TargetTalk

Hello,

I am thinking of buying a Steyr LP50, the one Pilkington sells with the Weaver scope rail cutout, to practice slow fire for Bullseye at home.
I eventually may want to shoot single-shot air pistol as well. My question is this: Is the LP50, with iron sights, a decent single-shot air pistol?

Thanks,

Paul, Boston

Paul,

I have a LP5P which I have occasionally shot air pistol matches with. Yes, it is a decent single shot pistol, but I have found that the trigger is somewhat inconsistent in single shot mode and I have heard other shooters mention this as well. My guess is that you may encounter the same thing with the LP50. Other than that, it compares very favorably with my Morini 162 EI Short (which has a very consistent trigger...), and it's currently the best 5-shot air pistol out there.

Lee

Paul,
I recently purchased an LP50 to use in AP matches as well as for practicing TF/RF for BE during the winter. With the heavy trigger and a red dot it is a very good practice gun. I also like it better than my IZH46M for AP matches - much better balance and feel. The trigger is consistent, but it doesn't feel as good as the IZH trigger. I think the multishot capability limits trigger adjustments like sear engagement I have my eyes open for a used LP1 or LP10.
Fred

Paul,

I've been shooting an LP50 for almost two years now. It's a fine piece of machinery which not only accommodates the events requiring a 5 shot repeater, but it will also do a fantastic job as a single shot gun.

I've put the gun in a vise several times to test various brands of pellets. Using match grade pellets, I've never seen a five shot group bigger than the ten ring.

I just purchased a one shot magazine from Pilks which makes using the LP50 at a 60 shot AP match alot easier since you never have to remove the mag from the gun.

I'm not sure what Lee is referring to when he says his LP5P has trigger inconsistency issues in "single shot mode." There is no single shot mode on the LP50 that I'm aware of. Moreover, the trigger on my LP50 is quite consistent and a pleasure to shoot.

Never having shot anything but the LP50, I cant compare it to any of the single shot AP's out there in terms of accuracy - but I do know it's more than a "decent" gun for many jobs.

Good luck with your choice!

Paul

I don't think that there is much doubt that the LP50 is the top 5 shot AP.

It certainly has the intrinsic accuracy to enable it to compete in single shot matches but the trigger is not in the same class as one of the top line single shot pistols.

F Paul,

What I meant by "single shot mode" was using the pistol with the single shot magazine. I have experienced inconsistent sear engagement, and lately I've been experiencing some instances where I have to pull the trigger twice to release the shot! Have any other LP5 owners out there experienced this, and what did you do to cure it?

Thanks...Lee

Thanks for the explanation Lee.

Whether it's an LP5 or an LP50, an inconsistent trigger would be totally unacceptable at least to me. These guns are too expensive to justify that kind of performance. A trigger lilke the one described by Lee is atypical and either defective or badly in need of adjustment or even a trip to a qualified tech.

As to David's comment about the quality of the trigger, I have no doubt he knows what he's talking about. What's more, he's not the first person to have expressed this opinion. Since I've had very minimal experience shooting anything other than the LP50, I cant disagree with him.

But - there is a difference between "quality" and "consistency" when judging a pistol's performance. Quality means nothing if it isnt delivered consistently. I would much rather have a trigger that behaved predictably every single time than a higher quality one that lacked uniformity from shot to shot. My LP50 has a great (but probably not the best) trigger and more importantly, it is extremely consistent.

All this talk about the quality of the triggers in the single shooters now has me wondering what I have been missing. I'll have to seriously consider borrowing one for an evening to judge for myself.

By the way Paul - there are a ton of AP shooters on a Canadian message board which can be found at: http://www.targetshooting.ca

You'll find a great group of men and women just like the ones we have become accustomed to here. This could be another good source of info to help you with your choice.

Patrick Haynes who runs the board, recently began the process of putting together a rating system for both AP and powder guns. It should be available in the near future.

Many thanks to all who responded to my query. It sounds like the LP50 is what I am looking for. I'm off to the Target Shooting Canada website for more inspiration...

Paul, Boston

Lee Jr wrote:I've been experiencing some instances where I have to pull the trigger twice to release the shot! Have any other LP5 owners out there experienced this, and what did you do to cure it?

I would guess that you have adjusted either the trigger take-up or the trigger stop a bit too tight. Both could give the problem you describe.

Thanks, David. I purchased the LP5P used recently and had not touched the trigger adjustments till now. I adjusted both the trigger take-up (dead travel?) and trigger stop, and now seem to have a rolling type trigger release. How is the sear adjusted? There is an allen screw in the frame just behind the trigger stop adjustment - what is it for? The manual does not describe it.

Lee

Lee Jr wrote:Thanks, David. I purchased the LP5P used recently and had not touched the trigger adjustments till now. I adjusted both the trigger take-up (dead travel?) and trigger stop, and now seem to have a rolling type trigger release. How is the sear adjusted? There is an allen screw in the frame just behind the trigger stop adjustment - what is it for? The manual does not describe it.

Lee

The allen screw you describe adjusts the sear engagement. Clockwise reduces sear enagement. If you reduce engagement too much, the gun will go 'full auto'. I lubricated my LP50 trigger with Gun Snot and have a very nice rolling release at 550gm.
Fred

I agree with David Levene in that while the trigger of the Steyr 5-shot APs are good, they are not in the same class as the trigger pulls of the single shot version, in my opinion.

And to Lee Jr.: The hex srew, locked with red paint, is for adjusting the overlap of the sear. I have not deared to do any adjustment to the sear so far.

And to Fred Mannis: Lubricating the surfaces of the sear with Gun Snot. I do not know that product. What is it? Syntetic oil? With teflon or grapfite? With moly?
I have used a product named "Trigger Slick" that i bought in UK some ears back for my S&W revolver. Do you think this product will work similar to Gun Snot with the LP 5 trigger?

MAS wrote:
And to Fred Mannis: Lubricating the surfaces of the sear with Gun Snot. I do not know that product. What is it? Syntetic oil? With teflon or grapfite? With moly?
I have used a product named "Trigger Slick" that i bought in UK some ears back for my S&W revolver. Do you think this product will work similar to Gun Snot with the LP 5 trigger?

Hello Mas.
Gun Snot is a fluorocarbon ("Teflon") based lubricant. They sell a grease as well as an oil. More info at their website:http://www.gunsnot.com/
Rather pricey, and I haven't run any comparisons vs conventional. moly based, action lubricants. Trouble with some greases and oils is that they change viscosity with temperature and this can have a noticeable effect on a light AP trigger.
No big deal adjusting sear engagement. Just take it in very small increments. Don't try for a 'crisp' trigger, but you may be able to reduce the amount of 'roll' without going over the edge to auto fire.
Fred