does not exist in real steel. I feel dirty just typing this. And not in a good way.
Anyway the H8R is technically a revolver – indeed it is manufactured by Wingun and then packaged, marketed & resold by Umarex. There’s one major difference however between this & the other WIngun revolvers in that rather than taking shells, it takes 10 round “disc” magazines. As a result, it is this disc that “revolves” rather than the chamber with both advantages & disadvantages. Like the other Wingun offerings we’ve seen, this is powered by CO₂.
It looks like its based on a .357 Python model – indeed the first things that came to mind was Marushin’s long discontinued 8mm canon, the Constrictor.
The Gen 2 adds some mysterious “internal upgrades™” & importantly, an adjustable hop over the original.
.: Build Quality :.
The first thing that strikes you about this is how light it is, especially in comparison to the existing 6 inch Wingun models. Whilst the Dan Wesson weighs in at 2 kilos & the 60DS at 1.15 kilos the H8R is 689g. The second is that the H8R is almost completely constructed of ABS and polymer. The only metal being the trigger & hammer.
This is understandable given the price differential with the H8R being around half the price of its full metal Wingun siblings, that said it doesn’t feel cheap despite being light in the hand. It certainly doesn’t feel premium but neither are there any creaks & it is solid to wield. Upon checking it after a full days skirmishing, including some full on FIBUA there were no signs of wear or indeed anything that would be cause for concern.
In terms of markings the left hand side of the gun has “H8R 6mm MAGNUM” etched onto the barrel. While I do appreciate the lower case “mm”, the addition of “magnum” has me raising an eyebrow. Any firearm model that wears the “magnum” moniker does so to signify that it is using a larger cartridge than its name suggests. Given the size of the discs compared to normal shells & the power (yes its another site legal revolver!) this naming is slightly ironic. The hammer, trigger & mag release pin are gun-metal gray compared to the matt black elsewhere.
Taking 12g CO₂ bulbs, the H8R loads them in the standard Wingun way. The rubber grip to hold feels lovely in the hand, solid, comfortable & um… grippy. It has a lightly etched “Elite Force” logo on the bottom. It includes a hex key to tighten/loosen the CO₂ on the detachable panel although this is one part of the pistol that feels “cheap” in that it flexes and just doesn’t feel as good as that found elsewhere.
Moving onto the right side we have a static safety indicator reminder, “ELITE FORCE” behind the chamber, a unique serial, “CAL. 6mm” & the ubiquitous “Ⓕ” for our brethren on the continent. On the top & the bottom of the barrel are 20mm rails for anyone daft/vain/misguided enough to mount superfluous guff on. It should be noted that there is a clear seam running between the two halves of the piece.
The trigger pull is light – really light compared to any of the other wheelguns in my gun case, even double action. Single action is my preference to really get the best out of the extra stability of a non-blowback platform but double tapping if required is a joy. Do note that when I tested the fps follow up shots when fired immediately after each other dropped to the region of 250.
Compared to the substantial feel of metal shells & speedloaders the discs themselves aren’t in the same league. Made entirely of ABS unloading & unloading is done by pushing the pin under the barrel forward & then pushing out the disc. Discs are removed or replaced from the left hand side. Insert a new disc, drop the pin down & you’re done. Its a very quick process & again whilst not in the same league as found when engaging in the joy of shells it does feel satisfying. Even in a high stress position under fire I found it no more time consuming or difficult then performing a GBB swap.
The reverse of each disc has “use only cal. 6mm” etched on the reverse side.
What is a nice surprise is the provision of fibre optic sights & they reminded me of just how much I love a nice pair1. Bright green, they catch any available light and make target acquisition even in the darkest of thickets easy.
.: Hop up :.
The hop looks like it is lifted from the Wingun Dan Wesson 715, although this is much more consistent giving the same amount with each shot fired. It is accessed by a small hex key and sits on top of the barrel. It is a little fiddly to sit the key snug so that the hop is adjusted (you can feel some resistance when the key is locked in) but once set I found that my round of choice was 0.3s. It also stays set. I was certainly able to pull off shots to a torso easily at what I would consider pushing it with a sidearm (approximately 40 metres) & putting a round through a small hole in a wooden barricade proved to be routine at a more normal 20 metres.
The hop mechanism is really good for 0.3s – its not fully engaged but I would think you’re running the risk of shredding the bucking if you want to go heavier as you don’t have all that much left to play with.
..: Aftermarket Parts & Recommendations :..
Er… what aftermarket parts? If anything breaks then you’ll probably need to speak to the 3D printing community. The magazines are available in reasonably priced twin packs – if you want them, when you see them, buy them – as in the UK at least they seem to be rarely in stock.
In terms of holstering there is a Kydex Custom available, which if the Rhino model is anything to go by, will be an excellent choice. However there is good news here – it sits snugly in any M4 mag pouch with an elastic retention strap so you can mount it on a belt or via MOLLE anywhere else that tickles your fancy.
I ran, crawled, fell & rolled over for a full day with the H8R staying put. The comparatively light weight nature of the gun makes this possible – I certainly wouldn’t want to try this with one of its similarly proportioned full metal siblings!
As with the other CO₂ offerings, adding a drop of silicon to the piercing valve each time you use it, as well as to the other (limited) moving parts is a necessity.
One item I have found of use – although you will need to peruse Etsy, possibly ebay or vendors outside the UK is a spring loaded, molle compatible disc holder.
You load up to 4 discs by pushing them into the bottom of the holder & slide them out as needed. They’re held in securely – I had no issues with the discs coming loose during a full day of my normal style of play. The discs are a little fiddly to load as the spring holder is reassuringly strong in the way it holds them, to the extent I wouldn’t want to use a second as a “dump holder” for spent discs. You’re more likely to drop them under pressure than be able to load them.
As I mount the holder onto a molle vest I found it easier to access the discs by mounting it upside down. For reference I obtained mine via Etsy & the make is labelled as “4 CUPS”2. I’d really recommend one if you intend to use your H8R a lot or as a primary. A lot easier than fishing round in a pouch for the discs & mounted on a vest or belt I’d give this a strong recommendation.
..: Power :..
Ambient temperature 20 °C
New capsule, 3 shots fired before, 10 seconds between shots. No hop applied. Blaster Devil.
0.2g BB’s
327 fps
327 fps
325 fps
329 fps
327 fps
325 fps
327 fps
328 fps
329 fps
325 fps
10 Shot average (1 disc) = 327 fps
..: Conclusion :..
Another usable skirmish legal/CQB friendly CO₂ revolver – will wonders never cease?
Whilst this considerably cheaper Wingun revolver is never going to have the bling of those costing much, much more I came away really impressed with this. It proved to be eminently usable; indeed the disc mags are not only quick to load but they seem to offer a very impressive consistency over shells extending the range at which I was willing to commit a shot. What surprised me was that like the other wheel guns in my collection it also has that unfathomable intimidation what seems to go hand in hand every time you wield one. I can see why it has an underground cult status amongst users.
The comparative cost (£65-£70) means I’d be happy to simply replace it if it fails after a year’s hard skirmishing.
My moment of the day with it had to come with the following comment. “You’ve got me once with that thing. I’m surrendering – I don’t fancy being shot with it again.” No amount of reassurance that on the afternoon in question there were hi-capas laying down fire with a more aggressive FPS would persuade them otherwise.
Above else, its fun to use & definitely adds a degree of style to your play that only a six (or in this case a ten) shooter can. When you consider the price I think its a brilliant addition to the gun bag, so much so that its found a place in permanent rotation amongst my cast of fear inducing revolvers.
Fraggle, July 2024 🐾.
Leave a Reply