FEATURED ARTICLE:
The Difference in Airsoft Guns by Terry Hollowell
Airsoft guns are a new type of air gun which is used in playing a variety of games similar to paintball. Quite different from a paintball gun, Airsoft guns are replicas of genuine firearms so each one looks and feels exactly the same as the original weapon. Airsoft guns come as pistols, rifles, shotguns, and machine guns. Whether you want a bolt action rifle, a 9 mm handgun, a classic revolver or a large automatic machine gun–the choice can be yours with Airsoft guns.
How you are going to use the Airsoft gun will determine what type you wish to purchase. Some people just collect different models, some use Airsoft guns for target practice, and some play games in teams that consist of military-type maneuvers. Airsoft is a sport where Airsoft guns fire plastic pellets or BBs instead of paintballs. You can get paintballs instead of pellets for the Airsoft guns if you so desire, but soft plastic pellets are the most popular product.
Airsoft guns are not made in any way that would allow them to be converted to a real firearm. They are toys and it is impossible to rig one to shoot anything even remotely similar to real bullets. Airsoft guns come with three different types of firing mechanisms–with a spring clip, a CO2 cartridge, or electric, which use batteries to fire.
The spring model Airsoft guns are the cheapest and the ones most people use at the beginner level; you can pack these with your camping gear and play for fun. They are also sturdy and quite reliable. In order to fire the gun the trigger has to be cocked manually–or pumped if you should purchase that kind of gun, such as a shotgun model. Many of the clip-style Airsoft guns are full-size replicas of real guns. Almost every person who plays games with Airsoft guns has at least one spring mechanism gun. They can be counted on to perform if a CO2 Airsoft gun should fail in battle.
The CO2 versions of Airsoft guns use the same type of mechanism as many regular BB guns. They are also known as gas-fired guns because it is the gas from the CO2 cartridge that propels the ammunition, in this case, soft plastic pellets. The CO2 Airsoft guns are often more powerful than the spring Airsoft guns, but what you gain in power you lose in accuracy. In particular, the CO2 automatic weapons (such as a machine gun) deliver bursts of hundreds of pellets at one time but it scatters them somewhat randomly. They are also very time-consuming to reload, especially if under fire. A CO2 cartridge only lasts for one magazine.
The electric Airsoft guns are the newest design and the ones that younger Airsoft players like to use. They are incredibly accurate and batteries usually last the length of a game. Players who sense a loss of power with electric automatic Airsoft guns often switch them to semi-automatic to complete a game. Anyone who is an expert at Airsoft games can have just about as good results with a spring Airsoft gun as with an electric Airsoft gun. Electric Airsoft guns are also priced higher.
About the Author
Terry Hollowell is an outdoor enthusiast with a passion for outdoor sports. If it has anything to do with the outdoors or travel, Terry loves to write about it.