Useful Information About Airsoft Guns

By Anthony Carter

Airsoft is becoming a more popular sport every year with thousands of Americans of all ages enjoying participating in these real time combat simulations. More often than not the guns used to play airsoft are replicas of actual firearms, with the difference being that they use a mechanism to fire 6mm or 8mm diameter projectiles. Airsoft guns are mostly classified by their operating mechanism.

Airsoft guns can be bought with three different forms of firing mechanisms - electric, gas, or spring based. They can be had with various characteristics that give a different level of accuracy, capacity, battery life, size, weight, and range. The very first airsoft guns that were developed in Japan used the spring mechanism; these were then replaced by the gas powered models. Gas powered airsoft guns are known as classic models. They worked by using a flow of compressed gas or co2 to power the firing mechanism. The gas would be contained in an external cylinder.

Automatic electric guns (AEGs) are the latest form of airsoft guns. They are fairly popular with certain players of the game. Their firing mechanism works by a small amount of air being displaced through the power given by the rechargeable batteries. Even though these are a more modern invention, some individuals still prefer airsoft guns with gas mechanisms as they claim that they have a more realistic feel to them.

Gas powered airsoft pistols often use propane gas. It is now possible to acquire magazines for pistols that have a built in gas cylinder with adequate capacity to fire the pellets contained in the magazine. Many players enjoy the realism this creates as it is a more similar feel to an actual pistol.

The first airsoft guns were manufactured wholly out of plastic apart from a few internal metallic parts. Now the most modern forms have both internal and external metallic pieces. If you have ever picked up an average airsoft gun or pistol, you will know that they do not feel as heavy as the original thing. But it is possible to purchase some that have added weights inside to give a more realistic impression and feel.

You can buy many different capacity magazines to use when playing airsoft. Usually pistols will have a magazine that has a capacity of 30 projectiles, but you can buy what are called hi-cap magazines which contain up to 50 pellets.

The magazines for automatic electric guns can be bought in three different capacities. The lowest capacity magazines contain up to 80 projectiles, mid capacity have between 80 to 150, and high capacity can contain as many as 500 projectiles.

When playing airsoft it is also possible to use replica mines, grenades, and grenade launchers. These are generally powered by compressed gas and are designed to appear as similar in appearance to the real thing. A grenade or grenade launcher may hold or fire as many as three hundred pellets at a time. A mine may not release any pellets but only produce a thick cloud of smoke when exploded.

There are also anti-tank weapons available but due to their weight and cost they are not so common. - 31409

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