Spring airguns
This type of children's airguns is easily recognizable. You'll usually find them as scaled-down replicas of vintage winchester rifles with a lever-action style charging lever. In order to load the round and fire it, you have to compress the internal spring using the lever system. After pulling the trigger, the spring fitted with a sealing ring (thus functioning as a piston) returns to its original position. This also pushes out the air in the chamber, which ejects the projectile - either a steel BB or a lead pellet.
These airguns are affordable, easy to use and require little to no maintenance. Furthermore, their dimensions make them ideal for even the youngest shooters.
The spring itself could be considered a disadvantage. Cocking these airguns requires a relatively high effort which can be impossible for small children to do. On the other hand, children should never shoot an airgun without an adult supervision who can prepare the rifle for them. That way, you can also be sure that the neighborhood is safe without your presence.
PROS |
CONS |
Low price |
Low power |
Simple maintenance |
High spring resistance |