Airsoft BB's

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).