CO2 Air pistol

[herb fellows]

Its a Crosman 1088 - under $50 at Walmart. Shoots 8-shot magazines of .177 pellets at 410 FPS with CO2, about 60 shots per CO2. CO2 carts cost about $10 for 25.
Pellets I bought - 250 or 500 for around $3. Buy 3-4 extra magazines, you'll go thru those in a hurry. Lasers add about $15-25 but boy, they are fun.

If you want a little nicer pistola, check out www.pyramidair.com, under $100-150 will buy a Gamo or Crosman pistol with lasers, re-dot sights and or scopes and varmit lights. Some really look cool. I'd advise just get pellet-only guns instead of the combo BB and pellet.



For tree-rats, I'd not use the pistol. Two things, not accurate enuf for a high percentage kill shot and not powerful enuf for a high percentage kill shot. It's not very humane to have shot-injured squirrels running around even if you hate them.

For tree rats I'd advise a 1000 fps class spring-piston air rifle with a 4X scope like the Crosman Quest 1000x (or very similar Crosman or Gamo models) that sells for around $120 on the internet or $100 at Walmart. Shoots .177 pellets at near 1000 FPS for 4 times the knockdown power of the pistol and a lot more accuracy (you need to be able to group shots at about 10-15-20 yards in a 1" circle). You have to be more careful with these since my experimentation shows it will drill a perfect hole thru 5/8" cedar fence boards. But, I know nothing about this, really, since its illegal to shoot squirrels in TX with an airgun.

They sell 1000 FPS rated pellet traps if you want to fire these in the backyard or basement.
PM me if you need more specific recommendations on a rifle or pistol.

I feed them peanuts myself, I find they prefer that to lead.

[LCHIEN]

I feed them peanuts myself, I find they prefer that to lead.

I tried feeding them. They pissed in the feeder. But they Rape and totally destroy the bird feeders with their sharp teeth and they have been known to chew holes in the siding of my neighbors' homes. Worse than that they habitually tear up my wife's plantings... that's a total no-no. When the wife's not happy, no one is.

[LCHIEN]

I'll go w/ the 1088. The 1000x would be just too tempting for me to take outside, and I'd probably get busted (pretty densely populated here).

The pistol just has a loud "phft". The air rifle makes a pretty sharp crack. If anyone was to ask, I'd just tell them I use an air nailer in my woodworking. And sometimes I "nail" stuff on the patio.

[milanuk]

Generally speaking, I think its illegal in a lot of locales to discharge a 'firearm' inside city limits - and I've seen a lot of them where that includes a BB gun or pellet rifle/pistol. Mostly to discourage kids from shooting up the neighborhood with their new toys. For the most part, unless you have an unfriendly (and/or nosy) neighbor, you probably won't get much grief from the policia... unless you are shooting up the neighborhood. Luckily, as far as I know, silencers/suppressors *are* legal on air guns

Knowing my luck, the squirrel or other pest that I decided to cap would be somebody else's favorite friend, and they'd be watching Fluffy sit on the fence and suddenly keel over dead...

[Tom Slick]

just for info:
air guns are not considered firearms by law so your municipality would have to ban them specifically. because they are not firearms they can be fully automatic and have silencers.

[milanuk]

Same same. I've seen them both ways... where it named air guns specifically in a separate ordinance, and where it lumped them in (but named them explicitly) the same piece of legal gobbledy-gook. Point is, either drop a discrete question or two w/ the local law enforcement regarding legality of discharging said air guns in your back yard, or be extra discrete about shooting them...

[LCHIEN]

Actually, silencers on fireams and/or airguns are highly regulated by the BATF - Bureau of Alcohol tobacco ad Firearms since 1934 legislation by Congress and they require a $200 federal stamp. Each must be serialized and must be registered even for experimental purposes. They are illegal in California and other states. Apparently silencer enforcement is taken very seriously.

They are NOT illegal in Europe.

http://www.beemans.net/silencers_on_airguns.htm
Robert Beeman is a principal at Beeman guns.

or do a google search for Air gun silencer for more info.

[Tom Slick]

Interesting link. airguns with integral silencers are readily available, just look at the home page of the pyramid air link, and have no indication of BATF stamp requirements.

my only point above was don't equate firearm laws to airguns at face value.

[milanuk]

The nearest Sportsman's Warehouse has several models w/ suppressors on them.

The local gun store has a couple Gamo air rifles w/ the integral suppressor.

Silencers are not legal to use *at all* in Washington (technically there are a couple very small loopholes, but effectively, not legal) - you can own them, but you can't use them (don't ask).

Neither of those stores are Class III dealers.

Wonder how they get them if air rifle suppressors are so highly regulated?

[scmhogg]

Loring,

You're sure right about silencers being completely illegal in California. Some years ago, I tried a case involving members of a local motorcycle gang. On of the defendants was found with a pistol with a homemade silencer installed.

The DA charged him with possession. When the "silencer" was sent to BATF for testing, they found that the device in fact made the pistol louder. The DA dismissed the charge. But, the guy never lived down his invention of a "louder".

Steve

[cgallery]

The regulations brought up an interesting matter...

Apparently, since I am the officer of a corporation, I am allowed to purchase (on behalf of the corporation) NFA items such as full automatic firearms, and silencers. The items would be owned by the corporation, not by myself. And if the corporation ever dissolves, the items would have to be transferred to personal property (requiring the permission of the local police department) or to a family trust (doable).

Anyway... I've often been tempted. But the cost is $12 to $20k. And it is entirely possible that future regulations will dead-end the weapon with my corporation or the trust (I will be unable to transfer it PERIOD).

They make it just difficult enough, with the threat of someday being impossible, that I guess it is moot.

[thestinker]

If you are looking for one with a silencer gammo makes one called the wisper...I think. Its much quieter than any anil gun, and still hums .177 over 1000 fps.

[JimD]

The last squirrel that chewed into the bird feeder one two many times went into the freezer after dispatch with an ordinary 22. One shot out a window didn't get too much attention. I keep one my 22s zeroed with CB caps now. They are as quiet as a air rifle - which I also have. If you just want to deal with pests, you don't really need an air rifle or pistol. If you have a 22, you should try accuracy with CB caps. Any well stocked gun store should have some.

Jim

[Alex Franke]

Its a Crosman 1088 - under $50 at Walmart. Shoots 8-shot magazines of .177 pellets ...

Wow... Crosman -- I haven't heard that brand name since I was a kid. I used to absolutely love those things!