Umarex Komplete NCR PCP Air Rifle: Full Review

I am always skeptical when a company touts a new product as “groundbreaking.” Often, changes are small and incremental to an existing design. Few products chart a new path, and even fewer make it easier to use. However, the Umarex Komplete NCR has done just that. It is the first pre-­charged pneumatic (PCP) airgun to break the platform’s reliance on an external air-filling station. Instead, it utilizes NitroAir, a disposable, high-­pressure cartridge that can be bought at an airgun supply store. Out of the box, the Komplete NCR pellet rifle is ready to shoot.

About PCP Airguns

At the 2024 Outdoor Sportsman’s Group (OSG) Roundtable, many of my colleagues shot a PCP airgun past 100 yards for the first time. It was easy to get excited about the platform’s power and reach. I have been shooting PCP airguns for years, so I wasn’t surprised at the performance. PCP airguns outpower most break-­barrel, variable pump, and carbon-dioxide (CO2) airguns. They are more than just plinkers or pest control tools, too. They are offered in calibers from .177 to .50, and are used for hunting, precision shooting competitions, and even Olympic shooting sports. PCP airguns get air from an on-­board, high-­pressure reservoir. To fill them typically requires buying a high-­pressure handpump, compressor, and/or charging tank.

The Nitrogen Revolution

The extra cost of the high-­pressure equipment has been a barrier to the popularity of the PCP platform. Umarex set out to change this and developed the NitroAir nitrogen cartridge. NitroAir is a small, high-­pressure, pre-­filled cartridge. It is ready to use out of the box, and is recyclable. Once NitroAir proved itself, Umarex decided to build a rifle around it. The “NCR” in the name is an abbreviation for “Nitrogen Cartridge Rifle”.

The cartridge is filled with nitrogen instead of compressed air, hence “Nitro” in the “NitroAir” name. Using nitrogen is not new, though. PCP enthusiasts prefer it for its temperature stability. Velocities remain steady whether it is 30­- or 90-­degrees Fahrenheit. Nitrogen molecules are larger than oxygen, which helps minimize leaks. Nitrogen also improves O-­ring life. The downside to nitrogen for PCP reservoirs is that it is hard to find a source to fill an airgun or charging tank.

The NitroAir cartridge is not like a CO2 cartridge. CO2 cartridges are pressurized to around 800 psi. CO2 cartridges are temperature sensitive, that is to say, velocity fluctuates as the temperature changes. Another characteristic of CO2 cartridges is that if you lay down a long string of shots, the cartridge cools drastically, which decreases velocity.

NitroAir contains 32 grams of nitrogen in a 3,600-­psi pressurized cartridge. Comparing equal grainweight pellets, the PCP velocity will be double what a CO2 cartridge can produce. The pressure is on par with standard PCP rifles, so power is not sacrificed for convenience. The cartridge weighs 12 ounces and is 8 ­inches long, making it a portable air source. A cartridge will power about 50 shots with a .22-caliber 14-grain pellet. Grab two or three cartridges for an outing and you’ll have 100 to 150 shots. Since it is made of steel, once the cartridge is spent, just toss it in the recycle bin.

Nitrogen vs. Compressed Air Costs

PCP reservoirs are pressurized to around 3,000 psi and require a high-­pressure air source. The most economical source is a handpump, which can cost north of $100. It may be all you need for a PCP airgun with a small cylinder. These have a downside though: Filling the last 1,000 psi of a 3,000 psi cylinder will have you breathing hard! If you shoot a lot, you’ll tire of this quickly and buy a compressor.

Opting for a high-­pressure compressor is where the costs become significant. There are two types of compressors: Portable and full-­size. Portable compressors start around $400 and can cost as much as $1,000. Umarex sells the portable ReadyAir Airgun Compressor for $700. These types of compressors are fan-­cooled and best suited for filling small cylinders. Full-­size compressors include a liquid cooling system and can handle filling small cylinders to large charging tanks. They cost $1,000 and more. The upside to buying a compressor is that you incur the cost once. In contrast, a 2-­pack of NitroAir costs $25.

The Rifle

Aside from the convenience of the nitrogen cartridge, there’s a lot to like about the Komplete NCR. It’s affordable, has a well-­designed stock, shoots lights out, and its air pressure is regulated.

With a $200 retail price, it is one of the most affordable PCP rifles on the market. The package includes a NitroAir cartridge and Axeon 4x32mm scope with rings. The Komplete NCR has an overall length of 411/2 ­inches with a 14-­inch fixed length of pull. It is not a youth-­sized stock. The barrel has a 1-in-18-­inch twist and is 23.6 ­inches long. An integrated polymer sound moderator is affixed to the muzzle. The rifle is offered in .177 and .22 caliber. With the cartridge installed, it weighs 5 ­pounds, 13 ounces. Guns & Ammo received the .22-caliber model without scope for review.

Since I spend a lot of time behind precision rifles, I like that the stock resembles a precision rifle, and not something out of a sci-­fi movie. The butthook, high comb, vertical grip, and flat, wide forend are common precision rifle stock features. These help a shooter shoot a rifle precisely. The butthook allows the shooter to stabilize and control the height of the buttstock with the support hand and a support bag. The comb offers a large area for a shooter to center their eye behind a scope. The vertical grip positions the trigger finger at a natural 90-­degree angle for a straight-­back trigger press. A wide, flat handguard aids stability on a tree, rock, or fence post. It includes M-­Lok slots at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock for mounting a bipod, light, or other accessories. The handguard serves as the cartridge housing, too.

The Komplete NCR is a side-­lever-action repeater. The receiver is metal with a polymer overmold, making the Picatinny rail polymer, too. On a pricier airgun, this would concern me, but for an entry-level PCP it is acceptable. Recoil is minute, so the rings mount are secure enough. The Komplete NCR receiver holds a 10-­round rotary magazine. Two magazines are included with the rifle, and the trigger’s travel is adjustable.

Regulated & Unregulated

Another feature that makes the Komplete NCR a great deal and excellent shooter is that it utilizes a regulated air system. Regulated airguns release the same amount of air pressure to the pellet for highly consistent velocities. It achieves this by pre-­staging air in a small chamber. In the case of the Umarex Komplete NCR PCP rifle, a fresh cartridge starts with 3,600 ­psi and banks 1,800 psi into the chamber. Each shot receives the same amount of pressure until the cartridge pressure drops below 1,800 ­psi. If you were to chart the velocities from a regulated airgun, the line would be mostly flat and then drop off sharply at the end.

With a non-­regulated PCP airgun, there is no pre-­staged air. The air that hits the pellet comes directly from the reservoir. As the reservoir’s pressure decreases, velocity fluctuates. When you chart a non-­regulated airgun’s velocity, it is more of an arc that drastically falls off at the end.

At the Range

I have reviewed several Umarex airguns, and I was excited to test the Komplete NCR. Umarex has a talent for designing well-­shooting airguns, no matter the price point.

Setting up the rifle was simple. A push on the handguard tabs released the cartridge cover. I spun the cartridge hand tight and then replaced the handguard. For an optic, I mounted a Vortex Venom 3-­15x44mm, one of my favorite front focal plane (FFP) budget scopes. This is another advantage of a PCP rifle versus a break-­barrel of variable pump: You can outfit it with a regular riflescope and not one specifically designed for airguns. I added a small M-­Lok rail to the handguard and attached a Warne Skyline Precision bipod. To stabilize the buttstock, I tossed a rear support bag under the stock.

Preparing for the range was gratifying. I placed the NitroAir cartridges and pellets in a small range bag and was ready to go. For my other PCP rifles, I first fire up my high-­pressure compressor, top off the airgun’s reservoir and then fill a 6.8-­liter carbon-fiber charging tank. The charging tank is the size of a scuba tank, and it serves as a portable filling station at the range. It was nice having one less thing to load and carry.

I first shot the rifle from the bench to get an idea about its accuracy potential. I expected the polymer stock to flex, and I was right. With the rifle firmly planted on the bipod, and some pressure on the buttstock, the stock pivots on the single receiver screw and can move around. The solution was to soften the pressure I put on the stock. Making a fuss about the flexing stock is like complaining that a fast-­food burger doesn’t taste like steak, though.

The trigger was good. It has a lengthy travel, but fired consistently after just 1 pound, 2 ounces. I left the travel in its original setting. The tight group on paper told me this rifle is a shooter.

Like any firearm, you have to shoot a variety of ammo to find what the rifle likes best. I gathered six different pellets with different shapes and weights, from 14 grains to 18.67 grains. Velocities varied from 900 feet per second (fps) for the 14-grain pellets to 812 fps for the 18.67 grainer. Energy in foot-pounds ranged from 25 to 28. I eliminated two of the pellets because they shot poorly. One group was a 1.65-­inch horizontal string. By the time I started the accuracy test, I only had two cartridges left for testing. I didn’t want to waste time testing pellets that shot poorly.

The JSB Match Exact Jumbo Express 14.35-grain pellet performed the best, driving a .17-­inch five-­shot group at 25 yards. Its average group size was .43 ­inch. The JSB Match Exact Jumbo Heavy 18.13- and Umarex Brimstone 18.67-grainers were the next best.

I kept track of velocity with a chronograph to see how many consistent shots the Komplete NCR would produce. With 55 shots down the barrel, the velocity averaged 904 ­fps with the JSB Diabolo Express 14.3-grain pellet. At shot 56, each pull of the trigger dropped the velocity 5 to 9 fps. On paper, the decline was obvious. Each hole was lower than the previous one, indicating that it was time to switch out the cartridge.

I bled the remaining air using the degassing screw before installing a fresh cartridge. The rifle remained easy and fun to shoot. With the right pellet, this is a very precise shooting PCP airgun. I continued accuracy testing, and before I knew it I was halfway through the fourth NitroAir cartridge.

I then shot the Komplete NCR standing unsupported. The rifle is well-­balanced and shouldered nicely. The cocking lever felt smooth, and the magazine was easy to feed and swap out. The moderator toned down the pop of the blast well, and it sounded quieter than a roofing nail gun.

Parting Shot

The Komplete NCR is the perfect airgun for airgun or firearms shooters who are PCP ­curious. The NitroAir rifle is ready-­to-­go out of the box like a break-­barrel, variable pump, or CO2, but with much more power. Its $200 retail price is close to that of mid-­priced break-­barrels, and is at the low end of PCP rifles. With the right pellet, this is a precise and smooth shooting rifle. As the model’s name suggests, the Komplete NCR has it all: Price, performance, convenience. Until now, affordability and convenience have not been synonymous with PCP systems.

Umarex Komplete NCR

• Type: Side-lever action repeater
• Caliber: .177 or .22 (tested)
• Capacity: 10 rds.
• Barrel: 23.6 in., steel
• Overall Length: 41.5 in.
• Weight: 5 lbs.
• Trigger: 1 lb., 2 oz. (tested)
• Safety: Push button
• Sights: None; 4x32mm scope
• Stock: Synthetic
• Power Source: NitroAir N2 Cartridge
• MSRP: $200
• Manufacturer: Umarex USA, 479-646-4210, umarexusa.com