Gamo PT-85 Tactical Part 1 Part 2
And now for something Spooky
By Dennis Adler

This is the kind of gun you see in spy movies carried by individuals who “live in the shadows” a turn of phrase familiar to those who know James Bond films, and this special version of the double action/single action Gamo PT-85 fits the bill perfectly as a versatile, modular pistol for operatives who demand stealth, accuracy, and when need be, a light and laser to illuminate and pinpoint a target. The Gamo PT-85 Tactical Series gives you all the tools of the spy trade in a CO2 powered, blowback action 4.5mm rifled barrel semi-auto. And the Gamo holds a few secrets of its own. For one, this version of the Gamo PT-85 model introduced in 2010, has the capability of being exceptionally accurate because the realistic-looking faux silencer hanging off the end (this is old school trade craft so let’s call a silencer a silencer this time) has a full length extension of the rifled barrel shrouded inside, and thus this PT-85 has an internal barrel length of 12 inches! Combine that with an average velocity of well over 450 fps and at 21 feet this pellet-firing, rifled barrel semi-auto can be optically dialed in to produce sub 1-inch groups.

The red laser that comes with the Tactical set can also be used to get pinpoint accuracy at 10 meters but the multi-color 5 MOA (red, green or blue) optical dot sight really puts the PT-85 on the bullseye. The tactical flashlight that comes with it is 80 lumens, which isn’t bad but as tactical flashlights go it is a little under par. Good tactical flashlights are around 120 lumens and up, but in a low illumination room it would certainly help light up the target. Both the light and laser also come with on-off pressure switches which can be used in place of the push-button rear caps. The pressure switch for one of them can be hook and loop mounted on the frontstrap for immediate activation when gripping the pistol. Personally, I prefer the manual switches.

Last of its kind
The underlying design for the PT-85 Tactical goes back to one of the first Umarex rotary magazine pellet models, the Beretta 92FS XX-Treme, which I reviewed for Guns & Ammo back in 2005 when the special 92FS version was introduced. This model was manufactured until 2013 and was the ultimate in 4.5mm tactical air pistols. Built for Pyramyd Air, the XX-Treme was developed by company president Josh Ungier, and manufactured by Umarex Sportwaffen GmbH in Arnsberg, Germany. It remains one of the most coveted of all Umarex Beretta pellet firing models.

There was also a similar CP99 version sold by Umarex, and a Beretta version of the PX4 Storm known as the Recon built during the same period. The Recon was discontinued in 2015, but none of them had a full length barrel inside the silencer, and that is what gives the PT-85 Tactical its edge.

There’s a lot of the Beretta PX4 Storm air pistol in the PT-85, including similar but not interchangeable dual 8-shot rotary magazines, a molded in (inert) thumb safety, and nearly identical manual, frame-mounted safety on the right side of the gun. Both have the same style double action/single action trigger system, but the Gamo currently remains the last gun standing in this unique category of blowback action pistols and why this spooky looking semi-auto has landed its spot in Airgun Experience for October 31st. Boo!
In Part 2 the PT-85 Tactical weighs in and heads to the 10-meter target range
Ok, now tell everyone what holster will hold this monster when it is decked out with all these accessories?
When a tactical pistol is this decked out with this many options it is way past the holstering phase. I would suppose that a competition skeleton rig (if the laser was moved to the right side rail and the tactical light removed entirely) might have a chance of working but as equipped this is not a gun you holster. In the real world a gun with tactical light, laser and scope would be at the ready for an op and not holstered. It might drop into a shoulder bag (remember on 24 how Jack Bauer always had a soft canvas bag loaded with extra gear slung over his shoulder?) but the PT-85 fully equipped has no holster.
Very pleased to see you review the Gamo PT-85 Tactical as it has been my go-to air pistol for accuracy and high fps for awhile now.
A very cool pistol!
It has been on the “older airguns but still so tempting” list for awhile and I had noted you and several others mentioning how much you like the Gamo PT-85. It is that 12 inch internal barrel that really makes this one worth owning, aside from being a fun gun to shoot with all the accessories. It reminds me of my first Umarex Walther CP99 with rail-mounted optics bridge and the old Walther red dot scope. Still have it. The Gamo adds the fun of a blowback action and self-contained CO2 BB magazine; definitely a keeper.
Dennis,
I’ve been waiting for something like this even though it is .177. Is the .450 FPS with non lead pellets? How about the front sight is it black or is it a dot? With that barrel length it really maximizes the power, too bad there’s no way to turn off the blow back action, it might do 500 FPS if it used all the gas for pellet propulsion.
All will be revealed in Thursday’s wrap up.