Shooting sports is a group of competitive and recreational sporting activities involving proficiency tests of accuracy, precision and speed in shooting — the art of using ranged weapons, mainly small arms and bows/crossbows.
An air gun or airgun is a gun that uses energy from compressed air or other gases that are mechanically pressurized and then released to propel and accelerate projectiles, similar to the principle of the primitive blowgun. This is in contrast to a firearm, which shoots projectiles using energy generated via exothermic combustion (deflagration) of chemical propellants, most often black powder or smokeless powder.
Airsoft, also known as survival game in Japan where it was popular, is a team-based shooting game in which participants eliminate opposing players out of play by shooting them with spherical plastic projectiles shot from airsoft guns.
A BB gun is a type of air gun designed to shoot metallic spherical projectiles called BBs, which are approximately the same size as BB-size lead birdshot used in shotguns. Modern BB guns usually have a smoothbore barrel with a 4.5 mm (0.177 in) caliber, and use steel balls that measure 4.3–4.4 mm (0.171–0.173 in) in diameter and 0.33–0.35 g (5.1–5.4 gr) in weight, usually zinc- or copper-plated for corrosion resistance. Some manufacturers still make the slightly larger traditional lead balls that weigh around 0.48–0.50 g (7.4–7.7 gr), which are generally intended for use in rifled barrels.
Several sister companies that design and manufacture firearms use the brand name SIG Sauer. The original company, Schweizerische Waggonfabrik (SWF), later Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft (SIG), went through several selloffs, leaving the SIG Sauer brand spread over several companies. The original SIG is now known as SIG Combibloc Group and no longer has any firearms business.
A slug is a term used for a bulky solid ballistic projectile. It is "solid" in the sense of being composed of one piece; the shape can vary widely, including partially hollowed shapes. The term is occasionally applied to bullets, but is most commonly applied to one-piece shotgun slugs, to differentiate them from shotshells containing numerous shots. Slugs are commonly fired from choked smoothbore barrels, but some specially-designed slug barrels have riflings that can impart gyroscopic spin required for in-flight stability.
A pneumatic weapon is a weapon that fires a projectile by means of air pressure, similar in principle to the operation of pneumatic tube delivery systems. The term comes from a Greek word for "wind" or "breath" (πνεῦμα).
Accurizing is the process of improving the accuracy and precision of a gun.
Weihrauch & Weihrauch GmbH & Co. KG is a German manufacturer of target and sporting air rifles, air pistols, cartridge rifles and pistols. In North America, they are often distributed under the Beeman brand name.
Airsoft guns are replica guns used in airsoft sports. They are a special type of low-power smoothbore air guns designed to shoot non-metallic spherical projectiles (bb) often colloquially referred to as "BBs", which are typically made of plastic or biodegradable resin materials. Airsoft gun powerplants are designed to have low muzzle energy ratings and the pellets have significantly less penetrative and stopping powers than conventional airguns, and are generally safe for competitive sporting and recreational purposes if proper protective gear is worn.
Feinwerkbau, often abbreviated FWB, is a German manufacturer of firearms and air guns aimed mainly at competitive ISSF shooting events, including some contested at the Olympic Games as governed by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF).
Daisy Outdoor Products is an American airgun manufacturer known particularly for their lines of BB guns. It was formed in 1882 initially as the Plymouth Iron Windmill Company in Plymouth, Michigan, to manufacture steel windmills, and from 1888 started bundling BB-caliber air guns with each windmill purchase as a sales promotion. With the unrivaled popularity of their 1888-model Daisy BB Guns, the company changed the name to Daisy Manufacturing Company in 1895 and switched their business to solely producing air guns for sale. Throughout the 20th century, Daisy has been known as a company that makes and sells BB guns and pellet youth rifles. Their Red Ryder BB Gun is perhaps the best known and longest production item, which has been featured in many TV shows and movies since its introduction in the spring of 1940.
The Crosman NightStalker is the first semi-automatic air rifle featuring blowback action. Released in the United States in 2005, the NightStalker uses an 88 gram CO2 powerlet as its power source.
Umarex Sportwaffen GmbH & Co. KG is a German manufacturer of air guns, tear-gas and signal pistols, paintball markers under the RAM brand and airsoft guns, based in Arnsberg, North Rhine-Westphalia. The firm was founded in 1972.
A pellet is a non-spherical projectile designed to be shot from an air gun, and an airgun that shoots such pellets is commonly known as a pellet gun. Air gun pellets differ from bullets and shot used in firearms in terms of the pressures encountered; airguns operate at pressures as low as 50 atmospheres, while firearms operate at thousands of atmospheres. Airguns generally use a slightly undersized projectile that is designed to obturate upon shooting so as to seal the bore, and engage the rifling; firearms have sufficient pressure to force a slightly oversized bullet to fit the bore in order to form a tight seal. Since pellets may be shot through a smoothbore barrel, they are often designed to be inherently stable, much like the Foster slugs used in smoothbore shotguns.
The Crosman model 1377 is a single-shot, bolt-action, pneumatic .177 caliber pellet gun, featuring a rifled steel barrel and imitation wood checkered plastic grips. The 1377 was introduced in 1977, and has been in continuous production ever since. A separately available shoulder stock converts the rather long pistol into a carbine. The 1377 is not a competition level target airgun, but its long-rifled barrel makes it fairly accurate.
The TPX/TiPX is a magazine fed paintball pistol made by Tippmann. New to the paintball pistol market, Tippmann released the TPX in 2009. This paintball marker uses an air system that allows for 12 gram CO2 cartridges to be placed underneath the barrel. This was meant to eliminate bulk in the grip of the marker caused by placing the CO2 cartridge in the magazines. In 2011,Tippmann changed the name of the pistol to the TiPX to market all the improved parts at that time, as well as differentiate it from the TPX baseball line by Louisville Slugger.
The Crosman model 1322Medalist .22 Caliber Pellet Air Pistol was a single-shot, bolt-action loading, pneumatic pump-action .22-caliber air pistol, featuring a button-rifled 10.1-in. (256 mm) steel barrel and checkered plastic grips. The 1322 was introduced in 1977 by Crosman as a general-purpose air pistol for target practice and small game hunting. It was in production, in three separate manufacturing versions, until 2004, when it was discontinued from sale in the U.S.A. In 2012 the gun has been reintroduced by Crosman.
Sheridan Products Inc. was an American air gun manufacturing company. It was purchased by the Benjamin Air Rifle Company in 1977, and later purchased by Crosman in 1994.
FX Airguns AB is a Swedish manufacturer of air rifles based in Mariestad, Västra Götaland. Founded by Fredrik Axelsson in 1999, the company is known for its extensive line of competition and hunting pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) rifles.
