As I mentioned in the basement range thread, I may be converting my 50’ indoor range to air guns, airsoft, and archery rather than replacing the original HVAC equipment.

I know there are outstanding air rifles that are accurate enough for Olympic competition, but I’m not familiar with brands and systems.

For practicing close range holster work, are there good airsoft pistols that reasonably duplicate a Glock, M&P, etc in terms of function?

I don’t have a budget in mind, so don’t hesitate to recommend high end equipment.

Thanks

Replication depends on range and chosen target zone. All airsoft or air pistols are going to lob pellets. If you're going to stick to a 7-yard range, though, that won't be much of a problem.

As for good airsoft pistols, I think rather highly of a 226 copy made by KJW. If they have other models to match the guns you're looking at, they're worth checking out.

These guys have everything and will guide you if you want.

https://www.pyramydair.com/a/A.../Air_pistols/CO2/168

pyramid has lots of stuff but if you are headed to high end stuff there are other people. But to get started the two brands which are very good that I own are hammerli and walther. Both offer very good mid and high range equipment. You have to be a bit discerning in the walther line as they offer some low endish stuff but I have LG400 and its pretty nice.

Glock just started licensing their image for airsoft a couple years or so ago and to the best of my knowledge, only Umarex makes a Glock.

https://www.umarexusa.com/glock

Unfortunately they only make 19&17 sized guns. I would like a 43/43x sized gun for carry practice.

I bought an airsoft copy of a Lone Wolf “Glock” a few years ago but it doesn’t fit in my 19 holsters.

Just a heads up, air rifles still have an odor associated with them. I'm not an expert on what the gasses are, but they stink if you shoot them inside. Even my pump ones (read non CO2) have an odor. Not sure I'd want to be breathing it in.

Depending on the airgun, especially when new, some of the grease used in the compression tube (spring guns) can find its way to the bore and will “diesal”. Basically the instant compression of the air super heats and causes the grease to detonate. This usually burns itself off fairly quickly.

I actually have a decent Airsoft pistol: A Tokyo Mauri H&K USP.

At least I assume it's decent. A buddy of mine that tends to buy higher-end stuff gave it to me. He'd bought it just for the battery--which were apparently hard to come by at the time.

So it needs a battery and charger. I've looked, several times, and only ended-up confused by what's good and what's not. So I did nothing.

quote:

Just a heads up, air rifles still have an odor associated with them.

that one confuses me. I've never noticed any special odor on a PCP gun, and can't imagine what it might be. The air I use and almost everybody else uses comes from a certified breathing air compressor, you know one made to produce high pressure air you can breath to save your life (to the gun via a scba or scuba tank). This is simply not true for those guns.
FWIW>

PCP guns will have no odor. Only spring type guns or possibly Airsoft guns using green gas or propane.

quote:

Originally posted by hrcjon: You have to be a bit discerning in the walther line as they offer some low endish stuff but I have LG400 and its pretty nice.

That looks like a very nice rifle. What's it like shooting those sights with aging eyes? Are they also set up for any kind of standard scope bases?

I have no clue about the included sights, still sitting in a drawer somewhere. Didn't even bother to test if they were something my older eyes can deal with. I mounted a red dot using the std. dovetail and that's how I shoot it. Not exactly the best situation perhaps for olympic practice but a 2moa dot is perfectly acceptable to me in how I use the gun.

quote:

Originally posted by hrcjon: I mounted a red dot using the std. dovetail and that's how I shoot it. Not exactly the best situation perhaps for olympic practice but a 2moa dot is perfectly acceptable to me in how I use the gun.

When you say std, is it Picatinny or the narrower Euro dovetail?

euro dovetail

quote:

Originally posted by MNSIG:
….I know there are outstanding air rifles that are accurate enough for Olympic competition, but I’m not familiar with brands and systems.

I don’t have a budget in mind, so don’t hesitate to recommend high end equipment.

Thanks

11yd (10m) air pistol shooting is an Olympic discipline and a dedication. The goal is to place 60 pellets in the center of a defined target within two hours. Pistols used for this discipline are single shot and are expensive. The sport is focusing on shooting technique rather than equipment. Buying the newest generation of air pistols makes only sense when the shooter feels dedicated to the sport. Compressed air is preferred over CO2. Recommended brands are: Walther, Steyr, Morini, Matchguns and Pardini. Either brand, you are looking at an investment of about $2000.- to $ 2’500.- depending on set up and extras.

I´m shooting a Steyr LP10 of the previous generation. A good entry type pistol one can get for a decent price is the FAS 6004. It´s decent pistol has all the potential it needs and one can participate successfully on a club level. The SIG P210 style air pistol is a FAS 6004 but with a different look. Price range 400 - 600 USD.

^^^^

Thanks!

I should clarify that I have no aspirations to be an Olympic shooter, or anything like it. My point in bringing it up was that it is obviously possible to achieve outstanding accuracy with air guns.

I'm really looking for airguns that come as close as possible to common real personal defense pistols with realistic triggers, short range accuracy, etc. I'm willing to spend some money to avoid buying junk or "toy" replicas.

quote:

Originally posted by OTD:
Compressed air is preferred over CO2. Recommended brands are: Walther, Steyr, Morini, Matchguns and Pardini. Either brand, you are looking at an investment of about $2000.- to $ 2’500.- depending on set up and extras.

Years ago, I was looking into the brands above and the sticker price shock was jarring. I ended up getting this from Pyramid Air, a Baikal IZH 46M for $600-



A single-stroke, single shot pneumatic pump system that fills the cylinder below the barrel with compressed air. Target sights, adjustable trigger, it is a very accurate pistol. At my old house in CA, I used to have a 10 meter setup with a pellet trap, lots of fun. Nowadays, I occasionally use the inside of my garage with a portable trap system at 20 feet.

I understand this particular pistol is no longer available, I think likely due to the Russian embargo

quote:

Originally posted by MNSIG:
^^^^

Thanks!

I should clarify that I have no aspirations to be an Olympic shooter, or anything like it. My point in bringing it up was that it is obviously possible to achieve outstanding accuracy with air guns.

I'm really looking for airguns that come as close as possible to common real personal defense pistols with realistic triggers, short range accuracy, etc. I'm willing to spend some money to avoid buying junk or "toy" replicas.

If your stated goal is to basically mimic the "handling" of a "real" gun then you are looking at Airsoft or C02 replica guns that fire either BBs or pellets.

The Airsoft guns are best for true training as far as handling, mag changes etc. They are however, shooting plastic bbs and although can be more accurate then you would think are not intrinsically all that accurate. For 7 yards draw and shoot, move and shoot etc. they are great.

C02 replicas can look great but typically load differently then the real firearm, may or may not blow back and in my experience have rough triggers because technically they are a DAO type system, unless you cock a hammer or what not. They tend to be more accurate then Airsoft but still not the most accurate of airguns. They also tend to be much louder then you probably think. The C02 pistols have a bark to them. Not .22LR loud but pretty loud.

Moving into single stroke pneumatic or spring airguns you are leaving the realm of replica/ability to mimic a real firearm. You gain exceptional accuracy however (with practice of course).

As mentioned above the SIG ASP Super Target air pistol is based on the FAS 6004 and can be VERY accurate. Its trigger is not as good as the FAS. It does however feel more like a real SIG P210 or if you will a regular firearm.

All that useless information, I suggest you get your feet wet with a quality Airsoft replica. Even good ones are not SUPER expensive and they can be shockingly realistic. So much so that it can be hard for a gun guy to tell the difference without really paying attention.

If you go Airsoft build a trap to slow the bb down capture it so to speak (box full of towels etc.) because those little bastards will go everywhere.

Also I am sure this goes without saying but ANY of these options are real enough to scare a normal person and some of them are so real looking any practical person would shoot you if you aimed at them. So treat them as real guns not to mention the fact they do expel a projectile that can cause injury. Also wear glasses when shooting, as a bounce back is not out of the question.

Enjoy, shoot safe and have fun.

I bought a hammerli pistol and a walther rile both PCP, olympic training quality, not actual olympic quality. I have about $1500 invested not counting the optics. My goal was to work on my absolute accuracy shooting. I use an aimpoint red dot and the gun is more accurate than the dot and the triggers are simply stunning. You will fix whatever problems you have on hold with a high quality air gun. For the more realistic training I have an airsoft M4 (nothing like full auto airsoft for fun), mine is a Umarex and its been pretty solid. I also have a glock umarex and its been fine too. I have a couple of CO2 guns which are fine sometimes, but do not tolerate being cold and that doesn't work for me. The cost of some basic airsoft is low so jump in and see how it works for you. FWIW>

quote:

I understand this particular pistol is no longer available, I think likely due to the Russian embargo

Correct. In my foolishness I passed because Pyramid Air boosted the price from $350 or $450 or something like that, but there was enough ah, "rampant opportunism" surrounding Russia embargoes at the time that I was thoroughly pissed.