A Complete Airsoft Weapons' Guide

Intro: A Complete Airsoft Weapons' Guide

This is my first guide, and I do plan to obtain a digital camera at some point soon [at which pont I will update this instructable to include live-action and personal photos] for now these pictures do not belong to me, and I take no responsibility for them. As such I ask readers to refrain from commenting on this specific subject.

Now on to the meat of the matter, In this complete guide I plan to touch down on all current airsoft weapon variants [as in assault rifles, shotguns, rifles, etc.]

STEP 1: The Choice

Whilst choosin a gun, you are presented with three main choices of gun types.

Spring guns [Springers]: The most robust and cheap weapons on the market. They tend to be weak, and most are made out of cheap plastics. They need to be manually cocked after every shot, and accuracy is tends to be lacking [with the exception of most bolt-action rifles].

Electric guns [AEG]: Easily the most common, and usually the cheapest. These guns sacrifice realism for functionality. They allow for hi-cap magazines [wound-up clips with way above realistic standards for ammunition, usually peaking at around 450-500 rounds] and are powered by rechargeable batteries that will usually last a full game before dying. the dissadvantages are that they sound like toys, through and through; usually lack any recoil and Hi-cap magazines are not allowed at most 'hard-core' events.

Gas guns: The most realistic guns on the market. These variate between Non-blowbacks [a familiar feeling to AEG users] and Gas Blow Back [GBB's have a realistic recoil, and are my personal faveorite airsoft weapon. Gas guns are usually powered by green gas.

STEP 2: Assault Rifles

These are your average run-of-the-mill design weapons with models running off of every power source available. The average is the M4/M16 model, which positively FLOODS the market. Assault rifles are usually automatic [sometimes only semi-automatic]. Assault Rifles are medium ranged and fairly accurate. Fully modefied, some models can even reach out to sniper-like ranges.

STEP 3: Snipers' Rifle

Airsoft sniper rifles are mostly spring powered [however, many gas and electric models do exist]. These are accurae and powerful, and arguable the most satisfying weapons on the market. Most rifles also surpass the abilities of the most expensive AEG's on the market, for a fraction of the price.
Sniper systems are predominitaly L96 and M14 variants.

STEP 4: SMG's

Most airsoft SMG's [Those that actually behave like an SMG, unlike the UMP and such, which are more on par with the assault rifle section] are excellent CQB weapons. I personally use a Gas MP5K [Produced by WELL, an excellent gun for even the most vindictive players. 330 FPS, accurate enough to 100 feet and capable of emptying a magazine in just over a second)]. SMG's main quality is their rate of fire, and this is what you want look for in an SMG.
Most SMG's are Mac-11's, although this is not a bad thing, as it makes for a great MP.

STEP 5: Support Weapons

Probably the most flamboyant series of airsoft weapons ever thought up. Whilst they do hve their own uses [Mostly going prone and waiting for somebody stupid enough to walk in front of you] they also are considerably the worst weapons when it comes to practicality. Roughly 95% of tese weapons are the M249 SAW. The rest is made up of M60's, a couple RPK's and even a minigun[which is probably the most expensive gun out there, and will almost garuntee you being shot.] But, if you just want to look impressive, theres nothing like walkin' onto a field with a machinegun, unless somebody has an RPG. But you have to pay [me] to custom make those [and I aint joking, I have the design, and will never let this site have it, ever].

STEP 6: Shotguns

Airsoft shotguns are cheap, effective devices firing either one or three shots at a time. These robust weapons run off of gas or a firing spring. Airsoft shotguns have marked disadvantages, but are considered the best begginers' guns out there. Single shot weapons go for as little as $11! however, their slow rate of fire and small clips contribute to them being a poor choice for more advanced players.

STEP 7: Pistols

Side-arms are incredibly important to the serious airsoft player, and can be used as a CQB weapon. These weapons are almost exclusively powered off of Co2 and Spring mechanisms. These are exteemly cheap in comparison to full-sized weapons, but also suffer from poor accuracy and limited range.

STEP 8: Conlusion

This was a simple guide to airsoft weapons. Congradulations if you made it through it, condolences to the families of those who couldent.

Comments

[TerseStar02460]

Does any one know how to make a cap gun into a airsoft gun and how to make a airsoft grenade

[steven.kettles]

worldpremieriarosftcenter.com has a bunch of guides for cheaper options rifles,pistols,shotguns,best games.. Just about everything check it out

[guerrilafighter]

has anyone every seen an automatic aa12 for airsoft.

[Big Baneser]

There's a 100$ semi-auto gas powered tri-shot on sale at evike.com but as far as I know AA-12's still haven't been designed.

[gunshow]

you can get an electric blow back, and mid caps so don't go around saying that aegs aren't realistic.

[chan2005]

where did you get the m4 with the full stock

[airsoft1017]

is that the aftermath Kirinex?

[zasxcd]

i dont know but its a pretty rifle :D

[ilpug]

not the kirenex. the kirenex is definetely a good and sexy rifle in all respects. as far as airsoft lit on instructables goes, this is prettey good. i know how to make airsoft rpg's also. they are just time consuming and expensive to make ammo for and maintain.

[ilpug]

I stand fully corrected, that is a Kirenex!

[owlart101]

I made one also! Sometimes I just get some tin foil and pour like 50 bb's into the center, wrap it up like a ball and when it hits a surface it breaks oped and sends the bbs flying

[guerrilafighter]

you should do an instructable for the rpg and ammo!

[owlart101]

Extremely cheap in comparison? Sigh. I was lucky enough to find me full metal m1911 for $60, very cheap actually, but great CO2 pistol. Have you not seen Tokyo Marui's pistols? Cheapest iv'e seen is is like $125. Most expensive gun I have gotten was $600

[owlart101]

I have the M200 Intervention actually. Really fun, Christmas present to myself. :)

[owlart101]

"wound-up clips with way above realistic..."

Hate to be the one to do this but, not clips, mags. Clips are the plastic bits that hold to bullets together. Magazines are what you actually put in the gun.

[teddy1998]

whats the mag capacity, weight, fps, and WHAT THE HALL WOULD AND AIRSOFT RPG SHOOT?????????????

[Jimpiedepimpie]

Hmm A fuckload of bbs at once? That would be awesome in cqc. Blow. 200 bbs. In someone's face. Epic.

[teddy1998]

ok so it's more like a shot gun or blunderbuss (and old weapon used to kill whales and big stuff). whats cqc and rpk?

[guerrilafighter]

blunderbust is a pirate mini shotgun that even though it can load anything into the barrel could not kill a whale unless perfectely placed.

[SO4Jesus]

The blunderbuss was first used by the Dutch Army.