Airsoft developed in Japan in 1970’s and since then has become popular worldwide. Airsoft guns are not only used for mock war games but are also widely becoming an important part of training curriculum for many law enforcement agencies. In fact, US military agents use Airsoft for their training drills.
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Here are the 10 Best Airsoft guns which are currently the available in market:
1. BBTac BT-M82 Airsoft Gun Electric Rifle
The ease of handling and operation makes BBTac’s BT-M82 model perfect for both beginners and experienced players. It comes fully assembled, with a rechargeable battery and strategic addictions. The holder can have about 45 BBs type of ammo at a time and these bullets run on a velocity of 200-250 FPS. The best part of this electric airsoft Rifle is that, most of its features are self-explanatory.
2. Crosman Stinger P311 Airsoft Pistol
Crosman’s Stinger P311 Airsoft Pistol is perhaps one of the most preferred airsoft guns. With over 1000+ reviews on Amazon alone, this pistol has the look and feel of actual military pistols. With hassle free simple features and a bullet speed that reaches about 325 fps, this pistol is perfect for people who are just foraying into the world of Airsoft. Durability, high speed bullets and reasonable price are some of the features which make this pistol so popular among everyone.
3. Double Eagle M85P Airsoft Rifle
Double Eagle’s M85P AEG Airsoft Rifle is made primarily for beginners but is still loved, even by experienced players. It fires at 250 fps and holds up to 35 bbs. It can also be folded to half its size through its rear end, if needed and runs on three modes-safe, fully automatic and semi-automatic. Also comes equipped with a flashlight and red dot target scope.
4. Taurus Millennium PT-111 Spring Pistol
A compact size, easy operation and low price are the most attractive features of Taurus’s Millennium PT-111 Spring Powered Pistol. It can hold up to 20 rounds of bbs and shoots up to 180 fps. There are two modes in which it can be operated- safe and fire mode.
5. Crosman Marines Airsoft SR01 Spring Rifle
Crosman’s Marines Airsoft SR01 is a spring powered rifle, which can shoot at a speed of 350 fbs and has a capacity of 350 BBs. The accessories are yet another cool addition and include a flashlight, scope and lasers. Your bullet is going to hit its mark because of this rifle’s awesome accuracy. The light weight and compact design are some other advantages this rifle has.
6. Stinger P9T Airsoft Pistol Kit
Stinger’s P9T Airsoft Pistol Kit is a spring powered pistol and comes equipped with a holster and 0.12g BBs. Perfect for beginners because of its accuracy, this pistol is also easy to use with simple features. The only drawbacks are heavy weight might and loading difficulties.
7. Black Ops B1155 Junior Sniper Rifle
B1155 Junior Sniper Rifle by Black Ops needs to be handled with caution and is not meant to play airsoft. This air rifle shoots metal pellets at the speed of 800 fps and SHOULD NOT be aimed carelessly. It comes with a scope and can hold up to 50 BBs at a time. Perfect for experienced players for target shooting.
8. Firepower .45 Metal Slide Airsoft Pistol
A compact design and size with good accuracy, Firepower’s .45 Metal Slide Airsoft Pistol has a good realistic feel. The frame is metal and the rest is mostly made of hard durable plastic. It shoots at a speed of 328 fps and a twelve-round magazine to hold BBs.
9. Black Ops Tactical Sniper Air Rifle Combo Air Rifle
Balck Ops’s Tactical Sniper Air Rifle Combo Air Rifle is only suitable for experienced people. This is a real air rifle and needs to be handled cautiously. It shoots at the speed of 1250 fps and comes up with a lot of accessories like a bipod. The heavy weight and strong recoil are the chief drawbacks but its many advantages over its cons, make this a must have.
10. Soft Air Thompson 1928 AEG Airsoft Gun
Soft Air Thompson 1928 AEG Airsoft Gun has a full metal body and is a fully automatic electric gun that comes equipped with a rechargeable battery. It shoots at a speed of 426 fps and is pretty accurate.
So, these were the top 10 Air rifles to give you a brief idea about Airsoft. While buying airsoft rifles for play, be careful to only buy those which have an orange band at the tip of the barrel. Not all airsoft rifles are suitable for play and therefore be aware of the chief differences before venturing in the world of Airsoft.
What Is Airsoft?
Airsoft developed in Japan in 1970’s and since then has become popular worldwide. They are not only used for mock war games but are also widely becoming an important part of training curriculum for many law enforcement agencies. In fact, US military agents use Airsoft for their training drills.
While buying airsoft rifles for play, be careful to only buy those which have an orange band at the tip of the barrel. Not all airsoft rifles on Amazon are suitable for play and therefore be aware of the chief differences before venturing in the world of Airsoft.
A Buying Guide for Airsoft Guns
Before you set off to buy an Airsoft gun, these are the following things to keep in my mind.
1. Cost
With reference to Amazon, a good Airsoft pistol/ rifle can be as cheap as $15.95 (Crosman Stinger P311 Airsoft Pistol) or as high as $182.12 (Soft Air Thompson 1928 AEG Airsoft Gun). To get the best deal for cheap airsoft guns, it is important to gauge how durable and accurate the Airsoft gun is. The addition of accessories like a scope, flashlight etc are the things which influence the cost. A basic model will come at cheaper cost and a gun with additions will cost you more.
Beginners just dabbling with airsoft, are advised to start with a basic model and buy the most durable one.
2. Types of Airsoft Guns
Airsoft can be classified in a wide variety of ways but they are most commonly classified according to the way they are powered.
- Spring Powered: The Best Airsoft guns are cheapest and most durable airsoft guns available. As the name suggests, they are spring powered with the help of a bolt action lever. These guns have to be cocked/ pumped before every shot and therefore can only fire a single shot at a time. The fps is low and ranges anywhere from 180fps to 325fps. For Airsoft plays, they make a good side weapon. Some of the spring powered guns are: Crosman Stinger P311 Airsoft Pistol, Taurus Millennium PT-111 Spring Powered Pistol, Black etc
- Electric or Battery Powered: Electric Airsoft guns are known for being the most accurate and commonly used airsoft guns. They can be further classified into two types—fully automatic (shoots till the trigger is pressed) and semi-automatic (shoots each time the trigger is pressed). Unlike spring powered, they need not be cocked each time and run on a rechargeable battery. Some of the AEG’s (Automatic electric guns) are: BBTac BT-M82 Airsoft Gun Fully Automatic Electric Rifle, Soft Air Thompson 1928 AEG Airsoft Gun etc.
- Gas Blow Backs: They operate on a gas driven mechanism and are powered by green gas or CO2. They usually last one round and the gas needs to be refilled every time. Many of the gas-powered airsoft guns have a ‘blowback’ feature which adds a considerable amount of recoil. Not recommended for beginners as they are not so much reliable. Some of the gas-powered airsoft guns are: Umarex Heckler & Koch MP5 2252330 BB 40 Rounds 400fps Air Rifle, 0.177 Caliber, Black.
3. Airsoft Gun Accessorises
There are many things that need to be with added with Airsoft guns to make it work. Some of the most important addictions in these guns are:
- Magazines: They are used to hold the BBs. Extra loaded magazines are always a good thing to have during an Airsoft play. Magazines are available for both AEG’s and Gas blow backs. Magazines are generally divided into three categories, according to their holding capacity: Low Cap (up to 68 BBs), Mid Cap (up to 190 BBs) and High Cap (up to 800 BBs).
Don’t forget to check if your extra magazine is suitable for your Airsoft gun model.
- Flashlight: Flashlights are a good addition if you are having an airsoft play in a low vision area. They do have their disadvantages and tend to give away your position but if you are having trouble marking your targets, flashlights can be used.
- Lasers: Lasers are another alternative to flashlights. They are more accurate and usage friendly than flashlights but they can damage your opponent’s eyes, if they pass over his/her protective masks.
- Scopes: Scopes are important for increasing accuracy and eliminations small errors, caused by eyesight. Extremely useful, they come attached in may Airsoft rifles and guns.
4. The Best Brands Selling Airsoft Guns
Some of the most popular and trusted manufactures on Amazon, known for their excellent Airsoft guns are as follows.
- Crosman: An American based manufacturer, Crosman has produced some of the finest Airsoft guns and pellets. It was established in the year 1924 and is still producing improved versions of its earlier models. In the recent years, it has considerably improved CO2 powder used in guns. Some of their popular models are: Marines Airsoft SR01 Spring Powered Rifle by Crosman, Marines Airsoft SR01 Spring Powered Rifle by Crosman etc.
- BBTac: BBTac has a strong foothold in the market of Airsoft guns due to its many additions in traditional airsoft rifles. They mostly produce airsoft electric rifles in semi and fully automatic settings. Some of their popular models are: BBTac BT-M82 Airsoft Gun Fully Automatic Electric Rifle, BBTac M4 M16 Replica Airsoft Gun M83 A2 Electric Rifle Full Automatic Tactical AEG etc.
So, I hope these brands help you make a clear choice when buying your first Airsoft gun.
Some Airsoft Terms to Keep in Mind
To avoid any confusion, familiarize yourself with some of the most commonly used words in Airsoft’s lexicon. The following are the most commonly used terms in Airsoft that you need to know:
1. Velocity
The terms denote the velocity of the bullet are ROF, MPS and FPS.
FPS stands for feet per second, MPS for metre per second and ROF stands for rate of fire.
The higher the FPS of a bullet, the higher is the impact. For BBs moving at a speed higher than 500fps, the pellet can even penetrate the skin. High FPS are not suitable for Airsoft play.
ROF indicates the rounds of pellets fired at any given time. This is the highest in automatic guns, which fire BBs/pellets continuously
2. Hop Up
To keep the bullet in its trajectory, Airsoft guns use a mechanism to apply a force, opposite to gravitational force. The ‘hop up’ devices that apply this mechanism make the bullet trajectory longer. Not all airsoft guns have these devices but it is recommended to purchase a gun which is equipped with the same.
The hop up device needs to be adjustable so that they can complement your pellets weight (heavier pellets will require more back spin than lighter ones).
3. BBs
They are the ammunition used for Airsoft Guns and are classified according to their weight. They are available in: 8mm, 0.12gms, 0.25gms,0.3gms, 0.4gms or more. Every airsoft gun may not use the same weight and therefore do check which gm is perfect for your airsoft model before buying BBs. As a general rule, heavier airsoft guns mostly use heavier ammo. Airsoft guns for play use plastic BBs.
4. AEG
AEG is short for Automatic electric guns and run on rechargeable batteries. For more information, see Electric or Battery Powered guns under Types of Airsoft guns.
5. Blow Back
Blow Back is a feature mostly in gas powered Airsoft guns. It basically gives a recoil whenever a shot is fired.
6. Close Quarters Battle (CQB)
CQB is mainly a type of Airsoft play where players fight in a short distance from each other. Otherwise indicated, not Airsoft guns are suitable for CQB.
Choosing BBs for Your Airsoft Guns
BBs are the most important part of the gun. Without ammo, what is the use of your gun? Therefore, you need to select the right pellet to get the maximum output from your Airsoft rifle/gun. Here are the following ways, you can make the right choice:
1. Check the weight
- 0.12 gm: They are the cheapest and most commonly found. Only used in low powered airsoft guns. Very low quality wise and should be avoided.
- 0.20 gm: They are also popular and a good alternative for 0.12 gm bullets. Used for low powered guns and for velocity 300-350 fps.
- 0.25 gm: Used for high powered AEG’s and are the heaviest used in a low powered gun.
Significantly > 0.25gm: BBs weighing 0.30 g or more are used for sniper rifles and are only used by experienced players who know how to handle them. They are the best in accuracy and projectile ranges but need to be handled properly.
2. Use the Right Material
Only plastic BBs are used for Airsoft plays and any other material like metal, silica, ceramic etc needs to be avoided. BBs made up of metals like aluminium are not safe for any kind of play because they penetrate skin. Metal pellets are used in Snipers only because they are considerable heavy and cause significant damage.
3. Types of BBs
There are a wide range of BBs available in the market presently, apart from the standard plastic ones. Some of them are:
- Biodegradable Pellets: These are a tad expensive than the normal ones but leave no residue after a game.
- Glow in the Dark Pellets: They are called tracers and are perfect for night Airsoft play. They give a bright green glow when fired.
- Marking Pellets: These pellets leave an obvious mark when they hit your opponent. They are also expensive.
So, this was a compressive guide regarding the ammo used in Airsoft guns. Remember to use good quality BBs from a trusted manufacturer only. If your pellet is defective, then it can explode inside the gun, causing significant to the same.
Things to Keep in Mind Before Buying Airsoft Guns
Before you buy your Airsoft guns, there are some things you need to pay heed to. It is important to make a conscious decision before any buy and you need to be clear with mainly three things before any new purchase. From my personal experience, pay heed to the following three:
1. Usage
You need to be clear about how are you going to use your Airsoft gun. Is it for play? For target practice? or for something else? The important thing is to note is that not all guns that are listed under Airsoft in Amazon are suitable for Airsoft play. An orange band on the barrel’s rim indicates the gun is suitable for Airsoft related play.
Air rifles using metal pellets and having no orange bands are mainly used for pest hunting or target marking. They are dangerous in hands of the inexperienced and therefore beginners need to stay away from those.
2. Safety
The most important thing to note during Airsoft play is the safety. Make sure you are wearing proper equipment or armour before every Airsoft play. Airsoft Masks, Vest, Gear etc are some of the things to wear before engaging in any mock battle.
The built of many Airsoft guns are like real guns and therefore to avoid confusion and panic, it is recommended not to remove the orange tip for your safety.
3. Legalities
Before buying an Airsoft gun, please check your state laws because states like California and New York etc have a rigid set of rules that need to be followed before and after buying any airsoft gun. Every state has a different law for potential owners and therefore please be aware of all the legalities before you buy an Airsoft gun.
Troubleshooting Guide
Your Airsoft guns many encounter some problems due to continuous usage. Even the most perfect gun might run into some troubles but these problems are common and universal. Here is a short guide on how you can troubleshoot some of the common problems Airsoft guns face:
1. AEG does not fire.
First check the manual properly and see if you have loaded the BBs properly. If you find nothing wrong with the selector’s position, battery and BBs, then your AEG might have the following problems:
- The fuse might have blown up.
- Your motor wires are not connected.
- Any component of the trigger mechanism might be damaged.
If the fuse is blown, you need to replace it with a newer version. The positive wire (usually indicated by red) needs to be connected with the negative wire (usually indicated by black). You need to again replace any damaged component, either manually or through a store.
2. AEG makes a loud noise
There can be a variety of reasons for this and the most common are:
- There is a problem with your gear box
- Your motor height is not right
Do not open the gear box if you are sure there is problem with it. Many companies consider warranty void if there are any manual manipulations with the gear box. If there your motor height is too high, then lower the same manually with a screwdriver.
3. AEG has a BB feeding problem
Make sure you are using the weight specified by your gun model. Check if the magazine is loaded and inserted properly. Check if there is any problem with the gun’s ‘hop up’ device. Also, see if there are any blockage in the barrel itself.
4. AEG’s battery gets overheated while in use.
If you feel the battery is getting overheated while using, then immediately stop and replace the battery with a new one. If the problem persists, show a certified gunsmith.