Beeman Beeman P17 - Junk ???

Caliber 22

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Nov 29, 2023
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About 10 years ago I saw the P17 for the first time online. My thoughts was - "What a piece of junk."

Fast forward to 30 May 2022 and I bought one as a lot of good reviews convinced me that it cannot be that bad.

Now, after almost 2 years of shooting it, I took it out for some plinking and after all this time I still enjoy it a lot. First some 10 meter standing freehand plinking on some empty pellet tins. Then back to 25 meter on the same tins, freehand standing. Then over to the 50 meter target. I have to aim about a meter high but hit the 200mm square plate 10/10.

It just don't get old. I think I will enjoy this little toy for a long time to come.

Junk? Yes, my thoughts were junk at that time.
 
I was also skeptical about the P17 but kept hearing good things about it. I finally bought one over a year ago and it's been a great pistol.
No regrets.

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One of the best cheap guns I’ve owned
Seconded. Especially since I got a few of them when they were marked down by Amazon to $7.50 each for a short while. They are amazingly good, even at list price. Got to watch out for pinching, but other than that, they are fun. Noisy for their power, but not bad at all. Modified one of them to 22 machining a Crosman barrel to fit and filled the end of the piston to increase compression. Got 362 fps average ES=5, with 14.3gr 22cal CPHP's. Was one of my first AG projects. I like that P22 the best of the 6 that I have. In 22, they are a lot easier to load. Have a 1.7x20 pistol scope on it, which coincidentally makes it slightly easier to cock.
 
Seconded. Especially since I got a few of them when they were marked down by Amazon to $7.50 each for a short while. They are amazingly good, even at list price. Got to watch out for pinching, but other than that, they are fun. Noisy for their power, but not bad at all. Modified one of them to 22 machining a Crosman barrel to fit and filled the end of the piston to increase compression. Got 362 fps average ES=5, with 14.3gr 22cal CPHP's. Was one of my first AG projects. I like that P22 the best of the 6 that I have. In 22, they are a lot easier to load. Have a 1.7x20 pistol scope on it, which coincidentally makes it slightly easier to cock.
I just shoot as is and it’s great
 
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I did some modification I decided to do even before I received it. I removed the auto safety, I cannot stand an auto safety. The second I did was to put a spacer below the trigger to eliminate the "first stage" travel, there is now zero travel. I also adjusted the trigger pull so I barely touch the trigger to go off, total travel before it shoots is about 1.5mm, I can make it less but I am OK with it as it is now. That makes the accuracy even better.
 
I did some modification I decided to do even before I received it. I removed the auto safety, I cannot stand an auto safety. The second I did was to put a spacer below the trigger to eliminate the "first stage" travel, there is now zero travel. I also adjusted the trigger pull so I barely touch the trigger to go off, total travel before it shoots is about 1.5mm, I can make it less but I am OK with it as it is now. That makes the accuracy even better.
It’s a cheap enough gun to modify and not feel bad if you break it. What scares me is when people modify $4000 guns.
 
i had a model HW40 first easy to cock and made a new trigger adjustment screw right away
it uses and long dogear grub screw but it will bottom out and the post in the screw stops you from being greedy
you have to drill a 3mm screw and add a longer post and that would be impossible with a thread check to screw the grub screw in to hold it
so i bought a P17 down the road and it shoots fine did the same thing to the trigger but the pistol has a big problem
the damn thing is almost impossible to close at cocking and i have read the same thing from others
 
Hmmm, by the title -

Beeman P17 - Junk ???​

You must be talking about mine !
Worst trigger EVER. Even my ol cap gun as a 10yr old kid, has a better trigger.
I took it apart, filed, sanded, polished. Much better, but still mostly, still...junk. Took it apart again. more of the same. again, better but........

Now it sits. If I can find my 6" cast iron frying pan, I may take my rosebud tipped torch to it, let it melt into the pan like I did two other "junk" BB guns.

Mike
 
Hmmm, by the title -

Beeman P17 - Junk ???​

You must be talking about mine !
Worst trigger EVER. Even my ol cap gun as a 10yr old kid, has a better trigger.
I took it apart, filed, sanded, polished. Much better, but still mostly, still...junk. Took it apart again. more of the same. again, better but........

Now it sits. If I can find my 6" cast iron frying pan, I may take my rosebud tipped torch to it, let it melt into the pan like I did two other "junk" BB guns.

Mike
You must have received the one-in-thousand lemons.
 
W
My P 17s have killed many rattle snakes a 177 right to the head and dead as a door nail, small one here but I have taken big six foot ones also

View attachment 442203
We don't have rattle snakes but a lot of other dangerous snakes of which the Black Mamba is one. A few times I found one at home but I call a person who catch them and put is in a snake park where they milk it for the venom to make antivenom to tread people who get bitten by the snakes. Other snakes like the Mozambique Spitting Cobra I catch by myself and go release it in the bush nearby.
 
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My unmodified P17s shoot great as well. No lemons in the one's I have. They remain one of the great AG bargains.
They are deadly against soup cans at twenty yards. Not pellet picky. Cocking is a little tricky but once you figure out the ergonomics it is easy peasy. For the price everyone should have one. Makes a great 10 meter fun gun.

Pro Tip: This is a great upgrade for $8.

Pachmayr Grip
 
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W

We don't have rattle snakes but a lot of other dangerous snakes of which the Black Mamba is one. A few times I found one at home but I call a person who catch them and put is in a snake park where they milk it for the venom to make antivenom to tread people who get bitten by the snakes. Other snakes like the Mozambique Spitting Cobra I catch by myself and go release it in the bush nearby.
Snakes = shoot lol