Thinking about an air pistol for practice

[Ian]

I'm not able to get to the range nearly as much as I'd like, so I'm thinking about getting a decent air pistol that I can use with a little indoor backstop. I would want something at least decently accurate (definitely not airsoft), but I'm not sure how much money I want to lay out for one. Can anyone give me some pointers on what's available? Pump vs refillable cylinder? Pump would mean less extra stuff to be buying, but how do they compare to guns with pressurized tanks? I was on a pistol team at school that had some older pump air pistols, but I rarely used them and can't remember who made them, or how good they were.

 

[Neo-Luddite]

I just picked up a second hand Crossman American Classic (20 bucks)--I had had one as a kid. Maybe $50-70 bucks new today. I've been having a blast shooting it off my deck in the back yard. My favorite, which needs new seals, is a Benjamin--Crossman bought them out but still makes the classic line--I think they are closer to 100.00 or so. Both are varriable power, so indoor use would be OK.

You can really, really get some nice and blisteringly accurate airguns--but this one is a tank: http://www.crosman.com/site/listing/1101

 

[Neo-Luddite]

-

 

[res1b3uq]

Daisy 477

A daisy 477 is a very accurate, inexpensive pistol. If you only want it for 10 yd. stuff, it is powerful enough, especially in the house. I have a 777 (no longer made) and the only difference is a target grip and target sights. Buy good quality pellets. The cheap ones (China) don't cut it. German pellets seem to be best.

 

[RyanM]

If you get one of the better gas blowback airsofts, accuracy will be quite acceptable at across-the-room distance. I was able to get 3" groups at about 50 feet with one, and I am by no means a good shot. That's about as well as I can shoot with real handguns. Indoors, it was just one ragged little hole in the target.

Also, some company makes an adapter that you can put on barbecue grill propane tanks. Airsoft "green gas" is really just propane, with a little sillicone lube in the can. So with one of those, gas refills are as cheap and easy to buy as CO2 cartridges, if not moreso.

 

[10-Ring]

Sure trigger time is important, but to go w/ a pellet gun (IMO) is not the answer. There are just too many differences that the only thing your are really practicing is sight alignment.

 

[PzGren]

I disagree with 10 ring. Shooting an air or airsoft gun is more than sight alignment, it is also trigger control - particularly if you'd go with a spring operated airgun.

I used a Walther LP52 to supplement my training during my bullseye days and can assure you that it helped a lot.

Finally, some Asian shooters practiced exclusively with airsoft guns due to legal restrictions in their homeland, when they shot at an action match in the States, they actually came out first.

 

[kingpin008]

There are just too many differences that the only thing your are really practicing is sight alignment.

Not necessarily. There are some pretty damn advanced pellet and airsoft guns out there. You'd be suprised at the similarity of some of the higher-end models to their real-firearm cousins.

Heck, even Colt has a line of pellet guns that are copies of their 1911's. Full metal and everything.

Crosman has a few that very, very closely resemble Glock 17's, and one that looks a fair bit like a Beretta PX4. They even have a blow-back action. I'm getting ready to order one for myself, actually.

 

[kingpin008]

The Glock look-a-like - http://www.crosman.com/site/listing/1325

The PX4 look-a-like -
http://www.crosman.com/site/listing/1322

I like the knock-off Glock, personally.

 

[bakert]

Didn't the Japanese Olympic team practice with airguns before one of the Olympic games because of guns being banned there? I too shoot a Crossman classic quite a bit in my back yard. Regardless of what the nay sayers claim, practice with a pellet pistol is much better than no practice, especially if you live in an area where there's no range near. Sure, maybe it's not as good the real thing and the triggers are not as good on the less expensive guns but not really all that bad. They do help you with your sight picture and arm strength too. They're fun and even some of the cheaper ones are pretty darned accurate.

 

[CraigJS]

..

 

[Rex B]

You can still buy the Daisy 747 brand new.

http://www.pyramydair.com/cgi-bin/model.pl?model_id=308

It's a nice target pistol with a match-grade barrel and adjustable trigger.
It has just about the right power for indoor use, little noise, and very very accurate.

I have the cheaper 717 which you can find for $50 used.
It is essentially the same gun as the 747 or 777

 

[CraigJS]

Beeman P3, single shot recoilless air, full sized, VERY accurate, great trigger, .177, top rail if a dot sight is your pleasure..
http://www.beeman.com/p3.htm

Be safe.

 

[Tyro]

The Drulov DU-10 is an interesting pistol. It's a 5 shot autoloading CO2 pistol w/ adjustable trigger, sights, and velocity. They're not as accurate as the top-end air pistols, but they don't cost $1300 either.

Pilkington Competition is a good source for new and used air pistols http://www.pilkguns.com/menu_pistol.shtml

You can find some good deals on their forum as well - http://www.targettalk.org/index.php

The CO2 target pistols can be found at very reasonable prices - they're not in vogue any longer, though they're still extremely accurate.

 

[LotI]

I picked up one of these new recently and it's been a great tool for practicing bullseye shooting. http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=375877

Muscle memory, sight alignment, breathing and trigger squeeze can all be practiced with an inexpensive airgun. It only costs 1.4 cents per shot and I don't have to drive anywhere.

 

[SeanSw]

I vote for the Beeman P3 and it's design knock-offs, the Marksman 2004 and also the Beeman P17 (I don't know how it differs from the P3 but it's only $35 at the Sportsman's Guide).

My Marksman 2004 has been a lot of fun and taken dozens of birds and rabbits. It is very accurate within it's range with consistent performance. I really don't think you can beat these without spending 3X as much. I'll probably order the P17 just for comparison.

 

[rchernandez]

Great indoor practice. Pellets typically travel through the barrel at a slower rate so you really need to pay attention to follow-through. I have a Daisy 747 and a .22lr bullet trap I purchased from Gil Hebard Guns. For an air pistol, I'd recommend an IZH-46m. Check out Pilkguns.com, they carry a number of AP's including the 46M. Larrysguns.com carries Benelli & Pardini AP's...little pricier.

You might find more discussions re. AP's on Targettalk.com

 

[Justin]

I'll second the Baikal IZH-46m. Good guns for plinking or competition that won't break the bank.

 

[Ian]

Does anyone know of a cheaper alternative to the $160 lefty grips that Pyramid Air has for the Baikal? I'd love to have one, but spending half as much on the grips as the whole gun would hurt a bit...

 

[goings_51]

I think I paid about $40 for a CO2 powered Airsoft at Walmart. It put a hole in a plastic plant pot on my porch! My first backstop was 2 thick towels and cardboard until they started going through that.

My current rig is a Kleenex PDQ box with two layers of denim hung inside like a curtain. Another layer is duck taped to the back in the impact area. A string accross the front with two paper clips holds the target.

I shot 45 rounds into a hole the size of a half dollar last night. I get nearly 100 rounds from one $0.50 CO2 cartridge and it is great for practicing trigger control.

 

[Tyro]

Does anyone know of a cheaper alternative to the $160 lefty grips that Pyramid Air has for the Baikal? I'd love to have one, but spending half as much on the grips as the whole gun would hurt a bit...

That's why I've never considered the 46M. IIRC there are a few options, but these are nearly as much, or more, than the IZH grips. Plus I don't think that you can order the pistol w/o grips. For lefties - In Soviet Russia the pistol shoots you

 

[Jubjub]

Beeman P3, single shot recoilless air, full sized, VERY accurate, great trigger

I second that. Mine is ridiculously accurate, even with bulk Crosman Premier pellets, and has the best trigger of any of my handguns.

The gun does have an issue for lefties. There is a molded in fake mag release button in the normal location. It sticks out enough and is annoying enough that it got dremeled off of my gun.

Part of my routine every morning is ten rounds downrange out of it, at about 25 feet. A one hole group is a very good day, anything outside of the 1" dot target is a bad day. It also accounted for a mouse in my garage; a one shot stop on a running target.

Edit: Post number 177, how apropos.

 

[yhtomit]

I have a Crosman 1377 (pump-up single shot long-barreled pistol) which is amazingly accurate, at least considering my personal lack of skill. The first three shots I sent out of it (and not pumped to the same level for any of them) at about 35 feet, braced but casually, formed a group that could be covered by a quarter. I'm sure some people on this board would be embarrassed by such ineptitude, but I was pretty darn pleased with myself. I paid $50 each (I actually bought two at the same time) for mine a few months ago, and am really happy with it.

 

[Neo-Luddite]

http://www.pyramydair.com/p/crosman-1377-pump-pistol.shtml

This is the current version of the one I mentioned about having bought second hand (American Classic). As yhtomit said above, it is very accurate.
For the money, it's a great air pistol.

 

[Ian]

Does anyone have hands-on experience with both the Baikal and the Crossman and/or Daisy guns? Somewhere there's a line between adult toy and entry-level competition piece, and I want the latter. Of the guns mentioned thus far in the thread, which besides the Baikal sit on the competition side of that line?

Thanks for all the input, guys...