It doesn’t matter how beautiful or effective an air rifle is, if its material-make is poor, it will fail at some point. So, longevity becomes a key consideration for many shooters in the hunt for one. In that regard, how long does an air rifle last?
Generally, an air rifle could last several decades even beyond your lifespan as the shooter. Actually, air rifles are designed to outlive you and last the longest. The longevity of air rifles varies among the different types in the market. On average, the less powerful air rifles last longer.
With that being said, it’s important to note that in practical terms, there is no end in the lifespan of an air rifle per se. The reason why is that with most designs, you can simply replace any failed or worn-out part and keep using the air rifle.
You could overhaul the entire air rifle and it will still keep going.
If you are interested to know how long an air rifle will last, this article cuts through the topic and explores even further specifics.
How Long Does an Air Rifle Last?
Any serious enthusiast would tell you that the shelf life of an air rifle is a paramount aspect when buying one. This is what is mostly referred to as durability.
Durability comes down to what quality of materials has been used in the construction of an air rifle. High-quality materials make good parts and the reverse is true.
Besides the material quality, an air rifle’s lifespan also hinges on the correct maintenance routine. The more attention you pay to its care; the more life you get from it. That includes use and storage.
You can keep on changing the worn-out parts of an air rifle and it would still work just fine. In fact, sometimes a complete overhaul may be required – yet the lifespan of the air rifle will still be intact.
The only time when the life of an air rifle ends is when it fails to work completely even after repairing or replacing the parts. In most cases, when parts are replaced, it even extends the gun’s longevity.
But the parts to be replaced must also be available if the air rifle’s longevity will get any boost. Without the correct parts being available, that’s the end of your rig there.
When it comes to the specifics of the individual class of air rifles, lower-powered air rifles will last the longest because they don’t emit rapid fire. So, you can get hundreds to millions of shots across the entire lifespan due to the room for repair and replacement of parts.
On the other hand, high-powered, rapid-fire air rifles and the ones with more complex designs with irreplaceable propriety parts may collapse sooner.
Here Are Types of Air Rifles and Their Longevity Issues
1. Spring Piston-Powered Air Rifles
If there are air rifles that can last a lifetime having produced several hundred thousand to millions of rounds, that would be spring-powered air rifles.
As said earlier, the less powerful ones will keep going while the more powerful designs will wear out faster. But with replaceable parts, there is always a chance to elongate that life.
Nevertheless, there are not many air rifles in this category that have suffered longevity issues. Many springers from the 1910 era have shot over a million rounds and are still going stronger.
They will definitely require some repairs and replacements with seals and springs but once that’s done, they keep going. You can even overhaul your springer – with all parts including the spring, the seal, and the breech seal all changed – and will still shoot thousands of shots.
2. Pneumatic Air Rifles
The pneumatic category includes the variable pump air rifles and the most common PCPs. As long as you care and maintain them well, pneumatic air rifles will last indefinitely.
However, some issues may arise on the pneumatics especially with models that have barrels soldered to the pump. With continual use, the barrels may detach from the pump in due time.
If this separation occurs, your PCP airgun is probably done as nearly no repair center offers this kind of fixes. In the event of failed pump mechanisms due to excessive stress, it’s still possible to make repairs but in economic terms, it may not be a realistic pursuit.
You need the right gunsmith and the amount of money you spend may be a fortune.
3. CO2-Powered Guns
CO2 air rifles offer indefinite lifespans. This is because they can be rebuilt from parts even if they wear out. Most of the time, these parts are available.
The complex CO2 air rifles normally come with propriety parts. If in any case these parts collapse, your gun is definitely going down as well. But if they function for whatever number of years, then your air rifle will also go that long.
Take an example of the Crosman 600 Pistol that has a cam and feed arm. If any of these parts breaks, there is usually no replacement and that will be that for your air rifle.
What of BB guns?
When it comes to serious longevity, BB guns are nothing but a special mention. If you look at the Daisy Red Ryder BB Gun
(Amazon Link) it’s the kind of a gun that gets going and going while getting you millions of shots in the process.
It’s pretty easy replacing the parts since they are inexpensive.
How Long Will a PCP Air Rifle Last?
In theory, all airguns can last for a very long time possibly beyond the shooter’s life. But more specifically, how long will a PCP air rifle last?
As a whole, a PCP air rifle will last a lifetime if the gun is well taken care of throughout. As long as you use it correctly and maintain it well, it can go a long way.
The O-rings, regulators, and seals may wear out but are easily available for replacement. If that’s the case, you can see your PCP being around for many more years.
The quality of the design resulting from the materials used in making the parts determine the PCP’s durability. If you get low-quality PCPs, you can guess it won’t be long before it starts breaking down.
There are just a few PCP air rifles with non-removable cylinders. If anything happens and the cylinder is not in the proper working condition, you are likely to see the gun going down.
However, many PCP air rifles come with removable cylinders which can easily be replaced in case the previous one failed.
Can You Leave an Air Rifle Cocked?
Cocking an air rifle is part of the process of operating it. Nevertheless, can you leave an air rifle cocked, and if so, for how long?
In general, it’s not advised to leave your air rifle cocked for long unless you are on the go and don’t want to let loose of your target. If it’s pneumatic, there is not much damage as it involves compression of the seals. At lower pressure, your PCP will be leaking with the broken seals.
How about the spring piston-powered air rifles? Well, spring-piston air rifles should not be left cocked for long. Perhaps, you want to do that while in the field on the go but during storage.
Leaving a springer cocked for long infringes the mainspring. In the long term, the mainspring develops fatigue and it continues for long periods, your gun will start having problems.
The springer will start by having felt reductions in power levels. You may not even suspect what’s gone down as it may be negligible for you to suspect anything serious.
As time goes by, the seals and the spring are now by and far damaged. The gun not only loses on the velocity but more power, which is definitely bad news.
In other words, leaving a spring-piston air rifle cocked will weaken its mainspring. And when this goes on and on, the entire mechanism degrades and ultimately, the gun’s performance goes down.
How Can You Prolong the Life of an Air Rifle?
How you use and maintain your air rifle determines its life. Here are key things you can do to increase an air rifle’s longevity:
- Make sure you use your air rifle regularly
- Replace any worn out parts wherever needed
- Use the right pellets through the air rifle
- Make sure you clean and oil the exterior parts of the air rifle i.e. the bluing
- Ensure the mainspring is replaced in springers in case there is loss of power noticed
- Lubricate with the correct oil and lubricants where necessary
- Oil the piston seals at least after every 1000 shots
If you enforce the procedure mentioned above, you are going to see your air rifle perform the functions for a very long time ahead.
Final Thoughts: How Long Does an Air Rifle Last?
An air rifle can outlive the life of its owners. Some air rifles will last tens of thousands of shots but most will produce hundred thousand to millions if well maintained by the owner.
However, there are certain air rifles that come with propriety parts. They will function as long as these parts are okay, but the moment they go down the air rifle also fails because the parts are irreplaceable.
