Which long air gun to choose? - types of air rifles
How to choose the right air rifle? Before you start searching the store's assortment in search of the best air rifle for you, consider at what and from what distance you want to shoot. You can shoot recreationally at cans, bottles, shooting targets and other targets, or professionally - sport shooting, at very long distances of up to several tens of meters. It's best to get familiar with the specifics of a particular piece of equipment beforehand, to know whether you are comfortable with, for example, pulling the spring every time, high recoil, or whether you prefer recoil-free shooting with CO2 drive or PCP air rifles.
Do you care about the power and range of your air rifle, even at the expense of increasing its recoil and decreasing the precision of shooting? Is it important to you to shoot several pellets directly after each other?
Types of air rifles - which model to choose?
Air rifles come in different varieties. They differ in many parameters, which are extensively described in the following text. If you have already answered the questions posed earlier, the analysis of parameters will allow you to choose the best type and model. In the assortment of our store, you will find only air rifles with less than 17J. These are those that can be purchased without a permit for an air rifle.
Spring air rifle
The construction of a spring air rifle is based, as the name suggests, on a spring, which must be cocked in order to fire a shot. Pressing the trigger releases the spring, which causes a rapid movement of the piston placed in the cylinder, as a result of which the generated pressure pushes the pellet out of the barrel. The advantage of such a propulsion system is the low cost of operation (air rifles do not require gases to fire a shot) - you do not need to buy CO2 cartridges which are necessary in other types of air rifles here.
A disadvantage of spring air rifles for some shooters is the recoil they feel when fired, which with more powerful air rifles - with pellet initial velocity of more than 260 m/s - it can make it difficult to fire an extremely accurate shot. For many, however, this characteristic is an advantage, as it magnifies the realism of shooting. Which will be the best spring air rifle? Spring air rifles can be divided according to the method of cocking used.
Classic break barrel air rifle
Classic break barrel action is the most popular way of cocking and by far the easiest to use. In this case, the spring is cocked by "breaking" the barrel of the air rifle. The barrel remains in the broken position after cocking, so you have very easy access to the place where you place the pellet - that is, in this case, the barrel inlet. After placing the pellet in the barrel, you close it and can already fire the shot. The biggest advantage of the construction of a break barrel air rifle is the great simplicity of operation, and for this reason, classically break barrel air rifles are recommended especially to beginner shooters.
Air rifle with underlever and sidelever
In this type of air rifles, the cocking is made by a special lever located under the barrel - underlever - or on the side of the handguard - sidelever. In these air rifles, using the cocking lever causes the opening of a special chamber in which the pellet is placed.
Such air rifles, thanks to their fixed barrel, are characterized by better durability and stay accurate longer than classic break barrel air rifles. Therefore, if you intend to shoot your air rifle often and for a long time, this type of air rifle will be a good choice.
The big advantage of a sidelever air rifle is that it is easy to reload and cock especially when lying down. It is also worth noting that this type of air rifle is a little more difficult to operate. Building an underlever or sidelever air rifle requires a different way of loading pellets. The not-so-large size of the pellet chamber makes it a bit more difficult to place the pellet in the barrel, which takes a few seconds more than in break barrel air rifles.
CO2 air rifle
CO2-powered air rifles are models with a so-called gas propulsion system - powered by a disposable cartridge containing compressed carbon dioxide (CO2). One cartridge is sufficient for about 50-70 shots, depending on the model of the air rifle. Such a propulsion system is very advantageous, as the shooter is relieved of recoil when firing, which is a certain impediment to accurate shooting with spring air rifles, and from the need to cock the spring each time.
If such an air rifle has the ability to mount a magazine for multiple pellets - you can shoot it without reloading - by pressing the trigger again and again until the magazine is exhausted.
The construction of CO2 air rifles makes them lighter than spring ones. They are mainly made of lightweight composites and even durable plastics, which perfectly pass the test of durability precisely in recoilless air rifles. The use of CO2 capsules, however, generally means weaker power of these air rifles compared to PCP air rifles, but they are much cheaper than those.
PCA pump air rifle
Pump air rifles - PCA (Pre Charged Air) are popularly known as "pump air rifles", because the pellet is fired with the help of air, which is compressed before shooting with a few movements of a lever, located under the barrel. This is an innovative solution that combines the advantages of spring air rifles (low-cost operation, not requiring the purchase of CO2 cartridges) and PCP (no recoil and the ability to shoot easily and accurately).
Like CO2-powered air rifles, PCA air rifles are also usually very light and are therefore recommended for beginner shooters. A big advantage of such a solution is also influencing the power of the shot - if you shoot at a target from a close distance, i.e. 5-10 meters, and don't care about high penetration, you can inflate the tank with just one-two movements, at longer distances accurate shooting requires more pump movements. Reputable manufacturers offer air rifles in both CO2 and PCA powered models.
PCP air rifle
PCP (Pre Charged Pneumatics) air rifles are the most technologically advanced air rifles powered by compressed air stored in a special tank (usually located under the barrel). Thanks to this solution, these air rifles have no recoil and are more accurate, and the large capacity of the tank allows you to enjoy shooting for longer without having to reload the tank. These are the most exclusive airn rifles with high parameters: speed, accuracy and durability. The accuracy of air rifles of this type is evidenced by the fact that they do not have mechanical sighting devices and require the use of optical sights with high magnification - with their help, hitting the center of a five-zloty coin is not difficult even from a distance of 70 meters!
A good air rifle, that is, which one? What should you pay attention to?
If you have already selected the type of propulsion system of the air rifle, it is now worth looking at its parameters. What should you pay attention to when choosing an air rifle? Such parameters as range, initial velocity, caliber and the ability to mount additional accessories are important.
Air rifle range and initial velocity
Initial velocity depends on the amount of compressed gas or air and its pressure acting on the pellet placed in the barrel and the weight of the pellet itself. It is measured when the pellet leaves the barrel. Initial velocity has a direct effect on the power and range of the air rifle - the higher the initial velocity, the greater its power and the distance you can shoot. At the same time, a high initial velocity means greater recoil, which can make it more difficult to hit the target.
Caliber: a 4.5 or a 5.5 air rifle?
Caliber is the inner diameter of the barrel tube, measured in millimeters or inches. In the case of air rifles available without a permit, models with a caliber of 4.5 mm (.177) and 5.5 mm (.22) are found on the Polish market. The 4.5 mm caliber is the most popular due to its higher initial velocity, flat flight path and the variety of pellets available in Poland. The 5.5 mm caliber barrel fires a larger and heavier pellet. This has a positive effect on the pellet's knockdown power, and in this respect the 5.5 mm caliber is clearly superior to the 4.5 mm. Firing a heavier pellet from an air rifle means its lower initial velocity, but with the energy conserved it means less susceptibility to side wind gusts, for example. Especially at longer distances (more than 50 meters), the pellet's flight path is more curved, so they require more meticulous aiming and fallout calculations due to the increasing distance.
Possibility of mounting additional accessories
The possibility of mounting additional accessories is an important part of choosing an air rifle, because of the option to customize the air rifle model to the user's needs and preferences. With standard mounting rails or other mounting systems, the shooter can quickly and easily mount an optical sight, among other things.
An optical sight improves shooting precision at longer distances. In addition, seeing the target allows us to better prepare for the shot, for example, by eliminating sighting device shake. The greater the distance between us and the target, the greater the pellet fallout associated with the action of gravity. Thus, aiming only with ordinary sighting devices, you can't see the target, which is within firing range, and also to hit it, you would have to lift the barrel at such an angle that it would obscure the target. This implies that an optical sight is essential if you plan to shoot at long distances.
It is also worth remembering that as the distance to the target increases, the pellet's drop (related to the action of gravity) increases - at distances above 60 meters, when you can still confidently shoot at small targets, not only would they be invisible, but they would be obscured by the front sight. In the case of heavier pellets of 5.5 mm air rifles, it could also be necessary to raise the barrel at such an angle that it would obscure the target.
It is also worth keeping in mind the mounting of magazines. Air rifles with a magazine allow you to fire several quick shots. This is especially advantageous for CO2 air rifles, whose design allows the use of a blow back system. The shots follow each other very quickly, and when shooting, one has the feeling of handling a real weapon.
Air rifles and accessories at Militaria.pl
Militaria.pl offers air rifles and accessories for them from top manufacturers of shooting equipment. It is worth remembering that these models differ in technical specifications, so we encourage you to familiarize yourself with the various models available in our offer. Remember that in order for shooting to be an enjoyable pastime, any air rifle, regardless of its power and specifics, should be handled in accordance with safety rules. Check out our assortment and choose the best air rifle!
