I need a semi-auto pistol to kill rats at no more than 10 yards

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  • John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,731
    Socialist State of Maryland
    As someone who has disposed of hundreds of pests, the Benjamin 392 pump gun is one I use the most. I have PCP's as well but, unless I am shooting racoons, I don't need it. You can buy new https://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Benjamin_Multi_pump_Air_Rifle_Black_Kit/4942 or used https://www.ebay.com/itm/Benjamin-S...2a3b:g:ZXMAAOSwFK1fWUdq&LH_ItemCondition=3000

    They are extremely accurate and have no problem shooting one of the best pest pellets out there, the Polymag.

    You don't need a repeater and you don't want CO2. You can also get a break barrel but you have to know how to hold them to get the same accuracy as the multi pump.
     

    mranaya

    Task Force Sunny, 2009
    Jun 19, 2011
    996
    Hanover MD
    Great article. Thanks. From the reading, it looks like I need a .177 to get squirrels that are finding their way in and out of the attic of a friend's home.

    "In guns producing under 20 ft-lbs of muzzle energy, .177 caliber has the advantage. The reason is that the flatter trajectory aids more accurate shot placement in the field. "

    In guns producing under 20 ft-lbs of muzzle energy, .177 caliber has the advantage. The reason is that the flatter trajectory aids more accurate shot placement in the field.
    You can get .177 to make the same FPE as a .22 but it takes more velocity."

    I always recommend .22 air rifles if you are going to hunt and want to humanely kill the game. Here is a good article on the .177 vs .22.

    http://kirschy.tripod.com/177vs22.html
     

    Nanook

    F-notso-NG-anymore
    I know this is in the Air Guns, but Aquila Colibri makes a very, very, very quiet .22. No powder, lots of primer. Will severely dent a heavy gauge galvanized pail at 20 yds. Enough oomph to cycle a Ruger Mk II sometimes. An old and very worn out rifle is good too, but verify the bullet leaves the bore each shot. This combination was the first time I have heard the sear disengage, firing pin hit the rim, and then the bullet hitting the target 25-30 yards out. Bullet drop is significant so practice and make up a dope sheet.

    Check your local laws, wear PPE, IANAL, didn't stay at a Holiday Inn last night, etc, etc, etc.
     

    John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,731
    Socialist State of Maryland
    Super Colibri, not regular Colibri is ok for rifles. Regular Colibri sometimes gets stuck in the rifling. I have shot a few bricks since they brought it out. I would not use it for killing things because it is inconsistent. It wouldn't do to have a slow bullet hit a animal and just wound it. Rifled pellet guns are normally very accurate and consistent unless you let the pressure go too low or don't pump it the same number of pumps.
     

    hobiecat590

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 2, 2016
    2,434
    Super Colibri, not regular Colibri is ok for rifles. Regular Colibri sometimes gets stuck in the rifling. I have shot a few bricks since they brought it out. I would not use it for killing things because it is inconsistent. It wouldn't do to have a slow bullet hit a animal and just wound it. Rifled pellet guns are normally very accurate and consistent unless you let the pressure go too low or don't pump it the same number of pumps.

    ^^This^^. I would not use for hunting > mouse size targets, but for target practice w/o annoying the neighbors these are great. Out of handguns they sound like a cap pistol. Out of a rifle, hammer fall makes more noise.

    CCI "Quiet" and or 22 Shorts out of a rifle are very quiet w/o needing a suppressor and have more enough thump for most rats. YMMV
     

    marko

    Banned
    BANNED!!!
    Jan 28, 2009
    7,048
    OK, OP HERE! I have a Gamo Whisper set up upstairs with a shooting rest, etc.
    It just seems every evening when I go out the bottom door to start the grill, I see a rat
    and IT SURE WOULD BE NICE to pull a pistol out of a holster and shoot at
    those bastards - they are pretty brazen - they look at me like I'm interrupting
    their stealing of my tomatoes. So a pistol was my thinking.
     

    cantstop

    Pentultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 10, 2012
    8,159
    MD
    OK, OP HERE! I have a Gamo Whisper set up upstairs with a shooting rest, etc.
    It just seems every evening when I go out the bottom door to start the grill, I see a rat
    and IT SURE WOULD BE NICE to pull a pistol out of a holster and shoot at
    those bastards - they are pretty brazen - they look at me like I'm interrupting
    their stealing of my tomatoes. So a pistol was my thinking.

    OK. I have shot mice with my Beeman P1 in 4.5mm/.177 . One shot for a humane kill at 15-20 ft. It is an awesome air pistol. It was made in West Germany (for history buffs) and costs more than several of my firearm pistols. The balance is fantastic. If you can find one, this is what you want.
     
    Last edited:

    MaxVO2

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    OK. I have shot mice with my Beeman P1 in 4.5mm/.177 . One shot for a humane kill at 15-20 ft. It is an awesome air pistol. It was made in West Germany (for history buffs) and costs more than several of my firearm pistols. The balance is fantastic. If you can find one, this is what you want.

    ****Wow. That is really old school Beeman!!! I had one of those along with an original Beeman R1 Supermag. The one's I had were from the mid to late 1980's I think. I sold the Beemans some time ago, and only have some spring piston break barrel West German rifles now in .22 (Anschutz I think..) Those airguns are *much* more accurate than any of my firearms out to perhaps 50 meters. I use typical Beeman peep sights, and have one with a cool scope (dedicated spring piston resistant scope..) as well. Beautiful workmanship, and more expensive than even some of my nicer AR's from BCM, or LaRue which were not cheap, even before adding in optics, etc.. Amazing how expensive a well optioned competition airgun can get.

    I haven't seem that style pellet case in decades. The newer graphics look different, though I think they still make the tins like that.

    Yes, that P1 is worth some money now for sure. It was expensive for its day as I recall.

    That P1 is a cool piece. Never sell it.
     

    llkoolkeg

    Hairy Flaccid Member
    You can get .177 to make the same FPE as a .22 but it takes more velocity.

    I always recommend .22 air rifles if you are going to hunt and want to humanely kill the game. Here is a good article on the .177 vs .22.

    http://kirschy.tripod.com/177vs22.html

    That was indeed an interesting read. I have a Gamo 1250fps .177 that I have used for both indoor and outdoor pest eradication with great success. I had been using a modern blowgun but even though I got incredibly close numerous times, I never actually hit my quarry and grew tired of then trying to retrieve the darts that were deeply embedded in wooden door frames or similar w/o bending or otherwise damaging them. My only indoor miss with the Gamo resulted in mistakenly hitting an adjacent steel can of wd-40 and blowing right through it, resulting in two ginormous jet fountains of chemical mess in my laundry room to clean up before my wife discovered the evidence. That same Gamo also yielded my greatest feat of marksmanship to date- hitting a hanging piece of fishing line offhand from 50' away and dropping the suspended woodcraft project into the dirt and grass below...kind of like they would do in the old movies with either a gun or an arrow to cut down & free someone being hanged from their noose. That unbelievable shot resulted in a whooping celebration that would have been truly internet-worthy.
     

    Steelteacher

    Member
    Feb 19, 2020
    27
    PG county
    I used to hunt rats with a Benjamin Marauder .22- awesome!! Highly recommend! They also make a .22 pistol. They are very accurate, quiet, and I took rats out to 30 yards no problem. The bolt action you can work quickly, but one shot DRT kills in to the shoulder aren’t hard once you get the hang of it and practice. I used the jsb 18.3 gr match pellets. Still use the gun for target practice in the back yard. It’s still awesome.
     

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