BSA Beesa 45 CO2 4.5mm (.177) Pellet Air Pistol

The BSA Beesa 45 is a slightly unusual little CO2 pellet pistol, and frankly, that's part of the appeal.
Also known as the GAMO PT-80, the Beesa 45 is manufactured in Spain and comes from the GAMO side of the BSA/GAMO family. With the two companies sharing plenty of catalogue space and components, it was perhaps only a matter of time before something like this appeared with a BSA badge on it.
 
Then there's the name. Beesa 45.
 
We suspect someone at BSA was having a bit of a laugh. BSA is, of course, pronounced by saying the individual letters, but "Beesa" is an extremely common pronunciation. So what better name for a 4.5 mm pistol?
 
The 45 is actually the less mysterious part. It refers to the 4.5 mm calibre, with this pistol being designed specifically for .177 lead pellets rather than steel BBs.
 
And yes, it does look suspiciously like a Beretta Model 84. BSA/GAMO might prefer not to draw attention to that particular fact, but we'll leave the comparison there and let the pictures do the talking.
 
A Different CO2 Pistol
The Beesa 45 is not a conventional blowback CO2 replica. The black upper section operates in a rather unusual way, lifting open like the action of a break-barrel air rifle to expose the rotary pellet magazine positioned at the breech.
 
An 8-shot rotary magazine sits at the rear of the rifled barrel, with the double-action trigger cycling the magazine as you shoot. There is no blowback action, which helps keep the system relatively simple and makes good use of the available CO2.
 
One 12 g CO2 capsule should comfortably get you through three 8-shot magazines, although actual shot count will vary with temperature, pellet choice and how quickly you shoot. As with most CO2 guns, rapid shooting will cool the capsule and can reduce performance.
 
The pistol weighs just 470 g, making it particularly easy to handle. Combined with the relatively compact design, this makes the Beesa 45 a good option for teenage shooters and general back-garden plinking, where a lighter pistol can be more manageable.
 
The trigger is double action and has a measured pull of around 3.7 kg. That's reasonably manageable for a teenager, although we'd consider it rather heavy for younger children.
 
Pellet Doesn't Automatically Mean More Accurate
There's an important misconception worth clearing up here. Just because this is a pellet pistol rather than a BB pistol does not automatically make it more accurate.
 
Pellet pistols can have advantages, particularly when using a rifled barrel and appropriate ammunition, but accuracy is still determined by the pellet, its weight and shape, the consistency of the gas system, the barrel and, ultimately, the person pulling the trigger.
 
The Beesa 45 is best viewed as a fun, affordable back-garden pellet plinker, rather than a precision target pistol.
 
The reason to choose the pellet version over a BB replica is not simply "pellet = accurate". Lead pellets generally offer a different terminal and ricochet profile to steel BBs, making them a sensible choice for suitable controlled back-garden shooting where the correct pellet trap and safety precautions are used.
 
For this pistol, we recommend domed pellets. Pointed and flat-head pellets can be more prone to causing issues with rotary magazine systems, whereas a conventional domed pellet tends to feed more reliably.
 
An Unusual Design
The olive-coloured polymer frame gives the Beesa 45 a look that is not exactly common in the airgun world. Most replica pistols tend to stick to black, grey or some variation of "military enough".
The Beesa decided olive was the way forward.
 
The polymer construction also keeps the weight down and helps explain the relatively budget-friendly price. This isn't a premium metal replica and shouldn't be bought expecting one. It is a straightforward, lightweight CO2 pistol designed to be fun.
 
There are also some signs of its budget construction that are worth mentioning. Marks around the CO2 screw area are present on all of the guns we've inspected and appear to be normal for this model, rather than individual damage.
 
The CO2 capsule cavity is also quite large. Depending on the particular capsule being used, some shorter CO2 capsules may not seat deeply enough to achieve a perfect seal. If you're experiencing a leak or poor seal, the capsule seating is worth checking first.
 
What's Included
BSA Beesa 45 CO2 Pellet Air Pistol
Budget hard case
3 × 8-shot plastic rotary magazines
 
Key Features
Unusual and distinctive CO2 pellet pistol
Also known as the GAMO PT-80
Manufactured in Spain
.177 / 4.5 mm lead pellet calibre
8-shot rotary magazine system
Double-action trigger
Rifled barrel
Non-blowback operation
Lightweight 470 g polymer construction
Olive-coloured frame
Adjustable rear sight for windage
Manual safety
Uses standard 12 g CO2 capsules
Three rotary magazines included
Budget hard case included
Recommended for recreational and back-garden plinking
 
Specifications
Model: BSA Beesa 45
Alternative Model: GAMO PT-80
Calibre: .177 / 4.5 mm Pellet
Ammunition: Lead Pellets Only
Power Source: 12 g CO2
Magazine Capacity: 8 Shots
Magazines Included: 3
Action: Non-Blowback
Trigger: Double Action
Barrel: Rifled
Construction: Polymer
Safety: Manual Switch Safety
Sights: Fixed Front / Windage-Adjustable Rear
Weight: 470 g
CO2 Capacity: Approx. 3 Magazines per Capsule, depending on temperature and shooting rate
 
A Few Things Worth Knowing
This is a budget-friendly fun gun, and that's exactly how we'd recommend approaching it.
It has a polymer construction, an unusual operating system and some quirks that come with the design. The marks around the CO2 screw area appear to be normal across the guns we've inspected, and the large CO2 capsule cavity means that some shorter capsules may struggle to form a complete seal.
 
For the rotary magazine system, domed pellets are recommended. Avoid pointed or flat-head pellets where possible, as they can be less suitable for this style of rotary magazine.
 
And don't buy it because somebody told you that "pellet means accurate". Buy it because you want something a bit different, lightweight, inexpensive to run and genuinely fun to shoot.
 
The BSA Beesa 45 is exactly that.