The basic terms of Airgunning
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Adjustable objective | The front part of a scope that can be rotated to focus the scope at different distances. |
| Airgun | A gun (rifle or handgun) that launches projectiles by means of compressed air or other gas such as carbon dioxide. |
| Airsoft | The term applied to a type of airgun that fires spherical projectiles of 6mm diameter at low velocity. These guns are also known as air soft or softair. |
| AirSource® | The Crosman name applied to the large cylinder that holds 88 grams of CO2. |
| Automatic | A type of gun that fires as long as the trigger is held back (also called full automatic). |
| Ballistic | Coefficient a number that describes the ability of a projectile to retain its velocity when passing through air. |
| BB | A round projectile made of metal or plastic. |
| Blow back | The action that occurs when part of the action of a gun moves to the rear as the gun is fired. |
| Break action | A type of airgun that is cocked by pulling the barrel downward which moves a piston backward against a spring contained inside the receiver. |
| Caliber | The internal diameter of a gun barrel. |
| Carbon dioxide | A gas that can be contained within a cylinder and then released to launch projectiles. |
| Chamber | The rear section of the barrel where the pellet or BB is held prior to firing. |
| Choked barrel | A barrel that has a slightly tapered bore near the muzzle to assure that the pellet fits tightly as it leaves the bore. |
| CO2 Cartridge or Cylinder | A pressurized container holding carbon dioxide (CO2) used to power certain airguns. |
| Elevation | The adjustment that controls the vertical movement of projectiles on the target. |
| ePCP | A type of high-powered airgun which has a cylinder that is charged with enough compressed air to fire several shots and maintain the same velocity regardless of air pressure using an electronic valve |
| Eyepiece | The part of a scope sight that is placed nearest the eye. |
| Eye relief | The distance between the eyepiece of a scope and the eye of the shooter when proper viewing is obtained. |
| Fiber optic | A colored plastic rod that appears to glow at the ends when the rod is illuminated. |
| Grooves | The channels that form the lower portions of the rifling within a barrel. |
| Group | The pattern made by a series of projectiles striking a target. |
| Hollow point | A projectile that has a hole or indentation in the point. |
| Kinetic energy | The energy that a moving object possesses as a result of its motion. |
| Lands | The ridges that are present between the grooves in a rifled barrel. |
| Laser sight | A sight that projects a laser beam. |
| Line of sight | The straight line that exists between the shooter’s eye and the aiming point on the target. |
| Midrange trajectory | The deviation between the path of a projectile and the line of sight at a distance half way to the target. |
| Minute of angle | The distance that represents one minute of angular measure (which is very slightly more than one inch at a distance of 100 yards). |
| Multipump | A type of airgun that is charged by performing a series of pumping strokes. |
| Muzzle | The extreme front end of the barrel of a gun. |
| Objective | The front lens of a scope sight. |
| Peep (aperture) sight | A type of sight that has a small opening through which the shooter looks at the front sight and target. |
| Pellet | A projectile (usually made of lead) that is fired from an airgun. |
| Point of impact | The point on the target where projectiles strike (which is not always at the aim point). |
| Powerlet® | The name given by Crosman to the cylinders that hold 12 grams of carbon dioxide. |
| Precharged pneumatic | A type of high-powered airgun which has a cylinder that is charged with enough compressed air to fire several shots. |
| Red dot sight | An optical sight in which a red dot is projected on to a lens that can then be aligned with the target. |
| Reticule | The aiming device (usually a crosshair of some type) inside a scope which permits it to be aligned accurately on a target. |
| Revolver | A type of handgun that holds a series of projectiles in a cylinder that rotates to align each projectile with the barrel. |
| Rifling | The spiral pattern made by the lands and grooves inside a barrel which imparts a spin to the projectile as it moves in the bore. |
| Semiautomatic | A type of gun (handgun or long gun) that requires only pulling the trigger for each successive shot. |
| Trajectory | The curved path followed by a projectile after it leaves the muzzle. |
| Two-stage trigger | A trigger that requires some backward motion before the actual firing motion is achieved. |
| Velocity | Rate at which a projectile is moving (distance per unit time). |
| Wadcutter | A type of pellet that has a flat front end. |
| Windage | The lateral (left or right) adjustment of the point of impact of projectiles on a target. |
