Airsofts are life-size replicas of real firearms including revolvers, pistols, snipers and rifles. Generally made of plastic, or plastic and metal, and you can also get metal airsoft guns. They fire small plastic pellets or BBs. Guns come in three types according to the type of firing mechanism – spring, gas and electricity.
Spring airsoft guns are the most basic and use a mechanical system. You need to cock them before firing just as you would with a real shotgun or bolt action rifle. Cocking the gun compresses a spring which is attached to a piston. Then when you pull a trigger, the piston shoots forward compressing the air in the cylinder firing the pellet. Because of the mechanism, they’re single shot weapons. Spring operated models are perfect for entry level users looking for cheap airsoft guns to test the waters.
Gas fired guns are more advanced. They use gas, usually green gas or carbon dioxide, to fire the pellets. The gas comes in canisters which load into the bottom of the magazine. Gas airsoft guns come in blowback and non-blowback types. The former are more functional as after firing, the gas blows back to reset the mechanism ready for the next shot. This feature also makes the airsoft feel more like a real gun.
The main advantage they offer over spring guns is the ability for rapid fire which is useful in the tumultuous environment of airsoft games. You can fire your gas gun as quickly as you can pull the trigger as the reloading mechanism is very efficient. In fact, they work in a way that’s very similar to real firearms.
Electric powered guns are now the most commonly used. Electric airsoft guns use electrical power from a battery to work a gear and piston system. Operation is usually semi and sometimes fully automatic. The latter are known as AEG (automatic electric gun) airsoft guns.