13 Best Air Pistols

Air pistol shooting is a popular hobby throughout the world. With cheap, abundant ammunition, you can spend an afternoon plinking with friends for just a few dollars. Like real firearms, there are inexpensive models for beginners, as well as better made models for dedicated shooters.

The best air pistol target shooting models can hit within a tenth of an inch at ten meters, although these are specialized competitive designs that we won’t be talking about today.

More powerful air pistols can also be used for hunting squirrels and some small game. While we wouldn’t recommend shooting anything larger than a rabbit, or further away than twenty yards, these pistols do have their place.

Replica models are even used by military and law enforcement organizations to augment live-fire training. Many basic tasks – drawing, aiming, etc – can be performed on a replica air pistol rather than a true firearm. This increases safety and lowers training costs at the same time.

We’re about to review the most popular air pistols available online. We’ve tried to sample a variety of pistols, from beginner models to hunting pistols to replicas. No matter what your needs, there should be something on this list that scratches that itch.

Let’s get started!

13 Best Air Pistols

1. Daisy Powerline

Daisy may be best known for their air rifles, but this air pistol is as good a value as any of their larger guns. It’s accurate enough to nail a rat at ten yards and fires a .177 metal pellet at up to 500 feet per second. This makes it ideal for pest control.

The tube magazine is located just under the barrel and requires you to hold the spring-loaded follower open while you manually feed the pellets. The CO2 tank is also difficult to replace, and the plastic construction is flimsy. Overall, it’s still a great value, if only because it’s powerful and cheap.

Pros

• Very inexpensive
• High velocity
• Accurate
• Comes with targets, 3 CO2 tubes, BBs, and safety glasses

Cons

• Magazine is awkward to load
• Difficult to change the CO2 tank
• Cheap plastic construction

Why It’s Recommended

The Daisy 985412-442 is the most powerful air pistol available at anywhere near this price. It’s great for pest control.

2. Sig Sauer

The Sig Sauer M17 CO2 Pistol is modeled after the US Army’s M17 pistol. It’s engineered from tan polymer, so it’s not a true replica. Rather, it’s intended to model the feel of the gun and includes realistic blowback action for this purpose.

The CO2 cartridge means you won’t have to cock it between shots, and the 20-round magazine makes it fun for rapid-fire plinking. The magazine has some flaws, though. It seats poorly in the top of the mag well, and you may need to tap or slap it into place. It also doesn’t feed consistently, causing frequent jams.

Pros

• Great for training
• Modeled after the US Army’s M17
• 20-round magazine

Cons

• Jams frequently
• Magazine seats poorly

Why It’s Recommended

The Sig Sauer M17 is a great air pistol for training. It’s also a fun backyard plinker.

3. Glock Gen 3 G19

The Glock Gen 3 G19 is a Glock 19 replica CO2 pistol with a polymer frame that looks and feels like the original. It’s reasonably accurate at 10 yards, but you’re not going to shoot the wings of a gnat with it. While it shoots at a respectable 410 feet per second, it only fires BBs, meaning it’s not useful for shooting anything bigger than a rat.

This pistol was purely designed for plinking and practice. The 15-round magazine is reliable and makes for a fun rapid-fire experience. It’s also a relatively inexpensive pistol.

Pros

• Glock 19 replica
• Durable polymer frame
• 15-round magazine
• Affordable

Cons

• Only fires BBs

Why It’s Recommended

The Glock Gen3 G19 is a fun plinking air pistol that looks like the real thing.

4. Crosman SNR357

The Crosman SNR357 is made to look exactly like a classic “Saturday night special” revolver. It even has full-sized cartridges that look like pistol cartridges, with hollows in the tips that accept .177 caliber pellets or BBs depending on which set you to decide to use that day.

It has a 3-inch barrel and only fires at 320 feet per second. This isn’t powerful enough for varmint shooting, and the accuracy is iffy at best. Still, it’s affordable, and it’s a heck of a lot of fun.

Pros

• Realistic design
• Affordable
• Metal frame
• Classic “Saturday night special” look

Cons

• Not very powerful or accurate

Why It’s Recommended

This is another fun backyard plinker. Don’t count on using it for competitive shooting, but it’s a lot of fun.

5. Crosman American Classic

The Crosman American Classic is one of Crosman’s oldest models. This long-standing design is accurate, although not match-grade, and has low recoil thanks to the pump-up, pneumatic design. You can pump it three or four times for casual plinking, or up to ten times to get the maximum 600 feet per second for varmint shooting.

It fires .177 caliber pellets and is inexpensive. The only real downside is that you need to pump it manually.

Pros

• High velocity
• Affordable
• Variable power
• Accurate

Cons

• Needs to be pumped

Why It’s Recommended

If you’re looking for an affordable target shooting and pest control air pistol that’s equally suited for both purposes, look no further.

6. Crosman Vigilante

The Crosman Vigilante bills itself as a replica of the classic Vigilante six-shooter. It comes close, but the giant “Vigilante” stamped on the side is a dead giveaway. The plates on the grip are also loose and make it feel cheap. That said, you can use it in double-action mode, or pull back the trigger to make it a single-action shooter.

It will accept .177 caliber pellets or BBs and has a tactical rail on top combined with an under-barrel weaver rail. It’s not accurate enough for competitive shooting, but you can still do some short-range pest control with it. The light trigger makes it easy to operate, and the lack of blowback means you’ll easily get 200 shots out of a single CO2 cartridge.

Pros

• Light trigger
• Single or double-action
• Shoots pellets or BBs
• Weaver and tactical rail
• Inexpensive

Cons

• Loose grip
• Not a real replica
• Not very accurate

Why It’s Recommended

The Crosman Vigilante is a great choice for anyone who wants a solid pest control air pistol at a reasonable price.

7. Legends M712

The Umarex M712 is a CO2-operated pistol with realistic blowback action that mimics the recoil of an actual pistol. It’s a replica of the German Mauser pistol, right down to the excessively-large magazine. That magazine is difficult to load because the spring on the follower is twitchy and can suddenly push pellets out by itself when it’s not seated in the gun.

The M712 fires on full automatic. As a result, it’s not the best air pistol for competitive target shooting. It’s also not ideal for pest control since it only fires at 390 feet per second. But it’s fun to shoot.

Pros

• Realistic blowback action
• Modeled on the classic German Mauser pistol
• Fully automatic
• Lots of fun to shoot

Cons

• No practical uses
• Magazine is difficult to load

Why It’s Recommended

This is as close as you’ll come to firing a full-auto pistol without getting arrested.

8. Umarex TDP 45

The Umarex TDP 45 is a bit of an oddball. On the one hand, it’s very accurate and has low recoil. It also has a weaver rail under the barrel so you can mount a flashlight or laser. With those features, you’d think this was designed for experienced shooters.

However, this air pistol is made from cheap plastic, meaning it has limited durability. It also only fires at a middling 410 feet per second, which is okay for close-range varmint shooting, but just barely.

At the end of the day, this is a beginner’s air pistol with a couple of cool extra features. It’s extremely affordable and is powered by a 12-ounce CO2 canister.

Pros

• Accurate
• Very inexpensive
• Under-barrel weaver rail for accessories

Cons

• Cheap plastic body
• No accessories included

Why It’s Recommended

This is a solid beginner air pistol. It’s powerful and accurate enough for short-range shooting.

9. Gamo P-25

The Gamo P-25 is designed specifically for training people to use a real pistol. The blowback action uses a small amount of CO2 to rack the slide every time you fire it, simulating the look and feel of an automatic pistol. This comes at the cost of higher recoil and reduced CO2 efficiency.

The removable magazine is nice and large, big enough to accept 16 pellets easily. Because of the design, it will misfire if you use non-standard skirt pellets, so you may prefer a different air pistol if you like to use a variety of ammo. It has a muzzle velocity of 450 feet per second, enough for close-range varmint shooting.

Pros

• Great for training
• Powerful enough for varmint shooting
• 16-pellet magazine
• Affordable

Cons

• Only accepts standard skirt pellets
• High recoil
• Heavy trigger action

Why It’s Recommended

If you’re training to shoot a real pistol – or training someone else to shoot one – this may be the best CO2 pistol for the job.

10. Beeman P3

The Beeman P3 is a pneumatic air pistol with a gas piston. It cocks with an over lever on the top of the barrel, which makes it sturdier than a pistol with a break barrel design. This lever requires a lot of force to operate, but you only need to cock it once to get full pressure. Because of the gas piston design, you can safely dry-fire this pistol for trigger control practice without damaging anything.

This pistol is accurate to .2” at a distance of 10 yards, making it good enough for competitive shooting. It’s a bit expensive but costs less than what you’ll pay for most air pistols of this quality. It has a durable polymer frame, ordinance steel internal parts, and ships with a tin of Crosman pellets.

Pros

• Low recoil
• Ordinance steel and polymer construction
• Extremely accurate
• Safe to dry-fire
• Comes with a tin of Crosman pellets

Cons

• On the pricier side
• Difficult to cock

Why It’s Recommended

The Beeman P3 is ideal for dedicated target shooters who don’t want to spring for a Cadillac-priced target pistol.

11. Legends Luger

The Crosman C41 is a CO2-powered pistol with a muzzle velocity of 450 feet per second. It’s designed to look like a classic German Luger and has a durable metal frame that will easily stand up to being dropped. The 18-round magazine has plenty of capacity for rapid-fire target shooting or taking repeated shots at an evasive critter.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to load, and the spring sometimes pushes pellets out of the magazine before it’s properly seated. The grip is designed for right-handed shooters, with a thumb indentation on the left side. This is awesome if you’re right-handed, but makes it almost impossible for left-handed shooters to hold comfortably.

Pros

• Powerful and accurate
• Modeled on the iconic World War II Luger pistol
• Durable metal frame
• 18-round magazine

Cons

• Not ambidextrous
• Unreliable magazine

Why It’s Recommended

The Crosman C41 is a nice little varmint pistol. It’s also useful for target shooting.

12. Umarex Colt Defender

The Umarex Colt Defender is CO2-powered and comes at a low, low cost. The all-metal body is durable enough to survive a few drops, and it’s accurate enough to shoot small rodents at ten yards. You’ll want to avoid shooting at larger pests, though; although the muzzle velocity is a relatively high 450 feet per second, this pistol only shoots BBs, which are lighter than pellets and pack less of a punch.

The handle is narrow, which is good for people with small hands but makes it difficult to replace the CO2 cartridge since you don’t have any extra space for maneuvering.

Pros

• High velocity
• All-metal body
• Inexpensive

Cons

• Difficult CO2 cartridge replacement
• Only shoots BBs

Why It’s Recommended

If you’re looking for a barebones air pistol that’s good enough for casual backyard shooting or pest control, the Umarex Colt Defender meets your needs at a low price.

13. Crosman CO2

The Crosman 2240 is a CO2-powered air pistol that’s very accurate. Because this is a popular frame, there are a number of aftermarket accessories available. If you’re using it for target shooting as intended, you’ll definitely want a scope; the factory iron sights are poorly installed.

This air pistol fires .22 caliber pellets at 450 feet per second, giving it enough power to take out rabbits and groundhogs with ease. The bolt action isn’t as fun for plinking as a semi-auto, but it forces you to focus on accuracy and making each shot count, an important skill in competitive shooting.

Pros

• Powerful and accurate
• Fires .22 caliber pellets
• Affordable
• Easy to modify

Cons

• Inaccurate factory sights

Why It’s Recommended

If you’re considering competitive shooting but need to up your game first, the Crosman 2240 is a good stepping-stone to a full-featured match pistol.

Key Considerations

Before deciding, it’s important to understand different air pistol features to know what you’re buying. Especially if you’re a beginning shooter, you’ll want to understand how air pistols work and the appropriate safety precautions to take when you’re shooting.

How Does an Air Pistol Work?

Generally speaking, air pistols all work the same way. Compressed air – or C02 – is used to propel the pellet or BB out of the barrel. But different designs have different ways of doing that. Let’s look at the most common choices.

Break Barrel Air Pistols

Break barrel air pistols used to be the most common type of air pistol. With CO2 becoming more readily available, they’ve become less common than they used to be, but they’re still extremely popular.

These are called break barrel guns because of the way you cock and load them. You hold the grip firmly in one hand, grasp the barrel with the other hand, and push down on the barrel as if you’re trying to snap it off. The barrel separates from the top of the grip – “breaks” – and allows you to load a pellet into the chamber. Simply fold the barrel back up into place and you’re locked, cocked and ready to fire.

When a break barrel air pistol is cocked, a spring-loaded piston is pulled back into place behind the chamber. When you pull the trigger, it releases the piston, which snaps forward.

This compresses the air in the chamber and creates a high-pressure wave that propels the pellet or BB out of the barrel. Because of the simple, spring-loaded design, these guns tend to be inexpensive, but they also have the most recoil.

Some break barrel pistols get around this by using what’s called a “gas ram” design. Instead of a spring-loaded piston, these guns use a container of compressed air.

When you cock them, the air is further compressed, and pulling the trigger returns it to its original pressure, creating the same effect as releasing a spring-loaded piston. These air pistols cost more than spring-piston pistols, but they have lower recoil.

Pneumatic Air Pistols

The most old-fashioned air gun design is a pneumatic design, where you manually pump the gun to compress air in a small reservoir. Pulling the trigger releases this air into the chamber, forcing the pellet or BB out of the barrel. There aren’t many pneumatic air pistols out there. That’s because they’re a pain to prime, and for most people’s purposes, they’re less convenient than break barrel pistols.

The exception to this is, believe it or not, high-end match pistols. We’re talking Olympic-level equipment here. This is because pneumatic pistols have the least recoil of any design. At that level, hundredths of an inch can make the difference between first and second place, so competitive shooters are willing to deal with the headache of pumping their gun up.

Pre-charged Pneumatic (PCP) Air Pistols

These work the same way as pneumatic pistols, but they don’t require you to pump them up. Instead, you fill their reservoir with compressed air – or another gas – from a high-pressure tank like a SCUBA tank. On the one hand, this design allows you to get off several shots before recharging. On the other hand, you can’t carry a SCUBA tank around in the field for refills.

CO2 Air Pistols

CO2 air pistols are typically powered by 12-ounce CO2 canisters. This is a common, simple design found everywhere from cheap beginner pistols to high-end shooting models. Most of the pistols we reviewed use CO2.

Wherever you’re using your CO2 pistol, give it about twenty minutes to adjust to the ambient temperature before you start shooting. If the canister is cooler or warmer than the air, it will have either too little pressure or too much, making your pistol less accurate.

Are Air Pistols Dangerous/Can They Kill You?

Depending on how powerful your air pistol is, it may be able to fire a .177 caliber pellet at over 500 feet per second. Under normal circumstances, that’s not enough to kill a human being. That said, it’s important to take necessary safety precautions.

Why? To begin with, you could shoot your eye out. That’s a very real risk. Shots to the hands or feet can break small bones and even do serious nerve damage. There are also freak fatal shots, like a hit that severs the carotid artery or penetrates through an eye and into the brain.

Handle an air pistol as if it were a real firearm. That means always keep it pointed downrange, and never point it at anything you’re not willing to hit. Remove the magazine, clear the chamber before maintaining it, and never point an air pistol at another person as a joke.

And for goodness’ sake, wear eye protection.

Bottom Line

From cheap beginner models for kids, all the way to pest-control and target-shooting pistols, a wide variety of air pistols are available. Before you buy, you’ll need to carefully weigh your options and ensure the pistol you’re buying has the features you need.

CO2 pistols provide the greatest reliability, but they must acclimate to temperature before you shoot them. This is rarely an issue for target shooting but can be problematic if you need to shoot that rat right now and not in twenty minutes when your CO2 tank has acclimated to the outdoors.

By the same token, break barrel air pistols generally provide longer range and higher power. However, this comes at the expense of accuracy and makes it impossible to take a follow-up shot at whatever vermin you’re hunting.

Finally, you’ll need to take your local regulations into account. While air pistols are legal in most of the US, there are restrictions in some major cities. Similarly, some countries – like the UK – regulate the maximum power of air pistols. Exceeding this limit in these countries requires a firearms license.

No matter what you need, we believe there’s an air pistol on our list that fits the bill. We hope our reviews helped you to make a more informed decision. Check out the OutdoorWorld Reviews homepage more expert information and reviews including air rifles!