In this guide
A pistol is the second gun most airsoft players buy, and the first one plenty of people regret. It is easy to spend ninety pounds on something that looks superb in photographs, then discover it will not feed reliably on a cold morning, or that no site in the country will let you use it as your primary.
This guide covers what actually matters when you buy an airsoft pistol in the UK: the law, the gas, the platforms worth building on, and the five we would put in a new player’s hand today. Prices and stock update themselves from our shop, so what you see is what it costs.
The legal bit, and it is short
An airsoft pistol is a realistic imitation firearm. Buying a full colour one is restricted, and you need a recognised defence to do it. The usual route is UKARA registration through a site you play at, and there is now a second route through Airsoft Defence.
The alternative is a two tone pistol, painted so it cannot be mistaken for the real thing. Anyone over 18 can buy a two tone. It is not a lesser gun, it is the same gun in a different colour, and for most people getting started it is the sensible answer.
We are not going to try to summarise firearms law in three paragraphs. These three guides do it properly:
- UKARA Registration Guide
- What Is Two-Tone Airsoft? RIF vs IF Explained
- Airsoft Defence: The New Alternative to UKARA
If you are unsure which applies to you, ring the shop. It takes two minutes and we would rather you bought the right thing.
Why almost every airsoft pistol is gas blowback
Nearly every pistol worth owning is a gas blowback, usually written GBB. The gas does two jobs: it pushes the BB down the barrel, and it drives the slide backwards so the pistol cycles like the real thing. That slide movement is the recoil you feel, and it is most of the reason people buy a pistol at all.
Gas is affected by temperature. Pressure in the magazine falls as it gets colder, so a pistol that is crisp in August can feel sluggish and may not cycle fully on a frosty January morning. That is physics rather than a fault.
What has changed is that this is now a solved problem. Green gas is not one product, it is a range of pressures, and you pick the grade to suit the weather. Get that right and a gas pistol will work through the winter perfectly well. The old advice that gas guns are a summer proposition is out of date.
There are two propellants in common use:
- Green gas is the standard, and it comes in grades. Widely available, gentle on seals, and with the right grade it works all year.
- CO2 holds pressure better still and hits harder, but it is harsher on internals and is banned or limited at some sites.
Our Green Gas vs CO2 guide covers this in full, including storage, which is where most people go wrong.
Matching the gas to the weather
Gas grades differ in pressure, and that is what lets you shoot through the cold. The ULTRAIR range we stock is a clear example of the ladder:
- Green, 135 psi. The all rounder. Right for most of the year, and the one to buy if you are only buying one.
- Orange, 164 psi. More pressure for cold weather, and the usual answer for a pistol in winter.
- Red, 178 psi. The strongest. Intended for non blowback snipers and long rifles in the cold, not normally for pistols.
Two things to know before you go up a grade.
- A hotter gas raises your FPS. In January the cold pulls it back down, which is the whole point. In July the same can will put you over your site limit. Re-chrono every time you change gas, not just when you change gun.
- The high pressure grades are silicone free. Standard green gas carries silicone that lubricates your seals as you shoot. Orange and Red do not, so if you run them you need to oil the seals yourself with a maintenance gas or silicone oil.
Check what your pistol’s manufacturer recommends before stepping up, because not every gun is rated for the higher pressures. If you are not sure, ring us or bring it in. The whole gas range is here, and we will happily tell you which one your gun wants.
One more thing before the picks. Check your site’s limits. Pistols are usually held to a lower limit than rifles for close quarters play, and a pistol that chronos over will simply not be allowed on the field. Our Airsoft FPS Limits guide explains the numbers, and you are welcome to chrono any pistol on our indoor range before you commit to it.
Our picks
Our picks at a glance
| Category | Our pick | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Best Overall | Raven EU7 GBB Airsoft Pistol | £89.95 | Choose options |
 | Best To Upgrade | Action Army AAP-01 GBB Airsoft Pistol | £79.95 | Choose options |
 | Best Hi-Capa | Raven Hi-Capa 5.1 GBB Pistol Black | £94.95 | Add to basketView details |
 | Best Without UKARA | E&C G17 Gen 5 GBB Airsoft Pistol (TWB) | £99.95 | Add to basketView details |
 | Best Premium | Sig P320 X-Carry Gas Blowback Airsoft Pistol | £199.99 | Add to basketView details |
Best overall: Raven EU7 GBB Airsoft Pistol
The EU7 is the pistol we sell more of than any other, and that is the most honest recommendation we can give. It is a service pistol pattern gas blowback in the ninety pound bracket, which is the price point where airsoft pistols stop being toys and start being reliable.
The numbers behind it are sensible rather than exciting, which is the point.
- Fire mode: semi automatic
- Magazine: 23 rounds, with 48 round extended and CO2 versions available
- Propellant: green gas
- Approximate velocity: around 300 fps on a 0.20g BB
- Construction: aluminium alloy slide over a HIPS polymer frame, 6.03mm tightbore barrel as standard
- Rail: 20mm under the dust cover
- Barrel thread: 12mm clockwise, so a tracer unit needs the adapter
Three hundred fps keeps it under the limit at every UK site we know of, so you will not be arguing with a marshal at the chrono. The thread is worth a note: it is 12mm clockwise rather than the more common 14mm counter clockwise, so if you want a tracer unit you will want the adapter as well.
What we would actually point at is the service record. It sells steadily, it comes back to our workshop rarely, and nobody who buys one comes back annoyed. For a first gas pistol that matters more than any figure on the box.
And you do not need UKARA to buy one. The EU7 comes in a blue and black two tone as well as full black, and the two tone is exempt, so anyone over 18 can buy it today. Pick the finish on the product page. That is unusual and worth saying plainly: our best selling pistol is available to complete beginners, not just to registered players.
Best to upgrade: Action Army AAP-01
The AAP-01 is the interesting one. It is the cheapest pistol in this guide, and it is also the one with the largest upgrade catalogue behind it. People buy an AAP-01 and then keep buying for it.
- Fire modes: semi automatic and full automatic
- Magazine: 22 rounds, G series compatible
- Propellant: green gas
- Approximate velocity: around 290 to 320 fps on a 0.20g BB
- Barrel thread: 14mm counter clockwise, so tracers fit without an adapter
- Construction: metal, zinc alloy and reinforced polymer
- Sights: fibre optic front and rear
The full auto setting is the party trick, and it will empty a magazine faster than you expect. The 14mm counter clockwise thread matters more: it means tracer units and mock suppressors fit without an adapter. The adjustable hop up is worth learning to set properly.
If you want a pistol you can tinker with for years, this is the one. We stock the Nimrod Tactical AAP-01 holster to go with it.
Best Hi-Capa: Raven Hi-Capa 5.1
Hi-Capa is the competition pistol platform in airsoft, and the 5.1 is the full size version. It is the pistol you see on practical shooting stages and in most upgrade catalogues, because the aftermarket for it is enormous.
- Fire mode: semi automatic
- Magazine: Raven Hi-Capa series, green gas supplied, CO2 available
- Approximate velocity: around 328 fps on a 0.20g BB
- Construction: full metal, with a 6.03mm tightbore barrel as standard
- Sights: fibre optic front
- Rail: 20mm on the frame
It is full metal and it weighs it, which is most of the appeal. A 6.03mm tightbore barrel fitted as standard is the sort of thing you usually pay extra for.
This one is black only, so you will need a UKARA defence to buy it. If you have not got one yet, the EU7 two tone above or the E&C below will both sell to you today.
We also stock the Raven Hi-Capa 4.3, the shorter and handier version of the same idea, and the E&C 5.1 Hi Capa.
Best without UKARA: E&C G17 Gen 5 (two tone)
If you have not got a UKARA defence yet, this and the two tone EU7 above are your two options, and they are genuinely different guns rather than the same compromise twice. The EU7 is the one we sell most of. This one is the closer service pistol replica.
It is a two tone, finished in training blue, which means anyone over 18 can buy it. It is not a compromise gun.
- Action: semi automatic, blowback
- Magazine: 20 rounds, EU series
- Muzzle velocity: approximately 270 to 320 fps on a 0.20g BB
- Construction: metal slide over a polymer frame
- Rail: 20mm accessory rail
- Extras: two interchangeable back straps
- Power: green gas
The 20mm rail takes a pistol light or a compact red dot, and the back straps let you fit the grip to your hand, which matters more than people expect. The velocity range sits comfortably inside most site pistol limits.
Best premium: Sig Proforce P320 X-Carry
When someone asks us for a premium sidearm, this is the one we point at. It is roughly twice the price of everything above it, and it is a different proposition: the others are clones, this is an officially licensed Sig Proforce replica, built by VFC under licence from Sig Sauer and carrying the real trademarks. That is why it costs what it costs, and why it feels the way it does in the hand.
The X-Carry is the carry length version of the P320: a little shorter than the full size gun, with the X-Series grip module and its extended beavertail. It is the sidearm people buy when they have stopped experimenting and know what they want.
- Fire mode: semi automatic, with manual safety
- Magazine: 21 rounds, and it takes Sig Proforce M17 and M18 mags in gas or CO2
- Propellant: green gas
- Construction: aluminium X-Series slide over a polymer grip module
- Optics: slide cut for a reflex sight from the factory
- Sights: three dot white irons
- Controls: ambidextrous, field strippable
The slide is optics ready out of the box. No milling, no adapter plate, no gunsmith. On a gas pistol that is unusual at any price, and it is the feature that most often decides it for people who walk in undecided. Published velocity figures vary between roughly 280 and 340 fps depending on gas and temperature, which is why we would rather chrono yours on the range than print a number.
If you are buying your first pistol, buy one of the four above. If you have been playing a while, know you are staying, and want the sidearm you will not replace, this is the one. The card above shows live price and availability, and if it is between deliveries you can ask us to let you know the moment it lands.
What else you need
A pistol on its own is not a loadout. Three things people forget:
Gas. Buy it with the pistol. Nothing is more irritating than a new pistol and no green gas on a Saturday morning.
A spare magazine, at least one. Gas magazines hold both gas and BBs, so when you run dry you are out of the fight until you refill. Twenty rounds goes quickly.
A holster. A pistol carried in a pocket is a pistol you will not draw in time, and many sites require sidearms to be holstered.
Our complete beginner kit list covers the rest, and the red dot sights guide is worth reading if you plan to put optics on the rail.
Try it before you buy it
We have an indoor range at the Rochester shop, and you are welcome to use it. Trying a gun before you buy it is discretionary, so ask us on the day and we will sort it where we can. That means feeling the trigger, hearing the action, and chronoing the pistol to see what it is actually firing at, rather than trusting a number on a page.
The range is airsoft only. It cannot be used for air rifles or air pistols.
Details are on the indoor range page. If something goes wrong later, we do repairs and servicing in house.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need UKARA to buy an airsoft pistol?
For a full colour pistol you need a recognised defence, and UKARA is the usual route. For a two tone pistol you do not: anyone over 18 can buy one. Two of the picks in this guide are available without registration, the Raven EU7 in its blue two tone finish and the E&C G17 Gen 5, so not having UKARA does not limit you to one choice. Our UKARA guide explains how to get registered.
Green gas or CO2 for a pistol?
Green gas for most people, most of the year. It is gentler on the seals and works fine in normal UK conditions. CO2 holds pressure better in the cold and hits harder, but wears internals faster and is restricted at some sites.
Why does my gas pistol stop working in cold weather?
Because gas pressure falls as the temperature drops, so the slide cycles weakly or not at all. The fix is to match the gas to the weather rather than put up with it: a higher pressure grade such as ULTRAIR Orange at 164 psi will cycle a pistol in winter that standard 135 psi green gas will not. Two things to watch. Hotter gas means higher FPS, so re-chrono when you switch. And the high pressure grades are silicone free, so you will need to oil the seals separately. Keeping spare magazines in an inside pocket still helps, and a CO2 magazine is another option where the pistol takes one.
Can I use a pistol as my main gun?
Yes, and some players do, particularly in close quarters games. You will be reloading far more often than everyone else. Most sites hold pistols to a lower velocity limit than rifles, so check your site’s rules first.
What is the cheapest airsoft pistol worth buying?
Of the ones we stock, the Action Army AAP-01. It is the least expensive pistol in this guide and has the deepest upgrade catalogue behind it, so it stays interesting long after you have outgrown a cheaper gun. Live pricing is on the cards above.
Can I try one before I buy?
Yes. Our indoor range at Rochester is open to customers, and we can chrono a pistol so you can see what it is really firing at. Airsoft only, and details are on the range page.
