Grenades and launchers

Players can use grenades, grenades launcheshers smoke grenades, mines, and replica claymores that use little or no explosive (pyrotechnics). Most of these "pyro" devices are powered by compressed gas. Like many aspects of airsoft, each item is designed as a playful analogy to the real thing, and often lacks the violence of such. Hand grenades are not as common as grenade launchers which launch a large shower of pellets, NERF or foam slug rounds using compressed gas. Some players purchase heavier support weapons such as replicas of the Heckler & Koch 69 40mm grenade launcher, or a replica of the Milkor MGL, which can hold up to 6 40mm gas powered pellet grenades (some grenades are able to fire over 300 pellets in a single shot), and shoot them in a semi-automatic mode. Some mines only produce a mushroom cloud when activated without actually firing any pellets. The airsoft claymore mine is more expensive (around $150) but popular. Anti-tank weapons exist, but they are not common due to their weight and greater expense. Another type of launcher that is often home made is the Works Cannon or the Dry ice Cannon. These are often used shooting Nerf rockets as grenades.