Have you ever wondered how many types of air rifles are out there?
Is your head spinning around with various powerplants and you don’t know which one to choose?
We got you covered.
In this post, you will get detailed information about all types of air guns
And each type’s advantages and disadvantages so you can save time and money in the quest of searching for the best air gun on the market.
There are 5 types of air guns in the whole world.
They are spring-powered, gas pistons, precharged pneumatic (PCP), variable pumps, and CO2 air guns.
Each type has its own unique characteristics but all of them got their names due to the way they operate.
Spring powered
In the spring-powered air rifle (springer), there is a piston and a coiled spring inside the chamber.
The spring is compressed when you cock the gun .
When you pull the trigger, you make the spring decompress so it causes the piston to move forward.
The piston movement makes the air compressed and the pellet is propelled out of the muzzle due to the force from pressurized air.
All of this happens in the blink of an eye.
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(For more on the best break barrel air rifles on the market, see this post)
Gas piston
Basically, a gas piston air gun (also called gas strut, gas ram) works the same way as the spring piston gun.
But a gas ram gun has a gas-filled cylinder instead of a coiled spring.
The air in the cylinder is already compressed and you apply more pressure to it when you cock the gun.
The pressurized air is kept under tension until you release the trigger.
When that happens, the pellet is discharged out of the barrel due to the propellant force of pressurized air.
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Precharged Pneumatic
The precharged-pneumatic (PCP) air gun uses high-pressurized air in the chamber as the propellant force to discharge the pellet.
The pressurized air is compressed up to 3000-4000 psi by using scuba tanks or hand pumps or special PCP compressors.
When the air reaches the desired pressure level, the gun is ready to use.
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(For more on the best .50 air rifles, see this post)
Variable pumps
The variable pump gun has a piston and a pressure cylinder in the chamber.
When you cock the gun, the air between the piston and cylinder is compressed.
It has nowhere to go and is forced into the cylinder.
The cylinder has a lock valve that lets the air in and keeps it there until you shoot.
When you pull the trigger, the pellet is propelled due to the force of compressed air.
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CO2
A CO2-powered air gun works the same way as a PCP air gun but it uses carbon dioxide cartridges (CO2) as the power source instead of pressurized gas.
When you pull the trigger, the compressed CO2 is released and it causes the pellet to move forward inside the barrel.
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In your experience/opinion which is the best air rifle on the market with the following specs?
a) Under $500; over 1200 fps
b) Accurate – (high importance)
c) Quiet
d) No CO2 or PCP
e) Cal .177
Thank you.
Hatsan model 125. I’ve had one in .22 caliber about 4 years and love it. Powerful and reliable. Just do the normal maintenance. Very accurate once you learn the artillery hold. A lot of people call the inaccurate, but i have extended experience with 2 and they are both dead on accurate. Both are old school spring powered. cost 225- 400 depending on model. The two things I don’t like are is they are hard to cock due to the high power and they are heavy.
I absolutely love my personal collection:
Gamo Magnum-
.177cal…$250… gas ram..chronographed at 1700 fps with lead free ammo. shoots completely through a 2×4 @ 10 ft…. I hit a golf ball with open sights @ 25yrd. & @ 50yrd with factory Scope.
(All ammo loud sound barrier!)
Gamo Socom extreme-(modified) .177cal..$350.. I replaced the metal spring with a Gamo Mag gas ram. chrono. at 1670 fps lead free…also shoots completely through a 2×4 @ 10 ft. Hit a golf ball at 50 yrd with factory scope. (All ammo loud sound barrier!)
Gamo Magnum- .22cal…$250…gas ram.. Chrono. at 1280 fps lead free… also shoots completely through a 2×4 @ 10 ft. Same accuracy as the other..(loud sound barrier!)
(Quiet sub-sonic with lead)
Gamo Big Cat 1400-
.177cal…$135…coil Spring… Chrono. at 1320 fps lead free…also shoots completely through a 2×4 @10 ft.. Same accuracy as others, factory Scoped.
(Quiet Sub-sonic with lead)
(loud sound barrier lead free!)
Hatsan 125- (modified)
.25cal…$200…gas ram @160 bar… Chrono. at 968 fps lead free…shoots 3/4 way into a 2×4 @5 ft. Open sights golf ball accuracy at 30 yrd. Very quiet.
To heavy for scope.
Hatsan 150 sniper- (modified)
.25cal…$233…gas ram @190 bar… Chrono. at 1035 fps lead free… shoots 7/8 into a 2×4 @5 ft. Very quiet.
Golf ball accuracy at 30 yrd open sights. To heavy for scope.
I need a pellet rifle that has the ability to shoot without cocking or pumping. It must be powerful enough to hit geese from 100 feet and give them a good sting but not powerful enough to kill or really injure them. I live on a large lake, 50,000 acres and the geese camp out in my yard leaving a real mess.
The only two repeating rifles I have found are the Precharged Pneumatic Rifle and the CO2 that are repeaters. I need to know if it will give a goose a good sting but not injure or kill him. It must hit them hard enough through alltheir feathers to make them find another place to eat, crap and lay dow .Please help me if you can