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.