Popular Airsoft Gun Features

1. Magazines

Airsoft firearms now come with magazines that look uncannily similar to real firearms' magazines. In fact, some airsoft firearm magazines are made of the same materials (metal and high-grade plastics) used to make magazines for conventional guns. 

2. Sights

Almost all modern airsoft guns, especially rifles, come with optical sights. If you intend to practice long-range shooting, go for an airsoft rifle with a telescopic sight. For short-range shooting, it is advisable to select an airsoft gun with a red dot sight. Most of these guns have cheap sights although a few pricey models have expensive and highly accurate optical sights.

Types of Airsoft Guns

1. Gas powered

Gas powered airsoft guns use propane, green gas (mixture of silicon oil, propane, and odor modifiers), HFC-134a, and in some rare instances red gas (HCFC-22) and high-pressure air (carbon dioxide and nitrogen).

2. Electric powered

Electric powered guns are the most common and use rechargeable electric batteries to power an electric motor and internal spring/piston-based pellet firing elements. This type of gun can propel a pellet at 150 to 650 ft/s.

3. Spring powered

This type of airsoft gun relies on the elastic potential energy stored in a coiled spring to fire pellets. As such, owners must cock their guns before firing a single pellet. In spite of this drawback, spring powered guns fire pellets at 400 to 700 ft/s.

Airsoft guns have been around since the 1980s and have spawned numerous airsoft fan clubs as well as games that attract thousands of participants. Popular features on these guns include sights, magazines, and laser pointers. The common types of airsoft guns on the market today include electric, gas and spring powered guns.