Review of the Matador air rifle model line

The EDgun “Matador” R5M air rifle, developed by a famous Russian arms company, is one of the best modifications of professional air weapons. Initially, the model with a shortened butt was intended for sports competitions, but after replacing the gas cylinder in it, the power and speed of the bullet increased, which attracted the attention of hunting enthusiasts.

Technical characteristics of EDgun Matador R5M

One of the main features of the Matador is its non-standard technical characteristics. On the one hand, the rifle is completely tailored for sports and competitions, on the other hand, with maximum pumping of the PCP cylinder, the speed and power of the muzzle energy increases so much that you can hunt almost any bird and medium-sized fur-bearing animal. Here are the technical characteristics when the cylinder is fully inflated with air:

Thus, the EDgun Matador R5M rifle is one of the best models in terms of muzzle energy and bullet speed. If the weapon's power exceeded 7.5 J, a license would be required to purchase it. However, with such a small indicator, the bullet speed rarely reaches 300 m/s. This feature of the Matador allows the ballistic projectile not to deviate from a given course, and the shooter is guaranteed the ability to use the rifle at long distances.

Timeless classic - review of air guns

Due to the fact that the Matador model range is not particularly large, there is no need to encode names with many characters. The air vents differ in only three submodels: standard, shortened and extended. Therefore, it turns out that a review of one type of rifle includes as many as three.

Technical characteristics of the air in mm

Technical characteristics (short, standard, long):

• Weight (without cartridges and sight, kg): 2.5/2.7/3.1;
• Length (mm): 680/845/890;
• Height (mm): 190;
• Width (mm): 50;
• Volume (cm cube): 247/289/388;
• Barrel length (mm): 420/470/590;
• Caliber (mm): 4.5/5.5/6.35;
• Shots (minimum): 50/70/90;
• Stock: wood (beech, walnut), laminate;
• Sight: “weaver” setting.

The so-called “timeless classic”. Rifles of this model are the company’s calling card. Created over a decade ago, the first pcp air rifle was, to put it mildly, imperfect. However, during the process of modifications, most of the shortcomings disappeared, and the weapon became quite decent.

The device of this model is based on two figure-of-eight clamps, where the upper part is the barrel itself, and the lower part is the reservoir capacity. Assembling such a structure is not a particularly big problem, but shooting from it has a number of both advantages and disadvantages. Let's take a closer look.

Pros:

1. The weapon is suitable for those who care about the number of shots. The matador will provide them in abundance.
2. Size – even the longest model looks very compact, it is not heavy and fits in the hand.
3. Recoil—or rather, the lack thereof. Due to the bullpup design, there is virtually no recoil, and the rifle's kick-up is minimal.

Minuses:

1. Poor shooting accuracy. A rifle for those who go for quantity rather than quality.
2. Dependence on weather conditions - the compressed air in the tank is dependent on weather changes, this can ruin all your plans.

However, almost any bullpup model is suitable for the above-mentioned characteristics, and not just the EDgan Matador rifle, the price of which is about 60,000 rubles with very minor deviations.

Video about an extended model with bullpup technology

Additional information is available in the video:

This model is often used as a hunting pneumatic. Here's a good example:

Design

The Matador design is one of the main reasons why the rifle is popular not only among athletes, but also among hunters. Here are a few features that come in handy for both categories of people:

1. Biathlon platoon. Many may think that such a system does not seem very convenient for hunting enthusiasts. However, it has one interesting feature - such a rifle can be used by both right-handers and left-handers. And the reload speed is almost in no way inferior to bolt guns. And for athletes, this method of platooning is the most preferable.
2. Sound moderator. The system suppresses up to 80% of the noise emitted during a shot, which will be important both for a person who wants to shoot game and for an athlete training in a confined space, for example, a shooting range. If desired, the sound moderator can be removed (the mechanism is located at the end of the muzzle), but practice shows that owners rarely resort to such a procedure.
3. Bullpup stock. This unique version of the stock was first developed for biathletes, but was liked not only by athletes, but also by hunters. The main advantage of this part is excellent ergonomics. The shooter can not only quickly take aim, but also practically does not feel recoil during the shot. In addition, thanks to the bullpup stock, the rifle weighs several times less.

Now a few words about the materials from which the weapon is made. To produce metal parts, the manufacturer used carbon steel that went through a cold forging procedure. The wooden parts are made of American hazel, dried at high temperatures and coated with a protective varnish. This guarantees the durability of the weapon, as well as the possibility of its use in any conditions.

Description

The Matador rifle was developed by Eduard Gafarov in 2002. At first, this line was produced in small batches, but soon the creator created his own company and began full-scale production of air rifles and other pneumatics. Now EDgun rifles are considered a Russian exclusive, although some batches are produced for the European and American markets - for example, a version with a 7.62 mm caliber was released exclusively for America.

The matador is famous for its large number of shots, good shooting characteristics, and has 3 possible modifications: standard, shortened and extended. There is also a multi-charge type, which is also divided into 3 modifications. But there are also disadvantages, which you will learn about a little later, in the “Advantages and Disadvantages” section.

The price for the line of these PCP rifles starts from 50,000 - 60,000 thousand rubles. You can find out more about prices from the company's representative offices in Russian cities, search on the website EDGUN.RU

By the way, although the rifle was registered as a toy, the power of which is less than 3J, its technical characteristics were still higher than those stated in the license, so on the forums of weapon lovers, Matador fans tried not to mention the performance characteristics of their favorites.

The design of this rifle is based on a special technology, which we will discuss below.

Design

The main idea of ​​the matador air rifle is to place the trigger at the front - this ensures a smaller weapon and a good supply of shots.

The design uses two clamps resembling figure eights. The lower clamp plays the role of a reservoir for air, which is in a compressed state under pressure, and the upper part acts as a barrel. The bolt and trigger are located in the butt - this ensures compactness and reduces recoil to a minimum, but spoils the quality of shooting.

With the development of popularity, the edgan rifle received three modifications: short, extended and multi-shot. Let's take a closer look at each model.

The main pros and cons of the rifle

Despite the fact that, at first glance, the weapon seems devoid of shortcomings, if you wish, you can still find several negative aspects that may scare away potential buyers. However, so that the EDgun rifle does not seem like a complete set of flaws, all negative information should be presented in conjunction with the positive:

However, despite all the above disadvantages, the Matador rifle continues to be popular among professional hunters and athletes. Of course, the price tag of 88 thousand rubles is quite high for an air rifle, but experts assure that the weapon is worth the money. Moreover, the manufacturer guarantees a 5-year service life.

Varieties

The air rifle began its history as a logical continuation of the modernization of the Veles Edgan air pistol. In 2004, the first copy appeared, called Matador R3 Edgun. This specimen is considered to be the ancestor of the “Matadors”.

The first version of the rifle immediately made a splash among fans of air guns - a compact system that allows you to shoot bullets with high speed and accuracy without reloading the cylinder.

The huge advantage here was the range of hitting the target. Thus, in a standard 4.5 mm caliber, the effective firing range reaches 75 meters, the most popular 5.5 mm caliber can boast a real 80-90 meters. However, the current generation of Edgun Matador R5 is already the third generation of developments by St. Petersburg gunsmiths.

Matador R3 Edgun

The ancestor of the Matadors in the Edgun family of air guns. In the rifle you can see many similarities with the Veles air pistol; in fact, it was the prototype for creating the rifle. The production was carried out using adapted equipment in virtually “garage” conditions. All elements from the body blanks to the stock material were made in the workshop, with the only exception being the barrel of the weapon. Today, this model is most often copied by gunsmiths to create one-piece individual orders.

Edgan Matador R5M

• A modern version of the Matador in the most popular calibers 4.5 and 5.5 mm. The popularity of a model is determined by its price. The model is equipped with a plastic stock. This is the most affordable rifle from the Edgans, meeting all the requirements of a PCP weapon. The design is no different from more expensive models. The disadvantage is the absence of a 6.5 mm caliber in the line. The cost of the model is 74,000 rubles.
• Model of 6.5 mm caliber with a plastic stock. In the 6.5 mm caliber class, this is the most affordable of all possible options. Cost 75,000 rub.
• A weapon with a solid walnut stock of 4.5-5.5 mm caliber is positioned as a weapon for training and competition. Cost 88,000 rub.
• The 6.35 mm rifle continues the line of models with a walnut stock. Cost 91,000 rub.
• The weapon is in the most popular colored laminate stock today, caliber 4.5/5.5 mm. Cost 90,000 rub.
• The model is a premium version of a rifle with an exotic colored laminate stock with a caliber of 6.35 mm. Cost 93,000 rub.

Modifications

The main feature of products from EDgun is that it has an extensive list of modifications. The manufacturer does not delay the release of new models, so that every potential buyer can choose what he likes. Here are just the most common modifications that deserve your attention:

1. "Matador" 6.35 with an extended bullpup. The model uses 6.35 mm ammunition, which makes it more relevant for hunting enthusiasts, and is also equipped with a longer stock for ease of shooting at long distances.
2. “Matador” standard (black laminate). A classic rifle for sport shooting or hunting, but with plastic parts instead of wood. The polymer is made in black color with a slight sheen, which makes the appearance more attractive.
3. "Matador" Soft-Touch. One of the best rifles for beginning shooters, which differs from the standard version in its Soft-Touch coating. The mixture of polymer and varnish prevents the body from deteriorating in the event of careless handling or unexpected mechanical impacts.

And these are just the most popular of the upgrades that are in greatest demand among customers. In total, the manufacturer released 16 different models, differing from each other in appearance, ergonomics or technical characteristics.

What is included

In addition to a large number of upgrades, products from the EDgun company are also distinguished by the presence of several complete sets, so that each client can buy not only weapons, but also a certain number of consumables or spare parts at competitive prices. Here are three sets that will be found in every store:

1. “Standard” (from 88 thousand rubles). The simplest package, which includes the air rifle itself, all the necessary documents (passport with technical characteristics, operating instructions and warranty card), as well as an air pump.
2. “Master” (from 90 thousand rubles). An expanded version of the basic package, which includes a rifle with a pump and documents, as well as a number of consumables: 50 black targets (printed on a piece of paper), a bottle of gun oil (250 milliliters), 2 boxes of ammunition (500 pieces each).
3. “Profi” (from 100 thousand rubles). A set that is most suitable for professionals who want to not only shoot a rifle, but also install various upgrades on it. In addition to all of the above, the kit includes an optical sight with a 4x range, as well as an additional magazine in the form of a drum.

Also, do not forget that gun stores can develop their own configurations, as well as change ready-made ones. You should be wary of such sets, because in most cases they are created in order to sell goods that have been left in the warehouse.

Specialization of the company EDgun (Edgan), producing Matador pneumatics

EDgun produces exclusively air guns, the design of which is based on the use of compressed air. All weapons are made using the bullpup technique, the main idea of ​​which is to minimize the size of the weapon due to the location of the trigger not behind, but in front of the striking mechanism.

PSP rifles EDgan Matador are almost the only rifles that are mass-produced, exclusively on the territory of the Russian Federation . Only the T-4 from DAC can compete with them in this field. In addition, this brand is one of the large-caliber sniper rifles in Russia. Read about sniper rifles in the world here.

Among the company’s assortment, admittedly small, there are rifles, single-shot pistols, as well as various accessories, including not only optical sights of its own production and charging stations, but also branded T-shirts.

Possibilities for increasing power

The issue of increasing the power of the Matador R5M is one of the most pressing for a person who has decided to use a weapon to hunt an animal. You can increase the muzzle energy indicator in several ways:

1. Replace the gas cylinder with a reinforced one. It is worth giving preference to tanks with an extended atmosphere indicator (from 200 to 250). Thanks to cold hardening, the rifle barrel can withstand loads of up to 80 J.
2. Shorten the trunk (radically, but effectively). The shorter the distance that the bullet travels under the influence of friction (we do not take into account air friction), the greater the speed it develops. However, such a procedure does not have the best effect on the accuracy of the battle.
3. Install several additional barrel gaskets. Despite the high quality of assembly, the Matador has several slots invisible to the eye through which air is released during a shot. Rubber pads will help fix this.

Well, don’t forget about the banal: the better the quality of the composition used to lubricate the barrel, the better the bullet will overcome the force of friction. It is recommended to give preference to imported mineral oils.

Advantages and disadvantages

All models have almost the same pros and cons, which can be called constant - since the founding of the company, it has developed the pros and smoothed out the disadvantages as much as possible.

• A large number of shots. The matador PSP rifle will provide you with them in abundance;
• Compact size, except for extended versions. Light weight allows you to easily carry it with you without a box;
• Minimal problems with the law. Thanks to the cunning move of the company, which registered it not as a weapon, but as a “toy,” you can safely carry this pneumatic gun in your car, and if something happens, just show your documents. Designed - use it!
• Quiet shot and no recoil. Thanks to bullpup technology! Thanks to this advantage, you can shoot not only while hunting, but even in the city.

• Poor accuracy. This is why you will have to shoot often. The multi-charge version partially solves this problem, but not completely;
• Instability to temperature changes due to design features;
• The need to install good optics for more comfortable use;
• Price. Everyone decides for themselves, but on average a rifle is sold for 60-65 thousand rubles, and in Western countries - for $1,500. By the way, both single-shot and multi-shot types cost almost the same.

Disassembling the Edgan Matador R5M air rifle

Despite the presence of seemingly complex systems in the design of the weapon, it will not be particularly difficult to disassemble it incompletely. The most important thing is to carefully handle small details, and also to strictly follow a certain algorithm of actions:

1. We take out the drum with cartridges.
2. We fire a blank shot.
3. Unscrew the two bolts on the rifle body.
4. We remove the stock with the butt.
5. Remove the return spring.
6. We bleed the air.
7. Unscrew the gas cylinder.
8. We remove the remaining parts of the trigger.

It is recommended to carry out maintenance using a special spare parts kit designed for cleaning and repair. Otherwise, there is a possibility of leaving scratches on the barrel, which, in turn, will lead to a drop in technical characteristics.

Price list with prices for pneumatic repairs:

• Diagnostics of technical condition from 150 rub.
• Installation of a swivel from 300 rub.
• Replacing the front sight on rifles from 300 rubles.
• Cleaning and lubrication of the gun from 200 rubles.
• Cleaning and lubricating the rifle from 400 rubles.
• Minor repairs of pistols from 200 rubles.
• Stock replacement from 400 rub.
• Sighting from 250 rub.
• Minor rifle repairs from 500 rubles.
• Replacement of a screw, gas spring from 1000 rubles.
• Power boost from 500 rub.
• Replacement of piston cuff from 800 rub.
• Replacement of a set of gaskets from 400 rubles.
• Replacement of gearbox, valve needle for PCP from 1200 rub.
• Repair, assembly of USM from 500 rub.
• Re-preservation of pneumatics from 800 rub.
• Installation of optical and collimator sights from 400 rubles.
• Replacement of gaskets in CO2 guns from 450 rubles.
• Adjustment and repair of the store from 1200 rubles.
• Repair of USM pneumatics and all types of pistols from RUB 1,500.
• Elimination of undershooting and sticking (pistol) from 1500 rub.
• Optical sight zeroing (according to LHP) 10m from 800 rub.
• Gun cleaning from RUB 1,150.
• Removing stuck bullets from RUB 900.
• Measurement of bullet departure speed from 150 rubles.
• Enlargement of the passage pupil RUB 1,600.

Analogues and prices

Since the cost of the EDgun Matador rifle fluctuates around 90 thousand rubles, a potential buyer has the opportunity to consider other professional rifles in this price range. Here are a few samples that are not inferior to the Matador in terms of performance characteristics, but at the same time will cost a little less:

Price list with prices for pneumatic repairs:

• Diagnostics of technical condition from 150 rub.
• Installation of a swivel from 300 rub.
• Replacing the front sight on rifles from 300 rubles.
• Cleaning and lubrication of the gun from 200 rubles.
• Cleaning and lubricating the rifle from 400 rubles.
• Minor repairs of pistols from 200 rubles.
• Stock replacement from 400 rub.
• Sighting from 250 rub.
• Minor rifle repairs from 500 rubles.
• Replacement of a screw, gas spring from 1000 rubles.
• Power boost from 500 rub.
• Replacement of piston cuff from 800 rub.
• Replacement of a set of gaskets from 400 rubles.
• Replacement of gearbox, valve needle for PCP from 1200 rub.
• Repair, assembly of USM from 500 rub.
• Re-preservation of pneumatics from 800 rub.
• Installation of optical and collimator sights from 400 rubles.
• Replacement of gaskets in CO2 guns from 450 rubles.
• Adjustment and repair of the store from 1200 rubles.
• Repair of USM pneumatics and all types of pistols from RUB 1,500.
• Elimination of undershooting and sticking (pistol) from 1500 rub.
• Optical sight zeroing (according to LHP) 10m from 800 rub.
• Gun cleaning from RUB 1,150.
• Removing stuck bullets from RUB 900.
• Measurement of bullet departure speed from 150 rubles.
• Enlargement of the passage pupil RUB 1,600.

The site lists only a small part of the work that we perform daily. The exact cost depends on many factors: how complex the breakdown is, whether this part is in stock or needs to be ordered, on the complexity of the design and condition of the weapon, etc.

Additional information about the EDgun Matador R3M 5.5 mm rifle, shortened (Soft-touch), its structure and warranty service can be found on the manufacturer’s official website.

Repair steps for EDgun Matador R3M 5.5 mm, shortened (Soft-touch):

1. Call the service center or write to us by email. Describe the problem, indicate the model of your rifle or pistol.
2. The technician will advise you on the approximate cost of repairs and invite you to the service center.
3. In the workshop, after diagnostics, the exact price and time frame for completing the work will be given. Which agree with you.
4. After completing the work, the master will contact you and you can take your air gun home.

Model features:

EDgun Matador R3M 5.5 mm (short) is the most compact modification of the popular pre-pumped air rifle. The total length of the weapon is 680 mm, the barrel is 420 mm. This model is chosen by those who value small-sized pneumatics.

Disassembly and care

As with any weapon, be as careful as possible when assembling and disassembling. Careful cleaning will ensure that you don't damage anything and it will last for a long time.

Disassembly begins with removing the moderator casing and removing the barrel, which then needs to be screwed in the opposite direction. Then remove the remaining parts and clean them thoroughly. Assembly is carried out in reverse order.

Life hack: if a bullet is stuck in the barrel, shoot after removing the barrel, this will help get rid of it. -FOOTNOTE