Airsoft Guns

Airsoft is a military simulation sport somewhat similar in nature to paintball, in which players participate in mock combat with authentic military-style weapons and tactics. Unlike paintball, which uses paint-balls as projectiles, Airsoft guns usually use 6 mm spherical projectile (pellet) made typically with injection-molded ABS plastic. The 'weapons' used in Airsoft are generally exact full size replicas of military weapons such as the Colt M16, H&K MP5.

The sport is extremely popular in eastern Asia, in Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, where real arms are difficult or impossible to obtain because of local laws. For this reason the vast majority of airsoft guns, accessories, and aftermarket upgrade parts are made in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Korea. Airsoft has been since made illegal in most parts of Mainland China (the Hong Kong SAR being apparently excepted). There is currently a growing interest in the West again, especially in the United States, Great Britain, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Denmark, bolstered by an active and expanding Internet scene.

Modern airsoft guns can be grouped into three general types by their operating mechanism:  

Spring powered Airsoft Guns

These airsoft guns fire a BB using a simple spring that must be cocked by hand prior to the shot. Most spring airsoft guns are for indoor playing as they have limited range and cycle rates (because they must be hand operated). Typically, spring airsoft guns are inexpensive compared to similar models in gas or electric format because they do not use any external power to assist in firing the BB. The most inexpensive and readily available of any of these are "springer" airsoft pistols, which generally operate by compressing a small piston/spring assembly and simultaneously chambering a BB from the magazine by pulling back the slide every time before firing a shot. Therefore, you cannot shoot fully or semi automatic. Though these airsoft guns constitute the vast majority of guns, there is a large selection of mid-range spring powered rifle replicas on the market, and a handful of high-end precision bolt-action sniper rifles which employ manual cycling in order to drive extremely heavy springs (and hence produce higher muzzle velocities).

Since the airsoft spring pistols are inexpensive, they are suitable for beginners. However, spring guns in the form of rifles are normally not for beginners. A rifle shoots out a more powerful force, sometimes stronger than airsoft electric guns and gas airsoft guns. Some good airsoft sniper rifles also uses spring as the mechanism. The long barrels really boost the speed when firing a shot. Since snipers do not engage in a field combat, airsoft spring guns are suitable as snipers do not need to fire many rounds of shots.

Gas Airsoft Guns

These airsoft guns fire BBs using green gas. Green gas, also known as common propane, is the more powerful of the two, and is used in most guns with metal slides (upper receivers) In modern gas guns, this is usually a diflourothane or tetraflourthane gas, similar in composition to freon. This is a liquid when inside its container, and remains in that state when injected into the magazine of an airsoft gun. When a valve on the top of the magazine is tripped, some of this liquid is ejected as a gas at high pressure and operates the specific cycling mechanism of the gas gun. Gas guns can typically be grouped into NBB (Non-Blow-Back) and GBB (Gas Blow-Back) categories. NBB guns do not feature a cycling bolt or slide while GBB guns have some sort of moving bolt that realistically chambers a BB from the magazine when cycled. Most NBB and GBB guns come in the form of pistols, with detachable magazines that contain both the BBs and the gas. Some rifles and machine gun replicas are gas operated as well, whether to take advantage of the realism afforded by bolt cycling or to allow adjustable muzzle velocities. The vast majority of all gas guns are produced in Japan and Taiwan. Modern airsoft guns typically can use both HFC134 and the more powerful green gas(propane) and HF22. It is usually recommended that the weaker HFC134 be used with Japanese guns and the stronger HF22 be used with Taiwanese models, for reasons of pellet velocity limitations and because Taiwanese models are now often equipped with metal slides rather than plastic (which is universal for Japanese guns), meaning that they can take the higher pressure and may not even cycle with lower-pressured gases.

Many older airsoft gas guns, now out of production, use CO2 or HPA nitrogen through an external tank and regulator. With the advent of electric guns, this system has become very rare, due to the high cost and instability of gas operation. But the level of quality in construction has prompted many current collectors and players to continue to favour these "classic" airsoft guns.

Recently, players have begun to use propane as a power source, which produces similar results to Green Gas. Chemical composition of green gas has been suspected actually to be either propane or a fluoropropene. Additionally, new gas airsoft gun models have appeared that are powered by standard 12 g CO2 capsules, either on a regulated external rig or build into the magazine of the gun itself.

Gas guns generally require more maintenance than an AEG or spring gun. This is because of all the seals and valves required to hold the gas, and keep the gun from leaking. They need to be lubricated frequently to keep the seals from drying up and cracking. A small solution to this is that Green Gas (HF22) has silicon lubricant in it, therefore it keeps the gun lubricated while using it. Gas guns also have certain weather restrictions, they can be used in just about any weather, however the colder it is outside the less efficiency the gas will provide. Also operating the gun in the cold could cause the valves on the gun and or magazine to freeze and not be able to work until thawed out again. That is typically why gas guns work much better in warmer climates. In the long run, gas guns are also more expensive than buying a spring gun or AEG because you must continually buy more gas to power it, and lubricant to keep it working well. As opposed to AEG's which only require lubricant, and a battery which can be recharged many times.

Automatic Electric Airsoft Guns

Also known as AEGs These airsoft guns are powered by batteries and an electric motor, which cycles an internal piston/spring assembly in order to launch the BB projectile. These are by far the most common Airsoft weapons in serious competition use today. These guns were originally developed in Japan, and the Japanese model giant Tokyo Marui dominates the market today with many quality models. In a Marui AEG, the motor drives a series of 3 gears mounted inside a gearbox. The gears then compress a piston assemble against a spring. Once the piston is released, the spring drives it forward through the cylinder to push a BB into the chamber, through the barrel, and forward from the muzzle. Many manufacturers have now more or less replicated this basic model, adding reinforced parts or minor improvements. But it remains the general design common to almost all modern AEGs (with the exception of the TOP machine gun line).

In recent years, challengers to Tokyo Marui from Taiwan and Hong Kong have begun producing AEGs as well, emphasizing primarily on inexpensive metal parts. Classic Army of Hong Kong and ICS of Taiwan, who both have had long experience producing aftermarket accessories and reinforced parts for Marui AEGs, first began with versions of the Heckler and Koch MP5, a model which Marui had produced for some time. Both versions boasted metal receivers and parts, with essentially the same internal design as their Marui predecessor. And both initially suffered from quality control issues which marred their brand name for several product generations. Currently, both companies have begun to branch out in different directions from Tokyo Marui. The ICS M4/CAR-97 carbine features an innovative swing-open gearbox and receiver and an anti-reversal latch disengage built into the forward assist button. The Classic Army CA33E replica of the HK33E is a rifle model which Marui does not produce at all. Quality control has appeared to have improved as well on current models for both brands.

Electric motors generations:
EG560 1st Generation Tokyo Marui Motor. No longer used, except for a specially tuned version in the FAMAS.
EG700 2nd Generation Tokyo Marui Motor. Standard in most guns.
EG1000 3rd Generation Tokyo Marui Motor. Higher speed motor than the EG700 motor, but with slightly less torque. Widely accepted as the best stock motor.