Umarex DX17 .177 Caliber BB Gun Pistol

Useful

Let’s get a couple of things out of the way. I’ll be comparing this gun to its rival as produced by Marksman. Also, I bought this at around $30. I’ve seen it cheaper, but I had a promotional code that I used on other things in the order and it wasn’t too awfully pricey. It can be had for $20 or so if you are willing to wait. Finally, my gun may be slightly defective, but it’s not enough to get me to return the gun.
Also, I’m a “Bad News First” kind of guy, so I’m getting the negatives out of the way first.
I already touched on cost. At its cheaper $20 going rate, its price is less unpalatable. I’m just not sure it’s worth $30.
Also, the slide-lockback safety on mine appears defective. On the Marksman competitor, the safety is a mock slide release that slides through, preventing the slide from moving forward and propelling ammunition downrange. My DX17’s comparable safety mimicks the design of older Marksman pistols of similar design, a mock magazine release that slides into place, locking the slide back. My gun’s safety pushes into place but won’t lock. Maybe I’m missing a step; maybe my gun is slightly defective. It’s a little worrying that the safety isn’t safe, but it’s a relatively minor issue.
I don’t particularly care for the mechanism used to load pellets/BBs. I’m not talking about the idea in general (you flip up the barrel and either load the reservoir with BBs or push a light-grain .177 pellet into the barrel itself.) I’m talking about the fact that you push a fake guide rod under the barrel to flip up the barrel itself. It’s a slightly awkward system, and the barrel doesn’t stay up well. It’s also harder to clear a jam from that system than from the older style Marksman pistols, though the newer Marksman shares some of the design flaws in this regard with its Umarex competitor.
Finally, and very personally, I prefer the flatter, less obtrusive grips of the Marksman. The Umarex and Marksman pistols appear to take nods from the same real gun, though I’m honestly not sure quite what gun that would be. The Umarex’s grips, however, stick out more in front. The front strap is angled and just, for me, less comfortable to hold.
One more tiny negative: the Umarex gun doesn’t come with a mounting rail. I’m not saying it needs one, but the cheaper Marksman gives us a rail, which adds to te fun factor, even though its utility is limited.
Now, what do I like about this gun?
First of all, the trigger! The trigger on the Marksman is wiggly and often refuses to extend, which means the slide doesn’t reliably lock into place. The umarex’s trigger, on the other hand, is crisp, reliable, and consistent. It also feels better against the finger.
I also like the thumb safety. On the Umarex, pushing the slide forward causes the springloaded thumb safety to click smartly into place. The Marksman’s thumb safety isn’t spring loaded, so you have to actually hold the slide forward an d push it into place. It’s a little touch, but it makes this Umarex pistol feel more premium.
Speaking of slide travel, this gun’s slide has to travel less to reach the Safe forward position. This is important, particularly in comparison with the Marksman, whose slide has to travel almost an inch against spring tension to be forward enough to be put into safety. It also effects the feel of the gun when fired. The Marksman’s slide jerks forward, then bounces back, giving the gun a bouncy, unpleasant feel, as though it’s trying to escape the hand. The Umarex, on the other hand, fires and has a single bump, the equivalent of smooth recoil impulse, though much smaller.
Finally, I much prefer the fit and finish of this pistol to its cheaper competitor. That cheaper competitor feels cheaply made, and while some of this is elusion, or at least remediable, the Umarex feels cleaner, crisper, more solid, more well-made, and generally smoother around the edges.
The conclusion, buy it for fun, indoor or outdoor, if you have the $20 or $30 to spare. Don’t expect it to be more than it is. It’s meant for some wholesome fun, not for pest control, target work, or defense. It’s a good gun that suffers from occasional price hike.

This thing is so bad I had to write a review.
First off, you have to go through 5 or 6 steps just to fire 1 BB. Second, aim is so far off I can’t even hit a 3×3 square box at 20ft. Third, loading it is also a pain, 1 BB at a time, can’t just pour the BB’s in forth. Yes it is hard to cock the thing. buy a soft air pistol, holds alot of BB’s and maybe a little off but no were near as bad as this thing. Almost through it away.