Umarex T4E TB 68 Gen2: 16 rounds and a DA
trigger for training and recreational shooting

Umarex is a German company whose roots go back to 1972. Its early success came from non-firearm shooting products, but the company later became particularly well known on the European market for licensed airgun replicas of famous firearms, including 4,5mm caliber versions of the Thompson, UZI or the H&K MP5.  

A major turning point came in 1995, when the Walther CP88 CO₂ pistol was presented at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas. It became Umarex's breakthrough product in the United States and helped open the way to licensing agreements with some of the best-known names in the American firearms industry. 

Umarex USA was formally established in 2006 and has since developed into one of the major suppliers in the American airgun market. Among its particularly successful U.S. products over the years have been the Colt Single Action Army/Peacemaker replicas, the licensed GLOCK 19 and GLOCK 17 CO₂ pistols and, among PCP air rifles, the Gauntlet family. 

The T4E product line has also become familiar to American shooters through large-caliber training and recreational markers such as the .68-caliber TR 68 revolver. 

The model featured here, however, takes its visual and functional cues from a compact shotgun. With its pistol grip and fore-end, it even bears more than a passing resemblance to the legendary Franchi SPAS-12, although we are sure that is purely coincidental… 

The designation TB stands for Tactical Blaster. The TB 68 Gen2 uses a double-action-only trigger, allowing successive shots to be fired without manually cycling the fore-end. 

Its integrated tubular magazine holds 16 .68-caliber round balls. The European model featured in this article has a stated overall length of 25.1“ and weighs  3.69 lb, with the grip and fore-end made from polymer; the barrel is 330 mm (13“) long. 

At this time, the current U.S. T4E listing for SKU 2292204, however, gives approximately 25.5“ overall, an 18.5“  barrel and 5.52 lb. 

Grip texture has been revised for the second generation, while a manual push-button safety completes the control layout. 

CO₂ power and Quick-Piercing 2.0 

The TB 68 Gen2 is powered by a single 12-gram CO₂ cartridge housed in the grip. Its Quick-Piercing 2.0 system allows the cartridge to remain unpierced until the marker is needed. Activation is accomplished through the control at the base of the grip, while the revised system also incorporates tool-free pressure release. Open sights are standard, while the Picatinny rail allows the user to install an optical sight if desired. 

The M22×1.5 muzzle thread accepts the supplied metal muzzle brake or separately available accessories. One of the most unusual is the T4E X-Tracer 68, an aluminum electronic unit styled somewhat like a suppressor. It incorporates two separate lighting systems: a UV flash that activates fluorescent tracer projectiles, and three visible-light LEDs that simulate muzzle flash. The two functions can be selected independently or used together. The integrated battery is recharged through a USB-C port, and an automatic shutoff function helps conserve battery power. The T4E X-Tracer 68 is unfortunately not currently listed by Umarex USA, although it is still available in the U.S. through specialist retailers. 

The T4E TB 68 Gen2 is also marketed in the United States in a 7.5-joule version under SKU 2292204. However, Umarex USA currently publishes different dimensional specifications from those of the European model featured here, including an 18.5-inch barrel rather than the 330 mm (13“) barrel of our test gun, with a listed domestic price of $144.99.  

Availability and shipping may vary depending on state and local restrictions. 

UMAREX T4E TB-68 Gen2: technical specifications

To find out more, visit the Bignami website.