Airgun Depot's Airsenal News

When you get into airgunning, the incredible amount of different guns can be a bit mind-boggling. There are so many different kinds of airguns, different disciplines in shooting them, and quite an assortment of uses for them. However, there are really only two choices when it comes to deciding just how big an airgun you want.....do you want a pistol or a rifle?

To be fair, there are serious competition organizations, as well as Olympic events centered around both types. Some shooters compete in both areas, showing a shooting ability well beyond the average shooter. But if I were to take a guess, and this is only a guess, I would pick the rifle as the most popular airgun for the average shooter.

The rifle is a useful item in so many ways. Many airgun shooters buy one in order to have off-season practice when hunting season isn't in swing. Others buy it for the pest control aspects that it provides, having it serve double duty for pest control and small game hunting. And many a young lad and lass has grown up longing for a "pop gun", usually in a rifle configuration. The ubiquitous "bb gun" such as the Daisy Red Ryder has ushered many a youngster into the shooting ranks of airgun enthusiasts. And the rifle is an easier airgun to master than the pistol.

You don't find a whole lot of pistols that generate the power needed for pest control and small game hunting. They are out there, to be sure, but a large portion of the pistol airguns are designed for "fun shooting" at very short ranges. For pest control and small game hunting, longer range and higher power levels are the order of the day, and that brings the shooter back to the rifle.

Rifles also come in enough different sizes that the buyer can buy rifles of shorter length that still deliver the power needed. For instance, you can get carbine versions of many rifles that have barrels anywhere from 2" to 8" shorter. This may not seem like much, but when you are trying to fit an airgun under the seat of a vehicle, or store it in an innocuous place, that difference in length matters. And since the powerplant is still that of a rifle, your energy levels are not affected nearly as much as if you were going to replace your rifle with a pistol. And if you are dealing with PCP's, your shot count still remains higher than that of any pistol.

Now, to praise the airgun pistol, let's look at some positives they have. They are compact,  easy to carry, and for the pure "fun" factor, hard to beat! There is something about pistol shooting that equates with enormous fun for most shooters, though precision shooting with a pistol is a discipline in itself. But if you want to roll a can, perforate some paper, or relax shooting flies off an old sweet roll, pistols deliver a great time. Sneak one into a backpack while hiking, and you can entertain yourself on rest stops. In an emergency, a small air pistol may help you obtain nourishment in the form of small critters.

Some pistols that I have owned are: Crosman 1377, Crosman 1322, RWS 5G, IZH-46M, Crosman Mark I, Gamo Compact, Crosman 2240, a custom 2240-based PCP pistol, and a few other custom bigbore pistols in 9mm, .45, and .50 caliber. These larger caliber pistols are rare and only truly shine in hunting situation where enormous power from an airgun is called for. However, the others that I mentioned are all great shooters, aiding me in passing leisure time as well as harvesting mice, squirrels, rabbits, and pest birds. 

Airgun Depot has a wide selection of available airguns, both pistols and rifles. It is up to you, the shooter, to determine your specific needs. If you have questions as to what I or others may recommend, please feel free to post a question regarding your circumstances, and we will do our best to give you our suggestions.