Your "keeper" pistols - let's hear what and why

[Twodoctors]

I'm less adventurous than you guys... only been shooting for 4 moths, so don't own any "classic".

My favourites are my Beeman P17 and HW45. The Beeman because it's so easy to shoot, and accurate. Bargain at £60. My HW45 because it's a beast, a beast to be tamed. Bought it secondhand at £140 (I think). Both are more fun and accurate than my CP-1, and my Desert Eagle. CP-1 is also accurate but the novelty is wearing off... the iron sight is terrible to adjust, shooting it with a 2x scope is too easy in my garage range. Desert Eagle is just a fun plinker, it does group in my indoor range, but the novelty of blowback is also wearing off.

Adrian

[blooregard]

Desert Eagle is just a fun plinker, it does group in my indoor range, but the novelty of blowback is also wearing off.

The novelty wore off on the Desert Eagle for me the second I got it out of the box!! Unforgiveably awful trigger, horrible flimsy plastic (with my pet hate, moulded in controls), gas hungry and way over priced. As far as blowback guns go this has to be my least favourite, slightly more accurate than most but no-where near as much fun. Umarex would have been much better off without the blowback and making it like their other pellet shooters. Try a few other blowback pistols, you will see what I mean (My KWC luger is currently entertaining me a great deal, the action is perfect).

I tend to keep all of my pistols, the one I like the most though is an old smoothbore .177 Webley Junior that is almost free of blueing, has a bent barrel and is in real need of a service. I will get around one day to doing something with the pistol, maybe I'll even replace the bent barrel.

I was given it when I was 14 and thought it was amazing!!

[max headroom]

Baikal target cerca 1978. spring powered and accurate. well as accurate as i made it.

[derekj]

I know its not worth bugger all but I bought a Makorov pistol in 1999 and absolutely love its all steel construction and weight and feel. Its mechanism is lovely and slick making a real chunky clank sort of sound. I only look at it and give it a wipe over now and again. A keeper for life. Derek

[TonyL]

All of mine are keepers :-

Weihrauch HW45, 40 and 70.
Brummy Webley Tempest.
Crosman 1377 and 2240.
Umarex Walther PPK/S.

Love them all for different reasons. Would like another '45 in .177 and also a classic FWB spring match pistol one day.

[sutherland2829]

Have to say I have gone through many pistols over time as one does, I have always fancied acquiring a Smith & Wesson 79G as they seem great pistols and old school, its finding a good condition one that works that is hard today. My keeper as to be my Schimel P22 in my opinion its a great pistol to shoot, very pellet busy so I just use .22 lead ball, it takes a bit of mucking about to load it it but my god I have never seen another pistol with such power and the noise when find is quite pleasing, I would estimate it has to deliver 550 to 600 fps and thats in .22. Its my one I will never part with.

[Bjacobs571]

My keeper pistols were a S&W 629 in 44magnum, a Frommer stop in 32 ACP my Luger (9mm) and two of my .22lr target pistols a Pardini SPE standard pistol and a Vostock free pistol. Unfortunately our stupid government decided that anybody who wanted a pistol was a homicidal mainiac and took them from me.

S&W 629 http://smith-wessonforum.com/members...ummer-1978.jpg
Frommer stop http://www.peashooter85.com/image/28955308072
Pardini SPE http://usedguns.com.au/pics/0643-201...9-54-08-AM.jpg
Vostock http://i.imgur.com/o18tPKW.jpg

My present keepers are my Hammerli AP40 ( a real Hammerli not an Umarex) my Match MG1 and my Sam60 free pistol. The sam is not as good as the vostock was but its better than nothing

Match MG1 https://www.flickr.com/photos/28879255@N06/16868384046/
Hammerli AP40 https://www.flickr.com/photos/28879255@N06/16231190398/
note this is my spare AP40
Sam 60 https://www.flickr.com/photos/28879255@N06/11879005133/

[peddy]

Mines a premier d series, bought it 32 years ago for a tenner ,boxed and is still in excellent condition. Still has the tr robb synthetic head and spring I fitted all them years ago and still powerful and accurate. Used it to dispatch corvids when shot gunning. It's the first collectors gun I'd bought and even when I sold up all my pistol collection I kept this. Told my son if he ever sells it after I'm gone I'd haunt him!!!

[Benelli B76]

To me a "keeper" is something that would be difficult to replace. Even my Crosman 600 and 677 can be replaced fairly easily and the 78 and 79 G are not difficult. A lot of the pistols already mentioned can be bought easily, but as Sutherland mentioned the Schimel I think that would also be mine as to pick up a good one is not too easy. I have two and waiting for my mates to make up a third. Great power and accuracy, and lovely in the hand.

Baz

http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0ef33b68.jpg

[gingernut]

As Baz knows I keep all mine.







Until I sell em!

[beagle2]

To me a "keeper" is something that would be difficult to replace. Even my Crosman 600 and 677 can be replaced fairly easily and the 78 and 79 G are not difficult. A lot of the pistols already mentioned can be bought easily, but as Sutherland mentioned the Schimel I think that would also be mine as to pick up a good one is not too easy. I have two and waiting for my mates to make up a third. Great power and accuracy, and lovely in the hand.

Baz

http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0ef33b68.jpg

I think that you are missing the point Baz for most people a keeper is something that is special to you its like if you decided that you wanted the first car that you ever had back but that one has probably long gone to car heaven so you buy another one it looks the same it smells the same it drives the same but it is not and can never be the your first car.

I have only had my Webley Premier for about 10 years even though it was I think made in the 1960s it is in new condition and I will never part with it in this age where it seems everything is not made to last it is good to own something that is made to last.

[laverdabru]

Can't see me ever selling my early Hurricane or '60's Senior. Years ago I sold my banana barrel Mk 1, regretted it ever since. The CO2's I have just don't have the same 'feel', I'm afraid.

[AC99]

If I had to keep just one pistol from my collection it would be the pre-war Webley Mk1 - the first 'serious' air pistol I ever owned and probably one of the least valuable. This would be closely followed by the FWB65 with which I competed in numerous matches and competitions in the 70's and 80's and I still have it.

I bought the mk1 in 1957 from the boy who sat next to me in class at school for 30 shillings (£1.50) and it gave me hours of pleasure in the summer holidays, weekends and summer evenings so it holds a strong emotional attachment. Along with a Senior, Airsporter, and two Webley mk3's acquired while still at school in the 1950's these became the nucleus of a collection which I started to build rather late in life in 1997, after the handgun ban. Since then my collection has grown to 100+ but these more recent acquisitions were on a 'wanted' list and hold none of the attachment that the two listed above have.

[Benelli B76]

Can't see me ever selling my early Hurricane or '60's Senior. Years ago I sold my banana barrel Mk 1, regretted it ever since. The CO2's I have just don't have the same 'feel', I'm afraid.

I don't think you should discount all the CO2 pistols. I agree with you regarding the modern ones available now.The old bronze models are solid quality and also shoot very well, better than the Webleys. Here is one of mine, the Benjamin 257.

Baz

http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/...psbb055e4a.jpg

[laverdabru]

Not dissing older C02 pistols, just disappointed with one I've recently bought new. The Crosman 357 was good for the price, the Luger bb I've had great fun with - & it was very cheap, but the Dan Wesson 8", pricey - feels well made, but give me my old Wobbley's any time. At least I know the pellet will leave the barrel.

Bru