BB guns are a type of air gun produced to fire spherical projectiles called BB's after the Birdshot pellet of approx. same size. They can be pointed, but they are normally used for bird hunting. Today's BB guns have a barrel of bore diameter of 4.5 mm. They are made up of steel with zinc or copper plating to avoid corrosion and are 4.34-4.39 mm in diameter. Some manufacturers also make lead BB's of slightly large diameter which are used in rifled gun barrels. Some Asian companies produce plastic BB's for recreational purpose.
Airsoft guns are also known as BB guns or pellet guns as they can also fire spherical projectiles. But airsoft BB's are 6 mm in diameter and are made from plastic or other non-metallic materials.
The most general power plant for BB guns is the spring piston type. The lever action rifle was the first in BB guns and still is the main in the inexpensive BB gun market. The Daisy Model 25 BB gun, came after a pump action shotgun conquered the low price but high quality market for 50 years.
Lever action models normally have low velocity of 275 ft/s which is the result of the weak springs used to make cocking efforts low. Multi-pump pneumatic guns are also commonly available in the market nowadays. The last type of power for BB guns is pre-compressed gas. The powerlet by Crosman is a disposable bottle of 12 grams of liquid CO2.
There are safety measures which one should follow while using BB guns. The guns should be used with proper precautions and should never be fired at people other than players. Simple BB guns provided by Wal-Mart can fire over 1000 fps.
BB guns may become adverse to the people while airsoft guns are not. Any lead .177 pellet shoot at 600 fps has skin piercing capacities and possibility of injury in case if inaccurate firing. Steel BB's have large ricocheting ability from hard surfaces such as brick or concrete. Eye protection though not necessary but is an advised safety precaution.
