Spring Piston Powered Pistol
A major objective of the P1 design was to give it an "American" flavor, and it seemed nothing but the famous Colt .45 Auto could come closer to being recognized around the world as one of America's finest. Although the P1. is not a replica, many of the design features between the two guns are similar as virtually all shooters hold the .45 in the highest regard.
This spring piston gun is cocked by a single stroke. The "hammer'' on the back is really the catch for the cocking lever. Release the "hammer'' and the top cocks over the gun until it locks into place. The pellet is loaded directly into the barrel and the unit then snaps back down, ready to fire. Accuracy is increased as the sights move with the entire cocking arm and barrel, never changing position. A scope can even be mounted on the 11mm dovetail grooves along the top of the action.
At only 11 inches in length, the small size of the pistol is remarkable considering the velocity. To get the optimum power a full size compression tube must be installed and this was accomplished by the overhead cocking design of the gun. Furthering the concept, the .177 caliber version of the piston has a dual power mode - cocking the gun to the first "lock point" will result in "low" power, around 380 fps which is still better than many other air pistols. Cocking the gun a bit further will click into the "high" power position for a full 600 fps making the P1 one of the most powerful spring piston airguns ever made! The full compression tube also results in a nicely balanced pistol as it runs the full length of the gun.
The two stage trigger is adjustable from the 28 ounce factory setting. The wide trigger blade has a serrated surface that makes the trigger pull feel extra light and gives a smooth, controlled feel to the unit. The incredible trigger is one of the things that people comment on as being one of the best features of the gun.
Finally, the P1 grip and trigger area are designed so that it is possible to fit any .45 Auto grips on the Pl. Shooters can thus maintain the feel of their firearm. The rearward expanding mainspring adds to the effectiveness as a firearm, trainer as the modest recoil goes into the hand, similar to a firearm. Shooters can be confident this air pistol will present a reliable measure of their marksmanship skills while training with a P1.
The Beeman P1 air pistol is available in .177 caliber, or the popular .20 caliber. The larger .20 caliber pellets are much less sensitive to wind drift (even indoor convection currents) and provide a greater impact than .177 caliber.
Note: If mounting a scope or red dot that requires rings on the P1 or P11, use the BKL 466 2 pc 14mm to 11mm adapter rail or the BKL 456 2 pc 14mm to Weaver adapter rail.
