Comparison Beeman Teton GR 4x32 vs Beeman Kodiak Gas Ram 4x32

The type of sight the rifle is originally equipped with. Note that many models allow the installation of other sights — in addition to standard sights or to replace them. And the optics or collimator can initially be combined with a mechanical sight (front sight + rear sight), which in such cases plays the role of a spare. However, these features are not available in every rifle, so when choosing, it is best to focus on the type of complete sight.

Nowadays, in addition to the traditional sighting bar with a front sight, in air rifles you can find diopter, optical and collimator sights, and in some models regular sights are completely absent. Here are the features of each of these options:

— Aiming bar and front sight. Devices in the form of a front sight and a rear sight, which has the form of a horizontal bar with a slot; when aiming, you need to combine these devices so that the front sight is visible exactly in the middle of the slot and flush with its edges. Such sights are extremely popular in modern pneumatics: they are as simple as possible, inexpensive, compact and reliable, besides they do not depend on batteries and are quite resistant to shock and shock. In addition, the front sight with a bar is not as restrictive as an optic or a collimator, and is better suited for shooting at moving targets. The main dis...advantage of this option can be called the fact that effective aiming requires a certain skill — after all, you need to control not only the aiming itself at the target, but also the relative position of the front sight and the slot. On the other hand, this moment can turn out to be a virtue — in particular, when learning to shoot: having learned how to shoot effectively with such devices, the shooter will feel quite confident with other types of sights. It is also worth noting that the front sight does not give any magnification — this makes it difficult to shoot at small and/or distant targets; however, again, this feature is not always a clear disadvantage.

— Diopter sight. A kind of mechanical sighting devices (that is, front and rear sights), using the diopter principle of operation. The rear sight in such devices is a plate with a small hole through which the shooter looks at the front sight. Such a rear sight is easier to use than a traditional slotted rail, especially for beginners: even without special skills, the shooter subconsciously chooses the position of the eye in which the front sight will be in the centre of the hole (as it should be when aiming). In addition, the small aperture gives a slight zoom effect and enhances target definition, which is especially important at longer distances. On the other hand, diopters noticeably limit the view, are poorly suited for low-light conditions and are easily clogged with various contaminants. Therefore, this type of sight is used extremely rarely in pneumatics — mainly in powerful long-range rifles, mainly for sports purposes.

— Optical sight. Traditional optical sights in the form of a "spyglass" with a reticle applied in the field of view of the shooter. Initially created for high-precision long-range shooting, mainly at fixed targets; in the same role are used for pneumatics. However not every air rifle with optics is a powerful long-range weapon — there are also relatively “weak” models. But even such pneumatics can be a good training tool for high-precision shooting: a small distance in this case can be compensated for by a small target size. On the other hand, optics significantly affect the price of the rifle and require careful handling. Of its features, it is also worth noting that such sights necessarily have a certain magnification; due to this, they allow you to better consider small targets at the same time limit the field of view. It should also be borne in mind that optics are not well suited for offhand shooting and require careful insertion: the eye must be exactly on the optical axis of the sight, otherwise the aiming point may not coincide with the point of impact.

— Collimator sight. The working part of a collimator sight is a glass window onto which a luminous aiming mark is projected using a special optical system — a dot, crosshairs, a circle with a dot, etc. Sights of this type usually do not have magnification and are intended for shooting at short distances, including on moving targets and offhand. So in application, the collimator is similar to the front sight with the whole; and its key advantage lies in ease of use: no need to combine the front sight and the slot, just find the aiming mark in the window and aim it at the target. At the same time, unlike optics, it is not necessary to keep the eye strictly opposite the centre of the sight: the parallax effect (see "Adjusting parallax") in collimators is very weak, if not absent at all. The main disadvantage of this type of sights is that they require batteries to operate; in addition, collimators are noticeably more expensive than traditional mechanical sights, and also require more careful handling (although they are still less delicate than optics).
It's worth noting that these attachments are especially popular with airsoft guns like most AEGs (see "Type"): collimators are great for fast-paced fights.

— Is absent. The absence of any sighting devices in the original delivery set — there are only mounts for installing such devices. See below for more details on the different types of fasteners; here we note that such equipment does not allow the use of a rifle “out of the box”, however, it makes it possible to choose a sight for it at your discretion, without relying on the choice of the manufacturer. This is especially true if you plan to use optics — nowadays a wide variety of such sights are produced, for different tasks and usage scenarios. Actually, most air rifles without a scope are designed just for the installation of optics, although the possibility of using collimators is often also allowed; and in airsoft pneumatics, removable front sights with rear sights are also used.
It is worth noting that spring-piston rifles and models with a gas piston have a specific double recoil, which not every sight is able to transfer — even if it can be used with powerful firearms. So when looking for optics or a collimator for such pneumatics, you should be especially careful — for it you need to choose sights that were originally designed for such rifles.

The type of safety provided in the design of the rifle.

Recall that the fuse is a device that prevents an unwanted shot. In air rifles, such a device can be automatic or manual, and in some models it is absent altogether. Here are the features of each option:

— Manual. Fuse, switched on and off exclusively manually, at the will of the shooter. The most common variety — such mechanisms are as simple and inexpensive as possible. They are somewhat less safe than automatic ones (see below) and require more careful attention; however, it is not difficult to develop the skill to properly handle the manual safety. And in multi-shot models, the advantage of manual safety over automatic is that there is no need to make unnecessary actions between shots.

— Automatic. A fuse that, at a certain moment, works automatically, without additional actions on the part of the shooter. Most often, such systems operate in this way: the weapon automatically becomes on the safety lock after the trigger is cocked, and in order to make a shot, you must first turn off the safety lock manually. This provides more safety than in the manual systems described above: if the shooter forgets about the fuse, the shot will not happen anyway. Particularly popular are automatic safety locks in cocked rifles due to a broken barrel (see "Cocking System"): such a mechanism does not allow you to pull the trigger until the shooter has completed relo...ading. But in other types of pneumatics, this option is rare.
In addition, this category may include systems that are not fuses in the original sense of the word — for example, a mechanism that prevents the bullet from feeding into the chamber of a PCP rifle (see “Type”) if there is already a charge there.

— Is absent. No separate fuse. A similar design is found in two varieties of air rifles. The first is low-cost models with a spring principle of operation (including those with a gas spring; see "Type"). In such models, the fuse is abandoned solely to simplify and reduce the cost of construction; it is worth buying such a rifle only if the future owner knows the safety rules when handling weapons.
The second type of pneumatics without fuses are high-end PCP rifles designed for professional shooters. Similarly, the role of the "fuse" when using such weapons is played exclusively by the skills and experience of the user himself.

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.

— Tree. A classic material used in firearms and then pneumatic weapons since ancient times (in fact, since its inception). Wooden stocks are strong enough on their own, and in modern rifles they are also amenable to special treatment to protect against dampness, temperature changes, etc .; while the rifles have a nice appearance in a classic style. At the same time, the wood is prone to abrasion, scratches easily appear on it, and there is a possibility of cracks. When used in simple conditions, such as periodic "shooting" in the country, this does not matter, however, for example, a wooden stock is not suitable for hunting — at least because it will quickly lose its "presentation". At the same time, this material is also somewhat more expensive and more difficult to process than plastic that is more resistant to “troubles”. Therefore, today the tree is used mainly in pneumatics of the middle and upper price range and is designed for those who are primarily interested in the aesthetics of weapons.

— Plastic. One of the most popular materials for the manufacture of modern pneumatics. Such stocks are easy to manufacture and inexpensive, while the plastic can be given a rather complex shape without any problems, which, in particular, facilitates the installation of various adjustment systems (see “Cheek Adjustment”, “Butt / Stock Adjustment”). However, its main advantage is practicality: this materia...l is resistant to impacts, cracks and scratches, comparable in strength to wood (or even superior) and has a small weight. As a result, plastic has become widespread in almost all price ranges.

— Aluminium. A fairly advanced material that combines low weight and high strength. On the other hand, aluminium stocks for classic pneumatics are generally expensive, and therefore are used mainly in high-end professional models (although there are exceptions). But in airsoft rifles that copy real weapons, the situation is somewhat different: there aluminium can be used as a simpler and more affordable alternative to steel (from which gunshot prototypes are made).