How a pistol works: its device and principle of operation - Setafi

The most popular airgun is the air pistol. They are used for entertainment, and for training, and even to prepare for shooting competitions. If you want to understand the field of pneumatic weapons, then read on about the design of an air pistol, their types and principle of operation.

Standard elements of each air pistol. Structurally, every professional air pistol repeats after some kind of firearm. The basic blocks of the gun include:

• Impact mechanism
• Trigger system
• Air supply unit
• Self-locking system
• Cartridge/Charge Feeding System
• Trunk

Analysis of each element / system of an air pistol, their principle of operation:

Impact mechanism

This is a set of elements that, when the trigger is pressed, release a portion of compressed air. After pressing the hook, the spring is released, which presses on the screw from the lamellar thrust. They transmit force to the valve, which keeps the gas in the cylinder. Then the valve opens slightly, air is released, it enters the working chamber, filling it, and a shot occurs.

Trigger system

A set of pistol elements that contain the spring. The trigger system keeps the gun in combat condition. The main elements of the trigger system are the trigger, with which the user interacts, and the plate that holds the spring. There are several types of trigger mechanism:

• Single - most often used in revolvers, cam pistols. In such models, in order to shoot, the user must cock the trigger himself.
• Double - standard self-cocking, the system is thought out so that the trigger is automatically cocked to firing position after each shot, until the user returns it to a neutral state.
• Mixed - the rarest system, both past solutions are implemented in it, you can switch between them if you wish.

It is worth noting a modification of the classic double trigger system - the shot will occur when the gas cocks the mainspring. In this case, you can not return the trigger to the neutral position.

Air supply unit

A system of elements that supply portions of compressed gas to the working chamber (an analogue of the combustion chamber of a firearm). There are several ways how gas is supplied to the chamber. The simplest and most popular is the quick opening of the valve after the trigger is hit.

The second way is pumping gas. Before firing, you yourself pump gas into the working chamber. But since the pressure in the cylinder is too high, the gas first passes through the reducer. It stabilizes the gas pressure and launches it into the chamber. With this method, the speed of the bullet can be different due to the different amount of gas in the chamber.

Sealing system

A set of pneumatic pistol elements that provide sealing and locking of the bolt with the barrel and working chamber. If it weren't there, the force of the bullet's departure would be several times less due to gas leakage. That is, this system ensures the sealing of the gun so that the gas does not escape, and its pressure gives the bullet maximum acceleration.

The locking system in different models is made in different ways. The most popular is piston with sealing gaskets. There is also a system with retractable bushings and an offset barrel / its tube.

Cartridge/Charge Feeding System

Roughly speaking, this is a store. In pneumatics, it is of three types:

• Drum (as in revolvers, holds up to 12 charges)
• Slotted Linear Plate
• Combat, pistol (classic magazine, cartridges / bullets are pressed by a spring that pushes them out)

There is also a single-shot pneumatic - they do not use a cartridge feed / magazine system. The user independently puts each cartridge into the socket.

Trunk

The simplest and most understandable element of an air pistol is, in fact, just a tube, sometimes with springs. Barrel tubes are either made of durable plastic or steel, usually stainless steel. Plastic tubes are popular because they are easy to make and cheaper. However, they are also less effective, and over time they stretch from the impact of bullets, due to which accuracy is lost. Steel tubes are better in this regard, they do not stretch from such bullets. There are two types of steel tubes - smoothbore and rifled. Rifled ones are distinguished by the fact that there are notches inside, thanks to which the bullet twists, because of this it stabilizes, flies farther and hits more accurately.

Types of pneumatic pistols and their principle of operation

Speaking about the principle of operation of an air pistol, you need to find out its type, because the principle of operation of air pistols is different, depending on the type:

• Gas - on the basis of their principle of operation, the elements of the gun were disassembled above. They work like this: the trigger holds the mainspring. Once pressed, it is released, triggering multiple elements. They eventually release the valve of the gas cylinder. The gas from it is pumped into a sealed chamber, completely filling it. Such a large amount of gas pushes the projectile out of the gun, and a shot occurs. After everything returns to its place, the trigger is automatically cocked and you can fire again.
• Piston - the easiest to understand principle of operation, but also the weakest. The user manually compresses the spring using a special lever. The piston holds the spring in the firing position. In order for the piston to release the spring, you need to pull the trigger, after which the design of the spring, piston and cuff will quickly compress the air of the working chamber, which will push the bullet out.
• Compression – improved piston principle of operation: retract the lever connected to the piston, which compresses the spring. The pressurized chamber is pressurized. When the trigger is pressed, the piston is released, the spring pushes it out, increasing the pressure, which pushes the bullet out, and the shot occurs. When the pressure in the working and inlet chambers is equal, the piston will automatically return to its starting position.
• With pre-pumping - they are distinguished by a high speed of bullets at the exit (280-350 meters per second). There is a gas cylinder, the pressure in which is 300 atmospheres. The user pumps gas into the working chamber, and a shot occurs. Leaving the cylinder, the gas passes through the reducer. It stabilizes his pressure. Pre-inflated pneumatics produce more shots with consistent performance from the same cylinder as gas.