Air Rifles

Although there was a period in the modern era in which air rifles came to be associated with youngsters in the minds of many people, air rifles have a long and often quite fascinating history. Far from being a sort of junior rifle for kids, air rifles are serious guns, capable of doing serious tasks.

Air rifles have their start in the 15th century, when gunpowder based weapons were still being perfected for common usage. In fact, during that early era of firearms, the air rifle was more dependable than its gunpowder counterpart, and offered several distinct advantages.

One of the most important of those advantages was that it could be used in inclement weather conditions with more dependability. There's a reason that the gunslingers of old were told to keep their powder dry – it won't work dependably when damp and not at all when wet.

In addition, air rifles had to flash, no smoke and were quieter than gunpowder loaded weapons, making them the favored choice of military snipers of the era in Europe. Air rifles were a part of the military weaponry of several European nations. In the 1700's, there were air guns that could make 20 shots per minute and could kill at a distance of 100 yards.

In addition to the usage of air rifles by the military, air guns were a popular form of personal protection. Wealthy men carried canes or walking sticks that's real purpose was to conceal an air gun capable of causing lethal harm from 50 yards away. Air rifles were routinely used for hunting game ranging in size from rabbits to deer, and even were used to hunt the notoriously tough wild boar.

Technology has allowed air rifles to become more powerful than ever before, and they are still used for hunting in various regions. They've also become an important part of competition shooting, from the most basic events right through to the Olympic competitions.

Air rifles have been an important type of rifle for hundreds of years, serving many purposes. Air rifles, through their performance and dependability through the centuries, have earned a special place in both gun history and modern use.

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