Beeman 2004E Air Pistol

Beeman

Sportsmarketing (SMK) have a huge catalogue of products for the enthusiasast, and tucked away inside, is a very neat little performer indeed - the Beeman 2004E Single Stroke pneumatic pistol. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on one, and having now given it a thorough going over, all I can say is it represents excellent value for money.

The famous American brand of Beeman originally worked with Weihrauch to design and produce the HW40. This latest offering from SMK is a near identical copy, save for the fact that it is reproduced in China; slashing production costs no doubt, in the process. That German design though, is a marvel of compact engineering, giving the 2004E a no-nonsense purposeful air. The all-black synthetic compound body shell is nice in the hold, whilst clear and precise open sights aid performance no end. The fore sight is fixed whilst the rear sight is easily adjustable with the aid of a screwdriver, and everything just comes together nicely in the aim.

Over Lever Design

Cocking the pistol mirrors the procedure of traditional Webley over-lever designs, with the top section of the chassis (housing the barrel) needing to be lifted up and forwards to nearly 180degrees (once the dummy hammer has been pulled back). A pellet is then chambered into the barrel breech, then the action pushed closed again. Pulling the housing forwards is effortless as the cylinder just sucks air in at this stage. The return stroke actually compresses the air in front of the piston, and as such requires some significant, but manageable effort by most. At this point, just mind that your hands are kept clear of the two sections of the pistol body/barrel assembly, as they come together quite sharply when closing.

Range Time

The safety catch is automatic and needs nudging off before each shot can be taken, whilst the two stage trigger offers a fairly light, if slightly creepy release. However, an extremely crisp and slick action, and the result is impressive accuracy, especially given the budget price tag.

The action is near recoilless and this style of single-stroke design gives very fast returns regarding action/lock times, which all helps the cause.

Target cards set at 10yds were soon showing tight half inch groups using Crosman Accupell pellets, whilst SMK’s own Spitfire brand printed slightly larger 3/4inch clusters- proving this little Beeman can give a good account of itself. With more time and honing of my pistol skills, I would expect to shave that half inch too, which is testament to this highly impressive sub £70 product.

Dovetail rails mean the addition of a red dot or pistol scope is all on the cards for the more adventurous, but the sheer fun - not to mention instructional nature of open sights - is such that I for one wouldn’t rush to fit any further sighting systems.

To say I warmed to this pistol is an understatement. If a recoilless general purpose pistol is required, free from the hassle of co2 or PCP charging gear, then this solidly made Beeman 2004E really does take some beating.

PRICE: £69.95