How much damage can a BB Gun do to human flesh? Can it kill or permanently maim? Are all BB's the same size or do they vary?

I looked this up once, out of curiosity. BB guns can and do kill people. It happens more often than one might think. 

A BB might be thought of the same always, but there are many different size BBs and the guns that shoot them. A powerful bb / pellet can certainly maim and even kill. As a kid, I knew of several people shot in the eye. The results was loss of sight.

Airsoft pellets. Airsoft pellets are spherical projectiles used in airsoft gun models. Typically made of plastic, they usually measure around 6 mm (¹⁄₄ in) in diameter, though select models use 8 mm and weigh 0.12–0.48 grams (¹⁄₂₀₀–³⁄₂₀₀oz), with the most popular weights being 0.12g, 0.20 g, and 0.25g.

Are BB's the same size?  Yes and no.   A BB is technically a shot size for shot guns which is around .18in.  These shot gun pellets were used in early airguns and that's why they became BB guns.  Airgun BB ammo became standardized as being .177in when steel BBs became the norm for airgun use. 

Now there is airsoft plastic ball ammo that is called "BBs" but in reality they really aren't.  They are 6mm plastic balls.  Some airgun manufacturers have started making .22 and .25 lead round ball ammo as well and these are sometimes referred to as .22 and .25 cal. BBs, but they technically are not. They are really F and #3 buckshot respectively.  BB is a defined shot size, not a term for just any round ball ammo.  Just like all the bigger bird shot sizes: BB,BBB, T, and F.  ( sometimes #2 or #1  birdshot  is referred to as B size shot but this is rare.  This is due to the British system which uses the same names but with slightly different size definitions.  BB in the English system is like .16 or .15 forget which.  The American shot system is become more or less the standard everywhere in modern times.)


Can BB's kill out of an airgun?  Yes, if the airgun is powerful enough and the right shot placement.  It isn't very  likely to kill someone but likely enough to treat it as something that can.  No is Johnny's Red Rider gonna kill someone?   Highly, Highly unlikely it will even break the skin, but it is still a weapon and can really hurt someone.   Powerful airguns that shoot pellets as opposed to BB's are actually the most dangerous in chances of causing serious injury or death.  Some of these airguns have quite impressive ballistics.  Also an airgun pellet carries more energy than a BB in the same gun. This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at November 8, 2016 6:12 AM MST