N/A What's this about "cold barrels?"

[Geneeus]

I posted this question in response to a few people talking about the first shot out of a cold barrel, seeming to imply that the POI would shift as the barrel warmed up. Or am I missing the point? (I often do......)

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Kinda new to all of this, but I do have a question. Considering that we are shooting compressed air from a storage tank, isn't the barrel always cold? If anything, according to the laws of physics, the air will get hotter when it's compressed into the bottle, and cool down over time until it approaches ambient. When it is released from the bottle, it will be cooler. Or so I believe.

A word of caution: I still believe in the Easter Bunny and the Great Pumpkin......

Geneeus

 

[PowderBurnt]

English is such a crazy language.

 

[JDGriz]

The term came from firearms. In airguns, the term is used more to indicate the first shot after the gun hasn't been fired in a while. This would also hint at the issues of this first shots and how it affects the point of impact (not necessarily temperature related) such as regulator creep and sticky valves.

The term is questionable semanticly in firearms as well. Some firearms people think it's actually solidified or condensed grime/oils in the barrel which is scrapped off by the first shot. If so, then it can be happening in airguns as well.
One YT video that I saw said it's actually also a cold shooter problem- first shot for the shooter for the day.