I really gotta tell you if you don't have one of these already then go get yourself one, you won't regret it!
Got me a Beeman P17 single stroke pneumatic pistol and boy I think after shooting it I really truly believe it is the best ever bang for the buck. Best $30.00 EVER SPENT! It appears to be a Chinese clone of the Beeman P3/HW40
which cost EIGHT TIMES as much as this one. NO I do not have the original.
It would be a very difficult decision to think about spending a SIGNIFICANT amount for the original if it isn't worth EIGHT TIMES the price. WAS biased about Chinese air guns after many disappointments with spring rifles a while back which couldn't hit the broad side of a barn.
At first glance it is difficult to tell it came out of China. I really like its fibre optics sights. Looks like my HW45/P1 sights. Another thats a blast to shoot.
So far it shot EVERYTHING I feed it accurately. Including the WORST EVER pellets the Crosman Premier Pointeds! Not to confuse them with the Crosman Pointeds (which are totally ok pellets), they ARE different. The PREMIER POINTEDS really REALLY SUCK! But they do fit in the breech fine which I can't say for my other guns I tried them in and gets stuck in the breech of my Daisy 717. The second worst pellet was the Daisy pointed, you know the cheapest Walmart pellet you can buy at a penny a pop, shot them incredibly well too, very hard to believe. Will try my RWS R10 and Vogel if I put a scope on it. Lets keep feeding cheap pellets in this cheap gun for now.
I have been shooting my Daisy 717 daily and the newly acquired P17 shoots at the least the same if not better with a noticeable harder TWACK at 400fps. Mind you these are with open sights and shooting at distances out to 25 yards. I do have other pistols but won't get into those at this time. I shoot the Daisy 717 because of the ease of pumping which can be shot all day long without any stress or fatigue. Power is however low in the mid 300fps. Fun thing to do is to shoot soda cans. WHY? That is until there is nothing left of it deliberately taking out the rest of the aluminum until there is nothing left to shoot at. Other fun things to shoot at are stale cereal like TRIX and Honeycomb whatever you got that is stale soggy that disintegrate when hit. Don't like to waste food and they disappear after it rains.
What do you guys plink at?
Beeman P17 Pistol
PROS-
CHEAP! 1/8 the price of the original
Beeman has its name on it (not that it really matters but looks cool to old folks who are unaware which direction Beeman went after the 90s)
Craftsmanship looks reasonably good
ACCURATE!
Shoots cheap pellets very well
Shoots even the WORST of the WORST pellets well
Got a lot of damaged skirt pellets sitting around, this is your answer it will shot even those very well.
Decent trigger
Reasonable power
FUN TO SHOOT!
Scopeable with dovetails on top
It has a really good feel to it when shooting
Fibre optics sights
CONS-
Plastic plastic plastic
Who knows Made in China will it last?
Gets tiring pumping (closing the stroke) for extend shooting sessions.
Has a slight pop to the shot so it is not really quiet or not silent (some folks would like it)
Dovetails are plastic
Since I have it I am really not sure if I want to buy an original to compare it to based on the significant price difference.
HOWS ABOUT YOU?
HA
I got one after reading all the stories on the forums,it was fun until it started leaking, It sits in a ziplock bag waiting it's turn to be fixed, I must confess I am not the most knowledgeable guy, so it takes me a while to fix my airguns..it was a good plinker,i need to reseal mine ..
Glad you discovered it. A member here gave me one years ago. It was 100x's the fun to shoot than the $500+ HW Silver Star I had. No twang and I was HIGHLY disappointed in Silver Star. For that price they could have had more power, no twang, or both. Nope, an under $40.00 pneumatic "blew" it out of the water. pun intended but no joke. With a red dot scope 32 yards gave nickel (coin ) sized groups.
I'd buy it or buy the reseal kit & I'l fix for free plus do all mods, which aren't many as it's pretty darn great for $40.00. Yes, I can buy a brand new one but IF you're selling it, I'd be taking a new one apart anyway to add a teflon shim and washers/plastic spacers at fulcrum point so no play. Fine tune sights or add a red dot with as small of an MOA as you can see in daylight as it will put them there.
Well, I'd not do every mod as my next one is getting a longer barrel and a ported brake for looks & maybe a 50fps gain in speed.
HW77K in .177 with a Maccari tune kit
Yeah it's not dirt cheap, but it could very well be the only airgun you ever need. Hunt with it, put on a big scope and shoot (and win) FT matches with it, or ditch the scope and run open sites. Works well from sub 12fpe up to 14fpe. Not hold sensitive so you don't have to work yourself to death trying to hit anything with it.
Truly the do it all air rifle, and you won't have to worry about getting a dud or wearing one out. My go to shooter is from 1984 and it still outshoots anything spring powered I have ever owned.
Wait until you do a little trigger work on it. Agreed, best bang for the buck.
https://airgunwarriors.com/community/airgun-talk/beeman-p17-trigger-mod/
I used to have one. I gave to someone on the old yellow forum. You are correct that the $40 version is one heck of a deal. Never held the real deal but that one was quite the rage when they showed up at that price. Like you said smooth and consistent. I do remember reading several posts here and elsewhere where the seals went bad though. I wouldn't mind trying the P2/HW75 with the longer lever for closing on the compression stroke. Of course, the HW75 costs a couple dollars more....lol
Bo
Okay, after being reminded of this fun little pistol and pulling up my old trigger post I got it out this morning. I've been practicing 10 meter pistol for the Extreme Benchrest next month. I've been using a open site PCP 10 meter pistol. In two rounds I was out shooting the PCP with the P17. It does have a Red Dot sight on it that definitely helps with my aged eyesight. The event allows Red Dots too. Now I don't know which to shoot the event with. ? Show up with a $30 P17 or a legit 10 meter gun that I don't shoot as well with open sights.
Point being, It's pretty impressive that this gun can hang with the big bucks stuff.
I bought mine from these guys...
I agree. I used to have a P17 from PA and wish I never gave it away. If I remember correctly, it shot well above 400 fps and more accurate than I'll ever be.
Just like everybody above said, the best $35 I ever spent. Right behind the P17 is a $100 refurbished CMP Avanti/Dasiy 853 and a used (and tuned) .177 Slavia CZ 634 I got from somebody here on The Yellow a while ago. I guess I am more of a "grab and go" sort of shooter as I am not good with tools or mods.
I agree. I used to have a P17 from PA and wish I never gave it away. If I remember correctly, it shot well above 400 fps and more accurate than I'll ever be.
Just like everybody above said, the best $35 I ever spent. Right behind the P17 is a $100 refurbished CMP Avanti/Dasiy 853 and a used (and tuned) .177 Slavia CZ 634 I got from somebody here on The Yellow a while ago. I guess I am more of a "grab and go" sort of shooter as I am not good with tools or mods.
I have one of the CMP 853's as well. Again, I can often out shoot my dedicated 10 meter PCP rifles with it. Did do some trigger work on it. My CZ 634 is as accurate as my R7 or HW 30 but not as refined. It too benefited from trigger tinkering. Kind of fun when budget guns can perform so well. ?
I wholeheartedly agree the P17 is hands down the best value for the money in the whole airgun world. I've probably owned a half dozen or so of them over the years, starting with the original Marksman 2004. I remember getting flamed by the P3 guys when this gun first came out. I used to say "Yeah, your gun is probably a little better than mine, but is it 10X better?" With careful fiddling, the trigger can be tuned to match grade, while still remaining safe. I sold my Gamo Compact, but still keep a P17.
For long guns, it's hard to beat the Mrodair Plinkster at $109 shipped. Multishot magazine or single shot tray, amazing fit and finish, really nice handling. Once I got my Plinkster, I dumped my QB, which was my previous favorite for bang-for-the buck in long guns.
BTW, the P17 has another great application as a pester. A close range shot (meaning inches or less) without a pellet will VAPORIZE spiders and flies in the house.
I wholeheartedly agree the P17 is hands down the best value for the money in the whole airgun world. I've probably owned a half dozen or so of them over the years, starting with the original Marksman 2004. I remember getting flamed by the P3 guys when this gun first came out. I used to say "Yeah, your gun is probably a little better than mine, but is it 10X better?" With careful fiddling, the trigger can be tuned to match grade, while still remaining safe. I sold my Gamo Compact, but still keep a P17.
For long guns, it's hard to beat the Mrodair Plinkster at $109 shipped. Multishot magazine or single shot tray, amazing fit and finish, really nice handling. Once I got my Plinkster, I dumped my QB, which was my previous favorite for bang-for-the buck in long guns.
BTW, the P17 has another great application as a pester. A close range shot (meaning inches or less) without a pellet will VAPORIZE spiders and flies in the house.
Wouldn't dry firing the pistol possibly damage the internals? Again, this just shows how much I know about airguns because I simply don't know. I like to shoot 'em, not so much good at workin' on 'em.
I must have a half dozen various versions of the P17, including a shotgun pistol version that uses .25 ACP shells as shotshells, firing poppy seeds. With it you can shoot flies on the wing out to about eight feet, take wasps out of the air at four to five. There's a 1" extended barrel version in .22, and a 14" long barrel .177 that shoots hobby pellets at close to 600 fps. Wasps on fruit at 20 feet with the .22 version is a great way to spend an afternoon, and the same gun is death on bullfrogs.
Thank you Pluric! Really good to know that the trigger can be made even better than it is right now. I dare you to show up to your 10 meter match and shoot your P17.
Can you imagine everyones reaction after you clean house?
I agree on the CMP Daisy 853, had one gave it away to a friend and missed it. I have a 753s (poor man's 753) and it shoots right along side my higher end 10 meter rifles.
Also agree that the Beeman R7s HW30s can't be beat for target shooting a traditional spring pistol recoilling gun, very tame to shoot due to its lower power and super easy to cock and shoot all day long with and light weight
NOAH-
Dry firing a P17 shouldn't hurt anything. I can't and won't say it applies to all pneumatic and PCP guns but for springers it is a real NO NO to dry fire.
Read the manuals and search online if it is okay to dry fire them first.
Some guns contrary to belief are not recommended to be dry fireded
and in some cases will possibly damage your gun and void your warranty.
HA
Hey Jim in PGH-
How would the plinkster compare to a Benjamin Discovery? It is my current bang for the buck pcp rifle. It is not stock, well at least 2 are not stock, they got lots done already such as multi shot breech and bull barrel shrouds and one has a Marauder trigger. You could call them PRE Fortitude without regulator which shoots like it is a regulated gun already. I really like the low 2000psi start pressure. I think Crosman copied me LOL. Mines got more power tho. Wondering if its worth it for me to get a Fortitude IDK.
HA
well the statement you can make the trigger like a match trigger is just wrong, oh it can be made to be a fine trigger but match no way and for my money you need to make a longer trigger adjustment screw to take all of the slack out of the take up
I own pistols and rifles with match triggers, hell a Lavora Lov 21 has a better trigger then the p17, you will have to look that one up
I do own a HW40 and it is easy to cock and a P2 with full grip and a 75 and a compact and 6004 but the damn p17 I have is the hard gun to close I own, even a Webley Alecto Ultra with its forth stroke is easier, not much but it is, the p17 is the only pistol I shoot with a leather glove on my left hand, who know why it is so hard to cock, maybe it is a good one and seals too well
a great value ok it is that
so is a HW40 better, sure and if you can find one new in the box for 120.00 to your door buy it, I did
Hey Jim in PGH-
How would the plinkster compare to a Benjamin Discovery? It is my current bang for the buck pcp rifle. It is not stock, well at least 2 are not stock, they got lots done already such as multi shot breech and bull barrel shrouds and one has a Marauder trigger. You could call them PRE Fortitude without regulator which shoots like it is a regulated gun already. I really like the low 2000psi start pressure. I think Crosman copied me LOL. Mines got more power tho. Wondering if its worth it for me to get a Fortitude IDK.
HA
I have a couple Discovery's that have trigger work and can shoot quite impressively. TKO tamed the noise issue. Before you buy the Fortitude check out the Hatsan Flash. I bought one of Nate's Airgun Channel tester guns and it's quite impressive for the price break. Quiet, accurate and reasonable trigger out of the box. By the time you trigger mod a Discovery and moderate it you are in the same price range and still don't have a magazine option.
I did try a Mrod Varmint. I just can't rave about it. Mine was loud, magazine would stick and the accuracy never matched the Discovery. I do enjoy the Mrod pistol. Another surprising budget option.
I have seen many reviews of the Hatsan Flash and noticed the pronounced shot curve. Did you to anything to yours to lower the power? Is it possible or do you have to plug the holes on the air tube like how it is done on the AT44s?
I would guess it would be great if it had a regulator in it. Preferably a HUMA.
I would prefer a lower powered 177 for target shooting in the 12 to 14fpe range.
I don't necessary dig hyper powerful air guns unless it is used to hunt wild pigs.
I like paper punching and long distance plinking these days.
If I were to consider buying a Flash it would be in 177 and it would have to be the one that Nate had because if he could get good groups with his like he did on his videos with him shooting, it should be shooting as good as the best field target rifle money can buy for example as accurate as a Thomas FT in more capable hands if you know what I mean.
I just bought a Nova Freedom because of you Pluric! TWO Thumbs up on your reviews!
HA
Marflow-
Bear no malice...
I think what he meant was after some work done, it was as comfortable for HIM to shoot as does his guns that have factory match triggers based on smoothness relating to the before and after polishing things up figuratively speaking.
I would personally use that statement as he did if I were to pat myself on the back after making a substantial improvement to the trigger as he did. I would be proud too if I do say so myself. Especially on a $30 gun.
There are user reports that the P17 has more power than the HW40 so I would only speculate that the extra force needed to complete the stroke may be harder as compared to the original.
Curious to know where to find an original for $120.00. There was a used one at AofA for $125 not that long ago but it got scooped up really quick!
I have a couple of Alectos and boy do I hate pumping them.
Thanks
HA
Marflow-
You mentioned you have a FAS? 6004, is it worth it? Was thinking about buying one but the price shocked me. I have the Air Venturi V10 (Gamo Compact) and kinda feel a little stupid now that I have a $30 P17 that I like better. The plastic on the P17 seems better IMO. Isn't the P2 and HW75 the same gun? I owned a P2 and sold it because at that time I liked shooting my P1 better because it was much easier to cock. I do receall my P2 wasn't fun to cock. The recoil when shooting the P1 would put more hair on your chest. if you know what I mean, I was younger then. Fun gun but got bored with it and sold it. Recently bought a HW45 (same gun) and it is because it has fibre optic sights which my old P1 didn't have. Having a blast with it again brings back memories. Such power! relative to its cocking effort.
I have to say the best self contained target style pistol that I own is a FWB 65 Beeman labeled with Model 25 scope on it and Beeman Sportsmatch rings.
The best doesn't necessarily mean I shoot it often. I REALLY hate cocking the damn thing. I rarely shoot it because of that. My FWB 300s is a totally different story which is a real dream to cock and shoot all day long.
Next would be the IZH 46M with TKO and Sun Optics Mounts with scout scope with carbine stock.
THIS ONE is a gun I would probably never sell.
What do I shoot the MOST? My Daisy 717. WHY? Because it is so easy to cock it never gets tiring and I can't believe how accurate it is even though it doesn't have
the LW barrel it shoots everything I feed it straight except for the crappy Crosman Premier Pointed pellets which get stuck in the breech I have to use a wooden craft dowel to unstuck the pellet in the breech. I got used to the crappy trigger a long time ago and I think it got better after the thousand upon thousands of rounds through it.
I do like the $30 P17 but can't shoot it all day long due to the fatigue it inflicts upon my arms and wrists. Couple pops of the P17 then back to the Daisy 717 again.
I really can't get over how accurate the P17 is being a gun made in China.
There is a BIG DIFFERENCE between the P17 and the other similarly priced pistols sold at Walmart.
HA
I have seen many reviews of the Hatsan Flash and noticed the pronounced shot curve. Did you to anything to yours to lower the power? Is it possible or do you have to plug the holes on the air tube like how it is done on the AT44s?
I would guess it would be great if it had a regulator in it. Preferably a HUMA.
I would prefer a lower powered 177 for target shooting in the 12 to 14fpe range.
I don't necessary dig hyper powerful air guns unless it is used to hunt wild pigs.
I like paper punching and long distance plinking these days.
If I were to consider buying a Flash it would be in 177 and it would have to be the one that Nate had because if he could get good groups with his like he did on his videos with him shooting, it should be shooting as good as the best field target rifle money can buy for example as accurate as a Thomas FT in more capable hands if you know what I mean.
I just bought a Nova Freedom because of you Pluric! TWO Thumbs up on your reviews!
HA
You are too late to buy the one Nate had, it's in my garage. ? ? I'll try to find his review post and add my results to it. I did try to tone it down backing out the hammer adjuster and all it did was make it so it wouldn't cock. For what I could adjust it not much change was noticed. I went to a heavier pellet to slow it up a bit. Very fill pressure sensitive to fps. Good news is accuracy didn't change much over fill pressure drop.
Hey Pluric ever thought about changing the hammer spring? Maybe even restricting the TP? I can bet that it may be very consistent if the power is backed down.
HA
I dan I dannae is she can take any more, Captain!I dannae is she can take any more, Captain!nae is she can take any more, Captain!
well the statement you can make the trigger like a match trigger is just wrong, oh it can be made to be a fine trigger but match no way and for my money you need to make a longer trigger adjustment screw to take all of the slack out of the take up
I own pistols and rifles with match triggers, hell a Lavora Lov 21 has a better trigger then the p17, you will have to look that one up
I do own a HW40 and it is easy to cock and a P2 with full grip and a 75 and a compact and 6004 but the damn p17 I have is the hard gun to close I own, even a Webley Alecto Ultra with its forth stroke is easier, not much but it is, the p17 is the only pistol I shoot with a leather glove on my left hand, who know why it is so hard to cock, maybe it is a good one and seals too well
a great value ok it is that
so is a HW40 better, sure and if you can find one new in the box for 120.00 to your door buy it, I did
Well, all I can say is this. With the right setscrews, the right shims in the right places, and the right amount of subtle polishing in the right places, the P17 trigger can be as nice as that of an IZH46M, which I consider a reasonable benchmark for a match trigger. Granted, I do not compete, with either a handgun or a long gun, so maybe my claim was a little inflated. Let me back it down a notch, and say that with a little effort, the P17 trigger can be tuned to be very light, very predictable, and still very safe, and most importantly, absolutely remarkable on a $30 pistol. No hard feelings, and you were right to call me out.
Hey Jim in PGH-
How would the plinkster compare to a Benjamin Discovery? It is my current bang for the buck pcp rifle. It is not stock, well at least 2 are not stock, they got lots done already such as multi shot breech and bull barrel shrouds and one has a Marauder trigger. You could call them PRE Fortitude without regulator which shoots like it is a regulated gun already. I really like the low 2000psi start pressure. I think Crosman copied me LOL. Mines got more power tho. Wondering if its worth it for me to get a Fortitude IDK.
HA
Plinkster to Disco is honestly apples to oranges. The Plinkster is a CO2 gun that runs off a single cart sealed directly to the valve, similar to the 22XX Crosmans. For $109 shipped to your door, it is an incredible value, and IMHO a better value that the $99 QB family. You get a multi-shot magazine (which actually works) and a single shot tray, and the fit and finish is way beyond what you would expect for the price. There are a couple of aftermarket parts that are worthwhile, including a trigger upgrade and a gas-saving hammer debouncer. Both are available thru AofA, and I would recommend both of them. Even with the added cost of the aftermarket parts, the Plinkster is a winner in the bang-for-the-buck category.
Hey Pluric ever thought about changing the hammer spring? Maybe even restricting the TP? I can bet that it may be very consistent if the power is backed down.
HA
I dan I dannae is she can take any more, Captain!I dannae is she can take any more, Captain!nae is she can take any more, Captain!
When I was testing the gun it went from shooting over 1000 fps to just over 800 fps as the fill lowered. The important thing to me was the accuracy stayed consistent, at least out to 30 yards. So I figure I can get two full magazines, 28 shots in the .177 and feel confident I'll still hit what I'm aiming at. Sure I know the fps and energy will be dropping but the pellet didn't drop at that distance. This sounds weird but I was told to put a baby bottle brush in the air tube to quiet the 'ping'. There is a video on the web showing it. Had an owner swear it works. Scratching my head on that one. My Compatto has the same issue. More noise from the hammer area than the muzzle. When I get a little bored I may tear into it for a little tweaking. For now it has exceeded my expectations for an out of the box $300 gun.
The trigger on the P17 is okay and I can live with it the way it is and would be happy if it could just be adjusted down to say a P1 HW45 set with a light trigger pull. Hopefully with enough breaking in shots, it may not need anything done to it.
HA
I've bought four of these. They were for gifts. I kept one. I did the easy trigger mods, polish and stretch the trigger spring after the owners had shot them for a while. All of them were way more impressed with the mod done. Don't settle for "living with it". I promise you will be smiling with some modest trigger work. ?
I have one. Shot so well that I blinged it with a cocking aid which enhanced the pleasure of shooting this gun. I woke up one morning and found out it would not put 2 pellets in the same letter size paper target at 10 meters! A thorough barrel cleaning maintained the same result. My tack driver now gives shotgun patterns.
I am at a loss as to what happened or what to do!!
Can anyone advise?
Have you tried removing your cocking aid bling things to see if those add ons caused the problems? How about checking to see the barrel retaining screws are holding the barrel fine? Possibly your scope or red dot sight is out of adjustment or broken? Maybe your sights are out of adjustment? Have you done the tissue test to see if there is blow by when you shoot the pistol? Whats the condition of the breech O-ring?
HA
Mine will often not do a full pressure cock. It feels as if there is a vacuum when I pull the cocking arm forward. I often have to close it and start again. You can also tell that when you lock it down it doesn't take much pressure. It won't shoot well because it has a low pump pressure. Not knowing what type of cocking aid you are using you may not notice it's not getting a full pressure fill. That's my first guess.
A much longer barrel has to be thin to clear the trigger guard, and more so if it's so long it has to clear the butt of the grip. You can trim the trigger guard hook , but not to much the grip. I used a tapered carbon arrow shaft for a sleeve, in compression, over a "soda straw" barrel liner from a 1077 for the 16" gun, and an arrow shaft as the barrel for the shot pistol. You just need to make bushings for the barrel liner, and ream the front of the upper assembly to fit your sleeve. Then trim the gun where the barrel interferes.
It's tough to get good accuracy out of the longer barrels (more than 2-3" over factory) but even a couple inches will add useful velocity