FAQ's

I hope that this will aid in the understanding of what AirSoft gaming is all about. Further, I will try to explain all the acronyms and terms used. I am new to this so it has been a learning process for me but I hope this will help you understand why the kids are so involved in this sport. When I was their age we played Cowboys and Indians because in the 50's and 60's TV shows were very much comprised of western entertainment, such as Paladin, Gun Smoke, The Rifleman, Bonanza and many others.

Basically Airsoft is a rapidly growing pastime involving soft plastic BB's fired from realistic guns allowing kids to playing out military or law enforcement style games using realistic looking equipment and scenarios. It could be as simple as running around the backyard for a few hours shooting at each other or as complicated as a large group of players carrying out full "missions".

Airsoft provides many of the benefits of taking part in a team sport - good physical exercise, the thrill of competition, camaraderie, and experience in working as a part of a team. In addition, Airsoft gaming help develop the ability to work out the tactics and strategy necessary to achieve a goal. Plus if you can't run a 4 minute mile or dunk a basketball you can still take part in competition. It can be a great way to relieve stress.

There are many different opinions about this. However, long before Airsoft, kids played games that involved cowboys & Indians, Sword fighting, or cops & Robbers, it is doubtful that those generations produced any more than their share of violent people. You could argue that supervised Airsoft games offer a good way for youngsters to work off some energy while learning to work together as a team.

Airsoft games are reasonably safe as long as the players use the proper gear. This gear includes; eye protection, face masks and guns that have muzzle velocities below 400 FPS (feet per second). If a BB hits in an unprotected area of the body it may leave a small welt that is not harmful. Our team rules require approved safety equipment, this safety equipment is more important that the actual gun. Several Airsoft fields may require ear protection. A Stocking cap, helmet, or a balaclava can cover the ears sufficiently to meet these requirements.

Technically the term BB should be used to mean the metal ammunition that is used in a regular air pistol or rifle; and the term pellet should be used to mean the lead pellets used in high powered air pistols and rifles. Originally Airsoft ammunition was referred to as "plastic pellets"; however, most airsofters use the term BB when referring to the 6mm plastic pellets used in Airsoft guns. Please note that most Airsoft fields require that those AirSoft pellets be biodegradable to help with environmental issues.

There are three basic groups of popular Airsoft guns; Spring, Gas powered and Electric (battery). In addition many styles of guns are available from hand guns to automatic rifles and everything in between. Beginners are usually advised to start with less expensive spring powered guns, but all of the models, regardless of price or power source, require care and practice. Always pick Airsoft guns, accessories, ammo and protective gear with features that suit height, size and strength and the battles planned.

AEG - Automatic Electric Gun. Are for fast-paced play and come in all types from replica pistols to red-dot enabled rifles.

GP - Gas Powered guns. Several types of gas media are available. From the C02 cartridges, green gas and propane powered containers. Typically Green Gas (none flammable) is preferred but it can be expensive. Because of this adapters are available so that propane gas can be used. Of course using propane gas has inherit risks as it is flammable and should only be used by older children that understand fully the dangers.

SPRING - Spring powered gun. This type of gun usually requires "cocking" to lodge a BB and to fire it. It is a lower velocity than the other powering systems and great for beginners as the cost of this type of gun is usually much lower than either gas or electric powered guns.

GBB - Gas Blow Back. This adds to the realistic feel of a gun. It is found mostly with hand guns. On semi-automatic pistols it will cause the slide to function just as a real gun would by moving the slide back after a shot is fired.

MilSim - Military Simulation. Most Airsoft games simulate a military type operation. These are referred to as a MilSim game.

FPS - Feet per Second. This refers to the speed the BB travels. The faster the speed the further the BB travels accurately over greater distance. Also the faster the BB travels the harder it hit. It is for this reason that most fields limit the FPS to under 400 FPS guns.

AK/AKM - Automatic Kalashnikov/Automatic Kalashnikov Metal. One of the most popular, influential rifles of the 20th century, the AirSoft AK-series rifles (AK47, AK74, etc) are popular among AirSoft players for their power, accuracy, and realism.

RIS - An acronym that stands for Rail Interface System. A RIS is a rail system that is installed on AirSoft guns to give them the capability of attaching upgrades and add-ons to the AirSoft gun by simply attaching them onto the "rail" -- an essential add-on that allows for laser, flashlight, scope, and grenade launcher upgrades.

ROF - An acronym that stands for Rate of Fire: a measurement of how many BB's an AirSoft gun can fire in a given time. Usually ROF is measured in either Rounds Per Minute (RPM) or Rounds Per Second (RPS), which state how many BB's a gun can either fire in a minute (RPM) or in a single second (RPS).

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