Terminology?

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Linefinder

Member
Jul 5, 2019
15
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Colorado
I'm new here, and new to air guns. I'm very experienced with firearms, but it seems air guns and firearms are worlds apart.

Anyway, I'm here to learn and doing my best to do so. But, the major roadblock seems to be complete unfamiliarty with airgun terminology and slang.

For example, I don't know the difference between a pumper and a springer....I think that's pretty basic from what I can gather. But I'm still clueless.

If anyone would care to translate a few basic terms for me, I'd be very grateful.

Thanks in advance!
 
Welcome to AGN. Airguns may seem like a black art to the new guy - but you will get up to speed quickly. 

Piston powered guns use a spring or a nitrogen filled strut to drive a piston into a compression chamber - which causes an high pressure column of air to push a pellet out of the breach and into the barrel. Most often called "springer" guns -I generally use the term "piston guns".

A pumper is a gun that has an on board air tank that stores air for one shot usually. The pump action loads pressure into the gun. These can be shot with variable power, more pumps = more power.



Don't be afraid to ask - there are a lot of good guys here who can get you an answer.


 
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Thanks for the replies!

I'm a constant user of google, and it's very helpful in most cases. OTOH, if you don't already have some concept of "ballistic coefficient" or know that it's often referred to simply as BC, google can lead you on some pretty strange goose chases.

"You don't know what you don't know". Sad, but true.
Click to expand...


Kind of like trying to look up a word in the dictionary, that you don't know how to spell.
 
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A few fine details on what has been well stated above. "Springers" can be break barrel, underlever, or SIDE LEVER (possibly other arrangements but none I'm familiar with). They generally depend on a single cock to compress a spring (or gas ram as noted although it is not specifically a "spring gun" then but very similar) and not on where/how it is cocked. Pumpers can be single pump only (Beeman P17 as an example) or multi pump (Webley Alecto, Crosman 1377/1322 models, as well as many rifles). Many multi pump guns will shoot with a single pump or some number above that. Webley Alecto shoots well with 1 to 3 pumps while Crosman guns generally need a few more pumps minimum to shoot well and those can be pumped many times, especially when modified.
 
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On the PCP side you have Regulated or Unregulated simply put a regulated gun has an air regulator installed at the valve that will only allow a set amount of air into the breach when the trigger is pulled, What this does is make it so there is no power curve and so the gun shoots the pellets at the same velocity every time. 

On a Unregulated gun the spring tension on the hammer and the amount of air pressure in the tank balances itself out creating a "power curve" when a tank is at full pressure many times for the first set of shots you will start at a lower muzzle velocity as the pressure drops the hammer can keep keep the valve open longer allowing more air into the chamber creating a top end of your power curve then once the air pressure drops below a certain point that curve will drop fairly quickly.

The Plenom (yikes forgot the spelling) is the amount of air available behind the valve 

P.S 

While Springer can be a generalized term for any single cock power plant there are two different types of power plants in that category spring and gas both have there own learning curve to shoot accurately since the recoil happens before the pellet leaves the barrel

The only dumb question is the one not asked if you see a term used in a post feel free to ask questions. I think I can speak for Michael and 99.9999999% of the members in saying that is the whole reason for this forum, he has spent a huge amount of time and love into this place to make it a safe place to ask and learn. 

Your questions don't just help you! They may also help the next guy who didn't know and it also helps those who do know to remember that there will be those that don't. And to be honest more than once when I've explained or taught someone something I've also learned something 
 
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Hmmm.....hadn't thought of that. Recoil (as to shoulder pain) in an air gun is negligible. A 75 grain V-Max leaving a 6mm Rem at 3700 fps is pretty much out the barrel (discounting barrel time) and recoil is something that happens after the fact. I'm starting to sort of get that recoil in an airgun occurs "during barrel time".

That'll certainly affect accuracy. That explains a lot. 

Yep.....airguns are a lot different than centerfires. 

Thanks. I've already learned a lot today.

Mike
 
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