Anyone into Airsoft? (1 Viewer)

I've been wanting to get into paintball for some time now, but I just came across Airsoft guns. The guns shoot small plastic BBs, look almost exactly like their real-world conterparts, most are full-auto, and are battery operated.

I'd just love to get some war games organized using these. Unlike paintball, there is no cleanup and getting hit doesn't hurt nearly as bad (goggles still required, of course). I've been told that in Japan, this sport is quickly gaining popularity. Even heard about people taking over their offices after work hours and having cubicle warfare.

Here's one of the many website that I've come across:
http://www.precisionairsoft.com

Anybody out there have one of these guns, or participate in any airsoft activities?

They are very low power, and not anywhere as fun as a paintball. Airsoft (and other) replicas are popular overseas where guns are illegal and replicas still have that 'cool' factor of a gun since they are almost the same thing, until you pull the trigger (or look at them from 3ft or less .) We here have the opportunity to get the real thing (often cheaper than a good replica) and take it to a range for a quick thrill.

If you want a real rush, enlist, running around in silly googles and gelatin is not the same thing :wink:

here is another link for you Jared.
airsoft

getting hit doesn't hurt nearly as bad

I believe that I actually read the opposite somewhere.

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If it doesn't splatter paint on your target, how do you know when you've got a hit? ... the honor system?

I had an airsoft "phase" from summer of 1999 to summer of 2000. Thousands of dollars were lost in the process.
Anyways, here are some facts about airsoft:

Airsoft isn't just recently gaining popularity in Japan, it has been extremely popular for over a decade.

There are biodegradable BBs available for outdoor play.

Airsoft hurts as much as you want it too, just like paintball. 300fps is regarded as the standard, but you can take it up to around a skin-piercing 600fps, at which point people will tend to refuse to play with you.

Airsoft relies on the honor system. Interestingly enough, fewer people seem to cheat playing airsoft than when playing paintball.

Most of the good, informative US airsoft websites have disappeared. Airsoft in the US probably peaked around 1999-2000, even though prices are now about half what they were then.

Airsoft guns are more realistic than US citizens realize. The gas powered guns often field-strip like their real counterparts. In addition, full-metal parts/kits are available should you choose to take it in that direction.

Members of the Fairfax County Police Department (northern VA) were quite impressed with the realism of airsoft automatic replicas.

Airsoft guns are more reliable and easier to maintain than paintball guns (I had a paintball phase too). Airsoft would also be considered ridiculously cheap compared to paintball expenses. Furthermore, airsoft guns are much more fun to play with.

Most citizens will never be able to legally experience fully automatic fire unless they work in law enforcement or purchase a conversion kit. Airsoft and paintball both provide consolation of sorts.

There is an airsoft club at Virginia Tech, of which I am not a member. Your university may have a club as well.

That's all I can think of at the moment. I haven't touched my stuff in years, but my small collection consists of: HK Mark 23, 2 HK MP5A5s, HK MP5K, HK USP, HK USP compact, Beretta M93R (the RoboCop gun), Beretta M92F, and various others. The natural progression would be to purchase real firearms, but I'm still hesitant because I worry about the ramifications of a stolen firearm. If you'd like more info or have any questions, feel free to contact me.

airsoft was huge in 1995. I took a trip to Japan with my baseball HS team for a tournament there in 95 and a lot of the guys were into airsoft before the trip and hear they could get some good equipment pretty cheap there.

Anyway, we found a little shop there that had tons of stuff and a lot of the guys bought gas powered handguns. One guy even bought a fully auto battery operated mini machine gun.
So the hobby has been around quite a while. I had thought it was phased out since i didn't hear about it much after that but I guess it's still popular with some people.

And they do hurt quite a bit. They shoot well hard enough to give you serious welts.

Well, I meant a firing range

The thing is, I tried paintnball and it seemed like, well, a game. Everybody behaves like it's a game, there is no realism at all to it. There's more enthusiasm and participation in a snowball fight as there is at least a chance of getting a nice black eye

Paintball is like going into a casino that uses Monopoly money. It's just not the same.

Today in the Philippines, they have a bunch of rich brats running around with $500 rifle replicas from Japan altered with powerful motors and batteries for juice. It fires white platic pellets the size of beads. I was lucky enuff to participate in night of what they call S&D. I got hold of an M4A1 replica which was u cannot distinguish from the real one (yes, it even weighs the same), an H&K MP5 and MP5K.
Everybody wears fatigues complete with water bottles, ammo packs and stuff. U also have to wear headgear. For newbies, u r required to wear helmets. Of course everyone has to have goggles or those fine wiremesh facegear. NOw if u ask if it hurts, I was hit on the finger and thighs. The bruising was gone in 3 days. Suffice it to say that when u get hit, u have to say ur done or they keep pelting u which is very painful.
It really is better than paintball..maybe due to fact that teamwork is really needed and u do have to find cover lest u want welts all over ur torso.