What is Airsoft?

Airsoft or also called softair is a tactical terrain game in which one or more teams compete against each other. The players of the teams are equipped with airsoft weapons with which they fire at each other, similar to paintball. However, airsoft does not shoot paintballs that leave visible marks on the players' clothes. Airsoft weapons shoot small plastic balls, so-called BBs (depending on the explanatory approach of "baby bullet" or "ball bearing"), which leave no traces on the clothes - hit players must indicate themselves.

How fast are airsoft bullets?

Although shooting plastic pellets may sound like playing with toys, nothing could be further from the truth! BBs are propelled at 0.5 - 3 joules, depending on the weapon, and reach speeds at the muzzle from 30 m/s to over 80 m/s - that's almost 300 km/h! Therefore, protective goggles are indispensable for Combat games!

How far can you shoot with an Airsoft gun?

Since airsoft is a tactical combat game, the most important thing is how far you can hit with a softair gun. The hop-up system in softair guns creates a backward spin in the bullet. The trajectory of the bullet is deflected to the side on which it rotates with the flow - upward in the case of air-soft weapons. As a result, the bullet has an upward curved trajectory and flies straight for a longer period of time until the backward spin decreases and the gravitational force of the earth pulls the bullet downward. This effect makes it possible to hit up to 100 meters, which makes the game very interesting.

What types of Airsoft weapons are there?

There are basically three types of airsoft weapons:

Spring pressure airsoft

A spring pressure operated softair weapon uses the energy of a coil spring, which is tensioned by hand, to accelerate the ammunition out of the barrel. In this process, the bullet is usually not accelerated directly by the spring, but by air pressure generated by the cocked spring in a piston system. The shooter must manually cock the gun before each shot by pulling the loading lever, or the breech of the softair gun to the rear. After cocking the spring, the softair gun is ready to fire. Due to this mode of operation, these weapons are single-shot loaders.

Softair guns operated with spring pressure are mainly found in the lower price segment. High quality softair guns, however, can cost over 1,000 euros. The spring pressure system is also used in many shotgun replicas, where the spring is cocked by a typical bolt action of the forend before each shot.

Electric airsoft guns

Electrically powered softsoft guns have a battery-powered electric motor that uses a gearbox to tension a coil spring with a reciprocating piston. When the trigger is pulled, the spring is tensioned in a first phase via the motor and the gearbox. In the second phase, the spring is released and thus acts on a piston. As in an air pump, the air is compressed and the compressed air accelerates the ammunition. Current electric softair guns repeat this cycle up to sixteen times per second and more, allowing for fully automatic operation. This gave automatic electric softair guns the name Automatic Electric Gun (AEG). These softair guns are by far the most widely used softair guns for competition.

Battery of an electric softair gun.

Electric softair guns were developed in Japan. The Japanese model manufacturer Tokyo Marui has always dominated the market. Their developed gearbox (transmission) still characterizes the used mode of operation of electric softair guns of other manufacturers as well.

Another established mode of operation is Professional Training Weapon Systems from the government equipment manufacturer Systema. These weapons were originally designed as realistic training devices for the military, police and similar authorities and are used by them for training purposes. They resemble the original models in appearance, weight and operation down to the last detail. Since these weapons use the same principle and ammunition as all other electric softair weapons, they are also used by softair players.

Electric softair guns are usually powered by accumulators of nickel-cadmium (NiCd) or nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries of various voltages and capacities. The accumulators are usually sold in battery packs for voltages from 7.2 V up to 12 V. A higher capacity (mAh) allows for a longer operating time, while a higher operating voltage (V) increases the voltage at the motor and thus usually the firing rate. Newer battery technologies, especially lithium polymer batteries, are also finding their way into the airsoft world.

Gas airsoft guns

Gas-powered softsoft guns require pressurized propellant gas to accelerate the ammunition. These guns are capable of semi-automatic as well as fully automatic firing. The propellants commonly used today are propane gas (called Green Gas in the context of airsoft and marketed), HFC134a, HFC-22 and in appropriately adapted softair weapons also the more powerful Red Gas. Systems that work with carbon dioxide (CO2) or external compressed air (HPA) are also widespread.

The first gas softair guns available on the market were what are now called Classic Guns due to their age, which were typically powered by liquid propellants such as R-12 (called FLON-12 in Japan). Often these softair guns included two external tanks: one for the R-12 itself and a second as an expansion tank. Later, some users modified these models to function with pressure-regulated CO2 tanks or nitrogen/high-pressure air cylinders, which offered higher pressure and fewer pressure fluctuations.

In addition, compressed propellants cool sharply during expansion, to well below 0 °C. On the one hand, this strong cooling causes the pressure to drop until the softair weapon finally stops firing; on the other hand, rubber seals of valves suffer from the low temperature ("cool-down effect"). With CO2 as the propellant, this effect is less pronounced, and with compressed air it does not occur at all.

Also worth mentioning are the so-called blow-back weapons, in which the pressure of the propellant gas is additionally used to imitate the repeating movement of a "real" firearm, with the bolt snapping forward and back again.

What does an airsoft gun cost?

Airsoft guns start at a few euros, but the sky's the limit, so to speak. A precise replica of an assault rifle with hop-up, blow-back and illuminated dot sights can be just as expensive as the original. Airsoft players in particular place a lot of emphasis on the authentic look and faithful replication of the circumstances, which is why airsoft equipment can become more expensive than hunting equipment.

A video from an airsoft event in the Czech Republic, where even tanks and helicopters are used, illustrates this very appropriately:

Where can I shoot with my airsoft gun?

You can shoot with airsoft weapons on your own, pacified property, furthermore on the venues where the organizer's house right allows the shooting of airsoft weapons. Airsoft weapons are apparent weapons, since they are optically indistinguishable from the original weapons, which they are modeled on. Therefore, they may not be carried in public spaces - and therefore not shot.

Do I need a gun license for my airsoft gun?

Airsoft weapons are freely available for sale from the age of 14 if they have a maximum muzzle energy of 0.5 joules. If you want to use airsoft weapons for competitive play, you should use a weapon of about 1.5 joules muzzle energy. Airsoft pistols or rifles from 0.5 joules to 7.5 joules muzzle energy, are free for sale with the F in the pentagon from the age of 18. Anything above that becomes subject to a gun permit and would be unsuitable for tagging others due to the strong bullet energy (the limit is well below that!).

Where are the best deals on airsoft?

Gunfinder searches all online platforms and stores for the best deals on guns and gear. Therefore, the best deals for airsoft guns can also be found on our site. Find the best deals in just a few clicks!