Learn › Track 02 · Equipment & physics
Buying your pistol
Sooner or later, the club pistol isn't enough and you start looking at your own. Before you look at any models, calibrate your sense of price.
Think first: A German maker lists its new top-end match air pistol “from …” including 19 % VAT in 2026. Guess the price in euros.
The usual path
The usual path doesn't start with a new top-end pistol, and there is a good reason: until you have shot for a while, you don't know which grip, balance and trigger suit you.
- Start — Club pistol — Learn the basics on a loaned pistol. Find out which grip size, balance and trigger suit you before you spend.
- Next — Used top-end PCP — A used pistol from a top maker costs well under a new one. Buy only if it passes your checks.
- Later — New top-end — Makes most sense once you know exactly which grip, balance and trigger you want.
2026 prices
Prices below come from 2025–26 listings. They are in different currencies and include different taxes, so compare bands, not exact numbers.
| Band | Examples | Listed price |
| Entry, new | Air Venturi Comp10 (PCP), AV-46M (single-stroke pneumatic), Precihole PP55 (PCP) | PP55 under £700 |
| Used top-end PCP | 2025–26 listings of current top makes | about €800–1,850 |
| New top-end | see the next table | from €2,159 to US$3,699 |
| New top-end pistol (alphabetical) | Listed 2026 price | Source |
| Feinwerkbau P8X | from €2,159 incl. 19 % VAT | maker |
| Morini CM 162EI | no current price found | — |
| Pardini K12 | US$3,699 | US dealer |
| Steyr Evo 10 | about £2,195 | UK |
| Walther LP500 Blue Angel / Expert | about US$2,330 / US$3,330 | dealer |
Now put a budget against those bands.
Think first: You have €900. You have shot a club pistol twice a week for a year, and a standard grip fits your hand. What gives you the most for the money?
- A new top-end pistol: €900 is close enough with a discount
- A used top-end PCP, checked carefully before you pay
- The cheapest new pistol you can find online, whatever type it is
Juniors and small hands
A full-size pistol can be too heavy and too long for a young shooter, and a tired arm can't hold steady. Makers offer lighter options:
Compact models, such as the Steyr Evo 10 Compact at 901 g.
Short-barrel versions, such as the Morini Short (970 g, 200 mm barrel) or a Feinwerkbau with the 170 mm barrel.
Small grips: one maker sells right-hand grips from size XS.
Think first: A 13-year-old with small hands tires after 20 shots with the club pistol. Which change helps most?
- A heavier pistol, for more stability
- A compact or short-barrel model with a small grip
- Barrel weights, to slow the wobble
Before you pay
A used pistol can hide a lot. Take this list with you, and walk away if the seller won't let you check:
The cylinder line is easy to skip. Don't.
Think first: It is October 2026. A €900 used pistol comes with two aluminium cylinders stamped 03/2017, from a maker that allows 10 years. What does that mean?
- Nothing: cylinders last as long as the pistol
- Both expire in March 2027, so budget for new cylinders or negotiate the price
- They can be refilled past the date as long as they hold pressure
Many aluminium cylinders have a 10-year life from the stamped date; some steel cylinders can be retested once for another ten years. Check what the maker of your cylinders allows: see cylinders: lifespan & safety.
Makers
Five makers build today's top match air pistols, listed here alphabetically: Feinwerkbau (Germany), Morini (Switzerland), Pardini (Italy), Steyr Sport (Austria) and Walther (Germany). Anschütz stopped selling match air pistols in 2009, though you may still find them used.
This course doesn't rank them. Choose on grip fit, local service, budget and how the pistol balances in your hand.
- Usual path: club pistol → used top-end PCP → new top-end.
- Used top-end about €800–1,850; new top-end from €2,159 to about US$3,699 in 2026 listings.
- Juniors and small hands: compact or short-barrel models and small grips cut weight and fatigue.
- Before you buy: grip fit, service, cylinder dates, leaks, chronograph, 500 g trigger test, battery.
- Cylinder dates are part of the price. No brand is “best”: fit and service decide.
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