Airsoft at Paintball Sports - Top Weapons & Gear
The History of Airsoft
After the Second World War, the airsoft gun, a special compressed air weapon, served as a deceptively real duplicate weapon that was used by the normal rural population of Japan as a deterrent. The airsoft, also known as the softair weapon, aims to replicate various original weapons exactly from plastic or metal. The guns later gained popularity in the toy category worldwide from the early 1970s.
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In some countries such as B. Italy, the airsoft game has already established itself as a sport of its own across the different age groups. In the meantime, the airsoft game is held in special leagues and championships. Today, the majority of high-quality weapon models come from Asia and from the manufacturers Heckler & Koch, Walther and, more recently, Tippmann. According to the German weapons law, fully automated airsoft pistols up to 0.5 joules and, since the law was amended in 2003, semi-automatic airsoft guns up to 7.5 joules are approved for trade and use in Germany.
The game
The popular tactical terrain game Airsoft is played in larger groups, similar to paintball and laser games. The short games are called quickgames, while entire scenarios are played over a longer period of time. Various types of terrain serve as playing fields, such as paths, forests, gravel pits, disused industrial halls or barracks. The aim of the games is to eliminate the opposing parties from the game by shooting hits or to capture a selected object or flag.
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It is particularly important that the teams work strategically and result-oriented. The focus is also on speed, enjoying the game and mutual fairness. The hit players thus indicate a successful opponent's hit with the short exclamation "Hit" and leave the field of their own accord. The eliminated game participants then remain in a "safe zone" in order to demonstrate to participants who are further away that they can leave the game. Shooting is not allowed in the safe zone, so the airsoft guns must always be secured by the participants in this area. Another game variation are different role-playing games. The role-playing games or re-enactments are battle displays that reproduce real military units down to the last detail. The individual players or teams design their complete equipment such as the camouflage pattern and choice of weapons themselves based on their military role models, for example the United States Navy Seals. Since the airsoft guns are an exact replica of real firearms in terms of weight, comfort and handling, they are also used for the actual everyday training of the real military.
Safety in airsoft sports
As a rule, the airsoft sport does not require serious gunshot injuries. Occasionally, however, slight, superficial hematomas are possible. However, the participants must always handle the firearms responsibly and consciously, so the individual players must comply with certain safety rules. A healthy ability to communicate and criticize as well as obedience within and outside of the team is desirable, which is implemented with politeness and cultivated manners. When playing, a safe distance between the shooter and the opponent must be maintained without exception, whereby this distance is determined by the shot energy of the airsoft gun. As a rule of thumb, players should aim for a shooting distance equal to their weapon's joules multiplied by 10 meters. Weapons with an energy of 0.7 joules, for example, may only aim at opponents more than 7 meters away. With a shot power of 2.5 joules, however, the rifle may only be used from a distance of 25 meters. For this reason, experienced players carry a set of handguns and long guns for different combat situations. Special protective equipment in the form of bulletproof goggles and face protection for other sensitive areas are also mandatory in airsoft events. If the glasses have to be removed for a short time, then the game operation is paused for this period.
Complete equipment for airsoft
The heart of the airsoft game is the compressed air gun, filled with plastic ammunition. Additional equipment is selected by each participant according to their individual needs. The majority of players prefer military camouflage suits, ammo vests, holsters, gloves and radios. Some also improve the performance of their weapons with high-quality tuning parts, magazines and sights .
Assortment of airsoft guns
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![](https://www.paintballsports.de/media/content_images/airsoft/airsoft-waffe.jpg)
The range of airsoft weapons extends to pistols , assault rifles and sniper rifles . These are available in versions with spring pressure, gas or electromechanical drive. Due to its low joules, the pistol is mostly suitable for use at shorter distances of up to 20 m. The assault rifle, on the other hand, is used at distances of up to 80 m, while the sniper rifle is played at stages of up to 100 m. The playable distance of the sniper rifle depends on the spring used and the barrel used, so that with appropriate tuning, ranges of over 100 m can even be achieved. It is of utmost importance that these safety distances according to the Joule measure are observed by all airsoft players. The electric airsoft guns are also particularly recommended for airsoft beginners and beginners, as they are very easy to use. The battery also ensures long-term usability of the weapon, even for advanced players. Spring-loaded airsoft guns are also easy to use as another variant, since the ammunition is accelerated by a hand-tensioned spring in the gun. Compared to these explanations, the gas-operated airsoft guns are particularly convincing due to their recoil characteristics and convincing weapon sounds, which give playing with the guns a deceptively real feeling. However, a certain level of experience is required on the part of the user here, since the gas filling takes place with propane gas, CO2 or compressed air and must be adapted to the outside temperature.
Airsoft Ammo
The ammunition used in airsoft are round plastic balls, so-called BB's. The white, black or phosphorescent (luminous) plastic bullets are commercially available in sizes of 6 to 8 millimeters and a weight between 0.12 and 0.48 grams. The average ammunition weight for electric airsoft and gas-powered airsoft guns is 0.20 and 0.25 grams due to their low shot energy. Long guns, on the other hand, use heavier bullets with 0.30 to 0.43 grams for wind-stable flight over a longer playing distance. The BBs can be purchased in bags or bottles in quantities of 2,000 to 5,000 pieces. An environmentally friendly variant are biodegradable bio ammunition balls made of starch, which decompose in the open air within a few months. Although these are a bit more expensive, they also offer the player a higher quality.
Provisions according to German weapons law
According to the German weapons law, fully automatic airsoft guns with a shot energy of up to 0.5 joules may be freely sold to young people aged 14 and over. Pistols and rifles that have a force greater than 0.5 joules must function semi-automatically, ie fire only a single cartridge and shot with each pull of the trigger. These weapons require a minimum age of 18 years. In our online shop, we therefore ask you to provide proof of your age when purchasing the semi-automated airsoft gun.
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The request and explanation for age verification takes place online before the purchase transaction is completed. If the recipient of the goods is someone other than the person in the order address, we will also request proof of age for this person. Airsoft may not be carried in public as an "apparent weapon" or only visibly with a valid gun license. The latter applies exclusively to semi-automatic pistols and rifles. The gun law categorizes toy guns that exceed an energy limit of 0.5 joules as firearms. If there is no valid gun license with an "F" in the pentagon, this would be an administrative offence. In addition, the weapon should be secured for transport, unloaded and in a closed container. However, carrying and using airsoft utensils is always permitted on closed off private property and airsoft fields.
Paintball Sports - Your address for Airsoft
In our online shop you will find a wide selection of all the products you need for a successful airsoft game. We offer top guns and a variety of accessories for every customer request. Choose from the popular models G36, MP5, MP16 and many other well-known weapon types. Our Paintball Sports team will be happy to assist you personally in the shop Monday to Friday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m 9 with advice, product recommendations and support for optimal training equipment.