Airsoft

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Airsoft is a combat sport similar to paintball in which participants eliminate opponents by hitting them with 6 mm (or occasionally 8 mm) plastic ball bearings launched from airsoft guns. These airsoft guns can be powered by CO₂, Green Gas, air that is forced through a nozzle via a manually cocked spring piston, or mechanical boxes that use motors to pull back and release a spring piston. Participants typically use varying types of weapons designed as replicas of real firearms, tactical gear, and accessories used by military and police organizations. Long popular in Asia, there is now a growing interest in airsoft weapons and events in North America and Europe. Some of the notable manufacturers of airsoft guns include Tokyo Marui, Classic Army, ICS, G&G, G&P, VFC, STAR, Systema, JG, KWA and others.

Contents 1 History 2 Methods of play 2.1 CQB 2.2 MilSim 2.3 Airsoft for combat training 2.4 Honor system 2.5 Game management 3 Safety 3.1 Wildlife and Terrain Hazards 3.2 Kinetic Energy 3.3 Damage Effects on Human Flesh 3.4 Eye and Face Protection 3.5 Unprotected Players or Bystanders 3.6 Community Safety Precautions 4 Teams 5 Legal issues 5.1 Hazards of being mistaken for a real firearm 5.2 Orange-tipped airsoft gun muzzles 6 Airsoft equipment 6.1 Cost 6.2 Airsoft guns 6.3 Grenades and launchers 6.4 Airsoft projectiles 6.5 Clothing 6.6 Tactical gear 6.7 Pyrotechnics 6.8 Other equipment 7 See also 8 References

[edit] History

Airsoft was developed in Japan in the early 1970s^[1] to provide an alternative for gun hobbyists because local laws prevented individuals from privately owning firearms. A heavy emphasis was placed on making accurate replicas of real firearms and target shooting. In contrast, paintball was developed in the United States in 1981^[2] as a variation of hide and seek tag, through the use of utility companies' power pole paint marking guns, and emphasizes function over aesthetic qualities.

Paintball is more popular than Airsoft in the United States. In East Asia and the Pacific Rim, airsoft is more popular except in Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand where paintball is legal but airsoft is restricted.

In the interests of a more family-friendly image, the paintball industry usually avoids direct analogies to the military and war (seen by the movement towards spectator-friendly speedball), but Airsoft runs the gamut from Airsplat to full MilSim play.

[edit] Methods of play

Main article: Airsoft game type variations

[edit] CQB

CQB, otherwise known as Close Quarters Battle (or CQC, Close Quarters Combat), is a popular way of playing airsoft. The basic idea is for people to play in an enclosed arena at close quarters, resulting in a fast action combat or multiple surprises. A lot of times the arena may be set up as if it were in an urban war zone or in terrain filled with enclosing walls, gates, doorways, stair ways, tunnels, apertures, overhead openings, or below-ground approaches that enable one player to shoot at another from a distance of a certain amount of feet. Typically, the maximum legal speed for the airoft BB's is 300 FPS (Feet Per Second). CQB can also take place in night games or in dense vegetation such as tall grass, shrubbery, and closely packed trees. In this type of combat the fps of the guns may have to be lower due to the closeness of the combat. Simulated grenades and booby traps are effective due to teams sticking together in such a small area. Players in CQB scenarios usually wear additional vests or protective clothing to avoid injury from close-in hits or ricochets. They also use smaller airsoft guns like the MP5 or auto pistols (gas or electric).

[edit] MilSim

MilSim, short for Military Simulation, generally combines airsoft play with some military live-action role-playing elements. Several goals or missions are assigned to each team, along with a basic load-out of ammunition (6 millimeter pellets), rations, batteries, and other suitable equipment, such as short-range radios and head-sets.

The teams will remain in the field for the duration of play, only returning to a staging area or "safe zone" for medical emergencies, or other such circumstances. Military simulation games often last several days, for example the large BERGET event in Sweden lasts 6 days in a row, with no breaks. In larger scale MilSim operations players utilize vehicles such as painted vans and trucks.. But in some cases, such as Operation Irene, real APCs and tanks will be used.

Airsoft games are not only limited to Milsim or CQB, however. There are many minor game scenarios.

[edit] Airsoft for combat training

Many law enforcement departments, military units, and protective security companies are turning to airsoft for an effective, low cost, anti-inflammatory, and safe means of force-on-force training.^[3] The low-impact projectiles allow military/law-enforcement/protection agencies to train anywhere - schools, businesses, airplanes, etc. Training in real-life environments conditions allows them to deal with real life situations and improve their skills. The most common airsoft gun law enforcement departments, military units, and protective security companies use would be the Systema Professional Training Rifle. The inexpensive ammo lets military/police train more frequently and repeat drills dozens of time in each session with minimal budgetary impact, to the relief of taxpayers. Since minimal protective equipment is required, this allows them to train with their actual duty gear and equipment. Using airsoft guns for training minimizes liability to both trainees, instructors and by-standers, as well as property owners.

[edit] Honor system

The "honor system" is employed whereby the players rely on each others' honesty to admit to being hit, because unlike paintball, the plastic pellets do not leave a surface mark distinguishable at a distance.

Depending on the muzzle velocity of the gun and distance from which a person is shooting, the person on the receiving end of the shot will usually feel the impact, but the pellets may sometimes not be felt by a player at very long ranges, when distracted, or when running strenuously, hence the importance of marshals or referees. However, honest admission of hits is still required because no one can monitor what happens to every player on the playing field.

To avoid unnecessary disputes that disrupt the game, players are discouraged from calling out hits on their opponent but are expected to signal a marshal to judge how effectively they can hit their opponents. Simulated "knife kills" can be performed when a player touches or taps an unaware opponent instead of shooting him or her at point-blank range. A "courtesy kill" occurs when a player refrains from shooting an opponent at close range while enforcing that opponent's surrender. Players are prohibited from firing blindly when not able to see their target, especially around corners. Players should avoid excessive shooting of an opponent who has already admitted being hit, known as "overkill". Harsh language and forceful physical contact between players is strongly discouraged and even penalized. Players are expected to resolve disputes politely and with proper decorum.

All airsoft players are required and expected to acknowledge being hit even if they are in doubt. Those who acknowledge being hit are expected to do the following: (1) shout "I'm hit" loudly; (2) Raise their hand or gun high; and display a "hit indicator" while walking back to the safe zone. A hit indicator can be either a bright-colored cloth during daytime -- called a "dead man's rag" -- or a blinker or mini-flashlight when in dim light or darkness. Dishonest players who fail to follow the rules or acknowledge their hits run the risk of being labeled and ostracized as "zombies" or "the undead" by the local airsoft community. They will from then on be observed more carefully by the marshals or possibly be even banned from playing in the area.

Another form of cheating occurs when an active player gains an unfair advantage by pretending to be an already-hit player, known as "playing possum", in order to avoid being shot. During night games, active players have been known to turn on their blinker lights to move casually and then to turn them off for combat. Cheating also takes place when an eliminated player becomes a "mummy" by reactivating himself within the same game without permission from a marshal. Some players also gain unfair advantage as "golems" by spontaneously joining a game (without authorization) some time long after the game had already started, therefore being in fresh condition and in a position to surprise their opponents.

Due to the nature of the Honor System, many players have the opinion^{[weasel words]} that Airsoft is a better sport than paintball, because airsoft requires high moral values and gentlemanly ethics to play well, without the need for distinguishing hit marks or strict marshal's calls. This, however, is a matter of personal preference.

[edit] Game management

Airsoft games can be run by the players themselves using agreed upon rules. However, games become more realistic and fun for the participants if a game marshal controls the flow of play and provides on-the-spot impartial rulings. Airsoft game scenarios can vary widely according to mission type, number of teams, number of players per team, in-game objectives or victory conditions, and game durations. Popular game scenarios include center-flag capture or recovery, team flag delivery, hostage-rescue, ambuscades, raids or assaults, and death-match (all-out elimination) skirmishes.

It is the marshal's task to segregate the players into teams, determine the game scenario and its victory conditions, assign game objectives to various teams, brief the participants, delimit playing boundaries, and set the game duration. By means of whistles, flags, megaphones, and walkie-talkie radios, a group of marshals can handle dozens to hundreds of players in a series of episodes or nonstop play. Depending on the game scenario, players may be eliminated with a single hit, taken out of and returned to action with the aid of "medics," or allowed to "respawn" (re-enter the game) at certain places or times. A good game marshal strives to maintain a high level of excitement and activity for all the players involved while maintaining safety, impartiality, and "in-game realism."

Furthermore, those intending to operate game sites or hold game events should coordinate with local public authorities, designate safe zones and boundaries, invite the players to the site, and supply players and guests with adequate parking facilities, toilet facilities, water and electrical supply, as well as sell food, ammo, or other provisions needed (especially if the game site is relatively inaccessible to commercial establishments).

[edit] Safety

While airsoft guns are safer than a real firearm, they are by no means safe. Airsoft weapons should be treated the same as a real firearm; some of the safety precautions that anyone who is handling or shooting an airsoft rifle should follow are: to wear protective lenses or goggles, to keep their finger off of the trigger until ready to fire, and only point the gun in a safe direction. Shooters are advised to never point their weapons at animals, nor at unprotected or non-playing people. There are more safety precautions that are included in the user manuals for airsoft weaponry. The power source of the airsoft gun, whether it is CO₂, Green Gas, or an electric motor does not affect how safe or unsafe the gun is.

The majority of airsoft guns are operated by an electric motor and powered by a powerful battery. While usually safe when unmodified, any work done to the electrical system can pose an inexperienced airsoftsmith a shock or fire hazard. This is normally only an issue when more powerful, 'non-stock' batteries or after-market electronics are used.

In the United States of America, representing an airsoft weapon as a real firearm is a federal felony; for this and safety concerns, all airsoft weapons in the United States are required to have the front quarter inch of their muzzle(s) painted blaze orange.

[edit] Wildlife and Terrain Hazards

Because airsoft games are most often played in natural surroundings, animals can often interfere with these games and potentially be hazardous. In the Southwestern United States, snakes offer one of the most significant threats, especially the potentially deadly Diamondback rattlesnake. Many games in California institute a "snake call", whereby players have to yell "snake" when one is encountered to mark the location and warn other players.^{[citation needed]} After a snake has been identified, that section of the field may be marked as out-of-bounds and or the marshall will be called to relocate the snake.

As always, ticks and other biting insects are also present. It is also important to watch out for poison ivy and other plants which typically cause allergies.

Whether in natural or built-up urban terrain, airsoft players can be subject to injury from terrain features such as slippery surfaces, steep slopes or heights, falls or trips, collisions with unseen obstructions, snags and sharpened objects, and even noxious substances (animal droppings, etc.). Scratches, cuts, bruises, concussions, and sprains, plus a few broken bones can easily occur in this type of activity. This is another reason for the need for military-style protective gear such as head and neck armor, all-terrain boots, thickened gloves, knee and elbow pads, and full-length rugged attire. Airsoft players must be careful when running rapidly as well as moving hastily in the dark to avoid injury from such hazards. Airsoft isn't particularly dangerous unless the weapon fires around 750fps, and even so, the hit will only sting for a while. Airsoft can be a very dangerous sport if you are not wearing the right equipment.

[edit] Kinetic Energy

Although there is a considerable difference between Airsoft and paintball energy levels, the type of collisions that occur (elastic airsoft vs. inelastic paintball) must also be considered (refer to Airsoft Pellets Ballistics).

Kinetic energy is the energy that is transferred from the pellet to its target upon impact. One joule of energy will be transferred at an fps of 330 with a BB at the weight of .20g. Most fields limit guns to 330fps for CQB, 400fps for outdoors, and 550fps for bolt action sniper rifles, all measured with a .20g BB. The level of kinetic energy goes up and down depending on the weight of your BB and how fast your gun can propel that weight of the BB. There are certain places that play no fps limit games, the most famous being ASH BASH in Hawaii.^{[citation needed]}

In the United Kingdom, the energy limit for all Airsoft is usually 1 Joule^{[citation needed]} (328fps with a 0.2 gram 6mm BB) regardless of the type of game play.

Most Airsoft guns are capable of shooting from 150fps to 400fps, though it is also possible to purchase upgraded springs for some Airsoft guns that will enable 400 to 600 FPS projectile velocities.

A hop-up unit, if present, puts backspin on the BB. This backspin generates lift and gives the BB a further effective range. Too much applied hop and the BB will ark skywards, too little and the BB will fall to earth prematurely. The range of any Airsoft gun depends on both the fps at the muzzle, and the amount of HOP applied. Airsoft guns can have a range of 250 feet or more with enough power, the right barrel, and ammunition as well as a good hop-up unit. The hop-up rubber or bucking is also what retains the BB in the barrel until firing.

[edit] Damage Effects on Human Flesh

A very close-range shot from an airsoft BB on bare skin from a gun with a velocity over 400 FPS will usually break the skin and cause minor bleeding. Shots from over 100 feet will not cause bleeding, but will possibly leave a small bruise, depending on the power of the gun.

A BB can easily cause severe injury to the eye of a person not wearing eye protection. Eye protection must be worn at all times and must never be taken off in the playing field.

[edit] Eye and Face Protection

A standard of safety guidelines and equipment has evolved in the airsoft community to protect the eyes and face. The minimum safe level of gear required to participate in most games includes a pair of fully-sealing impact-rated goggles to protect the eyes of the participants. Traditional prescription glasses and sunglasses are almost never accepted as they will not prevent serious injury. Goggles not designed specifically for use with airsoft or paintball guns may break or shatter upon being struck, causing eye damage.

For this reason many organized groups of airsoft players and fields require that eye protection fully seals the area around the eyes, and also meets or exceeds ANSI's Z87.1-2003 goggle standard for eye protection: the ability to resist 3 joules of impact energy without damage. Some players instead opt for paintball goggles, which are held to higher impact rating standards, ASTM's F1776.^[4]

According to ANSI publications as of June 2006, The ASTM is currently developing a more specific standard for airsoft - ASTM Z1535Z - Standard Specification for Eye Protective Devices for Airsoft Sports.^[5]

The best overall protection is currently offered by paintball masks. These masks provide an additional level of protection by covering the face, teeth, and ears, greatly reducing the risk of injury to these body parts and the chipping of teeth. The lens is a solid piece of impact resistant plastic. Some airsoft masks are made with mesh screens, though these screens do not offer protection from cheaper or bio-degradable BBs that sometimes fragment upon impact on hard objects.^[6]

[edit] Unprotected Players or Bystanders

A player and any observer near an airsoft game site is required to keep his or her face mask, goggles, or shooting glasses on at all times. This is a standard safety requirement upon an airsoft site and this rule is always enforced by the marshal in charge to ensure that all players and observers remain safe and no accidents occur during the gameplay.

All players must immediately stop shooting when a person without eye protection is encountered in the playing area. One commonly adopted practice is for players to shout the words "Cease-fire, Blind Man!," "Heads up, Pedestrian!," "Noncombatant!," or "Walker!" and halt an ongoing game if a player or bystander is seen in the designated game play area without proper eye protection: goggles and a helmet. Any player hearing the words must, in turn, stop and also shout the words, resulting in a chain reaction which halts and alerts the whole game. Once the situation is resolved by properly removing the unprotected person from harm, the game is usually resumed at the same point at which it was stopped. It may be smart to move to a different area after a safety call so you don't give away your location.

[edit] Community Safety Precautions

Some other rules such as a maximum BB velocity and distance guidelines are used in different ways by groups depending on their location. Various locations often offer similar safety rules with slight variations. In order to encourage the mixing of segmented communities into a larger community that can more easily engage each other, certain organizations have created safety rules and guidelines for players to share the field under common understanding and to band together in safe environments.^[7]

When not actively playing, some fields require "barrel bags," also known as barrel covers, which were first introduced in paintball. Many airsoft guns, especially AEGs, come with small red plastic barrel blockers that fit over the muzzle. The magazine is usually removed as well, and the gun fired to clear the chamber. Many fields also require players to leave their guns set to the safety position when they are not shooting, even during active game play. This is a practice taken from real firearms training, in which one never puts a finger on the trigger or takes the weapon off safe until ready to fire.

In certain countries such as the Philippines where large numbers of players often play every weekend in commercial airsoft venues, additional special rules have been adopted to increase safety and avoid unnecessary injury.^[8] All "real steel" firearms, explosives, and bladed weapons are banned at any airsoft battlefield to prevent harmful accidents or misunderstandings and confusion between real and simulated weapons. Players are also expected to be discreet in transporting or carrying their gear and combat-style uniforms so as not to unduly alarm the general public and force the law enforcement agencies to investigate an incident involving airsoft guns. Pyrotechnic devices and effects may be allowed under special circumstances, but are rarely employed, because of the added danger to property or to the participants from fire and explosions.

[edit] Teams

There are many organized teams all over the USA and in various countries. Some teams consist of just a few players, who just get together and play during weekends. Some prominent teams have 50 or more players, and are able to send delegations to regional or national events. Competitive teams are those who are able to get special funding or sponsorships in order to compete in tournaments or "bivouacs" (big, multi-day events) held around the country. Most of the well-organized airsoft teams adopt special names, logos, patches, uniforms, gear, and websites or forums to standardize their own identity or appearance versus other teams or groupings. US. National Airsoft Organization: http://www.freewebs.com/1stsfacommand/index.htm

In the Philippines, there are multiple amorphous groups of airsoft players loosely organized into "teams" that range from the size of squads, platoons, and companies, to large regional confederations of multiple teams and associations. These can be organized according to family group, geographic proximity, professional affiliation, school or business organization, or even according to compatible playing styles, economic lifestyles, and personalities. Such teams can form, disband, regroup, and reform, for any reason, but they are now easily mobilized or organized through website forums and cellphone contact. Some players can belong to multiple teams, just to a particular squad, or may act as "lone wolves" who have no particular team affiliation. Some teams adopt formal rules of association but the majority do not.

There have been attempts to forge one large nationwide umbrella organization of airsofters but these have not succeeded nor persisted in the past. However, due to the continuing influx of cheaper and effective airsoft electric guns, more informal players' associations keep on growing in size, number, and influence as more people take up this sporting activity as a hobby. The growing number of airsoft game sites being set up in recent years is also allowing players in the same neighborhood to play steadily and also to roam from one game site to another.

[edit] Legal issues

Main article: Legal issues in airsoft

Airsoft guns and playing airsoft is legal in most parts of the world, but not all. Some countries have specific restrictions such as maximum muzzle energy, rules against using the trademarks of real firearms, and 'unrealistic' coloring as to distinguish them from actual firearms. They are legal throughout the U.S, but due to high crime rates, restrictions exist in certain cities such as Camden, NJ, Newark, NJ, Chicago, IL, and Detroit, MI. The states of New Jersey, Illinois, New York and Michigan do, however, allow airsoft guns to be used and handled publicly because of Federal and State laws that regard airsoft guns as toys.

In the United Kingdom, airsoft replicas are classified as 'realistic imitation firearms' or RIF's. The sale, manufacture or importation of RIFs are restricted to activities that are exempted or have been granted a defense by the home office under the VCRA law passed in 2005 and came into force on October 1st 2007. Airsoft has been granted a defense and a skirmisher as defined under British law is allowed to purchase, manufacture or import airsoft replicas. Usually, the only accepted method of proving entitlement is to gain membership of a skirmish site that holds public liability insurance. A scheme set up by UK retailers, called UKARA, recommends that an airsoft site only give membership to a player who has played at least three games over a period of no less than two months. ^[9]

You do not need to be a UKARA registered player to purchase airsoft replicas from retailers; however, to protect themselves, many retailers will only sell to UKARA registered players. Also, players they personally know to be skirmishers will be sold to. These are all because the law penalizes the seller as well as potentially the buyer.

Also, the use or possession of any kind of replica weapon, loaded or otherwise in a public place is an offense under the United Kingdom's 2003 'Anti-social behavior order' law. This can carry heavy penalties, except under specific conditions.^{[citation needed]}

A measure that is often employed by airsoft players is informing local law enforcement officials where and when airsoft games will take place, so that misunderstandings can be avoided.

Due to the nearly unstoppable and steady entry of lower-cost yet high-quality airsoft guns from abroad, the Philippine National Police has issued in December 2007 its Circular 11 (Airsoft Implementing Rules and Regulations).^[10] It regulates the purchase, one-time registration, transport, usage, transfer of ownership, importation, manufacture and repair, marking and branding, as well as commercial sale of airsoft guns by Filipino citizens of legal age. Only airsoft guns with a muzzle velocity of 550 feet per second (fps) or less using 0.2-g BBs can be registered. The PNP AIRR also regulates the operation of airsoft playing fields, registration of airsoft teams, and the enactment of standardized rules and codes of conduct among airsoft players. Foreigners are still barred from transporting or registering ownership of airsoft guns but this does not prevent them from playing with them on private fields or commercial game sites.

[edit] Hazards of being mistaken for a real firearm

There have been unfortunate instances in which an airsoft replica firearm have been mistaken for a real steel firearm. In these rare cases players must know how to act; making it clear that they are not armed with a weapon, while still acting as if it were a real firearm. Some safety precautions you can take so that no confusion arises are: not removing the orange tip, informing surrounding public about airsoft, and playing in private areas. The major distinction between a real firearm and an airsoft gun is the shape of the magazine feed area, which contains a round circular opening through which the pellets pass. Thus, releasing and removing the magazine can assist in distinction between an airsoft gun and a firearm.

[edit] Orange-tipped airsoft gun muzzles

There have been a few highly isolated cases of airsoft guns being mistaken for real firearms, and some cases where armed law enforcement units have responded to tips of unlawful firearm use. This is the main reason that Federal laws require minimum 6mm (approx. 1/4") orange tips to be present on all "toy guns" (including airsoft replicas) imported into the United States.^[11]

However, the effectiveness of such measures remains open to debate, because these orange tips can be easily removed, covered, or painted away at any time. One prominent case occurred in Longwood, Florida when a student threatened fellow classmates with an airsoft pistol and was subsequently shot dead when he aimed it towards an officer. The orange tip mandated by US Federal law had been painted black.^[12] Airsoft players will generally do anything to avoid using the orange tip on their guns because it makes them more visible at a distance when they play. The majority of airsoft guns now lack orange tips even if they originally had them, even in localities that require them, so this type of legal regulation would be impractical to enforce in all instances. This is often the norm if the airsoft gun is used only in private or restricted game locations that are not usually accessible to law enforcers. Furthermore, theatrical or movie productions may require the absolute lack of any markings that would distinguish a replica gun from a real gun, so there are regulated exceptions to the orange-tip rule.^[13]

Furthermore, their legal imposition means that criminals can attempt to disguise real firearms as toys by painting the tip of the barrel orange, or vice versa.^{[original research?]} For police departments that are already hampered by a lack of resources to enforce laws on actual firearms, the additional task of tracking down and constantly monitoring non-lethal replica guns could result in much more lax enforcement of the orange-tip rules.^{[original research?]}

[edit] Airsoft equipment

Airsoft equipment encompasses many types of equipment used in the sport of airsoft, including the airsoft gun used to shoot airsoft pellets at opponents, safety goggles, and all sorts of tactical gear including vests, equipment holders, and gun accessories.

[edit] Cost

To a new player choosing between airsoft and paintball, a beginning package for airsoft is much cheaper in terms of hardware, but for apparel they can be roughly equivalent. They both can range from $20 for a vest, to $180 (expensive version) for a ghillie suit. One major difference, however, can be seen in the cost of ammunition and upkeep of the packages - due to the type of ammunition used, airsoft guns are less prone to "jamming", and airsoft bbs (6mm) are considerably cheaper to purchase than paintballs.

Airsoft rifles and pistols are usually the most expensive piece of equipment. Low-quality electric guns, commonly called LPEGs (low priced/powered electric guns) can cost from $15-$90 USD depending on the quality, the MPEGs (Medium priced/powered electric guns) can cost in the range of $80-$180 USD and are usually a clone of an AEG with lowerquality materials(ie recent CYMA guns, A&K, etc. etc.), while a higher quality AEG can be more than $200 USD. A paintball gun of equal level usually costs between $250-$350. The overall average for a high quality electric gun such as a "Classic Army", "KWA", "ICS", "Tokyo Marui", "Star" and "Systema" is around $200-$1400 USD (or much higher, if the user decides to purchase a pre-upgraded gun or a specialized gun, such as a sniper rifle or an LMG replica) depending on the model. Some custom guns can cost more than $2,000 USD.

In Mil-Sim games, where the main aspect of the play is realism, equipment is usually much more expensive. Many Mil-Sim players choose to wear real gear (not an airsoft replica) and in some cases, real ballistic protective armor. This can raise the price of the game considerably, with guns and gear sometimes totaling in excess of $1,000 USD.

[edit] Airsoft guns

Main article: Airsoft guns

The guns used in airsoft are typically replicas of real firearms, except that they have a mechanism for pushing out 6-mm or 8-mm diameter projectiles.An example would be the Classic Army M15A4, which is a replica of the M16 assault rifle. Airsoft guns are considered replicas of real firearms but not all replicas are Airsoft guns; some replicas don't have a firing mechanism while others, such as the Real Action Markers, may have a different mechanism and shoot non-Airsoft types of projectiles.

Airsoft guns are classified according to their operating principle which can be either: spring–, electric– or gas-powered. An airsoft gun is selected according to the level of performance (battery life, range, rate of fire, magazine capacity, size, and weight) or realism the player requires. Early-generation airsoft guns were mostly "springers."Airsoft guns with springs are almost never semi-auto and never auto. Second-generation airsoft guns had gas-powered mechanisms that required either an internal "Flon" (CFC) gas reservoir or an external a high-pressure CO2 chamber. AEGs (automatic electric guns, such as assault rifles) are the most commonly produced type now used and have high-capacity rechargeable batteries to energize plastic or durable metal gearboxes that compress air for propelling the BBs.

Most airsoft pistols are gas-powered using biodegradable and environmentally safe "green gas" and produce a realistic blowback recoil effect when fired. Each pistol magazine contains a small storage gas cylinder with enough power to propel the 30+ BB projectiles also housed in the magazine. Thus a player can realistically load, fire, and unload an airsoft pistol with similar realism as a "real steel" semi-automatic pistol. A few early-production AEPs (airsoft electric pistols) have been released but these suffer from weaker BB velocities because of the difficulty of fitting a small-enough motor in the housing of a pistol, although the range is sometimes greater than a Gas pistol because fps can equal drag. AEP's often have a higher ROF or rate of fire than their gas counterparts.

Most early airsoft guns were often completely made of plastic except for some internal moving parts. Newer guns, especially those made in China, have metal barrels, receivers, gearboxes, gun sights, and other external parts. A typical airsoft gun is noticeably lighter than its "real steel" counterpart due to the use of aluminum, alloy, and plastic components. Thus, airsoft guns tend to get scratched, damaged, or broken easily from rough handling. When fired, most airsoft guns have a weak vibration and a much softer whirring sound, without any strong recoil, bright muzzle flash, concussive noise, or smell of burnt propellant as those produced by real firearms, although there are smoke caps available for airsoft guns for added realism.

Airsoft guns have three broad classifications depending on their use in the game which in turn determines the pellets' speed and energy generated. Airsoft guns are classified accordingly as Low-FPS for CQB games, High-FPS for normal field games, and Excessive-FPS for semi-automatic or single-shot sniper guns firing at 600 fps or higher. Most airsoft guns typically fire 200-450 fps, since they are used outdoors for most operations, balancing good speed and range with energy generated.

The Low-FPS guns and pistols are used at shorter ranges (also called Close Quarter Battle (CQB) and usually of 200 feet or less). CQB situations include close range confrontations such as "house entry" where maneuverability is more important than range or power. The airsoft guns used in these scenarios typically fire less than 360 fps to ensure safe operation. Some high-powered and well-upgraded airsoft sniper rifles, some of which are semi-automatic or single-shot bolt-action designs, can fire 6mm pellets at velocities of about 600 fps.

Most Airsoft players carry one short or long airsoft gun, sometimes with an airsoft pistol as a side arm or backup. Carrying additional backup guns is done during long-duration scenarios that would prevent the player from going back to the safe zone to replace a defective gun. Each gun would need its supply of magazines and batteries or gas canisters. Magazines come in either low-capacity(low caps) (25-80 BB rounds), medium-capacity(mid caps) (80-150), or high-capacity(high caps) (200 to 500+ BB rounds). These magazines are spring loaded; the high-cap magazines often have a ratchet wheel that can be wound up periodically to force BBs up the magazine feed chute, but these magazines make a rattling noise when running or walking. Some airsoft guns have electric-powered box or drum magazines that hold thousands of rounds of ammunition(sometimes up to 5000). Also many pistols and rifles have metal weights on them for a more realistic feel, effect and balance.

[edit] Grenades and launchers

Players can use grenades, grenade launchers,smoke grenades, mines, and claymores that utilize very minor or no explosives (pyrotechnics). Most of these "pyro" devices are powered by a compressed gas. As with many aspects of airsoft equipment, each item is designed as a playful analogy to the real thing, and many times lack the violence of such. The hand grenades have many faults and therefore not as popular or common as grenade launchers like the M203 which launches a large shower of pellets, NERF or foam slug rounds using compressed gas. And while most players, if they do at all use grenade launchers, will simply use an underbarrel launcher such as the M203, some players purchase heavier support weapons such as replicas of the Heckler & Koch 69 40mm grenade launcher, or a CAW revolving launcher, which can hold up to 6 40mm gas powered pellet grenades, (the pellet capacity of each grenade varies by its producer, and specified use, though grenades by MadBull Airsoft have been known to be able to fire over 200 pellets in a single shot), and shoot them in a semi-automatic mode. By using the Caw launcher, support gunners can get off up to 1224 rounds of 6mm ammunition in about 3 seconds. Mines are not particularly popular because whilst some mines do fire 6mm pellets in large amounts, similar to an M203 launcher, others only produce a mushroom cloud when activated without actually firing any pellets. The airsoft claymore mine are more expensive in some cases, but popular due to their effectiveness. Anti-tank weapons exist such as the M72, but they are not common or popular due to their weight and greater expense. These are rarely used in casual play, but can be implemented (with special rules for it in place) when playing on an official airsoft field.

[edit] Airsoft projectiles

Main article: Airsoft pellets

Most airsoft guns fire spherical plastic pellets ranging from 0.12 to 0.88 grams in weight, though the most popular weights for AEGs are between .20 and .28 grams, depending on the range that the gun is typically used at. Heavier rounds are typically used for sniping, as they are more stable in flight and thus, more accurate at long range. While BBs may be heavier, it is not necessary to have the gun upgraded to a very high FPS level. The best way to increase the accuracy of a rifle is to adjust the hop-up to the point of where the bb flies as straight and as far as possible without curving upwards or downwards at short distances. The hop-up places a back spin on the BB so as to make it fly straighter. Pellets are typically 6mm in diameter, though 8mm varieties exist for specialty weapons. Pellet quality is important, as malformed pellets could easily damage the barrel of the airsoft weapon and/or the hop up system.

Paintball pellets are also available for airsoft guns, but are unpopular due to the incompatibility with hop up systems, as well as the potential damage they could cause if a pellet were to burst inside the gun, which frequently happens. While airsoft pellets are often called BBs, the BB gun is so named because it originally fired BB-sized shotgun shot or metric ball bearings of .177 caliber (steel BBs are actually between .172 and .173 inches (4.5 mm) in diameter). The price of low grade pellets range from $3.50, for a container of about 5000, to around $10 USD, for a large tub of about 10,000. Higher grade pellets can cost as much as $10 USD for 2000 BBs. Most middle to high grade pellets come slightly lubricated with a silicone spray.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Clothing

See also: Military camouflage

Most players typically wear military battle dress uniforms (BDUs) consisting of separate pants and shirts or jackets, because it – just as with real soldiers – aids concealment from adversaries. Some players will go as far as to use a ghillie suit, which breaks up the human outline by having sticks, leafs, and items like that in the fabric/netting.

The choice of camouflage pattern of the BDUs is normally determined by suitability to the playing area or local availability. These fall into general categories such a forest (greenish), desert (tan), winter (gray-white), and urban (black or civilian-wear). Aside from the advantage of camouflage, some participants aim to faithfully replicate a specific combat unit (particularly in games such as MilSim). Also common, especially among the new and non-regular players, are the so-called "contractor style" – in reference to private military contractors – which combine civilian or tribal costume with single-item or mismatched military gear and attire.

Typically, military surplus stores are a good source for such items. In the U.S. the most common pattern is "Woodland" camouflage pattern, but recently MARPAT (recently adopted by the United States Marine Corps) and ACU (adopted in 2006 by the United States Army), and CADPAT (Canadian Armed Forces) have also become popular choices in North America, but most European camouflage patterns are suitable with Flecktarn (Germany) being a popular alternative, or even strictly commercial patterns such as Multicam or Real-Tree.

Similarly in Europe, local military uniforms are more readily available and probably more suitable to local conditions. Popular patterns include the German Flecktarn, British DPM or Swiss Alpenflage.

In the Philippines, civilian airsofters are forced to wear mismatched, commercial or foreign military uniforms (BDUs), because laws allow only military and police personnel to wear official uniforms. It has become popular among civilians and airsoft players to wear only the upper garment or the pants, but not both.

Aside from concealment, Military BDUs also provide protection from typical outdoor elements such as weather, flora and most importantly the impact of the BBs. When not wearing full paintball-type face masks, many players wear neck armor such as a balaclava and military-style helmets, such as the Kevlar MICH 2000 or PASGT helmet. Furthermore, players need to wear the proper field footwear such as combat or hiking boots (not just ordinary athletic shoes) in order to safely and quickly travel on foot in harsh terrain. They also wear padded gloves, elbow pads, knee pads, and protective vests for additional protection.

In some cases rules are adopted that allow only casual clothes in an effort to encourage realism, because players will more actively avoid being hit.

[edit] Tactical gear

Players wear tactical clothing and accessories not only for the added realism, but to fulfill the practical needs similar to that of a real soldier. One such example is the ability to carry spare magazines, batteries, propellant gas canisters, water, food, or other equipment in specified vests. The most common are holsters, load bearing vests, and modular rigs such as MOLLE, ALICE, and the British PLCE systems. Some players even wear hydration systems, such as those manufactured by Camelbak.

Gun bags or gun cases that can be padlocked allow airsoft guns to be transported in private or even public vehicles without the risk of damage or careless access by non-owners. Airsoft guns need to be carried discreetly and away from the public eye and it is usually impractical to bring the guns in the original boxes. These gun cases usually have extra padding and multiple compartments to stow the gun parts, accessories, batteries, and ammunition in an organized manner.

[edit] Pyrotechnics

Some airsoft sites allow the use of pyrotechnics, which are small explosive-driven replicas of ordnance such as grenades. Unfortunately, homemade devices of this sort are often unsafe and can lead to serious injury. There are several types of pyrotechnics: pellet grenades which fire out pellets to replicate the shrapnel of a fragmentation grenade; smoke grenades which provide cover to move and fire from behind; and flashbangs/thunderflashes which emit a very bright flash of light (often accompanied by loud sound) for the purpose of disorientating and temporarily blinding/deafening the target.

The latest Airsoft grenades have much improved since their first introduction, TLSFX UK and Spectrum Pyrotechnics have done pioneering work in the development of much tougher grenades using rocket star burst shell cases, allowing them to be thrown much farther, ring pull fuses, and filling grenades with dry peas instead of paint balls or pellets, making them mostly biodegradable. The ring pull allows German stick type grenades for re-enacters and adds to the realism of ball grenades.

Some players also create homemade pellet grenades with the use of fireworks and pellets enclosed in a casing, such as 35mm film canisters. Such items are often frowned upon, however, as they could be harmful to other players or the playing environment due to the plastic and shrapnel often used.

Smoke grenades have also been improved with cool burning and much less toxic smoke. Use of old naval rescue smokes should be avoided, as the smoke used was never designed for possible inhalation.

[edit] Other equipment

A large amount of equipment exists for real world soldiers which is also usable in airsoft games held by private citizens. Military surplus stores can provide many items currently issued to the player's country. Some common examples are scopes, flashlights, picatinny rails (also known as RIS rails), holsters, silencers and red dot scopes.

Equipment is generally for increasing combat efficiency, but can be used to provide enhanced realism. However, bringing or carrying any sharp pointed or bladed weapons into the playing area is discouraged or proscribed by game site organizers unless such gear are authorized for a particular training scenario or for added safety in a hazardous environment.

[edit] See also

• Airsoft guns
• Airsoft pellets
• Classic airsoft
• Japan Arms Collection
• Legal issues in airsoft
• List of Airsoft Manufacturers
• Lasertag
• Paintball
• Airguns
• BB gun

[edit] References