Let’s Look At The Gem Air Pistol
HAM readers have read about the Gem Air Pistol in a previous post. But now one has arrived in our offices and we can really take a close look at this tiny airgun.
The Gem is billed as “the world’s smallest commercially-available air pistol”. And – when you actually have it in your hands – it’s easy to believe this!
Let’s compare the size to a small item that’s familiar to most airgunners: a 12 Gram CO2 cartridge. WOW!
In base form the Gem is powered by an 8 Gram CO2 cartridge. This is the “non-threaded” type of cartridge that is typically used with soda water machines and other non-airgun equipment.
So they are not unique, however they are unusual in the airgun world where 12 Gram CO2 power is the standard. Of course, that is for the compact size.
However, should you want to use 12 Gram cartridges, there’s an adapter available. This takes the form of a “grip extension” that projects down below the actual pistol grip.
It takes away from the “ultra-tiny” aesthetic of the Gem. But I found it easier to hold and, for that reason, an useful accessory for the pistol.
Here’s the reason why…
While the Gem air pistol uses CO2 as its propulsion method, it is loaded by breaking the barrel. After the barrel release is activated, the barrel assembly is rotated. This allows a BB to be loaded into the now-exposed breech end of the barrel.
In fact, this is where you start to see the amazing “system” nature of Alias Airguns’ product. The base gun is bundled complete with two interchangeable, un-rifled barrels. One is for firing 4.5mm (.177 cal) steel BB. The other fires 6mm Airsoft ammo.
They are clearly identified and easily-interchangeable, as we can see below.
And here’s another great feature about the Gem. It is supplied with outstanding operating instructions!
They are simple, clear, well-illustrated, printed on good-quality paper and the type is large enough for us all to read. Outstanding!
The open sights are actually quite good. However – as the manufacturer candidly admits in the instructions: “shooting proficiency with the Gem will take some practice, as short barrels and fixed sights are less than ideal for pin-point accuracy”.
Details of the manual safety and barrel release are visible inside the frame in the photograph below. Steel BBs are loaded into the aperture in the tan seal on the left. (You can just see the brass barrel too).
As the Gem is single-action only, you’ll need to pull back the hammer before firing. As you do so, the valve becomes immediately visible, as we can see below.
As previously described, the Gem air pistol is actually a complete system. Among the conversion kits available is the “Rocket Barrel” that enables the Gem to fire tiny carbon fiber arrows that have a very sharp, pointed tip.
The Rocket Barrel kit includes a suitable, longer, barrel. Plus there’s a longer shroud. But – even so – the gun is still remarkably small, as we can see below.
The base Gem air pistol sells for $209.99 and the accessory upgrade kits are reasonably priced.
Stand by, our next Gem story will be what this tiny airgun is like to shoot…
