Featured Review · Barra · Air Guns
Barra 1100Z Gen 2 .25 Review — A Regulated Side-Lever PCP in Veil Camo Alpine, Taken Apart in Drawings
Our Rating
Current Price
- Model
- Barra 1100Z Gen 2, .25 (6.35 mm)
- Finish
- Veil Camo Alpine (also black)
- Power
- PCP, regulated
- Velocity
- Up to 900 fps (Barra)
Pros
- Now regulated: an internal regulator for more consistent shot-to-shot velocity
- Rated 900 fps and 40 ft-lb in .25 — real small-game and pest power
- Smooth side lever, two 9-shot rotary magazines plus two single-shot trays in the box
- 22-inch rifled barrel, fully shrouded with an air stripper, and ½-20 threads under a knurled protector
- Picatinny scope rail machined in one block with the breech, a front Picatinny rail for a bipod, and an adjustable comb
- Veil Camo Alpine finish looks the part, and the price is low for a regulated .25
Cons
- 7.5 lb before a scope — and 3,500 psi means a tank or compressor, not just a hand pump
- One-year limited warranty; some owners report slow email support and the odd early seal or safety complaint
- Barra doesn't publish a shot count for the .25
- In Canada it is above the 500 fps / 5.7 J line, so it is classed as a firearm: you need a PAL to buy it
- We have sighted it in at 10 metres, not hunted with it yet
A good PCP air rifle changes what a pest-control evening looks like. It is quiet enough for a farmyard, it shoots flat at the ranges where rats, crows and gophers actually live, and every pellet costs pennies. The hard part has always been the price of getting one that is regulated, powerful and accurate without spending four figures.
The Barra 1100Z Gen 2 is Barra’s answer. Ours is the .25 calibre in Veil Camo Alpine. The Gen 2 adds an internal regulator to Barra’s popular side-lever PCP, along with a 3,500 psi fill, a longer 22-inch shrouded barrel, a tighter side lever and a fill-probe system. Barra rates the .25 at 900 fps and 40 ft-lb. It weighs 7.5 lb, is 42.25 inches long, comes with two 9-shot rotary magazines and two single-shot trays, and sells for US$339.99 in the United States.
We took it out of the box in July and sighted it in on our 10-metre range this week. On top is the OneLeaf Commander NV100 Plus day/night scope we reviewed last month, so this review includes video straight through the scope as the groups go in. It also has drawings you can play with: cycle the side lever and fire a regulated shot, drag the comb to fit a tall scope, watch what a regulator does over a fill, and check where the rifle sits under Canadian law.
At a glance
Buying in Canada · Our PCP partner
This post is sponsored by Airgun Archery Fun, our partner for PCP rifles, pellets and gear in Canada. The 1100Z Gen 2 is currently out of stock there; the closest rifle they carry is the Barra 250Z High Power in .22 or .25, a regulated Barra with a bolt action and a modular AR-style chassis. You can browse every rifle in their PCP rifles section. In the U.S., buy direct from Barra.
High-power PCPs like these need a valid PAL in Canada — see the rules section below.
Who Is Barra?
Barra Airguns is an American airgun brand that sells direct online in the U.S. and Canada and through big outdoor retailers. Its range covers spring, multi-pump, CO2 and PCP air rifles, air pistols, airsoft, scopes and accessories, aimed at shooters who want performance without premium prices. The 1100Z was Barra’s first PCP: an unregulated .22 side-lever with a 3,000 psi fill, launched at about US$250. It became one of the better-reviewed budget PCPs. The Gen 2 is the answer to what owners asked for next: a regulator, more air, a longer barrel and a .25.
Unboxing
Around the Rifle
Cycle It, Fire It: Inside a Regulated PCP
A PCP is simple once you can see inside it. Drag the side lever knob back and forward (or use the slider), take the safety off, and fire. Watch the hammer, the regulator and the air. Fire a whole fill and the chart builds the velocity curve. Then switch the regulator off and do it again — that is the difference the Gen 2 makes.
On a phone, swipe the drawing sideways to see it all.
A teaching model, not a measurement. The drawing is a schematic of how a regulated side-lever PCP works, not an exact drawing of the 1100Z's internals. Barra rates the .25 at 900 fps and 40 ft-lb, but it doesn't publish a regulator pressure or a shot count. The regulator setting, air used per shot and curve shapes here are illustrative. Our top setting is pinned to Barra's 40 ft-lb figure, using a 25.39 gr JSB Exact King.
At the Range
We shoot off a plain bench at the end of a grassy lane, with a target board at 10 metres for zeroing.
Fit the Comb to a Tall Scope
A big day/night scope sits high above the bore. If your cheek is on a low comb, your eye sits below the scope and you see a dark ring. Drag the comb up (or use the slider) until your eye lines up with the scope. Then switch optics to see why the 1100Z’s adjustable comb matters.
Schematic. Comb travel and scope heights are drawn to show the idea, not measured from the 1100Z. The OneLeaf clip-on moving your eye rearward is from our NV100 Plus review.
Through the Scope: Sighting In at 10 Metres
This is the view through the OneLeaf NV100 as we sighted in the 1100Z at 10 metres. It was recorded on the clip-on’s own card, and the date stamp is burned into the footage. You can watch the pellet holes appear beside the bullseye of our 10 m PCP Sight-In Target as the zero comes in.
Recorded through the OneLeaf Commander NV100 on the Barra 1100Z Gen 2 .25, 10 October 2026, 10 m, JSB Exact King Heavy pellets. Daylight footage from the clip-on is softer than the view through the glass — see our NV100 Plus review.
The target is ours and it is free: download the 10 m PCP Sight-In Target (PDF) or see all six on our free PCP targets page. Print it at 100% scale, not fit-to-page, and the 1-inch grid is true. Zero on the centre bull, then shoot a group on each corner target to confirm the scope is tracking.
The Pellet: JSB Exact King Heavy
We started with the 33.95 gr King Heavy. A heavier pellet leaves the barrel slower than a light one at the same energy, but it holds that energy better at range and bucks the wind. The other obvious pellet to try is JSB’s lighter Exact King 25.39 gr, the best-selling .25 at Airgun Archery Fun. Every barrel has favourites, so test both. You can browse more in our PCP pellet guide.
Canadian Rules
In Canada an air gun is classed as a firearm under the Firearms Act when it goes over both lines: 500 fps (152.4 m/s) and 5.7 joules (4.2 ft-lb). At 900 fps and 40 ft-lb, the 1100Z Gen 2 is far over both. You need a valid PAL to buy it, and the same storage, transport and handling rules as any non-restricted rifle apply. That is why Airgun Archery Fun asks for a copy of your licence on high-power PCP orders. Below both lines, an air gun is exempt from licensing, and many retailers sell “495 fps” versions for that reason.
Pick a pellet, set the velocity, and see where it falls.
Thresholds from the RCMP Canadian Firearms Program. Energy = grains × fps² ÷ 450,240. The pellet buttons set the velocity that gives Barra's rated 40 ft-lb with that pellet — an estimate, not our chronograph reading. We are not lawyers. Check the RCMP and your province's hunting regulations; rules on which animals you may take with an air gun vary by province.
1100Z Gen 2 vs the Barra 250Z (Canada’s Closest Option)
The 1100Z Gen 2 is out of stock at our Canadian partner right now. The nearest rifle on the shelf is Barra’s own 250Z High Power. It is a different kind of rifle — a bolt action in a modular tactical chassis — but it is in the same power class. Here is how they compare on the published numbers.
| Barra 1100Z Gen 2 (.25) | Barra 250Z High Power | |
|---|---|---|
| Action | Side lever | Bolt action |
| Calibres | .22 or .25 | .22 or .25 |
| Power (maker) | 900 fps / 40 ft-lb in .25 | Up to 1,000 fps in .22, 50+ ft-lb |
| Regulator | Internal | Externally adjustable |
| Fill pressure | 3,500 psi | 3,625 psi |
| Air reservoir | Not published | 322 cc, around the barrel |
| Magazine | 9-shot rotary (×2) | 10-shot |
| Stock | Polymer, adjustable comb | 6-position buttstock, AR-style grip, M-LOK forend |
| Finish | Veil Camo Alpine or black | Tan or camo |
| Canada | PAL required | PAL required |
Choose the 1100Z if you like a traditional rifle stock and the speed of a side lever. Choose the 250Z if you want an adjustable-length chassis, a regulator you can tune from outside, and more power. Browse both, and every other high-power and sub-500 fps option, in Airgun Archery Fun’s PCP rifles. Our own spec pages: 1100Z Gen 2 · 250Z High Power · all PCP rifles.
What Owners Say
We have one rifle and one afternoon of sighting in. Here is what a much bigger group of owners report, summarised in our words.
Accurate, powerful, good value
Reviews of the 1100Z, Gen 1 and Gen 2 together. 79 of the 95 are five stars. Owners praise accuracy (one reports about ⅜-inch groups at 50 yards once he found the right pellet and speed), the side lever, the rail and the value. The complaints are a few early seal failures, a safety one owner found awkward, and slow email support.
Canadian buyers are happy
Our partner's 1100Z Gen 2 listing shows every one of its 16 orders rated positive. The rifle is out of stock for now. The sister 250Z has an owner review reporting about ½-inch groups at 40 yards with 21.53 gr JTS pellets, with the trigger as its weak point.
Tuning the hammer matters
An owner's experiments regulating an earlier 1100Z found that hammer spring settings changed the shot count a lot, and blamed hammer bounce for wasted air. The Gen 2 uses a lighter hammer that Barra says is matched to the regulator. Expect to spend some time finding your rifle's best setting.
Pros and Cons (the Honest Version)
What it does well. A regulated .25 PCP rated at 900 fps and 40 ft-lb, for well under the price of most regulated rifles. It has a smooth side lever, two 9-shot magazines plus single-shot trays, a 22-inch shrouded barrel with an air stripper and ½-20 threads, a breech and rail machined as one block, a front Picatinny rail, an adjustable comb and an adjustable hammer spring. The Veil Camo Alpine stock looks good. Out of the box it took our big OneLeaf day/night scope without complaint.
Where to go in with your eyes open. It weighs 7.5 lb before glass. A 3,500 psi fill needs a tank or compressor; a hand pump will work, but it is slow work. Barra doesn’t publish a shot count for the .25. The warranty is one year, and owners mention occasional early seals and slow support. In Canada it is legally a firearm, so you need a PAL. And our testing so far is a 10-metre zero, not a season.
Who Should Buy It
Buy it if you want a regulated, hunting-power .25 for pest control, small game where it is legal, and serious target shooting without spending four figures. It is an especially good fit if you already have a tank or compressor, and if you want to run a big night-vision setup — the long rail and adjustable comb make that easy.
Look elsewhere if you want a light carry rifle, if you can’t fill to 3,500 psi, or if you live in Canada without a PAL. In that case a sub-500 fps model from Airgun Archery Fun’s range is the way in.
Final Verdict
The Barra 1100Z Gen 2 takes a budget PCP that owners already liked and adds what it was missing: a regulator, more air, a longer shrouded barrel and the .25 calibre. It is solid, simple to live with and well equipped, and the price in the U.S. is hard to argue with. It isn’t light, the warranty is short, and we have more shooting to do before we can talk about groups at distance. As a first serious hunting PCP, or a .25 for the farm, it makes a strong case.
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
In Canada: buy from our partner Airgun Archery Fun — see the Barra 250Z High Power or the full PCP rifles section.
Coming Up: Night Hunting the Blueberry Field
The 1100Z and the OneLeaf NV100 Plus are now one rig. Next, we take them into the blueberry field after dark for our night hunt of rats — the hunt we promised in the NV100 Plus review. It will be a real test of the scope’s night vision and the rifle’s accuracy at field distances, recorded through the scope. We will also chronograph the King Heavy and the 25.39 gr King and report real numbers here.
This post is sponsored by Airgun Archery Fun, our Canadian PCP partner. Brands sometimes provide samples for review. Hunt & Live writes its honest opinion either way — gear that doesn’t earn its keep doesn’t get a recommendation.