Perhaps the single greatest reason for the surging world-wide popularity of the Sport of Airsoft was the development of the Automatic Electric Gun or what is commonly referred to as the AEG.
These guns are universally fully automatic replicas of real-world weapons, such as the M-16 and the AK-47. The exhilarating lure of these Airsoft guns lies in their wonderfully designed fully automated firing systems. These guns have batteries, motors, and gears that control the firing mechanism. It is this automated system that creates the power needed to support the exciting rapid-fire feature of the AEG.
The automatic electric Airsoft gun system is battery operated. Depending on the model style, this battery is stored in the handgrip or the stock of the rifle. The big, full-stock Airsoft rifles such as the AK-47 use the larger AEG batteries.
The smaller AEG sub-machine gun models like the M4 or the collapsible stock Airsoft rifles such as the MP5 PDW use the mini or stick batteries. The on board Ni-Cad battery in both models drives a small but powerful motor that in turn powers the AEG.
This is where the magic begins with these guns! Merely pulling the trigger completes a simple electrical circuit that causes the motor inside the AEG to start spinning. The motor then begins to drive the gears in the mech box. The mech box action in turn causes the piston to compress and release.
The motion of the piston creates a blast of air that propels the 6mm plastic bb through the barrel of the gun. It is this fully automated process that gives the AEG its most dynamic and desirable feature: a rate of fire (ROF) ranging between 600-900 rounds-per-minute (RPM).
Like their real life counter-parts, the AEG plastic ammunition BBs are stored in a magazine (a detachable part of the gun that holds the ammunition ready for shooting). There are two types of magazines designed for the AEG Airsoft guns. The first is the low capacity magazine or also known as the (Locap).
Usually, every new AEG comes equipped with a Locap Mag. Depending on the model of the gun, the Locap holds roughly 50-70 BBs. The low-end capacity gun models would include the Thompson SMG and the Airsoft Uzi. The second type of magazine is the high capacity mag, also known as the (Hicap). Once again, depending on the gun model, the Hicap mag will hold between 200-600 BBs. A high-end capacity AEG such as the AK-47 can hold a Hicap mag containing an astonishing 600 BBs.
Although the new models come standard with the Locap mags, most of the larger AEGs can be upgraded to the higher capacity units. Designed to be completely like the guns they replicate, these Airsoft magazines can be changed out as soon they are emptied just like their real counterparts.
With its realistic look and feel, combined with a spectacular automated firing system, the Airsoft automatic electric gun, AEG, continues to grow in its persona and worldwide appeal. Gun enthusiasts, collectors, and avid Airsoft players can all enjoy owning one of these amazing replica guns.
