Air Rifle fps standards ?

[Buckshot]

So are there any standards for fps claims anymore like 7.9gr in .177 and 14.3 in .22 in lead or is that all out the windows now? Seem's like most are using alloy pellets in the fps claim but like Eric say nothing about weights.

Is there a new standard for bench marking fps ?

[SeanMP]

I don't know of any published standards.

There is still a defacto "Industry Standard" as long as we keep referring to 7.9 gr in .177 and 14.3 gr in .22

In cases where there is a lack of published standards then common practice is the accepted standard.

[AirGunEric]

Only a few of the German manufacturers are sticking to any sort of "standard"- most of the rest are not specifying what they are doing, or what pellets they are testing with. The only "real" indicator on the numbers is to talk to someone who has tested the product and can specify the weight and velocity they produced- i.e. people on the forums who have bought and experimented with a product.

I think as a general rule of thumb, anyone claiming their spring-powered gun can shoot faster than 1100fps in .177 and 900fps in .22 is using extremely lightweight pellets. This is not to say lower numbers than this aren't inaccurate as well- but 1100/900fps seem to be the reasonable maximum for spring-powered guns using 'normal' weight pellets- the only way to go higher is to have an excessively large tube/air volume.

[Buckshot]

Thanks for clearing things up. I had hoped that there was a standard that everybody used but guess not.

After thinking my post maybe I was thinking of RCMP's definition for determining a non-pal air rifle <500 fps and less then 4.2 ft-lbs of energy use 7.9gr in .177 and 14.3gr in .22. I was assuming that most companines were using these weights but now I see that is RCMP guideline (subject to change). RCMP air rifle fact sheet is still down

I think I got it right now .

[AirGunEric]

Look at what you just said; 500fps and 4.2fpe- doesn't much matter what the pellet weight used by the RCMP/CFC is/isn't- the gun needs to meet/exceed both to be classified as a "firearm"- so this only becomes an issue where a gun is shooting excessively heavy pellets (i.e. to stay below 500fps) in an owner-attempt to claim of "not a firearm" where is really shouldn't be classified as a "non-firearm". By convention, the people in the RCMP testing labs (at least in the Ottawa lab anyways) will use "common off the shelf" pellets- but they aren't specifying any exact weights- gives them more "wiggle room" when evaluating things.

[Buckshot]

Thank you for your patients with me Eric it is greatly appreciated. I got hit now.