TargetTalk

I'm curious who had actually handled the Hamerli AP20 Pro and what your impressions are. It obviously won't shoot like a new Steyr Evo but its nearly half as much. The original AP20 never really appealed to me, it weighted too little, had a small tank and plastic grips, the pro version fixes all these issues.

Buy the LP400 in the first instance, and save yourself a lot of hassle (and money) in the long term. Meanwhile, the AP20 was deliberately designed to look like an amateur pistol. In reality, it's highly functional and extremely accurate.

@Europa

the prices for LP400 abroad are different. Sometimes it makes more sense getting one of the Steyrs

Europa wrote:Buy the LP400 in the first instance, and save yourself a lot of hassle (and money) in the long term. Meanwhile, the AP20 was deliberately designed to look like an amateur pistol. In reality, it's highly functional and extremely accurate.

Europa, not sure if I'm following you 100%. You say save the hassle but go on to say the AP20 platform is "highly functional and extremely accurate". I wouldn't go with the standard AP20 due to the issues I mentioned but the PRO model seems a bit more appealing. I'm looking to import a pistol from Krale in the Netherlands, here's some of the pricing, I'm guessing what it will cost me after VAT is deducted, converted to USD and shipped.

Hammerli AP20 Pro - $850
Match Guns MGH1 Light - $950
Match Guns MGH1 Mechanical - $1135
Walther LP400 Carbon - $1400
Steyr 10 Evo Mechanical - $1565

Honestly at this point I'm just feeling out my options. I want to upgrade to a PCP most likely but the fact is that I basically compete against myself to practice for NRA 2700 Bullseye in my basement especially during bad/cold weather. I go for periods without shooting AP and then there's times where I shoot 60 shots each day. If it comes down to it I don't mind dropping almost double what the AP20 Pro costs on a Steyr EVO but it may be a bit overkill for my purposes. What I don't want to do is have the urge to upgrade again in a year.

"The urge to upgrade" is a very real problem :)

What we need and what we want may not be the same. If there is a chance that you will think that you will shoot just a little better with a Steyr - then a Steyr it is. If you dont buy the Steyr now you may buy the AP20 Pro now only to buy a Steyr later - not a good way to save money :-)

You may be able to get a good price on a Steyr LP10 now that the EVO is out. The urge may be smaller with a LP10.

X10 wrote:"The urge to upgrade" is a very real problem :)

What we need and what we want may not be the same. If there is a chance that you will think that you will shoot just a little better with a Steyr - then a Steyr it is. If you dont buy the Steyr now you may buy the AP20 Pro now only to buy a Steyr later - not a good way to save money :-)

You may be able to get a good price on a Steyr LP10 now that the EVO is out. The urge may be smaller with a LP10.

I've just ordered a Steyr EV0 10 Compact (mechanical trigger) from Krale. Can't wait. It's DEFINITELY a much better pistol than the shooter that I'll ever be, but I get a pleasure out of having good things and certainly in knowing that any failings in score are MY fault and not the pistol (or rifle).

"I want to upgrade to a PCP."

Where do you people get the silly idea that a PCP is an "upgrade."

Rover wrote:"I want to upgrade to a PCP."

Where do you people get the silly idea that a PCP is an "upgrade."

Rover, don't you have some paint chips to eat lol.

I have 3 air pistols:

HW70 springer
Gamo SSP
Steyr LP50

All 3 are good but I shoot the best with the Steyr. A better air pistol will solve some problems - at least up to a point.

It is difficult to say if you would shoot any better with a Steyr than with an AP20 Pro - and if you do is it because the gun is better or you have more "peace of mind"?

What you get with a modern high end PCP pistol is improved ergonomics and adjustability. Any decent competition grade air pistol made in the last 30 or 40 years will group just fine in a vise. The trick is allowing the shooter to access that accuracy.

What you get with a newer pistol (which will be PCP and not CO2 or SSP, just because it's the way the world works) is not a better propulsion system. You get more adjustable sights (width both front & rear, as well as rear depth), adjustable grip angle (like the Steyrs), better compensators, more options for balance and weight, etc.

Even then, one particular brand/model of pistol may just not suit a given shooter. If you can try several high end pistols, you may find that a Benelli Kite suits you better than a Steyr costing almost twice as much. All the adjustments can also be a trap. I've seen plenty of shooters who spend all their time fussing with various screws instead of focusing on the fundamentals. Same thing with grips. A less expensive pistol may shoot better for someone just because the factory grip fits them better than a Steyr or a Morini.

The important thing is what works for YOU. The only way to find out is to try a few options until you find something that shoots well in YOUR hand. Asking other people what's the best air pistol is like asking a well dressed gentleman what size of suit they wear so you can get one just like it.

Also consider the Steyr LP2.

It has the Steyr build quality, has a few less features than the Lp10 but at a much lower price.