Abstract: A cocking device for a compressed air weapon employing pre-compressed air, wherein a cocking member acts on a compression piston via an articulated linkage, wherewith the articulated linkage is in the form of a six-point articulated linkage configured such that the cocking member is swingably mounted to the firing system via the first articulation point, and has a link member swingably connected to it at a second articulation point borne on said cocking member, wherewith the other end of the link member engages one end of a rod (which is a piston rod or piston plunger) which rod bears a fourth articulation point via which it engages a toggle arm the other end of which toggle arm is connected to the said firing system via a fifth articulation point, and wherewith the sixth articulation point is provided either on the other end of the piston-rod or piston-plunger rod or on the bottom of the cylinder of the pressure-producing piston-and-cylinder device.