What should an Air Pistol look like ?

[Blackrider]

I say this because personally, I like an air pistol to look like an air pistol and not a Colt Automatic, Luger, Broom Handle Mauser or whatever else !
Probably why Webley over levers and Acvoke pistols appeal so much (to me)
So what in your opinion is a classic air pistol design ?

[short-carabine]

Crosman 600

[Blackrider]

Yup !
Good choice that.

[harvey_s]

There was a Challenger Plainsman up for sale recently, here in fact...http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread....ight=Plainsman

Now I have to say that looked pretty cool for an air pistol.

[jameswrx]

Had you asked me a month or so ago I'd have said a Colt 1911.

Now I've owned a few pistols and I'm more interested, I'd say an Air Arms Alfa.


I've totally bypassed the crosman 600 or Wembley tempest stage, never appealed to me but I do understand what they stand for. ie an air pistol that's exactly that, not a replica pretender.

I'm selling some of my pistols to go up a stage but more towards target pistol.

[sproat]

A BSA Scorpion ,break barrel single shot Monster very challenging to get the hang of good looking

[Wedwivwage]

HW45 classic

[CORKY.]

A Steyr LP... with an aftermarket 1911 grip

[blooregard]

I don't think there are or should be any hard and fast definitions of what an air pistol should look like, functionality and ergonomics should dictate style.

That said, a 1911 styled blowback pistol should look like a Colt 1911, there are no 2 ways about that. Making a single shot spring pistol look like a 1911 seems a little wierd but while the likeness is only partial it seems to work for the HW45.

My biggest problem with looks is when they are purely cosmetic and you get fake controls moulded into them. The Umarex pistols dressed up as automatics are a good example, why even make them look like automatics ? Well made pistols but they have none of the functionality or controls of an automatic pistol. Then when they do make an actual revolver the cylinder is moulded in place even though the magazine changed from the fake autos.

I don't think I can pick a favourite design, I love my old Webley Junior with it's bent smoothbore barrel, bakerlite grips and bronze patina, I've always been drawn to target pistols but I also like the Crosman designs. But by a large majority my pistols are mainly CO2 replicas, I don't rate them as accurate, well engineered or powerful but they are excellent fun to shoot and (probably as a model maker) I appreciate them for what they are.

[gingernut]

Crosman 600

No contest

[stagmanv835]

bsa magnum for me

[bullet boy]

Love my HW45

[pjbingham]

Pre War Webley strait grips,real nostalgia shooting,just something about them. Also the old Warrior pistol,reminds me of a Dan Dare type Ray gun somehow

[Rickenbacker]

The best looking is undoubtedly the Walther LP53T (the short version of the LP53, with 4" barrel). The 'T' is for 'tasche', which is the German word for 'pocket'...

It's rumoured that Carl Walther would wander around the factory wearing a nickel plated version in a shoulder holster. Pretending to be James Bond.

[Blackrider]

Pre War Webley strait grips,real nostalgia shooting,just something about them. Also the old Warrior pistol,reminds me of a Dan Dare type Ray gun somehow

Agreed !