Backyard pistol

Hello. I've done a lot of backyard varminting over the years with my HW97. But it's getting built up around here and while my property is wooded it seemed to me that prowling around with something the same size as a .30/06 might arouse the new neighbors. I can't discharge a firearm here anymore so CB caps are out of the question.

So.... I'm thinking about an air pistol. I'm looking for something powerful and accurate enough to dispatch starlings, English sparrows, chipmunks and red squirrels within 25 yards or so. I want no part of anything made in China so that narrows the field considerably and I'd like to keep it under $500. I'm not really interested in precharged guns and needing compressors etc. Also not too keen on buy CO2 cartridges either. The HW45 in .177 caught my eye but, of course, they're out of stock everywhere. Not even sure if that would have been a good choice.

I'm looking for suggestions on an accurate and powerful spring piston or pump up. I still do OK with a K22 and iron sights so this air pistol would not wear a scope. Anyone? Thanks.

On the inexpensive side the Crossman 1377 or 1322 would serve you well.
Closer to your high end price I'd highly suggest the Beeman P-1

The less it looks like a firearm the better if you have skittish neighbors.
The 1377 would probably serve you well if you can handle the lousy balance and low quality sights.
Personally after owning a 1377 for awhile I got the modding bug and turned it into a custom .22 carbine. Didn't take long to put a lot of cash into getting what I really wanted to begin with. A light compact gun capable of humane hunting of small game as well as getting rid of pests.
With the 24" barrel I put on it there was no need for a moderator, its very quiet unless pumped to the max.

Look into Crosman's custom shop pistol builds, either as pistol or carbine form. You can get what you want much cheaper that way than doing it yourself. They sometimes have specials as well.

Another option are the entry level target model pistols. These are not as expensive as you might think and have just enough power for knocking down birds. On the upside some don't really look like a real pistol at all.

PS
Be careful not to damage a neighbors siding or auto windows. Pellets carry energy further than you might think and even airsoft plastic BBs can break storm door glass.
Old brittle vinyl siding breaks away fairly easily leaving large noticeable holes.

Ever since I discovered them, many years back, I have been a big fan of the Aguila Super Colibri .22 ammo.
https://www.aguilaammo.com/ammunition/1b220337/
They are primer fired (no powder) with a 20 grain lead bullet....and, because they will not cycle a semi-autos action, were intended for use in a revolver or bolt action firearm. I use them in a dedicated Marlin model 880 bolt gun with an old scope I had laying around. I originally sighted this rifle in my 38 foot long hallway using a couple of phone books (remember those?) as a backstop. Out to 50-70 feet, it will do headshots on squirrels all day long and is quieter than my .22 Benjamin pump-up air rifle. I would sit at my dinning room table, crack the patio door open a bit and snipe the tree-rats outta my bird feeders whenever they showed up. And even if a neighbor was out in their yard, they heard nothing ...... well, unless the varmint ducked and the projectile hit the wooden backstop. Another thought, have you considered a suppressor? Mounting one of those on a .22 bolt gun would handle any critter that came into even a large yard. Let us know what you come up with. :popcorn:

Thanks for the replies. The Beeman P1 or HW45 is probably what I'll be shopping for. I never realized the "Out of stock" panic had spread to air guns also but it makes sense, I guess. An air pistol would be a discreet and effective tool for keeping a little backyard protein in the diet. In the meantime it might be a good idea to see how my K22's shoot with subsonic shorts....:idea:

Heres one I got a sale notice for. Might fill your needs.
https://www.airgundepot.com/diana-rw...LTK2+-+General

Quality make, long barrel, rifle like velocity and accuracy.

I know you wanted a springer or pump up and I get it but I like my Crossman 2240 better than my 1377. Pumping it up makes a lot of noise. I would like a 2240 with a suppressor.

I was shooting it today.

Attachment 283635

Open sights standing offhand 25 feet, 12 shots.

Daisy .22 cal. precision max premium grade flat-nose lead pellets.
For all those pretty words, I think they are just regular plinking fodder. I did not check them in any way.

25 yard shots on chipmunks and red squirrels does not seem humane unless you are a much better shot than me, they have a pretty small vitals area. Others can comment about kill power of .177 vs. .22 out of CO2 handguns, I think the velocity is around 450 fps and it will drop a lot at 25 yards. I don't know that springers or pump ups are much faster.

Tim

Multigunner. Do you know where the RWS Diana pistol is made? If it's not China I may just order it. Gotta check out the Crossman too, Thanks

Edit: I see it has "Made in Germany" stamped on it in one picture I found.

I would say to stick with the HW97 since you said squirrels and chipmunks. Neighbors will have to get used to it, if they ring the Police then it will just be an inconvenience for you that day. (Had Police investigate me a few times with a RWS 48, ALL left after seeing it's just an airgun and nothing else... This included multiple officers and helicopters.). If airguns are legal then stick with the rifle, if it's too heavy then add a HW50 to the stable.

If your just talking about birds and at decent ranges, IZH-46M pistol would fit the bill minus the price limit. If not, Benjamin Marauder pistol BP2220 in .22 would be a nice addition but is PCP and doesn't have sights. I would think the P1 would be inadequate, doesn't have the advertised power to kill the same rodents unless at closer ranges.

If you are mechanically inclined you can make a really fine urban pester based on a 1377/1322 or a 2240. Crosman's .177 barrels have been rather poor recently so you might want to go with the .22. There are good airgun forums where you can learn the customizing tricks and source the parts you need. Mine all have Walther Lothar barrels that I fitted into steel breaches. They also have extended bolt probes, modified ports and valves, trigger work and scopes. You can even order press fit muzzle devices made of polymer that are really effective. I take squirrels, pigeons and starlings with mine, sometimes out to 50 yards. Mine will all shoot into a dime rested at 20 yards. Head shots are the most humane.

Attachment 283788

This started out as a 1322 pistol. Has all the mods mentioned above and a beefed up pump pivot, flat faced piston and adjustable hammer spring. Quiet, powerful and deadly accurate.

Thanks for the replies. I haven't done anything on the pistol front yet but have one more question.......I need a new scope for the HW97. Does anyone know if the Air Force 4X scope is designed to handle springer recoil??

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Cosmic_Charlie

Attachment 283788

This started out as a 1322 pistol. Has all the mods mentioned above and a beefed up pump pivot, flat faced piston and adjustable hammer spring. Quiet, powerful and deadly accurate.

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1377, 1322, 2240 all are good basic platforms to start with. Pump or CO2 have pros and cons. Pump may be noisy but can be varied, also 'holds pressure' over a longer period of time than CO2. But CO2 is certainly convenient! Get one of each and 'plink' away! Strongly recommend the carbine stock as upgrade #1. But be aware, they can be addictive and a money pit!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by doghawg

Thanks for the replies. I haven't done anything on the pistol front yet but have one more question.......I need a new scope for the HW97. Does anyone know if the Air Force 4X scope is designed to handle springer recoil??

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Says it is: https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1016589959

Sorry for the late response. I bought that Air Force scope from Midway and mounted it on my HW97 and thus far am impressed with it. As a testament to the durability of the scope, this one is working fine after Midway shipped it in a soft mailing envelope. It was free shipping so both UPS and USPS had a chance to destroy the package and they gave it a good shot. The scope box was split open and flattened but the scope itself showed no damage. I was just going to send it back and not even bother mounting it but it has been holding zero and adjustments are reliable. I looked on the box and at the scope itself and nowhere did I see the three dreaded words...."Made in China". It probably is but it's better not to know.

Co2 does not work well in colt temps up north.

I have a pair of 1322's I dearly love with the shoulder stocks. They'll shoot. I did put the steel breech on one and an extended barrel. It shoots very well and pretty quietly. I'm not a fan of 17 cal for anything wearing fur. Just does not have the knockdown.
Works great on birds though.

At 20 feet any decent 1322 should put 5 pellets in one ragged hole. That is good enough for small varmints and the occasional larger bird. I just use CPHP's in all my 22's. Its just easier than hunting slightly better performance for one gun testing 10-20 different pellets and weights. I have good stocks of the CPHP's so dont need to worry about running out anytime soon.

I like a small Red Dot sight on mine. It is bare at the moment as I stole the red dot for another project.

My wife's has a laser which works fairly well.

Thing about a 1322 with a shoulder stock is it is utterly configurable. Parts are not that expensive. They are not hard to work on once you understand them. You can turn one into almost anything short of a large game deer rifle.

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I went with a real (not Chinese) Webley Tempest for my back yard gun - not only is it perfect for plinking & pests, I found it to be a good introduction to shooting for my very young Grandsons.

It was issued with plastic fantastic grips, so I carved a set of combat grips from some walnut I had hanging around, looking for a gun to marry.



https://i.imgur.com/jg5NcPtl.jpg

UPDATE.... Hold the phone on that glowing report of the 4X Air Force scope. After 30 rounds the eyepiece assembly just came rattling loose. Don't know if it's a flaw with the scope or Midways shipping. If I tighten it all the way in the scope is out of focus and can't be compensated for with the rear focusing ring. What would be the lock ring on a normal scope appears to be married to the eyepiece.

Edit: The Simmons 4X12 pro-air scope that was on the HW97 for years is currently at the Bushnell repair shop. Maybe....

Have you thought about a slingshot and lead ball?

With some practice, you can put a whooping on anything inside of 30 yards, I use 490 round ball from a lee mold, powdercoated so I don't have to handle raw lead.

If you've got enough distance shooting them at pots and pans at a hundred yards is doable.
The animals jump when you make that noise and it is good practice.





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Just took a pidgeon with my heavily modded 1322 this morning, nice clean headshot.