Entry Level Pistols

 By Jason Curtis 

Are you new to air pistol shooting? Maybe it’s something you have been thinking about giving a go and you’re  looking at getting your first pistol, or you want to get the kids involved in your hobby, but don’t want to splash out  too much cash, then you might find this article helpful.  

I have been having fun with air pistols for many years, from top end competition models to backyard plinkers, and a  vast array in between. So to get involved you need your first pistol, as a rule I always recommend the Umarex  Walther CP88 as a good starting pistol, it was the first replica co2 pistol Umarex made and it is still being made over  35 years later, so it has stood the test of time and there’s a lot to be said for that, not forgetting it looks good, feels  nice to hold, is accurate and doesn’t break the bank at around £240 

That said not everyone wants to pay £200+ for their first pistol, and you don’t have to, there are some nice pistols out there in the sub £100 price range (ok two here are a little over that), but they will all give you hours of fun  plinking away and even a bit of target work. We will be looking at 13 yes 13 pistols, mainly 4.5mm bb co2 pistols at  this price range, though we will look at a couple of pellet spring guns, and a sub £150 pellet blowback. As there are  13 pistols to get through the reviews will be short, but it will give you an idea of what they are like. All were shot at a  distance of 6 yards in my home range from a rested position to make it as uniform as possible for each pistol, with  the point of aim at the centre of target, it’s the grouping we are interested in, point of impact can be adjusted later, the temperature was 20°C for new shooters temperature affects the CO2 capsules, the colder it is the less shots you  will get and vice versa. All pistols are less than 3 Joules (approx. 2.2 foot pounds) and for testing purposes all were  loaded with either Umarex Steel 4.5m BB’s or Umarex 4.5mm Mosquito Pellets. 

Right let’s begin with a pistol I reviewed in September’s issue. 

Umarex Ruger MkIV 

This little spring powered single shot pistol is light weight, but not the lightest here, having a polymer frame and  barrel shroud weighing in at 625g and 274mm in length, the silver version I have has imitation wooden grips that  look really nice, the build quality is solid and the most accurate of all the pistols in this review. It looks great, easy to  cock and load, fully adjustable sights, comfortable grip with an automatic safety, the more .177 pellets you put down  the rifled barrel the better it gets. Great fun for plinking and perfect for some decent target work and with a RRP of  £74.95 in Black or £89.95 for the Silver you just can’t go wrong.

Umarex HPP 

From a light weight to a heavy weight, the HPP is the second heaviest and second highest priced on the list, with its  full metal construction, this blowback steel bb firer weighs in at 815g and is 175mm in length, it feels nice in the  hand, has a 15 shot BB drop out plastic stick mag, which gave 120 shots from a single CO2 capsule. It has fixed sights  and all the catches work and not just for show, and the safety is a manual solid slide action. The trigger is broad and  lighter than expected and is double action only, the blowback isn’t harsh, and it does lock back after last shot, not as  accurate as some of the others here, but add a laser to the lower frame picatinny rail, put some tin cans out and this compact handful with put a smile on your face for a RRP of £109.95 

Umarex Tornado 

The Tornado is a 10 shot rotary mag futuristic looking BB revolver, it has a polymer frame though still a nice weight  at 687g and 260mm long, has a metal hammer and trigger, a slide safety under the hammer, fixed sights and two  picatinny rails to add a red dot and laser if you wanted to add to that futuristic look. Its single and double action, though double action is a little heavy, it’s an accurate little gun, giving 120 full power shots from a single CO2, and  they really pounded the back of the target box, it did give me another 20 lower powered ones before the CO2 ran  out. Perfect for plinking and target work, hours of family fun for a bargain RRP of £74.95

Umarex Colt Defender 

The Defender is a bit of a personal favourite, this stubby non blowback 1911 is all metal weighing a nice 760g and  only 177mm long, the mag release allows the grips to slide back and reveal a built in 16 bb shot magazine so no  chance of losing it, and simple CO2 fitting. From a single CO2 capsule I squeezed out a staggering 192 full power  shots, and it still managed another 48 lower powered ones. It has nice trademarks and really looks the part, it has  fixed sights, a single slot weaver rail, and imitation moulded catches. It’s comfortable, feels great and the double  action trigger isn’t too heavy, with the safety being a nice press and slide action. Accuracy is pretty good for an entry  level pistol, groups well with a few fliers. There you have it, compact, accurate with an amazing shot count for a RRP  of £95.95 

Umarex Smith & Wesson M&P 40 

Dare I say another favourite, the M&P 40 has a polymer frame and a metal non blowback slide, weighs 577g at  194mm long. It is very similar in build to the Defender above with nice trademarks, imitation moulded catches  except mag release, same press and slide safety, fixed sights, picatinny rail and double action trigger that’s slightly  heavier than the defender. Though the M&P benefits from a metal 19 shot drop out BB magazine, from which I  managed another high shot count of 171 full power shots and another 38 lower ones, accuracy again was very good,  giving a reasonable group from this bb firer. This really is a great pistol if you’re on a budget at an incredibly cheap  RRP of £79.95

Umarex Makarov 

The Makarov is an all metal non blowback with a moving slide for cocking, weighing in at 684g and 162mm in length,  and has imitation Bakelite grips that slide bake to reveal the single CO2 compartment. It has an 18 shot drop out  metal stick BB magazine from which it managed 126 full power shots, and like the Tornado they hit the back of the  target box with some force, which makes sense considering the lower shot count from these two pistols, though it  did manage another 36 lower powered shots. Its single and double action with a heavy trigger, the safety is thumb  operated, along with fixed sights and nice trademarks. Though compact it felt nice to hold as the grips are broad, it is  accurate for this type of pistol leaving a nice big hole in the target with only a few fliers. if you fancy a nice little  replica, you can pick this up for a RRP of £89.95 

Umarex TDP 45 

The Tactical Defence Pistol 45 is the light weight of the bunch weighing in at only 455g and 165mm long, it is also the  cheapest of the bunch, it does feel very plastic, but the price reflects this. Thank fully it has a 19-shot metal drop out  BB magazine, had it been a plastic stick mag the TDP may have floated away. Sounds a bit naff I hear you say, oh no you would be wrong, if this is your first ever pistol, it will put a smile on your face just like the rest of the list, with its  high 190 shot count, firm but smooth double action trigger and white dot sights, it’s a fun little gun. The back strap  lifts up for easy CO2 insertion, a safety that does what it should, it also has a picatinny rail for a nice little laser. Yes, it’s simple, a no thrills budget pistol with accuracy that matched and beat some of the other pistols tested, and it can  be yours for a bargain basement RRP of £54.95

Umarex IWI Jericho B 

This was my first time shooting one of these, it was very comfortable with the finger grooves on the grip and felt  substantial in the hand even though its only 548g at 190mm long. It has a polymer frame and metal slide, its stated  as double action but you can pull the slide back, to give you a sort of single action, it’s a nice touch all the same, the  trigger is however a bit graunchy but useable. It has fixed sights, a weaver rail and moulded catches apart from the  right-hand thumb safety and mag release. The magazine is a full drop out version which houses the single CO2 and  23 BB’s, which gave 138 pretty accurate shots. It’s a shame this wasn’t a blowback version it would have made it  even better, but it is entry level and it’s a fun pistol all the same. You can pick this up for a RRP of £79.95 

Umarex Heckler & Koch HK45 

Another new one to me, and this felt just right straight out of the box, the stippled grip and finger grooves felt comfortable and a nice weight at 630g and 203mm long. The HK45 has a polymer frame with a metal fixed top slide so no blowback here. It has a nice matt finish with H&K trades, fixed sights as we have come expect from this price  range with a picatinny rail. The back strap lifts for a single CO2 capsule, the safety is thumb operated and the mag  release is incorporated into the trigger guard, which drops a metal 19 shot BB stick magazine. The trigger is double  action only and squeezed off 209 shots all staying in the black of the target, now that’s impressive. This pistol feels  more expensive than it is at a RRP of £99.95

Umarex Browning Buckmark URX 

I have always liked the Buckmark, its cheap for what you get, self-contained being a springer and accurate. It is a  mostly metal construction with a polymer barrel shroud, it has a rubberised grips with finger grooves, which makes it  comfortable to hold, and its well-balanced weighing in at 680g and the longest of the bunch at 305mm. It has fully  adjustable rear sights, and a picatinny rail fitted to the top, so you could add a red dot or scope to further improve its  accuracy. The trigger is metal and quite broad, the pull is firm without being too heavy and has a predictable let off  to each shot. Cocking this single shot shooter is easy and smooth, and like our other springer the Ruger it has a rifle  barrel and is the second most accurate pistol here. All this can be yours for the truly amazing sum of £74.95 RRP  

Umarex Colt Python 357 Magnum 

Bring out your inner Dirty Harry with this light weight 357 Magnum, the most powerful handgun here, weighing in at  561g and 290mm long, it’s lighter than it looks, but still a hand cannon. The Python really does look the part. As you  can guess it is mostly polymer, and has a metal hammer, trigger and pellet mag. You get three 10 shot rotary mags  included, two that are metal for pellets and one plastic that’s for BB’s. Even though the barrel isn’t rifled, more just a  touch of swirling it’s still accurate, and its pretty good with BB’s too. It managed 100 shots, less than others on the  list but with more hitting power. This can be shot single or double action; the trigger isn’t heavy and rather light once  cocked, and the safety is found under the hammer. Fitted with fully adjustable rear sights, chequered grips, one of  which houses the hex key for tightening the CO2 capsule. It looks nice in its matt finish with subtle trades. This is a  lot of pistol for a RRP of £84.95

Umarex Legends P.08 

The P.08 is a heavy weight, it’s all metal and the second heaviest here at 818g and 216mm long. This is the non blowback version, with imitation action and catches, apart from the sure-footed safety and mag release. It is fitted  with plastic grips, of which the right-hand side comes off to reveal the CO2 compartment. The stick mag is metal and  holds 21 BB’s and fired off a healthy 147 shots and kept them all in the black of the target. The sights are fixed, and  the trigger blade is wide and heavy, not one for the kids, but it somehow suits this pistol. Give your trigger finger a  workout and grab this piece of history for a RRP of £99.95 

Umarex Beretta PX4 Storm 

We have reached the final pistol, an entry level blow back pellet and BB shooter. The Storm has a polymer frame and  metal slide, its well balanced and feels nice in the hand weighing a 755g and 192mm long. The mag is a plastic stick  drop out that has an 8 shot rotary mag at each end, which take both pellets and BB’s and houses a magnet to stop  the BB’s falling out. The shot count is low at only 80 shots as the blowback takes up a lot of CO2. Shooting with pellets it can hold its own accuracy wise, with BB’s you better find yourself a nice barn door, to be fair for some plinking at tin cans it will be plenty good enough. It has fixed sights with nice white dots to quickly acquire your  target, along with a picatinny rail for a laser. The blow back is strong and adds to the real feel and will have you  grinning from ear to ear. With nice trades it’s a good looker and a worthy first pistol. We are breaking the sub £100  with this but it’s still a steal at a RRP of £145.95

There you have it, after approx. 1800 shots and one sore trigger finger we have a baker’s dozen of pistols, types and  prices to suit everyone, all you have to do is decide which one. Once you have shredded a few tin cans why not go to  the Umarex Boys Club website and print off some free targets and enter our competitions to keep the fun going.  Happy Shooting and Stay Safe. 

I would like to thank John Rothery Wholesale, who kindly supplied the pistols I didn’t own to be able to complete  this review, your support and help is always greatly appreciated. 

www.umarexboysclub.co.uk 

www.bisley-uk.com 

www.umarex.com

BSA R10 January Flash Sale! + New Pard DS35 In Stock!

That's right folks we are kicking off 2023 with a bang and what a bang of a deal we have this month with all our R10 SE Rifles going on packages as of now. From now on every BSA R10 SE will come with a Hawke Fast Mount 4-16x50 AO IR Mil Dot Scope with an RRP of £120 for Absolutely Free!

Each Rifle comes with a 2 Year Extended Warranty from BSA meaning you can rest easy with your new purchase and to top that off the Hawke Scope comes complete with a No Fault Lifetime Warranty giving you one of the most secure purchases you'll make in the New Year.

Plus if you come in store or ring and want something a little extra we're also offering a premium upgrade featuring a BSA Polytwill Hardened Gun Bag, a Drapers 3 Stage Pump and a Tin of Pellets all for the low additional cost of £99.99 meaning you can walk away with everything you need in a premium rifle for under £1000!

BSA R10 SE Black Edition .177

BSA R10 SE Black Edition .22

BSA R10 SE Black Edition Super Carbine .177

BSA R10 SE Black Edition Super Carbine .22

BSA R10 SE Walnut .22

BSA R10 SE Walnut Super Carbine .177

BSA R10 SE Walnut Super Carbine .22

Now for those of you who already have your dream rifle what about an upgrade on the optics?

Released this Autumn the Pard DS35 is a revolutionary new optic that builds on the massive success of the NV008s.

The first thing that users will notice is that the DS35 now takes the form of a traditional rifle scope. Core to the new form factor is a world first for NV Scopes, an 800x800px round display. The unique LTPS unit delivers high-clarity images with rich contrast and an extra-wide field of view for enhanced situational awareness. This perfectly formed screen fits neatly in the DS35s eye piece, for an experience close to using a traditional glass day scope. Other advantages include a 70mm objective, 5.6-11.2x magnification range and a 30mm Aluminium alloy body that enables the use of both traditional scope rings and rifle specific mounting systems.

At the heart of the DS35 is a state-of-the-art CMOS 0.001 Lux 2K imaging sensor, which when coupled with the units directional 850nm IR can see user push their night shooting out to 350m and beyond. Clarity is further enhanced by Pards custom developed VLEA imaging engine. This clever software upgrade helps the DS boost clarity by over 20% when compared to the older NV008p models.

Whilst clarity and handling are two of the 35s most obvious features, they are not the only enhancements shooters can expect.

The new kid on the block features a more intuitive one shot zero, where the image shifts to compensate for elevation and windage adjustments.

Like other Pard models the DS35 is a great choice for both day and night use, with full colour image modes available until the darkest parts of the night, at which point users can switch colour pallets for optimal image recognition when they can make use of the units powerful built-in IR.

In addition to improved tech, the DS35 retains all the popular features of the previous models including Wifi Connectivity, self-activated recording and a fully waterproof construction.

Once again we'd like to thank all our customers for you continued support of our small business we strive to be constantly giving you the best deals and the latest gadgets to make sure you're always leaving Drapers Gun Centre satisfied.

If you want an more information about what we've discussed in this blog feel free to call us on 0115 970 2525 or Email us at sales@drapers-airguns.co.uk