Match pistol for beginner

[Chavez]

Hi!

I'd be grateful for some advice about choosing the right gun.

I have recently tried shooting 10m air pistol (I usually shoot prone rifle) and I really liked it so I decided to get myself an entry-level pistol, so I can occasionally take my mind off the rifles.

I don't want to spend a lot of cash for an olympic grade pistol, so I've narrowed my search down to the following guns:

Izh 46m;
FWB 103 or 100
FWB 65.

Can somebody please let me know what I should expect to pay for these in the UK?

I've read that old FWB 65 may need to have seals changed - is that a common problem?

I'm inclined to buy a new izh, but they seem to cost around £450. A bit steep but if the Izh is much better than used FBW 103/100, I might buy it.

What would you recommend?

If anyone has any of these for sale, please let me know.

Thank you,

Chavez.

[Gerard]

I've no idea regarding UK pricing, but if those are your options I'd suggest the FWB 100/103 series. Less front-heavy than the 46m and with a serious competition history. The 46m isn't bad at all and is certainly accurate. I won my first couple of medals at local matches with mine. But the grip had to be replaced, awful thing, and eventually I modified it extensively to get the weight down. I'd not recommend the FWB spring pistols, the 65 and 80, as they're quite heavy and rather further out of date.

[Fierynick]

Hello,

What sort of budget have you got if you don't mind me asking....

Regards

[Chavez]

I was hoping for a gun under £300, but it seems that going a bit higher results in a much better gun.
£450 is stretching it a little as I expect to keep rifles as my primary sport.

With 46ms I've read that the factory grips are made oversized on purpose, so everyone can file them down to their fit - was that the problem you're referring to?

[Gerard]

No, sorry, I was thumb-typing on my phone and shorted on the details. I should have said that I have rather long and wide hands, so the stock 46m grip was tiny both in width and depth front to back. I started by adding a lot of epoxy putty both front and rear, building it up until it was pretty much huge. Once it felt right I carved a maple grip following the same much larger pattern, with a few small modifications to make the fingers fit even better. The result was what is generally thought of as a 'Russian' style grip. Filling the hand rather than the hand filling the grip. Works for me. I've more recently made one almost the same but actually slightly bulkier for my Pardini K10, and with the purchase of a K12 I've done some minor re-carving of the interior to make room for the cocking lever and recoil absorber pad and am using it on that pistol. Here's a rotating version of that grip so you can get an idea. If seeing this you think something like 'wow, that'd be way too big for my hand' then perhaps the Baikal stock grip will be a good place to start carving. I just don't like putty and since I carve for a living making a well fitted grip isn't too difficult.
http://www.luthier.ca/other/forum/maple_grip.gif

[Mark D]

All the pistols that you mention,will at some point require the seals to be replaced. If they are done with the modern synthetic materials, they will last a life time of the average club shooter. The FWB 100 is harder to cock than the later 103. The 103 is also expensive and hard to find. The Mod 65 and 80 and the later Mod 90 are all still capable (in the right hands) of winning club matches. If your not adverse to CO2, there are a number of 10m match pistols that will do the job your looking for and don't require the cocking effort of the SSP or springer designs