Airgun terminology

AAFTA: American Airgun Field Target Association.

Adjustable Objective: The adjustment on a rifle scope that allows the parallax to be adjusted to ensure the target is in perfect focus. Typically this adjustment is on the front of a rifle scope and has a distance marking on the adjustment bell.

Action: Moving parts used to cock, compress air, load, and fire an Airgun.

ACCESSORY RAIL: A metal track intended for mounting hand stops or slings.

ACCURACY: The ability of an airgun to consistently group a serious of shots within a diameter as small as possible, at a given distance under optimal conditions. Accuracy does not take into account human error or environment conditions such as wind and elevation.

Adjustable Power: An Airgun that allows the shooter to change the muzzle velocity and accuracy of the shots. Airforce Airguns feature an adjustable power wheel. This allows the shooter to adjust the rifle to the grain weight of the pellet/slug.

Air Bottle: See ‘Reservoir’

Airgun: An Airgun is any gun that uses compressed air which is stored in the gun until the time of firing. The air is released behind the projectile which propels it down the barrel. Any gun that launches projectiles using compressed air rather than producing gases burning propellant is considered to be an Airgun. This can be achieved by various means. Most common types are C02 cartridges Manual pumping systems, Attached high-pressure tanks, and Powerful springs/ gas piston springs.

AIR RIFLE: An airgun (also air rifle or air pistol) is a rifle or pistol that fires a projectile by means of compressed air or other gases. Most airguns use metallic projectiles as ammunition.

AIR RIFLE SCOPE: Designed as a rifle scope but sturdy enough for double recoil of a spring piston air rifle and normally for parallax within 10 yards.

Ammo: See ‘Ammunition’

Ammunition: (Airgun related) Lead pellets or slugs that can be shot from an air gun.

Aperture Sight: This sight is also called “Peep Sight”. Consists of a small hole through which the sighting eye looks at both the front sight and the target.

ASA: Airgun Sporting Association – https://airgunsporting.org/

Automatic: The capability of a gun to fire continuously with only one action on the shooters part.

Backstop: Any barrier that prevents projectiles from traveling further than desired distances.

Ballistic: The behavior of a projectile from launch, travel, and impact.

BALLISTIC COEFFICIENT: A measure of how a projectile decelerates during its flight through the air due to drag. It is an important and useful concept that is used for ballistics calculations. The higher the BC, the more aerodynamic the pellet will be, and the smaller the BC of a pellet, the greater its air resistance.

Barrel: The steel tube through which projectiles travel when they are fired. Barrels can be rifled or smooth bore.

Barrel Shroud: A metal tube that surrounds the barrel to contain the muzzle blast. Target rifles have had shrouds for decades to extend the distance between front and rear sights, but Airforce Airguns pioneered their use in 2001 with the TalonSS air rifle to reduce the muzzle report.

BB: A small round steel ball for air rifle ammunition used with smooth bore barrels.

BB Gun: A smooth bore air rifle that shoots BB’s.

Big Bore: An airgun caliber that is .30 caliber and larger.

Bipod: A two-legged stand or support for a rifle.

Bore: The inside of the barrel of a gun.

Breakbarrel: A Spring piston gun that uses the barrel as a lever to cock the piston.

Breech: The rear portion of a gun, often found at the rear of the barrel where ammunition is inserted.

Bullet: A single projectile

Bullpup: An air rifle which the action is located behind the trigger instead of in front of it.

Butt stock: The end of the rifle that rests against the shoulder. The rear stock of the rifle.

Buttplate: A plate covering the airguns butt.

C-T-C: Center to Center

CALIBER: The numerical value of an approximation of a pellet diameter, measured in inches or millimeters.

Carbon Fiber Air Tank: The outer layer of the tank is wrapped with a carbon fiber in a specific pattern to enhance its strength and ability to withstand high pressure. Inside, these tanks usually have an aluminum liner which holds pressurized gas.

Chamber: The cavity of the gun located behind the breech where ammo can be loaded.

Checkering: Carving of wood that leaves diamond-shaped protrusions to assist in gripping the gun. Also used for decoration.

Cheek Piece: The raised area of a gun stock to support the shooters cheeks.

Choked Barrel: The portion of the barrel where its diameter is tapered for reduction imparting more contact with the ammo.

Compact PCP Air Rifle: Light weight compact Airgun that works using a reservoir or compressed air tank usually filled from an external compressed air cylinder, source such as a handpump or scuba tank.

Crown: The exposed end of the muzzle on a barrel.

Custom Stock: A custom stock is a bespoke component tailored specifically to your physical dimensions and shooting style.

Cylinder: A removable air or gas reservoir.

DEFLECTION: The change in the path of a projectile due to passing through a medium or can also can be caused by wind.

Diabolo: The European name given to modern pellets with a wasp-waist and hollow skirt.

Diopter: A term for an aperture sight, also known as a ‘Peep Sight’.

Dovetail: Two parallel grooves that allow for easy clamping of accessories.

Elevation: Adjusting the gun barrel higher to compensate for the pellet drop when shooting long ranges.

ENERGY: Kinetic energy of a projectile. Measured n Foot/Pounds or Joules.

Eye Relief: The distance measured from the lens of a scope behind a rifle’s scope’s eyepiece to the shooter’s eye at which you can see a full sight picture.

Eyepiece: The section of the scope that contains the ocular lens.

FAC: Firearms certificate permit to legally own an Airgun over 12 foot-pounds of muzzle energy.

FEET PER SECOND (FPS): Unit of measurement of the speed a projectile flies. Also see Meters Per Second and Velocity.

FFP: First Focal Plane, where the reticle is located so that when adjusting for magnification the reticle changes in size.

Fiber Optic: Thin threads of plastic attached to front and rear sights that transmits light providing the shooter better aim in low light.

Field of View: The width of the rifle scope’s sight picture of 100 yards or 100 meters. A wider field of view makes it easier to spot game.

Fill Device: Connectors, hoses, and gauge used to fill a pre-charged pneumatic Airgun. Also called fill clamp or refill system.

Foot- Pounds: The energy of a moving pellet depending on the pellet weight and velocity.

Forearm: The forward part of a rifle stock that is gripped by the non-firing hand.

Field of View: With a scope, it is the size of the area that can be seen at 100 yards.

Foot-pounds of Energy (FPE): With an Airgun it is a measurement used to determine the destructive ability of a pellet while existing the muzzle.

Feet Per Second: (FPS) a unit of speed (velocity). It expressed the distance in feet(ft) traveled or displaced, divided by the time in seconds.

Gas Spring: A sealed device that uses compressed gas to produce spring action.

GROOVES: Grooves and Land make the rifling of a barrel. The grooves are the lowered areas between two lands.

Group: The pattern on a target observed from multiple shots from a gun.

Group Size: The distance measured between the multiple shots on a target.

Hollow point: The type of pellet or slug designed to expand on impact.

Hunter Division: The rules for Hunter Division are intended to promote accessibility to the sport of Field Target, and the use of typical hunting equipment. The rules enforce the limits on the types of equipment allowed and shall allow for a broad range of competitor physical fitness and condition.

HPA: Compressed air is also known as High Pressure Air. Tanks may different in sizes from 3000psi to 4500psi.

Kill Zone: Portion of the target that needs to be hit in order for the target to fall. AAFTA typical range is from 3/8” to 1.5” in sanctioned matches.

Knee Riser: Term used to describe a knee rest on a field target rifle.

Land: A spiral ridge that grips a pellet or slug and imparts a spin as it travels down the bore.

Laser Sight: A device used to impart a ray of light on the target intended to shoot.

Length of Pull: The distance from the trigger to the back of the butt plate of a stock.

Mag-Fed: Magazine fed

Magazine: A device that holds pellets or BBs under tension.

MOA: An angular unit of measurement which is approximately 1.1 at 100 yards.

Mounts: Devices used to attach a rifle scope to a rifle.

Muzzle: The end of a barrel where a projectile (pellet /slug) comes out.

Muzzle Break: A device connected to the end of a barrel that intends to redirect a portion of the air to counter recoil.

O-ring: A round seal made of synthetic material to seal air under pressure.

Open Sight: Combination of a bead or post front sight and notched rear sight and allow quick sighting. Open sights can be fixed or adjustable.

Parallax: A condition that occurs when the image of a target is not focused precisely on the reticle plane. Parallax is visible as movement between the reticle and the target when the shooter moves their head or, in extreme cases, and out of focus image. Many scopes have a special range focus to adjust for parallax.

PCP: Pre-Charged Pneumatic

Peep Sight: A rear sight for a rifle that features an adjustable metal piece with a small hole to peep through while aiming.

Pellet: A type of Airgun projectile made from lead.

Pellet Drop: Measurement in inches of a trajectory of a pellet from the muzzle to target.

Pistol: A gun that has a short barrel can be held, aimed and fired with one hand.

Plinking: Non-competition shooting at a variety of targets.

Pneumatic: An item that works on air pressure.

Point of Aim: Where the sights on your gun exactly align with the target.

Point of Impact: The exact point on the target where the projectile hits.

PSI: Pounds per square inch. An expression of pressure.

Range Finding: Using the adjustable objective on a rifle scope to determine the distance to a target. You turn the adjustable objective while looking at the target until it is in clear focus.

Rate of Twist: The rate of spin in the barrel in determining the measurement of inches for the projectile to one full turn.

Receiver: The guns action.

Recoil: The backward and sometimes forward movement from an Airgun when the projectile is fired. Most springs guns have recoil and require a specific Airgun rated optic to be used.

Recoil Pad: Soft material attached to a buttstock of a rifle designed to absorb recoil.

Red Dot Sight: A non-magnifying optic that electronically projects a illuminated red dot providing the user a point of aim.

Reservoir: A tube or bottle used for holding air under pressure for a pre-charged pneumatic Airgun.

Reticle: A crosshair in a scope that provides an aiming point in the field of view.

Rifle: A gun, especially one fired from shoulder level, having a long spirally grooved barrel intended to make a pellet/slug spin and thereby have great accuracy over a long distance.

Rifling: The inside of a barrel containing spiral grooves and ridges (called lands) that engrave the projectile, imparting a spin to stabilize it in flight.

Ring-Loc™ valve Pin system: The Ring-Loc™ valve Pin system, developed by AirForce Airguns, is an innovative component designed to improve the performance of pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) air rifles by allowing the user optimizing airflow requirements. The system allows shooters to customize the air flow through the rifle by changing the diameter of the air orifice on the valve pin. This allows the user to adjust the rate of air release, letting the shooter adjust the rifle’s velocity and foot-pounds of energy (fpe). The Ring-Loc™ valve system is a popular choice for airgunners looking to maximize the performance of their AirForce air rifles, particularly for models like the Condor, TalonP, and Escape.

Round Ball: The name given to a spherical lead projectile.

Scope: A telescopic sight mounted on a gun to improve shooters aim through magnification and pinpointing.

Scope Mount: A device designed for mounting a scope to a rifle or pistols scope rails.

Scuba Tank: A diver’s tank that is used to fill pre-charged airguns.

Slug: A heavy projectile made of lead designed for hunting large game.

Small Bore: A caliber of .25 (6,35mm) or smaller.

Smooth Bore: A barrel with no rifling. BB guns all feature smooth bore barrels.

Spin-Loc Tank : The Spin-Loc Tank by AirForce Airguns is an advanced air tank system designed to improve the ease of use, safety, and functionality of their pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) air rifles. It features a unique threaded attachment system, which securely locks the air tank in place and also allows the user to shorten the rifle for storage or transport.

Key Features and Functions:

1.Threaded Attachment: The Spin-Loc Tank uses a threaded collar to securely fasten the tank to the air rifle. This design allows for the easy removal and replacement of the tank without needing to depressurize the air rifle.

2.Integrated Pressure Gauge: One of the standout features of the Spin-Loc system is the built-in pressure gauge, allowing shooters to monitor the air pressure in the tank without having to remove it. This feature ensures users always know the remaining pressure and can manage their shooting sessions more effectively.

3.Quick-Fill Port: The Spin-Loc Tank also comes with an integrated quick-fill port, enabling faster and easier refilling of the air reservoir using a standard paintball type quick disconnect. This eliminates the need to remove the tank from the rifle to refill it.

Benefits:

•Convenience: The integrated pressure gauge and quick-fill system streamline air management, making it easier for shooters to refill and monitor air pressure during extended use.

•User-Friendliness: The threaded design allows for easy swapping of tanks without depressurizing the rifle, ideal for users who carry spare tanks for longer shooting sessions.

Overall, the Spin-Loc Tank enhances the versatility and usability of AirForce air rifles by offering convenient refilling, pressure monitoring, and quick secure attachment and removal all in one system.

Spring-Piston: A type of Airgun powerplant in which an Airgun uses a manual level to cock a spring-loaded piston that compresses air at the instant of firing.

Suppressor: A device designed to absorb the sound of discharging of pressurized gases existing the muzzle.

Tactical Air Rifle: An Airgun that features a pistol grip, synthetic stock, often incorporating a carry handle, multiple rails for mounting of accessories.

Trigger: A mechanism that activates the sequence for firing a projectile from a gun.

Trigger Pull: The amount of force by weight necessary to active the trigger mechanism.

Two-Stage Trigger: A two-stage trigger, the initial pressure (first stage) causes the trigger to travel slightly where the shooter feels resistance and stops. Additional pressure is applied (second stage) causing the trigger to break.

Trajectory: The curved path followed by a projectile after it leaves the muzzle.

Underlever: The cocking of a spring-pistol air gun located under the barrel.

Velocity: The speed of a projectile, measure in feet per second or meters per second.

Wadcutter: A diabolo shaped pellet with a flat head, designed for paper targets.

Zero: The range at which the point of aim and the point of impact are identical.