Beeman P3 Pellet Pistol

Pay the extra and get a p1

Pros
Good accuracy feels very comfortable in hand

Cons
Extremely hard to operate for young or seniors . Most woman would have to be a bodybuilder to close this gun. Really miss my old p1

I decided to purchase the German (Weihrauch) Beeman P3 to see what the difference was between it and the much less expensive Chinese made Beeman P17.

The first thing I noticed was the material and quality difference between the two airguns. The P3 is really excellent but the P17 is surprisingly very good.

I've shot both airguns side-by-sde and both shoot very well and both are very accurate. Is the P3 worth the $180 difference? I'll leave that up to the buyer.

If you are on a budget, the P17 is a wonderful, sensational bargain. But if you can afford it, the P3 is the one to get.

Pros
Quality build and very accurate.

Cons
Expensive (especially compared to the P17).

After much consideration, decided to step up from the Beeman P17 (MIC) to the Beeman P3 (MIG by Weihrauch). At over 7X the price (in US), what does the P3 offer that the P17 doesn't, lets see...


The P3 overall has a better build, a better finish and a more solid feel in the hand. Components are machined stainless steel (sears, springs, pins, hammer, cams, valve parts) and the external trigger, safety and over lever lock parts are aluminum. Hammer, sears and cams have very squared and trued contact surface areas that provide smooth interactions and increase reliability. Out-of-the-box, the excellent precision 2-stage trigger has a 1st stage 6oz-1\2" adjustable pull, with a crisp break-like-glass 2nd stage set at 15oz...Nice!


The polymer frame assembly reminds me of the Glock polymers...solid, strong and light. The exterior texture finish is rugged and tactile and grip ergonomics is near perfect. Combined with the aluminum piston and pneumatic cylinder, the overall weight is well balanced and the pistol has a solid feel in the hand. When I don't pull a round, with the iron sights I was able to quickly zero in my POA and readily shoot 10 yard 5-shot cloverleaf groupings within a .250 spread (RWS Hobby 7.0g WCs)! The P3 comes with a lifetime warranty (only to original purchaser)...the P17, just a 1 year warranty.


The P3 and P17 shoot about the same velocity and have similar accuracy (possibly P3 a slight hair better). Both have 15oz triggers (P3 2-stage, my P17 single stage-after mod), both sears break like glass, both handle almost identically, both have excellent accuracy and both load pellets - compress pneumatics (over lever pump) equally! Where components are top notch in the P3, the P17 has stamped steel parts that may or may not be as reliable.



IMHO, if your wanting\needing the extra durability the P3 offers, or possibly the reliability\longevity it may bring, even though it appears at this time to be a relative equal in the accuracy department, then 7X the investment certainly could be worth it! However, if you want\need to be frugal with your air gun investment, willing to put in the time and effort to tinker-repair-upgrade-mod a P17 (if\when needed), then this option is certainly also worth it!

Pros
Well Built, Great Trigger, Quality Components, Accurate, Great Ergonomics, Lifetime Warranty

Cons
Safety Selector has Stiff Movement (my unit)

This is an accurate target pistol. It has high quality fiber optic adjustable sights. The trigger has two stages, the second is about 1 1/2 pounds with slight creep. It feels and handles like a quality firearm.

Pros
It's a good choice for indoor practice when you can't get to the range.

Cons
The instruction manual lacks useful details. Velocity is too low for anything but paper-punching.

I have 2 each P3's, one in .22 and one in .177, and they are my go-to guns for plinking and trigger practice. The P3 is accurate, precise and consistent. The trigger is somewhat adjustable, but breaks consistently and with light pressure. Neither of mine are pellet-fussy, but I generally shoot wadcutters at 10 meters. Placing the pellet is easy once you get the hang of it - I simply put the pellet face against the breech, and slide gently until it pops into the breech, always pressing it in fully so the skirt doesn't catch on the seal when it's closed. Cocking does take some effort and keeping everything out of the way when the pump is closed is important - you don't pinch your hand more than once if you're paying attention. With my old eyes, I do much better with a red-dot sight over the open sights that are on the gun, although the open sights are adequate. A little loctite or fingernail polish on the nut inside the pump that holds the sight in place is a good practice after you have the gun sighted. For those that want comparison, the P3 is a vast improvement over the $50 P17, although they look alike and the P17 is a great value for what you get. The consistency in the trigger and pump puts the P3 way out front. If folks want to hunt or get rid of varmints, get a rifle. Thie P3 is a target pistol, but a durn good one for my money.

Pros
More accurate than I can shoot it Consistent, low weight trigger Quality pump for a consistent charge and muzzle velocity Easy for scope or red dot attachment Not pellet fussy Quiet discharge

Cons
Premium initial cost Pump effort can be high

This is my second Beeman pistol I have owned and is by far the best. My first one was the 1911 style P1 which was not a consistent shooter. The P3 with a red dot site will give you one hole 3 shot groups at 30 feet. The trigger pull mixed with zero recoil produces outstanding results.

Pros
Trigger, lack of recoil, light weight, accuracy

Cons
Takes a little effort to cock.

Some years ago I purchased a Beeman P17 the version of this pistol that is made in China and aimed to mass market air guns. My shooting was literally hit or miss 50% of the time. I tried a Crossma 1377 but grew tired of pumping. I bought a Crossman 2240 but end up 2250 by the time I was done customizing it. A real rat killer but CO2 is so sensitive to temperature. I saw the P3 on sale with a distributors rebate to sweeten the deal so I ordered myself an early Christmas present. Wow would things have been different if I bought this air gun in the first place. The trigger is so light and can easily hit a one inch metal swing target at 10 yards. I've added a red dot reflex sight and now pigeons fear me.

Pros
Super light trigger, accurate barrel, realistic full size grips, high visibility sights.

Cons
You skin will get pinched cocking it until you figure out how to do it properly.

I have owned the grandfather to this little gun for several years. I gave this to my son because his 110 pound wife could cock it real easy. She is a Texas girl so she is accoustomed to hard work. I love the appearance of it as well as the fiber optic sights.

Pros
A++++ on everything associated with this gun.

Cons
NONE AT ALL!

The other reviews I read about this pistol made it sound too good to be true. Once it arrived I set up an indoor range with a high-end pellet trap. Since then I have fired hundreds of rounds through it. This pistol is fantastic! Great feel, great trigger pull, quiet and ACCURATE! I benched fired it, and made one small sight correction. Since then, I am putting rounds consistently in a 1" bulls eye from 15 yards!

Pros
Accuracy Nice light trigger pull Good feel and grip Great sights

Cons
The only recommendations I can offer to make this product even better would be: add a trigger pull adjustment, and add a little weight to the gun. This would enhance shooting practice by making the pistol perform and feel like a high-performance 9mm.

In Finland this was very cheap, only 135€! If something is on target pistol, so this is it. 5-shot = 1-hole!!! A++++++