Basic types of Airsoft weapons

Airsoft guns are a tool especially for the game of the same name called airsoft, which is interesting especially for younger people. However, they are also suitable for teenagers for hobby target shooting, e.g. in the yard. Most of these guns are faithful replicas of the original models, and when you hold them in your hands, you feel like you are holding a real gun. What does the term airsoft mean and what types of these guns do we know? Read further.

USE OF Airsoft guns

In the game called "airsoft", there are several players who are divided into different teams and try to meet predetermined tasks and goals, and at the same time hit the opponent „to remove them“ who prevent them from doing so. The goal of this game is usually to free the hostages or find and defuse a bomb imitation. The specificity of this game is the fact that the person who has been hit should make it clear and admit that he has been hit and must be temporarily or permanently excluded from the game according to pre-established rules.

However, these guns are also suitable for juveniles for hobby target shooting, e.g. in the yard. However, always remember that airsoft guns are also guns of cat. "D" and are for sale only to persons over 18 years of age. An adult may also entrust such guns to juveniles, but only under their supervision! Airsoft guns fire projectiles in the form of plastic pellets with a diameter of 6 mm. This calibre is usually referred to as „6 mm BB“. These guns are not life or health threatening. They are dangerous only when hitting the facial area. Therefore, we recommend that you buy face protectors (masks) and eye protectors (safety glasses).

TYPES OF AIRSOFT GUNS

Airsoft guns can be divided according to various criteria. As with regular real firearms, we can divide them into long (e.g. rifle, shotgun and submachine guns) and short guns (pistol and revolvers). We also divide them according to what gives them energy. Here we distinguish between mechanical (spring) weapons, weapons powered by CO2 or electric (battery-operated). We can also divide them according to the energy or muzzle velocity they can develop. Energy is measured in Joules and velocity in m / s or fps. According to the energy of the gun, it is also necessary to select bullets in terms of weight. As a rule, the cheaper the airsoft gun, the more plastic it is, and vice versa, the more expensive the design, the more metal parts it contains. The most successful manufacturers of airsoft guns are certainly the brands ASG (Action Sport Games - Denmark) and Umarex (Germany). Buy the airsoft guns only from proven distributors who provide a proper two-year warranty on them.

SHORT AIRSOFT GUNS

This includes pistols and revolvers. The simplest design, usually with low projectile energy, are the so-called manual pistols. It is necessary to cock them before each shot. The pellet is fired by releasing the previously compressed spring by pressing the trigger. They are among the cheapest. Stronger are airsoft pistols and revolvers powered by a 12 g CO2 cartridge, which is usually inserted into the stock, or by gas (so-called Green Gas), which is refuelled in the tank. One bomb or one tank refuelling usually lasts about 50 shots. It is no longer necessary to cock such weapons before each shot. Some short airsoft guns are also driven by electric batteries and usually can shoot even in full-auto mode. 

LONG AIRSOFT GUNS

They mainly include various types of rifles, shotguns and submachine guns. These can also operate on manual, CO2 or electric principle. There is also a combined principle for some submachine guns. It usually combines an electrical system with a manual one, which means that when the battery loses power, you can shoot by manual reloading. Battery-powered submachine guns usually also have a switch to regulate full-auto and semi-auto mode.

BASIC AIRSOFT TERMS

• ASG (Airsoft Spring Gun) – manual / spring gun
• AEG (Airsoft Elektric Gun) – electric gun
• AG CO2 (Airsoft Gun CO2) – airsoft Gun CO2
• Dual Power – combination of a manual gun and an electric gun
• 6 mm BB – calibre (diameter) of plastic pellets
• Blow-Back – gun function that ensures that the slide moves with each shot, as with a real gun
• Shot energy – kinetic energy of the fired pellet measured in Joules
• Velocity – velocity of the fired pellet measured in m/s or fps