Umarex Strike Point Multi-Pump Air Pistol Review | A Budget-Friendly Air Pistol That Delivers

Are you looking for a budget-friendly air pistol that promises accuracy, safety, simplicity and reliability? The Strike Point Multi-Pump Air Pistol from Umarex promises to deliver on all those counts. I’ve had some experience with Umarex air guns in the past and never been let down, so I’m eager to take a closer look at this one. 

The Umarex Strike Point is a single-shot, bolt-action, multi-pump pneumatic air pistol, available in both .22 and .177 caliber versions. The version I’ve specifically tested and based this review on is the .22 model, but both are quite similar. 

Umarex Strike Point: First Impressions

The Strike Point Air Pistol is no small air gun. It has a long barrel and substantial weight to it. I like that it has some legitimate heft, though I’ll admit I was surprised by the weight, given how “plastic-y” it looks. 

The barrel and frame of the Umarex Strike Point—basically all visible parts except the trigger, bolt and rear sight—are made of plastic. The “innards” of the gun, along with the aforementioned parts, are metal.

Regarding the sights, which are the parts of the Strike Point I’ve heard the most complaints about, they aren’t super impressive right off the bat, but I’ll give them a fair shake. 

The obvious comparison here is the Crosman “American Classic” Model 1377, which has been pretty much the standard for an air pistol with a long rifled barrel since the 70s. I’m not going to be comparing these two pistols repeatedly here, but suffice to say, it’s obvious that Umarex is aiming for a similar market that Crosman has always occupied. 

Who’s It For?

Air guns come in all shapes and sizes, and they have an equally wide range of uses: self defense, training, hunting, pest control, target practice. Some are aimed at collectors, and some are just for fun. The Umarex Strike Point Multi-Pump Air Pistol seems to be mostly aimed at the recreational/backyard shooting space. 

Most folks will find it much too big and bulky for concealed carry, but it’s ideal for plinking and target practice. That’s not to say you can’t also use it for rodent control. Pesky squirrels and rats beware. 

Measurements & Specs

Okay, let’s cover the basics. The Umarex Strike Air Pistol has a 9-inch barrel, with an overall length of 14 inches. It weighs 2.6 pounds, and fires various types and weights of pellets, as long as the caliber is right. Assuming lightweight pellets, the .22 model fires at up to 520 fps, and the .177 model fires at up to 650 fps. 

It will shoot with anywhere from three to 10 pumps of the pump lever. More on that later. The Strike Point has a front sight (a red fiber optic dot encircled by a plastic hood) and a rear sight (essentially a bent piece of metal held in place by two screws). 

Features & Operation

The pumping and loading process of the Umarex Strike Point is fairly simple. First open the bolt to cock it (the bolt must be open to pump the air gun). To pump the air gun, you simply grasp the pumping lever on the bottom of the barrel, open and close it as many times as needed. Watch your fingers. More pumps equals more power, but the manual warns against pumping it more than 10 times. 

Once pumped, pull the bolt back all the way to cock the gun, place a pellet into the ramp and let it roll into the channel, and then push the bolt all the way forward again to seat the pellet. At that point, firing is as simple as getting the target in your sights and squeezing the trigger. 

This is a single shot air pistol, so you’ll have to go through this process for every shot. Let’s take a look at a few main components one by one:

• Safety: The safety is simple and easy to operate. It’s a crossbolt-style safety located right behind the trigger. Press it towards the right side to turn the safety on, or press it to the left side to shoot.
  
• Trigger: The trigger has a 5 lb. 8 oz. pull, not a crazy amount but enough to prevent accidental firing. It’s not adjustable, and I can imagine someone with large hands having a hard time squeezing an index finger between the trigger and guard. My average-sized fingers fit just fine, but not with a lot of wiggle room.
  
• Pumping Lever: Nothing too complicated here. Try to keep each pump of the lever about even to ensure you get roughly equal power with each shot. Each pump will require a little more force than the previous one as the pressure increases.
  
• Sights: Look, the sights aren’t amazing, but they’re not as bad as some other reviews have led to believe. They might be a little clunky, but making adjustments is easy enough, and lining up the rear sight with the fiber optic dot on the front sight allows for accurate shooting. I don’t find that the hood around the front sight gets in the way. Honestly, Crosman has been using these kinds of sights for ages, and they do the job. 

Use & Performance

A few different variables impact the accuracy and overall performance of the Umarex Strike Point Air Pistol. As a multi-pump air pistol, you get to pick your power level, and you can play around with how many times you want to pump the lever to get what you need out of it. Just remember 10 is the max; more than that and you can damage the gun. 

The manual recommends 2 pumps for indoor shooting (i.e. a basement range) and 7 to 10 for outdoor shooting at a distance over 10 meters. Basically, the more you pump it, the better accuracy and greater power you’ll get over a longer distance.

One complaint I’ve heard is that this is all just too much pumping for a single shot, and fair enough. Your arm will get tired after a while. But simple bolt action and one-pellet-at-a-time shooting is what this air gun is designed for. It’s not like it’s advertised as anything else. 

The accuracy is pretty good. Mine shot a little low when I first took it out of the packaging, but the rear sight is adjustable for both windage and elevation, so you can dial it in easily enough. The actual shooting velocity may vary a bit. Expect to get pretty close to the as-advertised 500 fps with lightweight alloy pellets, but a little less with lead. 

One other thing worth mentioning is volume. This thing is super quiet. It has a permanently attached sound dampener, and other than the ‘click’ of the trigger, the Umarex Strike Point makes very little sound when fired. Good news if you want to defend your garden from pests without freaking out the neighbors. 

Final Thoughts on the Umarex Strike Point Air Pistol

I’ve enjoyed messing around with the Umarex Strike Point Multi-Pimp Air Pistol. It’s great for backyard target practice, and it falls in that in-between space where it’s not a super high-performance pellet gun, but also definitely not a toy. And hey, all the pumping provides a good workout, so I’m not gonna complain. 

Regarding the Crosman American Classic comparisons… yeah, I get it. They’re similar in a lot of ways. The Umarex has a somewhat sleeker, almost more futuristic look. Being all-black makes it look a little less toyish than the Crosman, but the overall look and feel of both air pistols is very much alike, including the pump action and rifled barrel. 

They’re in a similar price range too. Either way, it seems like a good buy. I have no complaints about the Umarex Strike Point, and although it’s a little out of this brand’s usual comfort zone—Umarex is arguably best known for its detailed, replica-style CO2 airsoft guns—it’s a great budget-friendly addition to their lineup.

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