What Is Airsoft?

Airsoft is an activity used primarily for recreation or sport wherein replica firearms shooting 6mm or 8mm plastic rounds are used for personal collection, gaming (similar to Paintball), or professional training purposes (Military Simulations and Police training exercises). A primary difference between airsoft firearms and BB guns is that the former uses plastic bullets and have muzzle velocities of less than 500 feet per second (FPS) on average, which is generally considered safe when used in a controlled environment, while the latter utilizes metal ammunition and shoots at higher velocities (up to, and over 1000 FPS), making them unsuitable for gaming and training purposes.
Airsoft games vary greatly in style and composition depending on location, budget, and the quantity of participants but often range from short-term skirmishes and organized scenarios to military simulations and historical reenactments.
Combat situations on the battlefield often involve the use of common military tactics to achieve the objectives set in each game. Participants typically use varying types of airsoft weaponry along with either real or replica military gear and uniforms.

History

In the 1980s, Japan made it illegal to own a firearm, though there was a large interest in them. Because of this interest, manufacturers started to produce spring-powered replicas of real guns. These guns fired several calibers of plastic or rubber BBs, but were eventually standardized into 6mm and 8mm sizes. The early spring powered weapons then morphed into gas and battery powered ones, using a variety of systems. The hobby then migrated to North America in the mid 1990s. This is due in large part to the addition of many new AEG (Automatic Electric Gun) manufacturers in Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, as well as many others.
Airsoft has also been adopted for training purposes for both military and police units (more often police units). Systema, a high end professional airsoft manufacturer, produces guns specifically designed for this purpose and are a 1:1 scale in every aspect of their real steel counterparts.

Methods of play

Open Days
Also known as pickup games or skirmishes, among other names. This is the more common form of airsoft. These games are considerably less strict with their rules and restrictions and therefore is the style of play for most players and a common event even for Milsim players. Realism may be broken in this style of play with things like high-capacity magazines, clothing that doesn't match with any nation's (or non-military style dress), and lax rules to name a few examples. Occasionally, teams may use specific uniforms on either side, but usually players dress in a variety of military or paramilitary clothing to their liking.

Skirmishes are often structured as multiple short to mid length games containing various different scenarios, including capture the flag style games, deathmatches or simplified CQB games and many others. Other skirmishes can run for the entirety of the game day, playing out like a much shorter MilSim Event, including full game plans with objectives, from anything as simple as capturing a certain location, to something as complex as collecting parts of a bomb from around the Skirmish Site, assembling them, and then planting the bomb in the enemy forces base.
Airsoft games are not limited to MilSim or "Open Days" modes. There is great versatility and flexibility in play styles.


Military Simulation
"MilSim", short for Military Simulation, generally combines airsoft play with some military live-action role-playing elements. This type of play may be considered "hard core" by many players because of the heightened amount of roleplaying required. Several goals or missions may be assigned to each team, along with a basic load-out (i.e., supply) of ammunition, rations and radios.
A key element in Military Simulation games is the use of low-capacity magazines, replicating the actual magazine capacity of the authentic firearm the airsoft gun is replicating. Examples of these include the 30 round STANAG magazines of the M4, M16, Type 89, SCAR-L and several others.
Teams will remain in the field for the duration of play, only returning to a staging area or "safe zone" for medical emergencies and for other special circumstances. Military simulation games often last several days. For example, the large Berget annual event in Sweden lasts for six days with no breaks. In large scale Military Simulation operations, the players often use vehicles such as painted vans and trucks. In some cases, such as Operation Irene (an annual Military Simulation held in the Midwest U.S.), real APCs and tanks are used [1]. Such large scale events can take place in MOUT (Military Operations in Urban Terrain) facilities.
True Military Simulation requires players to adhere to an agreed level of uniform authenticity and to play as part of a team.

Honor system

Airsoft play employs an honor system whereby the players rely on each others' honesty to admit to being hit, because unlike paintballs, airsoft pellets do not leave visible marks on clothing.
The effect of a marking bb on the honor system is an addition to the game but does not remove "honor" from the game as it still remains with the player to choose whether or not to call his or her hits. Instead, it simply allows for verification when the need arises. For instance, depending on the muzzle velocity of the gun and distance from the shooter, the targeted player may not feel the impact.
Players are discouraged from calling out hits on an opponent - instead players are expected to signal a marshal to judge how effectively they have hit their opponent. Simulated 'knife kills' can, at the venue's discretion, be recognized when a player touches or taps an unaware opponent. This prevents the player being forced to shoot him or her at point-blank range. Some sites will allow players to use training knives made out of rubber, plastic or occasionally non-bladed metal to perform a 'knife kill' as long as they do not use violent stabbing or cutting movements. Similarly, a 'courtesy kill' occurs when a player refrains from shooting an opponent at close range while enforcing that opponent's surrender, instead of risking injury. Players are usually prohibited from firing blindly when not able to see their target, especially around corners. In some instances, players don't call out hits they have sustained as a result of this "blind fire". Players are expected to avoid the shooting of an opponent who has already admitted to being hit. Harsh language and forceful physical contact between players is strongly discouraged and even penalized. Players are expected to resolve disputes politely and with proper decorum.
All airsoft players are expected to acknowledge being hit, even if they are in doubt, by shouting "I'm hit" loudly, and raising their hand or gun high and/or displaying a 'hit indicator' or dead rag while walking back to the safe zone. Paintball style "speedball" games may include the aforementioned hit markers. A hit indicator can be either a bright-colored cloth during daytime or a blinker, Glow stick or mini-flashlight when playing in dim light or darkness.

Live Action Role Playing
Live action roleplaying groups running games in modern or science fiction settings sometimes use airsoft weapons to simulate firearms. Similar to military simulations but with more emphasis on the theatrical aspects and not necessarily set in a war zone, these games often have more complex rules for airsoft combat, including rules for armor, unrealistic enhancements or supernatural abilities.
These games can be seen as a modernized version of the popular fantasy boffer LARP. Popular genres include cyberpunk, post-apocalyptic and zombie horror.


Teams

There are many organized teams, of varying sizes, in various countries. Some prominent teams have 50 or more players, and are able to send delegations to regional or national events. In the Philippines, there are many amorphous groups of airsoft players loosely organized into "teams" of varying sizes. There have been attempts to create large nationwide organizations of airsofters but these have neither succeeded nor persisted in the past, although regional organizations have been able to sustain a significant membership.

Ballistics and speed

Airsoft player shooting from behind cover wearing goggles that fully seal the area around the eyes and a Balaclava to protect the face.
Kinetic energy is the energy that is transferred from the pellet to its target upon impact. One joule of energy will be transferred by a 0.20 g BB travelling at 100 metres per second (330 ft/s).[3] A typical set of limits on guns might be 100 m/s (330 ft/s) for CQB, 125 m/s (410 ft/s) for outdoors, and 175 m/s (570 ft/s) for bolt action sniper rifles, all measured with a 0.20 g BB. The amount of kinetic energy depends on the weight of the BB and how fast the gun can propel it. Certain places play "no velocity limit" games.
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the energy limit for Airsoft guns is usually one joule (100 m/s with a 0.20 g, 6 mm BB) regardless of the type of game play. See response from UKASGB.[4] Some UK sites allow semi-automatic only weapons up to 400FPS, and Bolt Action Rifles up to 500FPS. Northern Ireland has a maximum velocity of 328FPS with 0.2gram bb irrespective of weapon.
Most Airsoft guns are capable of shooting from 50 m/s (160 ft/s) to 125 m/s (410 ft/s), though it is also possible to purchase upgraded internals for some Airsoft guns that will enable up to 180 m/s (590 ft/s) projectile velocities.[5]
A hop-up unit, if present, puts backspin on the BB, generating lift and giving it a greater effective range. The range of any Airsoft gun depends on both the muzzle velocity and the amount of hop applied. Airsoft guns can have a range of 75 metres (250 ft) or more with the right combination of power, barrel, and ammunition as well as a good hop-up unit. A good hop-up unit can sometimes double the range.

Safety

Eye and face protection


The minimum safe level of gear required to participate in most games includes a pair of impact-rated goggles or shooting glasses to protect participants' eyes. Traditional prescription glasses and sunglasses, or goggles not designed specifically for use with airsoft or paintball guns may break or shatter upon being struck, causing damage to the eye.
Many airsoft groups and fields require that eye protection fully seals the area around the eyes, and also meets or exceeds ANSI's Z87.1-2003 goggle standard for eye protection, namely, the ability to absorb 3 joules of impact energy without damage. Some players instead opt for paintball goggles, which are held to a higher impact rating standard, ASTM's F1776.[6]
Full-face masks (similar to, and often including paintball masks) are considered the safest form of eye-protection, as alongside the eyes, they also cover the rest of the face, protecting vulnerable parts such as teeth. Some airsoft masks are made with mesh screens, though there is debate that fragments from lower quality or bio-degradable BBs may pass through the mesh and enter the eye, although there have been no recorded incidents of such an occurrence.[7] While masks offer superior protection, they can interfere with the use of scopes and in cheaper masks, condensation inside the goggles can reduce visibility.



(From wikipedia.org)