Definitive Guide to Umarex Origin

The typical barrier to entry with PCP rifle has been what it takes to fill them. Hand pumps are affordable but take a lot of effort. Tanks are expensive, require constant inspection and testing, and are increasingly difficult to fill, seeing many need 4500 PSI, and scuba shops are often reluctant to fill past 3000 psi. Compressors are another way to go, but the purchase cost and maintenance costs can also be prohibitive. This is where the Umarex Origin steps in.

In the box, you'll find the Umarex Origin .22 caliber, two magazines, a fill probe, some spare parts, and a bundled hand pump. This has been done before, i.e., bundling a hand pump with a rifle, but the Origin has more going for it than just repackaging components.

What makes the Origin stand out is how the hand pump and the rifle work together. Unlike all other PCPs with your basic empty cylinder, Umarex thought to add a gas ram booster to the equation. It's called the Ever Pressure System, and it works as follows. As you begin to pump up the rifle, the piston provides constant pressure. Where the typical PCP may need 60 to 100 strokes just to take your first shot, the UX Origin is ready to fire with only 13. The benefits don't stop there. The Ever Pressure System essentially cuts the number of strokes in half as compared to a regular PCP. You can hand pump the Origin from empty to full in about 140 strokes. Additionally, as you shoot, the EPS continues to boost the useable pressure, acting like a regulator. The result is an airgun that's easy to fill and provides exceptional shot consistency, accuracy, and power.

So we know what makes the Umarex Origin pcp air rifle tick on the inside, how does the outside look and feel? The stock is a solid composite that's light but does not feel cheap. The side lever is very easy to operate, and the shooting cycle is smooth and predictable. The trigger is adjustable, although we have not found the need to make any adjustments with a pull weight around two pounds out of the box. There is a hybrid scope rail that will accommodate both 11mm dovetail and weaver-style mounts. This is a great feature and makes it easy to drop just about any optic onto the Origin with minimal fuss. Under the forearm, just in front of the trigger guard, is the fill port. You use the included fill probe to fill or top off the Origin from this port.

There is one oversight that we keep seeing manufacturers make, and it's here as well. The UX Origin sets itself up nicely to be a great, affordable, small game hunting airgun. But there's a noticeable lack of sling studs. It would be great if airgun makers started to listen to shooters and make sling studs standard equipment.

We've discussed the filling process; let's talk about the rest of the process to get the .22 caliber Origin ready to shoot. The included magazine will accommodate most .22 caliber pellets, provided they are not too long. It can also shoot the .22 caliber JSB Knockout Slugs (which shoot great by the way).

The magazine loads easily following the same loading system as the Benjamin Marauder, Umarex Gauntlet, and others. You'll rotate the clear cover all the way clockwise until it clicks into place, block the hole in the back of the magazine with your finger and drop in your first pellet. Next, rotate the clear cover counterclockwise, dropping in pellets as you go. Once loaded, cock the rifle and slide in the magazine. Before loading, make sure you've got the safety on, located on the right-hand side of the receiver. You are now ready to take your first shot.

Performance & Accuracy

With a full charge of 250 bar, you'll get at least 50 shots. You can push that further, but you'll see the extreme spread really open up. Using the 14.3 Grain JSB pellets, expect a max velocity of about 990 FPS and an extreme low at the end of the curve of about 886. That's a big spread for sure. If you look at your shot curve, you'll find nearly 30 shots with an extreme spread of about 25 FPS. If you have a chronograph and test your rifle, you'll find the best pressure range that will deliver the most consistency. If you stay in that pressure range, you'll see some great accuracy.

Other pellets like the 15.89 grain JSBs topped out at 930 FPS. The 18.13 grain JSBs shot at a max of 889 FPS, and the JSB knockout slugs posted a top velocity of 746 FPS. The energy across all pellets was pretty standard at between 30 and 31 foot-pounds. That's more than enough for some serious small game hunting.

One point that surprised us in our testing came from our DB tests. The Origin has a shrouded barrel with some level of integrated sound suppression. We were surprised to see the shot noise hit 108.8 DB. There's no other way to say it; that's loud, possibly too loud for a long backyard shooting session.

In years past we would get excited about seeing one-inch groups at 50 yards. This is now the modern standard for even budget airguns. We are pleased to share with you that the Origin does not disappoint. With a decent optic and in the hands of a competent shooter, the Umarex Origin delivers very consistent one-inch or better groups at 50 yards. With the right conditions, you can stretch things out to 75 and 100 yards. You can get all this from a $350 airgun.

An additional observation regarding the accuracy, the Origin does not seem to be that pellet picky. Sure, some pellets and slugs shoot better than others, but we got decent groups from several pellets, which means that you don't have to spend big bucks feeding it high-end ammo for just plinking and general shooting.

Summing Up

The Umarex Origin targets brand new PCP airgunners, and it checks all the right boxes. You get a solid performing PCP with plenty of shot count and power, plus a way to fill it right in the box. Umarex chose to go without a bundled optic (thank you). You'll have to add some sort of optic to the Origin before you head to the backyard or the range, but you'll be able to decide for yourself what that will be. We wish more manufacturers followed this convention.

We only touched on it briefly, but it's one of the most impressive aspects of the Origin, and that's the price point. As a sub-$500 pcp rifle, it delivers solid performance that rivals products costing hundreds more, which don't come with a way to fill them.

We hope this gives you the data you need to understand more about the Umarex Origin. If you have more questions, please let us know. We are very happy to help.