What is Airsoft?
"Airsoft is a sport in which participants shoot round non-metallic ball bearings launched via replica firearms. Gameplay varies in style and composition but often range from short-term skirmishes, organized scenarios, military simulations, historical reenactments, to competition target shooting events. Combat situations on the battlefield often involve the use of common military tactics to achieve objectives set in each game. Participants typically emulate the tactical equipment and accessories used by modern military and police organizations. Two similar alternatives to this sport are paintball and Reballing, a paintless paintball with firm foam pellets."
What it isn't
Shooting $10 BB guns at each other in your backyard. That's called plinking. It's what foozball is to soccer.
LARPing. You need to be physically fit to carry around 2-5kg of equipment for 7 hour sessions. No one does the "breaker, breaker" stuff.
Does it hurt
Yes. With a caveat. For really bad shots that get you in the throat or ear, there will be 10 seconds where all you can focus on is the pain and thinking "why the fuck did I do this", but for most shots it's nothing. It hardly ever draws blood except at close range. I have a red mark on my thumb from a point-blank shot 2 months ago that still hasn't healed. Goggles are mandatroy but only idiots go without full face protection. Those that do often end the day with a tooth shot out or blood streaming down their face.
It relies purely on people calling "hit" when hit. Most do but some don't, although you do let out an involuntary "ow" at close range. Typically the regular crowd are 1 of 2 groups: video gamers who are looking for something with better graphics and physics, or old police and military members. I view it as the only form of heavy exercise that's actually fun.
There are many game types that depend on what the people running the site want to do: CQB, CTF, Battlefield-style conquest, plant/defuse the bomb, vip escort, survive the zombies, flee the terminator...
Gun Types
Electric - the most common and most reliable type. An electric motor powers a piston that pushes a large volume of air into the thin barrel that launches the BB. They hold hundreds of rounds. Disadvantage is that it sounds like a sewing machine and many gun functions are cosmetic.
Gas - The most realistic type. Instead of using gunpowder to cycle the weapon, high pressure gas is used instead. They used to make a weak "pop" sound but nowadays they are very loud. They can be disassembled the same way real guns can. Much less reliable due to all the moving parts and dirt that jams them like it would a real-life gun. Magazines are more expensive as they hold gas valves. Holds a realistic number of rounds which means you need more mags. Some guns, such as grenade launchers and shotguns, can only fire the way they do in real life using a gas mechanism. Rocket launchers however only act like extra-large shotguns.
Spring - You manually pull back on the bolt to ratchet the spring for each shot. Used on sniper rifles, shotguns and very, very cheap guns.
Specials - There are many subtypes. There are Electric Blow Backs that use pneumatics to push the slide back or a 2nd motor in the stock to simulate recoil, but most of these are minimal efforts except for Tokyo Marui's Recoil Shock range. There are guns that use self-contained cartridges that contain gas and a single BB that eject out of the gun like the real thing. Best suited for shotguns and sniper rifles as you will want to pick up the "spent" cartridges when you're done to refill. There are trishot shotguns that are essentially triple barrelled springers. A single shot spring shotgun will see more use as a sniper rifle.
Accessories - Literally thousands of them. Scopes, lasers, silencers, foregrips, anything that can be mounted on a rail. You can also carry grenades that are essentially flashbangs and anyone within 5m of detonation is considered "dead". You can have claymores, landmines, knives, swords. Even a mortar with a water powered rocket.
This is your ammunition, 6mm 0.2g BBs.
You can get 8mm BBs. You can get heavier BBs that will give you longer-range. You can get phosphorescent tracer BBs. An issue with BB guns is that they can't simulate different calibers. A 7.62mm gun will perform identically to a 9mm. You can increase the power of your gun but most sites have a cap at 350fps, with 400fps for snipers (but you can't fire at anyone closer than 20ft).
The main downside is the cost. You get what you pay for. A good primary weapon will cost £200. <£100 and expect it to break on the first day. Also the gun is just the downpayment. Nearly any new weapon will require a bunch of extras such as a spare mag, a sling, aftermarket sights, holster, etc.
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