You can always tell when you see something that is a notch or two better than most everything else. It looks different. It feels different. It performs differently, too. That is exactly what an encounter with the new USA assembled RWS Model 3400 and Model 3500 is like. Eye appeal is nothing to scoff at. Eye appeal made the Chevrolet Chevelle a hit and the Nova, not so much of a hit. Beautifully crafted stuff just appeals to people on a whole ‘nother level. While an old Nova can still be had for worker’s wages, a decent Chevelle will command a wheelbarrow load of clams.
With these new RWS rifles you are getting the whole enchilada-- good looks, quality build, and above par performance. What you get with these new RWS rifles is enduring appeal. You’ll get a rifle that your friends and neighbors will say anything to get you to let them hold and shoot it. You’ll get a super smooth shooting rifle that you’ll never want to get rid of.
RWS Pellet Rifles Converge in Arkansas
So what’s the recipe for these new rifles? The actions and barrels are made in Germany, just like RWS rifles have traditionally been made for years and years. The Minelli stocks are exceptionally beautiful and are made in Italy. The whole package is assembled at the Umarex USA headquarters in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
These are much more than just warmed over versions of the traditional RWS Model 34 and Model 350 that have been on the market for years. Shooters now get the choice of a traditional spring powered gun or a gas piston powered pellet rifle. This combined with the option of .177 or .22 calibers means that there are four models for the standard power range Model 3400 and four models for the magnum power range Model 3500.
Magnum Power RWS Air Rifles
I just recently picked up the Model 3500 in .22 caliber with a gas ram power plant. I figured might as well go big, here, since I had the chance to access it. One thing that remains familiar to fans of the 350 Magnum are the sights. The front globe comes with a standard post, but this can be changed out for a variety of options, just like 350 Magnum shooters have done for years. Being a magnum, this model does require a good amount of energy to break over, but the shooter is rewarded with a magnum powered shot with the squeeze of that great trigger. I don’t have a measured trigger pull, but I can only describe it as breaking in the sub two pound range.
And since it is a magnum “springer”, I found that it can be a touch sensitive to hold as magnum springers tend to be. Getting into a proper artillery hold solves this issue promptly. I’ve always had a soft spot for the Model 34, however, at the time of this writing a new Model 3400 was not quite off the assembly line. The Model 3400 is a standard power range rifle which means that it has plenty of power for small game, target shooting, plinking, etc. Non-magnum springers tend to be more forgiving in regard to hold sensitivity.<?p>
Be that as it may, I’ve really enjoyed slinging lead with this magnum. I’ve enjoyed holding and looking at it, too. And I’ve gotten a kick out of showing it off to my friends and family. Honestly, in a powder burning centric culture, most folks have never seen an air rifle that is as nice as this. Yes, the term “airgun” for the vast majority of people still describes a BB gun one half step above a toy. A gun like the RWS Model 3500 is more than just a puny little pea shooter. The 3500 is a serious pellet rifle that offers fit and finish that is much better than many firearms on the market. And I’d like to say, in case you haven’t picked up on it, that I’m seriously a fan of this rifle.
Mark Davis, avid outdoorsman, family man, and outdoors writer, is the social media specialist for Umarex USA.