The first pellet pistol I bought broke on me in just a few months and never worked the same afterwards. I thought I was buying the best, but turns out I bought the worst—a disaster I hope to never repeat. But the only way to prevent something like this from happening—and to make sure you are getting the best pellet pistol available—is to spend hours and hours researching all the different options, comparing them and eliminating the junk. And that is exactly what we did.

We combed through all the different pellet pistols available and have determined the Crosman P1377 American Classic Multi-Pump .177 to be the best pellet pistol on today’s market. It has a long, rifled barrel for improved accuracy, a high firing velocity, a quality build and an affordable price.

If you want to get the best pellet pistol money can buy, get the Crosman P1377 American Classic Multi-Pump .177 now.

Why You Should Trust Us

I have lots of experience with pellet pistols. After falling victim to what I would most certainly call a scam (I spent well over $100 on a gun that was not worth half that), I set out to make sure that didn’t happen again.

That is really why this site exists, so that we can help others not repeat my mistakes.

But we go one step further. We spend hundreds of hours reviewing each product we recommend. We read reviews, compare specifications and even test out several of the top options before we recommend.

So not only is this our passion, but we put in the time to prove it to you. This allows us to make strong recommendations we know will not disappoint.

The Benefits of Buying a Pellet Pistol

I have a pistol, but I also have an air pistol. You might be wondering why. Well, there are actually quite a few reasons to have a pellet  pistol.

First, they are far less disruptive. If you want to use your pellet pistol at your house and you have neighbors close by, it can be a much quieter alternative to a firearm.

This also makes them great for training. You can either do some target practice, or you could even use the pistol to train kids on how to properly use a gun.

Also, pellet pistols are much less expensive but are still very effective against pests. They won’t be able to stop anything bigger than a squirrel or rabbit, but for small animals they will certainly do the job. Rounds for air pistols are also much cheaper, meaning you can use it more.

Pellet pistols are also marginally safer than a traditional pistol. But it is important to remember they can still cause damage. They are not toys and should not be treated as such.

All in all, pellet pistols are a great alternative to a firearm for home pest control and training.

How We Conducted our Review: Finding the Best Pellet Pistol

We are out to protect you from getting ripped off. This put us on a quest to find the best value for money available on today’s market.

The first step in this process was to simply eliminate the pistols that have bad reviews. From there, we set out to throw out different options based on the criteria we will discuss below. This got our list down to five different pellet guns, and we tested each of them to determine which one was the best pellet pistol.

Here are the criteria we used to perform our review.

Size (Barrel Length)

There are two key things to consider about the size of your pellet pistol: weight and barrel length. You don’t want something that weighs too much—no good air pistol will weigh more than a few pounds.

Next, you want to take a look at the barrel length. For air pistols, we find the longer the barrel the better. A longer barrel helps to make the gun more accurate. For traditional pistols, you might want to sacrifice the barrel length to be able to conceal the weapon. But since air pistols are pretty useless for personal defense, there is no reason to opt for a shorter barrel.

Firing Velocity

One of the most important things to look for in any gun you buy is it firing velocity. This is the speed that the bullet, or pellet, leaves the barrel. It will determine what you can do with the gun, since the faster the pellet travels, the more damage it will do.

With an air pistol, you should expect firing velocities between 400 and 600 feet per second (fps). This is about half of what you would get from an air rifle, but it is enough to stop small rodents and other pests.

There is never really any reason to go for less firing velocity. You want to try and get the most power for your money when buying an air pistol.

Pump or C02

The firing mechanism of your air pistol is an important consideration. Traditional air pistols will come with a pump action, which can only shoot one pellet at a time. You’ll need to pull the bolt action or the pump on the gun to load the next pellet. The advantage to this is that you don’t need to buy C02 cartridges for the gun to operate.

The other option is a C02-powered action. For this type of gun, you need to put a C02 cartridge into the gun and then it will fire up to 100 shots consecutively. This is often far more convenient if you are going after pests since you can send multiple shots off in rapid bursts, hopefully increasing your chances of hitting the target. However, these cartridges will run out, and you will need to replace them to keep using your gun.

Pellet Caliber

Here you have two options: .22  and .177. For a pistol, there really isn’t too much difference. A .22 caliber round is a bit heavier and will therefore do a little more damage. But these rounds leave the barrel slower, so in the end it works out the same.

However, .177 caliber rounds are more common and therefore easier to find. Because of this, they are often the preference of most pellet pistol owners.

Build Quality

Lastly, because pellet pistols are smaller, a lot of manufacturers will offer them for pretty low prices. But a lot will also play on this and offer pretty poor build quality. Some of them feel or look cheap and others are just not durable.

We take this stuff seriously and want to make sure what you get isn’t going to break on you in just a few months. The material used is a good way to look at this, but much of this decision comes from how the thing feels in your hand.

Testing Results

To begin our testing, we started by just looking at what other customers have said. If any gun had less than a three and a half star rating, we threw it out immediately.

From there we used our criteria to do a process of elimination that would lead us to the best pellet pistol on the market.  

Elimination Round 1

The first thing we looked at in trying to find the best pellet pistol was its build quality. Quite a few of the options we were looking at just didn’t meet our expectations. Either the synthetic material was too cheap or they just felt flimsy and light and weren’t worth the money.

Some of the options that we threw out because of this were the Umarex USA Makarov .177, the Beeman Marksman P17 Deluxe Pellet Pistol with Sights and the Daisy Powerline 340.

Elimination Round 2

After eliminating some on build, we continued cutting down the list by looking at barrel length. Again, since these pistols cannot be used for self-defense, choosing something shorter is a needless sacrifice of accuracy.

Because of this, we tossed out most of the shorter-barreled options. Some examples of these are  the Colt Defender Pistol, the Walther CP99 Compact Air Pistol and the Gamo 611138254 Pt-85 Blowback Pellet Pistol.

Elimination Round 3

The last step in the elimination process was to throw out several options because of their price. Just as there are quite a few cheap options out there that fall short, there are several very expensive pellet pistols that are not worth their price tag.

Spending several hundred dollars on an air pistol does not guarantee you are getting the best pellet pistol out there. In fact, it often means you got ripped off, spending way too much money and not getting enough value for it.

Some of the pistols we threw out because they are too expensive are the Benjamin Marauder PCP Air Pistol, the Benjamin Marauder Woods Walker PCP .22 and the Gamo PT-85 Blowback SOCOM Pellet Pistol.

The Best Pellet Pistol

After eliminating countless options based on the above criteria, we finally arrived to the best pellet pistol on the market. Here are the results

96/100—Crosman P1377 American Classic Multi-Pump .177 (Best Overall Pellet Pistol)

The Crosman P1377 American Classic Multi-Pump .177 has an ideal combination of features, earning it the title for best pellet pistol. It’s effective, affordable and durable, putting itself a cut above the rest.

Here’s why we like this pistol so much:

Pros

With a single shot pump action, this gun is easy to use and does not require any CO2. To fire off multiple shots you simply need to pull the bolt and go.

However, what is really nice about this gun is that you can adjust the speed. At maximum power, it fires at 600 fps, which is about as strong as you can get with an air pistol. However, if you are just practicing or are worried about ricochet, you can slow it down to fit your needs.

This gun is also built really well. Crosman is one of the original names in the air gun industry, and they have a reputation for building great guns. The barrel is made from steel and the rest is made from a hard composite that looks and feels strong. And it’s rifled, allowing for greater accuracy.

Also, list price is less than $60, which means you get a great gun without having to break the bank.

Cons

Some may not like that you need to pull the bolt action after each shot. If you’re looking to fire off several shots at a time, this gun might slow you down a bit.

The single stage trigger can take some time to get used to. It pulls a little quicker than some other pistols, but once you shoot it for a while, this will cease to be a problem.

Overall

If you are looking for the best pellet pistol in terms of durability, effectiveness, build quality and price, get the Crosman P1377 American Classic Multi-Pump .177 now.

88/100—Benjamin Trail NP Break Barrel Air Pistol (Best Multi-Shot Pistol)

Some people are understandably looking to be able to shoot more than one pellet at a time. Whether for convenience or for more effective pest control, these guns can be great, and the Benjamin Trail NP Break Barrel Air Pistol is the best one out there.

Here are the details:

Pros

The rifled steel barrel is plenty strong and will help with you accuracy. The rest of the gun is made from a durable composite plastic, giving the gun the strength it needs to last a long time.

This gun uses a nitro piston and does not require any pumping. You can load it and shoot at least 30-40 rounds without having to worry about the pressure. The nitro piston also makes the gun quite a bit quieter than other air guns, if that’s something that is important to you.

This gun is also quite strong. Its firing velocity can reach 625 fps. It’s hard to find one that is much stronger than this.

Cons

While the nitro piston can be a plus, it can also be a big downside. These need to be replaced and this can get expensive quickly. If you plan on using your gun with any sort of frequency, this will get old quick.

This gun is also really heavy. It weighs over 4 pounds, which might not seem like a lot, but it will weigh on you after some time. And this is also significantly heavier than other pellet pistols.

Lastly, the break barrel action on this gun can be a real pain to open. It sticks a bit. Most of us could get used to it, but this could be a real challenge if you plan on using the gun to train your kid or someone not used to firearms.

Overall

If you are looking for a quality and effective multi-shot nitro piston pellet pistol, get the Benjamin Trail NP Break Barrel Air Pistol now.

80/100—Smith & Wesson 327 TRR8 CO2 BB Revolver (Best Revolver Pellet Pistol)

There are few guns that look more classic than a revolver. They provide a nice combination between single shot and multi-shot guns, and they look great. The Smith & Wesson 327 TRR8 CO2 BB Revolver is beautifully built and should be at the top of the list for anyone looking to buy a revolver pellet pistol.  

Pros

It’s hard to beat the look of this gun. At first glance, it looks like a true Smith & Wesson revolver. Plus, its all-metal design gives it a great feel and means it is sure to pass the test of time.

Since the gun is a revolver, you can shoot up to six shots at a time. This isn’t as many as some of the other CO2– or nitro-powered pistols, but it’s a little better than the single shot options.

You can expect to get around 100 rounds on each CO2 cartridge, which should help keep this expense low. Also, the fiber optic sight on this pistol works great—better than most pellet pistols. All of this makes this a great gun for target practice.

Cons

This gun isn’t overwhelmingly powerful. It has a firing velocity of 400 fps, which is quite a bit lower than many other pellet pistols.

And when you factor this into the higher price tag for this gun, it starts to not seem so great. It’s still not ridiculously expensive, but you can certainly get better guns for less.

Additionally, while you get the added benefit of multiple shots, you will still need to replace CO2 cartridges. This can add up quickly and become a big expense. Also, this gun does not come with a cartridge included. You will need to buy it separately.

Overall

If you are looking for a quality air pistol that looks and feels like a real revolver, get the Smith & Wesson 327 TRR8 CO2 BB Revolver now

Wrapping up

There are tons of different pellet pistols out there, but quite frankly, a lot of them are junk. You can easily spend a ton of money on something you could get for $50. Or, worse, you could spend $50 on something that will break in a few months.

We put in the time to go through the many different options to find the best pellet pistol on today’s market. This research allows us to confidently recommend the Crosman P1377 American Classic Multi-Pump .177. It’s got a long, rifled barrel for premium accuracy, it’s plenty powerful for pest control, it’s built to last and it doesn’t cost a fortune.

If you want to get the best pellet pistol out there, get the Crosman P1377 American Classic Multi-Pump .177 now.