Gamo PR-45 – Big thumbs up

Okay, I admit my penchant for the single-stroke pneumatic airgun borders on the obsessional, but when you consider the logical benefits on offer, you might just see where I’m coming from.

Independence

Many of us tolerate the PCP and all the irritating paraphernalia that entails in order to keep the system ticking over. An external power source, be that a pump or diver’s bottle, and dealing with very high-pressure air, is definitely not for everyone. By contrast, just take a look at the pistol on test here, and it really is chalk and cheese. The holy grail of a recoilless action and self-contained power source is what’s so appealing, so forgive me for getting a little carried away.

Spanish manufacturer, Gamo, is a huge concern and I tested its popular Compact pistol a few years back. The Compact is also a single-stroke, and it is apparently very popular with tetrathlon training throughout the Pony Club network. It sports anatomical target-style grips, which inevitably adds more to the RRP. The model on test here, the Gamo PR-45, is effectively a simplified version, and that means we get synthetic grips, which are actually all part of the moulded lower section of the pistol’s chassis. Simplified it may be, but the quality of the moulding and feel overall are such that the PR-45 has a good feel about it. At 1.85 lbs, it has enough weight to feel the part, without being overly tiring.

Open sights come as standard, there’s a manual cross-bolt safety catch and a pseudo-2-stage trigger.

Internals

But it is of course the internal set-up that intrigues here. Take a look at the photo with the action open and primed, and that large internal piston is pretty self-explanatory. However, for those considering going down this route, here’s the finer detail.

Gamo supplies a tin of its own branded target wadcutter pellets inside the hard case, so I thought it made sense to start with those. To cock and prime the action, grip the pistol with one hand, and press the grey square button at the rear of the action with the other. This then releases the top section, and this can be gripped and pulled up and forward in a 180° arc. The process creates a metallic click, and at the end of the sweeping motion, you will hear a small hiss, as air is sucked into the compression chamber. At this point, I would always advise that the angle and extent of the cocking stroke are kept the same each time, as this then ensures an identical swept volume of air and, in turn, consistent velocity.

With the action sitting fully forward, a pellet can be pushed directly into the lip of the barrel. Next, the action can be pulled forward, down, and finally snapped closed. This return stroke is compressing the air inside, so resistance can be felt, but for the record, the effort involved is all quite reasonable. Just be careful not to catch any part of the hand as the action snaps shut.

Sighting Up

On test, those basic Gamo pellets proved a rather inconsistent fit in the breech, with many being unacceptably tight to chamber. I was unlucky here, as I have used Gamo’s own pellets before, with no issue. Switching to some quality ammo in the form of the JSB Exact RS Diabolo, these felt perfectly snug in the barrel, which would at least give this pistol a fair chance. The shot cycle is impressive, with a near-total recoilless release, and a satisfyingly quick pulse of air as the end result.

Adjusting the sights needs a screwdriver. The front blade is all part of the synthetic top assembly, and the rear sight is adjustable for both windage and elevation but carries no numbers for reference. Slightly irritating, but once the sights are set, they are normally left alone, so no big deal. On test, I had everything zeroed pretty quickly, and could then get down to some proper evaluation.

The manual safety sits at the front of the trigger guard. As for the pseudo-2-stage trigger, after the dummy first stage, the let-off isn’t super light. However, that perfectly shaped blade is quite wide and really helps to spread the pressure over the finger pad, so no real complaints here.

Facts & figures

Initial grouping was reasonable, but the fact that the sight elements are all black (no fibre optics here), set me thinking that a splash of colour would be a big help with my slightly ageing eyesight. Sure enough, adding a small square of sticky white paper to the front blade made sighting so much more positive, and tighter groups were the result. Just over ¾” without, down to ½” with the white added, over 10 yards, which I reckon is pretty impressive.

In my experience, single-stroke pneumatics can be phenomenally consistent in terms of velocity, and this Gamo over the chronograph was just that! Using the JSB Exact RS Diabolos, it achieved a 4 fps total velocity spread over a 10-shot string. Quite superb. Just remember that consistent stroke, as in the same full arc of movement, and you should be rewarded for your efforts.
There’s even a dry-fire facility - just flip open the action, lift the top section until a click is heard, close the action, and the trigger can then be tripped without firing any air. The pull weight here is a little lighter than shooting live, however, but it’s still a handy feature.

Verdict

So, there we are. Predictably, this self-contained beauty gets a big thumbs up from me, for its design and sheer practicality. Factor in the reasonable asking price and it’s clear the PR-45 is an easy recommendation for general purpose fun shooting and informal target practice.