Air pistols

More to a good pistol than just plinking.

Among a couple of others, I have a Weihrauch HW44. It's not a cheap air pistol, but it is by far the most accurate air pistol I have ever come across. I've shot numerous rats with it and also several pigeons.

I have a Beeman P17 and Crosman 1322 that I shoot into a cardboard box filled with rubber mulch, safe enough indoors even. I don't pump the Crosman up all the way though, made that mistake once. I tape paper targets to the box.

I

Dragonfly Ordnance said:

I’ve got a HW45 in .22 I’ve had for years, a lot of fun! They can be a challenge to shoot well though.

They’re not a cheap option new these days either.

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I've got one of these in .177. A very accurate single stroke pneumatic.

sy247 said:

I


I've got one of these in .177. A very accurate single stroke pneumatic.

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The hw45 is a springer.

Only a couple of spring piston pistols I can think of come near the power of the HW45. The BSA 240 Magnum has already been mentioned. If you like something quirky have a look for a Cometa Indian. I don’t think they’re made any more but certainly an interesting design, nice looking, and put out about 5.5 ft/lb.

I have a HW45 and too and it can shoot very accurately on the lower power setting (half cock). I find on full power it’s difficult to shoot accurately and point of aim shifts considerably.

Cheers
Greg

A true Luger story. But first watch this clip:



So maybe now fifty years ago the no longer existent pistol club I belonged to had a reputation for members bring down off licence guns they had adquired. One brought down an Artillery Luger he had gotten from an old pensioner friend who, the pensioner, had brought in back from WWI.

So said Luger appeared at the range and was loaded up and made ready. Nothing happened. Just as in the clip. The action was toggled back and another round fed. Same result and the whole magazine failed to fire. Not one shot. One bloke was the usual "Luger expert" and asked to see.

He took off the side plate, as far as I remember and then took out a transfer bar (?) from the trigger to the striker? Announcing that it had a small burr impeding it. Some Swiss files were found and three..no more...or four touches and he reassembled the thing said "Try it now."

It fired flawlessly for every shot. The owner thanked him and told us what until then we didn't know. The old pensioner friend recounted how he got the pistol. He was in a German trench in WWI and a man came around a bay holding the Luger and pulled the trigger. He had as the pensioner re-told "Got the drop on me."

The Luger failed to fire. The pensioner said that he straight away went forward and killed him with his bayonet. Taking his pistol. He kept the gun but (I assume not having ammunition or the knowledge to fix it) never fired it. That's how it came to the man at the pistol club. Unfired since that fateful day.

This transfer bar issue or whatever is/was apparently a know and well enough known problem with the Luger pistol if not maintained or if stripped and re-assembled with ignorance and brute force. So yes the Schindler's List scene has basis in that's what sometimes happened.

So although not the same club that can be added to the Wobbly Wootton story. One day I might tell the Dr Doleman story. But not for now I've a honey glazed gammon cooling that I've been cooking since 9.30pm.

Smellydog said:

The hw45 is a springer.

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Ah yes, I've got the HW40 and my brother has a HW75 which is lovely but frightfully expensive now!

sy247 said:

Ah yes, I've got the HW40 and my brother has a HW75 which is lovely but frightfully expensive now!

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I recently got a 40. It's very accurate and and has a decent trigger out the box.

Below is my BSA Scorpion that I purchased on the 23rd of December 1978. Recently I replaced the barrel seals which increased the velocity nicely. Also below is a picture of 10 shots fired past my LabRadar LX, the Scorpion is amazingly consistent.

that scorpion is lovely

I also bought a .22 BSA Scorpion brand new in the late 70's. It somehow later got lent to a friends son and I never got it back! I used to be able to consistently hit empty 12b cases at about 18yds with it using a double handed grip - great pistols.

I bought another decent boxed one a few years ago, have hardly used it but it shoots low for some reason and I've run out of adjustment on the rear sight - need to try to sort it.

My Mother was not impressed when she caught me shooting her plastic pegs off the clothes line for target practice.

Kiwiguy said:

My Mother was not impressed when she caught me shooting her plastic pegs off the clothes line for target practice.

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LOL! Some used to do that at a shooting centre I was a member of. The pegs go replaced by large plastic bands like the postman uses to hold the targets to the target boards.

Kiwiguy said:

My Mother was not impressed when she caught me shooting her plastic pegs off the clothes line for target practice.

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They just beg for it don't they

Dodder said:

I also bought a .22 BSA Scorpion brand new in the late 70's. It somehow later got lent to a friends son and I never got it back! I used to be able to consistently hit empty 12b cases at about 18yds with it using a double handed grip - great pistols.

I bought another decent boxed one a few years ago, have hardly used it but it shoots low for some reason and I've run out of adjustment on the rear sight - need to try to sort it.

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Front sight to tall. Wrong breech seal or maybe a bent barrel.

Smellydog said:

They just beg for it don't they

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They sure do! A good centre hit and they shattered in pieces. It was great fun while it lasted.

My favourite pistol is undoubtedly the 6" CO2 Webley Mk6 in .22. It has wonderful presence and is gratifyingly accurate when you do right by it. Only 3 FPE, or so, but enough for spinners and the like. And of course, like the old Webley springers, which I also love, it is best shot one- handed!
What I really want to find is a Harper Classic Wolf Cub. I don't suppose anyone here knows of one for sale?

Dodder said:

I also bought a .22 BSA Scorpion brand new in the late 70's. It somehow later got lent to a friends son and I never got it back! I used to be able to consistently hit empty 12b cases at about 18yds with it using a double handed grip - great pistols.

I bought another decent boxed one a few years ago, have hardly used it but it shoots low for some reason and I've run out of adjustment on the rear sight - need to try to sort it.

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As SD says, the front sight post is probably standing too tall, you should be able to loosen the screw and press the post down if I remember correctly.