BB gun

The term is also sometimes used to describe a pellet gun, which shoots diabolo-shaped (not spherical) lead projectiles at higher power and velocity.

Around 1900, Daisy changed their BB-size bore diameter to 0.175 in (4.4 mm), and began to market precision-made lead shot specifically for their BB guns.

Subsequently, the term BB became generic, and is used loosely referring to any small spherical projectiles of various calibers and materials.

However, because the projectile inherently has limited accuracy and short effective range, only the simpler and less expensive mechanisms are generally used for guns designed to fire only BBs.

[citation needed] The traditional and still most common powerplant for BB guns is the spring-piston pump, usually patterned after a lever-action rifle or a pump-action shotgun.

The powerlet is a disposable metal gas cylinder containing 12 grams (185 gr) of compressed carbon dioxide, with a self-contained valve to release the CO2 which expands to propel the BB.

[citation needed] Some gas-powered BB guns use a larger source of gas, and provide machine gun-like fire.

These types, most notably the Shooting Star Tommy Gun (originally known as the Feltman) are commonly found at carnivals.

The gas is released in a constant stream, and this is used to suck the BBs up into the barrel at rates as high as 3600 rounds per minute.

[4][5][6] Although claims are often exaggerated, a few airguns can actually fire a standard 0.177 caliber lead pellet faster than 320 m/s (1,000 ft/s), but these are generally not BB-firing guns.

Steel BBs are prone to ricochet off hard surfaces such as brick, concrete, metal, or wood end grain.

The U.S. Army trained recruits in Quick Kill techniques using Daisy Model 99 BB guns to improve soldiers using their weapons in the Vietnam War from 1967 to 1973.