Airguns

The Air Gun and its history

The air gun fires due to a sharp release of accumulated compressed gas. The most common type of ammunition for such guns are lead or steel balls and diabolo pellets of different caliber.

The invention of a gun whose bullet is fired from the barrel by releasing compressed air pressure is attributed to the French inventor Martin le Bourgeyos. Unfortunately, it is not entirely known when he invented the air gun and no specimen has been preserved. During the 17^th century, the development and improvement of air guns was dealt with by German Hans Khoeler. You may not believe, but at the end of the 18^th century there were attempts to include air guns in the armament of armies. It even happened, particularly in Austria. However, air rifles did not last long in the arsenal and were replaced by guns with a percussion system. The largest expansion of air guns occurred in the 20^th century, when a huge number of kinds and types was created. Nowadays there are several tens to hundreds of manufacturers of various air guns.

The most popular brands of modern air guns are undoubtedly GAMO, SLAVIA, CROSMAN, UMAREX, WALTHER, COMETA, DIANA and others.

A weapon or a toy?

Undoubtedly, there are countries in the world where air guns are considered toys and their sale is not specifically regulated, and vice versa, there are countries where you cannot buy an air gun at all because its sale is prohibited. However, if we focus within the European Union, we can say that air guns are considered a weapon. But no weapon is the same. That is why most EU countries have divided air guns into categories like OTC guns and guns that are subject to authorization or reporting requirements. OTC air guns are generally characterized according to their power limitations. For example, it is 7.5 Joules in both Hungary and Germany and 16 Joules in the Czech Republic. They are usually sold to persons over 18 years of age and can also be sold over the Internet. Those air guns that exceed the set limits are then guns that are subject to an authorization procedure or reporting duty and usually require a firearms license to be held.

In Slovakia, OTC air guns are limited to 15 joules. Stronger air guns are guns for which you need a firearms license and are subject to reporting duty. It is interesting that according to the Firearms and Ammunition Act we should correctly call air guns gas guns. The reason is that they do not have to work only on the principle of compressed air, but CO₂ or other gas. With OTC air guns you can also shoot in Slovakia outside the approved shooting ranges. However, you must shoot in a place where life, health or property is not endangered, and these guns should not be entrusted to persons under 18 years of age without supervision.

TYPES OF AIR GUNS

Nowadays you can choose from a huge number of air guns. We can divide them according to different criteria. The first criterion is the shot energy which decides whether to buy an air gun with an identity card or a firearms license. The shot energy affects the speed of the shot, accuracy and range.                

They are produced in different calibers. OTC air guns are most commonly available in 4.5 mm, 5.5 mm and 6.35 calibers. More powerful air guns are also available in 7.65 mm and 9 mm calibers. When choosing the right caliber, keep in mind that the larger the caliber, the greater the weight of the bullet and the lower the muzzle velocity of the bullet. Also, the lower the caliber, the richer the selection of ammunition types. For these reasons, the most popular air guns come in caliber 4.5 mm and 5.5 mm.

Air guns can also be divided according to the principle on which they operate. The best known are certainly spring or piston air guns. The spring or piston is usually compressed by breaking the barrel or lever located below the barrel. Also popular are air guns powered by carbon dioxide (CO₂) which is most often drawn from a special cartridge. Their main advantage is a very quiet shot. Some air guns have a built-in hand pump to accumulate the compressed air which is used up when fired. A popular kind, especially among the more demanding and sports shooters, are the so-called air rifles or PCP air guns. Those have a pressure container that you fill with a manual pump or pressure vessel and you have several tens or even hundreds of shots per pressurization.

Like all other guns, air guns can be divided into short or long. Long air guns are usually called air rifles. Short air guns are in the form of pistols or revolvers. Some air guns have a removable or additional stock. So, by removing the stock you can transform a long air gun into a short one and by installing an additional stock, a short air gun into a long one.

You can also choose from single-shot air guns and air guns with a magazine that have a capacity of several rounds.

An important criterion when choosing an air gun is also whether the air guns has a grooved or smooth barrel. Smooth-barrel air guns (rifles) shoot steel pellets and are intended for fun and hobby shooting rather than sports target shooting. Air guns that have a grooved barrel shoot so-called diabolo pellets and are much more accurate. In terms of accuracy, the longer the barrel, the more accurate shooting.

OWNING AN AIR GUN IS NOT ENOUGH

Every shooter must be able to choose the right ammunition. Especially if you have a weaker type of air gun, pay attention to the weight of the ammunition that you are buying and do not buy too heavy ammunition. If you overdo it with the weight of the pellet, it may not even fly out of the barrel, or its range might be very short.

The air gun should also be cared for and regularly checked and cleaned. For this purpose, we recommend that you purchase the appropriate cleaning and lubricating oil and the appropriate cleaning kit depending on the caliber of your air gun. 

We offer a wide range of accessories for air guns. If you want to make your shooting more pleasant, look at the offer of various targets, shooting ranges and backstops. If you want to improve your shooting, take a look at our range of sighting devices, namely riflescopes or red dot sights. If you want your air gun to remain in preserved condition as long as possible, see the offer of transport bags or cases.