Air pistols with lead bullets

Wet processing

— bullets differ from balls in their characteristic shape, with a pronounced front and back. Nowadays, there are different types of bullets with different performance characteristics, but they all have common features.

The main advantage of bullets over balls is higher accuracy, especially at long distances. This is primarily due to the fact that this type of ammunition is optimally suited for rifled barrels: thanks to the soft lead and the special shape of the tail, the bullet clearly enters the rifling, and their wear is minimal. And even in smoothbore pneumatics, the bullet often gives greater accuracy due to the aerodynamic shape, which itself can provide stabilization in flight. In addition, such projectiles practically do not ricochet, they can be fired safely at hard surfaces even from a fairly close distance. On the other hand, bullets are much more expensive than balls (on average, by an order of magnitude, or even more, depending on the specific type), and the above advantages are relevant mainly in professional high-precision shooting. Therefore, in short-barreled pneumatics, this type of ammunition is used much less frequently than balls.