Air Pistol for 10m

I was in the same boat a year ago. Not that I'm a top shooter, but I just looked at what the best in the world are shooting. Primarily Morini. I figured they can't all be wrong, so I went with a CM200. I figured, just buy something I can shoot for 10 years, and not worry about the gun, and focus on shooting. Now, realistically, the 200 isn't a huge step up from the 162, so at that $1500 budget, I'd look for a super nice, slightly used 162ei, and be done with it! I'm sure you'll be happy with whatever you end up with from Steyr, Walther, or Morini, so don't overthink it. Buy from Neil Stepp, Champ Choice, or Pilk. They can all service the pistol (even if you buy used). Well, CC sends it to Pilk, but you get the idea.

Dave

Some people may have noticed, I an a big proponent of the Steyr LP5 pistol.  It is old school in that it is CO2 powered, but it will stack pellet after pellet in the same hole if you do your part. Admittedly, you do need a siphon feed bulk CO2 tank to refill the gun onboard tank, but that's it. Also, since it is old school, you should be able to get one at a pretty decent price.

Mike

Here’s the answer you were expecting. Any of the guns you mentioned will shoot better than you ever will. It’s a matter of which one works best for you, of course. 
I have a Steyr and an FWB. Two of my sons have Walther. I’ve shot both The Morini and Pardini. I could fall in love with any of them. 
Have fun. Pick a winner!
JKR

I own a Steyr LP10e (AA battery model bought as the USB battery packs were coming out) and a LP50c. Having tried a few other pistols I would favor a Steyr LP10 (or EVO) with a mechanical trigger if I was doing this purchase again. I like the mechanical trigger better but my LP10e has a grip that fits my hand well so I can live with the trigger as it is now. It is not giggly but it is also not annoying.

I also really like the Steyr service videos that have been made over the years. Very handy when things need to be returned to factory spec.

Stephen

I have shot a few and spent some time with an Izh46m, Steyr LP10 (mechanical trigger) and a Morini 162EI. The first question to ask is how seriously do you want to compete? If you want to get really serious I would suggest a pcp gun such as the 162, LP10 or similar. Biggest downfall of a pcp gun is you need to fill the tank, with either a pump or sucba tank, which adds cost to the price of entry. An Izh46m is a good option if you don’t want to mess with a tank, but you will need to pump for each shot. The stock grips definitely need some work, but Rinks are available.

Personally own a Morini 162 and an izh46m. I have put up similar scores with both (have averaged 550s easily). I also would probably have a hard time turning down an LP10 if given the opportunity.

Keep an eye on the Buy, Sell, Trade section of the target talk forums, a lot of used air pistols for sale pop up there every once in a while. While Izh46 is an excellent gun in terms of accuracy, I would be looking for a used Morini 162EI (with electronic trigger). I know most people prefer Steyr, but I tried it and didn't like it (just my personal preference, there's nothing wrong with it). One other option may be Walther LP400, my son shoots it and the trigger is fantastic, even though it's mechanical, not electronic.

Was down the same road and bought a couple really like 10m pistols but ended up with the Steyr LP50 with heavy trigger to feel almost the same as my 22. The big plus is you can shoot it timed and rapid too. I wish I would have bought it from the start. If you are buying one just to keep up with your Bullseye practice then the LP-50 is the way to go in my opinion.

Ray Dash wrote:Was down the same road and bought a couple really like 10m pistols but ended up with the Steyr LP50 with heavy trigger to feel almost the same as my 22. The big plus is you can shoot it timed and rapid too. I wish I would have bought it from the start. If you are buying one just to keep up with your Bullseye practice then the LP-50 is the way to go in my opinion.

Ray is correct. I paid $1500 for mine used. Changed springs to get more trigger weight. I fill mine off of a scuba tank. It has helped me to take my time in rapid fire.

Bill

The favorite at top international matches are the Morini and Steyr. I've tried springers, CO2 and PCP. The PCP is not as temperature sensitive as CO2 and you don't have to weigh cylinders to make sure that they are properly charged. Having shot mechanical triggers and electronic, I prefer the electronic. The Morini takes AAA batteries. I think having an electronic trigger that uses common batteries is a plus. I like a dry fire feature, too. Some folks are concerned about expiration dates on PCP cylinders. If you plan on competing in high level matches, they might check them, but the local and state matches in which I competed, never checked. I don't feel unsafe using the original cylinders that came with my gun, but maybe that's just me. If considering a used PCP gun, keep in mind that new cylinders are expensive.

I started shooting 10 meter AP with a used Morini 162EI in 2015. I paid $1200 for it with two cylinders. It shoots like a dream! It got me interested in the precision pistol discipline so I started shooting BE in August 2017 and since then only shot the Morini from November through March.  I also shoot a Pardini SP for RF and CF in BE, and I use a RRA 1911 for the 45 portion of the 2700 matches.

I got a new Styer LP 50 Compact two months ago-with the extra trigger spring to get a 3.5 lb pull. The LP 50 is far more relative to keeping my BE skills honed than the Morini is. Shooting the Morini with a 500 gram trigger and irons is totally different  skill set than  shooting the LP 50 set up for 3.5 lbs  with a red dot along having the 5 shot repeater capability. The LP 50 really fits the ticket for keeping up trigger time now that ammo is scarce. Shooting the Morini is a fun off season pursuit. If I had to start where you are I think the LP 50 is the way to go. You will have to be patient though, lately, when they have shown up here or on Target Talk, they get sold in a matter of hours, and  the dealers who sell them new are taking back orders now due to the ammo shortage here in the US.  I had to wait 6 weeks for mine to arrive from Austria when I called Pilkington Competition to order one. Good luck, I don't think you will regret getting one and you could probably break even if you wanted to sell it in today's market of you find out it does not suit your needs.

I’ve liked the Walther LP500’s

look for a used big name gun and you'll be fine.. I have an old Steyr LP1.. still a co2 gun that works perfectly and it's trigger is as good if not better than anything built today. paid >600 for it.. I paid 600 for my wife's Walther LP300 PCP gun. both still put the pelts in one hole as all the big names will.

maintenance is normally just new O rings..

I have a (used) LP50 that I bought here on the forum. The trigger is nice...not quite the same as my MG2 EVO but close enough for a hack like me. I've learned a lot thus far about sight alignment, grip, stance, and trigger control. That 10m target is very challenging. You can really go through a lot of pellets...but hey...plinking pellets are pretty cheap! BTW I went the scuba tank route for filling.

owned a Pardini... sold it
owned a Steyr EVO ... sold it
tried a Morini.. did not like it

Ended up with a Walther LP500. It is not as muzzle heavy as the others and balances better. grip is very adjustable.