Airsoft
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Airsoft is a modern combat sport or recreational hobby in which participants eliminate opponents by shooting one another with bb's that are propelled from a gas, electric, or spring powered airsoft gun. Participants typically use varying types of airsoft guns based upon real firearms, as well as tactical gear and accessories used by modern military and police organizations.
Airsoft has its roots in Japan during the late 1950s, where firearms were difficult or impossible to obtain due to local laws; inhabitants sought a legal alternative to firearms and came up with airsoft guns. Airsoft is still popular in several Asian countries, especially Japan, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, the Philippines and Indonesia. The vast majority of airsoft guns, accessories, and after market upgrade parts are also manufactured in these countries.
There is also a growing interest in North America and Europe, especially in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Spain, Poland, Lithuania, Portugal, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Italy, Belgium, which is also visited by Dutch players, as the game is illegal in the Netherlands, Denmark, Chile, Argentina, all of which are bolstered by an active and expanding Internet scene.
Methods and structures of play
Fundamentally, airsoft is a game played within a reasonably large predetermined area where the objective is to hit the adversary. It is generally accepted that when a player is hit, they will declare it. Unlike paintball, which leaves visible marks on clothing, determining hits is usually based on an honor system, this is important due to the fact that you are as much "dead" with a $3 pistol hit as you be with a $300 sniper rifle.
Major game variations
Some of the most common and basic of airsoft game variations include:
Team Death match
Teams of players try to gain the most kills in a match. Teams can take hostages and the hostages can escape or be rescued at any time. The game ends after a total amount of kills or a time limit.
Two teams play against each other and try to take the other team's flag back to their base or own flag.
Last man standing
A free for all game often played with a time limit.
A portion of the players barricade themselves on a hill or relatively open area and the rest of the players are the attackers. On the top of the hill is a flag, and the team that is closest to the flag when the time is out, wins.
Escort
One team has to escort an unarmed person, typicly referd to as a hostage or rescued teamate to a certain location or objective point to win. There is another team who tries to kill the escort or the whole team. Usually the attacking team hides while the escort team travels along a normal path.
Indoor versions of many games. Often played in a house, several houses, or a dedicated airsoft arena.
Total Chaos
Can be played with teams or every man for himself. This is not played one shot out kind of game. You are out when you surrender because you can't handle the hits on your body. This is a mercy game and the type of gun and how much it hurts acually matters.
MilSim
MilSim (Military Simulation) generally combines air soft play with some military live action role-playing elements. Several goals or missions are assigned to each team as a foundation ammo, batteries etc with them for the duration of play; only returning to a staging area or "safe zone" for medical emergencies etc.
Re-enactment
On occasion, airsoft games will be played in which the structure and conditions are designed to emulate a specific real-world battle as a form of historical or modern reenactment, depending on the historical period. This type of play can vary from a simple skirmish emulating a small-scale battle (like that of Pegasus Bridge) to a full reenactment of the Battle of Mogadishu[1] or the Battle of the Bulge.
For earlier historical eras such as that of World War II, equipment restrictions may be imposed on players for some historical accuracy. This may include restricting players to the use of replica firearms that were available during the historical battle. To include players without the correct air soft guns, organizers may set up rules restricting them to semi-automatic fire or restricting the amount of ammunition they may carry (to better simulate firearm performance of that era and ensure equal capability among players).
How closely the historically-based air soft game replicates the historical battle is up to the game organizer. Sometimes a historic battle will merely be inspiration for the structure of a standard skirmish, while sometimes the players may be actual reenactors seeking another way to enjoy their hobby. More recently discussion has occurred on how loosely a game can incorporate MilSim features and still be considered a MilSim game.
Game modifiers
It is often the case that specialized rules are implemented to introduce certain tactical or strategic elements to game play. These can vary widely from game to game.
Examples of popular game rule modifiers include:
- Medics
- Selected players are able to heal the wounded or, revive the "dead" team mates, who must usually stay "dead" in place until they are "healed". Dead players may be allowed to crawl for a certain amount of time to a medic if they were shot in the leg.
- Weapon hits
- Sometimes players are required to switch to their side arm if they take a hit to their primary weapon, in contrast to normal play, where a hit to a player's equipment is the same as a hit to their body.
- Ammo limits
- Restrictions are made on the amount of ammo available per each team, player, base or round of play.
- Immortals
- Specific players are chosen who cannot "die" or die only under special conditions. Another term for these immortals are "gods".
- Mercy rules
- Players who sneak up on opponents, or have come within a close distance of the opposing player (a close-range shot with many airsoft weapons will deliver a very painful hit), are given the option of eliminating them without firing by simply calling out, "surrender" or "mercy." However, some players do not abide by these surrender rules, so it is still an option to "light up" the oblivious player.
Respawn
Respawn is usually used to allow players who have been hit to return to their starting position and re-enter the game. Usually this rule is used if there is a large amount of people, or if the scenario is planned to last for a long time. There can be modifications to this rule, such as the event organizers must be careful not to produce a scenario in which spawn camping can occur.
Safety Precautions
Basic firearm safety applies to airsoft guns the same as it does to real guns. The four fundamental rules of firearm safety are:
- Treat all firearms as if they are loaded and ready to fire.
- Always point the gun away from anything and everything that is not intended to be shot.
- Keep fingers away from the trigger and outside the trigger guard until ready to fire.
- Always be sure of the target and what is behind it.
A direct hit from a BB on bare skin is usually only mildly painful and can leave a welt, but can be dangerous to areas of soft tissue such as the groin. Therefore, a standard of safety guidelines and equipment has evolved in the airsoft community. Like many competitive sports, airsoft inherently involves a certain risk of injury.
Personal Protective Gear
Eye and Face Protection
The minimum safe level of gear required to participate in most games includes a pair of fully-sealing impact-rated goggles to protect the eyes of the participants. Traditional prescription glasses and sunglasses are almost never accepted as they will not prevent serious injury. Goggles not designed specifically for use with airsoft guns may break or shatter upon being struck, causing eye damage. Projectiles that enter the eye at high speeds can cause profuse bleeding and brain damage, which can be fatal. It is important to always wear eye protection while playing airsoft because of this risk.
For this reason many organized groups of airsoft players and fields require that eye protection fully seals the area around the eyes, and also meets or exceeds ANSI's Z87.1-2003 goggle standard for eye protection: the ability to resist 3 joules of impact energy without damage. However, it is not uncommon for players in less organized games to use shooting glasses, which do not provide complete protection from projectiles. Some players will opt for paintball goggles, which are held to higher impact rating standards, ASTM's F1776.[2] It is worth noting, however, that Z87.1-2003 rated goggles are specifically intended for use in industry and manufacturing, and are not for use in sports.
According to ANSI publications as of June 2006, The ASTM is currently developing a more specific standard for airsoft - ASTM Z1535Z - Standard Specification for Eye Protective Devices for Airsoft Sports.[3]
The best overall protection is currently offered by paintball masks. These masks provide an additional level of protection by covering the face, teeth, and ears, reducing the risk of injury to these body parts and the chipping or complete loss of teeth. The lens is a solid piece of impact resistant plastic. Some airsoft masks are made with mesh screens, though these screens do not offer protection from cheaper BBs that sometimes fragment upon impact of hard objects.
Other Safety Precautions
Some other rules such as a maximum BB velocity and distance guidelines are used in different ways by groups depending on their location. For more information regarding velocity limits and BB ballistics refer to airsoft pellet ballistics.
When not actively playing, many fields require "barrel bags," which were first introduced in paintball. Many airsoft guns, especially AEGs, come with small red plastic barrel blockers that fit over the muzzle, but these can be shot off the gun, and don't provide the quick visual check that a barrel bag does. The magazine is usually removed as well, and the gun fired to clear the chamber. Many fields also require players to leave their guns set to the safety position when they are not shooting, even during active gameplay. This is a practice taken from real firearms training, in which one never puts a finger on the trigger or takes the weapon off safe until ready to fire.
Blind Man
One commonly adopted practice is for players to shout the words "Cease-fire, Blind Man" or "Walker" and halt an ongoing game if a player or bystander is seen in the designated gameplay area without proper eye protection, proper eye protection being goggles and helmet. Any player hearing the words must in turn stop and also shout the words, resulting in a chain reaction which halts and alerts the whole game. Once the situation is resolved by properly removing the person from harm, the game is usually resumed at the same point at which it was stopped.
A player is required to keep their face mask/goggles/shooting glasses on at all times. This is basic safety upon an airsoft site and this law is always enforced by the marshal in charge to ensure that all players remain safe and no accidents occur during the gameplay.
Snakes and wildlife
In many areas, some outside interferences from animals occur. The most common in the Southwestern U.S. is a snake occurrence. Snakes, in the Southwestern U.S. offer one of the most significant threats to airsofters. A snake bite, whether venomous or not, can result in infections in the flesh, and damaged muscle tissue. Venomous snakes, such as the Southwestern Diamondback rattle snake, can deliver large amounts of venom in a single bite, which can result in death if not treated. Southwestern airsofters must be cautious of such things as they present the most likely cause of injury when present. Many Californian games institute a "Snake" Call, where a snake, when encountered, is identified and located, and the player or players yell "Snake" as loudly as possible to alert all players of the danger. After a snake has been identified, that section of the field may be marked as out-of-bounds, or the game may be delayed until the threat is dealt with.
Comparisons with paintball
Airsoft was developed in Japan in the late 1980s[4] to provide an alternative for gun hobbyists because local laws prevented individuals from privately owning firearms. A heavy emphasis was therefore placed on making accurate replicas of real firearms. In contrast, paintball was developed in the United States in 1981[5] as a variation of hide and seek tag, through the use of utility companies' paint marking guns, which mark power/utility poles, and continues to focus more on their function than their form or aesthetic qualities. Paintball has quickly gained greater popularity than airsoft in the United States. However, in Asia, airsoft is much more popular and paintball is nearly non-existent. In the interests of a more family-friendly image, paintball as an industry usually avoids direct analogies to the military and war (seen by the movement towards spectator-friendly speedball). Similarly airsoft has taken a dual route, moving away from this (as seen in airsplat) as well as embracing them. This sometimes extends to full MilSim play.
For more information, see Public Perception of Paintball.
Sometimes questions arise on how airsoft players know when they have hit a target, and when they have been hit by a BB themselves. Unlike paintball, where paint splatter clearly identifies hits, airsoft BB's leave no such marks. Furthermore, since airsoft BB's are much lighter than paint balls, sometimes a player can take a hit from an airsoft BB without feeling anything, depending on the thickness of apparel and gear they are wearing. The audible sound a hit can make or seeing a BB bounce off from a player are often used as alternative indicators. However, in all cases, an honor system is required to be used among players. Further incentive to abide by such rules of the game is added by close-knit airsoft communities that often have little tolerance for cheating. On some sites, blatant cheating will lead to players being banned, or in China's case, persecution. In many cases, paintball requires the same honor system, since paintball hits can be hard to see in the heat of battle and can be wiped off by dishonest players.
Kinetic energy transfer is relatively minimal in Airsoft compared to that of Paintball. A standard 0.68 caliber paintball has an average weight of 2.84 grams. Paintball fields limit the maximum allowable muzzle velocity to be 300 feet per second in most events. A paintball projectile weighing approximately 2.84 grams and traveling at 300 feet per second transfers approximately 11.8 joules of energy. Although there is a considerable difference between airsoft and paintball energy levels, the type of collisions that occur must also be considered (refer to Airsoft Pellets for more information). However, most serious airsoft players have guns capable of shooting anywhere from 400fps to nearly 800fps. Airsoft fields usually have rules determining which player position is allowed to have a specific velocity on their guns. This makes the game much more realistic as an airsoft pellet with a velocity of 450 fps will travel much further than a standard paintball, that plus a hop-up, a device which puts backspin on the ball to keep it on a straight path, while giving a slight arc to the projectile, gives an airsoft gun much more range than a paintball gun.
To a new player choosing between airsoft and paintball, a beginning package for either is roughly equivalent in terms of apparel and cost. One major difference, however, can be seen in the cost of ammunition and upkeep of the packages - due to the type of ammunition used, airsoft guns are less prone to "jamming", and airsoft BBs are considerably cheaper to manufacture than paintballs.
There is considerable debate between players of the two sports over which is preferable, though overall the two communities function separately. Many players tend to like airsoft more then paintball due to airsoft being an overall cheaper sport.
Legal issues
Airsoft guns and playing airsoft is legal in many parts of the world, but not all. Some countries have specific restrictions such as maximum muzzle energy, rules against using the trademarks of real firearms, and special marking requirements (such as brightly colored barrel tips). This can sometimes draw airsoft into the "gray area" of law, where airsoft gun occupies a niche in between toy guns and firearms.
Hazards of being mistaken for a real firearm
There have been many cases of airsoft guns being mistaken for real firearms, and some cases where armed law enforcement units have responded to tips of unlawful firearm use. In rare cases, individuals have also been mistakenly shot by police officers after failing to yield to warnings because of airsoft guns' focus on realistic weapon reproduction. This is the main reason that laws require orange tips to be present on all "toy guns" (including airsoft replicas) imported into the United States. However, the effectiveness of such measures remains open to debate, because these tips can be easily removed or painted away. Furthermore, their use means that criminals can attempt to disguise real firearms as toys by painting the tip of the barrel orange. A measure that is often employed by airsoft players is informing local law enforcement officials where and when airsoft games will take place, so that such misunderstandings can be avoided. The worst known case occurred in Longwood, Florida when 15-year-old Chris Penley threatened students with an airsoft pistol at his middle school and was subsequently shot dead when he aimed it towards an officer. The orange tip mandated by US Federal law had been painted black.[6]
In many jurisdictions, using an imitation firearm to commit a crime (which often includes the generic term of "brandishing") carries the same penalty as if a real firearm were used. Also it has been debated that Airsoft could be used to commit acts of vandalisim, or in a robbery.
As a general precaution, airsoft guns should always be handled and transported as if they were real fire arms. They should be kept in a carrying case when not in use, never brought out in public, and the orange tip should not be removed at all, unless on private property and allowed by law.
Airsoft in schools
Perhaps the most common legal issue involving airsoft guns in the United States involves possession in schools. The punishment can depend on the intention and use, but common actions include a temporary suspension or permanent expulsion(usually expulsion).
Airsoft equipment
Airsoft equipment encompasses many types of equipment used in the sport of airsoft, including the airsoft gun used to shoot airsoft pellets at opponents, safety goggles, and all sorts of tactical gear including vests, equipment holders, and gun accessories.
Airsoft guns
The guns used in airsoft are typically replicas of real firearms. Airsoft guns can be divided into three groups based on their power source: spring, electric, or gas-powered.
The choice of airsoft guns is determined by either the performance, such as battery life, power, range, pellet magazine capacity, or the realism required: players might want to recreate a specific military force with the correct clothing and equipment. The first airsoft guns, now known as classic airsoft, were powered by an external gas tank.
- Spring guns, also known as "springers" or "springs" and a variety of different names, are guns which must be cocked every time before shooting. The price can range from a few dollars for a cheap pistol to several hundreds of dollars for a sniper rifle. These guns also require no battery. This makes the gun cheaper and more reliable. However, there is some debate that AEGs are more powerful than springs. Normally, a good deal on a spring rifle is around $70-$90 or a good spring sniper tends to be over $100. A spring also runs more efficiently on heavier bb's such as .25 or .28 bb's.
- Electric
- Automatic Electric Guns, commonly known as AEGs, break down into three categories: Low-Powered Electric Guns, LPEGs, Mid-Power Electric Guns, MPEGs, and regular AEGs. AEGs are the most common high price range airsoft guns because of their high rate of fire and the convenience of automatic fire without the need for gas. AEGs vary greatly in rate of fire, range, accuracy, and price, but are generally very well made. AEGs can be upgraded depending on the type of gearbox in an airsoft gun. A gearbox houses the motor, gears, spring, and piston which drives the BB through the chamber and out of the gun. Gearboxes are either plastic, or metal. Metal gearboxes are upgradable, and can be fitted with newer, sturdier, and more powerful motors and pistons. Plastic gearboxes are used in very low cost AEGs and most LPEGs. They are not upgradeable, as the entire gearbox must be replaced in the case of malfunction. Many times, an airsoft player will upgrade their gun, as an airsoft gun purchased from the retailer is not always at its full power.
- Mini-Electrics are a small, automatic, battery powered airsoft gun, which are minturized models of real firearms and usually use AA batteries. They generally have shorter range, poorer consistency, and much slower rate of fire than other types of airsoft guns. They usually gauge around 100fps to 150fps in speed and are commonly used indoors because their power is low enough that it will not put marks on walls.
- Gas guns are typically powered by green gas, CO2, or HFC-134a. Gas powered airsoft guns are generally the most realistic in terms of their operations, since they replicate the blow-back action of real firearms. However, in colder climates, gas airsoft guns can be inconsistent in terms of muzzle velocity due to low air temperatures.
Appearance
Some of the most popular airsoft guns are replicas of the real firearms like the M4/M16 or AK-47 series.
Many airsoft guns can also be fitted with accessories designed for their real counterparts, such as foregrips and receivers. However, it should be noted that no airsoft gun can ever be fitted to shoot real ammunition, The design of the replica is not able to survive the heat generated from a real fire arm's operation.
Airsoft guns have three general classifications depending on their use in the game. These classifications are generally dependent on the speed of the BB’s and energy generated. Close Quarter Battle, CQB is a type of situation used to simulate close combat such as house entry and ranges of 20 feet or less. The airsoft guns used in these scenarios typically fire less than 300 FPS for safety reasons and the participants wear appropriate clothing. Most airsoft guns typically fire 200-450 FPS, since they are used outdoors for most operations, balancing good speed and range with energy generated. A sniper rifle is typically fires over 350 FPS. These generate greater range and consequently energy giving somewhat sniper range in a close game. As a general rule they are not used at ranges less than 50 feet for safety reasons.
Manufacturers
Some of the main airsoft manufacturers include:
- Tokyo Marui
- KSC
- Maruzen
- Marushin
- Tanaka Works
- Systema
- PDI
- Laylax
- Classic Army
- Cybergun
- UTG
- ICS
- Echo1/JG
- Madbull
- Deep Fire
Airsoft projectiles
Most airsoft models use plastic projectiles (BB's) ranging from 0.12 to 0.88 grams in weight, though the most popular weights are between .12 and .25 grams. It is important to look at the box first to see what kind of ammo to use. The BBs are usually 6mm in diameter, but some guns shoot 8mm BBs instead. There are also small paintball pellets available for airsoft guns; although they can prevent cheating, they are prone to breaking in the gun, jamming in the gun, not breaking when hitting the target, and damaging components of the gun which will need repairs to function correctly. While airsoft projectiles are often called BBs, the BB gun is so named because it originally fired BB-sized shotgun shot or metric ball bearings of .177 caliber (steel BBs are actually .157 inches (4 mm) in diameter). The price of medium grade pellets are from $6 (being a container of about 2000) to around $20 (being a large tub of about 10,000) USD. Most BBs are seamless and come slightly lubricated with a silicone spray.
Airsoft hop-up devices apply a backspin to the pellet so that the pressure force acts on the pellet opposite to the direction that gravity is pulling it. This causes the pellet to fall less over a given distance than it would without the spin applied to it. The hop up can usually be adjusted, as heavier pellets made of denser plastic, such as pellets weighing .25 grams or more, require more of a backspin in order to counter attack forces of gravity. If hop up is adjusted accurately, it can ensure a completely straight trajectory for the projectile. This increases range and accuracy significantly. Most cheap airsoft guns don't come with this f
Clothing
Most players typically wear BDUs consisting of separate pants and shirts or jackets when playing, because it not only provides protection against the impact of the plastic pellets, but also, just as with real soldiers, helps conceal oneself from opponents, and also says something about the individual that is different from player to player. Some participants also aim to faithfully replicate one or other military force by their choice in clothes, equipment and weapons.
The choice of camouflage pattern of the BDUs are normally determined by which pattern suits an area best or simply by what is locally available. Typically military surplus stores are a good source for such items and in the U.S. this is normally in the "American Woodland" camouflage pattern, but recently MARPAT, as used by the United States Marine Corps, and the ACU (as used by the United States Army have also become popular choices in North America, although German Flecktarn has also been making a move for the non-traditionalist player(s).
A pattern known as multicam, a computer-created design that fits into most environments with ease, has become increasingly popular in Southern California for both it's camouflaging abilities, and it's prestige. However, it is relatively expensive.
Similarly in Europe their local military uniforms are more readily available and probably more suitable to local conditions. Popular patterns include the German Flecktarn, British DPM, or Swiss alpenflage
Tactical gear
It is fairly common for players to wear tactical clothing such as vests and holsters using the MOLLE or ALICE and the British PLCE systems. Drop-leg and belt holsters are also quite common. Although most gear used by airsoft players looks realistic, sometimes gear is made with low-quality materials. Although this replica-style gear typically is much cheaper, durability can be largely sacrificed. Airsofters also go for military-style helmets, such as the kevlar helmets. Others may look for paintball masks.
Along with vests, holsters, and magazine holders, other gear utilized by real soldiers in the field is often employed by airsoft players. One such example is the Camelbak system, best described as a canteen worn on one's back with a "bite valve" on the end of a hose that leads to the player's mouth that allows drinking on the move. Other pieces of equipment used by airsofters are carrying handles or vertical grips, as well as gun modifications such as a telescoping stock or rail accessory system.
Most players carry multiple magazines per game. Realistic-capacity holds the exact amount of ammo that the real firearm counterpart holds. Low-cap, or standard, holds more that realistic-cap, but less than mid-cap; low-cap is spring driven. Mid-caps hold around 100 rounds per mag. Mid-caps have longer springs, but after many uses, the springs get weaker and they do not feed as well. High-capacity magazines carry more ammunition than standard magazines, generally two to eight times more, although, in some instances, this amount may be higher. For example, a standard magazine on an AK-47 replica holds around 68 BBs, while a high-capacity magazine on can hold up to 600 BBs and a drum magazine can carry up to 3000 BBs. High-capacity magazines generally do not feed as efficiently as standard magazines. While standard magazines use a spring under constant tension to feed BBs into the airsoft gun, high-capacity magazines must be wound up after a few dozen rounds are fired to keep the loading spring under enough tension to fire the gun. For some players, this not only can be an inconvenience, but also can reveal their position with the clicking sound and rattling noises made from winding the magazine and the BBs inside the magazine. Some of this can be solved by using magazines made by high-end companies which only require one to two extra winds to empty 300 rounds. A few, such as the Tokyo Marui P90's magazine, need only one wind to fire all their rounds. Another useful solution is to utilize an automatic winding mechanism.
Pyrotechnics
Some airsoft sites allow the use of pyrotechnics, which are small explosive-driven replicas of ordnance such as grenades. There are several types: BB grenades which fire out BBs to replicate the shrapnel of a fragmentation grenade; smoke grenades which provide cover to move and fire from behind; and flashbangs/thunderflashes which lets out a very bright light, sometimes accompanied by loud sound, for the purpose of disorientating the opponent.
Other equipment
A large amount of equipment exists for real world soldiers which is also usable in airsoft games. Military surplus stores can provide many items currently issued to the player's country but many airsofters go further and purchase other equipment that may have been used by a soldier or private military contractor. Some common examples are scopes, flashlights, picatinny Rails and holsters. Equipment is generally for increasing combat efficiency, but can be used to provide enhanced realism.
Gun cleaning and upkeep
The upkeep of airsoft guns is very important to keep working properly. A common practice with electric airsoft guns is to fire the gun 2 times in semi-auto after the player is done using it for the day. This releases the spring's tension and can prevent future repairs. When the gun was shot in fully automatic mode, the spring may be stuck between the fully compressed position and the fully relaxed position. Failure to do this may eventually reduce the velocity of a gun and could possibly require a spring replacement.
After lengthy play, it is important that guns be cleaned. Use regular barrel swabs with silicone oil. Using the swab side of the jamming rod provided with the gun, gently slide it down the barrel and back up. Replace the swab and repeat until the swab comes up clean or light gray.
As for the rest of the gun, open up the hop-up and spray some silicone in there along with the mag well and just make sure to wipe the gun down to remove any dirt. WD-40 or any other non-silicone based lubricant or cleaner should not be used to to clean gun,, as these can damage the gun and possible void the warranty. Silicone oil can be bought from any airsoft store and is the safest thing with which to clean the gun. Proper maintenance will insure that the gun will stay in top performance and reduce the possibility of malfunction.
Airsoft on the internet
Like paintball, airsoft has become popular enough so that many merchants and vendors have become interested in selling their products online. Because airsoft guns are not classified as firearms, they are not illegal to sell online and anybody can buy them (as long as they have access to a means of payment). Because of airsoft guns and gear being available online, they are more accessible to the public and much easier to buy. Whether the easy accessibility to airsoft guns has contributed significantly to its popularity in the United States or any other country is unknown, but it is definite that online stores have had some impact on the airsoft community.
Controversy
The easy access to airsoft stores has stirred up some controversy. Because of the anonymity of the Internet, children under the age of 18 can buy airsoft guns without much difficulty. Most websites accept PayPal and credit cards, and although these payment facilitators claim that users must be 18 years or older to use them, it usually very easy for anyone to get access. Some retailers even accept money orders, which are accessible to virtually anyone.
See also
- Airsoft guns
- Airsoft pellets
- Classic airsoft
- Airsoft Safety
- Legal issues in airsoft
- Airsplat
- List of Airsoft Manufacturers
- Paintball
- Airguns
- BB gun
- Spies and Mercs
- Laser tag
References
- ^ Operation Irene: http://www.oplionclaws.com/irene/irene-index.php
- ^ ASTM F1776 standard for paintball goggles: http://www.medem.com/MedLB/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZD5TRRSKC&sub_cat=32
- ^ ASTM Z1535Z: Proposed standard for airsoft eye protection: http://public.ansi.org/ansionline/Documents/Standards%20Action/SAV3723.pdf (see page 12)
- ^ History of Airsoft: http://www.practicalairsoft.co.uk/history.asp
- ^ The Origins of Paintball: http://durtydan.paintballresource.org/www.durtydan.com/ddpis/3origin.html
- ^ The real problem with fake guns: http://www.recordonline.com/archive/2006/03/19/news-ralfakedraft2-03-19.html
External links
- Articles needing cleanup from December 2006
- Cleanup tagged articles without a reason field from December 2006
- Wikipedia pages needing cleanup from December 2006
- Wikipedia articles needing copy edit from May 2007
- Articles lacking sources from May 2007
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- Outdoor locating games
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