What Is Airsoft? Would I Like It?

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by M.J. Williams

Airsoft is a relatively new game which has already won over a lot of fans. If you’ve never played yourself, it’s quite simple; anyone who has ever played paintball will immediately grasp how it’s played. Players use Airsoft guns which use compressed air to shoot non-metallic pellets at each other either. These guns may be spring loaded, gearbox based, electrically powered or even gas powered.

Airsoft uses specially designed Airsoft guns which use compressed air along with gas, gearboxes, electrical or spring loaded mechanisms to fire non-metallic pellets at each other. As long as proper safety procedures are followed, Airsoft is safe and a lot of fun to play. However, not every country permits the game – it is banned in a number of countries including China, Australia, Israel and the Netherlands. Different US states have different regulations covering the game. In some states, Airsoft is legal but in others, players can be fined and Airsoft equipment confiscated.

Airsoft started in Japan during the 1970’s when it was completely illegal to own a firearm of any kind. People were very interested in firearms even though there were rules against them, so it was due to the interest of the people that certain manufacturers began making spring powered guns that were very realistic. This became dangerous though, because if you walked around with your fake gun people thought it was real if they gave it a quick glance. This is why you always had to walk with your gun in a case so that no part of it could be seen at all. It had to be fully covered if you wanted to avoid trouble with the law.

Airsoft is a Japanese import. The game came about in the 1970s, partly because of the very strict firearms laws in the country. Gun ownership is nearly impossible in Japan and of course, who doesn’t want what they can’t have? The Japanese public was interested in firearms and seeing a demand, companies produced extremely realistic looking spring loaded pellet guns, which quickly became a hit. Since these guns were realistic enough to get one into trouble, fans began to carry them in cases which obscured them from view. The popularity of these pellet guns soon led to the game of Airsoft.

This is what players first knew when airsoft started, but now many years later there are different versions of the game all over the world. Plastic guns aren’t always a good idea if you plan on playing intense games with many other people. It is important for you to keep your gun in good shape if you want it to last long. You will also want to clean your airsoft gun after every game, blow the dirt out of the barrel, and just maintain it well.

Today, there are thousands of regular Airsoft players all over the world, so you’ll always be able to find other players for a game. You can even join an Airsoft team and enjoy competitive play against other teams. If you’re seriously interested in Airsoft, you’ll need some Airsoft equipment beyond an Airsoft gun, face mask and safety goggles. You’ll want battery chargers, a helmet, laser sights and ammo pouches, along with other useful accessories which will help you get more enjoyment out of the game.

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The Differences Between Paintball and Airsoft

by Justin Kander

Many people prefer either airsoft or paintball, depending on personal preferences. Although the games are similar, their differences have made them rivals in the sports world. Is one truly better than the other, or are they just different?

Lets start with the pros and cons of each sport. In regards to airsoft, it is cheaper, more realistic, and can be more easily played than paintball. Airsoft, being extremely realistic, is a collector hobby as well as a sport, making it just that much better.

Because of the nature of airsoft, players can lie about getting hit or not. As for the airsoft guns themselves, the cheaper ones can fall apart if dropped too hard, and can be almost impossible to repair.

It is hard to cheat in paintball, since when you are hit there is a paint mark left behind. The paintball sport is admittedly more popular than airsoft, so one can find other players pretty quickly. As for paintball guns, there are dozens of ways to customize and improve them, and while you can customize airsoft guns, you can’t to the extent you can with paintball.

A multitude of myths exist in relation to paintball and airsoft. One of the big ones is that paintballs hurt more. This is generally true, but airsoft pellets can hurt just as much, depending on the velocity and where the hit lands.

Another myth is that paintballs shoot further. This is simply not true. A quality airsoft gun can shoot at least 100-200 feet. After about 110 feet accuracy starts to lessen, but they all shoot around the same distances.

The major argument for the paintball team is that airsoft is much easier to cheat in. But as airsoft players and enthusiasts, we all know this. Everyone that plays airsoft knows it is a sport that is based on honor. If you cheat, there is no point to playing, and winning means nothing.

Those who play paintball are often younger than airsoft players, possibly because paintball is just more popular among the younger crowd. Older people tend to have an interest in more realistic gameplay, and airsoft provides that.

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