3 Dangerous Assumptions People Make About Air Guns
If you enjoy target practice and sports shooting and want a little more bang for your buck than what a typical BB gun can provide, along with an added layer of convenience, your next investment will probably be an air rifle. Air rifles use cartridge pressurized air to propel a pellet from the chamber at a high rate of speed, which means you're not left pumping up between shots and you get a greater level of power behind every load. While these guns are still not technically considered firearms, they do have some safety rules that must be followed. Take a look at these dangerous assumptions people tend to make about air guns.
Assumption: Air guns are a good investment for younger shooters.
Fact: Air guns are generally considered the same as BB guns by parents, but they are far from the same. Air guns have much more shooting power and come with a higher level of safety responsibility. Therefore, it is best to start a young target shooter off with a BB gun and have them graduate to an air gun when they are much older.
Assumption: There is no need to keep air guns locked away in a cabinet.
Fact: Air guns can be just as dangerous as a regular firearm in the hands of someone who has no idea what they are doing or is not fully skilled in gun safety. When air guns are not in use, it is best that they remain unloaded and locked away in a safe place just like traditional firearms.
Assumption: Air guns don't have the power to wound someone.
Fact: A high-powered air gun can have just as much velocity and power as a small rifle or pistol that operates with gunpowder-based ammunition. Therefore, a pellet shot from an air rifle could easily wound someone seriously. Unlike most BB guns, the pellet will be propelled from the chamber at such a high rate of speed that shooting at anything other than targets is dangerous. These air guns are sometimes even used for hunting small game, such as rabbits and squirrels.
In the end, an air gun may be just as easy to obtain as a BB gun, but these guns do require knowledge of safe use and gun safety before they are used. Talk to your local air gun and pellet rifle dealer for more safety instructions associated with using these air-powered guns.
