Umarex Komplete .22 Air Rifle Review

First-Of-Its Kind Nitro-Powered PCP Air Rifle

This content is sponsored by Umarex

While I love shooting guns of every kind, airguns hold a special place in my heart. That’s probably because I learned all about shooting using a Crossman air rifle, wreaking havoc on the bird and small animal populations on the small farm where I grew up.

Since then, I’ve graduated to guns that use gunpowder for the propellant instead of compressed air. Still, when my Hook & Barrel editor asked if I’d like to do an air rifle review, I jumped at the chance.

Umarex Komplete NCR .22 Details

Umarex USA, the North American subsidiary of Umarex, was created in 2006 and has been providing the shooting public with quality air guns for nearly 20 years. Based in Ft. Smith, Arkansas, the company offers a wide variety of air guns for all age groups and all experience levels.

Umarex’s latest offering, the Komplete Nitro, is the first airgun on the market to use the recyclable/disposable NitroAir nitrogen cartridge for propelling its projectiles at targets, small game, or whatever you wish to shoot. What makes the gun so remarkable is the advancement made by using nitrogen instead of CO2. The company says it has internally regulated high pressure, providing the advantage of operation comparable to the steady performance of a PCP without requiring expensive compressors or the necessity of refilling tanks at a shop or using a hand pump.

No Pump, Just Plink!

I was excited to get one of these airguns in my hands. And when the box arrived and I unpacked the gun, I was even more pumped to give it a whirl. The Komplete NitroAir comes in either .22 or .177 caliber, and I received the .22. With an overall length of 41.5 and featuring a 23.6-inch barrel, it weighs just 5 pounds without the gas cylinder screwed in place. It uses a side lever for charging, and loads using a 10-shot cylinder that’s easy to get the hang of.

The black synthetic stock is fitted with a black barrel with integrated Umarex SilencAir Technology on the business end. The gun has no sights installed but comes with a 4×32 scope that was very easy to attach to the handy top rail.

Komplete Testing At The Homestead

While I enjoy testing all kinds of guns, there are a couple of factors that make testing airguns even more of a pleasure than conventional firearms. For one, they can be shipped directly to the house, alleviating the necessity to pay an FFL to receive the gun for me and then expend the time and fuel necessary to fetch it from the FFL. Secondly, I can test airguns in my backyard, doing away with more travel and range fees. Lastly, there’s no need for ear protection, which makes for a much more enjoyable shooting session on a hot summer day.

For testing, I used three different pellets. First was an old tin of 17-grain Ruger Superpoint pellets. Next were 14.5-grain Gamo Rockets, with their rounded, BB-like tip. Lastly were 15.4-grain Gamo Red Fires with their pointed, polymer tip inserts.

The somewhat large and heavy nitrogen cylinder had me worried that when installed it might ruin the balance of the little air rifle. But I needn’t have been concerned, as the placement of the cylinder kept the gun well-balanced and pleasurable to shoot.

My range session began with no wind at all, which I thought was great for accurate testing. However, after about an hour in the sun, I was wishing for a bit of a breeze. Loading the little pellets into the magazines was easy once I became accustomed to doing it. With magazines loaded, I was ready to take my first shots.

My first shots to zero the scope yielded two big surprises. First, the scope was dead on and no adjustment was necessary. The second surprise was the pellets shot right through the piece of 3/8-inch plywood I was using for a target backer. I added another ½-inch piece of plywood behind it, and that stopped nearly all of the pellets shot during the test.

I quickly noticed just how easy the little gun was to load after each shot. Rather than having to pump it 25 times (warning, childhood flashback) or even once, you simply pull the lever back and return it forward. There’s no reason to lift your head from the scope; you’re instantly ready to send your next shot downrange.

For testing, I shot five shots with each pellet through my chronograph to get velocity readings. I then shot three 5-shot groups with each pellet at a distance of 25 yards. I was torn about what range to do the testing but settled on 25 yards since that’s a pretty good squirrel-thumping distance.

Better Than Minute-Of-Squirrel Accuracy

I didn’t really know what to expect, but was hoping to achieve at least minute-of-squirrel accuracy. I quickly realized my expectations were much too low. The Gamo Red Fires produced the smallest group at 0.9 inches, with an average of 1.2 inches. The Gamo Rocket produced the lowest average accuracy at 1.1 inches, with the smallest group at 1.0 inches. The Ruger pellets also produced outstanding groups, with the smallest group at 1.7 inches and an average of 1.9 inches.

With the gun using nitrogen instead of CO2, I initially had concerns about how consistent velocities would be. Again, I needn’t have worried. The range of velocities from highest to lowest was incredibly small, at just 4 and 7 fps for the Gamo pellets and 12 fps for the Rugers!

Upon Kompletion

In the end, I found the Umarex Komplete NCR .22 to be quite a shooter. It was accurate, easy to use, fun to shoot, and exhibited consistent velocities that gave me confidence in every shot.

For plinking and target shooting, I don’t see how the gun could be any better. And for small game like rabbits and squirrels, it offers everything you need to cleanly harvest small game, along with a quick and easy follow-up shot if necessary. Squirrel season is now open in Oklahoma, and I’m going to use it to put a couple of bushy tails in the freezer as soon as this weather cools down a little.

In my opinion, with a price tag of $199.99, this little rifle is tough to beat for those not wanting to do a lot of pumping or haul a compressor around. I strongly recommend it to anyone looking for an accurate, fun airgun to add to their collection.

Specifications: Umarex Komplete NCR .22 Air Rifle

Caliber: .22
Action: Side lever      
Barrel: 23.6 inches
OA Length: 41.5 inches
Weight: 5.0 pounds (without gas cylinder installed)
Stock: Synthetic
Sights: None, 4×32 scope included
Finish: Black
Capacity: 10
MSRP: $199
URL: umarexusa.com

Performance: Umarex Komplete NCR .22 Air Rifle

Pellet measured in grains. Velocities are averages of five shots measured on a Competition Edge M2 chronograph set to read 12 feet from the muzzle at 89 degrees Fahrenheit. Energy measured in ft.-pounds. Accuracy in inches are the best of three 5-shot groups at 25 yards off a sandbag rest.