Caleb T. Hayes
- Jun 16

The Best BB/Pellet Pistols Are Actually Cheap (With Pictures!)

If you need a reliable BB or Pellet gun for target shooting, pest control, backyard plinking or self-defense, I’m here to help you make the best choice on your next purchase.

FYI, Prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.

1. Umarex XBG - .177 BB Gun

Top-rated: 8,153 ratings | 1000+ answered questions

Credit: Amazon.com

Highlight: Shoots .177 caliber steel BBs at up to 410 fps.

Helpful review: "I decided to get this pistol based on a couple things. First, I really LIKED the S&W M&P when Umarex made that one a few years back. Second, the PRICE was just TOO GOOD to pass up. So call it A WIN...on BOTH counts.

The XBG pistol is CO2-powered with a similar magazine as the M&P, holding approx. 18 rounds of steel BBs. And the magazine drops free easily with a button located on the left side near the trigger guard.

A manual safety is located in a smiliar manner to the M&P - right side on the body of the pistol above the trigger guard.

The LOOK of the pistol is intriguing as well...like someone went and married a Walther PPQ to a Springfield Armory XD Compact. (I now pronounce you "well-designed"...lol)

It's a bit on the light side, weight-wise, but still feels ergonomically comfortable in hand. The textured ABS plastic gives it a rugged feel as well.

Feeding this puppy is a snap.

A hinged door on the backstrap lifts up to allow access to the cartridge for a quick swap, and a screw nestled under the grip allows easy removal or insertion of the CO2 powerlets.

The REAL fun comes when you start sending BBs down-range. The package claims 410 FPS velocity, and I can easily believe it. It will tear through any can like it's paper (at 15 feet), and I must have gotten slightly OVER ten mags before the pressure dropped off markedly. And like ALL my BB pistols, I always add a drop of pellgun oil on top of the cartridge before insertion to keep the seal from drying out.

That practice hasn't failed yet. The XBG IS a joy to fire and is a REAL HONEST pistol, considering the sights are fixed front and rear. It WILL hit what you aim it at.

Getting used to only ONE dot on the front blade took a couple rounds to get used to. Would be nice to have a THREE-DOT pattern, or even a Heine "straight-eight", but it's not a big deal.

The trigger pull for this DAO is long (as can be expected), but not overly hard, and breaks easy.

It's a real shame it doesn't have blowback!

Overall, you just can't beat the Umarex XBG when it comes to COST...and accuracy...and FUN! I'd recommend this pistol to kids of ANY age. Umarex is getting good at making affordable BB pistols fun again. Shoot straight and practice safety!" — Robert M. Gaul

Get it from Amazon now: $34.99 & FREE Returns

2. Crosman SNR357 - Snub Nose .177 Revolver

Top-rated: 7,344 ratings | 701 answered questions

Credit: Amazon.com

Highlight: Sleek black, heavy-weight, full-metal body.

Helpful review: "When I received the package a day late I thought there were going to be more issues. Once I opened the plastic, I tried to push the mock safety forward to free the revolving bullet chamber. It was stuck, and I got worried since I read a lot of reviews saying this would happen. I looked at it closer and pushed it again with some balls and it opened the chamber smoothly. I opened it a thousand times since and it never got stuck again. Very smooth. Highly realistic. Great for a collection of replicas, or for shooting cans with friends without having a real gun in the mix to make people uncomfortable. It works great." — John Gomez

Trending review: "Outstanding gun. I bought it gun a few weeks ago and absolutely love it. Easy to load with either pellets or BB's. Looks real as my wife thought it was the real McCoy. i really like how the CO2 cylinder loads in the handle; cool design. My first few shots with pellets at about 50 feet to target were spot on and I did not have to adjust sights at all. Gun feels like a real gun with weight and balance right on. I have shot about 100 BB's and about 30 pellets with the same cylinder. Hard to beat this gun for value, fun, good looks, feel and easy of use. Don't listen to the negative reviews as this gun is a real good choice for everyone. Buy it now!" — Remy Arroyo

Reassuring review: "This is a really nice addition to my Air gun collection. It has a great feel in hand and has good weight being mostly metal, and looks awesome. This is not something you want to get caught waving around in public, or you will get shot by someone carrying the "real thing"! Package is in a molded blister pack and contains 6 shells for BB's and 6 shells for .177 pellets (total of 12 shells). It does not have any ammo or Co2 cylinders. As a collector of "replica" firearms that do NOT shoot real ammunition, this is one of my favorite guns. Being a smooth bore "snub nose", accuracy will not be great at a distance, but its a joy shoot, and satisfying to play with. Recommend to anyone looking for a little backyard firepower." — Brooks Beaton

Get it from Amazon now: $83.45 & FREE Returns

3. Daisy Powerline 415 - Air Pistol Kit

Top-rated: 2,419 ratings | 306 answered questions

Credit: Amazon.com

Highlight: CO2 BB Pistol, shooting glasses, BB's, CO2 cylinders and paper targets are ALL included!

Helpful review: "This is a great BB gun. It is very heavy and has the feel of a real gun. It looks exactly like a real gun (so be careful showing it). The front barrel section has a 9MM operning and the smaller BB barrel is set inside so If you pointed it at someone from a distance they would definitely think it was a real 9MM so don't go flashing this gun at people. The CO2 cart is well hidden as is the thumb screw to load the CO2. They are invisible once installed so there is no indication on the outside that this is a CO2 pistol. The Daisy and other embossed words on the gun are almost invisible so that is not an issue with regard to looking like a real gun. It is easy to load and has yet to jam. It is all plastic but is made out of what appears to be military type ballistic plastic so it has a good feel and does not feel cheap at all. The trigger pull is not too hard and not too easy. You can shoot this gun all day without putting a blister on our trigger finger like some other CO2 pistols do. It fires as fast as you can pull the trigger but during cool weather you need to wait for the CO2 cartridge to warm up again because with each shot a CO2 cart cools off which makes it less powerful until it warms up again. I especially like the safety on this gun.

The red indicator (safety off) is easy to see and the safety itself is easy to set on or off. The best thing about the safety is that when the safety is on, it does not block the trigger like other guns. When you pull the trigger with the safety on the trigger does nothing. That makes it easy to determine if the safety is in fact operating properly. The site tip is easy to see but I do not use it because I am more of an instinct shooter with pistols and don't really need to sight them. The noise is about the same as any air gun. It is loud enough to know it is some type of gun but not so loud as to hurt your ears or sound like a .22. The safety glasses are big plus because BB's have a tendency to ricochet and you don't want to lose an eye. The three CO carts and tube of BB's will last long enough for the rest of the ammo you ordered to arrive. I believe the best results come when you use the OEM products so I purchased Daisy CO2 carts and BB's. They seem to be of very high quality.

So far, I have fired 80 BB's from the first CO2 cart and the pistol still has power. I have not noticed any reduction in power as I shoot each set. I have a CO2 pellet pistol and after the first 10 shots the velocity of the pellets drop dramatically. I shoot his pistol in my garage. I put up a 3/4 plywood backstop and glued a 3/4 high density styrofoam home insulation panel to the front target area so the BB's won't bounce back at me. I had a roof rat living in the roof of the garage that was causing havoc that no one could catch. I was able to stalk him and take him out with one shot. This thing has power. I would think this gun would make a fine training aid at police training facilities for new students or for simulations. For the money it just can't be beat and I am glad that Daisy still makes fine BB guns. I am definitely pleased with this purchase and the price is great! This gun also has fittings for lasers and flashlight devices. Daisy really went all out on this gun design. All it needs is a rifle stock attachement to make it perfect." — Mark K.

Get it from Amazon now: $59.99 & FREE Returns

4. Glock 17 - Blowback .177 BB Gun

Top-rated: 5,154 ratings | 641 answered questions

Credit: Amazon.com

Highlight: New 21-shot, belt fed magazine design.

Helpful review: "I am a Sheriffs Deputy and wanted something like my duty weapon to train and practice with. I have neighbors in close proximity and live rounds are not an option. Ammo restrictions and lack there of make Range time tough. This CO2 pistol is identical to my Glock 34. It’s accuracy is not so good after 10-12 yards, but close enough to run through a post course. I never anticipated being able to drive tacks with it. So I’m not disappointed. I do love the blowback action. If you purchase an extra mag, you can make practice more realistic in post or even combat situations. This is not a toy. It shoots 365 FPS. It will cause damage. It looks very real and could easily be mistaken for a G17 or 34. The cost is nominal, if you calculate the cost of ammunition and the fact this BB pistol is a lot more quiet than 9mm or 40. It’s also a lot safer for practice in your yard. The feel and operation are nearly the same as duty weapon. In my opinion, it’s a good purchase. I have read reviews that state pistols were broken or non functional upon delivery. I suppose it’s worth the risk when purchasing anything online." — John D. Felder

Trending review: "Fairly satisfied with the product overall. It’s almost an identical twin to the real thing, and if not inspecting it closely you can’t really tell the difference. Only things I disliked was the the barrel is a bit shaken and the awkward placement of the safety under the barrel. But even that isn’t really a big deal. Can’t really complain for price. Roughly 1,500 rounds in so far and still works with the np functionality issues." — Caine Elliot

Reassuring review: "The BB Gun looks and feels like a real gun. Easy to load, holds 18 balls, CO2 cartridge goes in the handle. There is a little Allen wrench that it comes with that you use to open the handle, place the CO2 cartridge, then tighten down. When you hear air leak, you tighten a little more until it stops. This means you have spiked the CO2 cartridge and you are ready to go. There is a safety on the bottom of the gun. When I first fired the gun, I was shocked by the loud pop it gives off. It surprised me. I never heard that with my pump air rifle. But I guess the cartridge has more pressure behind it. As far as accuracy, I didn’t actually use a target. It seemed to be fairly accurate from what I can tell. But I scored it 4 stars just because of my inability to be accurate about its accuracy. 😜" — Cathy Gordon

Get it from Amazon now: $169.99 & FREE Returns

5. Smith & Wesson M&P 40 - .177 BB Gun

Top-rated: 2,400 ratings | 213 answered questions

Credit: Amazon.com

Highlight: A replica of one of the newest S&W designs.

Helpful review: "I wanted to get a pistol that my son and I could shoot together. I have a BB gun from when I was little, but it was really weak. I looked at various air pistols, watched video reviews and demonstrations, and wanted to try this one. I tried ordering it from another popular sporting goods store online, but they said I had to get a pistol permit from my local police department, send it to them, have them approve it and then ship it out. It would never have gotten to me by Christmas. This is a BB gun, not a 9mm! I'm not sure why they wanted me to jump through all those hoops. I don't know why I didn't think about ordering it on Amazon at the start. They shipped it out in a hurry and it arrived with time to spare for Christmas morning. The gun itself is incredible. It's VERY powerful. The BB (not Airsoft pellet) will go right through one side of a can and completely through another. The gun does have a safety on it, which is nice. It holds 19 BBs and has a magazine for them. It looks just like a Smith and Wesson M&P pistol and DOES NOT have an orange tip on it.

The police would probably shoot you if you walked down the street waiving it around. It looks like a real gun, but doesn't have the moving slide, working hammer, etc. After seeing this gun, I couldn't help but think what Santa said in "A Christmas Story", "You'll shoot your eye out, kid." That being said, if a young person is using it, I'd highly suggest adult supervision, eye protection, a target with nothing important behind it, etc. The same rules apply for this gun as they do for a regular gun. It's really that strong. Don't buy this for a child thinking it's probably like the BB gun you had when you were little because it's NOT. Don't send them out to use it alone. When it's put away, make sure it's empty and the BBs are out of it. You could really hurt someone with it. You'll need to buy Co2 cartridges. I also bought some Crosman Pellgunoil. It's supposed to make the Co2 cartridges do better for you if you put a tiny drop of it at the end of the cartridge before you put the Co2 in. If you are looking for a nice air pistol, I'd highly recommend this one. This is my first Co2 air pistol, so I don't have anything else to compare it to. I love it and would buy the same kind again." — John Pullum

Get it from Amazon now: $42.25 & FREE Returns

6. Crosman 2240 - CO2-Powered .22 Pistol

Top-rated: 1,859 ratings | 271 answered questions

Credit: Amazon.com

Highlight: Improved bolt design for easier cocking.

Helpful review: "FREE UPGRADES: I put the safety OFF (unsafe), took handgrips off and pulled out the trigger spring. I cut ONE coil off of it and put it back in. So much lighter trigger pull! No more pull, pull, sideways wobbly pull then bang. A light pull and it fires. Then I took the top and bottom screws (and rear sight off). This makes the rear end cap of the co2 tube off. I cut 3.5 coils off the hammer spring. It doubled the amount of shots per co2 cartridge, makes the gun quieter and stops the wasteful cloud of co2 from appearing every shot.

To use this you must have: a tube of Pellgun oil; 12g co2 cartridges and some .22 pellets (not the usual .177 pellets). Out of the box: put two drops of Pellgun oil on the tip of the co2 cartridge before sliding it tip first into the big tube under the barrel. Screw the cap on. Put a drop of Pellgun oil on the rubber ring that is exposed when you cock the gold bolt back. Add another drop every 250 shots.

I did a four dollar add on item of Gamo .22 pellets (which opened and spilled everywhere during shipping) and even with these cheap pellets that were bashed around this pistol is super accurate!

The first upgrade you'll want to make is to order the steel breech, which allows you to do two things: get rid of the plastic "gold" bolt, and also to mount a scope. This pistol, in its stock form, has no scope or laser mounting rails or dovetails.

My first shot came out totally silent yet ripped a nice hole in my target. All the shots after that were super loud! This is way louder than my Crosman Fury rifle, my 10 pump rifle and my other Crosman pistol. It's actually closer to my actual (real gunpowder) Ruger 10/22 rifle and pistols! LOUD!

After the 40th shot it still hits exactly where I aim, with zero drop off! That's better than my .177 that cost more! With the first co2 cartridge in the gun I went to bed, woke up next morning and had shot 41 hit dead on. Shot 42 dropped noticeably and was less powerful.

The second co2 cartridge fit a little deeper and I was able to screw the cap down way more. I shot very rapidly until shot 55 which hit a little low, and shoot 56 was really low. One thing I noticed was that the big cylinder under the barrel got really cold while rapidly firing these 55 shots. I think if I shot at a normal rate the co2/pistol wouldn't have gotten so cold-and would have lasted for a few more shots. Co2 is less efficient at lower temperatures: when you shoot, the cylinder gets icy cold. Also it's winter in Michigan and I was in my basement. 65° and rapidly firing as possible gets you 55 dead accurate shots. Slower (normal) rate of fire would give you more shots. Warmer weather would also help get to the higher range of 70 shots many people achieve with this pistol. Breaking it in would probably help too.

I took the screw off the rear sight and the screw directly across from it on the bottom of the large tube, which allowed me to take off the rear end cap and hammer spring. I cut 3 coils off the spring and reassembled. Now I get between 70-80 shots, even though it got even colder (it's snowing right now in April). I shoot indoors in a cold basement. The colder it is the less shots you get.

I got the little ten dollar intermounts that clamp to the barrel. These let me put a forty dollar Winchester 3x-7x scope. I can easily put two pellets through the same hole at 15 feet.

My .22 Pellet Testing Roundup in a Crosman 2240 CO2 pellet pistol. I shoot handheld at 10 meters (33 feet) indoors with a 3x-7x Winchester scope I bought on Amazon for thirty-nine bucks. In my Crosman 2240 every pellet tumbled and left a keyhole shape hole in paper targets. In my 1250fps break barrel rifles this happens when I try to use flat nose wadcutters. Wadcutters like lower fps or lighter weight wad cutter pellets according to some. After I cut the hammer spring about 3.5-4 coils this went away and I also get around 70 shots per CO2 cartridge as opposed to barely 40 before cutting the coil.

HERE ARE THE RESULTS FROM BEST TO WORST:

- Umarex RWS “Hobby” Sport Line flat nose wadcutters: these are so accurate I shot once and it hits the center of an X I drew in pencil on a piece of paper. The second shot went so perfectly through the first pellet’s hole I had to walk over and see if I missed the target entirely? Nope-the 2nd shot went right through the hole from the first shot. The 3rd, 4th and 5th shots did the same thing until there was a single, slightly larger than normal pellet hole in the center of the target. LASER-LIKE PERFECTION!!!!!

- Daisy Flat Nosed Pellets: 500 in a tin and ultra-cheap. I can put 4 through the same hole, but the 5th usually is a flyer about 0.5" away. Really great performance at a really cheap price! The Daisy pellets leave a shocking amount of graphite(?) and/or lead on the fingers. Load one Daisy pellets and your fingers will be black (not grey). The pellets are black, not grey as well. It’s not lead, because my fingers stay black after scrubbing them in the sink. I go back and forth between whether the Daisy or the Gamo are better.

- Gamo Match Diablo wadcutters: these are just as good as the Daisy Flat Nose pellets EXCEPT the 5th “flyer” is usually closer to 1”-2” off target. Not a big deal, but not as good as the Umarex RWS Hobby with ZERO flyers. The Gamos opened and spilled in transit, but these are very accurate in my Crosman 2240. My next order included Gamo pellets and someone took the time to scotch tape them shut (thank you!) so they wouldn’t spill everywhere. I go back and forth between whether the Daisy or the Gamo are better. These are also really cheap, and show up for less than four bucks as a free add-on for Prime users.

- Gamo Magnum Energy “Spire” Point: these looked HORRIBLE in the tin, many skirts were malformed and the casting flash was so bad it looks like they are designed with two full-body fins running from tail to point. However, they really weren’t that bad. Shots 1-3 were fairly close (not same hole) but there would be 1 or 2 flyers in the a group of 5 that would go in random directions about 3” off target. Still, I was very surprised these did so well.

- Excite “Plinkin”: these came with the same exact sealing sticker around it as the ‘fancier’ H&N targets (see below) so maybe they’re made in the same factory? When I saw that I had high hopes. Funny is that they were awful and the H&N were even worse! The 2nd shot was about 3” from the 1st, and the 3rd shot was the same distance in the opposite direction, the next two shots were also just all over the place. No point in using these in my particular pistol.

- Crosman Premier Hollow Point: this is a rounded head pellet with a big dimple in the front. They’re cheap and come in a 500 tin pellet. These pellets are made by the same people as my pistol. The result however is even worse than the Excite pellets: you aim at the center of the target and take 5 shots. They end up 4” away from each other. The Crosman are so bad I thought my scope was broken! Seriously! I was in danger of missing the paper target complete with these-once at the top, once to the left, once to the right and just wacky performance. Bizarre! I literally starting swearing out loud thinking my scope was destroyed. Then I loaded some other pellets and everything was fine. I went back to the Crosmans again and again over the weeks and they’re always just awful!

- H&N Sport Field Target: these have what looks like a bb stuck into the front of them. DANGEROUSLY INACCURATE. The only thing worse than the Crosmans in my pistol. Again, it’s difficult to keep these on the 8.5”x11” target, let along the tiny little pencil eraser sized bulls eye! So fancy. So expensive. So bad. I was really surprised!

So there you have it. If you have a Crosman 2240 you should give the Umarex/RWS “Hobby” flat nosed sport wadcutters a try. You fire 5 shots-see a single hole and worry you missed the paper completely-until you walk up to the target and see 5 pellets in the same hole. Nice! I also highly recommend the Winchester 3x-7x air gun scope. So much fun being zoomed into your target!

I’m a librarian by day, at night I kill racoons with .177 hollo points; but with .22s I'm going for paper targets. Kind of backwards I know, but I have fun.

By the way: In .177 Benjamin HP's are the best in my Gamo Silent Cat rifle, and my Crosman Fury likes Gamo Tomahawk pellets: I've tried about 13 different pellets so far in the rifles so far.

The point? Keep trying different pellets in all your guns. With my two break barrels (and a really old break barrel I found in a garbage can) I can put pellet after pellet through the same hole with the aforementioned pellets. The garbage can rifle is about 40 years old and only shoots around 500fps or less—and shoots perfectly with pretty much any pellet. Same with an old 10 pump I have: bull’s-eye after bull’s-eye.

Oh, the best thing you can do for a neat pellet trap is to: fill the bottom of an empty yellow kitty litter bucket with 12 pounds of Electricians putty (not plumber putty-electrician putty). Tip the bucket on it’s side and the putty will stop hunting rounds out of a 1250fps .177 Gamo Silent Cat break barrel rifle and .22 Crosman 2240 pistol." — Mike from Detroit

Get it from Amazon now: $84.35 & FREE Returns

7. Sig Sauer P365 - CO2-Powered BB Pistol

Top-rated: 1,636 ratings | 136 answered questions

Credit: Amazon.com

Highlight: Full blowback metal slide.

Helpful review: "I got this for $76 so my expectations were so so but I own a P365 and the resemblance is spot on as is the feel. It is much lighter that the real version mostly because of the mag weight full of 9mm cartridges so don’t expect the heft but both guns being empty they weigh within ounces of each other. I first cleaned the barrel and got some black color on the patch. Don’t know if it’s lube or dirt but it never hurts to clean all new guns when you get them. I also put a drop of lube on the CO2 inlet port and on the white seal and also a dab on the end of the CO2 capsule for good measure. I then shot 150 rounds non stop without a mishap except my own fumbling of BB’s while loading the magazines.

The BBs need to be loaded 1 at a time rather than a rapid loading port of some kind. This is tedious and it would be nice to have a funnel of some kind to facilitate loading. I may just do that by taking a straw of the right size and melt the end in a way that would only allow 1 BB to come out at a time. There is a little gate at the loading port that in the open position you can get BB’s in easier. But take your time with it and it gets easier each time. I am not sure if it’s the Crosman lube I used, but I am not experiencing any of the issues that I been reading about.

The accuracy is 2 1/4” at 10 meters using Hornady black anodized BB’s. I would get an occasional flyer. The first couple clips were in the 5” range but as soon as I figured out the trigger, it went much better. The gun is much louder than I expected. I have several others that are not as loud as this one but it’s still backyard friendly. The one thing I can say about it is they are identical to the real McCoy and as a training weapon it’s just simply a must have, especially with the rising cost of ammunition and also going to the gun range to shoot is not feasible or too far away. This is a guarantee that your shooting will improve because of the ability to train and shoot in the privacy of your back yard.

Pros: Accurate at 10 meters with 3” groups using both Hornady black anodized BB’s and also the silver ones that came with the pistol but I think they must be Sig brand. It has a very realistic feel and close to weight of my real P365 enpty. I got it for $76 and for a trainer, it’s a no brainer. It holds and carries like the real thing.

Things to watch: Those threaded inserts at the bottom of the clip that holds the CO2 capsule can cross thread very easily so be ultra careful of that. If it strips out by cross threading there is no fix but to buy another magazine for $20." — Ned Barkowitz

Get it from Amazon now: $81.00 & FREE Returns

8. Crosman Vigilante - CO2-Powered .177 Pellet/BB Revolver

Top-rated: 2,251 ratings | 198 answered questions

Credit: Amazon.com

Highlight: Fixed blade front sight and adjustable rear sight to help you stay on target.

Helpful review: "I waited for a while to really get a feel for this before I reviewed it. I will agree with most that this is a great choice for a CO2 pistol. I was looking for a CO2 pistol and looked at several of the blowback types before chancing and buying this one online. So far it's been very accurate. Using the sights already on the pistol, I can knock over several cans from a distance of 30-40 feet with no problem. When I added a laser I was able to push that range to almost 70 feet and still hit my targets consistently. It paired well with the NCStar Red Laser Sight and the pressure switch. The gun is solidly built and has a realistic weight. It is a little on the heavy side but I like that because it improves accuracy. My wife complains that it's a little louse. The sound is similar to a small .22 or .25, especially when a new CO2 cylinder is added. The seals on the gun are great, I've finished a target practice session and left the cylinder in for several days and was able to fire off a whole clip of pellets before the pressure begin to drop." — Brown Leitch

Trending review: "What more can you ask for from a BB/pellet combo pistol - it's 'Murican made and shoots both BB's and pellets accurately at the advertised FPS, plenty powerful for plinking various targets and hunting small varmints such as birds, mice, and other rodents. The CO2 cartridges are easy to install and will last 60+ shots or more. Crosman air rifles/pistols are manufactured and built in the US, out of their plant just outside of Rochester, NY. They're an excellent company with stellar customer service. I have Crosman variable pump rifles that my own dad purchased in the mid 1980s that still work extremely well with no issues whatsoever. No product is perfect, but Crosman delivers quality products that will outlast and function more reliably than most others. BB/pellet guns are fantastic for beginners and for teaching proper gun safety to younger kids (ages 7-8 and up). Every kid should learn basic marksmanship skills as young as possible. Who knows, they may become proficient, responsible, enthusiastic shooters/hunters one day and we could always use more of those." — Chris Falconer

Reassuring review: "I own several CO2 revolvers and this is my favorite to shoot because of how quick and easy it is to load and re-load. I bought 2 extra sets of pellet clips so I have 7 total. Each clip holds 10 pellets and I get between 60 and 70 shots per CO2 cartridge. It's quick and easy to swap clips and possible to fire 60-70 shots in minutes. I have some replica revolvers with individual shells that are great too, but they take a lot more time to reload. Accuracy and velocity are good too. I highly recommend this gun!" — Shane Russell

Get it from Amazon now: $71.63 & FREE Returns

9. Beretta M92 A1 - Full-Auto .177 Steel BB Gun

Top-rated: 1,425 ratings | 348 answered questions

Credit: Amazon.com

Highlight: Durable and realistic all metal construction; Semi-auto and full-auto shooting modes.

Helpful review: "Stop thinking of buying any other air gun and get THIS ONE now. You will not be disappointed. From the moment I opened the box, I have been in love. It shoots very well and fairly accurate. I purchased a (Weaver rail) laser sight and the accuracy improved to near perfect. FULL AUTO - - - Need I say more? It really does shoot full auto, doesn't jam, sounds amazing. The blowback is perfect and pretty realistic. It's a huge aid with learning how to hold, breathe, etc. when shooting. But with this air gun - you can shoot in your BEDROOM if you want! The only thing I'd recommend when purchasing this piece: Be very VERY careful if you're out in public or around people! This air gun is extremely realistic and so far, not one person I've shown it to (without looking down the barrel, of course) has been able to tell it's not a real Beretta until they held it themselves and inspected it. The purchase of this air gun has prompted me to start collecting more. I've found a new hobby! Excellent product, Umarex!!!" — Miles Ring

Trending review: "This has to be one of the best realistic Beretta 92A1 I have ever seen. The auto mode is fantastic and a BLAST to shoot! Weight, size and even the mag are so dead on, that put side by side with the real thing it is very hard to tell them apart! Now it will not bring down a boar, but it shoots accurate and hits hard at close range! After I ordered the pistol I had buyers remorse and I thought, "Do I really need this BB gun??" I was going to send it back as soon as I got it, but when I opened it and shot it I decided to keep it!" — Roby J.

Reassuring review: "This thing is fun! Nice heft and feel to it from the metal construction. Still working on the aim with the fixed sites, but also tossed a mini laser site on that mounts on the underneath rail. When using the laser, the 92A1 produces really tight groups. Love the automatic mode (just for the sheer fun of it) but, wow, it goes through the magazine and CO2 cartridge fast. Knew that going in on the purchase, but still a surprise. The magazine has been reliable. A bit of a pain to get the spring pulled back and set for loading - would have used a bit of an extension from the magazine but I suspect they kept it within the magazine for the sake of realism. Need to get an extra magazine or two - it's way too easy even on semi-auto to burn through the clip quickly. Haven't done it yet due to the comparatively high price for spare magazines - keeping my eye out for sales :) My version ended up being the manufactured in Taiwan version versus in Germany but so far the built quality seems fine." — Ken Hamby

Most-discussed review: "We bought this for the giant raccoons that attack the cats at night. It had the features we wanted (full auto capable and uses CO2 for distance). It feels light a bullet firing gun in your hand, full metal, so keep that in mind. It’s not light. I wouldn’t wave this around or keep it in plain sight either as it looks like a regular pistol. We bought a rail light for it and it works well. Easy to fire, accurate, and covers the distance we wanted so we can stay away from the wildlife. Hopefully it runs off the raccoons." — Clay Rivers

Get it from Amazon now: $169.99 & FREE Returns

10. Crosman Phantom P10 - Air Pistol Kit with FREE BBs

Top-rated: 2,027 ratings | 87 answered questions

Credit: Amazon.com

Highlight: Includes P10, Copperhead BBs, two CO2 cartridges, and shooting glasses. This kit has an under barrel Picatinny accessory rail and Removeable grip for easy replacement of CO2.

Helpful review: "I bought this as a gift for my little brother (14years old). He loves it and was shooting a can from 20ft away and the metal BBs were doing quite a bit of damage. I'm sure he will enjoy it for years to come. Quality: Great materials quality. the magazine is all metal, everything feels tight and well refined. Price: Very budget friendly while still being very reliable being a Crossman. Usage: Seems to pack quite a punch, not sure if it will break skin yet" — E.J.

Trending review: "I am a truck driver and away from home 4 days in a week. Just got this air gun for my wife for self defense and taught her how to shoot. So far the gun was easy to load and everything seems durable." — Sy Hong

Reassuring review: "I asked the question if this gun would be loud or sound like an actual firearm before I purchased. I've never had a pneumatic gun before... I was given an answer that had attitude and consternation that "this doesn't sound anything like a gun , because it sounds like a pneumatic bb gun, because that's what it is"... Turns out, no it doesn't sound like a Glock or whatever, but yes, my neighbors did come out to see what the ruckus was. So, it doesn't sound like a 9mm, but it does have a noise that travels. Luckily I have good neighbors who were ok with it once they knew it wasn't a gun." — Esther

Most-discussed review: "The price was right so I grabbed one. It's as accurate as you should expect from a smoothbore steel barrel flinging round steel balls. Really good velocity but that comes with a noticeable "pop" that I'm sure the neighbors could hear if they were outside. Great value and I'd buy it again. Or to give as gifts to others. This would make a nice gift. I'd like to receive something like this as a gift." — Jimbo

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11. GAMO P-430 - CO2-Powered Dual-Ammo Air Pistol

Top-rated: 1,997 ratings | 113 answered questions

Credit: Amazon.com

Highlight: 16 rounds capacity double magazine (8x2).

Helpful review: "I received this gun a few days ago and have been shooting in my back yard. I really enjoy this gun because of the quality and the advantage of shooting both pellets and BBs. The CO2 cylinder lasted for shooting 96 pellets and still had power when I removed it. This gun is awesome and fun to shoot. I found the gun to be very accurate, powerful, easy to load pellets and BBs, east to install the CO2 cylinder and very comfortable to hold and sight. This is an inexpensive gun that is of high quality. I suggest you purchase it. I also purchased two additional magazines; therefore, I can shoot 48 pellets or BBs without reloading even thought each magazine has to be removed and turned around or replaced which takes about a second. It’s a good gun at a reasonable price. Enjoy shooting." — L.L.R.

Trending review: "I’m not a great shooter with pistols but I got a little red dot laser add on and the pistol really lives up to the Gamo name. Excellent bird, rodent or snake gun. I’m using 10.5 grain discovery pellets and this pellet gun loves them. Going to try some Gamo pellets after this tin. On the chrome I’m getting as low as 376 fps and a high of 480. For energy your looking at between 4.6 and 11.66 FPE foot lbs of energy and that’s incredible for a co2 pistol. I highly recommend this airgun. FYI this comes with a 1yr warranty and Gamo is trust worthy." — Gary Wright

Reassuring review: "I bought this to replace a Bear River Boa BB gun that broke during its first use. This gun is much higher quality. Loading the bb’s is much more precise with this. The last gun I had involved pouring bb’s into a column that just had one spring in it. It was not easy to load. With the P-430, each bb has its own little slot. You don’t have to worry about bb’s falling out or being ejected from the magazine while loading. I could type a longer review, but I’ll just say this is a quality product compared others on the market." — Donald Green

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12. Colt Defender - Semi-Auto .177 BB Gun

Top-rated: 1,814 ratings | 329 answered questions

Credit: Amazon.com

Highlight: Realistic and durable all-metal frame and slide.

Helpful review: "I got this pistol as a training aid for teaching my wife to be a decent pistol shooter, since I didn't want to flush a lot of expensive .40 cal ammo through my Glock, and this BB pistol can be used without alarming the neighbors. My wife loves the thing and I'm quite impressed with it.

As an experienced police pistol instructor and range master, I'm not all that easy to impress, either. This pistol is a great value. It has good muzzle velocity (~450fps), a solid feel with proper heft and balance in the hand, it's reasonably accurate and consistent for plinking, and it seems fairly robustly put together. The plastic grips initially felt a bit wimpy to me but haven't had any issues in several months of use, so I guess they're plenty adequate.

We've run a thousand or more BB's through ours and it has never malfunctioned in any way. It is also surprisingly thrifty as far as CO2 consumption goes. I've left a cartridge in it for weeks at a time and never had one lose pressure from leakage.

The only real issue I have with this pistol is the appearance - it is simply TOO realistic-looking in every way and I have serious concerns that some fool kid is going to wave one around at the wrong time and get dropped by a police officer who can't distinguish this from a real Colt Commander firearm. Thirty years ago I very nearly shot a damfool college kid who pulled a replica pistol on me when I was off-duty one day - it was only good luck that kept him from dying for his stupidity and me from having to live with his death on my conscience.

I understand the desire to have a "cool" looking BB pistol. I just think they probably ought to be required to come with a red muzzle as is done with toy guns. Yeah, not as cool-looking as an accurate replica, but definitely safer for all concerned. If you decide to get one of these, PLEASE keep that in mind and be safe!" — Richard Waugh

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13. Umarex Steel-Storm - .177 BB Gun

Top-rated: 1,616 ratings | 195 answered questions

Credit: Amazon.com

Highlight: Choose between Single Shot mode or 6-Round Full-Auto Burst mode.

Helpful review: "Here’s the secret to keeping this product working properly – OIL EVERYTHING! A couple of drops of gun oil often down the barrel, into the trigger box, slide, BB rail, even a drop of oil onto the end of the CO2 cartridges before inserting them and this gun will operate well for years. I’m kind of a gun nut. Iown an AR-15 and a highly modified Chinese Norinco SKS7 among other interesting hardware. But this little BB gun is such a blast – the most fun you can have for under 100 bucks – that I felt compelled to finally write a product review even though I bought this product from Amazon more than 5 years ago. Just remember, it’s plastic and has moving parts … if you don’t lubricate it properly it is going to break. One more thing that may be of interest – this unit came out of the box firing the full load on the auto setting – before purchase my understanding was that full auto gave you a burst of 5 BBs between trigger pulls … I was prepared to modify it (easy instructions are on YouTube) for a full load burst, but I didn’t have to – I can dump the full load of 30 BBs with a single pull in about 2 seconds. For what it is, it was worth every penny. My son and I have been playing with our Umarex Steel Storm for almost 3 years now without a single problem or even a jam. I think it's held up so well because we oil it often and just about everywhere we think there might be a moving part. Interestingly, we got it out of the box in full-auto mode so we didn't even have to mod it." — The Gun Nut

Trending review: "This weapon is a blast to shoot, ripping up cans and almost anything else laying around downrange. Matter of fact, finding new targets can sometimes prove a challenge. Although this isn't a full metal gun, it has good weight once the dual co2 cartridges and BBs are loaded. An additional co2 key is included, which is important to me as I sometimes loose stuff out in the field, good to know there is another without going online to find it. It also has plenty of rail on which to hang sights, flashlights, etc... Remember to use a little oil on the co2 tips and I usually find it a good idea to dribble a little on moving parts, even on polymer cased weapons. Seems to help longevity. Small snivel...BBs are sometimes a pain shaking them from the reservoir into the magazine. The most efficient method is to GENTLY shake the gun, keeping it level, after locking the traveler in it's detent slot. With a little practice you can quickly reload. One more thing, documentation claims a 6-round burst when in full auto, but it will cycle as long as you hold back the trigger. I usually shoot bursts anyway, just holding down the trigger wastes co2, and lessens pressure to boot, Recommend you do as well. In the end, SCREAMING weapon to shoot, lots of fun, and much cheaper than a centerfire, provided you qualify for one. Happy trails." Smokey

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14. Sig Sauer M17 - CO2-Powered Air Pistol

Top-rated: 994 ratings | 120 answered questions

Credit: Amazon.com

Highlight: Identical to the actual M17; popular training aid.

Helpful review: "Great pistol with good grip feel, and weight and balance (suppose to replicate the real M17). Mag is really nice with lever for loading CO2 (no tool required!) and holds separate 20 round .177 pellets in rotary mag (buy extra rotary mags!). Trigger pull is clunky because of the rotary mag, so place drops of oil (pelletgunoil) in rotary mag (rotate mag many times as you go) and oil on trigger assembly and slide. That smoothed out the pull quite a bit! The pistol isn't a full blow back; slide goes 1/4 to 1/2 back but still gives you somewhat the feel of the real thing (it was cold the day I was shooting). Power was on par with other CO2 pistols and accuracy was pretty good using a red dot sight, but I'm not a very good shot with a pistol either." — Rachelle Connell

Trending review: "I have no experience with weapons and this is my first purchase of a pellet gun. I was looking for a pellet gun to practice firing, handling, and maintenance before actually purchasing a real firearm. In spite of the negative reviews regarding failures, I decided to buy this pellet gun. Fearing the same failures occurring with my gun, I did some research and found out that lack of regular maintenance and care was the primary cause for these issues. So, I regularly tear down and clean using gun cleaner/lube including lubing the pellet clip. I also completely empty CO2 cartridge, by firing blanks, before releasing it from the magazine and use pellgunoil every time I use a new CO2 cartridge. I have put over 2000+ pellets and 80+ CO2 cartridges through it and the gun works just like it did when I received it. No issues and no complaints. I would buy again for myself, as a gift for someone else, and would recommend." — C.Y.

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15. Umarex SA 10 - .177 Pellet/BB Gun

Top-rated: 1,212 ratings | 126 answered questions

Credit: Amazon.com

Highlight: Realistic blowback action.

Helpful review: "I decided to do this review after reading the negative reviews. I feel for those who were let down by their experience with the SA10. I found that I must grip the SA10 very tight. I found that the first few shots are high and spread out. After the first 8 round clip the SA10 would settle down. For a blow back pellet gun the trigger pull is light and fairly smooth. It does have a long travel, but it breaks decent enough. Standing and aiming from 30 feet the SA10 groups into a jagged hole. From one 12g co2 I get 64 strong shots. I shot inside at 80 plus degrees. Compared to my Swiss Arms TRS 1911 which shoots BBs, the SA10 shoots the tighter group. I truly enjoy shooting the SA10 and wish I could let the reviewers who had bad experiences shoot mine! 😉. The SA10 is not without its quirks, but they did not effect the pleasure I got from shooting it. Suggestions. Throw the bb rotary clip away. Shoot wadcutter or round nose Pellets only. Make sure the Pellets are seated firmly in the rotary clip. Hope this helps someone." — G. Ross

Trending review: "I really enjoyed shooting this pellet pistol. I used a 9.6 grain Baracuda Hunter Extreme and from 18 yards my grouping was about 1.7 CTC. The pistol has a very good blow back feel to it and the trigger is a bit mushy just prior to releasing the pellet, but I adjusted to it there were no more issues with that. The pistol can use both pellets and BB's in a 8 round cartridge and was one of my drawbacks. The magazine houses four cartridges (8 rounds of either BB's or pellets) and the Co2 canister as well. The spare 8 round ammo cartridges do not hold well in the magazine and tend to drop out when the magazine is ejected. I did not like shooing BB's through the pistol and after one round I went back to the pellets. The SA10 has a unique look and design to it. The barrel is a gold color to it and the slide is vented to showcase that feature to it. Another great feature is the slide is removable for cleaning and clearing purposes." — Vince A.

Reassuring review: "Very solid feel to the gun. Operates smoothly. Handles steel BB's and pellets equally well. Really like the extra rotary magazines tucked in the clip, makes it very easy to swap mags and begin shooting again. I'm impressed with how many shots from a single CO2 cartridge. I went through four mags of mixed pellets and BB's, reloaded, shot two more mags, waited a couple of days, and resumed shooting again with little drop-off in velocity. Highly recommend this air pistol, mainly because it has a very similar feel as my Springfield 9MM." — Mountain Bear

Most-discussed review: "If you want an adult CO2 pistol, this is a fine choice! Good power, Accurate, and a clever design for the 'magazine'. The magazine is where the CO2 cartridge goes PLUS the 8 shot rotary magazine and THREE spares! Took about 40-50 shots before the power started to drop off." — Hunting Jack

Favorite review: "Gun is absolutely awesome! Have fired over 100 shots with 3 different pellets (all Crosman premier but different varieties) and and it's been an absolute joy to shoot. Love the feel and the look of the gold in the barrel! Plus it's field stripable with and open ejection port for a really authentic feel. A+ Umarex" — Alexander Covert

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16. Gamo Blowback - Pellet Pistol

Top-rated: 1,122 ratings | 237 answered questions

Credit: Amazon.com

Highlight: Rifled steel barrel and textured plastic grip.

Helpful review: "Ok. let me start out by saying I have absolutely nothing to compare this with. I am not a hunter, I don't target shoot (well I do now), and I don't own any other guns. I have been thinking about a gun, and purchased this because of all the reviews where it stated that they used it for a cheap way to practice at home without spending a ton of money on bullets. I took it out of the box and it just felt solid. It felt good in my hands the way that I thought a gun should feel. It was slightly heavier than I had thought, but it felt good. Like it was made well.

The first thing I did was go to the safety. And like most of the other reviewers I have to agree that it is just a big pain to use. Eventually one might be able to take it off safety with one hand and a flick of the thumb, but I probably never will. After a few minutes of reading the manual (sheet of paper) I inspected the gun and everything looked like it was in the right place. I put it on safety, removed the magazine/clip and opened the handle to load my first Co0 cartridge. I tightened the screw and heard pssst as the cartridge engaged.

I set the gun aside and loaded the clip with 16 rounds of Crossmen Pointed Premium pellets. The first pellet or two were hard to get in, but then I figured out the system and the rest went in smoothly. I could probably load the entire clip in under a minute. I went into my garage where I had set up a small target about 20ft away from where I was standing. I squeezed the trigger and was completely taken back by the blow back. Like I said earlier, I have never shot a gun before this, but the blow back made me feel like Dirty Harry...

Now that I got the first round down range I decided to see if I could aim this bad boy. I followed the instructions in the manual for aiming, and put the next 15 rounds within 4" of the first shot, for about an 8 inch circle. This was shooting in the two handed position. I was so excited that I put the gun on safety, removed the empty clip and came up to my home office to write this review.

It feels good and well built. Blow back was so cool. Each shot felt solid, and at 20' I was able to hit the target every time. I would recommend this to a friend." — Peter Goodman

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