Does anyone at GBO use a pellet pistol to help maintain your pistol skills??

[Couger]

Does anyone at GBO use a pellet pitol to help maintain your pistol skills??  Whether indoor shooting or outside?

Thought I'd start a new thread to broach the subject of using such "hanguns" for helping to train and maintain pistol shooting skills.  Hopefully some members here at GBO have experience doing just that, with pellet pistols powerful enough to also keep WITH the survival kit, too!

And those of you who might indeed resort to an "airgun copy" of your centerfire real gun for "regular shooting",  have you really noticed an increase in your skills by shooting a BB or pellet pistol indoors?

Thanks for any comments and input.  

[charles p]

The best pistol shooter I have ever seen was a marine small arms instructor at Camp Lejune, NC around 1990.  He said he practiced in his backyard every day with a pellet pistol.  He could shoot the eyes out of a combat target.  I still remember his name.  He was a Chief Warrant officer named Brown.

[Almtnman]

I practice and maintain my pistol shooting skills with a 22 rimfire. Haven't used a pellet pistol any.

[LabRat2k3]

That is why I got my 1377 originally, well that and because I had one as a kid. I had a 12 yard range in the basement of my house and used it to shoot all winter, or on rainy days. I don't have my house anymore and hadn't even unpacked the pistol until the other day when I started thinking about it as a part of my bug out kit.

[teamnelson]

Got a webley tempest I've used on bullfrogs (3# ers) in the backyard. Now you got me thinking about setting up a range in the garage.

[SteveHawaii]

I use airsoft, BB and pellet pistols in my apartment (when my wife isn't around).  Airsoft is the easier to use, like for fast draw.  I have a little trap that works well.  For the BB and pellets I use an old phone book or stack of newspapers.  One needs to be more careful with these since an errant shot can be damaging to some of your wife's things.  You don't want to go there.  I think any practice improves overall skill.  The more realistic the better.  Replicas are nice.

[pab1]

That is why I got my 1377 originally, well that and because I had one as a kid. I had a 12 yard range in the basement of my house and used it to shoot all winter, or on rainy days.

Same story for me. Had a 1377 when I was a kid and recently bought my son one too. They are very accurate and great for winter indoor practice.

[teamnelson]

Set up some cans in the backyard with two sheets of cardboard as a backstop. Pointed pellets out the webley at 20' went through can and backstop. That'll do nicely on small game.

Does the 1377 handle BBs too?

[LabRat2k3]

The one I had when I was a kid did, It had a magnetic tip on the bolt that would hold them in place until you fired, but I don't know about the new ones. I have only fired pellets in the one I have now. For my indoor range I made my own pellet trap from a shoe box that had a bath towel folded over several times to fit tightly inside then duct taped the top on. I never had a pellet make it all the way through it, your milage may vary, not responsible for any lose, damage, or injury that may occur from using my design.

[Victor3]

 The newer 1377's don't have the magnet so can't use BB's. Wasn't a good practice even on the old ones according to my airgun guy. He says he's seen many of the old ones with wiped out rifling due to BB use.

 There are a few manufacturers who make lead 177 balls. They're large enough in diameter to engage the rifling so are more accurate than steel BB's and don't damage the bore. I recently got some for my Son to use in his new model 1377 since regular pellets jam in the badly designed plastic breech. I bought an aftermarket steel breech I need to install on it.

[Victor3]

 I've never felt that airguns are all that good for most types of handgun training. They're just too different from firearms. Dry fire training with whatever gun you normally use is better IMO. Not as much fun though.

 An exception would be bullseye, free target and similar style training. Problem is, the cost of a suitable accurate airgun with a good trigger can be as much as a similar style firearm.

[bilmac]

I got a Crossman revolver with that idea in mind, and shot it in the basement. I was trying to improve my double action shooting. The trigger was so different that I didn't feel it was gaining me much. Also kind of boring compared to being outside even in bad weather and smelling the powder smoke.

[LabRat2k3]

I don't know. I think that you can work on the fundamentals; sight alignment, breathing, trigger control...no it is not just like a regular pistol but the fundamentals carry over to whatever you are shooting. If you get bored with it switch up your targets make them smaller, or shoot Necco wafers, they are just like tiny clay pigeons. It's not for everyone though, so if it works for you cool, if not that is fine too.

[Almtnman]

While ya'll are doing that practice to refine your shooting skills, you might want to try what I used to have to do on the qualification course as a LEO. We had to take a combat pistol course each year and pass it or get bumped off the job. Part of the course was shooting with your non-dominant hand. Add that to your practice as one day if your dominant hand becomes injured during a confrontation, you might have to use that other hand and hit the target also. It takes a good bit of practice but is well worth the effort.

[teamnelson]

The webley has a nice set of sights on it, so I've use it for sight alignment, sight picture, breathing and trigger. Yeah, not a practical combat trainer, but ... for survival skills I would think basic marksmanship practice would be first priority over cqb, ppc or anything else. Especially if, as the OP suggested, you'll be using an air gun to fill the stew pot.

[SteveHawaii]

Anyone know for sure if the PPK/S is the official NRA youth training pistol.  It's advertised as such:

http://www.airgunsdirect.net/products/bb-pellet-guns/walther-ppks-silver-combo

I shot my friend's once.  Pretty realistic.  Since it's blow-back the CO2 doesn't last long.  A good trainer.

[Victor3]

 I've read elsewhere that the PPK BB pistol is one the NRA uses for youth training. I've only looked at them in the store. They seem a little cheesy to me but I know a couple of guys who have them and say they're loads of fun to shoot.

 Umarex makes a BB Makarov...

http://www.pyramydair.com/p/makarov-co2-air-pistol.shtml

 I've read that they work well, but I'd never own another Umarex product after my experience with one of their replica airguns (CP-88). Mine looked great but it turned out to be a disposable $150 toy that Umarex would neither sell parts for nor repair.

 These are really high quality, but someone found that they could make a real Makarov using of the frame so they promptly stopped importation into the US...

http://www.makarov.com/co2/index.html

 This is mine. Hard to tell it from a real Mak until you look at the small hole at the muzzle. Closer to the real model than any other airgun I've owned. Really neat gun with a rifled barrel that shoots 13 lead balls fairly accurately. Has a lot of poop for a small air pistol and it's all steel except for the grips...

[SteveHawaii]

Cool.  Now I want a Makarov too!  However, I think the PPK/S is a more realistic trainer in that it's all metal and is a blow-back pistol.

[Victor3]

 Yeah, the PPK looks like it's got the edge in the fun department too. 

 If anyone's interested in a single shot for target practice (would be okay for small birds and rats too), this is a nice one...



http://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/HW_40_PCA/47

 I took a few shots with one and did some research on it. I'm gonna get one in 177. Seems very accurate and has good sights. The trigger is what sold me though; about as good as some air pistols I've shot that cost 5x as much. Also, unlike most airguns, there's no movement when it goes off. The gun just stays dead calm in your hand. Pretty quiet too. Lots of plastic but it looks and feels like glass-filled nylon (durable stuff). Only drawback I can see is it's a little awkward to load.

 Looks like a great air pistol for target practice or tossing into a pack (it's only 27 ounces and 9.6" long).

[guzzijohn]

I use a 1377 in my basement and I feel it helps quite a bit. The pistol itself is very accurate but the trigger stinks. After shooting the 1377 and then going to my MkII target or my Blackhawk makes the Ruger triggers feel like smooth silk!
GuzziJohn

[Couger]

Thanks for some great ideas and replies fellas.  I'm going to try and pursue this.



Soory for the late response!  Computer was being serviced and I'm just getting back up to speed.

Many good ideas and suggestions have been shared.  Didn't think any pellet pistols or BB guns could totally substitue for the real deal, but like several others think any practice is beneficial!  Plus wax bullets can be used indoors as well as plastic or rubber boolits fired out of primer-ONLY-powered cases!

Speer offers plastic boolits in .38, .44, and .45 cal.  And plastic cases in .38 and .44.  Even primer-powered the .38 booltis cut wadcutter-type holes in clothing at 15-20 feet.  So be careful!   

[teamnelson]

Got a variety pack of Gamo pellets the other day to test out the differences. From my 500fps Webley Tempest, the heavy flatheads (8.7gr) hit hard, and to point of aim. From my 1000fps Airhawk Elite ... yeah, anything I'd shoot with a 22 short, I'd shoot with that. My neighbors dog started yapping at 0400 this morning ... I was getting up at 0500 for a PT test. I almost tested a new pellet ...

[Couger]

Got a variety pack of Gamo pellets the other day to test out the differences. From my 500fps Webley Tempest, the heavy flatheads (8.7gr) hit hard, and to point of aim. From my 1000fps Airhawk Elite ... yeah, anything I'd shoot with a 22 short, I'd shoot with that. My neighbors dog started yapping at 0400 this morning ... I was getting up at 0500 for a PT test. I almost tested a new pellet ... 

Well,  leaving a welt may be okay as long as it remains less than skin deep!   

I love dogs (like small children!) as long as they're controlled and well-behaved.

[Rock Home Isle]

Plinking with a pellet gun is perfectly appropriate. 

Fun guns to shoot...

[RB1235]

I use one of those battery powered bb guns that shoots plastic bbs. Just shoot flies sitting on the porch. It is good for about 20 yards on cans. Some have plastic gears. This one is metal gears. Really a powerful little toy considering they shoot each other with them. It's pretty good for peppering cats and dogs that don't belong around. Won't break the skin but they act like they are in a yellow jacket nest.

[Rock Home Isle]

I use one of those battery powered bb guns that shoots plastic bbs. Just shoot flies sitting on the porch. It is good for about 20 yards on cans. Some have plastic gears. This one is metal gears. Really a powerful little toy considering they shoot each other with them. It's pretty good for peppering cats and dogs that don't belong around. Won't break the skin but they act like they are in a yellow jacket nest.

Airsoft...My 13 year old has one. Looks like FAL nand shoots a stream of plastic that reaches all the way across the yard.

Amazing painful when you get hit.

[Dweezil]

I use a 1377 in my basement and I feel it helps quite a bit. The pistol itself is very accurate but the trigger stinks. After shooting the 1377 and then going to my MkII target or my Blackhawk makes the Ruger triggers feel like smooth silk!
GuzziJohn

The trigger  on the 1377C is really easy to fix.  Just remove the right grip panel, remove the coil spring (about 1" long) that's attached to a molded pin on the grip frame on the bottom and impinges on the sear on top.  Take that spring to Ace hardware and find a spring of similar, or preferably, slightly longer dimensions but with thinner, weaker wire.  Use it to replace the stock spring.  Makes for a HUGE decrease in trigger pull. You do NOT want to use a shorter spring or the sear won't reset.

[SmokeEater2]

I know this is an older thread but I had been considering a pellet pistol and the 1377 was high on my list already. After reading what you guys had to say about them I looked them up on http://www.pyramydair.com/p/crosman-1377-pump-pistol.shtml  and they have them on sale for $55.95 and the coupon code PYRAMYD-NRA gets another 10% off. 

[teamnelson]

Wow, that sounded high but I just looked it up and I think the 1377 went up pretty recently in price. Sounds like Pyramydair is the way to go! Good shooting!