Get a sweet deal on a new air rifle here and learn why every preparedness-minded person should own an air gun!
RELATED: A Hunter’s Guide To Shooting An Air Rifle
Why Everyone Should Own an Air Gun
Red” Story Red Ryder BB Gun: My “Ol'
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I'm going to date myself a little here, but I was (and still am, believe it or not) the proud owner of Red Ryder BB Gun. The same model from the 1983 classic, A Christmas Story.
There, I said it. I'm old as stale farts.
Those of you familiar with the brand know ol' Red has about as much stopping power as a crusty rubber band. One swift caulk and you'd be ready to knock over a beer can at five paces (if you were lucky and the wind was behind you).
My-Oh-My Have Times Changed
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Nowadays every air rifle shop in the country touts slick-stocked air guns which can back a pellet with 1000+ FPS of force. Most of those are still utter crap (good luck nailing anything smaller than an elephant), though.
But top brands like Air Venturi Bronco and Benjamin air rifles like the Benjamin air rifle Trail NP XL 1500 brought .177 caliber Plinkers firmly into adult territory. While the Diana RWS 48 air rifle is arguably one of the better budget-minded air-driven 22's out there, also.
Quick aside: I know more than one owner of the .25-cal Benjamin Marauder who has taken down a bobcat. True story… Mostly true… ok… there may have been a lot of whiskeys involved in those stories.
But I am getting off topic. A while back, The National Firearms Museum published a wonderful little video about the Girandoni air rifle. Lewis & Clark and their team used it when they explored Western American during the early 1800s.
The Girandoni Air Rifle
Developed by an Austrian badass named Bartholomäus Girardoni (in 1779!!!), this air gun could fire a .46 caliber ball roughly 30 times before it had to be re-pumped and touted pinpoint accuracy beyond 125 yards.
You can imagine why this was so valuable to Lewis & Clark, seeing as there weren't exactly a plethora of gun shops nearby for them to restock on their travels.
In fact, the air gun was so effective the Austrian army used it for 35 years in battle. Imagine the benefit over slow muzzleloaders, to say nothing of the tell-tale puffs of smoke which gives away your position.
The only problem? Well, it took 1,500 strokes of a hand pump to get the Girardoni ready for action.
Additionally, at the full pump, the Girardoni held roughly 800 PSI in its air reservoir, which would be kind of like holding a balloon under your arm, except if the balloon popped, it would rip you into flesh confetti.
Anyway, watch the video from the NRA National Firearms Museum. It's crazy fascinating.
Girandoni Air Rifle as Used by Lewis and Clark:
Pretty cool right? So why all the fuss nowadays STILL about air rifles? And why should you own one?
Air Gun as a Survival Weapon
From an SHTF perspective, the reasons are obvious. Air rifles are lightweight and you can carry large amounts of ammunition in a small space.
You can get 6000 BB’s in most cases for under $10. With the right air rifle and the number of BBs, you can keep hunting small game animals like squirrel, rabbit, raccoon, and various birds.
However, you can’t just pick up a 350 FPS Daisy rifle and hope to have major success in air rifle hunting. Like everything in survival, you need the right tool for the job, too.
At a minimum, you need an 800 FPS air rifle, and preferably a .22 to widen the dinner options. It has adequate power for short–to–medium range small game hunts, as well.
With this kind of power, you’ll use less ammunition and kill more quickly and humanely. Plus it broadens your hunt and allows you to bring down slightly larger game, like wild turkey, smaller boar, and angry ex-wives.
RELATED: Finally: 6 Long Range Hunting Rifles That Are Actually Affordable
Top Reasons You Should Own an Air Rifle
- Air rifles don’t require much of any cleaning to continue top performance.
- Small game animals are much more abundant and easier to find than larger game animals, thus reducing hunting time and the number of days you may go without food. It allows you to focus on other critical elements of survival.
- The sustainability of your ammunition makes resupply less frequent, reducing cost and time allotments.
- It minimizes the use of your larger caliber and defensive weapons and munitions.
- It operates by compressing air and not explosive gun powder. In effect, the noise reduction minimizes exposing your position.
- If you add a silencer to an already reduced noise signature, you not only further reduce your exposure, but it’s less probable you’ll frighten your game off. Thus giving you more opportunities to get a kill and making survival much more likely.
Here's the Deal
Our friend at Survival Life has a deal going on a new air rifle. Below is some info from the stalwart editor of SL, Joe Marshall:
The latest entry into the air rifle space I got to play with recently is the Girandoni Air Rifle. The model and name came from the same guns carried by L & C.
Yet unlike the 1500 strokes of a hand pump, this one-pump-action .22 delivers 800 FPS of stopping power with one single pump. I'm not a marketing guy, so I'm not going to try and sell it to you, but I picked up some sweet discounts from the manufacturer worth checking out.
Like most sales, it has an expiration date, so I'd pop over there now to see if there are any left as of this reading. Whenever I am looking at air rifles I always have one major issue: The pricing.
But with the gun running less than $200 through Survival Life, I figured I couldn't complain too much if it turned out to be a wonk. After several hours of testing, here is what I have found:
Pros
- The synthetic stock is rubberized and has a good grip, which, since this is a break action style rifle, is an incredible asset to not slip when you are loading it.
- That also means it’s lighter than wood and won’t split or rot.
- Cheap ammo (roughly $.003 per round!)
- A large variety of ammo. I found at least 10 different varieties of .22 caliber ammunition sitting on the shelf.
- Low maintenance. This gun does not actually “fire,” and as such, there is little to no residue and nothing much required in the way of maintenance. The only thing you will need to do is add a couple of drops of oil every 100-200 shots fired and the occasional cleaning out of the barrel.
- No waiting period. This is about the best pro I can think of, you can pick this rifle up off the shelf and buy it without any type of registration or waiting period (Check your local laws to verify this). There are currently no laws requiring a background check on an air rifle, at least not here in Texas.
Cons
1. Accuracy
The first 75-100 shots have very bad accuracy. This is a normal break-in period for just about any air rifle and can be frustrating.
BUT just stick to it and fire through your “testing” period. You'll find it amazing how accurate this thing is even over 100 yards!
2. Stiff Cocking Mechanism
It takes about 30lbs of pull to break over the barrel and load the pellet. Make sure your hands are out of the way when you cock it.
I was unfortunate enough to catch one of my knuckles several weeks ago (my own fault) and it’s still sore.
3. Single Shot
Unless you go with the more expensive PCP (Pre-Charged Pneumatic), your normal break action gun will only hold one pellet at a time.
This can be very taxing on your morale when you are trying to take down a few squirrels, forced to reload after each shot (again a little practice goes a long way).
Bottom Line
An air rifle like the Girandoni I purchased is great for practice and small game. Once you have your sights on, you should be able to kill any small game with no problem.
Just bear in mind most small game has a successful kill spot of around 1,” so you will need to practice.
If you have the right ammo and a well-placed shot, you could potentially take down larger game like a hog. But please do so at your own risk…
Even if you do have other rifles for larger game and self-defense, the inexpensive and highly available ammo will make this an extremely useful gun to have on hand in a survival situation. It is also a perfect training rifle for children.
Get in on these deal for the Girandoni if the answer is YES. They've got just a few dozens set aside at 50% off of the MSRP as of this publishing.
Watch this video from TA Outdoors for an introduction to air rifle shooting:
Now you know the potential of an air rifle and why you need one, especially for survival, self-defense, and practice.
Make the Giradoni Air Rifle your first pick, though, and we trust this sweet deal will also push you to own one. Who knows the Giradoni might just be the best air rifle for you!
What’s your opinion? Should you keep an air gun in your survival gear? Let us know your thoughts about it in your comments below!
Up Next:
- Gun Review | Adams Arms SF 308 Patrol Battle Rifle
- Air Rifle Reviews: The Brocock Compatto Air Gun .22
- Air Rifles | How This Simple Weapon Could Save Your Life
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on June 24, 2015, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
