The Umarex Komplete NCR .177 combines a PRS-style stock, regulated NitroAir power system and spring-loaded side-lever action in a lightweight PCP platform.
The Umarex Komplete NCR .177 delivered the easy shooting experience I wanted from a PCP without forcing me to invest in high-pressure filling equipment. My test rifle produced velocities from 1,011 to 1,033 fps, repeatedly shot sub-inch 10-shot groups at 25 yards and stayed accurate through roughly the advertised 45-shot mark on a NitroAir cartridge. The biggest tradeoff is operating cost: the convenience of disposable nitrogen cartridges costs more per shot than many traditional airgun or rimfire setups.
One of the Easiest Ways Into PCP Air Rifles
My first air rifle was supposed to help me fix a flinch. I was new to hunting, struggled with anticipating recoil from larger rifles and wanted something I could shoot frequently without beating up my shoulder.
That first rifle worked, but it was a traditional break-barrel design. Every shot meant breaking the barrel open, loading a single pellet and muscling everything back into position. It eventually became enough work that I shot the rifle less than I originally planned.
What I really wanted was the recoil-free shooting and easy follow-up shots of a pre-charged pneumatic rifle without buying an expensive compressor, hauling around a scuba tank or working a high-pressure hand pump. That filling requirement is one of the biggest tradeoffs with many of today’s high-powered PCP air rifles, even though the category offers some impressive accuracy and performance.
That’s exactly the problem the Umarex Komplete NCR .177 is designed to solve. Instead of requiring a refillable air reservoir, the Komplete uses pre-filled disposable NitroAir nitrogen cartridges and pairs them with a spring-loaded side-lever action.
I took it to the range to find out how well the system actually worked, how accurate it was at 25 and 50 yards and whether one NitroAir cartridge could really maintain useful performance through the advertised 45-plus shots.
Umarex Komplete NCR .177 Specifications
Reasons to Buy
- No compressor or hand pump required
- Simple disposable NitroAir power system
- Very good 25-yard accuracy
- Light, crisp trigger
- Easy spring-loaded side-lever action
- Two 12-round magazines included
- Axeon 4×32 scope and Picatinny rail included
- M-LOK slots for accessories
- Quiet SilencAir system
Reasons to Consider
- NitroAir cartridges increase operating cost
- Included 4×32 scope has no variable zoom
- Side lever must be pulled fully rearward to cycle correctly
- The rifle can accept a second pellet if the first isn’t properly chambered
The defining feature of the Komplete NCR is Umarex’s NitroAir system. Instead of filling a permanent air reservoir with a compressor or hand pump, you install a pre-filled single-use nitrogen cartridge rated at 3,600 psi.
The cartridge is physically similar in concept to the CO2 cartridges used in many air pistols, although NitroAir cartridges are considerably larger and operate at much higher pressure.
An internal regulator reduces the working pressure to 1,800 psi and meters nitrogen consistently from shot to shot. Umarex says one cartridge should provide at least 45 useful shots.
The Komplete NCR is powered by a disposable 3,600 psi NitroAir nitrogen cartridge, eliminating the need for a separate PCP compressor or hand pump.
For a shooter who likes the benefits of a PCP but doesn’t want to buy or maintain high-pressure filling equipment, NitroAir makes the Komplete much easier to own.
Check Price on the Umarex Komplete NCR
NitroAir Is What Makes the Komplete Different
Why It Matters
The first thing I noticed after taking the Komplete out of the box was the stock. Although it’s synthetic and the complete rifle with scope weighs only 5.4 pounds, it feels much more substantial than I expected.
The flat, wide forend works particularly well from a bench or shooting rest and includes M-LOK slots for attaching a bipod or other accessories. The vertical grip places the trigger finger in a natural position, while the elevated cheek comb makes it easy to establish repeatable scope alignment.
Umarex also cut out the lower section of the buttstock, creating a convenient contact point for a rear bag. Put together, the stock design makes the Komplete feel much more like a compact precision rifle than a basic backyard airgun.
The PRS-Style Stock Feels Better Than Expected
The spring-loaded side lever was one of my favorite parts of the rifle. Compared with the effort required to repeatedly cock my old break-barrel air rifle, cycling the Komplete is nearly effortless.
A small amount of pressure releases the lever, giving you a large surface to pull rearward and push forward again. The entire process takes about a second, and I could maintain my cheek weld while chambering another pellet.
The spring-loaded side lever makes follow-up shots considerably faster and easier than a traditional single-shot break-barrel design.
The rifle comes with two 12-round rotary magazines. Both were easy to load, and the magazine seated positively in the receiver with a reassuring click.
The trigger was equally impressive. Umarex lists it at 2.25 pounds, while my measured average was 2.1 pounds. The break was crisp, and an adjustment screw in front of the trigger blade allows overtravel adjustment.
I also liked the cross-trigger safety. I’m accustomed to cross-bolt safeties on shotguns, so the system felt natural and could be operated with my index finger without changing my shooting grip.
A few times during testing, I didn’t pull the side lever fully rearward before attempting to chamber the next pellet. The first pellet hung up, and the rifle allowed a second pellet to be loaded. The result was reduced velocity and poor accuracy. A deliberate full rearward stroke prevented the issue.
Side Lever, Magazine and Trigger
One Cycling Issue to Know About
Umarex integrates its SilencAir sound-moderating system directly into the rifle. The multi-chamber design helps reduce the sharp report associated with escaping high-pressure air, giving the rifle a much softer sound signature than an unsuppressed air rifle.
In practical use, the combination of low recoil and reduced sound made the Komplete extremely pleasant to shoot. That’s particularly useful for backyard practice where local laws and a safe backstop allow airgun shooting.
The rifle also ships with an Axeon 4×32 scope mounted to a Picatinny rail. I found the fixed 4x magnification adequate for 25- to 50-yard shooting, although I would prefer variable magnification for small-game hunting or more precise target work at longer distances.
SilencAir Keeps the Komplete Backyard Friendly
Specs are useful, but the real question was how well the Komplete actually performed. I sighted the rifle in at 25 yards and shot both paper targets and steel before moving back to 50 yards.
At 25 yards, measured pellet velocities ranged from 1,011 to 1,033 fps. The rifle repeatedly produced sub-inch 10-shot groups, with several pellets passing through the same holes.
At 25 yards, the Komplete NCR .177 repeatedly produced sub-inch 10-shot groups, with several pellets passing through the same holes.
Steel targets at 25 yards were almost too easy once the rifle was zeroed.
At 50 yards, the groups naturally opened up but still hovered around two inches. The point of impact dropped roughly 2 to 2.5 inches compared with the 25-yard zero.
I suspect a variable-power optic with a finer aiming point could have tightened those groups somewhat further, but the included fixed 4x scope was still perfectly usable at both distances.
At 50 yards, groups opened to roughly two inches with around 2 to 2.5 inches of impact drop compared with the 25-yard zero.
Accuracy Testing at 25 and 50 Yards
Measured pellet velocity
Repeated 10-shot groups at 25 yards
50-yard group size
Measured average trigger pull
This was one of the main claims I wanted to test.
The answer, based on my range session, is essentially yes. Velocity and accuracy remained consistent through approximately the 45-shot mark advertised by Umarex.
Once I moved beyond that point, velocity began dropping and accuracy became less predictable. That makes 45 shots a practical point to consider changing cartridges rather than trying to squeeze every last pellet out of one.
The Komplete maintained useful velocity and accuracy through roughly 45 shots on one NitroAir cartridge. Performance began falling off beyond that point.
Does One NitroAir Cartridge Really Last 45 Shots?
What Our Testing Showed
One unexpected benefit of the Komplete was how useful it became for practicing trigger control and shooting fundamentals.
The rifle has virtually no recoil to mask poor technique, and the light .177-caliber pellets quickly expose small mistakes. Tiny movements that might go unnoticed with a heavier firearm showed up clearly on the target.
Combine that feedback with the comfortable stock, light trigger and inexpensive pellets, and the Komplete becomes a useful practice tool for anyone trying to improve consistency behind a rifle.
An Excellent Trigger-Control Training Rifle
The convenience of the NitroAir system isn’t free.
At the time of this review, a two-pack of NitroAir cartridges was approximately $25. With roughly 45 useful shots per cartridge, the author’s estimate after including pellet cost was around $0.30 per shot.
That’s substantially more expensive than simply buying pellets for a conventional break-barrel air rifle, and it can even exceed the per-round price of inexpensive bulk .22 LR ammunition.
You’re paying extra for convenience. In exchange, you don’t need to buy a PCP compressor, carry an external air tank or manually pump a high-pressure reservoir.
Whether that trade makes sense depends on how much you shoot. For someone firing thousands of pellets every year, a refillable PCP system may eventually make more financial sense. For an occasional shooter who values simplicity, the Komplete’s cartridge system is much easier to live with.
The Tradeoff: NitroAir Convenience Costs More
The Value Question
The Komplete NCR makes the most sense for someone attracted to PCP performance but reluctant to buy the equipment normally required to keep a PCP rifle filled.
It’s especially well suited for:
Who Should Buy the Umarex Komplete NCR?
The Umarex Komplete NCR .177 delivered what I wanted from this type of rifle: easy cycling, virtually no recoil, good accuracy and none of the high-pressure filling equipment normally associated with a PCP.
The NitroAir system worked as advertised during my testing, maintaining useful performance through roughly 45 shots. The rifle repeatedly produced sub-inch 10-shot groups at 25 yards and stayed around the two-inch mark when I moved back to 50.
I also came away impressed by the stock, spring-loaded side lever and especially the trigger. A measured 2.1-pound break is excellent for an air rifle in this category and contributes directly to how easy the Komplete is to shoot well.
There are two drawbacks worth considering. The disposable NitroAir cartridges make each shot more expensive than many other airgun platforms, and the side lever needs to be cycled completely to avoid the possibility of an improperly chambered or double-loaded pellet.
Neither changes what the Komplete does particularly well: it removes one of the biggest barriers to PCP ownership. If you want PCP-style accuracy and easy follow-up shots without buying a compressor or wrestling with a hand pump, the Komplete NCR is a compelling option.
The Komplete Makes PCP Shooting Much Easier to Get Into
PCP-style accuracy and fast follow-up shots without a compressor, scuba tank or hand pump.
Umarex Komplete NCR
Umarex Komplete NCR .177 Review Summary
