Umarex Mauser 712 Airgun
A Full Auto BB-Gun Version of the Classic Mauser!
The “magazine” detaches and holds both the CO2 cartridge and the BB’s.
Regular readers may remember that back in the May/June 2015 issue I wrote about the impressive Umarex air gun version of the Mauser “Broom handle” pistol. I commented the gun they actually copied was, cosmetically, the 1932 full-auto, the Schnellfeuer, complete with a non-working selective-fire switch.
I said, at that time, “Wouldn’t it be fun if…”. Well, they’ve done it. On their new Model 712, Karl Westinger’s selector works just like the original on a “real” Mauser. Push the button, and move it to “ON” for single shots, or over rearward to “R” for full-auto.
The “R” stands for “Reihenfeuer”, translated to “successive-fire.” The “ON” is either “ONachdemander” (one-by-one) or “Nacheinander” (one-after-another). I’ll also note the “712” designation was not a Mauser factory term. It was a catalogue number from Gustav Genschow Company in Berlin, copied by Stoeger when they imported it. The “711” was the semi-auto version.
The Umarex Model 712 is a dead ringer for the real Mauser but shoots BB’s only.
The selector on “ON” for semi-auto firing.
Very Detailed
Like the original Umarex semi-auto version, the new Model 712 is a beautiful copy of a “real” Mauser. The manual safety goes up and forward for on-safe, back and down to fire. The magazine unit catch is on the right side, just forward of the trigger. The bolt cycles during the firing sequence. The adjustable rear sight goes to 1,000 meters, amusing on this BB smooth-bore, but authentic nonetheless.
The magazine unit contains the CO2 canister, and at the front, the BB feed, with a 20-round capacity. More authenticity, as the Mauser of 1930 and 1932 was a “Zwanziglader” or “20-loader.” Other nice touches are the cross-grooved simulated walnut grips, and a lanyard-ring at the bottom.
Heed the warnings in the well-done user’s manual, and avoid public display (especially around law officers!). It looks exactly like a “real” Mauser. Also, supervise any use by young children. As they keep saying, it’s not a toy. Velocity is 360 FPS, so wear shooting glasses.
Selector on “R” full-auto.
The manual safety in on-safe position.
The magazine unit release, like the safety, is authentic Mauser design.
In semi-auto mode it did well.Note the dead center shot on the upper bull.
A half-magazine on full-auto. This would be fun for dragonflies over a pond, the odd mouse
attack or trying to nail low flying wasps! Just wear eye protection and be safe!
Loading
Loading the Model 712 for test-firing was easy, but did require some manual dexterity. You just pull down the magazine follower, turn it to lock, and drop the BB’s in, one at a time. Then, release the follower. Another easy thing is no 6-mile round-trip to the Big Tree range. Stick an MTM target-holder in the ground in the back yard, walk about 15 feet away, and shoot.
I tried it first in semi-auto mode and groups all stayed in the 5″ bull of a Champion VisiColor target. Average was about 4″, with one precisely dead center, obviously accidental. Hey, for a smoothbore BB gun, not bad. Then I put up a target with an 8″ black, and moved the selector to “R”. Marvelous! An extremely brief chatter, and a half-magazine grouped 3″ by 5″, all in the black, just above center.
Unlike the real Schnellfeuer, which will be pointed skyward at the end of a magazine, the Umarex 712 just sat there and emitted a cloud of BB’s. It worked perfectly, but on full-auto it uses more CO2. You’ll get only about three full runs per canister. The cyclic rate is extremely fast, I’m thinking upwards of 1,200 “rounds” per minute so be prepared to load magazines often!
I was surprised to learn the suggested retail price of the Model 712 is $119.99, only a little more than the previous semi-auto-only version. For the money, it’s sure a lot of fun.
