[rabbit]

For the record I have shot both gas and spring rilfes. Livonia, on a mild day gas does not pour out the barrel unless there's a leak or another malfunction. I can always see where my rounds go from my rifle. I don't see how the hop up would crumble, wouldn't the same thing happen in a spring rifle if the the temperature was really that low? It doesn't get that cold naturally on earth for the air to liquify on exiting the piston, much less freeze up the hop up. It has to be like negative 200 to do that or under hundreds of psi and neither conditions are met. A little chemistry can tell you that. I just think gas gives you a little bit more versatility and a little bit more protection if you're in a tight spot and need to squeeze off those rounds.

@ Your hopup statement. No, its not the same as a spring. With the gas rifle you are released a tightly compressed gas that is below zero into a barrel that focuses and concentrates it out the barrel. What does it hit before leaving the barrel? The hopup is. Hopups are made out of rubber/silicone and can crumble and wear faster if colder.

Thank you phantom on your insight. I think right now you have the most say out of most here. You have a variety of gas and spring rifles experience. Hope you stick around here and give us US-kids some good insight from some of the people that started making this sport popular and specifically, the people who got the sniper schools up and running.