Pretend Battles Feel Real With Airsoft Guns
Want to be a warrior for a weekend? Then consider trying the popular sport of games using airsoft guns.
Airsoft guns became immensely popular when they arrived in North America from Japan in the mid-1990s. It was illegal then in Japan to own a firearm, and this ban may have fueled Japanese interest in them. The ever-inventive Japanese manufacturers paid attention to this customer curiosity and developed the first airsoft guns, powered by springs.
Airsoft games range from short skirmishes involving a few participants through organized scenarios between teams to major military simulations and historical reenactments with dozens of players. Airsoft guns often are used in military and law enforcement training.
While the prospect of such realistic replicas may alarm some parents, airsoft gun enthusiasts insist that their games are not intended for children. Most airsoft guns are age-restricted to players over 16, and commercially organized airsoft games usually require players to be at least age 18.
Longtime hobbyists recommend that beginners try spring-powered airsoft guns first, until they get a feel for the gear. Spring-powered guns tend to be made more cheaply, often in China, and therefore are more likely to break in the most vigorous battle simulations. Compressed-gas airsoft guns are sturdier, but the top gun for serious airsoft enthusiasts is an airsoft electric gun, or AEG.
As the market demand increased, manufacturers began creating ever more highly detailed replicas of law enforcement and military firearms. These later models powered by various forms of compressed gas such as CO2, propane or Green Gas. Originally they fired several different calibers of plastic or rubber BBs. Eventually these diverse sizes were standardized into 6-mm and 8-mm sizes.
While spring-powered airsoft guns are still marketed, many players prefer replicas powered by compressed gas (Green Gas, propane or CO2) or an airsoft electric gun, known as an AEG. Originally airsoft guns used a range of calibers for their plastic or rubber projectiles. Today most airsoft guns use either 6-millimeter or 8-millimeter size pellets. Most airsoft gun pellets are made of plastic or rubber, but some may be made of copper or metal alloy. The plastic or rubber projectiles usually are too light to break a player's skin, but the metal versions have been known to penetrate bare skin when fired at close range.
Projectiles shot from spring-power or compressed-gas airsoft guns travel at velocities from 100 to 850 feet per second (30 to 260 meters per second). Electric-powered airsoft guns fire pellets at 150 and 500 feet per second (60 to 150 meters per second). Genuine bullets shoot out at speeds from 370 to 1, 500 meters per second.
Whatever its size or complexity, one thing is common to all games involving airsoft guns: the honor code. Airsoft players rely on one another's honesty in announcing when they've been hit (which eliminates them from the game), since the pellets from airsoft guns rarely leave a mark on clothing or skin. While there's no formal enforcement body supervising this code during a game, a participant who gets a reputation for violating the honor code is likely to find himself or herself only shooting airsoft guns at backyard targets.
Author: Anthony Carter loves everything about airsoft guns. If you are interested in great airsoft gun then JD Airsoft Guns is the place to go.
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