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

[ptdunk]

Hi all,
pt2 of my 100 yrs of air pistols vids has been filmed (1946-1968) and I need to do the voiceover.

[IMG][/IMG]

3 of my top 5 pistols and one possible contender feature in this one so I need to pick the 5th pistol before I narrate this episode.

So far my Top 5 air pistols of all time are (in no particular order and for various reasons):

Webley Hurricane (with Beeman target grips)
FB Record LP2
Crosman 600
FWB90

And contenders for the fifth spot are:
Webley Tempest (best plinking pistol of all time IMO)
Daisy 747 (a great SSP plinker)
Senior (best made pistol ever, but not my favourite shooter)

What do you all recon?
And what would be other people’s top 5 pistols?

Cheers,
Matt

[45flint]

Coming from across the pond I believe your European bias is showing a bit? Hard to believe you ignored the Hy-Score! To me the most innovative spring pistol from 1947-1960? Actually I think it eclipsed the Webley Senior which really is a prewar design. (Eclipsed in design not build quality) If your including CO2 pistols like the 600, I would argue that the Crosman 150 should be ranked before it because it really was the pistol that solidified the CO2 pistol in the US at least, during most of the period your reviewing? It was a simple, elegant design that has stood the test of time? The 600 was truly a engineering marvel but to me a bit ugly? Lol.

[WebleyWombler]

I'm extremely surprised at your choice to include the FB LP2 in your top 5 Matt. Most people I know consider them to be low quality monkey metal cheapies?

My list would be

B series Webley Premier
Crosman 38T
Walther LP53
BSA Scorpion .177
FWB 65

I do think you should consider a wheelgun, Some can be very nice to shoot

[Abasmajor]

1. Straight Grip Webley Senior.
2. Early Webley Premier A or B Series.
3. Abasmajor.
4. Crosman 150
5. Crosman 600

Brian

[ptdunk]

I'm extremely surprised at your choice to include the FB LP2 in your top 5 Matt. Most people I know consider them to be low quality monkey metal cheapies?

I do think you should consider a wheelgun, Some can be very nice to shoot

Hi Fred,
I understand your surprise regarding the LP2…
Monkey metal it may be but I think it’s a bit of a genius design….all the ingredients for a great pistol: well balanced, good sights, light trigger (mainly due to the weak spring) surprisingly good grips and very accurate. And they are still being made and are available new for €49!

Excellent pistol to bring young shooters into the fold, and it’s testament to a designer who worked on the Walther P38 that he was able to bring it all together for such a low price….No mean feat.

By wheel gun do you mean a revolver? If so I don’t have any real replica air pistols, although I always liked the look of that S&W 79G.

I do have a Phoenix Hyscore, very interesting design and quite nice to shoot.
I haven’t tried an original U.S one but the U.K. one has a bit of a ‘Homemade’ feel, which keeps it out of the top 5.

Cheers,
Matt

[45flint]

If your going for my top airgun pistols of all time:

1. Webley straight grip Senior
2. Haenel 28R repeater
3. Hy-Score Sportster 804
4. Crosman 150
5. Walther LP53
6. FWB 65

Sorry it’s 6! Just can’t throw any of these out.

[WebleyWombler]

Hi Fred,
I understand your surprise regarding the LP2…
Monkey metal it may be but I think it’s a bit of a genius design….all the ingredients for a great pistol: well balanced, good sights, light trigger (mainly due to the weak spring) surprisingly good grips and very accurate. And they are still being made and are available new for €49!

Excellent pistol to bring young shooters into the fold, and it’s testament to a designer who worked on the Walther P38 that he was able to bring it all together for such a low price….No mean feat.

By wheel gun do you mean a revolver? If so I don’t have any real replica air pistols, although I always liked the look of that S&W 79G.

I do have a Phoenix Hyscore, very interesting design and quite nice to shoot.
I haven’t tried an original U.S one but the U.K. one has a bit of a ‘Homemade’ feel, which keeps it out of the top 5.

Cheers,
Matt

I understand what you are saying but to me, the gamo center range of pistols are better. I have the 3 center models and most of the FB models and prefer the Gamo, especially the Target model.
Each to their own.

[ptdunk]

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

[Drew451]

I get the respect/ liking for the FB Record but I don't think its a top drawer contender.
To show the Original Model 6 and not have it in the top 5 seems controversial or a bit April Fools

[45flint]

Hi Fred,
I understand your surprise regarding the LP2…
Monkey metal it may be but I think it’s a bit of a genius design….all the ingredients for a great pistol: well balanced, good sights, light trigger (mainly due to the weak spring) surprisingly good grips and very accurate. And they are still being made and are available new for €49!

Excellent pistol to bring young shooters into the fold, and it’s testament to a designer who worked on the Walther P38 that he was able to bring it all together for such a low price….No mean feat.

By wheel gun do you mean a revolver? If so I don’t have any real replica air pistols, although I always liked the look of that S&W 79G.

I do have a Phoenix Hyscore, very interesting design and quite nice to shoot.
I haven’t tried an original U.S one but the U.K. one has a bit of a ‘Homemade’ feel, which keeps it out of the top 5.

Cheers,
Matt

Matt, I paid up for a UK version to complete my collection and though it looks cool especially with its moderator, it was a bit of a disappointment as a pistol. Not made as well as the 1950’s Hy-Score. The one below will do 500 FPS. The UK version I believe was in the high 300’s. No doubt still a stretch to make top 5.

[ptdunk]

I understand what you are saying but to me, the gamo center range of pistols are better. I have the 3 center models and most of the FB models and prefer the Gamo, especially the Target model.
Each to their own.

They all have their place I suppose, I also have a Gamo Centre, and both me & the missus have a Gamo (centre) Target each, as it’s quite special being a recoiling ‘match’ style pistol.
Quite tricky to shoot well though, you have to tune yourself into it… unlike the lovely little LP2 (which is about a third of the power!)

Don’t get me wrong, I think the smoothbore FB LP1 is rubbish, and the 77 is a bit gimmicky….a fully functioning Champion is quite fun though.

Maybe I’ve got a particularly sweet shooting LP2.

Cheers,
Matt

[45flint]

I think when looking at the top 5 air pistols of all time, I think best shooting is only one consideration? The Walther LP53 deserves a place given it elegance, build quality, and design? It’s easy for the FWB 65 to dominate any gun on the list. But it large and complex? Had one and sold it. Will never sell the Webley straight grip Senior.

[ptdunk]

I get the respect/ liking for the FB Record but I don't think its a top drawer contender.
To show the Original Model 6 and not have it in the top 5 seems controversial or a bit April Fools

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

[Geezer]

I respect and, I think, understand your choices, even though I disagree with many of them.

I agree that the LP2 is one of the best really cheap guns ever made. You can actually do things like shoot consistent groups on target with it, and it doesn’t fall apart when you look at it. But top 5 material? Not so sure.

A “top 5” surely needs underlying criteria for decision. What’s the priority you put on value, accuracy, power, reliability, looks, build quality, finish, handling, influence on later designs, or on the sport in general?

I’m not hazarding a guess at a top 5, but I can see a strong case for the FWB65, the Senior, and one of the better CO2 single-shots. I’m with you on the 600. And I can personally make a case for the Diana 5 in all its versions over 70ish years as an excellent general purpose pistol.

[45flint]

This does show how different Matt and I may appreciate different attributes in pistols. Lol

Webley Hurricane (with Beeman target grips). Had one sold it
FB Record LP2
Crosman 600. Had one sold it
FWB90 Had a 65 sold it