History

In the 1980s, Japan made it illegal to own a firearm, though there was a large interest in them. Because of this interest, manufacturers started to produce spring-powered replicas of real guns. These guns fired several calibers of plastic or rubber BBs, but were eventually standardized into 6mm and 8mm sizes. The early spring powered weapons then morphed into gas and battery powered ones, using a variety of systems. The hobby then migrated to North America in the mid 1990s. This is due in large part to the addition of many new AEG (Automatic Electric Gun) manufacturers in Japan, China, Taiwan, as well as many others.

Airsoft has also been adopted for training purposes for both military and police units (more often police units). Systema, a high end professional airsoft manufacturer, produces guns specifically designed for this purpose and are a 1:1 scale in every aspect of their real steel counterparts.