Airgun - pellets review
Shotgun test - destruction without permission
When considering the purchase of a replica gun, we are most often faced with a dilemma: air rifles or an AirSoftGun? Currently, both categories provide a similar level of reproduction of the original. At the same time, airsoft guns still offer something that ASG replicas can't, due to their purpose. That something is the destruction of improvised targets with metal bullets and the excitement associated with it.
Most of us once experienced the peculiar joy of destruction, and it is not even necessary here to refer to childhood memories. This can be well seen in popular 18+ computer games and how we evaluate the "physics" designed in them. What would be even a super playable and full of beautiful 3D details "shooter" if the bullets of our weapons, in addition to hitting enemies, did not pierce boards or metal sheets, did not leave holes in walls, did not break glass and bottles, did not raise dust on impact, etc.? Undoubtedly, something would be missing, and unfortunately, in a sense, this is exactly the situation we face when deciding on an ASG replica.
Although it is a pneumatic device that operates on a similar and sometimes even identical principle to a modern air rifle and in Poland is limited by the same energy limit of <17J, manufacturers consciously limit the power of their replicas much more than the law dictates. The primary purpose of ASG replicas is to have fun/game in a group of friends - similar to Paintball, although balls that leave colorful marks are rarely used. The fired bullet is supposed to hit accurately from a certain distance, and the opponent must feel that he has been hit, but at the same time, after all, we do not want anyone to get hurt. Hence the relatively low energy of the projectiles thrown by AirSoftGuns, which is a product of the velocity given to them and their form - most often they are 6mm, lightweight balls made of plastic or biodegradable materials. Rarely does the energy exceed 3J of the "available without a permit" 17J, above which we are already talking about air weapons that need to be registered.
Of course, also with an ASG replica we can play individually and shoot not only at the target, but the results of our firing in many cases will not be impressive. A hole in an aluminum beverage can? Sure but only from a not-too-large distance. The same can through and through? Already more difficult. A steel jar cap? Here we can expect at most dents, as in the photo above. The case is different for windcheaters. By design, they are not intended for safe "war games," so manufacturers can put as much "power" into them as the budget, technology and the law will allow.
Then there is the issue of bullets. Wind ammunition is dominated by steel, lead and copper, so these are bullets and heavier and harder than the vast majority of 6mm ASG bullets. What's more, modern shotgun shell manufacturers offer us many interesting bullets with a form other than spherical. Among them, we will also find those whose design is intended to provide just above-average penetrability or stronger energy output on the target's surface, or even both effects at the same time. Undoubtedly, this is inspired by the bullets of modern firearms. Such shotgun shells not infrequently consist of two elements made of materials with different properties, e.g. lead and steel, or copper and polymer, or possibly made entirely of copper alloys, which also has its advantages.
One of the simplest yet very effective solutions is to place a copper-plated steel ball in the leading recess of a lead diabolo pellets. The steel ball deforms very little even after passing through the steel plate, so it is a great penetrator. The soft lead body provides enough mass, and by flattening out behind the ball on impact, it prevents it from ricocheting off the target. Another option is to place the metal penetrator in a polymer guide element. As in the case of sub-caliber anti-tank missiles, the idea here is to provide very high velocity at a relatively short distance and, at the same time, high hardness of the destructive element. And it does indeed work. For example, for the Lethal shotgun shell with a long copper core in a plastic jacket, the manufacturer claims a penetrability of 1.5 mm of steel plate. We tested this shotgun shell and also similarly constructed Crosman Powershot bullets. A 5 mm plexiglass plate, 4 mm pine plywood and even a pot of steel sheet - we managed to pierce each of these targets through.
So photographs documenting the effects of our firing can be found in the GALLERY, here we will just mention how else you can have fun. Shooting at beer cans is very impressive, especially if we shake them beforehand. When hit, a real fountain erupts from the hole. Using a powerful air gun, such a hit and piercing a full can is possible from a distance of even more than 50 meters, which will certainly make the fun more interesting. It will also be a lot of fun to break eggs. Such a target is not a problem for ASG either, but a shotgun shot from a powerful air rifle with a properly shaped forehead will provide a much bigger pressure spike on hit, and thus a bigger splash. Of course, we're talking about cheap, expired beer and the same eggs or fruit, destroying drinkable food would be a senseless waste.
Finally, a few words about health and safety. Before proceeding with destructive play, make sure that there are no bystanders or animals in the space behind and to the sides of the target. It is best to do it in such places where the risk of unpredictable appearance of cyclists, passers-by, children, dogs or cats is reduced to a minimum. Keep in mind that we are talking about shotguns capable of piercing a steel sheet or a fairly thick plastic plate. We also recommend wearing goggles to protect our eyes from ricochets, which is especially important if we shoot from short distances.
And finally, a fervent appeal: let's clean up after ourselves! Let's also avoid shooting at glass - it's best to give it up altogether! Glass does not decompose, so its sharp shards will be dangerous to people and animals for decades after our few minutes of fun. And if we can't help ourselves and take aim at glass bottles, let's try to pick everything up carefully afterwards.
GALLERY
Thin, fragile plastic such as CDs are easy targets even for an ASG replica.
An aluminum beverage can is already a slightly more difficult target. An ASG replica can shoot it, but some of the hits, especially from guns, will only result in dents.
In the case of a rifle-wind gun, shooting a can is not a problem at all. We will easily accomplish this even from several tens of meters, and in most cases it will be an exit shot.
The Lethal shotgun consists of a polymer jacket and a copper core, which acts as a penetrator. Upon impact, the jacket is most often destroyed or detaches from the core, while the core itself effortlessly penetrates relatively difficult targets such as plexiglass.
Lethal shot vs several-millimeter plate of hard, layered plastic. Visible minimally deformed copper core. Next to it, for comparison, the remains of a classic monolithic lead shot. The only effect it caused was cracks around the hit points.
Pounded into the plywood are Lethal and Red Fire shotgun shells. Despite appearances, this is a difficult target. The plywood is resilient and contains quite a lot of hard glue. In the case of Lethal shot, full penetration is achieved with the core itself, the polymer jacket falls off or gets stuck in the hole.
Crosman Powershot shot vs the bottom of a steel pot. You can see full penetrations and deep dents with cracks. With a classic diabolo shot, we will only achieve shallow indentations.
Standard drywall is no obstacle for a windgun - even if it is a revolver or pistol with a relatively short barrel. In the case of pistols and revolvers, 4.5 mm steel balls work particularly well. Due to their hardness, they provide good penetrability despite the lower discharge velocity achieved from small arms replicas.
Plasterboard is a target that we can also destroy with an ASG. Here, however, we need to fire many shots with good focus in order to "carve" a larger hole through after a long time. Single hits will only cause dents and, at best, puncture the top cardboard layer.
Old phone vs 6mm ASG bullet. Do not expect damage greater than puncturing the front glass covering the screen.
The same phone vs Crosman Powershot shot. The polymer jacket will get stuck in the hole, while the core will penetrate deeply and we can even count on full penetration.
Steel jar caps are an easy target for a wind gun. Even with a shotgun shell made entirely of lead we will get full penetration, although some of the shotgun shells will be jagged. Hard-core shotgun shells and 4.5mm steel balls will give us punctures that are more regular.
The same steel jar caps fired with an ASG. Shallow dents are all we can expect.
