Air Rifle, Air Rifles, Shooting Sports

If you want to buy an air rifle, then Buinger Shooting is the right place for you.

In our online shop, you will find a large selection of the best air rifles in the world from well-known manufacturers such as Anschütz, Steyr, Feinwerkbau, Walther, Tesro, and Hämmerli.

What exactly is an air rifle?

Air rifles are guns that propel a projectile through the expansion of compressed gas. Unlike firearms, the pressurized gas is not generated by the explosion of a propellant charge but is mechanically compressed within or outside the weapon. Even weapons that use gases other than air to drive the projectile are classified as pneumatic weapons. Various methods are used to provide the compressed gas.

Air rifles have significantly lower power compared to handguns and are hardly useful militarily. However, they are suitable for practicing marksmanship and, due to their low operating costs and relatively easy acquisition, are popular sporting devices.

History

Competition in air rifle shooting

Pneumatic weapons have been built by various inventors and gunsmiths for a long time. The earliest designs (around 250 BC) are attributed to the Greek engineer Ctesibius of Alexandria (circa 285 to 222 BC), although there are only a few philological references to them. The oldest surviving wind gun dates from around 1580. As a modern sporting device, air rifles first became popular in the USA after the American Civil War when they became widespread in shooting galleries. At the end of the 19th century, the Frenchman Paul Giffard patented the first CO2 systems. Air rifles were also used militarily to a limited extent in the past (e.g., Girandoni Wind Gun Model 1780) and are now mainly used for hunting small game or crop pests, entertainment (e.g., at fairs), and competitive shooting.

Operating Principles

A basic distinction is made between single-shot air rifles and repeaters. Technically, there are different solutions.

Spring-Piston Systems

A strong spring is compressed before the shot and pushes a piston forward when the shot is fired (similar to a bicycle pump). The air compressed by the piston to around 150 bar drives the projectile. This principle is widespread in recreational weapons because the construction is simple and robust, and apart from the projectiles, hardly any costs arise. In addition to a spring, the piston can also be driven by a compressed air cushion when cocking (gas-ram system). Analogous to the systems with a steel spring, the piston is driven forward by this air cushion when the shot is fired.

Gas-Powered Systems

In these systems, compressed gas is supplied by a gas container attached to the weapon. The gas is either compressed before the shot using a built-in pump or transferred from an external container to the weapon's pressure reservoir. In CO2 systems, a cartridge or canister of pressurized liquid carbon dioxide is attached to the weapon, providing the pressurized gas. In all systems with a gas reservoir, a valve is briefly opened by a hammer during the shot, allowing pressurized gas to act on the projectile and drive it out of the barrel. Due to the lightweight hammer, hardly any vibrations occur, and the compressed gas allows for faster shot development than in spring-piston systems.

Legal Notice on Weapons

Germany

In Germany, air weapons with a muzzle energy of up to 7.5 joules can be purchased freely by persons aged 18 and over, provided they carry the "F-in-a-pentagon" mark. Carrying air weapons in public requires a gun license. Transporting a weapon that is not ready to fire and not accessible (e.g., in a case) to a shooting range is considered permit-free carrying and is allowed. Shooting on private property is also permit-free as long as the projectiles cannot leave the premises. The minimum age for shooting air weapons in shooting sports in Germany is 12 years, with exceptions starting from 10 years.

Austria

In Austria, air rifles up to a caliber of 6 mm are freely available from the age of 18, with no energy restriction. The "F-in-a-pentagon" mark required in Germany is not required in Austria. Air rifles with a caliber larger than 6 mm fall under the legal category C and are therefore subject to registration. Shooting with air rifles is possible on one's own property, but it must be ensured that no projectile can leave the property.

(Source: Wikipedia - Air Rifle)