What IS a "real" air pistol, anyway?

[Jim McArthur]

We were talking on another Thread about Real Air Pistols (meaning powerful ones).

I know that the UK has the 6 foot pounds limits for air pistols: but quite frankly, I see very few air pistols advertised here in the US (where our laws regard air guns as essentially toys), that seem to exceed those limits: so it looks as though most "real" air pistols are within the legal grasp of most shooters reading this e-message.

That being the case: what foot poundage would you say is necessary before we depart from what Banned Andy liked to term our "grapebusters"? And could you give some examples?

(Posting pics of same would be nice, too!)

Jim

[Carter]

Off the top of my head I can think of three *powerful* air pistols from my modest collection ...... at any rate, they came to me in UK legal spec very close to the 6 ft/lbs limit .......

BSA Scorpion ##

Weihrauch HW45

Sheridan EB

## I can speak from experience. The thing is basically a cut down BSA Meteor air rifle wrapped in plastic. Once whilst cack-handedly adjusting the trigger of my Scorpion, I managed to arrive at a *hair trigger* and narrowly missed shooting myself in the foot. It drove a .177 RWS HP clean through a maple floor board.

A good rule of thumb is the *HEINZ* test. If it can pierce both sides of a baked bean tin at ten metres then it is a good air pistol.

The BSA, the HW & the EB pass the test. I enjoy shooting the Sheridan ...... the trigger is ropey but it makes a very satisfying sound similar to a .22 rimfire. It reminds me of my old Ruger MK II

[Snapshot]

The Falcon FN and the new Brocock Aim-X PCPs both qualify.
The Crosman 2240 can be persuaded to qualify if it doesn't from stock.
The Steyr LP5 and LP50, unusually for target pistols, can be adjjusted to 6ftlbs without losing much accuracy.

Jonathan

[Korium]

The Cometa Indian did about 5.1/2ft/lbs I believe. Excellent pistols, but nasty alloy feel, and poor plastic grips.

[pmarshall]

the only other one from memory that will qualify is the Diana P5 Magnum, which like the Scorpion, is a cut down rifle action, from the Diana 24. quite powerful and very accurate, once you get your head around it's shooting characteristics. It's up there with the HW45, but feels very different to shoot, as the spring/piston flies forward like a rifle, as opposed to backwards in the HW45.....hope that makes sense?

Pmarshall

[ogilkes]

A 'real' air pistol to me is one that does not try to be a silly copy of a modern assault pistol. That's first, then comes performance. Cannot abide people waving around Umarex and other 'pistols'. We cannot have real pistols so why pretend? I don't count the Marakov as it IS a real pistol, with a Co2 action.

Most powerful I own are the Scorpion (agree with comment above, frightening things), and the Cometa Indian (like the heft and don't agree that it feels cheap. Sights are not up to much though). Don't like the HW45, powerful but bulky and unpleasant to hold, and why that silly copy of a Colt 45?

[Rob M]

While I own a few spring pistols that are not very powerful (the Em-Ge Zenit and Record Jumbo spring to mind) I still think of springers as 'real air pistols' and don't include Co2 guns as real.

I know a few people that love Co2 pistols, and even owned a CP88 myself for a while, but for me, 'real' air pistols are springers! You provide the effort, you don't have to buy cartridges for them, you can plink away for hours and not run out of gas! Plus I like the heritage of the springers, especially Webley overlevers, I don't think that Co2 guns have the same tradition.

I own a few powerful spring air pistols. I own a couple of BSA Scorpions which I love a lot (I had one of these up to 5.9 ft/lbs at one point, it's down to about 5.7 now), also a couple of Hy-Scores and BSA 240 Magnums and a Cometa Indian. The Hy-Scores and the 240 Magnums are surprisingly powerful for their size. I'm surprised by Korium's comment above, I quite like the Cometa Indian and think it compares well to many pistols on sale these days.

[Jim McArthur]

While I own a few spring pistols that are not very powerful (the Em-Ge Zenit and Record Jumbo spring to mind) I still think of springers as 'real air pistols' and don't include Co2 guns as real.

I know a few people that love Co2 pistols, and even owned a CP88 myself for a while, but for me, 'real' air pistols are springers! You provide the effort, you don't have to buy cartridges for them, you can plink away for hours and not run out of gas! Plus I like the heritage of the springers, especially Webley overlevers, I don't think that Co2 guns have the same tradition.

Jim

[Jim McArthur]

A good rule of thumb is the *HEINZ* test. If it can pierce both sides of a baked bean tin at ten metres then it is a good air pistol.

With the beans still in the can?

Jim

[Phantom Sniper]

Hi Jim,
My idea of a real air pistol is a spring and piston pistol or a SSP or even a PCP.
It does not matter to me if the power source is manual IE: compressed via SSP or compressed via means of a spring or if it comes from a pressured air canister.

I like to think of the Co2's as a class of their own because they are!
They are powered by Co2 and not air.

It matters not what the power output is.
Lets face it Co2 pistols & revolvers can put out as little or as much power as they are designed to do.
My CP99 & other Co2's puts out MORE power than my HW70 (Springer) Likewise my HW40 puts out more power than my Co2's.

So a Real Air Pistol is one powered by AIR

Tony

[Jim McArthur]

An excellent way of thinking about the question, Tony.

Jim

[webranger]

One that looks the part, delivers the Umph and kicks like a mule on-heat

That would be the HW45
John

[Ranyhyn]

Schimmel .22
Crosman mk 1&2 .22
Crosman 600 .22
Pretty much anything in .22 CO2
But mainly Smith and Wesson 78G in .22

[vfrkid]

I don't think they are seen as toys in the US, some states have restricted them others require a licence I think they are banned in New York.

[sleeprunner]

Hi

I reckon this is a real air pistol from Mr Barnes

http://www.glbarnes.com/pistol_play.html

Only 60 foot pounds energy so small by his standards - ideal for back garden plinking if you have a 1/2 inch steel plate as a backstop!!!!!!