Last pistol in my top 5 air pistols..thoughts please?

[Drew451]

It may be controversial, but I’m afraid I find the Mod 6 pretty boring to shoot … obviously a very important and beautifully made pistol though.

Ok full disclosure: my first ever air pistol back in the day was an LP2…. Maybe that’s made me a bit bias!

It’s not going anywhere so just suggestions for the fifth contener please…

Cheers,
Matt

Ah, I see. Ill play it safe and go with my own list.
FWB 80, Walther LP53, O6, O5, FB Record Jumbo Deluxe.
Honourable mention to the Gamo Center and the Lov 21.

[mikehill]

No FWB 109,102 or 103 ?

[I. J.]

Sadly no 102.

p.s. None will be at Adlington on the 16th.

[mikehill]

Ian …

You win

[ptdunk]

Obviously it’s a personal thing…
I’m not suggesting for a minute that it’s a ‘definitive top 5 air pistols ever’.. It’s just my personal top 5..and each to their own.

Admittedly my choices put a lot of importance on the experience of shooting them, but wasn’t that were they were designed for in the first place? I know it’s not the be all and end all….

Having said that I do have a FWB100, and it’s amazing to shoot and extremely well made, but it’s not in my top 5. The 90 I find a bit more versatile.

I can see the merits of the Senior over the LP53, being the pinnacle of Airpistol craftsmanship and finishing

Cheers,
Matt

[Jerry Cornelius]

Crosman 150 must surely make the list. In fact that and a webley overlever (probably a senior) must surely be in any top five ever?

I think the Record is horrible personally … if the idea is cheap mass market toys I’d think the G10 had more of a claim.

I like concentric designs so would include an example of that. There may be a case for a hyscore but the abas is just nicer. Maybe an acvoke if the abas is too niche.

And I guess the crosman 600 has to make the list so that’s my five.

[ccdjg]

When it comes to my favourite air pistols I find it difficult to separate the collectable aspect from shootability. But if I turn the question on its head, and ask myself what are my least liked air pistols, from both quality and shootability viewpoints, there are only two clear 'winners' for me.

Both are examples of German design and engineering, so our Prussian friends do occasionally hit a low point.

[Jerry Cornelius]

When it comes to my favourite air pistols I find it difficult to separate the collectable aspect from shootability. But if I turn the question on its head, and ask myself what are my least liked air pistols, from both quality and shootability viewpoints, there are only two clear 'winners' for me.

Both are examples of German design and engineering, so our Prussian friends do occasionally hit a low point.

Those grips look like they’ve been cut out of a floorboard by an apprentice

[ggggr]

Well normally Id include a Bsa Scorpion in .22 ------------bloody fun plinking pistols

But I thinK IJ's list is

Webley Junior
Webley Senior
Webley Premier
Webley Tempest
Webley Hurricane

And I think he'd have a MK1 and a Typhoon hovering on the fringes

[Abasmajor]

Few votes for the LP53…
I do have one…They are beautifully made but I can’t get on with the sensation of the vertical recoil, it just feels wrong.

Anyone care to elaborate on its top 5 status please?

I’m sure if I owned an Abus Major and it shot well it’d be up there…they look great.

Cheers,
Matt

Hi Matt,
The Abasmajor is the nearest I have come across in a compact, powerful springer to the all conquering Webley design.
The ratchet cocking lever with built in pellet sizer together with the almost unique tap loading system are nice innovations.

Brian

[DrGunn]

That FWB 100 looks familiar - serial number 400177? If so it resides with me now. I don't think it would quite make my top 5 though as I also have a 103 which is a bit more refined.

My top 5 varies regularly but currently:

FWB 103 - the pinnacle of SSP match pistol development
Walther LP2 - I would argue this is one of the best made air guns I have ever seen, the quality and attention to detail are superb, its a shame its not nicer to shoot...
Original model 10 - its a close run thing between this and the FWB 65 but I like the GISS mechanism from a technical standpoint.
Drulov DU10 - although the Crosman 600 is a superb gun, I find myself reaching for the Drulov much more often for fast fire target shooting and plinking.
Webley Premier - I seem to have acquired two of these and they are great for relaxed can bashing sesisons.

[ccdjg]

Those grips look like they’ve been cut out of a floorboard by an apprentice

They are the best bits.

[Abasmajor]

Does anybody who shoots both spring and gas powered air pistols agree with my conclusions that springers are more accurate than gas in .177 rather than .22 with the reverse being true for C02 powered pistols or is it just me.

Brian

[45flint]

Hard to argue against Matt’s shooting bias! As seen on his videos he is a awesome shooter for sure. No doubt I have a serious collector bias.

I think there is a real under appreciation of the Hy-Score and it’s innovation. Actually innovation may be a stretch in that it was really a result of studying existing designs and combining the best attributes. Concentric barrel, wide range cocking still used today, Luger-like sleek styling, truly unique loading mechanism and a repeating loader. Successful for over 20 years. Though you can argue the Webley Senior was better made it continued to use a design of the 1920’s?

The Haenel 28 R is simply a under appreciated marvel of design. Concentric magazine holding 20 pellets for its well machined repeating mechanism. Made as well as any air pistol ever produced. Sleek compact Luger design. I think it would take many years for CO2 pistols to take repeaters to the next level, but by then it was with pot metal. Hugo did this in 1928! You may dismiss the need for a repeater but if your in a gun fight 20 shoots can come in handy? Lol

[45flint]

Does anybody who shoots both spring and gas powered air pistols agree with my conclusions that springers are more accurate than gas in .177 rather than .22 with the reverse being true for C02 powered pistols or is it just me.

Brian

Interesting observation. Difficult for me to judge given that Crosman pistols have a serious 22 bias over here. I have only one .177 CO2 pistol and it’s a Hammerli Single. As I remember the Hammerli is one very accurate pistol. I doubt my 22 Crosmans would be as good? I can see .177 being more accurate in a spring pistol just given the limited power plant propelling the increased weight of the 22?