 |
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||||||
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 BBs 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.
Airsoft had its origins in several abortive attempts by the Daisy BB gun company of the USA to market a BB gun that could be safely shot by opposing players at each other. It was known then as "soft air," a name which airsoft is still sometimes known by. The products did not prove popular in the U.S. market. However the sport was transplanted to Asia and gained significant popularity. Most modern airsoft technology developments were created in 20 years of expanding interest in Japan.
Starting with early 2003, Daisy has once again begun marketing airsoft guns for sale in the US, under their "Powerstrike" brand name. This and other models have begun appearing en mass in major brick and mortar distributors, expanding what in the US was traditionally a generally Internet based operation. US-based manufacturers of tactical gear and equipment have also begun to recognize the sport, some marketing products specifically for use in airsoft. On the Internet, the online auction site eBay has noticed airsoft as well, and has created several categories specifically for the thousands of listings of airsoft gear and guns. Popularity in the UK has grown with similar measures.
Modern airsoft weapons can be grouped into three general types by their operating mechanism:
These weapons fire a BB using a simple spring that must be cocked by hand prior to the shot. Most spring weapons are for indoor playing as they have limited range and cycle rates (because they must be hand operated). Typically, spring airsoft weapons 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" 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 guns constitute the vast majority of airsoft 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 beginner. It shoots out a more powerful force. Sometimes stronger that 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.
These weapons fire BBs using some sort of gas. 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 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 muzzle 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 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 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.
Also known as AEGs These weapons 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 biodegradable BBs (usually in 0.20 g and 0.25 g) and tracer BBs (usually in 0.15 g, 0.20 g and 0.25 g);
The muzzle velocity of automatic electric guns are determined in large part by the tension of their main spring and so there tends to be a stratification of values. The most common airsoft velocity limits are between 300-400 ft/s for AEGs and 450-550 ft/s for single shot guns (sniper rifles). Here are some common levels of airsoft gun muzzle velocity.
Unit equivalents
| Energy | Muzzle velocity | Weight | ||
| (J) | (ft/s) | (m/s) | (g) | |
| 0.72 | 280 | 85 | 0.20 | |
| 0.83 | 300 | 91 | 0.20 | |
| 1.00 | 328 | 100 | 0.20 | |
| 1.12 | 350 | 106 | 0.20 | |
| 1.35 | 377 | 115 | 0.20 | |
| 1.46 | 400 | 121 | 0.20 | |
| 1.90 | 450 | 137 | 0.20 | |
| 2.31 | 500 | 150 | 0.20 | |
| 2.82 | 550 | 170 | 0.20 | |
For the sake of a relative uniform standard, the usual BB mass used when determining muzzle velocity is 0.2 g. Airsoft guns shoot 0.2 g BBs at velocities from 100 ft/s (30 m/s) for a low-end spring pistol, to 550 ft/s (170 m/s) and beyond for heavily-upgraded customized sniper rifles. Most non-upgraded AEGs using the Tokyo Marui system are in the middle, producing velocities from 270 to 300 ft/s (82 to 91 m/s), but upgrades to the internal components can increase the muzzle velocity significantly. Because of their low mass, these BBs have very little kinetic energy on impact compared to paintballs, ranging from 0.5 to more than 6 joules (J). A typical paintball at 300 ft/s (91 m/s) produces more than 12 J. This makes the sport arguably safer than Paintball although protective gear, especially for the eyes, is considered a requisite for safe play.
The total kinetic energy of a body (muzzle) can be considered (for non-relativistic mechanics) as the sum of the body's translational kinetic energy and its angular kinetic energy (also known as rotational energy). It's normal to find airsoft - kinetic calculations using only translational kinetic energy to simplify formula use.
An elastic collision ocurrs when two object collide and their natural governing laws "bounce" them off of one another. In another words, an elastic collision occurs only if there is no conversion of kinetic energy into other forms of energy. In Airsoft collisions are elastic since BB's (generally a rigid body) bounce off of their targets. Other examples: throwing a ball into a wall or billiard game ball collisions.
On the other side is Paintball were an impact is generally an inelastic collision because paintballs explode on contact.
The Bernoulli's principle is a physical law that says that if a bullet is given a backspin an overpressure is formed under the bullet and an underpressure is formed on the top of the bullet. These pressures affect the bullet as on an airplanes wings a lift is formed. The bullet is sucked up. If the Bernoulli principle is equal to the effect of gravitation the bullet will fly longer and straight until the bullet loses its energy and the Bernoulli principle stops working.
A significant development that has since been incorporated into almost all good quality mainstream airsoft guns has been "hop-up." This is a simple rubber piece around the chamber or rear of the barrel that is thicker on the top in order to provide a backspin on the BB as it exits. Consistent with Bernoulli's principle, this causes air above the BB to move slightly faster than the air below it, creating a measure of lift. The practical effect of this mechanism is immediately visible and quite effective. Using it can extend the range of an airsoft gun by up to 50%. Some guns feature an adjustment mechanism to increase or decrease the amount of backspin, which allows fine tuning of the lift generate to accommodate various BB masses. Hop-up also means that certain BB masses will not shoot in a relatively straight trajectory from certain guns - the hop-up produces either too much lift (causing the BB to "float" as it flies forward) or too little (causing a premature end to its flight).
Due to extreme similarity between these replicas and real firearms, combined with lobbying efforts from U.S. BB gun manufacturers, some U.S. states and local regulations may prohibit the ownership or use of Airsoft guns. Federal importation laws require all Airsoft gun barrels to be painted with a blaze orange stripe, as must all "toy guns". This measure is intended to avoid confusion with actual firearms.
Many Asian manufacturers of airsoft guns disregard US and international trademark and intellectual property laws when creating their replicas. This is usually manifested as illegally-reproduced trademarks on guns and gun accessories. Some companies have worked hard to work out licensing deals with Western gun makers, but it does not seem to be a high priority, especially in the reclusive Japanese market. Notable instances to this include Japanese manufacturer Western Arms' licensing deal with the Beretta company of Italy and Hong Kong company Classic Army's deal with Armalite to use their trademarks on CA AEGs.
US customs routinely checks for illegal trademarks and even certain patented features, so many airsoft guns imported into the states have trademarks covered by plastic putty or destroyed outright by vulcanization in addition to the application of the blaze orange marking. Many distributors have begun to specifically market "clean" airsoft guns in the US, completely without troublesome trademarks or certain features which have caused legal controversy, such as the "safe action" trigger design employed by Glock in their line of pistols and copied on many gas gun models.
Recently, (as of Fall/Winter 2003) the State of California has declared that the Airsoft replica is not legally a toy, but is classed similarly to an Air or BB gun, and subject to the same restrictions. Blaze Orange paint is mandated by federal law (Dept. of Commerce, 1986, 15 USC Sec. 5001), and Airsoft replicas may neither be used by nor sold to minors. Airsoft replica use is currently banned by the State of New Jersey, the Municipality of New York City, and portions of the State of Michigan. As Airsoft becomes more popular, many reported incidents have occurred where generally younger players have come into contact in public areas with local law enforcement unsure of the nature of the airsoft weapons involved. In the future, these incidents will certainly increase, perhaps with problematic consequences, as airsoft rapidly proliferates in the United States.
The United Kingdom's Home Office advocates a limit of 1 J on all Airsoft weapons. This translates into a maximum muzzle velocity of 100 m/s (328 ft/s). According to the UK Forensic Science Service, a more powerful weapon may result in skin penetration or internal injury.
All participants use ONLY Airsoft guns in their games. These guns must conform to the muzzle velocity limit that your group or country has decided on. Some countries have legal limits on the power/muzzle velocity of Airsoft guns so make sure to check in your area.
All participants MUST wear eye protection! Mouth protection is recommended. Ideally all Airsoft players should have full face masks, long sleeve shirts, full pants, and gloves whenever they play Airsoft. If you plan on playing at any professional Paintball/Airsoft locales then you will have to have a full face mask. This is for legal/insurance reasons and cannot be avoided. It's strongly recommended that anyone that continues to be a problem in terms of wearing eye protection during games be banned from playing with your group. Nobody wants to be responsible for shooting someone's eye out. If you need to clear your mask because of fogging or some similar problem then crouch/lay on the ground with your face as close as possible to the ground and quickly clean your goggles.
If you are struck by an airsoft BB then you are hit and for purposes of the game are considered "killed". This means that you are out of the current game unless you are using special rules (see below). Most times when you are "killed" in a game you have to go to a safe-zone where you wait for the next game to begin. Hits to your weapon do not kill you. If you think that you might have been hit but aren't sure then you ARE hit and you should call yourself out immediately. This eliminates silly arguments during a game. Whenever you are hit during a game you must announce loud and clear, "HIT!" and then walk to the designated safe-zone with your weapon held high over your head with both hands. Be sure to keep your hands and weapon in the air so you aren't mistaken for a player that is still in the game. A player that repeatedly causes problems with calling himself out should not be allowed to play any more.
A Special Note: Eventually everyone is going to experience getting shot after they have called themselves out for a game. The #1 reason people get shot after they are out is because they don't readily identify themselves as being hit. If you don't want to get shot after you call out then be sure to do the following:
Some scenarios or fields use whistles to signal game on/off conditions. A common format is:
A minimum engagement distance is normally established. Before firing at anyone within 10 feets or 3 meters, the attacking player must first call for surrender and the defending player must answer immediately. He cannot find cover and then answer. If a player fires from within the stabilished distance without calling for surrender, that player is disqualified from the game and the kill does not count. If a player refuses to surrender (not encouraged to) then both players may fire. In most instances, if a player is taken by surprise, he should surrender as an act of good faith.
Sniper rifles have a minimum engagement distance of approximately 50 feet or 15 meters. This is both for safety (due to upgraded power) as well as to increase realism. Under this range, snipers must use alternate weapons (backups).
The Following Rules are optional ones that you may or may not want to use in your Airsoft games.
One player on each team can be designated as a medic and this person has the ability to "resurrect" players once during a game, allowing them to return to play. When using medics in your Airsoft games it's important to remember to stay lying on the ground where you were "killed". The medic has to get to you and touch you in order for you to be "resurrected". If you are standing in or on unsafe terrain such as water, mud, broken glass, etc. then you are allowed to lie down near where you were hit so that you don't hurt or endanger yourself.
Sometimes it's beneficial to allow players more than 1 life when playing games. This allows a larger variety of scenarios to be played with fewer players present. For instance a few players with 2 lives each could be defending a bunker/structure from 6 or more attackers that have only 1 life each for the game. This allows the defenders to stay in the game longer. When a player that has multiple lives gets hit he calls himself out as normal but instead of just saying "hit!" he should say "first hit!". This lets everyone know that he isn't dead yet. This player now has 30 seconds that he cannot shoot or be shot at. Any shots at this player at this time do not count. The player can use this time to get to better cover but he cannot use it to run towards an attacker and he is only allowed to get behind the nearest cover available to him. This prevents unusual situations from occurring where a player with multiple lives gets hit and during his 30 seconds decides to run directly towards his attackers and to use cover behind them, etc.
Some people prefer to play that if a weapon is struck it cannot be used for the rest of the game. This prevents people from pointing just their weapon around a corner and firing blindly, which can be VERY dangerous to those playing the game. Obviously, if a player that only has a single Airsoft weapon gets his weapon hit then he is considered "killed" because he has no further use in the game.
If you are playing with people that you trust (i.e. good friends) then you may want to try this slightly more involved system for damage. Instead of a player being considered "killed" if he is hit anywhere on the body this optional rule allows players to remain playing in a 'crippled' capacity as long as they aren't hit in a Vital region. Hits to the Head, Neck, Chest, Stomach, or back are considered vital areas and you are "killed" as normal if you are hit in one of these areas. Hits to the arms or legs force you to not be able to use them until the end of the current game. A second hit to an already damaged arm or leg means you are considered "killed" as normal. A hit limb CANNOT BE USED FOR ANYTHING AT ALL. This means that if your leg is hit you must hop or crawl, if your arm is hit you aren't allowed to brace yourself on it, open doors with it, hold your gun with it, etc. It must hag limp or be tucked against your body. You can see why this rule can only really be used with friends that you trust because it's very difficult to enforce.
Some groups play that head hits don't count in order to discourage players from shooting at each others faces. This is mostly for safety reasons.
In Some cases groups can decide to use only fully biodegradable ammo. This is due to concerns for the environment.
Paintball is a sport similar to Airsoft, but uses a different type of projectile and gun.
|
||||
| View Live Article | This article is from Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License | |
||
