Definitive Guide to Umarex Komplete

Get ready for a comprehensive exploration of the Umarex Komplete. In this definitive guide, we'll look into its unique features, shooting experience, impressive performance, and accuracy. We'll also address a common concern among airgunners. So, let's dive in and discover what makes the Umarex Komplete a true game-changer.

The Umarex Komplete is a multi-shot side-lever NitroAir powered airgun that's available in .177 and .22 caliber. Externally, the Komplete is mostly plastic, with noticeable cast lines and a very lightweight feel. In fact, it only weighs 5 pounds. It features a rifled steel barrel, internal regulator, two-stage trigger with adjustable take-up, manual safety, Picatinny / Weaver optics rail, and side lever cocking system. At the muzzle, you'll find Umarex's "SlienceAir" noise suppression system. It's very effective on the Komplete.

It's powered by Umarex's new NitroAir cartridges, which look very similar to 88-gram CO2 cartridges. However, rather than being filled with liquid CO2, each NitroAir tank is filled with 3600 PSI of pure nitrogen gas. Nitrogen is a great power source as it's not affected by temperature or rate of fire. Also, it's completely void of moisture, making it an ideal air source for high-powered airguns.

We'll jump to the one drawback now so that we can get it out of the way. The cartridges are expensive. There's no other way to look at it other than head-on. Each cartridge can deliver up to 45 shots at a cost of about $11.50 each. That comes out to about .26 cents per shot, just for the "air." If you are someone who likes to shoot hundreds of rounds in one sitting, then the Komplete is going to get really expensive, really fast. But, if you are a casual shooter or hunter and you simply don't want to mess with tanks, hoses, or compressors but still want the power, range, and accuracy, keep reading.

Setup & Operation

Getting the Komplete setup is very simple. After you remove the front forearm, you can screw the NitroAir cartridge into the front of the receiver. We thought it might be like installing an 88-gram CO2 bottle, i.e., tricky, with leaks and loss of CO2, but that was not the case at all. It was super easy to install, and once the seal was pierced, the gun was ready to go. There was not one leak or other issue to report.

Now, the Komplete does not come with open sights, so you'll need to mount an optic. The basic package comes bundled with a 4x32 optic, but do yourself a favor and just expect to buy an upgrade out of the gate. We'll try not to spoil it too much, but the gun shoots very well and justifies the purchase of a decent scope.

It comes "Komplete" with 2 magazines. The .177 caliber mag holds 12 pellets, and the .22 caliber magazine holds 10 pellets. Our sample came in .22, which is our preferred caliber as it's more versatile, in our opinion. However, we do look forward to testing the .177 at some point in the future.

We've discussed setting up the Komplete with the NitroAir cartridge; now, let's discuss the rest of the process. You'll need to load the pellets into the magazine. Once the magazine is loaded, make sure the rifle is on safe, pull back the cocking handle, and insert the magazine. Now close the cocking lever. At this point, all you need to do is acquire your target, release the safety, and gently squeeze the trigger. To take your next shot, simply cock the cocking lever, return it to the forward position, and gently squeeze the trigger. Being regulated, you'll have about 40 good shots on tap.

The shooting process is identical to that of any other side-lever PCP or CO2 airgun. The difference is in the power plant. We have to admit that swapping to a fresh cartridge in under a minute has some really great advantages. These new NitroAir cartridges may be expensive, but they are very convenient. If you were on a hunting outing away from your base, then this could be an awesome way to stay out all day and never worry about losing power or running out of air. Just have enough tanks with you, and you are good to go.

The shooting experience was better than we expected. There is a lot of plastic and you really do notice it. If you are a traditional "wood and steel" airgunner, you may not like the way it feels in the hand, but that starts to change once you start pulling the trigger and hitting your target. The trigger is decent, with a pull weight under 2 pounds. The cocking cycle is also ok and relatively smooth. The Komplete does not feel like an expensive airgun, but the performance and accuracy make up for anything on the shooting experience side of things. Let's get to that next.

Performance & Accuracy

The Komplete features an internal regulator, and it works well. While you can get a max of about 45 decent shots, we found that our Komplete started to drop off the reg after shot 40. Across 40 shots, we got the following results using the 18.67 grain Umarex Brimstone pellets.

High - 851 / Low - 831 / Average - 842 / Extreme Spread - 20 / Standard Deviation - 4.3

There's no other way to look at it; those are some excellent results. The average energy was 29.40 foot-pounds. That's plenty of juice for 50-yard target shooting, pesting, and small game hunting. The Komplete is looking better and better.

We had a limited supply of NitroAir cartridges, so our accuracy tests needed to be concise. We tested 6 pellets: JSB Exact Jumbo Diabolo, Predator GTO Domed, JTS Dead Center, H&N Baracuda 18s, Umarex Brimstones, and the Crosman Premier Hollow Points. We took 5 shot groups at 25 yards.

The stand-out pellets were the 15.89 grain JSBs and the 11.75 grain Predator GTO alloy pellets.

6 shots (one sighter) - High - 893 / Low - 879 / Average - 889 / ES - 14 / SD - 4.7 / FPE - 27.89 Ft-lb

6 shots (one sighter) - High - 1018 / Low - 984 / Average - 993 / ES - 34 / SD - 11.4 / FPE - 27.73 Ft-lb

The GTOs had a pretty terrible shot string, but the results on target are undeniable. We'd certainly like to spend more time with the Komplete once it's readily available. While we shot our paper accuracy tests at 25 yards, we can say with certainty, having done some basic testing with our first cartridge, that the Komplete can be a 50-yard performer. We look forward to the opportunity to put that theory to the test down the road.

Summing Up

The Umarex Komplete has created a new platform and airgun genre. Sure, we've had PCP and CO2 airguns, but this is the first time that a company has conquered the complexity of keeping high-pressure air available without needing pumps, hoses, tanks, or compressors. There is a cost, but we can already see the benefits for many shooters who just want to get out and pull the trigger without the fuss. If you are an existing airgunner with all the gear to feed your HPA-hungry PCPs, then the Komplete will probably not make a lot of sense to you. But, if you are new to the high-powered airgun game and want to try it without taking out a 2nd mortgage on your house, then the Komplete may be the best entry point the industry has seen to date.

If you have more questions about the Umarex Komplete or anything airgun-related, just give us a call. We are always happy to help.