Air pistols shoot BBs or pellets, and are ideal for target shooting, pest control, backyard plinking, and even self defense. Here's a hands-on review of my favorite picks.
FYI, Prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.
1. Glock 17 - Blowback .177 Air Pistol
Highlight: Feels and acts like the real thing, metal slide, drop-free magazine, blowback action.
Helpful review: I needed something to train new officers when they come on post, and it needs to happen in a classroom. Having a full-size, full-weight CO2-operated copy works like a dream. I train new officers when they come to the site; we must do it in a classroom. The officers arrive on-site licensed and past their qualification course. Our site issues the firearms, and the guns stay on-site in a locker when the officer leaves for the day.
Using this pellet gun as a trainer is a dream come true. We can practice retention, presentation, and proper handing in the training classroom and never worry about live ammo being introduced. My backstops will allow presentation and fire simulation in a safe and controlled environment. This will not replace live fire drills, but we can practice monthly and make corrections on the spot if needed.
This air gun uses a drop-free magazine to practice reloading drills as well. For our purposes, it will work for clearing simulation and storing the gun lock up. I bought a bunch of extra magazines to practice in the classroom, which made that training level happen. To use this in the school, the need for eye protection is the same as the live hire range, and we insist on using hearing protection as well because six of them popping off at the same time, I think, are getting close to hearing damage.
The gun is like the real thing; the polymer lower and steel slide make training realistic. The internal parts are well made, and I am sure this air gun will work forever. The only thing I see wearing out is the O-ring for the CO2 cartridge. To prevent that, all that needs to be done is to put a drop of Prolix on the end of the CO2, which will lube and care for the internals.
Get it from Amazon now: $169.99 & FREE Returns
2. Crosman SNR357 - Snub Nose .177 Revolver
Highlight: Full metal body.
Helpful review: I have some photography models that I use for advertisements who live in very unfriendly gun states and jurisdictions. I can send replica air guns directly to them to put in holsters and create photography and videos.
The Crosman SNR357 looks close enough to the real deal to work for photography work, and it is an all-metal frame gun, so it will not have the shiny plastic look. The build quality of this BB gun is more outstanding than I expected, and I was happily surprised. The grips are made from polymer and look close to the grip or handle of a Glock-style frame.
The calendar will open from a Smith and Wesson looking and operating calendar release. The release is even held in place with a screw, just like the Smith. The calendar opens fully, and the ammo is held within some brass bullet-looking things. The bullets, for lack of a better word, load and extract just like the real thing. The CO2 is pushed into the bullet, and the BB is sent down range. This is pretty dang cool.
I have the talent to draw and fire the air gun in the house into safe and effective bullet traps that will allow the BBs to be reused, so ammo is not a real cost factor. What this does by having such a realistic replication of the firearm is that they have been trained to properly handle it, so when it comes to the photoshoot or video shooting days, we can get right to work.
This revolver replica looks and feels like the real thing in a holster, where most of our photography happens. The gun functions very similarly to the real thing, and as a BB gun, it is incredible at short range. I don't think this will be a hunting gun, for when the world ends, zombies take over, and we all have to shoot squirrels for food. If this is the only way someone has to kill food, they will be starving for a long time.
Get it from Amazon now: $100.99 & FREE Returns
3. Umarex Glock 19X Gen5 .177 Caliber
Highlight: The magazine holds the CO2 and the Pellet Ammo.
Helpful review: I needed to send some props to a model in New York to get some video segments and product placement pictures. Of course, I could not send a real gun into the occupied territories. Still, I could mail a realistic replica air pistol via UPS, and I sent this one through the US Postal Service just to do it.
I needed to send a Glock 19X in Desert Tan. All I had to do was find this on Amazon, and it showed up in a few days; I did some stuff to it, added the frame-mounted light, and had a working replica. The gun with the light fit the custom holster from Cooke's Custom Holster from Stockton, Utah, and off it went in an "if it fits, it ships" box from the USPS.
It's a good thing I was not in love with this air gun, and the folks in New York will not stop playing around with it and won't send it back. As long as it gets folks shooting, even if it is air guns, I am all for it. And suppose it will put one more firearm, even if it is a simulated one, in New York. In that case, I have a personal and childish amount of happiness about that, so they can keep it.
This air pistol sends a BB downrange very fast, over 350 fps. In the real world, a BB will shoot through a soda can and burry into the sheetrock of a new apartment. Now that they know the speed and power of the Glock 19x look alike, I suppose they can learn how to use a couch cushion as a backstop.
The blowback is good, but it cannot perform a full blowback. However, when shooting it, the slide does move, and the sight picture will change as much as expected. This helps to practice front sight reacquisition and target picture. The sights are Glock-style from the factory. A person who starts with this air gun will be familiar and comfortable on the range with a real gun.
Get it from Amazon now: $114.99 & FREE Returns
4. Beretta M92 A1 - Full-Auto .177 Steel BB Gun
Highlight: All metal gun works as semi and full-auto.
Helpful review: I want to work at Umarex because if they make stuff like a full auto Beretta replica in that warehouse at lunch, I wager it is a lot of fun. The engineers at this place must be gun-loving people; this replica is accurate to the most minor point. The frame and barrel are all steel, and the gun feels very authentic in my hand. The accuracy is good, but it is not a target gun by any stretch of the imagination and is not sold as one. Like the original military model, the frame will accept lights or laser sighting.
I enjoy shooting this machine; it is great fun. For target practice, it will fill every need and improve shooting skills for folks who carry a Beretta 92 in the civilian world or even for police and military groups. The lower frame rail will fit any light in the safe, so I can practice deployment and presentation with the light or even a laser if I put one on there.
To the little kid in me, part of this review is that shooting this on full auto has zero practical application for training, but the fun factor is out of this world. The only part I want to improve on the full-auto is putting this action in an SMG-style air gun and letting me shoot more than 18 rounds. If I could load 250 BBs in this unit, I would shoot 250 until I ran out of CO2.
When an air gun uses CO2 to operate the blowback and propellant for the ammo, the little CO2 cartridge will empty quickly. If I could plug this into an air compressor and drop a pick-up tube for BBs in a bucket of ammo, I would shoot until my arms got too tired to hold the gun up.
Get it from Amazon now: $169.99 & FREE Returns
5. Sig Sauer M17 - CO2-Powered Air Pistol
Highlight: Combines well with Sig Air red dot to practice optic target acquisition.
Helpful review: The forward cocking serrations make this an accurate and effective training tool. The air pistol walks and talks like the firearm it is based on. The same physical size and weight of the real gun make using this as a training aid effective and practical.
Sig makes a red dot optic just for this gun. The Sig Air works excellent for training using optic over iron sights. This is one of the few slides that allows for upgrading sights. Most air guns do not have a method to remove or replace the irons, so we are stuck with what comes on the gun. The provided sights are often right on the money for what the gun can do, but this model takes it a step higher.
Using the red dot, I can hit the three-inch center of a target with the entire magazine shooting off-hand, which is impressive. I may go to the red dot on my carry gun if you know me. The red dot for this air pistol is an OK unit. The adjustments and zero keeping leave a little to be desired, but it is made for an air gun, not a combat optic for a firearm, so I am impressed it works as it does.
As with any air gun, the O-rings must be lubed to keep them from drying out or ripping when removing the CO2 cartridges. The rest of the weapon needs to be lubed regularly; think about how this gun works; it blows compressed air into every crevice, including dirt and dust, with every pellet. All I have to do is break it down, use some swabs to clean it out, then hit a few drops of Prolix on everything and put it back together. Also, if someone does not know, do not store the gun with the CO2 cartridge in place; remove them every time so they don't tear the O-ring apart when used the next time.
Get it from Amazon now: $159.99 & FREE Returns
6. Umarex Glock 19 Gen3 .177 Caliber
Highlight: Perfect training tool for new officers.
Helpful review: I can say that the Glock 19 is the most popular gun in the modern world, especially when the company or the department issues the firearm. The size of the Glock 19 and its usability make it a highly desirable issue gun.
If a person has one of these for personal carry or issued to them, using this air gun will improve the handling and accuracy of the shooter. The air gun does not provide a true dry fire feel, and shooting BBs or pellets will never be similar to actual firearm ammo. The weight and size are the same, and all of the levers and sights are the same so that finger dexterity will improve and in a safe manner off of the range.
If someone wanted to get good quality dry fire practice, I would suggest the Strike Man system or the other laser ammo kind of system. This option allows the shooter to use the same holster and practice drawing and firing muscle memory building. This will also help shooters understand clothing options when considering carrying this as a CCW option (or buying a belt to hang the holster off of all day long).
When I was issued a Glock 19, having one to practice with in my backyard beer can range would have been great. Now, I am building a Glock 19 from scratch, and I am considering selling them to let customers buy one to practice at home. The funniest thing I do with this simulated gun is practice point shooting at seven feet away, up to 21 feet, if the CO2 canister has enough pressure left to shoot that far and hit the target.
The one thing that must be stated for anyone thinking about this air gun is the magazines. The supplied magazines will wear quickly unless great care is taken when working with the loading springs. After about 100 BBs, things may start working against the shooter. Umarex will take care of the owner. All I had to do was call them; a replacement was in the mail.
The trigger and safety work and feel very close to the original set-up on the real pistol. There will be no click or setting the safety on or off; just put my finger on the trigger, and this air gun is ready to shoot. The trigger is a little hard to pull. This is standard with air guns as the trigger does not release a lever to let the firing pin forward. It opens an air chamber to release CO2.
Get it from Amazon now: $84.99 & FREE Returns
7. Umarex Steel-Storm - .177 BB Gun
Highlight: Single Shot or Burst Fire.
Helpful review: Talk about a space gun-looking thing. Umarex made this air gun entirely out of plastic. So, to protect it and keep it functional, lube the hell out of this thing. Get out the Prolix, put some drops down the barrel, let it run not the trigger box, lube the sliding parts, lube the magazine, and use a drop or two on the CO2 seal.
The gun will fire full auto out of the box, not burst firing. The modifications needed are elementary, and they even have a YouTube video on how to do them. I will not be using this one for modeling or training; this one is designed to shoot stuff at full auto when I can afford that many CO2 parties. I did the burst fire modification to show folks how the burst works, and for cheap, and in the shop, firing into a cardboard box with an old pillow placed in it.
So far, I have not had a single malfunction. This does not surprise me; I have not reviewed anything from Umarex that did not work above and beyond what I thought it would operate. The fun factor of this BB gun cannot be experienced in print. This gun needs to be shot to have the fun that comes with it. I have to restate the need for lubrication; the plastic-on-plastic parts will wear from friction, which is not the lube's most significant need. The plastic on plastic will create friction, and the gun's functionality will suffer. The plastic will get hot and can swell.
Still, the main issue is that similar materials moving past one another will cause it to gall. Then things will go bad in a hurry, especially on full auto.
Get it from Amazon now: $115.00 & FREE Returns
8. Sig Sauer P365 - CO2-Powered Air Pistol
Highlight: Blowback metal slide.
Helpful review: The Sig Sauer replica air gun is impressive, walks, and looks just like the real thing. The only difference is that one is a gun, and the other is a replica, which is a pretty big difference.
This replica will do everything I need until the camera gets too close when I get a camera that close to show finger placement, etc. When the camera is that close, it can point out that this is a replica, that the finish looks fake, or that it is bogus for a real gun. All I have to do is back the camera up about two feet and then dial in the focus, and everything looks like it should.
The heft of this replica will be about the same as an unloaded pistol, but a fully loaded magazine will add weight to the gun and the way it wears in the holster. If pure training, like a holster maker letting one of these go home with a customer to try on the holster style to see if that is the one for them, the weight will be off from a real gun with a loaded magazine.
So far as the BB function, it works like it is supposed to, but loading the BBs is a pain in the ass. They must be loaded one at a time, which gets tedious, especially for a BB gun. BB guns are made to be shot like a wild man; I think it says so in the bible, by the boring parts, so it will take some looking. Make sure to lube the BBs with a drop of Prolix, so they spread the lube around and do not hang up like a dry plug in a small tube.
Get it from Amazon now: $99.99 & FREE Returns
9. Umarex SA10 - .177 Caliber Pellet/BB Gun
Highlight: Tactical sights and threaded barrel extension.
Helpful review: The SA10 should be a better air gun than it turned out to be; Umarex quality folks must have been on a Covid vacation. This air gun starts like a hammer and is so much fun, then it will begin to jam, almost like it gets too hot to function, and that is weird. It's more than strange; it pisses a guy off, especially if I have walked away from the camper and now have a plastic stick in my hands.
The power this thing gives me on the blowback is excellent; I can only imagine how hard it hits the target. It comes with a revolver-style pellet magazine, and I leave that on the counter; all I have ever seen that style of magazine do is fall out and get lost. Loading this pistol one by one when it shoots is so much fun.
The accuracy is pretty good, especially for an air gun in pistol form. I could hit a paper plate about 30 feet away, which was fun. I blasted a few ravens too close to the campsite, which made me very happy. I don't know if the hollow point pellet killed the birds, but they flew away and did not return, which works for me.
I put the thing away and forgot it was above the microwave in the camper, but I found it again a few months later. It was next to the bottle of spirits, so maybe it found me. Time helped the gun work again; I have no idea why. I was happy to see the pistol back to work; I went to shoot some stuff again, and like before, it stopped working about fifty pellets later. I don't know why it does this; it is probably a malfunction with the magazine, and if I remember later, I can call Umarex and get a replacement to see if that fixes everything.
Get it from Amazon now: $94.99 & FREE Returns
10. Crosman PFAM9B Full-Auto CO2-Powered Blowback
Highlight: Full Auto capable.
Helpful review: Crosman has built a Baretta; it works like a champ like other Crosman offerings. The machining quality is high, with little to zero play between parts. The levers and hammer move smoothly, and the slide moves without effort; well done, Crosman.
Shooting this from the holster is like my actual Baretta, which I enjoy immensely. Shooting this on full auto is nearly a sin, but it's so much fun. Sending 20 BBs downrange faster than I can count is fun. I find myself laughing like a child and spending money on CO2 like a millionaire; now I just need the million bucks, the child-like mentality I have plenty of.
Shooting a blowback air gun on full auto will quickly kill a load of CO2 cartridges, but it is fun and expensive. The magazine part that screws into the puncture and holds the CO2 canister is a problem, maybe the only problem with this air gun. What happened here is the engineering failure, or perhaps the right and left did not know what the other was doing; the metal Allen key works in a plastic hex hole. From that, you can imagine how quickly the hex hole is stripped out and turns into a rounded hole, and the gun can't be recharged.
If Croman replaced the hex with a simple long slot to use a coin to turn the plug punch thing, that may work, or, better yet, replace the plastic end cap with a metal one. I plan to make a cap from a washer and then super glue it to the original cap and use that to reinforce the hex hole. If that does not work, I may glue the hex wrench in the hole and leave it there, just barely poking out so I can grab it with my multi-tool.
Get it from Amazon now: $158.99 & FREE Returns
11. Heckler & Koch USP .177 Caliber
Highlight: Blowback action and extended levers make training accurate.
Helpful review: If anyone reading this has handled an HK USP, you know they are big and chunky guns. The USP's air gun simulation is just as chunky. This set-up will give an exact experience to ensure a holster and pistol combination check for CCW or duty carry in certain areas, like a car and seat belt.
I can get about 100 BBs shot on one CO2 with proper O-ring lubrication. This is a new air gun and parts, so as it ages, I am sure the pressure will leak from places, and the canister will not last as long. Along with shooting the out of the barrel and operating the blowback, I am surprised the pressure lasts as long as it does now. My BB count is just a guess; I will not take a counter and check. You will have to take my guess as close to accurate.
The trigger is like most air gun triggers; it sucks. This is just how air gun triggers are, and I got used to it after about half an hour. Getting used to making the screw thing puncture the CO2 canister was the aggravation. Like other pistol air guns, I wanted more ammo in the magazine. I understand why they only hold a few BBs, but dang, it is a pain to run short of BBs when I finally get the hang of hitting the target.
I appreciate the size and weight reality check with this air pistol. I use the simulation of this gun to make sure customers actually want a gun this size before I place the order, or worse, order the gun and do the modifications they request, and when they show up, the gun is too big for them.
Get it from Amazon now: 119.99 & FREE Returns
12. Crosman Vigilante - CO2-Powered .177 Pellet/BB Revolver
Highlight: Adjustable rear sight, fixed blade front sight.
Helpful review: The reason the magazine works is not that it is made better; it is because it is the revolving cylinder. The cylinder works like a champ and never fails, like a real revolver.
This revolver replica will not be used for photography or even to train new shooters; it is for fun. When it showed up, I knew it would not replace real guns for the models, but it holds pellets, which made me happy.
I filled this gun up with pellets and new CO2, went to the field down the street, and let the fun begin. This thing packs a punch and delivers pellets right where I aim it. I did not need to try and adjust the sights; they nailed everything right out of the box. I may have been lucky to get a gun that had the sights put on right, or maybe they bore sight at the factory; I highly doubt that, but that is what I am going with.
The grip for this revolver clone is my favorite part. It is big and fits in my hand like the real thing. Finally, I have a pellet pistol that feels right, unlike it was made for tiny hands. It makes the trigger pull smoother for me and my bear-paw hands, making me more accurate. The barrel is about six inches long, so the sight radius is more like I am used to, making me even happier.
This pellet gun has a place to attach a red laser or flashlight under the barrel. That looks dumb to me when I see it on real revolvers, so I can't talk myself into it. Then, I read some reviews of shooters hitting targets at 70 feet and hammering the target. I know the power of this revolver comes from the CO2 and the right pellets, so maybe I will think harder about it. I have to get out of my head and let it look funny and be more effective.
Get it from Amazon now: $72.99 & FREE Returns
13. Colt Defender - Semi-Auto .177 BB Gun
Highlight: All-metal Colt replica.
Helpful review: This air gun makes me swoon, and that is a lot of guy to make swoon. The side is even marked as a Colt Defender in white highlighted lettering, which is fabulous.
The accuracy is a little suspect, and I did not get it to drill targets. I am unsure if I will try to target shoot with this air pistol. I do shoot it now and then, just for kicks and giggles. I find it hard to have a functioning air pistol and some BBs handy and not shoot it at something around me. This replica cannot be beaten for modeling holsters, different carry options, and operating 1911 in hand.
The grips are my option as a custom gun builder—just cheap. They are made from cheap plastic and are put on the gun to finish the product. I don't know if good grips can be replaced on this Colt replica. I better get the gal in New York to mail it back, and I will get some put on there, even if I have to 3D print some.
The hammer, trigger, and other levers are a little too perfectly black when it comes out of the box. All I did was scratch the edges on some sandpaper, and it looks like this gun has spent a lot of time in a holster. I could do the same on the muzzle end of the slide to produce some holster wear as well.
The rear sights are adjustable and look like replica Delta sights. The front sight has a white dot in its center, like my other Colts, and it feels like I am actually pointing my carry gun when practicing with it. This replica will fit into custom-made holsters for the Colt Defender; it is closely built to original specs. I can put a laser or light on the rail and will add them for some future photography shoots as well.
Get it from Amazon now: $59.98 & FREE Returns
14. Smith & Wesson M&P 40 - .177 BB Gun
Highlight: Manual safety and fiber optic sights.
Helpful review: Umarex has done it again, building a near-perfect copy of a duty gun. This time, they went to S&W and created a great training option. This is a good training tool for crossovers, especially if a shooter moves from Glock to M&P.
The magazine holds 16 rounds, matching the real gun's capacity. The CO2 will last about 100 rounds if the O-rings stay lubed, so get the Prolix and don't be greedy about canister changes. The sound from the M&P copy is low enough to shoot in the backyard or garage; I still advise hearing protection; the pop is loud and sudden.
The sights resemble the Smith and Wesson style and are among my favorite stock sight set-ups. The similarity ends in accuracy and adjustability at a similar style; in other words, they look the same when aiming. I never get bent out of shape when air guns, especially pistols, when the sights are not up to speed; it is an air gun afterward. The sights have the same fiber optic inserts from S&W, so I'm getting used to this upgrade.
And I am sure everyone knows what I will say about the trigger: it is a long and hard pull. This is the standard, and it takes a while to overcome. With the price of ammo and CO2 canisters about the same as two boxes of bullets, I can afford to take 500 rounds to get good at shooting this air gun. I suppose I may get there someday, but it's just fun to shoot when I am sipping some of Kentucky's finest on the deck.
Get it from Amazon now: $49.98 & FREE Returns
15. Daisy Powerline 415 - Air Pistol Kit
Highlight: High-cut thumb web grip.
Helpful review: The air pistol looks and feels like a real gun, but it's made from plastic. Because it's made of plastic, the pistol's weight is not the same or even close to that of a real gun. However, there are reasons why this Daisy is considered one of the most popular cheap BB guns on the market.
The look and feel of the air pistol are excellent to use as a photography prop, but I have to be careful getting too close. This air gun is not made or licensed by a gun maker; Daisy makes it, and it says so on the slide.
This full-size replica gun is light and made of all plastic, making it a great trainer for people who have never shot. I have used it several times to have kids try out a full-size pistol to see if it would work for them. I find that once the never-shooters get used to the size and feel of the pistol, they love to shoot it. Coming from Daisy, this air gun will probably work like new until it is 20 years old. The CO2 is easy to use, and the new shooters love it the longer they shoot it.
The safety switch shows a red dot when the gun is ready to shoot. This standard for Daisy air guns makes it easy to use as a teaching aid for new shooters. By having this safe/fire red dot, as the coach, I can see if the gun is ready or if it has been made safe with a glance, and that makes shooting safer for everyone, especially in the backyard where the windows are right there and do not need to be replaced.
Get it from Amazon now: $49.99 & FREE Returns
16. GAMO P-430 - CO2-Powered Dual-Ammo Air Pistol
Highlight: This air gun works as single or double-action training.
Helpful review: This is the only air pistol that is not a real-world firearm. Like everything Gamo makes, it is a powerhouse shooter. The magazine is a pain in the butt and does not work like a real magazine, and it works like an air gun magazine. This air gun does not move the slide like the others. It just sends rounds down range. This is not the one for a training tool, but for a handgun that uses air to send ammo, this is the winner. This pistol will not only send BBs down range but pellets as well. Now we are talking.
The trigger is like all air guns and has a dreadful pull. Many of the guys who shot this with me shoot this low until they get used to the trigger pull, even lower in the beginning. The trigger pull is hard to overcome, and all I do is aim higher and let the pellets hit the target. I don't want to change my tripper habits to fit a gun that I have just for fun.
The magazine bugs me the most. For air gun people, I am about to sound like a crybaby, and that's OK. At least they can't hear my language when dealing with this unique offering.
The magazine is loaded like a revolver and inserted like a box magazine into the gun. When I shoot half of the load, I have to drop out the mag and flip it over for the other half of the next revolver magazine feeder thing. This is OK to have as strictly an air gun, but nothing close for practice to operate a real gun. One good thing about the weird magazine set-up is that it works every time I pull the trigger, which is good, especially when talking about air guns and magazines.
The materials are plastic on the outside and metal on the inside, like the Gamo rifles. The CO2 cartridges are easy to place in the gun, but the screw thing that punches the canister is tricky to do, so keep a multi-tool handy. I don't have a custom holster for this, so I drop it in the One-Size-Fits-Most style holster. I could call Gamo and ask which gun they based this design on and get a better holster, but honestly, I can't get too fired up to do that for an air gun.
Get it from Amazon now: $59.99 & FREE Returns