Air rifle breech injuries to digits: a preventable hazard.

The obvious injuries attributable to air rifles, namely those caused by pellets, are common and well documented (Batch, 1981; Reid, 1974; Rawson, 1965; Hutchinson, 1981). The author has encountered a series of injuries from air rifles involving a different mechanism. These commonly involve the digits, often in young people, and require considerable hospital time and resources in their treatment. They are essentially preventable.