They use highly specialized sport rifles, pistols, and shotguns designed for precision competition, not for combat or self‑defense.

Quick Scoop: The Guns Used in Olympic Shooting

1. Big Picture

  • Three main types are used:
    • Rifles
    • Pistols
    • Shotguns
  • All are tightly regulated for caliber, weight, and how they function.
  • Even though many are “real firearms,” at the Games they’re treated as precision sports equipment, with strict safety and storage rules.

2. Rifles

Most Olympic rifle events use small‑bore (.22) or air rifles built for extreme accuracy.

  • 10m air rifle:
    • Uses compressed‑air guns that fire 4.5 mm pellets at a target 10 m away.
  • 50m rifle (3‑positions / prone):
    • Uses a single‑loaded small‑bore rifle, typically 5.6 mm (.22 caliber), with strict weight limits (up to about 8 kg for men’s rifles).

These have adjustable stocks, precision triggers, and intricate sights to squeeze out every fraction of a point.

3. Pistols

Olympic pistol events use air pistols and small‑bore (.22) pistols focused on control and consistency.

  • 10m air pistol:
    • Single‑shot air pistols firing 4.5 mm pellets at 10 m.
  • 25m events (rapid fire / sport pistol):
    • .22 caliber pistols (about 5.6 mm) with five‑shot magazines, tuned for fast, accurate strings.

In forums and competitive circles, common high‑end brands mentioned include Pardini, Steyr, Morini, Walther, Anschütz, and Feinwerkbau for air and .22 pistols, reflecting what many elite shooters use.

4. Shotguns

Shotgun events (trap and skeet) use competition‑grade 12‑gauge shotguns.

  • Typically over‑under, double‑barreled shotguns.
  • Barrel length often up to around 81 cm, with guns weighing roughly 3–4 kg.
  • Ammunition is tightly limited (for example, max 24 g of lead shot per shell in Olympic trap/skeet).

Perazzi and Beretta‑type high‑end target shotguns are frequently cited in shooting communities as common choices for Olympic‑level trap and skeet.

5. Are They “Real” Guns?

  • Many of the pistols, rifles, and shotguns are real firearms in the technical sense and can be lethal if misused.
  • Air rifles and air pistols still require strict safety but are powered by compressed air and shoot small pellets.
  • Within the Olympic context, athletes and officials tend to talk about them as sporting tools rather than “weapons,” to emphasize safety and purpose.

“Nothing is a weapon until it is used as such” is a common view in sport‑shooting communities, reflecting how Olympic guns are framed as equipment, not instruments of violence.

TL;DR: Olympic shooters use precision air rifles and air pistols (4.5 mm), small‑bore .22 rifles and pistols, and 12‑gauge over‑under shotguns, all heavily regulated and purpose‑built for sport.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.