What is Airsoft?
Airsoft is a recreational sport or hobby in which participants use scale 1:1
replica 6mm plastic BB firing airsoft guns to eliminate their opponents.
They are primarily two styles of airsoft play:
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- Milsim
Milsim comes from military simulation. This style of play relies heavily upon
aspects of realism. Typically there are BB restrictions, gun restrictions,
defined roles (medics/snipers/designated marksmen, etc), props (radio
towers, structures, etc), role players, uniform requirements, command
structures, radio requirements and multiple objectives. It is not uncommon
for milsim airsoft games to span two or more days.
- Paintsoft
This style of play resembles paintball, where the object of the game is
relatively simple, usually involving few objectives, props or roleplayers.
Typcially there are no BB or gun restrictions (besides FPS limits).
Additionally, airsoft is becoming popular within the military and law
enforcement communities as an economical solution for force-on-force
training.
Airsoft BBs are non-marking, so the sport relies upon the honor system.
Airsoft Guns
Airsoft guns are scale 1:1 replicas of real firearms. While there are three
types of airsoft guns, spring, gas, and electric, all work on the same
principle of compressed gas expanding to force a BB down the airsoft gun's
barrel.
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- Spring Powered
Spring-powered airsoft guns are single-shot. The user must cock a
spring gun prior to each shot. This is typically achieved by pulling
back the slide (pistols), bolt (rifles), or the grip on a shotgun,
which in turn compresses the spring and makes the gun ready to fire.
Because of this, these guns are by definition incapable of automatic
or semi-automatic fire.
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- Gas Powered
Gas-powered airsoft guns use pressurized gas to propel BBs. These guns
are capable of automatic and semi-automatic operation. The most common
gases used are "green gas" (which consists of a mixture of propane and
a polysiloxane lubricant) and HFC-134a.
Gas power tends to be used in airsoft pistols where size constraints
make electric-powered mechanisms impractical. Other instances where
gas is favored are where adjustable velocities are required or where a
blowback feature is desired. A blowback feature is a mechanism which
cycles a slide or bolt to better simulate a real firearm's operation.
Because of the mechanical complexities involved with distributing and
regulating gas, these guns have largely given way to electric guns for
less specialized applications, however, they still remain favorable
amongst some airsofters. They are not just limited to pistols;
submachine gun airsoft replicas and sniper rifle airsoft replicas
commonly use gas mechanisms. While the submachine gun replicas
typically feature a blowback mechanism similar to the pistol replicas,
sniper rifle replicas usually omit the blowback mechanism in favor of
reduced recoil and increased muzzle velocity
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- Electric Powered
Electric-powered airsoft guns typically use a rechargeable battery to
drive an electric motor, which cycles an internal piston/spring
assembly in order to launch BBs. Automatic and semi-automatic
operation is possible which gives these guns the popular name
"automatic electric guns" or AEGs. These guns often attain muzzle
velocities of 200 to 500 ft/s (60 to 150 m/s) and rates of fire of
between 300 and 2000 rounds per minute. They are the most commonly
used and widely available type of airsoft gun.
These guns are powered primarily by nickel cadmium (NiCad) or nickel
metal hydride (NiMH) with varying voltages and milliampere hours
ratings. The most common battery is an 8.4 V large battery (usually
about 2400 mA•h.) Also available are 8.4 V "mini" batteries, which
generally have 600-1200 mA•h capacities. Voltages for large batteries
range from 7.2 V, all the way up to 12 V. The rule of thumb usually is
the higher the mAh, the longer the battery lasts while the higher
voltage, the higher Rate of Fire (RoF).
External modifications, such as metal bodies and reinforced plastics
that make AEGs look and feel even more realistic, have become very
popular. AEG manufacturers such as Classic Army and ICS produce
replicas that are visually nearly identical to their real
counterparts, boasting metal bodies and stronger furnishings.
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