18-Shot Classic-Style Revolver: Meet Daisy’s Red Ryder Pistol

Except for the weight, it feels like the real deal. Quiet, backyard-safe, and excellent for anytime handgun practice, Daisy’s Red Ryder Pistol is “adult-approved”…and the young ’uns will like it, too!

by Rob Reaser

Last week, we ran an article by Shoot ON contributor Paul Markel titled Guns of Our Fathers. In it, Paul discussed how he, like so many of us, cut his teeth shooting a Daisy BB gun. In his case, he wielded the “blued-steel beauty” at his grandparents’ cabins in Michigan’s “up north” country.

That article brought back memories for me as well.

My first gun was a hand-me-down Daisy Model 25 pump-action BB rifle that my dad had when he was a kid. Like Dad, I roamed the pastures and hollows behind my grandparents’ house during the summer months, Model 25 in hand, shooting at whatever grabbed my fancy.

BB guns are certainly the domain of youth. They are our first guns. With them, we learned how to shoot, developed lifelong skills, and set out on high adventures. But the fun of air guns has never diminished — we just forgot how to have fun with them.

Shiny copper BBs long ago gave way to copper-jacketed projectiles that fly 2,000 fps faster and with more serious terminal performance. The brand of our youth, though, has carried on the tradition that too many of us have left in the past.

Being a fan of Colt’s SSA revolver, I thought it might be fun to spend some time with Daisy’s version of this American classic. I didn’t really know what to expect when I put in my order for the company’s Red Ryder Pistol.

I wasn’t disappointed.

18 Shot Classic Style Revolver: Meet Daisy’s Red Ryder Pistol — The author’s first Daisy Model 52 BB gun, which his father got as a birthday gift when he was a kid and passed down, and the current Daisy Red Ryder Pistol.

The first thing I thought when I opened the box was how cool it would have been to have had this gun as a companion piece to Dad’s Model 52 pump rifle I used when I was a kid. Aside from the patina of surface rust and the expected dings, that old rifle — purchased new in 1958 — goes with the Red Ryder’s old-school Colt SAA styling like squirrels and gravy.

The Red Ryder Pistol boasts the classic plow handle grip Colt made famous. In my opinion, no better pistol grip exists. It is comfortable to hold, delivers expert balance in the hand, and helps make the gun a natural extension of your arm. Note the traditional-style spurred single-action hammer but don’t get too excited about the cylinder. It looks great but is part of the pistol frame’s façade. Ditto for the base pin and screw.

The Red Ryder Pistol is powered by a conventional CO₂ cartridge. Remove the right-side grip panel and insert the cartridge into the frame. Use a 15/64 hex bit or Allen wrench to tighten the piercing nut at the bottom of the grip and puncture the cylinder, then replace the grip panel to complete the charging process.

The safety is located on the right side of the frame (a faux loading gate). Push the safety all the way in to place the gun in safe mode. Pulling the slide out until the red dot is visible puts the gun in “fire mode. When you’re ready to shoot, pull the hammer back to cock the pistol and pull the trigger to fire. Clean and simple.

Sighting comes via the traditional top strap rear sight groove and a front blade sight. I found the sight picture to be crisp enough for precise aiming.

The Red Ryder Pistol has a smooth-bore 5.1-inch barrel sized for standard .177-caliber BBs. The “ejector rod” housing serves as the BB reservoir. Load the gun by pushing the follower tab forward and allow it to lock open and inserting the BBs into the loading hole. The gun holds up to 18 BBs, so one loading gives you plenty of shots.

Speaking of shots…how does the Red Ryder Pistol fare when it’s time to make holes in targets?

Pretty darn well, actually.

To test the gun’s accuracy, I loaded 18 rounds of BBs and set up an official NRA 5-Meter BB gun target off my shop deck. The first shot string revealed that the pistol was shooting about an inch and a half low with a center-mass hold. I reloaded again, taking a supported position, and fired all 18 rounds in succession at a fresh target with an adjusted aim point.

At five meters, I managed to put 18 BBs in a 1.398-inch group. While I’m not sure what the 5-meter standard is for a BB pistol, I’d say that was pretty darn good.

Later, I shot some tin cans at 10-15 yards, pinging them with monotonous regularity. Overall, I’d reckon the Daisy Red Ryder Pistol to be pretty darn accurate — especially for a smooth-bore, 5.1-inch barrel.

Put it this way…barnyard mice ought to be a tad nervous when this Red Ryder shows up.

I may end up filing down the front sight a bit to get the point-of-impact zeroed at five meters. On the other hand, elevation is perfect at 12-15 yards, so perhaps I’ll leave well enough alone.

One thing that did surprise me about his gun is that it’s got some juice behind those BBs. Daisy rates the Red Ryder Pistol at 420 fps. The BBs will tear through a soda can, and they nearly punched through some scrap aluminum gutter end caps I was shooting at (much thicker than a soda can).

This is no indoor-range BB gun. All gun safety precautions apply.

Whatever the case, with an MSRP of only $49.90, this purchase is a no-brainer. Whether you are buying it for yourself for a little backyard plinking fun or as a gift to get a younger family member or a neighbor kid started off in the shooting sports, the Red Ryder Pistol is a solid purchase.

Daisy Red Ryder Pistol Specifications