I field-tested the most powerful fully automatic BB guns on Amazon. So if you're in the market for one, I'd highly recommend one of the following options.
FYI, prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.
1. Black DPMS - Comfortable and Realistic
Highlight: The replica is comfortable for the shooter and realistic in its operation compared to an accurate DPMS rifle.
Helpful review: We unpacked the air guns as they showed up, and the first one we opened was the DPMS. According to the paperwork, this air rifle will shoot 1400 rounds per minute. The feel of this air gun is close to a real one. This DPMS will give a shooter a life-like feel for handling this rifle, so it may be a good fit for training using a DPMS in the real world.
One thing this air rifle does not do that DPMS is excellent at is the flip-up sights. The sights need to be thrown away and replaced with natural flip-up sights. Flip-ups are affordable, and the shooters are ready to get real-life practice when the good sights are on the air rifle.
One thing that is different from the actual gun is the trigger, and it is the way air rifles work. The trigger is stiff until the last 10% of trigger travel, then it lets go and sends the BBs down range. This trigger is similar to a two-stage trigger. It is identical in the way it has two different pull weights until the round is released. The DMPS (firearm) trigger pull is different and better, but it is an accurate rifle trigger. Another part that does not operate is the forward assist, which makes sense; there is no round to push forward into the chamber.
This air rifle will provide excellent opportunities for Close Range Combative training at indoor lengths, like across the room and down a hallway. The significant part about using BB guns is using canvas tarps to stop the rounds and save the "house" from damage. This air rifle's full auto ability is done using CO2 cartridges. It is necessary to keep the CO2 cartridges within their operational pressure; when they get low, the gun starts doing weird things.
EASY FIX:
Replace the CO2 and get back to training. We learned that full auto out of the box would not work well; it takes a few semi-auto sessions to get the air gun to wear in, and then full auto until the store runs out of CO2 cartridges.
Other than the apparent cleaning, according to the manual, maintenance for this air rifle needs to be read, and a maintenance plan must be made for the DPMS. The internals must be oiled like an air wrench or pneumatic paint sprayer. According to the manual, just a drop in the inlet to start, then a drop every thousand rounds or so. I use Prolix for everything except heavy machining, as the water base will evaporate away as steam. Use a lubricant that will not hurt your eyes if it splashes in your face when the gun is running at full auto, and Prolix is the one I find to do it all.
This is a great idea for training muscle memory in an air gun that can be used for practice in your own house and any location with simple prep work to keep the BBs from damaging other things. — Gary Anderson
Get it from Amazon now: $221.99 & FREE Returns
2. Crosman CAK1 - Over 1,400 Rounds per Minute
Highlight: An AK47 simulation gun that feels like the real thing.
Helpful review: The plastic stock and foregrip are the only things that do not look like an actual AK47 variant. The Crosman CAK1 only needs a wood stock and foregrip to get a feel like the real thing. The Crosman CAK1 uses black plastic stocks, which are shiny black and will give it away immediately. The pure blackout style looks very cool, almost like a Batman movie prop.
This is not to say if a neighbor sees one of these lurking around, taking out the trespassing pigeons or vermin may have the cops showing up and immediately having a very intense conversation. For my buddy's experience business, this may be the only time some people get a chance to operate a "feels like" AK variant, which is a good thing.
The Crosman CAK1 is quite loud when it shoots BBs, to the point that you need hearing protection when using it, especially if it is indoors. The nose comes from a sudden and explosive air release down a tiny tube, and a BB is only .177 of an inch across. The .177 caliber is only about 1/8th of an inch, which is a lot of focused energy in a small space. When that much air pressure is focused into that small of a space, the result will simply be a loud noise due to expansion. In the adult air gun market, you should use hearing protection unless the manufacturer uses a suppressor, like the Stoeger and others. Even with a built-in suppressor inside my garage shop, the noise level is close to being too loud. And ALWAYS use eye protection, even if you are not using steel or copper BBs, and shoot airsoft guns. Eyeballs are easy to damage; just use shooting glasses.
The Crosman CAK1 air gun is easy to load and clean, with a lightweight trigger pull. The magazine is the size and shape of an actual AK47 magazine. The difference is not all that much, as the magazine holds 28 BBs (lame), and a real AK magazine holds 30 rounds. Reloading is completely different; it is a BB gun, after all. Counting bullets or round count awareness will be the same, which will benefit training with this air rifle.
The fun factor of this air gun is amazing; the amount of fun that comes with the Crosman CAK1 is worth the money. The owner's manual says the rate of fire is about 1400 per minute. I don't know how they fired that many in a row, or they may have just used math and hoped it would shoot that many in a row on full auto. The Crosman CAK1 will be a good demo for checking accessories' fit or practicality. This is also a good plan, especially if you happen to be a vendor at the gun show. Using this for a demo ensures the customer does not “flag” people with a real gun. It's not OK, but it is safer, especially if there is no air to shoot BBs.
An air rifle that is easy to load and fun to shoot had us going broke in a hurry. All AK accessories from actual AK47 variants will fit this air rifle. So, if you and your crew need to practice using a flashlight and don't want to go to a range in the dark and want to go to the weeds in the dark to practice, this will do it. — Dave Heller
Get it from Amazon now: $218.99 & FREE Returns
3. Crosman BMPWX - Includes an Upgraded Red Dot Sight
Highlight: The kit includes an upgraded red dot.
Helpful review: The CFAR1X is a short barrel-style AR Platform copy. Most AR-style functions work like the real thing, except the forward assist; the chamber has no round to tap forward. This air gun looks and feels natural and will work great for safe practice and handling training.
When I say most of this gun works like an aerial gun, let me tell you about the parts of this air rifle that work like a true AR: the charging handle, safety selector, magazine release, bolt release, and ejection port cover, which snap into place.
That is not all, the stock also has the standard six-position adjustment options. Even the take-down pins work the same as those on an AR platform rifle. For practicing operations on an AR15, this air gun will do it all, and do it all safely for new shooters and everyone else around the new shooter. With an accurate weight, the shooter can look into the size and shape of a short barrel AR rifle and add and subtract accessories, which may save some wasted money in the long run. If an owner of a gun store or whatever is out there, this air gun can allow customers to try on accessories and get all twitterpated to buy more stuff, which is good for the store.
To keep up on the maintenance of this AR platform model gun, Crosman tells us to put a drop of oil or Prolix (my favorite) on the seals of the CO2 calendars to prevent them from drying out and improve the seal. In the manual, Crosman also tells us not to leave the CO2 calendars in the gun, use them up, and then remove them after the day of shooting. The owner's manual will show a few places to add a drop or two of Prolix to lube the moving parts, and that will also keep the rust from setting in if this gun plays outside in the rain.
The Crosman CFAR1X is not made to be a tack driver or even close. This air rifle is made to shoot in full auto and have a lot of fun. The other function of this AR platform copy is to train and familiarize oneself with it. If you need this, and by need, I include having fun with a new air rifle, this option is a perfect fit. To help with accuracy, I suggest adding a red dot optic. Since the Crosman CFAR1X is a short barrel rifle model with a six-position stock, this is not the palace for a Low Power Variable Optic (VPVO) scope, but a red dot may be the magic.
I talked a bit earlier about mourning up many accessories; Crosman has made the CFAR1X with picatinny rails to mount all your goodies. All of the AR picatinny accessories will fit and function on the CFAR1X, and this will be an excellent addition to my gun show kit to show off items that customers can buy and take home to install on their guns at home.
I think a fully loaded AR15 model that is impossible may help sell more stuff when customers can check and see if a product is a good fit for their needs. A front swivel mount for a sling will work; a forward vertical handle, weapon-mounted lights, you name it, will fit. — Gary Anderson
Get it from Amazon now: $250.99 & FREE Returns
4. Umarex Legends MP - Full-Auto Realistic Blowback Action
Highlight: Realistic blowback in a submachine gun.
Helpful review: This submachine gun copy is just too cool to pass up. I am still determining what practical application training with an MP40 copy air gun is, but the fun-as-hell factor is worth the price. There is just something about this little full-auto BB gun that makes me go a little crazy. Shooting BBs from the hip is much more affordable than shooting 9mm or 30 Luger by the bucket full.
Most people who shoot BB guns use a box to catch and reuse BBs. Shooting the Umarex Legends MP catching BBs will not be much good. This thing will spray BBs all over the place because the shooter is going nuts and having a great time doing so, not recoil. The Legends MP has zero or effectively zero recoil.
The only expensive part of the Umarex MP is the CO2 cartridges. When playing, I mean training with the Umarex MP40 copy; everyone uses more ammo and CO2 than needed. I spent all my actual firearm ammo budget on CO2 cartridges, and in about an hour, while I was shooting this air gun. I will do it again if I ever get this back in my hands.
A great part of this air rifle, if a shooter is training to use this style of the gun in the real world, this size and weight will let the shooter know limits and needed accessories, and even more importantly, not needed accessories to save money and weight for operations in the field.
When I was shooting this with my buddy and finding out it needed to be part of a new shooter experience business he was making, we never experienced a malfunction. I think we each shot about 3000 BBs as fast as we could. The only thing that was irritating about the 3000 rounds of BB shoots was reloading a bunch of BBs all the damn time. Being an air rifle that uses CO2 canisters, after about 50 rounds, the power drops off as anyone would expect. One thing that we discovered when shooting (like a couple of sugar-filled kids) is that filling the magazines gets to be an immense pain in the neck. Filling the magazine sucks, but that pain is quickly replaced by the joy and plain old fun of shooting this little gun at full auto and shredding a splatter target into powder.
Shooting after pigeons or rodents is not what this gun is made for. If you can hit the critter, I am sure you will place it in the dumpster, but hitting it will be hard.
Extra magazines can be bought and loaded to practice magazine reloads. With an air gun, reloading on the move is safer, and the shooter will improve with more practice. The extra magazines are expensive and will remain costly due to the low demand for MP40 air gun shooters.
One part of this little Umarex I liked that my buddy did not was the wear and tear on the paint. When the paint wears off of the edges and corners, this lets the metal shine through. Scruffy and tattered magazines and edges make the Umarex Legend MP look more realistic and even more formidable than it did brand-new. I may get one to put on the wall to look cool on Zoom and things like that; what a backdrop! — Michael K. Lawson
Get it from Amazon now: $239.99 & FREE Returns
5. SIG Sauer MCX Rattler - Full-Size 30-Round Magazine
Highlight: Ambidextrous selectors and magazine releases.
Helpful review: It's time to talk about a BB gun that I absolutely do not need and enjoyed a lot. I found a full-auto Scorpion replica BB gun, and it's pretty cool as well. A buddy of mine and I were looking at different full-auto BB guns for the shooting experience business he is going to create. Once this Sig Sauer MCX Rattler came into view, we had to have one. This option is the only one we tested that is a semi-auto and three-round burst option. It has been a very long time since I shot a three-round burst, and let me tell you that it was a lot of fun.
The Rattler has a functioning side folding stock and is made of high-quality parts. Practicing with the side folding stock is a new experience that many shooters have not had before. A side folding stock is great for concealment and storage but can be a giant stumbling item.
If a product is a stumbling item, in a real encounter, it may end up in the bad guy winning or the good guy shooting themselves. This is the time to find out if the side folder is a bad idea, not in the thick of things when everything is getting harmful and dangerous.
The MCX Rattler weighs in like the real thing and will give a true experience for testing out the fit of this style gun for the shooter. The metal barrel and heavy-duty inner parts give this option some heft; it feels like a real gun; again, the BB gun options in this application honestly blow my mind. Adding and subtracting accessories on this model is a great idea to ensure it is the right choice. For this gun, I mounted a laser sight, adding an optical sight this is wasted money, but the laser is amazing. Like the one O-light makes, a flashlight with the laser combo is the best idea.
Like the Scorpion, the Rattler has a very short barrel, more like a pistol than a rifle, not even a short-barrel rifle. The shorty is not good at hitting bullseyes when shooting a target and even less of a tack driver when shooting in a burst. This air gun is not designed to be a precision shooter (with the side folder locked out to use on the shoulder or folded) but a small and super fun, full automatic shooter.
The Rattler comes equipped with pop-up sights. The sights are the peephole style, which works well when using the side folder stock. The peephole sights are almost worthless when shooting the Sig Sauer MCX Rattler like a pistol.
If you need to shoot in pistol mode, you can put on a red dot sight and use it that way, which is what we did. The red dot was left in place for use with the side folder stock open. Since this air gun is a Sig Sauer, we used a Romeo 5 red dot, which works like a dream, the flashlight and laser combo were the O-light. — Mike Radduci
Get it from Amazon now: $169.99 & FREE Returns
6. FDE DPMS - 25-Round Drop Out Magazine
Highlight: Removable pop-up and adjustable sights.
Helpful review: Another full-size AR platform for experience was the FDE DPMS. Like the other AR platform replicas I have found, this one is nearly identical for training purposes.
The DPMS works with the CO2 cartridges and has the same issue of CO2 cartridge costs (you will use a lot of them) and loss of power happening quickly. The power loss from the CO2 comes from the "man-child" mentality of shooting full auto only, like money grows on trees or something. It's an easy fix when the power loss happens; just take a few steps closer to the target and keep shooting. The consistent hits on a six-inch target, even at full auto, are excellent and fun. Use a six-inch splatter target and watch the paint disappear quickly.
This DPMS AR replica has never stopped or malfunctioned. When we were in the field shooting like idiots, all we did with it was shoot in full auto. The DPMS will shoot in semi-auto, but we did not have that much discipline; it was full auto only, baby! According to the manual that comes with the DPMS, it says to lube the CO2 cartridge seals, so I made sure to hit the seals with some Prolix when changing the CO2 canisters. The manual will also show a few places that need a dot or two of Prolix, as well as and we did not have a single hiccup.
The DPMS does not come with any type of optic but with flip-up sights. The one thing that bothers me about a gun wearing the DPMS name is that the included sights are worthless junk. The easy fix is to remove the junk sights and replace them with low-cost pop-ups, and you have it made. Better than replacing with pop-ups, use a red dot like the CV Life JackalHowl, and you have a red dot that will work as hard and as long as this little air rifle. Being a copy of a full-size AR15, this rifle can benefit from a Low Power Variable Optic (LVPO) scope if you need to shoot a pigeon or two from the fence or rooftop.
One other small challenge with the DPMS to consider is the trigger pull. For an air rifle, the trigger pull is about six pounds and stiff. This may be how it must be for the DPMS system, and I honestly do not know why it is so heavy. With the heavy trigger pull, shot placement is harder to perfect. You will need a lot of practice to get one and use it to shoot a target. The trigger pull made this gun take a back seat for targets and move into full auto only and for fun.
The rails supplied by DPMS will fit any picatinny accessory, from forearm-mounted stuff to optics. And since the sights are so nasty, this is a good place to test out the different types to see which ones you want to leave on the air rifle and then put them on your actual AR rifle.
I find air rifles that are this close to the real thing to be great for letting customers try on goodies that I can fill a bag with, and then they can take them home, or bring the gun to me, and I will install it for them.
The DPMS comes equipt with an adjustable butt stock that works just like a genuine AR rifle buttstock. The DPMS build quality is great. It is made of high-quality plastic and metal where needed. I see nothing wrong with the build quality; this air rifle will last many hours of playtime or honest training. — Mike Radduci
Get it from Amazon now: $185.99 & FREE Returns
7. Crosman Bushmaster - Ideal for Training
Highlight: The kit includes a red dot.
Helpful review: Anyone who knows AR platform rifles will recognize the name Bushmaster. Crosman has partnered with Bushmaster to make this replica air gun. Bushmaster did not make this gun; Crosman made it.
Branding with Bushmaster means this air rifle will walk, talk, and act like an accurate AR rifle. This Bushmaster has been compared to the DPMS and is supposed to be the better rifle. I can't entirely agree with that; the DPMS rifle is also impressive. For what we were looking for, this air rifle is excellent. It will work for the experience like a champ and will last forever if the parts are lubricated with Prolix, and the CO2 seals are kept from drying out.
This Bushmaster air rifle has a blowback in the action and feels like an AR firearm without the noise. Other than the obvious, the difference between the actions is that all the actions are done in the magazine—that is, pretty much the whole rifle, save for the barrel.
The accuracy is pretty good, not as good as dedicated precision air rifles, so don't expect to shoot out the ten-ring on full auto. You can shoot out the middle of a beer can pretty quickly.
The kit includes a red dot sight, and practicing looking through a red dot is good. It should be replaced as soon as you can afford to replace it. The red dot we use for the experience is the CV Life JackalHowl. That red dot will do everything you ask. CV Life products will also take it easy on your pocketbook; you will never regret buying products from CV Life folks.
The Bushmaster made by Crosman, combined with the CV Life JackalHowl, is a fantastic training machine. When used for Close Combat Action training, shooting BBs for pennies cannot be beaten. Like the other rifles in this article, all accessories can be added to this platform. This is a great way to add all the tacticool stuff and let a learner carry that around all day and see how many of those accessories end up on the table, not on the picatinny rails. — Mike Radduci
Get it from Amazon now: $250.99 & FREE Returns
8. Umarex Legends M1A1 - Drop Free High Capacity Magazine
Highlight: The only Thompson I can get my fingers on is an air rifle.
Helpful review: Owning one of these is like going to Vegas, one of the fastest ways to spend a lot of money and have nothing to show for it. The money I lost shooting this Thompson-style gun, the M1A1, is outside the BBs. BBs are cheap, and I can buy a bottle of 500 for about 15 bucks or less. The ammo is cheap and easy to get; it's the CO2 cartridges that will bleed you dry. When I started shooting the Thompson copy, it was an addictive thing. Make sure you have a budget and stick to it for CO2 cartridges.
The fun factor of this air gun is at the highest levels. One thing to make sure your inner child needs to remember is that this air rifle will hurt and possibly damage other people or critters that don't need to be hurt. This is unlike an airsoft gun that cannot be shot at each other.
I don't know if the original Thompson used a sling as an original option. If I am going to carry this for a while, I will get one and tie it around the stock and barrel if I need to. The Thompson copy is made to replicate the original for the experience.
The one place Umarex did not hit the mark exactly is that the stock on the original is made from hardwood, not plastic. The stock is a wood-looking plastic, totally fake but of high quality, not the standard cheap plastic hollow and weak. Most of the air rifle is metal, which gives the gun its heft. According to the manual, it weighs seven and a half pounds; I did not put it on a scale because who would do that in the real world?
For people looking for a training tool or a more authentic experience, the action does have a blowback feature and gives a good feel of authenticity, short of the noise and gunpowder blowing in your face. I have never shot an original Thompson, and I may need to get that ticket punched the next time I am in Vegas at one of the full auto experience places.
This M1A1 copy will teach a shooter how to aim and operate the Thompson. Even though no one will use one in the real world, they are hard to get and pretty big. Knowing the actual size and heft of a “Tommy Gun,” let me know this is only a gun for shooting, not carry for a carbine option. The ARMY used the Thompson on the front lines for a full auto high-capacity rifle. Then they went to bigger-sized guns, and now they are back to a gun about the same size as the Thompson with the M4 carbine rifle.
On the childish side, who does not want to shoot a Thompson, especially in full auto from the hip, as we all learned by watching movies and old TV shows? This Umarex comes with the stick magazine and not the drum magazine like they used in the gangster movies, which was a little disappointing. This Tommy Gun is so much fun. If you can afford it, get one for no good reason. It's just a fun one to have. — Gary Anderson
Get it from Amazon now: $279.99 & FREE Return
9. Barra 400E - Powered Completely By Electricity
Highlight: Completely operated by electricity.
Helpful review: The only thing about the Barra 400E that needs to be added to my buddy's application is noise. This fully electric, full-auto BB gun has effectively zero noise. Since the Barra 400E does not use air pressure, there is nothing to expel to make noise of any kind.
The money savings are enormous on the good side of the electric rifle aisle. Their battery is the same as the ones used in electric airsoft guns, so that makes sense. The electric operation has zero jams and works flawlessly. The Barra 400E does not need oil in pneumatic workings, so it will not attract dirt and lint from the environment.
The Barra 400E is an all-metal construction piece. It shoots with constant velocity, even at full auto. I have read three reports and reviews of people using a chronograph to check, and the speed has a variation of only 2.0~ feet per second. The gun is made with built-in M locks and a Weaver rail for mounting optics as needed or wanted. The magazine can only be loaded with the auto magazine loader, and it is a pain in the butt to use. The Barra 400E is made from metal and is heavier than other air rifles in this review.
For my buddy's application, we mounted a CV Life JackalHowl red dot on the rail and talked about how fun it was to use until the magazine was empty; then, it was back to refilling the magazine with the magazine filler thing.
The one thing to note when dealing with the electric-operating Barra 400E is the maintenance of the LiPo batteries. LiPo batteries are tricky, not impossible, but they need to be known. The charge level is critical. The battery needs to have a balance in charge between each cell, and the internal resistance must also be uniform. My buddy needs to get an advanced level of balance charger for longer battery life than the basic one. This is probably only required for a heavy-use battery; the original will work just fine for a simple-use battery. The only thing about the LiPo batteries is the fire hazards while being charged.
The manual will say to place the battery in a flameproof safety device or bag. And, of course, never store them in an area that could cause massive damage if the worst happens. Store the battery empty or discharged when storing the batteries for a long time, like between training sessions. — Mike Radduci
Get it from Amazon now: $424.97 & FREE Returns