After being out of airgunning for four years I bought a copy of Airgunner magazine and found that during my absence that CO2 airguns now came under existing UK Airgun laws. Wanting a well-priced entry level CO2 pistol that was low powered enough for plinking on my then short 10-yard range I chose the Gamo P23. The Gamo P23 is a double action only .177 CO2 pistol that can shoot lead BB's in semi-automatic or single shot pellets.

The P-23 is styled around the compact SIG P230 pistol. The majority of the P-23 is manufactured from a tough plastic with the barrel assembly and hammer being made from metal. Overall the P-23 is smart and uncluttered little pistol. The barrel assembly is grooved to accept a red-dot sight. However the grooves are not wide enough to mount my Crosman Copperhead red dot sight.

The P-23 is very simple to load and similar to many other CO2 guns. To insert the CO2 bulb you remove the left grip scale insert 12g cartridge and tighten up the bolt at the bottom of the grip and replace the left grip scale. You should be able to get around 80 shots from a 12g CO2 bulb. The P-23 gives you two shooting options.

• Semi-Automatic BB's which you load into the P-23 magazine, which lies below but parallel to the barrel. The magazine will accept 10 lead BB's. The P23 will only fire true .177 lead BB's anything else will jam the gun.
• Single Shot lead pellets, which you load directly into the breach as you would on a Webley Tempest or Gamo's own AF10.

The P-23 is comfortable to hold and easy to aim. The double action trigger breaks predictably and is easy to use, as is the excellent safety catch, which is well placed. The trigger is well suited to fast fire shooting and ideal for peppering tin cans. It is not so well suited to paper punching and is a touch heavy for that sort of thing. Although saying that during my first shooting session I managed to group five pellets fired in single shot mode within a 1.5" group at eight metres and by my own admission I am not that good a shot. The rearsight is only adjustable for elevation and a small allen key is supplied to do this job. The P-23 has a 4.25" barrel with shots reaching a healthy 410-fps. The P-23 feels surprisingly powerful much more so than my own Walther CP-88 and I think this is partly due to the Gamo's lightweight plastic frame. The P-23 also fires with a healthy crack, which appears not to bother the neighbours.

The P-23 is a very rewarding pistol to shoot and gave me a lot of confidence. It also looks good and has a performance to match. If you're thinking of getting into CO2 airguns this is probably the best place to start. Gives a great performance straight out of the box and comes at a bargain price. The high number of tough plastic parts also mean that it should be easy to maintain and take the wear and tear over time. The cheapest price I have seen for a Gamo P-23 in the UK is £47.95, which is outstanding value for money. You can also add a red-dot sight and a laser sight.