Patent ID: 7686003

Claim:
A device for launching a projectile, comprising: a barrel having a front end and a rear end and adapted to receive the projectile proximate the rear end; a cylinder having a front end, a rear end and a volume of air therebetween; a piston slidingly confined between the front and rear ends of the cylinder and sealingly trapping the volume of air; a firing handle having a front end and a rear end, the front end thereof fixed to the piston, the firing handle facilitating compression of the volume of air by the application of manual pressure in a pushing stroke to the piston; a valve providing selective fluid communication between the cylinder and the barrel; and a bolt rod fixed proximate a forward end thereof to the valve, the bolt rod actuating the valve by advance of the stroke to release the volume of air compressed by the piston as the piston approaches the front end of the cylinder-thereby to propel the projectile from the barrel, the bolt rod projecting through the cylinder slidingly threading the piston and the front end of the firing handle to make contact with the rear end of the firing handle, the contact resulting in actuation of the valve.