Posts Tagged ‘airsoft’

Thinking About Buying An Airsoft Handgun?

They’re not in the same category as a kids toys but airsoft pistols are an ideal hobby for any adult or young adult. Unlike paintball guns or normal airguns airsoft hanguns are designed to look just like the real thing. This has posed a problem for airsoft gun owners over the years due to airsoft pistols being used in “armed” robberies. Believe me when one of these is pointed in your face it looks just like the real thing. To combat this danger airsoft manufactures are now making many of their airguns in clear plastics and/or with an orange flash at the tip of the barrel to counteract this problem.

Your airsoft pistol is capable of firing a 6mm plastic bb at speeds of up to 300 feet per second which while not dangerous to exposed arms or legs could definitely cause damage to unprotected eyes. Always, always use safety glasses when firing an airsoft gun indoors or outdoors. A ricochet can happen quite easily and the results can be horrific. The actual power of your handgun will depend on the firing mechanism used. Your choices are spring, gas and electric. Spring and gas offer the highest power range but the newer AEG blowback handguns look pretty neat too.

Bear in mind too that a spring airsoft gun will need to be cocked for every single shot whereas the gas and AEG models offer fully automatic fire rates. The spring pistols will be cheaper but are a little bit more clumsy to use. The gas blowback models really mimic the real thing – especially when the topslide flies backwards after each shot.
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Is Airsoft Better Than Paintball?

This question is bound to stir debate and controversy amongst the most ardent of airsoft or paintball fans.

Both airsoft and paintball are both hobbies based on replica firearms and wargames. Is this unhealthy? That depends moreso on the person themselves rather than the hobby. An interest in pursuing a hobby that involves weaponry only becomes unhealthy if taken to extremes – which is true of most things in life. Paintball and airsoft are not morbid hobbies and only run the risk of being dangerous when participated in by dangerous people.

Paintball itself is a more mobile sport. It requires a certain level of physical fitness, mobility and skill – if you paintball then you gotta be able to move fast. The weapons themselves are functional and are only designed to serve the purpose of the sport as opposed to looking good. Paintball rifles are designed to take a real beating when it comes to their use. Paintball fans fall into the ‘extreme sport’ category and enjoy the pure adrenaline of each paintball match and are driven by the desire to win.

Airsoft is a somewhat different sport. The guns used in airsoft are both conversation pieces and are also functional sports ‘weapons’. Airsoft rifles and pistols are capable of firing both small plastic pellets and paint filled pellets so are useful both in the sport itself and also for backyard target practice.
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Intro to Airsoft

Airsoft is a military/law enforcement sport simulation, where players participate in a mock style combat with military like weapons and tactics. Firearms are 1:1 scale models of real firearms. A typical example of an airsoft firearm is: firing 6mm or 8mm spherical, solid plastic BBs of usually .12, .20, or .25 grams, with propulsion for the projectile provided by manually compressed springs, compressed gas, or electric motors.

Airsoft as a sport is extremely popular in eastern Asia, in Japan, China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. This popularity is a result of real arms being difficult or impossible to obtain because of local laws. For this and other reasons the vast majority of Airsoft guns, accessories, and aftermarket upgrade parts are made in Japan, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Korea. For a while it was rumored that Airsoft was made illegal in Mainland China. That is just a rumor though as it is actually very legal and extremely popular.
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Are Cheap Airsoft Guns Reliable?

There is always one key question On every shoppers mind – how cheap can I get it? This is true of airsoft guns too. We all expect to be able to get the best possible deal with anything we buy today. Fortunately investing in an airsoft gun doesn’t have to break the bank – you can get some exciting models at very attractive prices.

The quality and features of your airsoft replica will depend on your budget. There are three basic types of airsoft gun – in order of expense they are:

Spring
These are the cheapest airsoft guns you can get. An internal spring shoots the pellet from the gun. They’re single shot guns which means you’ll need to cock the gun each time you want to fire one of the plastic bbs. This can get annoying at times but these guns can be purchased for just a few dollars.

Gas
Gas powered models add one immediate feature – automatic fire. With a gas powered airsoft rifle or pistol you don’t need to cock the gun each time because it has a gas charge built in. These are far more powerful than most spring airsoft guns and slightly more expensive. This extra power comes at an added expense – the gas needs to be refilled. This can be achieved with co2 cartridges or a portable hand pump. For the added expense gas airsoft guns definitely feel more like the “real thing”.

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