Fournier1

Daniel Fournier

Mrs. Stevens & Mrs. Radcliffe

Life Science

13 January 2017

How does PSI Affect the Muzzle Velocity of an Air Gun?

I have always loved firearms or toy firearms, whether they were NERF guns, shotguns or

rifles, I enjoy them the same. There is nothing in my mind that is comparable to the feeling and

thrill you receive when hitting the center of the target. I decided I wanted to create an air gun

from scratch with my dad and my love for guns and school just coincided perfectly. As a result I

have an experiment that I enjoy and that I will stay interested in for a long time even after

Science Fair. Muzzle velocity is the rate at which a certain projectile leaves the muzzle of a

my hypothesis is, If the pressure is increased, then the muzzle velocity will
weapon. Therefore,

be higher.

What is PSI? And What is the Most Effective Way to Measure PSI?

PSI is an acronym for pressure per square inch or pascals per square inch (Marie).

Pressure is a function of force and area that demonstrates the strength of a contained forced, such

as in an air gun. Pressure can either be measured in static or dynamic forms (Pressure). PSI can

be calculated by dividing the force applied with the area, which is shown in the equation F/A

(How). Pressure is the force on an object that is spread over a surface area. The equation for

pressure, whether it is the pressure for a solid on a solid or a solid on a liquid is P=F/A. The

equation for pressure caused by gravity is P=W/A, or weight divided by the area where the

weight is applied (Kurtus). All formulas for finding presure will have something divided by the
 Fournier2

area to which it is applied.

What are the Mechanical Differences Between an Air Powered Gun and a Traditional Gun?

Rifles have spiral grooves called rifling which increase accuracy range. Rifling does this

by spinning the bullet down the chamber. Most guns use a firing pin which is activated by a

trigger pull and strikes the bullets primer. The primer goes off and ignites the gunpowder. Guns

are sorted by function, bolt-action requires user to manually eject spent shells and chamber new

rounds. Semi-automatic guns are automatically chamber a new round and eject the spent shell.

Fully-automatic guns mechanically chamber new rounds and eject spent shell from the chamber,

but will fire as long as trigger is held down (Does). With air guns the air is compressed in an

airtight container until the trigger is pulled. Once pulled the air or gas is released pushing the

projectile down the barrel. Both use projectiles and triggers however, firearms use small

explosions that produce gas while air guns use air compressed by different means (Do).

How do Air-Powered Guns Work?

Most air guns are either airsoft, BB, or air rifles. BB guns use compressed air, not

explosions as in standard firearms, to launch projectiles. Pneumatic designs use a pump to

compress gas that can then be released to launch the projectile. The movable lever pumps the air

and compresses it creating pressure inside of a cylinder. A check valve lets air in but not out,

allowing more air to be forced into the container. On a spring air design, commonly known as a

springer, the pump lever pushes a piston which in turn compresses a spring behind it. When

the piston is forced back it catches on a pin known as a sear. When the sear is unlatched, the

piston pushes forward as the spring behind,releasing compressed air behind the projectile. Other

guns use a compressed air tank which the gun when fired opens the valve allowing the
 Fournier3

compressed air to force the projectile out of the chamber (Do).

What is the Most Effective Way to Measure the Speed of a Projectile?

Stop action recording is done by having some kind of measuring device and a high speed

camera to record. Acoustic recording requires a microphone to be placed by the barrel of a gun

and slow down the audio to see when the projectile hits the target. Optical recording has two

optosensors inside of the barrel and a timer that measures elapsed time from when the projectile

passes the first sensor to the time it passes the second sensor. A horizontal ballistic speed trap

uses a box with different walls to measure the horizontal and vertical change for each shot.

Vertical ballistic speed traps use a sheet of cardboard or similar material and measure the

horizontal and vertical change for each shot. The final way to measure firearms is with a ballistic

pendulum, which you fire the projectile into and measure how high it swings. Benjamin Robins

is credited with inventing the pendulum in 1742, which is still used today (Barry). He was born

in Bath, England in 1707 and died in Madras India on July 20, 1751. Robins was an english

scientist and presented his invention of the ballistic pendulum in his Treatise New Principles of

Gunnery (OConnor). In theory if you increase the air pressure then the muzzle velocity will be

increased, you can measure the muzzle velocity by watching where it lands if everything is held

constant (Moore).

How can You Measure the Muzzle Velocity of a Firearm?

Chronographs are often used to measure muzzle velocity or how fast something shoots in

feet per second (Woodward). Chronographs measure projectile speed in feet per second or

meters per second. Chronographs are essentially a contraption with two sensors and a timer. A
 Fournier4

digital display shows the time that it took the bullet to cover the given space. The given space is

the distance between the sensors. The number on the display either shows the result in feet or

meters per second depending on the configuration. The number shows the velocity of the bullet

and therefore the muzzle velocity (Introduction). If a shot is fired diagonal in a chronograph the

reading will be incorrect since a straight line is shorter and therefore faster than a diagonal line

(Pelletier).

What is a Chronograph and How Does it Work?

A chronograph is sometimes referred to by its official name of ohmmeter. Typical

chronographs work via optical detection of the projectile between two known points. The

time-of-flight, T, between the detectors is, of course, inversely proportional to the average speed,

S, of the projectile: S = D/T (Woodward). Chronographs operate on a known frequency using a

crystal clock. When the shadow of the projectile passes over a start screen the clock starts

running and ends when the projectiles shadow passes over the stop section. The computer takes

a reading of the time and compares it to the crystal clock creating an equation that tells

depending on the mode what the speed of the projectile fired was (Pelletier). Chronographs have

a LCD screen to display information. This screen display the muzzle velocity, decreasing speed

to distance ratio and conditions under which the device was used (Caldwell).

If the pressure is increased, then the muzzle velocity will be higher. Given the research it

is safe to say that air guns muzzle velocity increase the higher the PSI. Air guns provide a good

springboard into the world of firearms and safe shooting. They will always be enjoyed by many

people because it is a step below normal firearms, but still gives a similar experience with less

recoil from the gun. Air guns are simple and can even be a weekend project, all one needs to buy
 Fournier5

to create a simple air gun are, PVC, a bicycle pump, a schrader to open conversion valve and a

quick release valve. Guns and air guns, are a useful tool when used correctly and create a special

bond between those who use them.

 Fournier6

Works Cited

Barry, Coilgun "Measuring Coilgun Speed." How to Measure Speed. Coilgun, 6 Sept. 2008.

Web. 01 Nov. 2016

Caldwell Chronograph. Caldwell Chronograph. Top Gun, 14 Sept. 2015. Web. 7 Nov. 2016.

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ugd0UQTznw>.

"How Do BB Guns Work?" HowStuffWorks. InfoSpace Holdings, 01 June 2001. Web. 03 Nov.

2016.

"How Do You Calculate PSI?" Reference. IAC Labs, 2016. Web. 01 Nov. 2016.

"How Does a Rifle Work?" Reference. IAC Publishing Labs, 2016. Web. 02 Nov. 2016

Introduction to Ballistic Chronograph, How It Works, How to Use, Measuring Bullet Velocities.

Introduction to Ballistic Chronograph, How It Works, How to Use, Measuring Bullet

Velocities. YouTube, 31 July 2011. Web. 7 Nov. 2016.

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVrR7ZFBV0o>.

Kurtus, Ron. "Pressure Is Force per Unit Area." By Ron Kurtus. School for Champions, 2016.

Web. 01 Nov. 2016.

Marie, Anne. "What Is PSI?" About.com Education. About, Inc, 16 Feb. 2016. Web. 27 Oct.

2016

Moore, Larry. "How Does PSI Affect the Muzzle Velocity of an Air Shotgun?" Personal

interview. 25 Nov. 2016.

O'Connor, J. J., and E. F. Robertson. "Benjamin Robins." Robins Biography. School of

Mathematics and Statistics University of St Andrews, Scotland, Dec. 2008. Web. 12 Jan.

2017. <http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Biographies/Robins.html>.
 Fournier7

Pelletier, By B.B. "Do You REALLY Need a Chronograph?" Air Gun Blog Pyramyd Air Report.

PyramidAir.com, 26 Aug. 2005. Web. 04 Nov. 2016

"Pressure Measurement Overview." - National Instruments. National Instruments, 2 June 2016.

Web. 28 Oct. 2016

Woodward W. Stephen Woodward | Electronic Design, W. Stephen. "Measure Projectile

Velocity Optically With An Ohmmeter." Electronic Design. 2016 Penton, 29 Oct. 2001.

Web. 28 Oct. 2016