The new Umarex Gauntlet 2 is announced today! HAM is the place to find out all about it. (Note that we have a pre-production sample, so there may be a few changes to the guns you will buy. But probably not very many).
The Gauntlet 2 is designed to give more shots (many more) per fill of HPA. It combines that with a big increase in power and adds a fresh new look, courtesy of a complete new stock design. Let’s start with a summary:
.22 Caliber Comparison
| Gauntlet 1 | Gauntlet 2 | Gauntlet 2 Increase | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muzzle Velocity | 900 FPS | 1050 FPS | 1.17 X |
| Muzzle Energy (Mid Weight Pellets) | 20 Ft/Lbs | 33 Ft/Lbs | 1.65 X |
| Consistent Shots Per Fill | 60 | 70 | 1.17 X |
| HPA Bottle Capacity | 13 Cu. In. | 24 Cu. In. | 1.8 X |
| Regulator Pressure | 1150 PSI | 1900 PSI | 1.65 X |
| Max. Fill Pressure | 3000 PSI | 4500 PSI | 1.5X |
.25 Caliber Comparison
| Gauntlet 1 | Gauntlet 2 | Gauntlet 2 Increase | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muzzle Velocity | 890 FPS | 980 FPS | 1.1 X |
| Muzzle Energy (Mid Weight Pellets) | 43 Ft/Lbs | 51 Ft/Lbs | 1.2 X |
| Consistent Shots Per Fill | 28 | 50 | 1.8 X |
| HPA Bottle Capacity | 13 Cu. In. | 24 Cu. In. | 1.8 X |
| Regulator Pressure | 1900 PSI | 2100 PSI | 1.1 X |
| Max. Fill Pressure | 3000 PSI | 4500 PSI | 1.5 X |
Make no mistake, these are very significant specification improvements while still staying with the basic Gauntlet design! They show both the robustness of the basic action and that Umarex is continuing to aggressively develop the Gauntlet platform.
In common with the growing tendency among PCP air rifles, the new Gauntlet will be available in .22 and .25 calibers. There’s no .177 version announced at this time.
The first – and probably most obvious visual difference is the new stock. This is a complete change from that of the original Gauntlet and is in a mainly Flat Dark Earth color. It’s now possible to mount a bipod, as you can see…
There’s still an adjustable cheekpiece, although that is now adjusted in a much simpler, more conventional manner than the rotating wheel system of the original model. It’s easy to imagine a small industry developing of custom wood (and maybe 3d-printed) cheekpieces as aftermarket upgrades for this gun.
Up front is the new – and HUGE – HPA cylinder. With a capacity of 24 Cubic Inches of High Pressure Air, it’s nearly double the capacity of the bottle fitted to the original Gauntlet.
This new, long, cylinder increases the fill pressure to 4,500 PSI – a 50% increase on that of the original model.
So, there’s MUCH more HPA, at a considerably higher pressure onboard the new model. That’s where much of the increase in shot count comes from.
However, there’s clearly been some internal changes in the .25 caliber version. The number of shots per fill is up from 28 in the original Gauntlet to an excellent 50 shots. And that’s many more shots at a higher power, too!
The power increase has come courtesy of a significantly higher regulator pressure. It’s now up to 1,900 PSI in the .22 caliber guns. The .25 cal models have 2,100 PSI regulator settings.
These changes increase the maximum Muzzle Velocity numbers. In the original Gauntlet, the specs were 900 FPS for the .22 and 890 FPS in .25 caliber. The Umarex Gauntlet 2 now produces 1,050 FPS maximum in .22 caliber and 9800 FPS in .25 cal., Umarex tells us.
Muzzle Energy claims are a better way of comparing performance, of course. Here, Umarex USA is claiming up to 33 Ft/Lbs for the Gauntlet 2 in .22 caliber. That’s another increase of around 65% over that of the original model with the same weight pellets.
Given the increased power, it will be interesting to see how the Umarex Gauntlet 2 shoots with slugs!
Another change is that there is now a dual Picatinny/Dovetail rail atop the breech for scope mounting. This provides more choice for the owner and conforms with current trends, even if the Picatinny rail is not required to tame recoil on these air rifles.
An additional move with the times is that the forend now includes M-Lok grooves for the attachment of accessories. There’s also a QD socket in the left side of the stock to attach a sling.
Oh, and did you notice that new oversize bolt handle with cylindrical, knurled grip?
Last – but not least – Umarex USA says that the new Gauntlet is 8 db quieter than the previous model. This change comes as a result of improved baffle designs in the shroud.
Availability is due to be “Summer 2021”. But – as you can see – the gun we have here in the HAM offices is clearly as close to final production as it gets!
With such a range of improvements over the original Gauntlet – which offered revolutionary price/performance when it was introduced just a few years ago – it’s not unreasonable to expect an increase in the price. You can expect to see the Gauntlet 2 selling at an MSRP of $449.99.
We’ll be covering some interesting details on how to set-up the gun in a second post…
The post Exclusive First In-Depth Look At The Umarex Gauntlet 2 appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.