Colt M1911 Pistol – A Buyer’s Guide

If you’re looking for an attractive and instantly recognisable replica handgun, then the M1911 has to be on the menu. This month Steph Brooks take a close look at this classic weapon in a buyer’s guide.

The Colt M1911 is one of the enduring pistol designs and is instantly recognisable to anyone who knows about guns, and even to some who don’t, thanks to its prevalence in movies, TV shows and video games. The reason for this love affair with the M1911 is simple. To many Americans it is the pistol that won the Second World War, so its role throughout Hollywood as the hero’s weapon of choice was sealed.

Even in real world applications, the 1911 remains incredibly popular. The Colt M1911 was meant to be replaced with the Beretta M9 in 1986, but due to its popularity it has never been phased out completely, and modern variants of this classic pistol are still used by section of the US navy and Marines.

So, where does that leave us? Well, here in the UK we take quite a different approach to firearms, especially pistols and trying to get your hands on a real 1911 is either going to be very hard or very, very illegal but for those looking to capture some of the feel of holding one of this iconic pistols in air pistol form, there are several options available, particularly in 12g CO2. Let’s have a look at the options below…

Colt M1911 Pistol Replica
The Umarex Legends 1911 is an affordable version of this iconic weapon

3rd Place: Umarex Legends 1911

By far the most affordable 1911 pistol on the site, this German made 1911 feels very sturdy and well made. The slide on the top of the pistol is metal and the whole pistol is moulded around a metal frame, giving great strength and a realistic weight. In fact, picking this pistol up, I was surprised at how good it feels especially compared to other pistols of a similar price. The only downside to the feel was the trigger, which did have some lateral movement straight out of the box.

The pistol also features an under mounted weaver rail, which is a nice touch, and allows for use of a laser or torch to be easily attached to the gun. The pistol also looks great, finished in black. There is not too much writing down the side of the pistol, unlike some other models.

Considering the price, I can’t complain about this too much, but it would have been nice to see more metal involved in the pistol’s construction. More and more guns these days are from polymer or plastic, but the 1911 represents a time when metal was the only viable option, and it would have been nice to see that reflected here.

The 1911 is also a non-blowback semi automatic action. What this means the air pistol will fire as fast as you can pull the trigger but only the hammer will move, not the whole slide. This increases accuracy as well as CO2 efficiency, allowing you to get more shots per refill but I have to say, the Legends is not going to win any target shooting competitions, as it is smooth bore. A blowback action would have been quite nice to give a bit more realism.

Pros : 

+ Low price
+ Overall good build quality
+ High shot count
+ Weaver rail

Cons :

– Main body is plastic
– Non Blowback
– Smoothbore barrel

2nd Place: Remington P-1911 RAC

Remington P-1911 Air Pistol
Remington P-1911 RAC

Remington are a well known and well respected brand that have been manufacturing high quality airguns for many years and their take on the world famous pistol is one of the best on the market. Straight out of the box the care an attention to detail is obvious. Full metal, big plus from me there, and the finish is excellent. It’s almost like a power coat over the top of the metal giving it a suitably dull, gun metal colour. It just looks great… except for one thing.

For some reason plastered down side of the slide is a big warning saying you must read the manual, don’t point it at your face blah blah blah. It seems so insulting to be to put that on there, like the automatic assumption is the person shooting the gun is going to be either a criminal or a child. If you are old enough to buy the gun you are old enough to know better, so next time Remington, just put it in the manual instead please, it’s ugly.

The gun is smooth bore and fires 4.5mm BBs, with a realistic semi automatic blowback action, kicking the slide back and making the pistol feel powerful. If you are looking for a fun and capable pistol, the Remington M-1911 is great choice although the smoothbore barrel and 4.5mm BB ammunition limit its use for much else. The pistol is also pretty limited in terms of offering accessories, as it has no rail to speak of which is a shame.

The Remington is also quite Co2 hungry thanks to its blowback action getting you around 40-45 shots on a good day, and less if its cold, meaning you will be having to change CO2 capsule after every 2 magazines, if you are planning on using the pistol a lot that may be something to bear in mind when shooting.

Pros : 

+ Full metal
+ Powerful blowback action
+Great finish
+18 round magazine

Cons :

-Ugly writing
– Gas hungry
– No accessory rail

1st Place: Umarex Colt 1911 A1 Government

Colt 1911 A1 Government Replica Handgun
Umarex Colt 1911 A1 Government

Made by Umarex and licensed by Colt, this pistol looks about as close to the real thing as any of us are likely to see with the all black version in particular looking absolutely fantastic. This version of the 1911 is pellet firing and fully rifled and so is suitable for target shooting, unlike the others mentioned. It is also non blowback and while I would normally say this is a downside in BB firing models, when it comes to the A1 with its fully rifled barrel, accuracy is one of the main selling points of the pistol. Minimal recoil is the name of the game.

Adding to this accuracy is the power of the pistol, shooting at around 2.5 ft/lbs it is around double the power of other 1911’s you can buy leading to flatter trajectories and better range. Pellets have better aerodynamics than BBs anyway and are far less likely to ricochet, meaning that you are more likely to be able to be allowed to shoot them down your local airgun club.

The build quality of this pistol is again fantastic and the overall weight and feel is spot on, finding a balance between not feeling too “toy like” and being too heavy to aim properly. The trigger in particular on this model is great, solid and robust without being clunky or imprecise.

The trigger is double action although the hammer can be cocked by hand for a single action shot making the trigger lighter. I found this to be the best way of shooting the pistol and was happily putting pellet after pellet thought the gun with no problems. The grouping was quite good at ranges of around 10m and with my tin of ProShot Practice pellets I was having great fun.

The Colt 1911 A1 features standard Umarex 8 round rotary magazine that is seated inside the main slide which is maybe not as many shots as other pistols, these type of rotary magazines have been around for many years and are unlikely to go wrong.

Pros : 

+ Accurate shooting
+ Pellet firing
+ Great build quality
+ Reliability

Cons :

– Only 8 shot magazine
– More expensive than others
– No accessory rail

Conclusions

 

There you have it, the 3 best 1911 air pistols available on the market today. Hopefully with this guide you can pick which one is for you. For all the latest news and product reviews keep checking our blog here at Pellpax.

Brand Focus : Gerber Gear

Gerber Multitools and Knives
Gerber Gear Logo

This month’s brand focus takes a closer look at US blade and multitool makers, Gerber. 

Gerber were founded in 1939 in Portland, Oregon, on America’s west coast. Here, the frontier spirit called for a range of knives that were capable of roughing it in the wild, and although that’s what Gerber eventually became, it started off as something entirely different.

Joe Gerber’s family owned an advertising company, and, as an offshoot of their promotional business, began giving away kitchen knives to potential clients. The knives were of such good quality and so well received, that demand for the knives grew faster than the advertising work. And so Gerber Legendary Blades was born.

Now just operating under the Gerber name, the company has grown from strength to strength, and is now one of the most recognisable names in the industry.

Gerber have some truly prestigious names working for them at one time or another, including the late great Bob Loveless, one of the most innovative modern knife designers, who designed and popularised many modern knife-making methods. Loveless is famed for saying that he would not pay $3,000 for a knife “if it were autographed by Jesus Christ himself”, and so worked closely with Gerber to create blades that were both effective and affordable.

The partnership between the two was a huge success, and, in 1966, the company had to relocate to a much bigger factory to help keep up with demand. The company is now owned by Fiskars of Finland, and supplies a variety of products – not just knives – to suppliers throughout the world.

Lets have a look at some of their products below :

Gerber Zip Hex

Designed to be small and compact, but still extremely useful, the Zip Hex features five of the most common hex fittings used in all sorts of equipment. Bikes, boards, skis, ATV’s … they all need repairing from time to time; and when they do, the Zip Hex is your best friend.

What I really like about this little tool is the quick release clip that allows you to quickly grab the Hex when you need it. And when you don’t, you can just attach it back onto your belt loop or bag, and the tool is so light, you don’t notice it.

Gerber Paraframe II

lightweight, stainless steel design : the Gerber Paraframe 2
The Gerber Paraframe II does not compromise

This is a slightly larger version of the classic Paraframe knife, and the name of the game here is lightness. Since the skeleton handle of the Gerber Paraframe II is made from steel, the lightness is not compromising strength.

The knife has a little stud on the blade, which is a fantastic little feature, as it means the knife can be opened and shut easily with one hand, even with thick winter gloves on. The knife is available in various sizes, and with either a straight edge or serrated/straight edge combo. I myself prefer the serrated version, because it’s more versatile, and with the larger knife, there’s more blade to fit in.

Gerber Gator Machete

The Gerber Gator Machete is an intimidating piece of kit that’s designed for clearing large swathes of land of any kind of vegetation. The Gator is well balanced in the hands, and features texturing on the handle that’s meant to be reminiscent of an alligator’s scales, hence the name; how much it does, I don’t know, but it does give a good grip in the hands for an assured swing.

The back of the blade is a serrated sawtooth, which means there is actually very little that the Gator can’t get through. Comes with a surprisingly nice sheath as well.

Gerber Fixed Blade DP – SE

One of my all-time favourite knives from Gerber, this little knife is just so tough. Again, it has the serrated/straight edge combo and features an incredible full tang construction; most of the knife is just one piece of metal. This makes it strong, rigid, and, most importantly, easily manoeuvrable.

The Gerber Fixed Blade DP – SE also has a large cut-out for the fore finger, aiding precision, whilst the yak hide texturing on the handle ensures a secure hold, even in wet conditions. The 3.3-inch blade is titanium nitride coated, which, after some Googling, is an extremely hard ceramic metal that’s over two-and-a-half times harder than steel itself, so you can expect that cutting edge to last.

Check out our full range of Gerber Gear here. And to experience more of the brand, head to our Gerber Knives  & Multitools collections page. 

Face Off : Walther CP99 Special Agent vs Gamo GF MP9

The Walther CP99 is an iconic and robust air pistol

This month, Steph Brooks takes a closer look at two very special air pistols…..

We have 2 new air pistols to test in the office today, the Gamo GF MP9 Carbine and the Wather CP99 Special Agent. Two 177 air pistols designed for target shooting and plinking. Both air pistols use 12g CO2 capsules for maximum effectiveness and to power their semi automatic action. Both pistols are also inexpensive, with the CP99 costing £129.99 and the Gamo costing £20 more, ideal for a practice gun and certainly not going to break the bank.

Looks

The Gamo pistol is made to a tactical, almost sub-machine gun design, whereas the Walther is more of a classic tactical side arm design. Both are modern and reminiscent of something an the bad guy would carry during the opening of an Arnie movie. The Gamo in particular comes with multiple rails, a folding skeleton sock and a silencer making this gun in particular perfect for crawling through the jungle.

The Walther is more of a standard pistol shape with a textured finger grip that is finished in a Olive Drab military style colour, which looks suitably tough. The slide and front end of the gun look great and there is even an under mounted rail that is perfect for lasers and torches, although the gun lacks the serious customisation available on the Gamo pistol. The downside is the words “Special Agent” that are printed down the slide and would seem like a bad idea to have on your gun, especially if you are actually a special agent. Maybe it’s in case you forget? The large safety switch is also quite ugly and detracts from the likeness the gun has for the P99, the pistol’s live firing cousin. But having said that, I definitely prefer the classic pistol shape and with Gamo’s over use of plastic I’m going to have to give this one to the Walther.

Winner : Gamo GF MP9

Handling

When handling the guns the guns, it’s apparent that there is a difference in weight between them. The Gamo weighs in at around 1.3kg, quite a lot for a target air pistol, where as the Walther comes in just shy of the 750g mark, nearly half the weight. Both are a majority of polymer around a metal frame with the Walther also having a metal combo slide for added reliability.

Both are built around a metal frame, but the Gamo does have a lot of plastic on the outside, even when taking the price into account. The Gamo is also advertised as a blowback, but nothing actually moves on the outside of the gun when it is fired. You here the blowback and more importantly, you feel it, but it would have been nice to see something visual on the outside. The Walther has a split slide that is made of metal and feels chunky and robust in your hands, giving it the edge here.

Winner : Walther CP99

Shooting

Both are CO2 pistols and shoot hovering around the 2 ft/lb mark. The Gamo comes in at 2.11 ft/lbs, with the Walther maxing in at 1.99 ft/lbs. Not much difference in power at all, but it does limit the use of these pistol to strictly target shooting or plinking, neither are anywhere near powerful enough to be suitable for pest control. It would be excellent if they made a semi automatic capable of it, but to my knowledge one doesn’t exist yet. If you are listening SMK… there is a gap in the market.

The Walther exclusively shoots .177 pellets where as the Gamo is advertised as being able to shoot both .177 pellets and 4.5mm BBs. The Gamo is also advertised as having a rifled barrel though and I imagine firing 4.5mm BBs down a rifled barrel is not much of a good idea, it’s just going to blow the rifling straight out the end. Lead pellets are soft and made to fit the rifled barrels. A steel BB is going to be just as hard as the rifling inside the barrel and is going to wear it down further and further, so I would opt for using only lead pellets in either and the choice to include a BB firing option is somewhat confusing to me. Not much between them to be honest going for a draw here.

Winner : Draw

Conclusion

The winner has got to be the Gamo both are nice pistols and actually pretty similar in terms of power and accuracy. The main deciding difference from me comes from the extra customisability that the Gamo offers, but the better looks of the Walther and its smaller compact size give it the edge in this head to head.

Winner : Walther CP99

Event: The Game Fair, 28-30 July 2017

The 59th Game Fair heads to Hatfield House in Hertfordshire between 28 and 30 July later this year.

With a wide itinerary of events that includes country pursuits, a focus on land and gardens, activities (including archery, 4×4 driving, helicopter flights, debating theatre and much more), it should prove to be a great summer weekend for families and those with a passion for hunting, the countryside and outdoor pursuits.

Gun and Accessories Brands In Attendance

Major gun and accessory brands will be in attendance including Croots, Elderkin & Son, Holland & Holland, Hull Cartridge, Sporting Shooter magazine, Airgun World magazine, Nitesite, and Weihrauch, as well as many others.

The event is sponsored by Subaru, who will be holding all wheel driving demonstrations during the weekend. Visitors will be able to jump aboard a Subaru Forester, Outback or XV, and experience the show’s specially designed off road course, which includes various obstacles and inclines.

The George Digweed Pigeon Challenge

Fieldsports Magazine will be launching the George Digweed Pigeon Challenge, where members of the public will be given the opportunity to beat shooting scores set by two of the best shots out there, on a grouse and pheasant range designed especially for the occasion. Top Gun will take away a special array of prizes, and to enter you simply have to head to their stand.

For animal lovers, there will be various other outdoor pursuits on display including falconry, gundogs, horse and hounds, pugs and fishing.

The event includes camping facilities and you can even enjoy premium eating and drinking facilities by upgrading to a Gold or Platinum package.

You can buy tickets for The Game Fair here. Learn more about the event by heading to their official site. 

New: Zbroia Air Rifles Coming Soon to Pellpax

The Hortensia bolt action sporting rifle up close The Hortitsia bolt action sporting rifle up close

From July this year, Pellpax will be stocking two super new PCP air rifles, both made by the Ukrainian company, Zbroia, based in the city of Kharkov.

Joe Meakin and Ross Mitchell, from Pellpax, visited Badersfield Air Rifle Club in Norfolk with samples of the Hortitsia, made by Zbroia since October 2015, and the Kozak, which first appeared in October 2014. Club members were keen to try them out.

The Kozak side lever model is a bullpup design, which means that the gun’s action is situated behind the trigger, decreasing the rifle’s overall length and weight without compromising the length of the barrel.

Nick Bowen is one of Badersfield’s founding members and has been shooting for 45 years. He immediately took to the Kozak.

“This short rifle is good for manoeuvring among trees. I could shoot all day with that and never get an arm ache. It’s incredibly comfortable – sitting down or standing up.”

The safety catch on the Kozak is positioned on the side of the barrel, where it can be reached and operated without having to lower the rifle from the shoulder. An adjustable cheek piece contributes to sustained comfort and, consequently, accuracy.

Zbroia Kozak

There was a lot of praise for the trigger action on the both the Kozak model and the Hortitsia bolt action sporting rifle. Phil Hurman said of the Hortitsia: “The trigger pull is lovely – very light and sensitive.”

Even though Nick had formed a firm attachment to the Kozak, he liked the Hortitsia too. Having taken a few shots, he said, “It’s nice to hold; well balanced; sensitive trigger.”

Founding member, Pat Gray, who has been shooting since childhood, was impressed with the smooth insertion of the probe into the magazine, describing it as “crisp and clean”. He remarked on the quietness of the rifles. Joe explained that both models include an integrated barrel shroud for very effective silencing.

Ross tests out his XS20 air rifle

The design criteria of these two rifles are accuracy, quality, reliability, and ergonomics, which, between them, just about encompass every possible area of exceptional performance.

Not everyone, of course, is looking for the same qualities in a product, and therefore the Zbroias won’t fit the bill for everyone.

But when it comes to ergonomics, these two rifles – each with an easy magazine drop-in, sensitive trigger, relatively light weight, and smooth probe engagement – are champs. Both the Hortitsia and the Kozak are available in .177 and .22 (4.5 and 5.5) calibre.

The new Zbroia air rifles will be in stock as of July 2017. If you have any questions about them, or about any of our other products, just give us call or contact us via this website.

Club Focus: Badersfield Air Rifle Club

This month, our intrepid reporter Hazel Randall visited a local shooting club close to the Pellpax HQ. This is her report on the friendly and welcoming atmosphere at Badersfield Air Rifle Club.

The grounds of RAF Coltishall, now known as Badersfield

On a sunny Sunday afternoon, along with Joe Meakin and Ross Mitchell from Pellpax, I visited Badersfield Air Rifle Club, located on the old RAF Coltishall air base in Norfolk.   

After its closure, RAF Coltishall, which operated from 1938 to 2006, was renamed Badersfield as a tribute to Sir Douglas Bader, one of the most famous and respected airmen of all time, who lost both legs in a crash when he was just 21 years old. Bader was stationed here during WW2, but was captured by the Germans in 1941 after bailing out over occupied France. The 1956 feature film, Reach for the Sky, based on the biography by Paul Brickhill and starring Kenneth More, was a box office hit, and in the 1976 Queen’s Birthday Honours, Bader was appointed a Knight Bachelor for ‘services to disabled people’.

Foundations

Badersfield Air Rifle Club was founded in 2013 by Pat Gray. Paying for the development out of his own pocket, Pat, with help from friends and family, worked hard on the site, which had run wild during seven years of neglect. He described the clean-up operation.

“First we had to clear away the vegetation and level the ground. I hired an excavator and got a professional tree surgeon in to deal with the larger trees. The site had to be decontaminated by removing all the lead debris.”

The clubhouse is an old RAF building, which blends nicely into its surroundings. With so many of the original military buildings still intact, the RAF Coltishall site is frequently used as a film set. A few hundred meters from the club stands an old American ambulance; and apparently it’s not unusual to witness a car chase or a simulated shoot-out.

One our our staff, Ross Mitchell, tests out his Hortitsia at the range.

Dedicated Members

Badersfield Air Rifle Club began with 15 members and has grown to a membership of 53. The site is maintained by dedicated club members who have, bit by bit, added facilities and made this a really nice club to belong to. One of the latest additions is flood lighting.

“We’re hoping to introduce regular evening sessions soon,” Pat told me.

There are two ranges at Badersfield – the indoor 35-meter range and the long range, where targets stand at varying distances up to 50 meters. To make life interesting, the targets are of different types, including knock-down targets, paper square targets, and spinners; and every now and then there’s the tinkle of a bell target being hit.

Two of the club’s founding members are father and son, Peter and Nick Bowen.

Founding member, Nick Bowen, pictured.

“Dad’s 88,” Nick Bowen told me, “The oldest member of the club. He did his national service in the RAF and he’s one of the few people left who’ve served in an RAF Lancaster crew. He was a wireless operator.”

Nick, who worked for 34 years as a railway engineer, is club ambassador and a keen promoter of disabled shooters. Coping with his own physical disabilities, Nick is acutely aware of the needs of those with limited mobility or dexterity. But he’s also very much aware of the inclusiveness of the sport when it comes to physical ability.

Welcoming Environment

“You could be short, tall, fat, thin, fit, unfit … it makes no difference to shooting. Anyone can do it.”  

Another of Badersfield’s founding members was John Stubley, who was suffering from terminal cancer. John loved shooting, and despite pain and sickness, he continued to take an active part in club life until very shortly before his death. Now, in memory of John, there’s the Stubley Cup, an annual competition held in August and won last year by our very own Pellpax man, Joe Meakin!

Another Pellpax man, Ross Mitchell, is a regular shooter at Badersfield.

“It’s a nice friendly club. When I first went, I didn’t feel like an alien. They treat newcomers the same as long-standing members. The ranges are good, and you can shoot all year round, especially now they’ve got floodlighting. And the weekly competitions and social events are fun – very relaxed.”

Badersfield Air Rifle Club are based at RAF Coltishall, Norwich NR10 5AJ. They can be contacted via Facebook, and on 07885 412 414. New members of all ages are welcome. Having met some of the leading club members, I really can guarantee a warm welcome and a fantastic shooting experience.

Event: Northern Shooting Show 2017

This year’s Northern Shooting Show 2017 will take place Sat 6th-Sun 7th May 2017, at the Yorkshire Event Centre, in Harrowgate. 

In only its second year, the event comes with a host of exhibitors from world of airguns, shotguns, bushcraft, airsoft, gamekeeping and more. It promises to be one of the big events in the shooting and country calendar.

Wide Range of Exhibitors

Many major airgun brands will be at the show, including Airgun brands at the show – Air Arms, Bladetech, Brocock, BSA, Crossman, Daystate, Evanex, FX airguns, Gamo, Hatsan, Hawke, Pulsar, Stoeger, Tesro, Traser, Umarex, Walther, Weihrauch, Webley and more. Meanwhile, the shotgun world will be well-represented with ATA, Armsan, Benelli, Beretta, Browning, & Edmiston, Blaser, , Hatsan,  Remington, Webley & Scott, Winchester and more.

There is also a 6,000 square foot airsoft ‘experience’ area, with lots of top airsoft manufacturers and companies including ASG, Airsoft Action, Airsoft Sniper Parts, Badgertac, Elite Shooting, Halo Mill, Nuprol, UKPSA, Stirling Airsoft & The Grange, with more to be announced.

New Deer Focus Area

This year, there will be a new area dedicated to deer, called Deer Focus, with a big focus on deer management, and educating visitors on the journey from ‘food to fork’. With members of the British Deer Society and BASC on hand, the importance of hunting, and showing people their food comes from will be emphasised. Mike Thornley of BASC will be offering a head & pluck deer gland check demo and Viking Arms will be offering a masterclass in how to shoot the perfect kill shot, with the assistance of a Simway simulator.

British Shooting Target Sprint

The Northern Heat of the British Shooting Target Sprint National Series will be held during the weekend, on site. This air rifle discipline combines target shooting intermittently with sprinting in three 400 meter bursts.

Gorgs Geikie, who is organising the events for the national body that runs the sport, said: “We feel this is an enticing way to get young people into the sport of shooting adding some much needed new blood, aswell as an open environment to welcome back shooting enthusiasts.” This Northern Heat at the show is open to Youths (11-15 years), Juniors (16-20 years) and Seniors (21 & over).

New Hall For 2017

A £12 million hall has been built by Yorkshire Agricultural Society, with 1,000m2 of space, and additional cafe & meeting rooms. This will provide the Show’s exhibitors with ample additional space, making the show considerably bigger.

Tickets for the event start from £10 for adults (under 8s go free) and you get them here.  You can contact the show on 01472 809727 or email them at info@northernshootingshow.co.uk for more information. 

Airgun Pellets: A Guide

This month, we take a look a closer look at airgun pellets. If you’re pondering pellet selection, whether it’s target shooting or hunting on your airgun or air pistol, this is the post to help you choose the right buy…..

a handful of airgun pellets, close up
The correct airgun pellet selection is essential to a good day’s shooting

Pellet Size

The most important choice when it comes to selecting airgun pellets is their calibre. Now, obviously the pellets you choose have to match the calibre of the gun you are firing, but different sizes have different characteristics.

The two main sizes of pellet are .177 (4.5mm) or .22 (5.5mm). The legal limit in the UK for power on air guns is 12ft/lbs for rifles and 6ft/lbs for pistols, and due to the way the law works smaller pellets have to fly faster to meet this limit. This means that .177 pellets achieve much higher velocities than .22 pellets and as such provide flatter trajectories for increased accuracy. Pellets in the .22 calibre fly with more of a looped trajectory, and so they may require slight elevation adjustments, especially at range.

However, the benefit of the .22 pellet is its greater mass. This transfers more energy into the target, essentially increasing the force that the target is hit by. This is important for pest control as it ensures clean one hit kills, as opposed to .177 pellets that can pass straight through the animal due to their smaller size and faster speed.

What this essentially means is that .177 are more suited for target shooting. It is the calibre everyone uses in the Olympics, whilst the .22 is more suited to pest control. There is a calibre in between the two, .20 (5.0mm) which aims to combine the accuracy of a .177 with the power of a .22 and it does do this to some extent. The only downside to a .20 pellet is due to it being a less popular calibre, not as many different kinds are available and some gun shops may not even stock them.

There are also larger calibres available, such as .25 and .303, but in my opinion these are only really worth bothering with if you’re shooting an FAC rifle that is over 12ft/lbs, as the extra mass of the pellet requires more force to push it. These larger pellets are designed for hunting at long ranges and can provide devastating power at the 20-30ft/b range.

Weight plays a similar role as calibre, with heavier pellets being more powerful but sacrificing a little accuracy thanks to having more of a looped trajectory. The pellets weight is measured in grain with 8-10gr being about average for .177 and 15-18gr being about average for .22.

Pellet Shape

The shape of the pellet is almost as important as the size, and there are lots of different styles of pellet available that all perform vary different roles. Choosing the correct style of pellet can effect drastically improve the effectiveness of your shooting.

Flathead or Wadcutter

A varied selection of pellets, in different sizes

These pellets are designed for practice and target shooting and are so shaped to cut clean holes in the target for accurate scoring. The pellets are usually cheap and are available from many different brands. The downside of this shape is that they are less aerodynamic than some of the other types available and will start to tumble at long range. Also thanks to their flat headed shape they are not good for penetration and so not suitable for pest control at all.

Domed

Probably the most common type of pellet available, these pellets feature a domed head and are the jack of all trades in the pellet world combing accuracy and penetration for great all round performance. Suitable for both practice, target shooting and pest control, the domed shape allows air to flow around the pellet more effectively creating less turbulent air behind the fired pellet, for a flatter trajectory.

Because these pellets are some of the most popular designs available, there loads of different pellets to choose from by many different brands such as Air Arms, JSB and ProShot.

Pointed

These pellets feature a pointed tip that is designed to maximise penetration into targets and as such would seem to be the hunters logical choice, however, in practice this is often not the case. The problem with pointed pellets is that any slight damage to the point can drastically affect accuracy, as it greatly effects airflow around the pellet in flight. As pellets are often packed loose in tins, this can happen quite easily, and so, from my experience, most hunters much prefer domed pellets, as the penetration is not that different.

Hollowpoint

These pellets feature either a little gap in the nose or a plastic/metal tip. The idea behind this is when the pellet hits the target either plastic tip or air inside the hollowpoint drives back inside the pellets to aid expansion inside the target, and ensure one hit kills, by creating a much larger wound channel.

The plastic/metal tipped pellets suffer from similar problems to the pointed, in that any slight variation to the way the tip is seated can drastically effect accuracy. For this reason I would personally avoid them for anything other than close range dispatching. Hollow points are more useful for pest control, but you will still find the accuracy dropping off after around 25 metres in most guns. This is simply due to the fact that the shape of the hollowpoint affects the way the air flows around the pellet.

The ‘Skirt’

Some brands of pellets will let you choose what size of skirt the pellets have. This will be displayed as 0.01 differences in the calibre, for example .177 pellets will be marked as 4.51, 4.52, 4.53, etc. The idea behind this is the wider the skirt, the better the seal behind the pellet. This provides a greater pressure behind the pellet forcing it out at greater speed and therefore improving accuracy.

The only trouble that can arise when choosing a larger skirt is that some magazines can be very picky when it comes to accepting pellets. This seems to particularly affect semi automatic weapons such as CO2 powered pistols and Co2 air rifles. I would use 4.5s and 4.51s in these sort of weapons anyway, as they are not designed for pin point precision.

Some of the Best

From my experience shooting air rifles there area few kinds of pellet that stand above the rest in terms of performance, power and quality of manufacture. Bear in mind that  pellets will behave differently in different rifles, even those of the same brand and model. So this is just a guide to what works well in my experience, and for the people I have shot alongside.

Recommended: Air Arms Field

The undisputed kind of domed pellets, the Air Arms pellets are supposedly carefully selected to to provide excellent shot to shot consistency, and even looking at the pellets in the tin, they look very uniform and free from imperfections on the surface. They also allow you to choose skirt size between .51 and .52, which is nice, with the .52 pellets coming out on top.

When it comes to shooting the Air Arms pellets, they really are the jack of all trades and are accurate enough for target shooting and provide significant penetration when it comes to stopping small birds and mammals.

The only downside to these pellets is they are quite pricey, costing between 10 and 13 pounds a tin, with their competitors costing up to 50% less. Also there is only one grain size available, 8.4gr in .177 and 16gr in .22. These are pretty average grain sizes for pellets of this type but it would be nice to have something to choose from, maybe something lighter for faster velocities and more accurate target shooting.

Other domed pellets to consider : JSB Exact Premium, ProShot Precision, Daystate Heavyweight FT

Recommended: Bisley Practice

These are some of the cheapest pellets that money can. But don’t let that put you off, these practice pellets are made to a great standard and feature a classic wadcutter shape to cut clean holes in a paper target, allowing you to see exactly where you have shot. For this reason I think the Bisley practice pellets make a great choice for zeroing scopes in at short range and, well, practising.

These pellets are not going to be that suitable for pest control or anything at long range but for the money I think they make a welcome addition to anyone’s arsenal and save you wasting you more expensive pellets when zeroing up.

Other flatheads to consider : RWS Hobby, H&N Finale Match Light, RWS R10 Match

Recommended: Crosman Piranha

Based on the ever popular Crosman hollow point pellets, the Piranha features a star shaped cut out instead of a standard dome that improves the pellet in two ways. Firstly it enables the hollow point to open out easier and more uniformly upon penetration into the target. This provides quicker expansion and a larger wound channel for quicker and cleaner one shot kills.

The star shape also reduces turbulence around the nose of the pellet for better accuracy. These pellets are never going to be match target winners but when it comes to pest controlling these pellets are absolutely devastating at close to medium range, even at 12ft/lbs.

Other hollow points to consider : H&N Barracuda Hunter, Bisley Pest Control

Check our our full range of airgun pellets here.

Face Off : Rotex RM8 vs Brocock Compatto

Walther Rotex airgun

This month on Face Off, Steph Brooks compares two mid priced PCP rifles – the Walther Rotex RM8 and the new Brocock Compatto.

The RM8 has been on the market for a couple of years now and is often a go to gun for people seeking precision grade accuracy at a reasonable price. The Compatto is very much the new kid on the block with Brocock designing it, and pricing it, to compete with the RM8 and Air Arms S400 range. Lets load up with some Diabolo pellets and compare.

Best Looking Airgun?

The RM8 is definitely the more traditional looking of the rifles, and combines a wood stock that has been expertly crafted by Minelli in Italy. It is a bit cliché to talk about passion and aesthetics when talking about Italian manufacturing, but the stock on this rifle really does look great, with flowing lines and rich staining for great texture. I would however like to see the stock being made from a walnut wood for some even nicer tiger striping.

If the RM8 is a classic Alfa Romeo, the Compatto is a Caterham kit car:  instantly recognisable, functional, lightweight and also great looking if you like that sort of thing. The  stock is closer to a skeleton style, and has a couple of surprises waiting in store.

Brocock's Compatto : A Mid Priced PCP Rifle with great accuracy

The first of which is a small weaver rail mounted under the air bottle, that is suitable for torches and lasers, and a welcome addition to this more tactical looking rifle. The second surprise is the one detraction I have from the stock and that is some pretty prominent mould lines along the stock. This would be something I think you would get over, but it is not something I would expect from a rifle of this price.

Looks are not the most important factor when it it comes to making a decision – It’s all about personality, but you can’t fall in love with personality at first sight. If I was to choose between them I would personally go for the Rotex, as I prefer the traditional style over tactical designs and Brocock’s designs of late have not been to my personal taste. The Compatto does however looks miles better than its ugly sister the Bantam.

Winner : RM8

Gun Handling

Despite losing the looks battle, the Compatto handles absolutely fantastically, and weighs a shade under 3 kilos for exceptional control when shooting, something that is often underestimated by shooters. People often think accuracy is solely down to the barrel and pellet choice, but how the rifle sits in your hands is almost as important as these factors.

The Compatto also features a generous thumbhole shape that provides exceptional control over over grip, and the textured stock is super sticky in the hands, making this rifle perfect for outdoor use, even in the driving rain. Another great thing about the Compatto is that the weight of the rifle is concentrated towards the back of the stock, allowing you put that weight into your shoulder so your lead hand can focus on aiming, rather than holding the gun up.

The RM8 is much more front heavy than the Compatto and despite being of similar weight, it actually feels heavier, because your lead arm is trying to carry the rifle and aim at the same time. Neither are as heavy as the Weihrauch and neither are hard to handle, but after a day’s shooting, the Compatto is going to be easier to handle and more precise to aim with.

The bolt and magazine on the Brocock are outstanding, truly some of the best features on the gun. The bolt is both easy to cock and feels robust, with no hesitation in the mechanism. The Compatto also features a 10 round magazine that is primarily metal, and feels strong and robust  – it never faltered during testing. The magazine also features a red dot that will tell you when you are empty. The bolt action on the RM8 also features a smooth action, although the bolt is not as nice as the Brocock, and the magazine holds just 8 shots instead of 10.

Clear winner this one, the Walther is no slouch but the Compatto is one of the nicest shooting rifles I’ve ever tested under £1000, and it is way under. The action is slick and the great weight distribution makes this rifle a real joy to shoot.

Winner : Compatto

The Important Bit

Both rifles were in .177 calibre and were tested using Air Arms 4.52 pellets. Both rifles are advertised as full power, but the Rotex was pulling around 11.5ft/lbs with an average fps of 786 exactly. The Compatto shot at an average of 788fps for a ft/lbs of 11.58. Not much difference between them to be honest and both are about as powerful as I expected.

Side Note : Although the legal limit is 12ft/lbs, no manufacturer will push this with mid sized pellets because if I was then to put in some heavier grain pellets the rifle would be shooting over the legal limit, so 11ft/lbs with Air Arms field is not bad.

It’s worth noting that the Compatto had a difference of around 16fps between its fastest and slowest shots, which is more than I would expect, especially with pellets as consistent as this. The Rotex shot with a maximum difference of 7 fps, which is much more in line with what I was expecting. Reports online state that Compatto doesn’t like taking light pellets, so I decided to move up to heavier Daystate Field Target pellets that weigh 10.25 grains and the deviation between shots dropped to around 4fps. Interesting…

It was brought to my attention that because the Compatto is unregulated that this may be because the Compatto was getting into its so called “sweet spot” where the amount of air being let through is perfect for the pellet being used. However, the Rotex is also unregulated and didn’t produce the same level of deviation between shots. After some experimentation I found that filling the bottle at around 150 bar lead to me to get off around 45 shots that were right on the button, more than enough for a day’s hunting. Having spoken to Brocock, the good news is that a regulated version of the Compatto is on the way.

The RM8 also has a sweet spot of between 180 – 120 bar, with very little deviation between shots. This offers a similar number of optimal shots to the Compatto.

The Compatto comes with a Hugget silencer in the complete kit, which reduces the noise levels drastically. The RM8 doesn’t come with a silencer but is fitted with a 1/2” UNF thread and features a thicker wooden stock that actually does a good job of muffling the sound of the shot. Both would be more than serviceable for hunting but the fact that the Brocock can come fitted with a silencer gives it the edge in noise reduction.

Winner : Compatto

Ownership

There is a difference in the price of these air weapons with the RM8 coming in at £430, and the Compatto weighing in at the best part of £600. This is a significant difference between the rifles and although the performance from the Compatto is undoubtedly ahead, whether is that far ahead is a matter of debate. Part of this maybe due to the fact that the Compatto is a relatively new rifle where as the RM8 is a few years old at this point.

I have hear some reports of RM8s also leaking occasionally. Now the one I tested had no problems, and I know a couple of people who own the .22 version, who also confirmed they had no complaints. The Compatto has a fairly good reputation amongst air gunners, with very few problems, but again this might be down to it being a new rifle, with any problems in the manufacturing  yet to surface due to there simply being less of them around.

I honestly think the RM8s are better value for money, but which would I rather own? Taking everything into consideration I would choose the Compatto, as the rifle I’d have but I might wait and hold out for the possible regulated version in the future depending on price, and depending on whether it ever reaches production.

Winner : Compatto

You can grab the Walther Rotex RM8 here, and the Brocock Compatto here.You can also learn more about Walther here, and discover more about the Brocock brand here. 

The Big Interview: Peter Glenser (BASC)

Peter demonstrates his BASC credentials with some hunting

This month, I spoke to Peter Glenser, Chairman of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), and regular contributor to The Shooting Gazette and other shooting publications. Often referred to as the UK’s leading firearms barrister, Peter plays a major role in firearm legislation, education, and recreation. 

He has been described as one of the most respected and trusted defence barristers in cases involving firearms.  Fifty-three-year-old Peter Glenser studied Law at the University of Southampton and qualified as a barrister in 1993. With personal experience of firearms and the countryside, he was soon acknowledged as an authority in this area of law.

I asked Peter if he’d had a job before entering the legal profession.

“Several and varied; I worked in sales and property and a few other things whilst I thought about what to do with my life. I spent a very enjoyable season working in Val d’Isère, in the French Alps, doing all sorts of stuff like cleaning, cooking, and maintenance, in exchange for a free ski pass. When I came back, I got a job working for a solicitor and decided my future was in law.”

Starting At The BASC

Peter was elected onto the BASC council in 2009, and has been chairman since May 2016.

Peter out in the countryside

“I became involved through the firearms department, which is staffed by experts in firearms and firearm law. Its purpose is to advise government, to advise and assist police forces, and, of course, to offer first-rate firearms advice to BASC members. Last year was a record for the department in that it dealt with more than 10,000 enquiries from members for assistance. That demand shows no sign of abating, but is evidence that members value the service. BASC is the only organisation in the UK that provides a team of full-time staff to deal with firearms enquiries.”

BASC began life in 1908 as the Wildfowlers’ Association of Great Britain and Ireland (WAGBI), to help and defend wildfowling – both as a profession and a sport. In 1981, WAGBI took on the role of being a single representative body for shooting sports, and the name was changed to the British Association for Shooting and Conservation.

Peter explained what the BASC does:

“Our job is to ensure balanced comment in the media, continued opportunities to go shooting, all-party backing for shooting, a strong and unified voice for shooting, and it ensures that high standards are maintained.”

Hunting

Peter is a quarry shooter (“No, I don’t think I’ve ever entered a target-shooting completion…”). A keen deerstalker and grouse shooter, he’s also rather useful in the kitchen. His culinary inspiration comes from his sister, Helen (“a serious foodie”), and his good friend, the UK’s most prominent game chef, Mike Robinson. Mike was recently named as BASC’s first food ambassador.

“I’m very keen on cooking with venison – ounce for ounce it has less fat than a skinned chicken breast, so we tend to have venison spaghetti bolognese, venison meatballs, venison en croûte, venison steaks … It’s full of B vitamins, zinc, iron, selenium, omega 3 … Basically, it’s a really healthy food!”

Peter’s shooting companion is Finn, an eight-year-old liver-coloured, flat-coated retriever, described by his master as “the worst-behaved dog in history”, yet “a tireless and enthusiastic worker – when he puts his mind to it”.

Although Finn has been known to display flashes of brilliance in his work, he is easily distracted by the ladies of his species.

“He prefers chercher les femmes to finding the pheasants! And he’s not above having a dominance competition with other males; as a result, he’s not always welcomed enthusiastically at driven shoots. He’s also a bit of a thief.”

Finn’s favourite lady is a lurcher called Twiglet, who belongs to Georgia, Peter’s teenage daughter. There’s no doubt, however, about who is top dog in this relationship. “The sad truth is that she outsmarts him most of the time!”

So how and when did Peter get into shooting?

“I was introduced to shooting at school. I loved it. I belonged to the Sea Scouts and then the CCF, and a passion for shooting in all its forms probably started there. This is why I am so keen to develop schemes that get youngsters shooting from an early age. Last summer, BASC provided a coaching line at the Essex International Scout and Girl Guide Jamboree. We coached almost 6,000 youngsters to shoot clays, and it was just so rewarding to see them queuing at the gates. It was the most popular event at the Jamboree, and proof that shooting can engage young minds if you can get it in front of them.”

Favourite Guns

As a child, was Peter allowed his own gun?

“I badgered my parents for an air rifle, but they were initially reluctant to let me have one. Anyway, I suppose it must have been apparent my interest wasn’t going to wane. They eventually let me have my first air rifle when I was about 12 – a Webley Hawk Mk II.”

Does Peter have a favourite gun?

“My favourite shotgun is the Scottish Round Action – so a Dickson or a McKay Brown. I’d love either! I’m lucky enough to own my favourite rifle – a Rigby .275. ”

Finally, I asked Peter about his proudest shooting moment. There was no hesitation.

“It was when my daughter, Georgia, shot her first grouse. She was twelve, and we were walking up at Dorback in Inverness-shire. It was the first time she’d been allowed cartridges rather than just carrying an empty .410, and the bird is now stuffed and has pride of place at home.”

To learn more about the work of the BASC, head to their official website.