Airsoft guns are replica guns that shoot plastic pellets. They are used by many for military and recreational purposes. These guns use the same ammo as paintball, with the exception of biodegradable pellets, which can make cleanup a bit easier. Manufacturers produce these replicas in incredibly high detail, so they have an authentic look and weight to them.

In addition to airsoft rifles, there is another type of airsoft firearm: pistols. Pistol grips vary widely depending on the size of individual hands; those with larger hands often prefer smaller pistol grips that allow for a greater grip range and faster reload time after each shot is fired.

These guns are all made to look like the real thing. They vary in size and shape, from full-sized rifles and shotguns to a few designed for easy concealment from military personnel or personal protection. Most sport an extended barrel for better accuracy, usually with a holographic sight for easy target acquisition.

Most of these guns are CO2 airsoft guns, which means that they have small tubes that lead to the magazine, where the gunpowder is placed and ignited. This allows for automatic firing over time (think of it as closely related to a spring-loaded gun). Additionally, manufacturers have added other features such as telescopic sights so users can get a clear shot at their target.

How Are Airsoft Guns Constructed?

An airsoft firearm, also called an airgun, is a replica of a real firearm but uses compressed air and plastic pellets as a power source. The power source causes pressure to push into the pellet and puts it in motion. When the pellet is moving fast enough, it breaks through a thin film of oil that is around it and that has been put on the surface of its canal. This allows for continual firing without having to reload or pump.

How are they made? Metal Airsoft guns are handmade with polished steel frames and barrels, synthetic stocks and grips, metal cocking levers or charging handles, metallic trigger guards, and magazine housings. The type of gun made is determined by what parts are used and the company making it. Some parts are high quality and some are low.  

In addition to that, expensive parts are often made from steel, while cheaper parts are from plastic or aluminum. These guns are generally made with two metallic parts, a piston, and an air nozzle. The piston is the component that compresses the air and shoots it out with compressed force. The nozzle is where the compressed air that has been stored in an air tank during a game or simulation goes to be shot out of. 

There are many different types of nozzles, such as a standard barrel-type, a small bore barrel, or even a blowback system which does not require compressed gas because it works by simply releasing all of its gas when you pull the trigger. There are many different guns made today. They can range from simple spring-powered pistols to high-powered airsoft sniper rifles that shoot at 400 feet per second (1200 km/h).


Categories of Airsoft Guns

Airsoft is a sport based on an imitation of gun combat, where players use Airsoft guns as a target shooting game. These guns are generally divided into categories that are mostly used for reference purposes to help players in selecting the proper model for their needs. Some airsoft manufacturers design their guns to be more specific than others, and some models may have different features depending on what category the gun falls into.

1. Spring-Powered Guns

Spring airsoft rifles are the most widely used type of Airsoft firearms in the worldwide market. They're designed to be a very inexpensive alternative to electric and fully automatic airsoft guns while retaining a high level of performance. 

Spring-powered guns are powered by a weak spring that is activated when a gun is cocked (pulled back) to compress air into an internal reservoir, which then releases it upon trigger pull as an outwards force. When shooting, the pressure exerted by the compressed air propels BBs through the gun's barrel via varying means of propulsion.

2. Electric Airsoft Guns

Electric airsoft guns are powered by a rechargeable battery that is placed inside a box. The battery is activated by exposure to 12V (2S Li-Po for example) or 24V (NiMH for example). This type of gun uses electric motors that make the gun work as any other electronic device, such as turning on or off an appliance or heating a room when switched on. Electronic guns are also available with LED lights that turn on when the trigger is pulled.


3. Semi-Automatic

Semi-automatic guns fire BBs at a brisk rate but generally in short bursts until they reach a certain distance in order to conserve ammo. Semi-automatic guns shoot the same number of BBs at the same time as a standard fully automatic gun. 

Semi-automatics are more accurate than spring-powered guns and also have lighter recoil, which makes them better for shooters who wish to practice shooting skills. Semi-automatic guns generally have a trigger that must be pulled back and held, whereas spring-powered guns do not require any additional action to be taken other than to pull the gun back in order for it to fire.

4. Fully Automatic

Fully automatic airsoft guns are capable of continuously shooting BBs for as long as the trigger is being held. Fully automatic guns remove the need to reload or cock between shots, and typically have much lighter recoil than semi-automatic models. However, fully automatic guns are considerably more expensive than semi-automatics, and they consume much more ammunition while doing essentially the same task, making them less efficient in terms of cost per round.

5. AEG

Airsoft Electric Gun or AEG is a generic term used to describe most electric-powered guns that have an internal mechanism to allow them to shoot automatically by pulling the trigger. They are usually powered by a rechargeable battery that is placed inside a box. 

Using an AEG's internal mechanism, the shooter can pull the trigger to load or unload BBs and then fire BBs at 25 rounds per second (RPS). This is done by pulling the trigger with enough force to compress air into an internal reservoir, which then releases it upon trigger pull as an outwards force. Generally, AEGs are made to be somewhat lighter and more compact than their spring-powered counterparts.

Uses and Benefits of Airsoft Guns

In the early years of airsoft, most airsoft guns used Japanese 6 mm BBs. However, with the advent of stronger electric airsoft guns and the introduction of higher-quality high-performance ammunition, the standard BBs in many countries were upgraded or replaced by plastic or biodegradable bio BBs. 

All guns made after 1999 must be equipped with a barrel that has an orange muzzle tip which indicates to others in a field of combat that they are armed with an airsoft rather than a real firearm and should not be shot at. In the United States, these guns are considered a type of toy gun. They are often used by hobbyists who enjoy war games and other recreational activities. 

More recently, as airsoft guns have become more powerful, they have also been made used in hunting small games such as squirrels and rabbits. These guns are very different from most other types of toy guns because they release BB rounds which can cause pain but do not cause any physical injury or death. 

Airsoft rounds will not pierce human skin or auto-glass and will bounce off of aluminum siding or windows. The rounds are soft, have no sharp edges, and are made out of a plastic material. These rounds also do not break the sound barrier; so it is very hard for someone to hear that a round was fired.

These guns are powered by a small spring-driven piston or an electric motor. The spring must be compressed in order to activate the gun and fire the BBs it carries. These guns can be equipped with either optical sights (such as scopes) or red dot sights which allow users to aim more easily while looking through their "sights". Additionally, there are accessories available such as laser sights and flashlights on some airsoft guns which further enhance their performance in gameplay.