by B.B. Pelletier
The Pellet Master requested a post on the Gamo PT-80 CO2 pistol. I said I would check to see whether I had ever tested one and, by golly, I had. So here’s your post.
General description
The PT-80 is an 8-shot CO2 revolver that looks like a semiauto pistol. The slide opens to gain access to the rotary clip hidden inside. The gun is the size of a traditional .380/9mm pocket pistol and feels good in the hand. The rear sight adjusts for windage only and the sighting system consists of three white dots – one in front and two in the rear. This kind of system is not good for paper targets but it does align rapidly on action targets. That makes the PT-80 a fun gun and a plinker.
The sights have one dot in front and two in the rear. Align them on target and shoot!
The front of the slide flips up to gain access to the clip.
The gun fires in either the single-action or double-action modes. For single-action shooting, cock the hammer before each shot. In the double-action mode, each pull of the trigger fires the gun. Like all CO2 pistols that shoot in both modes, the gun is more powerful in the single-action mode.
Velocity
Shooting single-action (cocking the hammer for every shot) and allowing the gun to rest for 15 seconds between shots to warm up again, I averaged 345 f.p.s. with RWS Hobbys and 334 f.p.s. with Gamo Match pellets. This is about what can be expected from a CO2 pistol with a 4″ barrel. In double-action, also pausing between shots, the Hobbys were 318 and the Gamo Match were 310.
Gamo says the gun is good for 80 full-power shots, which I would agree with – providing you do not shoot fast and let the gun warm up between shots. If you shoot fast, the CO2 chills the gun’s action, causing more CO2 to be used for every shot. A cold gun keeps the CO2 colder, as well, and cold CO2 is denser than when it’s warm – hence more gas flows out with each shot.
Action airgun deserves action targets!
You can have the same fun with the PT-80 as with any of the Umarex or Daisy action pistols. One neat target that’s easy to work with is Daisy’s ShatterBlast target system. It features four target holders that stick in the ground and hold the clay ShatterBlast disks. Hit one and it bursts into pieces for a dramatic confirmation of your marksmanship. Ah! But the PT-80 is an 8-shot pistol, so you’ll need 8 ShatterBlast disks to shoot, because action is the name of this game. Or, you could get the ShatterBlast Six Shooter, which automatically drops a fresh target when one is blasted. Regardless of which you get, be sure to stock up on extra ShatterBlast targets, too.
Another fancy target for action pistols is the Shoot-N-C. It’s a stick-on target that turns from black to vivid yellow-green when hit. You can stand far away from this kind of target and see every impact as it happens! A package contains plenty of targets in three different sizes. The smaller ones can be used to cover holes in the larger targets – extending their lives. All you need is a cardboard box to stick the target on, a safe backstop and you’re in business!
The laser comes with this version of the PT-80.
Other PT-80 models
Gamo also sells the PT-80 Laser – with a genuine laser attached to the gun. Once the laser is on and sighted-in, you shoot to the point indicated by the dot. That makes your action shooting go even faster. Gamo also offers the PT-80 with genuine walnut grips for shooters who prefer the dressed-up look.
The PT-80 is a lot of pistol at a very affordable price. If action pistol shooting intrigues you, this one might be just what you want.
I can attest to the 80 shots per cylender. My gamo M6 Revolver gets close to 86 shots per cylender indoors. Quallity is something I’ve come to expect from Gamo
I’ve also noticed that this pistol looks similliar to the beretta M80 Cougar handgun, It would be neat if the c02 was stored in a faux magazine so you could affix real beretta or houge grips.
Good entry. I have been wondering about this gun for some time, and find the wooden gripped model very interesting. Usually Gamo is realatively accurate in their muzzel velocity claims, but in this case, as with all their similar models, they claim 410 fps. What gives?
Is there a law of diminishing returns for barrel length and additional fps? It seems every additiional 2 inches yields about 50 fps.
The Crossman site offers a custom design of their c 2240 with barrel lengths of 7.5, 101.1 and 14.6 inches in 22 cal and 7.5 and 10.1 in .177. They offer no explanation of benefits regarding velocity. Thanks.
BB,
Off topic but I am considering the large investment into the world of PCP.
I have been looking at the FX2000 and the shrouded barrel raises questions.
Does this rifle come with a fully shrouded barrel standard? Is the shroud for noise control? If not for noise, what then? And what will I be expecting for total initial investment not having any equipment now?
dsw
dsw,
Yes, the shroud is to quiet the muzzle report. Apparently FX makes the shrouded barrel option, so the answer to that question is, yes, it is standard. If you buy from Pyramyd AIR, the fill adaptor comes with the gun (not all dealers sell it that way, which is how some can offer the gun at a slightly lower price).
Besides the rifle you need a way to put air into it. That can be either a scuba tank or a hand pump. You also need a scope and rings.
Those are the basics you need. Anything else, like a gun case, is optional.
B.B.
Where to get the bottle and fittings for it?
dsw
dsw,
As I said before, the fill adaptor (the fittings, as you put it) come with the gun.
The scuba tank you buy from a dive shop. Take the owner’s manual into the dive shop or take the fill adaptor and explain that you have bought a precharged pneumatic rifle. They may ask you to sign a release of liability before they will fill your scuba tank, but most dive shops are quite familiar with PCPs today.
B.B.
ahh, thanks. for some reason I wasn’t getting it.
dsw
DB
There was a site up long ago (not anymore) that a guy did a test on showing that barrel length over about 24 inches wasn’t worth much, if anything. And the increase in fps was vairiable and mostly dependant on the powerplant behind the gun. So Gamo claiming a similar fps for different rifles is realistic, assuming the barrel length is the same. As for the Crosman quandry, I hope one of the readers will fill us in on velocity after reading your question.
D.B.
The powerplant determines whether increased barrel length will add velocity. On a springer, 10 to 12 inches is all you can use. After that there is no velocity increase. With lower-powered springers, that drops to six inches.
PCPs and CO2 are the reverse.
The former most powerful airgun (shoulder-fired) in the world was CO2Much, at over 1,000 foot-pounds. Its barrel was at least 36 inches.
Big bore PCPs have now passed the 1,000 foot-pounds mark and in every case they have barrels that are very long. Think of these guns as you would a black powder gun and you won’t be far off.
As for Gamo’s numbers, they have always been a little on the fast side. read the CF-X report I dd a week ago.
B.B.
Hi BB
Can you explain why a CO2 pistol is more powerful in the single action mode?
Thanks
Springer John
Springer John,
I think it’s because of how far back the hammer travels before it falls. In the single action mode, the hammer goes back until the sear catches it, where it rests until the trigger is pulled. In the double action mode the trigger rotates the hammer back before releasing it to fall. I think it doesn’t travel as far back in that mode, so the strike against the valve stem is weaker.
I’m pretty sure I have it correct, and I know for certain that MOST CO2 guns are weaker in the double action mode. I emphasize most to leave room for one I may not have encountered yet.
B.B.
I have one of these. Itook a small 3/8 dove tail and cut it in half and put a cheepo red dot on it. It’s fun. The trigger took to a major polish well in single action too. still heavy but better…and a PITA to reassemble.
i´m from mexico and i want to buy the pt 80 but here is too expensive almost $1400 pesos(like $135 dlls) without laser
i don´t have credit card but i have a debit card and i can make a deposit if i can get it from piramid
what can i do?
The look and feel of the gun is better than I expected.Unfortunately the ridiculous amount of pressure it takes to pull the trigger nulifies any enjoyment in shooting it.Mine also had a (defective) laser that would not ajust closer than three inches from center.So,it’s packed up and headed back tomorrow.
I am currently looking for a CO2 pistol just for backyard plinking. I’ve been looking at guns like the ppk/s and this PT-80. Which one would you suggest for a a fun plinker but also decently accurate and moderatly powerful. I am also open to other suggestions as I have not yet decided. PS I love this blog!
– Plinker guy
Plinker guy,
Between the guns you have listed, the PT 80, being rifled and shooting pellets rather than BBs, is more accurate.
There are many air pistols in the same price range, so your choice is a matter of taste. But remember that a pellet pistol will almost always me more accurate than a BB pistol, both because it shoots pellets and because it is rifled.
My own taste runs to the Crosman 357 in this price range, but like I said, that’s just personal taste.
B.B.
I just looked up the 357 and I like the looks of it alot. It sounds like the perfect guy for me. THank you alot!
i bought the pt-80 back in dec. and for some reason its not holding the co2 longer than a day. is something wrong wit it.
the gun looks very nice and the price is pretty good for that grade of a pellet gun
how do i find a manuel to reassemble my pt 80 i took off the grip and everything poped out how do i put it back togeather
Sorry to say there are no assembly instructions for the PT80. It needs to go back to Gamo.
B.B.
the gamo pt-80 is designed to (and does)perfectly model the beretta (now stoeger) m800 cougar
yes it is and does
I am looking for a CO2 air pistol that is under $100 that is as accurate as can be for this price range. I was thinking maybe this or the CP99 compact what do you think?
BB-
I have been looking for an air pistol for quite a while now and this one is really interesting me. I am looking for one that is fun to shoot, not too expensive, and is pretty accurate. What do you think? Do you have any other suggestions?
Thanks Very Much
Tim
Tim,
Guns in this price range that are also repeaters are not very accurate. But at close range (20 feet) they’ll hit a pop can.
If it interests you, that’s 90 percent of the battle. Go for it!
B.B.
HI, Is gamo pt-80 gun a good?
Joonas from Finland
Joonas,
Yes it is a good gun if you don’t want to shoot targets. It is easy to shoot and works well, but it is not the most accurate air pistol.
B.B.
okay, now I have to go to buying it… 🙂
thank you
Joonas from Finland
I noticed in the manual it mentions using flat head pellets and in your test you used exculsively flat heads so my question is can you use domed pellets in this pistol, specificly light premiers?
John,
In airguns having circular clips like the PT-80, you have to be careful to keep the pellet length shor enough for the clip chamber. If the pellet sticks out on either end, it will jam the mechanism.
Premier 7.9s might work, but 10.5-grain Premiers will probably be too long.
B.B.
I just recieved the PT80 this morning and can say that it does handle the 7.9 premiers ok. I,ve got a feeling it probably likes lighter pellets better, but for the money I’ll stick with the premiers. The gun itself looks real sharp, but the non adjustable rear sight is kinda a bummer. Great for cans, spinners and spraying paper targets. I’d suggest getting some extra mags if you buy it.
I am at a toss up between the PT-80 and the Crosman T4. I am looking to eliminate big curly tailed lizards that are eating squirrel eggs and other chameleons in our yard. I’m not sure if the PT-80 has the fps for lizard slaying. At the same time I don’t want to punch holes in our vinal fence when/if we miss. My wife was looking for a repeater and I wanted the easy laser sight options that both the PT-80 and T4 support. Comments suggestions please.
Andy,
I’m not familiar with these lizards so I really can’t comment.
I would prefer a more powerful air pistol of the Beeman P1/RWS-Diana P5 Magnum/Crosman 1377 level.
There aren’t any powerful repeaters I can recommend except the AR6, and I’m SURE you don’t want to use that! It will ventilate your fence and the next two in line.
So don’t miss!
B.B,
http://www.dianeszoo.com/locals3.htm
At the bottom of the page is a good summary of these lizards as well as some decent photos. They get to be close to 12″ long with the tail unfurled and ours are very blazen facing down mother squirrels to invade their nests. Ours don’t run and we have to hose them down to chase them off or chuck rocks at them.
I like the sub $100 price of the 1377 and the 2240s but no repeater. The AR6 is pretty pricey and yea it would be holey fence time with the misses.
I went ahead with the T4 purchase from pyramid air and have taken out a few of our curly tail lizards with open sights at about 3 yards. Single shot to the head clean through with crossman field hunting 7.9gr pellets. Humane kills. If I miss I have the other 7 rounds to follow up with. The laser sight and extra mags are on back order. Have you done a review on the crossman T4? I know your backlogged on your reviews at the moment. There are not alot of reviews of the T4 online. I’m going to use mine some more before I comment too much but the magnetic magazines seem pretty gimmicky.
Andy,
I’m glad to hear the gun works as intended. No, I haven’t blogged it yet. Sorry.
B.B.
B.B.
When you tested the PT-80, did you do any target tests. I am really interested in what kind of groupings this gets. I know, from reading the blog, that it is not great on paper targets and not too accurate. But do you have the actual numbers?
Thanks,
John
John,
Expect groups of 1-1/8″ at 25 feet if you do your part.
B.B.
B.B.-
What is the reason why this gun’s sights aren’t great for paper targets? Is it b/c they are white, or is it b/c of the limited adjustibility?
-Rick
Rick,
These are tactical sights – not target sights. The white dots are there for rapid acquisition, but they are not precision, which is needed for target shooting.
B.B.
B.B.
One more question about the PT-80’s accuracy. Is the accuracy on the Walther CP88 or the PT-80 better at say 10 yards?
-John
John,
I believe the CP88 will have about the same level of accuracy as the PT-80. If there is an edge, I’d have to give it to the CP88.
B.B.
BB,
in your opinion witch is more accurate, the pt-80, the Crosman t4, or the Walther cps? which has more power? they’re in the same price range and i don’t know which to buy…
Josh
Josh,
The Crosman T4 is the most powerful of the three, and I think the Walther CPS is the most accurate.
B.B.
HI.
This is Joni from finland. is the pt 80 a good CO2 pistol. is it accurate n fun to use. is the laser any good cuz a guysed he cud only get to 3 inches of the center.
HI
iv been looking at the PT 80 n jst wondering if its reali a good CO2 gun cuz i see ppl say it not the best. is it accurate at all. (i might hav posted a commet exacly lik this 1 bt i nvr saw it com up n jst relized it takes som time to come up) :).
Joni from Finland (Suomi)
Joni,
The PT 80 is a good action air pistol for its low price, but it isn’t a precision gun.
As for the laser not going to zero, that doesn’t surprise me.
B.B.
Joni
are u a instant answerin machine or jst reali fast? (jst wonderin)
HI
me again (Joni). wat did u mean wen u sed to Joonas wen u sed its a good gun if u dont want to shoot targets??
HI
Joni again. does the laser com standard with the PT80
Joni,
The PT80 can be ordered with or without the laser – your choice.
B.B.
hi
Joni here, this might be a stupid question bt r u sellin a py 80?
Joni,
No PY80s. Just three versions of the PT80 – regular, tactical and laser.
B.B.
gamo pt 80
I just got the gamo laser model yesterday.
I shot a few rounds about 35 feet and was inpressed it seemed accurate with open sights.
I have not tried the laser yet.
pt 80,
Be sure to tell us about that, too.
B.B.
On the pt-80 laser, can the laser assembly be removed and reinstalled depending on whether or not i want to use it?
Thanks
Joe,
It looks like you can, but the online manual doesn’t cover it.
Call Pyramyd AIR and ask their tech folks.
B.B.
I bought a PT80. After a week, it would no longer hold CO2 pressure for more than a few minutes. I sent it back for a replacement O-ring. Now it holds pressure for less than an hour. I’m not going to send it back again. The only reason a person would want to buy this product is that it looks so much like a real gun. I have to be careful to distinguish the P80 from my Heckler & Koch and Springfield “real” pistols. If you want to have a toy pistol that looks like a real gun so you can get shot by law enforcement – go for it.
PT80,
You have a right to be angry. I would say pissed off, but we don’t talk like that here.
However, DID you put a drop of Crosman Pellgunoil on the tip of EVERY new cartridge before you pierced it?
If you still have the gun, get some Pellgunoil or just some non-detergent 20-weight motor oil and try it.
DON’T USE ANYTHING ELSE, OR YOU’LL RUIN THE GUN.
B.B.
Hi, I own a PT-80. It does not come with scope rails. How can I mount a Red dot scope to it?
does Gamo sells a scope rail or mounting accesory?
I checked, but Gamo doesn’t seem to have a mount for a Red Dot sight for the PT-80. Have you talked to the Pyramyd AIR tech reps?
B.B.
The Gamo PT-80 is a awesome Pellet Gun for the price. I bought around $1000.00 dollars worth of BB/Pellet Guns from pyramidair 1 week ago and i liked them all and all were accurate from 15-20 feet. I have put around 200 pellets thru the PT-80 and have had no problems. Its very accurate and i like the real feel of the gun in your hand. I like the sights as well,im a pretty good dead on aim. I recommend this gun to anyone.
bb,
believe it or not i tried raptors and crosman 7.9 premiers and the raptors were not only more powerful, they had more accuracy.
do you think the slower guns, or maybe co2 affects how these perform in the pt80
Gary,
You might be right.
B.B.
B.B
I bought my Gamo PT80 last week and I was wondering could you buy the laser by itself?
Write back soon,
Raminder
Raminder,
Pyramyd AIR doesn’t sell the PT80 laser separately any more, but Gamo appears to. You might be able to get it directly from them.
B.B.
I just purchased PT-80 with laser. I find that it is better to aim with sights than the laser at the moment.I am probably not used to a laser sight. I also find it very hard to sight the laser and get it to be accurate. Otherwise a solid pistol, i just need to find good pellet to use as it does not like anything heavy. if anyone can recommend.