Pneumatic weapon


A pneumatic weapon is a weapon that fires a projectile by
means of air pressure, similar in principle to the operation of pneumatic tube delivery systems. The term comes from a Greek word for "wind" or "breath".

Comparison with firearms

In theory, pneumatic weapons have certain advantages over traditional firearms:
In practice, pneumatic weapons are not as well-developed as traditional firearms and have a number of practical deficiencies:
The low projectile speed requirement of a toy weapon greatly reduces the amount of air pressure needed; combined with the importance of safety in the toy industry, this has led to widespread adoption of pneumatic firing mechanisms in toy weapons, where a propellant reaction is not appropriate.
The toy industry has produced a number of pneumatic toy weapons, which fire small, lightweight projectiles at relatively low speeds. Airsoft and paintball guns are a popular toy that operates this way; when used with adequate safety equipment these may be used in games involving shooting at other players.
BB guns and other low powered air guns are often marketed towards the youth market. While a lethal wound is unlikely due to their low power, the steel and lead projectiles they fire can readily penetrate the skin. Gun safety rules should be followed when using air guns and BB guns.