is an air gun the same as a bb gun
BB guns are a type of air guns designed to shoot metallic ball projectiles called BBs -- metal balls approximately the same size as the 0.180 inches (4.6 mm) "BB" lead birdshots. Modern BB guns usually have a barrel with a bore caliber of 4.5 mm (0.177 in) and are available in many varieties. These guns usually use steel BB shots, either zinc-or copper-plated to resist corrosion, and measuring 4.3 to 4.4 mm (0.171 to 0.173 in) in diameter and 0.33 to 0.35 g (5.1 to 5.4 gr) in weight. Some manufacturers still make the traditional lead balls around 0.48 to 0.50 g (7.4 to 7.7 gr) in weight and slightly larger in diameter, which are generally intended for use in rifled barrels due to lead having better malleability.