Many on-line shooting game enthusiasts are turning to airsoft gun games as a way of taking their shooting skills to another level. Read on to find out why.

Some background

These types of gun were developed back in the 1980`s in Japan. At the time a real gun was actually difficult to acquire so the airsoft gun was developed as an alternative option for those who were enthusiastic about guns.

So what are airsoft guns? They are non-lethal reproductions of real fire arms, either in the original size or a smaller version. They are divided into three types according to the way in which they are powered. The three groups are spring-powered, electric powered and gas powered.

The first versions were spring-powered. Then came the electric powered guns and finally in the 1990`s we saw the growth of the gas-powered gun. Ammunition for these guns is plastic pellets varying size between 6mm and 8mm. These ‘bullets’ or ‘bb’s` vary also in weight with the lightest being around 0.12 grams all the way up to 0.88 grams. Experts tend to use a bullet weighing around 0.2 or 0.25 grams as they are the best for accuracy and distance.

In the 1990`s fighting grounds developed where groups of gun enthusiasts could gather to indulge their interest in pretend ‘war games’. Here two people could fight each other or teams could compete with each other. As interest has grown in this ‘hobby’ or ‘sport’, rules and game formats have developed along with the guns and gun accessories. Specially designated fight areas have also developed. Commentators suggest that airsoft gun games developed out of the paintball game.

Airsoft Game Formats

There are a number of game formats that you can be involved with including:-

Prison Escape – here you are a prisoner and you have to try to escape with a few other prisoners down an escape tunnel.

Capture the Flag – two teams have their own flag that the other team is attempting to capture and take back to their base.

Other games include – Stalkers, Manhunt and Last Player Standing.

The Rules

Although there are legal requirements around the use of the guns themselves, the rules for the game are more informal but contain some basic universal guidelines.

If the body or gear (but not the weapon) is hit, the player is out.

When hit, the player shouts ‘I am hit’ and raises his arm.

After being hit, the player must go to the safe zone.

After the hit, the players must not talk with each other

Friendly fire counts as a hit.

Safety: Some Basics

For your own safety and the safety of other bear in the mind the following:-

Do not show your guns in plain public view.

Play air soft games in designated areas and not public places like parks etc.

For personal safety wear goggles, a long sleeve shirt, and boots. Do not remove goggles while a game is in process.

When in the designated safe zone always keep your guns safety on. Failure to comply may get you banned from a particular location.

So, are you interested in airsoft games? Enthusiasts offer a word of caution. Soft may be the name, but it is not for the soft-hearted. Are you prepared to be shot or to spend your time dodging bb’s? Still interested? It is recommended that you look for a knowledgeable company who can advise you on the best model of gun for your requirements. There are many suppliers on the internet. Whether you are a rookie or full-blown enthusiast, try to look for a supplier of 2nd Generation Airsoft guns as they will have the most up to date information about gun quality and be able to supply the latest models of gun and accessories.

It all began in Japan, where any type of genuine gun ownership is strictly prohibited. The laws of the country didn’t stop the love of the weaponry, it merely created a space of airsoft guns to live and breath in the community. Instead of shooting bullets, BB’s or plastic balls filled with paint, airsoft bullets (plastic balls) are used to hit the targets.

Unlike paintball guns, airsoft guns can be exact replicas of even the most covert firearms available. In fact, many militaries are using airsoft rifles, pistols and other firearms for training purposes, due to their authentic look and feel.

Now that you’ve got the basics down, you need to know what to look for while shopping for airsoft guns and their accompanying accessories.

First of all, just like with any purchase, you’ll find the best selection and deals over the Internet. But just like any purchase made online, you need to be sure that the company you’re dealing has been around for a while and has a solid reputation. One positive sign is a physical address listed on their website, not just a P.O. box and email contact information.

And while we’re on the topic of the World Wide Web, be sure that the company you choose is secure and that the security of your payment and personal information is one of their primary focuses.

Now that we’ve covered safety, let’s cross the path of the guns themselves. Not only should your dealer have a wide variety of airsoft assault and sniper rifles, pistols and support weapons (like M80s), but also ammunition, clothing, baggage, gear, parts, silencers, as well as any other accessory that you could possibly think of. You need to think a bit down the road, too, for even though one particular weapon might suit your fancy now, you might just fall for something a bit bigger down the road. It would be a bummer to build a solid reputation with one dealer now, only to have to switch down the road.

Finally, the last topic I’ll brush upon is important to me personally when it comes to my airsoft gun. When I was a newbie, I didn’t have the faintest idea how to operate my gun. In fact, I thought it was broken on several occasions. My dealer had (and still has) a troubleshooting section on their website to help those who aren’t airsoft-savvy get through the basics and begin enjoying the sport of airsoft.

Airsoft had its humble beginnings in Asia due to the strict gun laws that severely prohibited the private ownership of firearms in that region of the world. It was in the nation of Japan where it is illegal to own real firearms, that the first Airsoft gun replicas were developed in the early 1980′s. A small Japanese manufacturer of radio controlled car models turned its sights to making replica guns in hopes of finding a market for gun enthusiasts, and the sport of Airsoft was born.

The early Airsoft guns were non-lethal, spring powered replicas that fired 6mm plastic BBs. These early toy guns were made of plastic and simple in design. The spring firing mechanism had to be manually re-loaded or “re-cocked” after each shot causing a meager if un-spectacular slow rate of fire. Without any real design enhancements in the early years of its development, interest in the sport grew at a tepid pace.

The sport slowly gained interest in the surrounding region during the latter part of the 80′s, but attempts to expand the sport to the West were largely unsuccessful. It would be in the early 1990′s that “lighting” would strike, and the sport would encounter its greatest moment of innovation and subsequent breakthrough.

Tokyo Marui, the original Japanese manufacturer that created the early Airsoft spring guns, designed the first fully automatic electric firing system for these replica guns. No longer needing to be manually re-loaded, the innovated on-board electric motor gave the Airsoft gun shooter the ability to fire at will. This automatic rapid-fire feature not only increased the excitement of the game, but also gave the sport its greatest appeal. Automatic electric Airsoft gun owners could now enjoy an exhilarating rate of fire (ROF) ranging anywhere between 600-900 rounds per minute (RPM).

With this exciting new product, Airsoft now offered a universal appeal. The sport caught fire and began to boom. Airsoft spread to different parts of Europe and then to Canada. By the mid-90′s it had officially arrived in the United States.

The most popular of all the Airsoft guns, the most current models have the same realistic look and feel of their real-world counterparts. These guns range from the Desert Eagle pistol model to the “mini” or miniature style AEG’s, all the way up to the stunning Armalite M15A2 full size assault replica rifles. The AEG is by far the most common gun used in team competitions around the world. These preferred weapons of veteran Airsoft warriors and enthusiasts have something to offer every interested player and collector.