Gotta respect old CO2 air pistols
Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2025 2:15 pm
After posting about CO 2 air pistols this week and discussing the impressive Crosman 2300S, I pulled out an old 60s vintage Crosman 15 CO2 air pistol in 22 cal yesterday to take a pic. It's just something we picked up at an estate auction, no way of knowing if it even held pressure. Bought it, anyway, took it home, found that it would shoot and then put it away in the safe. Just an old CO2 air pistol, right?
Since I had it out from storage, yesterday, I decided to try some target shooting and see what it could actually do. I had to work around the rear sight, though, because it was missing a part and had no elevation adjustment. I wasn't expecting much, anyway, so I just started shooting.
Have to say, it was a bit of a shock. Even though it was shooting very high and I had to hold way under the bull, at 17 yards it was showing serious accuracy. No way. This thing was over 50 years old. I figured I was ahead if the old Crosman 150 would hold pressure.
Last night I decided to do some work on the 150. I stole the adjustable rear sight off an old leaky Crosman 1377 that I had in the parts box and was delighted to find that it fit the Crosman 150, perfectly. Now I had an adjustable rear sight. I then stole the white grips off another old parts gun, an equally leaky and need of a rebuild old Crosman pumper. Again, the white grips fit the 150, perfectly. I like the looks.
Not a great morning for serious air gun shooting, thanks to gusty winds, but I was eager to see what the "improved" Crosman 150 could do, again at 17 yards. Only took a little sight adjustment and then the 150 started laying them in a 2" bull, me sitting, but shooting unsupported, same as I often do at the range when shooting conventional handguns.
Folks, I've had high conventional cartridge handguns that would struggle to do the same and when you consider that so many people are shooting handguns at close up self-defense distances of only 7 yards, you gotta respect what this old vintage CO2 Crosman 150 can do at 17 yards.
More importantly for me, this reaffirms once again, that if you take air pistols, seriously, and shoot them with the same level of concentration as conventional handguns, you a get similar results. Gotta respect old CO2 air pistols.
Gotta say, too, that it's really nice not to have to do any pumping when shooting CO2.
Since I had it out from storage, yesterday, I decided to try some target shooting and see what it could actually do. I had to work around the rear sight, though, because it was missing a part and had no elevation adjustment. I wasn't expecting much, anyway, so I just started shooting.
Have to say, it was a bit of a shock. Even though it was shooting very high and I had to hold way under the bull, at 17 yards it was showing serious accuracy. No way. This thing was over 50 years old. I figured I was ahead if the old Crosman 150 would hold pressure.
Last night I decided to do some work on the 150. I stole the adjustable rear sight off an old leaky Crosman 1377 that I had in the parts box and was delighted to find that it fit the Crosman 150, perfectly. Now I had an adjustable rear sight. I then stole the white grips off another old parts gun, an equally leaky and need of a rebuild old Crosman pumper. Again, the white grips fit the 150, perfectly. I like the looks.
Not a great morning for serious air gun shooting, thanks to gusty winds, but I was eager to see what the "improved" Crosman 150 could do, again at 17 yards. Only took a little sight adjustment and then the 150 started laying them in a 2" bull, me sitting, but shooting unsupported, same as I often do at the range when shooting conventional handguns.
Folks, I've had high conventional cartridge handguns that would struggle to do the same and when you consider that so many people are shooting handguns at close up self-defense distances of only 7 yards, you gotta respect what this old vintage CO2 Crosman 150 can do at 17 yards.
More importantly for me, this reaffirms once again, that if you take air pistols, seriously, and shoot them with the same level of concentration as conventional handguns, you a get similar results. Gotta respect old CO2 air pistols.
Gotta say, too, that it's really nice not to have to do any pumping when shooting CO2.