C11 Semi-Auto CO2 Air Pistol (BB)

I picked up this CO2 pistol this afternoon at a local Meijer. Recently the laws on pneumatic guns in Michigan have been changed. This is a nice little target shooter, and has a nice feel. It took some learning to see how to load the gas cartridge and the magazine, but I managed to figure out most of it without having to re-consult the manual. I would prefer larger print in the instructions. My eyes are not as good as they used to be when I was young. The C11 was fairly loud for an airgun, though pistols tend to be louder because of the higher pressure when the projectile leaves the barrel. I started at a distance of about ten yards or so and managed to keep the shots on the cardboard box, if not the target. I have never done any real pistol shooting, and bought this gun in order to learn, as well as begin a new hobby. The C11 is very exciting to shoot, especially with the high rate of fire. My main problem was learning to reload the magazine effectively. I had problems initially with BBs falling out of the end of the mag and preventing a solid seating of the magazine in the gun. In fact, the first time I shot the gun, the mag partially ejected. A bit of practice solved this problem. This evening I had a thought, and it has proven to be effective. I used a simple soda straw, the kind that bend, and scooped up a load of BBs. The plastic straw loads the magazine quickly and extremely accurately, and is basically free. I ended up shooting about 120 rounds, with one misfire, which cleared itself upon the next trigger pull. The CO2 cartridge still seems to have plenty of charge. The three stars in accuracy is mostly my own fault, as I tend to pull the pistol to the right when pulling the trigger. With practice I am sure this will improve, as with anything. Be sure to wear eye protection, as steel shot like a BB will bounce like a Superball from anything hard it hits, and flick on the safety when you are done pulling the trigger.