TACTICALSTORE QUICK GUIDE TO AIRGUNS

Spring-powered air weapons

Loaded with muscle power. Break barrel, under tensioner or side tensioner.

+ Always ready to use, the only thing needed is ammunition. The recoil and mechanics of a spring rifle have great value to many.

- The recoil is double-acting and can be a bit difficult to master. Can seem cumbersome to reload between each shot.

CO2 fueled air weapons

Usually loaded with disposable carbon dioxide cartridges, 12g or 88g.

+ Recoilless and easy to shoot, Smooth and fast loading, often with magazine. Carbon dioxide cartridges can be stored and used when it is time to shoot.

- The energy from the carbon dioxide decreases at lower temperatures.

Pneumatic, compressed air-powered air weapons, PCP

The construction is quite similar to carbon-oxygen-powered weapons, but usually dimensioned for a higher pressure.

There are mainly two variants: pump guns that are loaded between each shot and reservoir rifles (commonly called PCP guns -  Pre-Charge Pneumatic) with an air reservoir that holds compressed air for several shots.

Weapons with air tanks are loaded with the help of a special hand-operated pump or from a diving tube. like The pressure varies between approx. 70-300 bar.

+ Recoilless, insensitive to low temperatures, can deliver more energy than carbonic acid.

- Requires access to compressed air alt. pump

"Pump Airguns"

Tex from Crosman are also air-powered weapons. However, these must be pumped before each shot and the pump is built into the weapon. The pump weapons can be of the Single-pump or Multi-pump type. The difference is that the Multipump can be pumped several times for increased output speed.

+ Recoilless, insensitive to low temperatures, little muscle power required

- Pumping several times before the shot allows time to pass between shots.

Which caliber  to choose?

4.5mm (.177), 5.5mm (.22) or 6.35mm (.25)

4.5mm (.177) is the most common caliber. Small balls and light weight give high speed of the balls. With 10 Joules of impact energy, this caliber has a straight trajectory that is easy to shoot. However, a light bullet is more sensitive to wind. In license execution, this caliber can pass supersonic speeds, which often has a negative impact on precision.

5.5mm (.22) is an "intermediate caliber" that is also very popular. The balls are larger and heavier, which lowers the exit velocity but makes the balls less sensitive to wind. The caliber is the smallest permitted for protective hunting.

6.35mm (.25) is a large caliber for airguns. In the license-free version, the exit velocity is low and the ball sinks quickly. However, many believe that this is outweighed by the fact that the large bullets mark hits well and leave large holes in the target.

Round balls 4.5mm (.177) Under the category caliber 4.5mm there are also round balls called BB's (whose actual diameter is approx. 4.42mm). These are usually made of steel and have a low price per shot. Guns that use round bullets often have large magazines, fire fast and are fun to use. A round ball does not rotate in the same way as a cylindrical diabolo ball. Therefore, a diabolo ball has a more stable ball trajectory and generally better precision. Be aware of ricochets with round balls. Always wear safety glasses.

Ammunition brief