Air Guns for Preppers

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  • bmanguns

    Plinker
    Nov 19, 2017
    66
    8
    Tippecanoe
    Thanks for sharing!

    I don't have a air gun. However, as I've seen the libs start tightening the screws, post Trump, I've seriously started to consider picking one or two up.
     

    freekforge

    Master
    Jul 20, 2012
    2,732
    113
    marion
    I have 2 crosman 2400KTs and a couple Benjamin and hatsan break barrels plus thousands of pellets and 500 co2 capsules put back for a rainy day. Starling and house sparrows dont taste bad and would taste even better if you had nothing else. I've taken dozens of squirrels with my 2400kt.
     

    bwframe

    Loneranger
    Site Supporter
    Feb 11, 2008
    38,170
    113
    Btown Rural
    I am happy to see PCP air guns growing in popularity.

    We are beginning to see quite a bit of competition on the PCP market. I'd like to see related gear like high pressure hand pumps and compressors come down in price quite a lot. Also scuba tanks and ways to fill them at home.
     

    Cameramonkey

    www.thechosen.tv
    Staff member
    Moderator
    Site Supporter
    May 12, 2013
    31,686
    77
    Camby area
    I am happy to see PCP air guns growing in popularity.

    We are beginning to see quite a bit of competition on the PCP market. I'd like to see related gear like high pressure hand pumps and compressors come down in price quite a lot. Also scuba tanks and ways to fill them at home.
    Search Amazon. No shortage of "4500" psi compressors out there.

    I use quotes because lots of people giving just a few stars because while they are RATED for 4500 psi, the safety discs tend to blow well shy of 4,000. Though I think the PCPs only need 3500 PSI so you should be good.
     

    cbhausen

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    Feb 17, 2010
    6,379
    113
    Indianapolis, IN
    OK, total noob question from somebody who knows very little about air guns and not nearly enough about SHTF scenarios:

    Why would a heavier, more complex air gun which depends on an air compressor or other accessories be more desirable than something you can simply pump up or at least store CO2 cartridges for when SHTF?
     

    bwframe

    Loneranger
    Site Supporter
    Feb 11, 2008
    38,170
    113
    Btown Rural
    Search Amazon. No shortage of "4500" psi compressors out there.

    I use quotes because lots of people giving just a few stars because while they are RATED for 4500 psi, the safety discs tend to blow well shy of 4,000. Though I think the PCPs only need 3500 PSI so you should be good.

    Thanks, but those no name compressors are not worth $3-4 hundred bucks to me. I might risk throwing a hundred plus at one, but it's my understanding that most of those high PSI compressors are at the edge of being overworked just to get to pressure.

    Unlike many others, I'm fine with hand pumping my Mrod. The workout is good for me and I went into the Mrod package knowing this. The hand pump is the weak link though. A backup would be good, but I'm not quick to :spend::spend::spend: . Hoping popularity and competition brings the prices down.
     

    1nderbeard

    Master
    Local Business Supporter
    Apr 3, 2017
    2,529
    113
    Hendricks County
    OK, total noob question from somebody who knows very little about air guns and not nearly enough about SHTF scenarios:

    Why would a heavier, more complex air gun which depends on an air compressor or other accessories be more desirable than something you can simply pump up or at least store CO2 cartridges for when SHTF?
    My own noob mind wonders this too. With as quiet as a sub sonic 22 lr (or 22 short) would be supressed, I just don't see the SHTF appeal to these.
     

    bwframe

    Loneranger
    Site Supporter
    Feb 11, 2008
    38,170
    113
    Btown Rural
    Ultimately PCP's are just different guns. Not dependent on heavier ammo with a built in propellant.

    For me, I like the idea of a gun that pretty easily self generates it's own power. With a fair stock of cheap easy to obtain pellets, it's also quite realistic to have a stock of pellets stored to hunt or kill pests for a lifetime, without worry of running out ever.

    Another thing, from the :tinfoil: angle, you don't have to ask for anyone's permission to purchase an air rifle that is inherently quiet or sign away your privacy and :spend:for a device to quiet an explosion.

    Not quite the power of a .22LR, but also a bit less concerning for the responsibility of where your projectile will stop. Shooting birds or squirrels out of trees with a 22LR should be a no no, unless you specifically aim where there is enough tree to catch any miss or shoot through you might have. A 15-20gr pellet falling out of the sky is much less lethal and forgiving on how far it might fly and come down.
     
    Jul 7, 2021
    2,626
    113
    central indiana
    I've seen ads for air rifle hunts. Larger game, like pigs. Also ads for .22 or .32 sized pellets.
    Unsure of weight or FPS, but I can see the prepper appeal for a mechanical tool big enough to feed the family. Especially if it's purchase/purchaser is unknown and it operates without the need for advanced air supply equipment (ie plugin compressor). I wonder how many pellets can be fired before barrels, levers, springs, etc. need replaced or serviced?
     

    Franc

    Plinker
    Oct 24, 2021
    67
    18
    Fishers, IN
    I've hunted lots of sparrows with my break barrel air rifle back in my highschool days. It was the perfect tool. If you shoot from at least 15 yards away, and hit your target bird and it falls out of the tree, many times the other birds will not fly away so you can quietly make another shot.
     

    Thor

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    Jan 18, 2014
    10,704
    113
    Could be anywhere
    I have a Walther Force 1000 that will take deer if needed. It's a magnum springer and as per the name will drive a .177 pellet to 1k fps.

    It came with a recoil pad and scope that I initially scoffed at...this in not your dads pellet gun. It is accurate and deadly.

    In extremis you could use cut down nails as a back up for pellets you can no longer get. I'm sure it would impact the accuracy but it would still be better than throwing rocks.

    Also, no CO2 canisters needed.
     

    shibumiseeker

    Grandmaster
    Nov 11, 2009
    10,706
    113
    near Bedford on a whole lot of land.
    OK, total noob question from somebody who knows very little about air guns and not nearly enough about SHTF scenarios:

    Why would a heavier, more complex air gun which depends on an air compressor or other accessories be more desirable than something you can simply pump up or at least store CO2 cartridges for when SHTF?
    A hand pump costs $100. My Sam Yang launches a 230gr .451 projectile at 600fps and gets 5 shots on a minute’s worth of pumping. I shoot my casting rejects out of it. My SCUBA tank will fill it a hundred times. My Benjamin .22 is almost totally silent and shoots about 30 shots between fillings. I have spare seals and parts for all of my PCP airguns.

    I know it gets posted from time to time, but Lewis and Clark carried a couple of airguns on their expedition and used them very successfully.

    They really aren’t that complex.
     

    JeepHammer

    SHOOTER
    Aug 2, 2018
    1,904
    83
    SW Indiana
    OK, total noob question from somebody who knows very little about air guns and not nearly enough about SHTF scenarios:

    Why would a heavier, more complex air gun which depends on an air compressor or other accessories be more desirable than something you can simply pump up or at least store CO2 cartridges for when SHTF?

    See above post...
    Correct, Lewis & Clark did carry air guns, and they did help feed the expedition.

    Nothing wrong with pump up guns, the limitations on smaller ones is small game at short range.

    In a SHTF situation this is just fine, just enough meat you can eat it up before it spoils...
    Birds, squirrels, rabbits, other small game provide a meal or two, make little noise, and require nothing but projectiles.

    I wouldn't do anything smaller than .22 cal.
    There is a reason the .22 rim fire is so popular and has put more game meals on the table than any other chambering.
    And an air rifle would have replaced the need for primers & powder.
    Its easy to cast or swage projectiles, while it's difficult to manufacture cases, primer compound & propellants.

    Its still about hitting what you aim at, the first shot gets the game 99.9% of the time.
    Air rifles can be as accurate as any firearm.

    The 'Super Duper' air rifles can kill hogs/deer reliably, there is no question about it.
    The question becomes processing all that meat at any given time,
    And how much spare parts & support gear do you want to maintain, drag around in a SHTF situation?

    I damaged my shoulder a decade ago, instead of stretching rubber bands I started shooting a recurve bow.
    Durable arrows, dead nut simple operation, hunting AND fishing...
    Since it's velocity was low enough, I can make arrows (projectiles) fairly easily, and strings can be manufactured...

    I see air rifles the same way.
    Something you can pump up manually, you can easily make projectiles, it's easy to maintain.
    I even look for, or make brass valve seats to remove synthetics that might not be made in a SHTF situation.
    If you practice, it WILL put small game on the table just like they always have...

    Just because there are mega-magazines, hyper velocity ammo, etc doesn't mean it's the right tool for the job...
    Sometimes you just need rodent control, or quietly want to take a meal or two.
    Or do some target practice the entire county didn't hear...
     

    Lstuard

    Shooter
    Jul 31, 2022
    11
    3
    Evansville
    I bought a Beeman with scope and interchangeable barrels. Its a break barrel and I believe its 1200 fps .17 and 900 fps .22.
    I have had MORE fun shooting this than I have had in years firing off my regular shooting adventures. It's cheap, powerful, and I see a real benefit to having this in a shtf survival situation!
     

    wahlspyder

    Plinker
    Jan 13, 2010
    72
    6
    I know the fear is that the cheap Amazon pumps are garbage. I have one that I use to fill my tanks (to 3000psi) and it does fine. Works on 12v or 110. Can use a hand pump in a pinch especially for top offs since hunting wouldn't necessarily require too many shots in a day. Now all I need is a mold to make my own slugs and I could be self sufficient. I will say the big bore guns hit like a tank and the PCP guns are surprisingly accurate to decent ranges.
     
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