Beeman P3
The P3 is another of those fine air guns of German lineage. I acquired a used P3 in trade about 1 week ago and it has almost instantly become my favorite target pistol. The P3 has been around a few years. There are some good technical reviews of this pistol that will give those interested the full specs of the single pump pneumatic power plant, and muzzle velocities (around 400 fps) with various pellets. See for example,
http://www.citlink.net/~schattler/at2.htmBut this review is more about what makes piece such a fun and functional pistol with a degree of accuracy not common in this price range. And it is accurate! At 5-10 yards, where all my shooting has been done so far, I feel more confident with the P3 than, for example, my venerable S&W Model 41 .22 LR target pistol. With open sights, off-hand groups of about 2 inches or less at 5 yards are the norm, and for me, this is outstanding. This is no toy imitation of some popular handgun model.
There are plenty of nice pistols out there that I can and do shoot, but with large hands, never quite as comfortably and naturally as I would like. So then, off I go shopping (spending) for custom grips. Not so with the P3. The full-sized grips are ergonomic, comfortable, and also, ambidextrous. A good set of grips on a full-sized semiautomatic pistol frame is a must, and in this respect, the P3 handles and points like a thoroughbred.
The action on the single pump pneumatic is initiated by pulling back the thumb on the “hammer†latch. This opens the action for loading the single shot 6-inch barrel and, on closing, charges the PCP power plant. The cocking effort required feels substantial, due to the short lever arm of a 6-inch pistol, but not to the point of being unpleasant. The large grips are also a plus for the cocking action. When closing the action, care is needed to avoid closing it on loose clothing, which occurs almost ever time if the gun is held against the shooter’s belly when closing the action.
Loading is the only awkward ergonomic feature that takes a bit of time to master, particularly for those with large hands or large fingers. With the action opened, the space in back of the barrel’s breech (now swung forward, since the hinge is at the muzzle end of the barrel) is limited, and when the pellet is put in the breech, it is not easily possible to see if the pellet is properly seated. The previous owner included a homemade plastic tool the size of a large matchstick (on reflection, a good name for the tool if you plan to shoot silhouettes) that can be slipped horizontally into the breech to assist in properly seating the pellet. With a light push and 90-degree twist, the pellet will always be properly seated and assure accuracy. With a little practice, loading proficiency becomes acceptable, but is still something that requires more careful attention than conventional springer or CO2 breech loading air guns. In this regard, domed pellets seem easier to load than wad cutters or hollow points.
And now the fun begins. The broad comfortable trigger blade is easily accessible through a large, combat style trigger guard. It is a two-stage trigger with a single adjustment screw (presumably for the second stage) inset into the upper part of the trigger blade. You will probably never touch it, because this (as other reviewers agree) is one sweet, crisp trigger just as it comes from the factory. The pull is about 1 pound but feels lighter. Cocking the action automatically activates the safety, a good feature with a sensitive trigger. The safety is loosed by pushing forward firmly on a slide on the frame above the trigger on the left, with a positive “click†when the safety disengages.
The notched rear sight is fully adjustable for windage and elevation by turning either of two inset, hardened steel screws. The former owner much improved the front sight by carefully drilling a small hole for a fiberoptic insert into the front blade and a light touch of fluorescent green pain on each side of the rear notch. The P3’s top rail will allow adding a scope with standard dovetail ring mounts. Beeman also offers a P3 with a factory mounted pistol scope. It looks absolutely deadly, but could complicate cocking the pistol. A stout, single piece mount would seem a good idea with the scope option.
The distal end of the 6 inch barrel is inset about ¾ inch from the business end of the faux slide of the pistol’s barrel housing, effectively providing a barrel shroud to prevent damage to the crown. And the last ½ inch of the top of the housing is slotted, thus providing not only a protective shroud, but also a functional ported muzzle.
The pistol is remarkably quiet. It’s report is softer than popping the tab on a cold can of soda. The light trigger together with the ported barrel and the “heft†of the gun make holding the sights on target and squeezing off a well-aimed shot seem like the natural act of an expert marksman, even for us middle of the road plinkers. The correct mix of metal and composite components keeps the 1 lb. 11 oz. weight of the P3 very comfortable and an absolute pleasure to shoot.
In short, I had read a few of the reviews of the P3 (all positive), but had initially passed it over as not really what I wanted in a target pistol . . . until I put one in my hand and actually shot it. Caution! If you do, then you will very likely recognize that it is a solid, well made, “must have†air pistol. So, if you are considering even one pistol for your collection, don’t miss trying this one!
TEC 5/3/2008
