Who are we?
And that's true. Why should anyone else be scared to speak out about this?! A little confession will follow here. We... are hardball players. These are seemingly unhealthy people who shoot at each other with pneumatic guns. We will not dive into the aspects of this phenomenon, but the essence remains the same - we know more about the use of pneumatics in relation to shooting at a person than any theorist.
Pneumatic guns for thick compounds
In production conditions, the use of mechanical guns for sealant is not always effective, especially if the volume of work is large and the composition is too thick. After all, in order to squeeze it out, you have to expend effort when pressing on the handle and repeat this action for a long time. To make work easier and reduce stress on your hands, it is more advisable to buy an air gun . It is designed like a regular blower, only the design has a container for the suspension (or it is fixed separately). Essentially, it’s like in a syringe - the composition comes out of the nozzle due to the force of compressed air coming from the compressor. This makes work much easier and increases productivity compared to a manual glue gun. As a rule, such pneumatic guns have a long narrow spout for easy gluing of seams in hard-to-reach places and neat connection of small parts.
Where are the devils?
Let’s look at where the desire to use pneumatics for self-defense comes from. I'll try to express my thoughts briefly:
- Pneumatic WEAPONS – association with combat types of WEAPONS.
- Low price.
- No documents needed.
And now a little theory so that it is clear where I am going. Pneumatics can be classified according to many criteria. Specifically here it will be important for us to highlight the difference in muzzle energy:
- Up to 3 J - toys, not weapons.
- Up to 7.5 J - according to the law it is already a weapon, but in fact it is a toy, also without the need for permission.
- Hunting pneumatics are expensive, you need paperwork.
What is all this for? Of all the above, only hunting samples have a lethal effect. The rest is freely used on hardball. But it’s the rest that perfectly fits the criteria of those looking for an “easy means of self-defense” - external similarity, availability of cheap samples, no problems with papers. People who believe in their murderous power turn a blind eye to the lack of proper power and give many “weighty” arguments.
Which air gun to choose
Before you start choosing a model of air gun to buy, you should decide on the goals that the device should achieve:
- For recreational shooting in the warm season or in places specially designated for shooting, gas-cylinder pneumatics are suitable. Exact copies of well-known models are convenient in training programs for assembling and disassembling weapons and in becoming familiar with the rules of handling weapons and their use. The accuracy of shooting from a pistol increases if you have a rifled barrel and fire steel projectiles. However, the accuracy of shooting from a rifle is significantly higher than the accuracy of hitting from a pistol, since when aiming the shooter has 3 points of fixation of the gun, carbine or rifle: the shoulder, the butt and the breech of the barrel.
- An economical, but not very accurate option for training shooting would be a shotgun or rifle with a spring-piston system.
- Compression weapons shoot accurately, but become tiring when pumping air into the tank.
- The ideal option for high-precision shooting would be the PCP pneumatic, but it should be purchased only if you have extra money, avid hunters or professional athletes.
Will suck you to death
We will talk about the external resemblance of pneumatics to real weapons. Complete external resemblance to the originals is not necessary here; in the dark, an ordinary civilian will not think for a long time whether the attacker has a pneumatic pistol in his hand or not, a Makarov pistol, a T-shirt, or a Western Beretta. Yes, and a seasoned hardball player is not, under any conditions, able to calculate the exact model of a pneumatic gun pointed at him, although he is more likely to determine its true nature. This psychological effect is the main argument of believers in the magical power of pneumatics.
The main idea is “I’ll get a gun, and everyone, amazed by its beauty, will run away into the bright alleys.” Of course, this can happen. But there is a high probability of provoking unnecessary aggression and in the future simply losing a beautiful “argument” if you bet everything on it. Indeed, for proper self-defense in this case, the pistol can only be used as a heavy impact weapon. Or will we still shoot?
About the pistol
The pistol is the main weapon that can be used in this situation. Air pistols are recommended for people who are interested in shooting at short distances ( 15-20 meters ). You can use them to shoot at tin or plastic cans, bottles, paper targets and cardboard. Regardless of the type of charge - spring, gas - the pistol is capable of firing significantly more shots per minute than a rifle. For CO2 models, which are the most common airguns on the market today, you can shoot at gun-like . The big advantage of the pistol is that it can be easily hidden in a bag, backpack or holster. This makes it much easier to transport without suspicion from others.
Many of these pistols are based on real firearms . Often the dimensions, weight and appearance are identical to those of a real weapon. Some manufacturers even use a rifled barrel or a sliding bolt that retracts after each shot, so you can expect an even closer resemblance to the action of a real pistol, which will please shooting enthusiasts.
We bring down all the adversaries
Of course, we believe that any pneumatic gun for about 4,000 rubles is capable of making through holes in the human body. With such holes in his body, it will be at least difficult for him to run quickly to catch up with us...
Where do such beliefs come from? But pneumatics confidently destroys any glass container, leaving it no chance of integrity! And it’s true, glass will look stronger than a person, a very powerful argument.
Let's go back to the materiel again. The pneumatic gun we are considering will most likely shoot 4.5 mm bullets or balls weighing about half a gram. Let us also remember once again that the Law “On Weapons” imposes a power limit of 7.5 J on these samples.
Now let's remember the effects of a bullet on the human body. The most optimal is a damaging effect. The bullet makes holes in the body, affecting important human organs, ideally causing death. This is what military weapons are mainly designed for. Another effect is a stopping effect. The bullet, due to its large mass, cross-sectional area and energy, at least stops the enemy’s aggression. This is the principle that traumatic weapons operate on.
And now attention to the question... (remember the men with butterflies and the spinning horse) - where did the pneumatics run here? The mass, energy, and caliber of a pneumatic bullet are several times inferior to any more or less tolerable example of the destruction of humanity. A hit from an air pistol does not leave bullets through the body, but in a fit of frenzy, it happens that you don’t notice the hit at all. Extreme moments - a penetrating wound under the skin, a ache in the cheek, a bruise, mild pain. But nothing more. For non-believers, you can look at photographic material on injuries from pneumatic guns (the faint of heart, pregnant women and others pass by). For many years, no one was killed, although our samples are on average higher in power than what is sold on the market - this is due to tuning and the choice of powerful pneumatic weapons.
Of course, even with the lightest pneumatic weapon you can immobilize, injure, or, in extreme cases, kill a person. We are talking about cases of knowing where to shoot, and the amazing luck of a person who does not particularly understand these aspects. And in matters of self-defense, a low probability of operation definitely does not play into your hands.
I hope no one is interested in where to shoot? Let's not be maniacal and some other time. Don't be discouraged, where would you still shoot? Not even you, but an ordinary civilian owner of a brand new pistol that smells of factory grease?
We bet what's going on in your head?! And what will be the effect - the skull will not be shot through, the enemy will not lose consciousness, perhaps it will slightly pause the time of the attack until the situation is realized. And we are talking about the best examples of pneumatics.
It remains to hit the eyes. Indeed, this will definitely stop the enemy. Without eyes, attacking is at least inconvenient. And then you will have to answer many interesting questions from investigators. Why was a means used that was not legally intended for self-defense, why was the pistol loaded during transportation, why was there a shooting in the city? The law in our country is far from being on the side of the defenders. Therefore, with such approaches there is a risk of falling under one of the many excellent articles of the unshakable Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Let's talk a little more about the aspects of self-defense. If you suddenly receive a real bullet or a knife from a person who saw you have something similar to a gun, there is a chance that you will be left to blame, because he was just defending himself from the possible use of a firearm.
So what happens? In the end, striking with this very pistol will most likely be more profitable than shooting with it. Maybe it’s worth taking a closer look at legal means of self-defense if such an urgent need arises?
A correctly selected butt should easily break the slate of a building
Although in the field of defense against stray dogs, pneumatic weapons have proven themselves well. We are talking specifically about strays; a trained fighting dog will not be afraid of a shot from a “toy”, but, as we found out, it will not be able to stop it.
Flaws
- There is a possibility of rapid release of the contents of the CO2 capsule if it is carelessly screwed in or an attempt is made to remove it prematurely. If there is a lot of gas left inside, quickly cooling your hands can cause frostbite .
- Typically, you insert a standard 12-gram CO2 capsule into your gun and fire just a few shots. Then you keep it like that overnight and come back to it the next day, or even a few days later. In this case, there will be a high probability of seeing it either empty or almost empty, since the gas gradually leaves the cylinder .
- A standard air pistol can kill , although this happens very rarely. On one foreign weapons forum, a case was described in which a young, thin guy was shot in the chest. The ball penetrated deep enough to rupture an artery, and the child bled to death before he could receive the necessary medical attention.
- Air guns can also cause property damage to yours and others' property. The most modest handgun, loaded with a steel rather than a soft lead bullet, can shatter a car window, and more powerful versions can even penetrate car doors.
- CO2 airguns only have a few powerful shots before the air pressure drops so low that the gun is virtually useless. This is especially important when using a pistol in self-defense against aggressive animals or intruders: if you fail to fire the perfect first shot, your situation becomes very risky, and the risk increases with each unsuccessful shot.
What is the difference between an air gun and a traumatic gun?
Inexperienced (and even experienced) shooters often confuse these two concepts. But a traumatic pistol has much more in common with firearms than with pneumatics. The bullets used in traumatic weapons are also different - they have a rubber outer shell and a metal core. A traumatic pistol requires a permit, but with a pneumatic pistol there is no such need. There are other differences:
- an air pistol is several times cheaper than a traumatic one;
- pneumatic guns are not capable of causing serious harm to human health - unless you aim directly at the eye;
- The scope of application of these pistols also differs: traumatic ones are often chosen for self-defense, pneumatic ones - for sports and recreational shooting.
Tire inflation devices
In a car service center, tire shop or garage, the most frequently performed type of work is inflating tires. To do this, use a tire inflation gun . Why can't this be done with a regular blowdown? The thing is that the tire pressure must strictly comply with the manufacturer's requirements. If the value is lower than normal, vehicle control deteriorates and fuel consumption increases. Therefore, you need to use a special tool that is equipped with a pressure gauge. When air is supplied to the tire, the pressure value will be displayed on the dial, therefore eliminating the possibility of overinflating the wheels or, conversely, insufficient pressure in the chamber.
Technical features of the air gun
The use of a pneumatic pistol model is complicated by the technical characteristics of this type of weapon. Most often, pneumatics operate on compressed carbon dioxide canisters, which, firstly, run out quickly, and secondly, do not work well in the cold. When the ambient temperature drops, the pressure in the can also drops, which means the muzzle energy of the shot also drops. In order for the gun to work properly, you will have to regularly monitor the filling and quality of the can used - this is inconvenient if the weapon is purchased for self-defense purposes.
Main characteristics of an air gun
The main characteristics of an air gun are considered to be the speed of the bullet and the muzzle energy of the shot - key characteristics for an accurate and powerful hit on the target.
Read also: How to choose an eyepiece for a telescope
Muzzle energy
The muzzle energy of a shot is considered a fundamental value for the flight range of a bullet. It determines how an air pistol or rifle shoots. The key role in its creation is played by the length of the barrel, the power of the compressed air supply mechanism and the shape of the bullet - for example, conical projectiles have greater muzzle energy due to less air resistance. The most powerful civilian weapons approved for sale in the Russian Federation are considered to be hunting-type rifles, with a shot power of up to 25 J.
Bullet speed
Another factor that affects the accuracy of a pneumatic shot. This factor is inextricably linked with the length of the barrel, the power of the gas supply mechanism and the shape of the bullet. But the actual range of the shot rarely exceeds a distance of 50 meters, while maintaining a speed of around 100 - 150 meters per second. A bullet fired from compression rifles can reach a speed of about 300 m/s.
