Airsoft 101 (Choosing The Right Weapon)

Suddenly i'm so inspired to blog about Airsoft and related stuff so here goes another:

So you’ve decided you want to get into airsoft, or your looking to purchase your next airsoft gun. You’ve decided on manufacturer, build material type, and price. You visit a few on-line or local Airsoft Retailers and are suddenly overwhelmed by the choices you have. So what do you choose? This guide will help you make the right choice based on how you plan to use your airsoft gun.

The first questions you need to ask yourself is what type of skirmishes will you participate in and what will be your role. Skirmishes’ can range from Urban Combat, to open battlefield re-enactments. Samples of roles you can fill are rifleman, machine gun operator, or sniper. In this guide i will break down weapons into categories, list the types of Airsoft guns that fit those categories and correspond them to Skirmish types. The categories are:

* Side-Arms
* Personal Defense Weapons (PDW)
* Close Quarters Battle (CQB) Weapons
* Assault Rifles
* Sniper and Battle Rifles
* Machine guns, Squad Weapons, and Everything else

The Side Arm

Side Arms mainly encompass handguns (automatics and revolvers). In the real world they are used by law enforcement, military, and security services. They are weapons that you carry in a holster to rely on as a last resort or for very close quarters combat. Airsoft pistols come in spring loaded and gas versions. Airsoft pistols tend to have shorter range due to their slower muzzle velocity. A side arm is best used under 15 metres, although many are accurate at longer ranges. Most Airsoft enthusiasts keep a side-arm at the ready in case they run out of ammo or their airsoft gun runs out of battery power. It should not be your main weapon on the field, but may well be in the CQB. Side-Arms are also great for target practice and teaching proper firearms handling.

The Personal Defense Weapon – PDW

The personal defense weapon (PDW) is a compact semi-automatic firearm. They are similar to most assault rifles but usually have shorter ranges and sometimes higher rates of fire. The real steel is used primarily by security and special ops forces due to their compact size. Many airsoft enthusiasts will argue that PDW can be considered side-arms due to their small compact nature. An Airsoft PDW can make a great back-up weapon (like a sidearm) or can be used as your primary weapon in close quarters combat scenarios (room clearing and urban ops). Though in real life they are not as accurate as assault rifles at longer ranges in Airsoft PDW’s are just as good as most other semi-auto weapons. You may want to consider a PDW if you are participating in urban ops, specifically indoor ops as well as on open fields. This weapon will easily fit into any different environment. Weapon types that fit into the PDW category are:

* Belgian P90
* H&K MP5PDW/RAS/K
* MAC10
* Beretta 93R
* Scorpion
* Tech-9

Close Quarters Battle (CQB)

CQB is the latest buzzword in the airsoft and real weapon communities. This encompasses weapons that are best suited for Room-to-room, between building and confined space shooting. Many CQB weapons are favored by vehicular based soldiers/law enforcement as they provide good balance of maneuverability, accuracy and range. Most CQB combat is incurred by small teams engaging the enemy at close range. Many CQB weapons are shorter barrel variants of the normal assault weapons, and sometimes even include collapsible or folding stocks. You may also hear CQB called MOUT (a military acronym for Military Operations on Urban Terrain). The CQB Airsoft guns are great for the above described skirmish types, but also give you decent range and accuracy in open and woodland areas. If you will be doing a combination of Close Quarters and open area Skirmishes, a CQB would be a good choice. Airsoft guns that fit the CQB classification are (some will also fit the PDW Category):

* M4 CQB
* MP5 (most variants)
* P90
* G36/C
* G3
* UMP
* AK-Spetz

Assault Rifle

An assault rifle is a rifle or carbine offering a Semi automatic firing mode. Assault rifles fit between Machine guns and CQB Weapons, and are the preferred small-arms issued to most modern armies. Many of the CQB and PDW weapons are variants of full-sized assault weapons. They provide longer range and accuracy and are best suited for open area combat, Assault weapons are not very convenient or useful for close quarters combat. So, if you need something with longer range/accuracy and the ability to lay down a lot of fire this may be the airsoft gun for you. Weapons that make great Airsoft assault Rifle choices are:

* M16A1/A2
* XM8
* G36
* AK-47
* M4A1-Carbine
* SCAR
* MP40

Sniper and Battle Rifles

The next category encompasses the longer barreled sniper rifles and older model battle rifles. Most of these rifles are intended for single shot, long range firepower. However, many of them can be shot on full-automatic firing mode. The ability to hit your target outside of his/her weapon’s maximum effective range is the strength of the sniper rifles. If you think you may be assigned as a sniper, these weapons make the best choice for you. Many of the Battle Rifles are usually period type rifles (WWII, Vietnam, etc.) and are great for long range, accurate airsoft shooting. If you participate in any period airsoft battles Battle Rifles will suit your purpose. Many of the Airsoft sniper rifles and battle rifles available have mounts for a scope which gives you magnified sighting power. Keep in mind the sniper and Battle Rifle may be longer and bulkier that most Airsoft guns. This makes maneuverability low, but accuracy is through the roof! The most popular Sniper and Battle Rifles include (but not limited to):

* Soviet Dragunov Rifle (sniper)
* M1 Garand (battle Rifle)
* M14 Rifle (Battle/Sniper)
* M4 SPR Mod-1 (Sniper)

Other airsoft guns that do not fit into any of the above categories are:

* Airsoft Shotguns
* Airsoft Claymores (landmines)

These are specialized and have limited uses. Shotguns are usually used for close quarters battle and room clearing operations. Claymores are best used for base defense or bobby-trapping heavily traveled areas.

As you can see the Airsoft Weapon choices are available for all skirmish scenarios. You may find that you have interests in different types of airsoft play and you’ll need more than one weapon in your arsenal. This is not uncommon in the airsoft circles and acceptable for most players. Recommendations from other players can be helpful too. Veterans of various fields will know what works best based on terrain and skirmish types. Don’t be afraid to ask. Forums are a good choice to bounce ideas off fellow airsoft players too.

Good luck in your selection process. Have fun, safe time on the field!!! And of course, don’t forget your eye protection!