Gletcher Stechkin APS Blowback CO2 BB Pistol

Nice girth to this Soviet cold war pistol. This gun is big and heavy, yet the slide and mechanics operate very nicely, it seems to have a simplistic appearance and operation to it, but that goes well with the high production type minimalist approach of a communist gun. Mine shoots incredibly accurate, consistently getting 1 inch groups at 20 feet, bag rested, in fact, this Stechkin is in the top 5 of accuracy for all my 25 or so replica air gun pistols. I like the Soviet style ugly simplicity of the design and I must say the paint and finish are top notch. I think the bb's are very easy to load, it is a simple drop clip and holds 22 shots, which is also great. CO2 will last 3 full loads or about 66 shots, it is a heavy gun so that CO2 has to move this hulk.

The trigger has a unique feel and you have to get used to it, but if it is shooting 1 inch groups at twenty feet, I will take it, and I wish all of my triggers had accurate results like this. It is one of these triggers where you feel the mechanics of the bb loading and then all of a sudden it breaks, but with some practice, the accuracy makes it worthwhile.The plastic grips are on the cheap looking side with a little too much shine; I will paint or address them at some point with some weathering. In the positive side, the usual ugly safety warnings are minimal and not very noticeable on this gun.

Mine shoots the most accurate with either ASG Blaster bb's or Daisy precision zinc coated bb's, seriously folks, the groups tighten up with better bb's, why shoot the garbage ammo when you can get accuracy for a few pennies more...OK you can tell I really like this gun, I also like PA's customer service, My first gun came and blew an internal gasket or something on the second day I shot it (Every Mfg has a few dud out there) and I simply called Pyramyd Air and they walked me through the very RMA process, sent me the FedEx label to print or bring to a FedEx store via e-mail, and at no cost to me I was able to send back a dud and they had my new Gletcher Stechkin back to me in less than a 5 day turnaround time, that is super service. Both guns shot very accurate and my second one is still going strong after shooting every day. This Stechkin is setting all kind of new personal accuracy records for a blowback pistol at my personal range.

The size and excellent build quality is spot on.

Plastic rear sites are not up to par with the real gun.The hammer seems a little loose but for 100 bucks what can you expect.

Every air gun collector should have this in there collection.Accuracy is ok and uses co2 pretty quick for a blow back gun.I hope to see a full auto model from Gletcher as this one has a mode on the selector for full auto like the original,Also either a wood or metal stock and a suppressor would definitely be very cool. Better get one now before the all gone!

Quality of materials; finish; overall weight; size (big); blowback recoil (not harsh); magazine (locking tab to load BB's); magazine release (large push-button) coloring and smooth finish of gun (smooth grayish-bronze powder coating);nice looking brownish-red grips and all with very decent accuracy!

Grips have a tendency to shift very slightly and transmit their flimsiness. Magazine has a slight wobble when sitting in gun and the baseplate does not sit flush tight with the grip base. Make a rubberized coating on the inside of the grips to keep them flush tight and not easy to move? Magazine configuration could be more precise, possible with some type of spring pressure plate inside to keep it firmly positioned. Gun shoots 1 to1-1/2" low and you would have to take about 3/32" off the front sight to raise the visual P.O.I.,. When done 'manually' by sight, the gun shoots dead center on bullseye!

All in all a very nice piece and with the usual Gletcher quality touch on finish and flair. Side markings are very discrete and don't detract from the gun's appearance. I have several Gletcher guns, the CZ 75 SA, Luger Parabellum, 'CLT' 1911 and the Nagant Pellet revolver. The difference in overall quality, fit and finish is immediately evident when first handled. Having other nicely made guns like the Sig X5 P226, Sig P226 Pellet, Makarov Ultra, Colt SAA, Dan Wesson 2.5" Revolver, Walther PPS (2), CZ P-07, Beretta 92, Webley Tempest and two Daisy pellet revolvers (about 30 years old) plus a collection of air rifles, you learn to appreciate the obvious differences in workmanship and functionality. Manufactures should pay more attention to those of us who want to have more quality and finish in their products and stop designing based solely on competitive pricing. I read here all the time how many would pay more to get better grips, magazines and adjustable sights they want in an Airgun