| Pellet rifles are at the air rifles that | | | | fraction of second to take place. During this |
| makes the use of pellets for firing. | | | | process, the air is adiabatically heated to |
| | | | several hundred degrees owing to the |
| Spring piston pellet rifles | | | | compression. The air expands again after |
| | | | cooling. |
| Spring piston is one of the operating | | | | |
| mechanisms for the pellet rifles. The spring | | | | Pre charged pneumatic rifles (PCP) |
| piston air rifles are able to achieve muzzle | | | | |
| velocities that can equal the speed of sound. | | | | The PCP pellet rifles are used for |
| This can be achieved from a single stroke of | | | | competitions and hunting. These are filled by |
| a cocking lever or the barrel itself. The | | | | charging from the hand pump directly or by |
| power of the rifle is related to the cocking | | | | decanting from a reservoir of air like a |
| stroke of the gun. Therefore high muzzle | | | | diving cylinder. The initial cost of the PCP |
| velocities require greater cocking effort. | | | | pellet rifles is high owing to the |
| | | | requirement of charging systems and |
| The operation of the spring piston rifles | | | | cylinders. But the operating cost of these |
| depend on the spring loaded piston of a | | | | rifles is very low. |
| coiled steel. This is contained within a | | | | |
| compression chamber which is separately | | | | Owing to the restrictive firearm laws, these |
| located from the barrel. | | | | guns are used for hunting purposes outside |
| | | | United States. The recoil of PCP guns is |
| The assembly of the piston compresses the | | | | very low. They fire 30 to 500 shots per |
| spring when cocking of the gun takes place. | | | | charge. The development of semi automatic PCP |
| The spring is compressed until a small hook | | | | pellet rifles has become possible due to the |
| present on the rear of the piston engages the | | | | ready supply of gas. PCP pellet rifles are |
| sear. This sear is released when the trigger | | | | very popular in Europe and UK because of |
| is pulled and the spring is decompressed. | | | | their ease of shooting and accuracy. They can |
| Thus the piston is pushed forward and the air | | | | be fitted with telescopic sights and are |
| behind the chamber is compressed directly | | | | widely utilized in the field target shooting |
| behind the pellet. | | | | sport. When fitted with silencer or sound |
| | | | moderator, these rifles can be made quiet. |
| After the air pressure increases enough to | | | | |
| overcome any barrel restriction or any static | | | | Muna wa Wanjiru is an Internet Marketing |
| friction that holds the pellet, the column of | | | | Expert and Has Been Researching and Reporting |
| the air expands and the pellet is propelled | | | | on BB Guns for Years. |
| to move forward. This action requires only a | | | | |