A very important thing needed in the field, along with your airsoft gun of course, is gear. Lets say you’re playing an intense airsoft in a woodland environment. You’re walking around carrying your KWA M4 and your highcap is running low on ammo, granted you already spent the other two highcap magazines you could hold in your pockets. Suddenly, out of nowhere, you hear the sound of an airsoft rifle firing as you quickly duck for cover in time to dodge the incoming BBs. You quickly fire in the direction you heard the BB’s come from, and you then hear your gun sound as though you are dry-firing. You’re empty, and you have no more magazines or even a sidearm. Why? Becuase you have no vest to hold extra magazines or even a sidearm. It’s a situation that has frustrated basically all airsoft players. The main remedy to the situation is of course purchasing gear. Granted the above airsoft player had at least a tactical vest or some kind of holster, he or she would’ve been able to keep fighting just a bit longer, which could have resulted in victory. Personally, I’m a very big person on carrying gear onto the field. Within my airsoft team, I’m most likely to be the person with the most gear on, whether it be my ALICE harness setup, or my new multicam MOLLE gear. Airsoft is basically a simulation of real world military combat. This being said, that opens up the market for actual tactical gear to be purchased for the use of airsoft, although it will usually be more expensive than airsoft exclusive gear. Don’t get me wrong though, while it is more expensive, it is more comfortable and sometimes tactically sound. I’d prefer my surplus ALICE setup than my one friend’s immitation airsoft ALICE setup just based on comfort and because it can apparently hold more also. There are different types of gear that can be bought, including harnesses, chest rigs, vests, plate carriers, and thigh rigs. It doesn’t stop there. Tactical gear is a very large category to split. It also includes safety gear, such as head protection, gloves, elbow and knee pads, eye protection, radios, and the such. While some airsoft players would find it amazing to have some of everything, gear purchases can add up really quickly. A multicam plate carrier runs about $150, while pouches to attach to it range anywhere from $10 to $40. The main point I would like to make is just to carry gear for items that are needed. Do not purchase something if you do not intend on using it. The less pouches and holsters you have equipped, the more quicker and agile you will be on the airsoft field. In my opinion, the top priorities airsoft players should have are magazine pouches for their primary airsoft weapon, a holster for a sidearm with at least one pistol magazine pouch, and a utility bag for carrying your wallet, phone, radio, etc. The best part about getting airsoft gear is that it is completely customizable to the airsoft player. Be creative with your gear, and remember that just because one gear loadout works for one person, it doesnt work for everybody. Happy airsofting!

Lets face it, no matter who you are, even if you’re a sniper, you would love to just spray the whole field with BBs if you could. You would be feared by opposing players, and possibly your own team members. Well, coming next month, the airsoft company Echo 1 will be releasing two versions of the m134 minigun in airsoft form. The main difference between the two is lengh of the front barrels. The longer version will be 890mm (about 35 inches) long and will weigh 16.8kg (about 37lbs) while the shorter barreled version will be 660mm (about 26 inches) long and will weigh 16kg (about 36lbs). Overall the gun will be about the size of an m4, but will be pretty heavy. It is not said whether or not a sling will be packaged with the airsoft minigun yet, however there already are third party slings available for sale if all else fails.

Echo 1’s airsoft minigun will be magazine fed, using a large, high-capacity magazine which will hold 1700 BBs, and will be powered by an external 12v 6ah battery to be carried via backpack. The rate of fire and firing velocity have not been stated online yet, however the barrels are said to rotate at +/- 3000 RPM, so I suppose that statistic is the best of an estimate for rate of fire for now. Hop-up will be adjustible, although it is questionable of why a hop-up was included in the minigun. The minigun will sport an all metal construction, which means this minigun will be quite the durable airsoft gun. While every airsoft player would probably like to grab one, the minigun is projected to cost $3499 for the short version, and $3799 for the longer version. It’s a very rough price to pay, but with Echo 1’s track record thus far, you know you’ll be buying a fine working product. Most people will probably have to keep this item on wishlist however, just as most players have been saving up for a $1500 Systema PTW Max. The Echo 1 airsoft minigun is scheduled to release next month in October. Be prepared.

BBs are very important things in the world of airsoft. They have as important of a role as your gun and can even be considered more important at times. As you already know, BBs are your one and only choice for your airsoft ammunition. What you may or may not know though, is that there is vast selection in the many different types of airsoft BB. In this entry, I will discuss the different types of airsoft BBS on the market right now, giving tips about weights to use, and tips on how to keep your airsoft gun safe by using the right BB for your airsoft gun.

Mainly there are two types to BBS. These are the airsoft paintballs and then normal, solid BBs. From then on, you can break it down further into two more categories: size and biodegradability. You can then break it down even more into size and soforth.

Airsoft Paintballs:

• Airsoft and paintball are two very similar sports. Both however, should never be combined at the same time, or thats how I feel at least. Somewhere along the line, airsoft paintballs were produced. These are basically the typical 6mm airsoft BB, except it is a small amount of colored paint covered with a waxy covering.
• In theory it sounds like a great concept. Being able to mark your hits than relying on the honor system sounds like a brilliant idea. However the design and execution are flawed. Because of the waxy covering not being structurally sound, alot of the airsoft paintballs have been reported to bust inside of the airsoft gun, permanently jamming the airsoft gun and leaving it inoperable. While this is the main issue with the airsoft paintball, it is not the only one. The waxy covering makes the paintball a “hit or miss” shot, meaning that the airsoft paintball will not always burst on impact.
• While I overly recommend against them, you may want to try these airsoft paintballs out. If you choose to, I would recommend using them only with cheap spring airsoft pistols. Never use them in any airsoft gun you would like to keep in one piece. When loading them, load one shot in your magazine at once. This should reduce the chances of having one of the airsoft paintballs jam your gun, even though it is usually certain that your gun will be jammed if you choose to use these.

Different Sizes and Weights:

• In the game of airsoft there are two primary sizes of BBs used. These are the 6mm and 8mm BB. The 6mm airsoft BB is the norm in todays airsoft market, however the 8mm is still a popular choice. Marushin, AGM, and some other companies have produced airsoft guns which use the 8mm airsoft BB.To this day there is only one AEG I know of that uses the 8mm BB, the Prioriti Tech Auto AEG, however this gun is not readily available to the public yet. Other than that, the choices for 8mm BBs include gas powered pistols, rifles, shotguns, and even airsoft grenade shells.
• When it comes to using a heavier BB, there are both advantages and disadvantages. The popular weights for 6mm airsoft BBs are .12 gram (g), .20g, .25g, .28g, and .30g. As for 8mm BBs Ive only seen three weights available; these weights are .27g, .34g, and .45g. The main advantage to the use of a heavier BB in your gun is a gain in accuracy. Along with this, your BB will not be as affected by wind and will not stray as drastically after hitting a branch or any brush. However, the downfalls of the use of a heavier BB are reduced range and power. The fall in FPS is not constant however, for each airsoft gun reacts differently to BBs. For example, with my G&G M14, I chronographed the gun shooting around 395 FPS using .20g BBs. When I went to a .25g BB my FPS dropped to an average of about 350 FPS. Using my UTG Master Sniper m324, I averaged 400 FPS with .20g and 385 FPS with .25g. While the fall in FPS in the G&G M14 was a 45 FPS drop, the fall in the UTG Master Sniper m324 was a 15 FPS decrease. Basically I just provided these statistics to show that the decrease in FPS is not uniform between guns. Feel free to test out different weights in your gun.

What to Avoid with Airsoft BBs:

• After reading the above section, you would probably imagine that you should use .12g in all of your airsoft guns. The logic is right; since you are using the lightest available BB, you will be getting the most range and power possible only with the downfall in accuracy. Well, I’ll just be one of the many who will tell you that it is a horrible idea. The downfall of using the .12g BB in your airsoft gun is that they are not built strong enough to withstand the force exerted on the BB along with the fact that your airsoft gun’s hop-up unit may give the BB so much spin that it’ll literally shoot your BB into the inner barrel, permanently damaging it. Long story short, .12g BBs will work for awhile on any airsoft gun, but with constant use, jams and internal damages are to come. Be careful about what you put in your airsoft gun.
• One more important thing about BBs is the use of high polished BBs. These BBs are completely rounded out with no nipples or seams visible at all. While you may be thinking to yourself that all BBs should be like that, its not entirely true. BBs sold at local outdoors and sporting good stores sell airsoft BBs, but the ones sold are not high polished. They are labeled “high precision” due to the fact that they are usually .20g BBs, which are heavier and more accurate than the .12g. While they are not always a guaranteed jam inside your stock inner barrel, you should practice caution and prudence when considering using these as ammo for your airsoft gun. I definitely would recommend against the use of BBs purchased at local sporting goods stores if you have upgraded your airsoft gun with a tightbore/precision inner barrel. That would just be calling for a jam to happen to your gun. Only use these BBs for low powered spring guns and low power electric guns (LPEGs).

Hello and welcome to another airsoft gun review posted here on DeathByAirsoft.com. Today I am giving the review of the externals and performance of my new designated marksman rifle (DMR), my Guay Guay (G&G) M14.

Being one of my newer guns, I have not really purchased much for my gun, but here are the current components of my airsoft gun:

• G&G M14 Black – around $255.00
• UTG 3 Point Sling – around $13.97
• G&G M14 Scope Mount – around $59.00
• UTG 3-9×40 Rubber Armored Scope – around $62.00
• PHX 8.4v 4200mah MiMH large type battery – around $59.00

The G&G M14 is the newest addition to my collection and may be the last airsoft gun I purchase in awhile. It is a very beautiful gun and is said to hold true to the real steel M14 through weight, feel, and disassembly. Although I have no personally held a real steel M14, in my research of the gun before purchase I have seen and read numerous comparisons to the real steel M14, the G&G M14.

The real steel M14 started its service in the USA in the Vietnam War, however it was troubled by its heavy wood body limiting movement and becoming warped in the humid climate of Southeast Asia. While suffering from these drawbacks, the gun was favored by many for its use of a bigger, more penetrating round and the fact that it was quite accurate for a rifle. Although the rifle was mainly replaced by the M16, the M14 is still used today by the USA as a DMR. Its original wood stock has been replaced with a synthetic stock, and on the enhanced battle rifle (EBR) version, the whole body has been modifed with an adjustable stock and cheek rest, along with a big rail system to mount lights and lasers onto.

Right out of the box, you are welcomed with a beautiful view. In the box, you receive the gun, one high capacity magazine, a cleaning/unjamming rod, a manual, a catelogue, a G&G M14 poster (wow), and a little tiny bag of BBs which I have not touched. The gun itself does not come with a battery or charger, but this is a very common thing with higher end airsoft manufacturers. Personally in this gun I use an 8.4v high output battery. With this battery you get a really nice rate of fire out of the m14 chronographed at 13 BBs per second (BPS), but if you crave a more insane rate of fire, you can feel free to put in a 9.6v large type battery. The first time you hold the gun you will notice that the gun does have a nice, balanced weight to it. Personally I like the weight, but some others may find the gun to be a bit too heavy. The only trademarks on the gun are located on the top of the receiver towards the back where it reads the calibur of the real steel version along with the G&G trademark. The gun stock is constructed of a very nice feeling ABS plastic while the receiver is constructed of good quality metal. The only bad quality piece I could find on the rifle at first glance was the heat shield which was made of cheap, wobbly plastic making it seem like the UTG M14 at first glance. The grip on the gun is nice. It is not a rubbery cover as found on the UTG M14 airsoft rifle, but it will not easily slip out of your hands. Shouldering the gun is surprising quite comfortable even though there is a lack of a butt pad on the end of the stock. Lifting up the end of the stock and then opening a small door reveals the noticably large battery compartment where a large type battery will easily fit into although the fuse tends to get in the way every now and again, as evident on the UTG M14.

One nice feature that G&G adds to their guns is the locking bolt. Having a working bolt catch on an airsoft gun is a very nice touch, although it is not quite important. As with all M14s in the airsoft market right now, pulling the bolt back and releasing it produces a beautiful metallic cling; however with the G&G M14, the metallic cling sound very heavy and reminds me of releasing the bolt on my real steel shotgun. Once you pull back the bolt, the hopup is visible. The hopup on this airsoft gun is quite nice and is very responsive, along with the fact that it is in an easily accessible spot compared to the UTG M14 which has the hopup dial located inside the magwell.

The sights on the gun are very nice and are easily adjustible with two dials (one for windage, other for elevation) on the rear sight. Although moving the dials makes the rear sight jump around, it actually does adjust it. Mounting a scope mount is probably alot easier than I make it, but I have failed to do so at this point in time. In order to add a scope mount, there is a metal piece screwed into the gun right behind the bolt. The screw is a very tiny hex screw which I cant seem to remove with my small hex keys. Without removing this piece, it is impossible to add on any scope mount.

In my research, I have read that on the real steel version of the gun, a key is used to switch the gun between semi to fully automatic firing modes. On the airsoft version, the is a knob on the right side of the gun which is pushed and turned. When there is no engraving being shown, the gun is on semiautomatic. When the gun is on automatic, an engraved ‘A’ is shown. The safety is not attached to this knob, due to the fact the M14 uses a different type of safety. On the trigger guard there is a small, movable notch. When the notch is pushed near the trigger, the safety is on and the trigger cannot be pulled. Likewise speaking, when the notch is pushed away from the trigger, the gun safety is off.

The magazine of the gun is unique in the way it is in inserted and removed. This usually is learned easily but sometimes can be a hassle due to the fact that if the magazine is not inserted right, it will not fire. Attached with this is the big issue with airsoft M14’s lack of magazine compatability.

There are currently two designs for airsoft M14 magazines made right now:

• The Classic Army and G&G version which has a small notch in the back


• The Tokyo Marui, UTG, AGM, etc version whch is a full rectangular shape with no notch.

One of my friends that I play with uses a UTG M14 while I use my G&G M14. Even though we are usually on the same team, we cannot exhange magazines in battle due to our guns using different magazine versions.

With its advertised realistic field stripping, I could not help myself from taking the gun apart. Relativey reasy, I noticed something I had read about prior. The G&G guns have very nice internals which are usually pre-upgraded, however they are only slightly lubricated. This is not an issue now, but in time the M14 would start to overheat and the gears would start to wear down, similar to the insides of a car. I would recommend lubrication to the gears and cylinder of any G&G gun purchased.

Once I finally was given the ability to use this gun in the field, I fell in love with it right away. The range of the G&G M14 is even to how my UTG Master Sniper m324 was shooting in its past, and it outranges all of my other airsoft AEGs. With my newly acquired Mad Bull, I chronographed the gun to see its rate of fire and its initial BB speed. The gun averaged 13 BPS on average and as for initial speed averaged 394 FPS using high polish .20g BBs.

On the airsoft field, it can hit a far away target or lay long range suppressive fire. The gun itself has a unique sound and is relatively quiet when compared to a Classic Army gun. It was quite reliable even on a 2v1 game with myself pitted against a Tokyo Marui M9 and an ICS M4 CQB Pistol. Basically I shot both targets from a distance without them realizing where I was.

Overall I love this gun very very much, It feels beautiful, shoots beautifully, and the good definitely outweighs the bad, With its price not being quite as high as other high end AEGs out in the airsoft market right now, you will defintiely get more than what you paid for, and in a good way to! Definite 5 out of 5!

PROS:

• Weight (depending on user)
• Nice trademarks
• Locking bolt and functioning bolt catch
• Sound of bolt
• Hop-up positioning
• Rate of fire with an 8.4v battery
• Stock FPS
• Effective shooting distance
• Pre-upgraded internals

CONS:

• Weight (depending on user)
• Magazine design
• Bipod goes where?
• Very cheap plastic on heat shield
• Internals need to be greased/lubricated

Once again thank you for reading my review on the G&G M14. More reviews and information to come. Feel free to contact me via comments or through the contacting page with comments, concerns, or requests for reviews or insight.

Hello and welcome to the first airsoft gun review posted here. Today I am reviewing the externals and performance of my primary weapon of choice, my Classic Army AUG A2.

The components of my CA AUG A2 along with AVERAGED prices from online sellers:

• Classic Army AUG A2 – around $237.46
• UTG 7 Inch Red/Green Dot Sight – around $45.98
• UTG 3 Point Sling – around $13.97
• King Arms Lightweight Phantom Kit – around $152.50
• G&P Folding Fore grip – around $24.99
• Custom 9.6V 2700mah NiMH Battery Pack – about $39.99

The Classic Army AUG A2 was my first big purchase in the world of airsoft. It has a very different design when compared to the structure of other guns. The gun, in the eyes of many airsofters and gun enthusiasts alike, is not the best looking gun; however it will perform just as good if not better than other rifles. The gun is designed off the Steyr AUG, an Austrian made assault rifle produced by Steyr Arms. This gun is revolutionary in the idea that it is one of the first rifles to incorporate the bullpup design. Having the mechanics placed mainly in the rear of the gun, the gun is able to conceal a longer inner barrel. The inner barrel of the AUG is the same length of the M16, while the gun altogether is about half a foot shorter than the M16. Classic Army produces the AUG A1, A2, and is in the production of the A3 variant. The A1 is the military version which features an olive drab colored body and a stock 3x magnification scope fitted onto the carrying rail. The A2 (the variant being reviewed here) features an all black body and a rail (picatinny rail) fitted onto the carrying handle to enable the user to mount any optics at his or her own whim. The A3 also typically bears the black body as does the A2 and has a rail fitted onto the carrying handle, however this rail now extends longer and this version has a fully railed handguard.

When you first open the box, you are greeted with the operators manual to the gun, a cleaning and unjamming rod, a high capacity (330 round) magazine, and of course, the gun in all its beautiful majesty. It is possible that some models come with a Classic Army catalogue inside as do other Classic Army guns, however I opened my gun to no catalogue, which is not really a big deal. If you are new to the sport, you may be wondering about the power source to the gun. There is NO BATTERY included with this gun; however this is a common trend in the higher end gun companies. It is not a big tragedy though, as batteries are not too expensive, but keep in mind that this gun uses the small type tamiya connector. For my gun I chose to purchase a 9.6V 2700mah custom battery pack made specifically for the AUG. To place in a larger battery, it does require some modification to the battery compartment, but it is not difficult to perform, and the battery will fit in perfectly. Also not included is a sling, which is no problem at all due to the fact that most slings that come with a rifle are not of the best quality. I would recommend a 3 point sling as I use, however a normal 2 point sling works just fine. Sorry, but a one point sling probably would not work well here, however I have not tired it out. So if you want to try a one point, have at it.

When you first look at the gun, you may think that the gun would be back heavy. Truthfully, it really is. This is due to the fact that it stays true to the bullpup design though, with all the mechanics of the gun placed in the rear of the gun. While holding the gun, you will notice the gun is actually very comfortable to shoulder. Along the gun you can see the areas where the seams of the mold were sanded down, having the gun more comfortable with no excess material sticking out or so.

True to the real steel version, the gun is mainly metal but the main body is not. While it is not made of fiberglass like the real steel, the body of the Classic Army version is made of a very durable plastic composite. It will not become damaged through dropping (not recommended for internals), shooting, or just running the gun into the ground while you become under fire during a skirmish.

On the right side of the gun you will find the trademarks. A detail that is prided with Classic Army is that they are allowed to use full trademarks in their weapon. This is apparent with the Steyr Arms logo found next to the right side ejection port. The Classic Army trademark is located on the right side towards the butt of the stock stating the company name, the fact that it was made in Hong Kong, and the fact that it is modeled after the AUG. Also included, and also a nice touch, is the subtle inscription of a serial number of the gun inscribed on the right side ejection port.

Unlike other versions of the AUG, the Classic Army version comes with a very solid foregrip. Compared to other AUGS with the typical ‘wobble’ in the foregrip, the Classic Army variant feels very solid in its construction. I have had my Classic Army AUG for almost a year now, and the foregrip has not shown any signs of damage and it works just as fluently as when I first opened the gun.

The gun itself is very easy to take apart for easy transport. The flash hider is held on by a small hex screw. Once removed, any custom flash hider can be placed as long as it is 15mm threaded counter clockwise, which is the norm for most aftermarket flash hiders, so you are set either way. The barrel is held on by a simple locking mechanism which is basically a button being held down while the barrel is twisted and removed. In order to remove the receiver of the gun into two easy to carry parts, there is a square shaped pin right under the ejection port which comes out, unlocking the receiver, HOWEVER I’ve noted that this pin becomes very, very loose after removal, making reassembly quite frustrating. After the disassembly you should have three easier to carry parts now. A simple rule of thumb though is that when you are disassembling the gun; please make sure the magazine is removed from the gun along with the battery.

Overall the gun, in my honest opinion, is a very beautiful gun. It is finely detailed, easy to disassemble, and feels very comfortable while shouldering. The gun sounds good now, but it gets even better when you get around to shooting it.

While I am waiting for my chronograph to come in, I do not know the exact muzzle velocity of this gun. The ranges of velocities listed online for this gun are not consistent and range from 290 to 350 FPS. As for the rate of fire, on average it is said to shoot about 12 to 13 rounds per second. Once again, sorry about the lack of accurate statistics due to not having a chronograph, but expect another entry with the muzzle velocity, rate of fire, and force exerted with each shot.

As for range of engagement, a target the size of an average body can be hit comfortably around an estimated 90-95 foot range. It may be possible to get more out of the range of the gun, however for a skirmish, consider yourself lucky if you get a shot any more than 60-70 feet away with an assault rifle.

One thing that sets the AUG apart from other rifles is its unique two stage trigger. Pulling the trigger halfway fires the gun on semiautomatic, while pulling the trigger all the way fires in an automatic mode. This feature is true to the Classic Army AUG. Due to this feature, the safety is rather unorthodox also. Right next to the trigger is a little knob sticking out. When the knob is protruding on the right side and is showing a white dot, the gun is on safe, and the trigger cannot be pulled. Likewise if the knob is sticking out on the left side and is showing a red dot, the trigger can be pulled, firing the gun.

As with all good quality airsoft guns, the hop-up on the gun is adjustable to give your BB more spin as it leaves the barrel in order to achieve more distance. In order to get to the hop-up adjustment, pull the cocking handle back and up to lock it in place. This reveals the hop-up adjustment on the ejection port depending on which side the rubber ejection port cover is on. You will see a little dial towards the front of the slot revealed. Moving the dial down decreases the hop-up while moving the dial up increases it. When finished adjusting, de-cock the gun by just slightly moving the cocking handle down. Have no fear, as the action of cocking the handle back and then releasing it forward over and over again will not damage or break the handle, just do not go overboard with it.

Altogether with the externals and performance of the gun, I would give it a 4.5 out of 5.

PROS:

• Looks (Either hit or miss depending on user)
• Full trademarks
• Great feel and design
• Same inner barrel length as an M16 (510mm inner barrel)
• Ability to mount custom optics
• Great body detail
• Average performance
• Very nice folding foregrip compared to other AUG models
• Two stage trigger and safety system

CONS:

• Looks (Either hit or miss depending on user)
• No other customization available besides optics (lack of more rails)
• Back-heavy
• Battery compartment must be modified to hold bigger battery
• Pin to remove receiver becomes loose easily
• Does not come with battery
• Switching magazines while in skirmish takes getting used to (typical bullpup problem)
• Plastic hop-up

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this review. More airsoft news and reviews are to come within the next weeks. If you have any general comments or concerns, please contact through the contacting page.

Coming Soon: Review of the internals of the Classic Army AUG A2 along with more reviews and airsoft information

Not everybody straight away will know what is being talked about if you mention the word ‘airsoft’. Of those people, a majority would probably not even guess that it is a sport. Also commonly known as ‘soft air’, airsoft guns have not completely become mainstream just yet in this day and age. While airsoft guns are sold at many outdoors stores; the guns, BBs, and gun accessories sold are not always of best quality. While I personally have started out with these guns, I will personally tell you that these guns will not hold their own against brand name airsoft equipment.

Airsoft is a quickly growing sport that has in fact been around since the early 1980s. It all started in the country of Japan where the possession of personal firearms was deemed illegal. As a safe alternative, a small company produced 1:1 scale replica spring pistols which fired the 6mm plastic BB, which is still used in modern day airsoft guns. Over the years, the sport of airsoft has grown past Southeast Asia to North America and Europe. In North America and Europe however, the sport of airsoft came to a slow start, but in the late 1990s with the production of automatic electric guns (AEG) came a boost of popularity with hobbyists. Currently airsoft weapons are used in the training to today’s militaries along with uses as props in movies due to their similarities in contrast to their real steel counterparts. This is due to the fact that most real steel firearms have been translated into an airsoft version, ranging from the very portable derringer pistol to the monstrous .50-caliber behemoth known as the Barrett M82 sniper rifle.

There are currently three types of airsoft guns: spring guns, gas guns, and electric guns. Of the three, the electric variants are the most popular because they offer very close details to the real steel version with automatic fire at a cost much lower than that of an automatic, gas-powered rifle.

• Electric Guns

  Most AEGs are powered by batteries similar to what you would find to power an r/c car, while the weaker electric blow-back (EBB) is powered by the more easily obtainable alkaline batteries. The voltages in the batteries range from 7.2V (mainly for automatic electric pistols [AEP]) to the very powerful 12v (recommended ONLY for heavily-upgraded guns). Basically the voltage is the input to the gun, and the higher the voltage, the higher rate of fire you will achieve. The first AEG produced was the FAMAS G2 by the company known as Tokyo Marui. Nowadays you’ll find almost any type of rifle in a nice airsoft design, including the H&K XM8, which was actually a cancelled experimental gun. This leaves a lot to the imagination to those who prefer certain types of guns, for example if you are a big fan of the M4 rifle, you will most likely find your dream version with the many different variations of the M4 available in the airsoft world.

• Gas Guns

  Gas guns come in two forms: gas blow-back (GBB) and gas non blow-back (NBB). While a GBB will offer more realism with a bolt or slide that actually blows back, it is more gas consuming than the NBB due to the GBB requiring more gas to push back the bolt or slide. The three main gasses that will power these guns are 134A, green gas, and CO2, listed in the order of increasing gas pressure. 134A gas is mainly used to guns with weak plastic slides such as the gas guns produced by KSC and Tokyo Marui. Green gas is the most common gas used in airsoft guns. Green gas is often debated to be treated propane designed to lubricate the gun with each shot, however many airsoft enthusiasts will debate that green gas is not propane at all, and the use of propane will in fact damage your guns internal valves. Personally I prefer CO2 pistols over green gas. CO2 is the strongest of the gasses listed and is also probably the most accessible. Many EBB rifles and machine guns will use CO2 canisters like the ones used in the sport of paintball, while pistols and other, smaller guns will use the 12gram CO2 cartridge which can easily be purchased at a local sporting goods store. In my honest opinion, the CO2 blowback pistols offer the most realistic detail being constructed with mainly metal parts and having a kick after every shot due to the high pressure of the gas released with each shot.

• Spring Guns

  Spring guns constitute the classic airsoft gun being the first version produced. Needing nothing more than magazines and BBs, these guns basically are cocked prior to each shot. A personal favorite due to their durability in most terrain and weather conditions, spring airsoft guns will offer the user the least trouble due to their straightforward nature. The main downside to these guns is lack of automatic fire, having the gun forced as an accurate weapon (if a sniper rifle, assault rifle, smg, or single-shot shotgun) or a last resort weapon (if a pistol). In recent times though, the role of the spring gun has increased with the production of more reliable sniper rifles and shotguns being able to shoot three BBs at once.

The main thing to keep in mind while keeping and using an airsoft gun is to treat the airsoft gun as a real firearm. Although not capable of lethal injury, the guns can still severely injure an individual. Please keep your magazine unloaded and out of the gun until ready to shoot, do not point the gun barrel at anything you are not willing to shoot, keep your finger off the trigger unless ready to shoot, and make sure you know what you are shooting at before you shoot. One more important firearm rule, which should be especially practiced with airsoft guns, is do not rely on the safety on the gun. As one of my best friends told me, the safety on a gun is a mechanism that can, and possibly will fail on you one day. Basically with all rules and guidelines being common sense, airsoft is a fun sport to play with friends, whether it is a backyard battle, tactical training, or military simulation.

The main point of airsoft is this: Have Fun!