Read below about the features and variety of air guns

Photo: Kalashnikov Concern

Air gun is a kind of gun where a projectile is propelled by pressurized gas. It may be both a rifle in a recreational shooting gallery and a toy gun. Air guns are widely used for sporting and training purposes. Their weight-size parameters may be identical to that of combat weapons. Such guns are produced by Kalashnikov Concern. Read below about the features and variety of air guns.

Compressed air in service

An air gun is a gun that uses compressed air or gas to shoot a projectile. In contrast to firearms that use the pressure of propellant gases released during propellant combustion, an underlying principle of any air gun is pressurization of air or other gas without combustion processes or other chemical reactions Air guns have a set of advantages over firearms. Requirements for shooting ranges that use air guns are much lower as well as the cost of a gunshot, therefore they are ideal for shooting practice. Air guns are much quieter and may be used where no excess noise is desired. Moreover, large-scale air guns have lower utilization and maintenance cost than firearms. Training and sports, amusement and small game hunting are the primary air gun applications.   

It’s all about joules

Before you buy an air gun, you should read and understand the laws of the country where you are going to use it. Legal regulation for air guns in our country depends on the muzzle energy in joules. All guns with a muzzle energy lower than 3J, even when they look like real weapons, are not classified as such. The class from 3J to 7.5J includes most air guns for target and recreational shooting. It does not require a permit to purchase and carry, but there are restrictions on use. A permit to keep and carry arms is required for all weapons with a muzzle power from 7.5J to 25J (maximum allowed in the Russian Federation). Air guns whose muzzle energy is higher than 7.5J are subject to compulsory registration with law enforcement agencies.

Kalashnikov’s air guns

Izhevsk Mechanical Plant of Kalashnikov Concern is one of the oldest air gun manufacturers in Russia. It started manufacturing rifles and pistols as early as in 1944 and continues to this day. A wide range of air guns suitable for training, target and recreational shooting, and competitive sports is currently produced under the trademark Baikal.

Rifles

Employment of defence technology and materials is one of Kalashnikov’s key advantages in production of civilian air guns. In particular, the MR-512 rifle stock is made of the same high-strength plastic as the AK components, and the main working component of the rifle system – air cylinder – is produced using the same technology as airframes.

The classical MR-512 spring-piston air rifle designed, in particular, for basic shooting training was the top-selling air gun of the last year. The MR-61S spring-piston rifle and MR-555K pre-charged pneumatic rifle are among the sporting hits.

Pistols

The MR-655K air pistol looks like a real modern handgun and is designed for recreational shooting, basic training and IPSC shooting (practical shooting). Its appearance is similar to the MR-446 VIKING sport training pistol that is, in turn, equivalent to the adopted Yarygin 9mm pistol.

Pistols for shooting sports   

Air pistols for shooting sports have an unusual appearance. The orthopedic butt is custom-made, a gas cylinder and sometimes a rod with balance adjustment weights are placed under the barrel. Such handguns use pellets for shooting that are individually selected by each sportsman for his/her pistol.

The MR-657 is a family of low-cost compressed gas pistols designed for beginner sportsmen. These pistols made by Izhevsk Mechanical Plant are intermediate between recreational and sport types of handguns.

The MR-46M is a sport pump pneumatic air pistol. This is an upgraded version of the Izh-46 with increased piston stroke to improve shot accuracy and stability. A manually charged compressor placed under the barrel is the key feature of the MR-46M. This means that no gas cylinders are needed for shooting, charging is performed by the shooter. The model has a good track record – highest awards won at world and European championships.