Buyer's guide · November 2026
Which air pistols and air rifles are actually made in India, what they cost, and how they compare with imports.
Written by Camstar Sports, an Indian air gun maker in Uttar Pradesh · Updated 1 November 2026
Quick Answer
The main Indian air gun makers are Camstar Sports (Uttar Pradesh), Precihole Sports (Maharashtra) and Aerosoft (Himachal Pradesh). An Indian-made air pistol costs from ₹8,400, an air rifle from ₹13,499, and the cheapest Indian-made CO₂ pistol, the Star RX Gen 3, is ₹24,500. Every .177 model under 20 joules can be bought without an arms licence.
Every gun below is designed and manufactured in India by Camstar Sports, is .177 calibre (4.5 mm), and stays under 20 joules, so none of them needs an arms licence.
| Model | Type | Power | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Star Leo | Spring pistol | Up to 6 J | ₹8,400 |
| Mauser X | Spring pistol | Up to 6 J | ₹9,499 |
| Star RX Gen 3 | CO₂ semi-auto pistol | Under 5 J | ₹24,500 |
| Star ZXi | Spring rifle | Under 20 J | ₹13,499 |
| Star Matrix Gold | Nitro-piston rifle | Up to 20 J | ₹14,499 |
| Star Hercules RF | Spring rifle | Up to 20 J | ₹15,499 |
| Star PX combo | PCP rifle + scope + pump | Up to 20 J | ₹29,000 |
| Star PXi combo | PCP rifle (suppressed) + scope + pump | Under 20 J | ₹30,000 |
Prices from the Camstar catalogue, delivered pan-India. Power figures are from each model's spec sheet.
India has a handful of established air gun manufacturers. They build to the same legal limit (.177, under 20 J) but aim at different shooters:
| Maker | Based in | Best known for |
|---|---|---|
| Camstar Sports | Kanpur and Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh | Spring and nitro-piston rifles, spring pistols, the Star RX Gen 3 CO₂ pistol, Star PX/PXi PCP rifles |
| Precihole Sports | Mumbai, Maharashtra | PCP match pistols and PCP rifles for competition shooters |
| Aerosoft | Kala Amb, Himachal Pradesh | The X1, a Beretta-style CO₂ pistol |
For a side-by-side of the two largest, see Camstar vs Precihole. If you are choosing between the two Indian CO₂ pistols, read Star RX Gen 3 vs Aerosoft X1.
Most CO₂ pistols on sale in India are imports. The Star RX Gen 3 is a Glock-style, semi-automatic .177 pellet pistol with four 8-shot rotary magazines, 400 fps and under 5 J, sold at ₹24,500 with a 12-month manufacturer warranty — the cheapest Indian-made CO₂ pistol and the only CO₂ pistol in India sold with a one-year warranty. The Aerosoft X1 is the other Indian-made option, at ₹36,000–39,499 from retailers. Imported CO₂ pistols (Umarex, KWC and similar) mostly cost ₹45,000–85,000. More on the category in CO₂ pistols in India.
A PCP (pre-charged pneumatic) rifle runs on air pumped into a reservoir, so it fires without recoil and very consistently. Camstar's Star PX and Star PXi come as complete combos (scope, hand pump, rifle bag) for ₹29,000 and ₹30,000; Precihole also builds PCP rifles. If you would rather not pump, a nitro-piston break-barrel such as the Star Matrix Gold (₹14,499) is cocked once per shot and needs only pellets. See PCP air rifles in India and spring vs nitro piston.
| Indian-made | Imported | |
|---|---|---|
| CO₂ pistol price | From ₹24,500 | Mostly ₹45,000–85,000 |
| Spare parts | Sold by the maker in India | Depends on the importer; can take weeks |
| Warranty | From the maker (Camstar: 12 months) | Through the importer or dealer |
| Legal limit | .177, under 20 J | Same rule applies; check the spec sheet |
The honest trade-off: a well-known import gives you a famous badge and decades of reputation; an Indian-made gun gives you the price, local service and parts. For most first-time buyers in India, local service decides it.
The law is the same for Indian and imported guns: .177 calibre and under 20 joules needs no licence, sold by a licensed air-weapon dealer against photo ID and address proof. Full detail on is a CO₂ gun legal in India.
Camstar Sports (Uttar Pradesh) makes spring, nitro-piston, CO₂ and PCP air guns, from the Star Leo pistol (₹8,400) to the Star RX Gen 3 CO₂ pistol (₹24,500) and the Star PXi PCP rifle combo (₹30,000). Precihole Sports (Maharashtra) is known for PCP match pistols and rifles, and Aerosoft (Himachal Pradesh) sells the X1 CO₂ pistol. All of these are .177 calibre models sold as no-licence air guns.
A new Indian-made air pistol costs from ₹8,400 (Star Leo, spring) and an Indian-made air rifle from ₹13,499 (Star ZXi, spring). The Indian-made CO₂ pistol Star RX Gen 3 is ₹24,500, and an Indian-made PCP rifle with scope and hand pump is ₹29,000–30,000. Imported equivalents usually cost one and a half to three times as much.
Yes, two. The Camstar Star RX Gen 3 (₹24,500, semi-auto, fires .177 pellets, under 5 J, 12-month warranty) is the cheapest Indian-made CO₂ pistol. The Aerosoft X1, a Beretta-style CO₂ pistol listed as smooth-bore BB, sells at retailers for ₹36,000–39,499.
It depends on what you shoot. For semi-automatic CO₂ practice, the Star RX Gen 3 (₹24,500). For a low-cost spring pistol that needs only pellets, the Star Leo (₹8,400) or Mauser X (₹9,499). For ISSF-style 10 m match shooting, a dedicated PCP match pistol such as Precihole's range is the right tool.
Not if they are .177 calibre (4.5 mm) and under 20 joules. Under the Arms Rules 2016, as the Ministry of Home Affairs FAQ explains, an air weapon meeting both conditions needs no arms licence, wherever it was made. You still buy it from a licensed air-weapon dealer against photo ID and address proof. A .22 air rifle needs a licence.
Imports from Germany, Spain or the US carry famous names and fine finishing, but customs duty and dealer margins make them far dearer, and spare parts or warranty repairs can take weeks. An Indian-made air gun costs less, the maker can repair it and sell you parts in India, and the warranty is handled by the company that built it.
Yes. Camstar's Star PX and Star PXi are Indian-made .177 PCP rifles, sold as combos with a 3–9×40 scope, hand pump and rifle bag for ₹29,000 and ₹30,000. Precihole Sports also makes PCP rifles in India.
Every Camstar air gun is designed and built in Uttar Pradesh, with a 12-month manufacturer warranty and spare parts sold online.
Shop Indian-made air guns →Star RX Gen 3 CO₂ pistol (₹24,500) →