TECH FOCUS AIRGUN ANATOMY

Many of you have probably seen Guy Ritchie’s 1998 crime comedy Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels. I imagine most non-shooting filmgoers who’ve seen it are vaguely aware that the title is a reference to a double-barrelled shotgun, though few probably understand what the term actually means.

It’s the same idea with airgun shooting. Most shooters will know the parts of an air rifle, but newcomers may not, so here’s a rundown of some of the basic terms. It’s not exhaustive, and I’ve concentrated on a typical PCP rather than a springer or gas-ram. I’ve also focused on the parts an air rifle owner will come into contact with – literally – while operating their air rifle. Maybe we’ll look at internal components in a later feature, but for now let’s examine the external parts and operating features.

An air rifle, just like