Lion Country Supply Champion Blank Pistols

The Lion Country Supply Champion Blank Pistols are our exclusive line of blank pistols, especially designed to be an affordable option for dog training, field trials, and track and field starting. Our Champion Pistols are available in .22, .32, and 209 primer calibers. These pistols are full-sized with wooden grips and full blued alloy metal body. All models of our pistol feature a swing-out cylinder, making loading and unloading quick and easy. For a short overview of the Champion Pistol, see our YouTube video below:

Caliber Options

As stated above, the LCS Champion Blank Pistols come in three different caliber options; .22, .32, and 209 primer. The .22 caliber pistol comes with an 8-round drum and accepts most .22 blank rounds, though we recommend the LCS 22 Crimp Blanks and the CCI .22 Blanks. The .32 caliber pistol has a 5-round drum and, to our knowledge, accepts every type of .32 blanks. When training, we like to use the Fiochhi .32 blanksand when starting or at field trials, we prefer the LCS Black Powder .32 Blanks for the visual report.  The 209 primer Champion pistol comes with an 8-shot drum and accepts all 209 shotgun primers. The 209 primer pistol is a great option due to it using 209 shotgun primers, which are notably cheaper and more readily available when compared to .22 and .32 blanks.

LCS Champion Pistol Compared to Other Pistols

When comparing the LCS Champion Blank Pistol to other pistols, the Champion Pistol comes in as a great mid-level blank pistol. For buyers looking for a cheaper blank pistol for occasional dog training, there is the LCS Precise 880 .22 Start Pistol. If you’re looking for a pistol that will hold up to thousands of rounds and comes with a lifetime guarantee, the Charter Arms Blank pistols are the top of the line pistols available in .22 and 209 calibers.

One disadvantage to our LCS Champion Pistol in comparison to the more expensive brands, like the Charter Arms Blank Pistols, is the lack of a locking cylinder. The cylinder is freewheeling on the Champion Pistols and will only index and lock when the hammer is cocked. Thus, care must be taken that you do not have the cylinder positioned in such a manner that you may strike a spent round when you really need it to fire. To incorporate this feature, we would have had to greatly increase the manufacturing cost, which would in turn result in a higher selling price for our pistol. We determined that the mid-range price option would be more desirable for our customers.

Uses of the Champion Pistols

The LCS Champion Pistols are great for training your dog in all stages of training development. At an early age, the Champion Pistols can be used for gun shyness training. The .22 caliber pistol with the LCS .22 crimp blanks are a great way to introduce gunfire to a dog, due to them being the quietest round available. In our opinion, the LCS .32 Black Powder rounds are the loudest of the blank ammos and should only be used around a dog that is accustomed to gunfire. For more about dog gun shyness, see our blog: Blank Ammo and Starter Pistol Round Up For Dog Trainers.

Our LCS Champion Pistols make great starter pistols for track and field events. Blank pistols can be very pricy for higher end pistols. With our pistols coming in under $100, they are a great option for track and field programs that are working with a small budget. If buying a Champion Blank Pistol for track and field starting, we recommend purchasing the .32 blank pistols because of the wide ranges of available blank rounds for them, plus they currently are the only pistol with blank powder rounds available for them. Blank powder rounds are preferred in track and field because of the smoke report that they give off when fired. Blank Powder rounds are also required at most events.

The Champion Pistols also make great shoot simulators during live bird training and during field trials. After the flush of the bird, fire off a blank round to simulate shotgun fire to provide hunting realism for the dog. During field trials, the firing of the blank pistol is using to mark that the bird was flushed to be scored by the judges. In most field trials, a flushed bird is only counted if the blank pistol is fired off as the bird is flushed.

Accessories for the Champion Pistols

Lion Country Supply carries two different holsters for our Champion Blank Pistols. The LCS Better Leather Pistol Holster is a high-quality holster that fits our starter pistols, as well as some standard revolvers. It is constructed from sturdy cowhide harness leather and brass hardware to stand up to years of use. Our other holster, the Field Trial Pistol Holster, features a snap-off belt holster design that offers convenience of a snap system that allows the holster to be put onto a belt without having to undo the belt. It is a very simple design and is great for hunting dog training and field trials. It is designed for small framed pistols with 2” barrels.

Conclusion

When looking for a great, mid-price range blank pistol the LCS Champion Pistol is a great choice. Being available in .22, .32, and 209 primer calibers, this provides the ability to choose the right caliber for your needs, much unlike some of start pistols that are limited to either .22 and 209 calibers. With its sturdy alloy metal frame and wooden grips, the LCS Champion Starter Pistol is guaranteed to hold up to years of training and if there is ever an issue with your pistol, Lion Country provides a one year warranty and will do our best to work with you to get your pistol working if you’re outside of the one year warranty. 

If you have any questions on the Champion Blank Pistols, please leave us a comment to this blog, give us a call at 1-800-662-5202, send us an email to service@lcsupply.com, or message us on social media!

Thank you for reading.

Michael Cassatt, LCS Director of Marketing