Thursday, August 27, 2009

5 Things Should Know About The Game of Airsoft

Airsoft is a game that has a steadily growing following. Many people enjoy playing Airsoft even more so than playing Paintball. The games are similar, but with Airsoft, you can easily simulate military activity or war games.

This is the appeal of the airsoft game for many of its fans. It's pretty simple to get a game of Airsoft going, and it doesn't cost a whole lot considering the level of simulation that you can achieve. The game is only really appropriate for older teens and adults. It is not recommended for younger children as it is too violent and can possibly hurt them.

1. First you need to find a large space for play. You cannot play Airsoft in a public park no matter what time of day it is. Public parks and public property are not safe places to play Airsoft; you can easily injure a small child or domestic animal. Your space should be on private property that you have express permission to use like a paintball or Airsoft field. Places with a lot of natural elements like trees, bushes, abandoned buildings and creeks provide interest for your game play.

2. Next you want to develop your skills before you get your Airsoft game going. You can buy a gun from a local sports goods store in your town or buy one online. The right gun for you is key, and you might want to try practicing with a both a long range gun (ex. a rifle) and a short range gun (ex. a pistol). Guns are available in all popular gun styles on the market today and you can choose to buy a spring gun, gas gun or electric gun. Guns cost between $70 - $300.

3. Start practicing and get good. When you buy your gun, buy some paper targets as well. Practice shooting in a large area and practice until you develop some good accuracy.

4. Once you've developed some good accuracy, you can start getting ready for serious Airsoft play. You will have to spend a few more hundred dollars on the accessories you're going to want to use like silencers, laser pointers, gun carriers/vests, ammunition, and scopes. Your accessories purchases are mostly based on your personal preference. The only accessories you really need is ammunition.

5. Lastly gather your other players together and decide how you'd like to play. Some exciting Airsoft games to play include simulating search and rescue missions, simulating team ambushes and war games, hunting and tracking games, and shoot to kill simulation. Once you've agreed on your game, you should all establish all the rules up front. Once you've done all this, go ahead and play.

Keep in mind that Airsoft is not a game for everyone. The pellets can cause pain if you are struck with one and the pellets will usually leave welts on the skin. Many avid players feel that Airsoft pellets cause no real damage or bruising, but everyone's experience is going to be unique. Airsoft can feel very serious for some people and hunting and shooting others can be a disturbing experience for you even if it is all in fun, so you might want to start off small before you organize a big game.

For good safety tips please go to:
Airsoft Satety Tips

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Learning About Gas Airsoft Rifles

Many people say that gas airsoft rifles are the best kind of gas airsoft guns, others declare that they are the best kind of airsoft gun period. Whatever people think about them though, gas airsoft rifles are a very popular addition to any airsoft enthusiast’s collection. So if you are wondering if these guns are right for you, here are some great advantages and features of this popular airsoft weapon.

The Advantages of Gas Airsoft Rifles

One of the great things aboutgas airsoft rifles use a gaseous propellant as their power, which is loaded directlyinto the magazine. Gas airsoft rifles are powered by either CO2 or Green Gas, never needing batteries or chargers to allow for maximum game time. Many gas airsoft rifles also have a blowback feature which only increases their level of realism for the user. Gas airsoft rifles will definitely transform you into the powerful player on the field, whether you play in airsoft wars, paintball ( 6mm paintballs will fire in your airsoft gun), or simply target practice. Once you’ve used and handled a gas airsoft rifle, you’ll understand the insatiable appetite that airsoft enthusiasts have for gas airsoft rifles.

Features of Gas Airsoft Rifles

As mentioned above, many gas airsoft rifles are full metal, making them a much higher quality than many lines of plastic spring airsoft guns. Gas airsoft rifles have more moving parts than other types of airsoft guns, have an optional hop-up system, and can be adjusted just like a real gun. The best part of gas airsoft rifles though, is that these guns offer the most intense, realistic action of all the different kinds of airsoft guns. Not only that, but gas airsoft rifles are typically full metal, and high quality, they shoot with great accuracy and speed, and have a level of power that is unmet with other kinds of airsoft guns.

All airsoft guns must be shipped with a 1/4″ blazing orange tip, no exceptions, it’s the law. Although gas airsoft rifles look more like the real style of gun than any other, rest assured. There is no way to transform a gas airsoft rifle into an actual shooting deadly weapon. It is merely a toy enjoyed by enthusiasts all over the world.

Monday, August 24, 2009

New Airsoft Training Helps Kansas City Police

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City police said SWAT training helped them handle Monday's incident in which a man called and threatened to shoot everyone inside a local Walmart.

The Police Department said the airsoft training was thanks to a donation by an area business owner. The business owner, Brent Lambi, was given a certificate of appreciation. Thanks to a $10,000 donation, the department was able to purchase 36 Airsoft guns and 70 training weapons.

At a Police Board meeting on Tuesday morning, officials acknowledged how updated airsoft training helped them to better handle gunmen in heavily populated areas,

Situations like the Ward Parkway shooting spree in 2007 sparked the idea for the training. When an officer went outside of his normal training to stop a gunman at the Ward Parkway shooting, police said it changed the way they did things and sparked a new shooting course.

Officers said it paid off on Monday when there was the potential for another violent incident after a man threatened everyone inside the Northland Walmart. Police did not find a gunman at the store, but they were prepared becuase of the airsoft guns and training they had.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Soldiers test integration of popular civilian airsoft game into pre-deployment training

FORT JACKSON, S.C. -- What began as a popular form of civilian entertainment is being tested on Fort Jackson as a possible new way to train Soldiers preparing to head to a combat zone.

The 187th Ordnance Battalion is operating a pilot program designed to test the feasibility of using Airsoft weapons to train Soldiers to cope with real-world combat situations such as forward operating base operations and force protection.

Airsoft weapons are replicas of their military counterparts, but fire plastic pellets instead of bullets. Airsoft is widely used by civilians who enjoy organizing military simulations and historical reenactments.

Training cadre with the unit are finding that Airsoft is an ideal way to teach Soldiers valuable lessons about combat.

"It gives them more realistic, outcome-based training," said Sgt. 1st Class Richard Hunt, module chief for the battalion. "Now they know when they get hit during a training exercise."

The battalion has been using Airsoft weapons since the spring at its field training site where soldiers learn basic combat tactics in an urban environment. Like Hunt, all of the cadre at the FTX site are combat veterans. Hunt said the Airsoft weapons give the training another level of sophistication and realism that is hard to attain with other training tools such as the Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System, which has been in use for years.

Soldiers at the site practice reflexive fire and other tactical skills while armed with airsoft M4, M9 and M249, the airsoft guns weapons they most likely will use in combat. While practicing tactical movements, such as clearing rooms or exiting a vehicle in an ambush, the Soldiers come under fire from Airsoft guns weapons. The feedback is instant if a Soldier makes a mistake.

"I got hit and it stung a little bit," Pvt. Joshua Kolometz said after undergoing reflexive fire training. "This gives you a realistic feel of what combat will be like."

That's exactly what the Airsoft gun training program is intended to impart, said Company B's 1st Sgt. Chris Arnold. "This has a huge impact on training realism," Arnold said. "If you make a mistake during training, you know you've made a mistake."

Maj. Benjamin Kratz, the battalion's executive officer, said data is being collected on Fort Jackson's Airsoft gun pilot program so that it can be determined if it should be implemented Army wide.

Kratz said initial data shows that Airsoft ammunition is much cheaper to use in training than the traditional blank ammunition used with MILES or equipping weapons with specially-designed bolts to fire paintball rounds. Kratz said one blank M-16 round costs as much as 32 Airsoft rounds. The Airsoft rounds used on Fort Jackson are biodegradable, which is a benefit over using traditional blank rounds.

"We go through a lot of blank rounds here on Fort Jackson," Kratz said. "What the data doesn't show yet is how long the Airsoft weapons last and how much the replacement parts and other ongoing costs are."

Kratz said the Airsoft training so far has accomplished what was intended.

"This is the last stop before Soldiers go to their gaining units downrange," he said. "What they learn here will save lives."