About

For being here looking at air soft guns reviews, you probably already know what the sport Airsoft is, but for that small part of you that don’t, let us give you some basics.

The most common description for the Airsoft is that it is a military training system that allows the recreation of real-life combat situations with a high level of realism without endangering the life or health of those taking part in it. Airsoft is very similar to Paintball as a sport, except that in the Airsoft the weapons are usually designed as exact replicas of real firearms (only they have a mechanism for pushing out 6-mm or 8-mm diameter projectiles), tactical gear, and accessories used by military and police organizations.

History:
Airsoft was developed in Japan in the 1980s, when people, unable to possess real guns, because of local laws, wanted high quality replicas. A heavy emphasis was therefore placed on making accurate replicas of real firearms. The sport started growing then and is still gaining popularity, competing with the rival Paintball. For instance in some regions like East Asia and the Pacific Rim, Airsoft is even more popular and the paintball is nearly non-existent.

Guns:
Airsoft guns classified according to their operating principle can be either: spring–, electric– or gas-powered.
• Spring guns are the perfect entry level gun. The slide must be cocked for each shot. This increases firing time, but significantly lowers the cost of the gun, as well as maintenance. Cocking the gun compresses a spring attached to a piston. When the trigger is pulled, the piston flies forward, compressing the air in the cylinder and firing the BB. These are the most durable of all airsoft guns because they have the least number of parts that can break.
• Gas guns use a gaseous propellant as power, loaded into the bottom of the magazine. Upon pulling the trigger, gas is released, propelling the BB. Most gas guns have a function called “Blowback”. What blowback does is it adds another level of realism to the gun by simulating the actual fire (kick) of a real gun (i.e. a gas blowback gun’s slide will actually fly backwards and load another BB, just like the real deal).
• Electric guns use batteries as their power source. A motor runs a gear that compresses a cylinder compressing air. Most electric guns are fully automatic, and are referred to as AEG’s (Automatic Electronic Guns). AEG’s are very popular because of their power, low maintenance and easiness to upgrade.

Legal, illegal?
Being made as replicas to real guns brings up the question for how legal the airsoft guns are. Airsoft guns and playing airsoft is legal in most parts of the world, but not all. Airsoft guns are legal to own in most of the US, but before making a purchase it is advisable to review all local and state laws/ordinances regarding BB guns, replica guns, and paintball guns. Any country has its own specific rules or regulations for the use of airsoft guns so it’s always better for you to be familiar with them before making a purchase of this kind.

Safety:
Like many competitive sports, airsoft inherently involves a certain risk of injury. Although airsoft guns operate on completely different principles from real firearms and are not lethal, BBs can be fired at over 750 fps (usually under 500 fps). This is speed high enough to cause minor injuries if the hit is on non protected area of the body. 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. The surrounding itself can be a factor for injuries. Slippery surfaces, steep slopes or heights, falls or trips, collisions with unseen obstructions, snags and sharpened objects, and even noxious substances (animal droppings, etc.) are just part of the hazards that you can come across to while playing. Scratches, cuts, bruises, concussions, and sprains, plus a few broken bones can easily occur in this type of activity. No matter how cautious you are there’s always a risk of getting hurt. That’s where the safety gear comes in handy.

Safety gear:
Head and neck armor, all-terrain boots, thickened gloves, knee and elbow pads, and full-length rugged attire are pretty much all the safety gear you’ll need. Some of those are optional, but head armor is something mandatory for every player. 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. 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 airsoft community follows safety rules that are similar to those used for real firearms and paintball. They are usually as follows:
• Wear eye protection at all times during a game or within the designated playing area.
• Never shoot at anyone not wearing eye protection.
• Treat all guns as if they are loaded and ready to fire.
• Always point the gun away from anything and everything that is not intended to be shot.
• Keep fingers away from the trigger and outside the trigger guard and the safety on until ready to shoot.
• Turn off the safety just before firing.
• Do not fire more shots than needed to achieve your objective.
• Always be sure of the target and what is behind it.
• Have a precise idea of the effect on a target of your weapon’s ammunition, especially with regards to projectile penetration, ricochets, and damage effects.
• Take responsibility for any and all damage produced by the projectiles fired from your gun.
• Immediately place the gun on safe after firing.
• Do not leave a gun, loaded or unloaded, within access range of unauthorized persons.
• Do not touch or manipulate another person’s gun without permission, knowhow, or proper intent.
• Load batteries and ammunition only at the last instance before using the gun.
• Unload the ammunition, fire off the last few rounds, and remove the batteries before packing the gun for storage or transport. Never leave the springs of firing mechanisms and magazines under tension if not in use.
• Store and transport the gun in a sealed container or gun bag. Keep the gun hidden from public view as much as possible and bring it out only on the playing field or for especially approved display purposes.
• Safety isn’t always safe: Never trust safety catches to always work.

So now that you’ve already gone through the most important information about this sport all you need to do is start preparing yourself for that first game. We are gonna try and help you choose the gear that suits you best, providing information and comparison between products. The rest is only up to you.