Replaced My Crosman Auto-Air II With A Beeman P17

[Speedo66]

The Crossman finally gave up after many decades, not brave enough to take it apart and change seals, so a new pellet pistol was required.

Not a precision shooter and didn't want to spend big money. Read a few reviews of the Beeman and seemed to be well liked for the money, under $50. The seller on Amazon kindly included a small variety of pellets, gratis, which was nice.

The packaging required a metal shears to open, but I persevered. Nice weight, metal trigger, nice sights. Okay, down to the basement and let's see what it's like.

Whoa, takes quite a bit of pressure to close after the pellet is inserted! Plus I'd read to watch your skin when closing, so I was careful. Not the easiest gun to insert a pellet into either, but doable after a little fiddling. Just one closing pump by the way.

Shot nicely and seems to be accurate, sights are nice and bright even in the low light of my basement. The safety is applied automatically when the gun is closed, and it's on the left side which works great for this left handed shooter.

Have to comment also on the trigger, it's excellent! Two stage, very light and smooth, much better than some firearms I have.

Overall, happy with it, just wish the pressure to close it wasn't so high, or I was stronger, either would do. Well, maybe this will pump me up also.

Saw a video posted here some time ago where the gun is completely taken down, o-rings are changed, gun is lubed, etc. Looked doable by me, so this gun should last a while.

 

[Speedo66]

Here's the video...

 

[Speedo66]

And the sights, can’t get the camera to focus on both at the same time.

The “hammer” is the release to open the action.

 

[HJ857]

Skin pinching is definitely something to be conscious of. A padded glove or any sort of pad to soften the cocking action is helpful if you shoot a lot of shots. That top rail is sharp.

Also, find an allen wrench that is the right diameter so that you can stick it into the pellet skirt, then insert into the chamber, it's much easier.

It's a nice little pistol.

 

[Kookla]

I had the beeman P3, the german one. For the top rail sharp, I put a couple of strips of electrical tape on it.

 

[Speedo66]

Skin pinching is definitely something to be conscious of. A padded glove or any sort of pad to soften the cocking action is helpful if you shoot a lot of shots. That top rail is sharp.
Also, find an allen wrench that is the right diameter so that you can stick it into the pellet skirt, then insert into the chamber, it's much easier.
It's a nice little pistol.

I had the beeman P3, the german one. For the top rail sharp, I put a couple of strips of electrical tape on it.

Thanks, I like the idea of the Allen wrench for loading, certainly better than my clumsy fingers.

Good idea re: tape on the rail.

 

[243winxb]

Sight adjustment keeps moving on mine. Apply nail polish or thread locker.

Great gun.

 

[bfox]

Really like mine . Fun shooting tin cans from off the porch .
I had a hard time at first loading it .
My old , fat fingers can load it pretty easy now .

 

[HJ857]

Yes, tape on the rail is a great idea - thanks for posting that.

 

[Insignificant bill]

I bought one after Septic Death recommended it.

 

[JohnKSa]

Contact Crosman and tell them about your Auto-Air II. There's a decent possibility that they will take it back and either send you a refurbished one or refurbish yours.

 

[Speedo66]

Contact Crosman and tell them about your Auto-Air II. There's a decent possibility that they will take it back and either send you a refurbished one or refurbish yours.

Thanks, I sent an email to one of their authorized repair shops months ago and never got an answer back.

I guess I'll try and contact the mother ship directly.

I had gotten my son the original all metal version decades ago, he wound up selling it to a friend. This was a replacement for that, it has no weight compared to the original.

 

[MedWheeler]

I bought a P17 a few years ago to put under the Christmas tree for myself from Santa (have a daughter who still believes.) I actually have not yet unpackaged it. I really need to do that one day. I have several other air/pellet/BB guns that I have shot, though. I really should take up airgunning again. That P17 is somewhere in the back of the safe.

 

[Speedo66]

I bought a P17 a few years ago to put under the Christmas tree for myself from Santa (have a daughter who still believes.) I actually have not yet unpackaged it. I really need to do that one day. I have several other air/pellet/BB guns that I have shot, though. I really should take up airgunning again. That P17 is somewhere in the back of the safe.

I like the idea that with a little basement space, a cardboard box filled with old newspapers or the catalogs we seem inundated with, and a low powered airgun, you can shoot a few rounds anytime with no noise, cleanup, or effort.

Other than the effort of cocking that Beeman. Cheap enough when you can get 750 Gamo Tomahawk pellets off Ebay for less than $15 delivered.

 

[Speedo66]

Been enjoying this little airgun. Just plop down to the basement and shoot a few rounds every so often. Raining today, so this seems like a good time...

I've found it's much easier to cock it if I have the grip and bottom front down on a solid surface, rather than holding it with one hand, and trying to compress the action with the other.

 

[Insignificant bill]

Been enjoying this little airgun. Just plop down to the basement and shoot a few rounds every so often. Raining today, so this seems like a good time...

I've found it's much easier to cock it if I have the grip and bottom front down on a solid surface, rather than holding it with one hand, and trying to compress the action with the other.

Mine needs some work it has lost some of its power.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

I have a P17. It shoots good and accurate. I got my brother one for Christmass last year. He like his too.

 

[Insignificant bill]

I have a P17. It shoots good and accurate. I got my brother one for Christmass last year. He like his too.

It's a great inexpensive pellet gun

 

[Speedo66]

Mine needs some work it has lost some of its power.

The video in post #2 shows an easy step by step way to replace the o-rings.

Easy enough that I’m pretty sure even I could do it. The o-rings are available at Harbor Fright.

 

[Insignificant bill]

I have the parts just have other projects to do first

 

[Speedo66]

Not shooting this fine gun, at this point a little too hard to operate for me. I replaced it with a Daisy 415 CO2 pistol which requires no strength.

This Beeman is now for sale in THR flea market, here: https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/f-s-beeman-p17-air-pistol-oh.910883/

 

[plumberroy]

Had mine out yesterday deer have decided my yard is a good place to hang out. My beagle will run through the invisible fence chasing one of she can see it.since the p17 is low power I use it to sting deer to run out of the yard hot a big doe in the behind she did a 180 and looked around like what was that

 

[Smaug]

I've been looking at those on and off for a decade. Every time I go to drop the hammer on one, they're out of stock at Pyramyd.

My single pump Daisy 717 will have to do for now. It has a longer cocking lever, longer sight radius, but is no easier to load and doesn't look as good.

That stiff pumping action on yours is from the short length cocking arm/barrel. That's why it makes decent power with only a single pump. You don't want it to get easier, as that means the O-rings are wearing out. ;-)