Gas pistons are now more popular than springers. Enthusiast gunners have seen the rapid development of the airgun market.

Airgunmaniac presents you to this unrivalled air rifle tech.

How Nitro piston air rifles function

So what exactly is a Nitro piston air rifle? Let's take a look at it from this angle. springer air rifle perspective. Springers are also known as break barrel air rifles. They use a compressed spring for their powerplant. The main spring is compressed by cocking the gun. 

The spring is contained in a cylindrical chamber that has a piston at the front.  When the spring is freed from its compressed position (i.e. By pulling the trigger, the spring is freed from its compressed state and the piston moves forward in a fast jerky motion. The piston explodes and propels the air ahead of it through a transfer chamber into the barrel. Air has no other escape route so the piston forces the ammo through the barrel and into the air.

Now replace the main spring with gas and you’ll get how the nitro piston works. The airgun is used to drive a shaft through a nitrogen cylinder by locking it. The shaft is fitted with an airtight piston at its bottom so that no nitrogen can escape. After the nitrogen has been compressed, your nitro piston can be used. 

Pulling the trigger causes the nitrogen within the cylinder to expand. It forces the shaft and piston forward in an attempt to escape. The shaft pushes the air behind it to meet the ammo. The pressure behind the ammo causes it to fly. So the air gun is activated!

And so you ask – Why Nitrogen?? Why not breathable? Or CO2 as in other air rifles.

First, nitrogen can be found readily and is very easy to harness. The metal cylinder containing the gas contains it. Any amount of oxygen in there will likely cause rust. Therefore, nitrogen is a smart replacement for oxygen. Further, nitrogen is non-flammable – absolutely no possibility of exploding into flames due to overheating. Temperature changes such as CO2 do not affect nitrogen.  Lastly, nitrogen is an inert gas and won’t react with lubricants, seals or the metallic parts of the cylinder.

The Advantages of Nitro Piston Air Rifles

Since the nitro-piston is an advance on the springers, I will discuss the benefits of the nitro-piston air rifles over the spring powered air rifles.

The most important thing is that the nitrogen gas vibrates vigorously after being pulled. The forceful spring reaction is what causes the Large recoil in springers. This can reduce accuracy and cause damage to accessories such as the scope. The recoil of nitro piston air rifles is significantly lower. The learning curve for nitro pistons isn't as steep as springers.

A second benefit is the fact that the metallic spring has been replaced with gas. You can’t compare a spring rubbing against a metallic cylinder and gas rubbing the same cylinder.

Springers need to be Regularly grease It is important to keep the spring's action for a long time. Nitro Piston air rifles don't have this issue. 

The spring's elasticity is affected by a prolonged cocking of the break barrel air rifle. A less elastic spring means less power. Nitro piston air rifles, on the other hand, can be cocked for as long as you like without worrying about elasticity.

Nitro Piston air rifles generally weigh less than springers. A metallic spring is heavier than gas. For those who shoot airguns long, nitro piston models are a better option to reduce muscle fatigue.

Consider the following arguments: Nitro pistons are generally more durable than springers.

There’s so much good in the Nitro Piston – but we certainly don’t intend to tarnish the springer. Every air rifle has its positive and negative sides. 

How to select the best Nitro piston airgun

All Nitro pistons have different build and power. So that you can be satisfied with your selection, it is important to choose carefully.

Power When choosing an air rifle, the first consideration is power. Power is almost synonymous to the use of an air rifle for target shooting. You can spend weekends shooting metallic birds in your backyard with a cheap nitro piston air gun. Crosman Vantage NP is a Crosman Vantage NP. Gamo Wildcat Whisper and Gamo Hornet Maxxim are examples. These all will run you less than $200

If you are into small game hunting and can dig a little deeper into your pocket, think of acquiring the Weihrauch HW90, the SIG Sauer ASP20 Whiskey3 Combo, or the  Benjamin Trail NP XL Magnum. 

Benjamin Trail NP is a very popular model. The.22 caliber can be used to hunt small game at speeds of up 1100 fps and muzzle energy that averages 30 FPE. The.177 caliber can drive ammo at up to 1500fps and has a 24 FPE target impact.

The machining quality of an air rifle is important. You don't want to have to buy a new air rifle each summer. This means you should stick with trusted brands that have a proven track record of high-quality products. Crosman and Gamo are great places to start.

The design and construction are also important. Some people cannot live without a monte calo. There are also those who only care about bullpups and pistols. Decide what makes your heart happy.  

How to use and maintain your Nitro Piston air rifle

One Italian manufacturer – Special Springs – claims their nitro piston gas cylinders can give you a million shots before you call it quits. Some speak of 400,000 shots, while others talk about 10,000 shots. These are all way too many. You will need to take four years to make 10,000 shots, if you shoot 50 shots each week. How about a million?

You must take care of your nitro piston rifle, despite its durability claims. Power-hungry shooters might try to pump more air into the cylinders in order to boost their shot power. This is absurd. In broad daylight, you are causing damage to your air rifle. You should stop doing this.

The cylinder does not require refilling, as with CO2 and PCP air rifles. General Airgun maintenance routines These tips will ensure that your rifle lasts many years. The Airgunmaniac team wishes you all the best.