There was a very early 20th century, pre first world war, trade magazine called Arms and Explosives? I read an article in an edition which detailed in several pages experiments carried out by BSA using the Lincoln Jeffries patent underlever rifles they were making at the time. They experimented with light and heavy pistons eventually settling on the heavy for best overall performance in their production air rifles.

"an early 1900s rifle (can't remember the make/model right now), where the maker fitted an aluminium piston in the target version to reduce recoil."