A guide to airsoft guns, rifles and pistols describing gas and electric variants. A brief history of Airsoft starting from its origins in Hong Kong in the late 1970’s through to its worldwide popularity in the present day. Only 4% of airsoft players are female – come on girls – bomb up and join in the fun! Popular airsoft games including ‘king of the hill’ and the classic ‘capture the flag’.
Airsoft in the UK.
What is Airsoft?
Airsoft is a combat simulation game similar to paintball. It is played in teams and comprises a number of scenarios with set objectives in order to ‘win’ the game. Unlike paintball, Airsoft guns do not fire a ‘marker’ projectile, but instead a 6mm (or sometimes 8mm) plastic ball, referred to as airsoft BB’s (or pellets). Under these circumstances Airsoft relies heavily on honesty, as it is easy to discount a ‘hit’ and continue playing. The Airsoft community does not tolerate cheating, and those caught are usually given a fair warning before being asked to leave the playing site in question, should they continue their actions.
Airsoft guns come in many forms, and are also referred to by the general public as BB Guns (although we don’t really like this term in the airsoft community and this is more often than not refers to brightly coloured ‘two tone’ weapons people play with in their back gardens) the three most common types being AEG (Automatic Electric Gun or Airsoft Electric Gun), Gas Guns or GBB (Gas Blowback) or Spring operated weapons. Each variety has its own characteristics and draw-backs, and the choice of which to use is very much down to the preference of the individual. These guns are 1:1 scale replicas of the real thing and are manufactured of a variety of materials, the most common being high impact ABS plastic, however metal body kits exist for a large number of models.
For more detailed information, plus a history on Airsoft visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airsoft
