Target Talk Archive

Pardini K58

Posted by Rod Keith on February 24, 2000 at 10:20:46:
Hi! I am a 10M air rifle shooter looking to enter the air pistol arena. The Pardini k58 SSP has caught my eye and I would appreciate any help finding product info - preferrably an independant review.

Posted by Alan Stewart on February 24, 2000 at 11:01:02:
Rod: I have been shooting a k58 for the last two years and was averaging around 93-94% with it. When I did my part, it did its part. Depending on your shooting goals, it may well be a very good option. I just moved up to a Morini 162 EI, electronic trigger and PCP, and feel that I am proficient enough in my shooting to notice and profit from the advantages of this gun over the k58. When I was shooting around 90%, I don't think these same advantages would have been as meaningful. So, for plinking, informal matches, fun shooting in the basement or on the backdeck, entry level up to Class AA/Master in formal matches, yes. Its a good gun to start and learn with and it will take you a long way. When you get there, you can take the step to the Steyr, Morini, Pardini k2, FWB, etc and continue climbing the rankings. Hope this helps. ars

Posted by Wil Puscher on February 24, 2000 at 13:46:30:
Here's a review of the K58 I got off the internet a while back.
Review of the Pardini K58 match air pistol
The Pardini K58 air pistol is a single stroke pneumatic match air pistol intended for 10 meter match shooting. The gun is imported by Don Nygord (Prescott, AZ) and includes a nice combination locked hard plastic case and extra front and rear sights. As of the time of this review the air pistol sells for around $700. I had the chance to borrow one and thought I would pass along my thoughts on the gun.
The K58 is Pardini's sucessor to the P10 match air pistol. The P10 is rummored to be designed by same the person who designed the AP604 match air pistol for FAS (another Italian airgun manufacturer). The P10 is similar to the K58 in that it is a underlever cocking single stroke pneumatic air pistol. The P10 has a flip-up port that opens automatically when the pistol is cocked for direct access to the rear of the barrel. The K58 has a similar flip-up port. The K58 however has a bolt that pushes the pellet into the barrel when the flip-up port is closed. You just drop the pellet into a trough and close the flip-up cover. I like this arrangement since it make the pistol extreemly easy and quick to load compared to manually stuffing a pellet into the rear of the barrel.
The K58 has an under barrel lever that pivots below the muzzle. Opening the lever 135 degrees and closing charges the gun. Cocking is low at the start of cocking and progressively gets heavier to a 24 lb maxiumum right as the lever snaps home. The cocking lever also serves as a trigger guard (similar to the FWB 10X series air pistols).
The K58 also has a 1.5 ounce steel weight that clamps anywhere along the exposed barrel to add muzzle weight. The weight is low profile and does not interfere with the sight picture.
The trigger on the K58 is fuly adjustable for overtravel, first stage length, first stage weight, trigger position, engagement weight, and trigger position. There is no provision for dry fire capability.
The sights are adjustable with a small coin or screwdriver. At 10m one click shifts the point of impact 1.8mm. The rear sight plate is removable and two are included with different notch widths. The front sight is undercut and two different witdth ones are also included. An allen wrench set also comes with the system to aid in changing the sights.
I like the one piece walnut grip with the adjustable palm piece. Due to the one piece design there is plenty of wood to allow for custom fitting to one's hand.
The one thing that amazes me on this pistol is it's consistent velocity. Using RWS Hobby pellets (not my favorite but what I had handy at the time) the gun shot an average of 458 feet per second (fps) with an extreeme spread of 2 fps over 10 shots. I unfortunately did not have time to do realistic accuracy testing of the gun but I have little worry that it will perform as expected.
Overall I like the gun and can recommend it as a good value alternative to the FWB 102 (which sells for about 50% more). The construction of the gun is rock solid and I have a lot more faith in its durability when compared to the Russian IZH-46 which were recently forsale at closeout prices. The availability of support and spare parts from Don Nygord is also an asset. The mail criticism I have of the gun is its higher than desired cocking force. Pardini also make the K60 which is a CO2 powered version of the K58 that sells for the same price.
Stats:
Caliber: .177
Height: 145mm
Width: 47mm
Length: 395mm
Weight: 1070g (with barrel weight)
Barrel: 230mm long (12 groove, 450mm twist rate)
Sight radius: 325mm

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