Comparison Crosman Classic vs Hatsan AT44-10

The type describes the basic principle of operation of the rifle. Nowadays, you can find pneumatics with a spring-piston principle of operation (with a conventional or gas spring), with pre-pumping (PCP), with pumping before each shot ( multi -compression rifles), powered by carbon dioxide cartridges and with an electric drive. Here is a more detailed description of each of these types:

— Spring-piston. As the name suggests, the basis of the mechanism in such rifles is a spring-loaded piston moving in a cylinder. The weapon is cocked manually (usually by a lever or a broken barrel), while the piston is retracted and fixed, the cylinder is filled with air, and when the trigger is pressed, the piston is released and moves forward under the action of a spring, pushing air from the cylinder into the barrel. Rifles of this type have simplicity and reliability of design, low cost, unpretentious maintenance, as well as ease of repair and tuning; they are considered an perfect option for beginner shooters, as well as for lovers of entertaining "shooting" at short distances, there are also models for airsoft among them. It is also worth mentioning the excellent repeatability of shots (with each cocking, a strictly defined portion of air enters the cylinde...r) and insensitivity to heat and cold. On the other hand, such rifles require cocking (and most often reloading) before each shot, which can be quite tedious; and the operation of the piston mechanism creates a specific recoil, which adversely affects accuracy and makes it difficult to select optical sights (requires special optics, originally designed for this application). In addition, pneumatics of this type cannot be kept charged for a long time — with prolonged compression, the mainspring loses its properties.

— With gas spring. According to the general principle of operation, rifles of this type are similar to the spring-piston ones described above. The difference lies in the fact that instead of a conventional metal spring, they use a sealed reservoir with a special gas, which plays the role of a spring — shrinking when cocked and expanding when fired. This design has a number of advantages over conventional spring-piston. Firstly, the whole mechanism is much smoother and quieter, and the recoil is softer, which improves accuracy and simplifies the selection of optics. Secondly, the gas spring does not change its properties as it wears out, and such weapons can be stored even in the cocked state. Third, repairs and maintenance for gas springs are less frequent and less expensive (in terms of the number of shots between workshop visits). The disadvantages of rifles of this type, in addition to the need to cock the spring before each shot, include a slightly higher cost than that of classic spring-piston rifles, as well as sensitivity to cold: when the temperature drops, the gas pressure in the spring decreases, which worsens efficiency.

— PCP (pre-pumping). The energy source in rifles of this type is a built-in reservoir containing air (or other gas) under very high pressure — about 200 or even 300 atmospheres. Such a reserve is enough for at least several dozen shots, and a compressor, a scuba cylinder or a special high-pressure pump can be used to fill the tank (sometimes such pumps are even supplied as a kit). In general, PCPs are considered the most advanced type of pneumatics, and these are the rifles used by professional hunters and sportsmen. This is primarily due to the fact that such a design allows you to achieve a very high speed of the bullet, and the recoil is almost imperceptible — all this allows you to accurately shoot even at long distances. On a fresh gas station, the rifle gives excellent repeatability of shots; however, as the gas is consumed, the initial velocity of the bullet decreases, however, in advanced models, a gearbox may be provided to compensate for this phenomenon (for more details, see “Air supply by the gearbox”). PCP pneumatics can be easily multi-shot and provide very simple and convenient ways to feed the next bullet into the barrel. The main disadvantage of such rifles is the high price.

— Multi-compression. Another variety of rifles with a built-in reservoir; however, unlike the PCPs described above, the reservoir must be inflated before each shot. To do this, the design provides for a built-in pump controlled by a lever or other similar device; to pump enough air, usually, you need to make several movements. In such rifles, there is practically no recoil, while they are noticeably simpler and cheaper than PCP pneumatics, but they are inferior to it in terms of power. In addition, pumping up the tank before each shot is quite a tedious task; and the volume of air supplied to the tank at each filling (and, accordingly, the working pressure in the tank) will depend on the number and amplitude of movements made by the pump lever. On the one hand, this allows you to adjust the power directly “on the go”: for example, for a short range where maximum bullet speed is not required, you can not fully pump up the rifle in order to save energy. On the other hand, the actual volume of air and the pressure in the tank will be somewhat different with each recharge, even with the same number of lever movements. This negatively affects the repeatability of shots. Due to this combination of features, multi-compression models are not very popular nowadays, and their purpose is mainly recreational shooting.

— Gas balloon. A type of pneumatics powered by interchangeable cartridges of gas, usually liquefied carbon dioxide. As in PCP, such a tank allows you to make a lot of shots — even a traditional 12-gram can is usually enough for several dozen; and some models use 88g carbon dioxide containers. At the same time, the rifles themselves are cheaper than PCP, but they have less power. It is also worth noting the rather specific characteristics of carbon dioxide as an energy source. On the one hand, it maintains working pressure for quite a long time — it does not decrease as long as carbon dioxide remains in liquid form in the cylinder. On the other hand, the actual gas pressure depends on the ambient temperature, and the initial velocity of a bullet for such pneumatics can change markedly even with daily temperature fluctuations. And of the unambiguous shortcomings of such rifles, it is worth noting that for them you have to buy not only bullets, but also gas.

— AEG (electrically driven). Pneumatics that uses an electric motor drive as a power source. According to the design of the working mechanism, it is similar to the spring-piston mechanism — the basis of this mechanism is a cylinder and a spring-loaded piston. However, the piston in this case is not retracted manually, but with the help of the mentioned electric motor. For the shooter, this means, first of all, that the rifle does not need to be cocked due to muscular strength — for a shot, it is enough to press the trigger, the rest will be done by the electric motor. In addition, in such pneumatics, automatic firing mode can be provided without problems (see below). Note that for a number of reasons this principle of operation is practically not found in traditional pneumatics, but it is very popular in airsoft models; such rifles (“drives”) often copy real military weapons.

The muzzle velocity provided by the rifle - that is, the speed of the bullet as it exits the barrel.

All other things being equal, a higher bullet speed provides greater range and accuracy, and also simplifies aiming at long distances: the bullet flies along a smoother trajectory and requires fewer adjustments in height, and the influence of side winds decreases with increasing speed. On the other hand, this indicator directly affects the price of the rifle; and in some countries, legal restrictions on the ownership of pneumatic weapons are also related to the muzzle velocity of the bullet.

As for specific values, in the weakest modern rifles the initial speed does not exceed 150 m/s, and in the most powerful it can be 300 - 350 m/s or even more(remember, the speed of sound is 330 m/s). In general, for recreational shooting at short distances, this parameter is not particularly important, and detailed recommendations for choosing pneumatics for more specific situations can be found in special sources. Let us only note that in AEG electric drives (see “Type”) the initial speed extremely rarely exceeds 150 m/s, but this is done solely for safety reasons: such “weapons” are intended for military-tactical games and initially involve shooting at people, and the high speed would be unsafe for players even with protective equipment.

It is...also worth considering that this indicator is not strictly defined. In any type of pneumatic it depends on the weight of the bullet (the lighter the faster); therefore, in the characteristics it is usually customary to indicate a certain average velocity for standard ammunition (usually weighing 0.5 g, in AEG - 0.2 g). In addition, in multi-compression rifles the actual speed of the bullet is determined by the degree of inflation, in gas-cylinder rifles it is determined by the ambient temperature, and in PCP models it is possible to achieve higher speeds than declared by replacing the air with a special gas (for example, helium). Nevertheless, this characteristic makes it possible to evaluate the capabilities of the rifle and compare it with other models, including those that differ in type.

The type of ammunition the rifle is designed to use.

— Bullets. In this case, a bullet is called a directional projectile, with a clearly defined front and rear. The specific form of such projectiles may be different, but they all have a number of common features. So, any bullet at the same initial speed flies further and hits more accurately than a ball. And the material is usually lead or another soft metal, which provides a number of advantages. Firstly, bullets work great with rifled barrels (see "Barrel"): the edges of the bullet clearly fit into the grooves on the inner surface (many bullets are even able to slightly expand at the time of the shot, for the most dense fit in the barrel), the projectile is effectively spun and stabilized, while the wear of the rifling is minimal. Secondly, the bullets flatten out when they hit a more or less hard surface — this minimizes the risk of ricochets and allows the use of such ammunition even when hunting fairly large game. The disadvantages of bullets include perhaps a higher cost than that of balls.

— Balloons. Most of the models that use this type of ammunition are designed for airsoft and refer to AEG's (see "Type") or spring-piston ("spring" in airsoft jargon) rifles. The balls in this case are plastic, large in size, which reduces penetration and minimizes the likelihood of injury. Traditional air rifles for this type of ammunition are very rare. They use metal balls — usually steel with or witho...ut copper or zinc coating, less often lead. Such projectiles are distinguished by a very low cost and a good penetrating effect, however, they are noticeably inferior to bullets in terms of convenience and efficiency. First, the balls themselves are less accurate, they have more spread and lose speed faster. Secondly, hard metal makes it difficult to use with rifled barrels, which, again, further reduces accuracy. Thirdly, due to the same hardness, steel balls often ricochet. The last two points are not relevant for the mentioned lead balls, but they are much less common than steel ones. So in general, this type of ammunition can be recommended for recreational shooting at short distances — up to 10, less often up to 20 m.

— Lead bullets / balls. Rifles that allow the use of both bullets and balls. See above for more information on each type of ammunition, but here we note that the main option in this case is still bullets; balls should be considered as a fallback. Usually, separate stores for different types of projectiles are supplied with such "omnivorous" rifles.

And in models like AEG (see “Type”) and other airsoft weapons, the capacity is indicated for the standard magazine supplied in the kit; in this case, the magazine, as a rule, is removable, and if desired, it can be replaced with another one that differs in capacity. It is worth noting here that airsoft magazines are usually divided into “bunkers” (high capacity) and “mechanics” (low capacity). Mechanas typically hold up to 150 pellets, and some of these magazines have the same capacity as real weapons. This variety is appreciated by lovers of realism and experienced players. In “bunkers,” in turn, the capacity is already hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of bullets. They are convenient for beginners and undemanding airsoft players, but a serious drawback of such magazines is noise - the balls, hanging in the main compartment of the “bunker”, turn it into a rattle, making it difficult to move covertly.

The number of shots that a PCP type rifle (see "Type") can fire on one full tank, and a gas-cylinder model — from one regular cartridge.

The larger this number, the less often you will have to be distracted by reloading a rifle or replacing a cartridge. On the other hand, an increase in the number of shots per charge has its downsides. So, in the case of PCP, for more shots on a charge, either a larger tank is needed (which affects weight, dimensions and cost), or a higher pressure in the tank (which can make refueling difficult and, again, affects cost). In LPG models using standard cartridges, more shots usually means less gas per shot and, as a result, less muzzle energy and muzzle velocity.

It is also worth noting that on the last shots of one refueling, the gas pressure and the effectiveness of the weapon are noticeably reduced; this effect is most pronounced on gas-ballooned rifles, least pronounced on PCP-models with air supply by a gearbox (see below). So the number of effective shots from one gas station will inevitably be less than the total number of shots.

The highest internal gas pressure that a PCP-type rifle cylinder can withstand without consequences (see "Type"). The maximum pressure in the cylinder does not fundamentally affect the characteristics of the rifle — models with the same value can differ significantly in muzzle energy, muzzle velocity, the number of shots at a gas station, etc. This parameter is indicated solely for safety purposes — in particular, so that the user does not “overdo it” when refueling: for example, in scuba cylinders used for this, the pressure can vary from 180 to 300 bar, while in most modern pneumatics the tanks are designed for 200 bar , and connecting more pressure is fraught with unpleasant consequences.

For comparison: the working pressure in a bicycle tyre is on average about 3-4 bar.

The type of safety provided in the design of the rifle.

Recall that the fuse is a device that prevents an unwanted shot. In air rifles, such a device can be automatic or manual, and in some models it is absent altogether. Here are the features of each option:

— Manual. Fuse, switched on and off exclusively manually, at the will of the shooter. The most common variety — such mechanisms are as simple and inexpensive as possible. They are somewhat less safe than automatic ones (see below) and require more careful attention; however, it is not difficult to develop the skill to properly handle the manual safety. And in multi-shot models, the advantage of manual safety over automatic is that there is no need to make unnecessary actions between shots.

— Automatic. A fuse that, at a certain moment, works automatically, without additional actions on the part of the shooter. Most often, such systems operate in this way: the weapon automatically becomes on the safety lock after the trigger is cocked, and in order to make a shot, you must first turn off the safety lock manually. This provides more safety than in the manual systems described above: if the shooter forgets about the fuse, the shot will not happen anyway. Particularly popular are automatic safety locks in cocked rifles due to a broken barrel (see "Cocking System"): such a mechanism does not allow you to pull the trigger until the shooter has completed r...eloading. But in other types of pneumatics, this option is rare.
In addition, this category may include systems that are not fuses in the original sense of the word — for example, a mechanism that prevents the bullet from feeding into the chamber of a PCP rifle (see “Type”) if there is already a charge there.

— Is absent. No separate fuse. A similar design is found in two varieties of air rifles. The first is low-cost models with a spring principle of operation (including those with a gas spring; see "Type"). In such models, the fuse is abandoned solely to simplify and reduce the cost of construction; it is worth buying such a rifle only if the future owner knows the safety rules when handling weapons.
The second type of pneumatics without fuses are high-end PCP rifles designed for professional shooters. Similarly, the role of the "fuse" when using such weapons is played exclusively by the skills and experience of the user himself.

The ability to adjust the back of the stock mounted in the rifle.

Most often, we are talking about adjusting the length, which allows you to adjust the length of the butt to the growth and, accordingly, the length of the hands of a particular user. In some models, such adjustment is carried out due to the telescopic design of the butt itself, in others, interchangeable or retractable butt pads are provided. Anyway, this feature provides additional comfort when shooting. And it will be especially useful in two cases: if several people of different builds use the same rifle and if they have to shoot at different times of the year (in the latter case, the ability to adjust the stock depending on the thickness of the layer of clothing is useful).

In addition, more specific adjustments can be provided in modern pneumatics — for example, moving the butt plate up or down, used when shooting from non-standard positions or as an analogue of cheek adjustment (see above).

The working length of the rifle barrel is from the chamber where the bullet is loaded to the muzzle. The shortest barrels found nowadays have a length of just over 200 mm(and in some AEGs even less than this value); the longest reach 500 – 600 mm.

There is a stereotype that the muzzle velocity directly depends on the length of the barrel. In firearms, this is true — but not in pneumatics. Firstly, in such rifles, the initial velocity depends on a number of other indicators — pressure, the quality of the barrel treatment, the efficiency of the valves, etc. on the first 20 – 25 cm of the barrel, then the gas pressure drops noticeably. The exception is PCP rifles, in which the longer barrel really makes it easier to achieve high speeds. However, again, so many additional factors affect the final result that models with the same barrel length can differ markedly in initial speed.

The second common stereotype is that a longer barrel improves accuracy and accuracy. This is true in the context that a longer barrel allows for a greater distance between the front and rear sights, making it easier to aim carefully. Technical accuracy does not depend on the length, but on the quality of the barrel processing.

Summing up all of the above, we can say that the length of the barrel for an air rifle is more of a reference than a really significant...parameter, and when choosing, it is better to focus on more "close to life" characteristics — first of all, directly claimed muzzle velocity.