First target pistol(s)?

[gareth8118]

Hi all,

As I mentioned on the Introductions forum I'm just starting out and have put a deposit on a rifle as my main weapon.

After joining my local club I was delighted to find they have a little pistol range as well as the rifle range so I am thinking of picking up a .177 pistol or two.

Checking the second-hand stock of my local dealer, these three caught my eye and my budget:

• Crosman 2300T
• Gamo Compact
• Weihrauch HW40

I could definitely be convinced to pick up both a CO2 and an SSP, so the choice could be between the Gamo and the Weihrauch, but I'm interested to hear opinions for or against, or even 'none of the above'. I don't want to spend hundreds on a single pistol though.

cheers
Gareth

[charliemow13]

Never tried either the Crosman or the Gamo, but thought the HW40 was a lovely pistol that has led to me getting seriously hooked on 10m air pistol. I sold it after a year to put towards a more serious target pistol but really enjoyed shooting the HW40. Cocking was relatively easy, light trigger and very accurate. Think the Gamo is much the same as the HW40 but without the fibre optic inserts in the sights is more akin to a proper target pistol. Sure there'll others with some real world experience of the Gamo or Crosman who can offer opinion on them.

[gareth8118]

Never tried either the Crosman or the Gamo, but thought the HW40 was a lovely pistol that has led to me getting seriously hooked on 10m air pistol. I sold it after a year to put towards a more serious target pistol but really enjoyed shooting the HW40.

gah, I was almost nailed on for the Gamo after watching some YouTube reviews but now you have me doubting that.

I think I'll reserve the Crosman over the phone and then go into the shop and have a look at the Gamo and the HW40 before I make a decision.

thanks for the reply!

Gareth

[charliemow13]

I think with hindsight, and if I hadn't been having issues with tennis elbow in my right arm, I would probably have opted for the Gamo too. It has a more ergonomic grip than the HW40 so a bit more target oriented. The HW40 is ambi so I was able to shoot left handed for a few months til my right arm was ok again. The grip was the only thing I would've changed, and I didnt want to start sticking putty to the HW40 as it would've made a mess of it before I sold it on.

Depending what you really want to do with the pistol dont discount the crosman. The fact its CO2 means no cocking between shots other than pulling the bolt back. That's seems like a lot less effort than the Gamo or HW. Just the capsules you'll need figure in to your costs. I've only shot the CP88 and M92 CO2 pistols, lots of fun for plinking but after a certain number of shots you'll find point of impact starts to drop. So you'd need to change capsules or alter point of aim.

[thisisdonald]

Of the 3 I would choose the gamo compact... it's the one with the most target pedigree.. decent sights, decent grip
Definitely a better 1at target pistol than the other two.
Out of interest, what is your local shop?

[Adam77K]

The Compact has the better grip but is badly let down by its trigger. The HW40’s trigger on the other hand is excellent.

[gareth8118]

Update: Put deposits on the Gamo and the Crosman today

Thanks to all for the opinions - now I just need the license!

Out of interest, what is your local shop?

Livelines in Armadale.

[thisisdonald]

👍👍 good stuff... I've never been in but only ever heard good stuff about them. Sadly my gunshop, pollokshaws tackle and guns, shut down a couple weeks ago.

Good luck with your license.. it will help if you are a member of a club, but when I applied, I said I was doing informal target shooting in my garden. That seemed to be enough at the time. What you dont want is any restrictions on your license which might hinder your future shooting habits, so make sure you pit that you wish to use your air weapons for the shooting of targets and all lawful quarry anywhere you have the authority to shoot.

When they first brought out the AWL I heard of people getting conditions applied to their licenses. I'm not sure what it's like now, but I made sure I stipulated this on my grant application and everything turned out fine for me.

To be fair, my best advice is to join a rifle club and apply for all 3 licenses co-terminus. It's not much more expensive and you only get one visit for the lot. Well worth it.. any club you do a probation with will help you with your application. There are plenty clubs out your way as well.

[gareth8118]

Good luck with your license.. it will help if you are a member of a club, but when I applied, I said I was doing informal target shooting in my garden. That seemed to be enough at the time. What you dont want is any restrictions on your license which might hinder your future shooting habits, so make sure you pit that you wish to use your air weapons for the shooting of targets and all lawful quarry anywhere you have the authority to shoot.

When they first brought out the AWL I heard of people getting conditions applied to their licenses. I'm not sure what it's like now, but I made sure I stipulated this on my grant application and everything turned out fine for me.

To be fair, my best advice is to join a rifle club and apply for all 3 licenses co-terminus. It's not much more expensive and you only get one visit for the lot. Well worth it.. any club you do a probation with will help you with your application. There are plenty clubs out your way as well.

I'm a probationary member with JGARC until the license comes through; I think I've done all the steps for the AWL now including reference checks so really just waiting for the paperwork. I'm going to phone the firearms unit on Monday to make sure they have everything and get an idea on the remaining timeline.

[thisisdonald]

In my experience they are pretty good at police Scotland... unfortunately when it comes to the home visit, that's down to the local unit.. it can take ages..but as long as everything is in order , it's simply s box ticking exercise..
When I put in for an fac variation, I usually just nip up to police Scotland and speak to the officers at the desk.. believe it or not, I've had a 2hr turnaround before!! Superb!

Good luck with you application. And make sure you check out ZOOMA's MPL League on here.

Cheers
Donald