Air guns are not usually considered to be survival weapons because they tend to lack the power to cause considerable damage to large targets. However, there is a popular and persistent rumor that suggests how dieseling can give you a fast, easy and inexpensive way to boost the velocity of projectiles fired from standard air guns. This can translate into a shot that can be far more destructive when compared to one fired from a non-modified gun, and this can give you more defensive options to have at your disposal.
The question is whether or not this modification lives up to the hype, or if it is doing little more than giving people a false sense of security. Let’s take a closer look at dieseling and how it can impact your air gun.
Dieseling
Dieseling involves modifying the gun to behave much like a cylinder in a diesel engine in order to produce power. Diesel engines are different than gasoline engines in the sense that they use air pressure to ignite fuel that creates more air pressure to drive cylinders that produce power. Gasoline engines use a spark to ignite fuel which produces compressed air that pushes the cylinders.
Firearms and air guns operate in a loosely-similar fashion. Firearms use ammunition that contains gun powder which explodes when the hammer strikes the shell, and it’s this explosion that propels the projectile forward, just like the cylinder in an internal combustion engine. Air guns use compressed air to launch a BB or pellet, and you can modify it to create an explosion without the need for gunpowder.
Putting it to the Test
The beauty of this technique lies in its simplicity. All you need to do is load your pellet or BB before smearing a coat of petroleum jelly or a dab of oil behind the projectile as it sits in the chamber. Fire the weapon. The shot will produce a louder bang and give off smoke, and this gives people the impression that the projectile is traveling faster and hitting targets with more force.
The material will create an air-tight seal around the projectile, and the compressed air does explode. It may even feel as though the weapon is recoiling to a greater degree because of this combustion. However, if you do some testing, you’ll quickly discover that the velocity of the projectile as well as the force of impact is not always consistent.
Results
Consequently, this method can work with certain air guns, but you may experience different results depending on the projectile as well as the material you are using. However, once you find the right combination, you can see a 20-30 percent increase in the velocity of the projectile. This can translate into being able to hit targets at greater distances or hitting closer targets with greater force.
We’re not making any promises that this technique will work for you, and it’s important to beware of certain risks. Chemical reactions caused by petroleum-based products can degrade seals, and the extra pressure caused by the explosion can blow seals and crack the barrel. Consequently, think twice about using this technique with your favorite and most-expensive weapon. Second, the increased velocity of the projectile can cause serious injury or death, and it’s important that you handle your modified air gun the same way that you would a firearm.
Try this out for yourself, and see if you can experience better results as well. Experiment with different types of petroleum-based products, use different types of pellets, and try it on different air guns until you find the best combination. While this won’t replicate the power of a firearm, it can turn your air gun into a formidable defensive or hunting weapon, and this is good news if you need to use it during a survival situation.
