If you’re like me and haven’t spent much time with BB guns since you were a kid, then you’ll be impressed and amazed by the latest airguns on the market. The new Crosman P1 – Pistol & R1 – Rifle BB guns from Velocity Outdoor are the most fun you can have in your backyard. Both are CO2 powered, full auto, blowback BB guns. Crosman has been producing airguns since 1923 and is well-known for their classic 760 Pumpmaster which I too used to have as a kid. I remember embedding countless BBs in our backyard fence and taking lots of squirrels with that one.
P1 Overview
The P1 pistol has a full metal frame construction and almost exactly resembles the Beretta M9/92 in looks and weight. If you removed the logos from the P1, I’d bet that 99% of people would assume it’s a Beretta pistol at first glance. It comes with polymer grips that sport a diamond checkered pattern. The frame features a front Picatinny accessory rail for lasers and lights. Crosman includes a rail-mounted adjustable laser with the P1 that’s great for quick target acquisition.
The front and back strap have the same vertical milling pattern as the 92. Even the extractor on the slide has been replicated (although obviously non-functional). It has a double-action trigger system with a smooth, consistent trigger pull. The three-position external safety doubles as your selector switch from semi to full-auto.
Everything functions as expected from the slide release to the takedown lever and the 19-round magazine even drops free. You can take apart the pistol with the takedown lever, but there shouldn’t be a need to. The knurled magazine release is also a nice touch. The quality overall is top notch- all the logos and printing on the slide are clean easily legible. The steel rear sight has a neat white dot that looks better than several white dot sights on real production firearms. The P1 was built to last and it shows. It’s also backed by Crosman’s 12-month warranty.
Caliber: .177″ (4.5mm)
Max Velocity: 400 fps
Rate of fire: 850 rounds/minute
Barrel Length: 5.0″
Overall Length: 8.5″
Weight: 2.44 lbs.
Shot Capacity: 19
Action: Full-auto
Trigger: Double-Action
Blowback: Yes
Material: Full metal
P1 package Includes:
- 1 x 19-round magazine
- Rail mounted laser and batteries
- 250 BB’s
- Allen keys
- User manual
R1 Overview
The R1 rifle features a durable polymer construction in Coyote Tan. It looks identical to an AR-15 style SBR with all the same controls. The polymer molding is exceptional with clean edges and a consistent, smooth, appearance. When I first showed the R1 to my friends, all of them assumed I got a new rifle. They were surprised to learn it was just a BB gun.
The R1 has a birdcage style removable flash hider – I wonder if Crosman will produce different muzzle devices for you to customize your gun? A quad picatinny rail offers endless rail space for your accessories. The charging handle reciprocates the “bolt group” and it has a fully operational dust cover. It also features a bolt catch with a last-round-hold-open feature. The safety selector switch allows you to fire semi and full-auto. A 6-position AR style mil-spec stock sits on the back and can be replaced with any standard AR stock. Same with the pistol grip. The magazine holds 25 rounds and houses 2 – 12g CO2 cartridges along with the Allen key for installing the cartridges. It will run off a single cartridge if you choose to do so.
There are 2 takedown pins on the lower that are held in place by a detent – an upgrade from previous versions. This allows you to easily access the barrel and clear any jams. And it serves as a great training aid to familiarize someone with the platform. The only thing that does not work as expected is the forward assist.
A common failure point with blowback CO2 guns are the seals and valving. Crosman engineered those into the magazine so if something fails, you can easily replace the magazine and be running again in no time. There are other replacement parts available if something else breaks and it’s backed by a 12-month warranty.
Caliber: .177″ (4.5mm)
Max Velocity: 430 fps
Rate of fire: 1400 rounds/minute
Barrel Length: 10.0″
Overall Length: 26.25″ (collapsed) 29.5” (extended)
Weight: 6 lbs.
Shot Capacity: 25
Action: Full-auto
Blowback: Yes
Material: Polymer
R1 package Includes:
- 1 x 25-round magazine
- Red Dot sight
- 250 BB’s
- Speedloader
- Allen keys
- User manual
P1 Shooting
Using the P1 is just like operating a pistol. Insert your loaded magazine rack the slide and you’re ready to fire. In single action, the trigger pull is smooth with a little take-up and clean break. Trigger reset is positive and it’s easy to get off multiple shots on target. The P1 is surprisingly accurate between 7-10 yards and offers a strong blowback action. The first shots on a new cartridge almost has as much recoil as a .22 pistol. In double-action, the trigger pull is consistent and smooth with a predictable break. I used Crosman Copperhead BBs and CO2.
The steel sights proved to be accurate and the white dot on the rear makes it easy to line up your shots. For even faster acquisition, you can install the provided laser sight on the front rail. The laser can be zeroed with the set screws and all the tools needed to install it are provided. It can be difficult to see in bright conditions, but I’d expect that with most lasers.
I was able to get around 50 shots from a single cartridge on semi-auto, slightly less on full-auto. It can be tricky loading the magazine, but after a little practice, I wasn’t spilling BBs. A couple of times I overfilled the magazine and caused a BB to get stuck behind the follower which prevented it from feeding properly, but that was user error. I didn’t have any other problems when shooting the P1.
The P1 shoots just as good as it looks and feels. It’s perfect for practice and plinking in your backyard. If there’s one thing I could change about the P1, it’d be the sights. While the steel sights aren’t bad and the rear white dot is crisp, I’d like something on the front blade too. I would highly recommend getting an additional magazine for extended fun.
R1 Shooting
Anyone familiar with AR-15s will immediately know what to do with the R1. But before you start the mag-dumps you need to install the included red dot sight. It installs just like any other red dot and comes with all the tools you need. There are 2 brightness settings and the red dot has adjustments for you to zero it in. After you install the sight and load the magazine, pull the charging handle and it’s ready to go.
After sighting in the red dot, the R1 was accurate out to 10 yards in semi-auto mode. Full auto sprays BBs in a wild pattern but I was accurate with 2-3 round bursts. I had no problems drilling my targets on the first shot. The trigger pull isn’t the lightest, but it is smooth. The blowback action provides enough felt recoil to be fun and empties magazines as quick as you can load them.
The 25-round magazine with dual CO2 cartridges will last you roughly 150-165 shots. The temperature during my testing never got above 65 so the cold will have an impact on CO2 longevity. You also have the option to run just one cartridge in the magazine. Once your magazine is spent the action locks to the rear. It’s advertised as a “drop-free” magazine which I have not experienced, but I don’t think I’d want this magazine repeatedly dropping on the ground.
Loading the magazine with the provided speedloader could be frustrating at times. The speedloader often jams and won’t allow the plunger to push BBs out. It’s nothing a quick shake won’t fix, but I wish it were a little more consistent. It was just as easy to hold back the follower and dump BBs into the mag straight from the BB container. Having multiple magazines would be the best scenario.
Overall the R1 feels great when shooting and has an overall realistic weight and feel. The controls operate just like a standard AR-15 making it the perfect training tool for anyone wanting to shoot an AR for the first time. There’s not much I’d want to change about the R1. It’s build quality, realistic feel, and blowback action are all on-point.
If there’s one thing the P1 and R1 both produce, it’s lots of smiles and laughs. I let several of my friends have fun with them and everyone puts it down with a grin from ear to ear. There’s just something about the blowback action and full-auto firing that gives one pure joy. They both serve as excellent plinking and training aids while giving you trigger time behind familiar guns. Just be sure to have lots of CO2 and BBs on hand.
MSRP on the P1 is $119.99 and $169.99 for the R1.
The Crossman P1 Full Auto is a royal piece of CRAP!!! Under no circumstances should you waste your money on this garbage!!! At best, it is only a novelty item.
“The P1 looks identical to the Beretta M9/92.”
No it doesn’t. The Beretta has a slide mounted decocker/safety. This “looks identical” to the Taurus PT-92 ripoff of the Beretta. Taurus has the frame mounted safety.
I agree with the fellow that these will freak out the neighbors we have now in the paranoiville we live in. Thankfully, all my neighbors are cows, and I don’t mean fat people, oh, sorry if I offended, ‘dimensionally challenged’.
That speed loader is garbage on rifle version. Rifle is real looking enough to freak out “woke” neighbors into calling Police, lucky I know my local Chief. Pricey but fun.
A far cry from the M19-A B.B. submachinegun of 1980s vintage.
I’m gonna need a lot more BBs.
Looks pretty nice, especially for the price.
Excellent write up! Makes me inclined to pick up a .177 for some backyard plinking.
Also.. why’d you have to do the White Claw dirty like that ]: