Airsoft gun

Airsoft guns are highly detailed firearm replicas manufactured for recreational purposes. Airsoft guns propel non-metallic 6mm pellets at muzzle velocities ranging from 30 to 260 m/s (100 to 850 ft/s) by way of compressed gas or a spring-driven piston. Depending on the mechanism driving the pellet, an airsoft gun can be operated manually or driven either by compressed gas (such as Green Gas, propane, or Co2), a spring, or an electric motor.

Safety concerns
Airsoft is safe with proper care, and designed for children 16 and older. The plastic projectiles from airsoft guns travel too slowly and are too light to penetrate the skin. Though some heavier projectiles made of copper or metal can penetrate skin. Airsoft battles, however require an age of at least 18 in some areas.

History
n 1970s Japan it was illegal to own a firearm, but there was a large interest in them. Because of this interest, manufacturers started to produce realistic looking spring-powered guns. These guns fired several calibers of plastic or rubber BBs, but were eventually standardized into 6 mm and 8 mm sizes. The early spring powered weapons then morphed into gas powered ones, using a variety of systems. The hobby then migrated to North America in the mid 1990s.Then low powered spring guns transformed into Classic airsoft. About ten years after this time, Japan hit a recession just as AEGs, or automatic electric guns, hit the market.

Many old manufacturers were lost, leaving Tokyo Marui, inventor of the AEG, as the primary manufacturer. Marui then invented an improved Hop up system, further improving the accuracy and range of the weapons. In the early 2000s, Classic Army of Hong Kong entered the scene and gradually improved its quality of guns until it now rivals Tokyo Marui. A few years later countless Chinese brands have flooded[citation needed] the market with cheap entry level weapons. For an airsoft gun to be legally imported into the United States, or commercially sold in the United States, it must have a blaze orange (ASTM 875 or brighter) tip.

Types of airsoft guns:
Spring powered: Spring-powered airsoft guns are single-shot devices that use elastic potential energy(EPE) stored in a spring to compress air to launch an airsoft pellet down the barrel of the gun. The user must cock a spring gun prior to each shot. This is typically achieved by pulling back the slide (pistols), bolt (rifles), or the grip on a shotgun, which in turn compresses the spring and makes the gun ready to fire.[2] Because of this, these guns are by definition incapable of automatic or semi-automatic fire. Spring powered airsoft guns are generally not as powerful as gas and electric models, although some spring shotguns and sniper rifles can be very powerful and shoot at velocities of over 500 f/s.

While most electric guns also use springs for propulsion of the airsoft pellet, they are not considered to be in the same category as the single-shot spring-powered guns. Low-end spring guns tend to be much cheaper than their electric-powered equivalents due to their simplicity and lack of electrical components (spring assembly, electric motor, battery, and battery charger) and thus are widely available. These guns are less suited for competition because they are at a disadvantage against automatic guns in close combat and do not provide enough accuracy and power for long-range use. There are some exceptions, however, as higher-end spring-powered airsoft rifles can be quite expensive; these guns are typically suited for "marksman" applications in airsoft matches and provide competitive muzzle velocities. Additionally, pump shotguns are sometimes used, especially in CQB (Close Quarters Battle). In colder weather, spring pistols are more reliable than gas-powered pistols (see below) and even the batteries on AEPs (Automatic Electric Pistols) both of which can be adversely affected by extreme cold.
Automatic electric guns
Electric-powered airsoft guns typically use a rechargeable battery to drive an electric motor, which cycles an internal piston/spring assembly in order to launch pellets. Automatic and semi-automatic operation is possible which gives these guns the popular name "automatic electric guns" or AEGs.These guns often attain muzzle velocities between 150 and 500 ft/s (60 to 150 m/s) and rates of fire of between 100 and 3000 rounds per minute. They are the most commonly used and widely available type of airsoft gun.

These type of guns were developed in Japan and the Japanese company Tokyo Marui dominates the market. In a Tokyo Marui AEG, the motor drives a series of 3 gears mounted inside a gearbox. The gears then compress a piston assembly against a spring. Once the piston is released, the spring drives it forward through the cylinder to push a pellet 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.These guns are powered primarily by nickel cadmium (NiCd) or nickel metal hydride (NiMH) with varying voltages and milliampere hours ratings. The most common battery is an 8.4 V large battery (usually about 2400 mA•h.) Also available are 8.4 V "mini" batteries, which generally have 900-1700 mA•h capacities. Voltages for large batteries range from 7.2 V, all the way up to 12 V. The rule of thumb usually is the higher the mAh, the longer the battery lasts while the higher voltage, the higher Rate of Fire (RoF). Now, however, (Li-po) or Lithium-Polymer are just coming into the airsoft world. These batteries can last long and have higher mAh and Volts while at the same time, being small and light. (Li-po) batteries are usually at 11.1 V and At varying mAh from 500 mAh to 2400 mAh.
Hybrid guns: Hybrid Airsoft guns are the newest type of airsoft guns on the market, debuting summer 2006. Hybrid airsoft guns are basically standard AEGs with a "little extra reality" built in. The magazine is loaded with shell casings, each containing a single plastic pellet. These shell casings can have a small red cap, the same as those found in any child's toy cap gun placed on the top of them. These guns feature an electrically powered, full blowback system and operate on a "round-per-shell" basis such that for every pellet fired, a shell casing is ejected and the cap is fired providing a realistic sound and smoke effect. Since its debut, the only Hybrid guns seen on the market are cheap non-scaled M4 series and AK series guns, as well as M1 Garand, Kar98, and other rifle models.
Low powered electric guns: Called low powered electric guns (LPEGs) to distinguish them from the original, more expensive and more powerful AEGs even though their mechanical/electrical design and operation is similar. They are not to be confused with Mini Electrics (described below). Originally they were only of novelty value, often regarded below spring operated guns due to their construction and low velocities. Since there are spring action guns that can notably outperform the true low end LPEGs and can be found at comparable prices, they are generally considered to be better choices.
Medium powered electric guns: Some companies - like UTG with their popular MP5 and AK-47 models - have improved their quality to such an extent that some models are now considered simply as mid-ranged AEGs that are more affordable but still reasonably effective. Among airsofters, these are commonly called middle powered electric guns (MPEGs). Sometimes, MPEGs are copies or 'clones' of designs by full-price manufacturers like Tokyo Marui[citation needed]. As of late 2008 a small number of MPEG brands such as Echo-1/Jing Gong are considered by many to approach the quality and match the performance of the originals, at less than half the price. "Fully-compatible" MPEGs imitate the Marui or Classic Army originals so precisely that standard upgrade parts will work with them, making it possible to hot-rod an MPEG to well beyond stock out-of-the-box AEG performance.
Electric Blow Backs: Electric Blow Backs, also known as EBBs, are cheap electric guns, mostly modeled after real world pistols, which typically run from four AA batteries or AAA batteries. EBBs generally have a low muzzle velocity and "blow back" like a Gas Blow Back to simulate the action of a real pistol. However, there are exceptions to the low muzzle velocity like the Army Armament R85A1 with the electric blowback feature that can fire around 330-360 ft/s.
Mini electrics :They have a small ammo capacity, usually between 50 and 100 rounds, but they have good range and functional hop-up. Even among experienced airsofters, they are great for target practice and for kids.
Automatic Electric Pistols : In cold weather, AEPs are often considered better sidearms than gas powered pistols, because batteries are not as badly affected by frigid weather. Gases like CO2 and green gas are stored in liquid form and require heat in order to vaporize. A gas pistol at 10°F will usually only get one to two usable shots from a full magazine, and even they will be at reduced power because of the lowered pressure of the gas.
Classic guns : usually older variety airsoft guns which are gas powered. Unlike the gas pistols of today, they can run on either an internal tank using conventional airsoft gas or use an external CO2 tank much like a paintball gun.
Sights: Optical sights are fairly common for use on rifles; mostly red dot sights for short-range use, and telescopic sights for longer-range use.
Magazines

Magazines are usually realistic looking replicas of real firearms' magazines and as such are made of the same materials like stamped metal or high impact plastic. They occasionally feature markings and/or engravings that match or mimic their real counterparts.
- Standard :These type of magazines aren't classified according to their capacity (in some cases up to 500 rounds), but by the fact that they are the standard unmodified magazines originally included with the weapon itself. They are normally loaded by inserting pellets down a shaft, compressing a spring held inside that will later feed the pellets into the gun.
- Low capacity (Low-Cap): ow cap mags hold no more than 100 rounds for AEGs. Low caps are used for players who are interested in a more realistic way than a player who uses mid or high caps.
- Medium capacity (Mid-Cap) : This is a loose category used to describe a type of magazine that has been modified to hold more rounds - usually between 100 and 200.
- High capacity (High-cap) : High-cap mags hold more shots then a mid-cap (about 200-1000), but a wheel has to be wound every 50-70 shots. High-caps are loaded by pouring bbs into the tank and either winding up the wheel on the bottom of the mag until it clicks or operating the mag electrically.
- Real capacity (Real-Cap) : Real-Caps are identical in operation compared to standard magazines, but they carry the same amount of ammunition that the real version of the magazine can carry, which is often much less than the standard magazine, e.g. an M-16 Real-Cap will hold 30 rounds instead of the 68 of a standard magazine. Some ultra-realistic groups require the magazines to be weighted to actual real steel specs, also.

source : wikipedia