Umarex Legend Cowboy Rifle - Review and Disassembly
Mar 19, 2021 12:09:39 GMT
HeadHunter, Modski66, and 4 more like this
Post by twodoctors on Mar 19, 2021 12:09:39 GMT
TL:DR version: Buy one!
I should start by saying that I am not a Western fan, and have minimal interest in cowboy action shooting or the likes.
So why did I buy a replica cowboy rifle?
Well, I didn't. I bought a replica underlever rifle which I can load with shells instead of the rotary mag which was the Walther Underlever Rifle (which of course is more expensive).
Why would I want an underlever rifle?
Because that's what I use for some of my Gallery Rifle competitions! And the excuse for getting this was that I can use it for practice at home with.
(And also why the new Umarex Renegade Underlever Rifle doesn't look ugly to me at all, but that's for a banter down at Costa after lockdown.)
I digress.
So I spotted this on GunStar, the site that almost no one visits. This was on sale for a couple of weeks and I thought I would make him an offer, which obviously was accepted.
Arrived yesterday.
This was this morning! Would have done it last night but I still have CO2 inside...
Now I will be comparing it with my Marlin 1894 throughout the writeup. It is a bit of an unfair comparison as my Marlin has a bit of work done to it.
My first impression was very good though.
A shell ejecting rifle. What's not to like. Function like a real underlever.
Comes with a buckhorn sight, like the real thing.
And a "gold bead" for the front sight.
There are a few things in particular that was important to me: smoothness of the action, the trigger, and the accuracy.
Smoothness? Yes, it is smooth.
Both my underlevers (Marlin 39A and 1894) were bought pre-loved. One was over 50 years old, the other about 16 years old. You would have expected the action to be pretty worn in by then, but no, they were still a bit "sticky".
Let's watch this clip from North Cotes Butts again:
You can't do that with the Umarex Legend Cowboy Rifle.
Compared with my pre-mod Marlin, the action is smooth. It doesn't hurt my hand to rock the action. There is an extra bit of force needed to get the shell to eject at the end of the action, but over all I would consider it light and smooth. However it is not light enough to be able to shoot like the guy in the video. (and I doubt people buy this rifle for that kind of shooting anyway).
Trigger is nice. It's about 3.0lb, short and snappy. Absolutely no problem. It would be considered light for most people, especially for a rifle. (my Marlin has a 1.5lb trigger)
Accuracy. I haven't tested this properly yet! Shooting offhand from 10m, first group was about an inch or so with BB and pellets. I tried testing it rested with pellets, but the CO2 was dying by then. Lots of spread on elevation, but less than 1/4 inch spread on windage, so I would say it will be just fine in the correct hands even when further out. I will test it properly from further out when the weather is better.
The other thing to say is shell compatibility. It is strictly speaking not compatible with DW shells. I will load and fire though. DW shells are slightly narrower in girth and slight shorter, so it doesn't sit properly in the carriage. It will load, but not smoothly, and it will also fire, and eject. I shot about 6 rounds with my DW shells. I found out later on that one of my grommets was missing (and later recovered). If you watch AAR review on this, he did mention the grommet on the shells getting "ripped up" on normal use. If you look at the CO2 outlet, you'll notice that there is a nozzle which probably goes into the grommet on the shells. I suspect that was how the grommet on the DW shell was pulled out.
I shall be buying more shells at a later date.
3 things I don't like about the rifle.
The action. I don't like that final "push" that is required to eject the shell. Everyone within the competition scene advises me to get a Marlin instead of a Winchester, and the consensus is that the action is better on a Marlin. I am going to guess this is what they are talking about. It is what it is.
I hate the rifle being labelled as a "Cowboy Rifle" on the left hand side of the barrel. I'll need to get my blue-ing pen back and make that go away. I guess it is a marketing thing, aiming at the Western fans amongst the replica enthusiasts. Calling it an "underlever rifle" probably wouldn't be as appealing to some.
Loading gate. It does hurt a bit loading the shells. WinGun could have smoothed off the edges near the loading gate, and also consider using a lighter spring for the gate itself. Indeed, one can buy lighter weight loading gate for the Marlin. Hopefully someone with the right machinery will make one for these.
Otherwise, a very nice rifle.
On to disassembly then.
Remove the foregrip and barrel assembly first. 2 screws on the right and a drift pin which comes out from right to left on mine.
Then remove the stock from the frame. 1 screw on top and 1 at the bottom of the stock.
Finally 1 big screw near the ring on the left side, and 2 screws which were covered up by the stock.
Now before you remove the plate, note that there is a pin that might decide to do a flyer.
That's the detent for the safety switch. If the switch moves as you open the plate, it will probably disappear into the ether. And note that there are minimal spares available for these.
And we are here. (The detent is removed in this picture)
I then remove parts one and a time.
Lever first.
The carriage.
And the trigger assembly.
I left the "bolt" in situ, as it would involved taking the CO2 mechanism off. You can lube around it without doing that extra work.
Feel free to have a play with the mechanism in situ. Nothing will fly out. Then work out where the moving parts are and lube it up properly. I used molly grease.
Don't forget to lube the magazine tube spring and follower. It does take away that scratching noise when loading shells.
If you are feeling adventurous, open up the trigger assembly also.
2 screws.
Notice the 2 small springs with the trigger.
Remove the hammer first. It is not under tension. When the hammer is out, the two springs will not be under tension either. Remove them in case they decide to fly away also. I used a pair of tweezers.
If you are feeling mad, this is the hammer-sear interface. You can stone it, but I would advise against it. 3.0lb is light enough for this rifle.
On reassembly, make sure the hammer is in the forward position. The hammer spring leg is supposed to tension again the notch on the plate.
Screw it all back up and you are done.
To put it all back, the only main point to note is the carriage goes in first, then the lever. The trigger assembly can go in at any time.
It is possible to make a wooden stock for these, though it will take way too much time and for not a lot of return in my opinion. It will probably cost more that the rifle to buy one also, given the amount of workmanship required for it.
And I have not worked out how to remove the foregrip yet. On my Marlin there is a screw in front of the foregrip. There is none here.
With all that lube, the trigger is now down to 2.75lb. Not that much difference to be honest so may not be worth the hassle. The action is way smoother though. Not much metal clank now, which may or may not be what you are looking for. There is still that extra push to eject the shell, but it is what it is. Still no regrets with this one.
Accuracy report to follow.
I should start by saying that I am not a Western fan, and have minimal interest in cowboy action shooting or the likes.
So why did I buy a replica cowboy rifle?
Well, I didn't. I bought a replica underlever rifle which I can load with shells instead of the rotary mag which was the Walther Underlever Rifle (which of course is more expensive).
Why would I want an underlever rifle?
Because that's what I use for some of my Gallery Rifle competitions! And the excuse for getting this was that I can use it for practice at home with.
(And also why the new Umarex Renegade Underlever Rifle doesn't look ugly to me at all, but that's for a banter down at Costa after lockdown.)
I digress.
So I spotted this on GunStar, the site that almost no one visits. This was on sale for a couple of weeks and I thought I would make him an offer, which obviously was accepted.
Arrived yesterday.
This was this morning! Would have done it last night but I still have CO2 inside...
Now I will be comparing it with my Marlin 1894 throughout the writeup. It is a bit of an unfair comparison as my Marlin has a bit of work done to it.
My first impression was very good though.
A shell ejecting rifle. What's not to like. Function like a real underlever.
Comes with a buckhorn sight, like the real thing.
And a "gold bead" for the front sight.
There are a few things in particular that was important to me: smoothness of the action, the trigger, and the accuracy.
Smoothness? Yes, it is smooth.
Both my underlevers (Marlin 39A and 1894) were bought pre-loved. One was over 50 years old, the other about 16 years old. You would have expected the action to be pretty worn in by then, but no, they were still a bit "sticky".
Let's watch this clip from North Cotes Butts again:
You can't do that with the Umarex Legend Cowboy Rifle.
Compared with my pre-mod Marlin, the action is smooth. It doesn't hurt my hand to rock the action. There is an extra bit of force needed to get the shell to eject at the end of the action, but over all I would consider it light and smooth. However it is not light enough to be able to shoot like the guy in the video. (and I doubt people buy this rifle for that kind of shooting anyway).
Trigger is nice. It's about 3.0lb, short and snappy. Absolutely no problem. It would be considered light for most people, especially for a rifle. (my Marlin has a 1.5lb trigger)
Accuracy. I haven't tested this properly yet! Shooting offhand from 10m, first group was about an inch or so with BB and pellets. I tried testing it rested with pellets, but the CO2 was dying by then. Lots of spread on elevation, but less than 1/4 inch spread on windage, so I would say it will be just fine in the correct hands even when further out. I will test it properly from further out when the weather is better.
The other thing to say is shell compatibility. It is strictly speaking not compatible with DW shells. I will load and fire though. DW shells are slightly narrower in girth and slight shorter, so it doesn't sit properly in the carriage. It will load, but not smoothly, and it will also fire, and eject. I shot about 6 rounds with my DW shells. I found out later on that one of my grommets was missing (and later recovered). If you watch AAR review on this, he did mention the grommet on the shells getting "ripped up" on normal use. If you look at the CO2 outlet, you'll notice that there is a nozzle which probably goes into the grommet on the shells. I suspect that was how the grommet on the DW shell was pulled out.
I shall be buying more shells at a later date.
3 things I don't like about the rifle.
The action. I don't like that final "push" that is required to eject the shell. Everyone within the competition scene advises me to get a Marlin instead of a Winchester, and the consensus is that the action is better on a Marlin. I am going to guess this is what they are talking about. It is what it is.
I hate the rifle being labelled as a "Cowboy Rifle" on the left hand side of the barrel. I'll need to get my blue-ing pen back and make that go away. I guess it is a marketing thing, aiming at the Western fans amongst the replica enthusiasts. Calling it an "underlever rifle" probably wouldn't be as appealing to some.
Loading gate. It does hurt a bit loading the shells. WinGun could have smoothed off the edges near the loading gate, and also consider using a lighter spring for the gate itself. Indeed, one can buy lighter weight loading gate for the Marlin. Hopefully someone with the right machinery will make one for these.
Otherwise, a very nice rifle.
On to disassembly then.
Remove the foregrip and barrel assembly first. 2 screws on the right and a drift pin which comes out from right to left on mine.
Then remove the stock from the frame. 1 screw on top and 1 at the bottom of the stock.
Finally 1 big screw near the ring on the left side, and 2 screws which were covered up by the stock.
Now before you remove the plate, note that there is a pin that might decide to do a flyer.
That's the detent for the safety switch. If the switch moves as you open the plate, it will probably disappear into the ether. And note that there are minimal spares available for these.
And we are here. (The detent is removed in this picture)
I then remove parts one and a time.
Lever first.
The carriage.
And the trigger assembly.
I left the "bolt" in situ, as it would involved taking the CO2 mechanism off. You can lube around it without doing that extra work.
Feel free to have a play with the mechanism in situ. Nothing will fly out. Then work out where the moving parts are and lube it up properly. I used molly grease.
Don't forget to lube the magazine tube spring and follower. It does take away that scratching noise when loading shells.
If you are feeling adventurous, open up the trigger assembly also.
2 screws.
Notice the 2 small springs with the trigger.
Remove the hammer first. It is not under tension. When the hammer is out, the two springs will not be under tension either. Remove them in case they decide to fly away also. I used a pair of tweezers.
If you are feeling mad, this is the hammer-sear interface. You can stone it, but I would advise against it. 3.0lb is light enough for this rifle.
On reassembly, make sure the hammer is in the forward position. The hammer spring leg is supposed to tension again the notch on the plate.
Screw it all back up and you are done.
To put it all back, the only main point to note is the carriage goes in first, then the lever. The trigger assembly can go in at any time.
It is possible to make a wooden stock for these, though it will take way too much time and for not a lot of return in my opinion. It will probably cost more that the rifle to buy one also, given the amount of workmanship required for it.
And I have not worked out how to remove the foregrip yet. On my Marlin there is a screw in front of the foregrip. There is none here.
With all that lube, the trigger is now down to 2.75lb. Not that much difference to be honest so may not be worth the hassle. The action is way smoother though. Not much metal clank now, which may or may not be what you are looking for. There is still that extra push to eject the shell, but it is what it is. Still no regrets with this one.
Accuracy report to follow.
