As you can see, these guns are extremely realistic. That's right. But what are Airsoft guns? We'll tell you.
Airsoft guns are BB guns that fire small plastic pellets or small paintballs just like any other gun would. Originally, airsoft guns were using compressed air to fire these pellets, but in the early 90's that would make it an official BB gun. So instead, they now have 3 different ways of firing; Electric, Gas Blowback, and Spring.
The guns were originally retailed in japan as toys. The guns were small and looked like any toy. But then Tokyo Maurie came in. They took air soft guns to a new level of design, making them ultra realistic, and still firing the pellets. They were a hit in Japan, but never quite made it as well in the states.
| The hit in japan was for one main reason: Airsoft was now a sport. That's right, just like paintball, but better. Airsoft was doing so good in Japan, but terrible in the US do to the school shootings and kid shootings by cops in the early 90's. So, most guns were made and retailed in Japan. The sport got so popular that most people who heard about it immediately wanted to try it out. Eventually, Airsoft made it into the US, but with out the big splash in Japan. By then, the internet boom was just beginning and that would open up a whole new world for Airsoft. Guns could be imported from Japan into the US to be sold across the country with little cost to the importer. That's right. Airsoft gun's price didn't change too much with the import boom. You could buy a Tokyo Maurie gun at $200 (Electric, Automatic), the same price as a top of the line paint ball gun. Now, guns sell as cheap as $20. The guns, though, have gotten better quality wise. |
You might be asking yourself, Are these things legal? Well, yes they are. In 49 states. Every state, except California, allows Airsoft guns. You may ask, 'Why? They could be considered Replica Guns.' Your right, but the guns come with one thing. In Japan, the guns don't have to be marked, but here they do. In America they come with removable orange tips that go on the tip of the gun. This declares that they are not illegal and can be considered toys. And, you can buy the guns without orange tips, legally, if they are for a theatrical purpose. But even still, the guns can be used for all sorts of things with the orange tip. Hollywood is now reconizing them by using them in movies. James Camron's movie "True Lies" featured an Airsoft gun (used by Bill Paxton. It even fooled Jamie Lee Curtis with out the orange tip). They are used as props all the time to use a cheap gun to be ruined, instead of breaking an expensive replica.
Now that you know they are legal, and are all over them, you might want to know what kind to buy. There are three kinds, as mentioned before, Electric, Gas Blowback, and Spring. First, let's get to electric.
Electric is a battery powered airsoft gun. They have most models, like the AK47 and M16 that shoot and auto matic rate of fire. These guns are the ones that cost as much as a paintball gun, about $200 for the AK47 model above. These guns move incredibly fast, and are recomended for sport play. These guns are ultra realistic too.
Gas blowback is a gas powered air soft gun. These guns have the blow back feature like in movies. The barrel actually moves back when you fire. These are the most expensive guns to buy and maintain. They run for about $100 for a hand gun, but are well worth it. You rarely see the auto and semi-auto rifles here, mainly hand gun.
Spring guns are powered by springs. This is the most common and cheapest air soft gun. Hand guns run around $20 and auto-rifles to up to $100. These guns are the easiest to maintain and use. Plus, any real life gun can be found in the spring, just as in electric. If you need guns for your home made movies, buy these. They look the same as the others, but don't shoot as far or as hard. Most spring guns are not used in competition. These would be best for someone who wants a gun, but doesn't know what to get and is the first time user.
