The Advantages of Using Co2 Bb Guns Over Pneumatic Guns

A CO2 BB gun is a gun that is powered with CO2 mechanism and it is used to fire ball bearings or BBs.

Most CO2 guns use a powerlet which is a disposable cylinder. It is purchased as pre-filled with 12 grams of liquid carbon dioxide. Some expensive models of this CO2 bb guns use large refillable CO2 reservoirs like the ones used in paintball markers.

The gun that is powered with carbon dioxide has following advantages over a pre charged pneumatic guns:

1. Pressure regulator is not required. There is a very little need to regulate the suitable pressure for low and moderate power air guns that is within a temperature range tolerable to humans. The pressure of the vapor does not depend on the tank size but only on the temperature till some liquid CO2 remains in the reservoir.

2. A small liquid volume converts to large pressurized gas volume which is a very simple system for storage of energy.

Thus owing to the above mentioned advantages, the guns are more simply constructed with CO2 than using a pressurized air reservoir. The reservoirs of the CO2 powered guns are fixed or detachable that is loaded with a pressurized gas from a large cylinder.

The standard 12 gram powerlet disposable cylinder that was invented by Crosman is used in most of the CO2 powered guns. A new 88 gram disposable airgun cylinder has also been introduced by the same company which can be used in some of the CO2 bb guns.

The element of cost does not rise with the PCP gun as it uses a pump combination of free air or a low cost refill from the driver's tank. On the other hand the liquefied CO2 for the gun needs to be purchased.

Unlike air guns, CO2 guns have a compact package the offers power for repeated shots. Hence there is no need for complex filling or cocking mechanisms. Repeating arms are also possible as there is an ability to store power for repeated shots.

The guns and the required ammunition are inexpensive hence they are popularly used for training. Moreover no specialized facilities are needed for safety as they are much safer to use.

In some areas where possession of firearms is banned outright or strictly controlled, these guns can still be purchased.

This system of CO2 guns has been used in the non lethal weapons for law enforcements on an experimental basis. Few examples of this is bean bags out of a launcher that is gas powered, non lethal shotgun system with lower velocities or rubber batons launched with high power delivery systems.