Any good spring powered pellet handguns?
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Yes, but...
Spring piston airguns are a bit touchy to shoot because they begin recoiling BEFORE the pellet even starts to move. That means that a person's hold must be quite consistent to achieve good accuracy. That effect is exaggerated in a spring piston handgun because it's smaller.
That doesn't mean you won't be able to shoot one accurately, just that it's going to be a bit of a challenge.
Beeman and RWS both sell some good spring pistols.
Spring piston airguns are a bit touchy to shoot because they begin recoiling BEFORE the pellet even starts to move. That means that a person's hold must be quite consistent to achieve good accuracy. That effect is exaggerated in a spring piston handgun because it's smaller.
That doesn't mean you won't be able to shoot one accurately, just that it's going to be a bit of a challenge.
Beeman and RWS both sell some good spring pistols.
Thanks John, any models come to mind?
I found a really nice one called the Weihrauch HW 45 and it shoots .22 pellets. The problem is I can only find it for sale on Canadian, German, and British sites.
Beeman imports and rebadges this gun but not in the .22 caliber. They call it a "P1" and sell it only in .177 and .20
Can you or anyone else in the community help me find a new one from a US dealer or maybe a Canadian one that will sell for a reasonable price?
I found a really nice one called the Weihrauch HW 45 and it shoots .22 pellets. The problem is I can only find it for sale on Canadian, German, and British sites.
Beeman imports and rebadges this gun but not in the .22 caliber. They call it a "P1" and sell it only in .177 and .20
Can you or anyone else in the community help me find a new one from a US dealer or maybe a Canadian one that will sell for a reasonable price?
mtnbkr
Member
This makes me sick: http://www.airgunexpress.com/BSA Rifles/bsasupersportrifle104-11-5000+.htm
BSA Supersports are great rifles, but hard to get in the US. I couldn't find the importer I used to buy mine several years ago (sold it two years ago), but the liink above shows that Airgunexpress put their last ones on clearance for a third of my purchase price. I would've bought another one at that price.
www.compasseco.com has a good selection and good service.
Chris
BSA Supersports are great rifles, but hard to get in the US. I couldn't find the importer I used to buy mine several years ago (sold it two years ago), but the liink above shows that Airgunexpress put their last ones on clearance for a third of my purchase price. I would've bought another one at that price.
www.compasseco.com has a good selection and good service.
Chris
I have an HW45/Beeman P1 in .177. It's a good quality product and is inherently quite accurate. It is a bit tricky to actually realize that accuracy as I mentioned above.
Some folks put a red-dot sight on the pistol--not so much to help with sighting as to increase the weight and tame the recoil a bit to help accuracy.
My .177 HW45 shoots 7.9grain Crosman Premiers at about 515fps and 8.6grain Chinese Match wadcutters at about the same velocity. The 8.6 grain pellets fit a bit more loosely and that's why they shoot about the same speed even though they're 0.7 grains heavier.
I suspect that Beeman doesn't sell this gun in .22 due to the fact that the velocity with standard weight pellets (as opposed to the super-lightweights that get used to post the advertising numbers) would probably be in the high 300fps range and that would keep most folks from buying it.
The HW45 will take grips made for the 1911 style pistols and I have a Hogue fingergroove wraparound grip on mine. It works well and improved my practical accuracy a bit.
BTW, the barrels are not hard to swap out and that's the only difference between calibers. You might check around to see if you can find a barrel in .22 for sale. You could buy one in .177 or .20 and then sell the barrel from it to recoup some of the cost for the .22 barrel.
The RWS 5G is a bit more powerful (supposed to beat the P1/HW45 by about 100fps). It's only available in .177. I've never shot one of them, but the RWS/Diana products tend to be good quality.
If you want a fun plinker that will be very accurate and easy to shoot, the Beeman P3 seems to be well thought of. Power isn't really it's forte, but being a SSP instead of a springer makes it much more forgiving.
Some folks put a red-dot sight on the pistol--not so much to help with sighting as to increase the weight and tame the recoil a bit to help accuracy.
My .177 HW45 shoots 7.9grain Crosman Premiers at about 515fps and 8.6grain Chinese Match wadcutters at about the same velocity. The 8.6 grain pellets fit a bit more loosely and that's why they shoot about the same speed even though they're 0.7 grains heavier.
I suspect that Beeman doesn't sell this gun in .22 due to the fact that the velocity with standard weight pellets (as opposed to the super-lightweights that get used to post the advertising numbers) would probably be in the high 300fps range and that would keep most folks from buying it.
The HW45 will take grips made for the 1911 style pistols and I have a Hogue fingergroove wraparound grip on mine. It works well and improved my practical accuracy a bit.
BTW, the barrels are not hard to swap out and that's the only difference between calibers. You might check around to see if you can find a barrel in .22 for sale. You could buy one in .177 or .20 and then sell the barrel from it to recoup some of the cost for the .22 barrel.
The RWS 5G is a bit more powerful (supposed to beat the P1/HW45 by about 100fps). It's only available in .177. I've never shot one of them, but the RWS/Diana products tend to be good quality.
If you want a fun plinker that will be very accurate and easy to shoot, the Beeman P3 seems to be well thought of. Power isn't really it's forte, but being a SSP instead of a springer makes it much more forgiving.
Thanks.
It looks as if the HW45 .22 shoots at 125 m/s according to the site:
http://www.weihrauch-sport.de/englisch/e_startseite/e_index.htm
Not too bad, that's probably low 400 fps range for the .22......
It looks as if the HW45 .22 shoots at 125 m/s according to the site:
http://www.weihrauch-sport.de/englisch/e_startseite/e_index.htm
Not too bad, that's probably low 400 fps range for the .22......
Owen
Moderator Emeritus
I have an RWS/Diana 6G. It's a pretty decent airpistol, but it wasn't really suitable for shooting matches, which is what I bought it for. I never really accurracy tested it, but it wasn't glaringly deficient
DarkKnight01
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Why not just go with C02? the canisters arent really costly or anything.. and much better than spring powered.
waterhouse
Member
I've got a beeman tempest that I like. My brother has one of the Weihrauchs. The Weihrauch puts out more velocity but I like the grips on the tempest more. Both are good though.
It's a lot of fun to put some jam out on the deck in the summer and see who can shoot the most wasps as they come in for a "free" meal.
It's a lot of fun to put some jam out on the deck in the summer and see who can shoot the most wasps as they come in for a "free" meal.
That sounds right for an advertising figure--about 410fps.SIGfiend said:
But remember that my .177 HW45 is advertised to shoot 600fps and actually shoots decent weight pellets at 515fps--85fps slower!
Let's say that the difference between advertised and real-world for the .22 is HALF that--say 42fps lower than advertised instead of 85fps lower. That would have it shooting about 368fps.
Pete,
The reason is hold sensitivity. Try being more conscious of how you hold the gun, and how tightly you grip it. The more consistent you are, the better you'll shoot.
I'm not trying to dissuade you, just explaining why you don't see many HW-45 pistols in .22
Swapping barrels is really easy--get one in .177 and find a .22 barrel and swap. If you don't like it you can always swap back to .177!
I currently own four .177 pellet guns (HW-45, FWB 65 MKI, FWB 300S Universal, and a Beeman R7) two .20 caliber (5mm) pellet guns (Sheridan Silver Streak, Beeman R1) and one .22 pellet gun (Webley Eclipse) so I guess I'm not the one to ask about keeping the number of pellet calibers low...
Swapping barrels is really easy--get one in .177 and find a .22 barrel and swap. If you don't like it you can always swap back to .177!
I currently own four .177 pellet guns (HW-45, FWB 65 MKI, FWB 300S Universal, and a Beeman R7) two .20 caliber (5mm) pellet guns (Sheridan Silver Streak, Beeman R1) and one .22 pellet gun (Webley Eclipse) so I guess I'm not the one to ask about keeping the number of pellet calibers low...
I like your enthusiasm for airguns. Nice taste. FWB's are great...and very expensive!!!
Though, I couldn't stand to have to shop for 3 different calibers, let alone 2.
An easy way to up the velocity of any gun is to buy lightweight pellet rounds. I'm not sure why Beeman didn't import the HW 45. Canadians and Europeans seem to enjoy its presence in the market. It probably isn't fair to say what Americans think since we haven't had it on the open market (unless you import it of course, which I'm going to have to do). And in all honesty I rather have the version properly stamped as Weihrauch, since I don't like rebadged goods.
Post pics of your FWB and P1. I'd love to see em.
Though, I couldn't stand to have to shop for 3 different calibers, let alone 2.
An easy way to up the velocity of any gun is to buy lightweight pellet rounds. I'm not sure why Beeman didn't import the HW 45. Canadians and Europeans seem to enjoy its presence in the market. It probably isn't fair to say what Americans think since we haven't had it on the open market (unless you import it of course, which I'm going to have to do). And in all honesty I rather have the version properly stamped as Weihrauch, since I don't like rebadged goods.
Post pics of your FWB and P1. I'd love to see em.
The 300S rifle and the 65 pistol made by FWB are no longer in production. That means you have to buy them used. On the good side, they tend to go for about half of what the new price used to be, and they're usually in pretty good condition. I guess when someone forks over the cash for a precision airgun they take the time to maintain it properly and treat it well.
I don't have a pic of the FWB-65, but here's a link to one that looks the same. The bottom one in the picture is virtually identical to mine.
http://www.bagaclub.com/Images/Gallery06_23/images/Fwb65s_jpg.jpg
Here's a pic of my P1 with the Hogue grips.
I don't have a pic of the FWB-65, but here's a link to one that looks the same. The bottom one in the picture is virtually identical to mine.
http://www.bagaclub.com/Images/Gallery06_23/images/Fwb65s_jpg.jpg
Here's a pic of my P1 with the Hogue grips.
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John, what did that Feinwerkbau cost you? They are amazing little guns but they cost so damn much, like $1,000+!!!
I just got an HW 45 in 5,5mm. I think you told me earlier that you can switch the barrels out to change the calibers. Well my question with that is, wouldn't there be a problem with the way it seals? Wouldn't the mating surfaces from piston hole to barrel be different on the different calibers?
I just got an HW 45 in 5,5mm. I think you told me earlier that you can switch the barrels out to change the calibers. Well my question with that is, wouldn't there be a problem with the way it seals? Wouldn't the mating surfaces from piston hole to barrel be different on the different calibers?
Fwb 65
Yes, the FWB-65 is expensive. I know because I have one. However ...
They are designed to last a lifetime of heavy use.
At 10 meters (33 feet) they will group at or inside 1/4 inch
The triggers are designed to they can be set for match shooting, or as a firearms trainer.
They have an anti-recoil system that compensates for the usual spring & piston gun recoil, and it can be locked if you want to (somewhat) simulate small bore recoil.
You can practice anywhere, including a motel room on the way to a tournament, and/or in good weather or bad, within your own house and not have to go to a range.
Air is free and quality pellets are still inexpensive when compared to regular ammunition.
The sights are adjustable, and about as precise as you can get.
So years ago I considered all of the above and bit the bullet, and bought one.
And I have no regrets ...
Edited to add: Check Beemans. They sometimes have used guns for attractive prices.
Yes, the FWB-65 is expensive. I know because I have one. However ...
They are designed to last a lifetime of heavy use.
At 10 meters (33 feet) they will group at or inside 1/4 inch
The triggers are designed to they can be set for match shooting, or as a firearms trainer.
They have an anti-recoil system that compensates for the usual spring & piston gun recoil, and it can be locked if you want to (somewhat) simulate small bore recoil.
You can practice anywhere, including a motel room on the way to a tournament, and/or in good weather or bad, within your own house and not have to go to a range.
Air is free and quality pellets are still inexpensive when compared to regular ammunition.
The sights are adjustable, and about as precise as you can get.
So years ago I considered all of the above and bit the bullet, and bought one.
And I have no regrets ...
Edited to add: Check Beemans. They sometimes have used guns for attractive prices.
I paid something like $960 for it, IIRC.
It's hard to explain, but deciding to make the purchase is the only hard part. Once you have it in your hands, you never feel badly about the price again. They're amazing machines.
They're also not made anymore, and can be had used for about half what they sold for new. If you want one, you should be able to find one in very nice condition for less than $500.
When you get your HW45, you'll see how to switch the barrel and how they seal, etc. It's very simple to remove and replace one, although you may have to fiddle with it a bit to get the seal just right. The way it's designed, I can't see that you'll need to change anything other than the barrel.
It's hard to explain, but deciding to make the purchase is the only hard part. Once you have it in your hands, you never feel badly about the price again. They're amazing machines.
They're also not made anymore, and can be had used for about half what they sold for new. If you want one, you should be able to find one in very nice condition for less than $500.
When you get your HW45, you'll see how to switch the barrel and how they seal, etc. It's very simple to remove and replace one, although you may have to fiddle with it a bit to get the seal just right. The way it's designed, I can't see that you'll need to change anything other than the barrel.
SIGfiend,
In the picture, next to the warning markings, there's a pentagon with an 'F' inside it. If I recall correctly, that marking indicates that it's considered a firearm by German law--and I believe under British law as well.
See about getting some Hogue wrap-around fingergroove grips for it. 1911 grips fit the HW45. I think you'll like the difference. It makes keeping a firm grip easier during cocking, and will also help you keep your grip more consistent during firing.
In the picture, next to the warning markings, there's a pentagon with an 'F' inside it. If I recall correctly, that marking indicates that it's considered a firearm by German law--and I believe under British law as well.
See about getting some Hogue wrap-around fingergroove grips for it. 1911 grips fit the HW45. I think you'll like the difference. It makes keeping a firm grip easier during cocking, and will also help you keep your grip more consistent during firing.
It'll be fine for anything you'd want to do with a pellet pistol. Relatively close pest control and plinking.
As far as not penetrating, when you have a big projectile (lots of frontal area) and low speed you don't get much penetration.
As far as not penetrating, when you have a big projectile (lots of frontal area) and low speed you don't get much penetration.
John, yeah the thing I shot was a pointed pellet but I guess it was too far away. most the time it did punch through both ends.
I wonder if I shouldn't go with low 8-10 grain .22 rounds to speed it up some?
The gun is sweet and I really loathe the .20 cal cause nearly no one uses it. .177 is wildly popular but I hate its ballistics. too weak for me.
how's the P1 shoot? chronoed it yet?
I wonder if I shouldn't go with low 8-10 grain .22 rounds to speed it up some?
The gun is sweet and I really loathe the .20 cal cause nearly no one uses it. .177 is wildly popular but I hate its ballistics. too weak for me.
how's the P1 shoot? chronoed it yet?
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