Gas pistols

Gas pistols and revolvers are not hunting weapons themselves, they are backup protection and a signal tool for people who spend hours alone in the field. They fire a loud blank shot, sometimes paired with a gas or pepper cartridge, and are small enough to carry in the field, in the car, or at a hunting stand. This category holds compact and full-size pistols and revolvers suited to a first-time buyer and an experienced hunter alike.

Why a hunter carries a gas pistol

A gas pistol produces a loud, unmistakable report without a bullet, so you can drive off an aggressive dog near the car, give the starting signal on a driven hunt, or defend yourself in an awkward situation after dark. The gun fires no live ammunition, but the noise and gas blast is often enough to break up a threat.

Sitting alone in a high seat before dawn, in the dark and the quiet, a hunter is exposed for hours at a stretch. Walking back through dense cover with a carcass, the scent can draw stray dogs or other animals, and a loud shot often ends the encounter with no contact at all. Near villages where hunting grounds border a settlement, a gas pistol is also carried as a precaution when walking alone.

Types of gas pistols and revolvers

The range splits into a few groups by size, mechanism and purpose.

Compact pistols

The Walther P22Q and the SP 15 Compact are small models that fit a pocket or a belt holster under a jacket. They suit the walk to a stand or a day out with the dog, when every extra gram and centimetre is felt.

Full-size pistols

The Walther P99, Walther PPQ, Walther PDP C4 and PDP C4.0 are larger-bodied models with a wider grip, close to a service-pistol shape. They suit someone who carries the gun on a regular basis and wants a firm hold even with gloves on.

Revolvers

The Chief revolver kal. 380 ME Gum, the ME 38 Pocket-4R gas revolver and the ROHM RG 59 run without an action cycle, so they do not jam even after long spells unused. A revolver like this sits well in a car holster or a hunting bag, since it needs no regular maintenance.

Starting and signal models

The ME 9 mod. Para with its plastic frame is often used as a signal gun to mark the start of a driven hunt or to get a young dog used to gunfire near a feeding site or on the beat line, while it still shies from loud noise.

How to choose a gas pistol for hunting

A few points are worth weighing before you pick a model.

• Purpose: starting signal for a drive, dog training, or personal protection in the field.
• Size and weight: a compact model fits under clothing, a full-size one sits better in the hand.
• Caliber: most models are 9 mm P.A.K., a few revolvers come in 380 caliber.
• Grip shape: a wider grip holds firm in winter with thick gloves on.
• Pistol or revolver: a revolver is mechanically simpler, a pistol usually holds more rounds.

Field advice

Keep the gun where you can reach it in a few seconds, not at the bottom of a pack under a thermos and cartridges. Damp and cold affect the mechanism, so wipe it dry after a hunt and store it that way, and carry the cartridges separately from the gun itself. In the car, a holster by the driver's seat is a better spot than the boot with the rest of the gear, since the moment you need the gun tends to arrive suddenly, right by the vehicle.

Brands

Walther is a German maker whose P22Q, P99, PPQ and PDP series see wide use across Europe's self-defense and sport markets. ROHM and Umarex build simpler, dependable gas pistols and revolvers such as the RG 59 and RG 88, while the ME series stands out for a compact plastic frame and an accessible price for a first-time buyer.

For related self-defense weapons, see air guns, combat pistols and revolvers. If you are not sure which model fits your situation, write to us and we will gladly advise.