Air pistols are small, lightweight weapons that use atmospheric pressure to fire a projectile down the barrel. They can be used for target practice, self-defense or even hunting. They are a lot safer than firearms that use gunpowder to propel a bullet.
Unlike their firearm counterparts, most air pistols are designed to shoot pellets (or BBs) rather than bullets. They are usually less powerful than pistols, but can still be very effective for recreational shooting or pest control. They are also used in some competitive shooting events.
While modern air pistols may look quite different from their early versions, the basic principle has remained unchanged for centuries. The gun uses a reservoir of compressed air that is held tightly sealed until the trigger is pulled. At this point the air is released behind a piston, propelling a BB or other projectile down the barrel.
Different types of air pistols use different power plants to achieve their desired levels of performance. They can be categorized according to the type of air that they use, their power output, how many shots they can take between refills and their range.
The largest group of air pistols are powered by carbon dioxide. The cartridges that are used to supply this gas can be bought cheaply and easily, so these guns are typically inexpensive to operate. However, CO2 pistols are temperature sensitive, so they won’t work as well in cold weather. There are also multi-stroke pneumatic (also known as muli-pump) air pistols that require multiple strokes of the pump to reach full power. air pistols