Post by nbustarhymes on Jul 8, 2011 21:35:01 GMT -5
This thread is to help anyone new to the world of Airsoft with some helpful information and some tips. It can be very confusing at first but hopefully this will help you out a bit.
To all you veteran players out there, if there is anything that I may have left out. Please do tell so new players can get a better understanding about Airsoft.
The basic equipment needed to play Airsoft are Airsoft safe goggles/mask, an airsoft replica, plastic BB’s, and some way to carry water around with you(Canteens, water bottles, Camelbak). But to make the game more exciting the player can get more equipment. Here is just a small list of things you can get to make your new hobby even more exciting.
The most important piece of equipment any Airsoft enthusiast requires is a pair of goggles approved ANSI Z87.1-2003 standards for protection for airsoft and/or paintball with or without face protection. (Make sure you ask if the field owner has any specific rules about face protection.) The bb’s don’t hurt that much, but if the weapon is upgraded or the distance between the shooter and the target is short, the pain increases. Knuckles, ears, lips an similar places is sensitive and a shot can hurt quite a lot. The clothing is often protection enough but hands and face are often unprotected. Goggles have a tendency to fog up, because the warm humid air between the face and the goggles doesn’t disappear. The more air that flows between the face and the goggles, the less fog there will be. There are special lenses that don't fog but some people use Camp Soap to keep fog from building up on the lens. Thermal goggles work because there are two separate lenses and the air between the lenses prevents fogging on the inner lens. Air doesn’t transfer heat well. Thermal goggles are quite expensive though, so there are other methods to reduce fogging. The easiest method is to use a piece of cloth and wipe a thin layer of soap or similar solution on the inside of the goggles. This method reduces the fogging but the downside is that it doesn’t prevent fogging and the goggles have to be prepared before each game. New types of goggles have surfaced in recent years, Mesh goggles. These goggles are made to be used in Airsoft and since they don’t have a lens they cant fog. The only negative side is that in low light situations they are hard to see through. Yellow lenses increase contrast and the effect is that in daytime vision is improved, but yellow lenses is impossible to see through in low light such as in the evening or night.
Don't play Airsoft in a suit or clothing that can't withstand rough play. (Unless its part of a scenario and you don’t mind wearing it to give that ”Realistic” feel to it.) Good basic clothing consists of a jacket and trousers in camouflage pattern and a pair of good boots. Military surplus and outdoor shops are good places to buy gear from. Clothing bought in these places are very resilient and can be fairly cheap. Many pockets are useful, but make sure that the pockets are sealed with big buttons or big zippers, that are easy to handle with gloves or when it's cold. And don’t forget to make sure that the clothing is comfortable. Camouflage pattern isn’t a must, green or brown is often enough. Don’t buy black cloth to use during night games. Use regular camouflage cloth in nighttime or the cloth might be darker than the night and you will be spotted. The night often isn’t black, just dark.
During a warm day a shirt or long armed T-shirt is preferred over a jacket. Even in normal games something has to be worn under the jacket, and a shirt or T-shirt is what most people go for. Socks are more important than many people think, because a good pair of socks decreases bruises, blisters, and cold feet. If you don't have any thick socks just wear two pairs of socks, this way you save your feet from aches and blisters
It isn't smart to use a pair of sneakers to play Airsoft in. But usually you don't have boots laying around so you go in sneakers, that's okay. But the second you have the funds to buy a good pair of boots...get them. Real boots protect your feet and ankles better, and boots withstand mud and water better. Make sure that the boots are well worn in (Break them in) before you play in them. A pair of boots can be considered as well worn in when you have walked about 20-30 miles in them. Though not all in one time. For people that don’t like boots with hard soles there are some boots that have softer soles.
Gloves will protect hands from getting hurt and also decrease the pain felt from a hit on knuckles and fingers. Fingerless gloves are often used, because gloves increase the grip when holding a gun or obstacles. Gloves also keep the hand warm during cold weather.
Hats and other head wear are often used. Jungle hats, Boonie hats, caps and helmets are most common. The choice depends on personal preference, looks and protection from flying BB’s. Hats also increase realism. A hat is very nice to have if the sun is bearing down and if it rains.
A good vest is very useful to carry around spare magazines, a spare battery, bb's and all the other equipment an Airsoft player uses. There are may different types and in many different camouflage patterns, so chose one that suits you.
Backpacks are not that useful for the common Airsoft player, but if you have to carry around lot of equipment or food a backpack will save the day. A backpack is also good to transport your smaller Airsoft equipment around when you are not playing.
A LBV or ALICE (All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment) is a harness with loose pouches that is hung on, and if the user wants more ammo pouches he can exchange some of the other pouches to ammo pouches. LBV is perfect to carry around a sorted gear in that is easy to access. LBV is available in green, black and many camouflage patterns. MOLLE (Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment) is essentially the same as ALICE except instead of using ALICE clips you weave a piece of cloth through the webbing on your vest to secure your attachment.
In Airsoft its very important to blend into the surrounding environment, because if you cant be seen at a 30 meters (100 feet) or less, the chances of you being seen and shot at decrease. Camouflage is the key if you want to blend in, camouflage patterned clothing is essential. Here is some of the different camouflage patterns that are most commonly available. This is important if you are the type of player that likes to sneak up on your opponents. (snipers or recon)
There are hundreds of different patterns around the world, so choose one that fits your environment. Camouflage that has soft round edges is better in a woodland area that has a lot of trees with leaves, and patterns with sharp edges are better in pine and spruce woods. A person that uses camouflage should also camouflage the other equipment to not expose themselves. All clothing such as hats, jacket, backpacks should be in the same pattern to increase the camouflage.
The biggest telltale sign on a camouflaged human is the fact that the camouflaged human still has the shape of a human. So to better blend in and camouflage the wearer, the ghillie suit was invented in Scotland in the 1800's. A good ghillie suit makes the wearer almost impossible to see at a couple of meters distance, assuming the wearer doesn't expose himself. A ghillie suit is manufactured to a specific environment and cant be used in other environments with the same level of effectively. The manufacturing of a ghillie is a time consuming job.
Snipers often use ghillie suits. As stated above Airsoft is played over short distances and a good ghillie gives the wearer an edge. The bad thing with ghillie suits is that they're warm and cumbersome. And the user has to move slow and silent to maximize the cover of the ghillie suit. If the wearer runs the ghillie suit can be caught on something and be ripped to pieces and possibly snare the user. Ghillie is meant for snipers and isn’t something for the average user to consider.
The thing that people think first and most about is probably the weapons and the accessories. This is also the part of Airsoft that costs most and it's therefore essential to make a good choice and a choice that player will be satisfied with.
When you buy a replica make sure that it's from a good brand. Most Airsoft replicas are manufactured in Japan, so buying one of the Japanese brands, like Tokyo Marui or Systema could be a nice choice if they fit your requirements. The weapon will be durable, easier to get upgrades and spare parts, and they often look better. There are also other brands that have established names and provide quality Airsoft replicas. (G&G, JG, ICS, Tanaka, KWA, Classic Army...just to name a few)
Airsoft replicas use air or gas to propel a round 6mm plastic BB. The air pressure is created through a small spring loaded piston in a cylinder. When the weapon is cocked the piston is drawn back and the spring is tensioned. The piston locks in the rear position and a bullet is feed into the barrel. When the trigger is pulled the piston lock is released and the piston is driven forward by the spring. The fast moving piston compress the air in front of the piston and that air pressure propels the bb.
All Airsoft replicas are divided into one of three main types. Spring, Gas or Electric (AEG). Each has its own pros and cons. All Airsoft replicas fire, as stated above, a round 6mm plastic BB. There are many different qualities and weights of the bb's. The weights are 0.12g, 0.15g, 0.20g, 0.25g, 0.30g, 0.36g, 0.43g, and higher, of those 0.20g and 0.25g are the most common. A lighter bullet is more affected by wind and loses its energy faster due to air resistance than a heavier BB. To limit how high the muzzle velocity a replica can have and still be legal, the energy of the bullet is calculated. The standard weapons have a maximum of 0.8 joules of energy, ie 90 m/s with a 0.20g bullet. The energy is calculated with the following formula:
Different countries have different laws. In Texas, the average speeds are: 400fps for Assault Weapons, 450fps for Support Weapons and may be only be used at distances over 40feet away. Sniper Weapon/DMR are limited to 550fps and may be only be used at distances over 100feet away. Semi-auto gas, electric, or spring pistols are restricted to 350fps. But always contact the field owner and verify the speeds allowed before you trek out there. With that said….
The limits above IN NO WAY indicate what your guns should be shooting at! It is NOT a goal to reach! It is a LIMIT. It is recommended that your guns shoot slightly BELOW these figures. Also, remember, the stronger the spring, the more expensive upgrade parts you will need, and the sooner your gun will break.
Spring handguns are the most common weapon of choice for beginners, and most players have one or more "Springers" in their home. There are a lot of different brands and versions and most are far from good. The some good quality spring pistols are manufactured by Tokyo Marui and KWC, but there are other quality manufacturers out there. The Marui weapons have an edge in the fact that they often have 25 bbs in a magazine and the standard KWC only have 12. The biggest advantage any spring weapon has, is the easy, reliable and the high precision spring the weapon has. The most reliable precision rifles are spring rifles. The biggest disadvantage is that the weapon has to be cocked between each shot, so the rate of fire is low.
A spring pistol is not expensive and the money isn’t wasted when you buy an AEG or Gas gun, because a spring pistol is an extremely reliable and cheap backup, if for some reason the main weapon should stop working. Spring weapon is not affected by water unless the air chamber gets filled with water. So empty the barrel before the weapon is cocked and don’t use a cocked weapon under water.
Gas replicas have been around for a long time and the first gas guns were developed in the beginning of the eighties. Since then development has gone far, though today most gas rifles have been replaced with AEG, the gas systems still have a big market when it comes to pistols and smaller Airsoft replicas. The gas systems used today are reliable and good. The advantages of gas systems are that they are semi or full automatic, can have very high muzzle velocity while still being compact and to increase realism in weapons, the new handguns is almost always blow-back versions which produce recoil and work the slide. Gas systems also have a number of disadvantages like they consume gas, require more maintenance and the gun can freeze up when fired rapidly. Their performance also depends on the weather and temperature in which they are being used. The warmer weather is the higher the velocity is and the colder the weather the lower the velocity is.
Gas pistols are as said before, common, because they're the only pistols that are semi automatic and can even be fully automatic. The development of the EBB (Electric Blow Back) might change this in the future, but today the only pistol size replicas that have good performance are gas pistols. Gas replicas, as with all weapon types, have their good and bad gas systems, and there is a huge different in performance between different guns. The cheaper pistols are often NBB (Non Blowback) but a NBB uses about half the gas an GBB (Gas Blowback) do, because they don’t have to operate the slide and produce recoil. Most of the blowback systems used today are good and the guns are reliable. The first gas systems used external tanks connected to the weapon through a hose, but the modern pistols of today have an internal gas chamber in the magazine.
AEG's were introduced in the end of the eighties, but the AEG's introduced then were not as good as what we have today, so gas weapons were still the main weapon systems available and used. The system has, as always, improved and today the AEG is the most common weapon used in the field. The principle of the system is to use an electric motor to pull back the piston and then release it. The rate of fire can be high and there is even an electric Mini gun which can shoot 100+ bb's per second, but the standard AEG has a more economic and useful 12-18 bullets per second. The regular magazines have a capacity of about 30 bb's and almost all AEG's have a fire selector so that they can be switched between semi and fully automatic.
Tokyo Marui is the biggest and most well known producer of AEG's. The advantages with AEG's is that they have both semi and full-auto, they are reliable, spare parts and upgrade parts are easy to get and high magazine capacity is available. The basic maintenance procedures are easy and unless you forget to charge the battery and clean the barrel an AEG will work excellently. The disadvantages are that an AEG is expensive to upgrade and the mechbox/gearbox in an AEG isn't a thing that most people should take apart (unless you know what you are doing). There is one more disadvantage and it's more annoying than anything else. Due to the gears in the mechbox an AEG sometimes wont fire when the trigger is pulled, if the weapon is set for semiautomatic. It's rare but when it happens a short full auto burst will fix the problem.
In the end of 1999 Tokyo Marui released their new electric pistol. The system is called Electric Blow-back or EBB. The first pistol to be released was a Beretta M92. The advantages of using electricity as a power source is obvious, because there wont be any gas problems and the gun will work as long as the batteries are fresh. The problem with EBB is that in a pistol there isn’t enough room for a big powerful system, so the guns lack in performance, and most of the grip is filled with batteries and the magazine is therefore of stick type. The only reason to buy an EBB is that they're cheap compared to a gas pistol and they can be a reasonably good backup.
Rain isn't a big problem for an AEG, but the weapon shouldn’t be used if there are big quantities of water in the weapon or if the barrel is dirty or filled with water. If for some reason the AEG has been submerged in water, just disconnect the battery and let the weapon and battery dry before used, and if the water was dirty a complete cleaning should be done.
The Bernoulli effect is a physical law that says that if a bb is given a backspin an overpressure is formed under the bb and an under pressure is formed on the top of the bb. These pressures effect the bb as on an airplane wing as lift is formed. The bb is sucked up. If the Bernoulli effect is equal to the effect of gravitation the bb will fly longer and straight until the bb loses its energy and the Bernoulli effect stops working. Tokyo Marui technicians took this effect and incorporated it in their weapons. They named it Hop Up. The practical difference the user of the replica notice is that the bb will fly longer. The disadvantage with Hop Up is that the amount of Hop Up has to be tuned the bb's weight, the weapon can't be tilted and the Hop Up steals some of the bullets energy. The amount of gained range compensates and that’s why Hop Up now is a standard and something that most weapons use.
The regular magazines in an AEG have between 30 to 50 bb's, but some people want more ammo and that’s why something called Hi-Cap magazines were developed. These magazines are only available to AEG's and some gas pistols. The magazine contains a hollow space where the bullets are poured in. In the bottom of the magazine a clock spring is used to turn a big wheel that feeds bb's from the space to the feeder tube. These magazines cost at least $5-$10+ more than a regular magazine but they contain between 200 to 600 bb's. In some magazines not all bb's can be fired in one long salvo though due to the small size of the magazine, and the clock spring has to be rewound after about 70 bullets have been fired. The disadvantage is that the bullets rattle around in the magazine (which could give your position to your enemy) and these magazines demand more maintenance than other magazines.
The tracer unit looks like a silencer but inside the body of the tracer, there are some simple electronics that use IR light to sense if a bb is passing through. If a bb is sensed a light flashes on the inside of the barrel and the bb is illuminated. The effect is that the bb glows in the dark and the small normal bb's can't be easily seen in low light. The disadvantage is that the usual bb can't absorb light and special tracer bb has to be used and these are more expensive than the regular bb's. Many players leave the Tracer Unit attached to the weapon even during daytime because it looks like a nice silencer. 4 small batteries are required for the Tracer Unit won't work. There is also a Tracer Unit that is integrated into the feeder tube of certain magazine types but they also cost slightly more that the normal magazines.
The Airsoft replica is probably the one, if not the only, most expensive thing an Airsoft player can buy and choosing a good Airsoft replica is essential. The first decision to make is where and how the weapon will be used. In close quarters most players use a short or compact weapon, but as most games are outdoors and are played in the woods over other long distances a weapon with good range is important. Consider the environment the weapon will be used in first. Weapons can be divided in to six groups:
Pistols and SMG's are small and compact weapons which are great for CQB (Close Quarters Battle) but range and precision are significantly lower at longer distances. These weapons are used best when the distances are short and a big weapon is cumbersome. A Pistol or an SMG are also good as a backup weapon. Examples of SMG's are the MP5, UZI, M10 and TMP. Many players usually go for the MP5 for its tactical history and feel.
Carbines and Automatic rifles are the best all-round weapons. A longer barrel than a SMG increase range and precision and these weapons often have a larger ammo capacity. M16 variants, M4 variants G3, AUG, FAMAS, and AK47 are all of these types. Another good thing about these rifles is that they often have a Large battery and therefore a much higher battery capacity than a smaller weapon and you get more power to the motor to get some more range and Rate of Fire. These are the most common of weapons and also the weapon that is recommend to beginners.
Support weapons are often called LMGs (Light Machine Guns). In Airsoft a support weapon has a big ammo capacity between 1000-4000+ bb's, and they can shoot long bursts. A LMG often has a bi-pod so that the operator can support the weapon’s weight either on the ground or an any suitable surface. M60, M249 and M63a1 are all different support weapons. In normal games these weapons are used to defend or to give suppressing fire when friendly troops advance.
Airsoft Sniper Rifles are special weapons because of their usage and requirements. The mechanism is the same. A bolt is operated to chamber a bullet and in the same motion cock the rifle. That's why almost all rifles are bolt action rifles. There is no need for semiautomatic and a fully automatic rifles because they are not to easy to aim. In Airsoft this is different. There is no big recoil and the distances are much shorter and a second shot is often important. An upgraded spring rifle can be quite hard to cock and a big motion can reveal the sniper, so to many high power rifles there is often a gas system available. The bolt still has to be operated but the action is faster, smother and no big motions are made.
A shotgun in Airsoft is also a special weapon. There are both spring and gas shotguns, and the difference is that some of the gas shotguns are semiautomatic. The gas shotguns use shells and each shell has about 5-10+ bb's, all fired in each shot. The spring rifles usually have a magazine of bullets and each shot fires 3 bullets each time the trigger is pulled. Spring shotguns have to be cocked between shots to feed new bullets in to the chamber and to cock the weapon. Shotguns are not recommended for beginners. Sure, there are players that use shotguns but they have often played for a long time and find that a shotgun is a nice addition to their arsenal.
Gas or Electric, a beginner should buy an electric carbine or rifle. They're good and reliable weapons that are quite easy to maintain and easy to operate. A gas weapon requires gas while a AEG only needs its battery to be charged. Both are good but starting off with an AEG is the best option, when you learn more about Airsoft and Gas systems you can move up!
A battery with a high milliampere-hour (mAh) (1300mAh or higher) can hold a charge longer. The smaller batteries (600mAh) will last about 1000 to 1500 bb's, but that depends on what kind of player you are. If you are a Spray and Pray kinda player your battery may not last very long so bring an extra one, if you are a One Shot One Kill kinda player you will be out there for days before the battery will drain.
The barrels length effects the precision and range of the weapon, but a weapon with a long barrel can be difficult to use in dense terrain and close quarter battles. One solution to this is to use a bull-pup weapon. In a standard automatic rifle the mechanism and magazine are in front of the grip, but in a bull-pup the magazine and mechanism are located in the stock of the weapon, so the barrel can be as long as in a automatic rifle when the weapon is the size of a carbine. FAMAS and Steyr AUG are both bull-pup weapons. The AEG's from Marui have a motor from one of three main types, EG560, EG700 and EG1000. EG560 is the oldest motor and the weakest. EG1000 is the latest and strongest. There is no need for a stronger motor if you're not going to upgrade, but a EG700 is preferred over a EG560.
Ask other people what they think is good and bad with their weapon, and read reviews that other people have written. It's important to look after information and get as many opinions as you can. Don’t just rely on one opinion. In the end there is just one thing that really matters and that is that the person who shall use the gun likes it and is happy with the choice don't let the price be the biggest issue. Think of it this way. It's stupid to spend a lot of money on weapon you kinda like, when you can add little more an get the weapon you like the most. Everything else comes second to that. Trust me.
When you have decided and know what replica you want to buy check out the different retailers and compare their prices, but don’t forget... some sell their replicas with a battery and charger and some don’t. So don’t just look at the price. Calculate the cost of the entire kit (weapon, battery, bbs, charger and other accessories), add the shipping & handling cost and if you order from another country. I recommend buying from the same country that you live in when you start. It's easier and it's cheaper to talk to someone in the same country.
A charger is a must if your want to be able to use your AEG. There are different types of chargers: fast, slow and automatic. It is important that the battery isn't overcharged, since the battery might "burn". Most batteries "burn" if the inner temperature reaches a bit over 122°F (50°C). A battery that is "burned" will never work the same again and the capacity of the battery is halved. The best way to charge a battery is slow charge it over a couple of hours. The battery is fully charged and it doesn’t take a lot of damage if the charge continues for some hours. If a battery is always drained a bit and then recharged, the battery might develop a memory effect and wont be able to use the full battery capacity even if it's completely drained and recharged fully.
This is one of the required accessories. If you don’t have any bb's, you wont be able to use your Airsoft replica. All Airsoft replicas use 6mm plastic bb's but the weights are different. Although some older weapons used to use 8mm bb's.
Almost all spring pistols of good quality like Tokyo Marui's and KWC use 0.20g bbs. AEG's with adjustable Hop Up can use 0.12 - 0.25g, but the recommended weight is 0.20. Never store the bullets loose in a pocket, since fluff and other things might end up in the weapon or magazine during loading and that will give you poor results. Have the bb's in a bag that you can seal. Biodegradable bb's are the best to use outdoors because they will dissolve after a couple of weeks in a wet environment. Below is a table of the most common bb weights and their usage:
0.12g***Only used by cheap gas and spring replicas. High velocity and low stability.
0.15g***Same as 0.12g.
0.20g***Standard weight for most replicas. AEGs use these or slightly heavier bb's.
0.25g***Heaviest weight for standard AEG, Blow-back & Spring replicas.
0.30g***Standard for most sniper rifles.
0.36g***Heavier bullets. Very slow but high stability.
Biodegradable bbs are available in 0.20g and 0.25g weights.
Tracer bullets are available in 0.15g, 0.20g and 0.25g weights.
One or more spare magazines are important to buy since they will be used many times. If you use an AEG you can buy a Hi-Cap mag instead of buying standard magazines. A standard low-cap magazine is emptied very fast in a firefight. This also depends on if you will participate in Mil-Sim games where standard mags are the only ones allowed. Keep that in mind when you look for mags and fields.
It's always smart to have a spare battery with you, even if you don’t empty a battery during a full days play. A battery might stop working or a temporary short circuit might empty the battery. Investing in a spare battery is a good choice but it can wait until your funds have improved.
A good sling is another one of the important things a beginner can buy. You can carry around your weapon comfortably without the risk of dropping it and a sling isn't expensive or hard to find.
Iron sights are what the sights on a weapon are called. They work in most situations but in low light they're useless. But a little self illuminating paint or tritium sights makes the iron sights usable in any light condition.
On an Airsoft weapon a scope isn't that useful since the distances are short but if you feel that a scope is useful, use one. The best scopes for Airsoft are those with a low magnification but a with big vision field. 4x32 or 4x40 are the most practical scopes. Bigger magnification than 4 times isn’t recommended. Sniper rifles should use a scopes with bigger magnification since the engagement distance is much bigger.
Most red dot sights don't have any magnification, and instead of a cross-hair in the middle they have a glowing red dot (or green on day and night models). The difference is that if you fire, what ever the red dot is over will be hit (usually). So a red dot is quick to use and aim with. Red dot sights can often be used with both eyes open and that increase your field of vision.
Lasers are fun and useful, but they also give the user away and alert the enemy. The biggest advantages with a laser is that it's quick to aim and if the dot sweeps over their heads the enemy may duck for cover since he knows what may come next. The disadvantages are that the laser dot can be very hard to see in bright light areas and that shining the laser into peoples eyes may damage their eyesight.
Flashlights are excellent to use in dark buildings or in the evening and night. They make it easier to see in the dark, but the also screams out the location of the user. So use them at the right moment. A big drawback is that flashlights destroys night vision, both for the target and for anyone that sees the light clearly.
This has got to be the most uncommon sight an Airsoft replica can have. An NVG greatly improves vision during the night and the user can see as if it was day. A IR light makes the user able to see even in total darkness. The image enhancers were developed during the sixties and today’s NVG are much better than those first developed. NVG isn't cheap and a high generation NVG costs many times more than the cheapest, but there are worth every penny.
Generation I:
Light enhancement: 1000x
Generation I is often big and has bad starlight capabilities. The image is distorted and is filled with static. The light enhancement tube last for about 2000 hours.
Generation II:
Light enhancement: 20'000x
This is a clear improvement over the first generation and can be used in starlight. Generation II+ is an improvement with better contrast. The tube has a life length of about 2500-4000 hours.
Generation III:
Light enhancement: 30'000-50'000x
This is the best of the currently available generations. Generation III can see IR light better and because of that the image is much better and clearer. The tube last for about 10'000 hours.
Now before we get into this...DO NOT perform any upgrades to your replica unless you have full understanding about how everything works and how to disassemble and reassemble your replica. Proceed at your OWN RISK.
After a while most players begin to think about upgrades to improve their replicas. The first thought is probably to increase the muzzle velocity to gain extra range. But the only replicas that need longer ranges are rifles like sniper rifles and the real important upgrades aren’t to improve performance but to make the weapon more durable and to increase lifespan. Most players settle for only changing the battery to a bigger and to put in a slightly stronger spring.
When an airsoft replica is upgraded to increase muzzle velocity the replica's lifespan will decrease a bit. How powerful an airsoft replica is, depends on three things. The strength of the spring that pushes the piston forward, the amount of air the piston pushes and the precision of the barrel. When a replica is highly upgraded it becomes a specialized tool for serious airsoft skirmish and to dry fire (ie without bb's) puts even more strain on the parts.
There are two ways to measure how strong a spring is compared to a standard spring. The Percentage system and the Feet Per Second system (FPS). A standard AEG has a muzzle velocity of 250-300fps (100%) with a 0.20g bullet. A M100 spring increase this velocity to 320-330fps. The corresponding spring in the percentage system is 110%. There is M100, M110, M120, M130, M140, M150 and M160 springs. A very powerful spring requires that all of the gearbox component be replaced to more reinforced parts.
The axles inside the gearbox are attached to the housing by small plastic bearings (or metal ones on middle to high-end replicas) and these will eventually wear down. If these bearings are exchanged to metal or ball bearings, the lifespan of the gearbox will increase (almost double according to many players). Bushings are small thin metal or aluminum plates that make sure that the gears in the gearbox are precisely aligned.
The barrel in a standard airsoft often has a internal diameter of 6.05mm+. If this barrel is exchanged for a precision or tight bore barrel with a 6.03mm internal diameter the amount of air that slips by the bb reduces and the benefits are that the bb will travel a little farther and a little faster. The downsides are that the barrel clogs up more often and has to be cleaned. A longer barrel increases range, but the barrel can't be too long since the bb may slow down after a while before exiting the barrel.
If the voltage of a battery increases, so do the rounds per minute an AEG motor can dish out. Standard AEG batteries have a voltage of 8.4volts and the only difference between the different sizes is that a large battery usually have a higher mAh capacity (3600mAh or higher), while the other smaller batteries have a smaller mAh capacity (1200mAh or lower). This means that a large battery will last for about twice the time a small battery would. Upgrades inside a gearbox often reduce the rate of fire so say you use a battery with a higher voltage like 9.6V or 10.8V the rate of fire wont drop as much or it may even increase if you motor can handle all the voltage. A higher voltage also wears a motor down faster and more maintenance is required. It is possible to use 12V to power an AEG but this isn't to recommend since the wear is increase very much, the contacts in the trigger is faster worn out and the overall lifespan is sharply reduced.
A battery with a higher capacity (more mAh), can be used under a longer time and can fire more shots. An upgraded weapon also require more current and the amount of shots that can be fired will decrease unless a bigger battery is used. The usual batteries are NiCd (Nickel Cadmium) and NiMH (Nickel Metal Hybrid). The NiMH usually has a higher capacity (mAh), but they cant handle big currents very well and so they don’t work well to most airsoft weapons unless they're very big (about 3000-5000mAh). NiMH are more expensive than NiCd and harder to charge and they shouldn't be fast charged. A new up an coming battery called Lithium Polymer or LiPo these are very expensive, but they hold much more mAh and Volts (11.1v) and they are relatively smaller that the rest of the other batteries.
The normal gears in a gearbox have an approximate lifespan of 30,000 shots, and a new set of gears will last longer since they're made from better material. There are sets that increase rate of fire and reduce the motors power or reduce rate of fire but increase the motors power. The "Helical Cut Gears" are special gears that have a better grip between the gears and don't break as easy as standard gears.
This is a small metal or plastic nozzle that transfers the air from the cylinder to the bb. This is a cheap upgrade and the muzzle velocity increases very very slightly.
Most upgrades reduce the rate of fire. By switching to a stronger motor the rate of fire isn't reduced as much. An upgraded AEG should have at least an EG700 motor. The strongest motor is EG1000. All new models that Tokyo Marui releases has EG1000 motors, but many of the older models has EG700 or even EG560. Not all AEG can have a motor upgrade. If the spring isn't replaced with a stronger than M120 the EG560 motor can take it, but the battery will probably has to be changed to a 9,6V or even 10.8V. Note: As airsoft becomes more and more popular stronger faster motors are being created, so do some research of your own to learn more about all he things listed here.
Most standard AEG's come with a pretty good piston so the only time you should replaces it is when it breaks. There are aluminum and polycarbonate pistons out there. Some come with replacement teeth when the others break. Some are lighter some are more resilient. Same goes for piston heads, a piston can be equipped with a "Silent" piston head that reduces the impact the piston makes in the cylinder and reduce the noise it makes. Most come with a ball bearing that reduces the amount of punishment the piston takes.
This is a totally new mechbox with new and better gears, stronger spring, nozzle and other improvements. This isn't a cheap upgrade but the durability and lifespan increase and so do the muzzle velocity and overall performance.
There are different versions of gearboxes since they are used in different replica models.
Follow this link for a list of Gearbox versions and some info about them.
Besides the replica, protection and gear there are some other things a player should have.
All players should wear a wristwatch since many games is time controlled and they help to coordinate movement and actions with the rest of the team.
A multi-tool such as a Swiss Army Knife or a Leatherman is something that most players have and use. It's handy to make smaller fixes in the field and they're also handy when cooking and in other occasions. But make sure that you keep it safe. Store the tool so that no one, including you, can accidentally damage someone or something.
As an experienced player will tell you, you will need food and something to drink when you play. Always take with you some form of liquid to drink, because dehydration is a major problem that can easily be avoided. Use water while you are out there playing and when you take a break for lunch drink something that will replenish everything you lost while seating, like Gatorade or something similar. DO NOT drink Coffee or Soda, these do not help you if you are thirsty.
Fruits, beef jerky, or similar are the best to eat during/after games. Don't bring candy. Sure you will have plenty of energy during a short period, but then sugar rush stops you will experience a debilitating energy drain. Whatever you do, don't drink alcohol before or during games.
Some sort of First Aid can be useful as well. It can be used for yourself or others. Airsoft isn't a very dangerous sport but accidents do happen.
When you plan for a game, think before you leave home:
What is there on the site?
How long will you be at the game site, and how much food and water do you need (always bring more than you think).
Are there toilet facilities near by and supplies? Or do you need to bring toilet paper? I recommend that you always bring some paper, to clean goggles and other things.
What will the weather be and how will it effect game play? Bad weather effects the clothes you are wearing and if the weather is bad I suggest that you bring extra clothing, because it's frustrating to have to stop playing just because you forgot a spare set of clothing.
Pants, T-shirt, Jacket, hat/helmet/bandana, gloves and boots.
Goggles, something to clean them with.
Your replica/s, in their gun cases/or bags with gas and battery fully charged. Do a fast functions check.
Magazines and extra bb's. Don't forget the loading tube.
Food and drink, a wrist watch and a First Aid kit.
Radios, Flashlights, or similar electronic equipment. Bring extra batteries.
Multi-tool, and the cleaning/jamming rod.
A backpack to carry all other stuff around in.
Some extra cash in case you feel the need to buy something.
Remember all these things are just a guideline for you. This is not by any means a mandatory or complete list. Just something I have compiled over the years from various sources online. If you have any questions or ideas to add to this...please let me know.
Now get out there and play some Airsoft!
To all you veteran players out there, if there is anything that I may have left out. Please do tell so new players can get a better understanding about Airsoft.
Equipment
Basic equipment for a player
The basic equipment needed to play Airsoft are Airsoft safe goggles/mask, an airsoft replica, plastic BB’s, and some way to carry water around with you(Canteens, water bottles, Camelbak). But to make the game more exciting the player can get more equipment. Here is just a small list of things you can get to make your new hobby even more exciting.
Protection
The most important piece of equipment any Airsoft enthusiast requires is a pair of goggles approved ANSI Z87.1-2003 standards for protection for airsoft and/or paintball with or without face protection. (Make sure you ask if the field owner has any specific rules about face protection.) The bb’s don’t hurt that much, but if the weapon is upgraded or the distance between the shooter and the target is short, the pain increases. Knuckles, ears, lips an similar places is sensitive and a shot can hurt quite a lot. The clothing is often protection enough but hands and face are often unprotected. Goggles have a tendency to fog up, because the warm humid air between the face and the goggles doesn’t disappear. The more air that flows between the face and the goggles, the less fog there will be. There are special lenses that don't fog but some people use Camp Soap to keep fog from building up on the lens. Thermal goggles work because there are two separate lenses and the air between the lenses prevents fogging on the inner lens. Air doesn’t transfer heat well. Thermal goggles are quite expensive though, so there are other methods to reduce fogging. The easiest method is to use a piece of cloth and wipe a thin layer of soap or similar solution on the inside of the goggles. This method reduces the fogging but the downside is that it doesn’t prevent fogging and the goggles have to be prepared before each game. New types of goggles have surfaced in recent years, Mesh goggles. These goggles are made to be used in Airsoft and since they don’t have a lens they cant fog. The only negative side is that in low light situations they are hard to see through. Yellow lenses increase contrast and the effect is that in daytime vision is improved, but yellow lenses is impossible to see through in low light such as in the evening or night.
Clothing (Battle Dress Uniform - BDU)
Don't play Airsoft in a suit or clothing that can't withstand rough play. (Unless its part of a scenario and you don’t mind wearing it to give that ”Realistic” feel to it.) Good basic clothing consists of a jacket and trousers in camouflage pattern and a pair of good boots. Military surplus and outdoor shops are good places to buy gear from. Clothing bought in these places are very resilient and can be fairly cheap. Many pockets are useful, but make sure that the pockets are sealed with big buttons or big zippers, that are easy to handle with gloves or when it's cold. And don’t forget to make sure that the clothing is comfortable. Camouflage pattern isn’t a must, green or brown is often enough. Don’t buy black cloth to use during night games. Use regular camouflage cloth in nighttime or the cloth might be darker than the night and you will be spotted. The night often isn’t black, just dark.
T-shirts, Shirts and Socks
During a warm day a shirt or long armed T-shirt is preferred over a jacket. Even in normal games something has to be worn under the jacket, and a shirt or T-shirt is what most people go for. Socks are more important than many people think, because a good pair of socks decreases bruises, blisters, and cold feet. If you don't have any thick socks just wear two pairs of socks, this way you save your feet from aches and blisters
Boots
It isn't smart to use a pair of sneakers to play Airsoft in. But usually you don't have boots laying around so you go in sneakers, that's okay. But the second you have the funds to buy a good pair of boots...get them. Real boots protect your feet and ankles better, and boots withstand mud and water better. Make sure that the boots are well worn in (Break them in) before you play in them. A pair of boots can be considered as well worn in when you have walked about 20-30 miles in them. Though not all in one time. For people that don’t like boots with hard soles there are some boots that have softer soles.
Gloves
Gloves will protect hands from getting hurt and also decrease the pain felt from a hit on knuckles and fingers. Fingerless gloves are often used, because gloves increase the grip when holding a gun or obstacles. Gloves also keep the hand warm during cold weather.
Head wear
Hats and other head wear are often used. Jungle hats, Boonie hats, caps and helmets are most common. The choice depends on personal preference, looks and protection from flying BB’s. Hats also increase realism. A hat is very nice to have if the sun is bearing down and if it rains.
Vest and Backpacks
A good vest is very useful to carry around spare magazines, a spare battery, bb's and all the other equipment an Airsoft player uses. There are may different types and in many different camouflage patterns, so chose one that suits you.
Backpacks are not that useful for the common Airsoft player, but if you have to carry around lot of equipment or food a backpack will save the day. A backpack is also good to transport your smaller Airsoft equipment around when you are not playing.
Load Bearing Vests (LBV)
A LBV or ALICE (All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment) is a harness with loose pouches that is hung on, and if the user wants more ammo pouches he can exchange some of the other pouches to ammo pouches. LBV is perfect to carry around a sorted gear in that is easy to access. LBV is available in green, black and many camouflage patterns. MOLLE (Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment) is essentially the same as ALICE except instead of using ALICE clips you weave a piece of cloth through the webbing on your vest to secure your attachment.
Camouflage
In Airsoft its very important to blend into the surrounding environment, because if you cant be seen at a 30 meters (100 feet) or less, the chances of you being seen and shot at decrease. Camouflage is the key if you want to blend in, camouflage patterned clothing is essential. Here is some of the different camouflage patterns that are most commonly available. This is important if you are the type of player that likes to sneak up on your opponents. (snipers or recon)
There are hundreds of different patterns around the world, so choose one that fits your environment. Camouflage that has soft round edges is better in a woodland area that has a lot of trees with leaves, and patterns with sharp edges are better in pine and spruce woods. A person that uses camouflage should also camouflage the other equipment to not expose themselves. All clothing such as hats, jacket, backpacks should be in the same pattern to increase the camouflage.
Ghillie Suit
The biggest telltale sign on a camouflaged human is the fact that the camouflaged human still has the shape of a human. So to better blend in and camouflage the wearer, the ghillie suit was invented in Scotland in the 1800's. A good ghillie suit makes the wearer almost impossible to see at a couple of meters distance, assuming the wearer doesn't expose himself. A ghillie suit is manufactured to a specific environment and cant be used in other environments with the same level of effectively. The manufacturing of a ghillie is a time consuming job.
Snipers often use ghillie suits. As stated above Airsoft is played over short distances and a good ghillie gives the wearer an edge. The bad thing with ghillie suits is that they're warm and cumbersome. And the user has to move slow and silent to maximize the cover of the ghillie suit. If the wearer runs the ghillie suit can be caught on something and be ripped to pieces and possibly snare the user. Ghillie is meant for snipers and isn’t something for the average user to consider.
Clothing conversion tables
Shirts***Trousers
Size***Chest***Waist***Inseam
X Small/Short***29-33"***23-27"***26 1/2-29 1/2"
X Small/Regular***29-33"***23-27"***29 1/2-32 1/2"
X Small/Long***29-33"***23-27"***32 1/2-35 1/2"
Small/Short***33-37"***27-31"***26 1/2-29 1/2"
Small/Regular***33-37"***27-31"***29 1/2-32 1/2"
Small/Long***33-37"***27-31"***32 1/2-35 1/2"
Medium/Short***37-41"***31-35"***26 1/2-29 1/2"
Medium/Regular***37-41"***31-35"***29 1/2-32 1/2"
Medium/Long***37-41"***31-35"***32 1/2-35 1/2"
Large/Short***41-45"***35-39"***26 1/2-29 1/2"
Large/Regular***41-45"***35-39"***29 1/2-32 1/2"
Large/Long***41-45"***35-39"***32 1/2-35 1/2"
X Large/Short***45-49"***39-43"***26 1/2-29 1/2"
X Large/Regular***45-49"***39-43"***29 1/2-32 1/2"
X Large/Long***45-49"***39-43"***32 1/2-35 1/2"
X X Large/Regular***49-53"***43-47"***29 1/2-32 1/2"
X X Large/Long***49-53"***43-47"***32 1/2-35 1/2"
Size***Chest***Waist***Inseam
X Small/Short***29-33"***23-27"***26 1/2-29 1/2"
X Small/Regular***29-33"***23-27"***29 1/2-32 1/2"
X Small/Long***29-33"***23-27"***32 1/2-35 1/2"
Small/Short***33-37"***27-31"***26 1/2-29 1/2"
Small/Regular***33-37"***27-31"***29 1/2-32 1/2"
Small/Long***33-37"***27-31"***32 1/2-35 1/2"
Medium/Short***37-41"***31-35"***26 1/2-29 1/2"
Medium/Regular***37-41"***31-35"***29 1/2-32 1/2"
Medium/Long***37-41"***31-35"***32 1/2-35 1/2"
Large/Short***41-45"***35-39"***26 1/2-29 1/2"
Large/Regular***41-45"***35-39"***29 1/2-32 1/2"
Large/Long***41-45"***35-39"***32 1/2-35 1/2"
X Large/Short***45-49"***39-43"***26 1/2-29 1/2"
X Large/Regular***45-49"***39-43"***29 1/2-32 1/2"
X Large/Long***45-49"***39-43"***32 1/2-35 1/2"
X X Large/Regular***49-53"***43-47"***29 1/2-32 1/2"
X X Large/Long***49-53"***43-47"***32 1/2-35 1/2"
International shoe and boots conversion table
This chart converts U.S. sizes to those in Europe, Asia and the UK.
American 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
British 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
European 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48
Asian 23½ 24½ 25½ 26½ 27½ 28½ 29½ 30½ 31½ 32½
American 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
British 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
European 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48
Asian 23½ 24½ 25½ 26½ 27½ 28½ 29½ 30½ 31½ 32½
Finding the right hat size
Place the measuring tape around your head and measure.
Inch*****CM***Size
20 3/8"***52***6 1/2
20 3/4"***53***6 5/8
21 1/8"***54***6 3/4
21 1/2"***55***6 7/8
22"******56***7
22 3/8"***57***7 1/8
22 3/4"***58***7 1/4
23 1/8"***59***7 3/8
23 1/2"***60***7 1/2
24"******61***7 5/8
24 3/8"***62***7 3/4
Inch*****CM***Size
20 3/8"***52***6 1/2
20 3/4"***53***6 5/8
21 1/8"***54***6 3/4
21 1/2"***55***6 7/8
22"******56***7
22 3/8"***57***7 1/8
22 3/4"***58***7 1/4
23 1/8"***59***7 3/8
23 1/2"***60***7 1/2
24"******61***7 5/8
24 3/8"***62***7 3/4
Finding Your Glove Size
Using a measuring tape, measure around the palm of your hand at the widest point not including your thumb.
******Small***Medium***Large***X-Large
Inch--- 6½-7***7½-8****8½-9****9½ -10
Size--- 7-7½***8-8½****9-10½****10½-11
Military **3*****4********5********6
******Small***Medium***Large***X-Large
Inch--- 6½-7***7½-8****8½-9****9½ -10
Size--- 7-7½***8-8½****9-10½****10½-11
Military **3*****4********5********6
Weapons (Replicas)
The thing that people think first and most about is probably the weapons and the accessories. This is also the part of Airsoft that costs most and it's therefore essential to make a good choice and a choice that player will be satisfied with.
Basic Replica Information
When you buy a replica make sure that it's from a good brand. Most Airsoft replicas are manufactured in Japan, so buying one of the Japanese brands, like Tokyo Marui or Systema could be a nice choice if they fit your requirements. The weapon will be durable, easier to get upgrades and spare parts, and they often look better. There are also other brands that have established names and provide quality Airsoft replicas. (G&G, JG, ICS, Tanaka, KWA, Classic Army...just to name a few)
Airsoft replicas use air or gas to propel a round 6mm plastic BB. The air pressure is created through a small spring loaded piston in a cylinder. When the weapon is cocked the piston is drawn back and the spring is tensioned. The piston locks in the rear position and a bullet is feed into the barrel. When the trigger is pulled the piston lock is released and the piston is driven forward by the spring. The fast moving piston compress the air in front of the piston and that air pressure propels the bb.
All Airsoft replicas are divided into one of three main types. Spring, Gas or Electric (AEG). Each has its own pros and cons. All Airsoft replicas fire, as stated above, a round 6mm plastic BB. There are many different qualities and weights of the bb's. The weights are 0.12g, 0.15g, 0.20g, 0.25g, 0.30g, 0.36g, 0.43g, and higher, of those 0.20g and 0.25g are the most common. A lighter bullet is more affected by wind and loses its energy faster due to air resistance than a heavier BB. To limit how high the muzzle velocity a replica can have and still be legal, the energy of the bullet is calculated. The standard weapons have a maximum of 0.8 joules of energy, ie 90 m/s with a 0.20g bullet. The energy is calculated with the following formula:
Ek=½mv2
Different countries have different laws. In Texas, the average speeds are: 400fps for Assault Weapons, 450fps for Support Weapons and may be only be used at distances over 40feet away. Sniper Weapon/DMR are limited to 550fps and may be only be used at distances over 100feet away. Semi-auto gas, electric, or spring pistols are restricted to 350fps. But always contact the field owner and verify the speeds allowed before you trek out there. With that said….
The limits above IN NO WAY indicate what your guns should be shooting at! It is NOT a goal to reach! It is a LIMIT. It is recommended that your guns shoot slightly BELOW these figures. Also, remember, the stronger the spring, the more expensive upgrade parts you will need, and the sooner your gun will break.
Spring
Spring handguns are the most common weapon of choice for beginners, and most players have one or more "Springers" in their home. There are a lot of different brands and versions and most are far from good. The some good quality spring pistols are manufactured by Tokyo Marui and KWC, but there are other quality manufacturers out there. The Marui weapons have an edge in the fact that they often have 25 bbs in a magazine and the standard KWC only have 12. The biggest advantage any spring weapon has, is the easy, reliable and the high precision spring the weapon has. The most reliable precision rifles are spring rifles. The biggest disadvantage is that the weapon has to be cocked between each shot, so the rate of fire is low.
A spring pistol is not expensive and the money isn’t wasted when you buy an AEG or Gas gun, because a spring pistol is an extremely reliable and cheap backup, if for some reason the main weapon should stop working. Spring weapon is not affected by water unless the air chamber gets filled with water. So empty the barrel before the weapon is cocked and don’t use a cocked weapon under water.
Gas
Gas replicas have been around for a long time and the first gas guns were developed in the beginning of the eighties. Since then development has gone far, though today most gas rifles have been replaced with AEG, the gas systems still have a big market when it comes to pistols and smaller Airsoft replicas. The gas systems used today are reliable and good. The advantages of gas systems are that they are semi or full automatic, can have very high muzzle velocity while still being compact and to increase realism in weapons, the new handguns is almost always blow-back versions which produce recoil and work the slide. Gas systems also have a number of disadvantages like they consume gas, require more maintenance and the gun can freeze up when fired rapidly. Their performance also depends on the weather and temperature in which they are being used. The warmer weather is the higher the velocity is and the colder the weather the lower the velocity is.
Gas pistols are as said before, common, because they're the only pistols that are semi automatic and can even be fully automatic. The development of the EBB (Electric Blow Back) might change this in the future, but today the only pistol size replicas that have good performance are gas pistols. Gas replicas, as with all weapon types, have their good and bad gas systems, and there is a huge different in performance between different guns. The cheaper pistols are often NBB (Non Blowback) but a NBB uses about half the gas an GBB (Gas Blowback) do, because they don’t have to operate the slide and produce recoil. Most of the blowback systems used today are good and the guns are reliable. The first gas systems used external tanks connected to the weapon through a hose, but the modern pistols of today have an internal gas chamber in the magazine.
Electric - AEG (Automatic Electric Gun)
AEG's were introduced in the end of the eighties, but the AEG's introduced then were not as good as what we have today, so gas weapons were still the main weapon systems available and used. The system has, as always, improved and today the AEG is the most common weapon used in the field. The principle of the system is to use an electric motor to pull back the piston and then release it. The rate of fire can be high and there is even an electric Mini gun which can shoot 100+ bb's per second, but the standard AEG has a more economic and useful 12-18 bullets per second. The regular magazines have a capacity of about 30 bb's and almost all AEG's have a fire selector so that they can be switched between semi and fully automatic.
Tokyo Marui is the biggest and most well known producer of AEG's. The advantages with AEG's is that they have both semi and full-auto, they are reliable, spare parts and upgrade parts are easy to get and high magazine capacity is available. The basic maintenance procedures are easy and unless you forget to charge the battery and clean the barrel an AEG will work excellently. The disadvantages are that an AEG is expensive to upgrade and the mechbox/gearbox in an AEG isn't a thing that most people should take apart (unless you know what you are doing). There is one more disadvantage and it's more annoying than anything else. Due to the gears in the mechbox an AEG sometimes wont fire when the trigger is pulled, if the weapon is set for semiautomatic. It's rare but when it happens a short full auto burst will fix the problem.
In the end of 1999 Tokyo Marui released their new electric pistol. The system is called Electric Blow-back or EBB. The first pistol to be released was a Beretta M92. The advantages of using electricity as a power source is obvious, because there wont be any gas problems and the gun will work as long as the batteries are fresh. The problem with EBB is that in a pistol there isn’t enough room for a big powerful system, so the guns lack in performance, and most of the grip is filled with batteries and the magazine is therefore of stick type. The only reason to buy an EBB is that they're cheap compared to a gas pistol and they can be a reasonably good backup.
Rain isn't a big problem for an AEG, but the weapon shouldn’t be used if there are big quantities of water in the weapon or if the barrel is dirty or filled with water. If for some reason the AEG has been submerged in water, just disconnect the battery and let the weapon and battery dry before used, and if the water was dirty a complete cleaning should be done.
Hop Up - The Bernoulli effect
The Bernoulli effect is a physical law that says that if a bb is given a backspin an overpressure is formed under the bb and an under pressure is formed on the top of the bb. These pressures effect the bb as on an airplane wing as lift is formed. The bb is sucked up. If the Bernoulli effect is equal to the effect of gravitation the bb will fly longer and straight until the bb loses its energy and the Bernoulli effect stops working. Tokyo Marui technicians took this effect and incorporated it in their weapons. They named it Hop Up. The practical difference the user of the replica notice is that the bb will fly longer. The disadvantage with Hop Up is that the amount of Hop Up has to be tuned the bb's weight, the weapon can't be tilted and the Hop Up steals some of the bullets energy. The amount of gained range compensates and that’s why Hop Up now is a standard and something that most weapons use.
Hi-Cap (High Capacity) Magazine
The regular magazines in an AEG have between 30 to 50 bb's, but some people want more ammo and that’s why something called Hi-Cap magazines were developed. These magazines are only available to AEG's and some gas pistols. The magazine contains a hollow space where the bullets are poured in. In the bottom of the magazine a clock spring is used to turn a big wheel that feeds bb's from the space to the feeder tube. These magazines cost at least $5-$10+ more than a regular magazine but they contain between 200 to 600 bb's. In some magazines not all bb's can be fired in one long salvo though due to the small size of the magazine, and the clock spring has to be rewound after about 70 bullets have been fired. The disadvantage is that the bullets rattle around in the magazine (which could give your position to your enemy) and these magazines demand more maintenance than other magazines.
Tracer Unit and BB's
The tracer unit looks like a silencer but inside the body of the tracer, there are some simple electronics that use IR light to sense if a bb is passing through. If a bb is sensed a light flashes on the inside of the barrel and the bb is illuminated. The effect is that the bb glows in the dark and the small normal bb's can't be easily seen in low light. The disadvantage is that the usual bb can't absorb light and special tracer bb has to be used and these are more expensive than the regular bb's. Many players leave the Tracer Unit attached to the weapon even during daytime because it looks like a nice silencer. 4 small batteries are required for the Tracer Unit won't work. There is also a Tracer Unit that is integrated into the feeder tube of certain magazine types but they also cost slightly more that the normal magazines.
Weapon Choices
The Airsoft replica is probably the one, if not the only, most expensive thing an Airsoft player can buy and choosing a good Airsoft replica is essential. The first decision to make is where and how the weapon will be used. In close quarters most players use a short or compact weapon, but as most games are outdoors and are played in the woods over other long distances a weapon with good range is important. Consider the environment the weapon will be used in first. Weapons can be divided in to six groups:
Pistols
Sub Machine Guns (SMGs)
Carbines and Automatic Rifles.
Support weapons (LMGs - Light Machine Guns).
Sniper Rifles
Shotguns.
Sub Machine Guns (SMGs)
Carbines and Automatic Rifles.
Support weapons (LMGs - Light Machine Guns).
Sniper Rifles
Shotguns.
Pistols and SMG's are small and compact weapons which are great for CQB (Close Quarters Battle) but range and precision are significantly lower at longer distances. These weapons are used best when the distances are short and a big weapon is cumbersome. A Pistol or an SMG are also good as a backup weapon. Examples of SMG's are the MP5, UZI, M10 and TMP. Many players usually go for the MP5 for its tactical history and feel.
Carbines and Automatic rifles are the best all-round weapons. A longer barrel than a SMG increase range and precision and these weapons often have a larger ammo capacity. M16 variants, M4 variants G3, AUG, FAMAS, and AK47 are all of these types. Another good thing about these rifles is that they often have a Large battery and therefore a much higher battery capacity than a smaller weapon and you get more power to the motor to get some more range and Rate of Fire. These are the most common of weapons and also the weapon that is recommend to beginners.
Support weapons are often called LMGs (Light Machine Guns). In Airsoft a support weapon has a big ammo capacity between 1000-4000+ bb's, and they can shoot long bursts. A LMG often has a bi-pod so that the operator can support the weapon’s weight either on the ground or an any suitable surface. M60, M249 and M63a1 are all different support weapons. In normal games these weapons are used to defend or to give suppressing fire when friendly troops advance.
Airsoft Sniper Rifles are special weapons because of their usage and requirements. The mechanism is the same. A bolt is operated to chamber a bullet and in the same motion cock the rifle. That's why almost all rifles are bolt action rifles. There is no need for semiautomatic and a fully automatic rifles because they are not to easy to aim. In Airsoft this is different. There is no big recoil and the distances are much shorter and a second shot is often important. An upgraded spring rifle can be quite hard to cock and a big motion can reveal the sniper, so to many high power rifles there is often a gas system available. The bolt still has to be operated but the action is faster, smother and no big motions are made.
A shotgun in Airsoft is also a special weapon. There are both spring and gas shotguns, and the difference is that some of the gas shotguns are semiautomatic. The gas shotguns use shells and each shell has about 5-10+ bb's, all fired in each shot. The spring rifles usually have a magazine of bullets and each shot fires 3 bullets each time the trigger is pulled. Spring shotguns have to be cocked between shots to feed new bullets in to the chamber and to cock the weapon. Shotguns are not recommended for beginners. Sure, there are players that use shotguns but they have often played for a long time and find that a shotgun is a nice addition to their arsenal.
Gas or Electric, a beginner should buy an electric carbine or rifle. They're good and reliable weapons that are quite easy to maintain and easy to operate. A gas weapon requires gas while a AEG only needs its battery to be charged. Both are good but starting off with an AEG is the best option, when you learn more about Airsoft and Gas systems you can move up!
A battery with a high milliampere-hour (mAh) (1300mAh or higher) can hold a charge longer. The smaller batteries (600mAh) will last about 1000 to 1500 bb's, but that depends on what kind of player you are. If you are a Spray and Pray kinda player your battery may not last very long so bring an extra one, if you are a One Shot One Kill kinda player you will be out there for days before the battery will drain.
The barrels length effects the precision and range of the weapon, but a weapon with a long barrel can be difficult to use in dense terrain and close quarter battles. One solution to this is to use a bull-pup weapon. In a standard automatic rifle the mechanism and magazine are in front of the grip, but in a bull-pup the magazine and mechanism are located in the stock of the weapon, so the barrel can be as long as in a automatic rifle when the weapon is the size of a carbine. FAMAS and Steyr AUG are both bull-pup weapons. The AEG's from Marui have a motor from one of three main types, EG560, EG700 and EG1000. EG560 is the oldest motor and the weakest. EG1000 is the latest and strongest. There is no need for a stronger motor if you're not going to upgrade, but a EG700 is preferred over a EG560.
Ask other people what they think is good and bad with their weapon, and read reviews that other people have written. It's important to look after information and get as many opinions as you can. Don’t just rely on one opinion. In the end there is just one thing that really matters and that is that the person who shall use the gun likes it and is happy with the choice don't let the price be the biggest issue. Think of it this way. It's stupid to spend a lot of money on weapon you kinda like, when you can add little more an get the weapon you like the most. Everything else comes second to that. Trust me.
When you have decided and know what replica you want to buy check out the different retailers and compare their prices, but don’t forget... some sell their replicas with a battery and charger and some don’t. So don’t just look at the price. Calculate the cost of the entire kit (weapon, battery, bbs, charger and other accessories), add the shipping & handling cost and if you order from another country. I recommend buying from the same country that you live in when you start. It's easier and it's cheaper to talk to someone in the same country.
Accessories
Charger
A charger is a must if your want to be able to use your AEG. There are different types of chargers: fast, slow and automatic. It is important that the battery isn't overcharged, since the battery might "burn". Most batteries "burn" if the inner temperature reaches a bit over 122°F (50°C). A battery that is "burned" will never work the same again and the capacity of the battery is halved. The best way to charge a battery is slow charge it over a couple of hours. The battery is fully charged and it doesn’t take a lot of damage if the charge continues for some hours. If a battery is always drained a bit and then recharged, the battery might develop a memory effect and wont be able to use the full battery capacity even if it's completely drained and recharged fully.
The Ammunition (BBs)
This is one of the required accessories. If you don’t have any bb's, you wont be able to use your Airsoft replica. All Airsoft replicas use 6mm plastic bb's but the weights are different. Although some older weapons used to use 8mm bb's.
Almost all spring pistols of good quality like Tokyo Marui's and KWC use 0.20g bbs. AEG's with adjustable Hop Up can use 0.12 - 0.25g, but the recommended weight is 0.20. Never store the bullets loose in a pocket, since fluff and other things might end up in the weapon or magazine during loading and that will give you poor results. Have the bb's in a bag that you can seal. Biodegradable bb's are the best to use outdoors because they will dissolve after a couple of weeks in a wet environment. Below is a table of the most common bb weights and their usage:
0.12g***Only used by cheap gas and spring replicas. High velocity and low stability.
0.15g***Same as 0.12g.
0.20g***Standard weight for most replicas. AEGs use these or slightly heavier bb's.
0.25g***Heaviest weight for standard AEG, Blow-back & Spring replicas.
0.30g***Standard for most sniper rifles.
0.36g***Heavier bullets. Very slow but high stability.
Biodegradable bbs are available in 0.20g and 0.25g weights.
Tracer bullets are available in 0.15g, 0.20g and 0.25g weights.
Spare Magazines (Mag)
One or more spare magazines are important to buy since they will be used many times. If you use an AEG you can buy a Hi-Cap mag instead of buying standard magazines. A standard low-cap magazine is emptied very fast in a firefight. This also depends on if you will participate in Mil-Sim games where standard mags are the only ones allowed. Keep that in mind when you look for mags and fields.
Spare Battery
It's always smart to have a spare battery with you, even if you don’t empty a battery during a full days play. A battery might stop working or a temporary short circuit might empty the battery. Investing in a spare battery is a good choice but it can wait until your funds have improved.
Sling
A good sling is another one of the important things a beginner can buy. You can carry around your weapon comfortably without the risk of dropping it and a sling isn't expensive or hard to find.
Different Aiming Aids
Iron sights
Iron sights are what the sights on a weapon are called. They work in most situations but in low light they're useless. But a little self illuminating paint or tritium sights makes the iron sights usable in any light condition.
Telescopic sight or Scope
On an Airsoft weapon a scope isn't that useful since the distances are short but if you feel that a scope is useful, use one. The best scopes for Airsoft are those with a low magnification but a with big vision field. 4x32 or 4x40 are the most practical scopes. Bigger magnification than 4 times isn’t recommended. Sniper rifles should use a scopes with bigger magnification since the engagement distance is much bigger.
Red Dot Sights
Most red dot sights don't have any magnification, and instead of a cross-hair in the middle they have a glowing red dot (or green on day and night models). The difference is that if you fire, what ever the red dot is over will be hit (usually). So a red dot is quick to use and aim with. Red dot sights can often be used with both eyes open and that increase your field of vision.
Laser
Lasers are fun and useful, but they also give the user away and alert the enemy. The biggest advantages with a laser is that it's quick to aim and if the dot sweeps over their heads the enemy may duck for cover since he knows what may come next. The disadvantages are that the laser dot can be very hard to see in bright light areas and that shining the laser into peoples eyes may damage their eyesight.
Flashlights
Flashlights are excellent to use in dark buildings or in the evening and night. They make it easier to see in the dark, but the also screams out the location of the user. So use them at the right moment. A big drawback is that flashlights destroys night vision, both for the target and for anyone that sees the light clearly.
Image Enhancers or Night Vision Goggles (NVG)
This has got to be the most uncommon sight an Airsoft replica can have. An NVG greatly improves vision during the night and the user can see as if it was day. A IR light makes the user able to see even in total darkness. The image enhancers were developed during the sixties and today’s NVG are much better than those first developed. NVG isn't cheap and a high generation NVG costs many times more than the cheapest, but there are worth every penny.
Generation I:
Light enhancement: 1000x
Generation I is often big and has bad starlight capabilities. The image is distorted and is filled with static. The light enhancement tube last for about 2000 hours.
Generation II:
Light enhancement: 20'000x
This is a clear improvement over the first generation and can be used in starlight. Generation II+ is an improvement with better contrast. The tube has a life length of about 2500-4000 hours.
Generation III:
Light enhancement: 30'000-50'000x
This is the best of the currently available generations. Generation III can see IR light better and because of that the image is much better and clearer. The tube last for about 10'000 hours.
Upgrades
Now before we get into this...DO NOT perform any upgrades to your replica unless you have full understanding about how everything works and how to disassemble and reassemble your replica. Proceed at your OWN RISK.
After a while most players begin to think about upgrades to improve their replicas. The first thought is probably to increase the muzzle velocity to gain extra range. But the only replicas that need longer ranges are rifles like sniper rifles and the real important upgrades aren’t to improve performance but to make the weapon more durable and to increase lifespan. Most players settle for only changing the battery to a bigger and to put in a slightly stronger spring.
When an airsoft replica is upgraded to increase muzzle velocity the replica's lifespan will decrease a bit. How powerful an airsoft replica is, depends on three things. The strength of the spring that pushes the piston forward, the amount of air the piston pushes and the precision of the barrel. When a replica is highly upgraded it becomes a specialized tool for serious airsoft skirmish and to dry fire (ie without bb's) puts even more strain on the parts.
Spring
There are two ways to measure how strong a spring is compared to a standard spring. The Percentage system and the Feet Per Second system (FPS). A standard AEG has a muzzle velocity of 250-300fps (100%) with a 0.20g bullet. A M100 spring increase this velocity to 320-330fps. The corresponding spring in the percentage system is 110%. There is M100, M110, M120, M130, M140, M150 and M160 springs. A very powerful spring requires that all of the gearbox component be replaced to more reinforced parts.
Bearings & Bushings
The axles inside the gearbox are attached to the housing by small plastic bearings (or metal ones on middle to high-end replicas) and these will eventually wear down. If these bearings are exchanged to metal or ball bearings, the lifespan of the gearbox will increase (almost double according to many players). Bushings are small thin metal or aluminum plates that make sure that the gears in the gearbox are precisely aligned.
Barrel
The barrel in a standard airsoft often has a internal diameter of 6.05mm+. If this barrel is exchanged for a precision or tight bore barrel with a 6.03mm internal diameter the amount of air that slips by the bb reduces and the benefits are that the bb will travel a little farther and a little faster. The downsides are that the barrel clogs up more often and has to be cleaned. A longer barrel increases range, but the barrel can't be too long since the bb may slow down after a while before exiting the barrel.
Battery
If the voltage of a battery increases, so do the rounds per minute an AEG motor can dish out. Standard AEG batteries have a voltage of 8.4volts and the only difference between the different sizes is that a large battery usually have a higher mAh capacity (3600mAh or higher), while the other smaller batteries have a smaller mAh capacity (1200mAh or lower). This means that a large battery will last for about twice the time a small battery would. Upgrades inside a gearbox often reduce the rate of fire so say you use a battery with a higher voltage like 9.6V or 10.8V the rate of fire wont drop as much or it may even increase if you motor can handle all the voltage. A higher voltage also wears a motor down faster and more maintenance is required. It is possible to use 12V to power an AEG but this isn't to recommend since the wear is increase very much, the contacts in the trigger is faster worn out and the overall lifespan is sharply reduced.
A battery with a higher capacity (more mAh), can be used under a longer time and can fire more shots. An upgraded weapon also require more current and the amount of shots that can be fired will decrease unless a bigger battery is used. The usual batteries are NiCd (Nickel Cadmium) and NiMH (Nickel Metal Hybrid). The NiMH usually has a higher capacity (mAh), but they cant handle big currents very well and so they don’t work well to most airsoft weapons unless they're very big (about 3000-5000mAh). NiMH are more expensive than NiCd and harder to charge and they shouldn't be fast charged. A new up an coming battery called Lithium Polymer or LiPo these are very expensive, but they hold much more mAh and Volts (11.1v) and they are relatively smaller that the rest of the other batteries.
Gears
The normal gears in a gearbox have an approximate lifespan of 30,000 shots, and a new set of gears will last longer since they're made from better material. There are sets that increase rate of fire and reduce the motors power or reduce rate of fire but increase the motors power. The "Helical Cut Gears" are special gears that have a better grip between the gears and don't break as easy as standard gears.
Nozzle
This is a small metal or plastic nozzle that transfers the air from the cylinder to the bb. This is a cheap upgrade and the muzzle velocity increases very very slightly.
Motor
Most upgrades reduce the rate of fire. By switching to a stronger motor the rate of fire isn't reduced as much. An upgraded AEG should have at least an EG700 motor. The strongest motor is EG1000. All new models that Tokyo Marui releases has EG1000 motors, but many of the older models has EG700 or even EG560. Not all AEG can have a motor upgrade. If the spring isn't replaced with a stronger than M120 the EG560 motor can take it, but the battery will probably has to be changed to a 9,6V or even 10.8V. Note: As airsoft becomes more and more popular stronger faster motors are being created, so do some research of your own to learn more about all he things listed here.
Piston and Piston Head
Most standard AEG's come with a pretty good piston so the only time you should replaces it is when it breaks. There are aluminum and polycarbonate pistons out there. Some come with replacement teeth when the others break. Some are lighter some are more resilient. Same goes for piston heads, a piston can be equipped with a "Silent" piston head that reduces the impact the piston makes in the cylinder and reduce the noise it makes. Most come with a ball bearing that reduces the amount of punishment the piston takes.
Gearbox
This is a totally new mechbox with new and better gears, stronger spring, nozzle and other improvements. This isn't a cheap upgrade but the durability and lifespan increase and so do the muzzle velocity and overall performance.
There are different versions of gearboxes since they are used in different replica models.
Follow this link for a list of Gearbox versions and some info about them.
Other Equipment
Besides the replica, protection and gear there are some other things a player should have.
Wristwatch
All players should wear a wristwatch since many games is time controlled and they help to coordinate movement and actions with the rest of the team.
Tools
A multi-tool such as a Swiss Army Knife or a Leatherman is something that most players have and use. It's handy to make smaller fixes in the field and they're also handy when cooking and in other occasions. But make sure that you keep it safe. Store the tool so that no one, including you, can accidentally damage someone or something.
Food and Drink
As an experienced player will tell you, you will need food and something to drink when you play. Always take with you some form of liquid to drink, because dehydration is a major problem that can easily be avoided. Use water while you are out there playing and when you take a break for lunch drink something that will replenish everything you lost while seating, like Gatorade or something similar. DO NOT drink Coffee or Soda, these do not help you if you are thirsty.
Fruits, beef jerky, or similar are the best to eat during/after games. Don't bring candy. Sure you will have plenty of energy during a short period, but then sugar rush stops you will experience a debilitating energy drain. Whatever you do, don't drink alcohol before or during games.
First Aid
Some sort of First Aid can be useful as well. It can be used for yourself or others. Airsoft isn't a very dangerous sport but accidents do happen.
Preparations
When you plan for a game, think before you leave home:
What is there on the site?
How long will you be at the game site, and how much food and water do you need (always bring more than you think).
Are there toilet facilities near by and supplies? Or do you need to bring toilet paper? I recommend that you always bring some paper, to clean goggles and other things.
What will the weather be and how will it effect game play? Bad weather effects the clothes you are wearing and if the weather is bad I suggest that you bring extra clothing, because it's frustrating to have to stop playing just because you forgot a spare set of clothing.
Checklist before a game
Pants, T-shirt, Jacket, hat/helmet/bandana, gloves and boots.
Goggles, something to clean them with.
Your replica/s, in their gun cases/or bags with gas and battery fully charged. Do a fast functions check.
Magazines and extra bb's. Don't forget the loading tube.
Food and drink, a wrist watch and a First Aid kit.
Radios, Flashlights, or similar electronic equipment. Bring extra batteries.
Multi-tool, and the cleaning/jamming rod.
A backpack to carry all other stuff around in.
Some extra cash in case you feel the need to buy something.
Remember all these things are just a guideline for you. This is not by any means a mandatory or complete list. Just something I have compiled over the years from various sources online. If you have any questions or ideas to add to this...please let me know.
Now get out there and play some Airsoft!
