The laws of the Russian Federation allow the free sale to persons who have reached the age of majority of 4.5 mm pneumatic weapons, the ammunition of which is steel balls. This allows you to acquire initial shooting skills. There are various models on the market, the main difference being the power. If you need to choose an air gun, you should take into account the scope of application where it is intended to be used.
By design, pneumatic pistols come in the following types:
Gas cylinders
The bullet accelerates due to the entry of carbon dioxide into the barrel, which is pre-filled under pressure into steel cartridges with a volume of 8 or 12 grams. Rifled gas pistols fire lead bullets, while smooth-bore pistols fire pellets. The advantages include compactness, low weight and high rate of fire.
Spring-piston
When the barrel is broken, the spring is compressed and it becomes possible to insert the bullet into its intended place. This type of pistol is designed for one shot. They have high reliability and firing range. Disadvantages: poor stability at the moment of firing, low rate of fire.
Multicompression
Preparatory work is required, consisting of manually pumping air into the cylinder, which creates the energy of compressed air. It is held in place by a valve on the cylinder and released when the gun is pulled. There are single-charge and multi-charge models. The main advantage is the almost complete absence of recoil.
The main design elements are the frame, handle and barrel. The handle has an orthopedic configuration for ease of holding in the hand. The body can be made of metal or plastic. Metal parts are more reliable, but are susceptible to corrosion and require careful maintenance. Plastic resists the aggressive influence of the external environment well, but is fragile and lacks resistance to mechanical shock.
Pistols differ in the presence of a movable and fixed bolt frame. The movable frame gives the feeling that shooting is being done from a military weapon, but the mechanism is more susceptible to wear. In addition, it takes some power to move the shutter. In some models, only balls are placed in the cage, while in others both balls and a cylinder are placed.
Rating of air pistols
Before purchasing pneumatics, familiarize yourself with the legal path - Federal Law 150 “On Weapons”. As the law states, pneumatics with a muzzle energy of up to 3 joules are not weapons; from 3 to 7.5 – full-fledged pneumatics, does not require a license; from 7.5 to 25 – hunting; in this category there are only rare sporting PCP pistols.
In addition to the legislative side, our team has prepared a list of criteria for choosing a pistol:
- Purpose;
- Type of ammunition;
- Operating principle;
- Blowback;
- copyability;
- Equipment.
Pneumatics within the category of muzzle energy are divided into sports and recreational weapons. In terms of power, sporting weapons above 3 joules can be low-power, medium-power, or high-power. Categories are marked with Latin letters F, J, FAC, respectively.
ASG Dan Wesson 8
Inexpensive and beautiful revolver, made in Denmark. It is a pneumatic replica of the legendary weapon designed by Smith and Wesson. It retains all the exterior features of a real revolver and most of the internal structure, such as the trigger mechanism.
The body of the ASG Dan Wesson 8 is made of metal, but the weapon is lightweight and fits comfortably in the hand. The main difference between a replica and a classic revolver is that the “bullets” are not loaded into a folding magazine, but into cartridges that imitate real ones. There are only six of them, so you can only install 6 balls at a time.
The manufacturers of the ASG Dan Wesson 8 replica slightly changed the internal structure of the revolver and added a high-speed reloading mechanism – SpeedLoader. The body of the weapon is equipped with mounts for a flashlight, making it easy to use even in complete darkness. If desired, the lighting element can be replaced with a collimator-type sight.
The earliest air guns featured a piston and spring system that gave the bullet high velocity without compromising the gun's accuracy.
Today, the ASG Dan Wesson 8 is considered one of the most powerful air revolvers allowed for purchase without a license. Its muzzle energy is 3 J. Analogues:
- IZH-40;
- Crosman PSM4 (spring pneumatic);
- Anix A-112;
- Ataman-M2.
You can purchase ASG Dan Wesson 8” at a price of 7 to 8 thousand rubles. It comes with a set of rubber bullets and a scope. The flashlight will have to be purchased separately.
How to choose an air gun
To buy an air pistol without a license, choose models with a muzzle energy of up to 7.5 J of a sports and entertainment type. When choosing, pay attention to the type of ammunition, the principle of operation of the bolt, the presence of a blowback, the degree of copyability, caliber, weight, size. The speed, realism and economy of the shot depend on the blowback and shutter. A pistol up to 500 g is suitable for professionals. It is harder to aim with it due to hand shake and recoil. In this case, you should choose a model with a muffler.
The VyborExperta.ru team has identified a number of parameters by which a pistol is selected.
Purpose
According to their intended purpose, pistols are divided into sports, recreational and training. For recreational shooting, accuracy and muzzle energy less than 3 J are not required. In sports shooting, accurate and powerful models are selected. Balancing on the axle near the trigger is important. They are often distinguished by their high price and quality of material.
Air pistols are unsuitable for self-defense for two reasons: insufficient power and depressurization of the gas compartment. There may simply not be gas at the right moment, and if the enemy is also wearing winter clothes... There is also a legal side that states that pneumatics are intended only for entertainment, competitions and the army.
But for a drive, a model with automatic shooting is perfect. In recreational weapons, a metal rifled barrel is important, which increases the accuracy of the shot. In sports, the size and design of the handle are evaluated. It should fit snugly in one hand.
Lead bullets are given priority. Due to their weight, they brake longer and penetrate denser surfaces.
Ammunition type
There are several types of ammunition: flat, hemispherical, conical, hollow point, ogive, spherical, flash-noise, armor-piercing, cap, dart bullets.
Most often, spherical, conical, flash-noise and cap bullets are used in pneumatics. Stun lights are made of plastic and have a high price, but they are less dangerous. The most common shape is spherical, or BB balls.
Soft lead bullets are used for rifled pneumatics. Bullets come in different weights. Usually they use light ones of 0.25-0.35 g of matcha type, or in the form of diabolo.
Shooting pellets from a rifled barrel will eventually lead to damage to the rifling and poor accuracy of the weapon, so we do not recommend shooting them from a rifled barrel.
Operating principle
According to the operating principle, there are four types of guns: spring-piston, PCP, compression and pneumatic.
Pneumatic ones use a system of gas cylinders. This is the main type of pistol used in sport and recreational shooting due to its high safety and the fact that it does not require a license.
Blowback
A blowback is a mechanism that simulates the movement of the bolt of a firearm. The shutter moves first backward, then forward and consumes the energy of the shot. This makes the shot less powerful and accurate, and reduces speed. But it looks very realistic.
Blowback pistols are recommended for professionals who can handle recoil.
Copy number
Replicability is the degree of similarity to the prototype according to which the weapon was designed. It not only copies the design of the original, but is also created from the same materials, in the same factory, as the original.
Caliber
By caliber, pneumatics come in 4.5, 5.5, 6.35, 9, 12.7 mm. The larger the caliber, the more powerful and weighty the weapon. The last two calibers are found in rifles in the USA. The 4.5 mm caliber is common in Russia, as it is often associated with the maximum muzzle energy allowed without a license in sports and recreational shooting.
The best body armor
Crosman (episode 1377)
The most powerful multi-compression air gun in the world. It is suitable for both beginners who want to learn how to shoot and experienced gun users. The main feature of the Crosman 1377 is that it is high quality, accurate, the most powerful allowed and at the same time cheap. The downside of the model was the need to manually pump air before each shot. For this purpose, the weapon has an under-barrel piston mechanism.
General information about Crosman 1377:
- Power – 7 J;
- The presence of an aiming bar and front sight;
- Extended trunk – 26 cm;
- Compatible with 4.5 caliber;
- Drum capacity – 1 “bullet”;
- The case is made of durable metal with plastic inserts.
The pistol differs from many pneumatic models in its high accuracy. This makes it possible to use it as a sporting weapon. Hitting accuracy is ensured by a steel barrel with rifled elements.
This powerful pneumatic gun has one significant drawback - the need for constant reloading and pumping using an under-barrel piston. However, this inconvenience is compensated by the high muzzle energy and how conveniently the handle of the air pistol lies in the shooter’s hand.
You can buy a weapon for 6-7 thousand rubles. The kit contains nothing except instructions, technical data sheets and tools for disassembling the case.
If a person does not want to pump air every time and prefers repeating pistols, then he is recommended to choose other models that are not inferior to the Crosman 1377 in ease of use and accuracy:
- ATAMAN (AP16 series);
- Gletcher Brt 92 fs;
- Umarex Walther CP99 Compact;
- Veles;
- Daisy 5501.
Also a good alternative to a pneumatic gun would be the Walther CP88 Competition.
In the 90s, pneumatic hunting rifles with a manual air pumping system were especially popular in Russia and the CIS countries. The owners of such weapons were called “scuba divers.”
Which air pistol is better?
An air pistol is not suitable for self-defense, however, our rating of the best air pistols recommends high-quality models for recreational, training and sports shooting. We analyzed the opinions of professionals, forum discussions, compared technical characteristics and build quality, identifying the three most balanced models:
- If you need an accurate, powerful pistol from the sports segment, we recommend Ataman-M1-U.
- An excellent pistol for bank shooting and competitions with high accuracy, replicability and accuracy Stalker S92ME;
- Maintenance of the Borner WC 401 is inexpensive, it is economical, accurate, lightweight, and suitable for beginners.
We recommend taking a cleaning rod and a holster with your pistol. This way you can clean the barrel and immediately carry the pistol with you for recreational shooting. Also remember to take out the gas canisters after shooting. They tend to discharge, and transporting loaded weapons is prohibited by law.
Features of choosing bullets
To achieve maximum effect, the bullet must have high kinetic energy. Upon contact, it is transmitted to the body. The optimal bullet weight for an air pistol is 6-9 grams. In addition, the projectile must have a large cross-sectional area.
The bullet weight of the 9*18 PM cartridge is 6.1 grams. The initial speed of such a projectile when fired from the pneumatic version of the Makarov pistol is equivalent to 315 m/s. If a spherical version of the bullet is used, this figure drops to 110 m/s. When such a projectile enters the skin, it causes shallow wounds. Parts of the body covered by clothing will remain completely undamaged.
There is another type of bullet that has increased lethality. However, their use is restricted to law enforcement officials only. In addition, such bullets significantly complicate the feeding of the cartridge and can lead to damage to the barrel. To ensure the most reliable operation of the automation, it is most advisable to use projectiles with an ogive head.
