- Beeman P1/Weihrauch HW45 stainless look - this one is similar to the P1, except the lower part is silver stainless steel
- Beeman P11/Weihrauch HW45 silver star - this is like the stainless look version but with a sculpted wooden grip replacing the Colt 1911 grip - this is the model on which this review is based
- Weihrauch HW45 black star - I have not seen this model from Beeman - this one has the sculpted wooden grip, but not the stainless look, so it resembles more the P1
There should not be much difference between these models other than in the stainless/grip aspects. I liked the stainless steel aspect and I also liked the sculpted grip more than the 1911 one, so I decided to get the P11 over the P1 and P1 stainless.
The sculpted grip of the P11 is also shared with the pneumatic version - the Beeman P2/Weihrauch HW75. Story has it that when Dr. Beeman designed the P1, he did not make it clear on the scheme that he wanted a spring piston, so Weihrauch put a pneumatic one and that is how the P2 was born. I considered the P2 as well, but as I already have the Beeman P3, I went for a spring piston model.
Operation
Unlike most other spring piston pistols that operate by a break barrel mechanism, the Beeman P11 uses a top lever mechanism. Furthermore, this mechanism compresses the spring towards the front of the pistol, so when it is released, it will kick back, like the recoil of a firearm. This is the aspect that interested me the most, because I found the forward kick of the IZH 53M rather weird. This aspect also means that the top lever works a bit differently than on a pneumatic piston; on a pneumatic piston, the top lever opens easily and then effort is needed for closing it, because that is when the pump is compressed; on the P11, the effort has to be made when opening the lever, because that is the action that compresses the spring - closing the lever back is easy.
So the P11 works like this:
- you release the top lever by cocking the hammer
- you then grab the lever (it has smooth edges and a groove that allow a comfortable grip) and pull it away - you can pull it to 80 degrees for low power or to about 150 degrees for full power
- you place a pellet in the breech
- you press the lever back until you hear it lock in place - I pull the hammer away during this part, to prevent it from rubbing unnecessarily with the lever lock
Note that the safety on the P11 is manual, unlike that on pneumatic guns like the P3, which gets automatically set when closing the lever. So you should set it before this operation. It works by blocking the trigger operation.
Package and build
Like the P3, the P11 came in a generic Beeman cardboard box, except this time the manual was included as well. This gun deserves a much better package. The Webley Alecto puts it to shame.
I had to order a separate case and I went for a small SRC tactical pistol case rather than the usual small Plano case model I ordered in the past. When it came, it looked as if it was going to be too small to hold the P11, but it actually fit in very well (with very little space to spare) in a straight position (I keep the P3 angled inside a Plano case). I like the SRC case over the Plano one because it locks better and feels sturdier.
The P11 is built entirely from metal. There is no plastic. The finish of the metal is excellent. The black anodized top is smooth and cleans up very easily. The stainless lower part has a bit of texture to it and is more resilient to fingerprints - this is the reason why I wanted a stainless model. The safety lever and the trigger are also made of black metal. Everything feels very well put together.
The wood grip is the only non-metal piece and it is a beauty. Its shape is excellent and it makes it very comfortable to hold the gun despite its heft. The upper part as well as the base of the grip are laminated and very nice to the touch, while the rest of it has this irregular non-slip finish that I have not seen before. It looks and feels like a high quality piece.
Adjustable settings
The rear sights can be adjusted for elevation and windage via two flat screws. The strength of the trigger spring can also be adjusted with a 2mm Allen wrench (not included) - there is a hole into the trigger guard through which this can be inserted to reach the trigger adjustment. These are explained in the manual.
I have not made any adjustment yet - the default settings worked perfectly for me. This is actually the first pistol for which I did not make any sight adjustments.
Performance
The Beeman P11 is very accurate. I already get results as good as with any other airgun in my collection and I think there is still room for improvement. The low power setting works great for shooting targets - it punches clean holes in the paper. I have tried the high power setting a few times and my aim got seriously off - it looks as if the sights need to be readjusted when used this way. The difference in effort needed for compressing the spring at the two power levels does not seem to be very high. In fact, the effort required is quite reasonable considering the resulting power. The P11 requires less effort to use than the P3.
The P11 is also fairly silent. I mainly hear the thunk of the spring and the impact on the target trap, but no loud pop from the compressed air.
The fact that the spring moves backward rather than forward seems to make a significant difference in control and accuracy too - I hoped for this and my expectations were met.
Conclusion
The Beeman P11 is a beautifully crafted airgun. Build quality is excellent, employing high quality materials. Operation and handling are very nice and its accuracy is top notch. This is one of the best spring piston airgun pistols available on the market. I just wish it would be sold with a custom case.
