air pistol for practice

I am thinking of using an air pistol for practice, how many of you do this? What air pistol do you use or would recommend? I would like a semi auto blowback style.

Steyr LP50. You have to have an obese wallet though.

I shoot a 60 round 10 meter match every night in my basement. It's helped my scores immensely. I currently use an lp10, but the much cheaper izh-46 is great too.

Air pistol is great training, however if you want semi-auto blowback to simulate firing a cartridge pistol, I've never seen on that comes anywhere close to the same feel.

messenger wrote:Steyr LP50. You have to have an obese wallet though.

I also bought a Steyr LP50 because it allows me to practice timed and sustained ( has two 5 pellet magazines).  Is it expense...VERY.  However it costs me under one cent for each pellet.  I tried expensive pellets and the cheapest I could find (well under $5 for a tin of 500) had my scores just about identical.  Since I purchased it this past July I have shot slightly over 5,000 pellets....so $50 worth of ammo.  Figure out what your cost per round is and subtract one cent and that is what you save per round with an air pistol.  If you shoot a lot your air pistol will end up costing you much less and you can set up a range in your basement, your garage, your yard so you can practice any time without having to drive somewhere.  The more trigger time you get the better you will become.

Chip

A year or so ago I did some cocktail napkin math and figured out a 10m air pistol target at 10m was about the same size black as the NRA 50 yard and 25 yard black. For practicing Timed and Rapid Fire the 10m 9 ring is about what a 25 yard 10 ring would be, 10m 7 ring is about a 25 yard 9, and a 10m 5 ring is about a 25 yard 8 ring. Get a bullseye range command and timer app for your cell phone or tablet and you're good to go.

My friends and I started with IZH-46Ms and have moved onto Morinis, Pardinis and Steyrs. We also go to competitions held by the local high school groups and travel to the CMP air hall in Anniston.  Good times.

ChipEck wrote:
If you shoot a lot your air pistol will end up costing you much less and you can set up a range in your basement, your garage, your yard so you can practice any time without having to drive somewhere.  The more trigger time you get the better you will become.

In the municipality where I live, air pistols have been classified as a firearm.  Therefore, shooting an air pistol in basement, garage or yard is discharging a firearm within city limits and is illegal where I live.

joy2shoot wrote:

ChipEck wrote:
If you shoot a lot your air pistol will end up costing you much less and you can set up a range in your basement, your garage, your yard so you can practice any time without having to drive somewhere.  The more trigger time you get the better you will become.

In the municipality where I live, air pistols have been classified as a firearm.  Therefore, shooting an air pistol in basement, garage or yard is discharging a firearm within city limits and is illegal where I live.

You should check for state preemtion of the local ordinance. Particularly in NC. We had a similar situation in parts of Virginia but a 2011 State Preemption law SPECIFICALLY allows the use of air guns and archery equipment provided that there is a safe backstop.

jmdavis wrote:You should check for state preemtion of the local ordinance. Particularly in NC. We had a similar situation in parts of Virginia but a 2011 State Preemption law SPECIFICALLY allows the use of air guns and archery equipment provided that there is a safe backstop.

Thanks for the suggestion.  The NC preemption statute states (among many other things).

• Cities may regulate or prohibit the discharge of firearms at any time or place except when used in defense of person or property;
  
• Cities and counties may regulate or prohibit the sale, possession or use of pellet guns;
  

Well then, you can change the law, move, or accept it. Those are the choices. But shooting an airgun in your own basement SHOULD not be something that you can be told not to do. 

In any case, they can't prevent you from dryfiring and that can include dryfiring a number of air pistols. 

Good luck.

Flytrap1 wrote:I am thinking of using an air pistol for practice, how many of you do this? What air pistol do you use or would recommend? I would like a semi auto blowback style.

Air pistol shooting can really help slow fire scores. I've never heard of an air pistol that is semi-auto blowback. What do you have in mind?

joy2shoot wrote:

ChipEck wrote:
If you shoot a lot your air pistol will end up costing you much less and you can set up a range in your basement, your garage, your yard so you can practice any time without having to drive somewhere.  The more trigger time you get the better you will become.

In the municipality where I live, air pistols have been classified as a firearm.  Therefore, shooting an air pistol in basement, garage or yard is discharging a firearm within city limits and is illegal where I live.

I am not a lawyer but I cannot imagine how they could enforce this when you are in your own house.
I am lucky enough to live in Wisconsin and in a City that uses common sense.  Key part of local ordinance "in such a manner as to endanger the person or property of another"  If you are not endangering other people's property it is legal.

Chippewa Falls City Ordinance

9.01 - UNLAWFUL USE OF FIREARMS AND OTHER WEAPONS. (Am. #2011-18)                                    
(1)
DISCHARGE. No person within this city, except in lawful defense of self, family or property, or in the lawful discharge of official duty shall fire or discharge any rifle, gun, or revolver or any cap pistol or other device for exploding percussion paper, caps or blank cartridges (subject to exceptions for blank cartridges under the next subsection). No person shall fire off or discharge any spring, air gun, crossbow, slingshot, or other similar device within this City in such a manner as to endanger the person or property of another.

How would they know you shot in your own house?  Do it anyway!  Damn right I'm from TEXAS!

As to blowback, to me that ruins the advantage in an air pistol.  I haven't shot mine in years, but back when, I remember the beauty of taking aim and releasing the shot and having zero movement in the sights. (if its's done right)  It really helps to train trigger control and follow through.  Now that I think about it, I really need to get that thing repaired and start using it again.

The purpose of my post was not to discuss my personal situation.  I am very happy with it.  The purpose was to forewarn people that while shooting an air gun in your home, garage, yard, etc. may seem innocent enough to us, your local laws may get you into trouble if you are not careful.
 
p.s. IMHO, if the only reason I was buying an air gun was to get better at Bullseye, I would probably invest my money in a SCATT instead of an airgun.

I have a SCATT and an air pistol.  I have gotten many times more benefits from my air pistol...besides the fact it is so fun to shoot!

Chip

I'm in NC. I shoot air pistol, air rifle, and archery in my basement. My air pistol is very quiet. I cannot imagine my neighbors or anyone else hearing me. 

I use an LP10 and an IZH-46M. These are both single shot pistols. My slow fire has regressed. The AP work is to help that. 

I've found dryfire with a good revolver to help TF and RF trigger manipulation.

DeweyHales wrote:I'm in NC. I shoot air pistol, air rifle, and archery in my basement. My air pistol is very quiet. I cannot imagine my neighbors or anyone else hearing me. 

I use an LP10 and an IZH-46M. These are both single shot pistols. My slow fire has regressed. The AP work is to help that. 

I've found dryfire with a good revolver to help TF and RF trigger manipulation.

"I cannot imagine my neighbors or anyone else hearing me."  --I have children living at home.  They talk to their friends who talk to their parents and not all of their friend's parents are pro-gun.  The only point I am making is when it comes to shooting, know your local laws, not just federal and state.  So that if you decide to break the law, you do so consciously and not out of ignorance.

"I've found dryfire with a good revolver to help TF and RF trigger manipulation."  +1 on that.  I find that working the revolver in single action mode while listening to the TF/RF commands, kinda/sorta/somewhat emulates recovering from recoil.

@joy2shoot, Don't you mean double action?

mspingeld wrote:@joy2shoot, Don't you mean double action?

Good question.  I use the manual cocking of the hammer because it takes longer and throws the sights off which forces me to bring the sights back into alignment and back on target.  This is my primitive way of simulating rapid fire's bang>recoil>recover>sight alignment into aiming area>bang etc.

No pellet or BB blowback I've tried, owned, or heard about will give you the accuracy you want.

Check out the FAS 6004. Reminds me a bit of my Hammerlis and shoots a treat; pellet on pellet on a good day.

The IZH MP-46M that's been suggested is also very very good but it's a bit unwieldly in my hands. YMMV.

I recently bought a FEG PCP from someone on Armslist and it wasn't exactly as described (should have known!). I wasn't getting the number of rounds per fill as I should have and the pellets were keyholing. It was quite accurate though??? I wanted to find the best"airgun smith" to repair whatever it needed and tune it up. I found the best. He kept me updated on the progress, great communication and he's incredibly intelligent. He posted the process on an airgun forum and it quite interesting to read. If anyone is interested here's the link. I have no monetary or other interest so this is for information purposes only!

http://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=118095.new#new

Thanks for the whole story about fixing your air-pistol.
Instructive!  Mac