What shape is an air pistol?

[cooler]

Hi,

As a shooter who is not keen on firearm replicas I have collected a bunch of various air pistols. Thing is, what really is the generic shape of an air pistol? Is there even such a thing?

The words 'weird and wonderful' spring to mind as I browse the Brocock, Crosman, Weihrauch, Cometa, Diana, Gamo, SMK etc offerings. So many designs based on different power sources.

So, my question is: What do you see as the generic shape of an air pistol? For me, maybe due to my age, the Webley Senior/Premier is the enduring image of what I imagine an air pistol to look like. It is a handy, compact size, and does not copy any kind of firearm. From my current collection I would say that the Crosman 2240 looks like an air pistol, closely followed by the Cometa Indian. The Brocock Grand Prix looks like a space gun, the Weihrauch HW45 looks like a bloated 1911 firearm on steroids, the Diana break barrel looks like a part of an air rifle, and the new SMK 700 does look like a possible air pistol shape of the future - very nice that one.

How about you?

C.

[blooregard]

I don't think there can be a defined shape. Form certainly follows function when it comes to air pistols, the intended purpose, power plant and ergonomics put into a relatively small machine are always going to define how it looks.

Any styling is going to be secondary to those, hence why the 1911 "styled" HW45 looks nothing like a 1911. But I would agree that the action sat between trigger and barrel is the classic style be they Co2, springer, SSP, PCP or rubber band powered.

[cooler]

I don't think there can be a defined shape. Form certainly follows function when it comes to air pistols, the intended purpose, power plant and ergonomics put into a relatively small machine are always going to define how it looks.

Any styling is going to be secondary to those, hence why the 1911 "styled" HW45 looks nothing like a 1911. But I would agree that the action sat between trigger and barrel is the classic style be they Co2, springer, SSP, PCP or rubber band powered.

blooregard,

Do you have a favourite air pistol configuration?

C.

[C.V]

I think the answers may depend on the age of the person answering.

For me the generic shape that always springs to mind is with a long projected barrel like a HW70 or Gamo Falcon.
I was born in the early seventies and thinking back these seemed more common. Then there were the webley tempests and Hurricanes which I really wanted.

If you asked somebody younger who has no grey hairs (or black hairs beginning to emerge from their ears!!) the answer may well be the more modern shapes be it a HW45 or 1911 types.

[Jerry Cornelius]

For springers I guess you have three, no four basic layouts: piston behind the barrel, piston under the barrel and aligned with it, piston in the grip, and piston around the barrel. Can't think of any others? (not counting gats)

I like the concentric designs, but variety is the spice of life, they all have plusses and minuses, and its all good.

[beagle2]

Its funny that you should say about the webley senior/ premier some time ago I had my TM airsoft colt 1911 and my webley premior out and it struck me that they both looked to be about the same size so I put them both together on on top of the other and to my surprise they are almost exactly the same size could it be that webley used the 1911 as model for size and general shape.

As I see it there are two types of spring pistols one is what is basically a cut down rifle type with the spring and piston and barrel all in a strait line the other is the webley over leaver with the spring and piston under the barrel.

Then you move on to the C02 powered pistols that can be made in basically any shape that you care to make it Ie a replica senie outo or a revolver or come to that a space ray gun in the end they all do the same job pushing a small piece of lead steel or plastic down and out of the end of a tube as fast as they can.

I forgot about the old walther type with the spring and piston in the grip some people love them but I always found them a pig to shoot so lovely as it looked I soon ended up selling it on.

[TonyL]

Personally, I think the Original / Diana Model 5, later type, is the quintessential looking air pistol. Purposeful, sleek and classy. Shame I don't own one, though.

And, although CO2, the Benjamin EB22 oozes old school American charm.

[cooler]

Personally, I think the Original / Diana Model 5, later type, is the quintessential looking air pistol. Purposeful, sleek and classy. Shame I don't own one, though.

And, although CO2, the Benjamin EB22 oozes old school American charm.

Tony,

Agreed about the EB22. I quite like the bog standard 2240, but have been thinking of putting a shorty barrel on there to give it the model 150 look.

Re the Diana, I have handled a Weihrauch hw70 Black Arrow and found it to be a nice action. That gun follows the generic line of appearance you mention.

c.

[45flint]

I, in studying the Hy-Score creation, agree with its creator Andrew Lawrence. A air pistol should look as closely as possible to a firearm. That thought had driven my collecting to the Haenel 28, and from there to the Hy-score and Targ-Aire. All look like firearms. Same with the Walther LP53. The quest for speed, 10 meter shooting, has taken air pistols to other longer and bulkier configurations, but to me speed in a air pistol is not that important.

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...psjxnnpsc9.jpg

[tinbum]

I had this exact coversation with Unframed Dave at the recent Boinger Bash. His HW70 is exactly what an air pistol looks like.

[45flint]

Yes, I guess the generic shape of a air pistol would be the HW70 or the Diana 5, and it's that a shame?

[Blackrider]

I, in studying the Hy-Score creation, agree with its creator Andrew Lawrence. A air pistol should look as closely as possible to a firearm. That thought had driven my collecting to the Haenel 28, and from there to the Hy-score and Targ-Aire. All look like firearms. Same with the Walther LP53. The quest for speed, 10 meter shooting, has taken air pistols to other longer and bulkier configurations, but to me speed in a air pistol is not that important.

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...psjxnnpsc9.jpg

Those Pics are IMO exactly what an Air Pistol should should look like !

Stunning collection there !

[cooler]

I, in studying the Hy-Score creation, agree with its creator Andrew Lawrence. A air pistol should look as closely as possible to a firearm. That thought had driven my collecting to the Haenel 28, and from there to the Hy-score and Targ-Aire. All look like firearms. Same with the Walther LP53. The quest for speed, 10 meter shooting, has taken air pistols to other longer and bulkier configurations, but to me speed in a air pistol is not that important.

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...psjxnnpsc9.jpg

45flint,

This really is the point of the OP. For an air pistol to "look as closely as possible to a firearm" it would be an exact replica, and there are many of those around these days. But, an air pistol is not a firearm. Why would someone want an air pistol that looks like something else?

Of course the issue is clouded by air rifles also, many of which look something like sporting smallbore rifles. However, air rifles do not follow the pattern of small bore rifles slavishly, and the side bolt action is not the most common action, even on PCPs. Air rifles are recognizable by their break barrel, underlever, side lever, air bottle configurations and this is no bad thing. I guess this is a form and function thing.

Anyway, I have owned a few air pistols that were firearm replicas and have gradually disposed of them. The only one I have kept is the Baikal Makarov, on the principle that this is not a replica but the actual frame of the Makarov firearm, with CO2 internals. That is a curious and interesting oddity.

C.

[TonyL]

I had this exact coversation with Unframed Dave at the recent Boinger Bash. His HW70 is exactly what an air pistol looks like.

Ah, yes. And I had fancied one of these for years.

And Captain Bongo came to the rescue and let me buy his from him last year.

Lovely.

But I think I still prefer the Original Mod 5, later type, looks wise. And that's from a HW fanboy!

Although, now I think about it, those beautiful FWB 65 and 80s also have to be right up there for me.

[NewPaul]

For me it was the '70's gat gun