The "E-Types"of air pistols!

[Rob M]

Ummm. Not air pistols but the GERMAN Luger (P08) and MP40 are lovely to look at. I'd go so far as saying the best looking in their fields.

I rarely find weapons that beautiful as they are simply designed to be efficient, reliable and designed for the job in had, with no room for design flourish or graceful lines. Air rifles, air pistols and sporting arms for the civilian market are different and can be beautiful sometimes. If you like them that's fine but I think that it's extremely rare that something designed from a purely utilitarian point of view is truly beautiful.

[Gerard]

I'd agree for the most part; most firearms and most pellet guns don't strike me as being particularly beautiful, at least not in the way an E-type (or an Opal GT, or a few other classic sportscars) certainly is. Not being a driver I'm not up on the mechanical failings of the Jaguar, only have a vague hearsay knowledge that they can be challenging to maintain as can the MG models, or Ferraris for that matter. That said, I do find a few air pistols rather lovely. I've seen a couple of examples of Hy-Score pistols which looked very nice, though I can't quite say I'm a fan. My near-mint early 1950's Webley Senior is a fine looking thing, but it's not got the flowing lines of a Jag. The beauty is more about simple functionality and expert machining than any artistic sort of beauty.

My latest air pistol purchase was a Pardini K12. To my eyes and hands it's beautiful, but again this is the beauty found in near-perfect functionality. With its simple and reliable recoil absorber it can drive pellet into pellet skirt again and again. I am left to live up to that level of accuracy in competition and appreciate that challenge, that there is nothing but my limitations of skill in the way of a perfect 600 score in a match. With the grip I've carved to fit my hand perfectly there is some improvement as a sculptural object over the utilitarian stock grip... but it's still just a production pistol, not an art object.

http://www.luthier.ca/other/forum/K12.jpg

[Lakey]

If you want E-type beauty, then it can only be two IMHO

Firstly, and arguably the most beautiful elegant pistol ever made, has got to be the Brown Pneumatic. Second for me , has to be the rare Tell 3 pistol. Rare, elegant, quirky innovative designs both, and if they were cars, both would turn heads if they drove past you for sure....

[Gerard]

Oh my, the Brown certainly is beautiful! Never heard of that one before. But the Tell 3? First time seeing that as well, but it seems rather that the beauty is in the simplicity, not in the actual appearance of the pistol. A bit clunky to be frank.

[Amac]

For one moment I thought you had posted a pic of your Wobbly Gerard! Never mind, the Pardini is looking good too.

Andy