Although the sport of Airsoft had its beginnings in the early 1980s, the sports popularity began to take off in the early 90s when the first automatic electric guns (AEG) were developed and produced.

The premier manufacturer of the AEG is a Japanese company known as the “Godfather” of Airsoft called Tokyo Marui. With its primary market obviously in Japan, its high quality products are sold worldwide through a number of third party retailers.

TM originally manufactured radio controlled hobby cars, and was a leading player in the model car industry before turning their attention to designing and manufacturing Airsoft guns.

TM is highly regarded as the industry standard in terms of quality and craftsmanship when it comes to the AEG. Their products are recognized for several well-known characteristics. TM AEGs are the high water mark for very realistic replicated looks. If not for their orange tips, these guns would be hard to differentiate from their real life counterparts such as the AK-47, the M-16, and the FAMAS F-1.

These AEGs primarily have an ABS plastic body and are especially noted for their high quality construction. Batteries that are rechargeable, and which when drained can easily be replaced by a recharged unit power them. All the TM AEGs are fitted with their patented metal mech-box and known for their great reliability.

One of the most exciting features of the TM AEG is the ability to upgrade these wonderful Airsoft products. Along with Tokyo Marui, there are several other high-end companies producing dozens of different automatic electric Airsoft models with a full line of accessories and upgrades. The AEG is the most customizable of all the Airsoft guns, giving its owners the sense of designing their own unique weapon.

The performance of an AEG is often measured by its accuracy, shot velocity, distance, its operating time, and perhaps most importantly, its rate of fire (ROF). To enhance these elements, there are upgrades available for most of the critical parts of the AEG.

This would include several different types of batteries that produce more power and upgrades to the AEGs internal mechanisms such as motors, gearboxes, bushings, and gears. External upgrades include enhancements to the scopes, barrels, stocks, and sights.

Perhaps the only prohibitive characteristic of the AEG is their overall price. Before adding upgrades, the base price of a new AEG is roughly between 200-400 U.S. dollars, depending on the model. Upgrades can be somewhat pricy, possibly costing several hundred dollars as well. Batteries alone can run around 45 to 50 U.S. dollars not including the charger that is needed.

There are several different types of Airsoft guns that are less expensive than the AEG. A low-end spring gun can be purchased for as little as 20 dollars.

Although there are less expensive Airsoft guns, interested buyers should keep this perspective in mind: No other product can match the exhilarating excitement and thrill of owning one of these fabulous automatic electric Airsoft guns!

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.

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.