Comparison Crosman Trail NP XL 1500 vs Umarex Hammerli Hunter Force 900 Combo

The type describes the basic operating principle of the rifle. Nowadays, you can find pneumatics with a spring-piston operating principle (with a regular or gas spring), with pre-pumping (PCP), with pumping before each shot ( multi-compression rifles), with power from carbon dioxide cartridges and with an electric drive. Here is a more detailed description of each of these types:

— Spring-piston. As the name suggests, the mechanism of such rifles is based on a spring-loaded piston moving in a cylinder. The weapon is cocked manually (usually by a lever or by breaking the barrel), with the piston being pulled back and fixed, the cylinder being filled with air, and when the trigger is pulled, the piston is released and moves forward under the action of the spring, pushing the air out of the cylinder into the barrel. Rifles of this type are distinguished by their simple and reliable design, low cost, low maintenance, and ease of repair and tuning; they are considered an ideal option for beginner shooters, as well as for fans of entertaining short-range shooting, and there are also airsoft models among them. It is also worth mentioning the excellent repeatability of shots (with each cocking, a strictly defined portion of air enters the cylinder) and insensitivity to he...at and cold. On the other hand, such rifles require cocking (and most often reloading) before each shot, which can be quite tiring; and the operation of the piston mechanism creates a specific recoil, which negatively affects accuracy and complicates the search filter of optical sights (special optics are required, originally intended for such use). In addition, this type of pneumatics cannot be kept charged for a long time - with prolonged compression, the mainspring loses its properties.

— With a gas spring. In general, the operating principle of this type of rifle is similar to the spring-piston rifles described above. The difference is that instead of a conventional metal spring, they use a sealed reservoir with a special gas, which acts as a spring — compressing when cocked and expanding when fired. This design has a number of advantages over a conventional spring-piston rifle. Firstly, the entire mechanism operates much smoother and quieter, and the recoil is softer, which improves accuracy and simplifies the search filter of optics. Secondly, the gas spring does not change its properties as it wears out, and such a weapon can be stored even in a cocked state. Thirdly, repairs and maintenance for gas springs are required less often and are cheaper (in terms of the number of shots between visits to the workshop). The disadvantages of this type of rifle, in addition to the need to cock the spring before each shot, include a slightly higher cost than classic spring-piston rifles, as well as sensitivity to cold: as the temperature drops, the gas pressure in the spring decreases, which reduces efficiency.

— PCP (pre-pumping). The source of energy in rifles of this type is a built-in reservoir containing air (or another gas) under very high pressure — about 200 or even 300 atmospheres. This reserve is enough for at least several dozen shots, and a compressor, a scuba tank or a special high-pressure pump can be used to fill the reservoir (sometimes such pumps are even supplied in the kit). In general, PCP is considered the most advanced type of pneumatics; it is these rifles that professional hunters and sportsmen use. This is primarily due to the fact that such a design allows for a very high bullet speed, and the recoil is almost imperceptible — all this allows for accurate shooting even at long distances. With a fresh gas, the rifle gives excellent repeatability of shots; however, as the gas is consumed, the initial speed of the bullet decreases, but advanced models may be equipped with a reducer that compensates for this phenomenon (for more details, see "Air supply with a reducer"). PCP pneumatics can be easily made multi-shot and provide very simple and convenient ways of feeding the next bullet into the barrel. The main disadvantage of such rifles is the high price.

— Multi-compression. Another type of rifle with a built-in reservoir; however, unlike the PCPs described above, the reservoir must be pumped up before each shot. For this purpose, the design provides a built-in pump controlled by a lever or other similar device; to pump in a sufficient amount of air, as a rule, you need to make several movements. Such rifles have virtually no recoil, while they are noticeably simpler and cheaper than PCP pneumatics, but inferior to it in power. In addition, pumping up the reservoir before each shot is quite a tedious task; and the volume of air supplied to the reservoir with each filling (and, accordingly, the working pressure in the reservoir) will depend on the number and amplitude of movements made by the pump lever. On the one hand, this allows you to adjust the power directly "on the go": for example, for a short range, where the maximum bullet speed is not required, you can pump the rifle not completely in order to save energy. On the other hand, the actual volume of air and pressure in the reservoir will be slightly different with each reload, even with the same number of lever movements. This has a negative effect on the repeatability of shots. Due to this combination of features, multi-compression models are not very popular these days, and their purpose is mainly recreational shooting.

— Gas cylinder. A type of pneumatics that operates from replaceable gas cylinders, usually liquefied carbon dioxide. Like PCP, such a reservoir allows you to make a lot of shots — even a traditional 12-gram cylinder is usually enough for several dozen; and some models use containers for 88 g of carbon dioxide. At the same time, the rifles themselves are cheaper than PCP, but have less power. It is also worth noting the rather specific characteristics of carbon dioxide as an energy source. On the one hand, it maintains working pressure for quite a long time — it does not decrease as long as liquid carbon dioxide remains in the cylinder. On the other hand, the actual gas pressure depends on the ambient air temperature, and the initial velocity of the bullet in such pneumatics can change significantly even with daily temperature fluctuations. And one of the clear disadvantages of such rifles is that you have to buy not only bullets for them, but also gas.

— AEG (electrically driven). Pneumatics that use an electric motor drive as a source of energy. In terms of the design of the working mechanism, it is similar to a spring-piston one — the basis of this mechanism is a cylinder and a spring-loaded piston. However, in this case, the piston is not pulled back manually, but with the help of the aforementioned electric motor. For the shooter, this means, first of all, that the rifle does not need to be cocked by muscle force — to fire, it is enough to press the trigger, the electric motor will do the rest. In addition, in such pneumatics, an automatic shooting mode can be easily provided (see below). Note that for a number of reasons, this operating principle is practically not found in traditional pneumatics, but it is very popular in airsoft models; such rifles ("drives") often copy real combat weapons.

The muzzle velocity provided by the rifle - that is, the speed of the bullet as it exits the barrel.

All other things being equal, a higher bullet speed provides greater range and accuracy, and also simplifies aiming at long distances: the bullet flies along a smoother trajectory and requires fewer adjustments in height, and the influence of side winds decreases with increasing speed. On the other hand, this indicator directly affects the price of the rifle; and in some countries, legal restrictions on the ownership of pneumatic weapons are also related to the muzzle velocity of the bullet.

As for specific values, in the weakest modern rifles the initial speed does not exceed 150 m/s, and in the most powerful it can be 300 - 350 m/s or even more(remember, the speed of sound is 330 m/s). In general, for recreational shooting at short distances, this parameter is not particularly important, and detailed recommendations for choosing pneumatics for more specific situations can be found in special sources. Let us only note that in AEG electric drives (see “Type”) the initial speed extremely rarely exceeds 150 m/s, but this is done solely for safety reasons: such “weapons” are intended for military-tactical games and initially involve shooting at people, and the high speed would be unsafe for players even with protective equipment.

It is also wor...th considering that this indicator is not strictly defined. In any type of pneumatic it depends on the weight of the bullet (the lighter the faster); therefore, in the characteristics it is usually customary to indicate a certain average velocity for standard ammunition (usually weighing 0.5 g, in AEG - 0.2 g). In addition, in multi-compression rifles the actual speed of the bullet is determined by the degree of inflation, in gas-cylinder rifles it is determined by the ambient temperature, and in PCP models it is possible to achieve higher speeds than declared by replacing the air with a special gas (for example, helium). Nevertheless, this characteristic makes it possible to evaluate the capabilities of the rifle and compare it with other models, including those that differ in type.

The muzzle energy provided by the rifle.

Muzzle energy is the kinetic energy of the bullet at the exit from the barrel. This energy, in turn, depends on two factors: the mass and the muzzle velocity of the bullet. Thus, this indicator directly describes the overall power of the rifle: higher muzzle energy allows you to effectively fire at longer distances and/or heavier ammunition. On the other hand, an increase in power accordingly affects the cost of weapons.

Note that muzzle energy can be grounds for legal restrictions on the purchase/use of pneumatics. So, in some countries in the post-Soviet space, the maximum value allowed for freely sold rifles is 7.5 J — a special permit will be required to purchase more powerful weapons. And most freely sold rifles in such regions have a power of the order of 3 – 5 J. Such legal restrictions should be clarified separately. Lower rates are found mainly among “soft” pneumatics for airsoft (airsoft), using 6 mm plastic balls. For such models, a value of more than 2 J is already considered very solid, and in games such rifles are used with a minimum distance limit — for example, 15 m or 20 m (so that a shot from too close a distance does not injure the player).

It is also worth saying that the claimed characteristics of air rifles may, at first glance, not correspond to physical calculations. For example, for a model for the same 7.5 J..., the initial speed of 250 m/s can be claimed in the characteristics; for a 4.5 mm bullet weighing 0.5 g (the average, most popular weight), this would correspond to an energy of as much as 15.6 J. However, there are no inconsistencies here: such characteristics mean that the muzzle velocity was measured for a lighter bullet (for example, 0 .2 g), which accelerates more strongly at the outlet of the barrel. Accordingly, with heavier ammunition, the speed will be lower; it can be determined using special formulas or online calculators.

The type of cocking system provided in the design of the rifle.

The cocking system is responsible for setting the trigger mechanism to the combat cocking position (ready to fire), and in the case of a multi-shot design, also for feeding the next bullet into the chamber. Such systems are usually divided by the control method. The options encountered today include, in particular, a barrel break, a lever ( side or under-barrel), a pump mechanism, a bolt(including such varieties as biathlon and bolt), and an automatic cocking system. Here are the main features of each of these systems:

— Barrel break. In rifles with this type of cocking, the barrel is fixed on a rotary axis, and folds down with each reload. In this case, not only the trigger mechanism is cocked, but the chamber also opens, allowing you to load the next bullet. This option is found exclusively in spring models - conventional and with a gas spring (see "Type"), it is with such rifles that the barrel break is most compatible. One of the key advantages of such systems is their low cost. In addition, "breaks" are very easy to use, do not require special skills and are suitable even for inexperienced shooters. So such pneumatics...are extremely popular these days. At the same time, they are usually made single-shot (with very rare exceptions), constant folding and unfolding of the barrel can be quite tedious, and the barrel mount tends to loosen as it wears out, which reduces accuracy and power.

— Automatic cocking. Systems that do not require any additional actions from the shooter to cock the weapon; found in PCP pneumatics (see "Type"), gas-cylinder models, and AEGs (the latter are by definition made only with automatic cocking). In accordance with the name, the cocking in such weapons is carried out automatically before each shot - as a rule, with the next bullet being sent into the chamber (although there are also single-shot models where the bullet must be inserted manually). In any case, the automatic cocking is extremely simple and easy to use. In addition, even fully automatic weapons can be created on the basis of such mechanisms (see "Automatic mode"), although most rifles with this feature still operate in the single-fire format. The disadvantages of such systems include the complexity of the design and the rather high cost, as well as the fact that air/gas is additionally consumed for the automatic cocking. This reduces the number of shots per charge, and can also reduce the initial velocity compared to similar models with manual reloading (however, the latter is typical mainly for gas-cylinder rifles).

— Under-barrel lever. Systems that use a lever under the barrel, which must be pressed down with each cocking. Like the barrel break described above, this method is used primarily with spring-piston mechanisms and gas springs. It is more convenient and reliable, since the rifle barrel remains stationary at all times, and its design does not include fasteners that can become loose and fail. On the other hand, the lever design is noticeably more complex and expensive than the break-action design, and therefore is quite rare.
Note that the pumping lever in multi-compression models (see "Type") is usually not responsible for cocking the weapon, so a different cocking method is specified for such rifles (although there are exceptions). And in gas-cylinder models, there is a special type of under-barrel lever - the so-called Henry bracket, like in classic cowboy Winchesters (in fact, such pneumatics usually just copy this weapon).

— Side lever. Systems that use a lever on the side of the rifle — usually on the right. They are found mainly in models with a spring-piston mechanism or a gas spring. As in the case of an under-barrel lever, the main advantage of this method is the immobility of the barrel, which contributes to accuracy and reliability. On the other hand, such a cocking system is usually made for right-handers and can be inconvenient when shooting from the left shoulder; in addition, a side lever is somewhat more difficult to fit into a design than an under-barrel lever. Therefore, this option has not become very popular.

— Bolt. Systems using a classic type of bolt handle — sliding back and forth. This type of cocking does not provide air pumping, and therefore is used only in gas-cylinder rifles, PCP, and some multi-compression models (see "Type"). Pneumatics with bolts are mainly made multi-shot — this is the very idea of such systems (feeding the next bullet from the magazine); however, there are exceptions. In general, this is a fairly simple, practical and reliable method of cocking, but nowadays more specific types of bolts are increasingly used — biathlon and bolt; they are listed separately in our catalog and described below.

— Biathlon bolt. A type of bolt (see above), copied from small-caliber biathlon rifles. In such systems, as in traditional bolt mechanisms, the cocking handle is located on the side and moves back and forth. The key difference is that this handle is fixed on a rotating mount and does not slide along the guides when reloading, but swings on the axis. The biathlon bolt differs from the similar in design side lever (see above) in its location (at the rear of the rifle), shorter lever length, and the fact that it does not provide air inflation. Many shooters consider this bolt more convenient than the classic one — in particular, it has a very small operating force, due to which you can move the lever without taking your eyes off the sight. And in some models, you don’t even need to remove your “shooting” hand from the handle to cock the bolt — just hook the lever with your index finger, pull it towards you with a light movement of the wrist, and then, if necessary, move it forward with your thumb. The biathlon bolt is used almost exclusively in PCP rifles (see "Type").

— Bolt action. A type of bolt (see above) that not only moves back and forth when reloading, but also rotates around its axis — similar to how it happens in many classic firearms like the Mosin rifle or Remington 700. In fact, the resemblance to real weapons is one of the key advantages of such systems: they are valued by fans of traditional rifles, and can also be good training simulators for developing basic shooting skills from more serious "bolt" weapons. Most pneumatics with such cocking systems are PCP or gas-cylinder, only a few models use the multi-compression principle (see "Type").

— Pump mechanism. Systems in which a movable fore-end is used for cocking — as in pump-action shotguns, hence the name. The main convenience of such systems is that cocking can be done without removing your hands from the weapon. On the other hand, the constant movement of the fore-end throws off the sight and has a negative effect on accuracy, so this cocking method is not particularly popular in air rifles.

The presence in the design of the rifle sling swivels — special loops or staples (usually metal) on which the weapon belt is attached. There are usually two such loops — in the front and back of the weapon. In this case, most often the swivels are installed on the underside of the butt and forearm; this design is universal, it allows both right-handed and left-handed people to use the belt with the same comfort. There are also models with a lateral location of the front swivel — usually on the left side of the forearm, under the right-handed hold; however, nowadays in such rifles it is often possible to rearrange the swivel to the other side. So if the pneumatic is bought for a left-hander and it is planned to equip it with a belt, it will not hurt to clarify the features of the sling swivels separately, however, most likely, their design will not create inconvenience.

The degree of magnification provided by the rifle's complete optical sight; for models with variable magnification, the entire adjustment range is indicated, for example 3 – 9x.

For sights of this type in general, see "Aiming Device". And several points depend on the degree of increase at once. On the one hand, a higher magnification allows you to better see small and/or distant targets and facilitates high-precision shooting; on the other hand, it limits the angle of view and significantly affects the cost of the sight, and sometimes also its dimensions and weight. And since air rifles are mostly not designed for long distances, the magnification of complete optics in them usually does not exceed 9x, and one of the most popular options is 4x. However, there are exceptions: in powerful high-end pneumatics, you can find sights with a maximum magnification of 24x and even higher.

Actually, the manufacturer most often selects the magnification of optics for the ballistic characteristics of the rifle. So, when choosing this parameter, it often turns out to be secondary, and it makes sense to focus primarily on the muzzle velocity of the bullet and the firing range for which the weapon is designed — usually, the capabilities of complete optics are quite enough for this. It is also worth mentioning the variable magnification sights mentioned at the beginning, which are quite common nowadays — they are somewhat more complicated and more expensive than fix...ed optics, but they allow you to adjust the magnification to the specifics of the situation.

The diameter of the front lens (objective) in the optical sight, which is equipped with a rifle.

For sights of this type in general, see "Aiming Device". And the diameter of the lens depends primarily on the amount of light entering the scope. Thus, other things being equal, a larger front lens produces a clearer and brighter image; this is especially noticeable in low light. On the other hand, a larger lens is noticeably more expensive, and it also affects the weight and dimensions of the sight; and in bright daylight, the difference from the “smaller” optics may not be fundamental. In addition, recall that the actual image quality is determined by a number of other factors; as a result, high-end optics with a relatively small front lens may well be more effective than a large low-cost model.

In view of the foregoing, it is worth paying attention to the diameter of the lens in cases where the sight is planned to be used in low light conditions — in a dense forest, at dusk, etc. In this case, it is worth considering not only this indicator, but also other features of the optics (and it is best to focus on practical reviews). If the rifle is bought for recreational use in the daytime in good light, the size of the lens will be a purely reference parameter: in such conditions, almost any optical sight works normally.

The ability to manually adjust the parallax in the complete optical sight of the rifle.

For sights of this type in general, see "Aiming Device". Parallax is a phenomenon that occurs when the shooter's eye is not on the optical axis of the sight (in other words, not strictly in the centre of the eyepiece). In such cases, the reticle in the eyepiece may also shift, and its apparent position may not coincide with the actual aiming point. To eliminate this effect, parallax adjustment is applied.

Any optical sight undergoes such adjustment at the factory. However, the physical features of this phenomenon are such that parallax can only be adjusted for a certain distance to the target; with significant deviations from this distance (more than 30% downward or 60% upward), parallax again begins to appear. So if you plan to use weapons at different distances, then it is best to have a sight on it with manual detuning from parallax. At the same time, it is worth noting that the complete optics in air rifles are usually adjusted to relatively short distances — at which these weapons are used; and deviations from these distances are rarely significant. Therefore, the parallax adjustment in standard pneumatic sights is rare — mainly among powerful long-range models that can deal with a wide variety of distances.

The working length of the rifle barrel is from the chamber where the bullet is loaded to the muzzle. The shortest barrels found nowadays have a length of just over 200 mm(and in some AEGs even less than this value); the longest reach 500 – 600 mm.

There is a stereotype that the muzzle velocity directly depends on the length of the barrel. In firearms, this is true — but not in pneumatics. Firstly, in such rifles, the initial velocity depends on a number of other indicators — pressure, the quality of the barrel treatment, the efficiency of the valves, etc. on the first 20 – 25 cm of the barrel, then the gas pressure drops noticeably. The exception is PCP rifles, in which the longer barrel really makes it easier to achieve high speeds. However, again, so many additional factors affect the final result that models with the same barrel length can differ markedly in initial speed.

The second common stereotype is that a longer barrel improves accuracy and accuracy. This is true in the context that a longer barrel allows for a greater distance between the front and rear sights, making it easier to aim carefully. Technical accuracy does not depend on the length, but on the quality of the barrel processing.

Summing up all of the above, we can say that the length of the barrel for an air rifle is more of a reference than a really significant paramete...r, and when choosing, it is better to focus on more "close to life" characteristics — first of all, directly claimed muzzle velocity.