If you think you are cut out to be in the military, or believe you can perform all those same skills in real life you perform in video games, consider Airsoft to be your real-life test.  With 1-to-1 scaled replica guns and mock military battles or simulations, airsoft will test your wits, and your skills.  You must have agility, team work, endurance and skill with a bit of luck in each skirmish.  Your team will either band together to defeat the enemy, or fall apart and be destroyed by your opponent.

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Here is a quick description:

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Airsoft is a sport where players engage in simulated gun combat, (not too dissimilar to paintball), with high powered BB weapons.

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The sport of Airsoft originates in Japan and spread to the UK in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Participants use an airsoft gun to eliminate their opponents by hitting each player with spherical non-metallic pellets. A pellet does not mark its target and relies on an honor system as part of the sport. When a player is hit, the person is expected to call himself out even if no one witnessed the hit.

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Airsoft is played on an indoor course or an outdoor field course. There are many game types and styles made up of many scenarios. Combat strategies may involve military tactics and tactical gear equipment and accessories emulating those used by modern military and law enforcement agencies. Scenarios can range from simple to very complex combat gameplay strategies, ranging from short-term battles to longer scenarios. New game types are emerging often, but there are popularly played course and field games.

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Airsoft Basics

 

Whilst many players don’t like comparing airsoft to paintball, it’s the closest thing that can be compared.

Airsoft, is similar to paintball, in that teams of people group together into organized teams at a dedicated and insured field, and shoot small projectiles at each other for fun and sport.

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Where airsoft differs from paintball is that airsoft is much more focused towards military simulation. Where paintball markers don’t always look like “real” guns, airsoft RIFs (Realistic Imitation Firearms) are 99% of the time, modeled after genuine firearms and are almost indistinguishable from the real thing. 

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The players will also, for the most part, be more dedicated to dressing in more realistic military gear, including vests and sometimes helmets, in order to look more “realistic”.

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If you’re reading this, and just seeing it as a bunch of weirdos running around playing with toy guns, I implore that you read on. You will almost definitely know an airsofter in your life, you may not know they have this hobby. You owe it to yourself to not look ignorant to things other people might enjoy.

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The Rules of Airsoft

 

Just like video games or paintball, there are different “games” of airsoft you can play. Such as capture the flag, team deathmatch, last man standing etc etc. We won’t go into these, but it’s important to understand that there’s a HUGE range of different ways the sport is played to keep it interesting.

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Before visiting or engaging in a game or skirmish on our field, you'll need to review and know our Rules of Play & Engagement.

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Safety

 

The first thing to know about airsoft is that safety is the first priority. If it’s not safe, it’s not airsoft. All players must wear a MINIMUM of high-impact rated eye protection (ratings vary depending on country) and most recommend a full-face mask.

Secondly, all airsoft guns are limited in their power (at least in the UK). Airsoft guns capable of full auto (multiple shots on 1 trigger pull) are limited to 1.14 joules of energy on most sites.  Guns that fire one shot per trigger pull are limited to 1.68 joules. Weapons which require “cocking” between shots, such as bolt action sniper rifles are limited to 2.3joules.

To put that into perspective, most paintball markers shoot with an energy between 14-16 Joules.

All guns are “tested” before the games and any guns that are too powerful are not allowed to be used.

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How do you know if you’re hit?

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One of the best things about airsoft is that it’s a sport based on honesty. When you’re shot by another player, there’s no mark from paint, so it’s down to the player and their honesty to call themselves out. Anyone not willing to play properly is not welcome.

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This breeds an incredibly friendly and honest game which is rarely ruined by cheaters.

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What else?

 

Those are the absolute basic rules, but there are loads of more in-depth ones which make the game what it is. Dead players don’t talk (if you’re dead, you can’t give away another player’s position), No Blind firing (it’s not safe to shoot where you can’t see), etc. All of this is covered in the safety briefings at the beginning of the day.

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Types of Airsoft

 

There are a number of different types of airsoft, each focusing on a different aspect of the game.

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Skirmish

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Primarily there’s skirmishing. Simply, two teams of players, shooting at each other through some kind of combat scenario. This is the most common form of airsoft and is how most players get started in the sport.

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MILSIM

 

Similar to the above but focused on Military Simulation. Teams are highly organized, with dedicated command hierarchies and roles, games are usually much longer (sometimes days) and more focused on realism.

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AIPSC

 

AIPSC is a target shooting sport, using airsoft guns to shoot at targets whilst timed/scored. It stems from when in some countries firearms were banned, the original IPSC (International Pistol Shooting Championships) was quickly replaced with AIPSC.