The current economic situation and the degradation of some segments of the population make us somewhat vulnerable, especially at night or in the remote corners of the city. Each one provides safety by his own methods: self-defense courses, group walks or in the daytime. One possible way is pneumatics for self-defense.
Is the use of airguns justified?
There is an opinion that pneumatics for self-defense is the best option. Given the fact that bullets fired from such a gun easily break bottles or drop targets, pneumatics is credited with a huge role in self-defense. Perhaps this is so, under certain circumstances and the ability to handle weapons.
The main feature of why airguns are often chosen as a weapon for self-defense is its sale without a license. That is what explains its popularity. However, expectations are not always truly met.
This is primarily due to the fact that the weapon that is in the public domain is intended only for entertainment or sports shooting. Yes, and the wearing of pneumatics in order to protect themselves by law is still prohibited.
Advantages and disadvantages of pneumatics
The main advantages stipulated by the expediency of choosing such a weapon for the purpose of self-defense are:
- Sufficient striking effectiveness of the shot.
- When you purchase does not require a license.
But, despite these advantages, there are some disadvantages:
- First of all, the impact of a ball that is released from such a weapon cannot cause serious harm to health if you do not shoot directly in the eye, for example. At least as strong as expected from him. If the attacker is in tight enough clothing, then the blow for him will be almost imperceptible.
- And the reliability of such weapons is not always on top. The can of gas is interchangeable, and can lose its charge even when not using pneumatics.
- Loses its effectiveness at low temperatures. This is due to the fact that the gas pressure decreases with decreasing temperature, which means that the impact force also.
That's why you should not blindly trust this technique, but rather rely on your own strengths and common sense.
Types of airguns
If you still finally decided for yourself to become the owner of such a weapon, it is worthwhile to study the characteristics of each type of pneumatics.
Air pistols (reviews about their effectiveness are extremely contradictory) have the same principle of operation: compressed air acts on the bullet, which is why the shot is fired.
By the principle of supplying this same air, pneumatic weapons are divided into:
- Shutter. This type is most often found in air rifles. Such pneumatics for self-defense will do little to help you, unless to scare away dogs or children, since knowledgeable hooligans obviously will not behave on it.
- Gas balloon. According to this principle, it is most often pneumatic pistols that work (the prices depend on the manufacturer of the weapon). This type is the most common and most often acquired specifically for self-defense. The can of gas is located in the holder. It is there that using a gearbox gas is supplied to the bolt chamber, when a trigger is pulled, a bullet flies out.
Often, bullets are used as bullets (they can be copper or steel). Impact force may be enough to pierce the eye or skin.
Characteristics of models of rifles and pistols
The most popular models of air guns and rifles are:
- Izh-61. This is a model of the rifle, which has a plastic holder, which is designed for 6 shots, and also equipped with a removable butt. Bullets are used classic type "skirt". This pneumatics for self-defense is considered quite reliable. Weight does not exceed 3 kg. Such pneumatics are sold without a license. The price fluctuates around 7 thousand rubles.
- Diana. Also a rifle, an older model. The peculiarity of this weapon is that the bullet needs to be loaded into the barrel itself. Forcing occurs with the help of a built-in spring shutter mechanism. The stock of this model is solid. There is also a stand-bracket, the main purpose of which is to mount an optical sight. This pneumatics (prices fluctuate around 5 thousand rubles) is bought without a license.
- Makarych. This is the most common pneumatics for self-defense. The main advantage of the model is its unique similarity with the PM (hence the name). It is this factor that can contribute to the additional psychological impact on the attacker. The price of a gun is in the range from 5 to 7 thousand rubles.
Pneumatics - weapons available for sale
According to the legislation of the Russian Federation, pneumatic pistols are available for sale (prices for models from Russian manufacturers are relatively low), as well as revolvers that can possess muzzle energy in the range of 3-7.5 J. In addition, the caliber of the weapon is taken into account. It should be no more than 4.5 mm. Ukrainian legislation has the same limitations in caliber and speed. The latter should not exceed 100 m / s. In England, the law is not so strict, and devices with muzzle energy up to 16 J. are freely available. All pneumatic weapons with greater muzzle energy and bullet speed require registration, it is impossible to buy it without a license.
All bullets that are used for direct shooting have a mass of about half a gram.
It is impossible to buy air pistols (reviews about their effectiveness are ambiguous) that would have muzzle energy limits and caliber in the CIS. The following facts prove this. The Makarych pistol, which is the leader among those who want to protect themselves with the purchase of pneumatics, has a muzzle energy of not more than 3 J, although the cartridge’s flight speed is about 125 m / s. The stopping effect of such a model is practically zero, although it is quite realistic to break the bottles.
Can pneumatics really protect?
Pneumatics can cause harm to health due to the small diameter of the bullet only when it gets into unprotected parts of the body or in the eye. However, in the latter case, even if the attacker survived, you can easily go to jail for exceeding self-defense measures.
Where to store airguns?
In order for your acquired weapons to remain operational for as long as possible, and also not fall into the hands of third parties, especially children, it is necessary to observe certain rules for storing airguns.
First of all, it is worth taking care of the storage location, and you need to do this before your immediate purchase. An ideal option would be a safe, preferably fireproof. If this is not possible, then any other place that your children will not get to is suitable. Store pneumatic guns (reviews will help you with the choice) is better in your own box.
Preparing weapons for storage
Before you remove the weapon in a safe place, make sure that it is not in a cocked state. Storage in this form may render it unusable due to the constant load on the spring. Also, the gun must be discharged, not forgetting to put it on the fuse before this. Next - open the bolt, remove the drum and make sure that there is no bullet in the gun. Having convinced of its absence or having taken out from there, it is necessary to remove a gas cylinder. This is necessary so that the gaskets retain their properties.
Periodically, and preferably after each use, inspect your air gun for various cracks and rust, as well as chips and mechanical damage to sighting mechanisms. If necessary, tighten the loose screws.
Rules for choosing airguns
How to choose a pneumatic gun so that it really performs its functions in self-defense? There are several criteria that you need to pay attention to:
- Multi-charge, or store capacity. In most situations, a single shot is not enough. Pneumatics for self-defense will be effective only when there will be several shots, at least ten.
- Type of pneumatics. There are three types: spring-piston, compression and gas. The latter is considered the most reliable. Gas pneumatics is able to combine the qualities necessary for effective self-defense - speed, power of a shot, as well as its low cost. This is what allows for frequent training, so that if necessary, use pneumatics correctly and successfully.
- Appearance. This criterion is no less important than the technical characteristics, since it can have a psychological effect on the attacker. Pneumatics, reviews confirm this, should completely resemble a combat pistol so that there is no doubt that if you ignore this “toy” in your hands, your health will be harmed. If the air gun does not have a stopping action, it is strictly forbidden to use it for its intended purpose. In this case, it is better to use it as a brass knuckles. That is why it is better not to buy weapons made of plastic. For these purposes, air guns made of steel specially designed for these purposes are ideal.
- Distance and accuracy. These parameters are quite important, because they will allow you to keep the attacker closer to yourself, without losing the accuracy of the hit. Usually enough range of 2 to 5 meters. The accuracy of the hit is usually practiced in training.
Instead of a conclusion
After purchasing airguns for the purpose of self-defense, be vigilant and careful. Be aware of the criminal liability for bodily harm, even if the attack was originally committed on you. A reassessment of their capabilities, as well as a misconception about the current situation, can lead to unpleasant consequences, when there will be much more harm than good.