It is very common for us to be asked: Which compressed air gun do you recommend I buy? So we will write about the main characteristics that we suggest taking into account when purchasing an Airsoft pistol.
We consider that each person, to make the best decision, should give the importance they consider best to the characteristics of each gun according to their preferences.
Among the factors that we must take into account are: the type of weapon, the projectile that fires (pellet), the caliber, the magazine capacity, the manufacturing material, the power source, the rate of fire, type of barrel, Yes, it is a replica of a firearm, it does have a realistic blowback effect, the type of trigger action and the price, which we will explain below:
Type of weapon: by this we mean that the weapon is of the revolver or squad type. Revolvers are characterized by housing the projectiles in a rotating drum or cylinder, unlike pistols that have the shape of a square and the projectiles are placed in a magazine located in the stock. As an example of revolvers we have the Colt Peacemaker that fires pellets, the Colt Peacemaker that fires diabolos as well as the Smith & Wesson 586 .
Type of projectile: the three most common types of projectiles are: plastic ammunition (bullets) , steel pellets or diabolos. The shape of bullets and pellets is spherical, while diabolos have different variants, the main ones being pointed, conical and flat. Other projectiles are: rubber or gum pellets and powder paint pellets used in tactical training or marker guns; The T4E P2P HDP 50 self-defense gun model fires pepper powder pellets as well as rubber or powder paint pellets.
Caliber: The caliber of a gun refers to the diameter of the barrel. Airsoft guns fire plastic ammunition that is 6 mm caliber. Most of the pellet or pellet guns that we sell are of caliber 4.5 mm – 0.177″, however we have the Umarex Strike Point model that shoots pellets in caliber 5.5 mm – 0.22″. The calibers for guns that shoot rubber pellets or powder paint pellets are: 11 mm – 0.43″, 12.70 mm – 0.50″ and 17.20 mm – 0.68″.
Magazine capacity: Refers to the number of projectiles that the air gun’s magazine can hold. Some have a single shot capacity, while others have a capacity of up to 22 shots like the Heckler & Koch USP pistol.
Manufacturing material: in general terms they can be made of high resistance polymer, metal or a combination, for example the gun being made of polymer, the mechanism, the slide or the barrel being made of metal. A model made of high-strength polymer and metal rail is the Umarex 9XP pistol .
Power Source: By this we mean how the guns are powered. The models in our catalog are: spring, multi pump (pneumatic), gas piston, spring piston and through 12 gram CO2 tanks , which are the most common guns, which allow you depending on the model of the pistol performs on average between 40 to 50 shots. Once the CO2 in the capsule runs out , it must be replaced with a new one.
Firing speed: refers to the exit speed that the projectile reaches from the moment it receives the impulse until it exits the barrel. The speed that manufacturers specify in the manual are expressed in feet per second (pps) or meters per second (m/s) and are measured under certain conditions, from the weight and type of projectile, such as atmospheric conditions, so These measurements vary in different conditions of use. The speed range goes from 200 pps (61 m/s) which is the spring gun, to 600 pps (182 m/s) which is the multi-pump gun, with the average range being between 300 pps (91 m/s ) and 400 pps (121 m/s), which correspond to guns powered by CO2 cylinders.
Type of barrel: The barrel is a hollow metal cylinder, formed by a tube, which is the guide for the ejection of the projectile. The internal part is known as the bore and according to its walls, there are 2 types: smooth bore and fluted bore. A smoothbore is when the inner wall of the barrel has a smooth surface, unlike a rifled bore which has a groove on its wall formed by helical grooves. These grooves are commonly known as grooves, which generate a rotational movement of the projectile, developing a gyroscopic effect, improving its aerodynamic stability and therefore its precision.
Replica of a firearm: Umarex manufactures both its own model pistols and replicas of firearms licensed by the original manufacturer, including: Beretta, Browning, Colt, Glock, Heckler & Koch, Legends, Ruger, Smith & Wesson and Walther. As a replica of the Colt 1911 pistol we have the Colt Commander pistol .
Type of shot: In this sense there are semi-automatic or automatic pistols.
The mode of operation of a semi-automatic compressed air pistol is in which the trigger is pulled and a single shot is fired, while automatic pistols, by pulling and holding the trigger, the projectiles are fired continuously (burst mode) and It only stops when the trigger is released, the CO2 is depleted, or the ammunition magazine is empty.
There are models with both options such as the Beretta M92A1.
Realistic blowback effect: also called realistic kicking effect (in English Blowback). When talking about CO2 air guns, realistic recoil refers to the movement of the slide or in some cases the bolt of the air gun that moves back and forth with each shot. This recoil motion simulates the recoil of a firearm. Recoilless air guns have a fixed slide and are sometimes a single solid molded or cast piece. The Beretta M84FS pistol is a classic model with realistic recoil effect.
Trigger action: There are two variants: single action and double action.
A single-action air pistol requires the shooter to cock the hammer before pulling the trigger. When the shooter pulls the trigger, the firing pin is released and the CO2 propels the projectile down the barrel. This process must be repeated to fire the next round. An example is the Colt Peacemaker revolver.
Double action means that when the shooter pulls the trigger, the gun’s mechanism performs two functions: cocking and releasing the hammer in the same movement. It basically means that the trigger does all the work instead of the shooter manually cocking the firing pin and then pulling the trigger to release it. A double trigger action pistol is the Beretta APX pistol.
Like firearms, air guns are available in single or double action. There are also models with the option of shooting in single or double action, depending on your shooting preferences, such as the Glock 17 GEN3 pistol.
Basically, most air guns that do not have the ability to manually cock the hammer are double action.
Price: the price range is wide from the most economical pistol, the Umarex DX17, to the highest value pistols such as the Beretta M92 A1 or the Glock G17 Gen4 . In general, metal guns, firearm replicas and with realistic recoil effect are the highest priced. In this sense, each person will decide how much he wants to invest.
There are other characteristics such as: it does have a rail to mount accessories, the size and weight; However, we consider that the ones we explain are the most important to make a good decision.