What are airsoft guns?

One thing, airsoft guns are not the traditional BB guns or air guns popular in the United States and the United Kingdom. The traditional BB guns, shouting, 177 BB while metal airsoft weapons shoot out 6mm plastic BB that is slightly larger. The thing that air guns and BB guns are the same, that they resemble the real weapon. Another thing is that air guns can not shoot full auto like machine guns.

Another thing, airsoft paintball guns are not firearms. Paintball Guns is much simpler design and does not resemble real weapons. Paintball guns are mainly used for war game where they shoot plastic bullets containing painting. The plastic ball will break and splatter paint on the body of the opponents' marking was shot. The plastic ball is slightly larger than the plastic 6mm BB airsoft guns that use. Another thing is that paintball guns can not shoot full auto like machine guns.

So yes, guns are airsoft guns that resemble real weapons and shoot out 6mm plastic BB. With electric airsoft guns, rifles airsoft.

Airsoft pellets

Most airsoft guns fire spherical plastic pellets ranging from 0.12 to 0.88 grams in weight, though the most popular weights for AEGs are between .20 and .28 grams. Heavier rounds (.30-.48 grams) are typically used for long range and sniper use, as they are more stable in flight and less easily deflected by wind, so are more accurate. They usually come in packages of: 500, 1000, 2000, 5000 and even as high as 125,000.

To increase range most airsoft weapons are fitted with 'hop-up' systems which cause BBs to fly level, and straighter for a longer period. The hop-up effect is caused by back spin on the BB, which minimizes the drop experienced by the BB, and increases the flying distance, by increasing its lift according to the Magnus effect.

Pellets are typically 6mm in diameter, though 8mm varieties exist for specialty guns. Pellet quality is important, as malformed ones can damage the Airsoft guns parts. Malformed, soiled, or low-grade pellets with seams and burrs can also be much more inaccurate - even a small deformity will throw the pellet off course.

Paintball pellets are also available for airsoft guns but are unpopular due to the incompatibility with hop up systems as well as the damage they can cause when a pellet bursts inside a gun. Paintball rounds allow hits to be objectively verified, these pellets leave a clear paint mark on the player showing that they have indeed been hit.

Most airsoft pellets are made of plastic but biodegradable airsoft pellets are also available. Commercial fields usually only allow biodegradable pellets to avoid the buildup of plastic pellets littered across their field, it also has less of an impact on the environment because regular pellets take too long to break down when biodegradable pellets only take from four months to two years depending on the conditions and brand.

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.

Airsoft gun

In countries like US, UK, Japan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, yes they are. In some other countries, they might. I don't really have the full list of which countries allow airsoft guns for personal keepings as they look exactly like the real guns. Therefore, carrying the airsoft guns in public should be done with cautions just like carrying a real one. In the US, airsoft guns should have a orange-red nozzle which differentiate the airsoft guns and the real guns.

Legal issues in airsoft

Airsoft guns and playing airsoft is legal in most parts of the world. Some countries have specific restrictions such as maximum muzzle velocity and 'unrealistic' coloring to distinguish them from actual firearms. They are legal throughout the U.S, but restrictions exist in certain cities such as Camden, Newark, NJ, Chicago, IL, Detroit, MI, and Colorado Springs, CO. The states of New Jersey and Michigan, however, do not allow airsoft guns to be used and handled publicly, because of the resemblance to real firearms. Federal law categorizes airsoft guns as toys and for importation into the United States the muzzle must be painted safety orange.

In the United Kingdom, airsoft replicas are classified as realistic imitation firearms or RIFs. The sale, manufacture or importation of RIFs are restricted to activities that are exempted or have been granted a defense by the Home Office under the Violent Criminal Reduction Act. Airsoft has been granted a defense, and a skirmisher as defined under British law is allowed to purchase, manufacture or import airsoft replicas. Usually, the only accepted method of proving entitlement is to be a member of a site that holds public liability insurance. A scheme set up by UK retailers, called UKARA, recommends that an airsoft site only give membership to a player who has played at least three games over a period of no less than two months. It is also possible to purchase Airsoft replicas with a Reenactors license.The right to buy a RIF is still reserved for individuals age 18 and over.Many retailers will only sell airsoft replicas to UKARA registered players. Other schemes have been set up to allow Airsoft players to comply with the Violent Crime Reduction Act @006such as the The Assosciation of British Airsoft (AOBA) Also, the use or possession of any kind of replica weapon, loaded or otherwise in a public place is an offense under UK law and can carry heavy penalties.

Some airsoft players inform local police where and when airsoft games will take place, so that misunderstandings can be avoided.

Due to a steady entry of lower-cost airsoft guns from abroad, the Philippine National Police issued in December 2007 its Circular 11 (Airsoft Implementing Rules and Regulations),regulating the ownership of airsoft guns by Filipino citizens. Only airsoft guns with a muzzle velocity of 550 feet (170 m) per second (ft/s) or less using 0.2-g BBs can be registered. The PNP AIRR also regulates the operation of airsoft playing fields, teams, and the standardized rules and codes of conduct among airsoft players.

Military Simulation

"MilSim", short for Military Simulation, generally combines airsoft play with some military live-action role-playing elements. This type of play may be considered "hard core" by many players because of the heightened amount of roleplaying required. Several goals or missions may be assigned to each team, along with a basic load-out (i.e., supply) of ammunition, rations, explosives, and radios.

A key element in Military Simulation games is the use of low-capacity magazines, replicating the actual magazine capacity of the authentic firearm the airsoft gun is replicating. Examples of these include the 30 round STANAG magazines of the M4, M16, Type 89, SCAR-L and several others.

Teams will remain in the field for the duration of play, only returning to a staging area or "safe zone" for medical emergencies and for other special circumstances. Military simulation games often last several days. For example, the large Berget annual event in Sweden lasts for six days with no breaks. In large scale Military Simulation operations, the players often use vehicles such as painted vans and trucks. In some cases, such as Operation Irene (an annual Military Simulation held in the Midwest U.S.), real APCsl and tanks are used.Such large scale events can take place in MOUT (Military Operations in Urban Terrain) facilities.

True Military Simulation requires players to adhere to an agreed level of uniform authenticity and to play as part of a team.

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.

Most players, especially those participating in MilSims, wear military clothing consisting of various forms of camouflage. Some players will go as far as to use a ghillie suit, which breaks up the human outline by having sticks, leaves, and similar items in the fabric/netting, as well as its own camouflage leafing material all over it. Aside from the advantage of camouflage, some participants aim to faithfully replicate a specific combat unit such as the SAS, Spetsnaz, or police, particularly in games such as MilSim.

In some countries, such as the Philippines, airsofters are not legally able to wear official uniforms. In Sweden, for example, it is illegal to wear both rank insignia and Swedish flags on civilian uniforms at the same time. It has become popular among civilians and airsoft players to wear only the upper garment or the pants, but not both.

When not wearing full paintball-type face masks, many players wear neck armor such as a balaclava, scarves and Shemaghs, and military-style helmets. Players generally wear combat or hiking boots (not just ordinary athletic shoes) for safety in harsh terrain. They also wear padded gloves, elbow pads, knee pads (not to protect the body from pain of getting hit by pellets, but to prevent pain and injury from performing physical actions, such as crawling and kneeling) and protective vests for additional protection, realism, and for conventional reasons such as holding magazines of ammo.

In some cases, rules are adopted that allow only casual clothes in an effort to encourage realism because players will more actively avoid being hit.