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Post by snesmonkey on Jun 30, 2021 7:47:25 GMT
Hi all, I picked up my new PPQ M2 on Saturday and I thought I'd share a few photos and my opinion on whether it lives up to it's hefty price tag.
I'd hesitate to call it a full review as it's lacking chronograph figures or even reliable target shooting results using the regulation distance and target size. I was convinced I had some regulation targets tucked away somewhere but when I couldn't find any I had to hastily put together some crude 10cm targets just for reference...far from ideal, but better than nothing.
Firstly, the finish and materials used are up to the usual high standards weve all come to expect from Umarex. It feels weighty and solid although there is a distinct rattle from the slide when the pistol is shaken from side to side. There is only one instance of white warning writing on the frame, just a very discreet nod to the pellet calibre in tiny lettering next to the safety catch.
The newly designed belt magazine works well and feeds the pellets effectively, but it is quite fiddly to load. There's a small plastic clip (arrowed in photo)that needs to be pushed to one side to allow insertion of the pellets into the belt and then pulled back out afterwards. The belt itself is made from a semi rigid rubber material so it'll be interesting to see whether it'll wear and stretch over time.
Removing the backstrap to access the allen tool fitted to the top, requires pushing it from the inside of the magazine well outwards till it snaps out. Although there's a tiny sprung clip to allow this, it did feel like I was about to break something at first! That may take some getting used to. Due angular edges of the backstrap it's quite uncomfortable to use when applying pressure.The C02 screw is housed neatly under a plastic buttplate which slides over to cover it neatly.
The mag release button and slide catch release lever work well but I found the safety catch a bit akward as it requires sliding forward and down in one smooth motion. Using two hands to engage the safety was easier but I did get used to it by the end of the session.
The rear sight is adjustable and the yellow dot sight picture works fine, although personally I think white dots look better.
In operation the blowback was satisfyingly snappy and I couldn't help an unexpected smile creeping onto my face halfway through the first magazine!  (always a good sign) although sadly the slide doesn't lock back after the last shot. Not a big deal, but it does mean you have to keep track of your shots...21 in total.
I found the trigger to be absolutely fine, although there is some travel at first it was smooth with a very definate break point. As the trigger is at least partially responsible for rotating the magazine belt, (I believe the blowback mechanism also helps with the rotation) I expected the trigger to feel slightly clunky, but it felt good to me.
The targets in the photos were 7 mtrs away from a standing position firing some bog standard Marksman pellets I had lying around. It was definately shooting slightly low and to the right and after I allowed for this with my aim, I achieved marginally better results with the 2nd target (on the right in the pic) I'm sure with some rear sight adjustment and practice I could tighten those groups significantly.
So in summary...
Cons:
Slightly fiddly to load the mag belt
Uncomfortable backstrap allen tool
Fiddly to engage safety catch
No lockback on last shot
Pros:
Build quality and feel
Powerful blowback.
High shot capacity
Highly realistic replica in appearance and function
Pellet firing allows wider choice of targets
Overall, its probably the best all round pistol package I've owned to date.
 
 
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twodoctors
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Post by twodoctors on Jun 30, 2021 8:00:45 GMT
Thanks for the review.
What distance is that grouping from?
And how does the trigger weight and quality compare with other pistols that you have? (this is where my trigger weight chart may come in handy!)
The slightly sloppy slide is a minor concern for me. The sights being on the slide, means that it may not always be in line with the barrel, so accuracy can be affected that way. Having said that the distance we shoot replica from, and what most people shoot, makes it a very negligible problem.
That could probably have done something to the belt to activate a slide lock open... But I'm sure there is an engineering issue somewhere that I haven't thought of.
Looks good otherwise. I might keep an eye out for a preloved one in a few years time!
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Modski66
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Post by Modski66 on Jun 30, 2021 8:03:45 GMT
Nice review there, shame about the lock-back feature, maybe one day!
I am guessing it doesn't field strip?
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CaptDAR
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Post by CaptDAR on Jun 30, 2021 8:36:52 GMT
Nice review and pictures.
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Post by snesmonkey on Jun 30, 2021 8:58:34 GMT
Thanks for the review. What distance is that grouping from? And how does the trigger weight and quality compare with other pistols that you have? (this is where my trigger weight chart may come in handy!) The slightly sloppy slide is a minor concern for me. The sights being on the slide, means that it may not always be in line with the barrel, so accuracy can be affected that way. Having said that the distance we shoot replica from, and what most people shoot, makes it a very negligible problem. That could probably have done something to the belt to activate a slide lock open... But I'm sure there is an engineering issue somewhere that I haven't thought of. Looks good otherwise. I might keep an eye out for a preloved one in a few years time! Target distance was 7mtrs, unfortunately I can't really compare the trigger weight with anything else as it's currently the only pistol I own. Having watched a couple of (badly auto-translated) German reviews on Youtube, which seemed to hint at an uneven trigger due to the belt rotation, I was expecting it to be an issue. But it felt smooth to me and not unduly heavy. I was slightly disappointed by the slide rattle but as you say, at the distances we tend to shoot at, it's a minor issue. I suspect my stance and grip have much more effect on grouping accuracy rather than any deficiencies in the fit of the slide. I'd have liked a lock back slide, but I've yet to own a pistol that ticked every box on my wish list and a non lock back slide was a compromise I was willing to make in order to get a pistol that fired pellets rather than BB's. |
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Post by snesmonkey on Jun 30, 2021 9:00:12 GMT
Nice review there, shame about the lock-back feature, maybe one day! I am guessing it doesn't field strip? As far as I'm aware, there's no field strip option  |
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Post by HeadHunter on Jun 30, 2021 12:31:41 GMT
A great little review there buddy, it's always good to have a quick overview of a new gun to the market.
Am I right in thinking that you load the pellets in backwards ?
I am guessing that little silicon oil on the belt will ease it's rotation quite a bit, it might be worth keeping it lubed for a more consistent trigger pull.
It's a shame about the non-lock back as there's nothing better than slamming a fresh magazine in it and dropping the slide lock and getting back on target quickly. The lack of field strip-ability is a shame too but on the plus side it does fire pellets and has blowback action, which is much more preferable to a lot of other non blowback pellet autos that are around.
Get it chronographed and post the results, it may have great shot count to power consistency which would be another major plus point for it too.
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Doyley83
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Post by Doyley83 on Jun 30, 2021 15:03:15 GMT
Nice writeup and pictures snesmonkey I like the looks of this one mate 👍🏼 |
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Post by snesmonkey on Jun 30, 2021 19:12:37 GMT
A great little review there buddy, it's always good to have a quick overview of a new gun to the market. Am I right in thinking that you load the pellets in backwards ? I am guessing that little silicon oil on the belt will ease it's rotation quite a bit, it might be worth keeping it lubed for a more consistent trigger pull. It's a shame about the non-lock back as there's nothing better than slamming a fresh magazine in it and dropping the slide lock and getting back on target quickly. The lack of field strip-ability is a shame too but on the plus side it does fire pellets and has blowback action, which is much more preferable to a lot of other non blowback pellet autos that are around. Get it chronographed and post the results, it may have great shot count to power consistency which would be another major plus point for it too. Thanks Shaun...No, the design of the mag means the pellets will only load from the rear of the mag facing forwards. I suspect your'e right about the silicon oil. I need to put that on my shopping list...along with some decent pellets and proper targets!  Fortunately I'm off tomorrow so I'll try and pick some up. Sadly I've not got a chronograph, so we'll have to wait till someone better equipped than me posts some power figures. |
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Post by Wild Bill on Jun 30, 2021 19:37:46 GMT
Good review of a new pistol. Well done.  |
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Post by HeadHunter on Jun 30, 2021 19:54:36 GMT
A great little review there buddy, it's always good to have a quick overview of a new gun to the market. Am I right in thinking that you load the pellets in backwards ? I am guessing that little silicon oil on the belt will ease it's rotation quite a bit, it might be worth keeping it lubed for a more consistent trigger pull. It's a shame about the non-lock back as there's nothing better than slamming a fresh magazine in it and dropping the slide lock and getting back on target quickly. The lack of field strip-ability is a shame too but on the plus side it does fire pellets and has blowback action, which is much more preferable to a lot of other non blowback pellet autos that are around. Get it chronographed and post the results, it may have great shot count to power consistency which would be another major plus point for it too. Thanks Shaun...No, the design of the mag means the pellets will only load from the rear of the mag facing forwards. I suspect your'e right about the silicon oil. I need to put that on my shopping list...along with some decent pellets and proper targets! Fortunately I'm off tomorrow so I'll try and pick some up. Sadly I've not got a chronograph, so we'll have to wait till someone better equipped than me posts some power figures. Ooops ! That was me, now when I look at the photo I can see I was looking at it the wrong way round (Doh!) |
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TalinMoracius
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Post by TalinMoracius on Jul 1, 2021 7:04:37 GMT
That’s a great write up, it’s certainly a fantastic looker, how does it feel in the hand for weight?
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Post by snesmonkey on Jul 1, 2021 9:04:01 GMT
That’s a great write up, it’s certainly a fantastic looker, how does it feel in the hand for weight? Thanks, like most of these recent modern pistols by Umarex, the ergonomics are top notch and the pistol sits well in the hand. A quick Google search has just confirmed that the CO2 version is actually heavier than the real steel version of this pistol, weighing in at a hefty 890g...the real steel version is 695g...195g lighter(7oz in old money) Also don't be put off by my comment in the review about the slide rattle, this is a high quality well built pistol. |
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Post by HeadHunter on Jul 1, 2021 10:24:35 GMT
That’s a great write up, it’s certainly a fantastic looker, how does it feel in the hand for weight? Thanks, like most of these recent modern pistols by Umarex, the ergonomics are top notch and the pistol sits well in the hand. A quick Google search has just confirmed that the CO2 version is actually heavier than the real steel version of this pistol, weighing in at a hefty 890g...the real steel version is 695g...195g lighter(7oz in old money) Also don't be put off by my comment in the review about the slide rattle, this is a high quality well built pistol. Yeah, but is that the gun weight minus a full mag of 9mm's ? As a full mag will add considerable weight to it. |
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Post by snesmonkey on Jul 1, 2021 21:44:05 GMT
the CO2 version is actually heavier than the real steel version of this pistol, weighing in at a hefty 890g...the real steel version is 695g...195g lighter(7oz in old money) Yeah, but is that the gun weight minus a full mag of 9mm's ? As a full mag will add considerable weight to it. You're right of course... after more Googling, the weight of the real steel fully loaded is 855g, so CO2 version is still slightly heavier. I'm assuming Umarex are quoting an unloaded figure, so C02 and pellet weight will probably nudge it up above 900g. |
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(always a good sign) although sadly the slide doesn't lock back after the last shot. Not a big deal, but it does mean you have to keep track of your shots...21 in total.
Fortunately I'm off tomorrow so I'll try and pick some up.
