A little love for the Walther CP88 "Competition"

[AirNGasman]

Almost always preoccupied trying to eke out every iota of accuracy from airguns I consider among the most accurate of their (respective) types, too seldom nowadays do I emerge from that endless quest to enjoy just plain-old airgun fun. Hence the subject of this post.

In my airgun uppityness, I long considered most firearms-replica airguns as little more than yawn-worthy. And Co2 revolvers disguised as semi-automatics seemed nothing less than all wrong! I paid just enough attention to know Umarex was building several firearms-replica airguns, mostly Co2 powered.

However when the Walther CP88 "Competition" model pictured above popped up on the yellow classifieds, for some inexplicable reason it seemed to be calling my name... loudly. No doubt it had a lot to do with the satin silver finish in combination with attractive (factory-optional) stippled-walnut grip-panels. 

Only after sending PayPal payment did I bother to research going prices on new examples; only to find I'd paid way too close to a new price for the used gun! Rather, notwithstanding aforementioned walnut grips and 4 extra magazines (correction... cylinders). But on receiving the lovely thing, a short orientation, and sighting in, I was pleasantly-enough surprised to (almost) forget all buyer's remorse. Exhibiting decent single and double-action trigger-pulls, she also seems to shoot somewhere in the neighborhood of my own abilities. At least my offhand abilities.

This being about the time I was getting into Steel Challenge (speed-plates) competition, the CP88 did much to shorten my speed-shooting learning-curve virtue of plenty and inexpensive practice blasting empty aluminum and tin-cans. Have I mentioned plain-old airgun fun? Small aluminum cat-food cans proved excellent reactive targets for gratifying speed-shooting jollies. However inanimate objects are not the only reactionary targets the CP proved imminently suited for. 

In the midst of my giddiness, it occurred to me that 2.5 foot-pounds of .177 wadcutter might be just the right medicine for assorted snakes and rodents often colonizing my steel shop-building; with minimal risk of collateral damage or ricochet, but power and penetration enough for clean dispatches of the pests. The 'semi-auto' CP has proven just the ticket.

However, I just can't bring myself to carve notches in those lovely walnut grip-panels!

 

[0akhonor]

May I ask, what type of groups are you getting at 10 meters in the real world?

Would 1/2", all touching, be the norm? If so, it would make a great rat/mouse gun with wadcutters.. .

 

[AirNGasman]

Oak, this is one of FEW of my airguns I haven't done serious accuracy testing on.

But considering my own capabilities from sand-bagged bench-rests with the most accurate iron-sighted pistols (like that pictured above your screen name) max out somewhere between 3/4" to 1" average five-shot groups at 25 yards, extrapolating my abilities down to 10 yards would translate to not much better than 1/2" (center-to-center) with the most accurate target pistols made. So I'll speculate that I won't be able to get 1/2" average groups at 10 yards with the CP88. 

Understand the "Competition" moniker is overly-optimistic at best. No way the CP88 "Competition" is an actual competition pistol. The "Competition" version of the CP88 is simply the longer-barreled variant. CP88 trigger actions are not conducive to fine accuracy work, not to mention the fact they are Co2 revolvers complete with revolving cylinders; which means handicapped for fine accuracy by cylinder-gaps (the gap between the cylinder and barrel that projectiles must "jump" through during the shot sequence). I have a revolver as accurate as any target pistol made, in fact as accurate as nice bolt-action rifles; but it's a $2,500 rimfire revolver. See photo below. 

Nevertheless, and despite all these disclaimers... correction, excuses, when it warms up enough, I'll do some 10 yard accuracy testing with the CP88 to answer your question...

Which has now become my question, too!