UMAREXUSA
The RWS Magnum 350 Carbine
Jim Chapman
The first three adult air rifles I recall purchasing were arguably three of the classic spring piston guns out in the 1980’s; the Beeman R1 the Beeman C1, and the RWS Model 34. The Model 34 slotted right between the two Beeman guns on the power curve, but of the three it was the one I shot most accurately. Over the years I’ve had the chance to shoot a few of the RWS guns, but one of the magazines I write for requested an article on Magnum Springers recently, and I started looking around for guns to include as a representative of best in breed; based on accuracy, power, availability, and cost.As I roamed around the SHOT Show looking at what was on the market, one of the guns being displayed at the UMAREX booth really caught my eye. It was the RWS Magnum 350; and it seemed to address everything I was looking for.
After chatting for awhile the guys at UMAREX agreed to send the Magnum 350 in carbine configuration over for me to try out, and a few weeks later I watched from my office window as the UPS drove up and deposited a big brown box on my doorstep.

Opening the box I found the Magnum carbine, and RWS 3-9 x 40 scope, a one piece lock down mount, and a selection of pellets. So like a kid at Christmas I gathered everything into my arms and headed down to my workbench in the basement. The gun was pretty clean out of the box, but I wiped it down and dragged a patch down the bore, before mounting the scope. The gun has 11 mm grooved dovetails and is tapped with a set screw to serve as a scope stop, but with the solid one piece mount the scope wasn't going to walk back anyways. After checking that everything was tightened down, I laser sighted the rifle and ran a few different pellets through the gun. There was a little bit of dieseling but it cleared after a few shots and the gun settled down.
The Magnum 350 fits me very well, the forestock is narrow and easy to get a good grip on, the muzzle break moves the weight forward, and the gun points very well offhand. The cocking effort is a bit over 43 pounds and is quite managable.
I immediately took to the feel of this gun; it is probably the most streamlined stock of any Magnum springer I’ve shot, certainly compared to all others in my collection. The stock is a plain but solid hardwood that is sleek and ergonomic. The wrist is straighter and less pronounced than the full sized gun, which fits my shooting style much better. Another difference between the carbine and rifle configuration is that the carbine does not have a raised cheek piece, which I find allows me to mount the gun much more quickly. And even though the cheek-piece is not raised,I found the sight alignment to be very good. The butt is finished with a ventilated rubber butt pad, that soaks up a lot of the recoil. The forestock is long and well shaped, and is far less bulky than is the norm on the type of gun.

The barrel is 15.75 inches with a substantial sound suppressor mounted which carries the weight forward, and helps prevent the muzzle jumping when the gun is fired, as well as providing a convenient cocking handle for the short barrel.
The RWS Superdomes provide optimal accuarcy and power, are fairly high velocity for a flatter trajectory, and it's hard to beat a domed pellet for all around hunting effectivness. I was suprised at how well the hollow points grouped, and wouldn't have a problem using them for lighter bodied quarry or when shooting at close range.
The overall length of the gun is approximately 44.5 inches, and the gun might feel a little unbalanced with the short barrel if not for the suppressor. The cocking effort I measured was 43 pounds, which even with the carbine length barrel is not difficult to manage.

When the gun is cocked the safety is automatically deployed, and although this is not my preference, the safety is mounted behind the compression chamber and is easy to switch off without moving the trigger hand. The two stage adjustable trigger was set at a little over 3 pound on my gun, breaking very crisply with no creep and only the slightest over travel. I rate it as one of the best out of the box triggers I’ve shot on a springer lately.

I really enjoy this gun, between the well shaped stock and the heavy muzzle break up front, the recoil is tamed and the gun does not jump around as these very powerful springers sometimes do.

I have a couple of articles coming out that run the Magnum 350 through it paces and a take a detailed look at performance, so I’m not going to go into great detail at this time. I will say that the accuracy is very good. In the accompanying photos groups shot at 30, 40, and 50 yards are demonstrated. I am an average shot with magnum springers, but I think you’ll agree that any of these shots would have put the game in the bag! The highest velocities I achieved were approximately 1000 fps using ultralight pellets, but was in the mid 800’s with heavier pellets. In the full articles I will give velocities obtained with 20 different brands, but will say that power in the 20 – 25 fpe range was the norm.

To conclude this short preliminary write up, I’d say that the RWS Magnum 350 is an excellent candidate for a hunting gun. It is shootable, accurate, powerful, and has one of the best all around “feels” of any Magnum springer out there. Coming soon I’ll post more quantitative measurements and report on field experience hunting this gun for a variety of small game and varmint species.