If you’re a fan of James Bond, you immediately recognize this as the gun that Q supplied Bond with after taking away his tiny Beretta .25 auto- a “lady’s gun,” Q called it. (I don’t think Ian Fleming could get away with that line today!) The Walther PPK is a timeless design, and the progenitor of just about every double-action blowback automatic pistol made since. It’s very accurate, superbly reliable, and the fact that it has been made almost continuously since 1935- that’s 77 years as I write this!- certainly speaks to its status as a classic design.
Umarex has created an extremely realistic looking CO2 powered 15-shot repeater version of the PPK that would fool most viewers if they didn’t spot the CO2 knob at the bose of the grip. It’s an all metal design, with a heft and feel close to the real thing, and it has a very realistic blowback action. This is a superb BB pistol for training someone before putting an actual firearm into their hands, and it’s equally good for basement practice in gun handling and marksmanship.
Amazon has it for under $59
which is a pretty good deal, I think. Unmarex guns are well made and tend to last a long time.
This absolutely excellent ZVP came to me via a reader of this blog who’d come by one and was searching for information on it. (Thanks again!) I’d never seen one with the matching holster. Actually, I haven’t even been able to find a photo of a similar holster with a ZVP, although I have come across a few mentions of a ZVP with a holster. This one may come from Slavia, or from an importer. Construction is very simple- just one folded piece of top-grain cowhide held together with heavy-duty brass fasteners that resemble paper rivets and washers, with slits for a belt to pass through. There’s a circular depression near the top, on the side facing the camera that telegraphs through to the inside- can just make it out in the photo. Curious.
One of the best inexpensive air pistols for the shooter and the tinkerer is the Crosman 2240
. The basic 2240 is a .22 caliber, CO2 powered, bolt action pistol with adjustable sights, suitable for plinking, target, or pest control at short range against small birds, but the same basic gun comes in a wide range of variants, and a lot of customization parts are available from Crosman and aftermarket suppliers. Crosman offers a steel breech assembly with grooves for scope mounting for only $29.95, hand grips, shoulder stocks, different barrels, etc.
One of the more complete suppliers of custom parts is SD Custom Design, who have stocks, grips, muzzle weights and adapters, moderaators, bulk CO2 adapters, trigger springs, breech assemblies… and more. They’re in the UK, but will ship internationally. In the US, Mac 1 airguns have been customizing Crosmans for years (I used to have a Mac modified Mark-II). Mac supplies bulk CO2 kits, an accuracy prep kit (for only $25), a steel breech kit, and longer barrels.
Airgunsmith has custom triggers, sears, power adjusters, springs and folding stocks. RB Grips has grips and stocks for the Crosman and many other guns. No doubt there are a probably a lot more suppliers I have yet to find.
Two very similar pellet pistols. Both are single stroke pneumatics, both have rifled steel barrels, both are recoilless, both have a rail you can mount a scope or red dot sight on, and both have adjustable sights as well. They look very similar, too. But the P3, on top, retails for $270, and the P17, for under $50. What gives?
Both are sold by Beeman, and they share a common design, but the P3 is made by Weirauch in Germany (it’s actually a Weihrauch HW40), and the P17 is an authorized Chinese-made knockoff. Yes, it’s cruder, the trigger isn’t as good as that on the P3/W40, it lacks the fiber optic front sight, it has stamped parts where the P3 has machined ones, and it’s probably not going to last as long. But it’s still a remarkable good value in an accurate pellet pistol. If you’re used to the spray-and-pray CO2 pistols that have a hard time hitting a 12″ target at 10 yards, the P3 will surprise the heck out of you. It’s a great way to get started in bullseye shooting on a budget. And if you want a quality gun that will last a lifetime with care and maintenance, and that will produce near-match accuracy, get the P3.
You can get a P3 for $219.95 plus shipping, here
, and a P17 for $35.99 plus shipping here.
