Benelli Kite
| Benelli Kite | |
|---|---|
| File:New Benelli Kite.jpg Benelli Kite | |
| Type | Pre-Charged Pneumatic air gun |
| Place of origin | File:Flag of Italy.svg Italy |
| Service history | |
| Used by | 10 m air pistol shooters |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Benelli Armi SpA |
| Variants | Benelli Kite, Benelli Kite Young |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 0.8 kg (1.8 lb) (no magazine) |
| Length | 433 mm (17.05 in) |
| Barrel length | 240 mm (9.45 in) |
| Cartridge | 4.5 mm (0.177 in) diabolo air gun pellets |
| Action | Pre-Charged Pneumatic |
| Muzzle velocity | 145 m/s (adjustable 135-165 m/s) |
| Effective firing range | 10 m (10.9 yd) |
| Feed system | single air gun pellet |
| Sights | open, fully adjustable |
The Benelli Kite is a single shot .177 inch calibre pre-charged pneumatic air pistol designed for the 10 m Air Pistol ISSF shooting event. It is manufactured by Benelli Armi SpA of Italy. The Kite was used by Francesco Bruno to win a gold medal in the Italian Championship 2008. It is also used by Tanyu Kiryakov, who won gold in the 10 m Air Pistol at the Olympic Games in Seoul 1988.
Design details
Like all air pistols designed for the 10 m Air Pistol event, it has fully adjustable sights, a mechanically adjustable trigger (for stroke and weight of 1st and 2nd phase and trigger stop) and an anatomically adjustable grip available in three sizes and for left and right-handed shooters. The model pictured here is fitted with a stabilising balance weight, designed to further improve stability of the pistol during firing and to minimize recoil. The barrel is manufactured by Lothar Walther with 12-twist right-hand rifling and 450 mm pitch. Air power is supplied from an under-barrel cylinder, available in four different capacities: long (300 shots), intermediate (230 shots), medium (180 shots) and short (80 shots). It uses atmospheric air compressed to 200 bars (20,000 kPa). A pressure gauge on the end of the cylinder allows for constant monitoring of the pressure. The Benelli Kite features micrometric rear sight adjustment with four settings: 1 click = 1 mm windage (left/right adjustment) at 10 metres. 1 click = 2 mm elevation (up/down adjustment) at 10 metres. The sight aperture is adjustable by lever and screw.
Performance
The following tables show the results achieved by competitive shooters using the Benelli Kite in major competitions:
Gold medals
Silver medals
| Competition | Location | Date | Competitor |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Championship | File:Flag of Hungary.svg Győr (HUN) | March 2004 | Tanyu Kiryakov |
| ISSF World Cup | File:Flag of Italy.svg Milan (ITA) | June 2004 | Tanyu Kiryakov |
| ISSF World Cup | File:Flag of the United States.svg Fort Benning (USA) | May 2005 | Mikhail Nestruev |
| Internationaler Wettkampf | File:Flag of Germany.svg Munich (GER) | January 2006 | Tanyu Kiryakov |
| ISSF World Cup | File:Flag of Germany.svg Munich (GER) | May 2006 | Joao Costa |
| ISSF World Cup | File:Flag of Italy.svg Milan (ITA) | June 2006 | Tanyu Kiryakov |
Bronze medals
| Competition | Location | Date | Competitor |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISSF World Cup | File:Flag of Spain.svg Granada (ESP) | October 2006 | Tanyu Kiryakov |
| European Championship | File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Winterthur (CHE) | February 2008 | Tanyu Kiryakov |
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See also
- Benelli Kite Young - smaller version of the Kite, for junior competitors.
- Benelli Armi SpA
- 10 metre Air Pistol
- ISSF shooting events