TOP QUALITY AIR GUNS OF THE WORLD

Last updated 2002.01.26



I live in Canada. Do I need a Firearms Acquisition Certificate to buy your air guns?
No. According to the Canadian Firearms Manual, "5.1 Section 84(3) CC Weapons", airguns which discharge a projectile with a muzzle velocity of less than 152.4 metres per second ( approximately 500 feet per second ) are not considered firearms for the purposes of the Firearms Act or the Criminal Code, and therefore do not require any license, authorizations or registration certificates to purchase and possess. However, it must be pointed out that if these air guns are used in the commission of a criminal offense, they will be deemed as firearms and the user will be indicted as such.
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I live outside of Canada. Can I buy your air guns?
We are a Canadian company and we follow all rules and regulations applicable to us under Canadian laws. We are not in a position to provide legal consultation for customers who live outside of Canada for the simple fact that it is impossible for us to thoroughly understand all the laws of all the countries in the world. It is, therefore, the customer's reponsibility to find out about their own country's laws and make a purchase from us only if they are sure of the pertinent rules.
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Which is better for an air pistol? Air or CO2?
There are pros and cons for either system. Air is believed to be less affected by high altitude, temperature, and humidity. It usually provides a faster pellet speed and a flatter trajectory. But air cylinders have a much higher pressure than CO2 cylinders. The scuba tank, for example, requires more frequent saftey checks and examinations. A CO2 fire extinguisher is cheaper than a scuba tank, maintains a lower pressure, and requires less frequent examination.
As far as performance is concerned, medals have been won by shooters using either system. A lot of top shooters are using air, but the 1996 Olympic air pistol event was won by Roberto Di Donna using a Pardini K2, a CO2 pistol.
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What is your delivery time for shipping air guns?
Within Canada the shipping time for in-stock airguns will be about 5 to 8 business days. Internationally we usually ship express. According to courier information, the airport-to-airport delivery time from us to major business centers is about 2 to 3 business days. However, we have no control over how much time it will take to clear customs on arrival of the destination country, nor the local land transfer, especially when the customer is not located in a big business city. That is why we never offer any kind of guarantee on delivery time.
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What should I use to refill my compressed air gun? A handpump or a SCUBA tank?
There are advantages and disadvantages in each system.
With the SCUBA tank, refilling is effortless. With the turn of a knob, the air gun cylinder is refilled in a few second's time. The air is usually, when obtained from reputable SCUBA supply shops, clean and dry. Provided you can fit the tank with the proper DIN value to match the refill adaptor of your gun's cylinder, it is indeed a simply and straight forward process.
However, there are two things to keep in mind. First, you are dealing with a high pressure vessel. A 200 bar tank is holding approximately 3000 pounds per square inch of pressure. If not used with care, the tank may cause bodily harm. That's why in certain places SCUBA tanks are sold only to licensed divers.
Second, every time you filled up your air gun's cylinder from the tank, the SCUBA tank has a little less air, and a little lower pressure. May not be noticeable, but nonetheless the pressure drops slowly with each refill. Certain makes of air guns have a gauge for you to monitor cylinder pressure because of this. Therefore, the USEABLE air in a 80 cu.ft. SCUBA tank is not actually 80 cu.ft. No, the SCUBA shop did not cheat on you, this is the physical law of air, and you just have to understand it.
Handpumps, on the other hand, do not have the problems associated with high pressure vessels, nor those with lowering pressure every time. As a matter of fact, only you can control the actual pressure of your air gun's cylinder by pumping while watching the pressure gauge. You do not need a license to operate a handpump, and you can carry it onto the airplane if you need to compete in far away places, knowing that you do not have to rely on the air supply from the local range, the quality of air being unknown.
Of course, the obvious downside of handpumps is that you have to pump with your own hands! This is not light exercise, and you had better do it well before a match in order not to have shaky hands while on the firing line.
One physical property of pumping air you should be aware of is that you are compressing air, as well as moisture therein, while you are filling up the cylinder. Some handpumps have a moisture releasing valve to get rid of excess moisture created by pressurizing air, but it does not work with certain makes of air gun cylinders. So moisture may have a small effect on your equipment.
As far as costs are concerned, the initial purchase is pretty similar. Handpumps do not have on-going expenses, but SCUBA tanks need to be refilled and/or pressure-tested periodically for safety reasons.
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Is the Walther CP88 considered a "replica firearm" under Canadian laws?
According to the Criminal Code, Part III, s. 84 (1), published by the Justice Department of Canada, a " replica firearm" is defined as follows:
"replica firearm"
« réplique »
"replica firearm" means any device that is designed or intended to exactly resemble, or to resemble with near precision, a firearm, and that itself is not a firearm, but does not include any such device that is designed or intended to exactly resemble, or to resemble with near precision, an antique firearm;

....and in Criminal Code, s. 2:
"firearm"
« arme à feu »
* "firearm" means a barrelled weapon from which any shot, bullet or other projectile can be discharged and that is capable of causing serious bodily injury or death to a person, and includes any frame or receiver of such a barrelled weapon and anything that can be adapted for use as a firearm;

It is then clear, at least in my personal interpretation of the law, that if a gun looks like the real thing but cannot shoot, it is a replica. But if it shoots, it is a firearm, no matter how real it looks.
Since the Walther CP88 is capable of actually discharging a pellet, it is not considered as a replica, although it closely resembles the legendary Walther P88, a 9mm firearm.
Please also refer to the first question at the top of this page regarding airguns and firearms.
If you are still in doubt, contact the Canadian Firearms Centre at 1-800-731-4000 for an authoritative answer.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: April, 2000
As of March, 2000, the Canadian government seemed to have changed its definition of "replica" to include all those that closely resembles the real firearm, WHETHER OR NOT IT SHOOTS. Seizure and legal action had been taken on a Canadian importer because of this change in the interpretation of the law by the authorities.

In light of this change we have now stopped importation and sale of the Walther CP88 until further notice. We apologize to the shooting community for any inconvenience this may have caused, but you know who to blame.

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Do you still carry Walther CP88, Beretta 92, and Colt 1911 A1 CO2 pellet pistols?
No.
In April, 2000 we have stopped importing and selling all the above air pistols due to a change in the interpretation and enforcement of the Canadian firearms laws. We do not have any of the above in stock, either. Please see the FAQ above.
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I am interested in both the Morini 162EA and the Steyr LP10. Any suggestions?
They are both top quality air pistols widely used by top athletes. I have personally used both in competitions and following is my personal opinion:

The LP10 incorporated a few new technology features to make it a very "forgiving" air gun. The vented barrel, new compensator, and the recoil absorber all make the pistol an extremely attractive choice for air gun shooters of all abilities. There is no conceivable barrel flip on firing, and the recoil is eliminated altogether. If there is any movement, you know it is yourself. However, the grouping on paper usually shows a better result than you would have called. In other words, it does not exaggerate your mistakes even if you are not perfect.

Then, is the LP10 the un-contested "best" air pistol in the world? Not really. It has competition, and it is the Morini 162EA.

Some people does not like the electronic trigger on the 162EA, fearing that the battery will go dead in the worst time. Morini used to use a 15 volt battery which you can purchase only from special battery place or camera stores, at a cost of $15.00 to $20.00 a piece. It sounds like a lot of trouble. But from experience, one battery lasts for years. The manual suggests 15000 shots. I have seen people using it without changing for 5 years, with steady practice. I had mine for three years and it is still running.

There is good news. The new Morini that is coming out now has changed to using two 1.5 volt AAA batteries. Now you can have these batteries anywhere, at low costs, and you can change them as often as you like. The manual still says battery life is 15000 shots.

But the most attractive part about Morini is not the battery, but the trigger mechanism itself. There are four ball bearings on the axes inside the trigger ( six in the mechanical trigger model 162MI ). This makes it the smoothest trigger I have ever used. Very smooth, very consistent. It feels so light that you would swear it never passes the trigger test, and yet it does.

In Morini, there is a latch that locks the cocking lever when the cylinder pressure drops below about 100 bar, simply to remind the shooter that it is about time to refill. You can manually un-latch the lock to continue shooting if you wish. The Steyr does not have this feature and will let you shoot all the way until you start noticing the point of impact on the target has dropped.

The standard front sight on the Morini is 5.0mm, Steyr is 4.5mm. Both have adjustable rear-sight width. Steyr even allows rear-sight depth adjustment.

Steyr grip has more directional adjustments, and the trigger shoe is 8-directional adjustable similar to a rifle trigger shoe. Although both grips are made by Morini, my hand likes the one on the Morini better than that on the Steyr.

Both have velocity adjustments ( if you are concerned about the legal aspect ).

Morini has a pressure gauge on each cylinder ( you get 2 cylinders with the gun ). Steyr used to supply a detachable gauge with their LP10's and you must remove the cylinder from the gun in order to check pressure( you get two cylinders, too ). The latest model of Steyrs now come with a gauge incoporated into the cylinders, so there is no need for an exteranl gauge.

Morini has a fitted carrying case, Steyr used to come in a cardboard box, but once again, the latest models come with a fitted carrying case.

Screw drivers, allen keys are standard on both.

Either one of these two pistols are capable of extreme accuracy. The best way to choose is to actually pick one up in your own hand. Feel the balance, feel the trigger, feel the shot release. At this level, it is very much a personal preference.

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How do your customers compare Steyr and Morini?
Following is an excerpt from an e-mail I received from a customer. He is a member of the Canadian National Pistol Team.

On another note, I've been getting used to the LP-10. I'm really
enjoying it. I thought I'd provide you with a few of my comments
should anyone else ask about it vs the Morini vs the Walther.
My Walther is a CPM-1 with some change to make it more like a
CP-201 or LP-201.

- Initially I think I shot a bit better with your Morini then I
  did the LP-10. With some grip work and some training, I've overcome
  that.
  I think the LP-10 grip has a bit of a design constraint due to the
  location of the hole bored for the bolt holding it on. I relieved some
  of the material for my 4th and 5th fingers, adding to the stability
  of the grip but had to be careful as there was little room for
  error due to the bolt hole being close to the front of the grip.
  I was able to remove enough excess to allow for more even finger
  pressure against the grip... improving the stability and making it
  fit very well.

- Triggers...
  Well I think my order of preference differs depending on feel vs
  adjustment flexibility.
  For feel, the Morini is the best of the three.
  For flexibility of adjustment, I can't speak for the Morini but I
  believe the Walther is more flexible but less consistent (linear).
  For a crisp let-off, I find the LP-10 to be very good... as I expect
  from most Steyrs... My Walther took some adjustment to get it that
  way and is also very good... but it took some work. The Morini is
  still tops here.

- Tech advances. Trigger aside, as the Morini has the tech advantages
  in this regard...
  Each of the three have compensators on the muzzle to deflect the
  air away from the pellet.

  The Walther CPM-1 has a vented barrel as does the LP-10. The Morini
  does not. It is hard for me to comment on how much value this
  feature gives...

  The LP-10 has one advantage over both of the others in its
  "stabilizer". Initially, although one of the reasons I chose the
  LP-10, I felt this was a minute advantage if any. After repeated
  back to back comparisons, the "stabilizer" provides a significant
  reduction in physical recoil of the pistol... Very noticeable.
  Whether that recoil occurs before or after the pellet leaves the
  barrel is another issue (ie. Does the stabilizer actually improve
  the accuracy?). It certainly changes the feel of the shot
  considerably.

- Conclusions. I am happy with my Walther. I am happy with the choice
  I made in adding the LP-10 to my collection. Both are fine tools.
  I feel the Morini is also just as fine a tool but for different
  reasons. A very difficult decision to pick one over the other.
  I would suggest to anyone not certain to try each and in the
  absence of specific criteria which precludes one or the other,
  pick the one that feels and fits the best out of the box... and
  even here they are very close...

Hope this is of help to someone else looking for an opinion.

Thanks again very much for bringing both down and letting me try them
before buying. It was a very interesting comparison.

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How do I use the Eagle-Eye .177/.22 scoring gauge? It has three rings.
The single ring is for scoring .177 pellets. Just overlay and center the ring with the pellet hole. Most often times the pellet hole is round, and you should have no problem centering both the hole and the ring. If the outside of the ring touches the white line of the scoring ring on the target, the shot counts in ( higher value ). If you can see black, even very thin, between the ring and the white line, the shot counts out ( lower value ).

The double ring is for .22 calibre, either pellets or bullets. The inner ring is most useful when you are using pellets/bullets which are not wad-cutters ( flat-headed pellets/bullets for competition ).

Because these pellets/bullets have round heads, they do not cut a hole as clear and clean on the target paper. And these holes are usually smaller than wad-cutter holes, with radiating cut lines. It is difficult to center a large scoring ring over a small bullet hole if there is only one .22 ring in the gauge. That's why there is a smaller ring. You should overlay the smaller scoring ring over the bullet hole, and then use the outer scoring ring to score. Once again, if the scoring ring touches the white line, the shot counts in. If you see black in between, the shot is out.

So you see, the inner ring in the double ring is just a positioning aid for precise centering, and not for scoring. Therefore the diameter of this inner ring is not important. It is the outside ring that counts.

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To be continued......


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