If you’ve never heard of airsoft, or don’t understand exactly what it is, here is a good introduction for you.

Airsoft Basics

Airsoft is a sport that involves employing military tactics, command structure, equipment and discipline to create a realistic combat simulation while maintaining and atmosphere of fun and safety for the players involved.

Many people are familiar with the sport of paintball. At face value, the sport of airsoft may seem similar, however there are significant differences that make it an entirely different breed of combat. Firstly, it should be noted that an airsoft pellet is much smaller than a paintball and leaves no discernible mark upon it’s target so the honesty and honor of a player is the number one factor in the sport.

Often people ask if getting hit with an airsoft BB hurts. Standard 6mm BB’s range in weight from .12 grams to .43 grams with most players using .2 or .25 gram for a typical Automatic Electric Gun (AEG). A typical AEG will shoot anywhere between 250 – 400 feet per second (At GMSOG, we limit AEGs to 400FPS). So down to the question of ‘does it hurt?’… Yes, it hurts. Will you cry? Probably not. An airsoft hit has been compared to a bee sting and for the most part that’s accurate… if you get hit on bare skin from relatively close. Airsofters usually wear military clothing and gear that covers most bare skin as well as gloves and safety glasses, goggles or masks to protect the eyes and face.

Airsoft Replicas

Airsoft guns are 1:1 full-scale replicas of real world firearms and while they are not lethal, they should always be handled, transported and respected like real firearms. Most airsoft guns will be delivered from the factory with an orange tip, however in the US, there is no law says that the tip must remain on the gun. Many national-scale airsoft events do require an orange tip to remain on the gun for safety reasons so we encourage players to not tamper with that safety feature.

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