Favorite air pistol for indoor matches

What's your fav air pistol for indoor matches and who will be shooting matches this winter?  I've been looking at the Steyr Evo 10 and also the Pardini K12.  Haven't made a decision yet.  I recently joined a club that has an indoor setup and I would like to participate this winter.

I've got an Evo10 and its hard to beat. Nice trigger, nice grips and they have red dot adapters. I've shot a couple 571's with mine using a dot.

Zane what made you decide on the Evo?  Anything you don't like about it?

Well the Steyr is the most used AP by far I believe in top level shooting. Probably followed by Morini then Pardini. I bought it I think 3 years ago when it first came out, the USD at the time was in a very good position versus the Euro and I bought one from Krale, was a very easy process even coming from overseas, no tarrifs either. Unfortunately I think Pilkguns got his panties in a wad and complained enough to Steyr to restrict Krale from importing to the US, I was told that by one of the owners earlier this year when asking about an LP50 although he didn't specifically call out Pilk. The owner of Pilkguns emailed me pretty hateful after mentioning Krale on TagetTalk which he runs, he's a bit "eccentric" but it is his business that could go away quickly with the large savings available from buying directly from overseas. Guess I'm a fan of free market economy.

Yea...I've heard such things from others.  Which red dot?  Sometimes air guns can really hammer an optic with their funny recoil pulse.

Only spring-piston guns will damage optics, and you'd need to look hard to find such a gun these days. Optics are not allowed in ISSF/USAS matches, though, if that's what you have in mind.

I use a Primary Arms MD-ADS on it and the post above is correct, only spring pistols damage dots. I use a dot to practice bullseye but if you shoot matches you'll want to stick with the irons which are fabulous on the Evo, very adjustable.

Walther lp500

I’ve had the opportunity to shoot all the top guns except the new FWB. My favorite is the Pardini although I could be quite happy with any of them. It would be nice if you could get to try some before buying. There isn’t a great deal of price difference although two of my sons are shooting AP20 PRO’s which are very nice pistols for around a grand. I personally own a Steyr LP10 and an old FWB CO2 gun which I happen to like a lot. 
JKR

Although not a tremendous fan of electronic triggers, my favorite air pistol has become the Morini 162 EI.  Mostly because it provides effortless and basically unlimited dryfiring as long as the batteries hold out, which is a LONG time. (I think I've changed 2 or 3 times in 10 years or so....).  And the new ones use regular batteries that are not "unobtainium" sized.  

Of course I heard all the horror stories of bad boards, electronics, lack of support, etc. for other electronic trigger guns;  but I picked up one and tried it at Perry years ago it felt great and the trigger was awesome for me.  But I have never had any issues at all with the gun or the electronics, and Pilkingtons is just over the state line if I ever do.

Like most top end APs, there are multiple forward positions for the front sight and variable notch width rear AND the 162 short version has a shorter barrel while mostly maintaining the regular sight length (less barrel time).  But I did add some weights to bring it back up to the regular length version weight (the short has slightly shorter cylinders). 

Favorite back deck APs for just plinking are the FWB 65 (can up the trigger pull closer to "normal" bullseye levels with just a switch) and the Model 80.

CR

Cecil, I have a FWB 65 and that trigger is really nice, I would like to find a set of grips that have the adjustable palm shelf. It is very accurate and won matches until the Pre-charged guns came along, could still hold it's own today.
Stan

Not to hijack a thread, but I'm in the market for a new AP, and was hoping someone could provide some feedback, and seems like it might be valuable to the OP...

I LOVE the trigger on my MG2. I've got it set up for a really crisp break almost no movement. Working on the reliability, but that's another story....

So in my research, it seems like the Morini 162/200 is where I want to be. My question is whether the Steyr Evo can have the trigger set up in the same way. I've shot a buddy's Evo, and I like the ergonomics, but the trigger just felt a little mushy with a slow release. Wondering if this is typical, or can it be crisped up?

Thanks!

Dave

The Steyr LP10 in pretty much an Evo. There are only a few small upgrades. You could save some $$$ with a used one. I really like mine.

Best place to find APs for sale (especially used) is over at Targettalk.  Be careful of scammers no matter where you shop. 

http://www.targettalk.org/index.php

Chopper, check out
 
https://www.precisiontargetpistolgrips.com/

for the grips you are looking for.

The hard part these days is finding a FWB 65 (with) adapter to change it from "recoilless" to having recoil to better simulate bullseye style training (along with the higher trigger weight option).  Most AP shooters just never used it and they just got lost over the years.  

CR

LP5 with the heavy trigger,(3.25 + lbs.) module for me.

My Morini 162EI Short is my favorite. Unfortunately it sits in the safe the past few years since I retired from competitive pistol shooting. Previously, I had a FWB Model 2 CO2 air pistol. It was a nice gun, capable of great scores, but the CO2 is a little sensitive to temperature.

I started about eight years ago with a new Baikal IZH-46M. Not knowing how to fit the grip I bought a Rink grip and shot for about a year with it. I then bought a new Steyr LP50C and put another Rink grip on it and used that in matches with a single shot magazine. When Steyr changed from AAA batteries powering the LP10E to a rechargeable battery pack I bought a remaining older model since I had a source for replacement batteries.

After I bought the Steyrs I sold the Baikal to a friend. If I was purchasing again I would buy a mechanical trigger Steyr as I like the mechanical trigger better, but I have my LP10E completely sorted out and the grip fitted so no rush (and no funds at the moment).

I still get a kick out of squeaking into a final at Anniston CMP competition hall and next to me was a shooter with a new (at the time) Walther LP400. In conversation I asked how he picked that pistol. His reply was he bought a Morini, a Steyr, a Pardini, a Feinwerkbau and the Walther to compare and sent back the others. With electronic targets, overhead monitors showing everyone's shots, and a fair size crowd in the bleachers watching it was hard to not to get rattled shooting.

We have a club nearby that has monthly and sometimes bi-monthly matches. They have an older Megalink electronic target system which makes things run smooth and we shoot a final afterwards since a dear departed match director in the area got us started for our own good. In the past several of us would go compete in the monthly matches in Anniston at the CMP hall.

One of the members in our club kept Pilkguns busy repairing the series of pistols he owned and I got the impression they did fair work. (These were either well used pistols that needed rebuild or had been fiddled with until they needed restoration to factory specs.) All of the top pistols seem to be very nice examples of well designed gear. I happen to like Steyrs as I like their service videos, design and parts availability. I wish all firearms were made as well as the top tier air pistols and rifles.

I shot with my Steyr LP10E in a match a few days ago but wanted to practice with my 5 shot LP50C today. The LP10E can hammer the 10s when I am on but the LP50C is more forgiving to shoot. Match scores for me are very close between the two pistols.

What is fun with the LP50C is to set up the Bullseye Timer app on my cell phone and practice Timed Fire and Rapid Fire (and Ed Hall Progressive Drills). Using a 10 meter air pistol target I did some bar napkin math and found the 10m AP target can simulate a NRA B-8C 25 yard target.

As indicated:

I hadn't considered the Steyr LP50C.  That's a really good idea!  Do you shoot that with irons only or have you figured out a red dot mount for it?

bpettet wrote:I hadn't considered the Steyr LP50C.  That's a really good idea!  Do you shoot that with irons only or have you figured out a red dot mount for it?

Well... https://www.bullseyeforum.net/t7515-anyone-practice-timed-rapid-fire-with-a-lp50

Iron sights (Center Hold like my International/CMP/Bullseye iron sight sustained fire pistols) and red dot like my auto Bullseye pistols. It's fun and relaxing in my basement 10 ~ 12 meter range after work. I have weights I can mount but I like the balance as is, and the UD is mounted like my 1911 conversion and my 45 1911.

(Steyr Weaver adapters, Weaver low rings)




I am really really really trying to resist ordering a set of Rink Ambidextrous grip, symmetric, 1911 style LP50 grips. Fortunately, the anatomical grips are great now that they fit me so I am resisting for now,

https://www.formgriffe.de/en/shpSR.php?A=123&p1=400&p2=436

I also like the red dot setup to get new shooters started on trigger control.

That's a nice setup.  I could probably do 10m going down the hallway at home.  Thanks for the links.

bpettet wrote:That's a nice setup.  I could probably do 10m going down the hallway at home.  Thanks for the links.

I have a large 22 trap in my basement I got from Champion's Choice that is great:


http://champchoice.com/store/Main.aspx?p=ItemDetailOptions&item=40801

but I also have two Gehmann AP traps too:


187, 188 & 189 Target holders

• Air rifle or air pistol
  
  
• 1 mm thick and containing a 3 mm sprung backstop
  
  
  
  • 187 for 10 x 10cms - air rifle targets
    
  • 188 for 17 x 17cms - air pistol targets
    
  • 189 for 14 x 14cms - air pistol targets and with spring also suitable for 10 x 10cms - air rifle targets
    
    
  
  
  

https://gehmann.com/english/products.php?id=37&kategorie=18

Since I rarely get outside of the black the Gehmann would work well.

My big concern is lead splatter, so the big trap has a cardboard face taped to it to contain pellet fragments. While it is rated for a 22 cartridge pistol I don't want to worry about remediation later when I need to sell my house so I just shoot pellets.

My basement range also has a spotting scope set up.

I work in a large cabinet shop and CNC cut my own trap. If you have the ability to melt lead I recommend a poured lead backer, lead pellets just stack up on the lead, it's quite as you get and no splatter I can see.

Zane,

Lead backer - what a clever idea. I just gave away a box of useless lead 32 bullets - should have kept them for this purpose. Grrr....

Lead backer...any photos of that?  Curious to see it.