What’s The Best 1911 BB Pistol in 2022?

In this review, we’ll look at a range of M1911 blowback airguns. What’s the best 1911 BB pistol in 2022? Let’s see…

Firstly, it’s fair to say that there’s more than a dozen M1911 blowback BB pistols on the market in 2022. We’re looking closely at four of them. Why these ones? Because we are intimately familiar with these particular models.

Three have received full Hard Air Magazine test reviews and earned HAM Awards. The remaining model – the Springfield Armory 1911 Mil-Spec – has not been formally reviewed by HAM, but informal testing indicates that it’s a solid choice too.

So all of these M1911s are recommended by HAM. They all give a strong blowback effect when fired and all have fully-functional controls. All of them also field-strip just like a centerfire M1911. All of them are ideal for firearms training and plinking.

What we can say is that all four models are beautiful replicas of the M1911 handgun. In fact, they’re so realistic that you need to be very careful about how and where you display these guns. Treat them exactly as you would the firearm originals!

The models in this review are as follows:

Yes there’s slight differences in weight, magazine capacity and claimed FPS. But they’re not significant. Each gun has sufficient power to punch holes in paper or shred feral soda cans at short range. That’s what they’re intended to do.

All of these M1911 BB pistols are powered by one 12 Gram CO2 cartridge that’s located in the drop-free magazine. In every case, the CO2 cartridge is locked in place and pierced using a large setscrew that’s tightened using an Allen (hex) wrench.

Our photograph below shows the magazine from the SIG 1911 We The People model. This gun is supplied with a “distressed” finish that’s even applied to the magazine, as you can see.

BBs are loaded into the front of this magazine. All except the Colt Commander offer the capability of locking the BB follower back into position for loading. This is a great idea as it saves a lot of wear on finger and thumb nails holding back the BB follower.

So when it comes to answering our question: “what’s the best 1911 BB pistol in 2022?”, your choice will likely be made on small features, or even just the appearance of the individual model. But – at this price – you can probably afford to buy more than one, if it’s difficult to decide 🙂

One thing’s for sure, each of these BB guns costs many hundreds of Dollars less than the centerfire versions of the same model!

So let’s consider these guns in alphabetical order…

1. Colt Commander

The all-black, “tactical-look” Commander is the only one with a lanyard loop on the buttstock. Like all the other guns it has a functioning grip safety, together with fixed open sights that look adjustable, but actually are not. It’s a HAM Gold Award winner.

On test, the HAM Team obtained about 64 good shots from one 12 Gram CO2 cartridge.

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Colt Commander CO2 BB Pistol

2. SIG 1911 Emperor Scorpion

Another HAM Gold Award winner, this contender for the best 1911 BB pistol of 2022 is the only one with a Picatinny rail on the underside of the gun. This provides the opportunity to mount a laser or flashlight on the gun. If this is what you need, then this is the model for you.

Like all the other guns shown here, the Emperor Scorpion can be field-stripped just like the firearm original. In testing, we saw 60 shots from one 12 Gram CO2 cartridge.

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SIG Sauer 1911 Emperor Scorpion CO2 BB Pistol 0.177

3. SIG 1911 We The People

If you’re looking for an unique, edgy “take” on the 1911, this is the model for you! The “We The People” is a HAM Silver Award winner. It dropped back a point or two as we saw just 55 shots from one CO2 cartridge, but is still a great BB gun!

For looks alone, this may be the best 1911 BB pistol of 2022 for you.

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SIG SAUER 1911 We The People BB Gun

4. Springfield Armory 1911 Mil-Spec

If you’re looking for a vanilla mil-spec 1911, this model from Springfield Armory could be the one for you. Although HAM has not yet made a formal test review of this gun, informal testing shows that it’s fun to use, has great blowback and is a ton of fun to shoot.

As with the other three guns discussed here, the slide retracts right back, enabling a very realistic appearance. This is an advance over older designs of 1911 BB pistols, some of which had limited blowback or no blowback at all.

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Springfield Armory 1911 Mil-Spec. CO2 .177 BB Gun 0.177

Summary

With all the BB pistols reviewed here, there are slight differences of FPS, shot count and blowback strength. This is due to different choices made by the designers of each model.

Remember there’s only a certain amount of CO2 in a 12 Gram cartridge. This can be used to achieve more shots, a higher FPS, or a stronger blowback effect. The designer strives for the best balance of these features in each case.

Sure, everyone would love the highest FPS, combined with the greatest shot count and the strongest blowback. But it’s simply not possible. For more explanation, check out this detailed HAM analysis.

So what’s the best 1911 BB pistol in 2022? All of these four models fit the bill, it just depends on the style you prefer!

SAFETY FIRST. With all BB-firing airguns, it’s mandatory to wear shooting glasses at all times, even if just watching. Also do not shoot at hard surfaces or water. BBs tend to bounce off these surfaces and may hit you, or something other than what you intended. If in doubt, don’t pull the trigger! Pellets generally do not bounce back in the same way and are the correct choice for hard targets. Due to the realistic appearance of these products, handle them as you would a firearm. Do not display in public or in any place where they could be mistaken for cartridge firearms.