Air guns have been around since the fifteenth century when they had many advantages over other gun technology of the day. They worked using pneumatics and thus could be fired in wet weather as they did not rely on having dry gunpowder. They were also able to be reloaded faster and were much quieter. In addition, as there was no flash muzzle nor was smoke produced; thus the shooter’s position was not disclosed when the air gun was fired making it a good weapon in a battle, and popular even into the 18th and 19th centuries.
However, in general, air guns could not compete with powder weapons. The air reservoirs were expensive, delicate and could explode easily; moreover the valves did not seal well and so leaked pressure. They required careful and precise handling which was beyond most people who did not have a background in mechanics.
During this period in France and Austria there were special sniper units which used air rifles and the guns of that period were sophisticated indeed. A skilled shooter could reload in about thirty seconds, which was significantly faster than the muzzle loaders of the period. A shot from such an air gun was roughly equivalent to that of a modern 9 mm pistol. Around 1820, the Japanese inventor Kunitomo Ikkansai created an air gun based on the study of Western knowledge which he acquired from Dutch with a modern style trigger mechanism.
During the 1890s, air rifles were used in England for competitive target shooting contests held between rival pubs, which gained in popularity leading to the creation of a National Air Rifle Association, which consisted of over 4000 air rifle clubs and associations across Britain. During this time, the air gun was also associated with poaching because it could be shot relatively quietly.
The performance of air guns began to improve consistently until modern times when an air rifle can propel a pellet at a rate approximating the speed of sound and produce a noise similar to a .22 calibre rifle. Not surprisingly then, in some countries, air guns are still classified as firearms and it may be illegal to discharge them in residential areas.
However, in general, air guns could not compete with powder weapons. The air reservoirs were expensive, delicate and could explode easily; moreover the valves did not seal well and so leaked pressure. They required careful and precise handling which was beyond most people who did not have a background in mechanics.
During this period in France and Austria there were special sniper units which used air rifles and the guns of that period were sophisticated indeed. A skilled shooter could reload in about thirty seconds, which was significantly faster than the muzzle loaders of the period. A shot from such an air gun was roughly equivalent to that of a modern 9 mm pistol. Around 1820, the Japanese inventor Kunitomo Ikkansai created an air gun based on the study of Western knowledge which he acquired from Dutch with a modern style trigger mechanism.
During the 1890s, air rifles were used in England for competitive target shooting contests held between rival pubs, which gained in popularity leading to the creation of a National Air Rifle Association, which consisted of over 4000 air rifle clubs and associations across Britain. During this time, the air gun was also associated with poaching because it could be shot relatively quietly.
The performance of air guns began to improve consistently until modern times when an air rifle can propel a pellet at a rate approximating the speed of sound and produce a noise similar to a .22 calibre rifle. Not surprisingly then, in some countries, air guns are still classified as firearms and it may be illegal to discharge them in residential areas.