Benelli Kite or Pardini K2? Opinions?

[tenex]

Hi Everyone,
I'm in the market for a 10 meter pistol, and I've narrowed it down to the Benelli Kite or the Pardini K2, and I need a little help. I'm new to air pistol shooting, and these looked to be in the right ballpark for me. I have a Pardini SP, so I like the K2 (I like the SP geometry, my grip may even fit). The kite looks nice as well, but I've never seen one, so I have no idea what any of the issues are. Can anyone shed some light on these two pistols, ease of operation or otherwise?

I'm really not interested in an electronic trigger, just a straight forward PCP pistol that doesn't cost an arm and a leg (I'm trying to keep this just under a leg).

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Steve.

[CraigE]

Sent you some information in PM. CraigE

[Guest]

I've had my Pardini K2 for a few years and love it! I have also had a Steyr LP1 (CA not CO2), but prefer the Pardini. I too have an SP and find the similarities a real asset. I fitted an old SP grip to my K2. I needed to cut off a little lip that was touching the rear sight. Otherwise, it was a drop in fit. The K2 is a proven performer. In my opinion it is the sleeper of the high end competitive APs. Reliable, accurate, great trigger, ergonomics consistent with the entire Pardini line.

[789]

The Benelli Kite vs the Pardini K2? Are you kidding?
This is simply not fair to the K2.

[J.Hoes]

I have been shooting a K2 Air for two years now, fired some 5000+ shots. No regrets. I have no experience with Benelli. Some observations & experiences
1. Main reason for buying the Pardini was the fact that my gun dealer stocks parts and LH grips. (I am a lefty).
2. Shot from a vice with RWS R10 and H&N Finale match the gun produced groups sized CTC 2.5 mm; one hole covering the centre-10 ring.
3. The trigger can be adjusted in hight, vertical angle.and offset. These adjusting thingies are a bit flimsy and easy to break.
4. The hight/ angle thingy was rather tight and I broke it. On a lathe it was an easy turning/ threading job to make a new one. On their website Pardini offers these parts as a set as “new trigger” (accessories)
5. My gun is a slow starter. After a day’s rest the first 3 shots are fired with a lower pressure, and lower point of impact. The gun is constantly pressurized., the manual is silent about this point.
6. The front sight is mounted on the compensator. The set screw position is not positively marked on the barrel i.e. by a dimple. Should the comp be taken off, then the flat underside can be used as a reference plane in some kind of jig. (flat table top, two blocks of wood/metal, shims and a try-square)
7. Shot capacity is about 200+ shots when filled to 200 bar. The cylinder can handle up to 250 bar.
8. The pellet is loaded into a tray; upon closing the bolt pushes the pellet into the chamber; barrel and “boltholder” (receiver?) is one and the same tube.
9. The filling adapter does not positively open the filling valve in the cylinder; this is done by pressure difference over the valve. Opening the relieve valve on the pump does not result in an empty cylinder, as is the case with my Steyr LP5.
10. If the cylinder needs to be deflated, a special tool is needed. On the lathe I turned a piece of brass to a pin, that can be inserted into the hollow pin in the adapter. The modified adapter pushes the valve open.
11. The grip is not adjustable on the gun’s frame.

Hope you can use this.
Greetings Hans.

[JoeG]

I recently added a Benelli Kite to my group of match pistols. I am quite pleased with it in all aspects. Trigger is excellent and easily adjustable. Balance is good and the pistol is fairly light (a plus or a minus depending on your preference), I have not checked thoroughly into whether there are specific weights available for it. The Nils grips are superb, I find them more to my liking than the Morini grips I have on several other air pistols. In my opinion it also qualifies as an excellent value. It does come with only one cylinder but that is not really a problem. I have already shot some excellent targets with it and would give it a hearty recommendation. Of course if you could only get to play a bit with both I am sure you would find it a lot easier to choose between these two excellent match pistols. My buddy Craig very much liked his Pardini K2S which he only recently replaced as his main shooter with the new FWB P44. Good luck and enjoy, Joe G.

[David Levene]

Balance is good and the pistol is fairly light (a plus or a minus depending on your preference), I have not checked thoroughly into whether there are specific weights available for it.

Not only are weights available but, from memory, there are also 4 different length cylinders.

That should even the keenest "fiddler" enough choice of overall weight/balance. ;-)

[789]

Well, I have fired two Benni Kites. A very big gun. One war relatively new, and was, say, relatively ok. Trigger not perfect, not directly bad either.
The other was about two years old, fired quite some. Trigger inconsistent, and "sluggish". Owner very willing to trade it off for a used Steyr.
No, I just did not feel comfortable with the Kite.

[JoeG]

Sorry you did not like the Kite trigger on the two you sampled. Mine is second hand with probably about a year's time with the original owner. I was not overly impressed with the trigger as it was adjusted by him. A wee bit of adjusting to suit my preference made all the difference. Of my match air pistols the triggers on my Steyr LP-1, SAM K11 and Morini 162e electronic are my favorites. I find the Kite as adjusted is definitely in the same league and preferable to my Feinwerkbaus. I generally adjust the triggers to have a fairly short first stage with a good percentage of the weight taken up there and then a fairly smooth rollover into and through the second stage. As a rule I do tend to twiddle and tweak the triggers on all my match pistols to find what combo seems to work best for me. It also adds to the fun in my opinion. Best regards, Joe G.

[JoeG]

Without doing any detailed measurements I would not consider the Kite to be any "bigger" than most modern match pistols, ie, Steyr, Morini, Pardini, FWB, Walther, Hammerli. These and it would be bigger than some of the CO2 match pistols of the not too distant pass and some of the more unique ssp guns like the FAS, Air Match and Pardini P10. Joe G.

[789]

The two guns I fired had a HUGE cylinder. Postulated to hold enough air to fire quite a lot of shots, several hundreds (!)?) Many more than any other AP I have tested.

[David Levene]

The two guns I fired had a HUGE cylinder. Postulated to hold enough air to fire quite a lot of shots, several hundreds (!)?) Many more than any other AP I have tested.

As I said in an earlier post, there are 4 different cylinder sizes for the Kite.

[joe1347]

Is there a reasonable consensus as to which pistol (the Benelli Kite or Pardini K2) is better? The advertised prices (~$1000) are about the same (in the USA) - and both pistols seem to have fans. But it's unclear if either pistol is actually superior (to the other).

Of course, the answer (to my question) is to find that illusive used Steyr LP10 for $1000 instead. Too bad the German egun site isn't viable for USA residents egun

[hspepke]

My Benelli Kite was also a year old when I purchased it but, in every way, is as new. From what he has said to me, and in this forum, the former owner probably put 7,000+ pellets through the pistol, but it would be impossible to tell that from the way it performs

The fit and finish of this Benelli, like other Benelli guns I have owned, is everything one could desire in a world class pistol, and it is, IMHO, worth twice the price. I particularly like the complete adjustability of the trigger, and that the guard fits my forward, "finger-tip" let-off style, unlike the LP-10, which I have also shot. I also like the easy dry-fire selector on the side of the gun, the crisp, no-creep trigger response, and, of course the Kite's incredible accuracy.

The loading gate is ambi-dexterous, and it's easier for me to drop a pellet into the trough than to insert one into the receiver, as I had to do with the LP-10 or the Izzy.

After buying my Kite, I bought another cylinder in blue, and it was also less than half the price other manufacturers are demanding. There are pockets for two spare cylinders, tools, and a hidden pull-down area for targets and your range mat in the lovely, fitted, ultra-modern locking hard case.

I will be happily shooting this Kite for many years to come, God willing.

Steve

[Fred Mannis]

Of course, the answer (to my question) is to find that illusive used Steyr LP10 for $1000 instead.

No such animal. But something close on the for sale section. Better act quickly!

[hspepke]

From the pictures, it looks as though the trigger on the Pardini has no adjustment for length, or angle.

I think there are only two sizes of cylinder for the Benelli... the short 7 3/8" one for the Kite Young, and the standard 9 1/2" full length. One other thing, the Benelli cylinders have a manometer on the end. From the photos I've seen, the Pardini doesn't.. is this true?

[Richard H]

If you read above David Levene said there are FOUR different cylinders for the Kite.

[David Levene]

If you read above David Levene said there are FOUR different cylinders for the Kite.

You will see them on the accessories tab of the Benelli Kite page.

[Lanning R. Hochhauser]

I like my K2 but would like to be able to move the trigger further to the rear than the present mechanism allows.

Does anyone know of an after-market trigger or fix to get the trigger further to the rear.

I have small hands, and have modified the grip until it is almost paper thin in appropriate areas and I still don't get quite enough reach.
Lanning Hochhauser

[Fred Mannis]

I like my K2 but would like to be able to move the trigger further to the rear than the present mechanism allows.

Does anyone know of an after-market trigger or fix to get the trigger further to the rear.

I have small hands, and have modified the grip until it is almost paper thin in appropriate areas and I still don't get quite enough reach.
Lanning Hochhauser

Time for a new pistol :-)