The MP-512 air rifle is considered one of the most popular among fans of blowguns. The only worthy competition for this model on the market is the pneumatic version of the Makarov pistol.

Initially, the popularity of the MP-512 rifle among other types of wind weapons was caused precisely by the buyer’s lack of opportunity to choose. On the shelves there were only these rifles and pneumatic Makarovs. Over time, when the windows of gun stores were filled with expensive Spanish and German brass models, the popularity of the MP-512 rifle was significantly influenced by its relatively low price.

“Murka”, as this model is also popularly called, has become one of the most purchased among other pneumatic weapons. Its cost is several times less, and equipping the mechanism with a reinforced spring significantly improves the tactical and technical characteristics. The Izhevsk Mechanical Plant successfully produces MP-512 air rifles with a gas spring, the bullet speed and power of which are not inferior to foreign pneumatics.

What is a gas spring and how does it work?

A pneumatic spring is a hollow cylinder containing compressed gas. In one part there is a plunger - a special rod that moves under the influence of compressed gas in the longitudinal direction. By pushing the plunger out of the cylinder, a force is created on the pneumatic piston. During cocking, the rod is pressed into the cylinder, and during the shot, the gas with which the power spring is filled pushes the rod back.

The MP-512 with a gas spring operates on this principle. The speed of the bullet (the photo below represents the operating features of spring-piston pneumatics) depends on the speed of the plunger and piston accelerated by compressed gas.

If necessary, you can increase the pressure in the cylinder to 250 atmospheres, which will significantly increase the speed of the bullet (up to 230 meters per second).

Review of the best springs

We invite you not only to familiarize yourself with the theoretical information about what gas springs are, but also to choose the optimal model for yourself. To do this, we have compiled a special block that lists the best energy elements, according to users, as well as their cost:

Place	Name	Rating	Price, rub
1	Premium Gamo (170 atm)	9.9/10	1740
2	Hatsan Striker (140 atm)	9.7/10	1480
3	Hatsan Patriot (180 atm)	9.5/10	1130
4	Baikal “Moray eel” (140 atm)	9.3/10	970
5	Gamo G-Magnum (200 atm)	9.0/10	1870

Thus, a gas spring has been and remains the best option for an energy source for hunting. Unfortunately, due to the complexity of installation, not every pneumatic enthusiast has been able to appreciate the positive qualities of such a part. However, the game is worth the cost, especially if the owner plans to use the weapon for hunting.

Premium series gas springs

Premium reinforced springs are used for Russian-made air rifles such as MP-514 and MP-512. With a gas spring, the bullet's speed is constant. The same cannot be said about brass options equipped with conventional coil springs. For such weapons, the initial velocity of the bullet is unstable, and changes are observed from shot to shot.

Characteristics:

• the diameter of the spring rod is 0.8 cm;
• gas spring length – 119 mm;
• the spring rod has a length of 88 mm;
• a force of 55 kg is applied to the rod;
• injection pressure – 120 atmospheres (depending on individual preferences, you can, by ordering a pressure setting, increase it to 250 atmospheres);
• Gas used for filling is nitrogen 80%;
• The spring body and its rod are made of steel.

During operation of a pneumatic weapon reinforced with a gas spring, it is necessary to periodically carry out a technical check for maintenance. It is advisable to do this after eight to ten thousand shots.

The best manufacturers

There are quite a lot of companies in the world engaged in the production of air guns and spare parts for them. We can talk about them for a long time and this is not the purpose of our review. We will focus only on some companies whose products are of high quality, affordable, and serve as a source of energy for popular pneumatic models.

Gamo

The Spanish company is a manufacturer of pneumatics from Barcelona. It is also a world leader in the production of ammunition. Founded in 1959, it was called El Gamo. Started producing shotguns in 1961. The company also produces ammunition and optical sights. Popular models of the brand are in high demand among fans of shooting sports.

Norica

Another Spanish company with a hundred-year history. Founded in 1917. Spanish gunsmiths have always been famous for the highest quality of their products. The popularity of Norica models is further confirmation of this. Its guns are in high demand among shooters for their high quality and reasonable prices.

Izhevsk Mechanical Plant

A multi-faceted enterprise, famous not only for its weapons, but also for medical, oil and gas, packaging equipment and precision steel casting. The main share in production falls on sporting and hunting rifles, including budget “blowgun” barrels, of which the plant produces at least 18 types.

Hatsan

Turkish manufacturer. Its products are in demand in 90 countries around the world. The company's high-quality, fairly powerful and inexpensive guns are very popular among hunters and athletes.

Interesting! The company inspires its employees to perform great deeds with the motto “Serious. Solid. Influential"

Umarex

The full name of the company is Umarex Sportwaffen GmbH & Co. Manufacturer of pneumatic weapons from Germany. The range also includes signal pistols, paintball markers, and airsoft guns. He has been the owner of the famous company Carl Walter since 1993. The range includes air guns, pistols and revolvers, spare parts and other shooting accessories.

Crosman

The American company is a leader in the production of pneumatic guns and ammunition in the United States. The company produces inexpensive models designed for young people. The quality is not inferior to the best European models, and some models are superior to their overseas counterparts in durability and unpretentiousness. In addition to sports and hunting pneumatics, the company's product range includes paintball markers and airsoft models.

Diana Mayer & Grammelspacher

An arms company from Germany specializes in the production of pneumatics and ammunition. Its magnum class shotguns are well known to sportsmen and hunters. The models are distinguished by high quality and accuracy of combat. It uses its own spare parts in production.

It is up to the buyer to decide which company is better to buy VP and scramjet. In any case, before making a choice, it is advisable to listen to the advice and recommendations of experienced shooters and get advice from sales consultants. You need to read the product descriptions on manufacturers’ websites and on the pages of online stores, find out how much a particular sample costs and make the right choice.

Gas springs from Vado

Reinforced springs from the manufacturer Vado are adapted for such Russian air rifles as the MP-512 “Murka” and standard IZH-38.

Characteristics:

• the mainspring has a diameter of 0.8 cm;
• injection pressure – 115 atmospheres;
• a pressure of 53 kg is applied to the rod;
• Nitrogen 80% is used for filling;
• Steel is used in the production of springs.

This spring is sold in one copy. A thrust-centering washer is attached to it. Once a year or after firing ten thousand shots, the air rifle should be checked by a technical service.

Advantages and features of shooting from the MP-512 with a gas spring

• The bullet speed increases significantly (up to 2 m/s). At the same time, there is an increase in power of up to 15%.
• Increases hit accuracy. At the same time, the sound of the shot becomes short and sharp.
• The reinforced gas spring for MP-512 is easily installed on standard pneumatics, without the need to change its design, turning or milling it. In this case, using a thrust-centering washer, the mounted spring only needs to be centered in the backplate. The washer is included in the kit. The ease and simplicity of installing reinforced springs is typical only for rifles since 2008. For products produced before this time, the installation of gas springs is carried out with mandatory modifications to the design. The owner needs to sharpen the backdrop with a diameter of 20 mm to 32 and modify the mechanisms for cocking and releasing. New models and standard IZH-38 air rifles with a reinforced spring installed on them should be submitted to a technical inspection center for inspection once a year.
• Comfort when shooting. The speed of the MP-512 bullet with a gas spring is increased by eliminating vibration and lateral vibrations, which is typical when using coil springs in standard air rifles.
• Uniform cocking, requiring a minimum of effort.
• Due to the spring, the efficiency of the MP-512 increases.
• The ability to store a cocked weapon without negative consequences for the quality of shots. In this case, no changes in characteristics occur for the MP-512 with a gas spring. The bullet speed (up to 2 meters per second) is characterized by stability, which is highly valued by hunters. The ability to leave a rifle with a gas spring in a cocked state is explained by its low load on the trigger parts. It is not recommended to install coil springs in a cocked state - this will lead to a decrease in the service life of trigger parts.
• Soft descent.
• Unlike air rifles with coil springs, blowguns equipped with their gas counterparts do not have any extraneous clanging sounds in the system when firing and cocking. This feature is provided for the MP-512 by a gas spring, the speed of which develops up to two meters per second.
• The service life of gas springs is 5 times longer than that of twisted springs.
• Equipping blowguns with gas springs allows the rifle owner to use optical sights. This is due to the low recoil during shooting.

What types of air rifles are there?

It is known that in firearms a bullet is pushed out of the barrel by the pressure of powder gases. In order to do similar work in pneumatics, it is necessary to create excess air pressure, so strong as to force the lead bullet to start moving along the barrel, overcome the resistance of the rifling and fly away several tens of meters (at least). Depending on the mechanism for creating excess air pressure, air guns can be:

• spring-piston;
• gas spring;
• with pre-pumping;
• multi-compression;
• compression;
• using carbon dioxide energy.

Athletes and hunters choose models from the first three types. The rest are not distinguished by decent power and the accuracy of hits when firing from them seriously depends on temperature changes. However, the popularity of models of these types of rifles is great among recreational shooting enthusiasts. For general development, let's get acquainted with each type in more detail.

Pre-pumping weapons

It has the Russian abbreviation PSP and the English abbreviation PCP. Today, the PCP is the best air gun in every sense. The energy source here is a reservoir into which a gas mixture is pumped with a pressure of two to three hundred ATM. Having pumped it up once, the owner gets the opportunity to fire dozens of shots without reloading, i.e. in terms of rate of fire it has no equal among pneumatic barrels. The PSP gun has the highest bullet speed, accuracy and accuracy of fire.

There is no return at all. The pressure acting on the bullet remains constant regardless of the number of shots fired. This is ensured by the operation of the tank outlet valve. The less gas remains in it, the more time the valve remains open, dosing the flow of gas into the receiver cylinder. The user manual will tell the owner how to fill the tank. Some use scuba cylinders and special adapters for this. A conventional compressor is unsuitable for this purpose if it is not able to pump up a pressure of two hundred ATM. What remains is the hand pump. This activity will require considerable effort, and after refueling is completed, the shooter will need some time to rest, as his hands will tremble. But this method is good in field conditions.

Multi-compression rifles

They differ from the PSR by the presence of a special lever designed as a handguard. Ten to twelve energetic movements of the forend-lever are enough for complete refueling. If someone needs to shoot at home or in an apartment, but doesn’t want to make holes in the walls, they can swing less. The pressure in the tank will be low, and the muzzle energy will decrease.

Compression weapon

The same charging principle as in the previous version. You only need to pump the lever once and the pressure in the tank will be sufficient. True, the power of such a gun is small, and its range will not surprise anyone either. Such barrels are used for recreational shooting at short distances.

Weapons powered by carbon dioxide

If a cat has found ancient devices (siphons) for turning ordinary drinking water into carbonated water, he remembers small cans filled with carbon dioxide. Here they can be used as a source of energy for an air pistol. True, such shooting seriously depends on the ambient temperature, and with the onset of autumn and winter cold, it is generally impossible. The bullet's flight range is also small. But they are very convenient for use in air pistols and revolvers.

Important! Using carbon dioxide canisters for pneumatic gas weapons is as safe as using them in water siphons.

The small size of carbon dioxide cylinders allows it to be placed in the handle of a pistol, like a clip in firearm prototypes. Using this technique, manufacturers produce models that are exact copies of famous pistols: Walter R-38, Luger, Colt 1911, Makarov, etc. The products are in high demand.

Spring-piston rifles

This is exactly the type of gun that was used to shoot at the shooting ranges of our childhood. The barrels are of sufficient power with fairly accurate firing. The mechanism of action is simple. The twisted mainspring is cocked by breaking the barrel.

When firing a shot, the released VP pushes the piston, which drives air in front of it. A jet of compressed air acts on the bullet, forcefully pushing it out of the barrel.

The advantages of PP pneumatics include:

• high power;
• shot accuracy;
• simplicity and reliability of design;
• low cost of the product, the ability to replace it yourself at home.

Despite all its simplicity and reliability, models with VP have their own characteristic disadvantages:

1. The force decreases over time due to metal fatigue. Accordingly, the range and accuracy of the shot decreases.
2. Part of the energy is wasted on the vibrations it creates.
3. Vibrations that occur during a shot affect the correct installation of the optical sight (“knock down” the optics).
4. The presence of a two-way recoil effect: recoil during the shot and during the return movement after the shot.
5. The need to reload after each shot reduces the rate of fire.

Nevertheless, models of this type remain the most popular among amateurs and professionals, especially with the advent of gas mainsprings.

Gas-spring models

They belong to the PPP type. The design feature is that instead of a twisted steel mainspring (VP), the so-called. gas spring (GS). This part is more difficult to manufacture, but its use significantly improves the characteristics of the PP rifle:

1. The working life of the GP (the number of shots without replacement and maintenance), compared to the VP, increases many times and reaches several tens of thousands.
2. Vibrations are eliminated.
3. Reduces recoil and eliminates double-sided recoil.
4. Increases power and accuracy.
5. A barrel equipped with a GP can remain in a cocked state for as long as desired, without harm to the mechanism.

The gas spring is a steel cylinder with a rod and a plunger. The cylinder is blind on one side and has a hole for the stroke of the rod on the other, equipped with a sleeve for centering the rod and a sealing gland. A plunger is screwed onto the rod. Its task is to create air pressure capable of pushing the bullet out of the barrel. The other end of the rod is equipped with a backplate, which prevents the rod from jumping out of the cylinder cavity.

This entire structure is placed in the receiver, which is also an air accumulator.

Let's look at how this works. A gas mixture consisting of 80% nitrogen is pumped into the cylinder of the gas turbine. The gas mixture creates a very significant pressure in the cylinder body, the magnitude of which varies depending on the purpose of the model. Cocking is performed by breaking the barrel or using a special lever located on the side or under the barrel. In this case, the rod with the plunger moves deep into the cylinder, compressing the gas mixture. When firing a shot, the rod is released, the compressed gas mixture tends to push the rod out of the cylinder. The rod pushes the plunger, which moves forward along the receiver, compressing the air. The pressure of compressed air pushes the bullet out of the barrel.

The advantages of GP have already been mentioned above. Speaking about the disadvantages, we should first of all mention the very high cost of the device, an order of magnitude higher than the cost of the VP.

There are low-pressure GP and scramjet, i.e. high-pressure GP. Low-pressure devices are used for training beginners and low-power shotguns not intended for sport shooting or hunting.

On a note! The GP of the Turkish Hatsan 70 rifle, with a pressure of 140 ATM, pushes the back of the rod with a force of about 72 kg.

For those who are seriously interested in the details of pneumatics, finding comparative tables on the Internet with the characteristics of twisted and gas springs with their technical characteristics is not a problem.

Using this information, you can select a suitable GP for your rifle and replace the GP, significantly improving the characteristics of the weapon. Do-it-yourselfers make GP on their own, from high-quality blanks, which can be purchased at any auto store. We are talking about the trunk door lift cylinders. To turn it into a combat GP, some fine-tuning will be required. The cylinder is designed to lift the trunk lid slowly. Otherwise, the trunk hinges will experience critical loads and quickly fail. The mainspring fires at great speed, or the shot will not fire.

Do-it-yourselfers disassemble the trunk closer, adjust it to the required size, and reduce the area of ​​the back to increase the speed of operation of the mechanism. Then the structure is assembled, and the cylinder is filled with the working medium. The process is not easy, requiring special knowledge and skills.

Important! It should be remembered that working with high-pressure equipment, such as a gas spring, is hazardous to health and can result in serious injury.

It is better to entrust GP repair to a specialist. It is generally better not to alter the closers, as well as to change them yourself for more powerful ones, trying to increase the range of the shot and its destructive power. The rifle is a mechanism, balanced. Any intervention in the structure may result in its rapid failure, since the remaining parts of the structure are not designed for high power. In the worst case scenario, such interventions may result in serious injury to the owner or bystander.

What do owners of the MP-512 with a gas spring need to remember?

An air rifle with a reinforced spring, in addition to increasing bullet speed, power, increasing comfort during shooting and other positive qualities, has two disadvantages due to the design features of gas springs:

• GP depends on temperature conditions. This quality is determined by the presence of the gas used. At sub-zero temperatures, a decrease in pressure in the cylinder is observed, which negatively affects the power of the weapon (drops by 5%). Owners of MP-512 rifles with gas springs are not recommended to shoot in cold weather, since in such conditions the metals used in the weapon become very brittle and the lubricant becomes viscous. At the same time, all seals made of rubber and polyurethane lose flexibility and become tanned.

• Gas springs are a complex mechanical product that is sensitive to various contaminants and mechanical external influences. This spring is more likely to be broken than a coiled one. Therefore, it is not recommended to install it if you do not have the necessary qualifications. It is better to entrust this work to professionals.

Gas springs have been used in air rifles since the late 1980s. The development of technology makes it possible to improve wind weapons. The market is constantly replenished with products from new manufacturers supplying various models of spring-piston pneumatics.

Basic information about air rifles

Representatives of the older generation remember well the shooting ranges on the streets of Soviet cities, where they could shoot to their heart's content with air rifles. The most frequent guests of the shooting ranges were boys aged 6 to 10 years. And of course each of them wanted to have their own gun. Back then one could only dream about it.

Today anyone can buy a pneumatic gun. Moreover, some popular models are sold without special permission and registration. It all depends on the combat characteristics of the model.

Important! The purchase of pneumatic weapons with a caliber of no more than 4.5 mm, the muzzle energy of which does not exceed 7.5 J, does not require special permission or registration.

The muzzle energy in pneumatics is provided by the design of the mainspring.