Air Rifles Overview Part II- Spring Air Rifles
Spring powered air rifles- This type of air rifle uses a spring to compress air in a chamber. There are several different spring designs that should be discussed. They are as follows: break barrel, underlever, and side lever. With a break barrel design the barrel actually is hinged and you pull the barrel down which cocks the spring. Then you put a pellet directly into the barrel, swing it back into place and you are ready to fire. This is probably the most common type of spring powered air rifle. With a underlever, there is an actual cocking lever that runs underneath the barrel. To cock the gun you just pull down on the side lever which opens the breach where the pellet goes. Underlever and sidelever air rifles are nice because the barrel remains fixed in place which imporves accuracy. With sidelever air rifles there is a cocking lever on the right side of the airgun which you pull back on to cock the gun.
PROS- This is where the power is at. Any magnum powered air rifle uses a spring as its power source. The two biggest advantages for buying a spring powered rifle are power and ease of use. With a spring powered air rifle you only have to cock the gun once to achieve maximum power. Most "springers" as they are commonly reffered to are rated at 1000 FPS and can be used for small game hunting, target shooting, and pest control. Higher velocity means greater accuracy over longer distances so if you are going to be doing any hunting with your air rifle a springer would be the rifle of choice. They also come in .22 cal and .177 cal. If you don't know which caliber is right for you then read our article ".22 caliber pellet guns vs .177 pellet guns: Which caliber is best for you?"
CONS- There aren't a lot of cons with spring powered air rifles and that's probably why we sell more springers than anything else on our website. Some springers can be tough to cock for a younger person. Adult males will have no problem cocking the rifles but if you are buying the air rifle for your younger kids (Under 14) or wife make sure you know the cocking pressure before you buy. Most springers take about 25-30 lbs of pressure to cock. The more powerfull springers use a bigger spring and therefore are harder to cock. Some springers are specifically designed for easier cocking such as the Benjamin Legacy and Tech Force 97 air rifles. These two models are easier to cock yet still provide 900 -1000 FPS. The only other drawback is that all springer air rifles (with a few exceptions) are single shot which means you will have to load a pellet after each shot. Gamo makes a rifle called the Shadowmatic, which uses a unique loading tube that holds 9 pellets, and everytime you cock the gun a new pellet is loaded into the chamber so if single shot is a problem for you then take a look at this rifle. Read the Recommendations
RECOMMENDATIONS- Springers are our best selling type of air rifle and there is one to fit any budget. If you want to spend under $150 go with the Crosman Quest 1000x, Winchester 1000SB or Winchester 1000XS. All of these models come with a scope included so they are perfect for pest control or small game hunting. If you want a mid range rifle go for the Tech Force 99. It comes in a .22 or .177 cal and we have scoped versions available for both as well.. Gamo is another good brand. Gamo has just revamped their entire airgun line. They have some really cool models such as the new Viper Express Shotgun that doubles as a .22 cal and the new Varmint Hunter that comes with a scope, laser and torch light. If you want a premium rifle go with RWS or Beeman. Both of these brands offer a lifetime warranty. Specific models are the RWS 34 in either a .22 cal or .177 cal or a RWS 350 mag combo (available in both calibers) These rifles offer the best accuracy and power available with an outstanding warranty to back them up. In conclusion, spring powered air rifles are the best choice for hunting and pest control because of their power, accuracy and ease of use
