Air gun with folding handle assembly

A method of operating an air gun comprising (a) a gun body including an inlet port for receiving pressurized air, an outlet port for discharging the pressurized air, and an air passage connecting the inlet port and the outlet port, said gun body also including a first handle configured to be held by a first hand of a user, (b) a valve assembly in the gun body for controlling flow of air from the inlet port to the outlet port, (c) a trigger assembly operably connected to the valve assembly, said trigger assembly including a trigger configured to be operated by the first hand of the user while holding the first handle, and (d) a folding handle assembly connected to the gun body, said folding handle assembly including a second handle movable between a first releasably locked position and a second releasably locked position, wherein in the first releasably locked position, the second handle is flush with the gun body and the air gun is in a one-handed operation mode, and wherein in the second releasably locked position, the second handle is moved relative to the gun body such that the second handle can be held by a second hand of the user and the air gun is in a two-handed operation mode, the method comprising the steps of:

• using the air gun in the one-handed operation mode for a given period of time by the user holding the first handle and operating the trigger assembly with the first hand;
• and
• moving the second handle from the first releasably locked position to the second releasably locked position, and using the air gun in the two-handed operation mode for a given time period by the user holding the first handle with the first hand, holding the second handle with the second hand, and operating the trigger assembly with the first hand.

An air gun, comprising:

• a gun body including an inlet port for receiving pressurized air, an outlet port for discharging the pressurized air, and an air passage connecting the inlet port and the outlet port, said gun body also defining a first handle surrounding a portion of the air passage and configured to be held by a first hand of a user;
• a valve assembly in the gun body for controlling flow of air from the inlet port to the outlet port;
• a trigger assembly operably connected to the valve assembly, said trigger assembly including a trigger configured to be operated by the first hand of the user while holding the first handle;
• and
• a folding handle assembly connected to the gun body, said folding handle assembly including a second handle and means for releasably locking the second handle in either a first releasably locked position or a second releasably locked position, wherein in the first releasably locked position, the second handle is flush with the gun body and the air gun is in a one-handed operation mode, and wherein in the second releasably locked position the air gun is in a two-handed operation mode wherein the second handle is moved relative to the gun body such that the second handle can be held by a second hand of the user while the first handle is held by the first hand of the user and the trigger assembly is operated by the first hand of the user.