Gletcher APS CO2 Blowback Steel BB gun

Type: BB Pistol

Manufacturer: Gletcher

Model: APS (Stechkin)

Materials: Metal & plastic

Weight: 2.29 pounds (1040 grams)

Barrel: 5.5 inches, smooth bore

Propulsion: 12 gram CO2

Action: Blowback - Single & Double action

Ammunition Type: 4.5mm Steel BBs

Ammunition Capacity: 22 rounds

FPS: 394fps (120m/s)

Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Gletcher APS Stetchkin is nice in both double and single action modes. Double action is fairly light as the hammer spring tension is moderate. The blowback operation will of course pre-cock the hammer allowing for single action shooting on almost all of your shots but the trigger pull length remains the same in both single and double action. The only difference is that in single action mode, the first part of the trigger pull, or should I say the take-up portion is much lighter until it gets to the hammer release point where you will notice more pressure and a short crisp release point.

Accuracy: I have done no preliminary shooting with this pistol so other than how the trigger feels I can not comment on the performance. The Gletcher APS Stechkin CO2 Blowback BB Pistol has a fairly long barrel length so it should get close to the claimed almost 400 fps and since the rear sight is adjustable for elevation I will be able to make aim point adjustments up and down if need be. The slide does snap back with decent firmness so I am also expecting there to be a decent amount of blowback feel.

Build Quality: The Gletcher APS Stechkin CO2 Blowback BB Pistol is well made, the metallic dark grey finish looks really nice and the fit is good, not a lot of slide wiggle and pretty much the entire pistol is metal including the frame, slide, trigger, slide catch-release, safety, hammer, magazine and inner and outer barrel. The only plastic parts would be the grips and some internal seals and o-rings.

Realism: The CO2 BB Gletcher APS is a 1 to 1 replica of the Stechkin Soviet Military sidearm, all the mechanical parts function just like you would find on the real steel version other than the full auto mode located on the safety, which has been disabled, perhaps for the European markets where full auto airguns are not allowed. The barrel opening and the stick magazine are the real only tell-tale signs that this is the airgun version rather than a real Stechkin.

Pros:

• One of the only 4.5mm BB shooting Stechkin replicas I have come across.
• Very solid and weighty gun. Mostly all metal.
• High capacity 22 round all metal stick magazine
• Blowback operation seems heavy, slide locks back on last round.
• Operational parts all work like they should (slide catch, safety, hammer, elevation adjustment, mag release)
• Field Strippable.
• Should be able to put a stock on it?
• Shooting performance pros yet to be determined…

Cons:

• No reassessed barrel opening.
• Would have liked to have seen full size drop out metal magazine on this gun.
• Full auto feature disabled on safety
• Shooting performance cons yet to be determined…

Comments: When I saw this pistol in the Gletcher catalogue, I did not realize how large it actually was, I was expecting it to be a bit larger than the Makarov but it really does dwarf the Makarov. Being that it is a large pistol it does have some weight to it but it does not feel heavy for its size. The grips are long front to back but not overly thick side to side so even medium sized hands should be OK shooting this BB air pistol. I am really happy to see another historic airgun added to the available Replica Airguns at our disposal and it's a bonus that we also get this one with blowback operation. Let's hope the Gletcher APS Stechkin shoots as well as it looks!