Page 9 of 12 - PCP Air Rifles

What is a PCP Air Rifle?

A PCP rifle uses cylinders filled with compressed air to launch pellets downrange with incredible accuracy and consistency. PCP stands for pre-charged pneumatic and these rifles use highly compressed air that is stored in an onboard cylinder or carbon-fiber air tank. One of the biggest advantages of these air guns is that they can shoot much faster than any springer, and they don't have the same barrel vibration or recoil problems. They are smooth shooters at any power setting you can dial in.

Pre-charged pneumatic rifles are what made the hobby so interesting as a whole. No other type of air gun can be that powerful on the shelf without a lot of work. If you have the money, you can buy a good compressed air rifle and just go shoot it right out of the box without fiddling or any tuning at all.

How Do PCP Rifles Work?

A pcp rifle uses an onboard, high-pressure, air cylinder to send a burst of air that forces a projectile (pellet or slug) out through the barrel. When the air cylinder is empty, it can be filled from a prefilled SCUBA or carbon fiber air tank, a high-pressure hand pump or a high-pressure compressor. With a pcp air rifle, you can fire shot after shot, at higher velocities, before needing a refill with the proper maintenance.